Portable radio communication apparatus provided with a part of a housing operating as an antenna

• US 20060109185A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Atsushi Yamamoto, Hiroshi Iwai, Kenichi Yamada
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Atsushi, Iwai, Hiroshi, Yamada, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,196,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/27 Adaptation for use in or on movable bodies H01Q1/08, H01Q1/12, H01Q1/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/44 varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of reflecting, refracting, or diffracting devices associated with the radiating element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/00 Arrangements for simultaneous operation of antennas on two or more different wavebands, e.g. dual-band or multi-band arrangements combinations of separate active antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system H01Q21/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/364 Creating multiple current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/40 Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements

Abstract

In a portable radio communication apparatus including a housing, at least one part of the housing is formed as a housing electrical conductor portion by an electrically conductive material. The housing electrical conductor portion is connected with a radio communication circuit of the portable radio communication apparatus so as to operate as at least one part of an unbalanced type antenna of the radio communication circuit.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A folding portable radio communication apparatus having an open state and a closed state, said folding portable radio communication apparatus comprising:

an upper housing and a lower housing; and

a hinge portion;

wherein said upper and lower housings are foldable through said hinge portion,

wherein at least one part of one of an inner part and an outer part in the closed state of said upper housing is formed as a housing electrical conductor portion, which is formed by forming an electrically conductive laver on a dielectric housing that is at least one part of said upper housing,

wherein a part of said upper housing other than said housing electrical conductor portion and said lower housing are made of a dielectric material, respectively,

wherein said hinge portion comprises first and second hinge parts which engage with each other so as to be rotatably slidable,

wherein said first hinge part is made of an electrically conductive material and is electrically connected with said housing electrical conductor portion,

wherein said second hinge part is made of an electrically conductive material and is electrically connected with a feeding point of a radio communication circuit provided in said lower housing of said apparatus, and

wherein said housing electrical conductor portion is electrically coupled with said feeding point of said radio communication circuit through said first and second hinge parts in both of the open state and the closed state of said apparatus.

28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24,

wherein said housing electrical conductor portion is electrically coupled with a reactance element through said second hinge part.

32. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24, further comprising:

a plurality of reactance elements having a plurality of reactance values different from each other, respectively; and

a switching device for selecting one of said plurality of reactance elements according to the open and closed states of said apparatus and for connecting said selected reactance element with said housing electrical conductor portion through said hinge portion.

36. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24, further comprising:

a plurality of reactance elements having a plurality of reactance values different from each other, respectively;

a switching device for selecting one of said plurality of reactance elements and for connecting said selected reactance element with said housing electrical conductor portion through said hinge portion; and

a controller for controlling said switching device,

wherein said controller compares signal levels of a plurality of radio signals received by an antenna element which is constituted by said housing electrical conductor portion and said hinge portion, respectively, when each of said plurality of reactance elements is connected with said housing electrical conductor portion through said switching device and said hinge portion, said controller selects one of said reactance elements corresponding to such a case upon receiving or transmitting a radio signal having a maximum signal level, and said controller controls said switching device to connect said selected reactance element with said housing electrical conductor portion through said hinge portion.

40. The apparatus as claimed in claim 36,

wherein said controller further compares signal levels of a plurality of radio signals received by said antenna element, respectively, when each of said plurality of reactance elements is connected with said housing electrical conductor portion through said switching device and said hinge portion according to a plurality of operational frequency bands of said apparatus.

44. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24, further comprising one of a thin film shaped electrically insulating sheet and a coating member, which is made of one of a dielectric material and a magnetic material, and which is formed on said upper housing having said housing electrical conductor portion.

48. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a display portion of said apparatus which is provided at an inner side of said upper housing.

