KR20090022470A - Portable terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable terminal capable of reducing length of internal antenna is provided to reduce length of an antenna pattern by arranging an inductor element in a center of the antenna pattern. A portable terminal comprises a circuit board and an antenna device(220). The antenna device is connected to the circuit board, and includes a first antenna radiator(221), a second antenna radiator(222), an inductor element(230), and a substrate(280). The first antenna radiator includes a feeding part(225, 226). The feeding part is connected to the circuit board. The second antenna radiator is separated from the first antenna radiator. The inductor element is arranged between the first antenna radiator and the second antenna radiator, connects the first antenna radiator to the second antenna radiator, and is mounted on the substrate. A contact pad(281, 282) is formed on the substrate. The first antenna radiator and the second antenna radiator are contacted in the contact pad.

Description

Mobile terminal {PORTABLE TERMINAL}

The present invention relates to a portable terminal having a built-in antenna which is built in the terminal.

A portable terminal is a portable device that is portable and has one or more functions such as voice and video calling, information input and output, and data storage.

As the functions are diversified, the portable terminal may have complicated functions such as photographing a picture or video, playing a music or video file, receiving a game, or receiving a broadcast. These features can be integrated at once to create a comprehensive multimedia player.

In order to implement complex functions, various new attempts have been applied to portable terminals in terms of hardware or software. In addition, a user interface environment is provided for a user to search for or select a function easily and conveniently.

One aspect of the development of information and communication technology includes a dramatic increase in the amount of data that can be transmitted and received wirelessly and the transmission speed. To do this, the antenna needs to receive a large amount of wireless data in a clean quality while moving.

The antenna used for wireless communication has been developed external antenna (external antenna) first exposed to the outside of the terminal, but it may hinder the aesthetics and be easily damaged by external shocks, so it is installed inside the terminal It is being replaced by an internal antenna (also referred to as an internal antenna or intenna), which is not seen in the form.

However, as the antenna is mounted inside the terminal body, the built-in antenna is susceptible to other components, conductors or human body, but it is difficult to implement the desired wireless quality. In particular, when the mobile communication terminal becomes slimmer, the range of placement and selection that antenna designers can take becomes narrower.

An object of the present invention is to reduce the volume of the antenna by reducing the length of the antenna embedded in a mobile terminal with a lot of space constraints.

Another object of the present invention is to propose a portable terminal which is easy to manufacture and mount such an antenna. In addition, the present invention seeks to provide good wireless performance even through reduced antenna lengths.

In order to realize the above object, a first antenna radiator including a feeder connected to a circuit board, a second antenna radiator arranged to be spaced apart from the first antenna radiator, and between the first antenna radiator and the second antenna radiator. Disclosed is an antenna device including an inductor element disposed to connect a first antenna radiator to a second antenna radiator. The inductor element can compensate for the length of the antenna even in a small form, effectively reducing the length of the traditional antenna. In particular, the inductor in the element form is easy to mount, thereby facilitating the manufacture of the antenna device.

The inductor element can be mounted directly on the main circuit board or on a separate board from the separate main circuit board. In this case, contact pads for contacting the first antenna radiator and the second antenna radiator may be formed at both ends of the inductor element mounted on the main circuit board or a separate substrate. In addition, the inductor element may be implemented in a form in which the inductor is directly mounted on a carrier supporting the antenna radiator.

Each of the first antenna radiator and the second antenna radiator has a connection portion formed in a spring shape that is conductive so as to be elastically contacted with the contact pad. can do.

The antenna device may include a carrier supporting the first antenna radiator and the second antenna radiator on the circuit board. In this case, a through hole may be formed in the carrier to arrange the inductor element, and the inductor element is disposed under the through hole.

The inductor device is preferably produced by an automated manufacturing process by surface mounting (SMT) on the circuit board. That is, since the inductor element is disposed at a stage in which other components are mounted on a circuit board or the like, it is possible to save time or cost for a separate arrangement.

