Accelerating antenna ramp-down and related systems
AssigneeMicrochip Technology Incorporated
InventorsWerner Blatz, Thomas Janz, Robert Dvorszky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various embodiments relate to accelerating ramp-down of a modulated signal. In one embodiment, an antenna driver signal is defined and asserted to accelerate ramp-down. The accelerating ramp-down driver signal may include a series of sinusoidal-like pulses asserted at a driver output. The sinusoidal-like pulse may be synchronized by phase to a declining antenna current. Signal properties—such as phase, amplitude, delay, shape and frequency—of the sinusoidal-like pulse may be adopted to affect the ramp-down of the modulated signal.
Claims29
An accelerating ramp-down method, comprising:
- asserting, at a driver output coupled to an antenna, a first signal pulse with first defined signal properties, wherein the first defined signal properties include one or more of an amplitude, a phase, a frequency, a prior delay time, and a pulse shape;
- observing a phase information of an antenna signal, wherein the antenna signal is observed from an antenna current or an antenna voltage;
- asserting, at the driver output coupled to the antenna, successive signal pulses having different defined signal properties, wherein at least some of the different defined signal properties are based on the phase information of the antenna signal;
- detecting a stop condition based on the antenna signal;
- and
- asserting, at the driver output coupled to the antenna, a stop signal responsive to the stop condition.
An integrated circuit comprising a configurable state machine and an antenna driver, wherein the configurable state machine is configured to control the antenna driver to:
- assert a first signal pulse with first defined signal properties, wherein the first defined signal properties include one or more of an amplitude, a phase, a frequency, a prior delay time, and a pulse shape;
- assert successive signal pulses having different defined signal properties, wherein at least some of the different defined signal properties are based on phase information of an antenna signal;
- and
- assert a stop signal responsive to a stop condition,
- wherein the configurable state machine is further configured to:
- observe phase information of the antenna signal, wherein the antenna signal is observed from an antenna current or an antenna voltage;
- and
- detect the stop condition responsive to the antenna signal.
A system, comprising:
- a low frequency antenna;
- and
- a radiofrequency (RF) device operably coupled to the antenna, wherein the RF device is configured to control the low frequency antenna to emit a modulated carrier wave that during at least one operational mode exhibits a shorter ramp-down period than a resonant ramp-down of the low frequency antenna.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.