US Patent 7844242 Wireless communication device with programmable antenna system

A wireless communication device includes an integrated circuit (IC) and an antenna system. The IC includes a processing module and a transceiver section. The processing module establishes a wireless communication protocol, converts outbound data into an outbound symbol stream, converts an inbound symbol stream into inbound data, and establishes operational parameters. The transceiver section converts an inbound RF signal into the inbound symbol stream and converts the outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF signal. The antenna system provides a plurality of antenna structures corresponding to the plurality of operational modes of the wireless communication device, wherein the antenna system provides one of the plurality of antenna structures in accordance with the operational parameters to transceive the inbound and outbound RF signals.