The feed part connected to the first antenna radiator may include a signal feed part and a ground feed part shorted to the ground surface, and the signal feed part and the ground feed part may be formed in a spring shape having conductivity to maintain a stable connection state. have.

According to the antenna assembly and the portable terminal having the same according to the present invention configured as described above, since the inductor in the form of a small element is disposed in the middle of the traditional antenna pattern of one form can significantly reduce the length of the antenna pattern Will be. In particular, since the inductor element is easily mounted on an object such as a circuit board, a cost increase is prevented when the antenna is manufactured or assembled.

Since the volume of the antenna device can be reduced by the reduced length of the antenna radiator, it is not only easy to create a space for disposing other peripheral components in the portable terminal, but also advantageous for implementing a small and slim portable terminal.

Hereinafter, a portable terminal according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of an antenna device of a mobile terminal according to the present invention. The antenna device 20 disclosed in FIG. 1 has a size and shape condition that can be mounted inside a portable terminal for mobile communication. The antenna device 20 is disposed on one side of the circuit board 10 that provides the ground plane 11, and the ground plane 11 near the area where the antenna device 20 is mounted in order to prevent degradation of radio performance. Is excluded. 1 illustrates an example in which the circuit board 10 has a size to which the antenna device 20 can be placed. However, the antenna device 20 may be formed in such a manner that only a part of the circuit board 10 is placed on the circuit board 10. It may also be disposed separately from the circuit board 10. In this case, a connection means of the antenna device 20 may be necessary.

The antenna device 20 includes a first antenna radiator 21, a second antenna radiator 22, and an inductor element 30, and the first and second antenna radiators 21 and 22 and an inductor. The device 30 is mounted on and supported by a dielectric carrier 40. An end portion of the first antenna radiator 21 is connected to a feed section 25 for feeding the circuit board 10. The first and second antenna radiators 21 and 22 may be disposed along the top or side surfaces of the carrier 40.

The carrier 40 is for maintaining a stable connection state of the antenna radiators 21 and 22, but may have a complicated shape in consideration of arrangement with other components inside the portable terminal. The carrier 40 supports the first antenna radiator 21 and the second antenna radiator 22 while not affecting the radiation characteristics of the first antenna radiator 21 and the second antenna radiator 22. Or it is formed of a material such as ceramic (ceramics). The dielectric constant? _R of the carrier 40 may be set higher than air to increase the resonance bandwidth by increasing the capacitance component between the first antenna radiator 21 and the ground plane 11.

The first antenna radiator 21 and the second antenna radiator 22 are combined with the inductor element 30 to form a length and a pattern that can be operated in a specific wireless mobile communication band. To this end, the first antenna radiator 21 and the second antenna radiator 22 are electrically connected to the inductor element 30. The sum of the length of the first antenna radiator 21 and the length of the second antenna radiator 22 is less than the length of a conventional antenna radiator without the inductor element 30. That is, the antenna radiators 21 and 22 of the present example are different from the conventional antenna radiators which are integrally connected to each other in that the middle part of the pattern is cut off and the broken part is inserted and connected to the inductor element. In the process, the length of the overall antenna radiator was reduced.

The mobile communication band operated by the combination of the first antenna radiator 21, the second antenna radiator 22, and the inductor element 30 may be variously set. For example, in the region to be used among service bands such as GSM850, EGSM900, GSM900, 3G UMTS (Band 8), DCS / GSM1800, 3G UMTS (Band 4), PCS / GSM1900 and 3G UMTS (Band1) based on the center frequency. It may be adapted to the provided wireless mobile communication service environment. The first antenna radiator 21, the second antenna radiator 22, and the inductor element 30 have a position and a pattern that can satisfy the channel and transmission (Tx) and reception (Rx) conditions of the serviced band. It can be provided.

2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a coupling state of an inductor element in the antenna device of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2, the inductor element 30 is welded by solder 35 to the broken ends of the first antenna radiator 21 and the second antenna radiator 22, which are patterned and mounted on the carrier 40, respectively. It is fixed in a state. The inductor element 30 has a form in which a coil 33 is wound between both leads 31 and 32.

