KR20210096388A - Electronic device comprising of antenna module and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic device capable of reducing power consumption thereof. According to the present invention, the electronic device comprises: an antenna module including an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements and a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) electrically connected to the antenna array; an intermediate frequency integrated circuit (IFIC) electrically coupled to the RFIC; and a processor electrically connected to the IFIC and the antenna module. The processor is configured to obtain the strength of a received signal and turn off a reception path of the IFIC when the strength of the received signal is less than a first threshold value. Various other embodiments understood through the specification are possible.

Description

ELECTRONIC DEVICE COMPRISING OF ANTENNA MODULE AND METHOD THEREOF

Embodiments disclosed in this document relate to an electronic device and method including an antenna module.

Electronic devices, which have become necessities of modern people due to their portability, are developing into multimedia devices that provide various services such as voice and video call functions, information input/output functions, and data storage. Such an electronic device uses a power supply means called a battery, and a larger capacity battery is required due to the development of the electronic device. However, compared to the development of the electronic device, the development of the battery is insufficient, thereby limiting the capacity of the battery.

In order to support many functions of an electronic device with such a limited battery capacity, a method for increasing battery capacity as well as a method for reducing battery consumption should be devised.

An electronic device using mobile communication technology may include an antenna array. The electronic device may transmit/receive radio waves of a high frequency band using an antenna array. In addition, the electronic device may use an antenna module in which an antenna array and a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) are combined into one module in order to reduce a path loss due to a signal in a high frequency band. Also, the electronic device may include an intermediate frequency integrated circuit (IFIC) configured to process an intermediate frequency signal between the antenna module and a communication processor using a baseband signal. For example, the IFIC may up-convert a baseband signal and transmit it to the antenna module, or down-convert a signal received from the antenna module into a baseband signal and transmit it to the communication processor. Accordingly, various active elements may exist on a communication path of the electronic device, and these active elements may cause power consumption of the electronic device. When the electronic device is a portable electronic device, since the electronic device has relatively limited power, an increase in power consumption may lead to a reduction in standby time of the electronic device.

An electronic device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document includes an antenna module including an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements and a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) electrically connected to the antenna array; an intermediate frequency integrated circuit (IFIC) electrically connected to an RFIC, and a processor electrically connected to the IFIC and the antenna module, wherein the processor obtains a strength of a received signal; When the strength of the received signal is less than the first threshold, it may be set to turn off the reception path of the intermediate frequency integrated circuit (IFIC).

In addition, the operating method of an electronic device including an antenna module according to an embodiment disclosed in this document includes an operation of receiving a signal using an antenna array of the antenna module, and obtaining (obtaining) the strength of the received signal. and turning off a reception path of an intermediate frequency integrated circuit (IFIC) of the electronic device when the strength of the reception signal is less than a first threshold, wherein the IFIC is It is located between a communication processor (CP) of the electronic device and the antenna module, and converts a signal received from the antenna module into a baseband frequency signal and transmits it to the CP, or converts a signal received from the CP into an intermediate frequency signal It may be configured to transmit to the antenna module.

According to the embodiments disclosed in this document, a CP (communication processor) of the electronic device may acquire strength information of a signal received by the antenna module through a path directly connected to the RFIC. The CP may reduce power consumption of the electronic device by acquiring strength information of a received signal through a path directly connected to the RFIC without going through a separate decoding process. In addition, the CP of the electronic device may reduce power consumption of the electronic device by turning off the reception path of the RFIC and/or the IFIC when the strength of the received signal is less than the threshold value.

In addition, various effects directly or indirectly identified through this document may be provided.

