Radiation redirecting elements for portable communication device

• US 8,750,948 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• 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:
  US13/894,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20130252677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 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:

a wireless communication device having a body, an antenna, a first coupling element and a second coupling element,

the antenna, the first coupling element and the second coupling element being disposed within an interior of the body,

the first coupling element redirecting radiation from the antenna to the second coupling element when the wireless communication device is operational, the second coupling element redirecting radiation away from a user of the wireless communication device when the wireless communication device is operational,

an amplitude of the radiation from the antenna at a first time is greater than an amplitude of the radiation from the antenna at a second time after the first time,

the wireless communication device configured to reduce the amplitude of the radiation at the first time to the amplitude of the radiation at the second time in response to a signal from a base station.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first coupling element redirects radiation and the second coupling element redirects radiation when the wireless device is operational such that a specific absorption rate (SAR) of the wireless communication device is reduced without substantially adversely affecting a total radiation power (TRP) of the wireless communication device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first coupling element is disposed over at least a portion of the antenna, the second coupling element is not disposed over the antenna.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a distance between the first coupling element and the antenna differs from a distance between the second coupling element and the antenna.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first coupling element and the second coupling element are disposed within a plane, the first coupling element and the second coupling element collectively defining a gap between the first coupling element and the second coupling element.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first coupling element and the second coupling element each is at least one of (1) a loop, (2) a Yagi element, (3) a patch, or (4) a strip.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device has an amplifier circuit operationally coupled to the first coupling element and the second coupling element, the amplifier circuit configured to amplify the radiation from the first coupling element before the radiation is received by the second coupling element.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless communication device having a body, an antenna, a first coupling element and a second coupling element,

the antenna, the first coupling element and the second coupling element being disposed within an interior of the body,

the first coupling element redirecting radiation from the antenna to the second coupling element when the wireless communication device is operational such that a specific absorption rate (SAR) of the wireless communication device is reduced without substantially adversely affecting a total radiation power (TRP) of the wireless communication device,

an amplitude of the radiation from the antenna at a first time is greater than an amplitude of the radiation from the antenna at a second time after the first time,

the wireless communication device configured to reduce the amplitude of the radiation at the first time to the amplitude of the radiation at the second time in response to a signal from a base station.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the antenna is disposed between a user of the wireless communication device and the first coupling element when the wireless communication device is operational and disposed by a head of the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the first coupling element is disposed over at least a portion of the antenna, the second coupling element is not disposed over the antenna.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the wireless communication device has an amplifier circuit operationally coupled to the first coupling element and the second coupling element, the amplifier circuit configured to amplify the radiation from the first coupling element before the radiation is received by the second coupling element.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless communication device having an antenna, a first coupling element, a second coupling element and an amplifier circuit,

the first coupling element redirecting radiation from the antenna to the second coupling element when the wireless communication device is operational, the amplifier circuit amplifying the radiation before the radiation is received by the second coupling element when the wireless communication device is operational, the second coupling element redirecting radiation away from a user of the wireless communication device when the wireless communication device is operational,

an amplitude of the radiation from the antenna at a first time is greater than an amplitude of the radiation from the antenna at a second time after the first time,

the wireless communication device configured to reduce the amplitude of the radiation at the first time to the amplitude of the radiation at the second time in response to a signal from a base station.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first coupling element redirects radiation, the amplifier circuit amplifies the radiation and the second coupling element redirects radiation when the wireless device is operational such that a specific absorption rate (SAR) of the wireless communication device is reduced without substantially adversely affecting a total radiation power (TRP) of the wireless communication device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the first coupling element is disposed over at least a portion of the antenna, the second coupling element is not disposed over the antenna.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first coupling element and the second coupling element each is at least one of (1) a loop, (2) a Yagi element, (3) a patch, or (4) a strip.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

an amplitude of the radiation from the second coupling element at the second time being substantially similar to an amplitude of the radiation from the second coupling element at the first time is the amplifier circuit was not operational.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

a specific absorption rate (SAR) of the wireless communication device at the second time is less than a SAR of the wireless communication device at the first time.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

a specific absorption rate (SAR) of the wireless communication device at the second time is less than a SAR of the wireless communication device at the first time without substantially adversely affecting a total radiation power (TRP) of the wireless communication device at the first time and a TRP of the wireless communication device at the second time.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the wireless communication device includes a body, the antenna being disposed within an interior of the body.