WO2000078073A1

WO2000078073A1 - Mobile telephones

Info

Publication number: WO2000078073A1
Application number: PCT/AU2000/000645
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Edward James
Original assignee: Aquron Pty. Ltd.
Priority date: 1999-06-10
Filing date: 2000-06-08
Publication date: 2000-12-21
Also published as: AUPQ089499A0

Abstract

A mobile telephone device (10) is disclosed for wireless communication over a communications network (12). The device (10) includes a satellite unit (16) having a relatively low power transmitter for wireless transmission of relatively low power communications signals from the satellite unit (16), and a master unit (14) located within transmission range of the satellite unit (16). The master unit (14) has receiving means for receiving the relatively low power signals and a relatively high power transmitter for retransmitting the relatively low power signals over the communications network (12) at relatively high power.

Description

MOBILE TELEPHONES

Background of the Invention

The present invention relates to mobile telephone communication, and in particular to a mobile telephone which is adapted to minimise the likelihood of a user being affected by signals transmitted from the mobile telephone.

In this specification, the terms 'low power' and 'relatively low power' used in relation to transmitted signals will be understood to mean signals which are of sufficiently low power that under any current theory of harm by mobile telephone radiation the user will not be deleteriously affected by the signals during use of the mobile telephone, and that the terms 'high power' and 'relatively high power' used in relation to transmitted signals will be understood to mean signals which are standard for a mobile telephone and which under at least one theory of harm by mobile telephone radiation may be of sufficiently high power to potentially deleteriously affect a user during use of the mobile telephone.

Description of the Prior Art

In recent years, the technology of mobile telephones has been improving, such improvements including a reduction in battery size, a reduction in the size of electronic circuitry and components, and an increase in reliability, transmission power, and other mobile telephones features.

Whilst such technical improvements have resulted in more popular and widespread use of mobile telephones, there is a concern by some that use of a mobile telephone may render the user prone to harmful effects, such as cancerous tumours, due to the positioning of the mobile telephone transmitter adjacent the user's head during use. This may be of particular concern to the health of the user when a mobile telephone is used for prolonged periods of time. Use of 'hands-free' accessories with a mobile telephone removes the need for the mobile telephone to be positioned adjacent the person's head during use, consequently minimising the fears of radiation, which might otherwise cause damage to the user's brain.

One such accessory is a 'hands-free' car kit which includes a microphone remotely located relative to the user and arranged to capture speech from the user, and an antenna remotely located from the user so as to enable electromagnetic radiation to be transmitted from an external antenna disposed at a safe location away from the user's body. However, such car kits are not suitable for portable personal use.

Another such accessory is a 'hands-free' personal earpiece/microphone for portable personal use, such as when a person is walking. This accessory enables the mobile telephone to be placed in a person's pocket or clipped to a person's belt, with a wire lead connecting the telephone to a headset having an earpiece which locates in a person's ear and a microphone which locates in a position adjacent the person's mouth. While the accessory enables the transmitter to be removed from a possibly dangerous position adjacent a person's head, the accessory has a significant inconvenience and disadvantage in that the mobile telephone is permanently connected to the connecting lead or wire which is prone to entanglement.

These problems identify a need for a device that provides the benefits of the current hands- free devices for mobile telephones without the disadvantages.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention seeks, among other things, to provide a mobile telephone device which is adapted to minimise the likelihood of a user being affected by transmission signals radiated from the mobile telephone. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile telephone device for wireless communication over a communications network, the device including a satellite unit having a relatively low power transmitter for wireless transmission of relatively low power communications signals from the satellite unit, and a master unit located within transmission range of the satellite unit, the master unit having receiving means for receiving said relatively low power signals and a relatively high power transmitter for retransmitting said relatively low power signals over the communications network at relatively high power.

Preferably, the master unit is provided with means for receiving communications signals from the communications network and for transmitting said received communications signals to the satellite unit.

Alternatively, the satellite unit is provided with means for receiving communications signals from the communications network.

Preferably, the master unit is arranged to communicate with a plurality of satellite units.

Preferably, the satellite unit is arranged to communicate with at least one other satellite unit.

Preferably, the low power communication signals are low power modulated speech signals. The low power modulated speech signals are preferably FM signals.

Preferably, the low power communication signals are microwave, radio frequency or infrared signals.

Preferably, the satellite unit is configured so as to be conveniently held in a hand of a user. Alternatively, the satellite unit is configured so as to be retainable adjacent the head of a user.

Preferably, the master unit is provided with a shielding portion arranged to direct radiation emanating from the master unit away from a user. The shielding portion is preferably a metal guard.

Preferably, the master unit is provided with means for facilitating attachment of the master unit to a user's clothing.

Preferably, the transmitter is configured to transmit at power levels in the order of microwatts.

Brief Description of the Drawings

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a mobile telephone device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of a mobile telephone device in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

Throughout the drawings, like numerals will be used to identify similar features, except where expressly otherwise indicated.

In Figures 1 and 2, there is shown first and second embodiments respectively of a mobile telephone device 10 adapted for wireless communication in a communications network 12. The mobile telephone device 10 of the present invention may be embodied in a variety of forms. In each form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the mobile telephone device 10 comprises a master unit 14 and at least one satellite unitlό. That is, instead of providing a prior art mobile telephone device in the form of a single hand set unit, a device having two discrete units is provided.