1 illustrates an electronic device in a network environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
2 is a block diagram of an electronic device for supporting legacy network communication and 5G network communication, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 shows, for example, an embodiment of the structure of a third antenna module described with reference to FIG. 2 .
FIG. 4 shows a cross-section along the line B-B' of the third antenna module of FIG. 3 .
FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of an operation for a wireless communication connection between a base station and an electronic device in a second network (eg, 5G network) of FIG. 2 , using a directional beam for wireless connection.
6 is a block diagram of an electronic device for 5G network communication, according to an embodiment.
7 is a block diagram of an electronic device including an antenna module, according to an embodiment.
8 is a block diagram of an antenna module, according to an embodiment.
9 is a block diagram of an intermediate frequency integrated circuit, according to one embodiment.
10 is an example illustrating a signal transmission path between components of an electronic device, according to an embodiment.
11 illustrates a configuration of a synchronization signal block according to an embodiment.
12 is an example illustrating a transmission period of a plurality of synchronization signal blocks according to an embodiment.
13 is an example illustrating an operation in which an electronic device receives a synchronization signal block for beam searching or synchronization, according to an embodiment.
14A is an example illustrating control of a reception path according to the strength of a reception signal, according to an embodiment.
14B is an example illustrating control of a reception path according to the strength of a reception signal, according to an embodiment.
15 is a flowchart illustrating control of a reception path according to the strength of a reception signal, according to an embodiment.
16 is a flowchart illustrating control of a reception path according to the strength of a reception signal, according to an embodiment.
In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for the same or similar components.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of the embodiments of the present invention are included.

1 is a block diagram of an electronic device 101 in a network environment 100 according to various embodiments. Referring to FIG. 1 , in a network environment 100 , an electronic device 101 communicates with an electronic device 102 through a first network 198 (eg, a short-range wireless communication network) or a second network 199 . It may communicate with the electronic device 104 or the server 108 through (eg, a long-distance wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may communicate with the electronic device 104 through the server 108 . According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 includes a processor 120 , a memory 130 , an input device 150 , a sound output device 155 , a display device 160 , an audio module 170 , and a sensor module ( 176 , interface 177 , haptic module 179 , camera module 180 , power management module 188 , battery 189 , communication module 190 , subscriber identification module 196 , or antenna module 197 . ) may be included. In some embodiments, at least one of these components (eg, the display device 160 or the camera module 180 ) may be omitted or one or more other components may be added to the electronic device 101 . In some embodiments, some of these components may be implemented as one integrated circuit. For example, the sensor module 176 (eg, a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor) may be implemented while being embedded in the display device 160 (eg, a display).

The processor 120, for example, executes software (eg, the program 140) to execute at least one other component (eg, a hardware or software component) of the electronic device 101 connected to the processor 120 . It can control and perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of data processing or operation, the processor 120 converts commands or data received from other components (eg, the sensor module 176 or the communication module 190 ) to the volatile memory 132 . may be loaded into the volatile memory 132 , process commands or data stored in the volatile memory 132 , and store the resulting data in the non-volatile memory 134 . According to an embodiment, the processor 120 includes a main processor 121 (eg, a central processing unit or an application processor), and a secondary processor 123 (eg, a graphics processing unit, an image signal processor) that can be operated independently or in conjunction with the main processor 121 . , a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor). Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary processor 123 may be configured to use less power than the main processor 121 or to be specialized for a designated function. The auxiliary processor 123 may be implemented separately from or as a part of the main processor 121 .

The auxiliary processor 123 may be, for example, on behalf of the main processor 121 while the main processor 121 is in an inactive (eg, sleep) state, or when the main processor 121 is active (eg, executing an application). ), together with the main processor 121, at least one of the components of the electronic device 101 (eg, the display device 160, the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190) It is possible to control at least some of the related functions or states. According to an embodiment, the coprocessor 123 (eg, an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as part of another functionally related component (eg, the camera module 180 or the communication module 190). there is.

The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component (eg, the processor 120 or the sensor module 176 ) of the electronic device 101 . The data may include, for example, input data or output data for software (eg, the program 140 ) and instructions related thereto. The memory 130 may include a volatile memory 132 or a non-volatile memory 134 .

The program 140 may be stored as software in the memory 130 , and may include, for example, an operating system 142 , middleware 144 , or an application 146 .

