KR101240844B1 - Set top box having internal antenna - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a set-top box having a built-in antenna that can be mounted inside the set-top box for wireless communication to maximize the efficiency of the antenna, for this purpose, the set-top box according to the present invention is made of a metal material of one side open A case, a main board fixedly fastened inside the case, and a front panel installed on one side of the case and electrically connected to the main board, wherein the front panel is mounted with a wireless module at the rear and electrically connected with the wireless module at the front. At least one microstrip-shaped antenna for radiating radio waves to the outside, wherein the front panel includes at least one through hole vertically penetrating therein, and the wireless module and the antenna It is characterized in that it is electrically connected.

Description

Set top box having internal antenna

The present invention relates to a set-top box capable of wireless communication, and more particularly, to a set-top box having a built-in antenna in which an antenna for wireless communication is mounted inside the set-top box.

Generally, set-top box is a home communication terminal required to use next-generation interactive multimedia communication service (so-called interactive TV) such as video on demand (VOD), video shopping home shopping, network game, etc. Box, also known as a subscriber signal converter.

The set-top box communicates with a video server installed in a telephone company or a comprehensive cable broadcasting (CATV) station, etc., and has a function of receiving and converting video signals as a basic function. In addition, various standards such as having a telephone interface or a connection interface with a personal computer (PC) are also being examined so that data communication services such as telephone and PC communication can be simultaneously used.

Recently, a wireless communication function has been added to the set top box. That is, the set top box includes a function of wirelessly communicating with various peripheral devices (for example, a TV receiver, a mobile phone, a wireless network router, etc.), and an antenna is essentially provided for this purpose.

In the conventional case, such an antenna is mounted on the back of the set top box. As the antenna is exposed to the outside, the set-top box is inconvenient to be installed, and the set-top box body is blocked by the set-top box body due to the radio wave transmission and reception direction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a set top box having a built-in antenna capable of maximizing antenna efficiency by mounting an antenna for wireless communication inside the set top box. .

The set top box according to the present invention includes a metal case of which one side is open, a main board fixedly fastened to the inside of the case, and a front panel installed on one side of the case and electrically connected to the main board, and the front panel is located at the rear side. A wireless module is mounted, and an antenna in the form of at least one microstrip is electrically connected to the wireless module and radiates radio waves to the front, and the front panel includes at least one through hole vertically penetrating therein. The wireless module may be electrically connected to the antenna through the through hole.

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The set top box according to the present invention preferably further includes a conductive shaft penetrating the through-hole and electrically connecting the wireless module and the antenna.

In the present invention, the wireless module may include a module substrate having a plurality of elements mounted therein, and a shielding cover for accommodating elements therein and fastened to the module substrate to shield noise from the outside.

In the present invention, two antennas are formed, and the wireless module may communicate with at least two other wireless devices through each antenna.

In the present invention, the antenna may include a loop antenna and a patch antenna formed inside the loop antenna loop.

In the present invention, the antenna may be a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna formed at least two apart.

In the present invention, at least two through holes may be formed at positions corresponding to both ends of the wireless module.

In the present invention, one end of the shaft is fixed to the wireless module, the other end may be electrically connected to the antenna at the front of the front panel.

In the present invention, further comprising a shaft fastening portion mounted to the front of the front panel to extend the through-holes of the front panel, the shaft fastening portion is formed in a cylindrical accommodating hole for receiving the shaft therein and one end is attached to the antenna It is preferably configured to include a body portion and at least one engaging protrusion formed to protrude in the center direction of the receiving hole in the receiving hole and in contact with the shaft inserted into the receiving hole to fix the shaft.

In the present invention, the shaft fastening portion may further include a connecting portion for electrically connecting the end surface of the body portion and at least one coupling protrusion.

In the present invention, the coupling protrusion is formed of a conductive foil and the portion protruding in the receiving hole is preferably elastically bent when an external force is applied.

In the present invention, the shaft is preferably formed with at least one engaging groove is formed along the outer periphery of the position in contact with the engaging projection, the engaging projection is inserted into the engaging groove and the shaft is fastened to the shaft fastening portion.

