JP2010119002A - Mobile terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mobile terminal device in which an increase in size of a housing is suppressed and antenna characteristics is readily and inexpensively improved without damaging the appearance of the device. <P>SOLUTION: The mobile terminal device includes: an antenna element 81; a ground plane 82 connected to the antenna element 81; and a connecting part 83 for fixing an auxiliary conductor to be connected with the ground plane 82, while connecting the auxiliary conductor to the ground plane 82. Furthermore, the connecting part 83 is capable of attaching/detaching the auxiliary conductor. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable terminal device that improves antenna characteristics.

  When the portable terminal is downsized to improve the portability of the portable terminal, the size of the housing is limited accordingly. If the size of the casing of the mobile terminal is limited, the size of the antenna of the mobile terminal is also limited, so that the antenna may not be configured with a sufficient size with respect to the frequency. For example, a low frequency is used in digital terrestrial television broadcasting, but the size of the antenna may be configured to be smaller than the wavelength due to the limited size of the housing. In such a case, the characteristics of the antenna deteriorate, so that the possibility of receiving interference increases when the radio wave condition deteriorates.

  In order to avoid such obstacles, there is a means of incorporating a whip antenna that can be expanded and contracted in the housing for radio waves having a low frequency. There is also a method using a multistage antenna in order to shorten the length for housing the antenna.

  Patent Document 1 describes a mobile communication terminal and a mobile communication terminal case (hereinafter referred to as a case) that improve the antenna characteristics of a miniaturized mobile communication terminal. The portable communication terminal and the case described in Patent Document 1 are provided with a ground connection portion that is relatively slidable and that is provided with a ground portion on a protruding portion that constitutes a slide mechanism portion, and a ground connection portion that is electrically connected to the ground portion on the rail portion. Provided. The mobile communication terminal and the case are configured so that the ground length of the antenna can be arbitrarily expanded and contracted by a sliding operation. For example, these users improve the sensitivity characteristics of the antenna by pulling out the mobile communication terminal from the case and making the ground length of the antenna sufficiently long.

  Patent Document 2 describes an antenna device that can be viewed without damaging the appearance of a mobile terminal when receiving a terrestrial TV broadcast. The antenna device described in Patent Document 2 has a strap shape, and the antenna having this shape is mounted on a mobile terminal and functions as an antenna. In addition, the flexible base constituting the strap internal substrate is provided with a conductive member made of a conductive material having a continuous S-shaped shape and extends to the other end opposite to one end.

JP 2003-179664 A (paragraph 0025, FIG. 2) JP 2005-167829 A (paragraphs 0046 to 0049, FIGS. 1 and 2)

  When a whip antenna that can be expanded and contracted is built in a portable terminal, there is a problem that the housing itself is increased in size because it is necessary to secure a housing location inside the housing. In addition, multistage antennas are expensive, and design restrictions also occur. Therefore, a method for improving the antenna characteristics at low cost without increasing the size of the housing is desired.

  Moreover, since the shape of the case described in Patent Document 1 depends on the shape of the casing of the mobile communication terminal, it is necessary to design each case of the mobile communication terminal. Further, it is necessary to provide a mechanism for sliding on the mobile communication terminal side, and there is a problem that the appearance of the mobile communication terminal itself is impaired by the slide mechanism. Moreover, since the said case is arrange | positioned so that the outer side of a portable terminal may be covered, there exists a subject that the shape of the portable communication terminal containing a case will become large altogether.

  Further, the antenna device described in Patent Document 2 itself constitutes an antenna element. Therefore, it is necessary to design and manufacture a high frequency connector and an antenna element in order to improve antenna characteristics. However, it is preferable that the antenna characteristics can be improved easily and inexpensively without performing such design and manufacture.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal device that can suppress the increase in size of the casing and can easily and inexpensively improve the antenna characteristics without impairing the appearance.

