Multiple antenna arrangement for detecting user devices of varying size

Abstract

A communication device including a housing comprising an active surface and a processor associated with the housing. A plurality of nested NFC antennas coupled to the processor respectively configured to detect and receive access data from user devices of different sizes proximate to the plurality of antennas. A computer readable medium is coupled to the processor and comprising instructions for: initiating a first polling of a first NFC antenna in the plurality of antennas; determining a second NFC antenna in the plurality of antennas with which to initiate a second polling; initiating the second polling of the second NFC antenna; detecting the user device using the second NFC antenna; and receiving the access data from the user device via the second NFC antenna.

Description

MULTIPLE ANTENNA ARRANGEMENT FOR DETECTING USER DEVICES OF VARYING SIZECROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a PCT application which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 487,668, filed on March 1 , 2023, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND

[0002] If a user wants to use a contactless user device to access a resource, the user may interact the user device with a communication device. For example, the user device can have a first NFC (near field communication) antenna and can tap the user device against a location where a second NFC antenna is located in the communication device. The communication device can receive access data such as a credential from the user device through the coupling between the first and second NFC antennas. The communication device can be a terminal such as a contactless gate terminal, a contactless payment terminal, a tablet computer, or a laptop computer. The second NFC antenna may be looped around the screen or could be at a discrete location in a communication device.

[0003] User devices and communication devices can come in different form factors and sizes. For example, user devices can be phones, smart watches, cards, tablet computers, etc. Communication devices can be phones, laptop computers, kiosks, etc. Because user devices and communication devices come in different form factors and sizes, the capability for the second NFC antenna in a particular communication device to communicate with the first NFC antenna in a particular user device may not be guaranteed. For example, a very small loop antenna in a user device may not be able to effectively couple to a very large loop antenna in a communication device due to their size differences.

[0004] Embodiments of the disclosure address this problem and other problems individually and collectively.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0005] One embodiment of the invention includes a communication device comprising: a housing comprising an active surface; a processor associated with the housing; a plurality of nested NFC antennas coupled to the processor, the NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas are respectively configured to detect and receive access data from user devices of different sizes proximate to the plurality of nested NFC antennas; and a computer readable medium coupled to the processor and comprising instructions, executable by the processor, for performing operations comprising: initiating, by the processor, a first polling of a first NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas at a location under the active surface; determining, by the processor, a second NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas with which to initiate a second polling; initiating, by the processor, the second polling of the second NFC antenna; detecting, by the processor, the user device using the second NFC antenna; and receiving, by the processor, the access data from the user device via the second NFC antenna.

[0006] Another embodiment of the invention includes a method of using a communication device comprising a housing with an active surface, a processor associated with the housing, and a plurality of nested NFC antennas coupled to the processor, at least two NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas respectively configured to detect and receive access data from user devices of different sizes proximate to the plurality of nested NFC antennas, the method comprising: initiating, by a processor, a first polling of a first NFC antenna in a plurality of nested NFC antennas at a location under an active surface of a housing of a communication device, at least two NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas respectively configured to detect and receive access data from user devices of different sizes when the user devices are positioned proximate to the location; determining, by the processor, a second NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas with which to initiate a second polling; initiating, by the processor the second polling of the second NFC antenna; detecting, by theprocessor, the user device using the second NFC antenna; and receiving, by the processor, access data from the user device via the second NFC antenna.

[0007] Another embodiment of the invention includes a system comprising: a user device; and a communication device comprising: a housing comprising an active surface; a processor associated with the housing; a plurality of nested NFC antennas coupled to the processor, wherein the NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas are respectively configured to detect and receive access data from user devices of different sizes proximate to the plurality of nested NFC antennas; and a computer readable medium coupled to the processor and comprising instructions, executable by the processor, for performing operations comprising: initiating, by the processor, a first polling of a first NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas at a location under the active surface; determining, by the processor, a second NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas with which to initiate a second polling; initiating, by the processor, the second polling of the second NFC antenna; detecting, by the processor, the user device using the second NFC antenna; and receiving, by the processor, the access data from the user device via the second NFC antenna.

[0008] These and other embodiments are described in further detail below.TERMS

[0009] Before discussing specific embodiments of the invention, some descriptions of some terms may be helpful.

