Antenna system for a wrist carried selective call receiver

• US 5,280,296 A
• Filed: 04/29/1992
• Issued: 01/18/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Pha C., Tan, Wei L., Bolanos, Angel
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US07/875,487
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 343/718, 343/741, 343/742, 343/744, 343/866, 343/867, 343/868, 343/870, 343/873, 455/351, 455/100, 455/274, 455/344, 455/347
• US Class Current: 343/718
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/08 Ferrite rod or like elongated core

Abstract

An antenna system (308, 309, 310, 312, 314, 316, and 317) for a wrist carried selective call receiver (300) comprises at least first (312 and 314) and second (310) elements, coupled to each other and coupled to the selective call receiver to form a first single magnetic loop antenna (312, 308, 316, and 310) having a first physical orientation. At least one of the first and second elements comprises at least one second single magnetic loop antenna (312, 308, 316, 310, 317, 309, and 314) also coupled to the selective call receiver. The second single magnetic loop antenna has a second physical orientation different from the first physical orientation.

Claims

1. An antenna system for a wrist carried selective call receiver comprising a non-conducting housing formed as a substantially cylindrical band for surrounding the wrist, the band delimited by first and second outer edges, the antenna system comprising:

first means for coupling to a radio frequency (RF) input of the selective call receiver;

second means for coupling to a ground node of the selective call receiver;

a first element positioned near the first outer edge of the band and coupled to the first means and to the second means to form a first single magnetic loop antenna which encircles the wrist; and

a second element positioned near the second outer edge of the band, the second element coupled to the first element and coupled to the first means and to the second means to form a second single magnetic loop antenna orthogonal to the first single magnetic loop antenna.

2. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second elements are enclosed within the non-conducting housing.

3. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second elements comprise a strip conductor.

4. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the second element is coupled to the first means and to the second means to form a third single magnetic loop antenna which encircles the wrist.

5. A wrist carried selective call receiver having a non-conducting housing formed as a substantially cylindrical band for surrounding the wrist, the band delimited by first and second outer edges, the selective call receiver comprising:

receiver means for receiving radio frequency (RF) signals comprising information and for demodulating the RF signals to derive the information, the receiver means comprising;

an RF input for receiving the radio frequency signals; and

a ground node for providing a ground reference for the wrist carried selective call receiver; and

antenna means coupled to the receiver means for accepting the RF signals and providing the RF signals to the receiver means, the antenna means comprising;

a first element positioned near the first outer edge of the band and coupled to the RF input and to the ground node to form a first single magnetic loop antenna which encircles the wrist; and

a second element positioned near the second outer edge of the band, the second element coupled to the first element and coupled to the RF input and to the ground node to form a second single magnetic loop antenna orthogonal to the first single magnetic loop antenna.

6. The wrist carried selective call receiver according to claim 5, wherein the first and second elements are enclosed within the non-conducting housing.

7. The wrist carried selective call receiver according to claim 6, wherein the non-conducting housing comprises:

at least two non-expandable elements, and

at least one expandable element for physically coupling the at least two non-expandable elements and for electrically closing the first single magnetic loop antenna.

8. The wrist carried selective call receiver according to claim 7, wherein the at least one expandable element comprises:

physical coupling means coupled to the at least two non-expandable elements for holding the selective call receiver in place on the wrist when the physical coupling means is in a non-expanded position, and for releasing the selective call receiver from the wrist when the physical coupling means is in an expanded position; and

electrical coupling means coupled to the physical coupling means for maintaining the electrical closing of the first single magnetic loop antenna without interruption in both the non-expanded position and the expanded position.

9. The wrist carried selective call receiver according to claim 6, wherein the non-conducting housing comprises:

at least two separable housing elements, and

at least one disconnectable clasp for physically coupling the at least two separable housing elements and for electrically closing the first single magnetic loop antenna.

10. The wrist carried selective call receiver according to claim 9, wherein the at least one disconnectable clasp in a first position electrically closes the first single magnetic loop antenna, and in a second position electrically opens the first single magnetic loop antenna without electrically opening the second single magnetic loop antenna.

11. The wrist carried selective call receiver according to claim 5, wherein the first and second elements comprise a strip conductor.

12. The wrist carried selective call receiver according to claim 5, wherein the second element is coupled to the RF input and to the ground node to form a third single magnetic loop antenna which encircles the wrist.

13. The wrist carried selective call receiver according to claim 5, comprising:

a non-conducting first housing element surrounding the wrist and enclosing the first and second elements;

a second housing element enclosing the receiver means; and

a disconnectable clasp for physically coupling the first and second housing elements and for electrically coupling the first and second elements to a node of the selective call receiver.

