Wireless communication device for communicating with multiple external devices via a wireless communication unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11310171-B2
Application number	US-202016736232-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2020
Priority date	Dec 29, 2016
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

A method and wireless communication device use a first processing unit to perform a first communication event within a first communication window by use of a first communication protocol, a second processing unit to perform a second communication event within a second communication window by use of a second communication protocol, and a wireless communication unit connected to a radio-frequency antenna to transmit and/or receive a packet wirelessly. The first and second processing units may perform the first and second communication events via the wireless communication unit. The second processing unit or the wireless communication unit may transmit an event signal to the first processing unit when performing the second communication event or receiving a packet, respectively, to allow the first processing unit to arrange the first communication window (or first communication event) with respect to the second communication window (or second communication event) to minimize interference.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wireless communication device comprising:
a radio-frequency antenna configured as an inverted-F antenna including a first antenna element, a second antenna element, a third antenna element, and a ground plane; and
wireless communication circuitry connected to the radio-frequency antenna, the wireless communication circuitry being configured to perform real-time communications of multiple protocols via the radio-frequency antenna,
wherein the first antenna element is arranged along a first side of the inverted-F antenna, parallel to the ground plane of the inverted-F antenna,
wherein one end of the first antenna element is connected to the ground plane via the second antenna element, the second antenna element extending along a second side of the inverted-F antenna substantially perpendicular to the first side, and
wherein, at a point between respective ends of the first antenna element, the third antenna element connects the first antenna element to a current feeding unit, the third antenna element extending from the first antenna element to the current feeding unit in a direction substantially parallel to the second side of the inverted-F antenna, the current feeding unit being configured to provide a current to the first antenna element via the third antenna element.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the inverted-F antenna operates within a frequency range of 2.4 to 5.5 GHz.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the inverted-F antenna includes a printed circuit board or a flexible printed circuit board, on which an electrically conducting path at least partly forms each of the first, second, and third antenna elements.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between points where the second and third antenna elements are respectively connected to the first antenna element is determined according to a current or voltage distribution along the first antenna element.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein an electrical length of the first antenna element is one of:
λ/4;

x*λ/ 4+λ/2; and

x*λ/ 4−λ/2,

wherein x is an odd number ≥3.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein an electrical length of the ground plane is one of:
λ/4;

x*λ/ 4+λ/2; and

x*λ/ 4−λ/2,

wherein x is an odd number which is greater than 3.

7. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plugin port,
wherein the inverted-F antenna utilizes the plugin port or utilizes space within the wireless communication device around the plugin port.

8. The wireless communication device according to claim 7 , wherein the plugin port is a universal serial bus (USB) port.

9. The wireless communication device according to claim 7 , wherein the plugin port is mounted on the first antenna element.

10. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device is configured to communicate with a hearing aid.

11. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device is configured as an intermediary device facilitating wireless communication between a mobile phone and a hearing device.

12. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the device has a length between 4 and 12 cm.

13. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first processing unit;
a second processing unit; and
a signal line connecting the first and second processing units,
wherein the wireless communication circuitry is dually connected to the first and second processing units.

14. A wireless communication device comprising:
wireless communication circuitry; and
a radio-frequency antenna connected to the wireless communication circuitry, the radio-frequency antenna being configured as an inverted-F antenna including a first antenna element, a second antenna element, a third antenna element, and a ground plane,
wherein the first antenna element is arranged along a first side of the inverted-F antenna, parallel to a ground plane of the inverted-F antenna,
wherein one end of the first antenna element is connected to the ground plane via the second antenna element, the second antenna element extending along a second side of the inverted-F antenna substantially perpendicular to the first side, and
wherein, at a point between respective ends of the first antenna element, the third antenna element connects the first antenna element to a current feeding unit, the third antenna element extending from the first antenna element to the current feeding unit in a direction substantially parallel to the second side of the inverted-F antenna, the current feeding unit being configured to provide a current to the first antenna element via the third antenna element.

Assignees

• Oticon As

Inventors

• Treue Franz
• Klemmensen Bjarne
• Sø Rune

Classifications

• H04B1/006 Primary

  using switches for selecting the desired band (H04B1/0057 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04W28/0273

  adapting protocols for flow control or congestion control to wireless environment, e.g. adapting transmission control protocol [TCP] (wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation, e.g. wireless application protocol H04W80/00) · CPC title

• H04B1/0067

  with one or more circuit blocks in common for different bands · CPC title

• H04B1/385

  Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title