Near Field Wireless Devices

Abstract

An example discloses a near-field wireless device comprising: a stack of layers distributed along a first axis; a first near-field antenna having a conductive surface and embedded in a first layer within the layer stack; wherein the conductive surface is configured to carry a non-propagating quasi-static near-field electrical induction signal for on-body near-field communication; a second near-field antenna having an induction loop and embedded in a second layer within the layer stack; wherein the induction loop is configured to carry a non-propagating quasi-static near-field magnetic induction signal for off-body near-field communication; wherein the first layer and the second layer are different layers; and wherein the first antenna and the second antenna have no galvanic contact.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present specification relates to systems, methods, devices, apparatus, articles of manufacture, and instructions for near-field wireless devices. Background Art

[0002] Discussed herein is near-field interaction between one or more near-field devices or conductive surface bodies on a user's body (i.e., on-body devices) and other conductive surfaces and / or other wireless devices (i.e., off-body devices), the near-field interaction being based on any of the following: near-field electromagnetic induction (NFEMI), in which a transmitter and a receiver are coupled via magnetic (H) and electric (E) fields; near-field electric induction (NFEI), in which a transmitter and a receiver are coupled via electric (E) fields; and near-field magnetic induction (NFMI / NFC), in which a transmitter and a receiver are coupled via magnetic (H) fields. While RF wireless communications are accomplished by propagating RF plane waves through free space, NFEMI, NFEI, NFMI, and NFC communicate using non-propagating quasi-static E-field and / or H-field signals.

[0003] H-field antennas (i.e., magnetic antennas) are primarily sensitive to magnetic fields and / or primarily activate magnetic fields when driven by current. Any E-field component from an H-field antenna is greatly reduced (e.g., from -20 dB to -60 dB, a factor of 0.1 to 0.0008 (10% to 0.08%), depending on the antenna design).

[0004] A small loop antenna is an example H-field antenna and includes a loop antenna having dimensions much smaller than the wavelength it is used in. The small loop antenna does not resonate at the carrier frequency of the near-field device, but is instead tuned to a resonant state by an external reactance. In some example embodiments, the current in the small loop antenna has the same value in each position of the loop.

[0005] E-field antennas (i.e., electric antennas) are primarily sensitive to electric fields and / or primarily activate electric fields when driven by voltage. Any H-field component from an E-field antenna is greatly reduced (e.g., from -20 dB to -60 dB, a factor of 0.1 to 0.0008 (10% to 0.08%), depending on the antenna design).

[0006] The short loaded dipole antenna is an example E-field antenna and includes a short dipole having dimensions much smaller than the carrier frequency of the near field device and in some example embodiments has additional capacitive surfaces at both ends.

[0007] The quasi-static nature of these fields is a result of the size of the near-field antenna combined with its carrier frequency. Most of the near-field energy is stored in the form of magnetic and electric fields, while a small amount of RF energy inevitably propagates in free space. Small antenna geometry minimizes radiated waves in free space. Summary of the invention

[0008] According to an exemplary embodiment, a near-field wireless device includes: a stack of layers distributed along a first axis; a first near-field antenna having a conductive surface and embedded in a first layer within the layer stack; wherein the conductive surface is configured to carry a non-propagating quasi-static near-field electrical induction signal for on-body near-field communication; a second near-field antenna having an induction loop and embedded in a second layer within the layer stack; wherein the induction loop is configured to carry a non-propagating quasi-static near-field magnetic induction signal for off-body near-field communication; wherein the first layer and the second layer are different layers; and wherein the first antenna and the second antenna have no galvanic contact.

[0009] In another example embodiment, the conductive surface forms a first planar surface; and the inductive loop forms a second planar surface.

[0010] In another example embodiment, the conductive surface of the first near-field antenna is configured to couple to an upper body surface via the non-propagating quasi-static near-field electrical induction signal; and the inductive loop of the second near-field antenna is configured to couple to an off-body near-field wireless device via the non-propagating quasi-static near-field magnetic induction signal.