In addition, the set-top box according to the present invention includes a front panel having a plurality of inputs and having at least one through hole vertically penetrating therein, a wireless module mounted at the rear of the front panel, and formed at the front of the front panel, At least one microstrip-shaped antenna for radiating radio waves to the outside, and a conductive shaft for electrically connecting the wireless module and the antenna through the through-hole.

The set top box according to the present invention may further include a shaft fastening part mounted on the front surface of the front panel to extend the through hole and electrically connecting the antenna and the shaft.

In the present invention, the shaft fastening portion is mounted to the front of the front panel, the body portion is formed in the receiving hole for receiving the shaft therein, and the shaft is formed protruding in the center direction of the receiving hole in the receiving hole and inserted into the receiving hole It is preferably configured to include at least one coupling protrusion in contact with and electrically connecting the shaft and the antenna.

The set-top box according to the present invention is not attached to the rear of the case separately as in the prior art, it is formed to be accommodated in the case, so that the physical space of the antenna can be reduced, the product can be made slim and miniaturized. In addition, since a wireless communication signal is transmitted and received through the front of the set-top box, transmission and reception performance due to obstacles (for example, walls and the set-top box itself) may be reduced.

In addition, the set-top box according to the present invention can minimize the occurrence of noise or attenuation in the signal between the antenna and the wireless module because the radio module and the antenna are installed very close. In addition, since the shaft is fixed using the shaft coupling part, the wireless module and the antenna can be connected very easily.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing a set top box according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a coupling structure of a wireless module and an antenna in the direction B of FIG. 1.
3 and 4 are exploded perspective views showing the wireless module of FIG.
5 illustrates various antennas according to the present embodiment.
6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a coupling structure between a shaft fastening portion and a shaft according to the present embodiment.
7 is an exploded perspective view showing a set top box according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Prior to the detailed description of the present invention, the terms or words used in the present specification and claims should not be construed as limited to ordinary or preliminary meaning, and the inventor may designate his own invention in the best way It should be construed in accordance with the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that it can be appropriately defined as a concept of a term to describe it. Therefore, the embodiments described in the present specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention. Therefore, various equivalents It should be understood that water and variations may be present.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this case, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by like reference numerals as much as possible. Further, the detailed description of known functions and configurations that may obscure the gist of the present invention will be omitted. For the same reason, some of the elements in the accompanying drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically shown, and the size of each element does not entirely reflect the actual size.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a set top box according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a coupling structure of a wireless module and an antenna in the direction B of FIG. 1. 3 and 4 are exploded perspective views illustrating the wireless module of FIG. 1.

1 to 4, the set top box 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a case 10, a main substrate 20, a front panel 30, and a front cover 40, in particular. The front panel 30 is characterized by having a wireless module 50 and an antenna 60 electrically connected to the wireless module 50.

The case 10 is formed in a rectangular box shape and is made of a metal material having one surface, that is, an open front surface. The case 10 houses the other components described below and protects them from the outside.

The main board 20 is fixedly fastened inside the case 10. Various active elements and passive elements used to drive the set top box 100 may be mounted on the main substrate 20.

The front panel 30 may include input buttons for the user to manipulate the set top box 100 and may be formed of a substrate (eg, a PCB, etc.). The front panel 30 according to the present embodiment is installed on one surface of the case 10, that is, the open front surface, and is electrically connected to the main substrate 20 through the cable 25. In addition, the front cover 40 is coupled to the front surface of the front panel 30, which is coupled to the case 10 to form a housing of the overall set top box 100.

In the front panel 30 according to the present exemplary embodiment, at least one through hole 35 penetrating the inside vertically is formed. The through hole 35 is used as a passage for electrically connecting the components of the wireless module units 50, 60, 70, and 80, which will be described later, and the wireless module units 50, 60, 70, and 80 which will be described later. Let's take a closer look at.

The wireless module unit 50, 60, 70, 80 according to the present embodiment is formed on the front side of the front panel 30 and the wireless module 50 mounted on the rear side of the front panel 30 and the wireless module 50. An antenna 60 electrically connected to the antenna, a shaft 80 electrically connecting the antenna 60 and the wireless module 50, and a shaft fastening portion 70 coupling the shaft 80 and the antenna 60 to each other. It is configured by.

