KR101404744B1 - Loop antenna and portable terminal having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a loop antenna including a conductive loop having a loop shape and a bandwidth extension portion formed to protrude from the loop and extending a bandwidth of a frequency transmitted and received by the loop, and a mobile terminal having the loop antenna.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a loop antenna, and a portable terminal having the loop antenna.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a loop antenna having a bandwidth extension unit for extending a transmission / reception bandwidth and a portable terminal employing the loop antenna.

A portable terminal is a portable electronic apparatus which is portable and has one or more functions of voice and video call function, information input / output function, and data storing function.

As the functions of the portable terminal are diversified, the portable terminal is implemented in the form of a multimedia device having complicated functions such as photographing and photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of music or video file, reception of a game, and reception of a broadcast.

In order to implement complex functions in multimedia devices, various new attempts have been made in terms of hardware or software.

For example, a user interface environment is provided for a user to easily and conveniently search for or select a function.

Furthermore, attempts have been made to extend the bandwidth so that wireless communications can be made in a plurality of frequency bands.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a loop antenna and a portable terminal including the loop antenna.

Another object of the present invention is to extend the bandwidth of a frequency at which the loop antenna and the portable terminal transmit and receive.

Yet another object of the present invention is to enable the wireless terminal to wirelessly communicate in multiple bands by the frequency extension.

A loop antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above-mentioned problem includes a conductive loop and a bandwidth extension part. The conductive loop forms a conductive path in the form of a loop. The bandwidth extension is formed so as not to contact with another point at one point of the conductive loop in order to expand a bandwidth of a radio wave transmitted and received by the conductive loop.

The portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the loop antenna. One end of the conductive loop of the loop antenna is electrically connected to a wireless communication module installed in a main body of the portable terminal, and the other end is grounded.

The bandwidth extension may be a high band extension that is protruded into a space defined by the conductive loop to extend the bandwidth to a high frequency band.

The bandwidth extender may be a low band extender that protrudes out of the space defined by the conductive loop and extends the bandwidth to a low frequency band.

The loop antenna and the portable terminal having the loop antenna according to the present invention configured as described above have the effect of expanding the bandwidth by reinforcing the frequency band transmitted and received by the conductive loop by having the bandwidth expanding unit.

With this bandwidth expansion, the wireless terminal can perform wireless communication in multiple bands. This makes it possible to provide a variety of services to the mobile terminal user.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal having a loop antenna according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The portable terminal includes a first body 10 and a second body 20 that is slidable along at least one direction on the first body 10. The first and second bodies 10 and 20 may collectively be referred to as bodies.

The state in which the first body 10 is disposed in a state of being overlapped with the second body 20 may be referred to as a closed configuration and the first body 10 may be referred to as a second body 20 ) May be referred to as an open configuration.

The portable terminal operates mainly in the standby mode in the closed state, but the standby mode is also released by the operation of the user. In addition, the portable terminal operates mainly in a communication mode in an open state, but may be switched to a standby mode by a user's operation or a predetermined period of time.

A casing (a casing, a housing, a cover, etc.) constituting an outer appearance of the first body 10 is formed by a front case 11 and a rear case 12. Various electronic components are embedded in the space formed by the front case 11 and the rear case 12. [ At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the front case 11 and the rear case 12. [ The cases may be formed by injection molding of a synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

The display unit 13, the sound output unit 14, the first image input unit 15, or the first operation unit 16 may be disposed in the first body 10, specifically, the front case 11.

The display unit 13 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) module, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) module, and the like that visually express information. The display unit 13 may further include a touch screen to enable information input by a user's touch.

The sound output unit 14 may be implemented in the form of a receiver or a speaker. The first image input unit 15 may be implemented as a camera module for capturing an image or a moving image of a user.

The first operation unit 16 receives a command for controlling the operation of the portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The front case 21 and the rear case 22 can form the case of the second body 20 as in the case of the first body 10.

