Patent Application
20070142105
The present invention generally relates to the field of wireless communication devices, and more specifically, to antennae in wireless communication devices.
Wireless communication devices use antennas for receiving signals during communication sessions. There are a number of factors that affect an antenna's performance during a communication session. Antenna length is one of the factors, which affect strength of the received signals for the communication session. For a continuous and error free communication session, a suitable antenna length is required. Hence, it becomes necessary to have a mechanism in place to maintain a suitable antenna length throughout the communication session.
Several methods are known in the art for extending the antenna for a communication session. In one known method for extending the antenna, a user of a wireless communication device extends the length of an external antenna manually whenever a communication session is to be initiated. Such methods for extending an antenna involve a high risk of damaging the antenna physically. Other methods known in the art for extending the antenna involve checking the signal strength at the initiation of the communication session. Such methods check the signal strength at the wireless communication device while the communication session is being initiated, and extends the antenna accordingly. However, these methods are not able to detect a change in the signal strength during the communication session. Hence, the quality of the communication session can suffer during the communication session, and can terminate the communication session in some cases. Further, the known methods in the art do not propose a change in the antenna length based on reception characteristics of a radio signal for the communication session. The reception characteristics of the radio signal may change during the communication session, and a different antenna length may be needed to maintain continuity in the communication session.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying figures, in which like references indicate similar elements, and in which:
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
Before describing in detail the particular auto extendable antenna and method of operation in accordance with the present invention, it should be observed that the present invention resides primarily in combinations of method steps and apparatus components related to the auto extendable antenna and method of operation. Accordingly, the apparatus components and method steps have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily.
In this document, relational terms such as first and second, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms ‘comprises’, ‘comprising’, or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by ‘comprises . . . a’ does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
A ‘set’ as used in this document, means a non-empty set (i.e., comprising at least one member). The term ‘another’, as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The term ‘including’ as used herein, is defined as comprising.
Various embodiments of the present invention provide a method of operating an antenna in a wireless communication device. The method includes monitoring a set of reception parameters during a communication session. The method further includes adjusting at least one physical dimension of the antenna based on the set of reception parameters.
Various embodiments of the present invention further provide a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device includes a processor and an antenna system. The processor of the wireless communication device monitors a set of reception parameters during a communication session. Based on the set of reception parameters, the antenna system adjusts the at least one physical dimension of the antenna.
The wireless communication device 100 includes a body 102, an antenna 104, a processor 106, and an antenna system 108. The body 102 includes components of the wireless communication device 100, such as a housing, a battery, a keypad, and the like. The antenna 104 of the wireless communication device 100 receives radio signals for initiating a communication session. Once the communication session has been initiated, the antenna 104 continues to receive the radio signals during the communication session enabling continuous transmission of data or voice. The antenna 104 is extended to maintain a low-error and continuous communication session at the wireless communication device 100. The antenna 104 can be retracted at the end of the communication session.
The processor 106 of the wireless communication device 100 monitors a set of reception parameters for the communication session taking place at the wireless communication device 100. The reception parameters indicate how well the signal is being received. Exemplary reception parameters include, but are not limited to, a received signal strength indication (RSSI), a signal quality error (SQE), a bit error rate (BER), a vocoder faulting rate, a required signal-to-noise ratio (REQ), a time advance, reception characteristics of a radio signal, and a frequency band. The reception parameters for the communication session may vary due to many factors. For example, RSSI value of the radio signals may decrease to a value that is less than a threshold value when user of the wireless communication device enters a building. This may result in weak signal strength. In another example, when the user of the wireless communication device 100 is on the outskirts of a city where wireless communication network coverage is reduced, the value of SQE of the radio signals received at the wireless communication device 100 might increase to a value that is more than the upper threshold value of the SQE. The processor 106 audits the set of reception parameters when a communication session is initiated at the wireless communication device 100. In addition, the processor 106 monitors the set of reception parameters at the wireless communication device 100 during the communication session.
The antenna system 108 of the wireless communication device 100 is capable of adjusting at least one physical dimension of the antenna 104. For example, the antenna system 108 can vary a length of the antenna 104 by extending or retracting it. As another example, the antenna system 108 can vary an inclination of the antenna 104. As another example of adjusting the physical dimensions of the antenna 104, an impedance of matching component can be adjusted for optimal signal performance of the antenna 104. Further, the physical dimensions of the antenna 104 can also be adjusted by adjusting an effective surface area of the antenna 104 by rotation of an asymmetric antenna, by contracting or expanding the radius of a cylindrical antenna using electrical or mechanical means. In an embodiment of the present invention, the antenna system 108 includes a tuning mechanism 110 and a retraction mechanism 112. The tuning mechanism 110 can be used to tune the antenna 104 of the wireless communication device 100. The tuning mechanism 110 of the antenna system 108 may tune the antenna 104 at the initiation of the communication session and during the communication session. In another embodiment of the invention, the antenna system 108 may comprise at least one motorized mechanical assembly. The at least one motorized assembly can be used to adjust the length of the antenna or angle of deflection of the antenna. The retraction mechanism 112 is used to retract the antenna 104 at the end of the communication session. Further, the antenna 104 can be moved between fully extended or fully retracted positions in order to tune a radio of the antenna system 108 for a particular frequency component.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the wireless communication device 100 further includes an extension mechanism for extending the antenna 104. The extension mechanism and the retraction mechanism 112 of the antenna system 108 can be implemented using a spring and solenoid arrangement. The spring and solenoid arrangement can be used by the antenna system 108 for adjusting the at least one physical dimension of the antenna 104 based on the set of reception parameters at the wireless communication device 100. In another embodiment of the present invention, the spring of the antenna system 108 can be electrically coupled to a radiating element of the antenna 104. Hence, expansion or compression of the spring may change impedance characteristics of the antenna 104. In another embodiment of the present invention, the extension mechanism of the antenna system 108 can include a motor and a linear extension of the antenna. The motor and the linear extension of the antenna system 108 can change the electrical length of the antenna 104. In another embodiment of the present invention, the spring of the antenna system 108 may also be used as a tuning mechanism for tuning the antenna 104. It should be appreciated that the extension mechanism can further be designed using other design mechanisms.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the set of reception parameters for the communication session can be configured based on a user defined preferences. The antenna system 108 of the wireless communication device 100 changes at least one physical dimension of the antenna 104 based on the set of reception parameters as defined by the user. Various embodiments of the present invention, as described above, enable automatic adjustment in a physical dimension of an antenna of the wireless communication device, and hence ensure a continuous communication session with reduced error at the wireless communication device. Moreover, since the antenna is automatically adjusted without any manual intervention from the user, there is a lower chance of antenna damage.
It will be appreciated that the auto extendable antenna and method of operation at a wireless communication device described herein may comprise one or more conventional processors and unique stored program instructions that control the one or more processors to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of the method for setting up the media session in a communication system described herein. The non-processor circuits may include, but are not limited to, a radio receiver, a radio transmitter, signal drivers, clock circuits, power source circuits, and user input devices. As such, these functions may be interpreted as steps of a method for auto extendable antenna at a wireless communication device. Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more application specific integrated circuits ASICs, in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of the two approaches could be used. Thus, methods and means for these functions have been described herein.
It is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation.
In the foregoing specification, the invention and its benefits and advantages have been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present invention. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.
