Foldable portable telephone

• US 7,079,877 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2001
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Shoji, Hideaki, Imanishi, Yasuhito, Fukasawa, Toru, Nishioka, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US09/938,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,786 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.5, 455/575.7, 455/301, 343/702, 343/841, 343/301
• US Class Current: 455/575.5
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/084 Pivotable antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/245 with means for shaping the antenna pattern, e.g. in order to protect user against rf exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3838 Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/02 Reducing interference from electric apparatus by means located at or near the interfering apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235

Abstract

In a foldable portable telephone, a shield box provided within an upper casing is connected via a flexible cable to an output terminal of a transmitting circuit provided within a lower casing, and the shield box is used as an antenna. Thus, compared to the conventional case where a rod antenna is provided at an upper end of the lower casing, variation in gain dependent on a state of the user'"'"'s hand holding the portable telephone is lessened.

Claims

1. A foldable portable telephone having first and second casings coupled with each other via a hinge portion, comprising:

a transmitt circuit including an output terminal;

first and second electronic circuit portions provided within said first and second casings, respectively; and

first and second shield members configured to shield said first and second electronic circuit portions from external noise, respectively, and to prevent noise generated in respective of said first and second electronic circuit portions from leaking outward,

at least one of said first and second shield members connecting to the output terminal of the transmitting circuit and additionally serving as an antenna for said portable telephone.

2. The portable telephone according to claim 1, wherein said first electronic circuit portion includes a communication circuit for communicating with a base station using said second shield member as the antenna.

3. The portable telephone according to claim 2, wherein said second shield member includes a slit for adjusting its characteristics as the antenna.

4. The portable telephone according to claim 2, wherein said second shield member includes an extended portion for adjusting its characteristics as the antenna.

5. The portable telephone according to claim 2, further comprising an antenna matching circuit connected between said communication circuit and said second shield member.

6. The portable telephone according to claim 2, further comprising:

a first antenna matching circuit for matching when said portable telephone is unfolded;

a second antenna matching circuit for matching when said portable telephone is folded;

a detector for detecting whether said portable telephone is folded; and

a switching circuit operating based on a detected result of said detector, for connecting said first antenna matching circuit between said communication circuit and said second shield member when said portable telephone is unfolded, and for connecting said second antenna matching circuit between said communication circuit and said second shield member when said portable telephone is folded.

7. The portable telephone according to claim 2, further comprising an antenna mounted to said first casing and having its feeding portion connected to said communication circuit,

said communication circuit communicating with said base station via said second shield member and said antenna.

8. The portable telephone according to claim 2, further comprising an antenna mounted to said second casing and having its feeding portion connected to said second shield member,

said communication circuit communicating with said base station via said second shield member and said antenna.

9. The portable telephone according to claim 8, further comprising a matching circuit for said antenna that is connected between said second shield member and the feeding portion of said antenna.

10. The portable telephone according to claim 2, further comprising:

an antenna mounted to said first casing;

a detector for detecting whether a hand of a user of said portable telephone is touching said antenna; and

a switching circuit operating based on a detected result of said detector, for connecting said communication circuit to said antenna when said user'"'"'s hand is not touching said antenna, and for connecting said communication circuit to said second shield member when said user'"'"'s hand is touching said antenna,

said communication circuit communicating with said base station via either one of said antenna and said second shield member that is connected to said communication circuit by said switching circuit.

11. The portable telephone according to claim 1, wherein the first shield member comprises a shield box containing the first electronic circuit portion.

12. The portable telephone according to claim 1, wherein the second shield member comprises a shield box containing the second electronic circuit portion.

13. The portable telephone according to claim 12, wherein the first shield member comprises a shield box containing the first electronic circuit portion.

14. The portable telephone according to claim 1, wherein the second electronic circuit portion includes the transmitting circuit for transmitting signals and a ground layer, and

the output terminal of said transmitting circuit is connected via said hinge portion to said first shield member, and a ground terminal of said transmitting circuit is connected to said ground layer.

15. The portable telephone according to claim 1, wherein said first casing is an upper casing and said second casing is a lower casing, and said second casing is adopted to be held in a user'"'"'s hand.

16. A portable telephone, comprising:

a first electronic circuit portion;

a second electronic circuit portion;

a substrate including a ground layer and having said second electronic circuit portion mounted theron;

a sheild member including a shield layer, the shield layer being formed of a conductive member shielding said second electronic circuit portion on said substrate and in electrical conduction with said ground layer of said substrate;

a communication circuit comprising an electronic part included in said first electronic circuit portion and electrically connected to said ground layer; and

a conduction member electrically connecting communication circuit to said ground layer.

17. The portable telephone according to claim 16, further comprising:

a first casing provided with an operating portion and accommodating said first electronic circuit portion therein;

a second casing provided with a dispaly portion and accommodating said substrate therein; and

an antenna mounted to one of said first casing and siad second casing;

said communication circuite being electrocally to said antenna and said ground layer of siad substarte