Communication apparatus having monitoring function for coupling state of connector and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12341304-B2
Application number	US-202217965669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2022
Priority date	Sep 23, 2021
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A communication apparatus having a monitoring function for a coupling state of a connector and/or a method of controlling the communication apparatus are provided. According to various example embodiments, a communication device may include an RF connector portion detachably coupled with a cable connector portion of one end of a cable for transmitting an antenna signal, at least one capacitor disposed near the RF connector portion, and a controller (comprising circuitry) for monitoring a coupling state between the cable connector portion and the RF connector portion based on a capacitance of the at least one capacitor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication apparatus comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) connector portion, comprising a connector, configured to be detachably coupled with a cable connector portion, comprising another connector, of one end of a cable configured to transmit an antenna signal;
at least one capacitor disposed near the RF connector portion; and
a controller, including circuitry, configured to monitor a coupling state of the cable connector portion and the RF connector portion based at least on a capacitance of at least one of the capacitors.

2. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the capacitance of at least one of the capacitors is configured to be affected by a metal component of the cable connector, and is configured to change according to a positional relationship between the cable connector portion and at least one of the capacitors.

3. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein
at least one opening penetrating an inner area of the RF connector portion and an outer area of the RF connector portion is formed in the RF connector portion, and
at least one of the capacitors is located near at least one of the openings.

4. The communication device of claim 3 , wherein
at least one of the capacitors is located in the inner area, when the cable connector portion and the RF connector portion are coupled in a form in which the cable connector portion surrounds the RF connector portion, and
at least one of the capacitors is located in the outer area, when the cable connector portion and the RF connector portion are coupled in a form in which the RF connector portion surrounds the cable connector portion.

5. The communication device of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the capacitors is configured to be affected by a metal component of the cable connector portion through the opening.

6. The communication device of claim 3 , wherein
at least one of the openings comprises a first opening and a second opening located opposite from each other in the RF connector portion, and
at least one of the capacitors comprises a first capacitor located near the first opening and a second capacitor located near the second opening.

7. The communication device of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to detect a bad coupling of the cable connector portion and the RF connector portion based at least on a change of a first capacitance of the first capacitor and a second capacitance of the second capacitor.

8. The communication device of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to compare a first capacitance of the first capacitor and a second capacitance of the second capacitor each with a reference value, and determine that the coupling between the cable connector portion and the RF connector portion is bad based on at least one of the first capacitance and the second capacitance being less than the reference value.

9. The communication device of claim 8 , further comprising:
a comparator configured to compare the first capacitance and the second capacitance each with the reference value, wherein the comparator may optionally be part of the controller.

10. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein
the RF connector portion is mounted on a surface of a printed circuit board (PCB) via at least a connector pad, and
at least one of the capacitors is disposed to be near and spaced apart from the connector pad.

11. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to perform at least one of limiting a communication function and notifying a user of a bad coupling, when the coupling state of the cable connector portion and the RF connector portion is bad.

12. A communication device comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) connector portion, comprising a connector, configured to be coupled detachably with a cable connector portion, comprising a connector, of a cable configured to transmit an antenna signal, the RF connector portion further comprising a plurality of openings configured to penetrate an inner area and optionally an outer area;
a plurality of capacitors disposed near the plurality of openings in the inner area; and
a controller, comprising circuitry, configured to monitor a coupling state of the cable connector portion and the RF connector portion based at least on a capacitance of the plurality of capacitors.

13. The communication device of claim 12 , wherein the capacitance of the plurality of capacitors is configured to be affected by a metal component of the cable connector portion and change according to a positional relationship between the cable connector portion and the plurality of capacitors.

14. The communication device of claim 12 , wherein
the plurality of openings comprises a first opening and a second opening located opposite from each other in the inner area, and
the plurality of capacitors comprises a first capacitor located near the first opening and a second capacitor located near the second opening.

15. The communication device of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to compare at least one of a first capacitance of the first capacitor and a second capacitance of the first capacitor each with at least one reference value and determine that a coupling between the cable connector portion and the RF connector portion is bad based on at least one of the first capacitance and the second capacitance being less than the reference value.

16. The communication device of claim 15 , further comprising:
a comparator configured to compare the first capacitance and the second capacitance each with the reference value.

17. The communication device of claim 12 , wherein
the RF connector portion is mounted on a surface of a printed circuit board (PCB) through at least a connector pad, and
the plurality of capacitors is disposed to be near and spaced apart from the connector pad.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Hanyeop
• Kim Jisang
• Lee Jongin
• Choi Jinchul
• Hwang Changho
• Lim Gun

Classifications

• H01R12/515

  Terminal blocks providing connections to wires or cables · CPC title

• H01R2201/02

  for antennas · CPC title

• H01R12/716

  Coupling device provided on the PCB · CPC title

• H01R13/6625

  with capacitive component · CPC title

• H01R24/54 Primary

  Intermediate parts, e.g. adapters, splitters or elbows · CPC title