MITIGATING OVER-COUPLING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY NFC DEVICES

• US 20160028445A1
• Filed: 02/19/2015
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: So, Vincent, MOFIDI, Mahbod, Yudhish, Kritarth, Keragodu Surya Prakash, Sumanth
• Application Number:
  US14/626,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20160028445A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/70 specially adapted for specific purposes

Abstract

Aspects disclosed herein relate to mitigating an antenna over-coupling condition in near field communication (NFC) devices. A transmission signal for a transmitted carrier is generated at a transmit circuit of an initiator NFC device, and a received carrier is received at a receive circuit of the initiator NFC device. The initiator NFC device can detect an antenna over-coupling condition related to antenna coupling with a remote NFC device based at least in part on the transmission signal and the received carrier. Where the condition is detected, at least one of a transmit circuit parameter for the transmit circuit or a receive circuit parameter of the receive circuit is modified to reduce the antenna over-coupling condition

Claims

1. A method of mitigating an antenna over-coupling condition in a near field communication (NFC) device, comprising:

generating a transmission signal for a transmitted carrier at a transmit circuit of an initiator NFC device;

receiving a received carrier at a receive circuit of the initiator NFC device;

detecting, at the initiator NFC device, the antenna over-coupling condition related to antenna coupling with a remote NFC device based on at least one of the transmission signal or the received carrier; and

modifying at least one of a transmit circuit parameter for the transmit circuit or a receive circuit parameter for the receive circuit to mitigate the antenna over-coupling condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the antenna over-coupling condition comprises determining that a direct current (DC) level between the transmission signal and the received carrier differ at least by a threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the DC level between the transmission signal and the received carrier differ comprises detecting that at least a DC In-phase (I) level or a DC Quadrature (Q) level differ at least by the threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the antenna over-coupling condition comprises determining a phase change between the transmission signal and the received carrier differ at least by a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the antenna over-coupling condition comprises determining an amplitude change between the transmission signal and the received carrier differ at least by a threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the antenna over-coupling condition comprises determining a direct current (DC) peak of the received carrier achieves a threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the antenna over-coupling condition comprises determining an envelope of the received carrier achieves a threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the antenna over-coupling condition comprises determining an energy from the received carrier achieves a threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying at least one of the transmit circuit parameter or the receive circuit parameter comprises increasing an initiator mode resonance based at least in part on detecting the antenna over-coupling condition.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying at least one of the transmit circuit parameter or the receive circuit parameter comprises modifying a receive acquisition threshold for establishing communications with other NFC devices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying at least one of the transmit circuit parameter or the receive circuit parameter comprises modifying at least one of a transmit power, a transmit carrier phase, a transmit power supply voltage, a transmit de-Qing factor, a receiver gain, or a receiver local oscillator phase.

12. An apparatus for mitigating an antenna over-coupling condition in a near field communication (NFC) device, comprising:

a transmitter configured to generate a transmission signal for a transmitted carrier at a transmit circuit of an initiator NFC device;

a receiver configured to receive a received carrier at a receive circuit of the initiator NFC device;

an over-coupling detecting component configured to detect, at the initiator NFC device, the antenna over-coupling condition related to antenna coupling with a remote NFC device based on at least one of the transmission signal or the received carrier; and

a transmit (Tx)/receive (Rx) parameter component configured to modify at least one of a transmit circuit parameter for the transmit circuit or a receive circuit parameter for the receive circuit to mitigate the antenna over-coupling condition.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the over-coupling detecting component is configured to detect the antenna over-coupling condition at least in part by determining that a direct current (DC) level between the transmission signal and the received carrier differ at least by a threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the over-coupling detecting component is configured to detect the antenna over-coupling condition at least in part by determining a phase change between the transmission signal and the received carrier differ at least by a threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the over-coupling detecting component is configured to detect the antenna over-coupling condition at least in part by determining an amplitude change between the transmission signal and the received carrier differ at least by a threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the over-coupling detecting component is configured to detect the antenna over-coupling condition at least in part by at least one of determining a direct current (DC) peak of the received carrier achieves a first threshold, determining an envelope of the received carrier achieves a second threshold, or determining an energy from the received carrier achieves a third threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the Tx/Rx parameter component is configured to modify at least one of the transmit circuit parameter or the receive circuit parameter at least in part by increasing an initiator mode resonance based at least in part on detecting the antenna over-coupling condition.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the Tx/Rx parameter component is configured to modify at least one of the transmit circuit parameter or the receive circuit parameter at least in part by modifying a receive acquisition threshold for establishing communications with other NFC devices.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the Tx/Rx parameter component is configured to modify at least one of the transmit circuit parameter or the receive circuit parameter at least in part by modifying at least one of a transmit power, a transmit carrier phase, a transmit power supply voltage, a transmit de-Qing factor, a receiver gain, or a receiver local oscillator phase.

