Information processing apparatus with antenna switching function, communication apparatus, antenna switching control unit computer-readable recording medium recording antenna switching control program

• US 20060030278A1
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Client Computing Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Konaka, Yosuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/48 in circuits for connecting transmitter and receiver to a common transmission path, e.g. by energy of transmitter H04B1/46 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0602 using antenna switching H04B7/0686 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0689 using different transmission schemes, at least one of them being a diversity transmission scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0822 according to predefined selection scheme

Abstract

In an information processing apparatus such as a notebook type personal computer having radio communication functions, for communication units to simultaneously carry out transmission/reception independently of each other without increasing the number of antennas, and for sufficiently utilizing a diversity function in the case of only a portion of the communication units, there are provided antennas, communication units capable of carrying out radio communications through the use of the antennas, respectively, and a switching unit for switching connection states between the antennas and the communication units. When radio communications are simultaneously made through the use of all the communication units, the switching unit establishes connections between the communication units and the antennas while, when radio communication is made through the use of the communication unit, the switching unit connects the antennas, the number of which depends on communication modes of the communication unit, with this communication unit.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus with an antenna switching function, comprising:

a plurality of antennas;

a plurality of communication units each made to carry out a radio communication; and

a switching unit made to switch connection states between said plurality of antennas and said plurality of communication units,

when radio communications are simultaneously made through the use of said plurality of communication units, said switching unit making connections between said plurality of communication units and said plurality of antennas and, when radio communications are made through the use of a portion of said plurality of communication units, said switching unit making connections between the antennas, the number of which depends on communication modes of said communication units made to carry out the radio communications, and said communication units.

2. The information processing apparatus with an antenna switching function according to claim 1, further comprising a switching control unit for controlling said switching unit to switch said connection states, wherein, when the radio communications are simultaneously made through the use of said plurality of communication units, said switching control unit controls said switching unit to make connections between said plurality of communication units and said plurality of antennas and, when the radio communications are made through the use of the portion of said plurality of communication units, said switching control unit controls said switching unit to make connections between said antennas, the number of which depends on the communication modes of said communication units made to carry out the radio communications, and said communication units.

3. The information processing apparatus with an antenna switching function according to claim 2, further comprising an inputting unit manipulated by an operator for inputting switching instruction information for switching said connection states through said switching unit, wherein said switching control unit controls said switching unit, in accordance with said switching instruction information inputted from said inputting unit, to switch said connection states.

4. The information processing apparatus with an antenna switching function according to claim 3, further comprising reception state providing means for providing, to said operator, an electric-wave reception state on said communication unit in use.

5. The information processing apparatus with an antenna switching function according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of communication units has a diversity function whereby said plurality of antennas are controllable.

7. The information processing apparatus with an antenna switching function according to claim 1, wherein a movable side housing and a fixed side housing are rotatably connected to be foldable, and

said plurality of antennas are provided in an upper portion of said movable side housing in a state opened.

6. An information processing apparatus with an antenna switching function, comprising:

a plurality of antennas;

a plurality of communication units each made to carry out a radio communication;

a switching unit made to switch connection states between said plurality of antennas and said plurality of communication units; and

a switching control unit for controlling said switching unit to switch said connection states, at least one of said plurality of communication units having a diversity function whereby said plurality of antennas are controllable, and

said switching control unit controlling said switching unit so that said antennas other than the antenna to be used by said communication unit having the diversity function are connected to the communication units other than said communication unit.

8. The information processing apparatus with an antenna switching function according to claim 6, wherein a movable side housing and a fixed side housing are rotatably connected to be foldable, and

said plurality of antennas are provided in an upper portion of said movable side housing in a state opened.

9. A communication apparatus with an antenna switching function, comprising a plurality of antennas and a plurality of communication units each made to carry out a radio communication,

Wherein that a switching unit is provided to switch connection states between said plurality of antennas and said plurality of communication units and,

when radio communications are simultaneously made through the use of said plurality of communication units, said switching unit makes connections between said plurality of communication units and said plurality of antennas and,

when radio communications are made through the use of a portion of said plurality of communication units, said switching unit makes a connection between said antennas, the number of which depends on communication modes of said communication units made to carry out the radio communications, and said communication units.

10. The communication apparatus with an antenna switching function according to claim 9, further comprising a switching control unit for controlling said switching unit to switch said connection states, wherein, when the radio communications are simultaneously made through the use of said plurality of communication units, said switching control unit controls said switching unit to make connections between said plurality of communication units and said plurality of antennas and, when the radio communications are made through the use of the portion of said plurality of communication units, said switching control unit controls said switching unit to make connections between said antennas, the number of which depends on the communication modes of said communication units made to carry out the radio communications, and said communication units.

11. The communication apparatus with an antenna switching function according to claim 10, further comprising an inputting unit manipulated by an operator for inputting switching instruction information for switching said connection states through said switching unit, wherein said switching control unit controls said switching unit, in accordance with said switching instruction information inputted from said inputting unit, to switch said connection states.

