This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Patent Application No. 111142299 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Nov. 4, 2022, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The present disclosure relates to a communication device, and in particular, to a wireless signal communication device.
Currently, there is a gateway adapted to be deployed in different environments according to different communication demands. In order to adapt to different application environments, the gateway is equipped with an explosion-proof housing to prevent damage. The explosion-proof housing is generally made of metal to provide sufficient strength. During testing, the applicant found that if an internal antenna is used in the gateway, the metal explosion-proof housing causes a shielding problem, resulting in poor signal reception quality of the internal antenna.
Based on the above, the applicant provides a communication device adapted to be coupled to an external antenna. The external antenna is configured to receive a first wireless signal in a first frequency band. The device includes a first connector, a first internal antenna, a first switch, a first wireless communication module, and a controller. The first connector is adapted to be coupled to the external antenna. The first internal antenna is configured to receive a wireless signal in a first frequency band. The first switch is selectively coupled to the first connector or the first internal antenna. The first wireless communication module is coupled to the first switch. The first wireless communication module is configured to generate a first signal strength indicator parameter based on the wireless signal in the first frequency band. The controller is configured to control switching of the first switch based on the first signal strength indicator parameter.
In some embodiments, a user carries or deploys the communication device 1 in different environments. For example, the user uses the communication device 1 at home and carries the communication device 1 to a hotel or a workplace on business. In response to the above requirements, the housing 111 of the communication device 1 needs to be made of a solid material. In some embodiments, the housing 111 is made of a metal material, such as aluminum, magnesium, titanium alloy, or stainless steel, to avoid damage to the communication device 1 caused by falling during the carrying, or to avoid damage to the communication device 1 in a mounting environment, such as damaged caused by a pet at home. In this some embodiment, the metal housing 111 causes a shielding effect which affects communication quality of the internal antenna. In particular, in a usage environment where strength of a specific wireless signal is poor, the internal antenna may fail to receive the specific wireless signal.
Referring to
The connectors 105 provide an option for a user to determine whether to mount the external antenna 1081, 1082, 1083, especially for a user who needs to carry the communication device 2 out. Specifically, the user finds that the signal strength of a Wi-Fi signal (2.4 GHz), a Bluetooth signal (2.4 GHz), and a sub-GHz signal (<1 GHz) in a room of the home is poor based on past experience. Therefore, the first external antenna 1081, the second external antenna 1082, and the third external antenna 1083 need to be mounted in the communication device 2 to replace the internal antenna. The user finds that the signal strength of a Wi-Fi signal at a workplace A is poor and the strength of other signals is sufficient, and finds that the signal strength of a Bluetooth signal at a workplace B is poor and the strength of other signals is sufficient. Therefore, when going to the workplace A and the workplace B, the user only needs to carry one external antenna to meet different needs. Through the communication device 2, the trouble of carrying a plurality of external antennas is avoided for the user, and whether to mount the external antenna 1081, 1082, 1083 and which connector 105 is required for mounting the external antenna 1081, 1082, 1083 according to different communication requirements.
Referring to
The controller 109 may be, but is not limited to, a micro-controller unit (MCU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a logic circuit.
The wireless communication module 1011 includes but is not limited to a communication module supporting communication protocols such as a global system for mobile communication (GSM), a personal handy-phone system (PHS), code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), long term evolution (LTE), worldwide interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), or Bluetooth. The wireless communication module 1011 can function as a wireless signal transmitter, a wireless signal receiver, or a wireless signal transceiver.
The switch 1031 may be, but is not limited to, a diode switch, a semiconductor switch, a radio frequency switch, a microelectromechanical switch, or a chip switch.
The connector 105 may be, but is not limited to, a bayonet Neill-Concelman (BNC) connector, a subminiature version A (SMA) connector, a reverse polarity SMA (RPSMA) connector, a UFL connector (Hirose U.FL), an ultra high frequency (UHF) connector, a threaded Neill-Concelman (TNC) connector, a reverse polarity TNC (RPTNC) connector, an I-PEX connector, or an IPX connector.
The internal antenna 1071 may be, but is not limited to, a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, a loop antenna, a planar inverted F-antenna (PIFA), a patch antenna, a microstrip antenna, or an array antenna.
In other embodiments, a communication device 2 includes a controller 109 and a plurality of groups of wireless communication modules, switches, connectors, and internal antennas. For example, referring to
The external antenna may be active or passive. In some embodiments, the external antenna may be an antenna with a wide receiving bandwidth for supporting signals in different frequency bands, or may be used to support signals in the same frequency band but different communication protocols. For example, if a Wi-Fi signal and a Bluetooth signal are in the same frequency band of 2.4 GHz, the third external antenna 1083 can support a connection position of the third external antenna 1083 and the communication device 3, and a connection position of the first external antenna 1081 and the communication device 3. Therefore, the communication device 3 provides a more flexible usage situation, so that the user can determine whether to carry or mount the external antenna according to the environment. In case of no demand for the external antenna, a luggage volume occupied for carrying the external antenna can be reduced for the user, the inconvenience of carrying the external antenna can be avoided, or the cost for purchasing the external antenna can be saved.
