Method of controlling a plurality of internal antennas in a mobile communication device

• US 8,320,859 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2009
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Kezys, Vytautas Robertas, Qi, Yihong
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US12/604,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20100041345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 455/140, 455/575.7, 455/277.1, 455/101, 455/106, 455132-135, 455/575.1, 455/575.5, 343/700.R
• US Class Current: 455/140
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• 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 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 Antenna selection according to transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0615 of weighted versions of same signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0808 comparing all antennas before reception
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0814 based on current reception conditions, e.g. switching to different antenna when signal level is below threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0848 Joint weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

In one embodiment, a mobile communication device comprises a plurality of antennas, the antennas operable in at least one frequency band, is operable to automatically optimize the best antenna or antenna combination in reaction to the mobile communication device'"'"'s immediate environment. The antennas are disposed substantially coplanar and have varying degrees of polarity. The mobile communication device further comprises logic structure for determining which of the antennas are optimal for operation of the mobile communication device and logic structure for selecting the optimal antenna for operation of the mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a plurality of antennas operable in at least one frequency band, the antennas disposed substantially coplanar having varying degrees of polarity;

a logic structure for determining which of the antennas are optimal for operation of the mobile communication device;

a logic structure for selecting one or more of the antennas for optimal operation of the mobile communication device; and

a logic structure for applying a signal transformation technique for manipulation of signals received from a network node through the selected one or more antennas to generate a resultant signal, the network node operable within a wireless communication network.

2. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of antennas includes at least a first antenna having a first polarity and a second antenna disposed adjacent to the first antenna and having a second polarity substantially orthogonal to the first polarity.

3. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 further comprising at least two sensors operable to detect obstruction of the first and second antennas wherein each sensor is associated with one of the first and second antennas.

4. The mobile communication device according to claim 3 wherein the logic structure for applying a signal transformation technique is operable to manipulate signals received through the first and second antennas to generate a resultant signal based on input received from at least one sensor.

5. The mobile communication device according to claim 3 wherein the logic structure for applying a signal transformation technique is operable to manipulate outgoing signals transmitted by the first and second antennas to generate a resultant outgoing signal based on input received from at least one sensor.

6. A method of operating a mobile communications device comprising:

receiving a first signal from a network node via a first antenna disposed on a plane, the network node operable within a wireless communication network;

receiving a second signal from the network node via a second antenna disposed substantially coplanar with the first antenna wherein the first and second antenna have varying degrees of polarity; and

generating a resultant signal from the first received signal and second received signal using a signal transformation technique operable to manipulate the first and second received signals.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first antenna has a first polarity and the second antenna has a second polarity which is substantially orthogonal to the first polarity.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the signal transformation technique is operable to vary the content of the resultant signal according to input received from at least one sensor.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the signal transformation technique is operable to vary the content of the resultant signal according to input received from at least two sensors, and wherein each sensor is associated with one of the first and second antennas.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the signal transformation technique is operable to attenuate at least one of the first and second signals.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the signal transformation technique is operable to amplify at least one of the first and second signals.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein the signal transformation technique is operable to generate the resultant signal from only one of the first and second received signals.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein the resultant signal is identical to one of the first and second signals.

14. A method of operating a mobile communications device having a plurality of coplanar antennas having varying degrees of polarity, the method comprising:

generating, from a raw outgoing signal, first and second transformed outgoing signals for a first and second antenna according to a signal transformation technique responsive to at least a condition associated with the first and second antennas; and

transmitting the first and second transformed outgoing signals via the first and second antennas.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first antenna has a first polarity and the second antenna has a second polarity substantially orthogonal to the first polarity.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the signal transformation technique is operable to vary the content of the first and second transformed outgoing signals according to input received from at least one sensor.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the signal transformation technique is operable to vary the content of the first and second transformed outgoing signals according to input received from at least two sensors, and wherein each sensor is associated with one of the first and second antennas.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the sensor is operable to determine whether an antenna is obstructed.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the first transformed outgoing signal is identical to the raw outgoing signal.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the second transformed outgoing signal is identical to the raw outgoing signal.