Patent Publication Number: US-7916088-B2

Title: Wireless transceiver

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a wireless transceiver. More particularly, the present invention relates to a wireless transceiver using a transmission line to enhance its signal reception capacity. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     With the development of technology, there is a rapid development in wireless communication techniques, and the functions of handheld communication devices increased accordingly. For example, a current cell phone can not only make just phone calls as a conventional cell phone did, but also make video phone calls. Moreover, a current cell phone has the functions of surfing on Internet, receiving/sending e-mails, using the MSN, and even receiving television (TV) signals for watching TV programs. 
     However, digital TV applies a novel transmission technique, by which the analogy signals sent out from the TV station are transmitted in a digital way. Comparing with the conventional analogy TV, the digital TV has the features of multi-channel, interaction, mobile reception and non-synchronization. 
     For implementation of mobile reception, electromagnetic signals are transmitted to the wireless transceiver by means of wireless transmission. Since the electromagnetic signal may has a fading phenomenon due to reflections of the ground surface and the objects, or due to the allocating position and the allocating angle of the antenna. Therefore, a current wireless transceiver usually receives the electromagnetic signals through two antennas to enhance its signal reception capacity. With improvement of life quality, miniaturization of the wireless transceiver is required. However, if two antennas are disposed in the limited hardware space of the wireless transceiver, miniaturization of the wireless transceiver cannot be achieved. Therefore, how to improve the signal reception capacity of a wireless transceiver based on miniaturization of the wireless transceiver is a key problem that manufacturers try to solve. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is direct to a wireless transceiver having an enhanced signal reception capacity without increasing hardware space of the wireless transceiver, so as to avoid the fading phenomenon occurred on a wireless transceiver due to environmental factors. 
     The present invention provides a wireless transceiver including an antenna unit, a connection port and an integrated circuit. The antenna unit detects an electromagnetic signal in the space. The connection port provides a connective path to a transmission line. The integrated circuit is coupled to the antenna unit and the connection port. The integrated circuit receives the electromagnetic signal through the antenna unit. When the transmission line is coupled to the connection port, the integrated circuit enhances and restores the electromagnetic signal through an auxiliary electromagnetic signal received by the transmission line. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the wireless transceiver further includes a housing, a screen and a control key. The housing is used for covering the integrated circuit, the antenna unit and partial surface of the connection port. The screen and the control key are disposed on the surface of the housing. The screen is used for displaying the information of the wireless transceiver. The control key is used for operating the wireless transceiver. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, the wireless transceiver further includes a housing, a screen and a control key. The housing is used for covering the integrated circuit and the partial surface of the connection port. The antenna unit is disposed on the surface of the housing. The screen is used for displaying the information of the wireless transceiver. The control key is used for operating the wireless transceiver. 
     In still another embodiment of the present invention, the antenna unit includes an earphone and an earphone socket. The earphone socket is coupled to the integrated circuit and the earphone. The integrated circuit detects and receives the electromagnetic signal through metal lines inside the earphone. Moreover, in the present embodiment, the wireless transceiver further includes a housing, a screen and a control key, wherein the housing is used for covering the integrated circuit and the partial surface of the connection port and the earphone socket. The screen is used for displaying the information of the wireless transceiver. The control key is used for operating the wireless transceiver. 
     According to the present invention, an auxiliary electromagnetic signal is received through metal lines inside the transmission line. The electromagnetic signal received by the antenna unit is enhanced and restored through the auxiliary electromagnetic signal for avoiding the fading phenomenon occurred on a wireless transceiver due to environmental factors. 
     In order to make the aforementioned and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention comprehensible, a preferred embodiment accompanied with figures is described in detail below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  are respectively inner view and front view of a wireless transceiver  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  are respectively inner view and front view of a wireless transceiver  200  according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  are respectively inner view and front view of a wireless transceiver  300  according to a further embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Before embodiments are described for disclosing the spirit of the present invention, first assuming the wireless transceiver mentioned in the following embodiments is a common wireless communication product such as cell phone, interphone, personal digital assistant (PDA) or portable TV etc. Therefore, the electromagnetic signal received by the wireless transceiver includes the TV signals bearing the standards of digital video broadcast-terrestrial and national television system committee, or the RF signals bearing the standards of global system for mobile communications, general packet radio services, wideband code division multiple access, personal handy-phone system, Bluetooth, global positioning system and wireless fidelity. 
