CN110832829A - Mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provided a mobile terminal including: a display unit; a middle frame including a support unit supporting a rear surface of the display unit and a side portion around the support portion; a main board located on a rear surface of the middle frame and including a ground terminal; the first wireless communication unit is positioned in the mainboard and used for receiving and transmitting a first signal; the second wireless communication unit is positioned in the mainboard and used for receiving and transmitting a second signal; and a rear case covering a rear surface of the main board, wherein a side portion includes a plurality of conductive members, an end portion of the plurality of conductive members is divided into slits, and the plurality of conductive members include a common antenna electrically connectable with the first and second wireless communication units to receive the first and second signals, so that the mobile terminal receives different signals using the antennas for LTE and 5G communications.

Description

Mobile terminal

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a mobile terminal including an antenna that may be used in fifth generation mobile communications.

Background

Terminals may be generally classified as mobile/portable terminals or stationary terminals according to their mobility. The mobile terminal may be classified as a handheld terminal or a vehicle-mounted terminal according to whether the user can directly carry the terminal.

Mobile terminals are becoming more and more functional. Examples of such functions include data and voice communication, capturing images and video through a camera, recording audio, playing music files through a speaker system, and displaying images and video on a display. Some mobile terminals include additional functionality that supports game play, while other terminals are configured as multimedia players. Recently, mobile terminals have been configured to receive broadcast signals and multicast signals, which allow viewing of content such as videos and television programs.

As these functions become more diversified, the mobile terminal may support more complicated functions such as capturing images or videos, reproducing music files or video files, playing games, receiving broadcast signals, and the like. By comprehensively and collectively implementing these functions, the mobile terminal can be embodied in the form of a multimedia player or a multimedia device.

As the functions of mobile terminals become diversified and continuously expanded, various wireless communication methods are applicable to the mobile terminals in order to perform data exchange wirelessly. The mobile terminal with diversified functions facilitates appreciation of UHD image quality files through a mobile communication network or use of virtual reality contents. Accordingly, there is an increasing demand for technologies configured to transceive more data faster.

As a result, Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication for rapidly transceiving massive data has emerged, and such LTE communication has been developed for new technologies such as LTE-a and integrated LTE that have a faster transmission speed of 2 times. In order to increase the transmission speed, two or more frequency bands are used or the frequency bandwidth is increased to increase the data transmission amount. The number of antennas is increased to increase the frequency bandwidth or to simultaneously use signals of different frequency bands.

There is a limitation in increasing a frequency bandwidth or using signals of two or more frequency bands. Therefore, a fifth generation mobile communication technology has emerged, and 5G mobile communication has advantages in transceiving massive data and has a fast response speed compared to conventional 4G mobile communication. The 5G mobile communication uses a higher frequency band signal than that of the 4G mobile communication, so that it may require an entirely different type of antenna.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned and other problems and to provide a mobile terminal including an antenna for transceiving a signal to be used in fifth generation mobile communication together with a conventional LTE antenna.

Solution scheme

An embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a mobile terminal, including: a display unit; a middle frame including a support unit supporting a rear surface of the display unit and a side portion disposed around the support unit to define a side appearance; a main board disposed on a rear surface of the middle frame and including a ground terminal; a first wireless communication unit loaded in the main board and configured to transceive a first signal; a second wireless communication unit loaded in the main board and configured to transceive a second signal; and a rear case configured to cover a rear surface of the main board, wherein the side portion includes a plurality of conductive members, ends of the plurality of conductive members are divided into slits, and the plurality of conductive members include a common antenna electrically connectable with the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit and configured to receive the first signal and the second signal.

The first signal may be a New Radio (NR) signal and the second signal may be a Long Term Evolution (LTE) signal.

The frequency band of the first signal may be 2.5GHz or more and 6GHz or less, and the frequency band of the second signal may be 2.7GHz or less.

The slot may be provided in at least one end of the common antenna.

The slits may include at least four slits.

The common antenna may include two or more resonant frequencies.

The common antenna may include two or more common antennas.

The conductive member may include a separate antenna electrically connected to the second wireless communication unit and configured to transceive the second signal.

The separate antenna may be disposed in a lower region of the mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal may further include a capacitive sensor electrically connected to the separate antenna.

The mobile terminal may further include: a connector hole formed in the separate antenna; and an interface unit disposed in the connector hole, the interface unit having a connector inserted therein.

The mobile terminal may further include an RF block disposed between the capacitive sensor and the separate antenna and configured to cut off an RF signal applied to the capacitive sensor.

The capacitive sensor and the separate antenna may be electrically connected to each other by using one of the following methods: a direct connection method configured to directly connect a signal line connected to the capacitive sensor with the independent antenna, a coupling connection method configured to arrange the signal line in the vicinity of the independent antenna, a connection method configured to connect the capacitive sensor with a power feed line connected to the second wireless communication unit, and an indirect connection method configured to connect the capacitive sensor with a branch pattern connected to the independent antenna.

The mobile terminal may further include: a branch pattern extending from a feeder line connecting the individual antenna to the second wireless communication unit, or connected to the individual antenna.

The individual antennas may include multiple resonant frequencies.

The feeder line may be connected with the separate antenna by a coupling method.

The individual antenna may form an open slot antenna having one end connected to the support part and the other end having a slit to have one open end together with the support unit.

The second signal may be received by the separate antenna and the common antenna.

The second signal may be transmitted by a separate antenna.

The separate antenna may be connected to the support part at a first point and connected to a ground of the support part or the main board at a second point, and the separate antenna is electrically connected to the second wireless communication unit between the first point and the second point to receive the second signal.

The separate antenna may be disposed in a left area or a right area of the mobile terminal.

The length between the first point and the second point may be half the wavelength of the second signal.

The mobile terminal may further include: and an array antenna disposed so as not to overlap the common antenna and the individual antenna.

The signal received by the array antenna may be a millimeter wave (mmWave).

Advantageous effects

According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the mobile terminal has the following effects. A mobile terminal according to the present disclosure may include a common antenna that may be connected with two or more wireless communication units in a limited area and configured to receive different signals. Therefore, antennas for LTE communication and 5G communication can be arranged in a limited space.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

Drawings

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given here below and the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

fig. 1A is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to the present disclosure.

Fig. 1B and 1C are conceptual diagrams of one example of a mobile terminal viewed from different directions.

Fig. 2 is a diagram describing an arrangement of an LTE antenna and an NR antenna provided in a mobile terminal according to the present disclosure.

Fig. 3a to 3b are diagrams illustrating one embodiment of independent antennas provided in a mobile terminal.

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating one embodiment of a separate antenna provided in a mobile terminal.

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a separate antenna provided in a mobile terminal.

Fig. 6 shows a graph and table demonstrating the performance of the individual antennas shown in fig. 5.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating various embodiments of an arrangement of the individual antennas and capacitive sensors shown in FIG. 5.

Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of an antenna arrangement in a mobile terminal.

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of an antenna arrangement in a mobile terminal.

Detailed Description

Reference is now made in detail to the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. For a brief description with reference to the drawings, the same or equivalent components may be provided with the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated. In general, suffixes such as "module" and "unit" may be used to refer to a plurality of elements or components. The use of such suffixes herein is merely intended to facilitate the description of the specification, and the suffix itself is not intended to have any special meaning or function. In the present disclosure, contents well known to those of ordinary skill in the related art are generally omitted for the sake of brevity. The accompanying drawings are provided to facilitate understanding of various technical features, and it should be understood that embodiments presented herein are not limited by the accompanying drawings. Thus, the present disclosure should be construed as extending to any variations, equivalents, and alternatives beyond those specifically listed in the drawings.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. Generally, these terms are only used to distinguish one element from another.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" to another element, there are no intervening elements present.

The singular forms may include the plural forms unless it has a completely different meaning from the context.

Words such as "including" or "having" are used herein, it being understood that they are intended to indicate the presence of several elements, functions or steps disclosed in the specification, and it being understood that more or fewer elements, functions or steps may likewise be utilized.

The mobile terminal presented herein may be implemented using a variety of different types of terminals. Examples of such terminals include cellular phones, smart phones, user equipment, laptops, digital broadcast terminals, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), Portable Multimedia Players (PMPs), navigation, Portable Computers (PCs), tablet computers, ultra-notebooks, wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, smart glasses, Head Mounted Displays (HMDs)), and so forth.

