Antenna unit with automatic tuning

• US 9,088,065 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: N.V. Nederlandsche Apparatenfabrick Nedap
• Original Assignee: N.V. Nederlandsche Apparatenfabrick Nedap
• Inventors: Roosenboom, Derk Jan, Stekelenburg, Jan Cornelis
• Primary Examiner(s): Levi, Dameon E
• Assistant Examiner(s): ISLAM, HASAN Z
• Application Number:
  US12/718,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20110148583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,964 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/572.7, 343/741, 343/860, 343/861, 343/866
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance

Abstract

An antenna unit provided with an antenna which comprises at least one turn, wherein the antenna unit is further provided with an electronic circuit which is connected with the antenna, wherein the electronic circuit comprises connection contacts for connecting the antenna unit with a transmitting device, wherein the electronic circuit is arranged to draw energy from a transmission signal which is supplied to the connection contacts and, utilizing this energy, to tune the antenna unit such that this antenna unit has an impedance which has at least substantially no imaginary component in use of the transmission signal concerned.

Claims

1. An antenna unit comprising:

an antenna comprising at least one turn, and

an electronic circuit connected with the antenna, wherein the electronic circuit comprises connection contacts for connecting the antenna unit with a transmitting device,

wherein the electronic circuit;

draws operating energy for the electronic circuit from a transmission signal supplied to the connection contacts, and

utilizes the operating energy to tune the antenna unit such that the antenna unit has an impedance with substantially no imaginary component in the transmission signal,

wherein the electronic circuit comprises a tuning circuit which forms a tuning capacity which is connected with the antenna, and wherein the tuning circuit is arranged to set a magnitude of the tuning capacity,

wherein the electronic circuit further comprises;

a supply circuit for taking up the operating energy from the transmission signal; and

a measuring and control circuit comprising the tuning circuit, wherein the electronic circuit is arranged such that the measuring and control circuit, in operation, receives energy required therefor from the supply circuit, and wherein the measuring and control circuit is arranged to;

measure whether the antenna in combination with the tuning circuit comprises an impedance with an imaginary component, and

control the tuning circuit such that any measured imaginary component is reduced;

wherein the measuring and control circuit comprises;

a control circuit,

a current circuit that generates a first signal representing a phase of a current through the antenna,

a voltage circuit that generates a second signal representing a phase of a voltage across the antenna and the tuning circuit, and

a phase comparator that compares the first signal and the second signal,

wherein the control circuit, on the basis of a phase difference signal generated by the phase comparator that represents a phase difference between the first and second signal, controls the tuning circuit to reduce the imaginary component, and

wherein the electronic circuit further comprises a transformation selection circuit comprising;

a settable transformer connected by a first side with the connection contacts and connected by a second side with the tuning circuit, and

a selection switch, wherein a ratio between first side turns of the settable transformer and second side turns of the settable transformer is adjusted by the selection switch.

2. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit is mechanically attached to the antenna.

3. The antenna unit, according to claim 2, wherein the electronic circuit is included in a housing mechanically attached to the antenna.

4. The antenna unit according to claim 3, wherein the electronic circuit is included in a housing formed through injection molding.

5. The antenna unit according to claim 4, wherein the housing also encloses a part of the antenna.

6. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit is arranged to determine the tuning capacity magnitude and set the tuning capacity magnitude, such that the tuning capacity substantially compensates the imaginary part of the impedance of the antenna in the transmission signal.

7. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the measuring and control circuit selectively controls the tuning circuit to reduce the measured imaginary component of the impedance in response to determining that the measured imaginary component is greater than a predetermined value.

8. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit further comprises a terminating switch for modulating energy supplied to the connection contacts.

9. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the current circuit is part of the supply circuit.

10. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the voltage circuit is part of the transformation selection circuit.

11. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit further comprises a reset unit for resetting the electronic circuit when energy supply to the antenna unit falls below a predetermined value, and

wherein, as a result of resetting, the antenna is re-tuned by the electronic circuit.

12. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit, at the start of supplying a transmission signal to the antenna unit and/or at predetermined moments when a transmission signal is supplied to the antenna unit, tunes the antenna unit such that the antenna unit has an impedance having substantially no imaginary component in use of the transmission signal.

13. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein a control signal supplied to the connection contacts controls the electronic circuit.

14. The antenna unit according to claim 8, wherein the terminating switch is controllable, by the control circuit, for sending data to a reader connected with the connection contacts by closing and opening again the terminating switch in a rhythm of a sending rate of the data.

15. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein said ratio between the turns is settable with a control signal supplied to the connection contacts.

16. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit generates an error signal supplied to the connection contacts when tuning cannot be carried out in a predetermined desired manner.

17. The antenna unit according to claim 16, wherein the error signal is superposed on the transmission signal supplied to the connection contacts.

18. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the antenna unit suitable for incorporation in a half-duplex system and in a full-duplex system.

19. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit activates, in response to a command, to carry out tuning the antenna unit.

20. The antenna unit according to claim 19, wherein the tuning starts via an activation signal supplied to the electronic circuit, and wherein the activation signal is supplied via one or more of the group consisting of:

the connection contacts, and a manually operable switch.

21. The antenna unit according to claim 20, wherein the activation signal is formed by the transmission signal, the antenna unit carrying out the tuning as a result of the transmission signal being supplied to the antenna unit.

22. A system comprising:

an antenna unit comprising;

an antenna comprising at least one turn, and

an electronic circuit connected with the antenna, wherein the electronic circuit comprises connection contacts for connecting the antenna unit with a transmitting device,

wherein the electronic circuit;

draws operating energy for the electronic circuit from a transmission signal supplied to the connection contacts, and

utilizes the operating energy to tune the antenna unit such that the antenna unit has an impedance with substantially no imaginary component in the transmission signal; and

a reader for reading out a responder, wherein the reader is connected with the connection contacts to supply a transmission signal to the antenna unit to emit an electromagnetic interrogation field with the antenna unit, wherein a responder, when introduced into the interrogation field, responds by emitting a reply signal,

wherein the electronic circuit comprises a tuning circuit which forms a tuning capacity which is connected with the antenna, and wherein the tuning circuit is arranged to set a magnitude of the tuning capacity,

wherein the electronic circuit further comprises;

a supply circuit for taking up the operating energy from the transmission signal; and

a measuring and control circuit comprising the tuning circuit, wherein the electronic circuit is arranged such that the measuring and control circuit, in operation, receives energy required therefor from the supply circuit, and wherein the measuring and control circuit is arranged to;

measure whether the antenna in combination with the tuning circuit comprises an impedance with an imaginary component, and

control the tuning circuit such that any measured imaginary component is reduced;

wherein the measuring and control circuit comprises;

a control circuit,

a current circuit that generates a first signal representing a phase of a current through the antenna,

a voltage circuit that generates a second signal representing a phase of a voltage across the antenna and the tuning circuit, and

a phase comparator that compares the first signal and the second signal,

wherein the control circuit, on the basis of a phase difference signal generated by the phase comparator that represents a phase difference between the first and second signal, controls the tuning circuit to reduce the imaginary component, and

wherein the electronic circuit further comprises a transformation selection circuit comprising;

a settable transformer connected by a first side with the connection contacts and connected by a second side with the tuning circuit, and

a selection switch, wherein a ratio between first side turns of the settable transformer and second side turns of the settable transformer is adjusted by the selection switch.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the system receives the reply signal from the responder via the antenna unit and supplies the reply signal via the connection contacts to the reader.

24. The system according to claim 22, wherein a control signal supplied to the connection contacts controls the electronic circuit.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the reader is arranged to superpose the control signal on the transmission signal.

26. The system according to claim 22, wherein the electronic circuit further comprises a terminating switch for modulating energy supplied to the connection contacts, and wherein the reader is arranged to detect the terminating switch being closed.

27. The system according to claim 22, wherein the electronic circuit generates an error signal supplied to the connection contacts when tuning cannot be carried out in a predetermined desired manner, wherein the reader is arranged to receive the error signal.