  A mobile terminal device according to the present invention includes an antenna element, a ground plane connected to the antenna element, and a connection portion that fixes an auxiliary conductor connected to the ground plane in a state of being connected to the ground plane. The auxiliary conductor is detachable.

  The portable terminal device according to the present invention includes a first antenna element and a second antenna element, and an auxiliary conductor connected to one of the first antenna element or the second antenna element. And a connecting portion that is fixed in a state of being connected to the antenna element, and the connecting portion is detachable from the auxiliary conductor.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the enlargement of the housing and improve the antenna characteristics easily and inexpensively without damaging the appearance.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an overall view of a mobile terminal device according to the present invention. FIG. 1A illustrates an example of a front view of a mobile terminal device, and FIG. 1B illustrates an example of a side view of the mobile terminal device.

  The mobile terminal device according to the present embodiment includes a housing 1, a housing 2, a hinge unit 3, an antenna element 4, an antenna configuration unit 5, an antenna configuration unit 6, and a feeding point 7.

  The hinge part 3 connects the housing 1 and the housing 2 so that they can be folded and opened. In the following description, the direction in which the hinge portion 3 and the housing 1 are connected is referred to as the upper portion of the housing 1, and the direction opposite to the upper portion is referred to as the lower portion of the housing 1.

The antenna element 4 is a component of the built-in antenna of the mobile terminal device. The antenna element 4 is an antenna-dedicated element and receives, for example, terrestrial digital television broadcasting. For example, a conductive wire or the like is used for the antenna element 4. Similarly to the antenna element 4, the antenna configuration unit 5 and the antenna configuration unit 6 are components of a built-in antenna of the mobile terminal device. The antenna configuration unit 5 and the antenna configuration unit 6 both serve as antenna elements when the mobile terminal device is open, and receive, for example, digital terrestrial television broadcasting. On the other hand, when the mobile terminal device is closed, the antenna component 5 and the antenna component 6 serve as a ground plane for the antenna element 4.

In the following description, a case where the antenna element 4 and the antenna configuration unit 6 are disposed inside the housing 1 and the antenna configuration unit 5 is disposed inside the housing 2 will be described. That is, when the mobile terminal device is open, the housing 1 and the housing 2 are arranged on a substantially straight line, and the antenna component 5 and the antenna component 6 serve as antenna elements. On the other hand, when the mobile terminal device is closed, the housing 1 and the housing 2 are in contact with each other, and the antenna component 5 and the antenna component 6 serve as a ground plane for the antenna element 4.

  The antenna element 4 and the antenna component 6 are connected at a feeding point 7. The feeding point 7 is disposed on the upper side of the housing 1 in the antenna configuration unit 6. By arranging in this way, a dipole antenna can be formed by the antenna component 5 and the antenna component 6 when the case 1 and the case 2 are opened.

For the antenna component 5 and the antenna component 6, for example, a circuit board of a mobile terminal device, a conductive metal, or the like is used. As the circuit board, for example, a printed circuit board is used. The conductive metal is disposed along the inner side surfaces of the casings 1 and 2, for example. In the following description, such a metal disposed inside the housing 1 is referred to as a housing metal.

In the following description, a case where a circuit board or a case metal is used as the antenna component 5 and the antenna component 6 will be described. However, the antenna component 5 and the antenna component 6 may be a circuit board or a case metal. It is not limited to. The antenna component 5 and the antenna component 6 may be other conductors.

  With such a configuration, the mobile terminal device can form a built-in antenna using the antenna component 5 and the antenna component 6 (specifically, a printed circuit board or a housing metal) in addition to the dedicated antenna element 4. . For example, in the example shown in FIG. 1, an inverted L-shaped λ / 4 monopole antenna can be formed using the dedicated antenna element 4 and the antenna component 6 such as a printed circuit board or housing metal as a ground plane. Alternatively, a dipole antenna (sometimes referred to as a housing dipole antenna) can be formed using the antenna component 5 and the antenna component 6.

