Title: Extended antenna support for a wireless communications device
Abstract: A wireless communications device (102) includes a flip assembly 106 that includes a speaker (120) and that has a GPS antenna (104) mounted about a far edge. The flip assembly (106) further has a GPS RF amplifier (314) mounted adjacent to the GPS antenna (104) for amplifying signals received by the GPS antenna (104) and providing those amplified signals to a GPS RF stripline (312). The GPS RF stripline (312) includes a flexible RF stripline (404) to accommodate rotationally opening and closing of the flip assembly (106). Positioning of the GPS antenna (104) about the far edge of the flip assembly (106) removes the GPS antenna from a main housing assembly (108) of the wireless communications device (102) and provides for better GPS signal reception performance.
Patent Number: 6,970,728 Issued on 11/29/2005 to Chenoweth, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Chenoweth; John P. (Coral Springs, FL);
Candal; Alejandro (Davie, FL);
Minasi; David Hartley (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
|
| Assignee:
|
Motorola, Inc. (Schaumburg, IL)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
426112 |
| Filed:
|
April 29, 2003 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
455/575.7; 455/575.3; 455/575.1; 455/550.1 |
| Intern'l Class: |
H04M 001/00 |
| Field of Search: |
455/5757,575.3,575.1,550.1,552.1,553.1,575.8,903
343/702
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 5561436 | Oct., 1996 | Phillips.
| |
| 6246374 | Jun., 2001 | Perrotta et al.
| |
| 6272324 | Aug., 2001 | Rudisill et al.
| |
| 2001/0008839 | Jul., 2001 | Cho.
| |
Primary Examiner: Corsaro; Nick
Assistant Examiner: West; Lewis
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Garrett; Scott M.
Claims
1. A wireless communications device, comprising:
an auxiliary RF circuit;
a first portion, wherein the first portion contains at least a portion of the
auxiliary RF circuit;
a second portion, comprising a first edge and a second edge, wherein the second
edge is substantially opposite the first edge, and further comprising an earpiece;
a rotational joint for rotationally coupling the first edge of the second portion
to the first portion; and
an auxiliary antenna, electrically connected to the auxiliary RF circuit, wherein
the auxiliary antenna is located between the second edge of the second portion
and the earpiece, and wherein a portion of the auxiliary RF circuit located in
the second portion comprises an RF active receiving and amplifying circuit electrically
coupled and adjacent to the auxiliary antenna.
2. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, further comprising
an RF transmission line for electrically coupling the auxiliary antenna to the
auxiliary RF circuit, wherein the RF transmission line comprises a flexible circuit
adapted to allow rotation of the rotational joint while maintaining electrical
coupling between the auxiliary antenna and the auxiliary RF circuit.
3. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, further comprising
a GPS receiver substantially in the first portion and electrically coupled to the
auxiliary antenna in the second portion.
4. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary
antenna is located about the second edge of the second portion and closer to the
second edge than the earpiece.
5. An auxiliary antenna support for positioning an auxiliary antenna relative
to a wireless communications device, comprising:
a structure comprising a first edge and a second edge, wherein the second edge
is substantially opposite the first edge, and further comprising an earpeice;
a rotational joint, mechanically coupled about the first edge of the structure,
and adapted for rotationally securing the structure to a wireless communications
device; and
an auxiliary antenna for receiving auxiliary RF signal, wherein the auxiliary
antenna is located between the second edge of the structure and the earpiece, the
auxiliary antenna being electrically coupled to an RF active receiving and amplifying
circuit located in the structure and adjacent to the auxiliary antenna.
6. The auxiliary antenna support of claim 5, further comprising a flexible RF
circuit electrically coupled to the electrical contact about the first edge of
the structure for flexibly electrically coupling the auxiliary antenna about the
rotational joint and to an RF receiver located in the wireless communications device.
7. The auxiliary antenna support of claim 5, wherein the auxiliary antenna is
located about the second edge of the second portion and closer to the second edge
than the earpiece.
8. A cellular flip-phone comprising:
a cellular phone housing containing a wireless receiver circuit;
a flip portion including a first edge, and a second edge and an earpiece, wherein
the second edge is substantially opposite the first edge;
a rotational joint for rotationally coupling the first edge of the flip portion
to the cellular phone housing; and
an antenna, electrically coupled to the wireless receiver circuit, wherein the
antenna is located between the second edge of the flip portion and the earpiece,
and wherein the antenna being electrically coupled to an RF active receiving and
amplifying circuit in the flip portion and adjacent to the antenna.
9. The cellular flip-phone of claim 8, further comprising a transmission line
for electrically coupling the antenna to the wireless receiver circuit, wherein
the transmission line comprises a flexible circuit adapted to allow rotation of
the rotational joint while maintaining electrical coupling between the antenna
and the wireless receiver circuit.
