Booster antenna configurations and methods
A booster antenna (BA) for a smart card comprises a card antenna (CA) component extending around a periphery of a card body (CB), a coupler coil (CC) component at a location for an antenna module (AM), and an extension antenna (EA) component contributing to the inductance of the booster antenna (BA). At least a portion of the coupler coil (CC) component may have a sense which is opposite to a sense of at least a portion of the card antenna (CA) component. At least a portion of one of the components may be interleaved with (i) a portion of another component, or (ii) another portion of the same component. A capacitive extension (CE) may extend from at least one of the card antenna (CA), coupler coil (CC) and extension antenna (EA) components.
1. Booster antenna (BA) for a smartcard comprising a card body (CB) and an antenna module (AM), the booster antenna comprising:
a card antenna (CA) component disposed on the card body around a periphery of the card body;
wherein the card antenna (CA) component comprises an outer winding (OW) and an inner winding (IW); and
a coupler coil (CC) component disposed on the card body at a location for the antenna module;
wherein:
the card antenna and coupler coil components are formed from one continuous length of wire; and
at least a portion of the coupler coil (CC) component has a sense which is opposite to a sense of at least a portion of the card antenna (CA) component.
2. The booster antenna (BA) of claim 1 , wherein:
the inner and outer windings of the card antenna (CA) component have senses which are opposite from one another.
3. The booster antenna (BA) of claim 1 , wherein:
the coupler coil (CC) component comprises an outer winding (ow, OP) and an inner winding (iw, IP).
4. The booster antenna (BA) of claim 3 , wherein:
the inner and outer windings of the coupler coil (CC) component have senses which are opposite from one another.
5. The booster antenna of claim 1 , further comprising:
an extension antenna (EA) component.
6. Booster antenna (BA) for a smartcard comprising:
a card antenna (CA) component disposed on a substrate; and
a coupler coil (CC) component disposed on the substrate;
wherein:
the card antenna and coupler coil components are formed from one continuous length of wire; and
at least a portion of one of the components is interleaved with (i) a portion of another component, or (ii) another portion of the same component.
7. The booster antenna (BA) of claim 6 , wherein:
the card antenna (CA) component comprises an outer winding (OW) and an inner winding (IW).
8. The booster antenna (BA) of claim 6 , wherein:
at least a portion of the outer winding (OW) is interleaved with at least a portion of the inner winding (IW).
9. The booster antenna (BA) of claim 6 , wherein:
the coupler coil (CC) component comprises an outer winding (ow, OP) and an inner winding (iw, IP).
10. The booster antenna (BA) of claim 9 , wherein:
at least a portion of the outer winding (ow, OP) is interleaved with at least a portion of the inner winding (iw, IP).
11. The booster antenna of claim 6 , further comprising:
an extension antenna (EA) component.
12. The booster antenna (BA) of claim 11 , wherein:
a portion of the antenna (CA) component is interleaved with a portion of the extension antenna (EA) component.
13. The booster antenna (BA) of claim 6 , wherein:
a portion of the coupler coil (CC) component is interleaved with a portion of the card antenna (CA) component.
14. The booster antenna of claim 6 , wherein:
at least one of the card antenna (CA) and coupler coil (CC) has a free end.
15. Booster antenna (BA) for a smartcard comprising:
a card antenna (CA) component disposed on a substrate;
a coupler coil (CC) component disposed on the substrate; and
a capacitive extension (CE) disposed on the substrate and extending from at least one of the card antenna (CA), and coupler coil (CC) components;
the card antenna and coupler coil components and capacitive extension are formed from one continuous length of wire.
16. The booster antenna of claim 15 , further comprising:
an extension antenna (EA) component.