KR20180078130A - Electronic device including antenna unit - Google Patents

Abstract

According to various embodiments of the present invention, an antenna unit comprises: a dielectric substrate; a dielectric cover arranged on an upper portion of the dielectric substrate; an antenna array including antenna elements arranged on the dielectric substrate, and forming a traveling wave propagated by the dielectric substrate and the dielectric cover; and at least one element of spatial matching which is arranged in a space formed in the dielectric substrate, spatially matches the dielectric cover, and is coupled to at least one of the antenna elements. The element of spatial matching may be formed to spatially match the antenna array and the dielectric cover and reduce reflection of traveling waves propagated from the antenna array to travel to the dielectric cover. Other embodiments of the present invention are possible.

Description

[0001] ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING ANTENNA UNIT [0002]

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to an electronic device, for example, an electronic device including an antenna unit.

The ever-increasing user demand is driving the rapid development of mobile communication technology. All recent electronic devices that can access the Internet are using 3G and 4G (LTE), and next generation communication standards are being developed to allow users to find the information they want on the Internet as quickly as possible.

The fifth generation (5G) network is a next generation communication network standard. The 5th generation standard operates at millimeter wave (mmWave), and the 5G signal length is much shorter than the 4G signal length.

An invention describing a mobile device and its antenna array is known from US 8760352 B2 (published October 4, 2005). The invention US8760352 B2 discloses a low-profile antenna having interleaved TX / RX antenna elements covering an end-fire (of the telephone plane) and a broadside direction (perpendicular to the telephone plane) Is made with LTCC technology. However, the above-described invention can not be realized in a mobile device having a metal case, because electromagnetic waves are distorted by the metal case.

Also known is US 3225351 (published Dec. 21, 1965) which discloses a vertical deflection microstrip antenna for a glide path system. This invention discloses a progressive wave antenna array for guiding an airplane to landing. However, the invention can not be implemented in mobile communication technology. The reason is that it can not work within a mobile device with a metal frame because it does not use the ability to scan space. In addition, the antenna of the present invention is not suitable for a mobile communication device because it provides a wavelength that is about two to three times larger than the configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In addition, invention US7595765 B1 (published September 29, 2009) which discloses an embedded surface wave antenna with improved frequency band and radiation parameters is known. The present invention proposes embedded surface acoustic wave antenna elements comprising different dielectric materials. The different dielectric materials are designed to be placed adjacent to the feed to avoid undesirable reflections at the antenna elements. As another alternative, the different dielectric materials can be arranged to vary the speed through the antenna element and thus form an antenna radiation pattern. The radiation pattern can be additionally controlled through ground plane contouring of the antenna element within the lens area of the antenna element. However, since the present invention can not scan a space and has a large scale, it has a disadvantage that it is difficult to implement in a mobile communication device field. Also, it is designed primarily for radiation in the broadside direction and can not be embedded in the metal housing of the mobile device.

In order to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art described above, an electronic device comprising an antenna unit according to various embodiments of the present invention is configured such that traveling waves are excited through the antenna to form a metal frame of the housing of the electronic device The dielectric substrate and the dielectric cover.

An electronic device including an antenna unit according to various embodiments of the present invention may be configured to operate in a direction corresponding to a direction in which traveling waves are directed toward a display plane of an electronic device (e.g., a communication device) (e.g., end-fire ) Direction).

According to various embodiments of the present invention, in the antenna unit,

A dielectric substrate;

A dielectric cover disposed on the dielectric substrate; And

An antenna array including antenna elements arranged on the dielectric substrate, the antenna array forming traveling waves propagating in the dielectric substrate and the dielectric cover; And

At least one spatial matching element disposed in a space formed inside the dielectric substrate for spatial matching with the dielectric cover and coupling with the at least one antenna element,

The spatial matching element may be formed to spatially match the antenna array with the dielectric cover and to reduce reflection of traveling waves propagating from the antenna array to the dielectric cover.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, in an electronic device capable of wireless communication,

A housing including a metal frame;

A dielectric substrate disposed within the housing and supporting operating units for the wireless communication;

A dielectric cover disposed on the dielectric substrate;

An antenna array including antenna elements arranged on the dielectric substrate, the antenna array forming traveling waves propagating in the dielectric substrate and the dielectric cover; And

At least one spatial matching element disposed in a space formed inside the dielectric substrate for spatial matching with the dielectric cover and coupling with the at least one antenna element,

The spatial matching element may be formed to spatially match the antenna array with the dielectric cover and to reduce reflection of traveling waves propagating from the antenna array to the dielectric cover.

An electronic device including an antenna unit according to various embodiments of the present invention can create antenna radiation directivity and increase the scanning range.

An electronic device including an antenna unit according to various embodiments of the present invention can improve the efficiency of a millimeter wave range antenna and reduce signal loss.

An electronic device including an antenna unit according to various embodiments of the present invention provides ease of use of the electronic device through a metal frame forming the housing and can improve communication performance.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a side view of an electronic device 100 including an antenna unit in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
2A is a top view of one side of an electronic device showing an antenna unit including the structure of an antenna array 230, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
2B is a cross-sectional view of one side of an electronic device showing a side view of an antenna unit including the structure of an antenna array 230, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view of one side of an electronic device 300 illustrating an antenna unit including a spatial matching element 340, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
4 is a cross-sectional view of one side of an electronic device 400 illustrating an antenna unit including a spatial matching element 440, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
5 is a side view illustrating the relationship of the components of an antenna unit and an equivalent electrical circuit, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
6 is a side view of geometric parameters of the antenna unit, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
7 is a side view illustrating the relationship of the components of an antenna unit and an equivalent electrical circuit, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
8 is a graph of antenna gain versus radial direction when an antenna is not matched to an outer space, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
9 is a graph of antenna gain versus radial direction when an antenna is matched to an outer space, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present document will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that this invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments described herein but includes various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments of this document . In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used for similar components.

