Inductive antenna coupling
AssigneeTagArray, Inc.
InventorKourosh Pahlavan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention pertains to the connection between a radio frequency circuit and its antenna. Miniaturization of radio frequency integrated circuits has made attaching these circuits to their antennas increasingly difficult and costly. This invention uses magnetic coupling, as performed in transformers, between circuits and antennas as a practical solution to reduce cost and effort in attaching the two sides as well as to protect the circuit against electrostatic discharge. Furthermore a simple pre-assembly testing methodology is accounted for as an additional benefit of the method.
Claims8
A method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving radio signals between a radio frequency circuit located on one substrate, and an antenna located on another substrate, whereas the signals between the radio frequency circuit and the antenna are exchanged by means of magnetic coupling as in a transformer such that one side of the transformer is on the circuit substrate and the other on the antenna substrate.
The invention in (1) such that a multitude of inductors on the circuit substrate couple with a multitude of inductors on the antenna substrate whereas any inductor on one side could couple to a set of inductors on the other side.
The invention in (2) such that each inductor on either side can be switched between different circuits and antennas so as to couple with a subset of all the circuits and antennas.
The invention in (3) such that at least two of the inductors regardless of the side on which they reside are concentric.
The invention in (4) such that the antenna substrate is emulated by a probe meant to behave like an antenna that couples to the circuit in order to transmit to or receive signals from it.
The invention in (4) where the inductive coupling acts as ESD protection for the circuit side.
The invention in (6) such that the circuit side is a RFID circuit and the antenna side is a tag substrate.
The invention in (6) and (7) whereas the circuit side represents multiple radio bands and technologies such as continuous wave narrow band radio and Ultra-wide band radio.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.