Earphone antenna and portable radio equipment provided with earphone antenna

• US 20060014560A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshino, Yoshitaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,373,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.100
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/46 Electric supply lines or communication lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/16 with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence

Abstract

An earphone antenna includes an audio signal transmission path formed by connecting a first shield wire of a coaxial cable to a ground, connecting a central conductor of the coaxial cable to a pair of first signal lines of an earphone cable via a capacitor which exhibits high impedance in a frequency range of audio signals and low impedance in a frequency range of high frequency signals, and connecting a second signal line and a grounding wire, respectively, to the pair of first signal lines via a high frequency choke which exhibits low impedance in the frequency range of audio signals and high impedance in the frequency range of high frequency signals. Connecting the second shield wire to the ground causes formation of a sleeve antenna by the earphone cable and the second shield wire.

Claims

1. An earphone antenna, comprising:

a first earphone cable including a pair of insulation-coated first signal lines for supplying audio signals to an earphone;

a shielded cable including a coaxial cable, an insulation-coated second signal line for audio signals and a grounding wire, the coaxial cable having a central conductor passing high frequency signals surrounded by an insulator and further surrounded by a first shield wire, the coaxial cable, the second signal line and the grounding wire collectively being surrounded by an insulation material and a second shield wire;

a multipin connector arranged on one end of the shielded cable and adapted to electrically connect the shielded cable to a radio apparatus; and

a connection block connecting the other end of the shielded cable to the first earphone cable, the connection block including an audio signal transmission path formed by connecting the first shield wire of the coaxial cable to a ground, connecting the central conductor of the coaxial cable to the pair of first signal lines via a capacitor which exhibits high impedance in a frequency range of audio signals and low impedance in a frequency range of high frequency signals, and connecting the second signal line for audio signals and the grounding wire, respectively, to the pair of first signal lines via a high frequency choke which exhibits low impedance in the frequency range of audio signals and high impedance in the frequency range of high frequency signals;

wherein connecting the second shield wire to the ground causes formation of a sleeve antenna by the first earphone cable and the second shield wire.

2. An earphone antenna according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second earphone cable including a second pair of insulation-coated first signal lines for supplying audio signals to an earphone;

the connection block connecting the other end of the shielded cable to the second earphone cable, the connection block further including another audio signal transmission path formed by connecting the central conductor of the coaxial cable to the second pair of first signal lines via a capacitor which exhibits high impedance in the frequency range of audio signals and low impedance in the frequency range of high frequency signals, and connecting the second signal line for audio signals and the grounding wire, respectively, to the second pair of first signal lines via a high frequency choke which exhibits low impedance in the frequency range of audio signals and high impedance in the frequency range of high frequency signals, wherein connecting the second shield wire to the ground causes formation of a sleeve antenna by the second earphone cable and the second shield wire;

a first stereophonic earphone connected to the connection block via the first earphone cable;

a second stereophonic earphone connected to the connection block via the second earphone cable; and

a high frequency choke inserted in an en-route portion to at least one of the first and second earphone cables so as to create a resonance frequency in the first earphone cable which is different from the resonance frequency in the second earphone cable.

3. An earphone antenna according to claim 1, further comprising a microphone and a switch mounted on the connection block.

4. An earphone antenna according to claim 1, further comprising an amplifier mounted on the connection block.

5. A portable radio apparatus, comprising:

a main body having a tuner, an audio signal output unit and a multipin jack connected to the tuner and to the audio signal output unit; and

an earphone antenna including an earphone cable having a pair of insulation-coated first signal lines for supplying audio signals to an earphone;

a shielded cable including a coaxial cable, an insulation-coated second signal line for audio signals and a grounding wire, the coaxial cable having a central conductor passing high frequency signals surrounded by an insulator and further surrounded by a first shield wire, the coaxial cable, the second signal line and the grounding wire collectively being surrounded by an insulation material and a second shield wire;

a multipin connector arranged on one end of the shielded cable and adapted for electrical connection to the multipin jack; and

a connection block connecting the other end of the shielded cable to the earphone cable, the connection block including an audio signal transmission path formed by connecting the first shield wire of the coaxial cable to a ground, connecting the central conductor of the coaxial cable to the pair of first signal lines via a capacitor which exhibits high impedance in a frequency range of audio signals and low impedance in a frequency range of high frequency signals, and connecting the second signal line for audio signals and the grounding wire, respectively, to the pair of first signal lines via a high frequency choke which exhibits low impedance in the frequency range of audio signals and high impedance in the frequency range of high frequency signals;

wherein connecting the second shield wire to the ground causes formation of a sleeve antenna by the earphone cable and the second shield wire.