CN101036406B - Mobile wireless communication device including top-mounted auxiliary input/output unit and bottom-mounted antenna - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile wireless communications device, may include: a housing having an upper half and a lower half; a dielectric substrate carried by the housing; an electrical circuit carried by the dielectric substrate; and an audio output transducer carried by the upper half of the housing and connected to the circuitry. The apparatus may further include: a user input interface carried by the housing and connected to the circuitry; and at least one auxiliary input/output device carried by the upper half of the housing and connected to the circuitry. An antenna may also be carried within the lower half of the housing, the antenna including a pattern of conductive traces on the dielectric substrate.

Description

Mobile wireless communication device including top-mounted auxiliary input/output unit and bottom-mounted antenna

technical field

The present application relates to the field of communication devices, in particular to mobile wireless communication devices and related methods.

Background technique

The popularity of cellular communication systems continues to grow and has become an essential part of personal and business communications. Cellular phones allow users to make and receive voice calls in most places they go. Also, due to the development of cellular phone technology, the functionality of cellular devices has also increased. For example, many cellular devices today incorporate Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) features such as calendars, address books, task lists, and the like. Additionally, such multifunction devices may also allow users to wirelessly send and receive electronic mail (email) messages and access the Internet over, for example, cellular networks and/or wireless local area networks (WLANs).

Nonetheless, as the functionality of cellular communication devices continues to increase, so does the demand for smaller devices that are more easily and conveniently carried by users. Thus, one type of cellular telephone that has gained widespread popularity is the folding or "flip" telephone. Flip phones typically include an upper housing with a display and speaker, and a lower housing or flap that carries a microphone. The keypad on such phones is model dependent and can be located either on the upper or lower housing. The seat cover is connected with the upper case through a hinge, so that when the phone is not in use, the upper and lower cases can be folded together for more compactness.

One example of a flip phone is disclosed in US Patent No. 5,337,061 to Pye et al. The phone has two antennas, the first antenna is mounted on the lower case cover and consists of a ground plane and an active monopole fed by a coaxial feed from the phone's internal electronics. The seat cover is pivotally connected to the main body or upper half of the housing and folds towards the main body when not in use. Another similar antenna is mounted inside the main body, and both antennas are connected to the transceiver circuitry in the phone. The antenna design intentionally introduces mismatch to provide an efficient switching system between the antennas without the need for separate circuit elements.

The antenna configuration of a cellular phone can also significantly affect the overall size or footprint of the phone. Cellular telephones typically have antenna structures that support communications over multiple operating frequency bands. A variety of antennas are used in mobile devices such as helical, "inverted F", folded dipole and retractable antenna structures. Helical and retractable antennas are typically located on the exterior of the mobile device, ie, on the outside of the mobile device, and inverted-F and folded dipole antennas are typically located within the housing or housing of the mobile device, adjacent to the top thereof.

In general, built-in antennas allow a smaller coverage surface for a cellular phone than do external antennas. Furthermore, internal antennas are also preferred over external antennas for mechanical and ergonomic reasons. The internal antenna is also protected by the case of the mobile device, making it more durable than an external antenna. External antennas can be unwieldy, making mobile devices difficult to use, especially in environments where space is limited.

However, one potential disadvantage of a typical built-in cell phone antenna is that the built-in antenna is relatively close to the user's head when the phone is in use. Typically, the amount of radio frequency (RF) energy radiation absorbed by the body will increase as the antenna is closer to the user's body. The amount of RF energy absorbed by the human body while using a mobile phone is known as the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), and the allowable SAR for a mobile phone is typically limited by applicable government regulations to ensure safe user RF energy exposure levels.

US Patent No. 6,741,215 to Grant et al. presents an attempt to reduce radiation exposure from cellular telephone antennas. This patent discloses a variety of cellular phones with internal and external antenna configurations, where the antenna is located on the bottom of the phone, ie, by positioning the antenna away from the user's brain, the level of radiation experienced by the user is reduced. Additionally, in some embodiments, the housing of the phone is at an obtuse angle such that the bottom of the housing angle is turned away from the user's face.

