Layered near field communication antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12537305-B2
Application number	US-202318366832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2023
Priority date	Aug 9, 2022
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

Systems and apparatuses for near field communication with a receiver. An apparatus may include an antenna and one or more antenna printed circuit boards. The antenna may include first conductors in a first antenna layer and second conductors in one or more second antenna layers. A current supplied to the antenna may pass through the first conductors in a direction opposite to a direction through which the current passes through the second conductors. A system may include the apparatus and the receiver, which may include a receiver coil. The opposite directions through which the current passes through the first and second conductors may be substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the receiver coil. The antenna may generate a substantial magnetic flux that is a direction corresponding to the longitudinal axial of the receiver coil, which may be oriented parallel to a flat surface of the antenna.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
an antenna comprising:
first conductors in a first antenna layer; and
second conductors in one or more second antenna layers different than the first antenna layer, wherein a current supplied to the antenna passes through the first conductors in a direction opposite to a direction through which the current passes through the second conductors, and the current passing through the second conductors is a return current.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an antenna printed circuit board (PCB).

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first conductors are printed on a bottom surface of the antenna PCB.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the antenna PCB comprises antenna vias, and each of the antenna vias connect electrically a conductor of the second conductors to a conductor of the first conductors.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first conductors in the first antenna layer, conductors in the one or more second antenna layers, and the antenna vias form a coil, and the conductors in the one or more second antenna layers include at least the second conductors.

6 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second conductors are printed on an upper surface of the antenna PCB and/or fabricated in one or more layers of the antenna PCB.

7 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second conductors comprise second conductors located at a first edge of the antenna PCB and second conductors located at a second edge of the antenna PCB that is opposite the first edge.

8 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a ferromagnetic layer above the antenna PCB.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a circuit component PCB; and one or more circuit components mounted on or fabricated in the circuit component PCB.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the ferromagnetic layer is in between the circuit component PCB and the antenna PCB.

11 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second conductors are located at one edge of the antenna PCB.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a ferromagnetic strip located above the second conductors at one edge of the antenna PCB.

13 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the antenna further comprises a ferromagnetic layer in between the first conductors and the second conductors.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
first and second antenna feeds; a first feed conductor in a layer of the one or more second antenna layers that connects electrically the first antenna feed to a first outer conductor of the first conductors at a first antenna end of the first outer conductor; and a second feed conductor in a layer of the one or more second antenna layers that connects electrically the second antenna feed to a second outer conductor of the first conductors at a second antenna end of the second outer conductor; wherein the first and second antenna ends are at opposite ends of the antenna.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, after passing through one conductor of the first conductors, the current supplied to the antenna passes through one conductor of the second conductors before passing through another conductor of the first conductors.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, after passing through one conductor of the second conductors, the current supplied to the antenna passes through one conductor of the first conductors before passing through another conductor of the second conductors.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna layer does not include a conductor through which the current supplied to the antenna passes in a direction opposite to the direction in which the current supplied to the antenna passes through the first conductors.

18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the antenna further comprises third conductors in the one or more second antenna layers, and the third conductors connect the first and second conductors.

19 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the current passing through the first conductors generates constructively overlapping magnetic fields.

20 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises two or more second antenna layers, and the second conductors are in the two or more second antenna layers.

21 . A system comprising:
the apparatus of claim 1 ; and a receiver coil.

22 . An apparatus comprising:
an antenna comprising:
first conductors in a first antenna layer; and
second conductors in one or more second antenna layers different than the first antenna layer, wherein a current supplied to the antenna passes through the first conductors in a direction opposite to a direction through which the current passes through the second conductors;
an antenna printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the second conductors comprise second conductors located at a first edge of the antenna PCB and second conductors located at a second edge of the antenna PCB that is opposite the first edge; and a first ferromagnetic strip located under the second conductors located at the first edge of the antenna PCB and a second ferromagnetic strip located under the second conductors located at the second edge of the antenna PCB.

23 . An apparatus comprising:
an antenna comprising:
first conductors in a first antenna layer; and
second conductors in one or more second antenna layers different than the first antenna layer, wherein a current supplied to the antenna passes through the first conductors in a direction opposite to a direction through which the current passes through the second conductors;
a first antenna printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the first conductors are printed on or fabricated in the first PCB antenna; and a second antenna PCB, wherein the second conductors are printed on and/or fabricated in the second PCB antenna.

24 . The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising one or more circuit components mounted on or fabricated in the second antenna PCB.

25 . The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the first and second antenna PCBs are part of a combined PCB, and the ferromagnetic layer is an internal layer within the combined PCB.

26 . An apparatus comprising:
an antenna comprising:
first conductors in a first antenna layer; and
second conductors in one or more second antenna layers different than the first antenna layer, wherein a current supplied to the antenna passes through the first conductors in a direction opposite to a direction through which the current passes through the second conductors, wherein a cross-sectional area of the first conductors is greater than a cross-sectional area of the second conductors.

27 . The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the current passing through the second conductors is a return current.

28 . A system comprising:
an antenna comprising:
first conductors in a first antenna layer; and
second conductors in one or more second antenna layers different than the first antenna layer, wherein a current supplied to the antenna passes through the first conductors in a direction opposite to a direction through which the current passes through the second conductors; and
a receiver coil, wherein the first and second conductors run in directions substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the receiver coil.

29 . The system of claim

Assignees

• Senseonics Inc

Inventors

• Beresnev Pavel

Classifications

• H01Q7/06 Primary

  with core of ferromagnetic material (H01Q7/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q1/38

  formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support {(patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface  H01Q15/142)} · CPC title

• H01Q7/00 Primary

  Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop · CPC title