KR101735370B1 - Antenna module and mobile device with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are an antenna module and a mobile terminal including the same. The antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment includes a stacked structure in which a first antenna, an isolation member, and a second antenna are stacked, wherein the isolation member is disposed between the first antenna and the second antenna to reduce interference between the first antenna and the second antenna. The first antenna and the second antenna have different frequency bands.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to an antenna module and a mobile terminal including the antenna module.

Embodiments of the invention relate to antenna technology.

In recent years, mobile terminals have various functions such as Near Field Communication (NFC), Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB), WiFi, and payment functions in addition to a simple call function. In order to perform various functions in the mobile terminal, a plurality of antennas must be provided. In this case, the radiation characteristics of the antennas are degraded due to interference between the antennas. Conventionally, efforts have been made to reduce the interference problem between the antennas by spacing the antennas at predetermined intervals in the mobile terminal, but the mobile terminal becomes bulky.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2012-0117970 (Oct. 25, 2012)

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0015197 (Feb. 23, 2013)

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide an antenna module capable of minimizing the volume occupied by a plurality of antennas in a mobile terminal and a mobile terminal including the antenna module.

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide an antenna module capable of reducing interference between a plurality of antennas and a mobile terminal including the antenna module.

An antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment is an antenna module including a laminated structure in which a first antenna, an isolation member, and a second antenna are stacked, wherein the isolation member is provided between the first antenna and the second antenna The interference between the first antenna and the second antenna is reduced, and the first antenna and the second antenna have different frequency bands.

The first antenna may be an NFC (Near Field Communication) antenna, and the second antenna may be an MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) antenna.

The antenna module may further include an electromagnetic wave shielding material having one side of the laminated structure facing the laminated structure and being stacked on the laminated structure.

The antenna module may further include a third antenna stacked on the other surface side of the electromagnetic wave shielding material.

The third antenna may be an antenna for wireless charging.

Wherein the isolation member comprises: a base member; And an isolation pattern formed on one surface of the base member and made of a conductive material.

Wherein the isolation member includes: a first connection pattern formed on one surface of the base member and spaced apart from the isolation pattern, the first connection pattern being electrically connected to the first antenna; And a second connection pattern formed on one surface of the base member and spaced apart from the isolation pattern and the first connection pattern, and electrically connected to the second antenna.

The antenna module may change at least one of a radiation beam pattern of the first antenna and a radiation beam pattern of the second antenna according to the shape of the isolation pattern.

The isolation member may have a size corresponding to the first antenna and the second antenna.

An antenna module according to another exemplary embodiment includes: an isolation member; A first antenna stacked on one surface of the isolation member; And a second antenna stacked on the other surface of the isolation member, wherein the isolation member reduces interference between the first antenna and the second antenna between the first antenna and the second antenna.

A mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment is a mobile terminal to which an antenna module including a laminated structure in which a first antenna, an isolation member, and a second antenna are stacked is mounted, wherein the isolation member includes a first antenna, 2 antennas to reduce interference between the first antenna and the second antenna, and the first antenna and the second antenna have different frequency bands.

The mobile terminal may be a wearable device worn by a user.

Wherein the first antenna is an antenna for a first payment means and the second antenna is an antenna for a second payment means and the antenna for the first payment means and the second payment means for the second payment means Any one of the antennas may be selectively used.

The mobile terminal may further include an electromagnetic wave shielding member having one side thereof stacked on the stacked structure facing the stacked structure.

The mobile terminal may further include a third antenna stacked on the other side of the electromagnetic wave shielding material for wireless charging of the mobile terminal.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, by stacking the second antenna, the isolation member, and the first antenna in this order, the volume of the antenna module can be reduced while reducing mutual interference between the first antenna and the second antenna. As a result, the size of the wireless communication device on which the antenna module is mounted can be reduced.