Although this antenna configuration is capable of reducing radiation exposure, there is still a need to further develop antenna configurations, especially internal antennas, to further reduce the size of the overall device while still providing relatively low SAR values.

Contents of the invention

In view of the foregoing background, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile radio communication device comprising an antenna arrangement which allows a relatively small device size and an antenna arrangement which provides the required performance and relatively low SAR values.

This and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are provided by a mobile wireless communications device which may include: a housing having an upper half and a lower half; a dielectric substrate formed by said housing a carrier; a circuit carried by the dielectric substrate; and an audio output transducer carried by the upper half of the housing and connected to the circuit. The mobile wireless communications device may further include: user input interface means carried by the housing and coupled to the circuitry; and at least one auxiliary input/output means carried by the upper half of the housing and coupled to the connected to the above circuit. An antenna may also be located within a lower half of the housing, the lower half including a pattern of conductive traces on the dielectric substrate.

The placement of the antenna adjacent the lower half of the housing advantageously separates the antenna from the auxiliary input/output device, which may reduce interference between the two, for example. Furthermore, by placing the antenna adjacent to the bottom of the housing, SAR associated with the device may also be advantageously reduced.

The housing may be a fixed housing, and the antenna may be a multi-band antenna. More specifically, the antenna may include: a main loop conductor having a gap therein defining first and second ends of the main loop conductor; a first branch conductor having a A first end adjacent to the first end, and a second end defining a first feed-in point; and a second branch conductor having a first end connected adjacent to the second end of the main ring conductor, and defining a second feed-in point The second end of the In point. The antenna may further include a tuning branch conductor connected to the main loop conductor between respective first ends of the first and second branches.

For example, the at least one auxiliary input/output device may be a wireless local area network (WLAN) antenna, a satellite positioning system antenna and/or an electrical device connector. Other examples include: a camera lens such as a digital video camera, and a second audio output transducer to provide speakerphone operation in a mobile cellular telephone.

The method solution of the invention is for the manufacture of mobile radio communication devices. The method may include providing the following components: a housing having an upper half and a lower half; a dielectric substrate carried by the housing; circuitry carried by the dielectric substrate; an audio output transducer, carried by the upper half of the housing and connected to the circuit; and user input interface means carried by the housing and connected to the circuit. The method may also include: placing at least one auxiliary input/output device in the upper half of the housing and connecting it to the circuit; and placing an antenna in the lower half of the housing, the The antenna includes a pattern of conductive traces on the dielectric substrate.

Description of drawings

1 is a schematic block diagram of a mobile wireless communication device according to the present invention, showing certain internal components of the mobile wireless communication device;

Figure 2 is a front view of the mobile wireless communication device of Figure 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram generally showing a multi-band antenna for the mobile wireless communication device of FIG. 1;

4 to 6 are schematic diagrams of different embodiments of tuning characteristics that may be used for portions of the antenna of FIG. 3;

7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a dielectric substrate and associated antenna for the mobile wireless communications device of FIG. 1;

Figure 8 is a rear view of the dielectric substrate of Figure 7;

9 and 10 are perspective views of another embodiment of a dielectric substrate and associated antenna for a mobile wireless communication device, shown looking down from the top of the substrate and looking down from the bottom of the substrate, respectively;

11 and 12 are flowcharts of a method for manufacturing a mobile wireless communication device according to the present invention;

Fig. 13 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary mobile wireless communication device employing the present invention.

Detailed ways

The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these specific embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Throughout, like reference numbers refer to like elements, and a superscript (') is used to indicate similar elements in alternative embodiments.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, a mobile wireless communications device, such as a mobile cellular device 20, in accordance with the present invention will first be described. The cellular device 20 schematically includes a housing 21 having an upper half 46 and a lower half 47, and a main dielectric substrate 67, such as a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate, carried by the housing. For example, the illustrated housing 21 is a stationary housing, as opposed to flip or slide housings used in many cellular telephones. However, these and other housing configurations may also be used.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, and as discussed further below, the dielectric substrate 67 carries various circuits 48, such as a microprocessor, memory, one or more wireless transceivers (e.g., cellular, WLAN, etc.), audio and power circuit, etc.,. Housing 21 preferably also carries a battery (not shown) for powering circuitry 48 .