  The connecting portion fixes the auxiliary conductor 8 connected to the antenna configuration portion 6 in a state where the auxiliary conductor 8 is connected to the antenna configuration portion 6. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration example of the connection unit. The example shown in FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the housing 1 before the auxiliary conductor 8 is fixed, and the example shown in FIG. 2B is the housing 1 when the auxiliary conductor 8 is fixed. FIG. The connection part includes a contact part 9 and a support part 11. The contact portion 9 has conductivity, and electrically connects the antenna component 6 and the auxiliary conductor 8. The support portion 11 is a member for fixing one surface of the auxiliary conductor 8. In this embodiment, a case where a convex member is provided as the support portion 11 will be described as an example. However, the support portion 11 is not limited to a convex member, and may be a planar member, for example. Moreover, the structure which fixes the auxiliary conductor 8 with the contact part 9 and the inner surface of a housing | casing may be sufficient.

  The contact portion 9 is realized by, for example, a conductive spring. By using a spring for the contact portion 9, it is possible to simultaneously achieve the conductivity necessary for the contact portion 9 and the function of fixing the auxiliary conductor 8 so that it cannot be easily removed, thereby suppressing an increase in the size of the housing. can do. Although the following description demonstrates the case where a spring is used as a member of the contact part 9, the member used for the contact part 9 is not limited to a spring.

  An insertion port 10 for inserting the auxiliary conductor 8 is provided in the lower part of the housing 1. The auxiliary conductor 8 is inserted from the insertion port 10 of the housing 1 and comes into contact with the contact portion 9 inside the housing 1. The insertion port 10 is not limited to the lower portion of the housing 1 and may be the upper portion of the housing 1 or the side surface of the housing 1. However, in order to improve antenna characteristics, the insertion port 10 is the lower portion of the housing 1. It is preferable.

  The auxiliary conductor 8 is a conductor that can be attached to and detached from the contact portion 9 of the housing 1. The auxiliary conductor 8 is a conductor of a size that can be inserted from the insertion port 10. For example, a key or a metal key holder can be used as the auxiliary conductor 8. These conductors are usually worn by the user of the mobile terminal device and do not impair portability. Therefore, the antenna characteristics can be easily improved by using these auxiliary conductors 8 as conductors. The auxiliary conductor 8 is not limited to a key or a metal key holder.

The case where the auxiliary conductor 8 is attached to and detached from the connecting portion will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. The housing 1 shown in FIG. 2A has an insertion port 10 in the lower part thereof. An antenna component 6 is disposed inside the housing 1, and a contact portion 9 is connected to the antenna component 6. Further, a support portion 11 is provided inside the housing 1, and the auxiliary conductor 8 inserted from the insertion port 10 is fixed by the elastic force of the contact portion 9. Specifically, in the mobile terminal device, the support portion 11 supports one surface of the auxiliary conductor 8 inserted from the insertion port 10, and a spring as the contact portion 9 presses the auxiliary conductor 8 against the support portion 11 and fixes it. To do.

  Therefore, when the auxiliary conductor 8 is inserted in the state shown in FIG. 2A, the auxiliary conductor 8 and the contact portion 9 come into contact with each other, whereby the auxiliary conductor 8 is electrically connected to the antenna component 6 (see FIG. 2). 2 (b)). The auxiliary conductor 8 is fixed by being sandwiched between the contact portion 9 and the support portion 11. In the above description, the contact portion 9 electrically connects the auxiliary conductor 8 to the antenna component 6 and the contact portion 9 and the support portion 11 fix the auxiliary conductor 8. However, the electrical connection method and The fixing method is not limited to the method described above.

  According to the present invention, the ground plane can be widened by electrically connecting the auxiliary conductor 8 to the antenna component 6 in both the inverted L-type λ / 4 monopole antenna configuration and the case dipole antenna configuration. Alternatively, the antenna characteristics can be easily improved by lengthening the antenna element 4.

