ELECTRONIC APPARATUS
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus comprises a housing, a battery and a charging connector placed on a side of the housing. The charging connector is configured to receive electrical energy used for charging the battery. The electronic apparatus further comprises a plurality of antennas. A first cellular antenna is placed on a first side of the housing, different from the side on which the charging connector is placed. A first wireless LAN antenna placed on the first side while a second cellular antenna placed on a second side of the housing, which is perpendicular to the first side. A GPS antenna is placed on a position closer to the first side than to the second cellular antenna. The battery is placed closer to a third side of the housing than to the first side, the third side being opposed to the first side.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/302,812, now U.S. Pat. No. ______, which is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-061542, filed Mar. 18, 2011, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELDEmbodiments described herein relate generally to an electronic apparatus which includes a wireless communication function, and can be used in a state of being held in one hand or both hands.
BACKGROUNDIn recent years, electronic apparatuses which include a handwriting input function and are called “tablet terminals” are coming into widespread use. In addition, it is becoming general that electronic apparatuses of this type include a wireless communication function. With an electronic apparatus of this type, the user can transmit and receive electronic mail and browse web pages, even while the user is outside or on the move.
Therefore, it may be considered that electronic apparatuses of this type are used in a state of being held by the user in a train or the like. In view of such a use, various mechanisms for forming an antenna such that good wireless communication can be performed even in a state where the apparatus is held by the user have been proposed until now.
In the meantime, recently, electronic apparatuses which have a thin board-like housing, and in which a touch panel display provided on the front surface of the housing can be used in both portrait (Y-axis disposed longitudinally) and landscape (X-axis disposed longitudinally) orientation are increased. The electronic apparatuses can be held in one hand or both hands. In addition, an increasing number of electronic apparatuses are equipped with a wireless communication system to use a cellular communication service (including at least one of voice communication and data communication), a wireless communication system to use public wireless LAN service, and a wireless communication system to perform wireless communication with peripheral devices.
With such changes, it is required to take measures to allow each of the wireless communication systems to always perform wireless communication in a good state, regardless of the orientation of the electronic apparatuses and the holding state (in one hand or both hands) of the electronic apparatuses, specifically, no matter which part of the housing is held.
A general architecture that implements the various features of the embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate the embodiments and not to limit the scope of the invention.
Various embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In general, according to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a display device with a display screen, a first wireless communication module, a second wireless communication module, first antennas for the first wireless communication module, and second antennas for the second wireless communication module. The display screen is exposed from a front surface of a housing. At least two of each of the first antennas and the second antennas are disposed in two perpendicular sides of the housing. The two perpendicular sides are peripheral parts of the display screen. One of the first antennas disposed in the two perpendicular sides and one of the second antennas disposed in the two perpendicular sides are disposed in respective center parts of the two perpendicular sides.
First EmbodimentFirst, a first embodiment will be explained hereinafter.
The electronic apparatus 100 has a thin board-like housing. The user can perform various data input operations such as click operation and handwriting input operation, by touching the touch panel display 4 located in the center of a front surface of the housing by a pen or the like. Input to the touch panel display 4 can be also performed by, for example, a finger. A display screen of the touch panel display 4 has a size of, for example, 7 inches (which occupies at least half of the area of the front surface of the housing). Therefore, the electronic apparatus 100 is a portable information terminal of a type which is used by holding an end portion of the housing in both hands or one hand, not a type which is used in the palm such as a “palm-size” portable information terminal. In addition, the electronic apparatus 100 can be used in both portrait orientation (in which the Y-axis is disposed longitudinally) and landscape orientation (in which the X-axis is disposed longitudinally).
Although the present embodiment shows an example in which the electronic apparatus 100 is equipped with the touch panel display 4 which includes a data input function as a display device, the present embodiment is not limited to it. For example, it is possible to equip the electronic apparatus 100 with a liquid crystal display (LCD) or the like which does not include data input function, and provide the electronic apparatus 100 with a data input module such as a pointing device separately.