In particular, the inductor element 30 may be sized to be mounted on a surface of an end portion of the first antenna radiator 21 and an end portion of the second antenna radiator 22 in a land form. It can be formed as. Thus, the inductor element 30 is assembled at one time, which is advantageous for intensive production.

3 is a perspective view showing another example of the antenna device related to the present invention, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the antenna device of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device of FIG. 3.

As shown in these drawings, the through hole 141 is formed in the carrier 140 to separate the first antenna radiator 121 and the second antenna radiator 122. An inductor element 130 mounted on the circuit board 110 is disposed below the through hole 141.

In this embodiment, the inductor element 130 is mounted on the circuit board 110 instead of the carrier 140, while the first antenna radiator 121 and the second antenna radiator 122 are provided at both ends of the inductor element 130. It includes a configuration that can be connected to. Referring to FIG. 5, conductive ends of the first antenna radiator 121 and the second antenna radiator 122 may be in contact with contact pads 116 and 117 formed at both ends of the inductor element 130. Connection portions 127 and 128 in the form of springs are formed, respectively. When the antenna device 120 is assembled to the circuit board 110, when the carriers 140 on which the antenna radiators 121 and 122 are fixed are placed on the circuit board 110, the connection parts 127 and 128 are burnt on the contact pads 116 and 117. The first antenna radiator 121, the second antenna radiator 122, and the inductor element 130 are electrically connected to each other by sexual contact.

By such a configuration, since the position of the inductor element 130 is located on the circuit board 110 mounted inside the portable terminal, no separate soldering work is required when fabricating the antenna. The fixing operation of the inductor element 130 can be performed in the step of surface-mounting the other components on the circuit board 110 can be expected to facilitate the manufacture of the antenna. As a result, the antenna device 120 elastically contacts the contact pads 116 and 117 formed at both ends of the inductor element 130 in the same manner as the power supply pad 115 of the circuit board 110 for power feeding.

6 is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal related to the present invention; The portable terminal 200 includes a terminal body 201, and a case (casing, housing, cover, etc.) forming the exterior of the terminal body 201 is formed by the front case 202 and the rear case 203. . Various electronic components are embedded in the space formed by the front case 202 and the rear case 203.

At least one intermediate case may be further disposed between the front case 202 and the rear case 203. The cases may be formed by injecting synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

A display unit 253, a first sound output unit 251, a first image input unit 252, or a first manipulation unit 254 may be disposed in front of the front case 202.

The display unit 253 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) module, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) module, and the like that visually express information. The display unit 253 may further include a touch screen to enable input of information by a user's touch.

The first sound output unit 251 may be implemented in the form of a receiver or a speaker.

The first image input unit 252 may be implemented in the form of a camera module for capturing an image or a video of a user.

A second manipulator 258, a sound input unit 255, and an external interface 259 may be disposed on at least one side of the front case 202 or the rear case 203.

The first and second manipulators 254 and 258 may be collectively referred to as manipulating portions, and may be employed in any manner as long as the user is tactile in a tactile manner. For example, the operation unit may be implemented as a dome switch or a touch screen that can receive a command or information by a user's push or touch operation, a touch pad, a wheel that rotates keys, a jog method, or a method such as a joystick. It can also be implemented as. In functional terms, the first operator 254 may be configured to input a command such as a start, end, or scroll, and to input a number or letter, a symbol, and the like. The second manipulator 258 may operate as a hot-key that performs a special function such as activation of the first image input unit 252.

The sound input unit 255 may be implemented in the form of a microphone, for example, to receive a user's voice, other sounds, and the like.

The external interface 259 serves as a passage for allowing a portable terminal related to the present invention to exchange data with an external device. For example, the external interface 259 may be a connection terminal for connecting to the earphone by wire or wirelessly, or a port for short-range communication (for example, an infrared port (IrDA port), a Bluetooth port, a wireless LAN port). (wireless LAN port) etc.}. The external interface 259 may be a card socket for receiving an external card such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) or a user identity module (UIM), a memory card for storing information.