     However, the present invention is no limited to the aforementioned wireless communication products. It should be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art, along with the development of technology, new wireless communication products are still within the scope of the present invention. 
       FIG. 1A  is an inner view of a wireless transceiver according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 1A , the wireless transceiver  100  includes an antenna unit  110 , a connection port  120 , an integrated circuit  130  and a housing  140 . The antenna unit  110  and the connection port  120  are respectively coupled to the integrated circuit  130 . The housing  140  is used for covering the integrated circuit  130 , the antenna unit  110  and partial surface of the connection port  120 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1A  again, the antenna unit  110  detects the electromagnetic signal in the space. The connection port  120  provides a connective path to a transmission line  170  through its surface exposed on the housing  140 . The integrated circuit  130  receives the electromagnetic signal through the antenna unit  110 . When the transmission line  170  is coupled to the connection port  120 , the integrated circuit  130  further receives an auxiliary electromagnetic signal in the space through metal lines inside the transmission line  170 . Since the transmission line  170  and the antenna unit  110  are disposed at different positions in the wireless transceiver  100 , the transmission line  170  and the antenna unit  110  may detect signals coming from different directions. Accordingly, the signal intensity of the auxiliary electromagnetic signal received by the transmission line  170  is different from that of the electromagnetic signal received by the antenna unit  110 . Therefore, the integrated circuit  130  may enhance and restore the electromagnetic signal received by the antenna  110  through the auxiliary electromagnetic signal. 
     In other words, the transmission line  170  is used as another antenna unit of the wireless transceiver  100 , which may detect a signal coming from another direction in the space. For example, if the electromagnetic signal received by the antenna  110  has a fading phenomenon due to environmental factors (e.g. usage of a mobile device with high-speed movement, or reflections of the ground surface and the objects), the wireless transceiver  100  may enhance and restore the electromagnetic signal received by the antenna  110  through an auxiliary electromagnetic signal received by the transmission line  170 . 
     Moreover,  FIG. 1B  is a front view of the wireless transceiver  100 . Referring to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the wireless transceiver  100  further includes a screen  150  and a control key, wherein the control key includes a jog dial  160  and buttons  161 ˜ 164 . The screen  150 , the jog dial  160  and the buttons  161 ˜ 164  are respectively coupled to the integrated circuit  130  and disposed on the surface of the housing  140 . The screen is used for displaying the information of the wireless transceiver  100 . The jog dial  160  and the buttons  161 ˜ 164  are respectively used for operating the wireless transceiver  100 . 
     It is noticeable that, the antenna unit  110  of the present embodiment includes an antenna  111 , wherein the antenna  111  may be a meander line antenna, a loop antenna, an inverted L antenna or a planar inverted F antenna. Moreover, the numbers of the jog dial  160  and the buttons  161 ˜ 164  disposed on the surface of the wireless transceiver  100  of the present invention are not fixed. In other words, those having ordinary knowledge in the art may determine the number of the jog dial and the buttons according to actual requirement. 
     Though a preferable example of the wireless transceiver  100  is described above, it should be understood by those having ordinary knowledge in the art that different manufacturer have different design of the wireless transceiver  100 , therefore the application of the present invention is not limited to the preferable example described above. In other words, as long as the wireless transceiver  100  connects the transmission line  170  through the connection port  120 , and enhances its signal reception capacity through an auxiliary electromagnetic signal received by the transmission line  170 , it will be considered to be within the scope of the present invention. 
