Abstract: A power line communication device comprises a plurality of transformers in series. These transformers are used to increase the voltage of a digitally encoded signal in a stepwise fashion prior to being coupled into a power line. While a transmit path includes at least a first transformer and a second transformer in series, a receive path may include only one of these two transformers. For example a receive path may include only the first transformer, or include the first transformer and a third transformer. The net ratio of voltage increase and decrease may be different in the transmit and receive paths.

Abstract: RFID apparatus includes transmission means for transmitting an RF signal; reception means for receiving a modulated RF signal; and demodulation means for demodulating a received modulated signal. The apparatus comprises generating means for generating a RF signal dependent on an incoming RF signal, the incoming RF signal being generated by different apparatus, and the apparatus is arranged to transmit the generated RF signal such that the generated RF signal interferes with the incoming RF signal. The RFID apparatus has both the means to respond to an RF reader device, in tag emulation mode, and means to function as an RF reader device, in reader mode.

Abstract: Communications apparatus has a short range wireless radio frequency communicator (1301a) capable of at least one of seeking to initiate short range communication by transmitting an RF signal and of responding to such initiation so that communication between two short range wireless radio frequency communicators occurs when an antenna of a short range wireless radio frequency communicator seeking to initiate communication by transmitting an RF signal is in range of or comes into range of the antenna of another short range wireless radio frequency communicator responsive to such initiation so that the magnetic field of the RF signal transmitted by the short range wireless radio frequency communicator seeking to initiate communication is inductively coupled to the antenna of the short range wireless radio frequency communicator responsive to such initiation to enable communication of at least one of power and data between the short range wireless radio frequency communicators.

Abstract: A system for driving a first signal onto a wireline includes a driver and feedback circuitry. The driver drives a deterministic signal onto the wireline with an unknown impedance load. The feedback circuitry measures a quality of the output signal from the wireline and modifies a gain of the first signal based on the quality of the output signal. The driver then drives the first signal onto the wireline with the modified gain.

Abstract: A transformer driver circuit couples to a transformer having a primary winding, a secondary winding, and a transformer tap that is connected to a first voltage source. The primary winding electrically connects at its ends to respective unipolar controllable current sinks that form part of an integrated circuit. The transformer driver circuit operates by each current sink selectively sinking current from the end of the primary winding to which it is connected so as to cause current to flow in the secondary winding in a push-pull fashion. The transformer driver circuit further includes a load electrically connected to the secondary winding and protection circuitry operative to protect the integrated circuit from input levels greater than it can withstand.

Abstract: An NFC-enabled device configured at least in part as an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit including a controller and a plurality of capacitors. The controller is operable to control one or more of the plurality of capacitors to vary an operating parameter of the NFC-enabled device.

Abstract: A Near Field Communication (NFC) device has a short range wireless radio frequency communicator capable of seeking to initiate short range communication by transmitting an RF signal and of responding to such initiation so that communication between two short range wireless radio frequency communicators occurs when in range. The NFC device also has a high data rate data communicator for communicating directly with another high data rate data communicator to receive and transmit data when the short range wireless radio frequency communicator has communicated with another in-range short range wireless radio frequency communicator.

Abstract: A near field RF communicator has an inductive coupler to couple inductively to an H field of an RF signal from another near field RF communicator in near field range to provide a received signal, a demodulator coupled to extract any modulation from a source signal representing a received RF signal to provide an extracted modulation signal; and a controller coupled to receive an extracted modulation signal from the demodulator. The demodulator has a sampler to sample the source signal in sampling periods and to compare signal samples with at least one of other signal samples and a clock or reference signal to remove or reject the carrier of the received RF signal and to extract the modulation.

Abstract: A near field RF communicator has an antenna circuit to couple with the H field of an RF magnetic field and a power supply deriver to derive a rectified auxiliary power supply from the received magnetic field. Rectification may be performed using an actively switched rectifier having a passive mode of operation. A sub regulation system is provided to regulate the auxiliary power supply to inhibit the possibility of temporally varying power requirements of the near field RF communicator or its host causing an apparent load modulation of a signal that is transmitted or received by the communicator.

Abstract: A digital-to-analog conversion circuit operates by selectively charging or discharging members of a plurality of capacitors. Charging of the capacitors occurs during a reset period while digital-to-analog conversion occurs as the capacitors are discharged. Those capacitors that are charged or discharged are selected from the plurality of capacitors based on a digital input. The analog output includes the charge discharged from the selected capacitors.