In addition, since the first antenna and the second antenna are stacked on one side of the electromagnetic wave shielding material, electromagnetic wave shielding effect can be obtained even if only one electromagnetic shielding material is used, thereby reducing the volume of the antenna module, Can be saved.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment;
2 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment;
3 is a perspective view illustrating an antenna module according to another exemplary embodiment;

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following detailed description is provided to provide a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatus, and / or systems described herein. However, this is merely an example and the present invention is not limited thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail. The following terms are defined in consideration of the functions of the present invention, and may be changed according to the intention or custom of the user, the operator, and the like. Therefore, the definition should be based on the contents throughout this specification. The terms used in the detailed description are intended only to describe embodiments of the invention and should in no way be limiting. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the singular form of a term includes plural forms of meaning. In this description, the expressions "comprising" or "comprising" are intended to indicate certain features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof, Should not be construed to preclude the presence or possibility of other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, portions or combinations thereof.

Also, the terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms may be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the antenna module 100 may include a first antenna 102, a second antenna 104, an isolation member 106, and an electromagnetic wave shielding material 108. In an exemplary embodiment, the antenna module 100 may be mounted within a wearable device, such as a Smart Watch. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the antenna module 100 may be mounted in a mobile terminal such as a smart phone, a mobile phone, a tablet, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a notebook computer, and the like, and various other electronic devices.

The first antenna 102 may include a first base member 102a and a first antenna pattern 102b. The first base member 102a serves to support the first antenna pattern 102b. The first base member 102a may be an insulating member having a predetermined thickness. The first antenna pattern 102b may be provided on one surface of the first base member 102a. The first antenna pattern 102b may be provided to transmit and receive signals in the first frequency band. The first antenna pattern 102b may be formed in a loop shape or a spiral shape, but is not limited thereto.

The first antenna 102 may be an antenna for a first short range wireless communication. In an exemplary embodiment, the first antenna 102 may be an NFC (Near Field Communication) antenna. For example, the first antenna 102 may be provided to transmit and receive signals in the 13.56 MHz band. The first antenna 102 can transmit the payment information to the payment terminal through the NFC communication when the wearable device (not shown) equipped with the antenna module 100 approaches the point of sale (POS). That is, the first antenna 102 can be used as a payment means through NFC communication.

Meanwhile, the first antenna 102 is not only used as a payment means through NFC communication, but can perform various functions (e.g., a pairing function between neighboring devices or a tag-reader function, etc.) through NFC communication have. When NFC communication is turned on in the wearable device (not shown), the first antenna 102 may periodically (or regularly) emit radiation.

The second antenna 104 may include a second base member 104a and a second antenna pattern 104b. The second base member 104a serves to support the second antenna pattern 104b. The second base member 104a may be an insulating member having a predetermined thickness. The second antenna pattern 104b may be provided on one surface of the second base member 104a. The second antenna pattern 104b may be configured to transmit and receive a signal in a second frequency band that is different from the first frequency band. In an exemplary embodiment, the second frequency band may be a frequency band lower than the first frequency band. The second antenna pattern 104b may be formed in a loop shape or a spiral shape, but is not limited thereto.

And the second antenna 104 may be an antenna for the second short-range wireless communication. In an exemplary embodiment, the second antenna 104 may be a MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) antenna. At this time, the second antenna 104 may be configured to transmit and receive signals in the 100 KHz band. The second antenna 104 can transmit the payment information to the payment terminal through the MST communication when the wearable device (not shown) equipped with the antenna module 100 is close to the point of sale (POS). That is, the second antenna 104 can be used as a payment means through MST communication. The second antenna 104 may have a size corresponding to that of the first antenna 102.

An NFC payment method through the first antenna 102 and an MST payment method through the second antenna 104 may be selectively used in the wearable device (not shown). That is, the wearable device (not shown) provides both the NFC settlement method and the MST settlement method, and can settle the payment using any one of the NFC settlement type and the MST settlement type according to the user's choice.

The isolation member 106 may be provided between the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104. The first antenna 102 may be positioned above the isolation member 106 and the second antenna 104 may be located below the isolation member 106. One surface (i.e., top surface) of the isolation member 106 contacts the bottom surface of the first antenna 102 and the other surface (i.e., bottom surface) of the isolation member 106 is connected to the second antenna 104. In this exemplary embodiment, As shown in FIG. That is, the second antenna 104, the isolation member 106, and the first antenna 102 may be stacked in this order. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the second antenna 104 may be disposed on the isolation member 106, and the first antenna 102 may be disposed on the lower portion of the isolation member 106.