In this document, the expressions "having," " having, "" comprising," or &Quot;, and does not exclude the presence of additional features.

In this document, the expressions "A or B," "at least one of A or / and B," or "one or more of A and / or B," etc. may include all possible combinations of the listed items . For example, "A or B," "at least one of A and B," or "at least one of A or B" includes (1) at least one A, (2) Or (3) at least one A and at least one B all together.

As used herein, the terms "first," "second," "first," or "second," and the like may denote various components, regardless of their order and / or importance, But is used to distinguish it from other components and does not limit the components. For example, the first user equipment and the second user equipment may represent different user equipment, regardless of order or importance. For example, without departing from the scope of the rights described in this document, the first component can be named as the second component, and similarly the second component can also be named as the first component.

(Or functionally or communicatively) coupled with / to "another component (eg, a second component), or a component (eg, a second component) Quot; connected to ", it is to be understood that any such element may be directly connected to the other element or may be connected through another element (e.g., a third element). On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a component (e.g., a first component) is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component (e.g., a second component) It can be understood that there is no other component (e.g., a third component) between other components.

As used herein, the phrase " configured to " (or set) to be "configured according to circumstances may include, for example, having the capacity to, To be designed to, "" adapted to, "" made to, "or" capable of ". The term " configured to (or set up) "may not necessarily mean" specifically designed to "in hardware. Instead, in some situations, the expression "configured to" may mean that the device can "do " with other devices or components. For example, a processor configured (or configured) to perform the phrases "A, B, and C" may be implemented by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device or a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) , And a generic-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU or an application processor) capable of performing the corresponding operations.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the other embodiments. The singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The general predefined terms used in this document may be interpreted in the same or similar sense as the contextual meanings of the related art and, unless expressly defined in this document, include ideally or excessively formal meanings . In some cases, even the terms defined in this document can not be construed as excluding the embodiments of this document.

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present document may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet personal computer, a mobile phone, a video phone, an e-book reader, A desktop personal computer, a laptop personal computer, a netbook computer, a workstation, a server, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP) A medical device, a camera, or a wearable device. According to various embodiments, the wearable device may be of the accessory type (e.g., a watch, a ring, a bracelet, a bracelet, a necklace, a pair of glasses, a contact lens or a head-mounted-device (HMD) (E. G., Electronic apparel), a body attachment type (e. G., A skin pad or tattoo), or a bioimplantable type (e.g., implantable circuit).

In some embodiments, the electronic device may be a home appliance. Home appliances include, for example, televisions, digital video disc (DVD) players, audio, refrigerators, air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwaves, washing machines, air cleaners, set- Such as a home automation control panel, a security control panel, a TV box such as Samsung HomeSync ^TM , Apple TV ^TM or Google TV ^TM , a game console such as Xbox ^TM and PlayStation ^TM , , An electronic key, a camcorder, or an electronic frame.

In an alternative embodiment, the electronic device may be any of a variety of medical devices (e.g., various portable medical measurement devices such as a blood glucose meter, a heart rate meter, a blood pressure meter, or a body temperature meter), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) Navigation systems, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), event data recorders (EDRs), flight data recorders (FDRs), infotainment (infotainment) systems, ) Automotive electronic equipment (eg marine navigation systems, gyro compass, etc.), avionics, security devices, head units for vehicles, industrial or home robots, automatic teller's machines (ATMs) Point of sale, or internet of things (eg, light bulbs, various sensors, electrical or gas meters, sprinkler devices, fire alarms, thermostats, street lights, Of the emitter (toaster), exercise equipment, hot water tank, a heater, boiler, etc.) may include at least one.

According to some embodiments, the electronic device is a piece of furniture or a part of a building / structure, an electronic board, an electronic signature receiving device, a projector, Water, electricity, gas, or radio wave measuring instruments, etc.). In various embodiments, the electronic device may be a combination of one or more of the various devices described above. An electronic device according to some embodiments may be a flexible electronic device. Further, the electronic device according to the embodiment of the present document is not limited to the above-described devices, and may include a new electronic device according to technological advancement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An electronic apparatus according to various embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this document, the term user may refer to a person using an electronic device or a device using an electronic device (e.g., an artificial intelligence electronic device).

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a side view of an electronic device 100 including an antenna unit in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the electronic device 100 including the antenna unit may be a communication device capable of wireless communication. The electronic device 100 may include a housing 110 and an antenna unit (not shown).

According to various embodiments, the housing 110 may include a metal frame, the antenna unit is disposed within the housing 110, and the desired signal of the antenna array of the electronic device 100 May provide operation in accordance with 5G, 60Ghz, WiGig standards and / or the like, as it provides coverage in the direction of propagation.

In the structure according to various embodiments of the present invention, the broad side of the electronic device 100 is oriented perpendicular to the plane of the electronic device (e.g., communication device) The direction may be a direction parallel to the display plane of the electronic device.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the main configuration of the antenna unit of the electronic device 100 includes an antenna array and a dielectric cover that includes a plurality of antenna elements and forms traveling waves, and a plurality of elements Lt; / RTI > The plurality of elements are disposed on an edge of the progressive wave antenna array and can be coupled with the antenna elements. The spatial matching element may convert and redirect the radiation into a free space in a given direction.