The input device 150 may receive a command or data to be used by a component (eg, the processor 120 ) of the electronic device 101 from the outside (eg, a user) of the electronic device 101 . The input device 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, or a digital pen (eg, a stylus pen).

The sound output device 155 may output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device 101 . The sound output device 155 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes such as multimedia playback or recording playback, and the receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. According to one embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from or as part of the speaker.

The display device 160 may visually provide information to the outside (eg, a user) of the electronic device 101 . The display device 160 may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the corresponding device. According to an embodiment, the display device 160 may include a touch circuitry configured to sense a touch or a sensor circuit (eg, a pressure sensor) configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch. there is.

The audio module 170 may convert a sound into an electric signal or, conversely, convert an electric signal into a sound. According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 acquires a sound through the input device 150 , or an external electronic device (eg, a sound output device 155 ) connected directly or wirelessly with the electronic device 101 . The electronic device 102) (eg, a speaker or headphones) may output a sound.

The sensor module 176 detects an operating state (eg, power or temperature) of the electronic device 101 or an external environmental state (eg, user state), and generates an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the sensed state. can do. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, It may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

The interface 177 may support one or more specified protocols that may be used by the electronic device 101 to directly or wirelessly connect with an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102 ). According to an embodiment, the interface 177 may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

The connection terminal 178 may include a connector through which the electronic device 101 can be physically connected to an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102 ). According to an embodiment, the connection terminal 178 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (eg, a headphone connector).

The haptic module 179 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (eg, vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that the user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic sense. According to an embodiment, the haptic module 179 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

The camera module 180 may capture still images and moving images. According to an embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

The power management module 188 may manage power supplied to the electronic device 101 . According to an embodiment, the power management module 188 may be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery 189 may supply power to at least one component of the electronic device 101 . According to one embodiment, battery 189 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary cell, a rechargeable secondary cell, or a fuel cell.

The communication module 190 is a direct (eg, wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102, the electronic device 104, or the server 108). It can support establishment and communication through the established communication channel. The communication module 190 may include one or more communication processors that operate independently of the processor 120 (eg, an application processor) and support direct (eg, wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module 190 is a wireless communication module 192 (eg, a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (eg, : It may include a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, the corresponding communication module is a first network 198 (eg, a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, WiFi direct or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a second network 199 (eg, a cellular network, the Internet, Alternatively, it may communicate with the external electronic device 104 through a computer network (eg, a telecommunication network such as a LAN or WAN). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into one component (eg, a single chip) or may be implemented as a plurality of components (eg, multiple chips) separate from each other. The wireless communication module 192 uses the subscriber information (eg, International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module 196 within a communication network such as the first network 198 or the second network 199 . The electronic device 101 may be identified and authenticated.

The antenna module 197 may transmit or receive a signal or power to the outside (eg, an external electronic device). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include one antenna including a conductor formed on a substrate (eg, a PCB) or a radiator formed of a conductive pattern. According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include a plurality of antennas. In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network such as the first network 198 or the second network 199 is connected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module 190 . can be selected. A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module 190 and an external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. According to some embodiments, other components (eg, RFIC) other than the radiator may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module 197 .

At least some of the components are connected to each other through a communication method between peripheral devices (eg, a bus, general purpose input and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)) and a signal ( e.g. commands or data) can be exchanged with each other.

According to an embodiment, the command or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device 101 and the external electronic device 104 through the server 108 connected to the second network 199 . Each of the external electronic devices 102 and 104 may be the same as or different from the electronic device 101 . According to an embodiment, all or a part of operations executed in the electronic device 101 may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices 102 , 104 , or 108 . For example, when the electronic device 101 needs to perform a function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or other device, the electronic device 101 may perform the function or service itself instead of executing the function or service itself. Alternatively or additionally, one or more external electronic devices may be requested to perform at least a part of the function or the service. The one or more external electronic devices that have received the request may execute at least a part of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit a result of the execution to the electronic device 101 . The electronic device 101 may process the result as it is or additionally and provide it as at least a part of a response to the request. For this purpose, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing technology may be used.

