Electronic apparatus and communication control method

• US 20060139220A1
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirota, Toshiyuki, Kaji, Koichi
• Application Number:
  US11/315,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20060139220A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0602 using antenna switching H04B7/0686 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0802 using antenna selection H04B7/0868 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24

Abstract

An electronic apparatus comprises antennas, a first radio communication unit which performs radio communication by a first communication system having an antenna switching function in response to a reception state of electronic waves when the first communication unit is connected to any one of the antennas, a second communication unit which performs radio communication by a second communication system different from the first system when the second communication unit is connected to any one of the antennas, a setting unit which sets priorities of connection to the antennas in the first and the second communication unit, and a connection unit which connects any one of the antennas to a radio communication unit high in priority and connects the antennas not connected to the communication unit high in priority to a radio communication unit low in priority on the basis of the priorities which is set by the setting unit.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

antennas;

a first radio communication unit which performs radio communication by a first communication system having an antenna switching function in response to a reception state of electronic waves when the first radio communication unit is connected to any one of the antennas;

a second radio communication unit which performs radio communication by a second communication system different from the first communication system when the second radio communication unit is connected to any one of the antennas;

a setting unit which sets priorities of connection to the antennas in the first and the second radio communication unit; and

a connection unit which connects any one of the antennas to a radio communication unit high in priority and connects the antennas not connected to the radio communication unit high in priority to a radio communication unit low in priority on the basis of the priorities which is set by the setting unit.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second radio communication units are mounted on a substrate.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a discrimination unit which discriminates whether or not the first and the second radio communication units perform communication of a signal;

wherein

the connection unit connects the radio communication unit high in priority to any one of the antennas when the setting unit sets to perform communication by both the first and the second radio communication systems and the discrimination unit discriminates that both the first and the second communication unit do not perform the communication of signals and connects the second radio communication unit to any one of antennas not connected to the radio communication unit high in priority among the antennas.

4. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

antennas;

a first radio communication unit which performs radio communication by a first communication system having an antenna switching function in response to a reception state of electronic waves when the first radio communication unit is connected to any one of the antennas;

a second radio communication unit which performs radio communication by a second communication system different from the first communication system when the second radio communication unit is connected to any one of the antennas;

a discrimination unit which determines which one of the antennas has a better wave-reception state than the other antennas, by comparing wave-reception states of the antennas; and

a connection unit which connects the first radio communication unit prior to the second radio communication unit to an antenna which is discriminated to be excellent in electric wave reception state by the discrimination unit among the antennas and connects the second radio communication unit to an antenna not connected to the first radio communication unit among the antennas, when it is set that communication is performed by both the first and the second communication system, respectively.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the discrimination unit discriminates an antenna high in signal-to-noise ratio of a reception signal by comparing signal-to-noise ratios of signals from the respective antennas;

and

the connection unit connects the first radio communication unit prior to the second radio communication unit when it is set that communication is performed by both the first and the second radio communication systems to an antenna which is discriminated high in signal-to-noise ratio by the discrimination unit among the antennas and connects the second radio communication unit to an antenna not connected to the first radio communication unit among the antennas.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the discrimination unit discriminates an antenna low in error frequency of a reception signal by comparing error frequencies of signals form the respective antennas;

the connection unit connects the first radio communication unit prior to the second radio communication unit when it is set that communication is performed by both the first and the second radio communication systems to an antenna which is discriminated high in signal-to-noise ratio by the discrimination unit among the antennas and connects the second radio communication unit to an antenna not connected to the first radio communication unit among the antennas.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the number of the antennas is three or more;

the number of the second radio communication unit is two or more and one or more less than the number of the antennas and the respective second radio communication unit perform communication by individual communication systems different from the first communication system;

the connection unit connects the first radio communication unit to any one of the antennas and connects the second radio communication unit corresponding to the communication system of the communication which is set that communication is performed to an antenna not connected to the first radio communication unit at one for one among the antennas when it is set that communication is collectively performed by three or more kinds of communication systems including the first communication system.

8. A communication control method for communication-controlling an electronic apparatus having antennas;

a first radio communication unit which performs radio communication by a first communication system for performing radio communication having an antenna switching function in response to a reception state of electric waves when the first radio communication unit is connected to any one of the antennas; and

a second radio communication unit which performs radio communication by a second communication system different from the first communication system when the second radio communication unit is connected to any one of the antennas, comprising;

discriminating an antenna in excellent reception state of electric waves by comparing the reception states of the electric waves by the respective antennas;

individually setting presence or absence of communication by the first and the second radio communication systems; and

connecting the first radio communication unit prior to the second radio communication unit to an antenna which is discriminated to be excellent in reception state of the electric waves among the antennas and connecting an antenna not connected to the first radio communication unit among the antennas to the second radio communication unit when it is set that communication is performed by both the first and the second radio communication systems.

9. The communication control method according to claim 8, further comprising:

discriminating an antenna high in signal-to-noise ratio of a reception signal by comparing signal-to-noise ratios of signals from the respective antennas; and

connecting the first radio communication unit prior to the second radio communication unit to an antenna discriminated high in signal-to-noise ratio of the signal among the antennas and connecting the second radio communication unit to an antenna not connected to the first radio communication unit among the antennas when it is set that communication is performed by both the first and the second radio communication systems.

10. The communication control method according to claim 8, further comprising:

discriminating an antenna low in error frequency of a reception signal by comparing error frequencies of signals from the respective antennas;

connecting the first radio communication unit prior to the second radio communication unit to an antenna which is discriminated to be low in error frequency of a reception signal among the antennas and connects the second radio communication unit to an antenna not connected to the first radio communication unit among the antennas when it is set that communication is performed by both the first and the second radio communication systems.

11. The communication control method according to claim 8, wherein

the number of the antennas is three or more;

the number of the second radio communication unit is two or more and one or more less than the number of the antennas and the respective second radio communication unit perform communication by individual communication systems different from the first communication system, further comprising;

having three or more antennas for the electronic apparatus;

having two or more and one or more less second radio communication unit for the electronic apparatus;

performing by individual communication systems different from the first communication system, respectively;

connecting the first radio communication unit to any one of the antennas among the antennas when it is set that communication is collectively performed by three or more kinds of communication systems including the first communication system and connecting the second radio communication unit corresponding to the set communication system of the communication to an antenna not connected to the first radio communication unit at one for one among the antennas.