According to various embodiments, the antenna element may be disposed adjacent to the spatial matching element. For example, the spatial matching element may engage the antenna element to contact the antenna element. As another example, the antenna element and the spatial matching element can be formed in a substrate in a single manufacturing process, and the spatial matching element can be a waveguide region required to form antenna radiation in a predetermined direction. As another example, the antenna element and the spatial matching element may be formed in a printed circuit board of a telecommunication device in a single manufacturing process of the printed circuit board.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 100 enables efficient use of millimeter wave (mmWave) antennas embedded in communication devices and other communication devices having metal housings or metal housing frames.

An electronic communication device capable of wireless communication and having the antenna unit according to various embodiments includes a mobile phone, a tablet computer capable of performing wireless communication, a laptop, an ultrabook, a PDA, and a display device having wireless communication capability, or And may be any mobile communication device having a function and a display employing an antenna array within the communication electronics housing.

According to various embodiments, the antenna unit may be embedded in a communication unit of the communication electronics. For example, the communication unit of the communication electronics may include a radiation source, a power supply, a data output, a user input, and other units needed to implement the object. The radiation source may include data converters for transmitting and receiving user input signals and for converting the data received from the user into signals suitable for transmission to an appropriate receiving device. The data output unit may include, for example, a display and a loudspeaker showing data required for communication to the user. The user input may include a microphone, a keyboard, a display, and any other unit suitable for receiving data from a data direction to a user and a communication unit. The power supply unit may supply power for operation of the above-described units.

With the use of progressive wave antennas, according to various embodiments, the radio waves can wrap around the metal housing of the communication electronics and thereby provide radiation in the end-fire direction. As yet another example, the communication electronics may be implemented with the exception of any discrete regions or arrangements of ports in the metal housing that may deteriorate the integrity of the housing.

2A is a top view of one side 200 of an electronic device showing an antenna unit including a structure of an antenna array 230, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. 2B is a cross-sectional view of one side of an electronic device 200 illustrating a side view of an antenna unit including the structure of an antenna array 230, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the electronic device 200 may include a housing 201 and an antenna unit. The housing 201 may be made of a metal material. The antenna unit includes a dielectric substrate 210, a dielectric cover 220 disposed on the dielectric substrate 210, an antenna array 230 including at least one antenna element 231, And an element of spatial matching 240 disposed in a space formed in the substrate.

According to various embodiments, the dielectric substrate 210 may be, for example, a printed circuit board, and the dielectric substrate 210 may include operational units for performing wireless communication of the electronic device 200 .

According to various embodiments, the dielectric cover 220 may be disposed in an edge region of the antenna array 230 and may be coupled to at least one antenna element 231. The dielectric material of the dielectric cover 220 may be, for example, a display of the electronic device 200 and may include a dielectric waveguide covering the antenna array 230, As shown in FIG. The dielectric waveguide may function as traveling wave emitters.

According to various embodiments, the dielectric cover 220 may be higher than the material forming the dielectric substrate 210 that supports the antenna elements 231 and spatial matching elements (e.g., a spatial converter) And may provide a structure for decelerating the electromagnetic waves excited by the antenna array 230. [ Thus, when the dielectric cover 220 is satisfied with the conditions for the cover (e.g., the parameters of the permittivity and height of the cover) defined as a dielectric waveguide, the excited electromagnetic waves are transmitted through the dielectric cover 220, Can be successfully directed in the end-fire direction through the structure of FIG. 5A and can reduce radiation directed in the broadside direction.

According to various embodiments, the antenna array 230 includes a plurality of antenna elements 231 arranged on the dielectric substrate 210, and a plurality of antenna elements 231 arranged on the dielectric substrate 210 and the dielectric cover 220, Thereby forming a traveling wave. The antenna element 231 includes a feed line 2311 (for example, coaxial feeding) electrically connected to a power supply unit and an antenna 2311 extending from the feed line 2311 and radiating a traveling wave A patch 2312 may be included.

According to various embodiments, the antenna elements 231 may be disposed adjacent to the spatial matching element 240. For example, the spatial matching element 240 may contact the antenna elements 231 or may be coupled to at least a portion of the antenna elements 231. As another example, the antenna elements 231 may be microstrip antenna elements. As described above, the antenna elements 231 and the spatial matching element 240 may be formed in a substrate in a single manufacturing process, and the spatial matching element 240 may include a waveguide (not shown) Area can be provided. As another example, the antenna elements 231 and the spatial matching element 240 may be formed in a printed circuit board of a telecommunication device in a single manufacturing process of the printed circuit board.

According to various embodiments, the spatial matching element 240 may be spatially matched to the dielectric cover 220 and coupled with the at least one antenna element 231. The spatial matching element 240 is a dielectric waveguide region required to form antenna radiation in a predetermined direction together with the antenna elements 231 and may be formed in the dielectric substrate 210 through a single manufacturing process. have. For example, the spatial matching element 240 and the antenna elements 231 may be formed on a printed circuit board of an electronic device in a single manufacturing process of the printed circuit board.

According to various embodiments, the spatial matching elements 240 may be formed in a plurality of, and may be disposed adjacent to each other. The elements of each of the spatial matching elements 240 may be matched to correspond to each of the antenna elements 231.

