Foldable portable radio terminal

• US 20010051510A1
• Filed: 07/05/2001
• Published: 12/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Shinya
• Granted Patent: US 6,959,210 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.3
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/084 Pivotable antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge

Abstract

A foldable portable radio terminal comprising an upper housing, a lower housing and a hinge for connecting housings is provided, where an antenna is arranged adjacently to the hinge in the lower housing. A connection unit which connects an upper-housing circuit and a lower-housing circuit has a wiring length longer than a spacing between the upper-housing circuit and the lower-housing circuit. The connection unit has an inductance provided by a portion partially rolled up in spiral or in coil, which acts as a load impedance to a high-frequency current generated on the housing. The current that degrades antenna characteristics is reduced, and therefore the characteristics are improved.

Claims

1. A foldable portable radio terminal having a first housing for including a first circuit unit inside and a second housing for including a second circuit unit inside, said first and second housings are connected through the intermediary of a hinge so as to rotate around said hinge, said terminal comprising:

power-supply means for supplying power to said first and second circuit units; and

connecting means for electrically connecting said first and second circuit units,

wherein said connecting means having a prescribed shape and length, so that said connecting means generates an inductance which serves as a load to a high-frequency current.

2. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 1

, wherein said connecting means is a flexible board having conductors for generating said inductance.

3. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 2

, wherein said prescribed shape is a shape where said connecting means partially has a spiral structure with one or more of turns, and said prescribed length is a length capable of connecting said first and second circuit units with said spiral structure being maintained.

4. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 3

, wherein said connecting means, when it is expanded, is S-shaped including first, second and third zonal areas, said first zonal area corresponding to one end portion of said connecting means and being connected to said first circuit unit, said second zonal area corresponding to another end portion of said connecting means and being connected to said second circuit unit, and said third zonal area corresponding to an area which lies intermediary of said first and second zonal areas, and wherein said third zonal area being associated with a portion where said spiral structure is formed and having a length for avoiding interconnection between said first and second zonal areas when said spiral structure is being maintained.

5. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 4

, wherein said connecting means is arranged to go through said hinge.

6. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 5

, wherein said connecting means is housed inside said hinge at a portion where said spiral structure is formed.

7. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 2

, wherein said prescribed shape is a shape where said connecting means partially has a coil structure, and said prescribed length is a length capable of connecting said first and second circuit units with said coil structure being maintained.

8. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 7

, wherein said connecting means, when it is expanded, is tuning-fork shaped including first, second and third zonal areas, said first zonal area corresponding to one end portion of one prong and being connected to said first circuit unit, said second zonal area corresponding to another end portion of another prong and being connected to said first circuit unit, and said third zonal area corresponding to an end portion of a stem and being connected to said second circuit unit, wherein a portion where said prongs and stem merge and its vicinity is rolled up to form said coil structure, and wherein said first, second and third zonal areas are arranged apart for avoiding interconnection when said coil structure is being maintained.

9. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 8

, wherein said connecting means is arranged to go through said hinge.

10. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 9

, wherein said connecting means is housed inside said hinge at a portion where said coil structure is formed.

11. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 7

, wherein said connecting means, when it is expanded, has a shape in which a plurality of tuning-fork shapes are turned and partially overlapped each other to form a plurality of prongs including first and second zonal areas, said first zonal area corresponding to first end portions of said prongs which are facing in the same direction, said second zonal area corresponding to second end portions of said prongs which are facing in the direction opposed to said first end portions, wherein a portion where said plurality of prongs merge and its vicinity is rolled up to form said coil structure, and wherein said first and second zonal areas are arranged apart for avoiding interconnection when said coil structure is being maintained.

12. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 11

, wherein said connecting means is arranged to go through said hinge.

13. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 12

, wherein said connecting means is housed inside said hinge at a portion where said coil structure is formed.

14. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 3

, wherein said connecting means, when it is expanded, has a shape including first, second and third zonal areas, said first zonal area corresponding to one end portion of said connecting means and being connected to said first circuit unit, said second zonal area corresponding to another end portion of said connecting means and being connected to said second circuit unit, and said third zonal area corresponding to a portion which lies intermediary of said first and second zonal areas and takes a crank shape.

15. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 14

, wherein said portion associated with said crank shape and its vicinity is formed to have a coil structure and having a length for avoiding interconnection between said first and second zonal areas when said coil structure is being maintained.

16. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 15

, wherein said connecting means is arranged to go through said hinge.

17. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 15

, wherein said connecting means is housed inside said hinge at a portion where said coil structure is formed.

18. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 1

, wherein antenna unit and radio unit to which power is supplied from said power-supply means are included in the same housing as said power-supply means.

19. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 18

, wherein said antenna unit and radio unit are connected to said second circuit unit within said second housing, said first circuit unit having a length of approximately half of said second circuit unit.

20. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 2

, wherein said first housing is made of metal and said second housing is made of insulator, said first housing being electrically connected to said first circuit unit.

21. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 20

, wherein said first housing comprising a front panel and a rear panel has configurations either where said front panel being made of metal and said rear panel being made of insulator or where said front panel being made of insulator and said rear panel being made of metal, said panels made of metal being electrically connected to said first circuit unit.

22. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 2

, wherein said first housing is made of insulator and said second housing is made of metal, said second housing being electrically connected to said second circuit unit.

23. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 22

, wherein said second housing comprising a front panel and a rear panel has configurations either where said front panel being made of metal and said rear panel being made of insulator or where said front panel being made of insulator and said rear panel being made of metal, said panels made of metal being electrically connected to said second circuit unit.

24. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 2

, wherein said first and second housings are made of metal, and wherein no electrical connections are provided between said first housing and second housing.

25. A foldable portable radio terminal according to

claim 24

, wherein said first and second housings respectively comprise a front panel and a rear panel, said front panel of said first housing being made of metal and said rear panel of said first housing being made of insulator, said front panel of said second housing being made of metal and said rear panel of said second housing being made of insulator, and wherein no electrical connections are provided between said front panels.