Antenna arrangement for small-sized radio communication devices

• US 6,005,525 A
• Filed: 04/09/1998
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Kivela, Seppo
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, David H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US09/057,820
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 343/70, 343/702, 343/718, 343/720, 343/829, 455/344, 455/347, 455/348, 455/349
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/245 with means for shaping the antenna pattern, e.g. in order to protect user against rf exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3872 with extendable microphones or earphones

Abstract

The scope of the present invention is the antenna arrangement of a radio communication device (87) intended for establishing a two-way connection, with which arrangement it is striven for to reduce the effects of the body on the properties of an antenna and on the other hand to reduce the radiation of the antenna towards the body. The antenna element (81) is planar and it consists of a ground plane and of a radiator (86) essentially parallel to it. The antenna element has been arranged in a position in which the ground plane ends up between the body of the user of the radio communication device and the radiator, and the amplification maximum of the radiation pattern of the antenna is directed away from the user of the radio communication device in an operating position typical of the radio communication device.

Claims

1. A radio communication device intended for establishing a two-way connection comprising:

first transform means for transforming a received electric signal into a first acoustic signal,

means for transmitting the first acoustic signal in a certain direction,

means for receiving a second acoustic signal from a certain direction,

second transform means for transforming the second acoustic signal into an electric signal,

at least one planar antenna element having a certain radiation pattern, said radiation pattern having an amplification maximum of said radiation in a certain direction,

said antenna element comprising a planar ground plane having at least, a first radiator on one side of said ground plane and a second radiator on the opposite side of said ground plane, said first and second radiators being arranged essentially parallel to said ground plane,

said radio communication device further comprising selection means for performing a selection between said first radiator and said second radiator in order to use one of said radiators at a time as the radiator of the antenna element,

and wherein the direction of said amplification maximum of said antenna element when said first radiator is selected is essentially in the direction of said first acoustic signal and wherein the direction of said amplification maximum of said antenna element when said second radiator is selected is in a direction essentially opposite to the direction of said first acoustic signal.

2. A radio communication device according to claim 1 further including:

a body comprising an area said body comprising said first transform means and said second transform means at a distance from each other and means for arranging said antenna element into a position in which said antenna element is essentially outside said body area.

3. A radio communication device according to claim 1, wherein the radio communication device is handheld.

4. A radio communication device according to claim 1, wherein the radio communication device further comprises:

reception means for receiving and processing a signal received by said antenna element,

measuring means for at least one of measuring the strength of the received signal and measuring signal quality of the received signal, and for outputting a measurement result, and

means for controlling said selection means to select between said first and second radiator based on said measurement result.

5. A radio communication device according to claim 1, wherein said antenna element is movable between a first position and a second position and wherein said selecting means is responsive to the position of said antenna element.

6. A radio communication device intended for establishing a two-way connection comprising

a wristband for fastening the radio communication device on a wrist of a hand of a user, said wrist having a palm side corresponding to a palm side of said hand and a back side corresponding to a back side of said hand,

a loudspeaker for reproducing a first acoustic signal to said user,

a microphone for receiving a second acoustic signal from the user,

an antenna element for transmission and reception of radio signals,

said wristband, said loudspeaker, said microphone and said antenna being arranged about said communication device such that when the communication device is fastened on the user'"'"'s wrist, and the communication device is in operation, said loudspeaker and said microphone are located at the palm side of the user'"'"'s wrist or hand and said antenna element is located on the back side of the user'"'"'s wrist or hand.

7. A radio communication device according to claim 6, wherein said antenna element is a planar antenna element comprising a ground plane and at least one radiator essentially parallel to said ground plane.

8. A radio communication device according to claim 6, wherein said antenna element comprises a planar ground plane having at least, a first radiator on one side of the ground plane and a second radiator on the opposing side of the ground plane, said first radiator and said second radiator being essentially parallel to the ground plane.

9. A radio communication device according to claim 8, further comprising means for performing a selection between said first and second radiator in order to use one of said radiators at a time as the radiator of the antenna element.

10. A radio communication device according to claim 6, wherein said antenna element is arranged in a fixed position in which the amplification maximum of the radiation pattern of said element is directed to a direction essentially opposite to the direction of said first acoustic signal.

11. A radio communication device according to claim 6, comprising means for turning said antenna element into a position in which the amplification maximum of the radiation pattern of said antenna element is directed to a direction essentially opposite to the direction of said first acoustic signal.