[0011] In another example embodiment, further comprising a substrate embedded in a third layer within the layer stack; wherein the conductive surface of the first near-field antenna is on one side of the substrate; and wherein the inductive loop of the second near-field antenna is on a side opposite to the one side of the substrate.

[0012] In another example embodiment, the substrate has a magnetic permeability greater than ambient air.

[0013] In another example embodiment, the first near-field antenna further includes an induction loop configured to carry a non-propagating quasi-static near-field magnetic induction signal for on-body near-field communication; and the substrate is configured to attenuate the near-field magnetic induction signal generated by the second near-field antenna during off-body communication to avoid interfering with the near-field magnetic induction signal received by the first near-field antenna during on-body communication.

[0014] In another example embodiment, a set of supporting circuits is further included also on the side opposite to the side of the substrate; wherein the first near-field antenna further includes an induction loop, which is configured to carry a non-propagating quasi-static near-field magnetic induction signal for on-body near-field communication; and wherein the substrate is configured to weaken the magnetic field generated by the supporting circuit to avoid interfering with the near-field magnetic induction signal received by the first near-field antenna during on-body communication.

[0015] In another example embodiment, the second near-field antenna is configured to couple to an off-body NFC reader via the non-propagating quasi-static near-field magnetic induction signal.

[0016] In another example embodiment, the first near-field antenna and the second near-field antenna are both NFEMI (Near Field Electromagnetic Induction) antennas.

[0017] In another example embodiment, the apparatus is configured to position the conductive surface of the first near-field antenna closer to a user's body than the inductive loop of the second near-field antenna.

[0018] In another example embodiment, further comprising a cavity passing through each layer of the stack of layers distributed along the first axis; and wherein the cavity is configured to be coupled to a sensor configured to measure an on-body user attribute.

[0019] In another example embodiment, the sensor is a glucose sensor.

[0020] In another example embodiment, the on-body near-field communication is hosted by a user's body, the user's body comprising at least one of: a human body, a vehicle body, a robot, a docking device, a physically coupled system, or a tool or storage station on an assembly line.

[0021] In another example embodiment, the device is embedded in at least one of: a wearable, a glucose monitor, a medical device, a smart watch, an earbud, a hearing aid, a headset, an activity tracker, or a heart rate monitor.

[0022] In another example embodiment, a controller and a power source are additionally included within the wireless device; wherein the controller is configured to self-initiate communication between the device and a second wireless device using the first near-field antenna and the power source; and wherein the controller is configured to receive power from a third wireless device and respond to communications from the third wireless device using the second near-field antenna.

[0023] In another example embodiment, the second near field antenna is an NFC antenna.

[0024] In another example embodiment, the controller is configured to charge the power source using power received from the third wireless device.

[0025] In another example embodiment, a controller is additionally included; wherein the controller is configured to prevent signal transmission from the first near-field antenna and the second near-field antenna at the same time.

[0026] In another example embodiment, a controller is further included; wherein the first near-field antenna includes a first set of feed points configured to couple to a first tuning circuit; wherein the second near-field antenna includes a second set of feed points configured to couple to a second tuning circuit; and wherein the controller electrically separates the first tuning circuit from the second tuning circuit.

[0027] In another example embodiment, the tuning circuit includes a set of capacitance tuning parameters and resistance tuning parameters; the capacitance tuning parameters are configured to individually adjust the resonant frequencies of the first antenna and the second antenna; and the resistance tuning parameters are configured to individually adjust the operating bandwidths of the first antenna and the second antenna.

[0028] The above discussion is not intended to represent every example embodiment or every implementation within the scope of current or future claim sets.The following figures and detailed description also exemplify various embodiments.

[0029] Various example embodiments may be more fully understood from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 is an example of a near-field wireless device.

[0031] Figure 2A is a first example near-field antenna in a wireless device.

[0032] Figure 2B is a second example near-field antenna in a wireless device.

[0033] Figure 2C is a third example near-field antenna in a wireless device.

