Electronic apparatus and wireless communication terminal

• US 7,454,229 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2005
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hai V
• Application Number:
  US10/591,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20070184874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 455/553.1
• US Class Current: 455/553.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3827 Portable transceivers

Abstract

In an electronic apparatus which is equipped with a first transmission unit for performing a first communication by an electromagnetic wave; a second transmission unit for performing a second communication by an electromagnetic wave; and a reception unit for receiving a signal transmitted from the second transmission unit, the electronic apparatus is comprised of an antenna arranged by a radiator having a size which is smaller than 1/(2π) of a wavelength of a use electromagnetic wave, which is connected to at least the second transmission unit and the reception unit.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a first transmission unit that performs a first communication by a first electromagnetic wave;

a second transmission unit that performs a second communication by a second electromagnetic wave;

a reception unit that receives said second electromagnetic wave from said second transmission unit; and

an antenna including a radiator that defines a sphere, where the diameter of the sphere is smaller than 1/(2π

) of a wavelength of said second electromagnetic wave.

2. An electronic apparatus, as claimed in claim 1 wherein said antenna further comprises a reactance element that cancels a reactance component of said radiator.

3. An electronic apparatus, as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said first transmission unit, said second transmission unit, or either a partial circuit or all circuits of said reception unit are constructed on a semiconductor integrated circuit; and

either a portion or all of reactance components of the radiator are canceled by both a reactance component of a wiring line on said semiconductor integrated circuit, and a reactance component of a wiring line between said semiconductor integrated circuit and the radiator.

4. An electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said radiator has a line shape.

5. An electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said radiator comprises a printed pattern on a printed circuit board.

6. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a first transmission unit that performs a first communication by a first electromagnetic wave;

a second transmission unit that performs a second communication by a second electromagnetic wave;

a reception unit that receives said second electromagnetic wave;

an antenna including a radiator that defines a sphere, where the diameter of the sphere is smaller than 1/(2π

) of a wavelength of said second electromagnetic wave;

an evaluation unit that evaluates a reception condition of said reception unit;

a control unit that controls a frequency of said second electromagnetic wave; and

a feedback unit that feeds back an evaluation result made by said evaluation unit to said control unit.

7. A wireless communication terminal comprising:

a first housing unit;

a second housing unit;

a coupling unit that couples said first housing unit to said second housing unit in such a manner that a positional relationship between said first housing unit and said second housing unit is changeable;

an external wireless communication-purpose antenna mounted on either said first housing unit or said second housing unit;

an external wireless communication control unit mounted on said first housing unit, that controls an external wireless communication performed via said external wireless communication-purpose antenna;

a display unit mounted on said second housing unit;

a first internal wireless communication control unit mounted on said first housing unit, that controls an internal wireless communication executed between said first housing unit and said second housing unit;

a second internal wireless communication control unit mounted on said second housing unit, that controls an internal wireless communication executed between said first housing unit and said second housing unit;

a first internal wireless communication-purpose antenna mounted on said first housing unit, that includes a radiator defining a first sphere, where the diameter of the first sphere is smaller than 1/(2π

) of a wavelength of an electromagnetic wave used in said internal wireless communication;

a second internal wireless communication-purpose antenna mounted on said second housing unit, that includes a radiator defining a second sphere, where the diameter of the second sphere is smaller than 1/(2π

) of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave used in said internal wireless communication; and

an internal wireless timing control unit that controls transmission timing of the electromagnetic wave used in said internal wireless communication based upon transmission timing of an electromagnetic wave transmitted via said external wireless communication-purpose antenna.