[0010] A “user” may include an individual. In some embodiments, a user may be associated with one or more personal accounts and / or user devices. The user may also be referred to as a cardholder, account holder, or consumer in some embodiments.

[0011] A "user device" may be any suitable device that is operated by a user. Suitable user devices can be portable, and can communicate with external entities such as access devices. Examples of user devices include cards that have data stored on them, mobile phones, laptop computers, transponders, wearable devices such as smart watches, automobiles with remote communication capabilities, access cards, smart media, etc. A payment device may be an example of a user device.

[0012] A “payment device” may refer to a device that may be used to conduct a financial transaction, such as to provide payment information to a merchant. A payment device may be in any suitable form. For example, suitable payment devices can be hand-held and compact so that they can fit into a consumer's wallet and / or pocket (e.g., pocket-sized). They may include smart cards, magnetic stripe cards, keychain devices (such as the Speedpass™ commercially available from ExxonMobil Corp.), etc. If the payment device is in the form of a debit, credit, or smartcard, the payment device may also optionally have features such as magnetic stripes. Such devices can operate in either a contact or contactless mode.

[0013] A “communication device” may be a device that includes one or more electronic components (e.g., an integrated chip) that can communicate with another device. For example, a communication device can be a computing device that includes at least one processor coupled to a memory that stores instructions or code for execution by the processor. A “portable communication device” can be a communication device that can be transported and operated by a user. A portable communication device may provide remote communication capabilities to a network. A portable communication device can be configured to transmit and receive data or communications to and from other devices. A portable communication device may be in the form of a mobile device such as a mobile phone (e.g., smart phone, cellular phone, etc.), tablets, portable media player, personal digital assistant devices (PDAs), wearable computing device (e.g., watch), health monitoring device, electronic reader device, etc., or in the form of a card (e.g., smart card) or a fob, etc. Examples of portable communication devices may also include portable computing devices (e.g., laptops, netbooks, ultrabooks, etc.). A portable communication device may also be in the form of a vehicle (e.g., an automobile), or be integrated as part of a vehicle (e.g., an infosystem of a vehicle).

[0014] A “resource” can be something of value to a user. A resource, for example, can include digital items and / or physical items. A resource can be an obtainable item. A resource can be owned by an entity. A resource can be a physical item such as goods. A resource can be a service that is provided by a merchant. A resource can be a digital item such as non-fungible tokens, secure data, etc. Another example of a resource is access to a secure or otherwise access-controlled location.

[0015] A “resource provider” may be an entity that can provide a resource such as goods, services, information, and / or access to a location (e.g., a parking space, a transit terminal, etc.). Examples of resource providers include merchants, governmental authorities, secure data providers, etc. A resource provider may operate one or more resource provider computers.

[0016] A “resource provider computer” may include any system associated with a resource provider. In some embodiments, the resource provider computer may handle functionality of a mobile application and / or a website associated with the resource provider from which a user may acquire resources.

[0017] An “authorization entity” may be an entity that authorizes a request. Examples of an authorization entity may be an issuer, a governmental agency, a document repository, an access administrator, etc. An authorization entity may operate an authorization entity computer.

[0018] An “issuer” may refer to a business entity (e.g., a bank) that issues and optionally maintains an account for a user. An issuer may also issue payment credentials stored on a user device, such as a cellular telephone, smart card, tablet, or laptop to the consumer.

[0019] A “processor” may refer to any suitable data computation device or devices. A processor may comprise one or more microprocessors working together to accomplish a desired function. The processor may include a CPU comprising at least one high-speed data processor adequate to execute program components for executing user and / or system -generated requests. The CPU may be a microprocessor such as AMD's Athlon, Duron and / or Opteron; IBM and / or Motorola's PowerPC; IBM's and Sony's Cell processor; Intel's Celeron, Itanium, Pentium, Xeon, and / or XScale; and / or the like processor(s).

[0020] A “memory” may be any suitable device or devices that can store electronic data. A suitable memory may comprise a non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions that can be executed by a processor to implement a desired method. Examples of memories may comprise one or more memory chips, disk drives, etc. Such memories may operate using any suitable electrical, optical, and / or magnetic mode of operation.