10. The cellular flip-phone of claim 8, wherein the wireless receiver circuit
comprises a GPS receiver substantially located in the cellular phone housing and
electrically coupled to the antenna in the flip portion.
11. The cellular flip-phone of claim 8, wherein the antenna is located about
the second edge of the flip portion and closer to the second edge than the earpiece.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to the field of wireless communications
devices and more particularly relates to antenna structures for such devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wireless communications devices, such as cellular phones, have become increasingly
smaller with advances in electronic device technology. This reduction in size has
complicated the placement of adequate antenna structures on these devices to provide
proper wireless connectivity.
The integration of multiple radio functions into a single device, such as the
incorporation of a Global Positioning Receiver (GPS) into a cellular phone, has
resulted in further design difficulties. The antenna design problem of portable
communications devices is often complicated by the use of metallic structures instead
of plastic in the wireless communications device housing in order to decrease the
physical volume of the device while maintaining structural strength, RF signal
shielding, and electrostatic protection properties for the device. A common cellular
phone design motif has a metal battery cover that extends over most of the phone's
back. This large piece of metal causes poor GPS signal reception performance for
most antennas, which are often mounted on the printed circuit board located in
the main housing of wireless communications device. In addition to blockage by
the metal battery door, a GPS antenna in this area is subject to the deleterious
reception performance effects on the GPS antenna of the battery and the user's hand.
Therefore a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as
discussed above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a wireless
communications device has an auxiliary RF circuit. The wireless communications
device further has a first portion that contains at least a portion of the auxiliary
RF circuit. The wireless communication device also has a second portion that comprises
a first end and a second end, wherein the second end is substantially opposite
the first end. The wireless communications device further has a rotational joint
for rotationally coupling the first edge of the second portion to the first portion.
The wireless communications device also has an auxiliary antenna that is electrically
connected to the auxiliary RF circuit and that is mounted along the second edge
of the second portion.
According to another aspect of the preferred embodiments, an auxiliary
antenna support for positioning an auxiliary antenna relative to a wireless device
has a structure that has a first edge and a second edge, where the second edge
is substantially opposite the first edge. The auxiliary antenna support further
has a mounting point that is located on the first edge of the structure and that
is adapted for securing the structure to a wireless communications device. The
auxiliary antenna support also contains an audio transducer that is suitable for
supporting voice communications in conjunction with the wireless communications
device. The auxiliary antenna support further has an auxiliary antenna for receiving
an auxiliary RF signal. This auxiliary antenna is located on the second edge of
the structure.
According to a preferred embodiment, a cellular telephone utilizes the
significant advantages of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or
functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which together
with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification,
serve to further illustrate various embodiments and to explain various principles
and advantages all in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a front view of a wireless communications device, according to a preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the wireless communications device of FIG. 1, illustrating
a rotational joint mechanically coupling a first portion and a second portion of
the wireless communications device, according to a preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the electronic circuitry of the wireless communications
device of FIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an expanded side view of the wireless communications device illustrating
an open position of the rotational joint of the wireless communications device,
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an expanded side view of the wireless communications device illustrating
a closed position of the rotational joint of the wireless communications device,
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein;
however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary
of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural
and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting,
but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching
one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any
appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are
not intended to be limiting; but rather, to provide an understandable description
of the invention.
The terms "a" or "an", as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The
term plurality, as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term another,
as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms including and/or
having, as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term
coupled, as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly,
and not necessarily mechanically.
The present invention, according to a preferred embodiment, overcomes problems
with the prior art by providing a wireless communications device, such as in the
form of a cellular telephone, that has a physical design similar to a conventional
"flip-phone" with a main housing assembly and a "flip" assembly that is mechanically
coupled to the main housing assembly via a rotational joint. This wireless communications
device includes a GPS receiver in addition to the conventional cellular telephone
communication transceiver. The GPS antenna is preferably mounted about the far
end edge region of the flip assembly of this wireless communications device so
as to provide a superior reception performance. The inventors have measured a 2-3
dB improvement in signal reception performance for GPS antennas that use such mounting.
This is a significant advantage of the present invention.
A front view
100 of a cellular phone
102 according to an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. The construction
of the exemplary cellular phone
102 is similar to a conventional flip-phone
and has a main housing assembly
108 and a flip assembly
106. A bottom
end of the flip assembly
106 is mechanically coupled to the main housing
assembly
108 via a rotational joint
112. The rotational joint
112
allows the flip assembly
106 to be rotated around the axis of rotational
joint
112 and folded over onto a top surface of the main housing assembly
108.
