Method for Intelligently Switching On/Off Mobile Terminal Antenna and Corresponding Mobile Terminal

• US 20150133066A1
• Filed: 07/13/2012
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Zhu, Dalong, Hu, Yimu, Yuan, Aiguo, Xu, Jinlu
• Granted Patent: US 9,439,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/78
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/005 Patch antenna using one or more coplanar parasitic elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/378 Combination of fed elements with parasitic elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 with particular tuning means
• 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 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for intelligently switching on/off an antenna of a mobile terminal and a corresponding mobile terminal are provided. A method includes: detecting a current working frequency band and a surrounding environment of a terminal; and according to a preset correspondence among an antenna radiation unit, an environmental condition, and the current working frequency band, changing impedance characteristics of a parasitic unit radiator. Another method includes: detecting a current working frequency band of a terminal; and according to a preset correspondence between an antenna radiation unit and the current working frequency band, changing impedance characteristics of a parasitic unit radiator. Another method includes: detecting a current surrounding environment of a terminal; and according to a preset correspondence between an antenna radiation unit and an environmental condition, changing impedance characteristics of a parasitic unit radiator. The terminal includes: a detection unit, an antenna control unit, and an antenna radiation unit.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal intelligently switching on/off an antenna, comprising a detection unit, an antenna control unit, and an antenna radiation unit which comprises a main feed unit radiator and a parasitic unit radiator, wherein,

the detection unit is configured to detect a current working frequency band of the mobile terminal and transmit a detection result to the antenna control unit;

the antenna control unit is configured to receive the detection result transmitted by the detection unit and change an impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator according to a preset correspondence between the antenna radiation unit and the current working frequency band; and

the parasitic unit radiator is configured to change the impedance characteristic in accordance with the control of the antenna control unit.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein,

the detection unit is further configured to detect a current surrounding environment of the mobile terminal and transmit a detection result to the antenna control unit;

and

the antenna control unit is further configured to change an impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator according to a preset correspondence between the antenna radiation unit and the environment condition, or a preset correspondence among the antenna radiation unit, the environmental condition, and the current working frequency band.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 2, wherein, the detection unit is configured to detect the current surrounding environment of the mobile terminal according to one or more of the following ways:

detecting whether the mobile terminal works in a free space;

detecting whether there is a human body approaching the mobile terminal;

detecting whether the mobile terminal is indoors; and

detecting whether the mobile terminal is outdoors.

4. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein,

the antenna control unit is configured to change the impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator according to the following way:

transmitting an instruction to the parasitic unit radiator in the antenna radiation unit to switch on one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator and/or switch off one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator; and

the parasitic unit radiator is configured to change the impedance characteristic in accordance with the control of the antenna control unit according to the following way;

switching on one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator and/or switching off one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator according to the instruction transmitted by the antenna control unit.

16. The mobile terminal according to claim 2, wherein,

the antenna control unit is configured to change the impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator according to the following way:

transmitting an instruction to the parasitic unit radiator in the antenna radiation unit to switch on one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator and/or switch off one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator; and

the parasitic unit radiator is configured to change the impedance characteristic in accordance with the control of the antenna control unit according to the following way;

switching on one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator and/or switching off one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator according to the instruction transmitted by the antenna control unit.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 3, wherein,

the antenna control unit is configured to change the impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator according to the following way:

transmitting an instruction to the parasitic unit radiator in the antenna radiation unit to switch on one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator and/or switch off one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator; and

the parasitic unit radiator is configured to change the impedance characteristic in accordance with the control of the antenna control unit according to the following way;

switching on one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator and/or switching off one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator according to the instruction transmitted by the antenna control unit.

5. A mobile terminal intelligently switching on/off an antenna, comprising a detection unit, an antenna control unit, and an antenna radiation unit which comprises a main feed unit radiator and a parasitic unit radiator, wherein,

the detection unit is configured to detect a current surrounding environment of the mobile terminal and transmit a detection result to the antenna control unit;

the antenna control unit is configured to receive the detection result transmitted by the detection unit and change an impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator according to a preset correspondence between the antenna radiation unit and the environment condition; and

the parasitic unit radiator is configured to change the impedance characteristic in accordance with the control of the antenna control unit.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 5, wherein, the detection unit is configured to detect the current surrounding environment of the mobile terminal according to one or more of the following ways:

detecting whether the mobile terminal works in a free space;

detecting whether there is a human body approaching the mobile terminal;

detecting whether the mobile terminal is indoors; and

detecting whether the mobile terminal is outdoors.

7. The mobile terminal according to claim 5, wherein,

the antenna control unit is configured to change the impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator according to the following way:

transmitting an instruction to the parasitic unit radiator in the antenna radiation unit to switch on one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator and/or switch off one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator; and

the parasitic unit radiator is configured to change the impedance characteristic in accordance with the control of the antenna control unit according to the following mode;

switching on one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator and/or switching off one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator according to the instruction transmitted by the antenna control unit.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 6, wherein,

the antenna control unit is configured to change the impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator according to the following way:

transmitting an instruction to the parasitic unit radiator in the antenna radiation unit to switch on one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator and/or switch off one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator; and

the parasitic unit radiator is configured to change the impedance characteristic in accordance with the control of the antenna control unit according to the following mode;

switching on one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator and/or switching off one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator according to the instruction transmitted by the antenna control unit.

8. A method for intelligently switching on/off an antenna of a mobile terminal, an antenna radiation unit of the mobile terminal comprising a main feed unit radiator and a parasitic unit radiator, the method comprising:

detecting a current working frequency band of the mobile terminal; and

changing an impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator according to a preset correspondence between the antenna radiation unit and the current working frequency band.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, the step of changing the impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator comprises:

switching on one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator; and

/or

switching off one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator.

10. A method for intelligently switching on/off an antenna of a mobile terminal, an antenna radiation unit of the mobile terminal comprising a main feed unit radiator and a parasitic unit radiator, the method comprising:

detecting a current surrounding environment of the mobile terminal; and

changing an impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator according to a preset correspondence between the antenna radiation unit and the environment condition.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, the step of detecting a current surrounding environment of the mobile terminal comprises one or more of the following detections:

detecting whether the mobile terminal works in a free space;

detecting whether there is a human body approaching the mobile terminal;

detecting whether the mobile terminal is indoors; and

detecting whether the mobile terminal is outdoors.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, the step of changing the impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator comprises:

switching on one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator; and

/or

switching off one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein, the step of changing the impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator comprises:

switching on one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator; and

/or

switching off one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator.

13. A method for intelligently switching on/off an antenna of a mobile terminal, an antenna radiation unit of the mobile terminal comprising a main feed unit radiator and a parasitic unit radiator, the method comprising:

detecting a current working frequency band and a current surrounding environment of the mobile terminal; and

changing an impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator according to a preset correspondence among the antenna radiation unit, the environmental condition, and the current working frequency band.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, the step of detecting a current surrounding environment of the mobile terminal comprises one or more of the following detections:

detecting whether the mobile terminal works in a free space;

detecting whether there is a human body approaching the mobile terminal;

detecting whether the mobile terminal is indoors; and

detecting whether the mobile terminal is outdoors.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, the step of changing the impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator comprises:

switching on one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator; and

/or

switching off one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein, the step of changing the impedance characteristic of the parasitic unit radiator comprises:

switching on one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator; and

/or

switching off one or more parasitic units in the parasitic unit radiator.