Low insertion loss connection of an antenna to a mobile radio with retractable swiveling antenna feature

• US 6,043,781 A
• Filed: 06/16/1998
• Issued: 03/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ratzel, John, McCarrick, Charlie, Toh, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Hoanganh
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US09/097,803
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/900, 343/901, 343/906, 343/715, 343/858, 343/850, 439/578, 439/581, 455/90, 455/129, 455/269, 455/575
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/084 Pivotable antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/244 extendable from a housing along a given path

Abstract

An approach for connection of an antenna employs an antenna including at least one antenna contact; a swivel collar slidably coupleable with the antenna and including at least one collar contact; and an antenna coupler/connector insertable into the swivel collar. The approach may also be characterized as involving moving an antenna by sliding the antenna within a swivel collar, moving an antenna contact at an end of the antenna away from a swivel contact in the swivel collar; and inserting an antenna coupler/connector into the swivel collar including contacting the collar contact with a contact pad on the antenna coupler/connector. An alternative the approach may have an antenna including at least one antenna contact; a swivel collar slidably coupleable with the antenna and including at least one collar contact; a cavity enveloping the antenna when the at least one antenna contact is displaced away from the at least one collar contact, and a spring interposed between the basal end of the antenna and a basal end of the cavity for moving the antenna when the at least one antenna contact is not displaced away from the at least one collar contact.

Claims

1. A system for connection of an antenna to a mobile radio comprising:

the antenna including at least one antenna contact at a basal end thereof;

a swivel collar slidably coupleable with the antenna and including at least one swivel collar contact alignable with the at least one antenna contact and electrically coupled to the mobile radio when the antenna is in an extended position, the swivel collar being rotatable in at least one direction when the antenna is in the extended position;

an alignment structure coupled to the antenna for maintaining rotational alignment of the antenna about its major axis to ensure electrical coupleability of the antenna to the mobile radio; and

an antenna coupler/connector insertable into said swivel collar, the antenna coupler/connector including an end for displacing the at least one antenna contact away from the at least one swivel collar contact, the antenna coupler/connector including at least one contact pad alignable with the at least one swivel collar contact when the at least one antenna contact is displaced away from the at least one swivel collar contact.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a cavity enveloping said antenna when said at least one antenna contact is displaced away from said at least one swivel collar contact.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a spring interposed between said basal end of said antenna and a basal end of said cavity for moving said antenna from a depressed position into a retracted position when said at least one antenna contact is not displaced away from said at least one swivel collar contact by the antenna coupler/connector.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a satellite transceiver coupled to said at least one swivel collar contact of said swivel collar.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising:

a docking adaptor, the docking adaptor including an antenna coupler/connector.

6. A system of connection of an antenna to a mobile radio comprising:

the antenna including at least one antenna contact at a basal end thereof and an alignment structure for maintaining rotational alignment of the antenna about its major axis to ensure electrical coupleability of the antenna to the mobile radio;

a swivel collar slideably coupleable with the antenna and including at least one swivel collar contact alignable with the at least one antenna contact when the antenna is in an extended position, the swivel collar being rotatable about an axis substantially normal to a direction in which the antenna is slidable;

a cavity enveloping the antenna when the at least one antenna contact is displaced away from the at least one swivel collar contact; and

a spring interposed between the basal end of the antenna and a basal end of the cavity for moving the antenna into a retracted position when the at least one antenna contact is not displaced away from the at least one swivel collar contact.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

a satellite transceiver coupled to said at least one swivel collar contact of said swivel collar.

8. A system for connection of an antenna to a mobile radio comprising:

a housing;

a swivel collar coupled to the housing and swivelable relative to the housing for swiveling the antenna when in an extended position;

an opening in the swivel collar alignable with a cavity in the housing for retraction of the antenna through the opening into the housing;

a first locking structure on said swivel collar; and

a second locking structure on said housing, wherein said first and second locking structures cooperate to fix an angle of rotation of the swivel collar relative to the housing.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

an antenna matching circuit in said swivel collar.

10. A system for connection of an antenna to a mobile radio comprising:

a housing;

the antenna including at least one antenna contact at a basal end thereof;

a swivel collar slidably coupleable with the antenna and including at least one swivel collar contact alignable with the at least one antenna contact when the antenna is in an extended position, the swivel collar being rotatable in at least one direction when the antenna is in the extended position;

a first locking structure on said swivel collar; and

a second locking structure on said horsing, wherein said first locking structure and said second locking structure cooperate to fix an angle of rotation of the swivel collar relative to the housing.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a cavity enveloping said antenna when said at least one antenna contact is displaced away from said at least one swivel collar contact.

12. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

an antenna coupler/connector insertable into said swivel collar, the antenna coupler/connector including an end for displacing the at least one antenna contact away from the at least one swivel collar contact, the antenna coupler/connector including at least one contact pad alignable with the at least one swivel collar contact when the at least one antenna contact is displaced away from the at least one swivel collar contact.

13. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a docking adaptor, the docking adaptor including an antenna coupler/connector.

14. A method of operation of an antenna in a mobile radio comprising:

moving the antenna by rotating the antenna with a swivel collar and then sliding the antenna within the swivel collar, the sliding including moving the antenna from an extended position to a retracted position including moving an antenna contact at a basal end of the antenna away from a swivel collar contact in the swivel collar; and

fixing an angle of rotation of the swivel collar relative to a housing by fixedly coupling a first locking structure on said swivel collar to a second locking structure on said housing.

15. The method of operation of claim 14 wherein said moving of said antenna by sliding said antenna within said swivel collar includes moving said antenna into a cavity.

16. The method of operation of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

moving said antenna from a depressed position to said retracted position using a spring, including decoupling said swivel contact in said swivel collar from a contact pad on an antenna coupler/connector;

moving said antenna from said retracted position to said extended position, including connecting said swivel collar contact in said swivel collar to said antenna contact at said basal end of the antenna; and

rotating said antenna with said swivel collar.

17. The method of operation of claim 16 further comprising:

removing said antenna coupler/connector from said swivel collar.

18. The method of operation of claim 16 further comprising:

capacitively coupling said antenna contact to said swivel collar contact with said antenna in said retracted position, wherein the antenna is allowed to operate with at least limited performance in the retracted position.

19. A system for connection of an antenna to a mobile radio comprising:

a housing;

a swivel collar coupled to the housing and swivelable relative to the housing for swiveling the antenna when in an extended position;

an opening in the swivel collar alignable with a cavity in the housing for retraction of the antenna through the opening into the housing;

a first locking structure on said swivel collar; and

a second locking structure on said housing, wherein said first locking structure and said second locking structure cooperate to fix an angle of rotation of the swivel collar relative to the housing.