[0034] Figure 3 is an example circuit for a near field device.

[0035] Figure 4A is an example side view of an example embodiment of a near-field wireless device.

[0036] Figure 4B is an example top view of an example embodiment of a near-field wireless device.

[0037] Although the present disclosure allows for various modifications and alternative forms, the details of the present disclosure have been shown in the drawings by way of example and will be described in detail. However, it should be understood that other embodiments beyond the specific embodiments described are also possible. All modifications, equivalents and alternative embodiments within the spirit and scope of the appended claims are also encompassed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Some near-field devices may use near-field magnetic induction (NFMI, also known as NFC) as a wireless communication method. In NFMI / NFC wireless communication, two loosely coupled coils enable signal transmission. No radiation of radio waves occurs. The current flowing in the transmitting coil generates an H-field, which in turn induces a current in the receiving coil. Wireless communication is achieved in this way. An H-field-based NFMI system with a small antenna coil may have a limited range that may be much smaller than the entire wearable range of the user's body. Such H-field communications may also be sensitive to coil orientation.

[0039] Some near-field devices use near-field electric induction (NFEI) as a wireless communication method. NFEI allows electronic devices on and near a conductive surface (e.g., the human body) to exchange information through E-field coupling (e.g., at 21 MHz). NFEI is sometimes also referred to as body-coupled communication (BCC). Although E-field-based NFEI signals may have a greater range than H-field-based NFMI signals, the E-field signal strength may vary relative to body posture and be sensitive to body movement. The body may even partially block the capacitive return path, thereby increasing E-field channel loss and failing to achieve reliable and robust wireless communication.

[0040] Devices that employ both near-field magnetic induction antennas and near-field electric induction antennas are generally referred to as near-field electromagnetic induction (NFEMI) devices.

[0041] Now discussed is a near-field based wireless device antenna structure and an operating mode that supports both on-body communication and off-body communication. The antenna structure includes one antenna for on-body communication and another antenna for off-body communication. The operating mode includes an active mode and an inactive mode.

[0042] Figure 1 is an example of a near field wireless device 100. The example near field wireless device 100 includes a first near field antenna 102, a first tuning circuit 104, a first transceiver circuit 106, a controller 108, a second near field antenna 110, a second tuning circuit 112, and a second transceiver circuit 114.

[0043] In various example embodiments, the first near-field antenna 102 comprises a near-field electric induction antenna (eg, NFEI or NFEMI antenna) and is configured for on-body communication. The second near-field antenna 114 comprises a near-field magnetic induction antenna (eg, NFC antenna) and is configured for off-body communication.

[0044] In some example embodiments, the second near field antenna 114 may be configured to transmit power to a wireless device that may otherwise be in a dormant state and / or have a depleted battery. This power may be used only to initiate downloading of data from the wireless device or also to recharge the wireless device.

[0045] Next, refer to Figure 2A , 2B and 2C Example embodiments of near-field antennas 102 , 110 are presented and further discussed.

[0046] The controller 108 is configured to monitor and maintain the operating resonant frequency of the device 100 and the operating bandwidth / quality factor of the near-field signals carried by the near-field antennas 102, 110. If the operating resonant frequency is different from the preselected resonant frequency and / or the operating bandwidth is different from the preselected bandwidth, the controller 108 is configured to adjust the tuning parameters in the tuning circuits 104, 112.

[0047] Either or both of the tuning circuits 104, 112 can be configured to adjust the resonant frequency of the device 100 using the capacitor bank (C bank) and adjust the bandwidth using the resistor bank (R bank) in response to a signal from the controller 108. In some examples, the C bank and R bank discrete values ​​are approximately 130 pF and 5000 ohms, respectively, to support the desired resonant frequency (e.g., 10.6 MHz) and bandwidth (e.g., 400 KHz). The controller 108 is configured to use the tuning circuits 104, 112 to adjust (e.g., increment / decrement) the C bank and R bank values. Next, referring to Figure 3 Example embodiments of the tuning circuits 104 , 112 are presented and further discussed.

