Method for a phase calibration in a frontend circuit of a near field communication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10425173-B2
Application number	US-201815988055-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2018
Priority date	Aug 22, 2014
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

A method for a phase calibration in a frontend circuit of a near field communication (NFC) tag device is disclosed. An active load modulation signal is generated with a preconfigured value of a phase difference with respect to a reference signal of an NFC signal generator device. An amplitude of a test signal present at an antenna of the NFC tag device is measured. The test signal results from overlaying of the reference signal with the active load modulation signal. The following steps are repeated: modifying the value of the phase difference, providing the active load modulation signal with the modified value of the phase difference, measuring an amplitude of the test signal and comparing the measured amplitude with the previously measured amplitude until the measured amplitude fulfills a predefined condition. The value of the phase difference corresponding to the previously measured amplitude is stored.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of phase calibration of a near field communication (NFC) device, the method comprising:
receiving a reference signal generated by an NFC signal generator device;
generating an active load modulation signal with a phase difference with respect to the reference signal of the NFC signal generator device, the phase difference provided by a register of the NFC device;
measuring an amplitude of a test signal present at an antenna of the NFC device, the test signal resulting from overlaying the reference signal with the active load modulation signal;
modifying a value of the register until the measured amplitude fulfills a predefined condition; and
storing a selected value that corresponds to the value of the register that fulfills the predefined condition.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined condition comprises the amplitude of the test signal being bigger than a predefined amplitude.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
recording a phase setting associated the amplitude of the test signal when the amplitude of the test signal is bigger than the predefined amplitude; and
modifying the value of the register with a predecessor value when the amplitude of the test signal is smaller than the predefined amplitude.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined condition comprises the amplitude of the test signal being smaller than a predefined amplitude.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
recording a phase setting associated the amplitude of the test signal when the amplitude of the test signal is smaller than the predefined amplitude; and
modifying the value of the register with a predecessor value when the amplitude of the test signal is bigger than the predefined amplitude.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined condition comprises the amplitude of the test signal being substantially equal to a predefined amplitude.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
when an initial amplitude of the test signal is bigger than the predefined amplitude, iterating in a forward direction through values of the register until the amplitude of the test signal is smaller than the predefined amplitude; and
when the initial amplitude of the test signal is bigger than the predefined amplitude, iterating in a reverse direction through values of the register until the amplitude of the test signal is bigger than the predefined amplitude.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the value of the register comprises iterating over all possible values of the register.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a phase calibration command before generating the active load modulation signal.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein storing the selected value of the register comprises storing the selected value of the register in a frontend circuit of the NFC device.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein storing the selected value of the register comprises storing the selected value of the register in non-volatile memory.

12. A device comprising:
a matching circuit configured to be coupled to an antenna;
a front end circuit coupled to the matching circuit, the front end circuit comprising:
a receiver configured to receive a reference signal generated by an NFC signal generator device;
an antenna driver configured to generate an active load modulation signal with a phase difference with respect to the reference signal of the NFC signal generator device, the phase difference provided by a register of the NFC device;
a measurement circuit configured to measure an amplitude of a test signal present at an antenna of the NFC device, the test signal resulting from overlaying the reference signal with the active load modulation signal; and
a control circuit configured to modify a value of the register until the measured amplitude fulfills a predefined condition, and to store a selected value that corresponds to the value of the register that fulfills the predefined condition.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the predefined condition comprises the amplitude of the test signal being bigger than a predefined amplitude.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to modify the value of the register with a predecessor value when the amplitude of the test signal is smaller than the predefined amplitude.

15. The device of claim 12 , wherein the predefined condition comprises the amplitude of the test signal being substantially equal to a predefined amplitude.

16. The device of claim 12 , further wherein the matching circuit is coupled to the receiver via coupling capacitors.

17. The device of claim 12 , further comprising the antenna, the matching circuit coupled to the antenna.

18. The device of claim 12 , wherein the measurement circuit comprises an analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

19. A system comprising:
an antenna;
a matching circuit coupled to the antenna;
a front end circuit coupled to the matching circuit, the front end circuit comprising:
a receiver configured to receive a reference signal generated by an NFC signal generator device, wherein the receiver is coupled to the antenna via coupling capacitors;
an antenna driver coupled to the antenna via the matching circuit, the antenna driver configured to generate an active load modulation signal with a phase difference with respect to the reference signal of the NFC signal generator device, the phase difference provided by a register of the NFC device;
a measurement circuit coupled to the receiver and configured to measure an amplitude of a test signal present at an antenna of the NFC device, the test signal resulting from overlaying the reference signal with the active load modulation signal; and
a control circuit configured to modify a value of the register until the measured amplitude fulfills a predefined condition, and to store a selected value that corresponds to the value of the register that fulfills the predefined condition.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the system is a mobile phone.

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Int Nv

Inventors

• Cordier Nicolas

Classifications

• G06K7/10237

  the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag · CPC title

• G06K7/0095 Primary

  Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly (testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28) · CPC title

• H04B5/0056

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04B17/21 Primary

  for calibration; for correcting measurements · CPC title

• H04B5/0062

  Electricity · mapped topic