A plurality of satellite units 16 may, of course, be provided, with each satellite unit being arranged to communicate with a master unit 14. This is particularly convenient where it is desired for multiple users to participate in a telephone discussion.

The satellite units 16 may also be arranged such that communications signals may be transmitted to other satellite units 16 directly.

A transmitter (not shown) having a relatively high conventional power level of the order of milliwatts is provided in the master unit 14, and a transmitter having relatively low power level of the order of microwatts is provided in the or each satellite unit 16. Transmissions of communications signals from the satellite unit 16 are of sufficiently high power to be received by receiver circuitry (not shown) provided in the master unit 14 and/or by other satellite units 16. When such signals are received by the master unit 14, the signals are processed by appropriate electronic circuitry (not shown) in the master unit 14, and retransmitted to the communications network 12 at high power.

As will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art, it is the high power levels of transmitters which are alleged under at least one theory of harm by mobile telephone radiation to cause harmful effects in presently known mobile telephones. The receiver circuitry is not known to cause harmful effects. In view of this, two embodiments of the invention as shown in Figures 1 and 2 are envisaged. In the first embodiment shown in Figure 1, the receiver circuitry for receiving the communications signals from the communications network 12 is provided in the satellite unit 16. In the second embodiment shown in Figure 2, the receiver circuitry is provided in the master unit 14.

For ease of understanding, the signals transmitted over the communications network 12 are indicated by the symbol F_N) the signals transmitted between the satellite units 16 and master unit 14 are indicated by Fi, and the signals transmitted between satellite units 16 are indicated by F₂. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate the different signal transmission paths by viewing Figures 1 and 2.

It will be appreciated that the mobile telephone device 10 of the present invention is adapted to transmit low power modulated speech signals from the satellite unit 16 to the master unit 14 via a wireless transmission path, such as by microwave, radio frequency (RF), infrared or other electromagnetic radiation. The signals may be modulated by Frequency Modulation (FM) or by any other suitable form of modulation.

Whilst a preferred embodiment of the satellite unit 16 is as a hand-held unit incorporating the low power transmitter circuitry, a variation of the satellite unit 16 is envisaged wherein the satellite unit is configured so as to be retainable adjacent the head of a user. For example the satellite unit may be in the form of a headset or other hands-free unit, such as an earpiece and microphone connected via wireless transmission means to the satellite unit.

The master unit 14 may be provided with means (not shown) for facilitating permanent or removable attachment of the master unit to a user's belt, the user's clothing or other accessories. The master unit 14 may also be configured such that the master unit is conveniently insertable into a user's pocket, bag or case. Appropriate shielding may additionally be provided on the master unit such that the communications signals from the transmitter of the master unit 14 are radiated in a direction away from a user. Such shielding may take the form of a metal guard which locates between the master unit 14 and the user during use. The metal guard may be electrically grounded. It will therefore be appreciated that the present invention provides a mobile telephone device which avoids locating the conventional high power transmitter in a possibly dangerous position relative to a persons body, and particularly near the head or brain of the user, where cancerous tumours or the like are otherwise prone to occur.

Numerous variations and modifications of the invention, including circuit variations, will be envisaged by persons skilled in the art in implementing the invention as hereinbefore described. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate the power level requirements of the transmitters used, the shielding requirements such that an effective operation of the apparatus is fulfilled whilst achieving the objects of the invention. All such variations and modifications and alterations of the invention which become apparent to persons skilled in the art should be considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as broadly hereinbefore described.

Claims

THE CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A mobile telephone device for wireless communication over a communications network, said device including a satellite unit having a relatively low power transmitter for wireless transmission of relatively low power communications signals from the satellite unit, and a master unit located within transmission range of the satellite unit, the master unit having receiving means for receiving said relatively low power signals and a relatively high power transmitter for retransmitting said relatively low power signals over the communications network at relatively high power.

2. A mobile telephone device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the master unit is provided with means for receiving communications signals from the communications network and for transmitting said received communications signals to the satellite unit.

3. A mobile telephone device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the satellite unit is provided with means for receiving communications signals from the communications network.

4. A mobile telephone device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the master unit is arranged to communicate with a plurality of satellite units.

5. A mobile telephone device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the satellite unit is arranged to communicate with at least one other satellite unit.

6. A mobile telephone device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said relatively low power communications signals are low power modulated speech signals.

7. A mobile telephone device as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the low power modulated speech signals are FM signals.

8. A mobile telephone device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said relatively low power communications signals are microwave signals, radio frequency signals or infrared signals.

9. A mobile telephone device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the satellite unit is configured so as to be conveniently held in a hand of a user.

10. A mobile telephone device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the satellite unit is configured so as to be retainable adjacent the head of a user.

11. A mobile telephone device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the master unit is provided with a shielding portion arranged to direct radiation emanating from the master unit away from a user.

12. A mobile telephone device as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the shielding portion is a metal guard.

13. A mobile telephone device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the master unit is provided with means for facilitating attachment of the master unit to a user's clothing.

4. A mobile telephone device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the relatively low power transmitter is configured to transmit at power levels in the order of microwatts.