The electronic apparatus 100 also includes a wireless communication system for using a cellular communication service, a wireless communication system for using a public wireless LAN service, and a wireless communication system for performing wireless communication with peripheral devices. As wireless communication system antennas for using a cellular communication service, the electronic apparatus 100 is equipped with a transmission/reception (Tx, Rx) main cellular antenna 1a and a reception (Rx) subsidiary cellular antenna 1b. In addition, as antennas for the wireless communication system for using a public wireless LAN service and the wireless communication system for performing wireless communication with peripheral devices, the electronic apparatus 100 is equipped with a transmission/reception Bluetooth (registered trademark)/WiFi (BT/WiFi) antenna 2a and a reception WiFi [2] antenna 2b. In addition, the electronic apparatus 100 includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) function and is equipped with a GPS antenna 3 for the GPS function.
As described above, the electronic apparatus 100 is a portable information terminal of a type which is used by holding an end portion of the housing in both hands or one hand, and the touch panel display 4 can be used in both portrait orientation and landscape orientation. In addition, as illustrated in
Under such conditions, the electronic apparatus 100 has a mechanism which suppresses deterioration in antenna characteristics in the case of being held by the user, such that each of the wireless communication systems can perform wireless communication in a good state even when the electronic apparatus is held in any orientation, and held either in one hand or both hands, specifically, even when any part of the housing is held. The following is explanation of this point.
First, as illustrated in
Secondly, the electronic apparatus 100 has a structure in which at least one of the other antennas (other than the antennas disposed in the respective center parts of the two sides) of each of the two wireless communication systems is disposed in the side where the antenna of the other wireless communication system is disposed in the center part, and the other antenna is disposed in an area which is beyond the center part of the side as viewed from the side where the other antenna of the same system is disposed in the center part.
More specifically, first, among the two antennas of the main cellular antenna 1a and the subsidiary cellular antenna 1b, the main cellular antenna 1a is disposed in the center part of a longitudinal side of the housing. In addition, among the two antennas of the Bluetooth/WiFi antenna 2a and the WiFi [2] antenna 2b, the Bluetooth/WiFi antenna 2a is disposed in the center part of a side which is perpendicular to the side in which the main cellular antenna 1a is disposed in the center part. Among the two antennas of each wireless communication system, the antenna which is used for transmission (in addition to reception) is preferably selected as the antenna to be disposed in the center part of the side, rather than the antenna used for only reception.
In addition, secondly, the subsidiary cellular antenna 1b is disposed in a part of the side where the Bluetooth/WiFi antenna 2a is disposed in the center part, and the part is more distant from the main cellular antenna 1a than the Bluetooth/WiFi antenna 2a is. In addition, the WiFi [2] antenna 2b is disposed in a part of the side where the main cellular antenna 1a is disposed in the center part, and the part is more distant from the Bluetooth/WiFi antenna 2a than the main cellular antenna 1a is.
The GPS antenna 3 is disposed in a part of the side (the longitudinal side of the housing, in which a space can be easily secured) where the main cellular antenna 1a is disposed in the center part, and the part is opposed to the WiFi [2] antenna 2b with the main cellular antenna 1 interposed therebetween.
As illustrated in
The following is explanation of a basic idea of antenna arrangement in the electronic apparatus 100 illustrated in
As illustrated in
The reason why “the antenna which is used for transmission (in addition to reception) is preferably selected as antenna to be disposed in the center part of the side, rather than the antenna used only for reception, among the two antennas of each wireless communication system” is based on inference that the lower end parts are possibly held rather than the center parts of the sides as described above.
As illustrated in
In the electronic apparatus illustrated in
In comparison with this, according to the electronic apparatus 100 as illustrated in
As described above, the electronic apparatus 100 realizes suppression of deterioration in antenna characteristics in the case of being held by the user.
