METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ANTENNAS OF MOBILE TERMINAL DEVICE AND SUCH A MOBILE TERMINAL DEVICE

• US 20090284438A1
• Filed: 07/24/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Asano, Takeshi, Itoh, Masaharu, Fujii, Kazuo, Matsunaga, Kozo
• Granted Patent: US 9,318,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/876
• 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 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3838 Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0689 using different transmission schemes, at least one of them being a diversity transmission scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0871 using different reception schemes, at least one of them being a diversity reception scheme

Abstract

A method for controlling antennas of a mobile terminal device such as a laptop PC and a handheld PC without degrading communication speed or quality and a mobile terminal device having such control means are provided. The method comprises determining the usage of the mobile terminal device, determining an antenna to be disabled among the plurality of antennas according to the usage that is determined by the determining of usage, and disabling the antenna which is determined by determining of an antenna to be disabled, wherein the determining of usage determines usage based on the display orientation of the display unit of the mobile terminal device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

reducing an amount of electromagnetic waves emitted from a mobile terminal device having a plurality of antennas such that a specific absorption rate of a user is reduced, the reducing an amount of electromagnetic waves further comprising;

determining a usage of said mobile terminal device;

determining an antenna to be disabled among the plurality of antennas based on an orientation of the plurality of antennas with respect to the user, the orientation being determined according to the usage that is determined; and

disabling the antenna to be disabled.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining an antenna to be disabled further comprises determining which antenna of the plurality of antennas is closest to the user and selecting the antenna which is closest to the user as the antenna to be disabled.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the antenna that is closest to the user is determined based upon a display orientation of a display unit of the mobile terminal device.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the antenna that is closest to the user is determined based upon an orientation of holding the mobile terminal device as detected by a holding orientation sensing unit of the mobile terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

the antenna that is closest to the user is determined based upon a combination of a display orientation of a display unit of the mobile terminal device and an orientation of holding the mobile terminal device as detected by a holding orientation sensing unit of the mobile terminal device; and

after the antenna to be disable is disabled, the device produces an acceptable specific absorption rate.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal device is a laptop PC.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a display unit comprising;

a first side having a first antenna therein; and

a second side having a second antenna therein;

a control unit that determines a usage of the apparatus and an antenna to be disabled such that an amount of electromagnetic waves emitted from the apparatus and absorbed by a user is reduced, the determining an antenna to be disabled being based on an orientation of the first antenna and the second antenna relative to the user according to the usage; and

an antenna control unit that controls the first antenna and the second antenna, the antenna control unit being configured to disable the antenna to be disabled.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

an acceleration sensor that determines if either the first antenna or the second antenna is positioned downmost;

wherein if the first antenna is positioned downmost, the first antenna is disabled; and

wherein if the second antenna is positioned downmost, the second antenna is disabled.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said apparatus is a laptop PC.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the apparatus is a handheld PC.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a holding orientation sensing unit, wherein the holding orientation sensing unit detects usage of the apparatus based on an orientation of holding said apparatus by a user.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a display orientation rotation button for positioning the display unit in a portrait display mode or a landscape display mode, wherein the control unit determines a usage of the apparatus based upon a positioning of the display unit.

13. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, when the control unit determines that the first antenna and the second antenna are positioned away from the user, the antenna control unit is configured to select an antenna with better use conditions and disable all other antennas.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a display unit having one or more antennas therein;

a control unit that determines which of the one or more antennas is to be disabled such that an amount of electromagnetic waves emitted from the one or more antennas and absorbed by a user is reduced, the control unit being configured to determine if one of the one or more antennas is positioned in a downmost position;

an antenna control unit that controls the one or more antennas, the antenna control unit being configured to disable the one of the one or more antennas positioned in the downmost position.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said apparatus is a laptop PC.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the apparatus is a handheld PC.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a holding orientation sensing unit, wherein the holding orientation sensing unit detects holding of the apparatus by a user, and wherein an antenna closest to the user holding the apparatus is disabled.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a display orientation rotation button for positioning the display unit in a portrait display mode and a landscape display mode, wherein the control unit determines an antenna to be disabled based upon a positioning of the display unit.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, when the control unit determines that a plurality of the one or more antennas are positioned away from the user, the antenna control unit is configured to select an antenna from the plurality of antennas with better use conditions and disable all other antennas.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the holding orientation sensor comprises a combination of a piezoelectric ceramic device and electrodes.