KR101245506B1 - Mobile wireless communications device with electrically conductive continuous ring and related methods - Google Patents

Abstract

The mobile wireless communications device can include a portable housing that can include an electrically conductive continuous ring that defines the perimeter of the portable housing. The electrically conductive continuous ring is configurable to function as an antenna. The mobile wireless communications device can further include a printed circuit board (PCB) supported by the portable housing and can include an electrically conductive layer defining a ground plane. The mobile wireless communications device can further include a wireless transmit / receive circuit coupled to the antenna when supported by the PCB. The mobile wireless communications device can also include an electrically conductive short circuit member coupled between the electrically conductive continuous ring and the ground plane.

Description

MOBILE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE WITH ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE CONTINUOUS RING AND RELATED METHODS}

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention generally relates to the field of wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to a mobile wireless communication device and associated method.

Mobile wireless communication systems continue to grow in popularity and have become an integral part of personal and corporate communications. Cellular telephones, for example, allow users to make or receive calls wherever they are. Moreover, cellular telephone technology has improved and the user thus has the functionality of different types of devices and cellular devices available. For example, most cellular devices now incorporate PDA features such as calendars, address books, to-do lists, and the like. Moreover, these multifunctional devices also allow users to send and receive email messages wirelessly and to access the Internet, for example via a cellular network and / or a wireless LAN.

The capabilities of cellular communication devices continue to increase, and so the demand for smaller, easier and more convenient devices for users continues to increase. One challenge for cellular device manufacturers to address this is to design a housing that cooperates with the antenna to provide the desired operating characteristics within a relatively limited available space size.

In one example form, a mobile wireless communications device can include a portable housing that can include an electrically conductive continuous ring that can define a perimeter of the portable housing. The electrically conductive continuous ring is configurable to function, for example, as an antenna. The printed circuit board (PCB) may include an electrically conductive layer that is supportable by the portable housing and defines a ground plane. The wireless transmit / receive circuit may be supported by the PCB and coupled to the antenna. The at least one electrically conductive short circuit member is connectable, for example, between the electrically conductive continuous ring and the ground plane.

The at least one electrically conductive short circuit member may comprise a plurality of electrically conductive short circuit members. The plurality of electrically conductive shorting members can be spaced apart, for example.

The mobile wireless communications device can further comprise, for example, at least one conductive floating member coupled between the electrically conductive continuous ring and the PCB. The electrically conductive continuous ring may comprise a metal, for example.

The at least one electrically conductive short circuit member may comprise at least one mechanical locking device. The at least one electrically conductive short circuit member may comprise at least one conductive trace, for example.

The PCB and the electrically conductive continuous ring can be positioned to define an air gap between them. The mobile wireless communication device may further comprise an electrical material body, for example, between the PCB and the electrically conductive continuous ring. The wireless transmit / receive circuit may be configured to operate in the 800 MHz to 3.25 GHz frequency band, for example.

The method form may relate to a method for manufacturing a mobile wireless communications device. The method may include, for example, forming a portable housing having an electrically conductive continuous ring that defines a peripheral device. The electrically conductive continuous ring is configurable to function as an antenna. The method may further comprise placing an PCB in the portable housing to include an electrically conductive layer defining a ground plane, and for example coupling a wireless transmit / receive circuit supported by the PCB to the antenna. The method may further comprise at least one electrically conductive shorting member between the electrically conductive continuous ring and the ground plane.

The configuration by the mobile wireless communication device of the present invention, the housing cooperating with the antenna, can provide the user's desired operation within the size of the available space.

1 is a front view of a mobile wireless communications device including a shunt conductor according to one example form.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a printed circuit board (PCB) and housing of the apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG.
3A-3D are schematic diagrams of circuit elements and shunt conductors in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
4 is a schematic diagram of an arrangement of passband and stopband cells according to an example embodiment.
5 is a cross-sectional view of a multilayer PCB according to an example embodiment.
6 is a graph of measured radiation of an antenna of a mobile wireless communications device according to an example embodiment.
7 is a schematic diagram of a housing and PCB portion of a mobile wireless communications device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
8 is an enlarged view of the housing and PCB portion of FIG.
9 is a schematic block diagram illustrating additional components that may be included in the mobile wireless communications device of FIG. 1.
10 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication device according to yet another example embodiment.
11 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an electrically conductive continuous ring, multilayer PCB, dielectric body in accordance with an example embodiment.
12 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of the portable housing of FIG. 9 including electrically conductive short circuit members.
13 is a schematic diagram of a PCB of a prototype mobile wireless communications device according to an example embodiment.
14 is a graph of measured gain of a prototype mobile wireless communications device according to an example embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings for a more detailed description of the present invention. Like elements in the drawings bear like reference numerals.

