Wireless communication device with strategically positioned antenna

• US 7,231,237 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ponce De Leon, Lorenzo A., Kinezos, Christos L., Mattsson, Jan-Ove U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, TUAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/216,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20070049364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455 411- 2, 455/25, 455/65, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 4555751- 7, 455 901- 3, 455128-129, 455/344, 455/66.1, 455347-349, 455/63.1, 455/4, 379/428.01, 379/429, 379/433.01, 379/433.1, 379/440, 379/433.07, 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/793, 343803-804, 343/866, 343/741, 343/729
• US Class Current: 455/575.7
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• 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

Abstract

A wireless communication device (200) is provided, the wireless communication device (200) can include at least one antenna (240), the antenna (240) positioned beneath the face plate (252) and base plate (255) of a user interface (245) of the wireless communication device (200) in which the antenna (240) can be configured to communicate with a signal source.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, the wireless communication device comprising:

at least one antenna, the antenna positioned beneath a face of a user interface of the wireless communication device wherein the antenna is configured to communicate with a signal source;

wherein the antenna includes one or more holes in the antenna to accommodate one or more keypad buttons.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the user interface is positioned at a first surface of the wireless communication device and the antenna has a stronger signal reception when the wireless communication device is positioned in a first position as compared to the antenna being positioned in locations of the wireless communication device different from the first surface.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the user interface is a keypad, wherein the antenna is positioned between a face of the keypad and a base plate of the keypad.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises:

a resonator; and

a transformer feeder point operatively coupled to the resonator, wherein a predetermined gap is maintained between the resonator and the transformer feeder point.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 4, wherein operatively coupled comprises a capacitive coupling between the resonator and the transformer feeder point.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the antenna is substantially triangular in shape.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is a global positioning system antenna configured to at least receive global positioning system signals.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein a Bluetooth antenna or a wireless local access network antenna is positioned adjacent to the antenna.

9. A method of building a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

positioning at least one antenna beneath a face of a user interface of the wireless communication device, wherein the antenna is configured to communicate with a signal source;

wherein the antenna includes one or more holes in the antenna to accommodate one or more keypad buttons.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the antenna comprises:

a resonator; and

a transformer feeder point operatively coupled to the resonator.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising positioning the resonator a predetermined distance away from the transformer feeder point.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the positioning step further comprises embedding the antenna between a face plate of the user interface and a base plate of the user interface, the user interface being a keypad of the wireless communication device.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the user interface is positioned on a first surface of the wireless communication device and the method further comprises positioning the first surface in a first position to permit the antenna to at least substantially face the signal source.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the signal source is one or more global positioning system satellites.

15. A wireless communication device, the wireless communication device comprising:

at least one antenna, the antenna positioned beneath a face of a keypad wherein the antenna receives an enhanced signal when the face of the keypad is exposed towards a signal source;

wherein the antenna includes one or more holes in the antenna to accommodate one or more keypad buttons.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the antenna comprises:

a resonator; and

a transformer feeder point operatively coupled to the resonator, wherein a predetermined amount gap is maintained between the resonator and the transformer feeder point.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein operatively coupled comprises a capactitive coupling between the resonator and the transformer feeder point.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the antenna is substantially triangular in shape.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the antenna is a global positioning system antenna configured to at least receive global positioning system signals.