The isolation member 106 serves to separate the radiation characteristics of the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104 between the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104. That is, the isolation member 106 serves to reduce mutual interference between the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104. For example, even if the MST settlement is made through the second antenna 104 in the state where the first antenna 102 performs NFC communication other than the settlement function, the isolation member 106 causes the first antenna 102 And the second antenna 104 are minimized, so that the respective functions can be normally performed.

The isolation member 106 may include a third base member 106a and an isolation pattern 106b. The third base member 106a serves to support the isolation pattern 106b. The third base member 106a may be an insulating member having a predetermined thickness. The isolation pattern 106b may be formed on one surface of the third base member 106a. The isolation pattern 106b may have a predetermined area on one surface of the third base member 106a. The isolation pattern 106b may be made of a conductive material (e.g., metal or the like).

The isolation member 106 may be sized to correspond to the size of the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104 to minimize mutual interference between the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104. [ have. That is, the area of the isolation pattern 106b in the isolation member 106 may be designed to cover the antenna patterns 102b and 104b of the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104 as much as possible. Here, the radiation beam pattern directions of the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104 can be changed according to the shape of the isolation pattern 106b. The shape of the isolation pattern 106b is changed so that the direction of the radiation beam pattern of the first antenna 102 and the direction of the radiation beam pattern of the second antenna 104 are different from each other, And the second antenna 104 may be further reduced.

In addition, the connection pattern 110 may be formed on the isolation member 106. The connection pattern 110 may be formed on one surface of the third base member 106a. For example, the connection pattern 110 may be formed on the same plane as the isolation pattern 106b, but is not limited thereto. The connection pattern 110 may include a first connection pattern 110-1 and a second connection pattern 110-2. The first connection pattern 110-1 and the second connection pattern 110-2 may be spaced apart from the isolation pattern 106b.

The first connection pattern 110-1 may be electrically connected to the first antenna pattern 102b. For example, the first connection pattern 110-1 and the first antenna pattern 102b may be electrically connected through a first via hole (not shown) passing through the first base member 102a. In addition, the first connection pattern 110-1 may be electrically connected to a main board or the like in a wearable device (not shown). That is, one end of the first connection pattern 110-1 is electrically connected to the first antenna pattern 102b, and the other end of the first connection pattern 110-1 is connected to the main board of the wearable device (not shown) And can be electrically connected.

The second connection pattern 110-2 may be spaced apart from the first connection pattern 110-1. The second connection pattern 110-2 may be electrically connected to the second antenna pattern 104b. For example, the second connection pattern 110-2 and the second antenna pattern 104b may be electrically connected through a second via hole (not shown) passing through the third base member 106a. Also, the second connection pattern 110-2 may be electrically connected to a main board or the like in a wearable device (not shown). One end of the second connection pattern 110-2 is electrically connected to the second antenna pattern 104b and the other end of the second connection pattern 110-2 is electrically connected to the main board of the wearable device And can be electrically connected.

In this way, the isolation member 106 not only serves to reduce the interference between the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104 between the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104, And electrically connects the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104 to the main board in the wearable device (not shown). In this case, since there is no need for a separate connecting member, the space utilization of the wearable device (not shown) can be increased.

The electromagnetic wave shielding material 108 may be provided under the second antenna 104. The electromagnetic wave shielding material 108 may be adhered to the lower surface of the second antenna 104. In this case, the antenna module 100 becomes a kind of stacked structure in which the electromagnetic wave shielding material 108, the second antenna 104, the isolation member 106, and the first antenna 102 are stacked in this order. The electromagnetic wave shielding member 108, the second antenna 104, the isolation member 106, and the first antenna 102 may be provided in the same or similar size, And the like.

