Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd.

Cambridge Silicon Radio Limited

Qualcomm Incorporated

Anthony Lawrence McFarthing

Johan Lucas Gertenbach

Shyam Patel

Rainer Herberholz

Paul Dominic Hiscock

Peter Andrew Rees Williams

Zafer Boz

Aline Coelho De Souza

Jimmy Andreas Johansson

Zern Tay

Disclosed are techniques for wireless communication. In an aspect, a wireless communications device transmits a first set of symbols of a plurality of symbols of a data stream using a first set of constellation points of a pi/N-based modulation scheme, and transmits a second set of symbols of the plurality of symbols using a second set of constellation points of the pi/N-based modulation scheme, wherein each of the first set of constellation points and the second set of constellation points consists of M constellation points, wherein the second set of constellation points is rotated from the first set of constellation points by pi/N, wherein symbols of the first set of symbols alternate with symbols of the second set of symbols, and wherein M is greater than 8.

Higher bit rate modulation format for polar transmitter

Methods, systems, and devices for an apparatus that performs near field communications are described. A near ultra low energy field (NULEF) system may be used in systems that come in close contact with the human body. NULEF-E may experience limited performance due to external electric fields generated by a human body. NULEF-E may also be used across other bodies having electrically conductive or semi-conductive surfaces. The interference of the external electric fields may be mitigated by increasing the electrical length between a transducer and an electrode of the system. In particular, a wire electrically connecting a transceiver and a electrode may have a wire length that is also an electrical length between the transceiver and the electrode, the wire being configured such that a physical distance between the electrode and the transceiver is less than the wire length while maintaining the electrical length.

Near ultra low energy field transducer design

Techniques to enable near field communication using electric field (E-field) are proposed. When the wavelength of a signal is long relative to the human body, the human body can behave as a conductive hollow cylinder. By capacitively coupling the human body with a transmitter and/or a receiver, the human body itself can be used as a communication medium.

Near electric field communication

Use of a Near Ultra-low Energy Field (NULEF) communications as a non-radiating means of gaining entry to a car when the car owner is near the car or touching the car body avoids the use of problematic radio signals that may be intercepted by thieves. In addition, a NULEF communications system may be used as a high bandwidth in-car communication system using either NULEF-E or NULEF-H.

Access and communication using near ultra low energy fields

According to various aspects and technical advantages, an apparatus for electronic shelf labels includes a controller circuit for communicating with communication devices using a contactless communication protocol, a set of two or more antenna coils, each antenna coil located at a known position relative to the controller circuit, and a switch for selectively coupling the controller circuit to one or more of the set of antenna coils. The controller circuit is configured to determine a physical location of a communication device based on which antenna coil from the set of antenna coils the communication device is using to communicate with the controller circuit

Electronic shelf label (ESL) antenna design

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for near ultra-low energy field (NULEF) headset communications. In some aspects, a source device, located in a seat headrest, can generate a modulated magnetic field capable of transferring data via a magnetic communication link, such as a NULEF communication link. The source device can establish a wireless data transfer session with one or more sink devices, and at least one of the sink devices can be implemented to receive data via the NULEF communication link.

Near ultra-low energy field (NULEF) headset communications

Wireless charging methods, chargers and devices are disclosed, including a method of measuring wireless charging performance comprising transmitting a wireless charging signal, measuring a transmitted power of the wireless charging signal, receiving an indication of a received power from the wireless charging signal received by a device, and determining wireless charging performance based on the transmitted power and the indication of the received power.

Wireless charging performance measurement

A receiver circuit and a device incorporating a receiver circuit are described, including a receiver circuit comprising a first rectifier arranged to receive a signal from an antenna, a second rectifier arranged to receive the signal from the antenna, and a first depletion mode NMOS transistor switch connected between the first rectifier and a first output of the receiver circuit, wherein a drain of the first transistor switch is connected to a first output of the first rectifier, a source of the first transistor switch comprises the first output of the receiver circuit, and a gate of the first transistor switch is arranged to receive a voltage based on an output of the second rectifier, such that the transistor switch is opened when a level of the signal from the antenna exceeds a predetermined level.

Receiver circuit

An inductor structure includes a first inductor and a second inductor. The second inductor includes a loop that surrounds the first inductor. The first inductor includes a first loop and a second loop, and a crossover section coupling the first loop to the second loop so as to cause current flowing through the first inductor to circulate around the first loop in a first rotational direction and around the second loop in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction; wherein the first and second inductors are arranged in an equilibrated configuration about a first axis that bisects the inductor structure such that the first loop is on one side of the first axis and the second loop is on a second side of the first axis, such that the magnetic interaction between the inductors due to current flow in the inductors is cancelled out.

Inductor structure

A near field communications apparatus comprising a signal source, a transmit antenna and means for detecting a change in the input impedance of the transmit antenna to detect the presence of a device which is compatible with the apparatus.

Near field communications apparatus

The present application relates to a near field communications (NFC) reader having a power amplifier which has an output that connects to an input terminal of an antenna by means of an antenna filter made up of one or more series resistors and one or more series capacitors. The NFC reader includes means for adjusting the Q factor of the antenna so as to increase the available transmit bandwidth and/or improve the efficiency of the reader. The means for adjusting the Q factor of the antenna may be, for example, a variable resistive component or one or more switches.

Near field communications reader

The present application relates to a near field communications (NFC) reader which includes an amplifier that drives an antenna. Capacitors of fixed value are connected in series between differential outputs of the amplifier and inputs of the antenna and form a series resonant circuit with the impedance of the antenna. Variable capacitances are provided in series with the fixed value capacitors, and the capacitance of these variable capacitances can be adjusted to compensate for manufacturing tolerances in the fixed value capacitors which cause a frequency offset between a desired resonant frequency of the series resonant circuit its actual resonant frequency, and to compensate for changes in the input impedance of the antenna that occur as the distance between the antenna of the reader and an antenna of an NFC tag changes.

Near field communication reader with variable power supply

Methods and devices are described, including a near-field communications (NFC) or radio frequency identification (RFID) device comprising an NFC or RFID circuit, an antenna having at least a first terminal, a first rectifier connected to the first terminal of the antenna, a switch between the first rectifier and the NFC or RFID circuit, a voltage detector for detecting a voltage in the device caused by a signal received at the antenna, and a control module for controlling the switch, wherein when the voltage exceeds a threshold magnitude, the control module controls the switch to be in an open state and, after a predetermined time period, determines whether the voltage still exceeds the threshold magnitude and, if the voltage still exceeds the predetermined magnitude, controls the switch to be in the open state.

Protection of an NFC or RFID radio in the presence of strong electromagnetic fields

Methods and devices are disclosed including a wireless charging method comprising transmitting a wireless charging signal, monitoring at least one of an amplitude and a phase of the wireless charging signal, determining whether the at least one of an amplitude and phase is within a predetermined range of at least one predetermined value and, if it is determined that the at least one of an amplitude and phase is not within the predetermined range of the at least one predetermined value, stopping transmission of the wireless charging signal.

Object detection in a wireless charging field

Methods and devices are disclosed, including a method of communicating, the method comprising transmitting, in a first time period, a signal for powering a communications device, and communicating, in a second time period, with the communications device using one of phase shift keying (PSK), frequency shift keying (FSK) and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM).

Growing community of inventors

Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Anthony Lawrence McFarthing