Telecommunications card with integrated antenna

• US 20020022460A1
• Filed: 07/18/2001
• Published: 02/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Option Incorporated (Crescent NV)
• Original Assignee: Option International Co.
• Inventors: Ward, Nick, Lintern, Richard, Dillon, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,509,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/97
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/084 Pivotable antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2275 associated to expansion card or bus, e.g. in PCMCIA, PC cards, Wireless USB

Abstract

A telecommunications card comprising a cavity in which an antenna structure is movably mounted between a first position in which the antenna structure is substantially located within the cavity and a second position in which the antenna structure is extended from the cavity, the telecommunications card further comprising moving means for moving the antenna structure from the first position to the second position, the antenna structure comprising a slide portion and an antenna portion which are movably connected to each other, characterised in that the antenna structure further comprises erecting means for erecting the antenna portion from the second position to a third position suitable for wireless communication with a telecommunications network.

Claims

1. A telecommunications card comprising a cavity in which an antenna structure is movably mounted between a first position in which the antenna structure is substantially located within the cavity and a second position in which the antenna structure is extended from the cavity, the telecommunications card further comprising moving means for moving the antenna structure from the first position to the second position, the antenna structure comprising a slide portion and an antenna portion which are movably connected to each other, characterised in that the antenna structure further comprises erecting means for erecting the antenna portion from the second position to a third position suitable for wireless communication with a telecommunications network.

2. A telecommunications card according to claim 1, characterised in that in the third position, the antenna portion forms an angle of 30 to 90°

, preferably approximately 60°

, with the slide portion.

3. A telecommunications card according to claim 1, characterised in that the antenna portion is removably mounted on the slide portion.

4. A telecommunications card according to claim 1, characterised in that the telecommunications card further comprises a connector for connecting the telecommunications card to an external antenna.

5. A telecommunications card according to claim 4, characterised in that the telecommunications card is provided with switching means for selecting between wireless communication using the internal antenna of the card and wireless communication using the external antenna connected to the connector.

6. A telecommunications card according to claim 5, characterised in that the switching means are incorporated in the connector.

7. A telecommunications card according to claim 1, characterised in that the telecommunications card is provided with detecting means for detecting whether the antenna portion is in the first position or the third position.

8. A telecommunications card according to claim 7, characterised in that the detecting means comprise a magnet and a hall effect sensor, which are mounted such that the magnet is located adjacent the sensor only when the antenna portion is in the third position.

9. A telecommunications card according to claim 7, characterised in that the switching means are operated by the detecting means for detecting whether the antenna portion is in the first position or the third position.

10. A telecommunications card according to claim 9, characterised in that the detecting means comprise a magnet and a hall effect sensor, which are mounted such that the magnet is located adjacent the sensor only when the antenna portion is in the third position.

11. A telecommunications card according to claim 1, characterised in that the telecommunications card comprises an audio connector for connecting the telecommunications card to audio equipment.

12. A telecommunications card according to claim 1, characterised in that the telecommunications card has a housing with a top layer, an intermediate layer and a bottom layer, the intermediate layer being provided to include the components of the card.

13. A telecommunications card according to claim 1, characterised in that the telecommunications card further comprises a slot with a SIM connector for receiving a SIM card.

14. A telecommunications card according to claim 12, characterised in that the slot is provided with an opening which is shaped such as to allow a user to remove the SIM card from the slot by means of a finger and to avoid contact between the finger and the SIM connector.

15. A telecommunications card according to claim 1, characterised in that the telecommunications card is provided with locking means for locking the antenna structure in the first position, the locking means being constructed such that a user can unlock the antenna structure by pressing an edge of the antenna structure which is accessible from outside the telecommunications card.