Ajustable antenna

• US 9,819,402 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2013
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Luong, Jean-Luc
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALIH, AWAT M
• Application Number:
  US13/906,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20130321235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 343850, 343867, 343866, 343876, 343870, 343745, 343748, 343732, 343764, 343788, 343855, 343742-744, 343861, 343868, 343853, 343859, 3405681, 3405722, 455 411, 455 412, 455 413, 4551931, 455121, 455 78
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07773 Antenna details antennas for wireless devices, e.g. RFID tags, in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2208 associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns G06K7/00; record carrier for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils

Abstract

The invention provides an antenna which can be configured to use s selected number of coils but for the same operating frequency. This enables a desired (and adjustable) compromise to be found between power consumption and signal strength.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

a set of at least two antenna coils;

a bank of at least two capacitors; and

a switching arrangement,

wherein the switching arrangement is selectably configurable to define at least two operating modes, in which different combinations of antenna coils and capacitors are selectably connected into circuit, wherein the different combinations of antenna coils and capacitors, define the same operating frequency in the two operating modes but with a different number of antenna coils for the respective operating modes, and wherein the operating modes comprise different power consumption modes of operation, corresponding to respective different amounts of power from the use of the set of antenna coils to generate a magnetic field, wherein in a first of the operating modes, a first current is provided to a first set of a first number of antenna coils for consumption by the first set, and wherein in a second of the operating modes, a second current, higher than the first current, is provided to a second set of a second number of antenna coils, wherein the second number of antenna coils is lower than the first number of antenna coils.

2. An antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two antenna coils are connected in series in one of the operating modes;

and wherein the switching arrangement is configured to change the operating modes in response to a desired change in the signal strength for an RF field at the operating frequency.

3. An antenna as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a set of n antenna coils, where the switching arrangement is configurable to define a plurality of operating modes, each operating mode comprising a different number of the antenna coils in series and a different capacitance in parallel with the antenna coils, wherein an antenna LC value for the antenna is constant between the plurality of operating modes.

4. An antenna as claimed in claim 3, wherein the switching arrangement is configurable to define n operating modes.

5. An antenna as claimed in claim 3, wherein the capacitor bank comprises n capacitors in parallel, and the switching arrangement is configurable to select a different capacitor or parallel combination of capacitors for each operating mode.

6. An antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching arrangement comprises a respective switch between one terminal of each antenna coil and the capacitor bank.

7. An antenna as claimed in claim 6, wherein the switch arrangement comprises a respective switch between each adjacent pair of antenna coils to define a series connection of all antenna coils.

8. An antenna as claimed in claim 1, further comprising no more than four antenna coils in one of the sets.

9. An antenna as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a pair of control pins for setting four different switch settings for four modes.

10. A communications apparatus comprising:

an antenna that includes;

a set of at least two antenna coils;

a bank of at least two capacitors; and

a switching arrangement that is configurable to define at least two operating modes, in which different combinations of the antenna coils and the capacitors are connected in respective operating modes, wherein the different combinations of antenna coils and capacitors have the same operating frequency; and

a controller circuit configured to;

select between the at least two operating modes of the antenna,

provide, in a first of the operating modes, a first current to a first number of antenna coils; and

provide, in a second of the operating modes, a second current, higher than the first current, to a second number of antenna coils, lower than the first number of antenna coils.

11. A communications apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the apparatus is configured to function as a near field communication apparatus.

12. A method of setting an operating mode of an antenna, which comprises a set of at least two antenna coils, a bank of at least two capacitors and a switching arrangement, the method comprising:

configuring the switching arrangement to define a selected one of at least two selectably operating modes, in which different operating modes, a different combination of antenna coils and capacitors is connected into circuit, wherein the different combinations of antenna coils and capacitors define the same operating frequency in two operating modes but with a different number of antenna coils, and wherein the operating modes comprise different power consumption modes of operation, the power consumption modes each consuming a different amount of power from the use of the set of antenna coils to generate a magnetic field; and

changing an amount of current through the antenna for a first one of the power consumption modes relative to an amount of current through the antenna for a second one of the power consumption modes, wherein fewer antenna coils are connected in the first one of the power consumption modes than in the second one of the power consumption modes.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising selecting between the different operating modes based upon a relative amount of power consumed in the at least two operating modes, and in response to the step of selecting, using a different amount of current through the antenna for another of the sets of antenna coils.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein changing an amount of current includes increasing an amount of current through the antenna for a first one of the power consumption modes relative to an amount of current through the antenna for a second one of the power consumption modes.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the increasing is in response to whether or not a device that includes the antenna is using battery power.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the different number of antenna coils give rise to different operating current, different power consumption and different magnetic field strength.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the different number of antenna coils give rise to different operating current, different power consumption and different magnetic field strength, and further comprising increasing an amount of current through the antenna for a first one of the power consumption modes relative to an amount of current through the antenna for second one of the power consumption modes.