[0048] In various example embodiments, the transceiver circuits 106, 114 may be configured by the controller 108 to help adjust the resonant frequency and bandwidth by introducing test signals (e.g., three test signals) into the tuning circuits 104, 112 and antennas 102, 110. The controller 108 may then be configured to: first, monitor the loading of the near-field antennas 102, 110; and second, adjust the tuning parameters if the loading is different from a preselected loading.

[0049] In some example embodiments, the controller 108 is configured to place the wireless device 100 into at least two operating modes using one or both of the antennas 102 , 110 .

[0050] In the active mode, the wireless device 100 is configured to self-initiate communication with other on-body wireless devices (not shown) using near-field electric induction (NFEI) or near-field electromagnetic induction (NFEMI). For example, an on-body glucose sensor in a first near-field wireless device can be configured to transmit the reading of the glucose sensor to a second on-body near-field wireless device, which collects the reading of the glucose sensor and possibly other user medical information.

[0051] In the inactive mode, the wireless device 100 is configured to communicate with a third off-body wireless device (not shown) using near field magnetic induction (NFMI or NFC) only in response to an external prompt (e.g., an inquiry response) communication from the third wireless device. For example, the third off-body wireless device can be a smartphone / NFC reader that powers a second on-body near-field wireless device that collects readings of a glucose sensor, and thereby causes the second on-body near-field wireless device to transmit the collected readings of the glucose sensor to the smartphone / NFC reader.

[0052] Note that although the example embodiments discussed herein refer to a user's body, on-body, and off-body, in alternative embodiments of the near-field device 100, the body is broadly defined herein to include at least: a human body, an animal body, a living body, a body structure of an inanimate object, a robot, a vehicle, a docking system, a physically coupled system, a workbench on an assembly line, etc.

[0053] Figure 2A 2 is a first example near-field antenna 200 in the wireless device 100. In this example, the antenna 200 is a near-field electromagnetic induction (NFEMI) antenna. In some example embodiments, the antenna 200 includes a loop / coil (H-field) antenna 205 for a magnetic field, and a short loaded dipole (E-field) antenna 220 for an electric field. The H-field antenna 205 includes a ferrite core 210 wound with a spiral wire 215. The E-field antenna 220 includes two conductive load surfaces 225 and 230. The antenna 200 feed points 235, 240 are coupled to various transceiver circuit systems, such as downstream radio transmitters and receiver integrated circuits (RF-ICs) (not shown here). The antenna 200 can be tuned to resonate at the communication frequency by means of a reactive component integrated in the RF-IC. The bandwidth of the antenna 200 can be tuned in a similar manner using a reactive component.

[0054] When the NFEMI antenna 200 is in proximity to a conductive structure (e.g., a structure having one or more conductive surfaces, a body, a person, an object, etc.), the magnetic and electric fields will be substantially confined to the conductive surface and will not radiate significantly in free space. This enhances the security and confidentiality of such body networking communications.

[0055] In various example embodiments, antenna 200 operates at or below 50 MHz (eg, at 30 MHz) to ensure that the field follows the contours of the conductive surface and to ensure that far-field radiation is greatly reduced.

[0056] Figure 2B is a second example near field (eg, near field electro-inductive (NFEI)) antenna 245 in the wireless device 100. The second example near field antenna 245 is composed only of the short loaded dipole (E field) antenna portion 220 of the first example near field antenna 200.

[0057] Figure 2C 2 is a third example near field (e.g., near field magnetic induction (NFMI / NFC)) antenna 250 in the wireless device 100. The third example near field antenna 250 is composed of a different structural embodiment of the loop / coil (H-field) antenna 205 portion of the first example near field antenna 200. This different structural embodiment of the coil (H-field) antenna 205 includes a planar wire 255 formed into two loops with a crossover 260. The crossover 260 enables currents within the inner and outer portions of the wire 255 to flow in a balanced manner, thereby reducing or eliminating undesirable E-field components of the antenna 250 while not affecting the desired H-field components of the antenna 250.

