Mobile wireless communications device providing pattern/frequency control features and related methods

• US 8,023,992 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2011
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Qi, Yihong, Jarmuszewski, Perry, Man, Ying Tong
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jain; Ankur
• Application Number:
  US12/984,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20110096763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/12 Frequency diversity

Abstract

A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, a wireless transceiver carried by the portable housing, and a plurality of antennas also carried by the portable housing. Each antenna may have a different gain pattern at a different respective operating frequency, and the antennas may have different shapes to define different gain patterns at a given operating frequency. The mobile wireless communications device may further include a frequency/pattern diversity controller for controlling the wireless transceiver to preferentially operate with the plurality of antennas.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a portable housing;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver carried by said portable housing;

a plurality of antennas carried by said portable housing, each antenna for transmitting signals at different respective operating frequencies and having a respective different gain pattern including a maximum gain along a boresight at a respective different operating frequency, the boresight for each of said plurality of antennas being aligned in a common direction; and

a controller cooperating with said WLAN transceiver to preferentially weight received signals from each of said plurality of antennas and to operate said plurality of antennas based upon the preferentially weighted received signals, wherein said controller cooperates with said WLAN transceiver to preferentially switch said plurality of antennas on and off for transmitting signals based upon a given operating frequency.

2. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said controller cooperates with said WLAN transceiver to preferentially switch at least one antenna on and at least one antenna off for transmitting signals.

3. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein the different gain patterns comprise different gain patterns for different polarizations.

4. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of antennas is carried within said portable housing.

5. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 further comprising a circuit board carried by said portable housing and carrying said WLAN transceiver.

6. A mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a portable housing;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver carried by said portable housing;

a plurality of antennas carried by said portable housing, each antenna for transmitting signals at different respective operating frequencies and having a respective different gain pattern including a maximum gain along a boresight at a respective different operating frequency, the boresight for each of said plurality of antennas being aligned in a common direction; and

a controller cooperating with said WLAN transceiver to preferentially weight received signals from each of said plurality of antennas based upon at least one of noise and signal strength and to operate said plurality of antennas based upon the preferentially weighted received signals, wherein said controller cooperates with said WLAN transceiver to preferentially switch said plurality of antennas on and off for transmitting signals based upon a given operating frequency.

7. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 6 wherein said controller cooperates with said WLAN transceiver to preferentially switch at least one antenna on and at least one antenna off for transmitting signals.

8. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 6 wherein the different gain patterns comprise different gain patterns for different polarizations.

9. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 6 wherein at least one of said plurality of antennas is carried within said portable housing.

10. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 6 further comprising a circuit board carried by said portable housing and carrying said WLAN transceiver.

11. A method of operating a mobile wireless communications device comprising a portable housing, a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver carried by the portable housing, and a plurality of antennas carried by the portable housing, each antenna for transmitting signals at different respective operating frequencies and having a respective different gain pattern including a maximum gain along a boresight at a respective different operating frequency, the boresight for each of the plurality of antennas being aligned in a common direction, the method comprising:

using a controller cooperating with the WLAN transceiver to preferentially weight received signals from each of the plurality of antennas and to operate the plurality of antennas based upon the preferentially weighted received signals and to preferentially switch the plurality of antennas on and off for transmitting signals based upon a given operating frequency.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising using the controller to preferentially switch at least one antenna on and at least one antenna off for transmitting signals.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the different gain patterns comprise different gain patterns for different polarizations.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of the plurality of antennas is carried within the portable housing.