The wireless module 50 performs wireless communication with the outside through the antenna 60. The wireless module 50 according to the present embodiment is mounted on the rear surface of the front panel 30 through the solder 58 or the like. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be fastened to the front panel 30 through fixing means such as screws or adhesives.

The wireless module 50 may include a module substrate 52 on which various devices (eg, RF devices) are mounted, and a shield cover 54 to protect the wireless module 50.

The shield cover 54 accommodates various elements mounted on the module substrate 52 and is fastened on the module substrate 52. The shielding cover 54 is made of a metal material and shields noise input from the outside.

The antenna 60 is formed on the front surface of the front panel 30, that is, the surface opposite to the surface on which the wireless module 50 is mounted, and radiates radio waves to the outside or receives a signal input from the outside. Antenna 60 according to the present embodiment is formed in the form of a metal pattern on the front panel 30, in particular is characterized in that the antenna 60 of the form of a micro strip.

Referring to FIG. 1, a case in which the microstrip-shaped antenna 60 according to the present embodiment is formed as a patch antenna 60 is taken as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be formed in various forms as shown in FIG. 5.

  5 is a diagram illustrating various antennas 60 according to the present embodiment, (a) shows a microstrip antenna 60 of a general form, and (5) shows a patch antenna 60 shown in FIG. It is shown. In addition, (c) shows a case where the loop antenna 60 is used, and (d) shows a case where the patch antenna 60 and the loop antenna 60 are formed together. As described above, the antenna 60 according to the present invention may be formed in various shapes and numbers, thereby enabling various applications.

The shaft 80 is made of a conductive metal material, and electrically connects the wireless module 50 and the antenna 60. The shaft 80 is inserted into the through hole 35 of the front panel 30, one end is fastened to the wireless module 50, the other end is electrically connected to the antenna 60.

Specifically, one end of the shaft 80 according to the present embodiment is fixedly fastened to the wireless module 50, and as the wireless module 50 is mounted on the rear surface of the front panel 30, the shaft 80 is fixed. Is inserted into the through hole 35 of the front panel 30. In this case, the other end portion of the shaft 80 penetrates the through hole 35 to protrude toward the front of the front panel 30, and the protruding portion is electrically connected to the antenna 60.

As shown in FIG. 4, at least one coupling groove 82 is formed along the outer circumference of the shaft 80. The coupling groove 82 is to be electrically connected and fixed to the shaft coupling portion 70 to be described later, which will be described in more detail through the shaft coupling portion 70 to be described later.

6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a coupling structure between a shaft fastening portion and a shaft according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a view based on a cross section taken along the line A-A 'of FIG. 1. Referring to this, the shaft fastening portion 70 facilitates the antenna 60 and the shaft 80 according to the present embodiment. It is used to secure the shaft 80 at the same time as the electrical connection.

The shaft fastening part 70 according to the present embodiment has a body portion 74 in which an accommodating hole 78 for accommodating the shaft 80 is formed, and the accommodating hole 78 in the accommodating hole 78. It comprises a coupling protrusion 72 is formed to protrude in the center direction, and the connecting portion 76 for electrically connecting between the coupling protrusion 72 and one end of the body portion (74).

The body portion 74 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is mounted on the front surface of the front panel 30 to extend the through hole 35 of the front panel 30. At this time, the shaft fastening portion 70 is mounted so that one end of the connecting portion 76 is exposed to the antenna 60 is electrically connected.

A plurality of coupling protrusions 72 according to the present embodiment may be formed. The coupling protrusion 72 contacts the shaft 80 inserted into the accommodation hole 78 and fixes the shaft 80, and electrically connects the shaft 80 and the antenna 60 through the connecting portion 76. do. To this end, at least one of the coupling protrusions 72 is electrically connected to the connecting portion 76. In the present embodiment, three coupling protrusions 72 (total six coupling protrusions) are formed at both sides with respect to the receiving hole 78, and three coupling protrusions 72 formed at one side thereof are connected to the connection portion 76. ) Is an example of an electrical connection. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various coupling protrusions 72 may be configured to be electrically connected to the connection part 72, or only one coupling protrusion 72 may be configured to be electrically connected to the connection part 72. .

