Integrated antenna and sensor element apparatus for a portable wireless terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9231293-B2
Application number	US-201213441992-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2012
Priority date	Jul 27, 2011
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus with a metal member used as at least one of an antenna and a sensor element in a portable terminal is disclosed. The apparatus includes the metal member, responsive to a sensed body, and for transmitting and receiving a signal in at least one or more communication service bands, and a main board having a communication module for processing a signal transmitted and received by the metal member and a sensor module for obtaining information in response to the approach of a sensed body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable terminal comprising:
a patterned metal member used for both an antenna radiator for transmitting and receiving signals in one or more communication service bands, and as a sensor element that senses whether a sensed body is proximate the portable terminal;
a circuit board comprising:
a communication module electrically coupled to the patterned metal member for processing a first signal received by the patterned metal member; and
a sensor module electrically coupled to the pattern metal member and obtaining a second signal from the patterned metal member that differs in frequency from the first signal, and generating a signal based on the second signal which varies in response to the sensed body; and

a case frame;
wherein the patterned metal member includes an extension, the extension being a first portion of the patterned metal member which is extended beyond the circuit board to an external edge of the case frame and is arranged along the external edge so as to form a portion of an external appearance of the portable terminal, while a remaining portion of the patterned metal member is disposed on the circuit board inside the portable terminal.

2. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein the patterned metal member has a first node electrically connected to the communication module and a second node electrically connected to the sensor module.

3. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein the patterned metal member has one node electrically connected to the communication module and to the sensor module.

4. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein the circuit board further includes a filter for branching the first signal to the communication module and the second signal to the sensor module.

5. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein the circuit board has a first line for electrically connecting the patterned metal member with the communication module and a second line for electrically connecting the patterned metal member with the sensor module.

6. The portable terminal of claim 5 , further comprising a floating inductor formed on the second line.

7. The portable terminal of claim 2 , wherein the patterned metal member further includes a third node electrically connected to a ground of the circuit board.

8. The portable terminal of claim 7 , wherein the circuit board has a line for electrically connecting the third node of the patterned metal member and the ground and has a series capacitor formed in the line electrically connecting the third node and the ground.

9. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein the circuit board further comprising:
an antenna matching unit for regulating an oscillation feature of the patterned metal member by changing at least one of a capacitance and an inductance under the control of a controller wherein the controller controls the antenna matching unit according to a signal received from the sensor module.

10. The portable terminal of claim 9 , wherein the antenna matching unit comprises:
an auxiliary antenna; and
a switching unit for electrically connecting the auxiliary antenna to the controller under the control of the controller.

11. The portable terminal of claim 9 , wherein the controller controls the antenna matching unit in a first manner if information received by the sensor module does not reach a threshold value and the signal from the sensor module is not generated, and controls the antenna matching unit in a second manner if the information received by the sensor module reaches the threshold value and the sensor module generates the signal, wherein the threshold is associated with a parameter measured by the sensor module.

12. The portable terminal of claim 9 , wherein the sensor module outputs a signal to the controller if information regarding a sensed body reaches a threshold value, and the controller controls the antenna matching unit in a first manner if a signal is not received from the sensor module, and controls the antenna matching unit in a second manner if a signal is received from the sensor module, wherein the threshold is associated with a parameter measured by the sensor module.

13. The portable terminal of claim 9 , wherein the sensor module comprises a proximity sensor and outputs a proximity signal to the controller if a variation of electrostatic capacitance of the patterned metal member reaches a threshold value.

14. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module comprises a proximity sensor and outputs a proximity signal to a controller if a variation of electrostatic capacity of the patterned metal member reaches a threshold value, wherein the controller, responsive to the proximity signal, reduces current supplied to the patterned metal member.

15. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein the patterned metal member is attached to one of: a non-grounded portion of a main board and an injected molded member fastened to the main board.

16. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the patterned metal member is narrower than the remaining portion, and the first portion forms at least part of a metal brim formed around an outer perimeter of the case frame.

17. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module is selected from a group consisting of: a touch sensor module, a proximity sensor module, and a humidity sensor module and a thermal sensor module.

18. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein the patterned metal member oscillates in any one of types of a monopole antenna, an Inverted F Antenna (IFA), and a Planar Inverted F Antenna (PIFA).

19. The portable terminal of claim 1 , wherein the communication module processes a signal of one or more communication service bands selected from a group consisting of: LTE, WiMAX, CDMA, GSM, PCS, DCS, WCDMA, EVDO, HSPA, GPS, BT, and WiFi.

20. A portable terminal comprising:
a patterned metal member used for both an antenna radiator for transmitting and receiving signals in a plurality of communication service bands, and as a sensor element that senses whether a sensed body is proximate the portable terminal;
a circuit board comprising:
a first communication module electrically coupled to the patterned metal member at a first end thereof for processing a first signal received by the patterned metal member;
a second communication module electrically coupled to the patterned metal member at a second end thereof opposite the first end, for processing a second signal received by the patterned metal member; and
a sensor module electrically coupled to the patterned metal member at a point in between the first and second ends and obtaining a third signal from the patterned metal member that differs in frequency from each of the first and second signals, and generating a signal based on the third signal which varies in response to the sensed body.

Assignees

• Park Gyu-Bok
• Lee Hee-Jun
• Son Cheol-Hong
• Kim Austin
• Byun Joon-Ho
• Park Se-Hyun
• Jeong Seong-Tae
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Gyu-Bok
• Lee Hee-Jun
• Son Cheol-Hong
• Kim Austin
• Byun Joon-Ho
• Park Se-Hyun
• Jeong Seong-Tae

Classifications

• H03K2217/960755

  Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches · CPC title

• H01Q1/44

  using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna {, e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspect}(H01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q1/243 Primary

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• H01Q9/42

  with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength · CPC title

• H03K17/955

  using a capacitive detector · CPC title