Additionally, an audio output transducer 49 , such as a speaker, is carried by the upper half 46 of the housing 21 and is connected to the circuitry 48 . Preferably, the housing 21 also carries one or more user input interface devices, such as a keypad 23 , which are connected to the circuit 48 . Other examples of user input interface devices include scroll wheels 37 and back buttons 36 . Of course, it is understood that other user input interface devices (such as stylus and touch screen interfaces) can also be used in other embodiments.

As discussed further below, the cellular device 20 also illustratively includes an antenna 45 carried within the lower half 47 of the housing 21 , the antenna 45 comprising a pattern of conductive traces on a dielectric substrate 67 . By placing the antenna 45 adjacent the lower half 47 of the housing 21, the distance between the antenna and the user's head is advantageously increased when the phone is in use, helping to comply with applicable SAR requirements.

More specifically, the user will typically hold the upper half of the housing 21 very close to the head so that the audio output transducer 49 is directly against the user's ear. However, the lower half 47 of the housing 21 where the audio input transducer (eg microphone) is located need not be directly next to the user's mouth, but is typically away from the user's mouth. That is, keeping the audio input transducer close to the user's mouth is not only uncomfortable for the user, but can also distort the user's speech in some circumstances. Furthermore, placing the antenna 45 adjacent the lower half 47 of the housing 21 also advantageously keeps the antenna away from the user's brain.

Another important benefit of placing the antenna 45 adjacent to the lower half 47 of the housing 21 is that the effect of obstruction by the user's hand on the performance of the antenna can be reduced. That is, users typically hold the upper middle portion of the cell phone housing, so users are more likely to place their hands over such an antenna than if the antenna were mounted near the lower half 47 of the housing 21 . Thus, by placing the antenna 45 adjacent the lower half 47 of the housing 21, more reliable performance can be achieved.

Another benefit of this configuration is that it provides more room for one or more auxiliary input/output (I/O) devices 50 to be carried at the upper half 46 of the housing. Furthermore, by separating the antenna 45 and the auxiliary I/O device 50, interference between the two can be reduced.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, some examples of auxiliary I/O device 50 include a WLAN (e.g., Bluetooth ^™ , IEEE 802.11) antenna for providing WLAN communication functions, and/or satellite positioning for providing positioning functions. System (e.g. GPS, Galileo, etc.) antenna. Other examples of auxiliary I/O device 50 include a second audio output transducer (e.g., a speaker for speakerphone operation) and a camera lens for providing digital camera functionality, electrical device connectors (e.g., USB, headset headphones, Secure Digital (SD) or memory card, etc.).

It should be noted that the term "input/output" as used herein for auxiliary I/O devices 50 means that these devices may have input and/or input functionality, but need not provide both in all embodiments. That is, for example, a device such as a camera lens may only receive light input, while a headphone jack may only provide audio output.

Device 20 also schematically includes a display 22 carried by housing 21 and connected to circuitry 48 . As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, back button 36 and scroll wheel 37 are also connected to circuitry 48 to allow the user to navigate menus, text, and the like. In some examples, the scroll wheel 37 may also be referred to as a "thumb wheel" or a "track wheel". The keypad 23 schematically includes a plurality of multi-symbol keys 24, each of which is marked with a plurality of symbols. The keypad 23 also schematically includes an alternate function key 25 , a next key (next key) 26 , a space bar 27 , a shift key 28 , a return (or carriage return) key 29 and a backspace/delete key 30 .

When the alternate function key 25 is first pressed or actuated, the down key 26 can also be used to enter the "*" symbol. Similarly, when the alternate function key 25 is actuated first, the space bar 27, toggle key 28 and backspace key 30 are used to input "0" and "#", respectively. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the keypad 23 also illustratively includes a send key 31 , an end key 32 and a shortcut (ie menu) key 39 for use in placing a cell phone call.