The second operation unit 23 may be disposed on the front surface of the second body 20, specifically, the front case 21. [

The third operating unit 24, the first sound input unit 25, and the interface 26 may be disposed in at least one of the front case 21 and the rear case 22. [

The first to third operating portions 16, 23, 24 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion and may be employed in any manner as long as the user operates in a tactile manner.

For example, the operation unit may be implemented as a dome switch or a touch screen or a touch pad capable of receiving commands or information by a push or touch operation of a user, or may be a wheel, a jog type, a joystick, Or the like.

In terms of functions, the first operation unit 16 is for inputting commands such as start, end, and scroll, and the second operation unit 23 is for inputting numbers, letters, symbols, and the like. The third operation unit 24 may operate as a hot-key for performing a special function such as activation of the first image input unit 15. [

The first sound input unit 25 may be implemented in the form of a microphone, for example, to receive a user's voice, other sounds, and the like.

The interface 26 is a path through which the portable terminal related to the present invention can exchange data with an external device. For example, the interface 26 may be a wired or wireless connection terminal for connecting to an earphone, a port for short range communication (for example, an IrDA port, a Bluetooth port, a wireless LAN port a wireless Lan port), or power supply terminals for supplying power to the portable terminal. The interface 26 may be a card socket that accepts an external card such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) or a user identity module (UIM), a memory card for information storage, and the like.

A power supply unit 27 for supplying power to the portable terminal is mounted on the rear case 22 side. The power supply unit 27 may be detachably coupled to a rechargeable battery for charging or the like.

2 is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2, a second image input unit 28 may be additionally mounted on the rear surface of the rear case 22 of the second body 20. The second image input unit 28 may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the first image input unit 15 (see FIG. 1), and may be a camera having different pixels from the first image input unit.

For example, the first image input unit 15 has low pixels so that it is easy to capture a face of a user in the case of a video call or the like and send it to the other party. The second image input unit 28 photographs a general object It is preferable to have a high pixel because it is often not transmitted.

A flash 29 and a mirror 30 are further disposed adjacent to the second image input unit 28. The flash 29 shines light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the second image input unit 28. The mirror unit 30 enables the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to photograph the user himself / herself (self-photographing) using the second image input unit 28.

The lower cover 22 may further be provided with a second sound output section 31. [ The second sound output unit 31 may implement a stereo function together with the first sound output unit 14 (see FIG. 1), and may be used for talking in a speakerphone mode.

In addition, an antenna 32 for receiving broadcasting signals may be disposed on one side of the lower cover 22, in addition to an antenna for communication. The antenna 32 may be installed to be detachable from the second body 20.

A portion of the slide module 33 that slidably couples the first body 10 and the second body 20 is disposed on the rear case 12 side of the first body 10. [ The other part of the slide module 33 is disposed on the side of the front case 21 of the second body 20 and may be in a form that is not exposed to the outside as in this figure.

In the above description, the second image input unit 28 and the like are disposed in the second body 20, but the present invention is not limited thereto. At least one of the configurations 28 to 32 described as being arranged in the lower cover 22, such as the second image input unit 28, may be mounted on the first body 10, mainly the lower cover 12, It is also possible to mount it. In such a case, there is an advantage that the configuration (s) arranged in the lower cover 12 in the closed state is protected by the second body 20. Further, even if the second image input unit 28 is not separately provided, the first image input unit 15 may be rotatably formed so that the second image input unit 28 can be photographed up to the photographing direction.

3 is a plan view of the loop antenna 100 of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the loop antenna 100 of FIG. 4, In order to explain the enlargement of the bandwidth.

Referring to FIG. 3, the circuit board 40 is mounted on the rear case 22. On the circuit board 40, electronic components such as a wireless communication module 41 (see FIG. 8) for performing a wireless communication function are integrated and a ground is formed on one side. The circuit board 40 functions to control various electronic components or functions of the portable terminal, and may be referred to as a control unit 40 (see FIG. 8).

