Patent ID: 8041227

Claim:
A communication device having optical and near-field communication capability, the device comprising: an integrated circuit die; an optical transceiver circuit fabricated on the integrated circuit die and configured to transmit and receive optical signals; a near field transceiver circuit fabricated on the integrated circuit die and configured to transmit and receive data using near-field electro-magnetic signals; and control circuitry configured to selectively enable the optical transceiver circuit and the near field transceiver circuit responsive to an external control signal; the communication device further comprising a transmit antenna coupled to the near field transceiver circuit, the transmit antenna comprising at least one of: a sub-half-wave plate or wire, with the near field transceiver circuit being configured to transmit capacitive near field signals by driving the sub-half-wave plate or wire with a voltage source, or a sub-half-wave loop, with the near field transceiver circuit being configured to transmit inductive near field signals by driving the sub-half-wave loop with a current source, or a combination thereof.