Abstract:
Mechanical and operational design considerations for the antenna, speaker and image capture functionalities, in a multi-media mobile communication device are combined and carried in a common shared antenna-speaker-image capture chamber. The common shared chamber permits greater focal lengths and larger optics packages compared to conventional multi-media communication devices with separate, individual chambers within the device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to the field of mobile communication devices and deals more particularly with a package and housing design that combines the mechanical design considerations for the RF, acoustic and image capture functionalities to reduce the overall physical size of the device and at the same time enhance the RF, accoustic and optics performance.  
           [0002]    The growth in the use of portable electronic devices such as, for example mobile communication devices, cellular telephones and the like, has driven the design of such devices to become smaller and more convenient and include further features and functionalities. These newer feature and functionality laden mobile communication devices have led to a new product category in the mobile phone industry as multi-media phones. Multi-media phones are highly desirable and are characterized by some type of camera or image capturing feature and a wide range or diversity of audio features and functionality, such as, music playback, which may or may not be combined with some type of video or graphics.  
           [0003]    Consumers have become accustomed to the convenience and portability of cellular telephones and have demanded that those cellular telephones become even more convenient and even more portable. The constant thrust in cellular telephone design is to make them as small as possible and the same demands are placed on multi-media mobile phones.  
           [0004]    Conventional multi-media mobile communication devices such as for example, of the type shown by the prior art in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 and generally designated  100  typically include an internal antenna  102 , a speaker or audio transducer component  104  to provide audio functionality and a camera system or other similar imaging sensor  106  to provide image capture functionality. The multi-media mobile communication device may be, for example, a cellular telephone and include a display such as an LCD or other visual display panel generally designated  110  and include keys  112 ,  112  which are used for dialing the desired telephone number or for activating and utilizing features of the multi-media cellular telephone  100 . The internal antenna  102  includes an RF-emitter that is generally held or located in a spaced separation with respect to a ground plate mounted in a chassis or sub-assembly within the housing of the device  100 . The RF-emitter electrically connects to the operational electronic circuitry of the mobile communication device. The spaced separation between the RF-emitter and the ground plate area defines the mechanical outline of an antenna chamber volume generally designated  120 , that is, the area or space beneath or under the antenna profile outline is clear of interference.  
           [0005]    The audio functionality for the multi-media phone is typically provided by an audio transducer  104 , such as, a loud speaker, earpiece and microphone which are located separate and away from the antenna RF-emitter to prevent interference with the emitter. Typically, the transducer or speaker  104  is mounted in an enclosure of some sort defining a chamber generally designated  130 . The chamber  130  functions as an acoustic resonator and the physical size or volume of the chamber  130  influences the audio quality, and a larger volume generally results in better audio quality.  
           [0006]    The image capture functionality of the multi-media phone is typically provided or carried out by a camera system or other similar sensor  106 , such as an optics package or module that is also located separate and apart from the antenna functionality and audio functionality to prevent interference. The image capture functionality is also enclosed within the housing of the multi-media phone in an area or enclosure of a desired configuration defining a chamber generally designated  140  to accommodate the camera system. The camera system may include but is not limited to the camera lens, focus and image capturing components including any of the optic and electronic components necessary to carry out the intended function. As illustrated in the schematic functional block diagram shown in side elevational view in FIG. 2, the internal antenna  102 , speaker component  104  and image capture unit  106  are maintained in a spaced relationship with respect to one another and typically consuming a large amount of space and volume within the housing thus adding to the overall size of the multi-media mobile communication device. The camera system or image capture functionality specifically, the size of the camera optics package or module  106  has been forced to be reduced in size and volume to accommodate the demand for smaller and more convenient mobile phones. To obtain the size reduction, lenses have been made smaller and accordingly the focal length of the camera system made shorter. As a consequence, the captured image quality (aberrations, brightness and other image quality characteristics) worsens and is less than desirable due to fundamental optics laws, manufacturing problems and tolerances and lens purity. In order to improve the captured image quality, the size of the camera optics package or module  106  must be made larger or high precision optics made of glass must be used. Accordingly, the internal antenna  102 , audio transducer  104  and camera optics  106  impose separate mechanical design requirements and operational considerations that must be taken into account to insure the proper operation of each functionality to obtain the desired results. These functionality design and operational considerations add to the overall physical size of the multi-media mobile communication device  100 , and each requires a relatively large air volume cavity within the mobile communication device to provide the desired and acceptable performance level.  
