Computing device with NFC and active load modulation

• US 9,904,887 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iCashe, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tyfone Incorporated
• Inventors: Narendra, Siva G., Chakraborty, Saurav, Tadepalli, Prabhakar
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US15/338,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20170046609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 485 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721, 3405728, 340 101, 340 1051, 235492, 235379, 235380, 235493, 710 1, 710100, 710301, 455558
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0715 the arrangement including means to regulate power transfer to the integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0726 the arrangement including a circuit for tuning the resonance frequency of an antenna on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0727 the arrangement being a circuit facilitating integration of the record carrier with a hand-held device such as a smart phone of PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07732 the record carrier having a housing or construction similar to well-known portable memory devices, such as SD cards, USB or memory sticks housings for electrical equipment in general, see H05K5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07769 the further communication means being a galvanic interface, e.g. hybrid or mixed smart cards having a contact and a non-contact interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/70 specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An RFID card includes a smartcard controller that receives power from a host device. The RFID card also includes a small inductive device capable of inductive coupling with an RFID reader. The small inductive device is small enough to fit in the form factor of a memory card or SIM card. Enhancement circuits enhance the usable read and write distance of the RFID card.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a smartcard controller;

an inductive element to interact with a near field communication (NFC) reader, wherein the inductive element is too small to power the smartcard controller when placed in an interrogating radio frequency field; and

an active transmit driver coupled between the smartcard controller and the inductive element to transmit digital data.

2. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the smartcard controller is coupled to receive power from the computing device.

3. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the inductive element is tuned to be resonant at 13.56 MHz.

4. The computing device of claim 3 wherein the smartcard controller is coupled to receive power from the computing device.

5. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the active transmit driver includes a load modulation driver circuit.

6. The computing device of claim 1 wherein interaction with an NFC reader effects mobile payments.

7. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile phone.

8. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the computing device comprises a mobile computing device.

9. A computing device comprising:

a smartcard controller;

an inductive element to interact with a near field communication (NFC) reader, wherein the inductive element is too small to power the smartcard controller when placed in an interrogating radio frequency field; and

a load modulation circuit coupled between the smartcard controller and the inductive element to transmit digital data.

10. The computing device of claim 9 wherein the smartcard controller is coupled to receive power from the computing device.

11. The computing device of claim 9 wherein the inductive element is tuned to be resonant at 13.56 MHz.

12. The computing device of claim 9 wherein the smartcard controller is coupled to receive power from the computing device.

13. The computing device of claim 9 wherein interaction with an NFC reader effects mobile payments.

14. The computing device of claim 9 wherein the computing device comprises a mobile phone.

15. The computing device of claim 9 wherein the computing device comprises a mobile computing device.

16. A computing device comprising:

a smartcard controller;

an inductive element to interact with a near field communication (NFC) reader, wherein the inductive element is too small to power the smartcard controller when placed in an interrogating radio frequency field; and

a performance enhancement circuit coupled between the smartcard controller and the inductive element, the performance enhancement integrated circuit including a load modulation driver circuit to drive the inductive element.

17. The computing device of claim 16 wherein the smartcard controller is coupled to receive power from the computing device.

18. The computing device of claim 16 wherein the inductive element is tuned to be resonant at 13.56 MHz.

19. The computing device of claim 16 wherein interaction with an NFC reader effects mobile payments.

20. The computing device of claim 16 wherein the performance enhancement circuit further includes an amplifier coupled to receive a signal from the inductive coil.