Computer system providing selective wireless network enablement
View Patent ↗A computer system is provided with an antenna which disables inappropriate wireless communications when a communication controller is inconsistently connected with the antenna. The computer having a diversity antenna connected to a detachable wireless LAN card containing a controller for providing wireless communication is mounted in a mini PCI slot, comprising a switch device for recognizing the identification information (ID) of the wireless LAN card to be mounted by BIOS executed on a CPU, in which the connection between the diversity antenna and the wireless LAN card is maintained in an off state (default) as an initial state in which the wireless LAN card is mounted, and the connection is enabled based on the identification information recognized by the BIOS.
1. An apparatus comprising:
an antenna which receives and transmits wireless signals;
a connector;
a wireless communication device plugged into said connector and operably connected to said antenna;
a recognition unit, coupled to said connector, which recognizes an identification information of the device; and
a switch, coupled to said antenna and said device, which maintains the disconnected state of the connection between said antenna and said device in an initial state when said device is plugged into said connector, and activates said switch to enable wireless communications based on the identification information recognized by said recognition unit.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage device, coupled to said switch, which stores supported device information for enabling the connection with said antenna, wherein said switch activates said connection when the identification information recognized by said recognition unit matches the stored supported device information.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the supported device information stored in said storage device is network controller identification information that has wireless communication specification approval in combination with said antenna.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said device is a multi-function card having at least a wireless LAN function.
5. A method comprising the steps of:
mounting a device to provide wireless communications on an apparatus;
recognizing an identification information of the device mounted on the apparatus;
determining whether the device is supported by the apparatus based on identification information from said recognizing step; and
activating a switch which makes a connection between a wireless antenna and the device if said device is supported by the apparatus, wherein the switch's initial state is a not connected state.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said determining step determines whether the device is supported by the apparatus based upon a network controller of the device having a specification approval for use in combination with the wireless antenna.