Claims
- 1. A wireless communication device for use in a host system, the device comprising:a housing containing electrical circuitry, the housing further including a connector that permits detachable connection to a connector slot formed in the host system, the housing and the connector conforming to the PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) standards; an antenna module slidably connected to the housing along a longitudinal axis so as to be capable of being placed in a retracted position and an extended position relative to the housing, the antenna module having a width and a thickness that are each substantially equal to the width and the thickness of the housing, wherein the housing and the antenna module together form a substantially contiguous outer periphery when the module is placed in the retracted position; and an antenna attached to the antenna module and operatively coupled to the electrical circuitry within the housing.
- 2. A wireless communication device as defined in claim 1, further comprising an RF ground structure that provides an RF ground to the antenna module when in it is placed in the extended position.
- 3. A wireless communication device as defined in claim 1, wherein the substantially contiguous outer periphery formed between the housing and the antenna module when the module is placed in the retracted position has physical dimensions that conform substantially to that which is defined by the PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) standard.
- 4. A wireless communication device for use in a host system having a PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) standard slot, the device comprising:a housing containing electrical circuitry, the housing further including a PCMCIA-compliant connector that permits detachable connection to the slot formed in the host system; an antenna module slidably connected to the housing along a longitudinal axis so as to be capable of being placed in a retracted position and an extended position relative to the housing, the antenna module having a width and a thickness that are each substantially equal to the width and the thickness of the housing, wherein the housing and the antenna module together form a substantially contiguous outer periphery having physical dimensions that conform substantially to that which is defined by the PCMCIA standard when the module is placed in the retracted position; and an antenna attached to the antenna module and operatively coupled to the electrical circuitry within the housing.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/586,166, filed May 31, 1996, of Stephen C. Aldous for RETRACTABLE ANTENNA SYSTEM, now abandoned.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/357,017 filed on Jul. 19, 1999, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/976,819 that was filed on Nov. 24, 1997; which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/689,715 that was filed on Aug. 16, 1996 and is now U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,972; which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/291,277 that was filed on Aug. 16, 1994 and is now U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,401; which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/040,656 that was filed on Mar. 31, 1993 and is now U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,210; which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/974,253 that was filed on Nov. 10, 1992 and is now abandoned; which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/866,670 that was filed on Apr. 8, 1992 and is now U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,404. These related applications listed above are expressly incorporated by reference in their entireties.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Continuations (3)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/586166 |
May 1996 |
US |
Child |
09/357017 |
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US |
Parent |
08/976819 |
Nov 1997 |
US |
Child |
09/357017 |
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US |
Parent |
08/291277 |
Aug 1994 |
US |
Child |
08/689715 |
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US |
Continuation in Parts (4)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/357017 |
Jul 1999 |
US |
Child |
08/865553 |
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US |
Parent |
08/689715 |
Aug 1996 |
US |
Child |
08/976819 |
|
US |
Parent |
08/040656 |
Mar 1993 |
US |
Child |
08/291277 |
|
US |
Parent |
07/974253 |
Nov 1992 |
US |
Child |
08/040656 |
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US |