Noncontact communication apparatus and noncontact communication method

• US 8,436,718 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Goto, Tetsuro, Fukuda, Shinichi, Nogami, Asahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARLSON, ADAM C
• Application Number:
  US12/801,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20100328045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 104, 340/10.51, 333/174
• US Class Current: 340/10.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10158 methods and means used by the interrogation device for reliably powering the wireless record carriers using an electromagnetic interrogation field
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10198 setting parameters for the interrogator, e.g. programming parameters and operating modes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10217 parameter settings controlling the transmission power of the interrogator

Abstract

A noncontact communication apparatus is disclosed which includes: an antenna resonance circuit configured to have a coil for communicating with an opposite party through electromagnetic coupling; a changing block configured to change a Q-factor of the antenna resonance circuit; and a control block configured to control the antenna resonance circuit to transmit and receive data to and from the opposite party at one of a plurality of communication speeds prepared beforehand, the control block further controlling the changing block to reduce the Q-factor the higher the communication speed in use.

Claims

1. A noncontact communication apparatus comprising:

an antenna resonance circuit configured to have a coil for communicating with an opposite party through electromagnetic coupling;

changing means for changing a Q-factor of said antenna resonance circuit;

control means for controlling said antenna resonance circuit to transmit and receive data to and from said opposite party at one of a plurality of communication speeds prepared beforehand, said control means further controlling said changing means to reduce said Q-factor the higher the communication speed in use;

distance detection means for detecting a distance of communication with said opposite party by monitoring resonance characteristics of the antenna resonance circuit,

wherein said control means controls said changing means to reduce said Q-factor the shorter the distance detected by said distance detection means; and

a storage block configured to store correspondence table information indicating how distances of communication with said opposite party, said plurality of communication speeds, and Q-factors relative to combinations of said distances of communication with said communication speeds are interrelated, wherein

said control means controls said changing means to change said Q-factor by referencing said correspondence table information stored in said storage block.

2. The noncontact communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detection block configured to receive via said antenna resonance circuit an incoming signal formed by a carrier signal multiplexed with information, said detection block further analyzing envelope changes in said incoming signal so as to generate a detection signal including said information; and

an equalization processing block configured to correct said detection signal so as to output a corrected detection signal, wherein

said equalization processing block is constituted by adaptive equalization means made up of a digital filter.

3. The noncontact communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said control means has a capability to change in successively selective fashion said communication speed from among said plurality of communication speeds, said control means further determining fixedly the communication speed at which a response has been returned from said opposite party so as to perform the data communication with said opposite party.

4. The noncontact communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said control means has a capability to notify said opposite party of one of said plurality of communication speeds, said control means further performing the data communication with said opposite party at the communication speed at which a response to the notification has been returned from said opposite party.

5. The noncontact communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein,

when notifying said opposite party of one of said plurality of communication speeds, said control means selects a lower communication speed while controlling said changing means to raise said Q-factor.

6. The noncontact communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

communication speed detection means for detecting the communication speed at which data has been communicated from said opposite party, wherein

said control means controls said changing means to set the Q-factor corresponding to said communication speed detected by said communication speed detection means.

7. The noncontact communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

communication error detection means for detecting a communication error, wherein,

if the number of the communication errors detected by said communication error detection means exceeds a threshold value, said control means controls said changing means to reduce said Q-factor selectively.

8. The noncontact communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a storage block configured to store correspondence table information representing the correspondence between said plurality of communication speeds on the one hand and the Q-factor for use at each of said communication speeds on the other hand, wherein

said control means controls said changing means to change said Q-factor by referencing said correspondence table information stored in said storage block.

11. The noncontact communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein resonance characteristics include a resonance voltage of the antenna resonance circuit.

12. The noncontact communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein resonance characteristics include a discriminated resonance frequency of the antenna resonance circuit.

9. A noncontact communication method for use with a noncontact communication apparatus including an antenna resonance circuit configured to have a coil for communicating with an opposite party through electromagnetic coupling, and changing means for changing a Q-factor of said antenna resonance circuit, said noncontact communication method comprising:

controlling said antenna resonance circuit to transmit and receive data to and from said opposite party at one of a plurality of communication speeds prepared beforehand; and

controlling said changing means to reduce said Q-factor the higher the communication speed in use;

detecting a distance of communication with said opposite party by monitoring resonance characteristics of the antenna resonance circuit,

wherein said control means controls said changing means to reduce said Q-factor the shorter the distance detected by said distance detection means; and

storing correspondence table information indicating how said distances of communication with said opposite party, said plurality of communication speeds, and Q-factors relative to combinations of said distances of communication with said communication speeds are interrelated,

wherein the noncontact communication apparatus includes a storage block configured to perform said storing, and

wherein said controlling said changing means includes changing said Q-factor by referencing said correspondence table information stored in said storage block.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein resonance characteristics include a resonance voltage of the antenna resonance circuit.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein resonance characteristics include a discriminated resonance frequency of the antenna resonance circuit.

10. A noncontact communication apparatus, comprising:

an antenna resonance circuit configured to have a coil for communicating with an opposite party through electromagnetic coupling;

a Q-factor changing circuit that changes a Q-factor of said antenna resonance circuit;

detection circuit that detects a distance of communication with said opposite party by monitoring resonance characteristics of the antenna resonance circuit,

a controller that controls said antenna resonance circuit to transmit and receive data to and from said opposite party at one of a plurality of communication speeds prepared beforehand and that controls said Q-factor changing circuit to reduce said Q-factor the higher the communication speed and the shorter the distance of communication in use; and

a memory that stores correspondence table information indicating how distances of communication with said opposite party, said plurality of communication speeds, and Q-factors relative to combinations of said distances of communication with said communication speeds are interrelated,

wherein said controller controls said Q-factor changing circuit to chance said Q-factor by referencing said correspondence table information stored in said storage block.

15. The noncontact communication apparatus according to claim 10, wherein resonance characteristics include a resonance voltage of the antenna resonance circuit.

16. The noncontact communication apparatus according to claim 10, wherein resonance characteristics include a discriminated resonance frequency of the antenna resonance circuit.