Abstract: A near field RF communicator has an inductive coupler to enable inductive coupling with a magnetic field of an RF signal; a rectifier to rectify an AC voltage derived from an RF signal inductively coupled to the inductive coupler; and a regulator to regulate a voltage derived from an RF signal inductively coupled to the inductive coupler, the regulator having a voltage-controlled impedance and a regulator controller to provide a control voltage for the voltage controlled impedance and to vary the control voltage in dependence upon a current flowing through the voltage controlled impedance. To prevent the voltage regulator from drawing excess current and energy from an RF field in which the communicator is present the voltage regulator is controlled to provide a chosen impedance characteristic.

Abstract: A NFC enabled device to couple inductively to the H field of an RF signal and a regulator to regulate a voltage derived from an RF signal inductively coupled to the inductive coupler. The regulator has at least one voltage controlled impedance having a switch on voltage. A regulator controller provides a control voltage to each voltage controlled impedance such as that the control voltage is not less than the switch on voltage of the voltage controlled impedance.

Abstract: An NFC communicator has an antenna circuit to enable inductive coupling, via an RF H field, of the NFC communicator and another near field RF communicator in near field range. The antenna circuit has an antenna element coupled in parallel with a first capacitor to form a parallel LC circuit. The antenna element has an antenna coil in series with a second capacitor to reduce the voltage to which circuitry of the NFC communicator is subjected by a received RF H field. Alternatively or additionally, receive circuitry of the NFC communicator may be coupled to only a proportion of the antenna coil to reduce the voltage to which circuitry of the NFC, communicator is subjected by a received RF H field.

Abstract: A NFC communicator or NFC communications enabled device has a data store to store data, a coupler to couple inductively with the magnetic field of a radio frequency signal and a signal generator to supply a radio frequency signal to the coupler. A modulator is provided to modulate a radio frequency signal in accordance with data and a demodulator is provided to extract data from a modulated radio frequency signal inductively coupled to the coupler. A controller enables the NFC communicator or NFC communications enabled device both to initiate near field radio frequency communication with another near field RF communicator and to respond to near field radio frequency communication initiated by another near field RF communicator. The NFC communicator or NFC communications enabled device also has a power deriver that derives power from a radio frequency signal inductively coupled to the coupler to charge a chargeable power supply.

Abstract: An NFC communicator has a coupler operable to couple with a coupler of a near field RF communicator in near field range to enable communication of data between the communicators by modulation of a magnetic field, a demodulator to extract modulation from a modulated signal coupled to the coupler, and a modulator to modulate an RF signal in accordance with data to be communicated by the NFC communicator. The NFC communicator communicates with a data source and is arranged to at least one of provide timing data to the data source and receive timing data from the data source.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a current measuring apparatus comprising: a mains connector, such as a plug, for connecting to a wire of a mains supply; an apparatus connector, such as a socket, to provide for electrical conduction to an electrical apparatus; a coil in series between the mains connector and the apparatus connector; and a measurement circuit that is operative to measure a voltage drop across the coil. In particular the coil is one present to also filter the mains signal. Also disclosed is a mains voltage powered consumer product, a network and an adaptor utilizing the current measuring apparatus.

Abstract: A transformer driver circuit couples to a transformer having a primary winding, a secondary winding, and a transformer tap that is connected to a first voltage source. The primary winding electrically connects at its ends to respective unipolar controllable current sinks that form part of an integrated circuit. The transformer driver circuit operates by each current sink selectively sinking current from the end of the primary winding to which it is connected so as to cause current to flow in the secondary winding in a push-pull fashion. The transformer driver circuit further includes a load electrically connected to the secondary winding and protection circuitry operative to protect the integrated circuit from input levels greater than it can withstand.

Abstract: A digital-to-analog conversion circuit operates by selectively charging or discharging members of a plurality of capacitors. Charging of the capacitors occurs during a reset period while digital-to-analog conversion occurs as the capacitors are discharged. Those capacitors that are charged or discharged are selected from the plurality of capacitors based on a digital input. The analog output includes the charge discharged from the selected capacitors.

Abstract: A communication device is disclosed that includes an antenna circuit with coupling connections that are used interchangeably as a receive coupling connection and a transmit coupling connection for an RF signal. A driver maintains a constant voltage or a constant current on a first coupling connection of the antenna circuit based on a drive signal that includes an output voltage and an output current. A demodulator extracts modulation from the RF signal based on a fluctuating voltage or a fluctuating current on a second coupling connection of the antenna circuit.

Abstract: A communications device is disclosed that includes a united integrated circuit card (UICC) that provides a single wire protocol (SWP) current signal to a near field communications (NFC) device. The SWP current signal is filtered by a filter to remove noise from the SWP current signal. The filter is precharged by a reference voltage when the SWP current signal is in a low state and then filters the SWP current signal when the SWP current signal is in a high state. A switching network provides the filter with the reference voltage to precharge when the SWP is current signal is in the low state and then provides the filter with the SWP current signal to filter when the SWP current signal is in the high state.