Communication apparatus capable of having external antenna installed for sending and receiving external antenna signals

Abstract

A communication device capable of mounting an external antenna to transmit and receive signals from the external antenna includes: a communication module; an internal antenna disposed within the communication device; a first switch; and a coupler including a first end, a second end, and a coupling end, the second end being connected to the first switch, the first end being connected to the external antenna to receive the external antenna signal, and the coupler being configured to output a coupled signal from the coupling end based on the external antenna signal. When the strength of the coupled signal is greater than a threshold, the first switch connects the communication module to the external antenna via the coupler, and when the strength of the coupled signal is less than the threshold, the first switch connects the communication module to the internal antenna.

Claims

1. A communication device capable of mounting an external antenna to transmit and receive signals from the external antenna, the communication device comprising: a communication module including an antenna signal terminal; an internal antenna disposed within the communication device; a first switch configured to switch between two states: (1) connecting the antenna signal terminal of the communication module to the internal antenna, or (2) connecting the antenna signal terminal of the communication module to the external antenna; and a coupler including a first terminal, a second terminal, and a coupling terminal, the second terminal being connected to the first switch, wherein during the external antenna being mounted to the communication device, the first terminal is connected to the external antenna to receive the external antenna signal, and the coupler is configured to output a coupling signal from the coupling terminal based on the external antenna signal; wherein, The first end of the coupler is an input end, and the second end of the coupler is an output end. When the communication module receives the external antenna signal via the antenna signal end, the external antenna signal is transmitted from the input end of the coupler to the output end. When the communication module transmits the external antenna signal via the antenna signal end, the external antenna signal is transmitted from the output end of the coupler to the input end. During the operation of the communication module, when the strength of the coupling signal is greater than a threshold, the first switch connects the antenna signal end of the communication module to the external antenna via the coupler. When the strength of the coupling signal is less than the threshold, the first switch connects the antenna signal end of the communication module to the internal antenna.

2. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a detector connected to the coupling terminal of the coupler, and configured to receive the coupling signal from the coupling terminal and output a detection signal, wherein the detection signal is high when the strength of the coupling signal is greater than the threshold, and is low when the strength of the coupling signal is less than the threshold; wherein, When the detection signal is high, the first switch connects the antenna signal terminal of the communication module to the external antenna via the coupler; when the detection signal is low, the first switch connects the antenna signal terminal of the communication module to the internal antenna.

3. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupler is configured to couple an external antenna signal transmitted from the input to the output to obtain a first coupling amount to form the coupled signal, or to couple an external antenna signal transmitted from the output to the input to obtain a second coupling amount to form the coupled signal, wherein, The first coupling amount is greater than the second coupling amount.

4. The communication device as described in claim 2, further comprising: a second switch; and an attenuator; wherein, The second switch is configured to switch whether the detector is connected to the coupling terminal of the coupler via the attenuator, wherein during the communication module being enabled, when the detection signal is high, the second switch causes the coupling terminal of the coupler to be connected to the detector via the attenuator, and when the detection signal is low, the second switch causes the coupling terminal of the coupler to be connected to the detector without passing through the attenuator.

5. The communication device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a gate, and the communication module further comprising an enable signal terminal configured to output an enable signal, the enable signal being at a high potential during the enable period of the communication module and at a low potential during the disable period of the communication module, the gate being configured to receive the detection signal from the detector, receive the enable signal from the communication module, and output a logic judgment signal to the first switch.

6. The communication device as described in claim 5, wherein, When the logic judgment signal is high, the first switch connects the antenna signal terminal of the communication module to the external antenna via the coupler; when the logic judgment signal is low, the first switch connects the antenna signal terminal of the communication module to the internal antenna.

7. The communication device as described in claim 1, wherein the communication module is a 5G communication module.

8. A communication device capable of mounting an external antenna to transmit and receive an external antenna signal, the communication device comprising: a communication module including an antenna signal terminal; an internal antenna disposed within the communication device, the internal antenna configured to transmit or receive an internal antenna signal; a first switch configured to switch between two states: (1) connecting the antenna signal terminal of the communication module to the internal antenna, or (2) connecting the antenna signal terminal of the communication module to the external antenna; and a coupler including a first terminal, a second terminal, and a coupling terminal, the second terminal being connected to the first switch, wherein during the external antenna being mounted to the communication device, the first terminal is connected to the external antenna to receive the external antenna signal, and the coupler is configured to output a coupling signal from the coupling terminal based on the external antenna signal; wherein... During the operation of the communication module, when the strength of the coupling signal is greater than a threshold, the communication module compares the strength of the received internal antenna signal with the strength of the external antenna signal. When the strength of the external antenna signal is greater than the strength of the internal antenna signal, the first switch connects the antenna signal terminal of the communication module to the external antenna via the coupler. When the strength of the external antenna signal is less than the strength of the internal antenna signal, the first switch connects the antenna signal terminal of the communication module to the internal antenna.

9. The communication device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: a detector connected to the coupling end of the coupler, the detector being configured to receive the coupling signal from the coupling end and output a detection signal, wherein the detection signal is high when the strength of the coupling signal is greater than the threshold, and when the detection signal is high, the communication module compares the strength of the received internal antenna signal with the strength of the external antenna signal.

10. The communication device as described in claim 8, wherein, When the strength of the coupling signal is less than the threshold, the first switch connects the antenna signal terminal of the communication module to the internal antenna.

11. The communication device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first end of the coupler is an input end and the second end of the coupler is an output end; wherein, When the communication module receives the external antenna signal via the antenna signal terminal, the external antenna signal is transmitted from the input terminal to the output terminal of the coupler. When the communication module sends the external antenna signal via the antenna signal terminal, the external antenna signal is transmitted from the output terminal to the input terminal of the coupler.

12. The communication device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the coupler is configured to couple an external antenna signal transmitted from the input to the output to obtain a first coupling amount to form the coupled signal, or to couple an external antenna signal transmitted from the output to the input to obtain a second coupling amount to form the coupled signal, wherein, The first coupling amount is greater than the second coupling amount.

13. The communication device as described in claim 9, further comprising: a second switch; and an attenuator; wherein, The second switch is configured to switch whether the detector is connected to the coupling end of the coupler via the attenuator, wherein during the communication module being enabled, when the strength of the external antenna signal is greater than the strength of the internal antenna signal, the second switch causes the coupling end of the coupler to be connected to the detector via the attenuator, and when the strength of the external antenna signal is less than the strength of the internal antenna signal, the second switch causes the coupling end of the coupler to be connected to the detector without the attenuator.

14. The communication device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a first gate, and the communication module further comprising an enable signal terminal configured to output an enable signal, the enable signal being at a high potential during the enable period of the communication module and at a low potential during the disable period of the communication module, the first gate being configured to receive the detection signal from the detector, receive the enable signal from the communication module and output a first logic judgment signal.

15. The communication device as described in claim 14, further comprising: a second gate; wherein, The communication module is configured to output a comparison signal. When the strength of the external antenna signal is greater than the strength of the internal antenna signal, the comparison signal is high, and when the strength of the external antenna signal is less than the strength of the internal antenna signal, the comparison signal is low. The second gate is configured to receive the comparison signal from the communication module, receive the first logic judgment signal from the first gate, and output a second logic judgment signal. When the second logic judgment signal is high, the first switch connects the antenna signal terminal of the communication module to the external antenna via the coupler, and when the second logic judgment signal is low, the first switch connects the antenna signal terminal of the communication module to the internal antenna.

16. The communication device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the strength of the internal antenna signal and the strength of the external antenna signal are a reference signal received power (RSRP).

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