Shared NFC/RFID Antenna Switching to Cut Polling Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic apparatuses supporting both NFC and RFID require separate antennas due to the use of the same frequency, leading to inefficiencies and potential power consumption issues.
Innovation Solution
An electronic apparatus that shares an antenna between NFC and RFID by using a control unit to switch between NFC and RFID control units based on communication status, allowing the NFC control unit to send pre-polling signals when no NFC communication is detected and switching to RFID control when necessary, and vice versa.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate antennas are prepared for NFC and RFID, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the NFC antenna and RFID antenna into a single shared antenna structure. The control unit dynamically switches the antenna connection between NFC control unit and RFID control unit based on communication requirements, eliminating the need for separate physical antennas while maintaining communication functionality for both standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic switching of the antenna connection state. The control unit monitors communication requirements and dynamically connects the shared antenna to either the NFC control unit or RFID control unit, allowing the system to adapt its antenna usage based on real-time communication needs rather than maintaining static separate connections.
2Reliability
If separate antennas are prepared for NFC and RFID, then communication performance is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the antenna resources into a single shared structure that serves both NFC and RFID functions. By eliminating redundant antenna hardware, the system reduces the overall power consumption associated with maintaining multiple active antenna systems while preserving communication performance through dynamic switching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the redundant antenna components from the system architecture. Instead of maintaining separate NFC and RFID antennas, the system uses a single extracted antenna resource that is dynamically allocated to the required communication function, thereby eliminating unnecessary power consumption from redundant hardware.
3Device complexity
If a shared antenna is used for NFC and RFID, then device complexity is reduced, but communication reliability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic switching mechanisms that monitor communication requirements and actively connect the shared antenna to the appropriate control unit (NFC or RFID) in real-time. This dynamic management ensures that the shared antenna is properly allocated to the active communication protocol, maintaining communication reliability despite the shared hardware resource.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a control unit as an intermediary that manages the shared antenna resource. This intermediary component coordinates between the NFC control unit and RFID control unit, ensuring that only one protocol accesses the antenna at a time and managing the switching transitions to prevent interference and maintain communication reliability.
4Speed
If polling signals are continuously sent, then communication responsiveness is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic polling signals instead of continuous transmission. The control unit sends polling signals at specific intervals to check for communication partners, which maintains communication responsiveness by periodically probing the channel while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous signal transmission.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient sharing of an antenna between NFC and RFID, reducing power consumption by stopping unnecessary polling signals and optimizing communication usage.
Implementation Method 1
An NFC formulated in technical specifications by a standardization organization called an NFC (Near Field Communication) Forum and based on a communication standard established as ISO/IEC14443 is capable of performing communication by using a frequency of 13.56 MHz
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic apparatus is provided including an antenna usable for communications of an RFID and an NFC, an RFID control unit configured to control the communication of the RFID, an NFC control unit configured to control the communication of the NFC, and a control unit configured to control whether to connect either the RFID control unit or the NFC control unit to the antenna. The control unit causes a pre-polling signal of the NFC control unit to be sent out via the antenna and causes the RFID control unit to be connected to the antenna when the control unit detects that a communication partner via the antenna does not perform the communication of the NFC.