[0021] "Access data" may include any suitable data that can be used to access a resource or create data that can access a resource. In some embodiments, access data may be a credential, a token, or some other type of information that can be used to access a resource.

[0022] A “credential” may be any suitable information that serves as reliable evidence of worth, ownership, identity, or authority. A credential may be a string of numbers, letters, or any other suitable characters that may be present or contained in any object or document that can serve as confirmation. User credential examples can be a primary account number, driver's license ID, social security number, etc.

[0023] “Payment credentials” may include any suitable information associated with an account (e.g., a payment account and / or payment device associated with the account). Such information may be directly related to the account or may be derived from information related to the account. Examples of account information may include a PAN (primary account number or “account number”), username, expiration date, CVV (card verification value), dCVV (dynamic card verification value), CVV2 (card verification value 2), CVC3 card verification values, etc. CVV2 is generally understood to be a static verification value associated with a payment device. CVV2 values are generally visible to a user (e.g., a consumer), whereas CW and dCVV values are typically embedded in memory or authorization request messages and are not readily known to the user (although they are known to the issuer and payment processors). Payment credentials may be any information that identifies or is associated with a payment account. Payment credentials may be provided in order to make a payment from a payment account. Payment credentials can also include a username, an expiration date, a gift card number or code, and any other suitable information.

[0024] A “token” may be a substitute value for a credential. A token may be a string of numbers, letters, or any other suitable characters. A token may be bound to one or more devices (e.g., a user device). Examples of tokens include access tokens such as payment tokens, data that can be used to access secure systems or locations, etc.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates a system with a plurality of nested NFC antennas to be used for detecting and communicating with a user device.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 3 illustrates a diagram of a system with a plurality of nested NFC antennas.

[0028] FIG. 4 illustrates a top-down view of a system with a screen and a plurality of nested NFC antennas.

[0029] FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram illustrating methods according to embodiments of the invention.

[0030] FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of a system according to an embodiment.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] A communication device is disclosed. The communication device includes a housing comprising an active surface, and a processor associated with the housing. A plurality of nested NFC antennas is coupled to the processor. NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas are respectively configured to detect and receive access data from user devices of different sizes. A user device that interacts with the communication device can comprise a user device NFC antenna and access data and the access data can be provided to the processor via an appropriate NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas. The communication device can also comprise a non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the processor. The non-transitory computer readable medium comprises code, executable by the processor, to cause the processor to perform operations. The operations include initiating, by the processor, a first polling of a first NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas at a location under the active surface; determining, by the processor, a second NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas with which to initiate a second polling; initiating, by the processor the second polling of the second NFC antenna; detecting the user deviceusing the second NFC antenna; and receiving the access data from the user device via the second NFC antenna.

[0032] Embodiments of the invention can allow users to interact user devices with different form factors with the same communication device so that access data from any of the users’ devices can be received by the communication device. For example, for an NFC antenna that is looped around a screen in a communication device, a larger screen size (e.g., larger than 5 inches across) can make the RF communications between a card-sized user device and the communication device very weak or impossible. The nested antenna array can address this and other problems.

[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 comprising a communication device 102 including a plurality of nested NFC antennas 104 (shown in dotted lines) to be used for detecting and communicating with a user device 106 which can interact with and provide access data to the communication device 102. The communication device 102 comprises a plurality of nested NFC antennas 104, which can be used to detect and communicate with the user device 106. The user device 106 may be within proximity of the communication device 102 such that an NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas 104 can communicate with the user device 106 via a user device NFC antenna 110. The user device NFC antenna 110 may be a radio frequency (RF) antenna (e.g., using a 13.56 MHz carrier frequency) and may be a loop antenna.

[0034] The communication device 102 may include a housing 112 which includes an active surface 114. The active surface 114 can include a display screen surface in this embodiment. The active surface 114 can be a surface that is capable of detecting the user device 106 through an NFC interaction. In other embodiments, the active surface 114 does not need to correspond to a display screen surface, but could be a surface such as a solid surface of the housing 112 or it could be a surface such as a tabletop surface.