First, it will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. The mobile wireless communication device 30 includes a portable housing 31, a PCB 32 supported by the portable housing, and a wireless transmission / reception circuit 33 supported by the portable housing. In other embodiments PCB 32 is available in combination with a metal chassis or other substrates. PCB 32 also includes a conductive layer defining a ground plane (not shown).

The satellite positioning signal receiver 34 is also supported by the portable housing 31. The satellite positioning signal receiver 34 may be, for example, a global positioning system (GPS) satellite receiver.

The example device 30 has a display 60 and an "off hook" (i.e. telephone call initiation) key 61, an "on hook" (i.e. telephone call interruption) key 62, menu key 63, return or It may include a plurality of control keys including an escape key 64. Operation of components and input keys of various apparatuses will be described later with reference to FIG. 9.

The controller 66 or processor is also supportable by the PCB 32. Controller 66 may cooperate with other components, such as antenna 35, satellite positioning signal receiver 34, and wireless transmit / receive circuitry 33 that cooperatively controls the operation of mobile wireless communications device 30. . The operations may include mobile voice and data operations, including email and internet data.

The portable housing 31 includes an electrical conductor. For example, the portable housing 31 may be metal or include a metal part. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, if the portable housing 31 comprises an electrical conducting portion, it becomes increasingly difficult to control the current direction through the antenna by functioning as the antenna.

The portable housing 31, comprising an electrical conductor configured to operate as an antenna, can transmit and receive at different operating frequencies, such as cellular telephones, satellites, or other wireless communication frequencies. The mobile wireless communications device 30 can include an additional or secondary antenna 35 coupled to the wireless transmit / receive circuit 33. The secondary antenna 35 is also configurable to transmit and receive at different operating frequencies, such as cellular telephones, satellites or other wireless communication frequencies, and can operate independently or in combination with the electrical conducting portion of the portable conductive housing 31 configured as an antenna. Do.

One advantageous approach for controlling current flow includes forming a non-current support using circuit elements 36 configured in an array and portable housing 31 (configured as an antenna). Circuit element 36 may also include conductive traces on PCB 32, for example. Circuit element 36 may be another component or element as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

At each common node or intersection of circuit elements 36, the shunt component 38 is coupled to the portable housing 31. The intersection of the four circuit elements 36 and the shunt component 38 extending from the intersection 37 forms the unit cell 40. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the non-current support is formed by the cooperation of the shunt component 38 and the array of circuit elements 36. That is, the unit cell 40 may be used to define the current path for the current. For example, the unit cell 40 configured as a pass band unit cell as shown in FIG. 3A includes four inductors as circuit elements 36 and capacitors as shunt components 38. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3B, the unit cell 40 ′ configured as the stop band unit cell includes four inductors as the circuit element 36 ′ and a capacitor as the shunt component 38 ′. Of course, other types of circuit elements 36 and shunt conductors 38 are available as shown, for example, in FIGS. 3C and 3D, which may include one or more shunt conductors.

Alternatively, if the separation between adjacent circuit elements 36 is much smaller than the desired operating wavelength, the unit cell 40 may exhibit electromagnetic properties that can be tailored to the desired specifications. Thus, the unit cell 40 comprising the circuit element 36 and the shunt conductor 38 is characterized by the amount of macro, such as permittivity or permeability. As published in JKH Wong, KG Balmain, and GV Eleftheriades, the article titled "Fields in planar anisotropic transmission-line metamaterials," (vol. 54, no. 10, pp. 2742-2749, Oct. 2006). Using a quasi-transverse electromagnetic mode (TEM) approximation method in the unit cell 40, the non-zero field component is as follows.

-∂Ez / ∂y = jωμ _xx H _x (1a)

∂Ez / ∂x = jωμ _yy H (1b)

-∂Hx / ∂y + ∂Hy / ∂x = jωε _zz E _z (1c)

This configuration enables propagation of a wavelength in which the electric field is vertically polarized between the unit cell 40 and the portable housing 31. If the division is made sufficiently small between the unit cell 40 and the portable housing 31, the volume length of the electric field bounded by the unit cell and the portable housing is constant in the z direction. That is, ∂ / ∂z and equation (1a-1c) are applied. In consideration of the H mode electric field, equations (1a) and (1b) are integrated to obtain the following equation.

