Card device and mobile communication terminal

• US 8,798,676 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2010
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: Arimura, Shogo
• Primary Examiner(s): Gonzalez, Amancio
• Application Number:
  US12/830,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20110014949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/401, 455/78, 455/82, 455/101, 455/134, 455/135, 455/115.3, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/556.1, 455/557, 375/347, 375/219, 375/267, 375/295, 375/316
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence

Abstract

A card device that is loaded in a mobile communication terminal and is used for wireless communication, includes a transmission and reception circuit that generates a transmission signal to be transmitted in a wireless manner based on transmission data, and processes a received signal that has been received in the wireless manner; a first antenna that is used for signal transmission and reception in the wireless manner; an antenna terminal that is connected with a second antenna that is provided in the outside of the card device; and a switch that connects in a switching manner one of the first antenna and the antenna terminal to the transmission and reception circuit.

Claims

1. A device that is loaded in a mobile communication terminal and is used for wireless communication, comprising:

a first transmission and reception circuit that generates a transmission signal to be transmitted in a wireless manner based on transmission data, and processes a received signal that has been received in the wireless manner, the first transmission and reception circuit being connected to one of a first antenna and a second antenna in a switching manner through a first switch,

wherein the first antenna is used for signal transmission and reception in the wireless manner,

wherein the second antenna is provided to the mobile communication terminal outside of the device, and is connected to a second transmission and reception circuit different from the first transmission and reception circuit for a wireless communication, said second transmission and reception circuit being configured to transmit and receive a signal having a same frequency band as that of a signal that the first transmission and reception circuit transmits and receives, the mobile communication terminal including a second switch being configured to connect the second antenna to one of the first transmission and reception circuit of the device and the second transmission and reception circuit of the mobile communication terminal in a switching manner,

wherein the first switch is controlled so as to select the first antenna during a preamble period of a wireless communication frame and a signal strength of a signal received from the first antenna is stored, and the first switch is subsequently controlled so as to select the second antenna during the preamble period of the wireless communication frame and a signal strength of a signal received from the second antenna is stored,

wherein the device further comprises

a control part that compares the received signal strength of the signal received by using the first antenna and the received signal strength of the signal received by using the second antenna, selects one of the first antenna and the second antenna, which one has a greater received signal strength, and causes the first switch to connect the first antenna to the first transmission and reception circuit when selecting the first antenna, and connect the second antenna to the first transmission and reception circuit when selecting the second antenna, and

wherein the first transmission and reception circuit is configured to transmit a transmission frame from a selected antenna when the transmission frame exists.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

in a condition in which the device is loaded in the mobile communication terminal, the first antenna and the second antenna have a spatial arrangement such that the control part carries out a space diversity method by using the first antenna and the second antenna.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

in a condition in which the device is loaded in the mobile communication terminal, the first antenna and the second antenna have a spatial arrangement such that the control part carries out a polarization diversity method by using the first antenna and the second antenna.

4. A mobile communication terminal, in which a device that is used for wireless communication of transmitting and receiving a signal having a frequency band is loaded, comprising:

a second transmission and reception circuit that generates a transmission signal to be transmitted in a wireless manner based on transmission data, and processes a received signal that has been received in the wireless manner;

a second antenna that is used for transmitting and receiving a signal having the frequency band in the wireless manner; and

a second switch that connects the second antenna to one of a first transmission and reception circuit of the device and the second transmission and reception circuit of the mobile communication terminal in a switching manner, said second transmission and reception circuit being configured to transmit and receive a signal having a same frequency band as that of a signal that the first transmission and reception circuit transmits and receives,

wherein the first transmission and reception circuit is connected to one of a first antenna and the second antenna in a switching manner through a first switch,

wherein the first antenna is used for signal transmission and reception in the wireless manner, wherein the first switch is controlled so as to select the first antenna during a preamble period of a wireless communication frame and a signal strength of a signal received from the first antenna is stored, and the first switch is subsequently controlled so as to select the second antenna during the preamble period of the wireless communication frame and a signal strength of a signal received from the second antenna is stored,

wherein the device includes a control part that compares the received signal strength of the signal received by using the first antenna and the received signal strength of the signal received by using the second antenna, selects one of the first antenna and the second antenna, which one has a greater received signal strength, and causes the first switch to connect the first antenna to the first transmission and reception circuit when selecting the first antenna, and connect the second antenna to the first transmission and reception circuit when selecting the second antenna, and

wherein the first transmission and reception circuit is configured to transmit a transmission frame from a selected antenna when the transmission frame exists.

5. The mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

the second switch carries out a switching operation to connect the second antenna to, in the switching manner, one of the first antenna of the device and the second transmission and reception circuit of the mobile communication terminal, according to a selecting operation carried out by a user.

6. The mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first antenna has a longitudinal direction orthogonal to that of the second antenna so as to achieve a polarization diversity.