[0035] The plurality of nested NFC antennas 104 may be enclosed (e.g., partially or completely) by the housing 112 and may be included under the active surface 114 as shown by the dotted lines. The plurality of nested NFC antennas 104 may include two or more NFC antennas that can be sequentially polled. As a resultof the polling, an optimal NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas 104 can detect the user device 106. Once detected, the user device 106 may provide access data to the communication device 102 via the optimal NFC antenna and the user device NFC antenna 110 in the user device 106.

[0036] The user device 106 may include a chip 108 in communication with the user device NFC antenna 110. The chip 108 can store the access data and other information. If the user device 106 is in the form of a card, it may have printed or embossed information such as a name of the user and an account number associated with the user device 106.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a communication device 102 according to an embodiment.

[0038] Communication device 102 includes a processor 102A. The processor 102A may be operable to carry out instructions on the communication device 102. The processor may be associated with a housing of the communication device 102. For example, the processor 102A may be enclosed by the housing of the communication device 102. The processor 102A may be coupled to other components of the communication device 102 including a plurality of nested NFC antennas 104, input devices 102C, a non-transitory computer readable medium 102D, output devices 102E, a network interface 102F, and a long range antenna 102G such as a cellular antenna.

[0039] The nested NFC antennas 104 may include a plurality of nested NFC antennas, where each NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas 104 is configured to detect a presence of a user device that is proximate to it. Each NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas 104 may be a loop antenna. The detection may occur after polling commands are sent sequentially, by the processor 102A, to the individual NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas 104. .

[0040] The detection of the user device by a currently polled NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas 104 may be represented by a voltage signal that is produced in response to the user device NFC antenna being near the currently polled NFC antenna. A higher voltage signal may represent a better and / or stronger wireless communication connection between the NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas 104 and the user device NFC antenna. The highestdetected voltage after polling by an NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas 104 may indicate that the NFC antenna is the optimal NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas 104 for the current user device interaction. The optimal NFC antenna can communicate with the user device and receive access data from the user device.

[0041] The input devices 102C may be a user interface for receiving input from a user. The communication device 102 may include any number of input devices 102C. Example input devices may be keyboards, microphones, touchscreens, mousepads, accelerometers, etc.

[0042] The computer readable medium 102D may comprise code, executable by the processor 102A for performing operations described herein. The operations may comprise: initiating, by a processor 102A, a first polling of a first NFC antenna in a plurality of nested NFC antennas104 at a location under an active surface of a housing of a communication device 102, wherein the NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas 104 are respectively configured to detect and receive access data from user devices of different sizes when the user devices are positioned proximate to the location; determining, by the processor 102A, a second NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas 104 with which to initiate a second polling; initiating, by the processor 102A the second polling of the second NFC antenna; detecting, by the processor 102A, the user device using the second NFC antenna; and receiving, by the processor 102A, access data from the user device via the second NFC antenna.

[0043] The output devices 102E may be a user interface for presenting output (e.g., to a user). The communication device 102 may include any number of output devices 102E. Example output devices may be displays, speakers, haptics, etc.

[0044] The network interface 102F includes an interface that can allow the communication device 102 to communicate with external computers. Some examples of the network interface 105 may include a modem, a physical network interface (such as an Ethernet card or other Network Interface Card (NIC)), a virtual network interface, a communications port, a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, or the like. The wireless protocols enabled by the network interface 102F may include Wi-Fi™. Data transferred via thenetwork interface 102F may be in the form of signals which may be electrical, electromagnetic, optical, or any other signal capable of being received by the external communications interface (collectively referred to as “electronic signals” or “electronic messages”). These electronic messages that may comprise data or instructions may be provided between the network interface 102F and other devices via a communications path or channel. As noted above, any suitable communication path or channel may be used such as, for instance, a wire or cable, fiber optics, a telephone line, a cellular link, a radio frequency (RF) link, a WAN or LAN network, the Internet, or any other suitable medium.