Preferably, the flip assembly
106 is rotated away from the main
housing assembly
108 to provide an open position for the cellular phone
102 that is convenient for a user to use the flip phone as a cellular telephone,
in a manner well known in the art. Additionally, the flip assembly
106 is
preferably rotated to a second closed position that results in the flip assembly
106 to be folded over onto a top surface of the main housing assembly
108.
This results in a compact arrangement for the wireless communications device, or
cellular phone
102 in this example. The compact arrangement is convenient
for the user to carry or store the cellular phone
102.
The front of the main housing assembly
108 contains a conventional keypad
110 constituting a user input interface for the cellular phone
102
for a user to provide user input to the cellular phone
102. The front of
the main housing assembly
108 further has a microphone
122 to pick
up a user's voice when the cellular phone
102 is in use. This microphone
122 is located about a mouthpiece region of the cellular phone
102
for receiving voice audio from the mouth of a user of the cellular phone
102.
The front of the main housing assembly
108 further has an alpha-numeric
display
116 to provide visual information to the user of the cellular phone
102.
The main housing assembly
108 of the exemplary embodiment further has
a communications antenna
114 that is used for wireless transmission of communications
signals from the cellular phone
102 and wireless reception of communications
signals to the cellular phone
102. The main housing assembly
108
of the exemplary embodiment, as is common with conventional flip-phones, has a
mass of conductive materials, such as circuit boards, batteries, displays and even
metallic housing components, that would typically interfere with the operation
of an antenna placed within or in close proximity to the main housing assembly
108.
The flip assembly
106 of the exemplary embodiment contains a speaker
120,
as is common in conventional flip-phone designs. This speaker
120 is located
about an earpiece region of the cellular phone
102 for providing received
audio to an ear of a user of the cellular phone
102. A GPS antenna
104
that is preferably mounted about the far end edge region of the flip assembly
106,
which is the end opposite the bottom end that is attached to the main housing assembly
108 by means of a rotational joint
112, of the exemplary embodiment.
The GPS antenna
104 is more preferably located about the outer far end
edge region of the flip assembly
106 and generally closer to the far end
edge than the earpiece region. This preferred location preferably places the GPS
antenna
104 substantially at a region located at the highest elevation of
the cellular phone
102 and above a user's ear when in normal use. This location
of the GPS antenna
104 has been found by the inventors to increase the receive
sensitivity by approximately 2 to 3 dB improvement in signal reception performance
for a GPS antenna
104 which is a significant improvement over a more conventional
location for a GPS antenna about the main housing assembly
108.
A side view
200 of the cellular phone
102 of an exemplary embodiment
of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 2. The side view
200 shows
the flip assembly
106 in both of its two common positions—as an open
flip assembly
202 and as a closed flip assembly
204 (indicated by
the dashed lines). The flip assembly
106 is positioned as a closed flip
assembly
204 when the cellular phone
102 is typically not in use
by a user. This decreases the size of the cellular phone
102 and facilitates
carrying and storing the cellular phone
102. The flip assembly
106
is positioned as an open flip assembly
202 in order to use the cellular
phone
102. This places the GPS antenna
104 at a point far from the
main housing assembly
108 and minimizes the effect of the main housing assembly
108 on the receive performance of the GPS antenna
104.
A circuit block diagram
300 of a cellular phone
102, according
to
an embodiment of the present invention, is illustrated in FIG. 3. The cellular
phone
102 of the exemplary embodiment has a communications RF circuit module
302. The communications RF circuit module
302 performs the RF generation
and reception functions required to support the voice and/or data communications
of cellular phone
102. The communications RF circuits
302 are communicatively
coupled to the microphone
122 and speaker
120 to provide cellular
telephone functions. The communications RF circuits
302 are connected to
the communications antenna
114 via a communications RF transmission line
310. The communications antenna
114 and communications RF transmission
line
310 support reception and transmission of RF signals used for communications
with the cellular phone
102. The data processing circuits
306 in
the exemplary embodiment control the communications RF circuits
302.
The cellular phone
102 also includes GPS receiver circuits
304.
The GPS receiver circuits
304 are connected to a GPS RF amplifier
314
via a GPS signal transmission line
312. The GPS signal transmission line
312 may comprise any combination of stripline, co-planar waveguide, coaxial
cable, and flexible stripline (e.g., an RF flex circuit). The GPS RF amplifier
314 amplifies signals received by the GPS antenna
104 in order to
overcome losses of the GPS RF transmission line
312 and the internal noise
of GPS receiver circuits
304. The GPS receiver circuits
304 accept
GPS signals received via the GPS antenna
104, amplified by the GPS RF amplifier
314, and transferred by the GPS signal transmission line
312. The
GPS receiver circuits
304 produce data signals indicating a geographic location
of the cellular phone
102. The data signals are coupled to the data processing
circuits
306.