In accordance with various embodiments, each of the elements of the spatial matching elements 240 may be arranged such that at least some of the areas are in contact with each other to provide a matching area. For example, each of the elements of the spatial matching elements 240 may be combined so as not to be partitioned (e.g., coupled such that no wall is formed between each matching element) A space matching portion can be formed. Each of the elements of each of the spatial matching elements 240 may be individually coupled with the antenna elements 231 to emit electromagnetic waves. The spatial matching unit forming the one common region can redirect the antenna radiation in a predetermined direction without distortion.

In accordance with various embodiments, the spatial matching element 240 may spatially match the antenna array 230 together with the dielectric cover 220 and may be propagated from the antenna array 230 to the dielectric cover 220 It is possible to reduce the reflection of traveling waves. For example, a spatial matching element 240 that space-matches a dielectric cover 220 (e.g., a display) and a radiation space (e.g., an electronics external free space) and an antenna array 230 And may operate as an electromagnetic wave space converter that couples with the antenna element 231.

According to various embodiments, the spatial matching element 240 may be configured to have a trapezoidal shape (e.g., a trapezoidal shape) for best matching with the dielectric cover 220 (e.g., the display and metal housing) and the microstrip antenna element 231. [ ). ≪ / RTI > However, the shape of the spatial matching element 240 is not limited to the trapezoidal shape, but may be designed to have any other geometric shape such that the spatial matching is appropriately performed, such as a gradual expansion of a part of the area. For example, the spacial matching elements 240 of the lenticular shape and / or other geometric shapes may be implemented by milling of the dielectric substrate 210, molding of the dielectric substrate, . As another example, the spatial matching element 240 may be designed to be filled with a dielectric material after a recess or cavity is formed inside the substrate to be formed to match space with the dielectric cover 220 have.

In order to form a spatial matching element 240 that spatially matches the dielectric cover 220 according to various embodiments, the recess is provided in a metallization layer and the interior of the recess is filled with dielectric, The substrate 210 can be formed. As another example, the spatial matching element 240 may be implemented by forming a recess or cavity in a metal-free printed circuit board and metallizing the surface thereof.

According to various embodiments, the metal-space matching element 240 may be a dielectric-filled recess that matches the dielectric cover 220, and a metallized cover may be disposed on the dielectric-filled recess surface.

3 is a cross-sectional view of one side of an electronic device 300 illustrating an antenna unit including a spatial matching element 340, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the electronic device 300 may include a housing 301 and an antenna unit. The housing 301 may be made of a metal material. The antenna unit includes a dielectric substrate 310, a dielectric cover 320 disposed over the dielectric substrate 310, and an antenna array (e.g., the antenna array of FIG. 2 230 and an element of spatial matching 340 disposed in the space formed inside the dielectric substrate.

According to various embodiments, the antenna unit may further include a metal frame 350 capable of wireless communication and configured such that the wavelengths propagated in the dielectric cover 320 match the radiation space .

According to various embodiments, the cross section of the metal spatial matching element 340 has a trapezoidal shape and may include a first portion A, a second portion B, and a third portion C. [ The first portion A is configured to match the antenna element 331 of the antenna array having a traveling wave transmission path so that a minimum normal wave minimum standing-wave ratio). For example, the radiation can be propagated from the antenna element 331 of the antenna array to the dielectric cover 320 through the conversion of another radiation line in one radiation line of the radiation lines. The second portion B may be a dielectric waveguide. The third portion C may be configured to provide minimum reflections from the boundary of the dielectric cover 320 and the spatial matching element 340.

4 is a cross-sectional view of one side of an electronic device 400 illustrating an antenna unit including a spatial matching element 440, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the electronic device 400 may include a housing 401 and an antenna unit. The housing 401 may be made of a metal material. The antenna unit includes a dielectric substrate 410, a dielectric cover 420 disposed on the dielectric substrate 410, an antenna array 430 including at least one antenna element 431, and a space formed inside the dielectric substrate 410. [ And an element of spatial matching arranged in the spatial domain. The dielectric substrate 410 may have a plurality of layers and may include a plurality of metal coating layers 411 and a plurality of dielectric layers 413 disposed between the metal coating layers 411.

The metallization of the surface of the recess or cavity forming the spatial matching element 440, according to various embodiments, is not an essential configuration and may be configured in other possible embodiments, such as a metal-free spatial matching element 440 .

A spatial matching element 440 that matches an antenna array 430 and a dielectric cover (e.g., a display), according to various embodiments, is formed within the multi-layer printed circuit board 410 of the electronic device 400 . For example, the multilayer printed circuit board 410 may be manufactured by sequentially laminating a plurality of dielectric layers 413 including a metal coating layer 411 according to a known manufacturing technique to form an electronic device 400 (for example, The antenna elements 431 and the spatial matching elements 440 of the antenna array can be formed inside and / or adjacent to the multi-layer printed circuit board 410 have.

Matching the dielectric cover 420 such as the display and the spacial matching element 440 in accordance with various embodiments along the cross section of the spatial matching element 440 may be formed on the dielectric layer 413 of the printed circuit board And the metal coating layers 411 may be formed inside the multi-layer printed circuit board 410 by sizing and manufacturing. As another example, the metallized via-holes 415 disposed between adjacent layers of the metal coating layer 411 may form a passage of waves between the layers of the printed circuit board 410 ).

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 400 including the antenna unit and the antenna unit may have the following advantages.

- It is possible to provide a high gain antenna.

