Radio transceiver card communicating in a plurality of frequency bands

• US 6,980,161 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• 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): Nguyen, Hoang V.
• Application Number:
  US10/800,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20040174307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/876, 343/853, 455/90, 235/380, 235/384, 361/737, 361/752, 361/753, 361/755, 361/757
• US Class Current: 343/702
• 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: 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 card includes in a radio transceiver that communicates in first and second frequency bands. First and second antennas are in the card and are coupled to the radio transceiver. A microprocessor in the card selects one of the first and second antennas.

Claims

1. A card suitable for use in a portable computing device comprising:

a radio transceiver in the card arranged to communicate in a first frequency band and in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band;

a first antenna in the card operably coupled to the radio transceiver;

a second antenna in the card operably coupled to the radio transceiver; and

a microprocessor in the card arranged to select one of the first and second antennas.

2. The card of claim 1 wherein the first antenna is designed for use in the first frequency band and the second antenna is designed for use in the second frequency band.

3. The card of claim 1 wherein the first antenna and second antenna provide at least one of spatial and polarization diversity.

4. The card of claim 1 wherein the card is designed in accordance with the PCMCIA standard.

5. The card of claim 1 and further comprising a switch coupled to the first and second antennas, the microprocessor causing the switch to select one of the first and second antennas.

6. An apparatus for radio frequency communication comprising:

a communication card including a communication card surface, including a radio circuit disposed within the communication card and including a communication card antenna interface electrically coupled to the radio circuit;

a computing device including a housing and an opening in the housing for receiving the communication card within the housing, the computing device comprising a microprocessor and a computing device surface including a plurality of antenna contacts, each contact being arranged to electrically couple to a corresponding one of the plurality of antennas, the communication card surface being arranged to engage the computing device surface so that the communication card antenna interface engages the plurality of antenna contacts; and

a plurality of antennas connected to the computing device, wherein the communication card antenna interface is configured to selectively couple to at least one of the antennas selected by the microprocessor when the communication card is located within the opening of the housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the computing device includes a second surface with an electrical interface;

the communication card has a second surface with an electrical interface; and

the electrical interface of the second surface of the computing device is arranged to engage the electrical interface of the second surface of the communication card.