PIFA device for providing optimized frequency characteristics in a multi-frequency environment and method for controlling the same

• US 7,385,557 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2005
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Min-Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens; Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Chuc
• Application Number:
  US11/296,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20060181465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/876, 343/846, 343/725, 343/742, 343/770, 343/828, 343/853, 343/895
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 with particular tuning means

Abstract

A Planar Inverted-F Antenna (PIFA) device and a method for controlling the PIFA device that can provide optimized frequency characteristics in a multi-frequency environment. The PIFA device is provided with a plurality of shorting pins located at different distances from a feeding pin and an antenna switch capable of selecting one of the shorting pins, or is provided with an antenna switch capable of moving a shorting pin to a preset position, thereby adjusting a distance between the feeding and shorting points. Antenna frequency characteristics can be optimized according to a frequency band used at the current location, and the antenna frequency characteristics can be optimally maintained in the multi-frequency environment at any time.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing optimized frequency characteristics in a multi-frequency environment in a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a memory for storing frequency characteristic compensation values for optimizing antenna frequency characteristics of the mobile communication terminal on a frequency band basis in the multi-frequency environment;

a Planar Inverted-F Antenna (PIFA) device for varying a distance between feeding and shorting pins; and

a controller adjusting the distance between the feeding and shorting pins based on a frequency characteristic compensation value mapped to a frequency band currently being used in the mobile communication terminal, wherein the frequency characteristic compensation values comprise shorting pin position information set according to distances from the feeding pin on a frequency basis such that the PIFA device can provide optimal frequency characteristics.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the PIFA device comprises:

a plurality of shorting pins located at different positions from the feeding pin; and

an antenna switch for selecting optimal pins from the plurality of shorting pins according to a control operation of the controller.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the frequency characteristic compensation values comprise information indicating optimal pins of the plurality of shorting pins mapped to the frequency characteristic compensation values.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller controls the antenna switch to select an optimal shorting pin from the plurality of shorting pins according to information indicating the plurality of shorting pins.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the antenna switch is any one of a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) switch, a diode switch, and a transistor switch.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the PIFA device comprises:

a movable shorting pin; and

an antenna switch for moving a position of the shorting pin.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller controls the antenna switch to select an optimal pin position from shorting pin position information and move the shorting pin.

8. A method for controlling a Planar Inverted-F Antenna (PIFA) in a mobile communication terminal provided with a PIFA device for varying a distance between feeding and shorting pins, comprising the steps of:

changing a frequency band according to location of the mobile communication terminal;

determining if an operating state of the mobile communication terminal requires frequency characteristic compensation for the PIFA in the changed frequency band;

loading a frequency characteristic compensation value according to a current operating state if the operating state requires the frequency characteristic compensation;

adjusting the distance between the feeding and shorting pins according to the loaded frequency characteristic compensation value;

determining if the operating state of the mobile communication terminal has ended; and

recovering compensated frequency characteristics according to the op crating state of the mobile communication terminal if the operating state of the mobile communication terminal has been ended.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of changing the frequency band comprises the steps of:

receiving location information from a user or base station (BS) and identifying a current location;

loading a frequency band value and shorting plate information according to the received location information;

determining if a frequency band change is required using the received location information; and

adjusting the distance between the feeding and shorting pins to a shortest distance for a frequency band based on the location information if the frequency band change is required.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of determining the operating state comprises the step of:

determining the operating state using information about frequency characteristic compensation values that are stored in a memory of the mobile communication terminal on a frequency band basis.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the information about the frequency characteristic compensation values includes compensation value information for optimizing frequency characteristics of the PIFA in a specific frequency band and information about the distance between the feeding and shorting pins mapped thereto in a specific operating state of the mobile communication terminal.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the PIFA device comprises:

a plurality of shorting pins located at different positions from the feeding pin; and

an antenna switch for selecting optimal pins from the plurality of shorting pins according to a control operation of a controller.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of adjusting the distance comprises the step of:

selecting an optimal shorting pin from information about frequency characteristic compensation values.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the PIFA device comprises:

a movable shorting pin; and

an antenna switch for moving a position of the shorting pin.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of adjusting the distance comprises the step of:

moving the shorting pin to a position based on information about a frequency characteristic compensation value.