Further description will be made with reference to a specific type of mobile terminal, by way of non-limiting example only. However, these teachings are equally applicable to other types of terminals, such as those mentioned above. In addition, these teachings may also be applied to stationary terminals such as digital televisions, desktop computers, and the like.

Referring now to fig. 1A-1C, fig. 1A is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to the present disclosure, and fig. 1B and 1C are conceptual diagrams of one example of a mobile terminal viewed from different directions.

The mobile terminal 100 is shown with components such as a wireless communication unit 110, an input unit 120, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, an interface unit 160, a memory 170, a controller 180, and a power supply unit 190. It should be understood that not all of the components shown in fig. 1A need be implemented, but more or fewer components may alternatively be implemented.

More specifically, the wireless communication unit 110 generally includes one or more modules that enable communication, for example, wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and a wireless communication system, communication between the mobile terminal 100 and another mobile terminal, and communication between the mobile terminal 100 and an external server. Further, the wireless communication unit 110 typically includes one or more modules that connect the mobile terminal 100 to one or more networks.

To facilitate such communication, the wireless communication unit 110 includes one or more of a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless internet module 113, a short-range communication module 114, and a location information module 115.

The input unit 120 includes a camera 121 for acquiring an image or video, a microphone 122 as a kind of audio input device for inputting an audio signal, and a user input unit 123 (e.g., a touch key, a mechanical key, a soft key, etc.) for a user to input information. Data (e.g., audio, video, images, etc.) is obtained by the input unit 120 and may be analyzed and processed by the controller 180 according to device parameters, user commands, and combinations thereof.

Generally, the sensing unit 140 is implemented using one or more sensors configured to sense internal information of the mobile terminal, a surrounding environment of the mobile terminal, user information, and the like. For example, alternatively or additionally, the sensing unit 140 may include other types of sensors or devices, such as a proximity sensor 141 and an illuminance sensor 142, a touch sensor, an acceleration sensor, a magnetic sensor, a G sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a motion sensor, an RGB sensor, an Infrared (IR) sensor, a finger scan sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor (e.g., camera 121), a microphone 122, a battery gauge, an environmental sensor (e.g., a barometer, a hygrometer, a thermometer, a radiation detection sensor, a heat sensor, and a gas sensor, etc.), and a chemical sensor (e.g., an electronic nose, a health care sensor, a biometric sensor, etc.), to name a few examples. The mobile terminal 100 may be configured to utilize information obtained from the sensing unit 140, in particular information obtained from one or more sensors of the sensing unit 140, and combinations thereof.

The output unit 150 is generally configured to output various types of information such as audio, video, tactile output, and the like. The output unit 150 is shown having a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, a haptic module 153, and an optical output module 154. The display unit 151 may have a layer structure or an integrated structure with a touch sensor so as to form a touch screen. The touch screen may provide an output interface between the mobile terminal 100 and a user and may serve as the user input unit 123 providing an input interface between the mobile terminal 100 and the user.

The interface unit 160 serves as an interface with various types of external devices that can be coupled with the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 160 may include, for example, any one of a wired or wireless port, an external power supply port, a wired or wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device having an identification module, an audio input/output (I/O) port, a video I/O port, a headphone port, and the like. In some cases, the mobile terminal 100 may perform various control functions associated with the connected external device in response to the external device being connected to the interface unit 160.

In general, the memory 170 is implemented to store data to support various functions or features of the mobile terminal 100. For example, the memory 170 may be configured to store applications executed in the mobile terminal 100, data or instructions for the operation of the mobile terminal 100, and the like. Some of these applications may be downloaded from an external server via wireless communication. Other applications may be installed in the mobile terminal 100 at the time of manufacture or shipment, as is often the case for the basic functions of the mobile terminal 100 (e.g., receiving a phone call, making a phone call, receiving a message, sending a message, etc.). It is common that the application program is stored in the memory 170 installed in the mobile terminal 100 and executed by the controller 180 to perform an operation (or function) of the mobile terminal 100.

Generally, the controller 180 serves to control the overall operation of the mobile terminal 100 in addition to the operation associated with the application program. The controller 180 may provide or process information or functions suitable for a user by processing input or output signals, data, information, etc. or activating an application program stored in the memory 170.

To drive the application program stored in the memory 170, the controller 180 may be implemented to control a predetermined number of components described above with reference to fig. 1A. In addition, the controller 180 may be implemented to operate two or more components provided in the mobile terminal 100 in combination to drive an application.

The power supply unit 190 may be configured to receive external power or provide internal power to provide appropriate power required for operating the operating elements and components included in the mobile terminal 100. The power supply unit 190 may include a battery, and the battery may be configured to be embedded in the terminal body or to be detachable from the terminal body.

Some or more of the components may cooperate to embody an operation, control, or control method of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In addition, an operation, control, or control method of the mobile terminal may be implemented on the mobile terminal by driving one or more application programs stored in the memory 170.

Hereinafter, before describing various embodiments implemented by the mobile terminal 100 according to the present disclosure, the above-described components will be described in detail with reference to fig. 1.

With respect to the wireless communication unit 110, the broadcast receiving module 111 is generally configured to receive broadcast signals and/or broadcast associated information from an external broadcast management entity via a broadcast channel. The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel, a terrestrial channel, or both. In some embodiments, two or more broadcast receiving modules 111 may be used to facilitate simultaneous reception of two or more broadcast channels or to support switching between broadcast channels.

The mobile communication module 112 may transmit and/or receive wireless signals to and/or from one or more network entities. A number of typical examples of network entities include base stations, external mobile terminals, servers, etc. These network entities form part of a mobile communication network that is constructed according to technical standards or communication methods for mobile communication (e.g., global system for mobile communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), code division multiple access 2000(CDMA2000), enhanced voice data optimized or enhanced voice data (EV-DO), wideband CDMA (wcdma), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), long term evolution advanced (LTE-a), etc.

Examples of wireless signals transmitted and/or received via the mobile communication module 112 include audio call signals, video (telephone) call signals, or data in various formats that support communication of text and multimedia messages.

The wireless internet module 113 is configured to facilitate wireless internet access. The module may be internally or externally coupled with the mobile terminal 100. The wireless internet module 113 may transmit and/or receive wireless signals via a communication network according to a wireless internet technology.

Examples of such wireless internet access include wireless lan (wlan), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Wi-Fi direct, Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), wireless broadband (WiBro), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), long term evolution advanced (LTE-a), and the like. The wireless internet module 113 may transmit/receive data according to one or more of such wireless internet technologies and other internet technologies.

In some embodiments, the wireless internet module 113 performs wireless internet access when such wireless internet access is implemented as part of a mobile communication network according to, for example, WiBro, HSDPA, HSUPA, GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE-a, and the like. As such, the internet module 113 may cooperate with the mobile communication module 112 or serve as the mobile communication module 112.

The short-range communication module 114 is configured to facilitate short-range communications. Suitable technologies for implementing such short-range communications include bluetooth (tm), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, Near Field Communication (NFC), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Wi-Fi Direct, wireless universal serial bus (wireless USB), and the like. The short-range communication module 114 generally supports wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and a wireless communication system via a wireless local area network, communication between the mobile terminal 100 and another mobile terminal 100, or communication between the mobile terminal and a network in which another mobile terminal 100 (or an external server) is located. One example of a wireless local area network is a wireless personal area network.

In some embodiments, another mobile terminal (which may be configured similarly to mobile terminal 100) may be a wearable device, such as a smart watch, smart glasses, or Head Mounted Display (HMD), that is capable of exchanging data with mobile terminal 100 (or otherwise cooperating with mobile terminal 100). The short-range communication module 114 may sense or identify the wearable device and allow communication between the wearable device and the mobile terminal 100. In addition, when the sensed wearable device is a device authenticated to communicate with the mobile terminal 100, for example, the controller 180 may cause data processed in the mobile terminal 100 to be transmitted to the wearable device via the short-range communication module 114. Accordingly, the user of the wearable device may use the data processed in the mobile terminal 100 on the wearable device. For example, when a call is received in the mobile terminal 100, the user may answer the call using the wearable device. In addition, when a message is received in the mobile terminal 100, the user may view the received message using the wearable device.