∂ Vz / ∂y = -jωμ _xx H _x Δz (2a)

∂V z / ∂x = jωμ _yy H _y Δz (2b)

Equation (2) is then integrated along the x and y directions to obtain the following equation.

∂ V _z / ∂ _y △ _{x = - jωμ xx I y △ z} (3a)

∂ V _z / ∂ _x △ _{y = Jωμ yy I x △ z (} 3b)

The current flowing through the current element 36, that is, the capacitor and the inductor is determined by the voltage difference between the unit cells 40 and can be expressed by the following equation.

I _x = (1 / jX _x ) (∂ V _z / ∂x) (△ x) (4a)

I _y = -( 1 / jX _y ) (∂ V _z / ∂y) (Δy). (4b)

In equations (4a-4b), x _x and x _y are reactances along the x and y directions at wavelength frequencies, respectively. Replace equation (4) with equation (3) and d = Δx = Δy = Δz as

μ _xx = X _y / ωd (5a)

μ _yy = X _x / ωd (5a)

In the unit cell 40 shown in FIG. 3A, the reactances along the x and y directions are the same and are represented by the following equation.

X _x = X _y = ωL ₀ d + ωL (6)

Where L is the series load inductance and L ₀ is the inductance per unit length of the crossover transmission line. Therefore, Equation (6) is replaced by Equation (5) to arrive at an expression related to the permeability and concentration component values of the equation below.

μ _xx = μ _yy = L ₀ + L / d (7)

Applying the same procedure to the ampere law, equation (1c) arrives at an expression that relates to the shunt component 38 value for permeability of the equation

ε _zz = C ₀ + C _shunt / D (8)

Where C _shunt is the shunt capacitance and C ₀ is the capacitance per unit length of the crossover transmission line.

Once the effective permeability and permittivity are calculated, the propagation constants in the array of portable housing 31 and circuit component 36 are derived as follows.

k = ω√ (με) = ω√ ( L ₀ + L / d) ( C ₀ + C / d) (9)

Assuming that the operating frequency is relatively good below the self resonant frequency of the circuit components 36 (ie, inductor and capacitor), Equation (9) is always a real situation. That is, propagation is allowed for all frequencies from circuit 0 to the self resonant frequency of component 36. As such, the portable housing, circuit element 36 (ie, series inductor), and shunt component 38 cooperate to form a passband condition (FIG. 3A).

To make the stopband condition, k must be made virtual. Therefore, if the circuit component 36 'is a capacitor as shown in Fig. 3B, the following equation is obtained.

X _x = X _y = ωL ₀ d - 1 / ωC (10)

If equation (10) is replaced with equation (5), the following equation is obtained.

μ _xx = μ _yy = L ₀ -1 / ω ² Cd (11)

Thus, propagation in this structure is given by the following equation. κ = ω√ (με) = ω√ (L _0-1 / ω ² Cd) (C ₀ + C / d)) (12)

It was observed from (12) that the wavelength vector became a virtual vector when the condition of the following equation was maintained.

C < 1 / ω ² L ₀ d (13)

That is, the stopband condition can be achieved within a desired frequency by varying C. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the number or combination of circuit components is available when k is virtual to create a stop band. In addition, the combination of the pass band unit cell 40 and the stop band unit cell 40 ′ can be configured to direct current from the antenna 35.

Reference will now be made to FIG. 4. The combination of passband and stopband unit cells 40, 40 ', 40' ', 40' '' is arranged to direct the flow of current through the portable housing 31. When the portable housing 31 is excited with current from the antenna 35, the current flows away from the excitation point, but can be defined by the stop band unit cell 40 ′ and flows into the pass band 40 region. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, antenna design in devices with all-metal portable housings can focus on the arrangement of passband unit cells 40 of a shape and size that yields the desired radiation pattern.

However, given the relatively small size of the mobile wireless communication device 30, it may be desirable to further reduce the size of the discrete physical components used to create the non-current transfer or direct current. That is, the mobile wireless communications device 30 that includes an array or layer of circuit elements 36 is undesirable because additional components can increase the weight of the mobile wireless communications device. In this case the circuit element 36 may be a circuit component supported on the PCB 32, such as a wireless transmit / receive circuit 33.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the shunt component 38 and the array of spaced circuit components 36 cooperate advantageously to enable radiation with a mobile wireless communication device having an electrically conductive housing. Growing industrial designs, for example, tend to include metallic materials to deliver increased quality.