7 is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 6, a second image input unit 261 may be additionally mounted on the rear surface of the rear case 203. The second image input unit 261 may be a camera having a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the first image input unit 252 and having different pixels from the first image input unit 252. For example, the first image input unit 252 has a low pixel so that it is easy to photograph a user's face and transmit it to a counterpart in a video call, and the second image input unit 261 immediately photographs a general subject. It is preferable to have a high pixel because it is not transmitted in many cases.

The flash 262 and the mirror 263 are further disposed adjacent to the second image input unit 261. The flash 262 shines light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the second image input unit 261. The mirror unit 263 allows the user to see the user's face or the like when the user wants to photograph himself (self-photographing) using the second image input unit 261.

The second sound output unit 260 may be further disposed in the rear case 203. The second sound output unit 260 may implement a stereo function together with the first sound output unit 251 and may be used for a call in the speakerphone mode.

An antenna 256 for receiving a broadcast signal may be disposed on one side of the rear case 203 in addition to an antenna for a call or the like. The antenna 256 may be installed to be withdrawn from the terminal body 201.

On the rear case 203 side, a power supply unit 257 for supplying power to the portable terminal is mounted. The power supply unit 257 may be detachably coupled for charging, for example, as a rechargeable battery.

The mobile terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the bar type shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and can be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, and the like.

8 is an exploded perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG. 7 to show the antenna device according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 8, the terminal body 201 may be separated into a front case 202 and a rear case 203, and the antenna device 220 is disposed on one side of the main circuit board 10.

The antenna device 220 may be disposed at a corner so as to reduce electromagnetic interference by other components or conductors, and to reduce the influence of the user's hand or head. 8 shows an example in which the antenna device 220 is disposed in the upper corner of the terminal body 201.

The configuration of the antenna device 220 is similar to that described with reference to FIG. 3. However, the inductor element 230 is disposed on a separate substrate 280 from the main circuit board 210. That is, the antenna device 220 is disposed on one side of the main circuit board 210, and the inductor element 230 is mounted on a substrate 280 different from the main circuit board 210. The connecting portion 227 of the first antenna radiator 221 and the connecting portion 228 of the second antenna radiator 222 are in contact with contact pads 281 and 282 formed at both ends of the inductor element 230, respectively. Preferably, the connecting portion 227 of the first antenna radiator 221 and the connecting portion 228 of the second antenna radiator 222 are staggered to minimize the space required to be connected to the inductor element 230. Can be.

The main circuit board 210 and the substrate 280 are connected by a flexible printed circuit board or a cable 285.

The first antenna radiator 221 and the second antenna radiator 222 may be formed in the form of a conductive metal sheet or a plated or printed metal thin film on the carrier 240, and the first antenna radiator 221. And the mounting surface on which the second antenna radiator 222 is seated may achieve the same outer surface after the first antenna radiator 221 and the second antenna radiator 222 are seated, so that the first antenna radiator 221 or the second antenna The radiator 222 may be formed in a shape in which the stage is cut. The first antenna radiator 221 and the second antenna radiator 222 may not only be in close contact with the mounting surface, but may be disposed to proceed without being in contact with the carrier 240 in some sections.

The first antenna radiator 221, the second antenna radiator 222, and the inductor element 230 may be operated in one or more bands among various bands for mobile communication, for example, half wavelength (λ / 2). ) Or a quarter wavelength (λ / 4) or the like. In addition, the first antenna radiator 221 and the second antenna radiator 222 may additionally have a pattern for a stub or a higher band added perpendicular to the main strip.

The first antenna radiator 221 includes a signal feeding part 225 for feeding and a ground feeding part 226 shorted to ground. The signal feeder 225 and the ground feeder 226 may be adjusted relative to the carrier 240 to satisfy a desired resonance frequency and band.