The location information module 115 is generally configured to detect, calculate, derive, or otherwise identify the location of the mobile terminal. For example, the location information module 115 includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) module, a Wi-Fi module, or both. If desired, the location information module 115 may alternatively or additionally work with any other module of the wireless communication unit 110 to obtain data relating to the location of the mobile terminal.

For example, when the mobile terminal uses a GPS module, a position of the mobile terminal may be acquired using signals transmitted from GPS satellites. For another example, when the mobile terminal uses a Wi-Fi module, the location of the mobile terminal may be acquired based on information about a wireless Access Point (AP) that transmits or receives wireless signals to or from the Wi-Fi module.

The input unit 120 may be configured to allow various types of input to the mobile terminal 120. Examples of such inputs include audio, image, video, data, and user inputs. Image and video input is typically obtained using one or more cameras 121. Such a camera 121 may process image frames of still pictures or video obtained by an image sensor in a video or image capture mode. The processed image frames may be displayed on the display unit 151 or stored in the memory 170. In some cases, the cameras 121 may be arranged in a matrix structure to allow a plurality of images having various angles or focal points to be input to the mobile terminal 100. For another example, the camera 121 may be located in a stereoscopic arrangement to acquire left and right images for implementing a stereoscopic image.

The microphone 122 is typically implemented to allow audio input to the mobile terminal 100. The audio input may be processed in various ways according to functions performed in the mobile terminal 100. If desired, the microphone 122 may include various noise removal algorithms to remove unwanted noise generated during the reception of external audio.

The user input unit 123 is a component that allows user input. Such user input may enable the controller 180 to control the operation of the mobile terminal 100. The user input unit 123 may include one or more of mechanical input elements (e.g., keys, buttons, dome switches, scroll wheels, scroll wheel switches, etc., located on a front surface and/or a rear surface or a side surface of the mobile terminal 100), or touch-sensitive inputs, etc. For example, the touch-sensitive input may be a virtual key or a soft key displayed on the touch screen through software processing, or a touch key located at a position on the mobile terminal other than the touch screen. On the other hand, virtual or visual keys may be displayed on the touch screen in various shapes, such as graphics, text, icons, video, or a combination thereof.

The sensing unit 140 is generally configured to sense one or more of internal information of the mobile terminal, surrounding environment information of the mobile terminal, user information, and the like. The controller 180 generally cooperates with the sensing unit 140 to control the operation of the mobile terminal 100 based on sensing provided by the sensing unit 140 or to perform data processing, functions or operations associated with applications installed in the mobile terminal. The sensing unit 140 may be implemented using any of a variety of sensors, some of which will now be described in more detail.

The proximity sensor 141 may include a sensor that senses the presence or absence of an object close to the surface or an object located near the surface by using an electromagnetic field, infrared rays, or the like without making mechanical contact. The proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner area of the mobile terminal covered by the touch screen or in the vicinity of the touch screen.

The proximity sensor 141 may include, for example, any one of the following: a transmissive photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection photoelectric sensor, a specular reflection photoelectric sensor, a high-frequency oscillation proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, an infrared proximity sensor, and the like. When the touch screen is implemented as a capacitive type, the proximity sensor 141 may sense the proximity of a pointer with respect to the touch screen through a change of an electromagnetic field caused in response to the proximity of an object having conductivity. In this case, the touch screen (touch sensor) can also be classified as a proximity sensor.

The term "proximity touch" is used herein to generally refer to the situation: the pointer location is located proximate to, but not in contact with, the touch screen. The term "contact touch" is used herein to generally refer to the situation: the pointer is in physical contact with the touch screen. For a position corresponding to a proximity touch of the pointer with respect to the touch screen, this position will correspond to a position where the pointer is perpendicular to the touch screen. The proximity sensor 141 may sense a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (e.g., a distance, a direction, a speed, a time, a position, a moving state, etc.).

In general, the controller 180 processes data corresponding to a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern sensed by the proximity sensor 141 and causes visual information to be output on the touch screen. In addition, the controller 180 may control the mobile terminal 100 to perform different operations or process different data according to whether a touch with respect to a point on the touch screen is a proximity touch or a contact touch.

The touch sensor may sense a touch applied to a touch screen such as the display unit 151 using any one of a plurality of touch methods. Examples of such touch methods include resistive, capacitive, infrared, and magnetic, among others.

For example, the touch sensor may be configured to convert a change in pressure applied to a specific portion of the display unit 151 or a capacitance generated at a specific portion of the display unit 151 into an electrical input signal. Touch sensors can also be configured to sense not only the location of a touch and the area of the touch, but also touch pressure and/or touch capacitance. Touch objects are commonly used to apply touch input to touch sensors. Examples of typical touch objects include fingers, touch pens, hand-writing pens, pointers, etc.

When the touch sensor senses a touch input, a corresponding signal may be transmitted to the touch controller. The touch controller may process the received signal and then transmit corresponding data to the controller 180. Accordingly, the controller 180 may sense which region of the display unit 151 is touched. Here, the touch controller may be a separate component from the controller 180, may be the controller 180, and a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the controller 180 may perform the same or different control according to the type of a touch object touching the touch screen or a touch key provided in addition to the touch screen. For example, whether to perform the same control or different controls according to an object providing a touch input may be decided based on a current operating state of the mobile terminal 100 or an application currently being executed.

The touch sensor and the proximity sensor may be implemented separately or in combination to sense various types of touches. These touches include short (or tap) touches, long touches, multi-touches, drag touches, flick touches, zoom-out touches, zoom-in touches, slide touches, hover touches, and the like.

If desired, the ultrasonic sensor may be implemented to recognize position information about the touch object using ultrasonic waves. The controller 180 may calculate the position of the wave generation source based on information sensed by the illuminance sensor and the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, for example. Since light is much faster than ultrasound, the time for light to reach the optical sensor is much shorter than the time for ultrasound to reach the ultrasound sensor. This fact can be used to calculate the position of the wave generation source. For example, the position of the wave generation source may be calculated using a time difference from the time when the ultrasonic wave reaches the sensor based on the light as a reference signal.

The camera 121 generally includes at least one of a camera sensor (CCD, CMOS, etc.), a photosensor (or image sensor), and a laser sensor.

Implementing the camera 121 with a laser sensor may allow detecting a touch of a real object with respect to a 3D stereoscopic image. The light sensor may be stacked on the display device or overlap the display device. The light sensor may be configured to scan for movement of an actual object in proximity to the touch screen. In more detail, the light sensor may include photodiodes and transistors in rows and columns, so that contents received in the light sensor are scanned using an electrical signal that varies according to the amount of applied light. That is, the light sensor may calculate coordinates of the real object according to the change of the light, thereby obtaining position information of the real object.

The display unit 151 is generally configured to output information processed in the mobile terminal 100. For example, the display unit 151 may display execution screen information of an application program executed at the mobile terminal 100, or display User Interface (UI) and Graphical User Interface (GUI) information in response to the execution screen information.

In some embodiments, the display unit 151 may be implemented as a stereoscopic display unit for displaying a stereoscopic image.

A typical stereoscopic display unit may employ a stereoscopic display scheme such as a stereoscopic scheme (glasses scheme), an autostereoscopic scheme (glasses-free scheme), a projection scheme (hologram scheme), and the like.

The audio output module 152 is generally configured to output audio data. The audio data may be obtained from any of a number of different sources so that the audio data may be received from the wireless communication unit 110 or may be stored in the memory 170. The audio data may be output in modes such as a signal reception mode, a call mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, and the like. The audio output module 152 may provide audible output related to a specific function (e.g., a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.) performed by the mobile terminal 100. The audio output module 152 may also be implemented as a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, etc.

The haptic module 153 may be configured to generate various haptic effects that a user feels, perceives, or otherwise experiences. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 153 is vibration. The intensity, pattern, etc. of the vibrations generated by the haptic module 153 may be controlled by user selection or controller settings. For example, the haptic module 153 may output different vibrations in a combined manner or a sequential manner.

