Antenna switching apparatus

• US 5,574,987 A
• Filed: 12/20/1994
• Issued: 11/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wallace, Raymond C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Application Number:
  US08/363,422
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 485/80, 485/82, 485/83, 485/89, 485/127, 485/129, 485/277.1, 485/278.1, 485/279.1, 485/281, 485/283, 485/292, 333/103, 333/262, 343/702
• US Class Current: 455/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H

Abstract

The antenna switch of the present invention switches from a portable radio'"'"'s internal antenna to an external, vehicle adapter antenna. The second antenna is part of the vehicle adapter that supplies DC power to the vehicle adapter. A 1/4-wavelength transformer couples the internal antenna to the portable radio'"'"'s transceiver. Diodes couple transformer and antenna to ground. A 1/2-wavelength transformer couples the vehicle adapter to the transceiver. When the portable radio is connected to the vehicle adapter, DC power is supplied to the diodes causing them to appear as a short thus making the first transformer appear as an open circuit. This causes a signal from the transceiver to be conducted to the second antenna on the vehicle adapter.

Claims

1. An apparatus for switching between a first antenna and a second antenna of a radio communications system, the system having a transceiver that communicates radio signals having a predetermined signal wavelength, the apparatus comprising:

a first transformer having a first predetermined wavelength, the first transformer coupling the first antenna to the transceiver;

a second transformer having a second predetermined wavelength, the second transformer coupling the second antenna to the transceiver, and being directly connected to said transceiver; and

at least one diode coupling the first transformer and the first antenna to a ground potential.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first predetermined wavelength is 1/4 of the predetermined wavelength and the second wavelength is 1/2 of the predetermined signal wavelength.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 and further including the second antenna being coupled to a vehicle powered adapter.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the vehicle power adapter provides a sufficient DC voltage to turn on the at least one diode.

5. An antenna switching apparatus for switching between a first antenna in a portable radio and a second antenna in a vehicle adapter, the portable radio having a transceiver that communicates radio signals having a predetermined signal wavelength, the vehicle adapter having a DC voltage, the apparatus comprising:

a first transformer having a first predetermined wavelength, the first transformer coupling the first antenna to the transceiver;

a plurality of diodes coupling the first transformer and the first antenna to a ground potential; and

a second transformer having a second predetermined wavelength, the second transformer coupling the vehicle adapter to the transceiver and the first transformer such that the DC voltage is coupled to the plurality of diodes, said second transformer being directly connected to said transceiver.