# US 11,451,264 B2 · Wireless communications system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,451,264 B2 - Document ID: US11451264B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/213,303 - Filed: 2021-03-26 - Published: 2021-10-07 - Granted: 2022-09-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-01 - Assignees: Schneider Electric Industries SAS - Applicants: Schneider Electric Industries SAS - Inventors: Denis Dessales; Francis Chauvet - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11451264B2 ## CPC - H04W 84/20: Leader-follower arrangements - H04B 5/22: Capacitive coupling - H04B 5/24: Inductive coupling - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract A system for short-distance radio-frequency communications between a master module and a plurality of detachable slave modules, the communications system including a main electrical line connected to the master module and having a plurality of coupling points, wherein the communications system further includes a plurality of secondary electrical lines each having a first coupling area for a directional coupling between the secondary line and the main line at a coupling point, and a second coupling area for a directional coupling between the secondary line and a slave module, the second coupling area being distinct from the first coupling area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communications system for radio-frequency communications between a master module and a plurality of detachable slave modules, the communications system comprising: a main electrical line which is connected to the master module and which has a plurality of coupling points, a plurality of secondary electrical lines each having a first coupling area for a directional coupling between said secondary line and the main line at a coupling point, and a second coupling area for a directional coupling between said secondary line and a slave module, the second coupling area being distinct from the first coupling area, wherein the main line and the secondary lines are conductive tracks integrated in one and the same main printed circuit board. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the first coupling area and the second coupling area of each secondary line are rectilinear in shape. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the first coupling area or the second coupling area of each secondary line have sawtooth shapes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The communications system according to claim 1, wherein each secondary line has two terminators having line-end impedances equal to the characteristic impedance of said secondary line. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the main line is connected at one end to the master module and at the other end to a line-end impedance designed to be matched to the characteristic impedance of the main line. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the main line and the secondary lines are situated in one and the same plane of the main printed circuit board. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The communications system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of slave modules, wherein one slave module includes an auxiliary printed circuit board provided with a conductive track and which is placed above the main printed circuit board opposite the second coupling area when the slave module is in communications with the master module. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the length of the first coupling area and the length of the second coupling area depend on the working frequency of the radio line. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the master module and the slave modules communicate with each other through one of a Zigbee protocol or a Bluetooth protocol. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the directional couplings at the first coupling area and at the second coupling area are capacitive and inductive couplings. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The communications system according to claim 1, wherein a length of the second coupling area depends on a working frequency of the radio-frequency communications. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The communications system according to claim 11, wherein the working frequency is 2.4 GHz. ### Claim 13 A communications system for radio-frequency communications between a master module and a plurality of detachable slave modules, the communications system comprising: a main electrical line which is connected to the master module and which has a plurality of coupling points, a plurality of secondary electrical lines each having a first coupling area for a directional coupling between said secondary line and the main line at a coupling point, and a second coupling area for a directional coupling between said secondary line and a slave module, the second coupling area being distinct from the first coupling area, wherein the master module and the slave modules communicate with each other through one of a Zigbee protocol or a Bluetooth protocol.