Antenna structure, method of using antenna structure and communication device

• US 6,806,835 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Atsushi, Ogawa, Koichi, Yamada, Kenichi, Asahina, Toshihiro, Kamaeguchi, Shinji, Iwai, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tan
• Application Number:
  US10/279,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20030117324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/700.MS, 343/725, 455/89, 455/90.3, 455/277.1
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/08 Means for collapsing antennas or parts thereof collapsible loop antennas H01Q7/02; means for collapsing H-antennas or Yagi antennas H01Q19/04
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/362 for broadside radiating helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence

Abstract

An antenna structure used in a folding portable radio terminal, has

a first antenna; and

a second antenna,

wherein the first antenna is used at least when the portable radio terminal is not folded, and

the second antenna is used at least when the portable radio terminal is folded.

Claims

1. An antenna structure used in a folding portable radio terminal, comprising:

a first antenna; and

a second antenna,

said first antenna used at least when said portable radio terminal is not folded,

said second antenna used at least when said portable radio terminal is folded,

wherein when said portable radio terminal is not folded, a divesity reception is carried out with said first antenna serving as a main antenna an said second antenna serving as a sub-antenna, and

when said portable radio terminal is folded, a diversity reception is carried out with said first antenna serving as a sub-antenna and said second and antenna serving as a main antenna.

12. The antenna structure according to any one of claims 3, 1, and 2 wherein one of said first and second antennas, which is not used, serves as a passive element for the other, which is used.

13. The antenna structure according to claim 12, wherein when said first housing part and said second housing part are folded on each other, for reception, diversity reception is carried out at said first antenna and said second antenna, and for transmission, said second antenna is used with said first antenna serving as the passive element, and

when said first housing part and said second housing part are not folded on each other, for reception, diversity reception is carried out at said first antenna and said second antenna, and for transmission, one of said first and second antennas which has a higher reception level is used with the other, which has a lower reception level, serving as the passive element.

14. The antenna structure according to claim 12, wherein when said first housing part and said second housing part are folded on each other, for reception, diversity reception is carried out at said first antenna and said second antenna, and for transmission, one of said first and second antennas which has a higher reception level is used with the other, which has a lower reception level, serving as the passive element, and

when said first housing part and said second housing part are not folded on each other, for reception, diversity reception is carried out at said first antenna and said second antenna, and for transmission, said first antenna is used with said second antenna serving as the passive element.

15. The antenna structure according to claim 12, wherein when said first housing part and said second housing part are folded on each other, for reception, diversity reception is carried out at said first antenna and said second antenna, and for transmission, said second antenna is used with said first antenna serving as the passive element, and

when said first housing part and said second housing part are folded on each other, for reception, diversity reception is carried out at said first antenna and said second antenna, and for transmission, said first antenna is used with said second antenna serving as the passive element.

16. The antenna structure according to claim 12, wherein when said first housing part and said second housing part are folded on each other, for reception, diversity reception is carried out at said first antenna and said second antenna, and for transmission, one of said first and second antennas which has a higher reception level is used with the other, which has a lower reception level, serving as the passive element, and

when said first housing part and said second housing part are not folded on each other, for reception, diversity reception is carried out at said first antenna and said second antenna, and for transmission, one of said first and second antennas which has a higher reception level is used with the other, which as a lower reception level, serving as the passive element.

17. The antenna structure according to claim 12, wherein said antenna which is not used has a load adjusted so that said antenna which is used has a predetermined directivity and a wide band frequency characteristic.

2. An antenna structure used in a folding portable radio terminal, comprising:

a first antenna; and

a second antenna,

said first antenna used at least when said portable radio terminal is not folded,

said second antenna used at least when said portable radio terminal is folded,

wherein when said portable radio terminal is not folded, a diversity transmission is carried out with said first antenna serving as a main antenna and said second antenna serving as a sub-antenna, and

when said portable radio terminal is folded, a diversity transmission is carried out with said first antenna serving as a sub-antenna and said second antenna serving as a main antenna.

3. An antenna structure used in a folding portable radio terminal, comprising:

a first antenna;

a second antenna,

said first antenna used at least when said portable radio terminal is not folded,

said second antenna used at least when said portable radio terminal is folded,

a first housing part that incorporates a speaker of said portable radio terminal therein, and

a second housing part that incorporates a microphone of said portable radio terminal therein,

wherein said first housing part and said second housing part are capable of being folded,

said first antenna is disposed in said first housing part, and

said second antenna is disposed in said second housing part.

4. The antenna structure according to claim 3, wherein when said portable radio terminal is not folded, a diversity reception is carried out with said first antenna serving as a main antenna and said second antenna serving as a sub-antenna, and

when said portable radio terminal is folded, a diversity reception is carried out with said first antenna serving as a sub-antenna and said second antenna serving as a main antenna.

5. The antenna structure according to claim 3, wherein when said portable radio terminal is not folded, a diversity transmission is carried out with said first antenna serving as a main antenna and said second antenna serving as a sub-antenna, and

when said portable radio terminal is folded, a diversity transmission is carried out with said first antenna serving as a sub-antenna and said second antenna serving as a main antenna.

6. The antenna structure according to claim 3, wherein said first antenna has a better characteristic when said portable radio terminal is not folded, and

said second antenna has a better characteristic when said portable radio terminal is folded.