14. The wrist carried selective call receiver according to claim 13, wherein the disconnectable clasp in a first position coupled the first and second elements to a node of the selective call receiver, and in a second position electrically opens the first single magnetic loop antenna without electrically opening the second single magnetic loop antenna.

15. A wrist carried selective call receiver comprising:

a receiver for receiving radio frequency (RF) signals comprising information and for demodulating the RF signals to derive the information, the receiver comprising;

an RF input, for receiving the radio frequency signals; and

a ground node for providing a ground reference for the wrist carried selective call receiver;

an antenna system comprising first and second antenna elements coupled to the receiver for accepting the RF signals and providing the RF signals to the receiver;

a non-conducting housing comprising a first housing section for containing the receiver, and second and third housing sections surrounding the wrist for holding the selective call receiver in place and for containing the first and second antenna elements;

first and second steps of taps physically coupled to the third housing section and electrically coupled to the second antenna element for adjusting the size of the housing and for electrically coupling the first and second antenna elements; and

a clasp, physically coupled to the second housing section and electrically coupled to the second antenna element, comprising a fastener for physically coupling the second and third housing sections, the first and second conductive contacts separated by an insulating material for electrically coupling the first and second antenna elements to each other,

wherein the first antenna element comprises;

a first strip conductor coupled between the RF input and the first conductive contact of the clasp; and

a second strip conductor coupled between the ground node and the second conductive contact of the clasp, and

wherein the second antenna element comprises a U-shaped strip conductor coupled between the ground node and the first and second sets of taps, a member of each of the first and second sets of taps being physically coupled to the clasp fastener and electrically coupled to the first and second conductive contacts of the clasp to form the antenna system, and

wherein the first strip conductor and a portion of the U-shaped conductor combine to form a first single magnetic loop antenna having a first physical orientation and coupled between the RF input and the ground node, and

wherein the first and second strip conductors and the U-shaped conductor combine to form a second single magnetic loop antenna coupled between the RF input and the ground node, the second single magnetic loop antenna having a second physical orientation substantially orthogonal to the first physical orientation.

16. A wrist carried selective call receiver comprising:

receiver means for receiving radio frequency (RF) signals comprising information and for demodulating the RF signals to derive the information, the receiver means comprising;

an RF input, for receiving the radio frequency signals; and

a ground node for providing a ground reference for the wrist carried selective call receiver;

antenna means coupled to the receiver means for accepting the RF signals and providing the RF signals to the receiver means, the antenna means comprising at least first and second elements, coupled to each other to form a first single magnetic loop antenna having a first physical orientation and coupled between the RF input and the ground node, wherein at least one of the at least first and second elements comprises at least one second single magnetic loop antenna coupled between the RF input and the ground node, the at least one second single magnetic loop antenna having a second physical orientation different from the first physical orientation;

a first housing partially surrounding the wrist and enclosing at least the receiver means;

a second housing partially surrounding the wrist and enclosing at least the antenna means; and

at least one expandable third housing for physically and electrically coupling the first and second housings.

17. The wrist carried selective call receiver according to claim 16, wherein the at least one expandable third housing comprises:

physical coupling means coupled to the first and second housings for holding the selective call receiver in place on the wrist when the physical coupling means is in a non-expanded position, and for releasing the selective call receiver from the wrist when the physical coupling means is in at least one expanded position; and

electrical means coupled to the physical coupling means for maintaining the electrical coupling between the receiver means and the antenna means without interruption throughout the entirety of the non-expanded position and the at least one expanded position.

18. A wrist carried selective call receiver comprising:

receiver means for receiving radio frequency (RF) signals comprising information and for demodulating the RF signals to derive the information, the receiver means comprising;

an RF input, for receiving the radio frequency signals; and

a ground node for providing a ground reference for the wrist carried selective call receiver; and

antenna means coupled to the receiver means for accepting the RF signals and providing the RF signals to the receiver means, the antenna means comprising at least first and second elements, coupled to each other to form a first single magnetic loop antenna having a first physical orientation and coupled between the RF input and the ground node, wherein at least one of the at least first and second elements comprises at least one second single magnetic loop antenna coupled between the RF input and the ground node, the at least one second single magnetic loop antenna having a second physical orientation different from the first physical orientation,

wherein the at least first and second elements are enclosed within a non-conducting housing surrounding the wrist, and

wherein the non-conducting housing comprises;

at least two separable sections, and

at least one disconnectable clasp for physically coupling the at least two separable sections and for electrically coupling the at least first and second elements, and

wherein the at least one disconnectable clasp comprises means for electrically coupling a third element to at least one of the at least first and second elements, the means being activated when the at least one disconnectable clasp is in a position that electrically disconnects the at least first and second elements.