Electronic device and method for antenna switching

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11115094-B1
Application number	US-202017034839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 28, 2020
Priority date	Jul 29, 2020
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

An electronic device is able to be embedded in a mobile device with a plurality of antennas. The antennas are electrically coupled to the electronic device through a connector. The electronic device includes a plurality of built-in antennas, a communication processor, a plurality of antenna switching circuits, and a control processor. The built-in antennas receive a wireless mobile communication signal. The communication processor calculates the reception strength of the wireless signal received by each of the built-in antennas or each of the antennas. Each of the antenna switching circuits is electrically coupled to one of the built-in antennas or one of the antennas according to a control signal. The control processor correspondingly outputs the control signal according to the reception strength of the wireless signal received by the built-in antenna and the antenna.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a plurality of built-in antennas, receiving a wireless signal of mobile communication;
a communication processor, calculating the reception strength of the wireless signal received by each of the built-in antennas or each of antennas of a mobile device;
a plurality of antenna switching circuits; wherein each of the antenna switching circuits is electrically coupled to one of the built-in antennas or one of the antennas of the mobile device according to a control signal;
a control processor, correspondingly outputting the control signal according to the reception strength of the wireless signal received by the one of the built-in antennas or the one of the antennas of the mobile device;
wherein the electronic device is able to be embedded in the mobile device, and is electrically coupled to the antennas of the mobile device through a connector.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a USB connector; wherein the control processor of the electronic device communicates with a processor of the mobile device through the USB connector.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a Hall sensor, detecting the magnetic force of a magnet in the mobile device.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the Hall sensor outputs an enable signal to the control processor according to the magnitude of the magnetic force.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein when the control processor receives the enable signal, the control processor determines that the electronic device has been installed in the mobile device.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein when the magnitude of the magnetic force detected by the Hall sensor is greater than a threshold, the Hall sensor outputs the enable signal to the control processor.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the reception strength of the wireless signal received by the one of the built-in antennas is greater than that of the wireless signal received by the one of the antennas, the control processor outputs the control signal, so that each of the antenna switching circuits is electrically coupled to the one of the built-in antennas.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the reception strength of the wireless signal received by the one of the antennas is greater than that of the wireless signal received by the one of the built-in antennas, the control processor outputs the control signal, so that each of the antenna switching circuits is electrically coupled to the one of the antennas.

9. A method for antenna switching, suitable for an electronic device with a plurality of built-in antennas; wherein the electronic device comprises a plurality of antenna switching circuits, each of the antenna switching circuits is electrically coupled to one of the built-in antennas or one of antennas of a mobile device; the method comprising:
embedding the electronic device into the mobile device; wherein the electronic device is electrically coupled to the antennas of the mobile device through a connector;
outputting a first control signal to each of the antenna switching circuits, so that the built-in antennas receive a wireless signal for mobile communication;
calculating the reception strength of the wireless signal received by each of the built-in antennas;
outputting a second control signal to each of the antenna switching circuits, so that the antennas of the mobile device receive the wireless signal for mobile communication;
calculating the reception strength of the wireless signal received by each of the antennas of the mobile device;
determining to output the first control signal or the second control signal to the antenna switching circuits according to the reception strength of the wireless signal received by the one of the built-in antennas and the one of the antennas of the mobile device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
detecting the magnetic force of a magnet in the mobile device;
outputting an enable signal according to the magnitude of the magnetic force;
determining whether the electronic device has been installed in the mobile device according to the enable signal.

Assignees

• Quanta Comp Inc

Inventors

• Leung Chee-Chun
• Cheng Steve
• Hu Ming-Chuan
• Chiu Szu-Han

Classifications

• H04B17/318

  Received signal strength · CPC title

• H01Q1/2266

  disposed inside the computer · CPC title

• G06F1/1698 Primary

  the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone (details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266) · CPC title

• G01R33/0058

  using bistable elements, e.g. Reed switches · CPC title

• G01R33/072

  Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications · CPC title