           [0007]    U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/099,476 titled, “Mobile Communication Device and Related Construction Method” and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention discloses a possible structure and method for sharing at least a portion of the volume required to provide the RF functionality and the acoustic functionality to further reduce the size of the mobile communication device while maintaining acceptable performance levels. In the referenced application, which is incorporated herein by reference, a common shared chamber provides sufficient air volume for the RF antenna functionality and required back cavity air volume for the audio transducer. However, the image capture functionality remains physically separate in its own space or area within the housing.  
           [0008]    Consequently, there is a need to identify further construction methods and designs that provide the desired overall physical size reduction and yet provide a chamber having a sufficient air volume to accommodate RF antenna, acoustic and image capture functionalities while overcoming the disadvantages of known multi-media mobile communication devices.  
           [0009]    Therefore, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a mechanical design that reduces the size of the multi-media mobile communication device.  
           [0010]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a design method to combine the RF functionality, accoustic functionality and image capture functionality without increasing the size of the multi-media mobile communication device.  
           [0011]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a reduced size multi-media mobile communication device by sharing a common physical volume for the RF antenna, the audio transducer and the camera system that accommodates the mechanical and operational design requirements of the RF antenna, speaker and camera system, respectively.  
           [0012]    It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a reduced size multi-media mobile communication device wherein the RF antenna common shared volume chamber provides the required back cavity air volume for the audio transducer and image capture camera optics.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a multi-media mobile communication device of the type having a RF transmitter and receiver, a RF antenna, a speaker component and imaging functionality includes a housing for carrying subassemblies comprising an operational communication device. The housing itself is generally a contoured case that has an exterior surface and an interior surface. In one embodiment, the interior surface forms and defines a shared interior cavity within the housing for carrying a speaker component and a RF antenna with the further improvement of carrying the imaging functionality. Preferably, the imaging functionality further comprises camera optical means, which may further include camera sensor means. The camera sensor means may be located within or outside the shared interior cavity.  
           [0014]    Preferably, the camera optical means includes a camera lens carried within the shared interior cavity and located intermediate of the camera sensor means and an aperture in a wall of the interior cavity and defining an optical path having a first focal length.  
           [0015]    Preferably, the multi-media mobile communication device includes one or more lenses defining a lens system being located intermediate the camera lens and the aperture along the optical path and defining a second focal length to improve the quality of an image being captured.  
           [0016]    Preferably, the lens system includes means for varying the focal length along the optical path to improve the quality of an image being captured.  
           [0017]    Preferably, the housing includes a window in optical alignment with the camera sensor means whereby an image is captured when the housing is held in an orientation with the window pointed in the direction of the image.  
           [0018]    Preferably, a further lens is located in the housing window.  
           [0019]    Preferably, the RF antenna is an internal planar antenna located in a spaced relationship to and with the audio component and the camera means.  
           [0020]    Preferably, the shared interior cavity provides a suitable air volume to simultaneously accommodate RF antenna functionality, audio functionality and imaging functionality.  
           [0021]    Preferably, the shared interior cavity carrying the antenna, audio and imaging functionality is a substantially sealed acoustic cavity.  
           [0022]    In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a multi-media mobile communication device has antenna functionality, speaker functionality and imaging functionality and includes a housing for carrying subassemblies of the operational communication device. The housing has an interior cavity of a predetermined volume for accommodating the antenna functionality, speaker functionality and imaging functionality.  
           [0023]    In another aspect of the invention, a multi-media mobile communication device includes a housing for carrying subassemblies defining the operational communication device. Speaker mean  6  are provided for producing audible signals, and antenna means are provided for transmitting and receiving RF signals and camera means are provided for capturing image signals. Cavity means defining a substantially sealed chamber within the housing carry the speaker means, the antenna means and the camera sensor means. Additionally, the cavity means defines a common shared chamber that functions as an acoustic resonator chamber, an antenna-ground plate separation chamber and imaging capture chamber.  