Thus, most mobile wireless communications devices generally include an increased amount of metal material. Some of these mobile wireless communications devices also include radiating elements, or antennas, integrated into a structure comprising a metallic material, such as a metal ring. The metal ring or electrically conductive material portion of the portable housing also functions as an antenna. Alternatively, the radiating element may be placed away from the metal material (eg metal housing).

The circuit component 36 and the shunt component 38 enable wireless communication, for example via an internal antenna that can be completely covered with metallic material. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, metal materials may include materials that act like conductors in the radio frequency (RF) band. For example, the metallic material may include an LCD as the glass is inserted with a microwire that appears as a conducting plate for electromagnetic waves.

Reference will now be made to FIG. 5. In another illustrative embodiment, the mobile wireless communications device 30 '' '' includes a first conductive layer 51 '' '' (ie ground plane), a dielectric layer 54 '' '', a second dielectric layer 53. '' '') And a multilayer PCB 32 '' '' comprising a second conductive layer 52 '' '' separated from the first conductive layer. The second dielectric layer 53 '' '' may be an air layer or another dielectric material as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The shunt conductor 38 '' '' combines the first and second conductor layers 51 '' '', 52 '' ''. The second conductive layer 51 '' '' may include a conductive trace (not shown) on the circuit element 36 '' '' or the PCB 32 '' ''.

Also in some example embodiments one or more circuit elements 36 are supportable by a flexible substrate (not shown). The flexible circuit board attached to or detachable from the PCB 32 includes a metal layer that acts as a circuit element. The flexible circuit board can be, for example, Kapton ™.

A prototype mobile wireless communication device similar to the mobile wireless communication device 30 described above is made and covered with copper to emulate an all-metallic portable housing. The antenna is configured to operate at a GPS frequency of 1.575 GHz. The PCB consists of a semi-circular structure and has a plurality of shunt components that couple the metal portable housing to the ground plane of the PCB.

Reference is made to the graph 71 of FIG. 6. The measured radiation pattern of the prototype GPS antenna of the prototype is shown. The measured gain is approximately -7.5 dBi, which is relatively comparable to the antenna gain of other GPS antennas.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 7 and 8. Another embodiment of a mobile wireless communications device 130 in accordance with an exemplary form is described. Illustratively, portable housing 131 includes a metal ring 145 placed along the periphery of the portable housing and configured to function as part of the antenna. Metal ring 145 causes increased degradation of the radiated performance under hand phantom conditions, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. It has been found that a relatively large amount of current flows into the metal ring 145 when the user's hand comes into contact with the metal ring. Accordingly, a large amount of current or radiation was directed to the user's hand.

In order to reduce the current flowing in the metal ring 145 relatively small, the non-current transmitter is adjacent to the side of the mobile wireless communications device 130, if any, to reduce antenna radiation performance. The non current transfer is made cooperatively between the metal ring 145, the PCB 132, and the antenna feeding position.

The metal ring 145 contacts the PCB 132 via a screw mount 146 around the metal ring. The non-current transfer is achieved by isolating the screw mount 146 near the antenna feed point. The non-current transfer is defined as the spacing between the ground point (ie, the other three screw mounts not coupled to the shunt component 138) and the load elements, or the shunt component along the non-current transfer. Shunt component 138, which couples metal ring 145 to PCB 132 to make the non-current transfer, is adjusted so that the propagation constant along the metal ring is a virtual constant. There is also an air gap 149 between the PCB 132 and the metal ring 145 along the non-current transfer.

Reference is now made to Tables 1 and 2. The results of the two measurements performed, one being performed with the non-current carrying part according to the present embodiment (Table 1) and the other one being taken without the non-current carrying part (Table 2), are shown. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the hand phantom performance of the non-current transfer implementation, as measured, is improved over a band with the order of 5 dB.

Tx Rx treason L M H L M H 1800 -10.44 -10.23 -10.88 -10.98 -10.97 -11.61 1900 -11.20 -11.69 -11.48 -12.10 -12.33 -12.62 2100 -11.83 -12.24 -11.96 -11.96 -13.38 -15.61

Tx Rx treason L M H L M H 1800 -9.66 -9.12 -9.47 -9.65 -8.86 -9.06 1900 -8.90 -9.10 -8.23 -8.77 -8.23 -8.44 2100 -8.44 -8.57 -7.83 -8.50 -8.75 -8.63

In some embodiments, not shown, the non-current transfer is programmable. That is, the non-current transfer unit may not be limited to a fixed frequency range. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the shunt component 38 may be replaced with a programmable network device, which may be commercially available from Murata of Japan or Epcos AG of Germany. have.