- an improvement in scanning in the end-fire direction within a +/- 50 degree range, the extension of the scanning area being provided by a dielectric cover (not shown) for the radio waves excited by the antenna element 431 420). ≪ / RTI >

The characteristics of the antenna according to various embodiments can improve the directivity of the traveling wave antenna according to the end-fire direction by supporting surface waves, and the electromagnetic wave propagated from the dielectric cover 420 Beam scanning can be improved in the endfire plane without missing scanning losses.

According to various embodiments, the metal frame 450 of the housing of the electronic device 400 may be used to match the antenna unit with the radiation space. For example, the use of a traveling wave may allow radiation to wrap around the metal frame 450 and provide effective propagation in an end-fire direction.

The phases of the antenna elements 431 of the antenna array, in accordance with various embodiments, may be implemented using considerations such as forming a flat phase front in the desired radial direction and forming a maximum of the radiation pattern As shown in FIG. The antenna directionality (e.g., directivity) can be provided by maintaining the required phase relationship between the components of the antenna unit and the surface wave forming conditions.

5 is a side view illustrating the relationship of the components of an antenna unit and an equivalent electrical circuit, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. 6 is a side view of geometric parameters of the antenna unit, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

5 and 6, the electronic device 500 may include a housing 501 and an antenna unit. The housing 501 may be made of a metal material. The antenna unit includes a dielectric substrate 510, a dielectric cover 520, an antenna array 530 including at least one antenna element 530, and a spatial matching element 540 element of spatial matching. Hereinafter, the relationship between the components of the proposed antenna unit and the equivalent electric circuit and the manner of operation will be described.

According to various embodiments, the antenna unit may include a dielectric substrate 510, for example, a printed circuit board that receives an array of traveling wave microstrip antenna elements 530 that are excited by strip lines formed in a printed circuit board . Each stripline antenna element 530 of the antenna array may excite traving waves propagating within the spatial matching element 540. For example, the spatial matching element 540 may be a spatial converter and may be disposed between the dielectric substrate 510 and the dielectric cover 520 (e.g., a display) have. The propagated traveling waves can be radiated toward the base station as radiation enveloping the metal frame of the housing 501. [

According to various embodiments, the spatial matching element 540 (e.g., a spatial converter) may be configured in three parts. For example, the spatial matching element 540 may include a first portion A, a second portion B, and a third portion C, wherein the first portion A includes a strip- (531) may be matched with the transmission path composed of the dielectric cover (520) and the dielectric substrate (510). The second portion B may be a dielectric waveguide as a permanent portion of the space converter and the third portion C may match the antenna with the dielectric cover 520 and the external radiation space.

All parameters of the first portion A of the spatial matching element 540 according to various embodiments may include a minimum standing-wave of the specific elementary emitters used in the antenna array 530 ratio (SWR).

6, the height Htr of the first portion A of the spatial matching element 540 can generally be determined by a high standard ratio of microstrip emitters, for example, And may be 1/2 wavelength (? / 4? / 2) at 1/4 wavelength.

The second portion B corresponds to a portion of the waveguide structure of the spatial matching element 540, and the length of the second portion B may generally be about lambda / 4 wavelength (1/4 lambda) or more. As another example, the longer the length, the more the antenna unit can have directionality.

The parameters of the third portion C may be determined by an equivalent circuit (equivalent circuit 550 of FIG. 5) to ensure minimal reflection on the boundary of the waveguide structures. The shape of the third portion C may be implemented to provide a gentle output of electromagnetic waves. The frame 501 of substantially electronic devices (e.g., a communications device) is comprised of metal, and when a structure, such as a metal frame of the housing, The parameters of portion C can be computed based on the equivalent circuit 550 shown in FIG.

A progressive wave antenna having a wavelength propagating in a dielectric forming the spatial matching element 540, according to various embodiments, may have a large reactive component of the output resistance, Can coincide with the radiation space. Metal elements such as the metal frame of the housing on the end of the dielectric can be used to provide effective compensation for the ineffective component of the output impedance and directional radiation directed to the external radiation space. For example, a step formed on a metal object may provide matching reactivity.

According to various embodiments, the thickness of the frame 501 of the metal housing may no longer have an effect if the step has a value greater than lambda / 8 in air. As another example, this step can be considered for optimization analysis if the parameter can be varied by the manufacturer to have a value equal to or smaller than lambda / 8.

Referring again to FIG. 6, an equivalent traveling wave antenna circuit 550 may be used to determine the parameters of the metal elements. For example, the antenna element 530 (e.g., a microstrip emitter) of the antenna unit may be represented by a signal source 551 of the equivalent circuit 550, One area of the second portion B of the spatial matching element 540 (e.g., a spatial converter) of the antenna unit may be represented by the waveguide 552. As another example, one region of the third portion C of the spatial matching element 540 (e.g., a spatial converter) of the antenna unit may be represented by the transducer 553 of the equivalent circuit 550 The metal element of the antenna unit (for example, the metal frame 501) can be represented by the output matching impedance 554 of the equivalent circuit 550. The impedance Z0 555 of the equivalent circuit 550 may be the resistance of the external environment.

Referring again to FIG. 6, in the above structure, 'h2' denotes the height of the dielectric cover 520, 'htr' denotes the height of the space matching element 540 that is space-matched with the dielectric cover 520, Refers to the height of the metal frame of the electronic device with respect to the plane on which the antenna element 530 is located (generally corresponding to the dielectric substrate surface of the antenna).