The electromagnetic wave shielding material 108 shields electromagnetic waves generated from the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104. The electromagnetic wave shielding material 108 may be provided in a size corresponding to the size of the second antenna 104. The electromagnetic wave shielding material 108 may be a ferrite sheet or a metal magnetic thin plate sheet. For example, Mn-Zn ferrite, Ni-Zn-Cu ferrite, Mn-Mg ferrite and the like can be used as the ferrite powder. The ferrite powder is prepared by mixing a ferrite powder and a binder resin. The metal magnetic thin plate sheet may be one in which a ribbon or strip of a Fe-based magnetic alloy or a Co-based magnetic alloy is flaked and divided into a plurality of fine pieces (or a plurality of cracks are formed). As the Fe-based magnetic alloy, for example, an Fe-Si-B alloy or an Fe-Si-B-Co alloy can be used. Or a Co-Fe-Cr-Si-B alloy may be used, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, mutual interference between the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104 is achieved by stacking the second antenna 104, the isolation member 106, and the first antenna 102 in this order The volume of the antenna module 100 can be reduced. Thus, the wireless communication device on which the antenna module 100 is mounted can be downsized.

Also, since the first antenna 102 and the second antenna 104 are stacked on one side of the electromagnetic wave shielding material 108, electromagnetic wave shielding effect can be obtained even if only one electromagnetic wave shielding material is used, The manufacturing cost can be reduced while the volume of the antenna module 100 is reduced.

Table 1 compares the performance of the first antenna 102 (i.e., the NFC antenna) when the isolation member 106 is absent and the isolation member 106 is present, in the antenna module 100 according to the exemplary embodiment It is a table.

Card Mode (mm)
EMV (mm Volt) Type A Type B ACR Omm 10mm 20mm 0mm 10mm 20mm Isolation member 30 12.8 7.5 4.5 12.3 7.7 4.4 Isolation member oil 33 14.0 9.1 5.8 13.8 8.4 5.6

Referring to Table 1, the NFC (Near Field Communication) characteristic in the case where the isolation member 106 is not provided and the case where the isolation member 106 is present are divided into two items: card mode and Europay Mastercard Visa (EMV) Were measured.

Here, the card mode (Card Mode) measures the recognition distance (mm) when the first antenna 102 operates as a tag. At this time, ACR was used as a reader. In the case of the card mode, the recognition distance when the isolation member 106 is absent is 30 mm, whereas the recognition distance when the isolation member 106 is present is 33 mm.

The EMV (Europay Mastercard Visa) is intended to measure whether the EMV conforms to the EMV standard. It measures the magnetic strength (mmV) at a reference point (ie 0 mm), a distance of 10 mm from the reference point and a distance of 20 mm from the reference point Respectively. As shown in Table 1, it can be seen that the case where the isolating member 106 is provided has a larger magnetic intensity at all distances than the case where the isolating member 106 is not provided.

Table 2 compares the performance of the second antenna 104 (i.e., the MST antenna) when the isolation member 106 is absent and the isolation member 106 is present, in the antenna module 100 according to the exemplary embodiment It is a table.

division
MST test Z = 0 mm Z = 10 mm Z = 20 mm Test Point 7 49 30 Isolation member 5 32 18 Isolation member oil 6 37 22

In Table 2, seven test points with a distance of 0 mm from the MST reader terminal, 49 test points with a distance of 10 mm from the MST reader terminal, and 30 test points with a distance of 20 mm from the MST reader terminal, The number of cases in which there is no separator 106 and the number of separator 106 is measured. As can be seen from Table 2, it can be seen that the presence of the isolation member 106 results in a greater recognition number than if the isolation member 106 were not present.

3 is a perspective view illustrating an antenna module according to another exemplary embodiment.

3, the antenna module 200 may include a first antenna 202, a second antenna 204, an isolation member 206, an electromagnetic wave shielding material 208, and a third antenna 220 . Here, the first antenna 202, the second antenna 204, the isolation member 206, and the electromagnetic wave shielding material 208 are the same as or similar to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, .

The third antenna 220 may be provided under the electromagnetic wave shielding material 208. In this case, the antenna module 200 is a stacked structure in which the third antenna 220, the electromagnetic wave shielding material 208, the second antenna 204, the isolation member, and the first antenna 202 are stacked in this order. Here, the third antenna 220 may be an antenna for wirelessly charging a wireless communication device in which the antenna module 200 is mounted.