The iPhone 4G, which also uses its own structural metal band as a radiating element as compared to the mobile wireless communication device described herein, for example, uses a broken structure as the radiating element or antenna. The metal ring 145 of the embodiment surrounds the entirety of the mobile wireless communications device 130 and there are no cuts or partial lines in the metal ring. Therefore, the integrity of the portable housing 131 is maintained intact.

Moreover, the iPhone 4G uses a separate structural band as its radiating element and is tuned to several frequencies. In contrast, in this embodiment, part of the structure is responsible for the radiation. This is accomplished by reducing the two-dimensional non-current transfer approach to one-dimensional form.

Existing approaches for wireless communication using mobile wireless communications devices with all-metal housings or enclosures have been developed for aircraft, missiles, ground / marine armored vehicles, or radar systems, for example: Proceedings of IRE, pp. 671-700, Oct, 1954, published by FD Bennett, PD Coleman, and AS Meier, and HG Booker's "Slot aerials and their relation." to complementary wire aerials (Babinet's principle), published in the journal ( Journal of IEE , no. 93, p. 620, 1946). This approach employs a slot (magnetic current) or an external antenna to control the radiation pattern. Magnetic current can be created by slots or openings in the conductive plate. This method is relatively difficult to implement in mobile wireless communication devices because slot length is limited by device size and industrial design requirements.

Moreover, in a mobile wireless communication device environment, the PCB can act as a ground plane, and the propagation power is trapped by the parallel-plate TEM mode, which degrades the overall radiation efficiency. Alternatively, an external antenna can be used. However, this would be contrary to current industrial design trends where it is desirable for all antennas to be inside the device housing.

One method form is a portable housing 31 comprising at least one electrically conductive housing portion configured to function as an antenna, a PCB 32 supported by the portable housing, at least one supported by the PCB and supported by the PCB. A method for manufacturing a mobile wireless communications device (30) comprising a wireless transmit / receive circuit (33) comprising a circuit element (36). The method includes coupling at least one current shunt component 38 between at least one electrically conductive portion 31 and at least one circuit element 36.

An exemplary component that can be used in various embodiments of the mobile wireless communications device will now be described with reference to the exemplary mobile wireless communications device 1000 shown in FIG. Apparatus 1000 illustratively includes a housing 1200, a keypad 1400, and an output device 1600. The illustrated output device is a display 1600 that may include a full graphics LCD. In some embodiments, the display 1600 may include a touch sensitive input and output device. Alternatively, other types of output devices are available. The processing device 1800 is housed in the housing 1200 and is coupled between the keypad 1400 and the display 1600. The processing device 1800 controls the operation of the display 1600 and the overall operation of the mobile device 1000 in response to the operation of a key on the user's cap 1400. In some embodiments key pad 1400 may include a physical keypad or a virtual keypad (eg, using a touch-sensitive interface) or both.

The housing 1200 may be vertically elongate or may be taken in other sizes and shapes (eg, including clamshell housing structures). Keypad 1400 may include a mode selection key, or other hardware or software to switch between text input and telephone input.

Other parts of the mobile device 1000 in addition to the processing device 1800 are schematically illustrated in FIG. 9. These, together with the communications subsystem 1001, the short-range communications subsystem 1020, the keypad 1400, other input / output devices 1060, 1080, 1100, 1120, display 1600, memory devices 1160, 1180, Various other device subsystems 1201. The mobile device 1000 may include a bidirectional RF communication device having voice and data communication functions. In addition, the mobile communication device 1000 may have a function for communicating with other computer systems via the Internet.

Operating system software executed by processing device 1800 may be stored in permanent storage, such as flash memory 1160, and in other types of memory devices, such as ROM or similar storage elements. Also, system software, specific device applications, or portions thereof may be temporarily loaded into a volatile memory such as RAM 1180. Communication signals received by the mobile device may also be stored in the RAM 1180.

Operating system functions other than the processing device 1800 enable execution of software applications or modules 1300A- 1300N on the device 1000, such as software modules that perform various steps or operations. A set of applications that control basic device operations, such as data voice communications 1300A and 1300H, can be installed on device 1000 during the manufacturing process. Personal Information Manager (PIM) applications can also be installed during the manufacturing process. PIM can organize and manage data items such as email, calendar events, voicemail, appointments, and to-do items. The PIM application may also send and receive data items via the wireless network 1401. PIM data items may be seamlessly integrated, synchronized, and updated via the wireless network 1401 with corresponding data items of the device user associated with or stored in the host computer system.