12. The communication apparatus with an antenna switching function according to claim 9, further comprising reception state providing means for providing, to said operator, an electric-wave reception state on said communication unit in use.

13. The communication apparatus with an antenna switching function according to claim 9, wherein at least one of said plurality of communication units has a diversity function whereby said plurality of antennas are controllable.

14. A communication apparatus with an antenna switching function, comprising a plurality of antennas and a plurality of communication units each made to carry out a radio communication,

comprising a switching unit for switching connection states between said plurality of antennas and said plurality of communication units and a switching control unit for controlling said switching unit to switch the connection states,

wherein at least one of said plurality of communication units has a diversity function whereby said plurality of antennas are controllable, and

said switching control unit controls said switching unit so that the antennas other than said antenna to be used by said communication unit having said diversity function are connected to the communication units other than said communication unit.

15. An antenna switching control unit, which is used for an apparatus comprising a plurality of antennas, a plurality of communication units each made to carry out a radio communication and a switching unit made to switch connection states between said plurality of antennas and said plurality of communication units and which is made to control said switching unit to switch the connection states,

controlling said switching unit so that, when radio communications are simultaneously made through the use of the plurality of communication units, said switching unit makes connections between said plurality of communication units and said plurality of antennas and, when radio communications are made through the use of a portion of said plurality of communication units, said switching unit makes connection between the antennas, the number of which depends on communication modes of said communication units made to carry out the radio communications, and said communication units.

16. The antenna switching control unit according to claim 15, further comprising an inputting unit manipulated by an operator for inputting switching instruction information for switching said connection states through said switching unit, wherein said switching unit is controlled in accordance with said switching instruction information inputted from said inputting unit to switch said connection states.

17. The antenna switching control unit according to claim 16, further comprising reception state providing means for providing, to said operator, an electric-wave reception state on said communication unit in use.

18. An antenna switching control unit, which is used for an apparatus comprising a plurality of antennas, a plurality of communication units each made to carry out a radio communication and a switching unit made to switch connection states between said plurality of antennas and said plurality of communication units and which is made to control said switching unit to switch said connection states,

controlling said switching unit so that the antennas other than said antenna to be used by said communication unit having a diversity function whereby said plurality of antennas are controllable are connected to the communication units other than said communication unit.

19. A computer-readable recording medium recording an antenna switching control program, which makes a computer function as an antenna switching control unit to, in an apparatus comprising a plurality of antennas, a plurality of communication units each made to carry out a radio communication and a switching unit made to switch connection states between said plurality of antennas and said plurality of communication units, control said switching unit to switch said connection states,

wherein that said antenna switching control program makes said computer control said switching unit so that, when radio communications are simultaneously made through the use of said plurality of communication units, said switching unit makes connections between said plurality of communication units and said plurality of antennas and, when radio communications are made through the use of a portion of said plurality of communication units, said switching unit makes connection between the antennas, the number of which depends on communication modes of said communication units made to carry out the radio communications, and said communication units.

20. The computer-readable recording medium recording an antenna switching control program according to claim 19, wherein said antenna switching control program makes said computer control said switching unit in accordance with switching instruction information inputted from an inputting unit manipulated by an operator to switch said connection states through said switching unit.

21. The computer-readable recording medium recording an antenna switching control program according to claim 20, wherein said antenna switching control program makes said computer function as reception state providing means to provide, to said operator, an electric-wave reception state on said communication unit in use.

22. A computer-readable recording medium recording an antenna switching control program, which makes a computer function as an antenna switching control unit to, in an apparatus comprising a plurality of antennas, a plurality of communication units each made to carry out a radio communication and a switching unit made to switch connection states between said plurality of antennas and said plurality of communication units, control said switching unit to switch said connection states,

wherein said antenna switching control program makes said computer control said switching unit so that the antennas other than said antenna to be used by said communication unit having a diversity function whereby said plurality of antennas are controllable are connected to the communication units other than said communication unit.

23. An information processing apparatus comprising:

at least two antennas;

a first communication unit for carrying out radio communication;

a second communication unit for carrying out radio communication through the use of a diversity function whereby said two antennas are controllable; and

a switching unit for executing control so that, when only said second communication unit carries out communication, said second communication unit uses said two antennas and, when said first communication unit and said second communication unit carry out communications simultaneously, each of said two antennas is connected to said first communication unit and said second communication unit.

24. An information processing apparatus comprising:

at least two antennas;

a first communication unit for carrying out radio communication;

a second communication unit for carrying out radio communication through the use of a diversity function whereby said two antennas are controllable;

a switching unit for switching connection states between said two antennas and said first and second communication units; and

a switching control unit for controlling said switching unit so that, when said first communication unit and said second communication unit carry out communications simultaneously, said antenna other than said antenna to be used by said second communication unit is connected to said first communication unit.