Antenna system for dual mode satellite/cellular portable phone

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein identical numerals indicate the same elements throughout the figures, FIG.
1 depicts a handheld portable phone 10 which is operable in the dual modes of satellite and cellular communication.
It will be seen that portable phone 10 has a main housing 12 and preferably an antenna assembly 14 in accordance with the present invention which transmits and receives signals within certain specified frequency bands of operation.
A keypad 16, display 18, and speaker 20 are provided along a front surface 22 of main housing 12 to permit a user to operate portable phone 10 in the normal manner.
Of course, it will be understood that main housing 12 has RF circuitry located therein enabling portable phone 10 to communicate in both the cellular and satellite modes of communication.
While not shown, exemplary RF circuitry is shown and described in a patent application entitled "Dual Mode Satellite/Cellular Terminal," Ser, No.
08/501,575, which is owned by the assignee of the present invention and is hereby incorporated by reference.
With respect to antenna assembly 14, it will be noted from FIGS.
1 and 2 that it preferably is located adjacent to a top surface 24 (see FIG.
3) and one side surface 26 of main housing 12 and therefore has a substantially L-shaped configuration (although it could just as easily be located along the other side of main housing 12).
Antenna assembly 14 is preferably detachably secured to main housing 12 and includes a base member 28 connecting antenna assembly 14 to main housing 12, a radome member 30 containing a printed antenna 32 therein (to be discussed in greater detail hereinafter), a hinge member 34 which enables radome member 30 to rotate about an axis 36 between a first position adjacent side surface 26 (shown in FIG.
1) to a second position substantially 180.
degree.
from the first position (shown in FIG.
2), and an elbow member 38 which connects radome member 30 to hinge member 34 and rotates about axis 36 in conjunction with radome member 30