Patent ID: 6839035

Claim:
A magnetically coupled RF antenna range extender structured for extending an operating range between an RF antenna and an electronic device, the antenna range extender comprising: a) a passive series tuned resonate circuit including: i) a coil formed of at least one turn of an electrical conductor, the coil having a first end and a second end; and ii) a capacitor arranged with a first terminal and a second terminal, with the first end of the coil electrically connected to the first terminal and the second end of the coil electrically connected to the second terminal, thereby forming a tuned resonate circuit; b) the antenna range extender located proximate to one of the RF antenna and the electronic device, and not directly connected to either, but closely positioned and oriented such that a magnetic coupling is effected when an RF signal is transmitted by the RF antenna, and subsequently received by the electronic device via the antenna range extender and the magnetic coupling; c) wherein the antenna range extender is employed for increasing an operating range over which an exchanging of information between the RF antenna and the electronic device can occur.