The signal feed part 225 and the ground feed part 226 are formed in an elastic spring shape for accurate contact. In response, the signal feed part 225 and the ground feed part 226 are formed on the main circuit board 210. Feed pads 215 and 214 for contacting are provided, respectively. Therefore, when the antenna device 220 is assembled, the signal feeder 225 and the ground feeder 226 are elastically deformed and kept in contact with the feed pads 215 and 214, while the first antenna emitter ( The connecting portion 227 of the 221 and the connecting portion 228 of the second antenna radiator 222 elastically contact the contact pads 281 and 282 formed on the substrate 280, respectively. Accordingly, the first antenna radiator 221 and the second antenna radiator 222 are connected by the inductor element 230 disposed in the middle.

By such a configuration, the inductor element 230 may reduce the length of the antenna radiators 221 and 222, and may be easily mounted on an object to be mounted, that is, the main circuit board 210 or a separate substrate 280. Manufacturing can be simplified.

9 is a block diagram of a portable terminal related to the present invention.

An example of the present invention illustrated is a wireless communication module 271, an operation unit 254, 258, an image input unit 252, 261, an audio input unit 255, a display unit 253, an audio output unit 252, 261, an external interface ( 259, a broadcast receiving module 275, a memory 274, a power supply unit 257, and a controller 270.

The controller 270 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, perform related control and processing for voice calls, data communications, video calls, and the like. In addition, the controller 270 receives an input signal applied to the first manipulation unit 254 and outputs it to the display unit 253 or executes a corresponding function.

The wireless communication module 271 transmits / receives a radio signal with the mobile communication base station through the antenna device 220. For example, under the control of the controller 270, the transmitter 273 is responsible for transmitting and receiving voice data, text data, video data, and control data, and modulates and transmits a signal to be transmitted, and a receiver for demodulating the received signal. 272).

The image input units 252 and 261 process image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by an image sensor in a video call mode or a photographing mode. The processed image frame is converted into image data displayable on the display unit 253 and output to the display unit 253. The image frames processed by the image input units 252 and 261 are stored in the memory 274 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication module 271 under the control of the controller 270.

The sound input unit 255 receives an external sound signal by a microphone in a call mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, etc., and processes the external sound signal into electrical voice data. In the case of the call mode, the processed voice data is converted into a form transmittable to the mobile communication base station through the wireless communication module 271 and output to the wireless communication module. In the recording mode, the processed voice data is output to be stored in the memory 274. The sound input unit 255 may implement various noise removing algorithms for removing noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

The display unit 253 displays and outputs information processed by the portable terminal. For example, when the mobile terminal is in a call mode, the control unit 270 displays and outputs a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) related to the call. When the mobile terminal is in a video call mode or a photographing mode, the mobile terminal displays and outputs the captured image, UI, or GUI under the control of the controller 270. When the display unit 253 includes a touch screen, the display unit 253 is used as an input device in addition to the output device.

The sound output units 252 and 261 are provided to the sound data or the memory 274 received from the wireless communication module 271 under the control of the control unit 270 in the call signal reception, call mode or recording mode, voice recognition mode, and broadcast reception mode. The stored sound data is converted and output to the outside.

In addition, the sound output units 252 and 261 output sound signals related to a function (for example, a call signal reception sound and a message reception sound) performed in the portable terminal. The sound output units 251 and 260 include a speaker, a receiver, a buzzer, and the like.

The external interface 259 connects a wired / wireless headset, an external charger, a wired / wireless data port, a card socket (eg, a memory card, a SIM / UIM card), etc., to the mobile terminal in addition to the mobile terminal. It serves as an interface with external devices. The external interface 259 receives data or power from an external device and transmits the data to each component inside the mobile terminal or transmits the data inside the mobile terminal to the external device.

The memory 274 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 270, and provides a function for temporarily storing input / output data (for example, a phone book, a message, a still image, a video, etc.). It can also be done. This memory 274 generally includes concepts such as known hard disks, card type memory (eg SD or XD memory, etc.), flash memory, RAM, ROM, and the like.

