US 5,854,970 A · Accessory RF unit for hand-held wireless telephone systems

Abstract

An accessory RF unit, used in combination with a hand-held wireless phone, is designed to raise the antenna of the phone above the user's head such that shadowing effects caused by the user's head or body are minimized during phone operation. The accessory RF unit is placed over an existing radiating element of the phone and the communication signals originating in the phone are electromagnetically coupled to an accessory antenna within the accessory RF unit. Similarly, communication signals originating from a base station can be received by the phone. The accessory RF unit is easily attached and removed without the need for additional tools or the removal of an exiting antenna as part of the wireless phone. A coil circumferentially surrounds the phone's antenna for bidirectionally coupling RF energy from and to the accessory antenna.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An accessory RF unit used in combination with a hand-held wireless telephone, comprising:

a housing, wherein said housing contains a recess to accept an antenna of said wireless telephone;
means for coupling said housing to said wireless telephone such that said antenna of said wireless telephone is at least partially disposed within said recess;
a coil disposed about said recess, wherein said coil electromagnetically couples an RF signal to and from said antenna of said wireless telephone;
an accessory antenna mounted to said housing;
and
an electrical conductor that electrically couples said coil to said accessory antenna;
wherein said coil is tuned to match the transmitted frequency of said antenna of said wireless telephone, and wherein said coil is tuned at least in part using an external reactance disposed parallel to or in series with said coil.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Accessory RF unit for hand-held wireless telephone systems

Life of this patent

Accessory RF unit for hand-held wireless telephone systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17