A loop antenna 100 connected to the circuit board 40 for transmitting and receiving a frequency for wireless communication is disposed.

Referring to FIG. 4, the loop antenna 100 includes a conductive loop 110 that forms a loop-shaped conductive path. The conductive loop 110 may be bent at a right angle to minimize an arrangement space of the loop antenna 100.

One end of the conductive loop 110 is a feed part 120 and is electrically connected to the wireless communication module 41 of the circuit board 40. The other end of the conductive loop 110 is electrically connected to the ground as the grounding part 130. The ground may be a ground formed on the circuit board 40. The conductive loop 110 may be formed on one side of the antenna substrate 140. The antenna substrate 140 is formed as a dielectric that generates electric polarization when a constant electric field is applied, but does not cause a direct current.

At one point in the conductive loop 110, the first portion 111 in the figure, the bandwidth extension 150 is protruded. The bandwidth extension 150 protrudes into the space defined by the conductive loop 110. The free end of the bandwidth extension 150 is oriented towards, but not in contact with, the other point of the conductive loop 110, the third portion 113 in the drawing. The bandwidth extension 150 may extend parallel to the second portion 112 to enhance the utilization of the area in which the conductive loop 110 is disposed.

According to such a configuration, the alternating current flows through the conductive loop 110 along the direction in which the alternating current flows toward the feed part 120 and the ground part 130, respectively. The free end of the bandwidth extension 150 is not physically connected to the ground 130 but is electrically connected to the ground 130 by electrical coupling and is connected to the ground 130 Resulting in the current I flowing.

This is analogous to the formation of a first conductive loop along the loop antenna 100 and a second conductive loop along the bandwidth extension 150. However, since the free end of the bandwidth extension 150 is not physically tangent to the conductive loop 110, the resonance in the second conductive loop is superior to the resonance in the first conductive loop even though the conductive distance is short it is not dominant. This causes the second conductive loop to have only a minor effect on resonance by the first conductive loop compared to when the bandwidth extension 150 is directly connected to the conductive loop 110.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the bandwidth f2-f1 in the case where only the conductive loop 110 exists is not substantially damaged, but rather is expanded by a certain degree (f3-f2) by the bandwidth expander 150 . Here, the high frequency band side is extended because the second conductive loop is shorter than the first conductive loop, and the high frequency is resonated by the bandwidth extension part 150. In this regard, the bandwidth extension 150 may be referred to as a highband extension. Further, the extension length of the bandwidth extension part 150 is preferably at least half or more, preferably at least 2/3 of the interval between the first and third parts 111 and 113, Do.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a loop antenna 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a graph for explaining bandwidth expansion by the loop antenna 200. Referring to FIG. In the present embodiment, the same or similar reference numerals are given to similar or similar components to those of the previous embodiment, and the detailed description is omitted.

Referring to FIG. 6, this embodiment is similar to the previous embodiment, except that the bandwidth extension 250 is disposed outside the space defined by the conductive loop 110.

The free end of the bandwidth extension 250 is disposed proximate to a portion of the conductive loop 110 while pointing at the ground. The current I 'due to the ground 130 flows to the power feeder 120 through the bandwidth extension part 250 by the electrical coupling at the free end.

In this configuration, in addition to the first conductive loop by the conductive loop 110, a second conductive loop by the bandwidth extension 250 is formed.

7, the bandwidth f2-f1 in the presence of only the first conductive loop is not substantially damaged by the second conductive loop, but rather is reduced to a certain degree (f1-f0) by the second conductive loop . Here, the low frequency band side is extended because the second conductive loop is longer than the first conductive loop, and the low frequency band resonates due to the bandwidth extension part 150. As the low-frequency band expands, the bandwidth extension 150 may be referred to as a low-band extension.

The portable terminal according to the present invention is not limited to the slide type shown in FIG. 1 but can be applied to various structures such as a bar type, a folder type, and a swing type.