Communication functions, including data and voice communications, are performed via communication subsystem 1001 and possibly via a short range communication subsystem. The communication subsystem 1001 includes a receiver 1500, a transmitter 1520, and one or more antennas 1540, 1560. The communication subsystem 1001 also includes processing modules such as digital signal processor (DSP) 1580 and local oscillator (LO) 1601. Designation and implementation of the communication subsystem 1001 is independent of the communication network and is intended for the mobile device 1000 to operate. For example, mobile device 1000 may include a communication subsystem 1001 designed to operate with a Mobitex ™, Data TAC ™, or General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) mobile data communications network and include AMPS, TDMA, CDMA It is also designed to work with any one of several voice communication networks such as WCDMA, PCS, GSM, EDGE. Other types of data and voice networks, separate and integrated, are also available with the mobile device 1000. The mobile device 1000 is also compatible with other communication standard schemes such as GSM, 3G, UMTS, 4G.

Network access requirements vary depending on the type of communication system. For example, in the Mobitex®, Data TAC® network, mobile devices are registered on a network using a unique personal identification number (PIN) associated with each device. However, in a GPRS network, network access is associated with subscribers or device users. The GPRS device therefore uses a subscriber identity module, commonly referred to as a SIM card, to operate in a GPRS network.

When necessary network registration or activation procedures are completed, the mobile device 1000 may transmit and receive a communication signal through the communication network 1401. Signals received from the communication network 1401 by the antenna 1540 are routed to a receiver 1500 that provides signal amplification, frequency downconversion, filtering, channel selection, and the like, and also provides A / D conversion. A / D conversion of the received signal allows the DSP 1580 to perform more complex communication functions such as demodulation and decoding. In a similar manner, signals to be transmitted to the network 1401 are processed (e.g., modulated and encoded) by the DSP 1580, followed by D / A conversion, frequency up-conversion, filtering, amplification, and communication network via the antenna 1560. 1401 is provided to the transmitter 1520 for transmission to (or networks).

In addition to communication signal processing, the DSP 1580 provides control of the receiver 1500 and transmitter 1520. For example, the gain applied for communicating signals at the receiver 1500 and transmitter 1520 can be adaptively controlled through an automatic gain control algorithm implemented in the DSP 1580.

In a data communication mode, a received signal, such as a text message or web page download, is processed by the communication subsystem 1001 and entered into the processing device 1800. The received signal is then further processed by the processing device 1800 for output to the display 1600 or alternatively to any other auxiliary I / O device 1060. The device user can also use the keypad 1400 and / or touch pad. Any other auxiliary I / O device 1060, such as a rocker switch, thumbwheel, or any other type of input device, is used to create data items, such as email messages. The data item created next can be transmitted via communication network 1401 via communication subsystem 1001.

The overall operation of the device in the voice communication mode is substantially similar to the data communication mode except that the received signals are output to the speaker 1100 and the transmission signals are generated by the microphone 1120. Alternative voice or audio I / O subsystems, such as the voice recording subsystem, may also be implemented on device 1000. The display 1600 is also available in voice communication mode, for example to display the calling party's ID, voice call duration, or other voice call related information.

The short range communication subsystem enables communication between the mobile device 1000 and other similar systems or devices that are not necessarily similar devices. For example, short-range communication subsystem 1020 may include an infrared device and associated circuits and components, near field communication (NFC), or Bluetooth® communication module to provide communication with similarly enabled systems and devices. Can

Reference will now be made to FIGS. 10 to 12. In another embodiment, which may be independent of the shunt component embodiments mentioned above, the mobile wireless communications device 230 includes a portable housing 231 including an electrically conductive continuous ring 245 defining a perimeter of the portable housing. Doing. The electrically conductive continuous ring 245 is configured to function as an antenna. The electrically conductive continuous ring 245 may be metal, for example. The electrically conductive continuous ring 245 may be another conductive material as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

PCB 232 is also supported by portable housing 231. PCB 232 includes dielectric layer 258 and an electrically conductive layer 251 defining a ground plane supported by the dielectric layer (FIG. 11). The wireless transmit / receive circuit 233 is supported by the PCB 232 and coupled to the antenna or electrically conductive continuous ring 245. The wireless transmit / receive circuit 233 is configurable to operate in the 800 MHz to 3.25 GHz frequency band, for example. The wireless transmission / reception circuit 233 may be configured to operate in another frequency band. The additional or second antenna 235 is coupled to the wireless transmit / receive circuit 233. The second antenna 235 can be used separately or together with the antenna provided by the electrically conductive continuous ring 245 to perform wireless communication.

