Near-field communication device comprising two NFC areas

• US 9,887,460 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2017
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG), Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG), Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Cheikh, Mohamed, Vigneau, Guillaume, Bouguern, Said
• Primary Examiner(s): JACKSON, BLANE J
• Application Number:
  US15/595,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20170338559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/103 Near field communication [NFC]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10128 the step consisting of detection of the presence of one or more record carriers in the vicinity of the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/314 using frequency dependent circuits or components, e.g. trap circuits or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/335 at the feed, e.g. for impedance matching

Abstract

A near-field communication device includes: a processing module and a first antenna arranged in a first near-field communication area and connected to the processing module; a first presence detector arranged in the first area; a second antenna arranged in a second near-field communication area, the first antenna and the second antenna being electrically in series and forming a circuit of antennae; a second presence detector arranged in the second area; and a control circuit designed to place the circuit of antennae into at least two different operating modes: a) a first mode, termed ‘functional mode’, in which the circuit of antennae allows near-field communication, and b) a second mode, termed ‘dysfunctional mode’, in which the circuit of antennae does not allow near-field communication.

Claims

1. Near-field communication device (18) comprising:

a processing module (10) and a first antenna (14) arranged in a first near-field communication area (12) and connected to said processing module (10),

a first presence detector (16) arranged in the first area (12), wherein

said device (18) furthermore comprises;

a second antenna (15) arranged in a second near-field communication area (13), the first antenna (14) and the second antenna (15) being electrically in series and forming a circuit of antennae (29),

a second presence detector (17) arranged in the second area (13),

a control circuit (11) designed to place the circuit of antennae (29) into at least two different operating modes;

a first mode, termed ‘

functional mode’

, in which the circuit of antennae (29) allows near-field communication,

a second mode, termed ‘

dysfunctional mode’

, in which the circuit of antennae (29) does not allow near-field communication,

said control circuit (11) being configured to place the circuit of antennae (29) into the functional mode or into the dysfunctional mode depending on detection signals provided by the first presence detector (16) and by the second presence detector (17).

2. Device (18) according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit (11) is configured to place the circuit of antennae (29) into the dysfunctional mode if and only if:

the detection signal provided by the first presence detector (16) indicates the presence of a near-field communication appliance in the proximity of said first area (12), and

the detection signal provided by the second presence detector (17) indicates the absence of a near-field communication appliance in the proximity of the second area (13),

the control circuit (11) being configured to place the circuit of antennae (29) into functional mode for all of the other combinations of detection signals provided by the first presence detector (16) and the second presence detector (17).

3. Device (18) according to claim 2, wherein the circuit of antennae (29) comprises a first capacitor (19) having a capacitance adapted to ensure that the circuit of antennae (29) resonates at a resonant frequency that is suitable for near-field communication.

4. Device (18) according to claim 2, wherein the control circuit (11) comprises a first switch (21) designed to open the circuit of antennae (29) in order to place it into dysfunctional mode.

5. Device (18) according to claim 2, further comprising an active antenna (24) connected to the processing module (10), and wherein the circuit of antennae (29) is coupled electromagnetically to said active antenna (24) such that said circuit of antennae (29) is connected to the processing module by means of the active antenna (24).

6. Device (18) according to claim 1, wherein the circuit of antennae (29) comprises a first capacitor (19) having a capacitance adapted to ensure that the circuit of antennae (29) resonates at a resonant frequency that is suitable for near-field communication.

7. Device (18) according to claim 6, wherein the control circuit (11) comprises a first switch (21) making it possible to short-circuit the first capacitor (19) so that the circuit of antennae (29) resonates at a frequency that is not suitable for near-field communication, in order to place the circuit of antennae (29) into dysfunctional mode.

8. Device (18) according to claim 7, wherein said first capacitor (19) is arranged in the second area (13).

9. Device (18) according to claim 7, further comprising an active antenna (24) connected to the processing module (10), and wherein the circuit of antennae (29) is coupled electromagnetically to said active antenna (24) such that said circuit of antennae (29) is connected to the processing module by means of the active antenna (24).

10. Device (18) according to claim 6, wherein said first capacitor (19) is arranged in the second area (13).

11. Device (18) according to claim 10, wherein the circuit of antennae (29) furthermore comprises a second capacitor (23) arranged in the first area (12).

12. Device (18) according to claim 10, further comprising an active antenna (24) connected to the processing module (10), and wherein the circuit of antennae (29) is coupled electromagnetically to said active antenna (24) such that said circuit of antennae (29) is connected to the processing module by means of the active antenna (24).

13. Device (18) according to claim 6, wherein the control circuit (11) comprises a first switch (21) designed to open the circuit of antennae (29) in order to place it into dysfunctional mode.

14. Device (18) according to claim 6, further comprising an active antenna (24) connected to the processing module (10), and wherein the circuit of antennae (29) is coupled electromagnetically to said active antenna (24) such that said circuit of antennae (29) is connected to the processing module by means of the active antenna (24).

15. Device (18) according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit (11) comprises a first switch (21) designed to open the circuit of antennae (29) in order to place it into dysfunctional mode.

16. Device (18) according to claim 15, wherein said first capacitor (19) is arranged in the second area (13).

17. Device (18) according to claim 15, further comprising an active antenna (24) connected to the processing module (10), and wherein the circuit of antennae (29) is coupled electromagnetically to said active antenna (24) such that said circuit of antennae (29) is connected to the processing module by means of the active antenna (24).

18. Device (18) according to claim 1, further comprising an active antenna (24) connected to the processing module (10), and wherein the circuit of antennae (29) is coupled electromagnetically to said active antenna (24) such that said circuit of antennae (29) is connected to the processing module by means of the active antenna (24).

19. Device (18) according to claim 1, wherein the circuit of antennae (29) is connected directly to the processing module (10).

20. Motor vehicle comprising a near-field communication device (18) according to claim 1.