Near field communications (NFC) modulation feedback apparatus for tuned antenna configurations

• US 9,461,716 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Cox, Timothy F., Karandikar, Niranjan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US14/635,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20160261314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/13 of power amplifiers, e.g. gain or non-linearity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/21 for calibration; for correcting measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 1/00 Frequency-division multiplex systems H04J14/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID

Abstract

Described herein are architectures, platforms and methods for calibrating a near field communication (NFC) reader/writer device using a modulation feedback apparatus for tuned antenna configurations.

Claims

1. A near field communication (NFC) device comprising:

an antenna configured to receive a modulated NFC carrier frequency signal;

a modulation detector coupled to the antenna, wherein the modulation detector is configured to detect measure a modulation characteristic of the received modulated NFC carrier frequency signal;

an NFC controller configured to receive the detected modulation characteristic from the modulation detector, wherein the NFC controller is further configured to perform a calibration adjustment based on the detected modulation characteristic;

and a connection that connects the NFC controller to the antenna.

2. The NFC device of claim 1, wherein the modulation characteristic includes a modulation index and a low-frequency baseband signal.

3. The NFC device of claim 1, wherein the connection is a frequency multiplexer that facilitates the low-frequency baseband signal to be fed-back to the NFC controller.

4. The NFC device of claim 1, wherein the calibration adjustment includes a compensation or an adjustment of the modulation characteristic.

5. The NFC device of claim 1, wherein the NFC controller further comprises a modulation measurement diplexer configured to facilitate receiving of the detected modulation characteristic that includes a low-frequency baseband signal.

6. The NFC device of claim 1 further comprising an RF matching network that matches an impedance of the antenna to an output impedance of the NFC controller, wherein the impedance of the antenna is based upon a physical orientation and an electrical characteristic of a coupling NFC tag or card.

7. The NFC device of claim 1 further comprising a power amplifier disposed between the NFC controller and the antenna, wherein the power amplifier is calibrated by using a maximum impedance loading due to the coupling NFC tag or card.

8. The NFC device of claim 7, wherein the calibration of the power amplifier includes a linearity of operation at the maximum impedance.

9. The NFC device of claim 1, wherein the connection is configured to pass multi-frequency bands.

10. A device comprising:

an antenna that includes an impedance loading due to a coupling near field communication (NFC) card or tag;

a modulation detector coupled to the antenna and configured to measure a modulation index;

a near field communications (NFC) module configured to receive a feedback detected modulation index, the NFC module comprising;

a power amplifier configured to have a linear operation based on a maximum impedance loading at the antenna; and

a modulation measurement diplexer configured to facilitate the receiving of the detected modulation index that is fed back by the modulation detector, wherein the NFC controller performs a calibration adjustment based on the detected modulation index; and

a connection that connects the NFC module to the antenna, wherein the connection is configured to facilitate feeding back of the detected modulation index from the antenna to the NFC module.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the modulation detector is configured to detect and demodulate a low-frequency baseband signal of a modulated NFC carrier frequency signal.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the connection is a frequency multiplexer that facilitates the low-frequency baseband signal to be fed-back to the NFC module.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the calibration adjustment includes a compensation or an adjustment of the modulation index for a particular impedance loading at the antenna.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the maximum impedance loading is based upon a physical orientation and an electrical characteristic of a coupling NFC tag or card.

15. A method of near field communication (NFC) modulation calibration comprising:

receiving a modulated NFC carrier frequency signal by an antenna;

measuring a modulation characteristic of the received modulated NFC carrier frequency signal by a modulation detector that is coupled to the antenna;

feeding back the measured modulation characteristic through a connection; and

adjusting a modulation based on the measured modulation characteristic by an NFC controller.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the measuring of the modulation characteristic includes measuring a modulation index or demodulating a low-frequency baseband signal component of the received modulated NFC carrier frequency signal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the feeding back of the measured modulation characteristic utilizes the same connection that is used to receive the modulated NFC carrier frequency signal.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the adjusting the modulation includes adjustment of a modulation index of the modulated NFC carrier frequency signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the adjustment of the modulation index is at least based upon a maximum impedance loading at an antenna, wherein the maximum impedance is due to a coupling NFC card or tag.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the modulated NFC carrier frequency signal of about 13.56 MHz.