Radio card having independent antenna interface supporting antenna diversity

• US 6,928,302 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2000
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mahany, Ronald L., West, Guy J., Kinney, Patrick W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Application Number:
  US09/619,990
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575, 455/90, 455556-557, 455/558, 455/559, 455/550, 455/569, 455/344, 455347-349, 455/899, 455/568.1, 455/575.1, 455/90.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/346, 343/702, 343/906, 343/876, 343/718, 439/64, 235/492, 235/426, 235/379, 235/380
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1098 the scanning arrangement having a modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2275 associated to expansion card or bus, e.g. in PCMCIA, PC cards, Wireless USB
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• 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 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/02 Diversity systems; Multi-antenna system, i.e. transmission or reception using multiple antennas RAKE receivers H04B1/7115
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 : Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 : in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 : in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 : in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A radio card, such as a PCMCIA card, received by an electronic device has a first interface coupling radio circuitry within the radio card to the electronic device. The radio card also has a second interface, independent of the first interface, that couples with an antenna disposed within the electronic device upon receipt of the radio card by the electronic device. The second interface may comprise a plurality of antenna contacts located along tracks of the electronic device used to aid reception of the radio card. A second and possibly external antenna may also automatically couple with the second interface upon insertion. By selective placement of the antenna contacts on the radio card, a specific one of the antennas may be selected. Otherwise, internal switching circuitry supports antenna diversity or simultaneous use of a plurality of antennas.

Claims

1. A radio card used in an electronic device having a device housing, a track for engagingly receiving the radio card, a first interface and a first antenna, the radio card comprising:

a card housing;

a second interface, disposed on the card housing, that, upon receipt of the radio card by the electronic device, engagingly couples with the first interface;

a radio circuit, disposed within the card housing, communicatively coupled to the second interface;

a third interface, electrically and physically independent of the second interface, disposed on the card housing; and

the third interface being communicatively coupled to the radio circuit, and the third interface engagingly coupling with the first antenna upon receipt of the radio card by the electronic device via the track.

2. The radio card of claim 1 wherein the electronic device also comprises a fourth interface, and the fourth interface, disposed along the track, coupling the third interface to the first antenna upon receipt of the radio card by the electronic device.

3. The radio card of claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises a second antenna, and wherein the radio card comprises a fourth interface engagingly coupling with the second antenna upon receipt of the radio card by the electronic device.

4. The radio card of claim 2 wherein the fourth interface comprising at least one contact.

5. The radio card of claim 2 wherein the fourth interface comprising a plurality of contacts that are disposed at different locations on the card housing.

6. A radio card used in an electronic device that has a device housing, a first interface and a first antenna, the electronic device engagingly receiving the radio card, the radio card comprising:

a card housing;

a second interface, disposed on the card housing, that, upon receipt of the radio card by the electronic device, engagingly couples with the first interface;

a radio circuit, disposed within the card housing, communicatively coupled to the second interface;

a third interface, electrically and physically independent of the second interface, disposed on the card housing; and

the third interface being communicatively coupled to the radio circuit, and the third interface engagingly coupling with the first antenna upon receipt of the radio card by the electronic device.

7. The radio card of claim 6 wherein the electronic device also comprises a fourth interface, the fourth interface coupling the third interface to the first antenna upon receipt of the radio card by the electronic device.

8. The radio card of claim 6 wherein the fourth interface comprising at least one contact.

9. The radio card of claim 6 wherein the electronic device comprises a second antenna, and wherein the radio card comprises a fourth interface engagingly coupling with the second antenna upon receipt of the radio card by the electronic device.

10. The radio card of claim 9 wherein the third interface comprises a plurality of contacts.

11. The radio card of claim 10 wherein the electronic device also comprises a track that receives the radio card.

12. The radio card of claim 11 wherein the third interface couples with the first antenna via the track.

13. The radio card of claim 7 wherein the electronic device also comprises a track that receives the radio card, and the fourth interface being disposed on the track.

14. The radio card of claim 9 wherein the third interface comprising a plurality of contracts disposed on the card housing.

15. The radio card of claim 14 wherein the plurality of contacts are disposed at different locations on the card housing.