Communication terminal device

• US 9,236,651 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2013
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Nakano, Shinichi, Kubo, Hiroyuki, Yosui, Kuniaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Karacsony, Robert
• Application Number:
  US13/760,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20130147670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07773 Antenna details antennas for wireless devices, e.g. RFID tags, in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07781 the coil being fabricated in a winding process
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/521 reducing the coupling between adjacent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/06 with core of ferromagnetic material H01Q7/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID

Abstract

An RFID antenna is arranged in the vicinity of a metal portion of and on an outer surface side of a casing of a communication terminal device. The RFID antenna includes a magnetic core, and a coil conductor that is wound around the magnetic core. The coil conductor includes a first conductor portion positioned on a first main surface side of the magnetic core and a second conductor portion positioned on the second main surface side of the magnetic core and arranged at a different position than the first conductor portion when viewed in plan from the direction of the first and second main surfaces, and the coil conductor is arranged such that the first main surface side of the magnetic core is on the metal portion side and such that the first conductor portion of the coil conductor faces a leading end portion of the casing.

Claims

1. A communication terminal device comprising:

a casing that includes a leading end portion, a metal portion defining at least a portion of the casing, and a pair of main surfaces; and

an antenna that includes a magnetic core including a first main surface and a second main surface, which oppose each other, and a coil conductor that is arranged on at least either of the first main surface and the second main surface of the magnetic core and is arranged adjacent to the metal portion of the casing;

wherein

the antenna is configured to have directivity direction that is tilted toward a direction of the leading end portion from a direction that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the pair of main surfaces of the casing;

the coil conductor includes a first conductor portion positioned on a side of the first main surface of the magnetic core and a second conductor portion positioned on a side of the second main surface of the magnetic core and arranged at a different position than the first conductor portion when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the first and second main surfaces, and the coil conductor is arranged such that the side of the first main surface of the magnetic core is on a side of the magnetic core closer to the metal portion and such that the first conductor portion of the coil conductor faces the leading end portion; and

a position in a center of the coil conductor is arranged farther from the leading end portion toward a trailing end portion of the casing, which is an end portion on the side opposite to the leading end portion, than a position in a center of the casing in a longitudinal direction of the casing.

2. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein another antenna, which belongs to a different communication system to the antenna, is also arranged in an area of the leading end portion.

3. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the casing in an area of the leading end portion is made of an insulating material.

4. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein sizes of the magnetic core and the coil conductor are chosen such that A/3≦

B≦

A/2 is satisfied, where A is a length of the magnetic core and B is a length of the coil conductor in a longitudinal direction of the casing.

5. The communication terminal device according to claim 4, wherein C<

D/2 is satisfied, where C is a length of the first conductor portion and D is a length of the second conductor portion in a longitudinal direction of the casing.

6. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is an RFID antenna.

7. The communication terminal device according to claim 6, further comprising a cellular phone antenna.

8. The communication terminal device according to claim 7, wherein the casing includes a resin portion not covered by the metal portion, and the cellular phone antenna is provided in the resin portion.

9. The communication terminal device according to claim 8, wherein the metal portion is located between the RFID antenna and the cellular phone antenna.

10. The communication terminal device according to claim 8, further comprising a battery pack and mounted components, wherein the metal portion is located between the RFID antenna and the battery pack and the mounted components.

11. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the metal surface includes a concavity containing the antenna, and an insulating sheet is arranged to cover the antenna.

12. The communication terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the casing includes a substrate, and the metal portion is located between the RFID antenna and the substrate.

13. The communication terminal device according to claim 12, wherein the substrate is a printed wiring board and includes contact pins arranged to be electrically connected to input/output terminals.

14. The communication terminal device according to claim 13, wherein the antenna includes a substrate on which the coil conductor is located, and the input/output terminals are provided on the substrate.

15. The communication terminal device according to claim 14, wherein portions of the input/output terminals are located between the metal portion and the contact pins.

16. An RFID system comprising the communication terminal device according to claim 1.

17. The RFID system according to claim 16, wherein the antenna is an RFID antenna.

18. The RFID system according to claim 17, wherein the communication terminal device further comprises a cellular phone antenna.

19. A communication terminal device comprising:

a casing that includes a leading end portion, a metal portion defining at least a portion of the casing, and a pair of main surfaces; and

an antenna that includes a magnetic core including a first main surface and a second main surface, which oppose each other, and a coil conductor that is arranged on at least either of the first main surface and the second main surface of the magnetic core and is arranged adjacent to the metal portion of the casing;

wherein

the antenna is configured to have a directivity direction that is tilted toward a direction of the leading end portion from a direction that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the pair of main surfaces of the casing; and

sizes of the magnetic core and the coil conductor are chosen such that A/3≦

B≦

A/2 is satisfied, where A is a length of the magnetic core and B is a length of the coil conductor in a longitudinal direction of the casing.

20. A communication terminal device comprising:

a casing that includes a leading end portion, a metal portion defining at least a portion of the casing, and a pair of main surfaces; and

an antenna that includes a magnetic core including a first main surface and a second main surface, which oppose each other, and a coil conductor that is arranged on at least either of the first main surface and the second main surface of the magnetic core and is arranged adjacent to the metal portion of the casing;

wherein the antenna is configured to have a directivity direction that is tilted toward a direction of the leading end portion from a direction that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the pair of main surfaces of the casing;

the antenna is an RFID antenna;

the casing includes a substrate, and the metal portion is located between the RFID antenna and the substrate;

the substrate is a printed wiring board and includes contact pins arranged to be electrically connected to input/output terminals; and

the antenna includes a substrate on which the coil conductor is located, and the input/output terminals are provided on the substrate of the antenna; and

wherein portions of the input/output terminals are located between the metal portion and the contact pins.