Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – With radio cabinet
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-20
2001-03-20
Le, Hoanganh (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
With radio cabinet
C343S862000, C343S901000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06204816
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an antenna, and, in particular, to an antenna for use with a portable radio-communication device, such as a cellular phone.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In its most basic form, a radio-communication network includes a mobile station, such as a cellular phone, and a base station. The mobile station is in radio-communication with the base station. In turn, the base station is connected to and in communication with a public switched telephone network, which is the fixed network installed in most homes.
To communicate with each other, the mobile station and the base station use antennas. The antennas are used to transmit radio frequency (RF) signals between the mobile station and the base station.
The antenna has a radiating element, and may have a matching structure or element. The radiating element is the portion of the antenna which may be used to radiate the RF signal from one of the mobile station and the base station to the other of the mobile station and the base station. At higher radio frequencies, the matching element may be needed to balance the impedance of the radiating element.
The mobile station antenna typically includes a long rod of circular cross-section. The rod may be used as the radiating element, or the rod may be used as a support for the radiating element. A section of wire, which functions as the matching element, is wrapped about the rod with a layer of dielectric material disposed therebetween. Conventionally, both the rod and the wire are coated with a polymer material for mechanical protection.
The mobile station antenna is typically mounted on a mobile station housing so as to extend through an opening in the housing. The antenna is usually mounted so that it is moveable between a fully retracted position, where only a portion of the antenna projects to outside the housing, and a fully extended position, where a significant portion of the antenna projects to outside the housing.
The above mobile station antennas may have several problems, however. For example, the wire used as the matching element may be susceptible to breakage during the wrapping process. Additionally, the rod element may be susceptible to excessive bending with the antenna in the fully extended position relative to the mobile station housing. Moreover, the size of the antenna in the fully retracted position relative to the housing may be so large as to take up considerable amounts of space within the housing. This is particularly significant because the trend in the cellular phone industry has been to design and manufacture mobile stations of decreasing width, length and depth.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to an aspect of the present invention, an antenna assembly has a shaft element with first and second ends. The antenna assembly also has a tube-like element disposed about the first end of the shaft element which tube-like element acts as a matching structure for the antenna assembly and strengthens and rigidifies the antenna assembly to resist bending of the shaft element proximate to the first end thereof. The antenna assembly further has a dielectric material disposed between the tube-like element and the shaft element at the first end.
The shaft element may define a rod-like element or a plate-like element.
Moreover, the shaft element may define a first radiating element, and a second radiating element may coupled to the shaft element at the second end.
The shaft element and the tube-like element each may be made of a nickel-titanium alloy. In particular, the shaft element and the tube-like element each may be made of a nickel-titanium alloy where nickel and titanium are present in approximately equal percentages by weight.
The dielectric material may be selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene and polyetherimide.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a portable radio-communication assembly has a housing with a surface having an edge. The portable radio-communication assembly also has an antenna assembly with a shaft element having first and second ends, a tube-like element disposed about the first end of the shaft element, and a dielectric material disposed between the tube-like element and the shaft element at the first end. The shaft element has a first retracted state and a second extended state in which the first end is proximate to the edge, the tube-like element abuttable against the edge so as to resist bending of the shaft element proximate to the edge.
Further, the shaft element may define a first radiating element, and a second radiating element may be coupled to the shaft element at the second end, the second radiating element being disposed outside the housing with the shaft element in the first and second states.
Moreover, the antenna assembly may define a quarter-wavelength radiator with the shaft element in the first state, and may define a half-wavelength radiator with the shaft element in the second state.
The shaft element and the tube-like element each may be made of a nickel-titanium alloy. Specifically, the shaft element and the tube-like element each may be made of a nickel-titanium alloy where nickel and titanium are present in approximately equal percentages by weight.
The dielectric material may be selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene and polyetherimide.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method of reconfiguring an antenna assembly on a radio-communication assembly having a housing with a surface is provided. The method involves the steps of providing an antenna assembly on the housing with a shaft element moveable between first and second positions relative to the surface of the housing, and providing a matching element on the shaft element such that the matching element mechanically reinforces a part of the shaft element. The method also involves the steps of moving the shaft element from the first position to the second position, and abutting the matching element against the surface of the housing as an incident of the shaft element being moved from the first position into the second position so that the matching element resists deformation of the shaft element adjacent the surface of the housing.
Moreover, the surface of the housing may have an edge. If so, the step of abutting the matching element against the surface of the housing may include the step of abutting the matching element against the edge of the surface of the housing as an incident of the shaft element being moved from the first position into the second position so that the matching element resists deformation of the shaft element about a fulcrum defined by the edge of the surface of the housing.
Additionally, the surface of the housing may define an edge-like rim which further defines an opening in the housing. Consequently, the step of moving the shaft element from the first position to the second position may include the step of moving the shaft element through the opening from the first position to the second position, and the step of abutting the matching element against the surface of the housing may include the step of abutting the matching element against the edge-like rim of the surface of the housing as an incident of the shaft element being moved through the opening from the first position into the second position so that the matching element resists deformation of the shaft element about a fulcrum defined by the edge-like rim of the surface of the housing.
Further, the antenna assembly may define a quarter-wavelength radiator with the shaft element in the first position, and, as an incident of the shaft element being moved from the first position into the second position, may define a half-wavelength radiator.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5134421 (1992-07-01), Boyd et al.
patent: 5467096 (1995-11-01), Takamoro et al.
patent: 5534878 (1996-07-01), Johnson
patent: 5606327 (1997-02-01), Elliott et al.
patent: 5635943 (1997-06-01), Grunwell
patent: 5659889 (1997-08-01), Cockson
patent: 5717408 (1998-02-01), Sullivan et al.
patent: 5
Hayes Gerard James
MacDonald, Jr. James D.
Spall John Michael
Ericsson Inc.
Le Hoang-anh
Nguyen Hoang
Wood Phillips VanSanten Clark & Mortimer
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