Patent Grant
9153857
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for enhancing signal strength of a wireless signal, more particularly to a structure and method for enhancing signal strength of a wireless signal in a mobile communication device.
2. The Prior Arts
A mobile phone is generally used for communication with another person far away from the user. Due to rapid advance in the electronic technology, the mobile phone has exceeded the purpose of personal communication between two persons. The functions of mobile phone increase as day gone by, and the most distinct function with respect to the conventional mobile phone is that the mobile phone of nowadays can be connected wirelessly to the Internet so that the user can browse or surf a desired network via the mobile phone. Of course, the antenna unit of the mobile phone is used for transmitting and receiving wireless signals, which are later processed by a chip installed in the mobile phone in order to execute a task. In addition, some Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone can wirelessly transmit or receive data or messages using Bluetooth protocol. Hence, the signal reception quality of the antenna unit in one mobile phone determines the fast or slow surfing and transmission speed of the data.
Presently, several types of mobile phone protection shells are available in the market. Some simply provides protection against collision or wearing. Others provide not only protection but also aesthetic and beautiful appearance. However, the materials from which these protection shells are made or the designs more or less affect the signal transmission and reception quality of the antenna unit. Under such a condition, it is highly desirable to search a method for fabricating a phone protection shell, which can not only protect the mobile phone but can also enhance signal strength of a wireless signal in the mobile phone.
Therefore, an objective of the present invention is to provide a method and signal-strength enhancing structure for enhancing the signal-strength of wireless signals for wireless communication devices. The wireless communication devices include a mobile phone, a wireless communication apparatus, Bluetooth-enabled communication devices and other communication apparatuses. While using the mobile phone installed with the signal-strength enhancing structure of the present invention via the gap-coupled means, and if the user feels the surfing or reception of wireless signals is not sufficiently enough, he can alter and enhance the signal strength of the wireless signal of the antenna unit, surfing a desired network or transmission and reception of wireless signals.
In the present invention, one metal element is utilized for connection to a mobile communication device or a pull strip is utilized for connection to a mobile protection shell in such a manner that the metal element is mounted on the pull strip to be movable together therewith. While using the mobile phone installed with the mobile casing of the present invention via the gap-coupled means, and if the user feels the surfing or reception of wireless signals is not sufficiently enough, he can extend the pull strip outward to a certain degree, under which the metal plate on the pull strip alters and enhances the signal strength of the wireless signal transmitted or received by the antenna unit of the mobile phone.
The metal element is connected to the antenna unit of the mobile phone via gap-coupled means in such a manner that the gap between the antenna unit and the metal element serves as series connection between capacitors, thereby altering frequency effect (such as resonance frequency) of an antenna unit. It is to state that the antenna unit and the metal element are critically coupled to each other so as to achieve the ultimate frequency efficiency and rate for signal transmission and reception. The metal element can be directly mounted on the mobile phone. Alternately, the metal element is mounted slidably on the mobile protection shell via a pull strip. It can be designed in such a way that the pull strip slides on the mobile protection shell. Due to variation of distance between the antenna unit and the metal element, the series connection effect is also varied to alter the frequency efficiency of the antenna unit in the mobile phone.
In accordance with the method of the present invention, at least one metal element is utilized for connection to a mobile phone via gap-coupled means in order to alter frequency effect of an antenna unit installed on the mobile communication device, wherein, after connection, the metal element has at least an area overlapped with the mobile phone.
In another aspect of the invention, the gap-coupling means includes a step of directly connecting the metal element to the mobile phone or a mobile protection shell of the mobile phone.
The signal-strength enhancing structure of the present invention can be implemented in a mobile phone, and includes a mobile casing having an accommodation plate for receiving the mobile phone thereon and a lateral portion extending outwardly from a periphery confining the accommodation plate so as to enclose the mobile phone at least partially once the mobile phone is placed on the accommodation plate; and at least one metal element is connected to the mobile casing via a gap-coupled means.
The metal plate can be directly connected to the mobile phone or the mobile casing. Alternately, in other embodiments, the metal plate can be connected to the mobile phone or the mobile casing (mobile phone protection shell) via a pull strip. The mobile casing is preferably formed with a slide groove for receiving the pull strip. The pull strip has an inner side surface facing the mobile phone and an outer side surface opposite to the inner side surface. The metal element is mounted on one of the inner and outer side surfaces of the pull strip, thereby movable together with the pull strip with respect to the accommodation plate. In addition, the accommodation plate of the mobile casing is further formed with an exposure opening. The mobile casing further includes a lateral portion extending outwardly from a periphery confining the accommodation plate. The lateral portion of the accommodation plate is further formed with at least one lateral opening.
In the present invention, the metal element has a configuration of any shape such that the same can be implemented in a mobile phone of any brand or produced by any manufacturing company.
