Patent ID: 7190321

Claim:
An accessory for use with one of an existing external antenna system and an existing internal antenna system of a wireless device to provide an increased range and to control directional characteristics of wireless signals that are transmitted and received by the wireless device, comprising: (a) a support adapted to be removably coupled and physically mounted to a wireless device at a predefined distance relative to a wavelength of the wireless signals, from an existing antenna system thereof; and (b) a conductive material disposed on the support and extending over an area of sufficient size to define a conductive surface, so that when the accessory is disposed adjacent to an existing antenna system of a wireless device, the conductive surface serves as a reflector for wireless signals to enhance at least one of a range and directionality of wireless signals transmitted or received by the wireless device, thereby enabling the range and directionality of wireless signals that are transmitted and received, to be enhanced by the accessory, wherein the support is formed and thereby adapted to be removably coupled and physically mounted to the wireless device in a configuration selected from the group consisting of: (i) a first configuration in which the support is adapted to removably mount on and be fully supported by an existing external antenna that comprises the existing antenna system, where the existing external antenna is directly affixed to and extends from the wireless device, and in which the support is formed so that the conductive material is disposed at the predefined distance from the existing external antenna when the support is mounted on the existing external antenna; and (ii) a second configuration in which the support is adapted to couple with a housing of a wireless device and to thereby orient a disposition of each of the wireless device, the conductive material, and the existing antenna system, so that the conductive material is disposed at the predefined distance from the existing antenna system.