GB2364613A

GB2364613A - Shielded Mobile Telephone

Info

Publication number: GB2364613A
Application number: GB0104944A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John William Robinson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-02-28
Filing date: 2001-02-28
Publication date: 2002-01-30
Also published as: GB0104944D0; GB0004669D0

Abstract

A mobile telephone comprises a housing containing a battery (15) which extends over the whole back face of the housing, has an antenna (16) with a rotatable shield (17), and an ear speaker and pickup microphone on one side of the housing, whereby the user may be shielded from microwave radiation generated by the telephone, and the area available for a screen (20) and keypad (21) maximised.

Description

2364613 SHIELDED MOBILE TELEPHON This invention relates to a shielded

mobile telephone.

Mobile telephones, also known as cellular telephones are known which allow wireless communication between users, electromagnetic radiation in 5 the microwave region of the spectrum being used as the carrier medium.

Such devices are now widespread and in common use among a large proportion of the population, due to the ease of use and convenience.

Anxiety has been aroused however due to the possibility that the emission of microwave energy from a source close to the user's brain may 10 be damaging to health and that long term use might cause brain cancer. No evidence proving either damage, or complete safety in a completely satisfactory manner has so far been produced, and whilst users wish to continue with the use of mobile telephones, caution would seem to be appropriate. ? 15 A further consideration is that mobile telephones have design limitations, such as limited talk time, in the order 2.5 to 6 hours, due to restrictions of battery size, and small screen size, yet are larger than required due to their layout. Further, with the advent of Global Packet Radio Systems, an increase in transmission energy will be required because 20 of the increase of signals, thus depleting battery packs even more rapidly.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a mobile phone which includes shielding which will be effective in reducing microwave radiation levels for the user.

It is a secondary abject of the invention to provide a mobile phone which is constructed so as to permit a battery of increased size to be used, and also to permit an increase in screen size without increasing the 5 dimensions of the casing of the mobile telephone.

According to the present invention, a mobile telephone comprises a housing, a microwave transmitter and a battery, wherein the battery is disposed to extend over the full rear surface of the housing thus producing a shield between the user and the microwave transmitter.

10 An aerial or antenna is preferably provided mounted extending from the housing, and this is provided with a rotatable shield which can be can be displaced relative to the aerial to be located between the aerial and the user.

The mouth piece (pick-up microphone) and earpiece (speaker) are 15 both preferably arranged on one side face of the housing so that the entire front face of the housing may be used for the screen, and the keypad.

By these means the mobile phone may be provided with microwave shielding which reduces the flux of microwave radiation affecting the user, and also enables an increase in the size of the batteries useable and of the 20 screen, without any increase,in the dimensions of the housing.

A preferred embodiment of mobile telephone according to the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:- Figure 1. is a front perspective view of a mobile telephone according to the invention; Figure 2. is a view from the right hand side of the mobile telephone of Figure 1; Figure 3. is a view from above the mobile telephone of Figure 1; Figure 4. is a view from the left hand side of the mobile telephone of Figure 1; and Figure 5. is a front elevational view of the mobile telephone of Figure 1.

10 A mobile telephone comprises a housing having a front 10, a left side wall 11, a right side wall 12, a top wall 13 and a back 14, The housing contains the usual operating parts of a mobile telephone, including a battery pack 15 and a microwave transmitter/receiver having an aerial 16 which extends from tKe" top wall 13 of the housing. The housing also contains 15 switching and control circuitry which is not shown.

In accordance with the invention, the battery pack 16 extends over the full area, or substantially the full area of the back 14 of the housing.

11 his provides a shield between the microwave radiation generating transmitter and the user, using the battery as a radiation absorbing mass.

20 Further, an arcuate shield 17 is provided for the part of aerial 16 which extends from the top face of the housing, and this shield 17 can be adjusted in position by rotation about the aerial 16 so as to be locatable between the user and the aerial, thereby providing further shielding for the user from microwave radiation. The shield 17 is sufficiently higher and wider than the aerial 16 to shield the user's head, and offer protection when in hands free use in the user's pocket.

5 A speaker (ear piece), shown by a broken line circle 18 is located near the top of the left hand side wall 11 of the housing, whilst a pick- up microphone shown by circuit 19, is located near the bottom of the bottom of the left hand side wall 11. As these features are both. located in the side wall 11, a screen 20 and keypad 21 can occupy the full available area of 10 the front 10.

A further shield in the form of a metal plate 22 is provided to the left hand side of the housing, with recessed parts to accommodate the speaker 18 and pickup microphone 19. The design shown in the drawings may be reversed for user for eg. left handed. users 15 Accordingly, the size of the screen and keypad can be maximised without increasing the overall size of the housing. Also they are on the opposite side to the aerial, and can be themselves the largest size permitted by the housing.

The provision of microwave shielding by means of the battery pack 20and the rotatable aerial shield 17 enable the exposure of the user to microwave radiation generated by the mobile telephone hand unit to be reduced considerably, thereby reducing whatever risk to the user may -5eventually be shown to arise from the use of unshielded hand units. It is considered prudent to reduce such exposure even if risk is at present not proven and the present invention will make such reduction possible.

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Claims

1 A mobile telephone comprising a housing having a microwave transmitter and a battery wherein the battery is disposed to extend over the full rear surface of the housing, thus providing a shield 5 between the user and the microwave transmitter.

2. A mobile telephone according to claim 1, further comprising an aerial or antenna mounted extending from the housing and provided with a rotatable shield which can be displaced relative to the aerial to be located between the aerial and the user.

10

3. A mobile telephone according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mouthpiece or pickup microphone and ear piece or speaker are both arranged on one side face of the housing so that the entire front face of the housing may be used for a screen and a keypad.

4. A mobile' telephone according to claim 3 wherein the aerial or 15 antenna is located towards the side of the housing opposite the speaker and pickup microphone.

5. A mobile telephone according to claim 3 wherein a further shield is provided behind the mouthpiece and earpiece.

6. A mobile telephone substantially as hereinbefore described with 20 reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.