The present embodiment shows an example where the subsidiary cellular antenna 1b is disposed in a part of the side where the Bluetooth/WiFi antenna 2a is disposed in the center part and the part is more distant from the main cellular antenna 1a than the Bluetooth/WiFi antenna 2a is, and the WiFi [2] antenna 2b is disposed in a part of the side where the main cellular antenna 1a is disposed in the center part, and the part is more distant from the Bluetooth/WiFi antenna 2a than the main cellular antenna 1a is. This structure is adopted to secure the distance between the main cellular antenna 1a and the subsidiary cellular antenna 1b, and the distance between the Bluetooth/WiFi antenna 2a and the WiFi [2] antenna 2b (to increase isolation between the antennas by increasing the distance between them).
On the other hand, an antenna characteristic of each antenna also depends on, for example, the form of the ground pattern. Therefore, for example, by controlling the form of the ground pattern, it is possible to adopt intensive antenna arrangement as illustrated in
Specifically, the essence of the electronic apparatus 100 is arranging two antennas of each wireless communication system in two perpendicular sides, and at least one antenna of each wireless communication system in the center part of the side, and the electronic apparatus 100 is not limited to arranging the other antenna than the antenna disposed in the center part separately from the antenna disposed in the center part.
Second EmbodimentNext, a second embodiment will be explained hereinafter.
As illustrated in
In addition, in the electronic apparatus 100, a transmission and reception main cellular antenna 1a is disposed in a side opposed to a side in which the charging connector 5 is disposed. In other words, the side in which the main cellular antenna 1a is disposed is a side which is opposed to the side in which the charging connector 5 is disposed.
Suppose that wireless communication is performed in a state where the electronic apparatus 100 is connected to the charging device or the expansion unit. Disposing the main cellular antenna 1a in a side opposed to the side in which the charging connector 5 is disposed can suppress deterioration in antenna characteristic of the main cellular antenna 1a in the state where the electronic apparatus 100 is connected to the charging device or the expansion unit.
In addition, as illustrated in
Next, a third embodiment will be explained hereinafter.
As illustrated in
Suppose that the operation keys 7 are operated while wireless communication is being performed. Arranging the antennas in the sides different from the side where the operation keys 7 are arranged can suppress deterioration in antenna characteristics of the antennas when the operation keys 7 are operated during wireless communication.
In addition, as illustrated in
Next, a fourth embodiment will be explained hereinafter.
The second embodiment described above shows an antenna arrangement example in the case where the charging connector 5 for inputting electrical energy for charging the battery 6 is disposed in the side surface of the housing. In comparison with this, the electronic apparatus 100 of the fourth embodiment includes a wireless charging antenna 9 for inputting electrical energy for charging a battery 6 in an electrically noncontacting state. When the wireless charging antenna 9 is contained in the housing, the wireless charging antenna 9 is placed on a back surface of a circuit board 8 in the electronic apparatus 100.
As illustrated in
Next, a fifth embodiment will be explained hereinafter.
The first to fourth embodiment described above show examples where the two antennas of each wireless communication system are arranged in two perpendicular sides, and at least one antenna of each wireless communication system is disposed in a center part of a side.
On the other hand, there are increasing cases where portable electronic apparatuses such as the electronic apparatus 100 are equipped with a camera for capturing still and moving pictures. The camera is often disposed in a peripheral portion of the display screen and a center part of a side of the housing. In addition, the side where the camera is disposed is also a side (which is distant from the user's body) suitable for disposing antennas. Since the position of the camera takes priority over the positions of the antennas, the antennas cannot be disposed in the center part of the side where the camera is disposed. Specifically, it is impossible to dispose at least one antenna of each wireless communication system in the center part of the side, which is performed in the above first to fourth embodiments.