The coupling protrusion 72 is preferably formed of a conductive thin piece so that the portion protruding from the receiving hole 78 elastically bent. This is for easily fixing the shaft 80 inserted into the receiving hole 78, the coupling projection 72 according to the present embodiment as shown in Figure 6 is inserted into the receiving hole 78 shaft 80 When the external force is applied to the coupling protrusion 72 is elastically bent along the outer circumference of the shaft (80). When the shaft 80 is completely inserted, each of the coupling protrusions 72 is inserted into the corresponding coupling groove 82 to fix the shaft 80.

At this time, since the coupling protrusion 72 of the present embodiment is formed of a conductive material, the shaft 80 is fixed and at the same time, the shaft 80 and the connecting portion 60 are electrically connected to each other.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 6, a case in which the connecting portion 60 is formed through the inside of the body portion 74 is taken as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the connection part 60 may be formed along the inner circumference of the accommodation hole 78 or the outer circumference of the body portion 74. In addition, the coupling part 60 may be omitted, and the coupling part 72 may be formed on the lower end surface of the body part 74 in contact with the antenna 60 such that the coupling protrusion 72 directly contacts the antenna 60. Application is possible.

The set-top box 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment configured as described above is formed so that the antenna 60 is accommodated inside the case 10 rather than separately attached to the back of the case 10 as in the prior art. By reducing the physical space of the product, the product can be made slimmer and smaller. In addition, since the wireless communication signal is transmitted and received through the front of the set-top box 100, the transmission and reception performance due to obstacles (for example, walls, the set-top box itself) can be improved.

7 is an exploded perspective view showing a set top box according to another embodiment of the present invention. The motor according to the embodiment described below has a structure similar to that of the set-top box (100 in FIG. 1) of the above-described embodiment, and has a difference only in the structure of the wireless module 50 and the antenna 60. Therefore, detailed description of the same components will be omitted, and will be described in more detail with reference to the structure of the wireless module 50 and the antenna 60.

Referring to FIG. 7, the set-top box 200 according to the present embodiment includes a wireless module 50 using a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) function, and accordingly, two antennas 60 are formed to be spaced apart from each other. It is formed of an antenna 60.

When the wireless module 50 uses the MIMO function, the antennas 60 used therein are preferably arranged to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. To this end, in the wireless module 50 according to the present embodiment, the shafts 80 are fixed to both ends of the module substrate 52, respectively, and the front panel 30 corresponds to the shafts 80. Through holes 35 are formed in each. The antenna 60 is formed in a direction away from each other based on both ends of the wireless module 50, that is, the through hole 35.

As described above, the set top box 200 according to the present invention may use a plurality of identical antennas 60, and may use different types of antennas 60 as in the case of FIG. 5 (d) described above.

Referring to FIG. 5 (d), a case in which one wireless module 50 is configured to use wireless communication in different frequency bands is given as an example. When using different frequency bands, the shapes of the antennas 60a and 60b corresponding to the respective frequency bands are formed differently. Therefore, in this case, as shown in FIG. 5D, the patch antenna 60b and the loop antenna 60a may be formed together. As such, when the patch antenna 60b and the loop antenna 60a are formed together, the 2.4Ghz band may use the loop antenna 60a, and the 5Ghz band may use the patch antenna 60b. That is, the wireless module 50 may communicate with at least two other wireless devices through each of the antennas 60a and 60b.

In FIG. 5D, the patch antenna 60b is formed inside the loop antenna 60a as an example. However, this is an arrangement for minimizing the formation area of the antennas 60a and 60b, and is not limited thereto, and various arrangements and applications may be possible as necessary.

The set-top box according to the present invention configured as described above may minimize the occurrence of noise or attenuation in a signal between the antenna and the wireless module because the wireless module and the antenna are installed very close to each other. In addition, since the shaft is fixed using the shaft coupling part, the wireless module and the antenna can be connected very easily.