7. The antenna structure according to claim 3, wherein said first antenna is an internal antenna incorporate in said first housing part, and

said second antenna is an internal antenna incorporated in said second housing part.

8. The antenna structure according to claim 3, wherein said first antenna comprises an antenna element and a bottom board for said antenna element.

9. The antenna structure according to claim 8, further comprising:

a display disposed in said first housing part,

wherein said display and said antenna element face each other, and

a part of said display is conductive and serves also as said bottom board.

10. The antenna structure according to claim 9, wherein said display includes a display main body, a frame disposed around said display main body and a reflection plate disposed at the back side of a screen of said display main body, and

whole or a part of said reflection plate is conductive and serves also as said bottom board.

11. The antenna structure according to claim 9, wherein said display includes a display main body and a frame disposed around said display main body, and

whole or a part of said frame is conductive and serves also as said bottom board.

18. The antenna structure according to claim 3, wherein a thickness of each of said first antenna and said second antenna is less than a thickness of said portable radio terminal determined by components thereof other than said first and second antennas.

19. The antenna structure according to claim 3, wherein whole or a part of said first antenna and/or second antenna is filled with a dielectric.

20. The antenna structure according to claim 3, further comprising:

a first housing part that incorporates a speaker of said portable radio terminal; and

a second housing part that incorporates a microphone of said portable radio terminal,

wherein said first housing part serves also as said first antenna, and

said second antenna is a boom antenna disposed in said second housing part.

21. The antenna structure according to claim 20, wherein a part of said first housing part opposite to the side where the display is incorporated is made of a conductive material, and

the part of said first housing part made of a conductive material serves also as said first antenna.

22. The antenna structure according to claim 21, wherein said first housing part has a slit or slot formed in said part made of conductive material, and

said first antenna and said second antenna are used for a high frequency band and a low frequency band.

23. A communication device, comprising:

the antenna structure according to claim 3;

a transmitter circuit that outputs a transmission signal to said first antenna or second antenna; and

a receiver circuit that receives a reception signal received at said first antenna or second antenna.

24. An antenna structure used in a folding portable radio terminal, comprising:

a first housing part that incorporates a speaker therein;

a second housing part that incorporates a microphone therein;

a first antenna; and

a second antenna,

wherein said first housing part and said second housing part are capable of being folded on each other,

said first antenna includes an antenna element and a bottom board for said antenna element,

said antenna element is disposed in said first housing part,

said bottom board is disposed over said first housing part and second housing part,

for a low frequency band, said first antenna is used at least when said first housing part and said second housing part are not folded on each other,

for said low frequency band, said second antenna is used at least when said first housing part and said second housing part are folded on each other,

for a high frequency band, said first antenna is used at least when said first housing part and said second housing part are folded on each other, and

for said high frequency band, said second antenna is used at least when said first housing part and said second housing part are not folded on each other.

25. The antenna structure according to claim 24, wherein for said low frequency band, said first antenna has a better characteristic when said first housing part and said second housing part are not folded on each other, and for said high frequency band, said first antenna has a better characteristic when said first housing part and said second housing part are folded on each other, and

for said low frequency band, said second antenna has a better characteristic when said first housing part and said second housing part are folded on each other, and for said high frequency band, said second antenna has a better characteristic when said first housing part and said second housing part are not folded on each other.

26. The antenna structure according to claim 8 or 24, wherein a part of said first housing part and/or second housing part is conductive, and

said conductive part is used as said bottom board.

27. The antenna structure according to claim 26, wherein a part of said first housing part is not conductive, the part facing said antenna element and extending away from a connection of said first housing part with said second housing part from an end of said antenna element opposite to the connection.

28. The antenna structure according to claim 26, wherein a part of said first housing part which faces said second antenna when said first housing part and said second housing part are folded on each other is not conductive.

29. A communication device, comprising:

the antenna structure according to claim 24;

a transmitter circuit that outputs a transmission signal to said first antenna or second antenna; and

a receiver circuit that receives a reception signal received at said first antenna or second antenna.

30. A method of using an antenna structure used in a folding portable radio terminal, the antenna structure comprising:

a first antenna;

a second antenna,

said first antenna used at least when said portable radio terminal is not folded,

said second antenna used at least when said portable radio terminal is folded,

a first housing part that incorporates a speaker of said portable radio terminal therein, and

a second housing part that incorporates a microphone of said a portable radio terminal therein,

wherein said first housing part and said second housing part are capable of being folded,

said first antenna is disposed in said first housing part, and

said second antenna is disposed in said second housing part.

31. A method of using an antenna structure, the antenna structure comprising:

a first housing part that incorporates a speaker therein;

a second housing part that incorporates a microphone therein;

a first antenna; and

a second antenna,

said first housing part and said second housing part being capable of being folded on each other,

said first antenna including an antenna element and a bottom board,

said antenna element being disposed in said first housing part, and

said bottom board being disposed over said first housing part and second housing part,

wherein for a low frequency band, said first antenna is used least when said first housing part and said second housing part are not folded on each other,

for said low frequency band, said second antenna is used at least when said first housing part and said second housing part are folded on each other,

for a high frequency band, said first antenna is used at least when said first housing part and said second housing part are folded on each other, and

for said high frequency band, said second antenna is used at least when said first housing part and said second housing part are not folded on each other.