Multipurpose antenna accessory for protection of portable wireless communication devices

• US 7,203,533 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2001
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tischer, Steven Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hashem; Lisa
• Application Number:
  US09/929,921
• Time in Patent Office: 2,064 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702, 361/686, 132/293, 345/173, 455/90, 455/351, 455/575.1, 455/575.3
• US Class Current: 455/575.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle
• 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: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/40 Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/04 Resonant antennas
• 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

A protector for a portable wireless communication device that has a housing and a keypad. One embodiment of the protector may comprise a cover member that is pivotally attached to the housing and selectively pivotable between a first position wherein the cover covers the keypad and other positions wherein the keypad is exposed. The cover may be provided with one or more openings or notches to permit access to certain components on the keypad such as a thumbwheel, etc. without removing the cover member. The cover member may be provided with a latch to retain the cover member in position. If desired, an antenna may be coupled to the cover. The antenna may be physically coupled to the device'"'"'s receiving and transmitting circuitry or it may be capacitively coupled thereto.

Claims

1. A protector for a portable wireless communication device that has a housing, a display, and a keypad and contains at least one signal processing circuit, said protector comprising:

a transparent cover pivotally attached to the housing by at least two hinges such that said cover is pivotable from a first position wherein it covers the keypad to another position wherein the keypad is exposed and the cover is folded around a back portion of the portable wireless communication device and further acts as a stand for propping up the portable wireless communication device at an angle on a surface, and wherein the housing includes a scrolling means proximate to the keypad, wherein the scrolling means is not covered when the cover is in the first position thereby enabling a user to use the scrolling means to perform a scrolling operation viewable on the display through the cover when the cover is in the first position; and

a planar antenna attached to the exterior of both the cover and the housing where the planar antenna is capacitively coupled to the signal processing circuit such that the planar antenna is electromagnetically coupled to the signal processing circuit without being physically coupled to the signal processing circuit.

2. The protector of claim 1 wherein said cover is pivotally attached to the housing by adhesive tape.

3. The protector of claim 1 wherein said antenna is laminated to said cover.

4. The protector of claim 3 wherein said antenna is fabricated from a metal tape.

5. The protector of claim 4 wherein said antenna is fabricated from aluminum tape.

6. The protector of claim 1 wherein said antenna comprises conductive particulate material attached to said cover.

7. The protector of claim 6 wherein said conductive particulate material is embedded in said cover.

8. The protector of claim 1 further comprising an overlay layer covering at least a portion of said antenna.

9. The protector of claim 1 wherein said antenna is embedded in said cover.

10. The protector of claim 9 wherein said antenna comprises a metallic screen.

11. The protector of claim 1 wherein said cover comprises:

a first cover portion;

a second cover portion; and

a flexible joint interconnecting the first cover portion with the second cover portion.

12. The protector of claim 1 wherein the housing has a first color and said cover has said first color.

13. The protector of claim 1 wherein said cover has indicia provided thereon.

14. The protector of claim 1 wherein said cover only covers a portion of said keypad when said cover is in said first position.

15. The protector of claim 1 further comprising a biaser between said cover and a portion of the housing.

16. A method of protecting at least a portion of a keypad supported in the housing of a portable wireless communication device, the housing comprising a display, said method comprising:

demountably securing by hand a transparent cover to the housing with at least two hinges such that the cover may be selectively pivoted from a first position wherein at least a portion of the keypad is covered to another position wherein the at least a portion of the keypad is exposed and the cover is folded around a back portion of the portable wireless communication device and acts as a stand for propping up the portable wireless communication device at an angle on a surface, and wherein the housing further includes a scrolling means proximate to the keypad, wherein the scrolling means is not covered when the cover is in the first position thereby enabling a user to use the scrolling means to perform a scrolling operation viewable on the display through the cover when the cover is in the first position, wherein the portable wireless communication device has signal-transmitting circuitry and signal-receiving circuitry therein and wherein said method comprises enhancing an ability of the signal-receiving circuitry to receive signals and enhancing an ability of the signal transmitting circuitry to transmit signals wherein said enhancing comprises capacitively coupling an antenna to the signal-receiving circuitry and said signal-transmitting circuitry such that the antenna is electromagnetically coupled to the signal-receiving circuitry and the signal-transmitting circuitry without being physically coupled to the signal-receiving circuitry and signal transmitting circuitry.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said antenna is coupled to the cover and to the housing.