[0058] Figure 3 is an example circuit 300 of the near field device 100. Note that although relative to Figure 2A The example circuit 300 is discussed with reference to the first example near field antenna 200 (NFEMI), but in an alternative embodiment, the first example near field antenna 200 may be composed of a portion of Figure 2B A second example near field antenna 245 (NFEI) is replaced.

[0059] The example circuit 300 includes the first example near-field antenna 200 (NFEMI), supporting circuits 302, transceiver circuits 112 / 118, and is configured to communicate (ie, transmit and / or receive) using non-propagating quasi-static near-field signals.

[0060] The idealized first example near-field antenna 200 includes a magnetic (H-field) antenna 205 having a resistance ( R3 ) and an inductance ( L1 ), an electric (E-field) antenna 220 having a conductive structure formed by two loading surfaces 225 and 230 , and two feed points 235 , 240 .

[0061] Support circuit 302 includes tuning circuit 304 and controller 108 .

[0062] The tuning circuit 304 is coupled to the first and second feed points 235, 240. The tuning circuit 304 includes a first variable tuning capacitor group (C1), a second variable tuning capacitor group (C2), a first variable tuning resistor group (R1), and a second variable tuning resistor group (R2). The capacitor group and the resistor group are coupled to a reference potential 310 (e.g., ground potential). The capacitor group is coupled to the controller 108 via a control line 306, and the resistor group is coupled to the controller 108 via a control line 308.

[0063] The controller 108 adjusts the first and second capacitor groups (C1), (C2) to adjust the resonant frequency of the magnetic antenna 205 and the electric antenna 220 (e.g., to 10.6 MHz). The controller 108 adjusts the first and second resistor groups (R1), (R2) to adjust the bandwidth of the magnetic antenna 205 and the electric antenna 220 (e.g., to 400 KHz) so that the bandwidth is sufficient to allow non-propagating quasi-static near-field signals to be received from the antennas 205, 220.

[0064] In some example embodiments, the capacitor banks ( C1 ), ( C2 ) are tuned equally using control lines 306 from the controller 108 , and the resistor banks ( R1 ), ( R2 ) are tuned equally using control lines 308 from the controller 108 .

[0065] The transceiver circuits 112 / 118 may be configured for balanced or unbalanced operation.

[0066] Figure 4A is an example side view 402 of an example embodiment of the near field wireless device 100 . Figure 4B is an example top view 404 of an example embodiment of a near field wireless device 100. Figure 4A and 4B .

[0067] The example side view 402 shows the first near field antenna 102, the second near field antenna 110, and the supporting circuit 302 of the near field wireless device 100. The example side view 402 additionally shows the first substrate 406, the second substrate 408, the third substrate 410, and the cavity 412. Not all example embodiments of the near field wireless device 100 will include the elements 302, 406, 408, 410, and 412.

[0068] In this example embodiment of the near-field wireless device 100, the first near-field antenna 102 includes at least a NFEI antenna, e.g. Figure 2B As shown in FIG, and is designed to be closer to the user's body than the second near-field antenna 110, so as to better perform on-body E-field communication. The first near-field antenna 102 can be capacitively or galvanically coupled to the user's body.

[0069] The second near field antenna 110 includes at least a NFMI / NFC antenna, for example Figure 2C As shown in , and is designed to be farther away from the user's body than the first near-field antenna 102 so as to better perform off-body H-field communication.

[0070] In other exemplary embodiments of the near-field wireless device 100 , both the first near-field antenna 102 and the second near-field antenna 110 may be NFEMI antennas, for example Figure 2A as shown in .

[0071] In some example embodiments, the first substrate 406 and the second substrate 408 have a dielectric constant greater than air (eg, a dielectric constant of 4), and the third substrate 410 has a magnetic permeability greater than air (eg, a magnetic permeability of 100).