In such a case, in the electronic apparatus 100, two antennas of a main cellular antenna 1a and a subsidiary cellular antenna 1b and two antennas of a Bluetooth/WiFi antenna 2a and a WiFi [2] antenna 2b are arranged in the side where a camera 10 is disposed and a side which is perpendicular to the side, and one antenna of one of the two pairs is disposed in a center part of the side which is perpendicular to the side where the camera 10 is disposed. In the example illustrated in
In the electronic apparatus 100, although one antenna of only one of the two wireless communication systems is disposed in the center part of the side (which is presumed to be rarely held in one hand), the two antennas of each wireless communication system are arranged in two perpendicular sides, and thereby at least one antenna can be maintained in a state of not being covered by a hand. Therefore, the electronic apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment can also realize suppression of deterioration in antenna characteristics in the case where the electronic apparatus is held by the user.
Sixth EmbodimentNext, a sixth embodiment will be explained hereinafter.
The fourth embodiment described above shows the case where the battery 6 is charged by use of the wireless charging antenna 9 which can input electrical energy in an electrically noncontacting state. Charging of the battery 6 by use of the wireless charging antenna 9 is performed by placing the electronic apparatus 100 in an expansion unit which includes a charging function and is called a “cradle”.
Suppose that the electronic apparatus 100 is used in a state of being placed in the expansion unit. As described above, in the electronic apparatus 100, the touch panel display 4 can be used both in portrait orientation and landscape orientation. In addition, the wireless charging antenna 9 can input electrical energy in an electrically noncontacting state. Therefore, to make the best use of this advantage, as illustrated in
Therefore, as illustrated in
In addition, by disposing the wireless charging antenna 9 in the position (the corner which is opposed to the corner at which the two perpendicular sides provided with the two antennas of each wireless communication system cross each other), the antennas disposed in the center parts of the sides are not covered by the expansion unit 200, even when the electronic apparatus 100 in either portrait or landscape orientation is placed in the expansion unit 200.
Although the above fourth embodiment shows the example where the wireless charging antenna 9 is placed on the back surface of the circuit board 8, the wireless charging antenna 9 is not necessarily placed on the circuit board 8. For example, the wireless charging antenna 9 may be disposed on an internal wall on the back surface side of the housing, and may be connected to the circuit board 8 by a harness or a coaxial cable.
As described above, the electronic apparatus 100 can realize arrangement of the wireless charging antenna 9 which can perform charging regardless of the placement orientation of the electronic apparatus 100, and can realize suppression of deterioration in antenna characteristics in the state of being placed in the expansion unit 200, as well as the case of being held by the user.
The various modules of the systems described herein can be implemented as software applications, hardware and/or software modules, or components on one or more computers, such as servers. While the various modules are illustrated separately, they may share some or all of the same underlying logic or code.
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.
Claims
1. An electronic apparatus comprising:
- a battery;
- a charging connector placed on a side of a housing, and configured to receive electrical energy used for charging the battery;
- a first cellular antenna placed on a first side of the housing, the first side being different from the side on which the charging connector is placed;
- a first wireless local area network (LAN) antenna placed on the first side;
- a second cellular antenna placed on a second side of the housing, the second side being perpendicular to the first side; and
- a global positioning system (GPS) antenna placed on a position closer to the first side than to the second cellular antenna,
- wherein the battery is placed closer to a third side of the housing than to the first side, the third side being opposed to the first side.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the side of the housing on which the charging connector is placed and the second side are different from each other.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the side of the housing on which the charging connector is placed and the first side are perpendicular to each other.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second wireless LAN antenna placed on the second side.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the GPS antenna is placed on a position closer to the first side than the second wireless LAN antenna.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the GPS antenna is placed on the second side.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display device with a display screen exposed from the housing, wherein:
- the housing has the shape of a rectangle from the perspective of a direction perpendicular to the display screen;
- the first side comprises a short side of the rectangle; and
- the second side comprises a long side of the rectangle.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first cellular antenna is more distant from the second side than the first wireless LAN antenna.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first cellular antenna is closer to the second side than the first wireless LAN antenna.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second wireless LAN antenna placed on the second side, wherein:
- the first cellular antenna is more distant from the second side than the first wireless LAN antenna; and
- the second cellular antenna is closer to the first side than the second wireless LAN antenna.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second wireless LAN antenna placed on the second side, wherein:
- the first cellular antenna is closer to the second side than the first wireless LAN antenna; and
- the second cellular antenna is more distant from the first side than the second wireless LAN antenna.