           [0024]    A yet further aspect of the invention relates to a method for construction of a multi-media mobile communication device having combined RF antenna, audio and imaging functionalities. The method for construction comprises the steps of: locating the RF antenna means, audio transducer means and camera sensor means in a combined shared chamber within the multi-media mobile communication device. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0025]    Other objects, features and benefits of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following written detailed description taken together with the drawings forming a part thereof, wherein  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 1 is a schematic functional block diagram of a conventional multi-media phone representative of the prior art;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram in a side elevation view of the conventional multi-media phone illustrated in FIG. 1 representative of the prior art;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a portion of a mobile communication device showing the construction of a prior art combined common shared antenna-speaker chamber;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 4 is a schematic functional block diagram representation of a portion of a multi-media mobile communication device showing the combined common shared antenna-speaker-image capture chamber embodying the present invention;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 5A is a schematic functional block diagram representation of a portion of a multi-media mobile communication device showing another embodiment of the combined common shared antenna-speaker-image capture chamber of the present invention wherein an additional optics system is located between the aperture and the camera sensor;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 5B is a schematic functional block diagram representation of a portion of a multi-media mobile communication device showing another embodiment of the combined common shared antenna-speaker-image capture chamber of the present invention wherein an aperture is located in oppositely disposed walls and the camera sensor is located outside the chamber;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 5C is a schematic functional block diagram representation of a portion of a multi-media mobile communication device showing another embodiment similar to FIG. 5C wherein an additional lens system is located in the chamber between the apertures located in oppositely disposed walls and with the camera sensor located outside the chamber;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of an exemplary cover of a multi-media mobile communication device illustrating the combined common shared antenna-speaker-image capture chamber embodying of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0034]    In order to gain a better understanding of the present invention, a discussion of a prior art combined common shared antenna-speaker chamber is illustrated in FIG. 3 as a schematic representation of a portion of a mobile communication device and is generally designated  60 . As illustrated in FIG. 3, the planar antenna  70  and audio transducer or speaker component  80  share a common cavity or chamber  90  with a portion  92  of the chamber  90  located in the area beneath the antenna  70 . The antenna and audio transducer are combined into a single mechanical configuration that meets both the acoustic requirements and the RF requirements of the mobile communication device. The planar antenna  70  may be carried on a surface  50  of the cover  52  forming a part of the chamber  60  when the cover is in place. The cover  52  provides rigidity to the planar antenna which may be printed or deposited thereon on the upper surface  50  or on the inner surface  56  disposed opposite the outer surface  50  and facing inwardly toward the chamber cavity  90 . The planar antenna  70  is printed in a manner well known to those skilled in the art of mobile communication devices and is connected in a normal manner to the operational electronic circuitry defining the mobile communication device.  
         [0035]    The antenna  70  or the surface carrying the antenna is held or otherwise mounted in a generally fixed and spaced relationship with respect to an inner surface or plane  62  of the chamber or with respect to a substrate, such as an electrical printed circuit board (not shown) carried within the chamber  60 . The printed circuit board is well known to those skilled in the art and may take on many different forms and shapes to accommodate the packaging of the mobile communication device. A ground plane or plate  64  such as metallized paint or other conductive materials to carry out the intended function is carried on at least a portion of the cavity surface  62  and in a spaced relation to the planar antenna  70 . To operate properly, the RF-emitter of the antenna  70  is mechanically placed or constructed such that there are no electrical conductors or dielectric materials near the emitter. In the prior art combined common shared antenna-speaker chamber design shown in FIG. 3, the ground plane  64  prevents the inadvertent or unintentional placement of electrically conducting material such as circuit paths and electrical components in the vicinity of or beneath the RF-emitter of the antenna  70 . The chamber is a substantially sealed chamber to provide the desired acoustic characteristics and audio passes through “leak” holes in the chamber wall.  
         [0036]    Although the antenna chamber volume can be a part of the speaker chamber volume, and thus the total combined volume for the speaker and antenna is less than the two separate volumes of the antenna and the speaker, an additional volume or space is required within the housing of a multi-media mobile communication device having a prior art combined common shared antenna-speaker chamber.  