25. A folding portable radio communication apparatus having an open state and a closed state, said folding portable radio communication apparatus comprising:

an upper housing and a lower housing; and

a hinge portion;

wherein said upper and lower housings are foldable through said hinge portion,

wherein at least one part of one of an inner part and an outer part in the closed state of said upper housing is formed as a housing electrical conductor portion, which is formed by forming an electrically conductive laver on a dielectric housing that is at least one part of said upper housing,

wherein a part of said upper housing other than said housing electrical conductor portion and said lower housing are made of a dielectric material, respectively,

wherein said hinge portion comprises first and second hinge parts which engage with each other so as to be rotatably slidable,

wherein said first hinge part is made of an electrically conductive material and is electrically connected with said housing electrical conductor portion,

wherein said second hinge part is made of an electrically conductive material and is electrically connected with a feeding point of a radio communication circuit provided in said lower housing of said apparatus,

wherein a capacitive coupling is conducted through an electrical insulator having a predetermined capacitance in at least one of a location between said housing electrical conductor portion and said first hinge part and a location between said second hinge part and said feeding point of said radio communication circuit, and

wherein said housing electrical conductor portion is electrically coupled with said feeding point of the radio communication circuit through said first and second hinge parts in both of the open state and the closed state of said apparatus.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25,

wherein said housing electrical conductor portion is electrically coupled with a reactance element through said second hinge part.

33. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25, further comprising:

a plurality of reactance elements having a plurality of reactance values different from each other, respectively; and

a switching device for selecting one of said plurality of reactance elements according to the open and closed states of said apparatus and for connecting said selected reactance element with said housing electrical conductor portion through said hinge portion.

37. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25, further comprising:

a plurality of reactance elements having a plurality of reactance values different from each other, respectively;

a switching device R)r selecting one of said plurality of reactance elements and for connecting said selected reactance element with said housing electrical conductor portion through said hinge portion; and

a controller for controlling said switching device,

wherein said controller compares signal levels of a plurality of radio signals received by an antenna element which is constituted by said housing electrical conductor portion and said hinge portion, respectively, when each of said plurality of reactance elements is connected with said housing electrical conductor portion through said switching device and said hinge portion, said controller selects one of said reactance elements corresponding to such a case upon receiving or transmitting a radio signal having a maximum signal level, and said controller controls said switching device to connect said selected reactance element with said housing electrical conductor portion through said hinge portion.

41. The apparatus as claimed in claim 37,

wherein said controller further compares signal levels of a plurality of radio signals received by said antenna element, respectively, when each of said plurality of reactance elements is connected with said housing electrical conductor portion through said switching device and said hinge portion according to a plurality of operational frequency bands of said apparatus.

45. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25, further comprising one of a thin film shaped electrically insulating sheet and a coating member, which is made of one of a dielectric material and a magnetic material, and which is formed on said upper housing having said housing electrical conductor portion.

49. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25, further comprising a display portion of said apparatus which is provided at an inner side of said upper housing.

26. A folding portable radio communication apparatus having an open state and a closed state, said folding portable radio communication apparatus comprising:

an upper housing and a lower housing; and

a hinge portion;

wherein said upper and lower housings are rotatable through said hinge portion,

wherein at least one part of one of an inner part and an outer part in the closed state of said upper housing is formed as a housing electrical conductor portion, which is formed by forming an electrically conductive laver on a dielectric housing that is at least one part of said upper housing,

wherein a part of said upper housing other than said housing electrical conductor portion and said lower housing are made of a dielectric material, respectively,

wherein said hinge portion comprises first and second hinge parts which engage with each other so as to be rotatably slidable,

wherein said first hinge part is made of an electrically conductive material and is electrically connected with said housing electrical conductor portion,

wherein said second hinge part is made of an electrically conductive material and is electrically connected with a feeding point of a radio communication circuit provided in said lower housing of said apparatus, and

wherein said housing electrical conductor portion is electrically coupled with said feeding point of said radio communication circuit through said first and second hinge parts in both of the open state and the closed state of said apparatus.

30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26,

wherein said housing electrical conductor portion is electrically coupled with a reactance element through said second hinge part.

34. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

a plurality of reactance elements having a plurality of reactance values different from each other, respectively; and

a switching device for selecting one of said plurality of reactance elements according to the open and closed states of said apparatus and for connecting said selected reactance element with said housing electrical conductor portion through said hinge portion.

38. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

a plurality of reactance elements having a plurality of reactance values different from each other, respectively;

a switching device for selecting one of said plurality of reactance elements and for connecting said selected reactance element with said housing electrical conductor portion through the hinge portion; and

a controller for controlling said switching device,

wherein said controller compares signal levels of a plurality of radio signals received by an antenna element which is constituted by said housing electrical conductor portion and said hinge portion, respectively, when each of said plurality of reactance elements is connected with said housing electrical conductor portion through said switching device and said hinge portion, said controller selects one of said reactance elements corresponding to such a case upon receiving or transmitting a radio signal having a maximum signal level, and said controller controls said switching device to connect said selected reactance element with said housing electrical conductor portion through said hinge portion.

42. The apparatus as claimed in claim 38,

wherein said controller further compares signal levels of a plurality of radio signals received by said antenna element, respectively, when each of said plurality of reactance elements is connected with said housing electrical conductor portion through said switching device and said hinge portion according to a plurality of operational frequency bands of said apparatus.

46. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26, further comprising one of a thin film shaped electrically insulating sheet and a coating member, which is made of one of a dielectric material and a magnetic material, and which is formed on said upper housing having said housing electrical conductor portion.

50. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26, further comprising a display portion of said apparatus which is provided at an inner side of said upper housing.

27. A folding portable radio communication apparatus having an open state and a closed state, said folding portable radio communication apparatus comprising:

an upper housing and a lower housing; and

a hinge portion;

wherein said upper and lower housings are rotatable through said hinge portion,

wherein at least one part of one of an inner part and an outer part in the closed state of said upper housing is formed as a housing electrical conductor portion, which is formed by forming an electrically conductive layer on a dielectric housing that is at least one part of said upper housing,

wherein a part of said upper housing other than said housing electrical conductor portion and said lower housing are made of a dielectric material, respectively,

wherein said hinge portion comprises first and second hinge parts which engage with each other so as to be rotatably slidable, wherein said first hinge part is made of an electrically conductive material and is electrically connected with said housing electrical conductor portion,

wherein said second hinge part is made of an electrically conductive material and is electrically connected with a feeding point of a radio communication circuit provided in said lower housing of said apparatus,

wherein a capacitive coupling is conducted through an electrical insulator having a predetermined capacitance in at least one of a location between said housing electrical conductor portion and said first hinge part and a location between said second hinge part and said feeding point of said radio communication circuit, and

wherein said housing electrical conductor portion is electrically coupled with said feeding point of said radio communication circuit through said first and second hinge parts in both of the open state and the closed state of said apparatus.

31. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27,

wherein said housing electrical conductor portion is electrically coupled with a reactance element through said second hinge part.

35. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, further comprising:

a plurality of reactance elements having a plurality of reactance values different from each other, respectively; and

a switching device for selecting one of said plurality of reactance elements according to the open and closed states of said apparatus and for connecting said selected reactance element with said housing electrical conductor portion through said hinge portion.

39. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, further comprising:

a plurality of reactance elements having a plurality of reactance values different from each other, respectively;

a switching device for selecting one of said plurality of reactance elements and for connecting said selected reactance element with said housing electrical conductor portion through said hinge portion; and

a controller for controlling said switching device,

wherein said controller compares signal levels of a plurality of radio signals received by an antenna element which is constituted by the housing electrical conductor portion and said hinge portion, respectively, when each of said plurality of reactance elements is connected with said housing electrical conductor portion through said switching device and the hinge portion, said controller selects one of said reactance elements corresponding to such a case upon receiving or transmitting a radio signal having a maximum signal level, and said controller controls said switching device to connect said selected reactance element with said housing electrical conductor portion through said hinge portion.

43. The apparatus as claimed in claim 39,

wherein said controller further compares signal levels of a plurality of radio signals received by said antenna element respectively, when each of said plurality of reactance elements is connected with said housing electrical conductor portion through said switching device and said hinge portion according to a plurality of operational frequency bands of said apparatus.

47. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, further comprising one of a thin film shaped electrically insulating sheet and a coating member, which is made of one of a dielectric material and a magnetic material, and which is formed on said upper housing having said housing electrical conductor portion.

51. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, further comprising a display portion of said apparatus which is provided at an inner side of said upper housing.