Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Zoned or cellular telephone system
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-13
2001-04-24
Hunter, Daniel (Department: 2684)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Zoned or cellular telephone system
C455S095000, C455S067150
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223033
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a low cost, easy to use production test apparatus for PCS and cellular telephones and, more particularly, to a thin film cylindrical antenna for such a test apparatus.
2. Related Art
Currently, PCS and cellular telephone production tests require that the Unit Under Test (UUT) be placed in a large anechoic chamber with a directional antenna pointed at the antenna. This test relies on the assumption that the antenna characteristics do not vary spatially from one UUT to the next, which is frequently not the case because this parameter is less tightly controlled than the limits of the test allow. This causes many unacceptable false failures, whereas widening the test limits allows bad units to pass. The test chamber is also very large and costly. What is needed is a simple to use, low cost PCS and cellular telephone production test apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus according to the invention for testing mobile phones of the type having a protruding antenna includes an air chamber which provides radio frequency shielding and which surrounds the mobile phone under test, a radio equipment automated testing circuit, an antenna mounted within the air chamber which includes a hollow cylinder of electrically insulating material for surrounding a portion of the protruding antenna during testing, a first, thin, electrically conductive film mounted on a surface of the hollow cylinder which acts as the primary antenna portion, and an integral matching network comprised of another thin film portion mounted on the hollow cylinder and connected to the first thin film. The first thin film includes a first band portion extending in a circumferential direction entirely around a peripheral surface of the hollow cylinder. The second thin film, which makes up the integral matching network, includes a finger portion extending from the first band portion in a direction parallel to an axis of rotation of the hollow cylinder, the finger portion tapering to a point at a location furthest from the band portion, and a second band portion having a width that is smaller than the width of the first band portion, and extending from the point of the finger portion in a circumferential direction only partially around the peripheral surface of the hollow cylinder. An electrical connection is made to the point of the finger portion for connecting the antenna to the radio equipment automated testing circuit.
The invention further includes the antenna itself and the method of its use in testing the mobile phone within the air chamber using the radio equipment automated testing circuit.
The foregoing and other objectives, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of certain preferred embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4220955 (1980-09-01), Frye
patent: 5711014 (1998-01-01), Crowley et al.
patent: 5805667 (1998-09-01), Alvarez et al.
patent: 5854970 (1998-12-01), Kivela
patent: 5910977 (1999-06-01), Torregrossa
patent: 6095820 (2000-08-01), Luxon et al.
Crosby, Heafey Roach & May
Hunter Daniel
Nguyen Thuan T.
Sony Corporation
LandOfFree
Thin film cylindrical antenna for use in a test station does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Thin film cylindrical antenna for use in a test station, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Thin film cylindrical antenna for use in a test station will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2551068