Based on the approximate values of the parameters of the spatial matching element, the reactivity jb is determined and specific parameters (e.g., Ltr and dtr) are obtained, according to various embodiments, Can be used for optimization. The 'Ltr' is the length of the third portion C of the spatial matching element 540 and the 'dtr' is the distance from the third portion C of the spatial matching element 540 to the dielectric cover 520 Means the distance to the metal frame.

The result of the optimization process of the parameters of the antenna unit elements can minimize the reflection factor of the antenna elements and maximize the gain factor across the antenna array. The optimization algorithms can be utilized through a variety of known techniques.

According to various embodiments, the metal frame 501 may match an external space and an antenna with respect to a plane on which the antenna element 530 is located. The height hm of the metal frame 501 may coincide with the thickness of the dielectric cover 520 and may coincide with, for example, the display thickness. However, the thickness may be in a line that is not larger than λ _1/10 is larger or smaller than the thickness of the dielectric cover 520.

According to various embodiments, the materials constituting the dielectric cover 520 and the dielectric substrate 510 may have ratios according to different dielectric constants. For example, the dielectric cover 520 is the first to have a dielectric constant (ε ₁₎ and the dielectric substrate 510 can have a second dielectric constant (ε _2), the first dielectric constant (ε ₁₎ and the second 2 The permittivity (ε ₂ ) can be the same or different (ε ₁ > ε ₂ , ε ₁ <ε ₂ or ε ₁ = ε ₂ )

According to various embodiments, the dielectric cover 520 having the first permittivity? ₁ may comprise, for example, glass or other dielectric material. The dielectric cover 520 having the first permittivity? ₁ may have a higher permittivity than the dielectric substrate 510 having the second permittivity? ₂ accommodating the antenna element. The dielectric filled in the spatial matching element 540 that spatially matches the dielectric cover 520 may have the same dielectric constant as the dielectric substrate 510 (e.g., the second dielectric constant epsilon ₂ ).

By implementing the dielectric cover 520 having the decelerating effect through the above ratio, it is possible to maintain the electromagnetic waves traveling in the thickness of the dielectric cover 520 and to reduce the loss of the electromagnetic wave toward the broadside direction.

In order to provide an optimum process for guiding the wave in the dielectric cover 520 according to various embodiments, the height h of the space _tr matching element for matching the space between the dielectric cover about one-quarter wavelength (λ _2/4) , And L _tr + d _tr may be approximately equal to the effective wavelength? _eff . The wavelength λ ₁ is a wavelength in a dielectric which fills a dielectric cover having a dielectric constant ε ₁ and an element for space matching an antenna element (space converter). The wavelength λ ₂ is a dielectric cover having a dielectric constant ε ₂ and an element Space converter), and λ _eff is the wavelength in the dielectric volume with the permittivity ε _eff .

The permittivity epsilon _eff may be defined by Equation (1) as follows.

Referring to Equation (1) and Fig. 6, the permittivity epsilon _eff is a dielectric constant epsilon ₁ And &lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &_gt; e2 &lt; / RTI &gt; Here, the first dielectric (with ε ₁ ) is the dielectric cover of the display and the second dielectric (with ε ₂ ) is the dielectric that fills the recess of the spatial matching element that spatially matches the dielectric cover (eg, display) Material. The dielectric cover may be the same material as the dielectric material of the substrate.

E _eff is used to determine the effective wavelength? _Eff and can be used to determine the distance d _tr to the metal housing frame.

According to various embodiments, the dielectric cover has a permittivity? ₁ greater than the permittivity? ₂ of the dielectric substrate of the antenna, so that the dielectric cover retains electromagnetic surface waves in the dielectric, A delay layer can be formed.

The dielectric cover internal surface wave may be added to electromagnetic waves in a spatial matching element that spatially matches the dielectric cover, and may be emitted at the boundary of the dielectric cover.

According to various embodiments, an antenna space matching element incorporated into the dielectric cover can provide better signal propagation without excessive propagation loss.

The combination of the dielectric cover and the spatial matching antenna element can improve the directional characteristics in the end-fire direction of the proposed strip line antenna elements and increase the antenna gain. As another example, the combining can provide a scanning range wider than the radiation pattern on the azimuthal plane without loss occurring for an antenna array with fewer elements (e.g., four elements). For example, radiation directivity can be formed.

In accordance with various embodiments, when the electronic communication device does not have a metal frame or the metal frame is below the position of the antenna elements and the bottom surface of the display (> λ / 4 - λ / 2) For example, using matching stubs or the like. In embodiments having a device without a metal housing frame, the free space matching can be achieved due to the shape of the third portion C of the space matching element (e.g., a space converter) that spatially matches the dielectric cover .

The above embodiments can achieve the same desirable effects of ensuring the operation of the apparatus of the present invention and individually and collectively providing better communication of the base station and the communication device, as described above.

7 is a side view illustrating the relationship of the components of an antenna unit and an equivalent electrical circuit, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the electronic device 600 may include a housing 601 and an antenna unit. The housing 601 may be made of a metal material. The antenna unit includes a dielectric substrate 610, a dielectric cover 620, an antenna array 630 including at least one antenna element 630, and a spatial matching element 640 element of spatial matching.