[0045] FIG. 3 illustrates a diagram of a system 300 including a plurality of nested NFC antennas according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0046] The plurality of nested NFC antennas may have various shapes (e.g., circular, rectangular, etc.) and sizes. In some embodiments, each of the NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas can have the same general shape (e.g., all circular coils). In some embodiments, the size (in a major dimension) of an NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas 104 is less than 7 inches. In FIG. 3, there are three NFC antennas, a first NFC antenna 304, a second NFC antenna 306, and a third NFC antenna 308, each being in communication with and electrically coupled to the processor 102A, which can poll the NFC antennas 304, 306, and 308 at different times. Other embodiments can have more or less NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas. The NFC antennas 304, 306, and 308 can be concentric with respect to each other and share approximately the same center point, and may lie approximately within the same plane or different planes. In this example, the first NFC antenna 304 is arranged around a display screen 302. The second NFC antenna 306 is within the first NFC antenna 304 can be under or within the screen 302. The third NFC antenna 308 is within the second NFC antenna 306 and can also be under or within the screen 302. The NFC antennas 304, 306, and 308 in the plurality of nested NFC antennas can have different major dimension sizes and / or cover different surface areas of a plane or insulating substrate.

[0047] The NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas can be made of any suitable material. In some embodiments, the NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas can be made of a conductive material such asindium tin oxide (ITO) printed on a transparent substrate. This allows the NFC antenna array to be used with a display screen. In other embodiments, the material of the NFC antennas can be metals such as copper or copper alloys.

[0048] The size of the first NFC antenna 304, shape of the first NFC antenna 304, and / or other NFC antennas included in the plurality of nested NFC antennas may depend on at least one of: the size of the communication device the NFC antenna is housed in, the shape of an active surface of the communication device, the user device(s) that the communication device is configured to interact with, the NFC antenna configuration of the user device NFC antenna(s), a desired power consumption of the NFC antenna, a desired power consumption of the plurality of nested NFC antennas, the expected communication distance between the user device and the NFC antenna, the shape of the NFC antenna, the material of the NFC antenna, the amount of material between the NFC antenna and the user device, or the type of material between the NFC antenna and the user device.

[0049] As an example, the second NFC antenna 306 of the plurality of nested NFC antennas may be the size of an ID-1 card (i.e. , a standard “credit card” size for identification cards defined by ISO / IEC 7810). An NFC antenna of the plurality of nested NFC antennas may be seven inches long (e.g., along a major dimension of the NFC antenna). For some implementations, the maximum size of an NFC antenna that is part of the plurality of nested NFC antennas can be seven inches in diameter for a circularly shaped NFC antenna, or the longer side of a rectangular shape. Larger active surfaces may include more nested NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas.

[0050] FIG. 4 illustrates a top-down view of a system 300 with a screen 302 and a plurality of nested NFC antennas.

[0051] FIG. 4 shows how the second NFC antenna 306, third NFC antenna 308, and the processor 102A may be positioned below the first NFC antenna 304 and / or the screen 302. Additionally, FIG. 4 shows how the first NFC antenna 304, the second NFC antenna 306, and the third NFC antenna 308 may have their centers located in the same location 402 even though the three NFC antennas 304, 306, and 308 are positioned in different planes. Software in the communicationdevice can cause the communication device to display an interaction indicator (e.g., “tap here”) on the screen 302 proximate the location 402.

[0052] FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram 500 illustrating methods of interfacing a user device with a communication device, and determining an optimal NFC antenna in a plurality of nested NFC antennas in the communication device. The communication device can sequentially poll NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas to find an optimal NFC antenna that can communicate with the user device. In certain embodiments, the polling of the NFC antennas can be performed sequentially in any suitable order. For example, polling can occur from the smallest to the largest NFC antenna, the largest to the smallest NFC antenna, etc.

[0053] At step 502, an NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas in the communication device may be polled. Polling may occur using EMV (Europay, MasterCard, Visa) contactless reader polling commands, such as a WLIPA (Wake Up Polling type A) and / or WUPB (Wake Up Polling type B). The polling commands can be sent by a processor of the communication device to sense a user device (e.g., a card) that is proximate to a field of a respective NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas. In certain embodiments, the WUPA and WUPB polling commands can be sent with approximately 10 to 20 microsecond intervals between each command. In certain embodiments, after sending a polling command, a predetermined amount of time is allowed to pass before sending another polling command. The communication device may have a receiver circuit connected to the NFC antennas of the NFC antenna array and the receiver circuit can be capable of detecting and recording the user device response modulation strength (e.g. a response trigger voltage) with a voltage value per NFC antenna.

