Method for implementing diversity in mobile telephone and mobile telephone incorporating the same

• US 20060222122A1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pantech Corporation (Ideahub, Inc.), SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Pantech Corporation (Ideahub, Inc.), SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hong-Woo, Jung, Jin-Woo
• Application Number:
  US11/393,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20060222122A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/347
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0404 the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 Antenna selection according to transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0689 using different transmission schemes, at least one of them being a diversity transmission scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0693 switching off a diversity branch, e.g. to save power
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0817 with multiple receivers and antenna path selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0822 according to predefined selection scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0834 based on external parameters, e.g. subscriber speed or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0871 using different reception schemes, at least one of them being a diversity reception scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0877 switching off a diversity branch, e.g. to save power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a diversity method for activating or deactivating a diversity function depending on the amount of power remaining in a power supply device and a mobile communication terminal incorporating the same. In an embodiment of the present invention, when the amount of power remaining in a power supply device is smaller than a reference value for the activation of a transmission/reception diversity function, which has been previously stored in memory, the transmission/reception diversity function is deactivated, and when the amount of power remaining in a power supply device is equal to or larger than the reference value, the transmission/reception diversity function is activated. In another embodiment, when the amount of power remaining in a power supply device is smaller than a reference value for the activation of a transmission or reception diversity function, which has been previously stored in memory, the transmission or reception diversity function is deactivated.

Claims

1. A method of implementing diversity in a mobile communication terminal, comprising steps of:

determining whether an amount of power remaining in a power supply device is smaller than a reference value for activation of a transmission/reception diversity function previously stored in memory; and

deactivating the transmission/reception diversity function if the amount of power remaining in a power supply device is smaller than the reference value, and activating the transmission/reception diversity function if the amount of power remaining in a power supply device is equal to or larger than the reference value.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the deactivation of the transmission/reception diversity function at the second step is performed by applying power to one of Radio Frequency (RF) transmission/reception units and cutting off supply of power to at least one remaining transmission/reception unit.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the activation of the transmission/reception diversity function at the second step is performed by applying power to all of RF transmission/reception units.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein, when a user requests the activation of the transmission/reception diversity function, the transmission/reception diversity function is activated regardless of the amount of power remaining in the power supply device, and when the user requests the deactivation of transmission/reception diversity function, the transmission/reception diversity function is deactivated.

5. A method of implementing diversity in a mobile communication terminal, comprising steps of:

determining whether an amount of power remaining in a power supply device is smaller than a reference value for activation of a transmission diversity function previously stored in memory; and

deactivating the transmission diversity function if the amount of power remaining in a power supply device is smaller than the reference value, and activating the transmission diversity function if the amount of power remaining in a power supply device is equal to or larger than the reference value.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the deactivation of the transmission diversity function at the second step is performed by applying power to one of RF transmission units and cutting off supply of power to at least one remaining transmission unit.

7. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the activation of the transmission diversity function at the second step is performed by applying power to all of RF transmission units.

8. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein, when a user requests the activation of the transmission diversity function, the transmission diversity function is activated regardless of the amount of power remaining in the power supply device, and when the user requests the deactivation of transmission diversity function, the transmission diversity function is deactivated.

9. A method of implementing diversity in a mobile communication terminal, comprising steps of:

determining whether an amount of power remaining in a power supply device is smaller than a reference value for activation of a reception diversity function previously stored in memory; and

deactivating the reception diversity function if the amount of power remaining in a power supply device is smaller than the reference value, and activating the reception diversity function if the amount of power remaining in a power supply device is equal to or larger than the reference value.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the deactivation of the reception diversity function at the second step is performed by applying power to one of RF reception units and cutting off supply of power to at least one remaining reception unit.

11. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the activation of the reception diversity function at the second step is performed by applying power to all of RF reception units.

12. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein, when a user requests the activation of the reception diversity function, the reception diversity function is activated regardless of the amount of power remaining in the power supply device, and when the user requests the deactivation of reception diversity function, the reception diversity function is deactivated.

13. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a memory unit for storing a reference value of an amount of power remaining in a power supply device for activation of a transmission/reception diversity function;

a plurality of RF transmission/reception units each including an antenna, a duplexer for separating RF transmission signals and RF reception signals, an RF reception unit for receiving RF signals from a base station, and an RF transmission unit for transmitting RF signals;

a control unit for deactivating a transmission/reception diversity function when an amount of power remaining in a power supply device is smaller than the reference value stored in the memory unit, and activating the transmission/reception diversity function when the amount of power remaining in the power supply device is equal to or larger than the reference value stored in the memory; and

a transmission/reception diversity control unit for applying power to all of the RF transmission/reception units when the activation of the transmission/reception diversity function is requested by the control unit, and applying power to one of the RF transmission/reception units and cutting off supply of power to at least one remaining RF transmission/reception unit when the deactivation of the transmission/reception diversity function is requested by the control unit.

14. The mobile communication terminal as set forth in claim 13, wherein the power supply device is a battery.

15. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a memory unit for storing a reference value of an amount of power remaining in a power supply device for activation of a transmission diversity function;

an RF reception unit for receiving RF signals from a base station;

a plurality of RF transmission units for transmitting RF signals;

a control unit for deactivating a transmission diversity function when an amount of power remaining in a power supply device is smaller than the reference value stored in the memory unit, and activating the transmission diversity function when the amount of power remaining in the power supply device is equal to or larger than the reference value stored in the memory; and

a transmission diversity control unit for applying power to all of the RF transmission units when the activation of the transmission diversity function is requested by the control unit, and applying power to one of the RF transmission units and cutting off supply of power to at least one remaining RF transmission unit when the deactivation of the transmission diversity function is requested by the control unit.

16. The mobile communication terminal as set forth in claim 15, wherein the power supply device is a battery.

17. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a memory unit for storing a reference value of an amount of power remaining in a power supply device for activation of a reception diversity function;

a plurality of RF reception units for receiving RF signals from a base station;

an RF transmission unit for transmitting RF signals;

a control unit for deactivating a reception diversity function when an amount of power remaining in a power supply device is smaller than the reference value stored in the memory unit, and activating the reception diversity function when the amount of power remaining in the power supply device is equal to or larger than the reference value stored in the memory; and

a reception diversity control unit for applying power to all of the RF reception units when the activation of the reception diversity function is requested by the control unit, and applying power to one of the RF reception units and cutting off supply of power to at least one remaining RF reception unit when the deactivation of the reception diversity function is requested by the control unit.

18. The mobile communication terminal as set forth in claim 17, wherein the power supply device is a battery.