MOBILE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE COMPRISING A TOP-MOUNTED AUXILIARY INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICE AND A BOTTOM-MOUNTED ANTENNA

• US 20080287171A1
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Qi, Yihong, Jarmuszewski, Perry, Man, Ying Tong
• Granted Patent: US 7,612,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.7
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 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 5/371 Branching current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/40 Element having extended radiating surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

A mobile wireless communications device may include a housing having an upper portion and a lower portion, a dielectric substrate carried by the housing, circuitry carried by the dielectric substrate, and an audio output transducer carried by the upper portion of the housing and connected to the circuitry. The device may further include a user input interface carried by the housing and connected to the circuitry, and at least one auxiliary input/output device carried by the upper portion of the housing and connected to the circuitry. An antenna may also be carried within the lower portion of the housing comprising a pattern of conductive traces on the dielectric substrate.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a housing having an upper portion and a lower portion;

an audio output transducer carried by the upper portion of said housing;

a user input interface device carried by said housing;

at least one auxiliary input/output device carried by the upper portion of said housing; and

an antenna carried within the lower portion of said housing and comprising a dielectric substrate and at least one conductive trace thereon.

26. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 25 wherein said housing comprises a static housing.

27. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 25 wherein said antenna comprises a multi-frequency band antenna.

28. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 25 wherein said antenna comprises:

a main loop conductor having a gap therein defining first and second ends of said main loop conductor;

a first branch conductor having a first end connected adjacent the first end of said main loop conductor and having a second end defining a first feed point; and

a second branch conductor having a first end connected adjacent the second end of said main loop conductor and a second end defining a second feed point.

29. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 28 wherein said antenna further comprises a tuning branch conductor connected to said main loop conductor between the first ends of said first and second branches.

30. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 25 wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) antenna.

31. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 25 wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises a satellite positioning system antenna.

32. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 25 wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises an electrical device connector.

33. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 25 wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises a second audio output transducer.

34. A mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a static housing having an upper portion and a lower portion;

an audio output transducer carried by the upper portion of said static housing;

a user input interface device carried by said static housing;

at least one auxiliary input/output device carried by the upper portion of said static housing; and

a multi-frequency band antenna carried within the lower portion of said static housing and comprising a dielectric substrate and at least one conductive trace thereon.

35. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 34 wherein said multi-frequency band antenna comprises:

a main loop conductor having a gap therein defining first and second ends of said main loop conductor;

a first branch conductor having a first end connected adjacent the first end of said main loop conductor and having a second end defining a first feed point;

a second branch conductor having a first end connected adjacent the second end of said main loop conductor and a second end defining a second feed point; and

a tuning branch conductor having a first end connected to said main loop conductor between the first ends of said first and second branches.

36. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 34 wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) antenna.

37. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 34 wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises a satellite positioning system antenna.

38. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 34 wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises an electrical device connector.

39. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 34 wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises a second audio output transducer.

40. A method for making a mobile wireless communications device comprising:

providing a housing having an upper portion and a lower portion, an audio output transducer carried by the upper portion of the housing, and a user input interface device carried by the housing;

positioning at least one auxiliary input/output device within the upper portion of the housing; and

positioning an antenna within the lower portion of the housing and comprising a dielectric substrate and at least one conductive trace thereon.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein positioning the antenna comprises:

forming a main loop conductor having a gap therein defining first and second ends of the main loop conductor;

forming a first branch conductor having a first end connected adjacent the first end of the main loop conductor and having a second end defining a first feed point;

forming a second branch conductor having a first end connected adjacent the second end of the main loop conductor and a second end defining a second feed point; and

forming a tuning branch conductor having a first end connected to the main loop conductor between the first ends of the first and second branches.

42. The method of claim 40 wherein the at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) antenna.

43. The method of claim 40 wherein the at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises a satellite positioning system antenna.

44. The method of claim 40 wherein the at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises an electrical device connector.

45. The method of claim 40 wherein the at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises a second audio output transducer.