         [0037]    Now considering the invention in further detail, a schematic functional block diagram representation of a portion of a multi-media mobile communication device embodying the combined common shared antenna-speaker-image capture chamber embodying the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 4 and generally designated  200 . The combined common shared chamber  200  may be formed as an integral portion of the device housing or may be a separate structural component part or module located within the housing. The combined common shared chamber  200  includes an internal planar antenna generally designated  202  and an audio transducer, for example, a speaker generally designated  204 . The combined common shared chamber  200  also includes the imagining capture functionality and comprises in the illustrated embodiment, a camera sensor generally designated  206  carried on the interior surface generally designated  210  of a wall  222  of the chamber  200 . An aperture or opening  212  is located in a wall  208  in an oppositely disposed and spaced relation with the wall  222 . The aperture  212  is aligned opposite the camera sensor  206  so that arrows  220 ,  220  which are representative of light paths of an image pass through the aperture  212  along an optical path having a first focal length and impinge on the surface  214  of the camera sensor  206 . The term “aperture” as used herein defines the optical opening through which light paths of an image pass along an optical path. It will be noted that the aperture is not a physical opening allowing communication between the outside and inside of the chamber because the desired acoustic characteristic achieved by the sealed chamber would be affected. Therefore, as a practical matter, the aperture  212  contemplates a physical window barrier  228  in the wall to maintain the chamber substantially sealed while admitting light paths. An optically clear window may form the aperture  212 . It should be apparent that a sealing means  236  may be utilized between the edges of the window and chamber wall to maintain the desired sealed chamber  200 . The internal volume of the combined common shared chamber  200  is determined by the dimensions of height and width and depth of the chamber  200  and is calculated to provide the necessary mechanical design requirements for the antenna and camera optics and satisfy the acoustic transducer volume requirements to insure the desired acoustic resonator performance for the characteristics of the audio transducer  204 .  
         [0038]    The walls  208 ,  216 ,  218 ,  222  and the bottom cover  224  and oppositely disposed upper cover  226  are preferably made of a strong, light-weight plastic material to provide the necessary mechanical rigidity to carry the audio transducer  204  and the camera optics  206  without adding any appreciable weight to the multi-media mobile communication device. Alternately, the aperture  212  may include an additional camera lens or lens system in addition to or in place of the window barrier  228  to further enhance or improve image quality. The choice of plastic or other desirable material to carry out the intended function is dependent on the actual construction and fabrication techniques employed to manufacture the combined common shared chamber and such materials are well known to those skilled in the art. The material of the combined common shared chamber is not restricted to plastic or presently known materials and contemplates the use of other currently known or future developed materials.  
         [0039]    The walls, bottom and upper covers can be glued or otherwise sealed or can be sonically welded to provide the substantially sealed combined common shared chamber  200 . Other methods including molding the combined common shared chamber  200  with the antenna, audio transducer and camera optics in place are likewise suitable methods for construction and are well known to those skilled in the art. The physical appearance or configuration of the combined shared chamber  200  is not restricted to any given shape, but may be contoured and shaped to accommodate the size and shape of a multi-media communication device housing with which it is used. The important aspects to take into account are the mechanical design considerations to achieve the desired performance levels of the RF-antenna, acoustic and image capture functionalities. It should also be apparent that a corresponding window lens or opening must be located in a wall of the multi-media communication device to admit the image.  