     Here another example of wireless transceiver is provided for disclosing the spirit of the present invention.  FIGS. 2A and 2B  are respectively inner view and front view of a wireless transceiver  200  according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the wireless transceiver  200  includes an antenna unit  210 , a connection port  220 , an integrated circuit  230  and a housing  240 . The connection port  220  is coupled to the integrated port  230 . The antenna unit  210  is disposed on the surface of the housing  240  and coupled to the integrated circuit  230 . The housing  240  is used for covering the integrated circuit  230  and partial surface of the connection port  220 . 
     Moreover, the wireless transceiver  200  further includes a screen  250  and a control key, wherein the control key include a jog dial  260  and buttons  261 ˜ 264 . The screen  250 , the jog dial  260  and the buttons  261 ˜ 264  are respectively coupled to the integrated circuit  230  and are disposed on the surface of the housing  240 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2A and 2B  again, this embodiment is similar to the aforementioned embodiment, by which the connection port  220  also provides a connective path to a transmission line  270 , and when the transmission line  270  is coupled to the connection port  220 , the transmission line  270  is used as another antenna unit of the wireless transceiver  200 , such that the electromagnetic signal received by the antenna unit  210  can be enhanced and restored through an auxiliary electromagnetic signal received by the transmission line  270 . The difference of these two embodiments is that the antenna unit  210  of the wireless transceiver  200  of the present embodiment is disposed on the surface of the housing  240 , and the antenna unit  210  of the present embodiment includes an antenna  211 , wherein the antenna  211  may be a helical antenna or a telescopic antenna. The other detailed descriptions of the present embodiment are similar to that of the aforementioned embodiment, and the repeated descriptions will be omitted hereby. 
     Here still another example of wireless transceiver is provided for disclosing the spirit of the present invention.  FIGS. 3A and 3B  are respectively inner view and front view of a wireless transceiver  300  according to a further embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the wireless transceiver  300  includes an antenna unit  310 , a connection port  320 , an integrated circuit  330  and a housing  340 . The antenna unit  310  further includes an earphone  311  and an earphone socket  312 . The connection port  320  and the earphone socket  312  are respectively coupled to the integrated port  330 . The earphone  311  is coupled to the earphone socket  312 . The housing  340  is used for covering the integrated circuit  330  and partial surface of the connection port  320  and the earphone socket  312 . 
     Moreover, the wireless transceiver  300  further includes a screen  350  and a control key, wherein the control key include a jog dial  360  and buttons  361 ˜ 364 . The screen  350 , the jog dial  360  and the buttons  361 ˜ 364  are respectively coupled to the integrated circuit  330  and are disposed on the surface of the housing  340 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3A and 3B  again, this embodiment is similar to the aforementioned embodiment, by which the connection port  320  also provides a connective path to a transmission line  370 , and when the transmission line  370  is coupled to the connection port  320 , the transmission line  370  is used as another antenna unit of the wireless transceiver  300 , such that the electromagnetic signal received by the antenna  310  can be enhanced and restored through an auxiliary electromagnetic signal received by the transmission line  370 . The difference of these two embodiments is that the earphone  311  and the earphone socket  312  are used as the antenna unit  310  of the wireless transceiver  300 . In other words, the integrated circuit  330  utilizes the metal lines  380  inside the earphone  310  to detect and receive the electromagnetic signal in the space. The other detailed descriptions of the present embodiment are similar to that of the aforementioned embodiments, and the repeated descriptions will be omitted hereby. 
     It is noticeable that the connection port of the wireless transceiver in the aforementioned each embodiment may be a universal serial bus or a charging slot. However, the connection port is not limited to these, as long as the transmission line coupled to the connection port uses metal lines as transmission media, it will be considered to be within the scope of the present invention. 
     In summary, according to the present invention, when a transmission line is coupled to the connection port of the wireless transceiver, the electromagnetic signal received by the antenna unit can be enhanced and restored through an auxiliary electromagnetic signal received by the transmission line. Therefore, the wireless transceiver according to the present invention may effectively increase its signal reception capacity for avoiding the fading phenomenon occurred on the wireless transceiver due to environmental factors. Moreover, since the transmission line is used as another antenna according to the present invention, comparing with the conventional techniques, the wireless transceiver of the present invention further has an advantage of miniaturization. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.