20. An apparatus for mitigating an antenna over-coupling condition in a near field communication (NFC) device, comprising:

means for generating a transmission signal for a transmitted carrier at a transmit circuit of an initiator NFC device;

means for receiving a received carrier at a receive circuit of the initiator NFC device;

means for detecting, at the initiator NFC device, the antenna over-coupling condition related to antenna coupling with a remote NFC device based on at least one of the transmission signal or the received carrier; and

means for modifying at least one of a transmit circuit parameter for the transmit circuit or a receive circuit parameter for the receive circuit to mitigate the antenna over-coupling condition.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for detecting detects the antenna over-coupling condition at least in part by determining that a direct current (DC) level between the transmission signal and the received carrier differ at least by a threshold.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for detecting detects the antenna over-coupling condition at least in part by determining a phase change between the transmission signal and the received carrier differ at least by a threshold.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for detecting detects the antenna over-coupling condition at least in part by determining an amplitude change between the transmission signal and the received carrier differ at least by a threshold.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for detecting detects the antenna over-coupling condition at least in part by at least one of determining a direct current (DC) peak of the received carrier achieves a first threshold, determining an envelope of the received carrier achieves a second threshold, or determining an energy from the received carrier achieves a third threshold.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for modifying modifies at least one of the transmit circuit parameter or the receive circuit parameter at least in part by increasing an initiator mode resonance based at least in part on detecting the antenna over-coupling condition, modifying a receive acquisition threshold for establishing communications with other NFC devices, or modifying at least one of a transmit power, a transmit carrier phase, a transmit power supply voltage, a transmit de-Qing factor, a receiver gain, or a receiver local oscillator phase.

26. A computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for mitigating an antenna over-coupling condition in a near field communication (NFC) device, comprising:

code for generating a transmission signal for a transmitted carrier at a transmit circuit of an initiator NFC device;

code for receiving a received carrier at a receive circuit of the initiator NFC device;

code for detecting, at the initiator NFC device, the antenna over-coupling condition related to antenna coupling with a remote NFC device based on at least one of the transmission signal or the received carrier; and

code for modifying at least one of a transmit circuit parameter for the transmit circuit or a receive circuit parameter for the receive circuit to mitigate the antenna over-coupling condition.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the code for detecting detects the antenna over-coupling condition at least in part by determining that a direct current (DC) level between the transmission signal and the received carrier differ at least by a threshold.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the code for detecting detects the antenna over-coupling condition at least in part by determining a phase change between the transmission signal and the received carrier differ at least by a threshold.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the code for detecting detects the antenna over-coupling condition at least in part by at least one of determining an amplitude change between the transmission signal and the received carrier differ at least by a first threshold, determining a direct current (DC) peak of the received carrier achieves a second threshold, determining an envelope of the received carrier achieves a third threshold, or determining an energy from the received carrier achieves a fourth threshold.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the code for modifying modifies at least one of the transmit circuit parameter or the receive circuit parameter at least in part by increasing an initiator mode resonance based at least in part on detecting the antenna over-coupling condition, modifying a receive acquisition threshold for establishing communications with other NFC devices, or modifying at least one of a transmit power, a transmit carrier phase, a transmit power supply voltage, a transmit de-Qing factor, a receiver gain, or a receiver local oscillator phase.