In addition, the symbols on each key 24 are arranged in top and bottom rows. When the user presses the key 24 without first pressing the alternate function key 25, the symbols in the bottom row are entered, whereas the symbols in the top row are entered by first pressing the alternate function key. As shown in FIG. 2 , the multi-symbol keys 24 are arranged in the first three rows of the keypad 23 below the send and end keys 31 , 32 . Additionally, the alphabetic symbols on each key 24 are arranged to define a QWERTY layout. That is, the letters on the keypad 23 appear in a three-row format, and the characters in each row have the same order and relative positions as on a standard QWERTY keypad.

Each row of keys (including the fourth row of function keys 25-29) is arranged in five columns. The multi-symbol keys 24 of the second, third and fourth columns in the first, second and third rows have on them numerical indicia (ie 1 to 9) which are accessed by first actuating the alternate function key 25. As noted above, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, and as can be found on conventional touch-tone telephones, the descending sequence of entering "*", "0" and "#" respectively by first actuating the alternate function key 25 key, space bar and switch keys 26, 27, 28 in combination, this group of keys defines a standard telephone keypad layout.

Thus, the mobile cellular device 20 may be advantageously used not only as a conventional cellular telephone, but may also be conveniently used to send and/or receive data (eg, e-mail data) over a cellular or other network (eg, the Internet). Of course, in other embodiments, other keypad configurations may be used. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, multi-tap or predictive entry modes can be used for typing emails and the like.

Referring now to Figures 3 through 10, a typical implementation of antenna 45 will be discussed. Preferably, antenna 45 is a multi-band antenna, providing enhanced transmission and reception characteristics at multiple operating frequencies. More specifically, antenna 45 is designed to provide high gain, required impedance matching, and to meet applicable SAR requirements over a relatively wide bandwidth and multiple cellular frequency bands. For example, antenna 45 preferably operates on five frequency bands, the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) band at 850 MHz, the GSM band at 900 MHz, the DCS band, the PCS band, and the WCDMA band (i.e., up to approximately 2100 MHz), but antenna 45 also Can be used for other frequency bands/frequencies.

As shown in Figures 7 to 10, the antenna 45 may advantageously be realized in three dimensions in order to save space, although the antenna may also be realized in a two-dimensional or planar embodiment. The antenna 45 schematically includes a first portion 61 on a PCB 67. Second part 62 is wound from PCB 67 to L-shaped dielectric extension (dielectric extension) or antenna holder (retainer frame) (retainer frame) 63, and L-shaped dielectric extension or antenna holder 63 comprises the vertical part 51 that extends outwards from PCB 67 , and an overhang portion 68 extending outward from the vertical portion and above an adjacent portion of the PCB. In some embodiments, sidewalls 55 may also be placed on opposite ends of L-shaped dielectric extension 63 to provide additional support, if desired (see FIGS. 7 and 9 ).

The second portion 62 of the antenna 45 schematically includes a main loop antenna conductor 64 with a gap defining the first and second ends 52, 53 of the main loop conductor. The first part 61 of the antenna 45 schematically includes a first branch conductor 70 , a second branch conductor 71 and a tuning branch conductor 72 . More specifically, the first branch conductor 70 has a first end connected adjacent the first end 52 of the main ring conductor 64, and a second end defining a first feed point, which in the example shown is connected to the signal source 54 (such as a wireless transceiver) connected. The second branch conductor 71 has a first end connected adjacent to the second end 53 of the main ring conductor 64, and a second end defining a second feed point, which in the example shown is connected to the ground plane conductor 69 of the PCB. connected (Figure 8).

Tuning branch conductor 72 has a first end connected to main loop conductor 64 between respective first ends of the first and second branches. That is, the first end of the tuning branch conductor 72 is connected to the main loop conductor 64 at some point along the length between the first and second branch conductors 70,71. The position of branch conductor 72 between portions 77 and 78 can be easily changed without seriously affecting the frequency parameters. In this example, the main loop conductor 64 is generally rectangular having a first side including portions 75-78 and a gap, a second side 74 opposite the first side, and first and second ends 79, 80 opposite each other. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 , printed or patterned conductive circuit paths may be used to form the first and second portions 61 , 62 of the antenna 45 .

