Mobile wireless communications device with RF immune charging contacts

• US 8,983,554 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2008
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mankaruse, George, Zhu, Lizhong, Corrigan, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gao, Jing
• Application Number:
  US12/173,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20100016033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,436 Days
• Field of Search: 455/572, 455/573, 455/575.5, 455/575.7, 320/114, 343/702, 343/841, 343/906
• US Class Current: 455/573
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0483 Transmitters with multiple parallel paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0491 with frequency synthesizers, frequency converters or modulators

Abstract

In accordance with a non-limiting aspect, a mobile wireless communications device includes a housing, at least one circuit board carried by the housing, radio frequency (RF) circuitry, and a processor. An antenna is operative with the RF circuitry. A charging circuit charges a battery carried by and powers the device and includes at least one charging contact carried by the housing and configured for engaging an external charging cradle when connected thereto. It includes an internal connector extending to at least one circuit board and connecting to the charging circuitry. An RF filter includes a ferrite material surrounding at least a portion of the internal connector to minimize RE coupling from the at least one charging contact to the antenna and reduce transmitter harmonics emission and receiver de-sense.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless communications device, comprising:

a housing;

at least one circuit board carried by the housing and including radio frequency (RF) circuitry carried by the at least one circuit board and comprising a transmitter and receiver, and a processor carried by the at least one circuit board and operative with the RF circuitry;

an antenna mounted within the housing and operative with the RF circuitry;

a charging circuit mounted within the housing for charging a battery carried by and powering the mobile wireless communications device and comprising at least one charging contact carried by the housing and having an exposed surface on the housing and spaced from the at least one circuit board and configured to engage an external charging cradle when connected thereto, said charging contact further comprising an internal connector comprising a lower biased spring connector that extends downward to engage the at least one circuit board and connecting to the charging circuit and an upper unbiased connector section that extends upward from the biased spring connector; and

an RE filter connected to said charging contact and comprising a cylindrical ferrite material surrounding and engaging said upper unbiased connector section of the internal connector at a location adjacent to the charging contact to minimize RF coupling from the at least one charging contact to the antenna and reduce transmitter harmonics emission and receiver de-sense.

2. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a lower end to which said antenna and at least one charging contact are positioned in close proximity to each other.

3. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 2, wherein said housing further comprises a housing case having a lower edge mounting the antenna, wherein said antenna extends over said lower edge and said at least one charging contact is supported adjacent to the lower edge to which the antenna is mounted.

4. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 3, wherein said antenna comprises an L-shaped antenna extending over the lower edge.

5. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one charging contact comprises a two spaced charging contacts with opposite polarity and a respective RF filter connected to each respective charging contact.

6. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said housing comprises an internal surface and further comprising a RF filter support extending from the internal surface to which said ferrite material is secured.

7. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 6, wherein said RF filter support comprises a cylindrical wall that supports said ferrite material.

8. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said RF circuitry comprises a transceiver chip.

9. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, and further comprising a battery charging pad carried by the at least one circuit board and connected to the charging circuit and the internal connector.

10. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said RF circuitry is operative for generating Global Systems for Mobile (GSM) packet bursts.

11. A mobile wireless communications device, comprising:

a housing comprising a rectangular configured housing case having a rear surface, longitudinal side edges and lower end and having a battery opening in the rear surface to which a battery for powering the device is received;

at least one circuit board carried by the housing and including radio frequency {RF) circuitry carried by the at least one circuit board and comprising a transmitter and receiver, and a processor carried by the at least one circuit board and operative with the RF circuitry;

an antenna mounted at the lower end of the housing case and operative with the RF circuitry;

a charging circuit mounted within the housing for charging any battery received within the battery opening and comprising opposing charging contacts of opposite polarity carried by the housing at the lower end of the housing case adjacent to said antenna and each charging contact having an exposed surface on the housing and spaced from the at least one circuit board and configured to engage an external charging cradle when connected thereto, each charging contact further comprising an internal connector comprising a lower biased spring connector that extends downward to engage the at least one circuit board and connecting to the charging circuit and any battery for charging same and an upper unbiased connector section that extends upward from the biased spring connector; and

an RF filter associated with each respective charging contact and comprising a cylindrical ferrite material surrounding said upper unbiased connector section of said internal connector at a location adjacent to the respective charging contact to which said RF filter is associated to minimize RF coupling from each charging contact to the antenna and reduce transmitter harmonics emission and receiver de-sense.

12. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 11, wherein said housing case at the lower end comprises a lower edge and said antenna extends along said lower edge, and said charging contacts are supported on the rear surface of the housing case adjacent to the lower edge to which the antenna extends.

13. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 12, wherein said antenna comprises an L-shaped antenna extending over the lower edge.

14. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 11, wherein said housing case comprises an internal surface and further comprising a RF filter support extending therefrom to which said ferrite material is secured.

15. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 11, wherein said RF circuitry comprises a transceiver chip.

16. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 11 and further comprising a battery charging pad carried by the at least one circuit board and connected to the charging circuit and the internal connector.

17. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 11, wherein said RF circuitry is operative for generating Global Systems for Mobile (GSM) packet bursts.

18. A method of operating a mobile wireless communications device, which comprises:

providing a housing, at least one circuit board carried by the housing and including radio frequency (RF) circuitry carried by the at least one circuit board and comprising a transmitter and receiver, a processor carried by the at least one circuit board and operative with the RF circuitry, an antenna mounted within the housing and operative with the RF circuitry, and a charging circuit mounted within the housing for charging a battery carried by and powering the mobile wireless communications device and comprising at least one charging contact carried by the housing and having an exposed surface on the housing and spaced from the at least one circuit board and configured for engaging an external charging cradle when connected thereto, said charging contact further comprising an internal connector comprising a lower biased spring connector that extends downward to engage the at least one circuit board and connecting to the charging circuit and any battery for charging same and an upper unbiased connector section that extends upward from the biased spring connector; and

minimizing RF coupling from the at least one charging contact to the antenna while reducing transmitter harmonics emission and receiver de-sense by surrounding the internal connector at a location adjacent to the charging contact of the charging connector with an RF filter formed from a cylindrical ferrite material surrounding and engaging the upper unbiased connector section of the internal connector.

19. The method according to claim 18, which further comprises forming two charging contacts, each having a respective different polarity.