Telecommunications card with integrated antenna

• US 7,509,143 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2001
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Option Incorporated (Crescent NV)
• Original Assignee: Option Incorporated (Crescent NV)
• Inventors: Ward, Nick, Lintern, Richard, Dillon, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agosta; Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US09/907,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20020022460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,806 Days
• Field of Search: 455/74, 455/90.3, 455/97, 455/128, 455/129, 455/348, 455/351, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/558, 343/700, 343/702, 343/757, 343/872
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/084 Pivotable antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2275 associated to expansion card or bus, e.g. in PCMCIA, PC cards, Wireless USB

Abstract

A telecommunications card which includes a cavity in which an antenna structure is movably mounted between a first position in which the antenna structure is substantially located within the cavity and a second position in which the antenna structure is extended from the cavity, the telecommunications card further including moving mechanism for moving the antenna structure from the first position to the second position, the antenna structure comprising a slide portion and an antenna portion which are movably connected to each other, wherein the antenna structure further including an erecting mechanism for erecting the antenna portion from the second position to a third position suitable for wireless communication with a telecommunications network.

Claims

1. A telecommunications card for establishing wireless communication between a host device and a telecommunication network, the telecommunications card comprising

a cavity, and

an antenna structure which is movably mounted in said cavity between a first position in which the antenna structure is substantially located within the cavity and a second position in which the antenna structure is extended from the cavity, and

moving means for moving the antenna structure from the first position to the second position,

wherein the antenna structure comprises

a slide portion by means of which the antenna structure is movably mounted in said cavity,

an antenna portion which is movably connected to said slide portion and contains a radiating structure for establishing said wireless communication, and

erecting means for automatically erecting the antenna portion with respect to the slide portion to a third position in which the antenna portion forms an angle of between 30 and 90°

with respect to an imaginary plane between the first and second positions, the third position of the antenna portion being the optimum angle for establishing and maintaining said wireless communication,

wherein the telecommunications card further comprises a connector for connecting the telecommunications card to an external antenna, and

wherein the telecommunications card is provided with switching means for selecting between wireless communication using the internal antenna of the card and wireless communication using the external antenna connected to the connector,

wherein the switching means is incorporated in the connector.

2. A telecommunications card according to claim 1, wherein, in the third position, the antenna portion forms an angle of preferably approximately 60°

, with the slide portion.

3. A telecommunications card according to claim 1, wherein the antenna portion is removably mounted on the slide portion.

4. A telecommunications card according to claim 1, wherein the telecommunications card is provided with detecting means for detecting whether the antenna portion is in the first position or the third position.

5. A telecommunications card according to claim 4, wherein the detecting means comprise a magnet and a hall effect sensor, which are mounted such that the magnet is located adjacent the sensor only when the antenna portion is in the third position.

6. A telecommunications card according to claim 1, wherein the telecommunications card comprises an audio connector for connecting the telecommunications card to audio equipment.

7. A telecommunications card according to claim 1, wherein the telecommunications card has a housing with a top layer, an intermediate layer and a bottom layer, the intermediate layer being provided to include the components of the card.

8. A telecommunications card according to claim 1, wherein the telecommunications card further comprises a slot with a SIM connector for receiving a SIM card.

9. A telecommunications card according to claim 1, wherein the telecommunications card is provided with locking means for locking the antenna structure in the first position, the locking means being constructed such that a user can unlock the antenna structure by pressing an edge of the antenna structure which is accessible from outside the telecommunications card.