In the illustrated embodiment, although the first ends of the first branch conductor 70 , the second branch conductor 71 and the tuning branch conductor 72 are respectively connected to the first side of the main ring conductor 64 , other configurations are also possible. For example, a first end of the tuning branch conductor 72 may be connected to the second side 74 , or to one of the first and second ends 79 , 80 .

As mentioned above, the second portion 62 of the antenna 45 may be placed on the vertical portion 51 of the L-shaped dielectric extension 63 . This advantageously allows the total covered surface of the antenna 45 on the top side of the PCB 67 (i.e. the circuitry) to be significantly reduced. In addition, part of the main loop conductor 64 can also be wound onto the overhanging portion 68 of the dielectric extension 63 to further save space. It should be noted, however, that, as those skilled in the art will recognize, in some embodiments, the antenna 45 may be implemented in two dimensions (i.e., the first and second portions 61, 62 are in the in the same plane), and other 3D configurations can also be used.

Portions 74 - 80 define main loop conductor 64 . As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the first branch conductor 70 may be connected to the signal source 54 with or without the use of a passive matching network. Preferably, the second branch conductor 71 is connected to ground without using a matching network, and the tuning branch conductor 72 is floating (ie, not connected to the signal source 54 or ground).

In general, the lengths of branches 70, 71 and 72 are used to set the operating center frequency. The square meandering or back-and-forth pattern of branch conductors 70 and 72 is a tuning feature that can be used to vary the electrical length, which changes the center frequency. Furthermore, different shapes (ie, tuning characteristics) of the branches 70, 71, 72 may be used to provide different frequencies. For example, other geometries that may be used for the branches include zigzag or triangular meanders 40 ( FIG. 4A ), looped branches 41 ( FIG. 4B ), etc., in addition to the zigzag and straight lines shown in FIG. 3 . As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, various other shapes and combinations thereof can also be used to provide different frequency characteristics.

Portion 73 of main loop conductor 64 is also used to control the operating frequency. Various shapes and/or cutout patterns may be used for portion 73 . Such tuning features may include, for example, a "dog bone" 90 (FIG. 5A), a half dog bone 91 (FIG. 5B), a hairpin 92 (FIG. 5C), a double hairpin 93 (FIG. 5D), a ringed Hairpin 94 (FIG. 5E), meander 95 (FIG. 5F), and zigzag 96 (FIG. 5G). Furthermore, in some embodiments, not only portions of the main loop conductor 64, but the entire main loop conductor 64 may take one of the aforementioned shapes or other shapes.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, if circuit elements are required in a particular embodiment to adjust the input impedance and/or extend the bandwidth, a ring pattern that creates additional resonant tuning stages may be used. Straight sections can be used in appropriate lengths if sufficient space is available. Typically, however, space is at a premium for internal cellular device antennas, especially for compact models, so one of the above shapes (or others) would be more preferred.

The width and shape of portion 74 affects antenna gain. The length of portion 74 also has an effect on the frequency of operation. However, it should be noted that, as in the case of a typical dipole antenna, the length of portions 70, 71, 72 and 73 (ie, the length of the entire antenna 45) also affects the frequency of operation.

The main loop conductor 64 can take a variety of shapes, widths and thicknesses. For example, the main loop conductor 64 can generally be circular, square, polygonal, although other shapes, such as U-shaped 97 (FIG. 6A), semi-circular 98 (FIG. 6B), and pea-shaped 99 (FIG. 6C), can also be used. wait.

In addition, portion 74 may also have grooves, patches, and the like. Patches can be used to increase the surface area so that portion 74 can shape the beam. It should be noted that in the case of a cellular phone, the beam should preferably be offset from the phone, i.e. perpendicular to the plane of the PCB 37. For example, the width of antenna 45 may be about 7 cm or less, the height of first portion 61 may be about 1 to 3 cm, and the height of second portion 62 may be about 1 to 3 cm, depending on a given implementation. Of course, other dimensions may also be used.

