Abstract: One example discloses a near-field communications device, including: a near-field antenna; a conformal material having a first surface and a second surface; wherein the first surface is dielectrically coupled to the antenna; and wherein the second surface is configured to be galvanically coupled to a host-structure.

Abstract: One example discloses a first near-field device, including: a near-field antenna; a tuning circuit; a communications unit coupled to the near-field antenna and tuning circuit; a controller coupled to the tuning circuit and the communications unit; wherein the first near-field device is configured to have a near-field communications channel path-loss with respect to a second near-field device; wherein the controller is configured to set the path-loss to a first channel path-loss before contact detected between the first and second near-field devices; wherein the controller is configured to set the path-loss to a second channel path-loss after contact detected between the first and second near-field devices; and wherein the first path-loss is greater than the second path-loss.

Abstract: One example discloses a near-field device, including: a near-field magnetic antenna, including a coil, configured to receive or transmit near-field magnetic signals; a near-field electric antenna configured to receive or transmit near-field electric signals; and a set of electrical components, electrically coupled to the near-field magnetic antenna and the near-field electric antenna; wherein at least one of: the coil of the near-field magnetic antenna, or a conductive surface of the near-field electric antenna, forms a boundary around the set of electrical components.

Abstract: One example discloses a first near-field device, including: a controller configured to establish a near-field communications link with a second near-field device; wherein the controller is configured to monitor a characteristic of the near-field communications link; wherein the controller is configured to define a near-field transmission window based on the monitored characteristic; and wherein the controller is configured to delay transmission of a set of near-field signals to the second near-field device if a current time is not within the near-field transmission window.

Abstract: One example discloses a near-field positioning device, including: an input interface configured to receive a set of body-parameters from a user; a controller configured to generate a set of recommended positions for a set of near-field wireless devices to be coupled to the user based on the body-parameters; and an output interface configured to output the recommended positions.

Abstract: One example discloses a near-field wireless communications device, including: a near-field antenna; a near-field noise detector coupled to receive a first set of near-field signals from the near-field antenna; wherein the near-field noise detector is configured to identify a set of attributes of the near-field noise within the first set of near-field signals; a controller configured to generate at least one synchronization signal based on at least one of the attributes of the near-field noise; and a transmitter circuit configured to transmit a second set of near-field signals in response to the synchronization signal.

Abstract: One example discloses a first near-field device, including: a controller configured to establish a near-field communications link with a second near-field device; wherein the controller is configured to monitor a characteristic of the near-field communications link; wherein the controller is configured to select a first modulation encoding for transmitting a near-field signal if the characteristic is greater than a first characteristic threshold; and wherein the controller is configured to select a second modulation encoding for transmitting the near-field signal if the characteristic is less than the first characteristic threshold but greater than a second characteristic threshold.

Abstract: One example discloses a wireless device, including: a first near-field device, including a near-field transmitter or receiver and a controller, configured to be coupled to a first conductive surface; wherein the near-field receiver includes a set of tuning values configured to either set a near-field resonance frequency or an operational bandwidth of the first near-field device; wherein the controller is configured to change at least one of the tuning values in response to a change in a distance between the first surface and a second conductive surface; and wherein the controller is configured to calculate the distance, between the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface, based on the at least one of the tuning values.

Abstract: One example discloses a first near-field device, including: a controller configured to establish a near-field communications link with a second near-field device; wherein the controller is configured to monitor a characteristic of the near-field communications link; wherein the controller is configured to define a near-field transmission window based on the monitored characteristic; and wherein the controller is configured to delay transmission of a set of near-field signals to the second near-field device if a current time is not within the near-field transmission window.

Abstract: One example discloses a near-field wireless device, including: a controller configured to be coupled to a near-field antenna; wherein the near-field antenna includes, a near-field electric antenna configured to transmit and/or receive near-field electric (E) signals; and a near-field magnetic antenna configured to transmit and/or receive near-field magnetic (H) signals; a conductivity monitor configured to determine a conductivity of a medium proximate to the near-field device; wherein the controller is configured to modulate an E/H ratio of fields generated by and/or received from the near-field electric (E) antenna and the near-field magnetic (H) antenna based on the conductivity of the medium.

Abstract: One example discloses a device including a near-field electromagnetic induction (NFEMI) antenna, including: a first inductive coil having a first end coupled to a first feed connection and a second end coupled to a second feed connection; a second inductive coil, having a first end coupled to either end of the first inductive coil or either one of the feed connections; wherein a second end of the second inductive coil is electrically open-ended; wherein the first inductive coil is configured to receive or transmit near-field magnetic signals; and wherein the second inductive coil is configured to receive or transmit near-field electric signals.

