Multi-filar helix antennae for mobile communication devices
AssigneeNokia Mobile Phones Ltd.
InventorKari Kalle-Petteri Kiesi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A satellite telephone has a quadrifilar helix (QFH) antenna (1) having four inter-wound helical antenna elements (2). The antenna (1) can be rotated between a first extended position and a second folded position. A phase shifting arrangement (10) is coupled to the helical elements (2) for applying a first set of relative phase shifts (0,90,180,270 degrees) to signals applied to or received from the helical (2) elements when the antenna (1) is in said first position, and for applying a second set of relative phase shifts (0,270,180,90) when the antenna (1) is in the folded position. The antenna (1) is thus switched between end-fire and back-fire modes, optimising the spatial gain pattern of the antenna for both the extended and folded positions of the antenna (1).
Claims15
A mobile communication device comprising:
- a multi-filar helix antenna having a plurality of inter-wound helical antenna elements, the antenna being rotatable between a first extended position and a second folded position;
- and
- a phase shifting arrangement coupled to said helical elements for producing a first set of relative phase shifts between signals applied to or received from the helical elements when the antenna is in said first position, the phase shifting arrangement being responsive to movement of the antenna from said first to said second position to change said first set of phase shifts to a different, second set of phase shifts.
A method of operating a mobile communication device having a multi-filar helical antenna with a plurality of inter-wound helical elements, the method comprising applying a first set of relative phase shifts to signals applied to or received from the antenna elements when the antenna is in an extended position and, in response to rotation of the antenna from the extended position to a folded position, substituting for said first set of relative phase shifts a second set of relative phase shifts.
A mobile communication device comprising:
- a multi-filar antenna having a plurality of inter-wound antenna elements, the antenna being rotatable about the device between a first position and a second position;
- a phase shifting arrangement coupled to said plurality of antenna elements for producing a set of relative phase shifts among signals coupled with respective ones of the antenna elements of said plurality of antenna elements via a first coupling arrangement or a second coupling arrangement;
- and
- selection means responsive to the position of the antenna relative to the device to provide the first coupling arrangement when the antenna is in the first position and the second coupling arrangement when the antenna is in the second position to establish a radiation pattern of the antenna relative to the device substantially independent of the antenna position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.