Radiation redirecting external case for portable communication device and antenna embedded in battery of portable communication device

• US 8,442,602 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2012
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Penumbra Brands, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pong Research Corporation
• Inventors: Wong, Alfred Y., Moreno, Robert, Shields, Karl Richard, Wang, Rong
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US13/491,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20120309472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.5, 455/575.1, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/422.1, 455/403, 455/445, 455/67.11, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/90.3, 343/702, 343/718, 343/720, 343/782, 320/114, 320/110
• US Class Current: 455/575.5
• 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 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/14 Reflecting surfaces; Equivalent structures electromagnetic shields H01Q1/526
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/371 Branching current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0056 specially adapted for microwave applications

Abstract

An antenna or set of antennae for a wireless device is provided by embedding the antennae into the battery case or generally the surface area of a wireless phone. The antenna connections are through the battery'"'"'s connections to the wireless device. The antenna can be located at the back surface of the battery or the rear surface of a wireless phone, facing away from the user. An RF shielding device can be embedded into the battery and configured in relation to the antenna such that the RF field intensity and the consequent specific absorption rate for the user is lowered while the outgoing signals of the wireless device remain fully adequate for the function of the wireless device. This feature is preserved for a multi-band operation because a digital phase shifter is used between two radiating antennae. An external case is used as a complement to the wireless phone.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an external case configured to be coupled to a wireless device having a case separate from the external case,

the external case including an antenna that couples to radiation from an internal antenna of the wireless device when the external case is coupled to the wireless device and the wireless device is operational, the antenna configured to redirect radiation away from a user of the wireless device when the external case is coupled to the wireless device and when the wireless device is operational.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna is configured to redirect radiation away from the user of the wireless device such that a specific absorption rate (SAR) of the wireless device is reduced without substantially adversely affecting a total radiation power (TRP) of the wireless device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna has a plurality of parasitic elements, the plurality of parasitic elements being operatively coupled to the internal antenna of the wireless device when the external case is physically coupled to the wireless device and when the wireless device is operational.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna is a passive antenna array that includes at least one of (1) loops, (2) Yagi elements, (3) planar antennas, or (4) strip antennas.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is disposed between the external case and the user of the wireless device when the external case is coupled to the wireless device and when the wireless device is operational.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna includes a plurality of elements that collectively define a directionality of the antenna, the antenna configured to redirect radiation away from the user of the wireless device based on the directionality of the antenna.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

an external case configured to be disposed with a wireless device, the external case having an antenna,

the antenna that couples to radiation from an internal antenna of the wireless device such that a specific absorption rate (SAR) of the wireless device is reduced without substantially adversely affecting a total radiation power (TRP) of the wireless device, when the external case is coupled to the wireless device and when the wireless device is operational.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the antenna operatively coupled to the internal antenna of the wireless device such that radiation emitted from the internal antenna is redirected away from a user of the wireless device, when the external case is coupled to the wireless device and when the wireless device is operational.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the antenna has a plurality of parasitic elements, the plurality of parasitic elements being operatively coupled to the internal antenna of the wireless device when the external case is physically coupled to the wireless device and when the wireless device is operational.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the antenna is a passive antenna array that includes at least one of (1) loops, (2) Yagi elements, (3) planar antennas, or (4) strip antennas.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wireless device is disposed between the external case and the user of the wireless device when the external case is coupled to the wireless device and when the wireless device is operational.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the antenna includes a plurality of elements that collectively define a directionality of the antenna, the antenna operatively coupled to the internal antenna of the wireless device such that radiation emitted from the internal antenna is redirected away from a user of the wireless device based on the directionality of the antenna.

13. A method comprising:

passively coupling radiation, from an internal antenna of a wireless device having a case, at an external case when the external case is coupled to the wireless device and when the wireless device is operational, the external case being separate from the case of the wireless device; and

redirecting the radiation away from a user of the wireless device when the external case is coupled to the wireless device and when the wireless device is operational.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the redirecting includes redirecting the radiation such that a specific absorption rate (SAR) of the wireless device is reduced without substantially adversely affecting a total radiation power (TRP) of the wireless device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the redirecting includes:

reducing a specific absorption rate (SAR) of the wireless device; and

substantially maintaining a total radiation power (TRP) of the wireless device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the external case includes an antenna array, the antenna array being operatively coupled to the internal antenna of the wireless device when the external case is physically coupled to the wireless device and when the wireless device is operational.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the external case includes an antenna having a plurality of parasitic elements,

the passively coupling radiation including passively coupling radiation at the plurality of parasitic elements that are operatively coupled to the internal antenna of the wireless device when the external case is physically coupled to the wireless device and when the wireless device is operational.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the external case includes a passive antenna array that includes at least one of (1) loops, (2) Yagi elements, (3) planar antennas or (4) strip antennas,

the passively coupling radiation including passively coupling radiation at the passive antenna array that is operatively coupled to the internal antenna of the wireless device when the external case is physically coupled to the wireless device and when the wireless device is operational.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the wireless device is disposed between the external case and the user of the wireless device when the external case is coupled to the wireless device and when the wireless device is operational.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the external case includes an antenna having a plurality of elements that collectively define a directionality of the antenna,

the passively coupling radiation including passively coupling radiation at the antenna that is operatively coupled to the internal antenna of the wireless device when the external case is physically coupled to the wireless device and when the wireless device is operational,

the redirecting including redirecting radiation away from the user of the wireless device based on the directionality of the antenna.