[0054] In an example, the communication device activates an NFC field of an NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas with a wakeup command, and then waits for 5.1 milliseconds for a nearby user device to power up. The wakeup command may be a WUPA command to detect type A user devices. If no response to the WUPA wakeup command, then after another 5.1 milliseconds, a WUPB command for type B user devices may be sent. Assuming that no user device responds to these commands, the communication device shuts down the field for the NFC antenna. Overall, this process takes about 11.2 milliseconds. Thecommunication device may then activate a different NFC antenna of the plurality of nested NFC antennas, and the process can continue in a predefined order (e.g., from largest NFC antenna to smallest NFC antenna) through the NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas.

[0055] In step 504, in response to the polling of the NFC antenna, the processor in the communication device can detect no signal, a weak signal, or a strong signal. If a signal is detected, the NFC antenna that detects the user device will produce a voltage signal. A voltage value associated with the voltage signal may be stored in memory of the communication device and associated with the NFC antenna of the NFC antenna array.

[0056] At step 506 the communication device may determine whether the detected voltage signal is optimal. In certain embodiments, the NFC signal is optimal when the voltage response associated with the NFC antenna is above a threshold voltage level. In certain embodiments, the NFC signal is optimal when the voltage response associated with the NFC antenna is higher than all other previously polled NFC antennas. For example, the NFC antenna with the highest voltage response of all polled NFC antennas may be the optimal NFC antenna to use for communication with the user device.

[0057] At step 508, if the signal voltage value for the NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas is determined to be optimal at step 506, the user device may communicate with the communication device using the NFC antenna. The user device may communicate access data to the communication device as described above using the optimal NFC antenna and the user device NFC antenna in the user device. Further polling using the plurality of nested NFC antennas may stop after the optimal NFC antenna is determined.

[0058] At step 506, if an optimal signal associated with the polled NFC antenna is not detected (e.g., no signal or a weak signal is detected), then another NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas can be polled. This process can be repeated until an optimal NFC antenna is determined. If no NFC antenna is determined to be optimal after a predetermined period of time, the processor in the communication device can conclude that no user device is near the communication device.

[0059] At step 510, another NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas can be polled as described above. This process then proceeds back to step S504 and the process can be repeated as many times as necessary to find a suitable or optimal NFC antenna for the user device to communicate with.

[0060] As an example of flow diagram 500, a method of polling using the plurality of nested NFC antennas 104 to detect the user device 106 illustrated in FIG. 3 can be described below. The communication device may begin with using the first NFC antenna 304 in an attempt to find the best NFC antenna to communicate with the user device 306, which can be in the form of a credit card or drivers license. The communication device may not obtain a response from the user device using the first NFC antenna 304, because the sizes of the first NFC antenna and the user device NFC antenna in the user device 106 are not matched to produce a strong signal in the communication device. The first NFC antenna 304 is deactivated, and the second NFC antenna 306 is then activated. The second NFC antenna 106 has a size that is configured to produce a strong signal when the user device NFC antenna is placed near it. The second NFC antenna 306 is then determined to be the optimal NFC antenna and access data may then be transmitted from the user device to the communication device via the optimal NFC antenna.

[0061] In other embodiments, an optimal NFC antenna is not determined until all NFC antennas in the plurality of NFC antennas have been polled. For example, the communication device can poll all NFC antennas (e.g., polls each NFC antenna in the plurality of nested antennas very quickly) and can detect and receive response signals from the user device in all NFC antennas. Once the signals are received, the communication device compares the signal strengths associated with the signals detected by the NFC antennas and determines that the NFC antenna that detected the strongest signal is the optimal NFC antenna. Access data from the user device is then received by the communication device via the optimal antenna.

[0062] FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of a system 600 according to an embodiment. Each of the devices and computers of system 600 may be in operative communication with each other. For simplicity of illustration, a certain number of components are shown in system 600. It is understood, however, embodiments of the invention may include more or less components that are shown in system 600.

