Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – With radio cabinet
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-21
2001-07-24
Wong, Don (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
With radio cabinet
C455S040000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266019
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed toward a communications device, and more particularly toward increasing efficiency of an antenna for a communications device.
A communications device, for example a cellular telephone, typically includes a front section and a rear section, the front and rear sections acting as a housing for a circuit board. The circuit board includes the control circuitry for the cellular telephone. The cellular telephone further includes an antenna coupled to the circuit board used for transmitting and receiving information to and from a cellular base station. Cellular telephones are usually powered by a battery, the negative terminal of which is the lowest point of potential for the cellular telephone. When transmitting information from the cellular telephone to the cellular base station, battery power is consumed and therefore the operational availability of the device is shortened.
In a cellular telephone, one or both of the front and rear sections have in some cases been conductive, that is made of or coated with a conductive material. Where one or both of the sections are conductive, the conductive sections have sometimes been unconnected from the point of lowest potential, and in other cases have been connected to the point of lowest potential via a circuit board trace located around an entire perimeter of the circuit board. When the section(s) are conductive and connected to the point of lowest potential by the perimeter trace, the conductive sections serve as a ground plane for the antenna, aiding in the transmission and reception of information from and to the cellular telephone. However, antenna efficiency is not optimized. A less efficient cellular telephone antenna causes more battery power to be consumed when transmitting information to the cellular base station. Because battery power is limited, it is desirable to increase the efficiency of the antenna.
The present invention is directed to overcoming the problem discussed above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention, a communications device having an antenna includes a communication device housing having a front section and a rear section, wherein one of the front section and the rear section is conductive. A circuit board is mounted within the communications device body including a connection with a point of lowest potential for the communications device and having a perimeter of length P. An antenna is connected to the circuit board and is used for transmitting information from and receiving information to the communications device. An electrical connection electrically connects the conductive one of said front and rear sections to the circuit board point of lowest potential, where the electrical connection has a major dimension less than one-half P.
In various forms of this aspect of the invention, the electrical connection is located other than along the perimeter of the circuit board, and may comprise a plurality of contact locations. The electrical connection may be a capacitor or an inductor. The electrical connection may also have a major dimension of length less than one-tenth P. In another form, the antenna is mounted proximate an edge of the circuit board and the circuit board includes a ground plane coupled to the point of lowest potential and the electrical connection is positioned to cause a one-quarter wave waveguide trap to be formed between the one section and the ground plane, the one-quarter wave waveguide trap having a low current point proximate said edge. In another form, the communications device includes a negative power terminal, and the point of lowest potential is an electrical connection with the negative power terminal. In a further form, the electrical connection from the one section and the point of lowest potential is proximate to the negative power terminal.
In another form of this aspect, the one section may be metalized or may be formed from metal. In another form, where the other of the front section and the rear section is conductive, the communications device further comprises a second electrical connection between the other section and the point of lowest potential, where the second electrical connection has a length less than one-half P. In another form of this aspect, the other of the front section and the rear section is conductive, and the communications device further comprises a second electrical connection between the other section and the point of lowest potential substantially along the entire perimeter of the circuit board. In yet another form of this aspect, the other of the front section and the rear section is conductive and electrically unconnected from the point of lowest potential.
In another aspect of the invention, a communications device is provided including a communications device housing having a front section and a rear section, wherein one of the front section and the rear section is conductive. An antenna is mounted to the housing and is used for transmitting information from and receiving information to the communications device. A battery is mounted to the housing for powering the communications device where the battery includes a positive power terminal and a negative power terminal. A circuit board is mounted within the communications device housing and connected to the antenna and to the battery power jet terminals, where the circuit board has a perimeter of length P and includes a circuit board ground plane connected to the negative power terminal. An electrical connection electrically connects the conductive one of the front and rear sections to the circuit board ground plane, where the electrical connection has a major dimension less than ½P.
In various forms of this aspect of the present invention, the electrical connection may comprise a plurality of contact locations, and may be formed by a capacitor or an inductor. The electrical connection further may have a major dimension less than one-tenth P. In another form, the antenna is mounted proximate an edge of the circuit board and the circuit board includes a ground plane coupled to the point of lowest potential, and positioned to cause a one-quarter wave-guide trap to be formed between the one section and the ground plane, the one-quarter wave waveguide trap having a low current point proximate the edge. In another form where the other of the front section and the rear section is conductive, a second electrical connection is located between the other section and the circuit board ground plane, where the second electrical connection has a major dimension less than ½P.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5020136 (1991-05-01), Patsiokas et al.
patent: 5606733 (1997-02-01), Kanayama et al.
patent: 5977917 (1999-11-01), Hirose
Hickle Randy D.
Stewart William Paul
Ericsson Inc.
Nguyen Huang
Wong Don
Wood Phillips VanSanten Clark & Mortimer
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