  Further, the structure of the contact portion 9 and the auxiliary conductor 8 do not need an expensive connector or impedance adjustment, and may have a free shape. Therefore, it is easy to design and can be manufactured at low cost.

  Furthermore, since it is possible to remove the auxiliary conductor 8 when it is not necessary to use the auxiliary conductor 8 such as in a place where the radio wave condition is good, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the mobile terminal device. Furthermore, since the contact part 9 does not depend on the shape of the housing | casing 1, an external appearance is not impaired. Moreover, since the contact part 9 can be mounted by small components, such as a spring, the enlargement of a portable terminal device can be suppressed. Further, the shape of the auxiliary conductor 8 is not limited as long as the current can flow. For example, it may be one that a user of the mobile terminal device usually wears (for example, a key or a metal key holder). Therefore, the antenna characteristics can be improved at a low cost.

  By having such an effect, for example, even when a low frequency is used as in digital terrestrial television broadcasting, it is possible to improve the antenna performance by avoiding the limitation of the size of the housing. Furthermore, the portable terminal device according to the present invention not only improves the antenna performance of digital terrestrial television broadcasting, but also provides an antenna for other applications based on the relationship between the length of the housing and the wavelength of the radio wave used. However, the antenna performance can be improved.

  Next, a modification of the mobile terminal device according to the present invention will be described. In the above embodiment, a case where there are a plurality of housings has been described, but there may be one housing. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an overall view of a mobile terminal device according to a modification of the present invention. FIG. 3A shows an example of a front view of the mobile terminal device, and FIG. 3B shows an example of a side view of the mobile terminal device. The mobile terminal device shown in the example of FIG. 3 is different from the mobile terminal device shown in FIG. 1 in that the housing 2, the hinge unit 3, and the antenna configuration unit 5 are not provided. Since other configurations and arrangements are the same as those in the above embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

  In this modification, an inverted L-shaped λ / 4 monopole antenna is formed by using a dedicated antenna element 4 and an antenna component 6 such as a printed circuit board or a housing metal as a ground plane as a built-in antenna of a mobile terminal device. That's fine.

  Next, another modification of the portable terminal device according to the present invention will be described. Although the case where the housing 1 and the housing 2 are coupled by the hinge portion 3 has been described in the above embodiment, the mechanism that connects the housing 1 and the housing 2 may be a slide type. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an overall view of a mobile terminal device according to another modification of the present invention. 4A shows an example of a front view of the mobile terminal device, and FIG. 4B shows an example of a side view of the mobile terminal device. The mobile terminal device shown in the example of FIG. 4 is different from the mobile terminal device shown in FIG. 1 in that the mobile terminal device does not include the hinge unit 3 and is connected by the slide mechanism unit 12. Other configurations and arrangements are the same as those in the above embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

The slide mechanism unit 12 includes a mechanism that allows the housing 1 and the housing 2 to slide relative to each other. For example, the slide mechanism unit 12 may include a rail structure in a sliding direction in the housing 1 and a convex portion that can slide on the rail structure in the housing 2. As the convex portion of the housing 2 moves along the rails of the housing 1, the housing 1 and the housing 2 slide relative to each other.

  In this modification, an inverted L-shaped λ / 4 monopole antenna is formed by using a dedicated antenna element 4 as a built-in antenna of a mobile terminal device and an antenna component 6 such as a printed circuit board or housing metal as a ground plane. May be. Alternatively, the antenna configuration unit 5 and the antenna configuration unit 6 may be used to form a dipole antenna (sometimes referred to as a housing dipole antenna).

That is, in a state where the mobile terminal device is open (that is, a state where the casing 1 and the casing 2 are arranged substantially on a straight line, see FIG. 4B), the antenna component 5 and the antenna component 6 are provided. All serve as antenna elements. On the other hand, when the mobile terminal device is closed (that is, the case 1 and the case 2 are in contact), the antenna component 5 and the antenna component 6 serve as a ground plane for the antenna element 4. Fulfill.

  The portable terminal device by this invention should just be provided with the component shown in FIG. The mobile terminal device according to the present invention includes an antenna element 81 (for example, the antenna element 4), a ground plane 82 (for example, the antenna configuration unit 6) connected to the antenna element 81, and an auxiliary conductor (for example, connected to the ground plane 82). For example, a connection portion 83 (for example, the contact portion 9 and the support portion 11) that fixes the auxiliary conductor 8) in a state of being connected to the ground plane 82 is provided. The connection part 83 can attach and detach an auxiliary conductor.

  With such a configuration, it is possible to suppress the enlargement of the housing and improve the antenna characteristics easily and inexpensively without damaging the appearance.

  That is, when it is not necessary to use an auxiliary conductor such as in a place where the radio wave condition is good, the auxiliary conductor can be removed, and thus the enlargement of the portable terminal device can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the connection portion 83 does not depend on the shape of the housing (for example, the housing 1) (for example, the connection portion 83 is disposed inside the housing), the appearance is not impaired. Moreover, since the connection part 83 can be mounted by small components, such as a spring, the enlargement of a portable terminal device can be suppressed. Further, the shape of the auxiliary conductor is not limited as long as it is a conductor, and the antenna characteristics can be improved at low cost because the auxiliary conductor may be one normally worn by the user (for example, a key or a metal key holder). .

  Moreover, the connection part 83 may fix an auxiliary conductor using a spring member (for example, contact part 9). With such a configuration, the conductivity necessary for the connection portion 83 and the function of fixing the auxiliary conductor so as not to be easily detached can be realized at the same time, so that an increase in the size of the housing can be suppressed.

  In the above embodiment, the connecting portion 83 includes a support member (for example, the support portion 11) that supports one surface of the auxiliary conductor, and a spring member that presses the auxiliary conductor against the support member and fixes the auxiliary conductor ( For example, a configuration including a contact portion 9) is disclosed.

  Moreover, the structure provided with the auxiliary conductor (for example, auxiliary conductor 8) which can be attached or detached to the connection part 83 is disclosed by the said embodiment.

  The ground plane 82 may be a circuit board (for example, a printed board) or a housing metal.

  Further, the antenna element 81 and the ground plane 82 may form an inverted L-shaped λ / 4 monopole antenna.

  Further, the above embodiment discloses a configuration including a housing (for example, the housing 1 and the housing 2) in which the ground plane 82 is disposed.

  Or the portable terminal device by this invention should just be provided with the component shown in FIG. The mobile terminal device according to the present invention includes a first antenna element 91 (for example, the antenna configuration unit 5), a second antenna element 92 (for example, the antenna configuration unit 6), and the first antenna element or the second antenna. Connection portion 93 (for example, contact portion 9 and support portion 11) for fixing an auxiliary conductor (for example, auxiliary conductor 8) connected to one of the elements in a state where it is connected to the first antenna element or the second antenna element. And. The connection part 93 can attach and detach an auxiliary conductor.

  With such a configuration, an increase in the size of the housing can be suppressed, and the antenna characteristics can be improved easily and inexpensively without impairing the appearance.

  That is, when it is not necessary to use an auxiliary conductor such as in a place where the radio wave condition is good, the auxiliary conductor can be removed, and thus the enlargement of the portable terminal device can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the connection portion 93 does not depend on the shape of the housing (for example, the housing 1) (for example, the connection portion 93 is disposed inside the housing), the appearance is not impaired. Moreover, since the connection part 93 can be mounted with small components, such as a spring, the enlargement of a portable terminal device can be suppressed. Further, the shape of the auxiliary conductor is not limited as long as it is a conductor, and the antenna characteristics can be improved at low cost because the auxiliary conductor may be one normally worn by the user (for example, a key or a metal key holder). .