8 is a block diagram of a portable terminal according to the present invention.

8, a portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a wireless communication module 41, operation units 16, 23 and 24, image input units 15 and 28, an acoustic input unit 25, a display unit 13, sound output units 14 and 31, a sensing unit 46, an interface 26, a broadcast receiving module 45, a memory 44, a power supply unit 27 and a control unit 40.

The control unit 40 typically controls the overall operation of the portable terminal. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. In addition to the normal function control, the control unit 40 controls the operation of the portable terminal related to the present invention.

The wireless communication module 41 transmits / receives a wireless signal to / from a mobile communication base station through an antenna. A transmission unit 42 for transmitting and receiving voice data, character data, video data, and control data under the control of the control unit 40 and for modulating and transmitting a signal to be transmitted for this purpose; 43).

The operation units 16, 23, and 24 are configured as shown in FIG. 1, and provide the control unit 40 with key input data that the user inputs for controlling the operation of the terminal. The operation units 16, 23, and 24 are composed of a dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The image input units 15 and 28 process image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. Then, the processed image frame is converted into image data that can be displayed on the display unit 13 and output to the display unit 13. [ The image frames processed by the image input units 15 and 28 are stored in the memory 44 under the control of the control unit 40 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless transmission / reception unit 41.

The sound input unit 25 receives an external sound signal by a microphone in a communication mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like, and processes it as electrical voice data. The processed voice data is converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the wireless communication module 41 in the communication mode, and is output to the wireless communication module. In the case of the recording mode, the processed voice data is output to be stored in the memory 44. The sound input unit 25 may be implemented with various noise reduction algorithms for eliminating noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

The display unit 13 displays and outputs information processed in the portable terminal. For example, when the portable terminal is in the call mode, the control unit 40 displays and outputs a UI (User Interface) or GUI (Graphic User Interface) related to the call. When the portable terminal is in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the control unit 40 displays and displays the photographed image, the UI, and the GUI. When the display unit 13 includes a touch screen, the display unit 13 is used as an input device in addition to the output device.

The sound output units 14 and 31 receive sound data received from the wireless communication module 41 under the control of the control unit 40 in the call signal reception mode, the communication mode or the recording mode, the voice recognition mode, And outputs the converted sound data to the outside. Also, the sound output units 14 and 31 output sound signals related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, etc.) performed in the portable terminal. These sound output units 14 and 31 include a speaker, a receiver, a buzzer, and the like.

The sensing unit 46 senses the current state of the portable terminal, such as the opening / closing state of the portable terminal, the position of the portable terminal, whether or not the user touches the portable terminal, and generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the portable terminal. For example, if the portable terminal is in the form of a slide phone, it senses whether the slide phone is opened or closed and outputs the sensing result to the controller 40 so that the operation of the terminal is controlled. And a sensing function related to whether or not the power supply unit 27 is powered on, whether the interface 26 is coupled to an external device, and the like.

The interface 26 may be connected to any external device such as a wired / wireless headset, an external charger, a wired / wireless data port, a card socket (for example, a memory card, a SIM / UIM card) It serves as an interface with the device. The interface 26 receives data from an external device or receives power from the external device, transfers the data to each component in the portable terminal, or transmits data in the portable terminal to an external device.

The memory 44 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 40 and may have a function for temporarily storing input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, . In addition, the memory 44 stores a program for controlling the operation of the portable terminal related to the present invention. The memory 44 includes the concept of a generally known hard disk, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory), a flash memory, a RAM, a ROM, and the like.

The broadcast receiving module 45 receives broadcast signals transmitted through satellite or terrestrial waves and converts the received broadcast signals into broadcast data types that can be output to the sound output units 14 and 31 and the display unit 13 and outputs them to the control unit 40 . In addition, the broadcast receiving module 45 receives additional data (e.g., EPG (Electric Program Guide), channel list, etc.) related to broadcasting. The broadcast data and the additional data converted by the broadcast receiving module 45 may be stored in the memory 44. [ The power supply unit 27 receives external power and internal power under the control of the control unit 40 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

The frequency band in which the portable terminal, specifically, the wireless communication module 41 operates may include two or more frequency bands classified for various services.