Spaced apart electrically conductive short circuit members are coupled between the electrically conductive continuous ring 245 and the ground plane 251. In particular, the mechanical locking devices 246b-246c, ie the screws cooperating with the individual screw terminals or mounts, are conductive and short to the ground plane 251. The electrically conductive shorting member also includes conductive traces 247a and 247b that shorten the electrically conductive continuous ring 245 to the ground plane 251 (FIG. 12). The metal trap 252 also shorts the electrically conductive continuous ring 245 to the ground plane 251 (FIG. 12). Of course additional forms of electrically conductive short circuit members are available. Moreover, any combination and number of different types of electrically conductive short circuit members are available as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

An electrically floating member (relative to ground) is also coupled between the electrically conductive continuous ring 245 and the PCB 232. In particular, one or more mechanical locking devices 246, such as 246a, 246f, may be electrically floated. In particular, the electrically floating members 246a, 246f cooperate with the electrically conductive short circuit members 246b-246e, 247a, 247b, 252 to direct current through the electrically conductive continuous ring 245 or antenna, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. . By directing current through the electrically conductive continuous ring 245, its radiation pattern is adjustable for improved communication. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the configuration of the electrically conductive short circuit member and the electrically floating member can be changed or configurable for the desired current direction. That is, the mechanical locking device 246 and / or other members can be configured as an electrical short or electrically floating member and additional or other shorting members can be included in the desired position or positions.

PCB 232 and electrically conductive continuous ring 245 are positioned to define an air gap 249 therebetween. The air gap 249 is particularly advantageous for cooperating with the electrically conductive shorting member and the electrically floating member, for example to create a non-current transfer. The mobile wireless communications device 230 can also include an electrical material body 253, for example, between the PCB 232 and the electrically conductive continuous ring 245.

Prototype mobile wireless communication devices were formed. The prototype PCB layout (Figure 13) includes a battery connector (not shown). The positive terminal of the battery connector is connected to ground via a shunt capacitor (not shown). Shunt capacitors mimic the actual system behavior where the positive terminal is capacitive at RF frequencies. The prototype PCB layout also included a reconfigurable antenna feed line 255 'with choke (not shown) and a reconfigurable speaker feed line 254'. High band performance is possible when the speaker feed line 254 'is used to shunt a portion of the antenna current into the PCB 232'.

In addition, it was observed that the high frequency resonance and radiant response are predominantly controlled by the conductive trace of the coupling strip 247b or the second layer (FIG. 12). High-pass fine tuning can be achieved, for example, by adjusting the width of the conductive trace 247a of the first layer (FIG. 12). Grounding tab 252 shorted to electrically conductive continuous ring 245 is highly desirable for low pass response (FIG. 12). The results of the measurements taken in the prototype are listed in Table 3 below.

Tx Rx treason L M H L M H 1800 FS -4.91 -4.38 -4.38 -4.52 -4.70 -4.77 RHP -6.23 -5.37 -5.37 -5.46 -4.85 -5.53 LHP -5.67 -4.86 -5.16 -5.05 -85 -5.18 1900 FS -4.70 -4.84 -5.14 -5.68 -5.87 -6.78 RHP -5.06 -5.50 -4.49 -5.79 -5.95 -6.37 LHP -5.08 -5.18 -5.08 -5.90 -5.37 -6.51 Band 1 FS -5.42 -5.72 -6.88 -7.10 -7.57 -7.78 RHP 5.39 -5.84 -5.58 -7.08 -7.72 -8.36 LHP -5.55 -5.60 -5.58 -7.02 -8.16 -7.53

Reference is additionally made to the graph of FIG. 14. The measured response S ₂₁ was measured without the speaker module and the antenna. It should be noted that the portable housing 231 also includes an NCVM cut for the NVCM plate 257. Also shown is the response S ₂₂ measured with the speaker spring additionally removed. When the speaker springs were removed, the response gain at about 2.0 GHz increased by 1 to 1.8 dB.

Reference will again be made to FIG. 10. With regard to the grounding of the electrically conductive continuous ring 245, the electrically conductive continuous ring has multiple types of resistance forms. Two mechanical locks or screws and individual screw terminals 246a and 246f generally limit their antenna bandwidth, for example when shorted to ground. However, when the mechanical locking devices 246a and 246f are floating, they induce destructive interference at low frequencies, for example near 800 MHz.

