One of the challenges facing mobile TV receiver manufacturers is designing an antenna that's efficient enough to provide reliable reception, yet doesn't become potential failure point or impact device aesthetics. Telegent Systems may have an answer in its new TLG12xx series mobile TV receivers with integrated internal antenna.
The only information provided on the new design was the statement that "Telegent's internal antenna design offers a more aesthetically pleasing and reliable solution to handset brands and consumers and eliminates the risk of returns caused by antenna breakage, interference or user handling error."
The company statement said that the design was able to provide "equivalent or better" reception than that obtained from "whip" antenna on both U and V stations. It was made possible by "integration with on-chip circuitry for automated sensitivity optimization."
The design is supposed to allow p.c. board manufactures to support both internal and "whip" antennas on a common circuit card.
Unfortunately for U.S. broadcasters, the Telegent devices are for receiving analog TV signals, not Mobile DTV. Telegent says that the sets were designed to be embedded in handsets that are targeted for Latin America, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East and India, where analog television is still dominant.
If the TLG12xx series devices with integrated antenna work well, I would expect one or more of the ATSC Mobile DTV receiver chip set companies (LG, Samsung Siano, or Crestech) to explore licensing the technology for their chip sets.