[0072] In this particular example embodiment, antennas 102, 110 and substrates 406, 408, 410 are interleaved and stacked, e.g. Figure 4A Other stacking and arrangements are possible.

[0073] Because the third substrate 410 is positioned between the first antenna 102 and the supporting circuitry 302 , it provides additional attenuation of any magnetic (H-field) and electric (E-field) interference generated by the supporting circuitry 302 to prevent noise from being added to the near-field signal received by the first antenna 102 .

[0074] If in the case of a coil (H field) antenna 205 Figure 2A In this configuration, the first antenna 102 is particularly sensitive to magnetic field interference from the supporting circuit 302 when used in the active mode and receiving H-field signals from other on-body near-field wireless devices at relatively low field strengths.

[0075] In contrast, due to the relatively strong magnetic field signal from the NFC reader, if in H-field communication with a powerful NFC reader (e.g., a smartphone) positioned near the second near-field antenna 110, the second near-field antenna 110 is less sensitive to magnetic field interference from the supporting circuit 302.

[0076] The third substrate 410, which is positioned between the first and second antennas 102, 110 and has a higher magnetic permeability than air, additionally functions to attenuate the near-field signals generated by the first and second antennas 102, 110 to prevent them from interfering with each other. Thus, the third substrate 410 in this positioning enables a more compact near-field wireless device 100 structure, which can then be embedded in a smaller form factor (e.g., a glucose monitoring device). In some example embodiments, a wireless device 100 having this positioning may have a diameter of 20 mm or less.

[0077] The supporting circuit 302 may be further augmented by other sensing and / or mechanical components. In some example embodiments, these additional components (eg, a glucose sensor) may be embedded within the cavity 412. Note that some example embodiments do not have the cavity 412.

[0078] In some example embodiments, the controller 108 may configure only one or both antennas 102 , 110 to be active (eg, transmit / receive, sleep / standby, etc.) at a time to further reduce near-field signal interference and / or device 100 power consumption.

[0079] exist Figure 1 In the active mode introduced in , the controller 108 may configure the wireless device 100 for on-body communication or off-body communication only when the internal power source (e.g., battery) is sufficiently charged. In the inactive mode, the controller 108 may configure the wireless device 100 for off-body communication only when in a sleep / standby state or in the event that the internal power source (e.g., battery) is depleted. In some example embodiments, a depleted wireless device 100 battery may be recharged in the inactive mode until the wireless device 100 is sufficiently charged to resume active mode communications.

[0080] In various applications, the near-field wireless device 100 can be embedded in various wearables that require a smaller form factor for wireless on-body networks. Medical applications, such as glucose monitoring systems worn on the body are also possible. In this glucose monitoring application, a glucose sensor positioned in cavity 412 is positioned very close to the user's body near the first near-field antenna 102. The glucose level measured in the user's blood is transmitted near-field wirelessly using on-body communication to an insulin pump worn by the user and embedded with a second near-field wireless device 100. A third near-field wireless device 100 using NFC in a smartphone then powers the second near-field antenna 110 and reads back the measured glucose data for further medical support.

[0081] Unless a particular order is explicitly stated, the various instructions and / or operational steps discussed in the above figures may be performed in any order. Likewise, those skilled in the art will recognize that, although some example instruction sets / steps have been discussed, the material in this specification may be combined in a variety of ways to produce yet other examples, and should be understood within the context provided by this specific embodiment.

[0082] In some example embodiments, these instructions / steps are implemented as functional and software instructions. In other embodiments, the instructions can be implemented using logic gates, application-specific chips, firmware, and other hardware forms.

[0083] When instructions are implemented as executable instruction sets in non-transitory computer-readable or computer-usable media, these instructions are implemented on a computer or machine programmed with and controlled by the executable instructions. The instructions are loaded to be executed on a processor (e.g., one or more CPUs). The processor includes a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a processor module or subsystem (including one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers) or other control or computing devices. The processor may refer to a single component or multiple components. The computer-readable or computer-usable storage medium is considered to be part of an article (or product). An article or product may refer to any manufactured single component or multiple components. A non-transitory machine or computer-usable medium as defined herein does not include signals, but such a medium may be able to receive and process information from signals and / or other temporary media.