The haptic module 153 may generate various other haptic effects in addition to the vibration, including effects generated by stimulation, for example, a pin arrangement (pin arrangement) vertically moved to contact the skin, an air injection force generated through an injection hole or an air suction force generated through an inhalation port, a touch to the skin, a contact of an electrode, an electrostatic force, an effect of reproducing a cold and hot feeling by using an element that can absorb heat or generate heat, and the like.

The haptic module 153 may also be implemented to let the user feel a haptic effect through a muscle sense such as a finger or an arm of the user and transfer the haptic effect through direct contact. Two or more haptic modules 153 may be provided according to a specific configuration of the mobile terminal 100.

The optical output module 154 may output a signal indicating the generation of an event using light of the light source. Examples of the event generated in the mobile terminal 100 may include message reception, call signal reception, missed call, alarm, schedule notification, e-mail reception, information reception through an application, and the like.

The signal output by the optical output module 154 may be implemented in such a way: the mobile terminal emits monochromatic light or light having a plurality of colors. For example, the signal output may be terminated when the mobile terminal senses that the user has checked the generated event.

The interface unit 160 serves as an interface of an external device to connect with the mobile terminal 100. For example, the interface unit 160 may receive data transmitted from an external device, receive power to transmit to elements and components within the mobile terminal 100, or transmit internal data of the mobile terminal 100 to such an external device. The interface unit 160 may include a wired or wireless headset port, an external power supply port, a wired or wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device having an identification module, an audio input/output (I/O) port, a video I/O port, a headphone port, and the like.

The identification module may be a chip storing various information for verifying an authority to use the mobile terminal 100, and may include a User Identity Module (UIM), a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and the like. In addition, the device having the identification module (also referred to herein as an "identification device") may take the form of a smart card. Accordingly, the identification device may be connected with the terminal 100 via the interface unit 160.

The interface unit 160 may serve as a passage for power to be supplied from the cradle to the mobile terminal 100 when the mobile terminal 100 is connected with an external cradle, or may serve as a passage for various command signals input by a user to be transferred from the cradle to the mobile terminal. Various command signals or power inputs from the cradle may be used as signals for identifying that the mobile terminal has been properly mounted on the cradle.

The memory 170 may store programs supporting the operation of the controller 180 and store input/output data (e.g., a phonebook, messages, still images, video, etc.). The memory 170 may store data related to various patterns of vibrations and audio that are output in response to touch input on the touch screen.

The memory 170 may include one or more storage media including flash memory, a hard disk, a solid state disk, a silicon disk, a micro-multimedia card, a card type memory (e.g., SD or DX memory, etc.), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), a Read Only Memory (ROM), an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, etc. The mobile terminal 100 may also be operated in connection with a network storage device that enables the storage functions of the memory 170 to be performed over a network, such as the internet.

The controller 180 may generally control the general operations of the mobile terminal 100. For example, the controller 180 may set or release a lock state for restricting a user from inputting a control command for an application when the state of the mobile terminal satisfies a predetermined condition.

The controller 180 may also perform control and processing associated with a voice call, data communication, video call, etc., or perform pattern recognition processing to recognize handwriting input or drawing input performed on the touch screen as characters or images, respectively. In addition, the controller 180 may control one or a combination of these components to implement various exemplary embodiments disclosed herein.

The power supply unit 190 may be provided with power supplied from an external power source or power supplied therein under the control of the controller 180 to supply required power to each component. The power supply unit 190 may include a battery. The battery may be a rechargeable built-in battery and may be detachably loaded in the terminal to be charged.

The power supply unit 190 may include a connection port. The connection port may be configured as one example of the interface unit 160, and an external charger for supplying power to recharge the battery is electrically connected to the interface unit 160.

For another example, the power supply unit 190 may be configured to wirelessly recharge the battery without using a connection port. In this example, the power supply unit 190 may receive power transmitted from the external wireless power transmitter using at least one of an inductive coupling method based on magnetic induction or a magnetic resonance coupling method based on electromagnetic resonance.

For example, various embodiments described herein may be implemented in a computer-readable medium, a machine-readable medium, or the like using software, hardware, or any combination thereof.

Referring now to fig. 1B and 1C, the mobile terminal 100 is described with reference to a bar-type (bar-type) terminal body. Alternatively, however, the mobile terminal 100 may be implemented in any of a number of different configurations. Examples of such configurations include watch-type, clip-type, glasses-type, or folder-type, flip-type, slide-type, swing-type, and swivel-type combinations thereof that combine two or more bodies with each other in a relatively movable manner. The discussion herein generally relates to particular types of mobile terminals (e.g., bar, watch, glasses, etc.). However, these teachings regarding a particular type of mobile terminal are generally applicable to other types of mobile terminals as well.

Here, the terminal body may be understood as a concept in which the mobile terminal (100) is referred to as at least one ensemble.

The mobile terminal 100 generally includes a case (e.g., a frame, a case, a cover, etc.) forming an appearance of the terminal.

As shown in the drawings, there has recently appeared a mobile terminal including a window 151a instead of a front case, and the window 151a is disposed on a front surface of the display unit to cover the entire front area. Such a mobile terminal may include a side case 210 formed to cover a side. The window 151a, the side case 210, and the rear case 102 may form an inner space. Sometimes, some electronic components may even be loaded in the rear case 102. The electronic components that may be loaded in the rear housing 102 may include a removable battery, an identity module, a memory card, and the like. In this case, a rear cover for covering the loaded electronic components may be detachably coupled to the rear case 102. Therefore, when the rear cover is separated from the rear case 102, the electronic components loaded in the rear case 102 will be exposed to the outside.

Such a case 102 is manufactured by injecting synthetic resin or metal, examples of which include stainless steel (STS), aluminum (Al), and the like, into a mold.

The side case 210 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include metal, and it may function as an antenna radiator. Such a metal that can be used as an antenna radiator must be a conductive material having a preset length suitable for the frequency characteristics of the transceived signal. Accordingly, the middle regions of the side cases 210 made of metal are separated by the slits 220 to form a plurality of conductive members, and a non-metal material is filled in the slits 220 to use the conductive members as antenna radiators.

As an alternative to an example in which a plurality of housings form an internal space for accommodating components, the mobile terminal 100 may be configured such that one housing forms an internal space. In this example, the mobile terminal 100 having a single body is formed in such a manner that: the synthetic resin or metal extends from the side surface toward the rear surface.

If necessary, the mobile terminal 100 may include a waterproof unit (not shown) for preventing water from entering the terminal body. For example, the waterproof unit may include a waterproof member located between the window 151a and the rear case 102 to hermetically seal the internal space when the cases are coupled.

The mobile terminal 100 may include a display unit 151, an audio output module, a proximity sensor 141, an illuminance sensor 142, an optical output module 154, a camera 121, a user input unit 123, a microphone 122, and an interface unit 160.

A description will be made of a mobile terminal as shown in fig. 1B and 1C. The display unit 151, the first audio output module 152a, the proximity sensor 141, the illuminance sensor 142, the optical output module 154, the first camera 121a, and the first manipulation unit 123a are disposed in a front surface of the terminal body, the second manipulation unit 123b, the microphone 122, and the interface unit 160 are disposed in a side surface of the terminal body, and the second audio output module 151b and the second camera 121b are disposed in a rear surface of the terminal body.

It should be understood that alternative arrangements are possible and fall within the teachings of the present disclosure. Certain components may be omitted or rearranged. For example, the first manipulation unit 123a may be located on another surface of the terminal body, and the second audio output module 152b may be located on a side surface of the terminal body.

The display unit 151 is generally configured to output information processed in the mobile terminal 100. For example, the display unit 151 may display execution screen information of an application program executed at the mobile terminal 100, or User Interface (UI) and Graphical User Interface (GUI) information in response to the execution screen information.

The display unit 151 outputs information processed in the mobile terminal 100. The display unit 151 may be implemented using one or more suitable display devices. Examples of such suitable display devices include Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs), thin film transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCDs), Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), flexible displays, 3-dimensional (3D) displays, electronic ink displays, and combinations thereof.

The display unit 151 may be implemented using two display devices, which may implement the same or different display technologies. For example, a plurality of display units 151 may be disposed on one side, spaced apart from each other, or these devices may be integrated, or these devices may be disposed on different surfaces.