  Moreover, the connection part 93 may fix an auxiliary conductor using a spring member. With such a configuration, the conductivity required for the connection portion 93 and the function of fixing the auxiliary conductor so as not to be easily removed can be realized at the same time, and thus the enlargement of the housing can be suppressed.

  In the above embodiment, the connection portion 93 includes a support member that supports one surface of the auxiliary conductor (for example, the support portion 11), and a spring member that presses the auxiliary conductor against the support member and fixes the auxiliary conductor ( For example, a configuration including a contact portion 9) is disclosed.

  Moreover, the structure provided with the auxiliary conductor (for example, auxiliary conductor 8) which can be attached or detached to the connection part 93 is disclosed by the said embodiment.

  Further, the first antenna element 91 and the second antenna element 92 may form a dipole antenna.

  In the above embodiment, a first housing (for example, the housing 1) in which the first antenna element 91 is disposed, and a second housing (for example, in which the second antenna element 92 is disposed) (for example, The structure provided with the housing | casing 2) and the hinge part (for example, hinge part 3) which connects a 1st housing | casing and a 2nd housing | casing and can be opened and closed freely is disclosed.

  In the above embodiment, a first housing (for example, the housing 1) in which the first antenna element 91 is disposed, and a second housing (for example, in which the second antenna element 92 is disposed) (for example, The structure provided with the housing | casing 2) and the slide mechanism part (for example, slide mechanism part 12) which makes a 1st housing | casing and a 2nd housing | casing relatively slidable is disclosed.

  The present invention is suitably applied to a portable terminal device that improves antenna characteristics.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the whole figure of the portable terminal device in this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of a connection part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the whole figure of the portable terminal device in the modification of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the whole figure of the portable terminal device in the other modification of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the 1st outline | summary of the portable terminal device in this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the 2nd outline | summary of the portable terminal device in this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 2 Case 3 Hinge part 4 Antenna element 5, 6 Antenna structure part 7 Feeding point 8 Auxiliary conductor 9 Contact part 10 Insertion port 11 Support part 12 Slide mechanism part

Claims (14)

An antenna element;
A ground plane connected to the antenna element;
A connecting portion for fixing the auxiliary conductor connected to the ground plane in a state of being connected to the ground plane;
The mobile terminal device, wherein the connection part is detachable from the auxiliary conductor. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the connection portion fixes the auxiliary conductor using a spring member. The connection is
A support member that supports one side of the auxiliary conductor;
The portable terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising: a spring member that presses the auxiliary conductor against the support member and fixes the auxiliary conductor. The portable terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a detachable auxiliary conductor in the connection portion. The portable terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ground plane is a circuit board or a housing metal. The portable terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the antenna element and the ground plane form an inverted L-shaped λ / 4 monopole antenna. The portable terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a housing in which a ground plane is disposed. A first antenna element;
A second antenna element;
A connecting portion for fixing an auxiliary conductor connected to one of the first antenna element or the second antenna element in a state of being connected to the first antenna element or the second antenna element;
The mobile terminal device, wherein the connection part is detachable from the auxiliary conductor. The portable terminal device according to claim 8, wherein the connection portion fixes the auxiliary conductor using a spring member. The connection is
A support member that supports one side of the auxiliary conductor;
The portable terminal device according to claim 8, further comprising: a spring member that presses the auxiliary conductor against the support member and fixes the auxiliary conductor. The portable terminal device according to claim 8, further comprising an auxiliary conductor that can be attached to and detached from the connection portion. The portable terminal device according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the first antenna element and the second antenna element form a dipole antenna. A first housing in which the first antenna element is disposed;
A second housing in which the second antenna element is disposed;
The portable terminal device according to any one of claims 8 to 12, further comprising a hinge portion that connects the first housing and the second housing so as to be freely opened and closed. A first housing in which the first antenna element is disposed;
A second housing in which the second antenna element is disposed;
The portable terminal device according to any one of claims 8 to 12, further comprising a slide mechanism section that allows the first housing and the second housing to slide relative to each other.

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