Radio communication apparatus

• US 7,389,127 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2002
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Nomiyama, Yasuhiko, Miyazaki, Hideto
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAO, MINH D
• Application Number:
  US10/472,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20040104855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,322 Days
• Field of Search: 455/562.1, 455/97, 455/25, 455/3.06, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.9
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• 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 3/02 using mechanical movement of antenna or antenna system as a whole

Abstract

Short-distance radio communication equipment having a Bluetooth communication feature can maintain a stable reception status by automatically adjusting the reception status of an antenna when the reception status thereof deteriorates.

Claims

1. Radio communication equipment comprising:

a panel provided with an antenna and tiltably mounted on a main body of radio communication equipment;

a reception status determining means for determining a received level of a signal received through radio communications; and

a tilting angle adjusting device for, when the received signal level determined by said reception status determining means is equal to or less than a predetermined value, automatically adjusting a tilting angle of said panel so that the received signal level is increased.

2. The radio communication equipment according to claim 1, wherein said panel is provided with a plurality of antennas having different directivities.

3. The radio communication equipment according to claim 1, wherein the reception status determining device determines the received level of a signal in the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) bands, the ISM signal being received through said radio communications.

4. The radio communication equipment according to claim 3, wherein said radio communication equipment is configured to conduct the radio communications using Bluetooth communication functions.

5. Radio communication equipment comprising:

an antenna disposed in a main body of radio communication equipment;

a panel tiltably mounted on said main body of radio communication equipment so as to cover said antenna;

a reception stats determining device for determining a received level of a signal received by said antenna; and

an adjusting device for, when the received signal level determined by said reception status determining device is equal to or less than a predetermined value, automatically opening said panel so that a front side of said antenna can be viewed from outside said main body of radio communication equipment.

6. The radio communication equipment according to claim 5, wherein said equipment further includes an external antenna, and a display for, when the received signal level determined by said reception status determining device is equal to or less than a predetermined value, opening said panel so that a front side of said internal antenna can be viewed from outside said main body, and for, when said reception status determining device determines that the received signal level is still equal to or less than the predetermined value after further radio communications are carried out, generating a display screen that urges use of said external antenna.

7. The radio communication equipment according to claim 6, wherein said equipment includes a connector disposed in part of said main body of said radio communication equipment, which is not covered by said panel, for connecting with said external antenna.

8. The radio communication equipment according to claim 6, wherein said equipment includes a stretchable antenna disposed in part of said main body of said radio communication equipment, which is not covered by said panel.

9. The radio communication equipment according to claim 5, wherein the reception status determining device determines the received level of a signal in the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) bands, the ISM signal being received through said radio communications.

10. The radio communication equipment according to claim 9, wherein said radio communication equipment is configured to conduct the radio communications using Bluetooth communication functions.