On the other hand, the set-top box according to the present invention described above is not limited to the above-described embodiment, various applications are possible. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case in which the shaft and the antenna are interconnected and fixed using the shaft fastening portion has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. If the shaft and the antenna are electrically connected and the shaft can be firmly fixed, various methods such as soldering and the like may be used.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the set-top box has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be variously applied to an electronic device that performs wireless communication with the outside through a wireless module.

100, 200 ... set-top boxes
10 .... case 20 ... main board
25 ... cable
30 ..... Front Panel 35 ..... Through Hole
40 ..... Front Cover
50 ..... Wireless Module 52 .... Module Board
54 ..... shield cover
60, 60a, 60b ..... antenna
70 ..... Shaft fastening 72 ..... Engagement protrusion
74 ..... body 76 ..... connection
78 ..... Accepting hole
80 ..... shaft 82 ..... combined groove

Claims (16)

A metal case of which one side is open;
A main substrate fixedly fastened inside the case; And
A front panel installed on one surface of the case and electrically connected to the main substrate;
The front panel has a wireless module mounted on the back, at least one microstrip antenna is electrically connected to the wireless module in the front to emit radio waves to the outside,
The front panel includes at least one through hole penetrating the inside vertically, and the wireless module and the antenna are electrically connected through the through hole. delete The method of claim 1,
And a conductive shaft penetrating the through hole and electrically connecting the wireless module and the antenna. A metal case of which one side is open;
A main substrate fixedly fastened inside the case; And
A front panel installed on one surface of the case and electrically connected to the main substrate;
The front panel has a wireless module mounted on the back, at least one microstrip antenna is electrically connected to the wireless module in the front to emit radio waves to the outside,
The wireless module,
A module substrate having a plurality of elements mounted therein,
And a shielding cover for accommodating the elements therein and being fastened to the module substrate to shield noise from the outside. The method of claim 3,
Two antennas are formed, and the wireless module communicates with at least two other wireless devices through each of the antennas. The method of claim 5,
The antenna includes a loop antenna and a patch antenna formed inside the loop antenna loop. The method of claim 3,
The antenna is a set-top box, characterized in that the MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) antenna formed at least two apart. The method of claim 7, wherein
At least two through-holes are formed at positions corresponding to both ends of the wireless module. The method of claim 3,
One end of the shaft is fixed to the wireless module, the other end is set-top box, characterized in that electrically connected with the antenna on the front of the front panel. 10. The method of claim 9,
And a shaft fastening part mounted to the front of the front panel to extend the through hole of the front panel.
The shaft fastening portion,
A cylindrical portion having a receiving hole accommodating the shaft therein and having one end surface attached to the antenna; And
And at least one engaging protrusion formed to protrude in the center direction of the accommodation hole in the accommodation hole and contact the shaft inserted into the accommodation hole and fix the shaft. The method of claim 10, wherein the shaft fastening portion,
Set top box further comprises a connecting portion for electrically connecting the one end surface and the at least one coupling protrusion of the body portion The method of claim 10,
The coupling protrusion is formed of a conductive foil, and the set-top box, characterized in that the portion protruding in the receiving hole is elastically bent when an external force is applied. The method of claim 12,
The shaft is set-top box, characterized in that at least one engaging groove is formed along the outer periphery of the position in contact with the engaging projection, the engaging projection is inserted into the engaging groove and the shaft is fastened to the shaft fastening portion. A front panel having a plurality of input units and having at least one through hole vertically penetrating therein;
A wireless module mounted on a rear surface of the front panel;
An antenna in the form of at least one microstrip formed on a front surface of the front panel to radiate radio waves to the outside; And
And a conductive shaft electrically connecting the wireless module and the antenna through the through hole. 15. The method of claim 14,
And a shaft fastening part mounted on a front surface of the front panel to extend the through hole and electrically connecting the antenna and the shaft. The method of claim 15, wherein the shaft fastening portion,
A body part mounted on a front surface of the front panel and having an accommodation hole accommodating the shaft therein; And
And at least one coupling protrusion which protrudes in the center direction of the accommodation hole in the accommodation hole and contacts the shaft inserted into the accommodation hole and electrically connects the shaft and the antenna. Set-top box.

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