Helical antenna for a portable radio apparatus

• US 6,011,964 A
• Filed: 08/29/1997
• Issued: 01/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Saitoh, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US08/920,830
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 343/895, 343/749, 343/745, 343/702, 343/843, 343/866, 343/896, 343/729, 455/90, 455/575, 455/269, 455/550, 455/19, 455/25, 455/96
• US Class Current: 455/269
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 11/08 Helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/14 Length of element or elements adjustable telescopic elements H01Q1/10

Abstract

A helical antenna is provided for portable radio apparatus characterized in having one communication band switch and having two separated communication bands, or a broad communication band. The helical antenna comprises a screw shaped emitting element having one power supply terminal and two communication band switching terminals, a switch which short circuits and disconnects the two communication band switching terminals, and a switch drive circuit which drives this switch, and in accordance with an externally applied signal, the switch drive circuit short circuits or disconnects the switch, and by means of the disconnection or short circuiting of the two communication band switching terminals, the resonance frequency is switched.

Claims

1. A helical antenna for a portable radio apparatus comprising:

a screw shaped emitting element having one feeder terminal and a plurality of communication band switching terminals provided with gaps therebetween in the longitudinal direction of the antenna;

a switch for short circuiting and disconnecting two or more terminals among said plurality of communication band switching terminals;

a drive circuit for driving said switch; and

a control unit which operates said drive circuit in accordance with externally applied signals;

wherein when a current greater than a predetermined value is applied to said switch the impedance thereof becomes lower to short circuit said communication band switching terminals; and

said drive circuit applies a current greater than said predetermined value to said switch when said drive circuit receives a switching signal from said control unit and said control unit generates simultaneously said switching signal for changing resonance frequency of the antenna and channel data for determining reception frequency of a receiver.

2. A helical antenna for the portable radio apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of said communication band switching terminals is made common with the feeder terminal.

3. A helical antenna for the portable radio apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said switch shorts circuits or disconnects two or more terminals among said plurality of communication band switching terminals by means of a semiconductor switch having an opening and closing operation as a result of signals directly supplied from the control unit.

4. A helical antenna for the portable radio apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a portion of said antenna is made straight.

5. A helical antenna for the portable radio apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an antenna element of said antenna is bent a plurality of times in a co-planar manner.

6. A helical antenna for the portable radio apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one end of said screw shaped emitting element is said feeder terminal and the other end thereof is free.