Radio communication device and radio communication system

• US 10,461,792 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2018
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Uchida, Tomohiro, Nishikawa, Kenji, Ishimura, Toshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Lana N
• Application Number:
  US16/026,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20180331702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/32 Adaptation for use in or on road or rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/00 Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/086 Portable receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving

Abstract

Tablet PC (10) includes communication units (11₁, 11₂), antenna terminal (T₁) used to receive one of first and second signals, antenna terminal (T₂) used to receive another one of the first and second signals, terminal switch (40) configured to perform switching between a first coupling state in which communication unit (11₁) and terminal (T₁) are coupled, and communication unit (11₂) and terminal (T₂) are coupled, and a second coupling state in which communication unit (11₁) and terminal (T₂) are coupled, and communication unit (11₂) and terminal (T₁) are coupled, and controller (30) configured to control terminal switch (40) so as to switch to the first coupling state when terminal (T₁) receives the first signal, and terminal (T₂) receives the second signal, and to control terminal switch (40) so as to switch to the second coupling state when terminal (T₁) receives the second signal, and terminal (T₂) receives the first signal.

Claims

1. A radio communication device, detachably mounted on a base, comprising:

first and second communication units;

a first antenna terminal used to receive one of first and second signals from the base;

a second antenna terminal used to receive another one of the first and second signals from the base;

a terminal switch configured to perform switching between a first coupling state in which the first communication unit and the first antenna terminal are coupled, and the second communication unit and the second antenna terminal are coupled, and a second coupling state in which the first communication unit and the second antenna terminal are coupled, and the second communication unit and the first antenna terminal are coupled; and

a controller configured to control the terminal switch so as to switch to the first coupling state when in a first reception state in which the first antenna terminal receives the first signal from a third antenna terminal of the base, and the second antenna terminal receives the second signal from a fourth antenna terminal of the base, and to control the terminal switch so as to switch to the second coupling state when in a second reception state in which the first antenna terminal receives the second signal from the fourth antenna terminal of the base, and the second antenna terminal receives the first signal from the third antenna terminal of the base.

2. The radio communication device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first communication unit and the second communication unit is a communication module for transmitting and receiving or for receiving only, and a communication system to which the first communication unit conforms and a communication system to which the second communication unit conforms differ from each other.

3. The radio communication device according to claim 2, wherein each of the first communication unit and the second communication unit is the communication module conforming to one of communication systems of Global Positioning System (GPS), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, third generation mobile communication system (3G), and Long-Term Evolution (LTE).

4. The radio communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first signal is a signal to be received by a first external antenna, and the second signal is a signal to be received by a second external antenna.

5. The radio communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first internal antenna;

a second internal antenna;

a first antenna switch configured to couple the first communication unit to the first internal antenna or the terminal switch; and

a second antenna switch configured to couple the second communication unit to the second internal antenna or the terminal switch.

6. A radio communication system comprising:

a radio communication device; and

a base detachably connected to the radio communication device,

the radio communication device including;

first and second communication units;

a first antenna terminal used to receive one of first and second signals;

a second antenna terminal used to receive another one of the first and second signals;

a terminal switch configured to perform switching between a first coupling state in which the first communication unit and the first antenna terminal are coupled, and the second communication unit and the second antenna terminal are coupled, and a second coupling state in which the first communication unit and the second antenna terminal are coupled, and the second communication unit and the first antenna terminal are coupled; and

a controller configured to control the terminal switch so as to switch to the first coupling state when in a first reception state in which the first antenna terminal receives the first signal, and the second antenna terminal receives the second signal, and to control the terminal switch so as to switch to the second coupling state when in a second reception state in which the first antenna terminal receives the second signal, and the second antenna terminal receives the first signal;

the base including;

a third antenna terminal to be coupled to one of the first and second antenna terminals; and

a fourth antenna terminal to be coupled to another one of the first and second antenna terminals,

wherein when the radio communication device is mounted on the base in a first mounting state,

the first antenna terminal is connected with the third antenna terminal,

the second antenna terminal is connected with the fourth antenna terminal, and

the controller controls the terminal switch so as to switch to the first coupling state,

wherein when the radio communication device is mounted on the base in a second mounting state,

the first antenna terminal is connected with the fourth antenna terminal,

the second antenna terminal is connected with the third antenna terminal, and

the controller controls the terminal switch so as to switch to the second coupling state.

7. The radio communication system according to claim 6, further comprising a detector configured to detect the first reception state and the second reception state.

8. A radio communication system comprising:

a radio communication device; and

a base mounted with the radio communication device,

wherein the radio communication device includes

first and second communication units,

a first antenna terminal coupled to the first communication unit, and

a second antenna terminal coupled to the second communication unit, and

wherein the base includes

a third antenna terminal to be coupled to one of the first and second antenna terminals,

a fourth antenna terminal to be coupled to another one of the first and second antenna terminals,

a fifth antenna terminal used to receive a first signal,

a sixth antenna terminal used to receive a second signal,

a terminal switch configured to perform switching between a first coupling state in which the third antenna terminal and the fifth antenna terminal are coupled, and the fourth antenna terminal and the sixth antenna terminal are coupled, and a second coupling state in which the third antenna terminal and the sixth antenna terminal are coupled, and the fourth antenna terminal and the fifth antenna terminal are coupled, and

a controller configured to control the terminal switch, and

wherein the controller controls the terminal switch so as to switch to the first coupling state when the radio communication device is mounted on the base such that the first antenna terminal and the third antenna terminal are coupled, and the second antenna terminal and the fourth antenna terminal are coupled, and so as to switch to the second coupling state when the radio communication device is mounted on the base such that the first antenna terminal and the fourth antenna terminal are coupled, and the second antenna terminal and the third antenna terminal are coupled.