Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Radiotelephone equipment detail
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-24
2003-10-07
Trost, William (Department: 2683)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Radiotelephone equipment detail
C455S550100, C455S575100, C455S347000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06631276
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a base unit of a radio terminal for making radio communications with other radio terminals by making use of a radio function of this radio terminal, and is more particularly applied to a network connection appliance having radio terminals existing in a household or a small office.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Recently, along with the spread of the Internet, easy connection devices are demanded. Network connection devices incorporating radio terminals are being launched into the market.
Further, for example, in the so-called cellular phone as a kind of radio terminal, the function is limited, or the performance such as reaching distance or directivity of radio signal is limited because of its extremely small and lightweight structure.
By connecting the cellular phone to a base unit, it is expected to enhance the performance of the cellular phone such as reaching distance or directivity, as well as to add functions not available in the cellular phone. It is also possible to add a function of transferring a signal received by the cellular phone to other devices by wired means.
FIG. 26
is a perspective appearance view of a radio terminal and its base unit in a first prior art arrangement, and
FIG. 27
is a longitudinal sectional view of a base unit incorporating the same radio terminal.
A base unit
200
of a conventional radio terminal
1
shown in FIG.
26
and
FIG. 27
processes sound, text and graphics data, and communicate with another radio terminal
1
by radio means through the radio terminal
1
. A connector
6
is provided at a rear side
1
a
of the radio terminal
1
, and an opening
4
for inserting the radio terminal
1
is provided in a front side
2
a
of the base unit
200
. A printed circuit board
5
is provided in the base unit
200
. The printed circuit board
5
has a connector
7
. When the radio terminal
1
is inserted into the opening
4
of the base unit
200
, the connector
6
of the radio terminal
1
is electrically connected and fixed to the connector
7
.
In this constitution, the radio terminal
1
is inserted into the opening
4
of the base unit
200
. A part of the radio terminal
1
projects from the base unit
200
, while the connector
6
of the radio terminal
1
is connected and fixed to the connector
7
of the printed circuit board
5
in the base unit
200
. In the state of the radio terminal
1
fixed in the base unit
200
, the signal data processed in the printed circuit board
5
in the base unit
200
is transmitted through the radio unit and antenna unit in the radio terminal
1
. In its reverse path, the signal entering from the radio terminal
1
is processed by the printed circuit board
5
in the base unit
200
, thereby being received.
Thus, the conventional radio terminal is connected to the base unit
200
, and the fixed radio terminal
1
is used as the radio unit of the base unit
200
. Besides, for the ease of attaching and detaching of the radio terminal
1
, part of the radio unit projects from the base unit
200
. Therefore, the conventional radio terminal is very poor in design. Still worse, since there is a gap between the opening
4
of the base unit
200
and the radio terminal
1
, foreign matter is likely to get into the gap. Yet, using the radio unit and antenna unit of the radio terminal
1
, it was difficult to enhance the radio reaching distance and directivity.
A second prior art arrangement will now be explained, in which the base unit of the radio terminal is applied in a network connection device.
FIG. 28
is a perspective appearance view of a network connection device in the second prior art arrangement.
FIG. 29
is a cross sectional view of the conventional network connection device.
The network connection device having the radio terminal in the second prior art arrangement shown in FIG.
28
and
FIG. 29
is to exchange data by radio means between radio terminals
1
, and to transfer from the base unit
200
to a computer by wired means. A connector
6
is provided at a rear side
1
a
of the radio terminal
1
. An opening
4
for inserting the radio terminal
1
is formed at one side
2
a
of the base unit
200
. A printed circuit board
5
is held in the main body
2
. The printed circuit board
5
has a connector
7
. When the radio terminal
1
is inserted into the opening
4
of the base unit
200
, the connector
6
of the radio terminal
1
is electrically connected and fixed to the connector
7
of the printed circuit board
5
. At this time, an antenna unit
1
b
or radio unit
1
c
of the radio terminal
1
protrudes from the base unit
200
, as shown in
FIG. 29
, so as not to overlap with the printed circuit board
5
in the main body
2
when the radio terminal
1
is inserted and connected to the main body
2
.
In this constitution, the antenna unit
1
b
or radio unit
1
c
of the radio terminal
1
maintains the radio reaching distance by suppressing the effects on the antenna unit
1
b
from the conductor of the printed circuit board
5
disposed in the main body
2
, thereby eliminating the effects of electric noise, etc. In the state of this radio terminal
1
fixed in the main body
2
, the data from a wired interface
12
through a cable is processed in the printed circuit board
5
in the base unit
200
, and is transmitted through the radio unit
1
c
in the radio terminal
1
. In the case of reception, the signal entering from the radio terminal
1
is processed in the printed circuit board
5
in the base unit
200
, and is sent to the wired interface
12
.
Thus, in the network connection device in the second prior art arrangement, part of the radio terminal largely protrudes from the base unit so that the antenna unit or radio unit of the radio terminal may not overlap with the printed circuit board in the main body. As a result, this network connection device is very poor in design. Besides, since there is a gap between the opening of the base unit and the radio terminal, foreign matter is likely to get into the gap. Also, when inserting the radio terminal into the base unit opening, there is no guide for inserting, and the insertion is difficult.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the light of the problems of the prior art arrangements, it is hence an object of the invention to present a base unit of a radio terminal capable of improving the design, preventing entry of foreign matter, improving the assembly efficiency, and enhancing the radio reaching distance and directivity of the base unit.
To achieve the object, the base unit of the radio terminal of the invention is composed as follows. A recess for accommodating a rear half of a radio terminal is provided over two substantially mutually orthogonal planes of a base unit body. An opening is formed at an inner side of this recess. A printed circuit board provided inside the base unit body has a connector which can be electrically connected to a connector of the radio terminal, disposed at a position for connecting and fixing the radio terminal to the base unit body without projecting from the recess of the base unit body. The base unit body has a lid which shields the entire recess of the base unit body, in a state of the radio terminal inserted into the base unit body by way of the opening in the recess of the base unit body. The base unit body also has an antenna unit having a wired cable provided with a terminal unit at its leading end to be connected electrically with a terminal for an external antenna provided on the front side of the radio terminal. This lid further has a terminal unit of wired cable formed at a position corresponding to the terminal for the external antenna provided at the radio terminal when this lid is shielded.
According to the invention, the base unit can prevent entry of foreign matter from outside. The design of the base unit body is improved. The base unit may be provided with an antenna unit that is of enhanced performance without requiring consideration of its size. The radio reaching distance and directivity can be enhanced without gi
Furukawa Hideyuki
Koga Naoki
Nakashima Osamu
Yamaguchi Takashi
Harry Andrew
Trost William
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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