The data processing circuits
306, according to the present example, include
a processor, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, and associated logic circuits.
The cellular phone
102, for example, uses geographic location, indicated
by the data signals, to support emergency
911 calls and other functions
incorporated into existing cellular phones and cellular phone systems. The geographic
location produced by the GPS receiver circuits
304 is coupled to the data
processing circuits
306 in the exemplary embodiment which then process these
data signals and store into a memory (not shown) the geographic location information
for the cellular phone
102.
As discussed above, the cellular phone
102 has data processing circuits
306. The data processing circuits
306 of the exemplary embodiment
contain a programmable processor and memory to implement data processing functions
and other control functions of the cellular phone
102. The data processing
circuits
306 are communicatively coupled to the keypad
110 and to
the display
116 in the exemplary embodiment in order to support user input
and user output functions.
Referring to FIG. 4, an expanded side view
400 of the cellular phone
102 is shown illustrating an open position of a rotational joint
112
of the cellular phone
102, e.g., showing an open flip assembly
202,
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The expanded view
400 also shows a cut-away view of the main housing assembly
108.
The main housing assembly
108 includes a circuit board
402. The circuit
board
402 of the exemplary embodiment includes RF, digital and data processing
circuits that are used to process communications signals as well as received GPS
signals. The open flip assembly
202, which is the flip assembly
106
in the open position, is shown as attached to the main housing assembly by rotational
joint
112. The GPS antenna
104 is shown with an adjacent GPS RF amplifier
314.
The GPS RF amplifier
314 amplifies RF signals received by the GPS antenna
104 to improve performance and to overcome signal losses introduced by the
GPS signal transmission line
312. The signal produced at the output of the
GPS RF amplifier
314 is provided to the input of the GPS transmission line
312. The GPS transmission line
312 of the exemplary embodiment consists
of a fixed RF stripline (having an input portion
408 and an output portion
406) and a flexible RF stripline
404 (e.g., RF flex circuit). The
input
408 of the fixed RF stripline being electrically coupled to the output
of the GPS RF amplifier
314 and the output
406 of the fixed RF stripline
being electrically coupled to the flexible RF stripline
404. The fixed RF
stripline
408 is preferably integrally secured to the flip assembly
106
of the exemplary embodiment.
A first end portion
408 of the fixed RF stripline includes an input connected
to the RF output of the GPS RF amplifier
314, which is at the upper end
region of the flip assembly
106. A second end portion
406 of the
fixed RF stripline includes an output and is located at the bottom end region of
the flip assembly
106 and that is opposite the upper end region of the flip
assembly
106 and the GPS antenna
104.
This second end portion of the fixed RF stripline
408 is electrically
connected to an input of a flexible GPS RF stripline
404. The output of
the flexible GPS RF stripline
404 is electrically connected to the circuit
board
402 at a point that corresponds to the RF input of the GPS receiver
circuits
304. The flexible GPS RF stripline
404 is configured to
accommodate movement of the flip assembly
106, about the rotational joint
112 so that the flip assembly
106 is able to rotationally move from
the open position, corresponding to the open flip assembly
202, to the closed
position, corresponding to the closed flip assembly
204. The flexible GPS
RF stripline
404 has the advantage that it is easy to attach to the other
electrical circuit structures such as the circuit board
402 and to the fixed
RF stripline
408. The open rotational joint expanded view
400 shows
the flexible GPS RF stripline
404 as having a slightly flexible bulge to
accommodate the movement of the flip assembly
106.
A closed rotational joint expanded view
500, which shows an expanded view
of a cellular phone
102 with a closed flip assembly
202, according
to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 5. The
closed rotational joint expanded view
500 shows the flip assembly
106
in the closed position and illustrates how the flexible GPS RF stripline
404
bends with the contour of the flip assembly
106 moving from the position
shown in the open rotational joint expanded view
400 to accommodate the
repositioning of the flip assembly
106 from the position of the open flip
assembly
202 to the closed flip assembly
204.
As discussed above, with reference to the exemplary embodiment of the present
invention, locating the GPS antenna
104 about the far end edge region of
the flip assembly
106 of a wireless communications device
102, provides
a superior reception performance for the GPS receiver
304. The inventors
have measured a 2-3 dB improvement in signal reception performance for such GPS
antenna
104 and GPS receiver
304 assembly. This is a significant
advantage of the present invention over any known prior art wireless communications devices.
Although specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, those
having ordinary skill in the art will understand that changes can be made to the
specific embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
The scope of the invention is not to be restricted, therefore, to the specific
embodiments, and it is intended that the appended claims cover any and all such
applications, modifications, and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.
*