[0063] The devices and computers in the system 600 can communicate with one another using a communication network or line (not pictured). The communication network or line can take any suitable form, and may include any one and / or the combination of the following: a direct connection or interconnection; the Internet; a Local Area Network (LAN); a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN); an operating Missions as Nodes on the Internet (OMNI); a cellular network, a secured custom connection; a Wide Area Network (WAN); a wireless network (e.g., employing protocols such as, but not limited to a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), l-mode, and / or the like); and / or the like. Messages between the computers and devices in system 600 may be transmitted using a communication protocol such as, but not limited to, File Transfer Protocol (FTP); Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP); Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS); Secure Socket Layer (SSL), ISO (e.g., ISO 8583) and / or the like.

[0064] The system includes a user device 106, a communication device 102, a resource provider computer 602, and an authorizing entity computer 604. In certain embodiments, the communication device 102 and the resource provider computer 602 are the same device. The communication device 102 may include a plurality of nested NFC antennas as described above. At least one of the NFC antennas of the plurality of nested NFC antennas may be configured to detect the user device 106 when the user device 106 is positioned proximate to the plurality of NFC antennas.

[0065] A user may use the user device 106 to pay for a good or service at a resource provider such as a merchant. The merchant may operate a resource provider computer 602 and / or a communication device 102. The resource provider computer 602 may communicate with the authorizing entity computer 604 to authorize a transaction with the user device 106. The resource provider computer 602 may communicate with the authorizing entity computer 604 operated by an issuer via a transport computer operated by an acquirer and a processing network such as a payment processing network.

[0066] A typical payment transaction flow using a user device 106 at a communication device 102 (e.g., a POS terminal) can be described as follows. A user presents his or her user device 106 (which may be similar to the user device 106 in FIG. 1 ) to a communication device 102 to pay for an item or service. The userdevice 106 and the communication device 102 interact such that access data from the user device 106 (e.g., PAN, a payment token, verification value(s), expiration date, etc.) is received by the communication device 102 (e.g., via contact or contactless interface). The communication device 102 can then transmit the data to an external server computer such as the resource provider computer 602. The resource provider computer 602 may then receive this information from the communication device 102 via an external communication interface. The resource provider computer 602 may then generate an authorization request message that includes the information received from the communication device 102 (i.e. information corresponding to the user device 106) along with additional transaction information (e.g., a transaction amount, merchant-specific information, etc.) and electronically transmits this information to the authorizing entity computer 604 (e.g., via a transport computer and processing network) for authorization.

[0067] In some embodiments that do not involve financial transactions, the system 600 can allow a user of the user device 106 to access a secure location. In such embodiments, the communication device 102 and / or resource provider computer 602 can grant or deny access to the user, based on interactions with the user device 106. The communication device 102 and / or the resource provider computer 602 can transmit an authorization request message with the transaction data to the authorizing entity computer 604. In such embodiments, the transaction data may include at least a transaction value (e.g., the user has entered the secure location 5 times, a transaction is assigned a value of 40, etc.), and / or an account identifier (e.g., a primary account number (PAN)).

[0068] Embodiments of the invention have a number of technical advantages. Conventional communication devices with NFC readers are typically only able to support one type of user device, or specific instructions may be required to guide a user in their interaction if the form factor of their user device is not ideally suited for NFC communication with the communication device. Embodiments of the invention can allow user devices of different form factors (e.g., phones, rings, watches, tablets) to communicate with a single communication via NFC wireless coupling.

[0069] Any of the software components or functions described in this application may be implemented as software code to be executed by a processorusing any suitable computer language such as, for example, Java, C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, or scripting language such as Perl or Python using, for example, conventional or object-oriented techniques. The software code may be stored as a series of instructions or commands on a computer readable medium for storage and / or transmission, suitable media include random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a magnetic medium such as a hard-drive or a floppy disk, or an optical medium such as a compact disk (CD) or DVD (digital versatile disk), flash memory, and the like. The computer readable medium may be any combination of such storage or transmission devices.

[0070] Such programs may also be encoded and transmitted using carrier signals adapted for transmission via wired, optical, and / or wireless networks conforming to a variety of protocols, including the Internet. As such, a computer readable medium according to certain embodiments of the present invention may be created using a data signal encoded with such programs. Computer readable media encoded with the program code may be packaged with a compatible device or provided separately from other devices (e.g., via Internet download). Any such computer readable medium may reside on or within a single computer product (e.g., a hard drive, a CD, or an entire computer system), and may be present on or within different computer products within a system or network. A computer system may include a monitor, printer, or other suitable display for providing any of the results mentioned herein to a user.

