Shaping near-field transmission signals

• US 9,450,649 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2013
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Contaldo, Matteo, Declercq, Frederic
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US13/932,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20140004794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication

Abstract

The present disclosure describes apparatuses and techniques for shaping near-field transmission signals. In some aspects, a baseband data signal is shaped based on a coupling condition of an antenna. A radio frequency (RF) carrier signal is modulated with the shaped baseband data signal to provide a shaped transmission signal, which is then applied to the antenna to generate an RF field. The shaped transmission signal can be effective to reduce distortions of the RF field associated with the coupling condition.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

estimating a coupling condition of an antenna;

shaping, based on the coupling condition of the antenna, a baseband data signal;

modulating a radio frequency (RF) carrier signal with the shaped baseband data signal to provide a shaped transmission signal;

applying the shaped transmission signal to the antenna to generate an RF field, the shaped transmission signal effective to reduce distortion of the RF field associated with the coupling condition;

updating the coupling condition of the antenna; and

dynamically adjusting the shaped transmission signal while the shaped transmission signal is applied to the antenna, the adjusting responsive to a changed coupling condition.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the estimating the coupling condition of the antenna is based on electrical characteristics of a previous transmission signal or previously-generated RF field.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein shaping the baseband data signal uses a set of parameters optimized for a range of coupling conditions.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein shaping the baseband data signal includes applying a ramp generator or filter to the baseband data signal.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the ramp generator is a programmable ramp generator or the filter is a programmable filter effective to enable dynamic shaping of the baseband data signal.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising modulating, via amplitude shift keying, a baseband signal with data to provide the baseband data signal.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the antenna is an antenna of a nearfield communication (NFC) polling device and the coupling condition of the antenna includes a mutual inductance between the antenna and another antenna of an NFC listening circuit.

8. A circuit comprising:

one or more components configured to;

shape a baseband data signal, the shaping based on a coupling condition of the antenna; and

dynamically adjust the baseband data signal responsive to a change in the coupling condition during operation of the circuit;

a modulator configured to;

modulate a radio frequency (RF) carrier signal with the shaped baseband data signal to provide a shaped transmission signal; and

responsive to the change in the coupling condition, modulate the RF carrier signal with the adjusted baseband data signal to provide an adjusted transmission signal; and

a transmitter configured to;

transmit the shaped transmission signal via the antenna to generate an RF field, the shaped transmission signal effective to reduce distortions of the RF field due to the coupling condition; and

transmit the adjusted transmission signal to generate an RF field, the adjusted transmission signal effective to reduce distortions of the RF field due to the changed coupling condition.

9. The circuit as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more components include a ramp generator configured to ramp a transition of the baseband data signal, or include a filter configured to filter the transition of the baseband data signal.

10. The circuit as recited in claim 8, wherein a signal-shape controller is configured to estimate the coupling condition by determining, based on feedback provided by the transmitter, characteristics of the coupling condition.

11. The circuit as recited in claim 10, wherein the signal-shape controller is further configured to cause, based on the characteristics of the coupling condition, the one or more components to dynamically shape the baseband data signal.

12. The circuit as recited in claim 8, wherein a frequency of the RF carrier signal is approximately 13 Megahertz.

13. The circuit as recited in claim 8, wherein the circuit is implemented in a device configured for near-field communication (NFC) or short-range wireless communication.

14. The circuit as recited in claim 8, wherein a shape of the shaped transmission signal is effective to compensate for excessive signal over-shoot, signal ringing, or signal rise or fall times in the first antenna.

15. A System-on-Chip comprising:

a modulator configured to modulate a radio frequency (RF) carrier signal with a baseband data signal to provide a transmission signal;

a transmitter configured to apply, through an antenna interface, the transmission signal to an antenna to produce an RF field; and

a signal-shape controller configured to;

determine a coupling condition of the antenna;

calculate, based on the coupling condition of the antenna, parameters for shaping the baseband data signal;

shape, based on the parameters, the baseband data signal effective to provide a shaped transmission signal that, when transmitted via the antenna, creates an RF field having reduced coupling condition-related distortion;

re-calculate, responsive to a changed coupling condition of the antenna, adjusted parameters for shaping the baseband data signal; and

dynamically adjust, during transmission and based on the re-calculated adjusted parameters, the baseband data signal effective to provide an adjusted transmission signal that, when transmitted, creates an RF field having reduced coupling condition-related distortion.

16. The System-on-Chip as recited in claim 15, wherein the signal-shape controller is further configured to determine the coupling condition of the antenna by receiving feedback from the transmitter, the feedback characterizing the coupling condition of the antenna.

17. The System-on-Chip as recited in claim 15, wherein the System-on-Chip further comprises a ramp generator or filter, and the signal-shape controller is further configured to shape the baseband data signal using the ramp generator or the filter.

18. The System-on-Chip as recited in claim 15, wherein the coupling condition is a result of mutual inductance between the antenna and another antenna of a near-field communication (NFC) listener circuit.

19. The System-on-Chip as recited in claim 15, wherein the System-on-Chip is embodied, in whole or part, as an NFC transceiver.

20. The System-on-Chip as recited in claim 15, wherein the System-on-Chip is embodied in a smart phone, table computer, laptop computer, gaming device, or point-of-sale terminal.