Portable information apparatus incorporating radio communication antenna

• US 6,509,877 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2001
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Masaki, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANNUCCI, JAMES
• Application Number:
  US09/942,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/700.MS, 329/308, 375/100, 375/347, 455/272, 455/277.1, 455/277.2, 455/275, 455/432
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set

Abstract

This invention provides a portable information apparatus which has a main body of the portable information apparatus, a display unit attached to the main body of the portable information apparatus, a plurality of radio communication diversity antennas provided to the display unit, and a radio communication antenna which is provided to the display unit at a position between at least one pair of radio communication diversity antennas of the plurality of radio communication diversity antennas.

Claims

1. A portable information apparatus comprising:

a main body of said portable information apparatus;

a display unit attached to said main body of said portable information apparatus;

a plurality of radio communication diversity antennas provided to said display unit; and

a radio communication antenna which is provided to said display unit at a position between a pair of radio communication diversity antennas of said plurality of radio communication diversity antennas.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of radio communication diversity antennas are wireless LAN antennas, and said radio communication antenna is a Bluetooth antenna.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display unit comprises a liquid crystal panel, and a housing fixing said liquid crystal panel,

said plurality of radio communication diversity antennas are respectively attached to a plurality of first antenna boards, and said radio communication antenna is attached to a second antenna board, and

said plurality of first antenna boards and said second antenna board are respectively attached to said housing on back surface side of said liquid crystal panel with said plurality of radio communication diversity antennas and said radio communication antenna being located on an upper portion of said liquid crystal panel to be separated by a predetermined spacing.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of said plurality of first antenna boards has a ground pattern, a total perimeter length of which is 0.8λ

to 1.25λ

of a radio communication frequency of said plurality of radio communication diversity antennas.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said second antenna board has a ground pattern, a total perimeter length of which is 0.8λ

to 1.25λ

of a radio communication frequency of said radio communication antenna.

6. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of first antenna boards respectively comprise coaxial connectors connecting a first radio communication module provided to said main body of said portable information apparatus via coaxial cables, and said plurality of radio communication diversity antennas are connected to said coaxial connectors.

7. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said second antenna board comprises a coaxial connector connecting a second radio communication module provided to said main body of said portable information apparatus via a coaxial cable, and said radio communication antenna is connected to said coaxial connector.

8. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a distance between the plurality of radio communication diversity antennas satisfies (2n+1)/λ

(n=1, 2, 3, . . . ), where λ

is a wavelength of a radio communication frequency of the plurality of radio communication diversity antennas.

9. An antenna board which is arranged on back surface side of a liquid crystal panel of a display unit of a portable information apparatus to be separated a predetermined spacing from another antenna board and has a radio communication antenna arranged on an upper portion of the liquid crystal panel.

10. A board according to claim 9, further comprising a ground pattern, a total perimeter length of which is 0.8λ

to 1.25λ

of a radio communication frequency of the radio communication antenna.

11. A portable information apparatus comprising:

a main body of said portable information apparatus;

a display unit attached to said main body of said portable information apparatus;

diversity antennas provided to said display unit and including at least two antennas;

a first radio communication unit, connected to said diversity antennas, making a communication by a first radio communication scheme using a diversity function;

a second radio communication unit, connected to one of the at least two antennas, making a communication by a second radio communication scheme different from the first radio communication scheme; and

a switching unit switching said first and second radio communication unit.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said display unit comprises a liquid crystal panel, and a housing fixing said liquid crystal panel,

the at least two antennas that form said diversity antennas are respectively attached to a plurality of antenna boards, and

said plurality of antenna boards are attached to said housing on the back surface side of said liquid crystal panel with the antennas being located on an upper portion of said liquid crystal panel to be separated by a predetermined spacing.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein each of said plurality of antenna boards has a ground pattern, a total perimeter length of which is 0.8λ

to 1.25λ

of a radio communication frequency of said diversity antennas.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said plurality of antenna boards respectively comprise coaxial connectors connecting a first radio communication module provided to said main body of said portable information apparatus via coaxial cables, and said diversity antennas are connected to said coaxial connectors.

15. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a unit selecting said diversity antennas when the communication is made by said first radio communication unit, and selecting one of the at least two antennas when the communication is made by said second radio communication unit.

16. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a distance between the diversity antennas satisfies (2n+1)/λ

(n=1, 2, 3, . . . ), where A is a wavelength of a radio communication frequency of the diversity antennas.