Inductively Coupled Signal Booster For A Wireless Communication Device And In Combination Therwith

• US 20120071214A1
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MoJoose, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mobile Joose, Inc.
• Inventors: Ash, Daniel R. Jr., Ash, Daniel R. Sr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,248,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/571
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/244 extendable from a housing along a given path
• 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 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/04 Resonant antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0346 Hand-held transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers

Abstract

A passively re-radiating cell phone sleeve assembly capable of conforming to and nesting with a cell phone provides a partial enclosure capable of fitting over at least a portion of the cell phone. A multi-layer radio frequency (RF) coupling probe is fully embedded within the enclosure in a position that is in close proximity to an internal antenna of the cell phone when the enclosure is nested with the cell phone. A coupling probe is inductively coupled to the internal antenna for sharing RF signals and is desensitized from de-tuning the internal antenna of the cell phone. An external antenna is mounted on the enclosure; and a transmission line embedded within the enclosure joins the coupling probe and the external antenna for RF signal transfer. RF transmission signals of the cell phone are radiated from both the internal and the external antennae simultaneously and without mutual interference.

Claims

1. A re-radiating cell phone sleeve assembly for engaging a cell phone in a nested relationship, the assembly comprising:

an enclosure having a bottom panel integral with a surrounding side wall;

the enclosure of a conformable material and a size for tightly fitting over and around at least a portion of the cell phone;

a planar multi-layer radio frequency coupling probe embedded within the bottom panel and positioned for electromagnetic coupling with an antenna of the cell phone;

the coupling probe embedded within the bottom panel, the coupling probe having a multilayer planar construction including, in sequence, a first layer of a low dielectric constant material, a second patterned metallization layer, and a third layer of a high dielectric constant material; and

an external antenna mounted on the side wall, the antenna and coupling probe joined by a transmission line.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the conformable material is one of rubber, rubberized plastic, a plastic and rubber combination, and a combination of plastic polymers wherein the material has an elasticity characteristic.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the side wall terminates with an internal peripheral lip flange.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the coupling probe has a high capacitance-to-inductance ratio.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein coupling probe has a multi-frequency band resonance enabling plural frequency band selectivity including at least one of 700, 850, 900, 1800, 1900, and 2100 MHz.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the electrical transmission line is a metallized path embedded within the bottom panel.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the antenna is secured to the side wall by a swivel joint.

8. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a remote antenna port enabled for receiving a remote antenna signal.

9. The assembly of claim 8 further comprising a toggle switch interconnected for switching the coupling probe between the external antenna and the remove antenna.

10. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a signal boosting amplifier embedded within the bottom panel and interconnected with the transmission line for amplifying signals between the external antenna and the coupling probe.

20. The sleeve assembly of claim 1 wherein the bottom panel includes a first injection molded resin layer and a second injection molded resin layer with the two injection molded resin layers in intimate contact, and wherein the coupling probe is sandwiched between the resin layers.

11. A combination apparatus comprising:

a cell phone;

a re-radiating cell phone sleeve assembly engaging the cell phone in a nested relationship, the sleeve assembly having;

an enclosure with a bottom panel integral with a surrounding side wall, the enclosure tightly fitting over and around at least a portion of the cell phone;

a planar multi-layer radio frequency coupling probe embedded within the bottom panel and positioned in electromagnetic coupling with an antenna of the cell phone, the coupling probe having a multilayer planar construction including, in sequence, a first layer of a low dielectric constant material, a second patterned metallization layer, and a third layer of a high dielectric constant material; and

an external antenna mounted on the side wall, the antenna and coupling probe joined by a transmission line.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein the coupling probe has a high capacitance-to-inductance ratio.

13. The combination of claim 11 wherein the coupling probe has a multi-frequency band resonance enabling plural frequency band selectivity including at least one of 700, 850, 900, 1800, 1900, and 2100 MHz.

14. The combination of claim 11 wherein the transmission line is a metallized path embedded within the bottom panel.

15. The combination of claim 11 further comprising a remote antenna port enabled for receiving a remote antenna signal from a remote antenna.

16. The combination of claim 15 further comprising a toggle switch interconnected for switching the coupling probe between the external antenna and the remote antenna.

17. The combination of claim 11 further comprising a signal boosting amplifier embedded within the bottom panel and interconnected with the transmission line for amplifying signals between the coupling probe and one of the external antenna and the remote antenna.

18. The combination of claim 11 where in the bottom panel includes a first injection molded resin layer and a second injection molded resin layer with the two injection molded resin layers in intimate contact.

19. The combination of claim 18 wherein the coupling probe is sandwiched between the resin layers.

21. A planar multi-layer coupling probe comprising in sequence:

a first layer of a low dielectric constant material, a second patterned electrically conductive layer, and a third layer of a high dielectric constant material, the second layer in intimate contact with the first and third layers;

whereby signals from a remote antenna may be directed to an internal antenna of a wireless device, and signals from the internal antenna of the wireless device may be directed to the external antenna.