Regarding the S11 impedance characteristic in the antenna 45, in order to provide a wide bandwidth, a good match over the frequency range of interest is required. Therefore, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, it is necessary to shrink the S11 circle and move the reduced circle to the 50 Ohm center point. The area 73 and other parts of the antenna 45 can be used to shrink and/or move the S11 circle, preferably in a distributed manner. Additionally, the matching network and meanders of the antenna 45 can also be used to move the S11 circle towards the desired 50 Ohm center point. According to the invention as described above, the center of the reduced S11 circle is not critical since it can advantageously be shifted towards the 50 Ohm point.

In general, the antenna 45 described above allows a variety of shapes and lengths to be used to provide suitable electrical length and current distribution. Some shapes are simple delay lines, while others are designed to affect current flow in specific regions. As noted above, many of the above-described shapes and geometries are not necessary, given that space is not limited. However, in the space-constrained environment of wireless communication devices such as cellular telephones, the antenna features described above are particularly beneficial in providing the desired performance over multiple operating frequency bands.

In particular embodiments, various changes may be made to the basic layout of antenna 45 . For example, tuning branch 72 may be moved such that tuning branch conductor 72 extends from portion 74 instead of region 73 . Other changes are also possible, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art.

PCB 67 has a first surface on which circuitry 48 is placed, and a second surface on which ground plane conductors 69 are placed. Preferably, the portion of the main loop conductor 64 on the overhang 68 of the L-shaped dielectric extension 63 is positioned relatively so that it does not overlap the ground plane conductor 69 . This is known to provide enhanced antenna performance characteristics. Similarly, preferably, none of the first, second or tuning branch conductors 70 , 71 , 72 overlaps the ground plane conductor 69 .

Referring to Fig. 11, a first method variant of the present invention for manufacturing a mobile radio communication device 20 is described. The method begins (block 110) by, at block 111, providing housing 21 having upper half 46 and lower half 47, dielectric substrate 67 carried by the housing, circuitry 48 carried by the dielectric substrate, The upper half carries an audio output transducer 49 connected to the circuitry, and a user input interface device (eg keypad 23 ) carried by the housing and connected to the circuitry. The method also schematically includes: at block 112, placing at least one auxiliary input/output device 50 within the upper half 46 of the housing 21 and connecting it to the circuit 48; Antenna 45 is placed within half-section 47, antenna 45 comprising a pattern of conductive traces on a dielectric substrate, thus ending the illustrated method (block 114).

Referring to FIG. 12, another method aspect of the present invention for manufacturing a mobile wireless communication device 20 is described. The method begins (block 120) by forming, at block 121, an L-shaped dielectric extension 63 comprising a vertical portion 51 and an overhang portion 68 extending outwardly from the vertical portion with at least There is a conductive line. The method also schematically includes: at block 122, connecting the vertical portion 51 of the L-shaped dielectric extension 63 to the main dielectric substrate 67, so that the vertical portion extends outward from the main dielectric substrate, and the overhanging portion 68 is in the The main dielectric substrate 67 extends over adjacent portions and the at least one conductive trace does not overlap the ground plane conductor 69 on the dielectric substrate. Additionally, at block 123, the main dielectric substrate 67 may be installed in the housing 21, thus concluding the illustrated method (block 124). Of course, those skilled in the art will recognize that the order of the steps in the above method is only exemplary, and different steps may be performed in different orders in different embodiments.

Referring to Figure 13, another example of a handheld mobile wireless communication device 1000 suitable for use with the present invention is further described in the following example. Device 1000 schematically includes a housing 1200 , a keypad 1400 and an output device 1600 . The output device shown is display 1600, preferably display 1600 is a full graphics LCD. Other types of output devices may alternatively be used. Housing 1200 contains processing means 1800 connected between keypad 1400 and display 1600 . The processing means 1800 controls the operation of the display 1600 and also controls all operations of the mobile device 1000 in response to the user's actuation of the keys on the keypad 1400 .