The display unit 151 may further include a touch sensor that senses a touch input received at the display unit. When a touch is input to the display unit 151, the touch sensor may be configured to sense the touch, and the controller 180 may generate a control command or other signal corresponding to the touch, for example. The contents input in a touch manner may be text or numerical values, or menu items that can be indicated or designated through various modes.

The touch sensor may be configured in the form of a film having a touch pattern disposed between the window 151a and the display on the rear surface of the window 151a, or may be configured in the form of a metal line directly patterned on the rear surface of the window 151 a. Alternatively, the touch sensor may be integrally formed with the display. For example, the touch sensor may be disposed on a substrate of the display or within the display.

The display unit 151 may also form a touch screen together with a touch sensor. Here, a touch screen may be used as the user input unit 123 (see fig. 1A). Accordingly, the touch screen may replace at least some functions of the first manipulation unit 123 a.

The first audio output module 152a may be implemented in the form of a speaker to output voice audio, an alarm sound, multimedia audio reproduction, and the like.

The window 151a of the display unit 151 generally includes a hole to pass audio generated by the first audio output module 152 a. One alternative is to have the audio released along the fit gap between the structures. In this case, the hole separately formed to output the audio sound may not be visible or otherwise hidden in terms of appearance, thereby further simplifying the appearance and manufacturing process of the mobile terminal 100.

The optical output module 154 may be configured to output light for indicating the occurrence of an event. Examples of such events include message reception, call signal reception, missed call, alert, schedule notification, e-mail reception, information reception through an application, and the like. When the user views the generated event, the controller may control the optical output unit 154 to stop the light output.

The first camera 121a may process image frames such as still or moving images obtained by an image sensor in a capture mode or a video call mode. The processed image frames may then be displayed on the display unit 151 or stored in the memory 170.

The first and second manipulation units 123a and 123b are examples of the user input unit 123, and the user input unit 123 may be manipulated by a user to provide an input to the mobile terminal 100. The first and second manipulating units 123a and 123b may also be collectively referred to as a manipulating part, and any tactile method that allows a user to perform manipulation such as touch, push, scroll, or the like may be employed. The first and second manipulation units 123a and 123b may also employ any non-tactile method that allows a user to perform a manipulation such as a proximity touch, a hover, or the like.

Fig. 1B shows the first manipulation unit 123a as a touch key, but possible alternatives include a mechanical key, a touch key, and a combination thereof.

The inputs received at the first and second manipulation units 123a and 123b may be used in various ways. For example, the user may provide an input to a menu, a return key, a cancel, a search, etc. using the first manipulation unit 123a, and the user may provide an input to control a volume output from the first audio output module 152a or the second audio output module 152b using the second manipulation unit 123b, switch to a touch recognition mode of the display unit 151, etc.

As another example of the user input unit 123, a rear input unit (123c) may be located on a rear surface of the terminal body. The rear input unit 123c may be manipulated by a user to provide input to the mobile terminal 100. The input may be used in a variety of different ways. For example, the user may provide an input using the rear input unit 123c to turn on/off a power, start, end, scroll, control a volume output from the first audio output module 152a or the second audio output module 152b, switch to a touch recognition mode of the display unit 151, and the like. The rear input unit 123c may be configured to allow a touch input, a push input, or a combination thereof.

The rear input unit 123c may be positioned to overlap the display unit 151 of the front side in the thickness direction of the terminal body. For example, the rear input unit 123c may be located at an upper end portion of the rear side of the terminal body so that a user can easily manipulate it with an index finger when the user holds the terminal body with one hand. Alternatively, the rear input unit 123c may be located at almost any position of the rear side of the terminal body.

Embodiments including the rear input unit 123c may implement some or all of the functions of the first manipulation unit 123a in the rear input unit 123 c. In this way, in the case where the first manipulation unit 123a is omitted at the front side, the display unit 151 may have a larger screen.

As another alternative, the mobile terminal 100 may include a finger scan sensor that scans a user's fingerprint. The controller 180 may then use the fingerprint information sensed by the finger scan sensor as part of the authentication process. The finger scan sensor may also be installed in the display unit 151 or implemented in the user input unit 123.

The microphone 122 is shown at one end of the mobile terminal 100, but other locations are possible. If desired, multiple microphones may be implemented, and this arrangement may receive stereo sound.

The interface unit 160 may serve as a path allowing the mobile terminal 100 to interface with an external device. For example, the interface unit 160 may include one or more of the following: a connection terminal for connecting with another device (e.g., an earphone, an external speaker, etc.), a port for near field communication (e.g., an infrared data association (IrDA) port, a bluetooth port, a wireless LAN port, etc.), or a power supply terminal for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 160 may be implemented in the form of a socket for receiving an external card such as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), a User Identity Module (UIM), or a memory card for storing information.

The second camera 121b is shown to be located at the rear side of the terminal body and includes an image capturing direction substantially opposite to that of the first camera unit 121 a. The second camera 121a may alternatively be located elsewhere or be movable to have an image capture direction different from that shown, if desired.

The second camera 121b may include a plurality of lenses arranged along at least one line. The plurality of lenses may also be arranged in a matrix structure. These cameras may be referred to as "array cameras". When the second camera 121b is implemented as an array camera, an image may be captured in various ways using a plurality of lenses, and the quality of the image is better.

The flash 124 is shown positioned adjacent to the second camera 121 b. When capturing an image of a subject using the camera 121b, the flash 124 may illuminate the subject.

The second audio output module 152b may be located on the terminal body. The second audio output module 152b may implement a stereo function in cooperation with the first audio output module 152a, and may also be used to implement a speaker phone mode of call communication.

At least one antenna for wireless communication may be located on the terminal body. The antenna may be mounted in the terminal body or formed of a case. For example, an antenna constituting a part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (see fig. 1A) may be retractable into the terminal body. Alternatively, the antenna may be formed using a film attached to the inner surface of the rear case 102 or a case including a conductive material.

The power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100 may include a battery 191, and the battery 191 is mounted in the terminal body or detachably coupled to the outside of the terminal body.

The battery 191 may receive power via a power cable connected to the interface unit 160. Also, the battery 191 may be recharged wirelessly using a wireless charger. Wireless charging may be achieved by magnetic induction or electromagnetic resonance.

Accessories for protecting the external appearance of the mobile terminal 100 or assisting or extending various functions of the mobile terminal 100 may be provided on the mobile terminal 100. As an example of the accessory, a cover or a pocket for covering or accommodating at least one surface of the mobile terminal 100 may be provided. The cover or pouch may cooperate with the display unit 151 to expand the functions of the mobile terminal 100. Another example of an accessory is a stylus used to facilitate or extend touch input to a touch screen.

Hereinafter, embodiments related to a control method, which can be implemented in a mobile terminal having the above-described structure, are described with reference to the drawings. In the present disclosure, well-known contents to those of ordinary skill in the related art are generally omitted for the sake of brevity.

As multimedia functions become more and more important, wireless communication technology may be performed in the mobile terminal 100 through various methods. For example, wireless communication is performed short-range or long-range, or between devices. At this time, the frequency bands used in this case are different, and different antennas need to be used.

LTE, one of the fourth generation mobile communications, has emerged to support transceiving of massive data. However, in view of the trend of data consumption of wireless network users and wide availability of the internet of things (IoT), a new ultra-wideband mobile communication technology for transceiving massive data faster than LTE is required. A fifth generation mobile terminal communication technology is under development, and an RF technology for fifth generation (5G) mobile communication is called "New Radio (NR)" in the third generation partnership project (3GPP) and "International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) -2020" in the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which is a communication method implemented in a manner different from the conventional LTE.

Such 5G mobile communication facilitates rapid transmission of mass data and improves reliability of data transmission. With the widespread of the internet of things (IoT), 5G mobile communication may also include IoT communication support functions.

5G is a mobile communication technology, and the maximum download speed and the minimum download speed are 20Gps and 100 Mbps. Further, 5G can provide IoT service for 1000000 devices within 1km2, and can facilitate free communication even in a high-speed train with a speed of 500 km/h. The download speed of 5G is 280 times faster than that of conventional LTE, which allows the user to download 1GB of movies in 10 seconds.

The 5G mobile communication has remarkably improved response speed and transmission speed. When the data transmission speed indicates how much data is passed through at a time, the response speed indicates how long it takes for a small amount of data to pass through.