The broadcast receiving module 275 receives a broadcast signal transmitted through a satellite or terrestrial wave, converts the broadcast signal into a broadcast data format that can be output to the sound output units 252 and 261 and the display unit 253, and outputs it to the control unit 270. In addition, the broadcast receiving module 275 receives additional data related to the broadcast (for example, an EPG (electric program guide), a channel list, etc.). The broadcast data and additional data converted by the broadcast receiving module 45 may be stored in the memory 274.

The power supply unit 257 receives the external power and the internal power by the control of the controller 270 to supply the power necessary for the operation of each component.

Hereinafter, the radio characteristics of the antenna device according to the present invention will be described.

FIG. 10 is a VSWR diagram of a conventional antenna device which is to be compared with the antenna device of FIG. 8 and does not include an inductor element on the pattern.

The antenna device shown in FIG. 10 illustrates a form operable in the GSM 850, GSM 900, PCS 1800, and PCS 1900 bands. That is, markers for measurement are 824.0 MHz (marker 1), which is a low channel when transmitting (TX) in the GSM 850 band, and 960.0 MHz (marker), which is a high channel when receiving (RX) in the GSM 900 band. 2) 1850.0 MHz (marker 4), which is a low channel when transmitting (TX) in the PCS 1800 band, and 1990.0 MHz (marker 5), which is a high channel when receiving (RX) in the PCS 1900 band. It is being formed at the location. In each case, the standing wave ratio (VSWR) is 1.000, 2.222, 1.185, and 1.455, respectively.

FIG. 11 is a VSWR diagram of the antenna device of FIG. 8. FIG. In this case, the inductor element 230 may be mounted between the first antenna radiator 221 and the second antenna radiator 222. The standing wave ratios (VSWR) measured at the respective markers are slightly changed to 2.521, 1.687, 1.399 and 1.423, respectively, but are much smaller than the comparison value of 3. That is, the antenna device 220 of FIG. 8 means that the antenna device 220 may operate well in four frequency bands in a state in which the inductor 230 is mounted. Further, it can be expected that other components become easier to arrange by the total length and volume of the antenna radiators 221 and 222, which are reduced by using the inductor element 30.

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

1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of an antenna device of a mobile terminal according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a coupling state of an inductor element of the antenna device of FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is a perspective view showing another example of an antenna device according to the present invention;

4 is an exploded perspective view of the antenna device of FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device of FIG.

6 is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal related to the present invention;

7 is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal of FIG.

8 is an exploded perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG. 7 to show an antenna device related to the present invention.

9 is a block diagram of a portable terminal related to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of a VSWR diagram of a conventional antenna device in which an inductor element is not included in a pattern for comparison with the antenna device of FIG. 8.

11 is a VSWR diagram of the antenna device of FIG.

Claims (8)

And a circuit board having a ground surface and an antenna device connected to the circuit board, wherein the antenna device includes: A first antenna radiator including a feeding part connected to the circuit board; A second antenna radiator spaced apart from the first antenna radiator; And And a inductor element disposed between the first antenna radiator and the second antenna radiator to connect the first antenna radiator and the second antenna radiator. The method of claim 1, The antenna device further includes a substrate on which the inductor element is mounted, And a contact pad provided at both ends of the inductor element of the substrate to contact the first antenna radiator and the second antenna radiator. The method of claim 2, And the first antenna radiator and the second antenna radiator respectively have connecting portions formed in a spring shape having conductivity so as to be elastically contacted with the contact pads. The method of claim 1, The antenna device further includes a carrier for supporting the first antenna radiator and the second antenna radiator with respect to the circuit board, And the inductor element is disposed under a through hole formed in the carrier. The method of claim 1, And the inductor element is surface mounted on the circuit board. The method of claim 1, The power feeding unit includes a signal feeding unit and a ground feeding unit short-circuited to the ground surface. The method of claim 6, And the signal feed part and the ground feed part are formed in a spring shape having conductivity. The method of claim 4, wherein And the inductor element is mounted on the carrier.

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