Patent Publication Number: US-11038556-B1

Title: Near-field communications device

Description:
The present specification relates to systems, methods, apparatuses, devices, articles of manufacture and instructions for a near-field device. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an example embodiment, a near-field device, comprising: a conductive housing physically coupled to the near-field antenna; a near-field antenna, having a first feed point and a second feed point, and including, a first inductive coil having a first end coupled to the first feed point and a second end coupled to the second feed point; a first conductive plate capacitively coupled to the conductive housing, and galvanically coupled to the first end of the first inductive coil; a second conductive plate capacitively coupled to the conductive housing, and galvanically coupled to the second end of the first inductive coil; wherein the first conductive plate is capacitively coupled to the second conductive plate; a tuning circuit coupled to the first and second feed points, and including, a first capacitance bank, a second capacitance bank, a first resistance bank, and a second resistance bank; wherein one end of each of the capacitance banks and one end of each of the resistance banks are coupled to either the first feed point or the second feed point; a reference potential; wherein another end of each of the capacitance banks and another end of each of the resistance banks are coupled to the reference potential; and wherein the conductive housing  302  is galvanically coupled to the reference potential; wherein the first inductive coil is configured to receive or transmit near-field magnetic signals; and wherein the first and second conductive plates and the conductive housing are configured to receive or transmit near-field electric signals. 
     In another example embodiment, the first conductive plate is at a distance D 1  from the conductive housing, resulting in a capacitance Ca 1 ; the second conductive plate is at a distance D 2  from the conductive housing, resulting in a capacitance Ca 2 ; the first conductive plate is at a distance D 3  from the second conductive plate, resulting in a capacitance Ca 3 . 
     In another example embodiment, D 2  is greater than D 1 ; and D 2  is greater than D 3 . 
     In another example embodiment, C a1  in Farads=(A 1  ∈ 0  ∈ r1 )/D 1 , where: A 1 =effective surface area of the first conductive plate; D 1 =distance between the first conductive plate and the conductive housing; € 0 =permittivity of free space; and € r1 =relative permittivity of a material between the first conductive plate and the conductive housing; and the material includes ferrite. 
     In another example embodiment, C a2 =(A 2  ∈ 0  ∈ r2 )/D 2 , where: A 2 =effective surface area of the second conductive plate facing the conductive housing; D 2 =distance between the second conductive plate and the conductive housing; € 0 =permittivity of free space; and € r2 =relative permittivity of a material between the second conductive plate and the conductive housing; and the material includes ferrite and a non-ferrite substrate. 
     In another example embodiment, C a3 =(A 3  ∈ 0  ∈ r3 )/D 3 , where: A 3 =effective surface area between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate; D 3 =distance between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate; € 0 =permittivity of free space; and € r3 =relative permittivity of a material between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate; and the material is a non-ferrite substrate. 
     In another example embodiment, the first capacitance bank has a capacitance C 1 ; the second capacitance bank has a capacitance C 2 ; V is a voltage across the first and second feed points; V=Ve Q Ce/(Ce+CT), where: Ve=equivalent voltage of voltages induced in capacitance Ca 1 , Ca 2  and Ca 3  in Volts; Q=quality factor of the antenna system; Ce=equivalent capacitance across the first and second feed points formed by capacitances Ca 1 , Ca 2  and Ca 3 ; and CT=a series summation of capacitances C 1  and C 2 . 
     In another example embodiment, the first conductive plate is configured to be closer to the conductive housing than to a user; and the second conductive plate is configured to be closer to the user than to the conductive housing. 
     In another example embodiment, the user is at least one of: a human&#39;s body, an animal&#39;s body, a body of a living organism, a body structure of an inanimate object, a robot, a vehicle, a docking system, a physical coupling system, and/or a station on an assembly line. 
     In another example embodiment, the reference potential is a ground potential. 
     In another example embodiment, further comprising a controller; the first and second capacitance banks are variably tunable by the controller; and the first and second resistance banks are variably tunable by the controller. 
     In another example embodiment, further comprising a second inductive coil, having a first end electrically coupled to either end of the first inductive coil, and having a second end electrically coupled to one of the conductive plates. 