[0071] The above description is illustrative and is not restrictive. Many variations of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the disclosure. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but instead should be determined with reference to the pending claims along with their full scope or equivalents.

[0072] One or more features from any embodiment may be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0073] As used herein, the use of "a," "an," or "the" is intended to mean "at least one," unless specifically indicated to the contrary.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:1 . A method comprising: initiating, by a processor, a first polling of a first NFC antenna in a plurality of nested NFC antennas at a location under an active surface of a housing of a communication device, wherein the NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas are respectively configured to detect and receive access data from user devices of different sizes when the user devices are positioned proximate to the location; determining, by the processor, a second NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas with which to initiate a second polling; initiating, by the processor the second polling of the second NFC antenna; detecting, by the processor, the user device using the second NFC antenna; and receiving, by the processor, the access data from the user device via the second NFC antenna.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the active surface is a: tabletop or a screen on a tablet computer, computer monitor, or laptop computer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas lie within a same plane.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second NFC antenna covers a smaller surface area than the first NFC antenna.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining, by the processor, that the second NFC antenna is an optimal antenna before receiving the access data, and wherein all NFC antennas including the first NFC antenna and the second NFC antenna are polled before determining that the second NFC antenna is the optimal antenna.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises, , prior to determining the second antenna:determining, by the processor, if the user device is detected by the first NFC antenna; and determining that the first NFC antenna does not detect a presence of the user device or that a signal detected by the first NFC antenna is not an optimal signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user device is a card.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein in response to the first polling, the first NFC antenna detects the signal, but the signal is not the optimal signal.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user device comprises a user device NFC antenna, which communicates with the second NFC antenna when the communication device receives the access data from the user device.

10. A communication device comprising: a housing comprising an active surface; a processor associated with the housing; a plurality of nested NFC antennas coupled to the processor, the NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas are respectively configured to detect and receive access data from user devices of different sizes proximate to the plurality of nested NFC antennas; and a computer readable medium coupled to the processor and comprising instructions, executable by the processor, for performing operations comprising: initiating, by the processor, a first polling of a first NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas at a location under the active surface; determining, by the processor, a second NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas, with which to initiate a second polling; initiating, by the processor, the second polling of the second NFC antenna; detecting, by the processor, the user device using the second NFC antenna; and receiving, by the processor, the access data from the user device via the second NFC antenna.11 . The communication device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise, prior to determining the second antenna: determining, by the processor, if the user device is detected by the first NFC antenna; and determining that the first NFC antenna does not detect a presence of the user device or that a signal detected by the first NFC antenna is not an optimal signal.

12. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of nested NFC antennas includes one or more transparent NFC antennas.

13. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas are concentric.

14. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the second NFC antenna covers a smaller surface area than the first NFC antenna.

15. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise: determining, by the processor, that the second NFC antenna is an optimal antenna, and wherein all NFC antennas including the first NFC antenna and the second NFC antenna are polled and the user device is detected by all of the NFC antennas before determining that the second NFC antenna is the optimal antenna.

16. A system comprising: a user device; and a communication device comprising: a housing comprising an active surface; a processor associated with the housing; a plurality of nested NFC antennas coupled to the processor, wherein the NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas are respectively configured to detect and receive access data from user devices of different sizes proximate to the plurality of nested NFC antennas; anda computer readable medium coupled to the processor and comprising instructions, executable by the processor, for performing operations comprising: initiating, by the processor, a first polling of a first NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas at a location under the active surface; determining, by the processor, a second NFC antenna in the plurality of nested NFC antennas, with which to initiate a second polling; initiating, by the processor, the second polling of the second NFC antenna; detecting, by the processor, the user device using the second NFC antenna; and receiving, by the processor, the access data from the user device via the second NFC antenna.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the active surface is a: tabletop or a screen on a tablet computer, computer monitor, or laptop computer.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of nested NFC antennas includes one or more transparent NFC antennas.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the NFC antennas in the plurality of nested NFC antennas are loop antennas.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the second NFC antenna has a larger major dimension than the first NFC antenna.

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