The response speed of 4G is even as high as 10-50 ms (millisecond, thousandth of a second). The response speed of 5G is about 10 times faster than that of 4G. Therefore, 5G is expected to be introduced into fields such as autonomous cars and IoT, which requires constantly transceiving massive data with a central server.

The 5G can use frequency bands of centimeter waves (3GHz to 30GHz) and millimeter waves (30GHz to 300 GHz). In particular, a communication method using a signal of a frequency band of 6GHz or less is referred to as "Sub-6".

Sub-6 includes N41 and N78, N41 uses signals of a frequency band of 2.5GHz to 2.7HGz, and N78 uses signals of a frequency band of 3.3GHz to 3.8 GHz. Each country uses a different frequency band. It is necessary to provide an antenna that: the antenna is capable of ensuring the performance of products used worldwide in both frequency bands.

Fig. 2 is a diagram describing the arrangement of an LTE antenna and a fifth generation (5G) antenna in a mobile terminal. The conventional LTE antenna has a complicated structure after several structural improvements. There is an increasing demand for antenna structures configured to extend the bandwidth of the resonance frequency of wideband LTE. More specifically, it is necessary to provide multiple antennas or multi-resonant antennas that can receive different frequency band signals for LTE-a (LTE-advanced) configured to use several frequency band signals instead of one frequency band signal.

It is necessary to provide a plurality of antennas for covering signals of all frequency bands including a frequency band of 1GHz or less (low frequency band), a frequency band around 2GHz (middle frequency band), and a frequency band of 2.2GHz or more (high frequency band).

It is also necessary to provide a plurality of antennas to apply MIMO (multiple input output). When MIMO is applied, data is transmitted between a mobile terminal and a base station via two or more antennas provided in the mobile terminal in several ways, and a receiving end detects the data, so that interference can be reduced and a transmission speed of each data can be effectively increased. Therefore, MIMO can transmit as much data as the number of antennas. Fig. 2(a) shows the structure of an antenna when 4x4 MIMO is applied to LTE mobile communication. For this, four antennas are required, and the four antennas can perform data reception (Rx.). However, an antenna capable of data transmission may be provided.

In general, antennas for data transmission may be arranged in such areas: these areas may minimize interference with other electronic components, as these electronic components are more sensitive to interference than the antennas used for data transmission. Also, these antennas are electrically connected to a wireless communication unit for LTE communication, and are capable of transmitting or receiving signals corresponding to the resonance frequencies of the antennas, respectively.

Four or more antennas are provided for such improved LTE mobile communication, and antennas for wireless communication such as WIFI, bluetooth, and GPS may also be provided.

Even when the mobile communication method for 5G mobile communication is used, how many devices for performing 5G communication are not established, and an area facilitating 5G communication is limited, and a conventional terminal cannot perform 5G communication. For the above reasons, carriers provide mobile communication services using both LTE and 5G, and mobile terminals capable of using both methods are required.

Fig. 2(b) is a conceptual diagram of a mobile terminal that further includes an antenna and a wireless communication unit to use the N78 signal, without including the structure shown in fig. 2 (a). The mobile terminal includes a first wireless communication unit 110a for 5G wireless communication and a second wireless communication unit 110b for LTE wireless communication. The first wireless communication unit 110a and the second wireless communication unit 110b may be mounted on the main board 181 as a chipset. For connection between the antenna and the wireless communication units 110a and 110b, a circuit mounted on the main board 181 and a signal line connected to the main board 181 may be used.

N78 uses signals of approximately 3.5HGz band, which means that N78 uses signals of a different band compared to LTE. Therefore, there is little mutual interference between signals enough to facilitate 5G mobile communication and LTE communication using one antenna. In other words, each antenna may be simultaneously connected with the first wireless communication unit 110 and the second wireless communication unit 110 b. The antenna that can be simultaneously connected with the first wireless communication unit 110a and the second wireless communication unit 110b may be referred to as a common antenna. In this case, the additional conductive pattern may be adjusted to use two frequency bands.

Fig. 2(c) shows an arrangement of wireless communication and antennas so as to perform wireless communication by using an N41 signal via an antenna for LTE. Unlike the above-described embodiments, the antenna according to the present embodiment includes five antennas. The mobile terminal may include a first wireless communication unit 110a for performing 5G wireless communication, a second wireless communication unit 110b for performing LTE communication, three antennas connectable to the first wireless communication unit 110a and the second wireless communication unit 110b at the same time, one antenna connectable to only the first wireless communication unit 110a, and another antenna connectable to only the second wireless communication unit 110 b.

The N41 signal uses the 2.7GHz band, so that there may be an overlap with the signal of the 2.5GHz B41 band for LTE, sufficient to cause interference. The receive antennas may be used for both N41 band signals and B41 band signals. Instead, the interference may cause errors in the transmit antennas. Therefore, a separate antenna connectable only with the first wireless communication unit 110a can be provided. For ease of description, a signal used for wireless communication by the first wireless communication unit 110a is referred to as a first signal (LTE signal), and a signal used for wireless communication by the second wireless communication unit 110b is referred to as a second signal (5G signal).

Hereinafter, an antenna applied to an actual mobile terminal will be described in detail. Fig. 3a is a plan view illustrating the middle frame 200 of the mobile terminal 100, and fig. 3b is a view illustrating the main board 181 provided in the middle frame 200 illustrated in fig. 3 a.

Various electronic components are loaded in a limited inner space of the mobile terminal 100 so that the inner space should be divided for use. The battery occupying the maximum volume of the internal space may be disposed at a predetermined portion of the internal space, and other components including the main board 181, the camera 121, the audio output unit 152, the interface unit 160, and the like may be loaded in other spaces.

Recently, the side case 210 defining the side surface of the mobile terminal applies a design implemented by using metal. The lateral structure of the side case 210, which is realized by using metal, is good in design. However, internal electronic components of the mobile terminal 100 may be surrounded by a metal case, and especially, wireless communication performance of an antenna provided as a device using electromagnetic waves may be deteriorated due to the metal case.

In solving this drawback, the metal side case of the mobile terminal may be used as an antenna in terms of a space for arranging the antenna. As shown in fig. 3a, the mobile terminal may further include a middle frame 200. The middle frame 200 may include: a support part 230 disposed on a rear surface of the display unit in the mobile terminal and configured to support the display unit 151, enhancing strength and rigidity of the mobile terminal 100; and a side portion 210 integrally formed with the support portion 230. In other words, the side case and the support portion disposed in the rear surface of the display unit are integrally formed as one body.

The middle frame 200 may have a conductive material such as magnesium or aluminum and a predetermined rigidity strong enough to enhance the strength and rigidity of the mobile terminal 100. The supporting unit 230 may be the largest conductive element in the mobile terminal and then serves as a ground terminal. Accordingly, grounding may be facilitated via the support unit 230. The side portion 210 may be spaced apart from the supporting portion 230 by a predetermined distance and partially connected with the supporting portion 230. In order to use the side portion 210 as an antenna, the side portion 220 may be divided into slits 220 as a plurality of conductive members. These conductive members may be connected and grounded to the ground of the main board 181, and serve as an antenna that supplies power via a power supply line (182, see fig. 4).

It is necessary to provide several conductive members to realize a plurality of antennas configured to transceive the first signal and the second signal. Therefore, four or more slits may be provided.

The antenna must be formed to be half or four times the frequency of the communication signal so as to resonate with the desired received signal. The end of the antenna may be connected to the support part 230 or the ground to be grounded or divided by the slit 220. When connected to the ground of the support part 230 or the main board 181, both ends of the antenna are grounded only to realize a closed slot antenna. When one end of the antenna is grounded and the other end is opened through the slit 220, an open slot antenna can be implemented.

A closed slot antenna may have a length corresponding to half a wavelength of a signal desired to be received, and an open slot antenna may have a length corresponding to a quarter of the wavelength. An open slot antenna may be shorter than a closed slot antenna and it has an open end that may be frequency tuned. Therefore, the closed slot antenna can easily realize an antenna having multiple resonant frequencies.