     In another example embodiment, the near-field antenna and the tuning circuit are surrounded by an encapsulant; and the encapsulant at least partially covers the conductive housing. 
     In another example embodiment, the first inductive coil and the feed points are configured to carry a current; and the current is based on the near-field magnetic signals. 
     In another example embodiment, the first and second conductive plates are configured to carry a voltage; and the voltage is based on the near-field electric signals. 
     In another example embodiment, the first inductive coil has a planar geometry. 
     In another example embodiment, the planar geometry of the second inductive coil is formed in a shape including: a circle, a rectangle, a polygon, an oval, or a diamond. 
     In another example embodiment, the first and second conductive plates are configured to have a voltage 180 degrees out of phase with respect to the reference potential. 
     In another example embodiment, the device is embedded in at least one of: a glucose sensor, a wearable device; a smart watch; a smartwatch housing, a wireless mobile device, an earbud, a hearing aid, a headphone, an activity tracker, or a heart rate monitor. 
     The above discussion is not intended to represent every example embodiment or every implementation within the scope of the current or future Claim sets. The Figures and Detailed Description that follow also exemplify various example embodiments. 
     Various example embodiments may be more completely understood in consideration of the following Detailed Description in connection with the accompanying Drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an example of a near-field wireless device. 
         FIG. 2  is an example dual-coil NFEMI antenna. 
         FIG. 3  is an example circuit diagram of the near-field wireless device. 
         FIG. 4  is an example side view of the near-field device positioned near a user. 
     
    
    
     While the disclosure is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that other embodiments, beyond the particular embodiments described, are possible as well. All modifications, equivalents, and alternative embodiments falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims are covered as well. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Herein discussed are near-field interactions between one or more near-field devices on a user&#39;s body or the body of a conductive surface (i.e. on-body devices), and other conductive surfaces and/or other wireless devices (i.e. off-body devices) based on either near-field electromagnetic induction (NFEMI), where the transmitter and receiver are coupled by both magnetic (H) and electric (E) fields, near-field electric-induction (NFEI), where the transmitter and receiver are coupled by electric (E) fields, and near-field magnetic-induction (NFMI/NFC), where the transmitter and receiver are coupled by magnetic (H) fields. While RF wireless communication is accomplished by propagating an RF plane wave through free space, NFEMI, NFEI, NFMI and NFC communicates using non-propagating quasi-static E and/or H field signals. 
     In various example embodiments, a first near-field antenna includes a near-field electric-induction antenna (e.g. such as either a NFEI or NFEMI antenna) and is configured for on-body communications. A second near-field antenna includes a near-field magnetic-induction antenna (e.g. such as an NFC antenna) and is configured for off-body communications. 
     For example, an on-body sensor in the first near-field wireless device can be configured to communicate the sensor&#39;s readings to a second on-body near-field wireless device that collects the sensor&#39;s readings and perhaps other user information as well. A third off-body wireless device could be a smartphone/NFC reader that energizes the second on-body near-field wireless device that collected the sensor&#39;s readings, and thereby prompts the second on-body near-field wireless device to transmit the collected the sensor&#39;s readings to the smartphone/NFC reader. 
     Note, while example embodiments discussed herein refer to a user&#39;s body, on-body and off-body, in alternate embodiments the near-field device  100 , body is herein broadly defined to include at least: a human&#39;s body, an animal&#39;s body, a body of a living organism, a body structure of an inanimate object, a robot, a vehicle, a docking system, a physical coupling system, a station on an assembly line, and so on. 
     An H-field antenna (i.e. magnetic antenna) is primarily sensitive to magnetic fields and/or primarily initiates magnetic fields when driven by a current. Any E-field component from an H-field antenna is strongly reduced (e.g. −20 to −60 dB reduction, a factor of 0.1 to 0.0008 (10% to 0.08%) depending on the antenna design). 
     A small loop antenna is an example H-field antenna and includes a loop antenna with dimensions much smaller than the wavelength of its use. The small loop antenna does not resonate at the NFEMI carrier frequency but is instead tuned to resonance by an external reactance. In some example embodiments the current in the small loop antenna has in every position of the loop the same value. 
