Method for controlling antennas of mobile terminal device and such a mobile terminal device

• US 9,318,792 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2009
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Matsunaga, Kozo, Asano, Takeshi, Itoh, Masaharu, Fujii, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US12/509,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20090284438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,461 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/575.7, 455/103, 455/272, 455/277.1, 455/566
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• 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: 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 7/0689 using different transmission schemes, at least one of them being a diversity transmission scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0871 using different reception schemes, at least one of them being a diversity reception scheme

Abstract

A method for controlling antennas of a mobile terminal device such as a laptop PC and a handheld PC without degrading communication speed or quality and a mobile terminal device having such control are provided. The method comprises determining the usage of the mobile terminal device, determining an antenna to be disabled among the plurality of antennas according to the usage that is determined by the determining of usage, and disabling the antenna which is determined by determining of an antenna to be disabled, wherein the determining of usage determines usage based on the display orientation of the display unit of the mobile terminal device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a first use condition based on a first display housing position of a mobile terminal device having a first antenna in a first side of the display housing and a second antenna in a second side of the display housing, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are positioned substantially perpendicular to one another;

determining a second use condition based on a second display housing position;

determining an antenna of the first antenna and the second antenna to be disabled based on the first display housing position;

disabling the antenna to be disabled based on the first display housing position; and

using, in the second display housing position, both the first antenna and the second antenna.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining an antenna to be disabled further comprises determining which antenna of the plurality of antennas is closest to the user and selecting the antenna which is closest to the user as the antenna to be disabled.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the antenna that is closest to the user is determined based upon a display housing position.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the antenna that is closest to the user is determined based upon an orientation of holding the mobile terminal device as detected by a holding orientation sensing unit of the mobile terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

the antenna that is closest to the user is determined based upon a combination of a display housing position and an orientation of holding the mobile terminal device as detected by a holding orientation sensing unit of the mobile terminal device; and

after the antenna to be disable is disabled, the device produces an acceptable specific absorption rate.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal device is a laptop PC.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a display housing comprising;

a first antenna in a first side of the display housing and a second antenna in a second side of the display housing, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are positioned substantially perpendicular to one another; and

a control unit that;

determines a first use condition based on a first display housing position;

determines a second use condition based on a second display housing position;

determines an antenna of the first antenna and the second antenna to be disabled based on the first display housing position; and

disables the antenna to be disabled based on the first display housing position; and

uses, in the second display housing position, both the first antenna and the second antenna.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

an acceleration sensor that determines if either the first antenna or the second antenna is positioned downmost;

wherein if the first antenna is positioned downmost, the first antenna is disabled; and

wherein if the second antenna is positioned downmost, the second antenna is disabled.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said apparatus is a laptop PC.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the apparatus is a handheld PC.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a holding orientation sensing unit, wherein the holding orientation sensing unit detects usage of the apparatus based on an orientation of holding said apparatus by a user.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first and second display housing positions are associated with at least one a display orientation, the display orientation being selected from the group consisting of a portrait display and a landscape display.

13. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, when the control unit determines that the first antenna and the second antenna are positioned away from the user, the antenna control unit selects an antenna with better use conditions and disable all other antennas.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a display housing;

a first antenna in a first side of the display housing and a second antenna in a second side of the display housing, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are positioned substantially perpendicular to one another;

a control unit that determines;

a first use condition based on a first display housing position; and

which of the first and second antennas is to be disabled based on determining the first display housing position;

the control unit disabling one of the first and second antennas based on the first display housing position;

determining a second use condition based on a second display housing position; and

using, in the second display housing position, both the first antenna and the second antenna.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said apparatus is a laptop PC.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the apparatus is a handheld PC.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a holding orientation sensing unit, wherein the holding orientation sensing unit detects holding of the apparatus by a user, and wherein an antenna closest to the user holding the apparatus is disabled.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the holding orientation sensor comprises a combination of a piezoelectric ceramic device and electrodes.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first and second display housing positions are associated with at least one a display orientation, the display orientation being selected from the group consisting of a portrait display and a landscape display.

20. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, when the control unit determines that a plurality of the one or more antennas are positioned away from the user, the control unit selects an antenna from the plurality of antennas with better use conditions and disable all other antennas.