Mobile communication terminal having extendable antenna

• US 5,513,383 A
• Filed: 03/29/1995
• Issued: 04/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Globalstar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Space Systems/Loral Incorporated (Loral Space and Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tsao, Chich-Hsing A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, THANH C
• Application Number:
  US08/412,741
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 455/89, 455/90, 455/269, 455/270, 379/58, 343/700 MS, 343/702, 343/878, 16/225, 16/366
• US Class Current: 455/575.7
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• 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

Abstract

A mobile communication terminal or telephone comprising a handheld main housing incorporating a digital keypad, a speaker and a microphone, and having a planar radiator antenna. The antenna is hingedly-attached to an extension arm element which, in turn, is hingedly-attached at the top of the main housing. During use, the antenna is pivoted above and away from the head of the user by a sufficient distance to significantly reduce or remove the exposure of the user to transmitted RF power of sufficient density to pose a health danger.

Claims

1. A compact terminal or telephone for mobile communications comprising an RF transmission circuitry including a microphone, an RF signal amplifier and an antenna electrically-connected to each other for the transmission of messages, and an RF reception circuitry including an antenna, an RF signal demodulator and a speaker electrically connected to each other for the reception of messages, said terminal or telephone comprising an elongate main housing having a microphone adjacent the bottom portion thereof, and a speaker, an elongate extender element having a face surface, an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of which comprises a ball joint connection to hinge means, said hinge means attaching said extender element to said housing at an upper portion thereof for rotation into storage position parallel to said housing, said ball point connection pivotably-attaching the extender element to the hinge means for axial rotation of said extender element to direct the face surface thereof in any desired direction relative to said housing, and a planar radiator transmission/reception antenna element hingedly-attached to the upper end of said extender element, remote from said lower end, and a flexible RF cable signal coupler means between said main housing, through said extender element to said radiator antenna element to couple the RF transmission circuitry including the microphone of the main housing and the transmission antenna of the antenna element, and to couple the RF reception circuitry including the speaker of the main housing and the reception antenna of the antenna element, whereby for use of the terminal or telephone, the hinge means and the extender element are rotated from storage position to extend above the upper portion of the main housing, the extender element is rotated axially on said ball joint connection to direct the face surface thereof in any desired direction relative to the housing and the planar radiator antenna element is rotated and/or pivoted to face upwardly and away from the user in the direction of optimum transmission and reception, whereby the exposure of the user to intense RF power transmitted by the antenna element is substantially reduced or eliminated.

2. A terminal according to claim 1 in which a portion of the rear face of the main housing comprises a recess to receive the extender element and the planar radiator antenna element when said elements are rotated into coplanar relation and rotated downwardly against said rear face into said recess, to produce a compact terminal during periods of non-use.

3. A terminal according to claim 1 in which the RF transmission circuitry is electrically isolated from the RF reception circuitry to provide reduced interference and improved performance.