12. An electronic apparatus comprising:
- a battery;
- a wireless charging antenna configured to receive electrical energy used for charging the battery in an electrically non-contacting state;
- a first cellular antenna placed on a first side of a housing;
- a first wireless local area network (LAN) antenna placed on the first side;
- a second cellular antenna placed on a second side of the housing, the second side being perpendicular to the first side; and
- a global positioning system (GPS) antenna placed on a position closer to the first side than the second cellular antenna, wherein: the battery is placed closer to a third side of the housing than to the first side, the third side being opposed to the first side, and the wireless charging antenna is placed closer to a fourth side of the housing than to the second side, the fourth side being opposed to the second side.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the battery and the wireless charging antenna are placed so as not to overlap each other.
14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the wireless charging antenna is placed closer to the first side than to the battery.
15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a second wireless LAN antenna placed on the second side.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the GPS antenna is placed on a position closer to the first side than the second wireless LAN antenna.
17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the GPS antenna is placed on the second side.
18. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a display device with a display screen exposed from the housing, wherein:
- the housing has the shape of a rectangle from the perspective of a direction perpendicular to the display screen;
- the first side comprises a short side of the rectangle; and
- the second side comprises a long side of the rectangle.
19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first cellular antenna is more distant from the second side than the first wireless LAN antenna.
20. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a second wireless LAN antenna placed on the second side, wherein:
- the first cellular antenna is more distant from the second side than the first wireless LAN antenna; and
- the second cellular antenna is closer to the first side than the second wireless LAN antenna.
21. An electronic apparatus comprising:
- a battery;
- a wireless charging antenna configured to receive electrical energy used for charging the battery in an electrically non-contacting state;
- a first cellular antenna placed on a first side of a housing;
- a first wireless local area network (LAN) antenna placed on the first side;
- a second cellular antenna placed on a second side of the housing, the second side being perpendicular to the first side; and
- a global positioning system (GPS) antenna placed on a position closer to the first side than the second cellular antenna,
- wherein the battery and the wireless charging antenna are placed closer to a third side of the housing than to the first side, the third side being opposed to the first side.
22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the battery and the wireless charging antenna are placed so as to overlap each other.
23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the battery and the wireless charging antenna are placed so as not to overlap each other.
24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the wireless charging antenna is placed closer to a fourth side of the housing than to the second side, the fourth side being opposed to the second side.
25. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a second wireless LAN antenna placed on the second side.
26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the GPS antenna is placed on a position closer to the first side than the second wireless LAN antenna.
27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the GPS antenna is placed on the second side.
28. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a display device with a display screen exposed from the housing, wherein:
- the housing has the shape of a rectangle from the perspective of a direction perpendicular to the display screen;
- the first side comprises a short side of the rectangle; and
- the second side comprises a long side of the rectangle.
29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first cellular antenna is more distant from the second side than the first wireless LAN antenna.
30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first cellular antenna is closer to the second side than the first wireless LAN antenna.
31. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a second wireless LAN antenna placed on the second side, wherein:
- the first cellular antenna is more distant from the second side than the first wireless LAN antenna; and
- the second cellular antenna is closer to the first side than the second wireless LAN antenna.
32. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a second wireless LAN antenna placed on the second side, wherein:
- the first cellular antenna is closer to the second side than the first wireless LAN antenna; and
- the second cellular antenna is more distant from the first side than the second wireless LAN antenna.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 17, 2014
Publication Date: Nov 6, 2014
Inventor: Koichi Sato (Tachikawa-shi)
Application Number: 14/334,552
International Classification: H01Q 1/24 (20060101);