The side portion 210 may function as an antenna, but it limits a part of the external appearance of the mobile terminal, thereby being limited in design. It is difficult to freely form the slits in consideration of the wavelength of the reception signal, and the number of the slits 220 is limited in design. The side 210 of the mobile terminal shown in fig. 3a comprises two slits 220 arranged in the upper area, two slits arranged in the lower area and one slit 220 arranged in the lateral area. The space between the side portion 210 and the support portion 210 and the slit 220 may be filled with an injection molding material 240 that is a non-conductive material.

Fig. 3a and 3b show the areas of the sides that serve as antennas. When a user holds a mobile terminal in his or her hand, the performance of the terminal may deteriorate. Therefore, the antennas can be arranged as intensively in the lower region and the upper region as possible in consideration of interference with other electronic components.

Five antennas (Ant3, Ant4, Ant5, Ant6, and Ant6) are connected to the second wireless communication unit for performing conventional LTE communication. Each antenna may have one or more resonant frequencies to transceive signals of different frequency bands. For example, the upper left-most antenna (Ant5) may be configured to receive signals in the mid and high frequency bands for LTE wireless communications, and may also be configured for GPS signals. LTE communication may implement MIMO for signals of three frequency bands and use multiple antennas.

Some antennas may be connected to the first wireless communication unit to serve as antennas for 5G signals (first signals). In other words, the antenna can be simultaneously connected with the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit, and is generally used as an antenna for both communication methods. Hereinafter, these antennas may be referred to as common antennas.

When wireless communication is performed by using one first signal of the N78 frequency band (3.5GHz) among the first signals, Ant3 and Ant4 can be used as a common antenna. At this time, an additional conductive pattern may be connected, or a switch or a matching circuit may also be provided, and then frequency tuning may be performed to receive all signals of different frequency bands.

As described above, the aperture slot antenna can be easily tuned to an antenna having a multi-resonance frequency, so that a common antenna can be formed as the aperture slot antenna, in other words, the antenna having a slot formed in a predetermined area. In addition to the conventional antenna used by the second wireless communication unit, a separate antenna connectable only to the first wireless communication unit may be provided. In the present embodiment, the separate antenna may include a first antenna (Ant1) disposed at a side surface of the mobile terminal and a second antenna (Ant2) disposed at a lower end of the mobile terminal.

Fig. 4 is a diagram of one embodiment of a separate antenna disposed in the mobile terminal 100. Fig. 4(a) is a conceptual diagram describing the arrangement of the power feeding line 182 electrically connected to the middle frame 200 and the first antenna (Ant 1). Fig. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of the first antenna (Ant 1).

Referring to fig. 4(a), the first antenna (Ant1) of the illustrated embodiment is a closed slot antenna. The closed slot antenna may have a length of half the wavelength (λ) of the received signal. The length of the closed slot antenna may be different according to the effect of peripheral electronic components and the dielectric constant of the molding material 240, and the molding material 240 is filled in the slot 245 provided between the support part 230 and the side part 210.

As shown in fig. 4(a) and 4(b), the feeder 182 of the first wireless communication unit 110a is spaced apart from the side portion 210, not directly connected with the side portion 210, so that it can be supplied with power by a coupling method. Even more, unless the power feeding line 182 is directly connected to the first antenna (Ant1), the electric field formed by the power feeding line 182 may allow current to flow to the first antenna (Ant1) to supply power. The length of the closed slot antenna is not precisely divided, and the closed slot antenna can perform more stable wireless communication than the open slot antenna, so that it can use a coupled feed.

As shown in fig. 4(b), the coupling type feeding line may be disposed in contact with the inner surface of the injection molding material 240 filled in the gap, but without a connection structure (e.g., C-clip) for direct contact with the side portion 210. Therefore, the coupled feeder is easily implemented, and the coupled can reduce the amount of material enough to easily secure a space.

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a separate antenna provided in a mobile terminal. Fig. 6 shows graphs and tables showing the performance of the individual antennas shown in fig. 5. The separate antenna of the present embodiment is a second antenna (Ant2) using a conductive member whose one end and the other end are separated by a slit, and an interface unit 160 connected to a charger or an external terminal and configured to transmit and receive data is arranged in the vicinity of the separate antenna. A connector hole 161 may be formed in the side portion 210, and a connector for connecting an external power source or an external terminal to the mobile terminal may pass through the connector hole so as to be inserted into the interface unit 160.

According to the present embodiment, the power feeding line may be arranged as shown in fig. 5(a) to apply power corresponding to the first signal to the second antenna. As shown in fig. 5(b), the power feeding line 182 according to the present embodiment is spaced apart from the side portion 210, not directly connected to the side portion 210, so that it can be supplied with power by a coupling method.

Referring again to fig. 3a and 3b, according to one embodiment, an antenna for receiving signals of the N41 band may be provided. The second antenna (Ant2) and the fifth to seventh antennas (Ant5-Ant7) are connected to the first wireless communication unit 110a and configured to receive signals of the N41 frequency band. The fifth to seventh antennas (Ant5 to Ant7) may also be connected to the second wireless communication unit 110b, and function as a common antenna in both LTE wireless communication and 5G wireless communication.

The second antenna may be used as the antenna of N78 described above and as a separate antenna connected only to the first wireless communication unit 110 a. However, the second antenna needs structural improvement to receive signals of two frequency bands. Referring to fig. 5, a branch pattern 183 connected to the power feeding line 182 may also be provided. The branch pattern 183 may effectively facilitate increasing the antenna length. Referring to fig. 6, a branch pattern 183 is also provided, and then multiple resonances occur in the frequency band of 2.5GHz to 2.8GHz and in the frequency band of 3.5GHz to 3.8 GHz.

In the figure, Rx denotes an antenna for reception only, and Tz denotes an antenna for reception and transmission. The frequency of the N41 band overlaps with that of the LTE B41(2.5GHz) signal, so that an antenna (Tx antenna) for transmitting a signal can be implemented as a separate antenna for transmitting only a first signal. Therefore, the first wireless communication unit 110a according to the present disclosure can transmit the N41 signal by using the second antenna shown in fig. 6.

The second antenna according to the present embodiment is capable of performing multi-resonance and receiving not only an N78 band signal but also another N41 band signal. The communication band may vary according to countries and mobile communication companies. In receiving signals of the N41 frequency band and the N78 frequency band, the antenna can be advantageously used in any country without limitation of a communication company.

It has been shown that the first wireless communication unit 110a of the mobile terminal according to the present embodiment is capable of receiving both the N41 frequency band signal and the N78 frequency band signal. However, in the case of using only one frequency band, a predetermined number of antennas may not be electrically connected to the first wireless communication unit 110 a.

The side portion 210 disposed at the lower end of the mobile terminal may serve as a capacitive sensor (cap sensor) configured to sense whether the body of the user is approaching the mobile terminal. Similar to touch sensors, the capacitive sensor is arranged to sense changes in the electric field formed between the conductor and itself. When an object such as a human body, which can affect an electric field, approaches the mobile terminal, there is a change in the electric field formed between the conductor and the capacitive sensor.

The control unit may determine whether the mobile terminal is located near the user based on the change of the electric field. The control unit may reduce the intensity of a signal radiated from the antenna and then reduce the influence on the human body when it is determined that the user is close to the mobile terminal. The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), which is the specific absorption rate for a unit mass of electromagnetic waves, is adjusted. In order to satisfy the SAR standard, the first wireless communication unit 110a and the second wireless communication unit 110b may reduce the strength of the signal, thereby reducing the pattern (configuration) of the electromagnetic wave to the SAR standard.

Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of individual antennas and capacitive sensors, in accordance with various embodiments. The capacitive sensor may be directly connected to the side portion 210. In the present disclosure, the side portion 210 disposed at the lower end of the mobile terminal serves as an independent antenna. The capacitive sensor may be electrically connected to the side portion 210. When the capacitive sensor is connected independently to the feeder line, two connection structures must be provided, and the number of required components increases. It is advantageous to connect them to each other on the main board without an auxiliary connection structure.

As shown in fig. 7(a), the capacitive sensor may be connected to the power feeding line 182 for feeding power to the first antenna using a direct connection method, thereby being electrically connected to the side portion 210. As an alternative embodiment, as shown in fig. 7(b), the capacitive sensor may be electrically connected to the side portion 210 as a parasite (parasite) on a branch pattern otherwise provided for antenna tuning or on a structure for connection with the matching circuit 184. As another example, as shown in fig. 7(c), the capacitive sensor may be connected with the side portion 210 by a coupling method.