The signal-strength enhancing structure of the present invention can be implemented in a mobile phone of any shape and brand. The formation of a retention recess for receiving the metal element and the pull strip should complement to the configuration of the antenna unit, so long as the antenna unit can enhance the signal strength of the received wireless signal. Formation of the retention recess and the pull strip should not be restricted to any position and configuration.
Other features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
In those embodiments illustrated in
The metal plate L1 of any configuration or shape is mounted to the mobile phone L4 or the mobile casing L3 via the gap-coupled means 2 in those embodiments. The metal plate 4 can be directly connected to the mobile phone or the mobile casing. Alternately, in other embodiments, the metal plate 4 can be connected to the mobile phone or the mobile casing (mobile phone protection shell) via a pull strip 2, as best shown in
The accommodation plate 12 of the mobile casing is further formed with an oblong opening at an upper portion thereof. The oblong opening is confined by two opposite side walls cooperatively defining a slide groove structure 122. The accommodation plate 12 of the mobile casing is further formed with an exposure opening 121 at a lower portion thereof; that extends along a direction transverse to the slide groove structure 122 and that exposes the view finding window (see
The lateral portion 11 of the accommodation plate 12 is further formed with two lateral openings 111 such that after assembly of the mobile casing with the mobile phone, a portion (including volume-control key, suspending key, earphone socket and charging hole) of the mobile phone is exposed to facilitate the user to operate the respective operation key.
Note that formation of the exposure opening 121 and the lateral opening 111 in the accommodation plate 12 should be conducted in such a way to complement with the components of the mobile phone, such as the camera lens, earphone socket and charging hole. However, if the mobile phone fabricated by the method of the present invention is not equipped with above-stated widgets, formation of the exposure opening 121 and the lateral opening 111 in the accommodation plate 12 can be neglected.
The pull strip 2 is mounted slidably in the slide groove structure 122, and has a planar inner side surface facing the mobile phone and a planar outer side surface opposite to the inner side surface. In this embodiment, the metal plate 21 is mounted on one of the inner and outer side surfaces of the pull strip 2, thereby movable together with the pull strip 2 with respect to the accommodation plate 12 of the mobile casing. Alternately, the metal plate 21 can be embedded within the pull strip 2 so as to be movable together therewith. Mounting of the metal plate 21 on the pull strip 2 is accomplished via the adhesive means, but the scope should not be limited only thereto.
The accommodation plate 12 of the mobile casing is further formed with an exposure opening 121 at upper and lower portions thereof so that after assembly of the mobile casing and the mobile phone, the view finding window (see
The lateral portion 11 of the accommodation plate 12 is formed with an oblong opening at the lower portion thereof. The oblong opening is confined by two opposite side walls cooperatively defining the slide groove 112. The lateral portion 11 of the accommodation plate 12 is further formed with two lateral openings 111 at the upper portion thereof such that after assembly of the mobile casing and the mobile phone, a portion (including volume-control key, suspending key, earphone socket and charging hole) of the mobile phone is exposed to the exterior to facilitate the user to operate the respective key.
The pull strip 2 is mounted slidably in the slide groove 112, and has a planar inner side surface facing the mobile phone and a planar outer side surface opposite to the inner side surface. In this embodiment, the metal plate 21 is mounted on the outer side surface of the pull strip 2, thereby movable together with the pull strip 2 with respect to the accommodation plate 12 of the mobile casing. Mounting of the metal plate 21 on the pull strip 2 is accomplished via the adhesive means, but the scope should not be limited only thereto.
While using the mobile phone installed with the mobile casing of the present invention via the gap-coupled means, and if the user feels the surfing or reception of wireless signals is not sufficiently enough, he can extend the pull strip 2 outward to a certain degree, under which the metal plate 21 on the pull strip 2 alters and enhances the signal strength of the wireless signal transmitted or received by the antenna unit of the mobile phone. The enhancing signal strength of received wireless signal may be achieved in some mobile phone of other type without the need of extending the pull strip outward from the mobile casing.
In order to achieve the ultimate frequency efficiency, the formation of the retention recess and the pull strip should complement to the configuration of the antenna unit. As described above, so long as the antenna unit can enhance the signal strength of the received wireless signal, formation of the retention recess and the pull strip should not be restricted to any position and configuration.
In wireless signal transmission, VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio) unit is used to measure the impedance in transmission line, and is represented by X:1; or simply X. The smaller the value of X becomes (i.e. when the value of X approaches 1), the lesser the reflected wave power in the transmission cable. In short, an ideal transmission line has SWR 1:1. To prove the enhanced signal strength in a mobile phone provided with the signal-strength enhancing structure of the present invention relative to a conventional mobile phone, an experiment is conducted and the result is shown in
While the invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140132458 A1 | May 2014 | US |