Abstract: One example discloses a near-field wireless device, including: a controller configured to be coupled to a near-field antenna; wherein the near-field antenna includes, a near-field electric antenna configured to transmit and/or receive near-field electric (E) signals; and a near-field magnetic antenna configured to transmit and/or receive near-field magnetic (H) signals; a conductivity monitor configured to determine a conductivity of a medium proximate to the near-field device; wherein the controller is configured to modulate an E/H ratio of fields generated by and/or received from the near-field electric (E) antenna and the near-field magnetic (H) antenna based on the conductivity of the medium.

Abstract: One example discloses a magnetic induction device, including: a transmitter configured to induce a magnetic signal in a structure; wherein the structure is coupled to a sub-structure; a controller configured to characterize the structure so as to identify a first frequency range of the magnetic signal that resonates with the structure; wherein the controller is configured to identify a second frequency range that resonates with the sub-structure; wherein the controller is configured to select a frequency for the magnetic signal within the first frequency range that has a harmonic frequency in the second frequency range; and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the magnetic signal into the structure at the selected frequency.

Abstract: One example discloses a magnetic induction device, including: a transmitter configured to induce a magnetic signal in a structure; wherein the structure is coupled to a sub-structure; a controller configured to characterize the structure so as to identify a first frequency range of the magnetic signal that resonates with the structure; wherein the controller is configured to identify a second frequency range that resonates with the sub-structure; wherein the controller is configured to select a frequency for the magnetic signal within the first frequency range that has a harmonic frequency in the second frequency range; and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the magnetic signal into the structure at the selected frequency.

Abstract: One example discloses a near-field wireless device, including: 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 stack of layers; wherein the conductive surface is configured to carry non-propagating quasi-static near-field electric-induction signals for on-body near-field communications; a second near-field antenna having an inductive loop and embedded in a second layer within the stack of layers; wherein the inductive loop is configured to carry non-propagating quasi-static near-field magnetic-induction signals for off-body near-field communications; wherein the first and second layers are different layers; and wherein the first and second antennas are not in galvanic contact.

Abstract: One example discloses a device for electromagnetic structural characterization, including: a controller having an electromagnetic transmitter output and a communications interface; wherein the controller is configured to send a signal over the electromagnetic transmitter output that causes an electromagnetic transmitter to generate a first electrical field (E1) and a first magnetic field (H1); wherein the controller configured to receive over the communications interface a second electric field (E2) and a second magnetic field (H2) received by an electromagnetic receiver; wherein the first electrical field and the first magnetic field correspond to when the electromagnetic transmitter is at a first location proximate to a structure and the second electrical field and the second magnetic field correspond to when the electromagnetic receiver is at a second location proximate to the structure; and wherein the controller is configured to calculate an impedance based on the electric and magnetic fields interacting

Abstract: One example discloses a first near-field device, including: a near-field antenna; a tuning circuit; a communications unit coupled to the near-field antenna and tuning circuit; a controller coupled to the tuning circuit and the communications unit; wherein the first near-field device is configured to have a near-field communications channel path-loss with respect to a second near-field device; wherein the controller is configured to set the path-loss to a first channel path-loss before contact detected between the first and second near-field devices; wherein the controller is configured to set the path-loss to a second channel path-loss after contact detected between the first and second near-field devices; and wherein the first path-loss is greater than the second path-loss.

Abstract: One example discloses a near-field device, including: a near-field magnetic antenna, including a coil, configured to receive or transmit near-field magnetic signals; a near-field electric antenna configured to receive or transmit near-field electric signals; and a set of electrical components, electrically coupled to the near-field magnetic antenna and the near-field electric antenna; wherein at least one of: the coil of the near-field magnetic antenna, or a conductive surface of the near-field electric antenna, forms a boundary around the set of electrical components.

Abstract: One example discloses a near-field wireless communications device, including: a near-field antenna; a near-field noise detector coupled to receive a first set of near-field signals from the near-field antenna; wherein the near-field noise detector is configured to identify a set of attributes of the near-field noise within the first set of near-field signals; a controller configured to generate at least one synchronization signal based on at least one of the attributes of the near-field noise; and a transmitter circuit configured to transmit a second set of near-field signals in response to the synchronization signal.

Abstract: One example discloses a near-field wireless device, configured to be coupled to a host conductive structure, including: an electric near-field antenna, having a first conductive antenna surface coupled to a first feed point, and a second conductive antenna surface coupled to a second feed point; wherein the first and second conductive surfaces are separated by an air-gap; wherein the first and second conductive surfaces are configured to be substantially equidistant from the host conductive structure; and wherein the first and second conductive surfaces geometrically conform to the host conductive structure.