         [0040]    Turning now to FIGS. 5A, 5B and  5 C an alternate embodiments of the combined antenna-speaker-image capture chamber of the present invention are illustrated as a schematic functional block representation therein and generally designated  250 . The embodiments shown in FIGS. 5A, 5B and  5 C are similar in appearance to that shown in FIG. 4 and like reference numbers refer to like parts. In FIG. 5A, the combined common shared chamber  250  includes an additional optics system including a lens or lens system  230  physically located within the chamber intermediate the camera sensor  206  and the aperture  212 . The lens system  230  may include one or more lenses as required to provide the desired optical focus and focal length, for example, a wide angle capture of an image or a smaller angle capture of an image. Although not shown, the lens system  230  may have a telescopic capability controllable by suitable electronics carried in the multi-media mobile phone. Arrows  220 ,  220  which are representative of light paths of an image pass through the aperture  212  and lens system aperture  232  along an optical path having a second focal length compared to the embodiment of FIG. 4 to impinge on the surface  214  of the camera sensor  206 . Optionally, the aperture  212  may include an additional lens  234  to provide further enhanced image capture quality. Since the focal length of the system is longer than that available with prior art multi-media phones, the lens may be of an optical grade plastic and achieve, at a lesser cost of components or construction, similar or better image quality than that of glass lenses used in prior art multi-media mobile phones.  
         [0041]    Additional combinations of camera optics, lenses and sensor placements are also possible and contemplated by the present invention as illustrated in FIGS. 5B and 5C. For example, and not by way of limitation, it may be desired to locate a lens system  234   a ,  234   b  in apertures  212   a ,  212   b  respectively in oppositely disposed walls  208 ,  222  of the chamber  250  with the camera sensor  206  located outside the chamber. It may also be desired to include one or more lens systems  230  inside the chamber located along the optical path between the apertures  212   a ,  212   b  in the oppositely disposed walls  208 ,  222  of the chamber  250 .  
         [0042]    It will be recognized and appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above schematic functional block representations are provided for illustrative purposes only to explain the features and benefits of the present invention. It will be recognized that the mechanical structural elements forming the common shared antenna-speaker-image capture chamber can be integral with the interior of the multi-media mobile communication device housing and produced as a part of the plastic injection molding process or other manufacturing process techniques employed either now known or future-developed. The important idea to be carried away from the above disclosure is the combination of the otherwise separate common shared antenna-speaker chamber with the image capture functionality to reduce the overall size of the multi-media mobile communication device.  
         [0043]    The construction method of the present invention includes providing a common shared antenna-speaker-image capture chamber or cavity within the interior of the housing of the multi-media mobile communication device and locating the camera system within the chamber such that the camera system does not interfere with the operation of the RF-emitter of a planar antenna carried on a surface of a covering substrate enclosing the speaker within the common shared antenna-speaker-image capture chamber and the antenna and speaker do not interfere with the operation of the camera system.  
         [0044]    Turning now to FIG. 6, a partially cut-away portion of an opened cover of a reduced size multi-media mobile communication device showing an alternate embodiment of a combined common shared antenna-speaker-image capture chamber embodying the present invention is illustrated therein and generally designated  300 . The cover, generally designated  302 , includes a housing structure  310  for carrying subassemblies, generally designated  312 , which make up the operational multi-media communication device. A ground plate  320  is carried in a spaced relationship with respect to the base wall  308 . A printed circuit board generally designated  330  is held in a spaced relationship with respect to the ground plate  320  and which circuit board  230  carries various electronic components and printed circuit paths for power and signal distribution and for other uses and functions well known to those skilled in the art of multi-media mobile communication devices.  
         [0045]    A supporting structure generally designated  340  carries the planar antenna  342  on a face surface  344  of the structure  340  it being understood and that the planar antenna can also be carried on the interior face surface opposite  344 . The speaker, generally designated  332 , is mounted such that the cone or sound emitting portion is in facing relationship with the base  308  and sound or audio generated by the speaker is communicated through apertures or openings through the base surface in any well-known manner.  
         [0046]    A wall  350  carries on its interior surface  352 , a camera or image capture sensor  360 . An aperture or opening generally designated  362  is located in a wall  354  and is aligned with or otherwise positioned with respect to the camera sensor  360  so that light rays pass through the aperture  362  and impinge on the capture surface  370  of the camera sensor  360 .  
         [0047]    A multi-media mobile communication device having a common shared antenna-speaker-image capture chamber and related construction method has been presented above in several preferred embodiments. Numerous changes and modifications may be made to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the cover of the common shared antenna-speaker-image capture chamber may be provided by a complementary mating surface of another portion of the housing for the multi-media mobile communication device. Accordingly, the present invention has been disclosed by way of example rather than limitation.