Mobile wireless communications device providing pattern/frequency control features and related methods
AssigneeResearch In Motion Limited
InventorsYihong Qi, Ying Tong Man, Perry Jarmuszewski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, a wireless transceiver carried by the portable housing, and a plurality of antennas also carried by the portable housing. Each antenna may have a different gain pattern at a different respective operating frequency, and the antennas may have different shapes to define different gain patterns at a given operating frequency. The mobile wireless communications device may further include a frequency/pattern diversity controller for controlling the wireless transceiver to preferentially operate with the plurality of antennas.
Claims14
A mobile wireless communications device comprising:
- a portable housing;
- a wireless transceiver carried by said portable housing;
- a plurality of antennas carried by said portable housing, each antenna for transmitting signals at different respective operating frequencies and receiving signals and having a different gain pattern at a different respective operating frequency, said antennas having different shapes to define different gain patterns at a given operating frequency and having respective maximum gains along respective boresights at different operating frequencies with the boresights being aligned in a common direction;
- and
- a frequency/pattern diversity controller for controlling said wireless transceiver to preferentially weight received signals from each of the plurality of antennas and to operate both of said plurality of antennas based upon respective ones of the weighted received signals.
A mobile wireless communications device comprising:
- a portable housing;
- a wireless transceiver carried by said portable housing;
- a plurality of antennas carried by said portable housing, each antenna for transmitting signals at different respective operating frequencies and receiving signals and having a different gain pattern at a different respective operating frequency, said antennas having different shapes to define different gain patterns at a given operating frequency and having respective maximum gains along respective boresights at different operating frequencies with the boresights being aligned in a common direction, and each antenna being designated for transmitting signals at different respective operating frequencies;
- and
- a frequency/pattern diversity controller for controlling said wireless transceiver to preferentially weight received signals from each of said plurality of antennas based upon at least one of noise and signal strength and to operate both of said plurality of antennas based upon respective ones of the weighted received signals, and to preferentially switch said antennas on and off for transmitting signals based upon a given operating frequency.
A method of operating a mobile wireless communications device comprising a portable housing, a wireless transceiver carried by the portable housing, and a plurality of antennas carried by the portable housing, each antenna for transmitting signals at different respective operating frequencies and receiving signals and having a different gain pattern at a different respective operating frequency, and the antennas having different shapes to define different gain patterns at a given operating frequency and having respective maximum gains along respective boresights at different operating frequencies with the boresights being aligned in a common direction, the method comprising:
- controlling the wireless transceiver to preferentially weight received signals from each of the plurality of antennas and to operate both of the plurality of antennas based upon respective ones of the weighted received signals to provide frequency/pattern diversity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.