The communication device implemented in accordance with various embodiments may have a housing with a rounded edge formed therein. For example, a dielectric cover (e.g., a display) with rounded boundaries. When the dielectric cover is made in a bent shape, the antenna element 630 and other configurations do not change its configuration compared to the dielectric cover (dielectric cover 520 of FIG. 5) described above, 1]. &Lt; / RTI &gt;

A dielectric covering in accordance with various embodiments 620 to provide an optimum process to guide the surface waves in the, height of the space matching elements to match the space between the dielectric cover _tr h is about one-quarter wavelength (λ _2/4) , And L _tr + d _tr may be approximately equal to the effective wavelength? _eff .

In accordance with various embodiments, an equivalent traveling wave antenna circuit 650 may be used to determine the parameters of the metal elements. For example, the antenna element 630 (e.g., a microstrip emitter) of the antenna unit may be represented by a signal source 651 of the equivalent circuit 650, One area of the second portion B of the spatial matching element 640 (e.g., a spatial converter) of the antenna unit can be represented by the waveguide 652. [ As another example, one region of the third portion C of the spatial matching element 640 (e.g., a spatial converter) of the antenna unit may be represented by the transducer 653 of the equivalent circuit 650 The metal element of the antenna unit (for example, the metal frame 601) can be represented by the output matching impedance 654 of the equivalent circuit 650. The impedance Z0 655 of the equivalent circuit 650 may be the resistance of the external environment.

Figure 8 is a graph of antenna gain (Y1) for the radial direction when the antenna is not matched to the outer space, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. 9 is a graph of antenna gain Y1 for the radial direction when the antenna is matched to the outer space, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

8 and 9, when the radiation direction is 0 degrees, it means the end fire direction of the electronic device, and when the radiation direction is +90 degrees, it means the broadside direction of the electronic device.

Through these constructions, in accordance with various embodiments, it can be seen that the antenna gain in the endfire direction increases relative to previous techniques. For example, it can be seen that the antenna gain in the endfire direction of FIG. 8 is about 4.5 dB, whereas the antenna gain in the endfire direction of FIG. 9 is about 8 dB. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the antenna gain in the endfire direction has nearly doubled compared to the prior art. As another example, it can be seen that in the structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, a scanning range of about +/- 50 degrees is provided.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, it can be seen that in the structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, the radiation in the 90-degree direction is minimized and the radiation in the 90-degree direction is maximized in the prior art.

Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those described above and those skilled in the art will be able to anticipate other embodiments based on the information contained herein and knowledge in the prior art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention will be. Elements referred to in the singular are not intended to exclude a plurality of elements unless otherwise specified.

The behavioral relationship of the elements should be understood as a relationship ensuring the correct interactions of these elements with respect to each other and the functional implementation of the elements. Specific examples of the functional relationship may relate to a relationship with a data exchange means, a relationship with a plurality of current transmission means, a relationship with a mechanical movement means, and a transmission means such as light, sound, electromagnetic or mechanical vibration. The particular type of functional relationship is determined by the interaction of the elements and is provided by well known means using principles well known in the art unless otherwise stated.

The various embodiments according to the present invention are not intended to describe any particular software and hardware for implementing the blocks of the drawings, and those skilled in the art will recognize that the nature of the invention is not limited to any particular hardware or software implementation, It will be appreciated that hardware or software means may be used to implement the invention. Thus, the hardware may include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), DSP devices, programmable logic devices, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, Microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic modules configured to perform the operations described herein, a computer, or a combination thereof.

It is to be understood that the embodiments disclosed in the various portions of the specification and detailed description of the various dependent claims may be combined to obtain a desired effect, even if such possibility is not explicitly disclosed. The numerical values indicated in the data in the specification or the drawings may include all values from the lower limit to the upper limit of the stated range.

Notwithstanding the fact that the illustrated embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings, these embodiments are merely exemplary in nature and are not intended to limit the broader invention, It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and structures illustrated and described.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, in the antenna unit,

A dielectric substrate;

A dielectric cover disposed on the dielectric substrate; And

An antenna array including antenna elements arranged on the dielectric substrate, the antenna array forming traveling waves propagating in the dielectric substrate and the dielectric cover; And

At least one spatial matching element disposed in a space formed inside the dielectric substrate for spatial matching with the dielectric cover and coupling with the at least one antenna element,

The spatial matching element may be formed to spatially match the antenna array with the dielectric cover and to reduce reflection of traveling waves propagating from the antenna array to the dielectric cover.

According to various embodiments, it may further comprise a metal frame capable of wireless communication and configured such that the wavelengths propagated in the dielectric cover match the radiation space.

According to various embodiments, the antenna array may be formed by stripline antenna elements.

According to various embodiments, the cross-section of the at least one spatial matching element that spatially matches the dielectric cover may have a trapezoidal shape.

According to various embodiments, the at least one spatial matching element for spatial matching with the dielectric cover comprises a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, the first portion being connected to the antenna array To ensure a minimum standing-wave ratio due to movement of radiation from the antenna array into the dielectric cover, the second portion being a dielectric waveguide, and the third portion May be configured to provide minimal reflection from the boundary of the spatial matching element that spatially matches the dielectric cover.

According to various embodiments, the dielectric cover includes a first dielectric constant, the dielectric substrate has a (ε ₁₎ having a second dielectric constant (ε _2), the first dielectric constant (ε ₁₎ is a second dielectric constant (ε ₂ ).