The third antenna 220 may be provided to satisfy a frequency band of a magnetic induction method (for example, Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) or Power Matrix Alliance (PMA)) among the wireless charging methods. For example, when the wireless charging method is WPC, the third antenna 220 may be provided to correspond to the 100 to 205 kHz band. When the wireless charging method is PMA, the third antenna 220 may be provided to correspond to the 277 to 357 kHz band or the 118 to 153 kHz band. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the third antenna 220 may be provided to satisfy the frequency band of various wireless charging methods (e.g., magnetic resonance method, magnetic induction method, etc.).

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, . Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments, but should be determined by equivalents to the appended claims, as well as the appended claims.

100, 200: Antenna module
102, 202: first antenna
104, 204: second antenna
106, 206: isolation member
108, 208: EMI shielding material
102a: a first base member
102b: first antenna pattern
104a: second base member
104b: second antenna pattern
106a: a third base member
106b: isolation pattern
110: connection pattern
110-1: First connection pattern
110-2: second connection pattern
220: Third antenna

Claims (15)

An antenna module comprising a laminated structure in which a first antenna, an isolation member, and a second antenna are stacked,
The isolation member may be provided between the first antenna and the second antenna to reduce interference between the first antenna and the second antenna,
Wherein the first antenna and the second antenna have different frequency bands,
Wherein the isolation member includes a base member and an isolation pattern formed on one surface of the base member and made of a conductive material and having a predetermined shape,
Wherein the shape of the isolation pattern is such that the radiation beam pattern of the first antenna and the radiation beam pattern of the second antenna are formed in different directions.
The method according to claim 1,
The first antenna is an NFC (Near Field Communication) antenna,
Wherein the second antenna is an MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) antenna.
The method according to claim 1,
The antenna module includes:
Further comprising an electromagnetic wave shielding member having one surface thereof laminated on the laminated structure facing the laminated structure.
The method of claim 3,
The antenna module includes:
And a third antenna stacked on the other surface side of the electromagnetic wave shielding material.
The method of claim 4,
And the third antenna is an antenna for wireless charging.
delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein:
A first connection pattern formed on one surface of the base member and spaced apart from the isolation pattern, the first connection pattern being electrically connected to the first antenna; And
And a second connection pattern formed on one surface of the base member and spaced apart from the isolation pattern and the first connection pattern, respectively, and electrically connected to the second antenna.
delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein:
Wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are sized to correspond to the first antenna and the second antenna.
Isolation member;
A first antenna stacked on one surface of the isolation member; And
And a second antenna stacked on the other surface of the isolation member,
Wherein the isolation member reduces interference between the first antenna and the second antenna between the first antenna and the second antenna,
Wherein the isolation member includes a base member and an isolation pattern formed on one surface of the base member and made of a conductive material and having a predetermined shape,
Wherein the shape of the isolation pattern is such that the radiation beam pattern of the first antenna and the radiation beam pattern of the second antenna are formed in different directions.
A mobile terminal to which an antenna module including a laminated structure in which a first antenna, an isolation member, and a second antenna are stacked is mounted,
The isolation member may be provided between the first antenna and the second antenna to reduce interference between the first antenna and the second antenna,
Wherein the first antenna and the second antenna have different frequency bands,
Wherein the isolation member includes a base member and an isolation pattern formed on one surface of the base member and made of a conductive material and having a predetermined shape,
Wherein the shape of the isolation pattern is such that the radiation beam pattern of the first antenna and the radiation beam pattern of the second antenna are formed in different directions.
The method of claim 11,
The mobile terminal comprises:
A wearable device that can be worn by a user.
The method of claim 11,
The first antenna is an antenna for a first payment means,
The second antenna is an antenna for a second payment means,
Wherein one of the antenna for the first payment means and the antenna for the second payment means is selectively used at the time of payment using the mobile terminal.
The method of claim 11,
The mobile terminal comprises:
Wherein the electromagnetic shielding material is laminated on one side of the laminated structure so as to face the laminated structure.
15. The method of claim 14,
The mobile terminal comprises:
And a third antenna stacked on the other side of the electromagnetic wave shielding material and for wireless charging of the mobile terminal.

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