Patent · US Expired

Detachable antenna with optical port

US5999294A · kind A · utility

57Cited by
10References
34Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 13, 1997
Grant dateDec 7, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 13, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04B10/1143
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention relates to a peripheral apparatus which enables users to communicate with a mobile device via radio as well as optical transmission substantially simultaneously. The peripheral apparatus includes a radio card which includes circuitry for conducting RF communication; and an antenna apparatus that is selectively detachable from the radio card, the antenna apparatus includes an optical device for conducting optical communications. When the antenna apparatus is attached to the radio card, the radio card is capable of radio and optical communications. The peripheral apparatus is particularly useful in that an available com port does not have to be solely dedicated for optical communications. Furthermore, the peripheral apparatus avoids the problems associated with employing external wires to connect an optical transceiver to the mobile device. As a result, the present invention affords a user the benefit of simply attaching the peripheral apparatus to effect a mobile device that is capable of communicating via RF and optics substantially simultaneously.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.