Destructive interference can be mitigated by introducing a short between the ground plane 251 at the location 255 and the electrically conductive continuous ring 245. The electrically conductive continuous ring 245 is shortable at position 255 by any of the above structures, such as a mechanical lock, a conductive trace, a support of the conductive structure, and the like. The short at position 255 cannot completely eliminate the transmission line effect between the PCB 232 and the electrically conductive continuous ring 245, but generally moves destructive interference outside the operating frequency band. Mechanical locks 246b and 246e provide additional short circuits to achieve the desired operating characteristics. Of course, the number of paragraphs or positions can be changed to achieve the desired operating characteristics.

With respect to speaker assembly 256 (FIG. 13), a speaker (not shown) causes a relatively small shift in the frequency response of antenna 245. For example, for a planar inverted F antenna (PIFA), the second resonant frequency, which is about 1.7 GHz, generally decreases in the presence of a speaker. This phenomenon can also be duplicated by placing the ferrite material to cause a short between the two structural speaker support brackets.

When the speaker retainer is introduced, there is an RF current flowing to the first and second layer traces 247a and 247b relative to the speaker feed line ground 259 (FIG. 12). By installing a 180 pF capacitor across the two speaker springs on the PCBs 247a and 247b, the high-frequency response is reduced by about 0.3 dB. Furthermore, reducing the choke inductance in the range 68 nH to 27 nH results in frequency shifting for low frequency interference in the range of about 780 MHz to 1.1 GHz. This reduces the second low pass interference which is essentially blocked by the transmission line effect at screw and terminals 246a. 246b and position 255 (FIG. 10).

One form of method relates to a method for manufacturing mobile wireless communications device 230. The method includes forming a portable housing 231 with an electrically conductive continuous ring 245 defining a perimeter of the portable housing. The electrically conductive continuous ring 245 is configured to function as an antenna. The method further includes coupling the wireless transmit / receive circuit 233 supported by the PCB 232 to the antenna 245. The method also includes coupling at least one electrically conductive shorting member 246, 247, 252 between the electrically conductive continuous ring 245 and the ground plane 251.

Many modifications and other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the foregoing description and the techniques presented in the associated drawings. Therefore, the disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments intended to be included with the modifications and embodiments.

30 mobile wireless communication devices
31 portable housing
32 Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs)
33 Wireless Transceiver Circuit
34 satellite positioning signal receiver

Claims (23)

In a mobile wireless communication device,
The portable housing comprising an electrically conductive continuous ring defining a perimeter of the portable housing, wherein the electrically conductive continuous ring is configured to function as an antenna;
A printed circuit board (PCB) comprising an electrically conductive layer supported by the portable housing and defining a ground plane;
A wireless transceiver circuitry supported by the PCB and electrically coupled to the antenna;
At least one electrically conductive mechanical fastener electrically and mechanically coupled between the electrically conductive continuous ring and the ground plane;
At least one other electrically conductive mechanical lock that is mechanically connected between the electrically conductive continuous ring and the PCB but not electrically connected to the PCB
Mobile wireless communication device comprising a. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrically conductive mechanical lock comprises a plurality of electrically conductive mechanical locks. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 2 wherein the plurality of electrically conductive mechanical locks are spaced apart. delete The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive continuous ring comprises a metal. delete delete The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein the PCB and the electrically conductive continuous ring are arranged to define an air gap therebetween. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 further comprising a body of dielectric material between the PCB and the electrically conductive continuous ring. The mobile wireless communications device of Claim 1, wherein said wireless transmit / receive circuitry is configured to operate in the 800 MHz to 3.25 GHz frequency band. delete delete delete delete delete delete A method for manufacturing a mobile wireless communications device, the method comprising:
Forming the portable housing having an electrically conductive continuous ring defining a perimeter of the portable housing, wherein the electrically conductive continuous ring is configured to function as an antenna;
Disposing a printed circuit board (PCB) in the portable housing, the printed circuit board comprising an electrically conductive layer defining a ground plane;
Electrically coupling a wireless transceiver circuitry supported by the PCB to the antenna;
Electrically and mechanically coupling at least one electrically conductive mechanical lock between the electrically conductive continuous ring and the ground plane;
Mechanically coupling at least one other electrically conductive mechanical locking device between the electrically conductive continuous ring and the PCB so as not to be electrically coupled to the PCB
Mobile wireless communication device manufacturing method comprising a. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein combining the at least one electrically conductive mechanical lock comprises combining a plurality of electrically conductive mechanical locks. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of electrically conductive mechanical locks are spaced apart. delete 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the electrically conductive continuous ring comprises a metal. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising disposing the PCB to define an air gap with the electrically conductive continuous ring. 18. The method of claim 17 further comprising disposing a dielectric material body between the electrically conductive continuous ring and the PCB.

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