10. A telecommunications card for establishing wireless communication between a host device and a telecommunications network, the telecommunications card comprising

a cavity, and

an antenna structure which is movably mounted in said cavity between a first position in which the antenna structure is substantially located within the cavity and a second position in which the antenna structure is extended from the cavity, and

moving means for moving the antenna structure from the first position to the second position,

wherein the antenna structure comprises

a slide portion by means which the antenna structure is movably mounted in said cavity,

an antenna portion which is movably connected to said slide portion and contains a radiating structure for establishing said wireless communication, and

erecting means for automatically erecting the antenna portion with respect to the slide portion to a third position in which the antenna portion forms an angle of between 30 and 90°

with respect to an imaginary plane between the first and second positions, the third position of the antenna portion being the optimum angle for establishing and maintaining said wireless communication,

wherein the telecommunications card is provided with detecting means for detecting whether the antenna portion is in the first position or the third position,

wherein said telecommunications card further comprises a switching means operated by the detecting means for detecting whether the antenna portion is in the first position or the third position, and

wherein the detecting means comprise a magnet and a hall effect sensor, which are mounted such that the magnet is located adjacent the sensor only when the antenna portion is in the third position.

11. A telecommunications card for establishing wireless communication between a host device and a telecommunication network, the telecommunications card comprising

a cavity, and

an antenna structure which is movably mounted in said cavity between a first position in which the antenna structure is substantially located within the cavity and a second position in which the antenna structure is extended from the cavity, and

moving means for moving the antenna structure from the first position to the second position,

wherein the antenna structure comprises

a slide portion by means of which the antenna structure is movably mounted in said cavity,

an antenna portion which is movably connected to said slide portion and contains a radiating structure for establishing said wireless communication, and

erecting means for automatically erecting the antenna portion with respect to the slide potion to a third position in which the antenna portion forms an angle of between 30 and 90°

with respect to an imaginary plane between the first and second positions, the third position of the antenna portion being the optimum angle for establishing and maintaining said wireless communication,

wherein the telecommunications card further comprises a slot with a SIM connector for receiving a SIM card, and

wherein the slot is provided with an opening which is shaped such as to allow a user to remove the SIM card from the slot by means of a finger and to avoid contact between the finger and the SIM connector.

12. A telecommunications card for establishing wireless communication between a host device and a telecommunication network, the telecommunications card comprising:

a cavity;

an antenna structure which is movably mounted in said cavity between a first position in which the antenna structure is substantially located within the cavity and a second position in which the antenna structure is extended from the cavity;

moving means for moving the antenna structure from the first position to the second position;

the antenna structure comprising;

a slide portion by means of which the antenna structure is movably mounted in said cavity;

an antenna portion movably connected to the slide portion and contains a radiating structure for establishing said wireless communication; and

erecting means for automatically erecting the antenna portion with respect to the slide portion to a third position of the antenna portion which is the optimum angle for establishing and maintaining said wireless communication with a telecommunications network;

wherein the telecommunications card further comprises switching means for selecting between wireless communication using the antenna structure of the card responsive to a detection that the antenna portion is in the third position and wireless communication using external antenna responsive to a detection that the antenna portion is in the first position,

wherein the telecommunications card further comprises a connector for connecting the telecommunications card to an external antenna, and

wherein the switching means is incorporated in the connector.

13. A telecommunications card for establishing wireless communication between a host device and a telecommunication network, the telecommunications card comprising:

a cavity;

an antenna structure which is movably mounted in said cavity between a first position in which the antenna structure is substantially located within the cavity and a second position in which the antenna structure is extended from the cavity;

moving means for moving the antenna structure from the first position to the second position;

the antenna structure comprising;

a slide portion by means of which the antenna structure is movably mounted in said cavity;

an antenna portion movably connected to the slide portion and contains a radiating structure for establishing said wireless communication; and

erecting means for erecting the antenna portion with respect to the slide portion to a third position which is the optimum angle for establishing and maintaining said wireless communication with a telecommunications network, automatically after the antenna portion is moved from the first position to the second position,

wherein the telecommunications card further comprises a connector for connecting the telecommunications card to an external antenna, and

wherein the telecommunications card is provided with switching means for selecting between wireless communication using the internal antenna of the card and wireless communication using the external antenna connected to the connector,

wherein the switching means is incorporated in the connector.