     An E-field antenna (i.e. electric antenna) is primarily sensitive to electric fields and/or primarily initiates electric fields when driven by a voltage. Any H-field component from an E-field antenna is strongly reduced (e.g. −20 to −60 dB reduction, a factor of 0.1 to 0.0008 (10% to 0.08%) depending on the antenna design). 
     A short loaded dipole antenna is an example E-field antenna and includes a short dipole with dimensions much smaller than the NFEMI carrier frequency and in some example embodiments has extra capacitance surfaces at both ends. 
     The quasi-static characteristic of these fields is a result of the NFEMI antenna dimensions in combination with their carrier frequencies. Most of the near-field energy is stored in the form of magnetic and electric fields, while a small amount of RF energy inevitably propagates in free space. Small antenna geometries minimize radiating waves in free space. 
     In some applications, various portions of the near-field device may be enclosed in or electrically blocked by a conductive housing that may reduce normal near-field communications since the conductive housing forms a Faraday Cage. 
     Now discussed are example embodiments of near-field devices having portions enclosed or that would otherwise be electrically blocked by such conductive housings, but that using the teachings below can nonetheless still effectively communicate using near-field communications. In some example embodiments the housing may have a window to allow for better far field (e.g. WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.) communication and/or magnetic near-field communication. 
       FIG. 1  is an example of a near-field wireless device  100 . The example near-field wireless device  100  includes a near-field antenna  102 , a tuning circuit  104 , a controller  108  and a transceiver circuit  112 . 
     The controller  108  is configured to monitor and maintain the device&#39;s  100  operational resonance frequency and operational bandwidth/quality factor of the near-field signals (e.g. NFEI or NFEMI) carried by the near-field antenna. The controller  108  is configured to adjust the tuning parameters if either the operational resonance frequency is different from a preselected resonance frequency and/or the operational bandwidth is different from a preselected bandwidth. 
     The tuning circuit  104  is configured to adjust the device&#39;s  100  resonance frequency using a capacitive bank (C-bank), and bandwidth using a resistive bank (R-bank) in response to signals from the controller  108 . The C-bank and R-bank discretes are in some examples about 130 pF and 5000 ohms respectively to support the required resonance frequency (e.g. 10.6 MHz) and bandwidth (e.g. 400 KHz). The controller  108  is configured to adjust (e.g. increment/decrement) the C-bank and R-bank values using the tuning circuit  104 . 
     In some example embodiments, the transceiver circuit  112  is configured to inject test signals (e.g. three test signals) into the tuning circuit  104  and the antenna  102 . The controller  108  is then configured to: first, monitor a loading of the near-field antenna  102 , and adjust the tuning parameters if the loading is different from a preselected loading. 
       FIG. 2  is an example dual-coil NFEMI antenna  200  included within the near-field antenna  102  of the near-field wireless device  100 . The antenna  200  includes a short loaded dipole portion  220  with two conductive loading plates  225 ,  230  and a small loop antenna  205 . 
     The small loop antenna includes at least two coupled coils  215  and  217 . The first coil  215  has an inductance of L 1 , and the second coil  217  has an inductance of L 2 . Both coils  215  and  217  may be connected, at connection point  250 , such that they form a larger inductance compared with the inductance of the first coil  215  and the second coil  217 . 
     Both coils  215  and  217  may be air coils, wrapped around a ferrite core  210  or they can be in the form of a planar structure. In the ferrite core  210  version, the coils  215  and  217  may be wrapped around the core  210  in an interleaved fashion, or wrapped on top of one another, i.e., the second coil  217  is first wrapped around the core  210 , and then the first coil  215  is then wrapped around the core  210  on top of the second coil  217 . 
     Connection point  245  couples one end of the first coil  215  to a first feeding point  235  and to the first plate of the small loaded dipole  225 . Connection point  250  couples another end of the first coil  215  to one end of the second coil  217  and to a second feeding point  240 . Connection point  255  couples another end of the second coil  217  to the second plate  230  of the small loaded dipole  220 . 
       FIG. 3  is an example circuit diagram  300  of the near-field wireless device  100 . The example circuit  300  shows an idealized electrical equivalent of the dual-coil near-field antenna  200 , the tuning circuit  104 , the controller  108  and the transceiver circuit  112 . 