According to various embodiments of the present invention, in an electronic device capable of wireless communication,

A housing including a metal frame;

A dielectric substrate disposed within the housing and supporting operating units for the wireless communication;

A dielectric cover disposed on the dielectric substrate;

An antenna array including antenna elements arranged on the dielectric substrate, the antenna array forming traveling waves propagating in the dielectric substrate and the dielectric cover; And

At least one spatial matching element disposed in a space formed inside the dielectric substrate for spatial matching with the dielectric cover and coupling with the at least one antenna element,

The spatial matching element may be formed to spatially match the antenna array with the dielectric cover and to reduce reflection of traveling waves propagating from the antenna array to the dielectric cover.

According to various embodiments, the antenna array may be formed by stripline antenna elements.

According to various embodiments, the cross-section of the at least one spatial matching element that spatially matches the dielectric cover may have a trapezoidal shape.

According to various embodiments, the at least one spatial matching element for spatial matching with the dielectric cover comprises a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, the first portion being connected to the antenna array To ensure a minimum standing-wave ratio due to movement of radiation from the antenna array into the dielectric cover, the second portion being a dielectric waveguide, and the third portion May be configured to provide minimal reflection from the boundary of the spatial matching element that spatially matches the dielectric cover.

According to various embodiments, the dielectric cover includes a first dielectric constant, the dielectric substrate has a (ε ₁₎ having a second dielectric constant (ε _2), the first dielectric constant (ε ₁₎ is a second dielectric constant (ε ₂ ).

According to various embodiments, the dielectric substrate is a printed circuit board including operational units for performing communications, and the antenna array may be formed in the printed circuit board.

According to various embodiments, the at least one spatial matching element for spatial matching with the dielectric cover may be formed in the printed circuit board.

According to various embodiments, the at least one spatial matching element for spatial matching with the dielectric cover is formed in a multilayered printed circuit board, the spatial matching element comprising metalized holes formed in an inner layer of the printed circuit board lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt; interlayer metallized holes. &lt; / RTI &gt;

According to various embodiments, the parameters of the third portion of the spatial matching element may be defined by the height of the metal frame.

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.

200: electronic device
210: dielectric substrate
220: dielectric cover
230: antenna array
240: Space matching element

Claims (15)

In the antenna unit,
A dielectric substrate;
A dielectric cover disposed on the dielectric substrate; And
An antenna array including antenna elements arranged on the dielectric substrate, the antenna array forming traveling waves propagating in the dielectric substrate and the dielectric cover; And
At least one spatial matching element disposed in a space formed inside the dielectric substrate for spatial matching with the dielectric cover and coupling with the at least one antenna element,
The spatial matching element spatially matches the antenna array with the dielectric cover and is configured to propagate from the antenna array to reduce reflection of traveling waves traveling to the dielectric cover.
The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a metal frame capable of wireless communication and configured such that wavelengths propagating in the dielectric cover match the radiation space.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the antenna array is formed by stripline antenna elements.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the cross-section of the at least one spatial matching element that spatially matches the dielectric cover has a trapezoidal shape.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the at least one spatial matching element for spatial matching with the dielectric cover comprises a first portion, a second portion and a third portion,
Wherein the first portion is configured to match the antenna array with the dielectric cover to ensure a minimum standing-wave ratio due to movement of radiation from the antenna array into the dielectric cover,
The second portion is a dielectric waveguide,
And said third portion is configured to provide minimal reflection from a boundary of said spatial matching element that spatially matches said dielectric cover.
The method according to claim 1,
The dielectric cover has a first dielectric constant (ε _1), wherein the dielectric substrate has a second dielectric constant (ε _2),
Wherein the first permittivity (? ₁ ) is larger than the second permittivity (? ₂ ).
1. An electronic device capable of wireless communication,
A housing including a metal frame;
A dielectric substrate disposed within the housing and supporting operating units for the wireless communication;
A dielectric cover disposed on the dielectric substrate;
An antenna array including antenna elements arranged on the dielectric substrate, the antenna array forming traveling waves propagating in the dielectric substrate and the dielectric cover; And
At least one spatial matching element disposed in a space formed inside the dielectric substrate for spatial matching with the dielectric cover and coupling with the at least one antenna element,
The spatial matching element spatially matches the antenna array with the dielectric cover and is configured to propagate from the antenna array to reduce reflections of traveling waves traveling to the dielectric cover.
8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the antenna array is formed by stripline antenna elements.
8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the cross-section of the at least one spatial matching element that spatially matches the dielectric cover has a trapezoidal shape.
8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the at least one spatial matching element for spatial matching with the dielectric cover comprises a first portion, a second portion and a third portion,
Wherein the first portion is configured to match the antenna array with the dielectric cover to ensure a minimum standing-wave ratio due to movement of radiation from the antenna array into the dielectric cover,
The second portion is a dielectric waveguide,
And the third portion is configured to provide minimal reflection from a boundary of the spatial matching element that spatially matches the dielectric cover.
8. The method of claim 7,
The dielectric cover has a first dielectric constant (ε _1), wherein the dielectric substrate has a second dielectric constant (ε _2),
Wherein the first permittivity (? ₁ ) is greater than the second permittivity (? ₂ ).
8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the dielectric substrate is a printed circuit board including operation units for performing communication,
Wherein the antenna array is formed in the printed circuit board.
13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the at least one spatial matching element that is space-matched with the dielectric cover is formed within the printed circuit board.
13. The method of claim 12,
The at least one spatial matching element for spatial matching with the dielectric cover is formed in a multilayered printed circuit board, the spatial matching element comprising interlayer metallized holes formed in an inner layer of the printed circuit board &Lt; / RTI &gt;
11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the parameters of the third portion of the spatial matching element are defined by the height of the metal frame.

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