Antenna Proximity Effects for Talk and Data Modes in Mobile Phones

Based on a recent study of the ways a phone is held (a grip study), CAD models of the human hand have been generated, and antenna proximity effects for both talk and data modes in mobile phones have been investigated using an FDTD code. The simulation results showed that the hand, and especially the index finger, exhibited a major contribution in determining the total loss when compared to the upper torso alone. The influence of the position of the fingers on the handset was found to be more important when close to the antenna. The palm-handset gap and the index-finger location were the main factors for both absorption and mismatch loss. Different data-mode hand phantoms and configurations were investigated, showing that both “overlapped” and “interlaced” grip styles similarly influenced the antenna's communication performance.