Portable electronic device capable of expanding transmission distance for near field communication functions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9231665-B2
Application number	US-201314092949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2013
Priority date	Dec 28, 2012
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

A portable electronic device capable of expanding transmission distance of NFC is provided. The portable electronic device includes a watch-strap portion, a power module, an NFC module, and a relay coil group arranged in the watch-strap portion. The power module includes a wireless charging coil, and the NFC module includes an NFC antenna. The relay coil group is configured to relay external electromagnetic power from an external power source to the power module by the coil group being magnetically coupled with the wireless charging coil. The relay coil group is also configured to relay NFC information between the NFC module and an external NFC read-write device or an external NFC storing device by the coil group being magnetically coupled with the NFC antenna. Therefore, the distances for both charging and NFC functions are expanded.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable electronic device comprising:
a body;
a watch-strap portion configured to attach the portable electronic device on a wrist of a user;
a power module comprising a wireless charging coil, a wireless charging circuit, and a rechargeable battery connected in that order;
an NFC module comprising an NFC antenna and an NFC circuit connected to the NFC antenna;
a relay coil group arranged in the watch-strap portion and comprising a magnetic resonant coil having approximately the same resonant frequency as the wireless charging coil and the NFC antenna, the relay coil group configured to transfer external electromagnetic power from an external power source to the power module by the relay coil group being magnetically coupled between the external power source and the wireless charging coil; the relay coil group also configured to transfer NFC information between the NFC module and an external NFC device by the relay coil group being magnetically coupled between the external NFC device and the NFC antenna; and
a control module connected to the power module and the NFC module, wherein the control module is configured to enable the power module and disable the NFC module, so that the magnetic resonant coil is magnetically coupled with the wireless charging coil to charge the portable electronic device; the control module is also configured to enable the NFC module and disable the power module, so that the magnetic resonant coil is magnetically coupled with the NFC antenna to enable the portable electronic device to perform NFC functions.

2. The portable electronic device as described in claim 1 , wherein the magnetic resonant coil is configured to be magnetically coupled with an external power supply coil of the external power source by a magnetic field generated by the external power supply coil, and generates another magnetic field coupling with the wireless charging coil and transmits the external electromagnetic power from the external power supply coil to the charging circuit through the wireless charging coil to charge the rechargeable battery.

3. The portable electronic device as described in claim 1 , wherein when the magnetic resonant coil is magnetically coupled with an external NFC read-write device by a magnetic field generated by the external NFC read-write device, the magnetic resonant coil generates another magnetic field coupling with the NFC antenna and transmits an external NFC read-write signal from the external NFC read-write device to the NFC circuit through the NFC antenna, and the NFC circuit responds to the external NFC read-write signal and outputs required NFC data to the NFC antenna to send back to the external NFC read-write device through the magnetic resonant coil.

4. The portable electronic device as described in claim 1 , wherein to read or write data stored in an external NFC storing device, the control module controls the NFC circuit to output an internal read-write signal, and controls the NFC antenna to generate a magnetic field; the magnetic resonant coil is magnetically coupled with the NFC antenna by the magnetic field generated by the NFC antenna, and generates another magnetic field coupling with the external NFC storing device and transmits the internal NFC read-write signal from the NFC circuit to the external NFC storing device.

Assignees

• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liao Kuang-Yao

Classifications

• H02J50/80

  involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices · CPC title

• H02J50/12

  of the resonant type · CPC title

• H04B1/385

  Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets · CPC title

• H04B2001/3861

  carried in a hand or on fingers · CPC title

• H04B2001/3855

  carried in a belt or harness · CPC title