IP Library Granted Patent US 7,532,168
Granted Patent B2
US 7,532,168 · App. 11/569,260 · Granted May 12, 2009

Folding portable wireless unit

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,532,168
App. No.
11/569,260
Granted
May 12, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A conductive metal frame attached to an upper case is electrically connected to hinge metal member. The hinge metal member is connected to a hinge metal member by a rotary shaft in a rotatable manner. The hinge metal member, a further hinge metal member, and the rotary shaft are made of conductive metal so that electric continuity is obtained at contact points thereamong. The further hinge metal member is connected to a matching circuit on a circuit board via a feedpoint terminal. A conductor element is connected to a ground pattern of the circuit board at a position close to a point at which the matching circuit is grounded. The structure as described above provides a folding portable wireless unit that can secure a high antenna performance in a calling state and a waiting state.

Claims (27)

1. A folding portable wireless unit including an upper case and a lower case connected via a hinge section so that the upper case and the lower case can be opened or closed, comprising:

an upper case antenna element provided in the upper case;

a feedpoint section for feeding with power from a circuit board provided in the lower case to the upper case antenna element; and

a conductor element having an electrical length resonant with an operating frequency, one end of the conductor element being electrically connected to a ground pattern of the circuit board and the other end of the conductor element being open;

wherein

the hinge section is formed of conductive metal,

the upper case antenna element is fed with power from the circuit board via the feed point section provided on one side end of the hinge section, and

the other side end of the hinge section is electrically connected with the ground pattern of the circuit board via a reactance element set to have a predetermined value.

2. The folding portable wireless unit according to claim 1 , wherein the conductor element is provided in the vicinity of an upper end of the lower case of a body of the folding portable wireless unit.

3. The folding portable wireless unit according to claim 1 , wherein the conductor element is provided in parallel with a width direction of a body of the folding portable wireless unit.

4. The folding portable wireless unit according to claim 1 , wherein the folding portable wireless unit includes a short-circuit section for short-circuiting the feedpoint section to the ground pattern of the circuit board.

5. A folding portable wireless unit including an upper case and a lower case connected via a hinge section so that the upper case and the lower case can be opened or closed, comprising:

an upper case antenna element provided in the upper case;

a feedpoint section for feeding with power from a circuit board provided in the lower case to the upper case antenna element;

a sub antenna element provided in the vicinity of the hinge section; and

a short-circuiting section for short-circuiting the sub antenna element to a ground pattern of the circuit board,

wherein

the sub antenna element functions as an antenna in a state where the upper case and the lower case are closed,

the hinge section is formed of conductive metal,

the upper case antenna element is fed with power from the circuit board via the feed point section provided on one side end of the hinge section, and

the other side end of the hinge section is electrically connected with the ground pattern of the circuit board via a reactance element set to have a predetermined value.

6. The folding portable wireless unit according to claim 5 , wherein the folding portable wireless unit includes:

a communication quality detector for detecting a communication quality of a wireless circuit section; and

a controller that switches, based on the detection result by the communication quality detector, the sub antenna element to be short-circuited to the ground pattern of the circuit board or the feedpoint section to be short-circuited to the ground pattern of the circuit board.

7. The folding portable wireless unit according to claim 5 , wherein the folding portable wireless unit includes:

an open/close detector for detecting an open or close state of the upper case and the lower case; and

a controller that switches, based on the detection result by the open/close detector, the sub antenna element to be short-circuited to the ground pattern of the circuit board or the feedpoint section to be short-circuited to the ground pattern of the circuit board.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 24, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021897/0689 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 18, 2006
From: NAKANISHI, SEIICHI; KOYANAGI, YOSHIO; AOKI, KOUTA; KOH, NOZOMI; SAITO, YUTAKA; NAGANO, KENYA
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 018648/0364 →