Housing 1200 may be vertically elongated, or other sizes and shapes (including clamshell housing configurations) may be used. The keypad may include a mode selection key or other hardware or software for switching between text entry and telephony entry.

In addition to the processing device 1800 , FIG. 13 also schematically shows other components in the mobile device 1000 . These components include communication subsystem 1001; short-range communication subsystem 1020; keypad 1400 and display 1600 and other input/output devices 1060, 1080, 1100, and 1120; and storage devices 1160, 1180 and various other device subsystems 1201. Preferably, the mobile device 1000 is a two-way RF communication device capable of voice and data communication. In addition, preferably, the mobile device 1000 has a function of communicating with other computer systems through the Internet.

Operating system software executed by processing device 1800 is preferably stored in persistent storage, such as flash memory 1160, but may also be stored in other types of storage devices, such as read-only memory (ROM) or similar storage elements. Additionally, system software, device-specific applications, or portions thereof, may be temporarily loaded into volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 1180 . Communication signals received by the mobile device are also stored in RAM 1180 .

In addition to the operating system functions of the processing device 1800 itself, the processing device 1800 is also capable of executing software applications 1300A to 1300N on the device 1000 . A predetermined set of applications that control basic device operations, such as data communications 1300A and voice communications 1300B, may be installed on device 1000 during its manufacture. Additionally, a Personal Information Manager (PIM) application can be installed during manufacture. Preferably, the PIM is capable of organizing and managing data items such as emails, calendar events, voicemails, appointments and task items. Preferably, the PIM application is also capable of sending and receiving data items over the wireless network 1401 . Preferably, over the wireless network 1401, the PIM data items are seamlessly integrated, synchronized and updated with corresponding data items of the device user either stored or associated with the host computer system.

Communication functions, including data and voice communications, are performed through the communications subsystem 1001, and possibly through the short-range communications subsystem. The communication subsystem 1001 includes a receiver 1500 , a transmitter 1520 , and one or more antennas 1540 and 1560 . In addition, the communication subsystem 1001 also includes processing modules such as a digital signal processor (DSP) 1580 and a local oscillator (LO) 1601 . The specific design and implementation of the communication subsystem 1001 depends on the communication network in which the mobile device 1000 is intended to operate. For example, mobile device 1000 may include a communications subsystem 1001 designed to operate over a mobile data communications network such as Mobitex ^™ , Data TAC ^™ , or General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), and designed to operate over mobile data communications networks such as AMPS, TDMA, Any one of various voice communication networks such as CDMA, PCS, GSM, etc. is operated. Mobile device 1000 can also be used with other types of separate and integrated data and voice networks.

Network access requirements vary according to the type of communication system. For example, in the Mobitex ^(TM) and Data TAC ^(TM) networks, mobile devices are registered on the network using a unique personal identification number or PIN associated with each device. However, in a GPRS network, network access is associated with the subscriber or user of the device. Therefore, GPRS devices require a Subscriber Identity Module, commonly referred to as a SIM card, to operate on the GPRS network.

When required network registration or activation procedures have been completed, mobile device 1000 can send and receive communication signals over communication network 1401 . Signals received by antenna 1540 from communication network 1401 are routed to receiver 1500, which provides signal amplification, frequency down conversion, filtering, channel selection, etc., and may also provide analog to digital conversion. Analog-to-digital conversion of the received signal allows the DSP 1580 to perform more complex communication functions such as demodulation and decoding. In a similar manner, the signal to be transmitted to the network 1401 is processed (e.g., modulated and encoded) by the DSP 1580, and the processed signal is then provided to the transmitter 1520 for digital-to-analog conversion, up-conversion, filtering, amplification And transmit to the communication network 1401 (or network) through the antenna 1560.

In addition to processing communication signals, DSP 1580 also provides control of receiver 1500 and transmitter 1520. For example, the gain applied to communication signals in receiver 1500 and transmitter 1520 may be adaptively controlled by an automatic gain control algorithm implemented in DSP 1580.

