Antenna structure and mobile terminal having antenna structure

• US 6,788,259 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Chiba, Norimichi, Iwasaki, Hisao, Amano, Takashi, Suzuki, Hiromichi
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIH CHAO
• Application Number:
  US10/028,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20020086646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/820, 343/822, 343/895, 343/860, 343/893, 343/901
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/244 extendable from a housing along a given path
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 11/08 Helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

A flexible substrate having a meandering antenna element and a matching circuit formed thereon is wound within an antenna cap and mounted on a terminal body. A rod-like antenna is arranged extensible within the flexible substrate. If the rod-like antenna is withdrawn, a linear antenna element is coupled by a capacitive coupling with the matching circuit formed on the flexible substrate. Also, if the rod-like antenna is returned into the terminal body, the capacitive coupling between the linear antenna element and the matching circuit is released, and the meandering antenna element is coupled by a capacitive coupling with the matching circuit on the flexible substrate.

Claims

1. An antenna structure configured to be arranged in a mobile radio apparatus having a radio unit for transmitting and receiving a radio signal, comprising:

an extensible antenna;

a flexible substrate arranged around the extensible antenna;

an antenna pattern formed on the flexible substrate; and

a matching circuit formed on the flexible substrate, the matching circuit being configured to be continuously capacitivley coupled with the antenna pattern, wherein

the extensible antenna and the matching circuit are further configured to be capacitivley coupled together only when the extensible antenna is extended from the radio unit.

2. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the extensible antenna has a distal end which is electrically connected to the matching circuit when the extensible antenna is extended from the radio unit and is electrically disconnected from the matching circuit when the extensible antenna is retracted into the radio unit.

3. A mobile radio apparatus comprising:

a case;

a rod antenna;

an antenna supporting unit configured to enable the rod antenna to be extracted out of and retracted into the case

a flexible substrate arranged around the antenna supporting unit;

an antenna pattern formed on the flexible substrate;

a radio unit configured to transmit and receive a radio signal; and

a matching circuit formed on the flexible substrate, the matching circuit being configured to be continuously capacitivley coupled with the antenna pattern, wherein

the rod antenna and the matching circuit are configured to capacitivley couple the rod antenna and matching circuit together only when the rod antenna is extended from the case.

4. The mobile radio apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the case comprises a front side and a rear side, the apparatus further comprising:

a loudspeaker arranged on the front side of the case, the antenna pattern being arranged on the same side of the flexible substrate as the rear side of the case.

5. The mobile radio apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the rod antenna element has a distal end which is electrically connected to the matching circuit when the rod antenna is extended from the case and is electrically disconnected from the matching circuit when the extensible antenna is retracted into the case.

6. A mobile radio apparatus comprising:

a case;

a rod antenna having a first central axis;

an antenna supporting unit configured to enable the rod antenna to be extracted out of and retracted into the case;

a flexible substrate arranged around the antenna supporting unit;

an antenna pattern formed on the flexible substrate and having a second central axis, the first central axis and the second central axis crossing at an angle in the range of 45°

to 90°

;

a radio unit configured to transmit and receive a radio signal; and

a matching circuit formed on the flexible substrate, the matching circuit being configured to be continuously capacitively coupled with the antenna pattern, wherein

the rod antenna and the matching circuit are configured to capacitively couple the rod antenna and matching circuit together only when the rod antenna is extended from the case.

7. The mobile radio apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the rod antenna element has a distal end which is electrically connected to the matching circuit when the rod antenna is extended from the case and is electrically disconnected from the matching circuit when the extensible antenna is retracted into the case.

8. The mobile radio apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the angle is substantially equal to 60°

.