Mobile wireless communications device with human interface diversity antenna and related methods

• US 8,115,687 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kezys, Vytas, Qi, Yihong
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang V
• Application Number:
  US12/112,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20080207285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/876, 455/73, 455/101, 455/140, 455/575.7
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/245 with means for shaping the antenna pattern, e.g. in order to protect user against rf exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 Antenna selection according to transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0615 of weighted versions of same signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0814 based on current reception conditions, e.g. switching to different antenna when signal level is below threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0848 Joint weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable handheld housing, and a wireless transceiver carried by the housing. A pair of an antennas are positioned in side-by-side relation preferably in the upper portion of the portable handheld housing. A human interface diversity controller is connected to the wireless transceiver to preferentially operate with the plurality of antennas based upon a relative position of the portable handheld housing with respect to a hand of a human user. The device can select or weight the antennas based upon the position of the device when being held by a user.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless communication device comprising:

a portable handheld housing;

a wireless transceiver carried by said portable handheld housing;

a plurality of antennas positioned in side-by-side relation within said portable handheld housing, said plurality of antennas having different conductive patterns from one another and having different polarizations; and

a controller cooperating with said wireless transceiver and said plurality of antennas to preferentially weight transmit signals based upon received signal strength.

2. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein the different polarizations are orthogonal.

3. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said plurality of antennas have substantially equal main lobe gains.

4. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein adjacent ones of said plurality of antennas have a gap therebetween in a range of 3 to 7 mm.

5. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said controller preferentially switches at least one antenna on and at least one antenna off for transmit signals.

6. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said plurality of antennas are operable on a same frequency.

7. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said plurality of antennas have different frequencies for transmit and receive.

8. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said plurality antennas are arranged in side-by-side relation in an upper portion of said portable handheld housing.

9. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 further comprising a display carried by said portable handheld housing and connected to said controller.

10. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 further comprising at least one user input device carried by said portable handheld housing and connected to said controller.

11. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 further comprising at least one input/output transducer carried by said portable handheld housing and connected to said controller.

12. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said wireless transceiver and said plurality of antennas are operable in at least one of a LAN wireless network and a cellular wireless network.

13. A mobile wireless communication device comprising:

a portable handheld housing;

a wireless transceiver carried by said portable handheld housing;

a plurality of antennas positioned in side-by-side relation within said portable handheld housing, said plurality of antennas having different conductive patterns from one another and having orthogonal polarizations;

a controller cooperating with said wireless transceiver and said plurality of antennas to preferentially weight transmit signals based upon received signal strength;

a display carried by said portable handheld housing and connected to said controller; and

at least one user input device carried by said portable handheld housing and connected to said controller.

14. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 13 wherein said plurality of antennas have substantially equal main lobe gains.

15. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 13 wherein adjacent ones of said plurality of antennas have a gap therebetween in a range of 3 to 7 mm.

16. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 13 wherein said controller preferentially switches at least one antenna on and at least one antenna off for transmit signals.

17. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 13 wherein said plurality of antennas are operable on a same frequency.

18. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 13 wherein said plurality of antennas have different frequencies for transmit and receive.

19. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 13 wherein said plurality antennas are arranged in side-by-side relation in an upper portion of said portable handheld housing.

20. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 13 further comprising at least one input/output transducer carried by said portable handheld housing and connected to said wireless transceiver.

21. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 13 wherein said wireless transceiver and said plurality of antennas are operable in at least one of a LAN wireless network and a cellular wireless network.

22. A method of operating a mobile wireless communications device comprising a portable handheld housing, a wireless transceiver carried by the portable handheld housing, a plurality of antennas positioned in side-by-side relation within the portable handheld housing with the plurality of antennas having different conductive patterns from one another and having different polarizations, and a controller connected to the plurality of antennas and wireless transceiver, the method comprising:

using the controller in cooperation with the wireless transceiver and the plurality of antennas to preferentially weight transmit signals based upon received signal strength.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the different polarizations are orthogonal.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the plurality of antennas have substantially equal main lobe gains.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of antennas have a gap therebetween in a range of 3 to 7 mm.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein using the controller comprises using the controller to preferentially switch at least one antenna on and at least one antenna off for transmit signals.