[0084] It will be readily appreciated that the components of the embodiments as generally described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Therefore, the specific implementations of the various embodiments as represented in the figures are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, but are merely representative of the various embodiments. Although various aspects of the embodiments are presented in the drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically indicated.

[0085] The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. The described embodiments are considered in all respects to be illustrative only and not restrictive. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the specific embodiments thereof. All changes within the meaning and scope of the equivalents of the claims are included within the scope of the claims.

[0086] References throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language do not imply that all features and advantages that may be achieved with the present invention are or are included in any single embodiment of the present invention. Rather, language referring to features and advantages should be understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of features and advantages and similar language throughout this specification may, but does not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

[0087] In addition, the described features, advantages and characteristics of the present invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In view of the description herein, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the present invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other cases, additional features and advantages may be identified in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the present invention.

[0088] References throughout this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or similar language mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the indicated embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

Claims

1. A near-field wireless device, It is characterized in that include: a stack of layers distributed along a first axis; a first near-field antenna having a conductive surface and embedded in a first layer within the layer stack; wherein the conductive surface is configured to carry a non-propagating quasi-static near-field electro-induction signal for on-body near-field communication; a second near-field antenna having an inductive loop and embedded in a second layer within the layer stack; wherein the induction loop is configured to carry a non-propagating quasi-static near-field magnetic induction signal for off-body near-field communication; wherein the first layer and the second layer are different layers; and wherein the first near-field antenna and the second near-field antenna are not in galvanic contact; The first near-field antenna additionally includes an inductive loop configured to carry a non-propagating quasi-static near-field magnetic induction signal for on-body near-field communication; and Also included is a substrate embedded in a third layer within the layer stack; wherein the substrate is configured to attenuate the near-field magnetic induction signal generated by the second near-field antenna during off-body communication to avoid interfering with the near-field magnetic induction signal received by the first near-field antenna during on-body communication.

2. The device according to claim 1: It is characterized in that The conductive surface forms a first planar surface; and The inductive loop forms a second planar surface.

3. The device according to claim 1: It is characterized in that The conductive surface of the first near-field antenna is configured to couple to a body upper surface via the non-propagating quasi-static near-field electro-inductive signal; and The inductive loop of the second near-field antenna is configured to couple to an off-body near-field wireless device via the non-propagating quasi-static near-field magnetic induction signal.

4. The device according to claim 1, Features: wherein the conductive surface of the first near-field antenna is on one side of the substrate; and Wherein the inductive loop of the second near-field antenna is on a side opposite to the side of the substrate.

5. The device according to claim 4: It is characterized in that The substrate has a magnetic permeability greater than ambient air.

6. The device according to claim 4, Features: additionally including a set of support circuits also on said side opposite said side of said substrate; wherein the first near-field antenna further comprises an induction loop configured to carry a non-propagating quasi-static near-field magnetic induction signal for on-body near-field communication; and The substrate is configured to attenuate a magnetic field generated by the supporting circuit to avoid interfering with a near-field magnetic induction signal received by the first near-field antenna during on-body communication.

7. The device according to claim 1: It is characterized in that The apparatus is configured to position the conductive surface of the first near-field antenna closer to a user's body than the inductive loop of the second near-field antenna.

8. The device according to claim 1, Features: further comprising a cavity passing through each layer in the stack of layers distributed along the first axis; and Wherein the cavity is configured to be coupled to a sensor configured to measure an on-body attribute of a user.

9. The device according to claim 1, Features: Also including a controller and a power supply within said wireless device; wherein the controller is configured to autonomously initiate communication between the device and a second wireless device using the first near-field antenna and the power source; and Wherein the controller is configured to receive power from a third wireless device and respond to communications from the third wireless device using the second near-field antenna.

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