Foldable/slideable apparatus for radio communication with backspace for an antenna

• US 8,525,735 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kilpi, Pekka
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hu, Jennifer F
• Application Number:
  US12/599,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20100302107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,311 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 4555753- 7
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An apparatus for radio communication comprising an antenna element and first and second parts, wherein the apparatus is arranged such that the first and second parts are movable with respect to one another between first and second configurations, and wherein movement of the apparatus from the first configuration into the second configuration provides a backspace which can be used as a backspace for the antenna element.

Claims

1. An apparatus for radio communication comprising an antenna element and first and second parts, wherein the apparatus is configured such that the first and second parts are movable with respect to one another between first and second configurations, and wherein the apparatus is configured such that movement of the apparatus from the first configuration into the second configuration provides respective first and second backspaces for the antenna element which can be each be used to provide respective first and second operational bandwidths for the antenna element, and wherein the apparatus is configured such that movement of the apparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration moves a cavity present in the first configuration over the antenna element in the second configuration, the cavity providing second backspace for the antenna element.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured such that the antenna element is usable in the first operational bandwidth in the first configuration and in the second operational bandwidth in the second configuration, the second operational bandwidth being higher than the first bandwidth, the antenna element usable in the second higher operational bandwidth by virtue of the cavity provided to the antenna element.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first bandwidth provides one of reception/transmission of signalling over an air interface, and the second bandwidth provides transmission and reception of signalling over the air interface.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured such that the first and second parts are configured to be moveable with respect to one another by at least one of sliding movement and rotatable movement with respect to one another.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured such that the cavity has a first size in the first configuration and a second, larger size in the second configuration.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured such that the cavity is substantially free of metal and/or plastics.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured such that the cavity is defined and revealed within the apparatus.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna element is configured to be biased into or out of the cavity with movement of the apparatus between the first and second configurations.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna element is configured to have a first retracted position associated with the first configuration, and a second extended position with the second configuration, and wherein the antenna element is biased from the first retracted position towards and into the cavity in the second extended position.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the antenna element is fixed on the first or second part to be movable with the movement of the first or second part.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the antenna element is fixed on the first part and antenna element processing circuitry is comprised on the second part, and wherein the apparatus comprises one or more connection elements to allow the antenna element and the antenna element processing circuitry to remain connected during movement of the first and second parts.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second parts are user-removable housings for the apparatus and the antenna element is comprised on one of the user-removable first and second parts.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna element is a diversity antenna element and is supplemental to an additional antenna element such that, when the apparatus is in the second configuration, the diversity antenna element has a sufficient second backspace to be efficiently useable in the second configuration, and when the apparatus is in the first configuration, the diversity antenna element is not efficiently useable.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 being a radio telecommunications device.

15. A method of operating an apparatus for radio communication, the apparatus comprising an antenna element and first and second parts, wherein the apparatus is configured such that the first and second parts are movable with respect to one another between first and second configurations, the method comprising moving the apparatus from the first configuration into the second configuration to provide first and second backspaces for the antenna element which can be each be used to provide respective first and second operational bandwidths for the antenna element, and wherein the apparatus is configured such that movement of the apparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration moves a cavity present in the first configuration over the antenna element in the second configuration cavity providing the second backspace for the antenna element.

16. An apparatus for radio communication comprising one or more antenna elements and first and second parts, wherein the apparatus is configured such that the first and second parts are movable with respect to one another between first and second configurations, and wherein the apparatus is configured such that movement of the apparatus from the first configuration into the second configuration provides respective first and second backspaces for the antenna element which can be each be used to provide respective first and second operational bandwidths for the one or more antenna elements, and wherein the apparatus is configured such that movement of the apparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration moves a cavity present in the first configuration over the one or more antenna elements in the second configuration, the cavity providing the second backspace for the one or more antenna elements.