14. A telecommunications card for establishing wireless communication between a host device and a telecommunication network, the telecommunications card comprising:

a cavity;

an antenna structure which is movably mounted in said cavity between a first position in which the antenna structure is substantially located within the cavity and a second position in which the antenna structure is extended from the cavity;

moving means for moving the antenna structure from the first position to the second position;

the antenna structure comprising;

a slide portion by means of which antenna structure is movably mounted in said cavity;

an antenna portion movably connected to the slide portion and contains a radiating structure for establishing said wireless communication; and

erecting means for automatically erecting the antenna portion with respect to the slide portion to a third position of the antenna portion which is the optimum angle for establishing and maintaining said wireless communication with a telecommunications network;

wherein the telecommunications card further comprises switching means for selecting between wireless communication using the antenna structure of the card responsive to a detection that the antenna portion is in the third position wireless communication using external antenna responsive to a detection that the antenna portion is in the first position,

wherein the telecommunications card is provided with detecting means for detecting whether the antenna portion is in the first position or the third position,

wherein said switching means operated by the detecting means for detecting whether the antenna portion is in the first position or the third position, and

wherein the detecting means comprise a magnet and a hall effect sensor, which are mounted such that the magnet is located adjacent the sensor only when the antenna portion is in the third position.

15. A telecommunications card for establishing wireless communication between a host device and a telecommunication network, the telecommunications card comprising:

a cavity;

an antenna structure which is movably mounted in said cavity between a first position in which the antenna structure is substantially located within the cavity and a second position in which the antenna structure is extended from the cavity;

moving means for moving the antenna structure from the first position to the second position;

the antenna structure comprising;

a slide portion by means of which the antenna structure is movably mounted in said cavity;

an antenna portion movably connected to the slide portion and contains a radiating structure for establishing said wireless communication; and

erecting means for automatically erecting the antenna portion with respect to the slide portion to a third position of the antenna portion which is the optimum angle for establishing and maintaining said wireless communication with a telecommunications network; and

wherein the telecommunications card further comprises a slot with a SIM connector for receiving a SIM card, and

wherein the slot is provided with an opening which is shaped such as to allow a user to remove the SIM card from the slot by means of a finger and to avoid contact between the finger and the SIM connector.

16. A telecommunications card for establishing wireless communication between a host device and a telecommunication network, the telecommunications card comprising:

a cavity;

an antenna structure which is movably mounted in said cavity between a first position in which the antenna structure is substantially located within the cavity and a second position in which the antenna structure is extended from the cavity;

moving means for moving the antenna structure from the first position to the second position;

the antenna structure comprising;

a slide portion by means of which the antenna structure is movably mounted in said cavity;

an antenna portion movably connected to the slide portion and contains a radiating structure for establishing said wireless communication; and

erecting means for erecting the antenna portion with respect to the slide portion to a third position which is the optimum angle for establishing and maintaining said wireless communication with a telecommunications network, automatically after the antenna portion is moved from the first position to the second position,

wherein the telecommunications card is provided with detecting means for detecting whether the antenna portion is in the first position or the third position,

wherein said telecommunications card further comprises a switching means operated by the detecting means for detecting whether the antenna portion is in the first position or the third position, and

wherein the detecting means comprise a magnet and a hall effect sensor, which are mounted such that the magnet is located adjacent the sensor only when the antenna portion is in the third position.

17. A telecommunications card for establishing wireless communication between a host device and a telecommunication network, the telecommunications card comprising:

a cavity;

an antenna structure which is movably mounted in said cavity between a first position in which the antenna structure is substantially located within the cavity and a second position in which the antenna structure is extended from the cavity;

moving means for moving the antenna structure from the first position to the second position;

the antenna structure comprising;

a slide portion by means of which the antenna structure is movably mounted in said cavity;

an antenna portion movably connected to the slide portion and contains a radiating structure for establishing said wireless communication; and

erecting means for erecting the antenna portion with respect to the slide portion to a third position which is the optimum angle for establishing and maintaining said wireless communication with a telecommunications network, automatically after the antenna portion is moved from the first position to the second position,

wherein the telecommunications card further comprises a slot with a SIM connector for receiving a SIM card, and

wherein the slot is provided with an opening which is shaped such as to allow a user to remove the SIM card from the slot by means of a finger and to avoid contact between the finger and the SIM connector.