Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – With radio cabinet
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-30
2001-06-19
Le, Hoanganh (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
With radio cabinet
C343S895000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06249255
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates generally to antenna apparatus used to transduce radio frequency signals, such as the radio frequency signals generated by, or received at, a mobile phone operable in a cellular or other radio communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an antenna assembly, and an associated method, which utilizes a director operable to shift the antenna pattern of an antenna element. Through appropriate positioning of the director relative to an antenna transducer, better and more efficient transmission and reception of radio signals with a remote location is facilitated.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Advancements in communication technologies have permitted the implementation, and widespread usage, of multi-user radio communication systems. A cellular communication system is exemplary of such a radio communication system. Information signals generated during operation of the radio communication system are transmitted upon radio communication channels defined upon portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Regulatory bodies allocate portions of the electromagnetic spectrum for communications in various communication systems.
To convert the information signal into a form to permit its communication upon a communication channel defined in a radio communication system, a transmitting station modulates the information signal upon a carrier wave of a carrier frequency within the range of frequencies which defines, at least in part, the communication channel. Through such modulation process, a base band-level signal of which the information signal is formed is converted into a radio frequency signal of desired frequency characteristics.
A transmitter, operable to transmit radio frequency signals upon a radio channel, typically includes one or more up-mixing stages at which the base band information signal is up-converted in frequency to be of the selected radio frequency. The mixing stages include mixer circuits coupled to receive the information signal and an up-mixing signal with which the information signal is to be multiplied, or otherwise combined to form an up-converted signal. When multiple mixing stages are utilized, an IF (intermediate frequency) signal is formed at a first, or first series of, mixer stages. A radio frequency signal is formed at the final mixing stage.
A receiver which receives a radio-frequency communication signal transmitted thereto upon a radio communication channel must, analogously, convert the radio frequency signal to a base band level. One or more down-conversion stages is utilized to down-convert the radio frequency signal to a base band-level.
Both the transmitter and the receiver include, typically, an antenna transducer. The antenna transducer, when coupled to a transmitter to form a portion thereof, transduces the radio frequency signal generated at the transmitter out of electrical form and into electromagnetic form for transmission upon the radio channel. The antenna transducer, when coupled to a receiver to form a portion thereof, conversely, transduces radio frequency signals out of electromagnetic form and into electrical form for processing by the circuitry of the receiver.
A radio transceiver, having both a transmitter and a receiver to permit two-way communications, sometimes utilizes an antenna transducer which is shared by both the receiver and transmitter portions of the transceiver. A filter duplexer is sometimes utilized if the radio transceiver is operable pursuant to a frequency division multiplexing scheme having separate transmit and receive pass bands.
Antenna transducers coupled to radio transmitters, receivers, or transceivers are constructed to be caused to exhibit selected antenna patterns which are representative of antenna gain characteristics. Such antenna patterns typically include one or more antenna lobes which form omnidirectional or highly-directional antenna patterns. Selection of the configuration of the one or more antenna lobes is made to best facilitate transmission or reception, as appropriate, of the radio frequency signals communicated during operation of the device to which the antenna transducer is coupled.
In a cellular communication system in which portable, mobile phones are utilized by a user to effectuate telephonic communications, both power and size considerations are significant factors which make difficult antenna design for such mobile phones. And, because mobile phones are typically constructed to be operated in manners analogous to that by which a conventional, telephonic handset is positioned, portions of the antenna pattern exhibited by the antenna transducer of the mobile phone is positioned upon a portion of the user's body. Such overlapping is unproductive use of the energy which defines the antenna pattern.
If a manner could be provided by which to shift the antenna pattern exhibited by the antenna transducer so that an increased portion of the energy which defines the antenna pattern would be available for transceiving communication signals, improved radio performance would result.
It is in light of this background information related to antenna apparatus that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, accordingly, advantageously provides an antenna assembly, and an associated method, which forms a resultant antenna pattern to facilitate better and more efficient communication of radio signals generated during operation of a radio communication system.
In one aspect of the present invention, an antenna assembly is provided for a mobile phone operable in a cellular, or other radio, communication system. The antenna assembly includes an antenna active element and a director element (a parasitic element), for shifting the antenna pattern of the antenna active element to cause the antenna assembly to exhibit a resultant antenna pattern. The director element is positioned at a spaced-apart location from the antenna (within the antenna assembly) in a desired orientation relative to the antenna active element so that the antenna pattern exhibited by the antenna active element is shifted in a desired manner. By causing appropriate shifting of the antenna pattern, improved radio performance of the mobile phone is facilitated.
In such an implementation, the mobile phone is provided with an antenna assembly which exhibits antenna gain characteristics permitting operation of the mobile phone over a range of operating environments. The antenna assembly provides sufficient antenna performance to prevent noticeable signal fading when the phone is placed in a variety of positions during use of the mobile phone. And, the antenna assembly is of small dimensions, light weight, and easy to manufacture. Thereby, the antenna assembly is particularly amenable to form portions of portable mobile phones which must be of increasingly portable dimensions and of increasingly less costly constructions.
In one implementation, the antenna active element is formed of a meander line antenna device, coupled to the radio transceiver circuitry of the mobile phone. The meander lines which form the antenna active element are printed on a substrate which, in one implementation, is formed of a flexible, non-conductive material. In an implementation in which the mobile phone forms a dual-mode device, separate meander lines of dimensions suitable for the separate communication systems in which the mobile phone is operable are printed on the substrate.
The director element, in one implementation, is formed of a longitudinally-extending rod member which is spaced-apart from the meandering line in the direction in which the antenna pattern is to be shifted. Appropriate positioning of the rod member at a selected distance from the meandering line antenna active element and appropriate positioning of the rod member in a desired orientation relative to the meandering line antenna active element causes a resultant antenna pattern to be exhibited by the antenna assembly formed of the antenna active element and the di
Le Hoang-anh
Nokia Mobile Phones Limited
Patel, Esq Milan I.
LandOfFree
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