Battery case for PCMCIA card modem with antenna

• US 6,327,154 B1
• Filed: 11/06/1998
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: McKeen, Trent, Vanderhelm, Ronald J., Gauld, Craig S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US09/187,392
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 361/814, 361/752, 361/736, 361/737, 439/946, 235/492, 340/825.44, 455/89, 455/90, 455/344-347, D14/138, D14/242
• US Class Current: 361/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/084 Pivotable antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2275 associated to expansion card or bus, e.g. in PCMCIA, PC cards, Wireless USB
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/244 extendable from a housing along a given path
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/946 Memory card cartridge

Abstract

A detachable battery pack is connected to a personal computer card modem at the same side as an antenna. An advantage of this system is that the detachable battery pack can be added and removed from the personal computer card without affecting the antenna connection to the personal computer card. The antenna need not be connected to the personal computer card through the battery pack.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a personal computer card having two ends;

a rotatable antenna attached to a first end of the personal computer card using a rotatable connector on the personal computer card; and

a detachable battery pack, the detachable battery pack being attached to the first end of the personal computer card, wherein the antenna is interposed between the battery pack and the personal computer card.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the antenna is detachable from the personal computer card.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the antenna is fixed to the personal computer card.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery pack has an indented portion.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the antenna is extendable.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery pack has a connector for connecting to the personal computer card.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the connector includes power and control lines.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the power and control lines are on a circuit board.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the connector includes a support screw.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the connector includes a stabilizing rod.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein when the battery pack is connected to the personal computer card, the antenna is positioned over the connector.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the personal computer card is a PCMCIA card.

13. A system comprising:

a personal computer card having two ends with a rotatable antenna fixedly attached at a first end; and

a detachable battery pack, the detachable battery pack having an actuator adapted to engage the personal computer card to attach the battery pack to the first end of the personal computer card, the actuator adjustable to disattach the battery pack from the personal computer card without removing the rotatable antenna from the personal computer card.

14. A system comprising:

a personal computer card having two ends with a rotatable antenna attached at a first end; and

a detachable battery pack, the detachable battery pack having an actuator adapted to engage the personal computer card to attach the battery pack to the first end of the personal computer card, the actuator adjustable to disattach the battery pack from the personal computer card without removing the rotatable antenna from the personal computer card, wherein the antenna is rotatably attached to the personal computer card so that the antenna can be positioned in a first position parallel to the end of the personal computer card and in-between the detachable battery pack and the personal computer card and can be positioned in a second position perpendicular to the end of the personal computer card.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the antenna is extendable.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the battery pack has a connector for connecting to the personal computer card.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the connector includes power and control lines.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the personal computer card is a PCMCIA card.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the connector includes power and control lines.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the personal computer card is a PCMCIA card.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the actuator is a screw.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein when the battery pack is attached to the personal computer card, the antenna is interposed between the battery pack and the remainder of the personal computer card.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the antenna is extendable.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the battery pack has a connector for connecting to the personal computer card.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the actuator is a screw.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein when the battery pack is attached to the personal computer card, the antenna is interposed between the battery pack and the remainder of the personal computer card.