Antenna circuit, communication device, and communication method for improving reception signal quality

• US 9,893,751 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Bando, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yuwen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sherif, Fatuma
• Application Number:
  US13/617,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20130095771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,978 Days
• Field of Search: 455 73, 455 411
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0458 Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H

Abstract

An antenna circuit which includes, a resonant circuit which is configured by at least first and second capacitors, and antenna coils; a transmitter-receiver circuit which has a transmission terminal and a reception terminal; and an adjustment circuit which adjusts an impedance between the resonant circuit and the transmitter-receiver circuit, in which a combination of capacitances of the first and second capacitors is set in a predetermined range of a composite capacitance of the first and second capacitors, and a signal from a terminal which is provided between the first and second capacitors is input to the reception terminal.

Claims

1. An antenna circuit, comprising:

a resonant circuit comprising at least a first diode, a second diode, and an antenna coil;

a transmitter-receiver circuit comprising a transmission terminal and a reception terminal;

a storage unit configured to store a set of values of combination of capacitances of the first diode and the second diode;

a control unit configured to;

select a value from the set of values of the combination of the capacitances of the first diode and the second diode; and

control the capacitances of the first diode and the second diode, based on the selected value, via a plurality of control terminals,

wherein each of the plurality of the control terminals is connected to a plurality of inductors to control the capacitances of the first diode and the second diode,

wherein one of the plurality of control terminals is connected to a node between the first diode and the second diode via one of the plurality of inductors, and

wherein the reception terminal is connected to the node; and

an adjustment circuit configured to adjust an impedance between the resonant circuit and the transmitter-receiver circuit,

wherein the combination of the capacitances of the first diode and the second diode is in a range of a composite capacitance of the first diode and the second diode, and

wherein at least the first diode and the second diode are within the antenna coil.

2. The antenna circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication unit configured to communicate in a non-contact manner with a communication device,

wherein the storage unit is further configured to store information that relates to communication properties of the communication device,

wherein the control unit is further configured to select the value from the set of values of the combination of the capacitances of the first diode and the second diode based on the communication properties of the communication device, and

wherein the communication properties are detected by the communication unit.

3. The antenna circuit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to select the range of the composite capacitance based on a communication distance between the antenna circuit and a communication device with which the antenna circuit is configured to execute non-contact communication.

4. The antenna circuit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to select the range of the composite capacitance based on a value of a voltage that corresponds to a load modulation level.

5. A first communication device, comprising:

an antenna circuit which includes a transmitter-receiver circuit that has a transmission terminal and a reception terminal;

a resonant circuit comprising at least a first diode, a second diode, and an antenna coil;

a storage unit configured to store a set of values of combination of capacitances of the first diode and the second diode;

a control unit configured to;

select a value from the set of values of the combination of the capacitances of the first diode and the second diode; and

control the capacitances of the first diode and the second diode, based on the selected value, via a plurality of control terminals,

wherein each of the plurality of the control terminals is connected to a plurality of inductors to control the capacitances of the first diode and the second diode,

wherein one of the plurality of control terminals is connected to a node between the first diode and the second diode via one of the plurality of inductors, and

wherein the reception terminal is connected to the node; and

an adjustment circuit configured to adjust an impedance between the resonant circuit and the transmitter-receiver circuit,

wherein the combination of the capacitances of the first diode and the second diode is in a range of a composite capacitance of the first diode and the second diode, and

wherein at least the first diode and the second diode are within the antenna coil.

6. The first communication device according to claim 5, wherein the antenna circuit further includes:

a communication unit configured to communicate in a non-contact manner with a second communication device,

wherein the storage unit is further configured to store information that relates to communication properties of the second communication device,

wherein the control unit is further configured to select the value from the set of values of the combination of the capacitances of the first diode and the second diode based on the communication properties of the second communication device, and

wherein the communication properties of the second communication device are detected by the communication unit.

7. A communication method, comprising:

in an antenna circuit comprising a reception terminal, and a resonant circuit which is configured by at least a first diode, a second diode, and an antenna coil;

storing a set of values of combination of capacitances of the first diode and the second diode;

selecting a value from the set of values of the combination of the capacitances of the first diode and the second diode,

wherein the combination of the capacitances is in a range of a composite capacitance of the first diode and the second diode;

controlling the capacitances of the first diode and the second diode, based on the selected value, via a plurality of control terminals,

wherein each of the plurality of the control terminals is connected to a plurality of inductors to control the capacitances of the first diode and the second diode, and

wherein one of the plurality of control terminals is connected to a node between the first diode and the second diode via one of the plurality of inductors; and

inputting a signal from the node which is between the first diode and the second diode to the reception terminal,

wherein at least the first diode and the second diode are within the antenna coil.