The wireless communication module is configured to generate a signal strength indicator parameter such as a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) parameter based on a signal strength of the received wireless signal, to indicate the communication quality of the current wireless signal. That is to say, the signal strength of the wireless signal currently received by the wireless communication module through the internal antenna or the external antenna to which the wireless communication module is coupled is indicated through the RSSI parameter. The controller 109 is configured to control switching of the switch based on the signal strength indicator parameter. In some embodiments, when the switch is coupled to the internal antenna and the controller 109 determines that the signal strength indicator parameter is less than a strength lower limit, the switch is switched by the controller 109 and is coupled to the connector 105. Therefore, in the case that the connector 105 is connected to the external antenna, the wireless communication module receives, through the switch and the connector 105, the wireless signal received by the external antenna, which improves the communication quality. The strength lower limit may be defined according to a design requirement, for example, defined as −90 dbm.
In the embodiment of
In some embodiments, when the switch is coupled to the connector 105 and the controller 109 determines that the signal strength indicator parameter is greater than a strength upper limit, the switch is switched by the controller 109 and is coupled to the internal antenna, to cope with a case in which signals received by some external antennas are too strong and result in a saturation of a post-stage amplifier circuit (not shown in the figure) that will cause distortion of the signals. The strength upper limit may be defined according to a design requirement, for example, may be defined as −25 dbm.
In some embodiments, the communication device 3 includes a controller 109, a wireless communication module, a switch, a connector 105, an internal antenna, and an indicator light. A quantity of indicator lights may be configured according to a quantity of internal antennas. For example, the communication device 3 in the embodiment of
In some embodiments, in a period in which the first switch 1031 is coupled to the first internal antenna 1071, the controller 109 temporarily switches the first switch 1031 to the connector 105 to cause the first wireless communication module 1011 to receive the signal from the connector 105. The first wireless communication module 1011 generates the signal strength indicator parameter and transmits the signal strength indicator parameter to the controller 109, and the controller 109 compares the signal strength indicator parameter with the strength lower limit. When the connector 105 is connected to the first external antenna 1081, the first wireless communication module 1011 receives a weak current signal from the first external antenna 1081. When the connector 105 is not connected to the first external antenna 1081, the current signal received by the first wireless communication module 1011 is 0(or includes a weak current noise). The first wireless communication module 1011 generates signal strength indicator parameters indicating different degrees depending on whether the current signal is 0, and the controller 109 determines whether the connector 105 is connected to the first external antenna 1081 according to a preset strength threshold. When the signal strength indicator parameter is less than the preset strength threshold, the controller 109 determines that the connector 105 is not connected to the first external antenna 1081. In other embodiments, in the period in which the first switch 1031 is coupled to the connector 105, the controller 109 may determine the signal strength of the wireless signal from the first internal antenna 1071 by temporarily switching the first switch 1031 to the first internal antenna 1071.
In some other embodiments, when the switch is coupled to the internal antenna, the controller 109 controls the indicator light to indicate the first light signal when determining that the signal strength indicator parameter is greater than or equal to the strength lower limit, and the controller 109 controls the indicator light to indicate the second light signal when determining that the signal strength indicator parameter is less than the strength lower limit. When the switch is coupled to the connector 105, the controller 109 controls the indicator light to indicate a third light signal when determining that the signal strength indicator parameter is greater than or equal to the strength lower limit. For example, the first wireless communication module 1011 generates the signal strength indicator parameter after receiving the signal from the first internal antenna 1071. In this case, the controller 109 controls the first indicator light 1101 to be off (indicate the first light signal) when determining that the signal strength indicator parameter is greater than or equal to the strength lower limit, the controller 109 switches the first switch 1031 to the connector 105 when determining that the signal strength indicator parameter is less than the strength lower limit and that the connector 105 is connected to the first external antenna 1081, and the controller 109 controls the first indicator light 1101 to be constant red (indicate the second light signal) when determining that the signal strength indicator parameter is less than the strength lower limit and that the connector 105 is not connected to the first external antenna 1081. When the first switch 1031 is switched to the connector 105, the controller 109 controls the first indicator light 1101 to be constant green (indicate the third light signal) when determining that the signal strength indicator parameter is greater than or equal to the strength lower limit. In an embodiment, when the first switch 1031 is switched to the connector 105, the controller 109 controls the first indicator light 1101 to be green and to flicker at a first frequency (indicate a fourth light signal) when determining that the signal strength indicator parameter is still less than the strength lower limit. In this way, the user can determine the signal status by observing the indicator light, to learn whether connecting to the first external antenna 1081 helps solve the problem of poor communication quality, and determine whether to seek for a further solution.
Therefore, the arrangement of the indicator light helps the user flexibly arrange the external antenna to solve the problem of poor communication quality. For example, the communication device 3 in the embodiment of
For example, when the first indicator light 1101 and the third indicator light 1103 are constant red (indicate the second light signal), if the user currently carries only one external antenna and only has a demand for using the Wi-Fi signal, the external antenna may be mounted to the communication device 3 as the first external antenna 1081.
