Steerable Antenna Device
Patent No. US11063625 (titled "Steerable Antenna Device") was filed by Massively Broadband Llc on Aug 14, 2013.
What is this patent about?
’625 is related to the field of wireless communication devices, specifically addressing the challenge of integrating multiple antennas for different frequency bands in portable devices. Modern devices often require separate antennas for cellular, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and other communication standards. This leads to increased complexity in mechanical design, higher manufacturing costs, and difficulties in meeting radiation efficiency requirements.
The underlying idea behind ’625 is to use a single steerable antenna (or a minimal set of antennas) for multiple frequency bands, thereby simplifying the antenna structure and reducing design complexity. This is achieved by actively tuning the antenna's impedance to match the requirements of different transmitters and receivers operating at different frequencies. The antenna can also be steered to avoid radiating towards a user or object.
The claims of ’625 focus on a method and system for avoiding radiation towards a user or structure using a wireless device with a steerable antenna. The device uses sensors to detect the device's orientation relative to the user or structure, determines zones to avoid, and then adjusts the antenna's beam pattern to radiate in other directions. The steerable antenna operates in the 10 GHz to 500 GHz range and can operate on multiple bands.
In practice, the invention uses sensors like cameras, microphones, or capacitive sensors to determine the position of the user relative to the device. This information is then used to compute a 'zone of avoidance'. The beamforming algorithms then steer the antenna's radiation pattern away from this zone, ensuring that the user is not directly exposed to the radiated energy. This is particularly relevant for millimeter-wave frequencies where directional antennas are used.
This approach differs from prior solutions that rely on multiple dedicated antennas for each frequency band or active tuning of separate antennas for high and low bands. By using a single, actively tuned and steerable antenna, the invention reduces the number of physical antennas required, simplifies the RF front-end design, and allows for more flexible antenna placement within the device. The ability to dynamically steer the beam also provides an added safety feature by minimizing radiation exposure to the user.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the late 2000s when ’625 was filed, wireless communication systems commonly relied on separate antennas for different frequency bands, at a time when hardware or software constraints made it non-trivial to efficiently manage multiple frequency bands with a single antenna in portable devices. At that time, active antenna tuning was an emerging area, but systems typically relied on passive antenna designs optimized for specific frequency ranges.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The claims were amended during prosecution. Arguments were presented to overcome rejections based on 35 U.S.C. § 103 and § 112. Some claims were rejected, and a final rejection was issued. The prosecution record describes claim changes and arguments made by the applicant, but does not describe the technical reasoning or specific claim changes that led to allowance.
Claims
This patent contains 33 claims, with independent claims numbered 1, 11, and 23. The independent claims are directed to a method, a wireless device, and a steerable antenna system, respectively, for avoiding radiation exposure to a user or structure by adjusting beam radiation patterns of a steerable antenna based on detected orientation. The dependent claims generally elaborate on and refine the features and functionalities described in the independent claims.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
Patent Family
File Wrapper
The dossier documents provide a comprehensive record of the patent's prosecution history - including filings, correspondence, and decisions made by patent offices - and are crucial for understanding the patent's legal journey and any challenges it may have faced during examination.
Date
Description
Get instant alerts for new documents
US11063625
- Application Number
- US13966853
- Filing Date
- Aug 14, 2013
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Jan 8, 2033
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents