Spatially diverse antennas for a headset computer

• US 9,160,064 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kopin Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kopin Corporation
• Inventors: Ferguson, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilodeau, David
• Application Number:
  US13/799,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20140187179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 455/77
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/005 providing two patterns of opposite direction; back to back antennas H01Q25/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast

Abstract

The invention presented relates to wireless handsfree head worn headset computing devices including a microdisplay device and spatially diverse antenna system. The spatially diverse antenna system provides an effective headset computing device radiation pattern that enables arbitrary user movement and promotes freedom of mobility. Disclosed is a headset computing device including a head worn frame having a profile relatively low in height with respect to a user'"'"'s head, the user'"'"'s head creating a RF shadow region along the headset profile by blocking line-of-sight RF propagation paths, the headset includes two or more antennas integrated with the headset frame to sufficiently maintained its low profile. Each antenna has a radiation pattern and are collectively arranged to form an omnidirectional radiation pattern, where at least a first radiation pattern provides coverage in the line-of-sight propagation path while the at least second radiation antenna pattern is in the RF shadow region.

Claims

1. A headset computing device comprising:

a head worn frame having a profile relatively low in height with respect to a user'"'"'s head, the user'"'"'s head creating a radio frequency (RF) shadow region on the headset profile by blocking a line-of-sight RF propagation path; and

two or more co-located antenna pairs integrally arranged on the headset frame to sufficiently maintain the low profile, and each antenna pair having a radiation pattern and the two or more co-located antenna pairs collectively forming a combined radiation pattern approaching omnidirectional in two or more orthogonal planes, wherein at least a first antenna radiation pattern providing the line-of-sight RF propagation path while at least a second antenna radiation pattern being in the shadow region.

2. The headset computing device of claim 1, wherein the combined radiation pattern further includes dual linear polarization.

3. The headset computing device of claim 2, wherein the dual linear polarization includes vertical and horizontal polarizations.

4. The headset computing device of claim 1, wherein the first antenna and second antenna are integrally arranged with approximately 180 degrees of spatial diversity with respect to the user'"'"'s head.

5. The headset computing device of claim 1, further comprising a splitter/combiner coupled to the two or more antennas for combining receive RF signals received by the antennas and splitting transmit RF signals transmitted by the antennas.

6. The headset computing device of claim 5, further comprising a transceiver operatively coupled to the splitter/combiner for receiving the combined receive RF signals and transmitting split transmit RF signals.

7. The headset computing device of claim 1, further comprising a switch coupled to the two or more antennas for switching between the antennas.

8. The headset computing device of claim 7, further comprising a transceiver operatively coupled to the switch for receiving the receive RF signals and transmitting the transmit RF signals from the at least one switched on antenna of the two or more antennas antenna.

9. The headset computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least two antennas are tuned to operate over multiple separate frequency bands.

10. The headset computing device of claim 9, wherein the multiple frequency bands include a first frequency band ranging roughly from 2.36 GHz to 2.54 GHz and a second frequency band ranging roughly from 4.84 GHz to 5.16 GHz.

11. The headset computing device of claim 9, wherein the at least two antennas are further coupled to a diplexer for diplexing the multiple separate frequency bands.

12. The headset computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least two antennas are dual band inverted F-type antennas.

13. A method of receiving radio frequency (RF) signals at a headset computing device, the method comprising:

wearing a head worn frame having a profile relatively low in height with respect to a user'"'"'s head, the user'"'"'s head blocking a line-of-sight RF propagation path creating a radio frequency (RF) shadow region on the headset profile; and

receiving RF signals at two or more co-located antenna pairs integrally arranged on the headset frame to sufficiently maintain the low profile, and each antenna pair having a radiation pattern and the two or more co-located antenna pairs collectively forming a substantially omnidirectional radiation pattern in two or more orthogonal planes, wherein at least a first antenna radiation pattern providing the line-of-sight RF propagation path while at least a second antenna radiation pattern being in the shadow region.

14. The method of receiving RF signals of claim 13, wherein the combined radiation pattern further includes dual linear polarization.

15. The method of receiving RF signals of claim 14, wherein the dual linear polarization includes vertical and horizontal polarizations.

16. The method of receiving RF signals of claim 13, wherein the first and second antennas are integrally arranged with approximately 180 degrees of spatial diversity with respect to the user'"'"'s head.

17. The method of receiving RF signals of claim 13, further comprising combining receive RF signals received by the antennas at a splitter/combiner coupled to the two or more antennas.

18. The method of receiving RF signals of claim 17, further comprising receiving the receive RF signals at a transceiver operatively coupled to the splitter/combiner and transmitting transmit RF signals split at the splitter/combiner coupled to the two or more antennas.

19. The method of receiving RF signals of claim 13, further comprising switching between the at least two or more antennas.

20. The method of receiving RF signals of claim 19, further comprising a transceiver operatively coupled to the switch for receiving the receive RF signals at transmitting transmit RF signals from at least one of the two or more antennas.

21. The method of receiving RF signals of claim 13, wherein the at least two antennas are tuned to operate over multiple separate frequency bands for receiving the RF signals.

22. The method of receiving RF signals of claim 21, wherein the multiple frequency bands include a first frequency band ranging roughly from 2.36 GHz to 2.54 GHz and a second frequency band ranging roughly from 4.84 GHz to 5.16 GHz.

23. The method of receiving RF signals of claim 21, wherein the at least two antennas are coupled to a diplexer for diplexing the multiple separate frequency bands.

24. The method of receiving RF signals of claim 13, wherein the at least two antennas are dual band inverted F-type antennas.