For example, the first indicator light 1101 and the third indicator light 1103 are constant red (indicate the second light signal), and the user currently carries only one external antenna but has a demand for using the Wi-Fi signal and the Bluetooth signal. If the user finds that the first indicator light 1101 is flickering green (indicates the fourth light signal) after mounting the external antenna to the communication device 3 as the first external antenna 1081, and finds that the third indicator light 1103 is green (indicates the third light signal) after mounting the external antenna to the communication device 3 as the third external antenna 1083, the external antenna may be used as the third external antenna 1083 and another solution for improving the communication quality of the Wi-Fi signal communication may be attempted, such as adjusting a Wi-Fi router in the room.
Referring to
In some embodiments, in order to match impedances of the antenna and the wireless communication module, a matching circuit 1024 may be arranged between the fourth wireless communication module 1014 and the fourth switch 1034. In addition, since the internal antenna and the external antenna may have different load characteristics, a seventh matching sub-circuit 1047 may be arranged between the fourth switch 1034 and the fourth internal antenna 1074, and an eighth matching sub-circuit 1048 may be arranged between the fourth switch 1034 and the sub-switch 106. In addition, since the fourth external antenna 1084 and the external high-gain antenna 112 may have different load characteristics, a ninth matching sub-circuit 1049 may be arranged between the sub-switch 106 and the connector 105, and a tenth matching sub-circuit 10410 may be arranged between the sub-switch 106 and the high-gain connector 1051.
The communication device 4 equipped with the sub-switch 106 may be further equipped with the indicator light. The communication device 4 shown in
The advantages of the flexible configuration are even more significant in a multi-channel architecture. For example, the first indicator light 1101 and the third indicator light 1103 are constant red (indicate the second light signal), and the user currently carries only one external antenna and one external high-gain antenna 112 but has the demand for using the Wi-Fi signal and the Bluetooth signal. If the user finds that the indicator light corresponding to the Wi-Fi signal is flickering green (indicates the fourth light signal) after mounting the external antenna to the communication device 4, and finds that the indicator light corresponding to the Bluetooth signal is constant green (indicates the third light signal) after mounting the external antenna to the communication device 4, the external antenna may be mounted to the connector 105 corresponding to the Bluetooth signal. In addition, the external high-gain antenna 112 may be arranged on the high-gain connector 1051 corresponding to the Wi-Fi signal in response to a strength difference between the Wi-Fi signal and the Bluetooth signal, so as to solve the problem of poor communication quality of the communication device 4 when receiving and transmitting different signals.
In some embodiments, the controller 109 regularly receives the signal from the internal antenna, and the controller 109 receives the signal from the internal antenna according to a control signal when a preset time point is reached. Alternatively, the communication device 3 may include a removable antenna search button, and the removable antenna search button generates a control signal when pressed. The controller 109 receives the signal from the internal antenna according to the control signal. When the controller determines that a signal strength indicator parameter received from the internal antenna is greater than or equal to the strength lower limit, the switch is controlled to switch and to be coupled to the internal antenna. For example, referring to
In some embodiments, the communication device 3 includes an indicator light. When determining that the signal strength indicator parameter is greater than or equal to the strength lower limit and that the connector 105 is connected to the external antenna, the controller 109 controls the indicator light to indicate a first removal light signal, to prompt the user that the external antenna may be removed. For example, referring to
Referring to
In some embodiments, in a period in which the sub-switch 106 is switched to the connector 105, the controller 109 generates a corresponding control signal according to an input signal received from the removable antenna search button, and then temporarily switches the sub-switch 106 to the high-gain connector 1051 to receive the signal from the external high-gain antenna 112 through the high-gain connector 1051. If determining that a signal from the high-gain connector 1051 exists (for example, the potential is not 0), the controller 109 controls the fourth indicator light 1104 to be orange and to flicker at the second frequency (indicate a third removal light signal). Therefore, when the external high-gain antenna 112 and the fourth external antenna 1084 are both connected to the communication device 3 and the fourth external antenna 1084 is being used, the fourth indicator light 1104 is switched to the third removal light signal from the fifth light signal, to prompt the user that the external high-gain antenna 112 may be removed.
In some embodiments, in the period in which the sub-switch 106 is switched to the high-gain connector 1051, when receiving the control signal from the removable antenna search button, the controller 109 temporarily switches the sub-switch 106 to the connector 105 to receive the signal from the fourth external antenna 1084 through the connector 105. If determining that a signal from the connector 105 exists (for example, the potential is not 0), the controller 109 controls the fourth indicator light 1104 to be red and to flicker at the second frequency (indicate a fourth removal light signal). Therefore, when the external high-gain antenna 112 and the fourth external antenna 1084 are both connected to the communication device 3 and the external high-gain antenna 112 is being used, the fourth indicator light 1104 is switched to the fourth removal light signal from the fifth light signal, to prompt the user that the fourth external antenna 1084 may be removed.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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111142299 | Nov 2022 | TW | national |