A capacitive sensor configured to function as a capacitive sensor and to simultaneously receive a first signal may include an RF block configured to switch off a signal corresponding to the RF signal. The RF block can cut off the RF signal and then can minimize the influence on transceiving the RF signal. The RF block may be arranged between the capacitive sensor and the connection area or branch pattern of the side 210 or the feed line 182.

Fig. 8 shows one embodiment of an antenna arrangement in a mobile terminal. In the present embodiment, yet another slit may be formed in the right side region so that the second antenna disposed at the lower end of the mobile terminal in the embodiment of fig. 3a is moved to the side region of the mobile terminal.

The second antenna disposed in the side region of the mobile terminal may be an open slot antenna, which has a disadvantage in that the number of slots is increased. However, the lower portion 210 of the mobile terminal may not be used as an antenna for 5G sub-6 wireless communication, so that a space of the antenna may be used.

As described above, 5G wireless communication may use not only centimeter waves (cmWave) but also millimeter waves (mmWave). mmWave may transmit a signal in a specific direction through a beamforming method to perform efficient signal transmission. For beamforming, an array antenna including a plurality of antenna patches may be used as an antenna for mmWave.

An antenna (Ant11) of mmWave may be disposed at a lower end of the mobile terminal. mmWave has directivity. When the beam forming direction is toward the base station, wireless communication performance is improved. When the beam forming direction is not toward the base station, wireless communication performance is significantly deteriorated. There may be multiple antennas (Ant11 and 12) for the millimeter wave.

As shown in fig. 8, an antenna for transmitting mmWave signals may also be provided. The additional antenna (Ant12) may be spaced apart from an antenna for mmWave (Ant11) disposed at a lower end of the mobile terminal. In this case, the additional antenna may be disposed below Ant8 and Ant9 to avoid interference with the antennas for WIFI (Ant8 and Ant 9).

Fig. 9 shows another embodiment of an antenna arrangement in the mobile terminal 100. Fig. 9a and 9b illustrate an embodiment according to the number of slits 220 formed in the side portion 210. The first wireless communication unit 110a uses the side 210 located in the side area so that an antenna connected to the first wireless communication unit 110a can be similarly formed even when more slits are formed at the lower end and the upper end.

According to the present embodiment, the antenna using the side portion 210 electrically connected with the first wireless communication unit 110a may be configured by only a common antenna. The antenna may include three common antennas (Ant1, Ant2, and Ant3) disposed in the side region and two common antennas disposed in the upper and lower regions.

Fig. 9(a) shows that two slits 220 are arranged in the upper region and two slits are arranged in the lower region. Fig. 9(b) shows that yet another slit 220 is formed in the lower region. Fig. 9(c) shows that yet another slit 220 is formed at an upper region of the middle frame 220. The four common antennas may receive all of the first and second signals. The second antenna (Ant2) configured to transmit the N41 band signal may receive the LTE signal (second signal) of the middle band and then may not interfere with the N41 band, so that the common antenna may transmit (Tx) the first signal.

As described above, a mobile terminal according to the present disclosure may include a common antenna that may be connected with two or more wireless communication units in a limited area and configured to receive different signals. Therefore, antennas for performing LTE communication and 5G communication can be arranged in a limited space.

As the present features may be embodied in several forms without departing from the characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.

Referring to fig. 4(a), the first antenna (Ant1) of the illustrated embodiment is a closed slot antenna. The closed slot antenna may have a length of half the wavelength (λ) of the received signal. The length of the closed slot antenna may be different according to the effect of peripheral electronic components and the dielectric constant of the molding material 240, the molding material 240 being filled in the slot 245 provided between the support part 230 and the side part 210.

As shown in fig. 4(a) and 4(b), the feeder 182 of the first wireless communication unit 110a is spaced apart from the side portion 210, not directly connected with the side portion 210, so that it can be supplied with power by a coupling method. Even more, unless the power feeding line 182 is connected to the first antenna (Ant1), the electric field formed by the power feeding line 182 may allow current to flow to the first antenna (Ant1) to supply power. The length of the closed slot antenna is not precisely divided, and the closed slot antenna can perform more stable wireless communication than the open slot antenna, so that it can use a coupled feed.

As shown in fig. 4(b), the coupling type feeding line may be disposed to contact an inner surface of the injection molding material 240 filled in the gap and have no connection structure (e.g., C-clip) for direct contact with the side portion 210. Therefore, the coupled feeder is easily implemented, and the coupled can reduce the amount of material enough to easily secure a space.

Fig. 5 is a diagram of another embodiment of a separate antenna disposed in a mobile terminal. Fig. 6 shows graphs and tables showing the performance of the individual antennas shown in fig. 5. The separate antenna of the present embodiment is a second antenna (Ant2) using a conductive member whose one end and the other end are divided by a slit, and an interface unit 160 connected to a charger or an external terminal and configured to transmit and receive data is arranged in the vicinity of the separate antenna. A connector hole 161 may be formed in the side portion 210, and a connector for connecting an external power source or an external terminal to the mobile terminal may pass through the connector hole so as to be inserted into the interface unit 160.

The power feeding line may be arranged as shown in fig. 5(a) to apply power corresponding to the first signal to the second antenna according to the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 5(b), the power feeding line 182 according to the present embodiment is spaced apart from the side portion 210, not directly connected to the side portion 210, so that it can be fed by a coupling method.

Claims (20)

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a display unit configured to display information;

a middle frame including a side portion disposed around a support portion to define a side appearance, the support portion supporting a rear surface of the display unit;

a main board disposed on a rear surface of the middle frame and including a ground terminal;

a first wireless communication unit located on the motherboard and configured to transceive a first signal;

a second wireless communication unit located on the main board and configured to transceive a second signal; and

a rear case covering a rear surface of the main board,

wherein the side portion includes at least one slit forming a plurality of conductive members, and

wherein the plurality of conductive members includes at least one common antenna electrically connectable with the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit and configured to receive the first signal and the second signal.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the first signal is a new radio NR signal; and is

The second signal is a long term evolution, LTE, signal.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the frequency of the first signal is between 2.5GHz and 6 GH; and is

The frequency band of the second signal is 2.7GHz or less.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein at least one end of each of the at least one common antenna comprises a slot.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the side portion comprises at least four slits.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the common antenna comprises two or more resonant frequencies.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductive members comprises at least two common antennas.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductive members comprises a separate antenna electrically connected to the second wireless communication unit and configured to transceive the second signal.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the separate antenna is disposed in a lower region of the mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal further comprises a capacitive sensor electrically connected to the separate antenna.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein:

the separate antenna includes a connector hole; and is

An interface unit into which a connector is inserted is disposed in the connector hole.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 9, further comprising:

a Radio Frequency (RF) block located between the capacitive sensor and the separate antenna and configured to cut off an RF signal applied to the capacitive sensor.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the capacitive sensor is connected to the independent antenna by: a direct connection method of directly connecting a signal line connected to the capacitive sensor with the independent antenna, a coupling connection method of arranging the signal line in the vicinity of the independent antenna, a connection method configured to connect the capacitive sensor with a power supply line connected to the second wireless communication unit, or an indirect connection method of connecting the capacitive sensor with a branch pattern connected to the independent antenna.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 8, further comprising: a branch pattern extending from a feeder line connecting the independent antenna to the second wireless communication unit or connected to the independent antenna,

wherein the separate antenna comprises a plurality of resonant frequencies.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the feeder is connected with the separate antenna by a coupling method.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the separate antenna forms an open slot antenna having a first end connected to the support portion and a second end with a slit forming an open end with the support portion.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the second signal is received by the separate antenna and the at least one common antenna and then transmitted by the separate antenna.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein:

the independent antenna is physically connected to the support at a first point and physically connected to the support or the ground at a second point; and is

The separate antenna is electrically connected to the second wireless communication unit between the first point and the second point so that the separate antenna receives the second signal.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein:

the independent antenna is arranged in the left area or the right area of the mobile terminal; and is

A length between the first point and the second point is half a wavelength of the second signal.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 8, further comprising: an array antenna that does not overlap with the at least one common antenna and the individual antenna.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the array antenna receives millimeter wave mmWave signals.

Images