Director element for radio devices

• US 6,208,300 B1
• Filed: 05/20/1999
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tyco Electronics Logistics AG (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: RangeStar Wireless Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/315,675
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: H01/Q.124, 343/702, 343/906, 343/818, 343/819, 343/833, 343/900, 455/90
• 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 19/32 the primary active element being end-fed and elongated

Abstract

An antenna assembly for a hand-held radio transceiver, examples of which include a cellular telephone and PCS device. A multiple element antenna assembly is utilized to provide improved performance characteristics. The antenna assembly may include a conductive radiation director element and a support member for maintaining the director element in deployed and undeployed orientations. The antenna assembly may be selectively attached to a base portion of an active antenna element of a transceiver or may be pivotally secured to the transceiver.

Claims

1. An antenna assembly for a hand-held user operated radio frequency transceiver having an elongate active antenna element, said antenna assembly comprising:

an elongate conductive radiation director element; and

a support member having a first end and second end, said first end coupled to the conductive radiation director element, said second end coupled to the transceiver, said support member having an undeployed orientation and a deployed orientation, the conductive radiation director element in parallel alignment with the elongate active antenna element and substantially opposite the user when said support member is in its deployed orientation.

2. An antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein the active antenna element of the transceiver includes a base portion, and the second end of the support member is coupled to the transceiver proximate the base portion.

3. An antenna assembly according to claim 2, further comprising:

a clamp device at the second end of the support member for frictionally engaging the base portion of the active antenna element.

4. An antenna assembly according to claim 3, wherein the clamp device includes a plurality of differently sized split ring engaging elements.

5. An antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first end of the support member is coupled near the middle of radiation director element.

6. An antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein the radiation director element is a wire having a diameter between 0.015 inch and 0.125 inch.

7. An antenna assembly according to claim 6, wherein the radiation director element has a height dimension of between 0.35 and 0.49 times a predetermined wavelength.

8. An antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein the radiation director element is spaced away from the active antenna element by the support member a distance of between 0.1 and 0.25 times a predetermined wavelength.

9. A movably secured antenna attachment for a hand-held radio-frequency transceiver having a front side nearer to a user and an active antenna element said antenna attachment comprising:

a conductive director element; and

a support member for movably coupling the conductive director element relative to the active antenna element in an undeployed orientation and a deployed orientation, wherein the director element is substantially parallel to the active antenna element and opposite the front side of the transceiver when said support member is in its deployed orientation, and wherein the director element is nearer to the front side when in its undeployed orientation.

10. A movably secured antenna attachment according to claim 9, wherein the support member is pivotally coupled to the transceiver.

11. A movably secured antenna attachment according to claim 9, wherein the support member is movably coupled to a portion of the active antenna element.

12. A movably secured antenna attachment according to claim 11, wherein the support member is obliquely angled with respect to the active antenna element.

13. A movably secured antenna attachment according claim 11, further comprising:

a clamp device for movably coupling the support member to the portion of the active antenna element.

14. An antenna assembly according to claim 9, wherein the director element is a wire.

15. An antenna assembly according to claim 9, wherein the director element has a height dimension of between 0.35 and 0.49 times a predetermined wavelenth.

16. A selectively-attachable antenna enhancement device for a hand-held radio-frequency transceiver having a front side and an elongate active antenna element for transmitting an electromagnetic signal, said active antenna element having a base portion, said antenna enhancement device comprising:

a conductive director element; and

a support member removably coupling the conductive director element to the active antenna element in a deployed orientation, wherein the director element is substantially parallel to the active antenna element and opposite the front side of the transceiver.

17. An antenna assembly according to claim 16, further comprising:

a clamp device at the second end of the support member for frictionally engaging the base portion of the active antenna element.

18. An antenna assembly according to claim 17, wherein the clamp device includes a plurality of differently sized split ring engaging elements.

19. An antenna enhancement assembly for use on one of a plurality of hand-held radio-frequency transceivers, each of said plurality of radio-frequency transceivers having an active antenna element for transmitting an electromagnetic signal, each of said active antenna elements having a differently-sized portion, said antenna enhancement assembly comprising:

a conductive director element;

a support member having a first end and a second end, said second end coupled to the conductive director element; and

a structure for selectively coupling the support member and the director element relative to one of the plurality of active antenna elements, said structure including a plurality of differently-sized clamps, one of said plurality of clamps frictionally engaging the differently-sized portion of one of the plurality of active antenna elements to maintain the support member and the director element relative to the associated active antenna element.

20. An antenna assembly for a radio frequency communication device, said antenna assembly comprising:

an active antenna element having a longitudinal axis;

an elongate conductive radiation director element; and

a support member having a first end and second end, said first end coupled to the director element, said support member having an undeployed orientation and a deployed orientation, said second end coupled to the active antenna element, the director element being in parallel alignment with the longitudinal axis of the active antenna element and substantially opposite the user when said support member is in its deployed orientation.

21. An antenna assembly for a radio frequency communication device according to claim 20, wherein the communication device is either a cellular telephone or a PCS device or a LAN system.