Communication apparatus and portable telephone

• US 7,539,510 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2001
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okayama, Katsumi, Kanayama, Yoshiki, Ito, Hiroki, Toyoda, Junichi, Iwashita, Sakan
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US09/876,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20010053673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,910 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90, 455/575.7, 455/90.2, 455/90.1, 455/550.1, 455/562.1, 455/575.1, 455/90.3, 455/272, 343/702, 343/895, 343/718, 343/899, 343/906, 343/841, 361/692, 342/1, 342/3, 368/10, 174/391, 174/384
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/245 with means for shaping the antenna pattern, e.g. in order to protect user against rf exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/52 Means for reducing coupling between antennas; Means for reducing coupling between an antenna and another structure absorbing means H01Q17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 17/00 Devices for absorbing waves radiated from an antenna; Combinations of such devices with active antenna elements or systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3838 Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use

Abstract

A portable telephone having an antenna for transmitting and/or receiving a wireless signal, a microphone for generating a sound signal corresponding to an input sound, a transmitting and receiving circuit for generating a wireless signal corresponding to the sound signal generated by the microphone to transmit the wireless signal through the antenna and generating a sound signal corresponding to the wireless signal received by the antenna, a receiver for outputting sound corresponding to the sound signal generated by the transmitting and receiving circuit, a shield case for surrounding and housing all or part of the transmitting and receiving circuit and being conductive, an electric wave absorber with one face in contact with a predetermined area of the shield case for absorbing an electric wave, and a conductive layer formed on another face of the electric wave absorber and electrically connected to the shield case.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

an antenna for transmitting and/or receiving a wireless signal, a signal processing circuit for processing a signal corresponding to a wireless signal received by the antenna, a conductive case surrounding and housing all or part of the signal processing circuit, an electro-magnetic wave absorber permanently affixed with one surface adjacent a predetermined area of the conductive case for absorbing electro-magnetic waves emitted from the conductive case in a direction of a user and thereby reducing electro-magnetic waves reaching the user of the communication apparatus, a conductive member provided at another surface of the electro-magnetic wave absorber and being electrically connected to the conductive case, and further wherein the electro-magnetic wave absorber is physically located between a speaker of the communication apparatus and the conductive case, the conductive member being located closest to the speaker further comprising an outer housing separate from said conductive case, which surrounds and confines said conductive case, said electro-magnetic wave absorber, a microphone, said signal processing circuit, and said conductive member; and

wherein said electro-magnetic wave absorber is permanently secured to a fixed position at a side of the conductive case.

2. A communication apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said electro-magnetic wave absorber and said conductive member are arranged between said conductive case and a head of a user of the communication apparatus.

16. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conductive member is electrically connected to a ground layer of the signal processing circuit.

18. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein said antenna is provided substantially outside of said outer housing, and a feeder is formed within the outer housing for connecting said antenna and said signal processing circuit.

19. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein said conductive case surrounds substantially the entire signal processing circuit.

22. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electro-magnetic wave absorber includes a magnetic loss material.

3. A portable telephone comprising:

an antenna for transmitting and/or receiving a wireless signal;

a microphone for generating a sound signal corresponding to an input sound;

a circuit for generating a wireless signal corresponding to said sound signal generated by said microphone;

a conductive shield case surrounding and housing all or part of said circuit;

an electro-magnetic wave absorber permanently affixed with one surface in contact with a predetermined area of the conductive shield case for absorbing electro-magnetic waves emitted from the conductive shield case in a direction of a user and thereby reducing the amount of electro-magnetic waves reaching the user of said telephone device; and

a conductive member provided at another surface of the electro-magnetic wave absorber and being electrically connected to the conductive shield case, and further wherein the electro-magnetic wave absorber is physically located between a speaker of the portable telephone and the conductive shield case, the conductive member being located closest to the speaker and further comprising an outer housing separate from said conductive shield case, which surrounds and confines said conductive shield case, said electro-magnetic wave absorber, said microphone, said circuit, and said conductive member; and

wherein said electro-magnetic wave absorber is permanently secured to a fixed position at a side of the conductive shield case.

4. A portable telephone as set forth in claim 3, wherein

said circuit comprises:

a transmitting circuit for generating a wireless signal corresponding to a sound signal from the microphone,

a receiving circuit for generating a sound signal in response to a wireless signal received by the antenna and outputting the sound signal, and

a printed circuit board containing the transmitting circuit and the receiving circuit, and wherein

the shield case surrounds and houses the transmitting and receiving circuits and the printed circuit board to prevent electromagnetic interference between the transmitting and receiving circuits and the antenna.

5. A portable telephone as set forth in claim 3, wherein said electro-magnetic wave absorber is arranged at an area at a surface of said shield case close to a head of a user of the portable telephone at the time of a call.

6. A portable telephone as set forth in claim 3, wherein said electro-magnetic wave absorber is closely bonded to an area at a surface of said shield case close to a head of a user of the portable telephone at the time of a call.

7. A portable telephone as set forth in claim 3, wherein said conductive member and said shield case are connected by a metal wiring.

8. A portable telephone as set forth in claim 3, wherein

the conductive member comprises a metal plate fixed to the shield case and

the electro-magnetic wave absorber is formed by inserting a member between the surface of the shield case and the metal plate.

9. A portable telephone as set forth in claim 3, wherein said electro-magnetic wave absorber includes a magnetic loss material.

10. A portable telephone as set forth in claim 9, wherein said electromagnetic wave absorber is made in a desired shape from a mixture of said magnetic loss material and a synthetic resin.

11. A portable telephone as set forth in claim 4, further comprising

a switching circuit and a feeder on the printed circuit board for supplying the wireless signal from the transmitting circuit to the antenna and supplying the wireless signal from the antenna to the receiving circuit and

said feeder used for connecting the switching circuit and the antenna, and

the electro-magnetic wave absorber is closely bonded to a portion of the shield case located between the feeder and the receiving circuit.

12. A portable telephone as set forth in claim 3, wherein

said shield case is made of an insulating material and has a conductive layer formed on its surface and

said conductive layer is connected to a layer of a ground level voltage of said printed circuit board.

13. A portable telephone as set forth in claim 4, wherein said shield case is made of a conductive material and is connected to a layer of a ground level voltage of said printed circuit board.

14. A portable telephone as set forth in claim 4, further comprising an outer housing made of an insulating material for housing said transmitting and receiving circuit, said shield case, said electro-magnetic wave absorber, and said microphone, wherein

said receiving circuit is arranged in the vicinity of one end of said housing,

said microphone is arranged in the vicinity of another end of said housing, and

said antenna is a retractable antenna able to extend from said one end in the longitudinal direction of said housing.

15. A portable telephone as set forth in claim 14, further comprising

a switching circuit on said printed circuit board for supplying said wireless signal from said transmitting circuit to said antenna, and for supplying said wireless signal from said antenna to said receiving circuit and

a feeder for connecting said switching circuit and said antenna, wherein

said electro-magnetic wave absorber is closely bonded at the portion of said shield case located between said receiving circuit and said feeder.

17. The portable telephone of claim 3, wherein the conductive member is electrically connected to a ground layer of the circuit.

20. The portable telephone of claim 3, wherein said antenna is provided substantially outside of said outer housing, and a feeder is formed within the outer housing for connecting said antenna and said circuit.

21. The portable telephone of claim 3, wherein said conductive case surrounds substantially the entire signal processing circuit.