Transmitter, computer system, and opening/closing structure

• US 6,636,181 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Masuda, Kazuo, Asano, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US10/021,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20020113741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: H01/Q.124, 343/702, 343/700.MS, 343/767, 343/770, 343/725, 343/729, 343/727, 343/726, 343/730, 343/803
• 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 1/1683 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: 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 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00

Abstract

A portable device having a base member and a hingedly attached lid member does not require a signal cable to transmit a high-frequency signal between the base unit and the lid. While the lid of the lap-top PC is closed, a radio device installed in the base unit transmits a high-frequency signal from a first antenna to a second antenna, the signal is then output from a signal cable attached third antenna to the atmosphere. The device structured as described above can transmit the high-frequency signal in a non-contact manner between the antenna of the base unit and the antenna of the lid in such a way that there is no need to provide a signal cable between the base unit part and the lid part.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first antenna and a second antenna;

a first member which houses a first circuit and said first antenna, wherein said

first circuit couples a high-frequency signal to said first antenna, and wherein said first circuit is a circuit selected from the group consisting of;

a transmitter, a receiver, and a signal generator; and

a second member, movably attached to said first member, and to which said second antenna is attached, wherein said second antenna faces said first antenna in at least one engagement position between said second member and said first member, the engagement positions characterized in that;

the high-frequency signal is coupled between said first antenna and said second antenna, and

the distance between said first antenna and said second antenna is greater than zero and less than about λ

/8, where λ

is the wavelength of the high-frequency signal;

wherein said first member and said second member are rotatably attached by a cylindrical joint, and wherein said first antenna is disposed along the center axis of the cylindrical joint, and wherein said second antenna is disposed coaxially relative to said first antenna.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the imaginary part of the mutual impedance between said first antenna and said second antenna is about zero.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said first antenna and said second antenna are antennae selected from the group consisting of:

a dipole antenna, a folded antenna, and a slot antenna.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said second antenna is an electrically floating conductor,

whereby said second antenna couples an atmospherically traveling electromagnetic wave with said first antenna.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second member further comprises:

a second circuit, coupled to said second antenna via a signal cable, wherein said second circuit is a circuit selected from the group consisting of;

a third antenna, and a signal processer.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said first antenna is an antenna selected from the group consisting of:

a dipole antenna, and a slot antenna, and

said second antenna is an antenna selected from the group consisting of;

a dipole antenna, a folded antenna, and a slot antenna.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said second member further comprises:

a second circuit, coupled to said second antenna via a signal cable, wherein said second circuit is selected from the group consisting of;

a third antenna, and a signal processor.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a first antenna coupled to a first circuit and mounted on a base unit; and

a second antenna coupled to a second circuit and mounted in a movable member which is pivotally connected to the base unit, wherein said second antenna is electrically floating relative to said first antenna and positioned parallel to and overlapping said first antenna, the movable member being connected to the base unit such that when the movable member pivots about the base unit said second antenna remains parallel to said first antenna and moves along the circumference of a circle formed about an axis defined by said first antenna.

9. The apparatus of claim 8;

wherein the first circuit is a circuit selected from the group consisting of;

a transmitter, a receiver, and a signal generator; and

wherein the second circuit is a circuit selected from the group consisting of;

a third antenna, and a signal processor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein one of said first antenna and said second antenna is an antenna selected from the group consisting of:

a dipole antenna, a folded antenna, and a slot antenna.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the distance between said first and said second antennas remains within a range which is greater than zero and less than about 0.125λ

where λ

is the wavelength of the signal coupled between said first and second antennas.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the distance between said first and said second antennas remains within a range which is greater than or equal to about 0.06λ

and less than about 0.125 λ

.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the imaginary part of the mutual impedance between said first antenna and said second antenna is about zero.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a first slot antenna coupled to a first circuit and formed as a hollow within a first tube which is mounted on a base unit; and

a second slot antenna coupled to a second circuit and formed as a hollow within a second tube which is mounted in a movable member which is pivotally connected to the base unit, wherein said second slot antenna is electrically floating relative to said first slot antenna, the movable member being connected to the base unit such that;

the second tube is concentric to the first tube,

said first and second slot antennas align end to end at both of their respective ends, and

when the movable member pivots about the base unit, said second slot antenna faces said first slot antenna in at least one position.

15. The apparatus of claim 14;

wherein the first circuit is a circuit selected from the group consisting of;

a transmitter, a receiver, and a signal generator; and

wherein the second circuit is a circuit selected from the group consisting of;

a third antenna, and a signal processor.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the distance between the first tube and the second tube is greater than zero and less than about 0.125λ

where λ

is the wavelength of the signal coupled to said first slot antenna.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the distance between the first tube and the second tube is greater than or equal to about 0.06λ

and less than about 0.125 λ

.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the imaginary part of the mutual impedance between said first antenna and said second antenna is about zero at the position where said second slot antenna faces said first slot antenna.