System and method for close proximity communication

• US 9,455,771 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2015
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freelinc Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Freelinc Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Dobyns, Douglas Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US14/932,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20160056864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/411, 455/418
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/263 Multiple coils at either side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 Antenna selection according to transmission parameters

Abstract

A system and method for close proximity communication is disclosed. The method comprises detecting a signal transmitted by a close proximity communication (CPC) device at a distance of one of greater than and less than a CPC detection perimeter with a multi-mode magnetic induction communication (MMMIC) device having at least one antenna. The type of device transmitting the detected signal is identified. The MMMIC device is enabled to communicate with the close proximity communication device at one of the distance of greater than the CPC detection perimeter and less than the CPC detection perimeter based on the type of device that is identified.

Claims

1. A close proximity communication system, comprising:

a multi-mode magnetic inductive communication (MMMIC) device having at least two antennas which are positioned to be substantially mutually orthogonal to one another, wherein the MMMIC device is configured to detect a signal transmitted by a close proximity communication (CPC) device at a distance of one of greater than a CPC detection perimeter and less than a CPC detection perimeter;

an identification module configured to determine a type of device that the close proximity communication device is based on the signal transmitted;

a communication module configured to communicate with the close proximity communication device at one of a first distance of greater than the CPC detection perimeter and a second distance of less than the CPC detection perimeter based on the type of device that is determined by the identification module; and

a magnetic induction diversity module configured to select a magnetic induction diversity scheme for the MMMIC device to communicate with the close proximity communication device based on the first or second distance selected over which to communicate, wherein the magnetic induction diversity module selects at least one of the at least two antennas for the MMMIC device to communicate.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic induction diversity module is configured to select one of the at least two antennas that is most sensitive to the signal transmitted by the close proximity communication device when the close proximity communication device is at the distance greater than the CPC detection perimeter.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic induction diversity module is configured to:

select one of the at least two antennas that is not the most sensitive to the signal transmitted by the close proximity communication device when the close proximity communication device is at the distance less than the CPC detection perimeter;

or

select one of the at least two antennas that is least sensitive to the signal transmitted by the close proximity communication device when the close proximity communication device is at the distance less than the CPC detection perimeter.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the MMMIC device is configured to be compliant with the NFC specification when communicating with the close proximity communication device at the distance of less than the CPC detection perimeter.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the MMMIC device has three antennas which are positioned to be substantially mutually orthogonal to one another.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the CPC detection perimeter is about 10 cm.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the CPC detection perimeter is about 20 cm.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the CPC detection perimeter is about 50 cm.

9. A multi-mode magnetic induction communication (MMMIC) system, comprising:

a first near field magnetic induction (NFMI) communication device having a single antenna operable to communicate using a near-field magnetic inductive signal in a first mode;

a second NFMI communication device operable to communicate using a near-field magnetic inductive signal in a second mode comprising;

a plurality of substantially orthogonal antennas;

a magnetic induction diversity selection module configured to select at least one of the plurality of substantially orthogonal antennas on which to communicate using a selection metric to enable the second NFMI communication device to communicate over a greater distance than the first NFMI communication device; and

an enclosure containing the first NFMI communication device and the second NFMI communication device,

wherein the single antenna for the first NFMI communication device is selected from the plurality of substantially orthogonal antennas used by the second NFMI communication device based on a value of the selection metric of the magnetic induction diversity selection module.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the magnetic induction diversity selection module is configured to:

select the single antenna for the first NFMI communication device from an antenna in the plurality of antennas that is least sensitive to a received signal according to a value of the selection metric of the magnetic induction diversity selection module;

or

select at least one antenna from the plurality of antennas that is not least sensitive to a received signal according to a value of the selection metric of the magnetic induction diversity module for use by the second NFMI communication device to transmit or receive the near field magnetic inductive signal.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first NFMI communication device is configured to communicate with near field communication (NFC) compliant communication devices within a distance less than approximately about 10 cm or a distance greater than approximately about 10 cm.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first NFMI communication device is configured to communicate in an amplitude shift key (ASK) mode or the second NFMI communication device is configured to communicate with communication devices configured to receive near field magnetic inductive communication signals.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the first NFMI communication device and the second NFMI communication device use a common radio frequency (RF) back end;

or

the first NFMI communication device and the second NFMI communication device are located on at least one of a single semiconductor chip and a same package containing multiple semiconductor chips.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the second NFMI communication device is configured to communicate in at least one of a Gaussian minimum shift keying mode and a quadrature phase shift keying mode.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first NFMI communication device and the second NFMI communication device are configured to communicate with at least one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) device and a passive keyless entry device.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the first NFMI communication device shares the single antenna with the second NFMI communication device.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the first NFMI communication device and the second NFMI communication device share the single antenna using time division multiplexing.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the magnetic induction diversity selection module is configured to update the at least one selected antenna on which to communicate at a predetermined frequency.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the first NFMI communication device is compliant with a near field communication (NFC) specification.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein the first NFMI communication device and the second NFMI communication device are configured to communicate simultaneously with two separate communication devices.