For example, the frequency band of PCS is 1850 to 1990 MHz (bandwidth: 140 MHz), the frequency band of GPS is 1575.42 MHz (bandwidth: 5 MHz) and the frequency band of DCN is 824 to 894 MHz (bandwidth: 70 MHz) , It can be assumed that the loop antenna before the formation of the bandwidth extensions 150 and 250 covers the GPS frequency band.

 If the loop antenna is formed of the loop antenna 100 having the high band extension unit 150, the high band side is extended, so that the mobile terminal can operate not only in the GPS band but also in the PCS band.

Alternatively, if the loop antenna is formed of the loop antenna 200 having the low band extender 250, the low band side is extended, and the mobile terminal can operate in the DCN band as well as the GPS band.

In the above example, the portable terminal can be operated additionally in the PCS or DCN bands while operating constantly in the GPS band. This enables a service provided in a plurality of frequency bands to be provided through one portable terminal.

The above-described portable terminal is not limited to the configuration and method of the embodiments described above, but all or some of the embodiments may be selectively combined so that various modifications may be made to the embodiments.

1 is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a rear perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of the interior of one portion of the second body of Figure 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the loop antenna of Fig. 3; Fig.

FIG. 5 is a graph for explaining bandwidth expansion by the loop antenna of FIG. 4. FIG.

6 is a plan view of a loop antenna according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a graph for explaining bandwidth expansion by the loop antenna. FIG.

8 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to the present invention;

Claims (6)

A main body having a wireless communication module and a ground which are spaced apart from each other; A conductive loop in which a power supply part is formed at one end and is electrically connected to the wireless communication module, and a ground part is formed at the other end and is grounded to the ground; And And a bandwidth extension portion formed at least partially protruding from the conductive loop to extend a bandwidth of a radio wave transmitted and received by the conductive loop, The conductive loop may comprise: A first portion extending from the feeding portion; A third portion spaced from the first portion and extending from the ground; And And a second portion extending in a direction intersecting the directions in which the first portion and the third portion extend so as to physically connect the first portion and the third portion, Wherein the bandwidth extension portion extends asymmetrically at least partially along the second portion so as to protrude from the first portion and to approach the third portion so that a current due to the ground portion is electrically coupled to the ground portion, And is adjacent to the third portion but does not physically contact the third portion to limit the influence of the resonance of the conductive loop. The method according to claim 1, The wireless communication module and the ground are formed, and the circuit board is embedded in the main body. The method according to claim 1, And an antenna substrate on which the conductive loop and the bandwidth extension are formed. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the bandwidth extension portion is protruded into a space defined by the conductive loop and includes a high band extension portion for extending the bandwidth to a high frequency band. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the bandwidth extension portion is protruded out of the space defined by the conductive loop, and includes a low band extension portion for expanding the bandwidth to a low frequency band. A conductive loop which forms a loop-shaped conductive path, in which a power supply portion is formed at one end and a ground portion is formed at the other end; And And a bandwidth extension portion formed at least partially protruding from the conductive loop to extend a bandwidth of a radio wave transmitted and received by the conductive loop, The conductive loop may comprise: A first portion extending from the feeding portion; A third portion spaced from the first portion and extending from the ground; And And a second portion extending in a direction intersecting the directions in which the first portion and the third portion extend so as to physically connect the first portion and the third portion, Wherein the bandwidth extension portion extends asymmetrically at least partially along the second portion so as to protrude from the first portion and to approach the third portion so that a current due to the ground portion is electrically coupled to the ground portion, And does not physically contact the third portion but adjacent to the third portion to limit the effect on the resonance of the conductive loop.

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