     The near-field antenna  102  includes the coil (H-field) antenna  205  having a resistance (R 3 ) and including the inductance (L 1 )  215 , and the inductance (L 2 )  217 . In some example embodiments the near-field antenna  102  includes only one inductance (L 1 )  215 . The inductances  215 ,  217  may be helical or planar and surrounding or attached to a ferrite material or on another carrier material. Less looped conductors are required for the same inductance when they are attached to a ferrite material. 
     Also shown is the short loaded dipole (E-field) antenna  220  having a resistance (R 4 ) and including the first conductive plate  225  and second conductive plate  230 . The short loaded dipole (E-field) antenna  220  is further coupled to a conductive housing  302  which creates an extended electric (E-field) antenna  304 . Feed points  235 ,  240  are also shown. 
     A first capacitance (Ca 1 ) is formed between the first conductive plate  225  and the conductive housing  302 , separated by a distance D 1 . A second capacitance (Ca 2 ) is formed between the second conductive plate  230  and the conductive housing  302 , separated by a distance D 2 . In some example embodiments, D 1  is less than D 2 . A third capacitance (Ca 3 ) is formed between the first conductive plate  225  and the second conductive plate  230 , separated by a distance D 3 . 
     C a1  in Farads=(A 1  ∈ 0  ∈ r1 )/D 1 , where: A 1 =effective surface area of plate  225  facing the housing  302  in meters 2 ; D 1 =distance between plate  225  and the conductive housing  302  in meters; € 0 =permittivity of free space Farad/meter; and € r1 =relative permittivity of material between plate  225  and the housing  302 . 
     C a2  in Farads=(A 2  ∈ 0  ∈ r2 )/D 2 , where: A 2 =effective surface area of plate  230  facing the housing  302  in meters 2 ; D 2 =distance between plate  230  and the conductive housing  302  in meters; € 0 =permittivity of free space Farad/meter; and € r2 =relative permittivity of the material between plate  230  and the housing  302 . 
     C a3  in Farads=(A 3  ∈ 0  ∈ r3 )/D 3 , where: A 3 =effective surface area between plate  225  and plate  230  in meters 2 ; D 3 =distance between plate  225  and plate  230  in meters; € 0 =permittivity of free space Farad/meter; and € r3 =relative permittivity of material between plate  225  and plate  230 . 
     The conductive housing  302  is configured to be positioned at a distance D 4  from a user  306 . “User” is herein defined broadly to include: a person, a biological material, a robot, a vehicle, a docking system, a physical coupling system, a station on an assembly line, and other conductive structures. 
     The tuning circuit  104  is coupled to the first and second feed points  235 ,  240 . The tuning circuit  104  includes a first variable tuning capacitance bank (C 1 ), a second variable tuning capacitance bank (C 2 ), a first variable tuning resistance bank (R 1 ), and a second variable tuning resistance bank (R 2 ). The capacitance banks and resistance banks are coupled to a reference potential  308  (e.g. a ground potential). The conductive housing  302  is also coupled to the reference potential  308 . The capacitive banks are coupled to the controller  108  by control line  310 , and the resistance banks are coupled to the controller  108  by control line  312 . 
     The controller  108  adjusts the first and second capacitance banks (C 1 ), (C 2 ) to adjust a resonant frequency of the magnetic  205 , the electric  220 , and the extended electric  304  antennas (e.g. to 10.6 MHz). The controller  108  adjusts the first and second resistance banks (R 1 ), (R 2 ) to adjust a bandwidth of the magnetic  205 , the electric  220 , and the extended electric  304  antennas (e.g. to 400 KHz) sufficient to allow the non-propagating quasi-static near-field signal to be received from the antennas  205 ,  220 ,  304 . 
     In some example embodiments, the capacitance banks (C 1 ), (C 2 ) are equally tuned using the control line  310  from the controller  108 , and the resistance banks (R 1 ), (R 2 ) are equally tuned using the control line  312  from the controller  108 , in other example embodiments they may be variably tuned. 
     When the transceiver circuit  112  is in receive mode, a received near-field magnetic signal induces a voltage in the inductance L 1   215  and a received near-field electrical signal induces voltages in capacitors Ca 1 , Ca 2  and Ca 3  which are then converted by L 2   217  and the tuning circuit  104  into a voltage at a low noise amplifier (LNA) input in the transceiver circuit  112 . The LNA is further connected to the other baseband receiver circuitry. 
