Radio card having independent antenna interface supporting antenna diversity

• US 7,469,150 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Issued: 12/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mahany, Ronald L., West, Guy J., Kinney, Patrick W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/006,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20050119029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/575.1, 455/90.2, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/559, 455/550.1, 455/344, 455347-349, 455/899, 455/235
• US Class Current: 455/558
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• 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 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1098 the scanning arrangement having a modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2275 associated to expansion card or bus, e.g. in PCMCIA, PC cards, Wireless USB
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A radio card, such as a PCMCIA card, received by an electronic device has a first interface coupling radio circuitry within the radio card to the electronic device. The radio card also has a second interface, independent of the first interface, that couples with an antenna disposed within the electronic device upon receipt of the radio card by the electronic device. The second interface may comprise a plurality of antenna contacts located along tracks of the electronic device used to aid reception of the radio card. A second and possibly external antenna may also automatically couple with the second interface upon insertion. By selective placement of the antenna contacts on the radio card, a specific one of the antennas may be selected. Otherwise, internal switching circuitry supports antenna diversity or simultaneous use of a plurality of antennas.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a removable radio card comprising a first interface, a second interface and a radio circuit, the radio circuit being operatively coupled to the first interface and to the second interface;

a device housing comprising a track and a third interface, the track being configured to receive the removable radio card; and

a first antenna operatively coupled to the device housing,

wherein, when the track receives the removable radio card, the first interface is operatively coupled to the third interface, and

wherein, when the track receives the removable radio card, the radio circuit is operatively coupled to the third interface and to the first antenna.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device housing comprises a fourth interface that is operatively coupled to the first antenna.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein, when the track receives the removable radio card, the fourth interface is operatively coupled to the second interface.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein, when the track receives the removable radio card, the radio circuit is operatively coupled to the first antenna via the fourth interface and the second interface.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first interface is independent of the second interface.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna comprises a plurality of antennas.

7. The device according to claim 1, comprising a second antenna operatively coupled to the device housing.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein, when the track receives the removable radio card, the radio circuit is operatively coupled to the second antenna.

9. The device according to claim 1,

wherein the device housing comprises a fourth interface, and

wherein the second antenna is operatively coupled to the fourth interface.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein, when the track receives the removable radio card, the radio circuit is operatively coupled to the second antenna via the fourth interface.

11. The device according to claim 9,

wherein the removable radio card comprises a fifth interface that is operatively coupled to the radio circuit, and

wherein, when the track receives the removable radio card, the fifth interface is operatively coupled to the fourth interface.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein, when the track receives the removable radio card, the radio circuit is operatively coupled to the second antenna via the fourth interface and the fifth interface.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein the fifth interface comprises at least one contact.

14. The device according to claim 11, wherein the fifth interface comprises a plurality of contacts that are disposed at different locations on the removable radio card.

15. A device, comprising:

a removable radio card comprising a first interface, a second interface and a radio circuit, the radio circuit being operatively coupled to the first interface and to the second interface;

a device housing comprising a third interface, the device housing being configured to receive the removable radio card; and

a first antenna operatively coupled to the device housing,

wherein, when the device housing receives the removable radio card, the first interface is operatively coupled to the third interface, and

wherein, when the device housing receives the removable radio card, the radio circuit is operatively coupled to the third interface and to the first antenna.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the device housing comprises a fourth interface that is operatively coupled to the first antenna.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein, when the device housing receives the removable radio card, the fourth interface is operatively coupled to the second interface.

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein, when the device housing receives the removable radio card, the radio circuit is operatively coupled to the first antenna via the fourth interface and the second interface.

19. The device according to claim 15, wherein the first interface is independent of the second interface.

20. The device according to claim 15, wherein the first antenna comprises a plurality of antennas.

21. The device according to claim 15, comprising a second antenna operatively coupled to the device housing.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein, when the device housing receives the removable radio card, the radio circuit is operatively coupled to the second antenna.

23. The device according to claim 15,

wherein the device housing comprises a fourth interface, and

wherein the second antenna is operatively coupled to the fourth interface.

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein, when the device housing receives the removable radio card, the radio circuit is operatively coupled to the second antenna via the fourth interface.

25. The device according to claim 23,

wherein the removable radio card comprises a fifth interface that is operatively coupled to the radio circuit, and

wherein, when the device housing receives the removable radio card, the fifth interface is operatively coupled to the fourth interface.

26. The device according to claim 25, wherein, when the device housing receives the removable radio card, the radio circuit is operatively coupled to the second antenna via the fourth interface and the fifth interface.

27. The device according to claim 25, wherein the fifth interface comprises at least one contact.

28. The device according to claim 25, wherein the fifth interface comprises a plurality of contacts that are disposed at different locations on the removable radio card.