In data communication mode, the communication subsystem 1001 processes received signals, such as text messages or web page downloads, and inputs the signals to the processing device 1800 . The processing device 1800 then further processes the received signal for output to the display 1600 , or optionally to some other auxiliary I/O device 1060 . A device user may also use keypad 1400 and/or some other auxiliary I/O device 1060 (eg, a touchpad, rocker switch, thumb wheel, or some other type of input device) to compose data items such as email messages. Thereafter, the composed data item may be transmitted over the communication network 1401 through the communication subsystem 1001 .

In the speech communication mode, all operations of the device are essentially similar to those in the data communication mode, except that received signals are output to the speaker 1100 and signals for transmission are generated by the microphone 1120 . An optional speech or audio I/O subsystem, such as a speech message recording subsystem, may also be implemented on device 1000. In addition, in the voice communication mode, the display 1600 can also be used, for example, to display the calling party's identity, voice call duration or other voice call related information.

The short-range communication subsystem enables communication between the mobile device 1000 and other nearby systems or devices, which need not be similar devices. For example, a short-range communication subsystem may include an infrared device and associated circuits and components, or a Bluetooth ^™ communication module to provide communication with similarly enabled systems and devices.

Various modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the foregoing description and illustrations set forth in the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed and that modifications and embodiments are to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (17)

1. mobile radio communication apparatus comprises:

Shell has the first half and the latter half;

Dielectric substrate is by described shell carrying;

Circuit is by described dielectric substrate carrying;

The audio frequency output transducer is carried by the first half of described shell, and links to each other with described circuit;

User's input interface unit is carried by described shell, and links to each other with described circuit;

At least one auxiliary input/output device is carried by the first half of described shell, and links to each other with described circuit; And

Antenna is carried in the latter half of described shell, and comprises the conducting wire pattern on the described dielectric substrate.

2. mobile radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said shell comprises fixing shell.

3. mobile radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said antenna comprises multiband antenna.

4. mobile radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said antenna comprises:

Main loop conductor wherein has the gap, and described gap limits first and second ends of described main loop conductor;

First branch conductors has first end of first end vicinity that is connected described main loop conductor and second end that limits first load point; And

Second branch conductors has first end of second end vicinity that is connected described main loop conductor and second end that limits second load point.

5. mobile radio communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said antenna also comprises: tuning branch conductors links to each other with described main loop conductor between described first and second branches first end separately.

6. mobile radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises the wireless lan (wlan) antenna.

7. mobile radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises antenna of satellite positioning system.

8. mobile radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises the electric equipment connector.

9. mobile radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises pick-up lens.

10. mobile radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises the second audio frequency output transducer.

11. a method that is used to make mobile radio communication apparatus comprises:

Be provided with: shell, described shell has the first half and the latter half; Dielectric substrate is by described shell carrying; Circuit is by described dielectric substrate carrying; The audio frequency output transducer is carried by the first half of shell, and links to each other with described circuit; And user's input interface unit, carry by shell, and link to each other with described circuit;

At least one auxiliary input/output device is placed in the first half of described shell, and it is linked to each other with described circuit; And

Antenna is placed in the latter half of described shell, described antenna comprises the conducting wire pattern on the described dielectric substrate.

12. method according to claim 11 is wherein placed antenna and is comprised:

Formation has the main loop conductor in gap, and described gap limits first and second ends of described main loop conductor;

Form first branch conductors, described first branch conductors has first end of first end vicinity that is connected described main loop conductor and second end that limits first load point;

Form second branch conductors, described second branch conductors has first end of second end vicinity that is connected described main loop conductor and second end that limits second load point; And

Form antenna, described antenna also comprises tuning branch conductors, and described tuning branch conductors has first end that links to each other with described main loop conductor between described first and second branches first end separately.

13. method according to claim 11, wherein at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises the wireless lan (wlan) antenna.

14. method according to claim 11, wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises antenna of satellite positioning system.

15. method according to claim 11, wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises the electric equipment connector.

16. method according to claim 11, wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises pick-up lens.

17. method according to claim 11, wherein said at least one auxiliary input/output device comprises the second audio frequency output transducer.

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