     The voltage (V) at the input of the LNA in the transceiver circuit  112  due to just the enhanced near-field electric antenna is: V=Ve Q Ce/(Ce+CT), where: Ve=equivalent voltage of the voltages induced in capacitance Ca 1 , Ca 2  and Ca 3  in Volts; Q=quality factor of the antenna system  104 ,  200 ,  304 ; Ce=equivalent capacitance present at the tuning circuit  104  points  235  and  240  and formed by capacitances Ca 1 , Ca 2  and Ca 3  in Farads; and CT=a series summation of capacitances C 1  and C 2  in Farads. 
     When the transceiver circuit  112  is in transmit mode, a voltage at an output amplifier in the transceiver circuit  112  send a voltage to the inductance L 1   215  thereby generating a transmitted near-field magnetic signal and sends voltages boosted by L 2   217  to capacitors Ca 1 , Ca 2  and Ca 3  thereby generating a transmitted near-field electrical signal. 
       FIG. 4  is an example side view  400  of the near-field device  100  positioned near the user  306 . The example  400  shows the conductive housing  302 , a ferrite layer  402 , conductive plate  225 , a substrate  404 , conductive plate  230 , an encapsulant  406 , distances D 1 , D 2 , D 3 , and D 4 , and the user  306 . 
     In some example embodiments the substrate is a dielectric having a 4 mm thickness and a permittivity of 4.4. The conducting material of the inductances (L 1 )  215  and (L 2 )  217  may have a thickness of 0.035 mm. The inductances (L 1 )  215  and (L 2 )  217  and the conductive plate  225  are attached to the ferrite layer  402 . 
     The ferrite layer  402  can have a thickness of 0.1 mm with a permeability of 150. The ferrite layer  402  is attached to the conductive housing  302 . The conductive plate  230  is attached to the substrate  404 . 
     An encapsulant  406  is positioned around the ferrite layer  402 , conductive plate  225 , substrate  404 , conductive plate  230 , and the inductances (L 1 )  215  and (L 2 )  217 . In some example embodiments the encapsulant  406  is an ABS material. 
     In various example embodiments, the near-field device  100  can be embedded in a medical device positioned on a human body. For example, as part of an insulin pump that corrects with regular intervals a glucose level of the body and that can also communicate across the body with another glucose level measuring near-field device. The near-field device  100  can also be embedded various wearable devices (e.g. earbuds, smartwatches, clothing sensors, etc.) for wireless on-body networks that require a small form factor. 
     Various instructions and/or operational steps discussed in the above Figures can be executed in any order, unless a specific order is explicitly stated. Also, those skilled in the art will recognize that while some example sets of instructions/steps have been discussed, the material in this specification can be combined in a variety of ways to yield other examples as well, and are to be understood within a context provided by this detailed description. 
     In some example embodiments these instructions/steps are implemented as functional and software instructions. In other embodiments, the instructions can be implemented either using logic gates, application specific chips, firmware, as well as other hardware forms. 
     When the instructions are embodied as a set of executable instructions in a non-transitory computer-readable or computer-usable media which are effected on a computer or machine programmed with and controlled by said executable instructions. Said instructions are loaded for execution on a processor (such as one or more CPUs). Said processor includes microprocessors, microcontrollers, processor modules or subsystems (including one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers), or other control or computing devices. A processor can refer to a single component or to plural components. Said computer-readable or computer-usable storage medium or media is (are) considered to be part of an article (or article of manufacture). An article or article of manufacture can refer to any manufactured single component or multiple components. The non-transitory machine or computer-usable media or mediums as defined herein excludes signals, but such media or mediums may be capable of receiving and processing information from signals and/or other transitory mediums. 
     It will be readily understood that the components of the embodiments as generally described herein and illustrated in the appended figures could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the detailed description of various embodiments, as represented in the figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, but is merely representative of various embodiments. While the various aspects of the embodiments are presented in drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically indicated. 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by this detailed description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. 
     Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussions of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment. 
     Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, in light of the description herein, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention. 
     Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the indicated embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.