The electronic device according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may have various types of devices. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (eg, a smart phone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance device. The electronic device according to the embodiment of the present document is not limited to the above-described devices.

It should be understood that the various embodiments of this document and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of the noun corresponding to the item may include one or more of the item, unless the relevant context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, “A or B”, “at least one of A and B”, “at least one of A or B”, “A, B or C”, “at least one of A, B and C” and “A, Each of the phrases "at least one of B, or C" may include any one of, or all possible combinations of, items listed together in the corresponding one of the phrases. Terms such as “first”, “second”, or “first” or “second” may simply be used to distinguish the component from other components in question, and may refer to components in other aspects (e.g., importance or order) is not limited. that one (eg first) component is “coupled” or “connected” to another (eg, second) component with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicatively” When referenced, it means that one component can be connected to the other component directly (eg by wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

As used herein, the term “module” may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as, for example, logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be an integrally formed part or a minimum unit or a part of the part that performs one or more functions. For example, according to an embodiment, the module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments of the present document include one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (eg, internal memory 136 or external memory 138) readable by a machine (eg, electronic device 101). may be implemented as software (eg, the program 140) including For example, the processor (eg, the processor 120 ) of the device (eg, the electronic device 101 ) may call at least one of one or more instructions stored from a storage medium and execute it. This makes it possible for the device to be operated to perform at least one function according to the at least one command called. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' only means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (eg, electromagnetic wave), and this term refers to the case where data is semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and It does not distinguish between temporary storage cases.

According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided in a computer program product (computer program product). Computer program products may be traded between sellers and buyers as commodities. The computer program product is distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (eg compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or via an application store (eg Play Store™) or on two user devices ( It can be distributed (eg downloaded or uploaded) directly, online between smartphones (eg: smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a part of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created in a machine-readable storage medium such as a memory of a server of a manufacturer, a server of an application store, or a relay server.

According to various embodiments, each component (eg, a module or a program) of the above-described components may include a singular or a plurality of entities. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations among the above-described corresponding components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (eg, a module or a program) may be integrated into one component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each component of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. . According to various embodiments, operations performed by a module, program, or other component are executed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations are executed in a different order, or omitted. or one or more other operations may be added.

2 is a block diagram 200 of an electronic device 101 for supporting legacy network communication and 5G network communication, according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the electronic device 101 includes a first communication processor 212 , a second communication processor 214 , a first radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) 222 , a second RFIC 224 , and a third RFIC 226 , a fourth RFIC 228 , a first radio frequency front end (RFFE) 232 , a second RFFE 234 , a first antenna module 242 , a second antenna module 244 , and an antenna 248 . ) may be included. The electronic device 101 may further include a processor 120 and a memory 130 . The second network 199 may include a first cellular network 292 and a second cellular network 294 . According to another embodiment, the electronic device 101 may further include at least one component among the components illustrated in FIG. 1 , and the second network 199 may further include at least one other network. According to one embodiment, a first communication processor 212 , a second communication processor 214 , a first RFIC 222 , a second RFIC 224 , a fourth RFIC 228 , a first RFFE 232 , and the second RFFE 234 may form at least a part of the wireless communication module 192 . According to another embodiment, the fourth RFIC 228 may be omitted or may be included as a part of the third RFIC 226 .

The first communication processor 212 may support establishment of a communication channel of a band to be used for wireless communication with the first cellular network 292 and legacy network communication through the established communication channel. According to various embodiments, the first cellular network 292 may be a legacy network including a second generation (2G), a third generation (3G), a fourth generation (4G), and/or a long term evolution (LTE) network. there is. The second communication processor 214 establishes a communication channel corresponding to a designated band (eg, about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) among bands to be used for wireless communication with the second cellular network 294, and establishes a 5G network through the established communication channel. communication can be supported. According to various embodiments, the second cellular network 294 may be a 5G network defined by 3GPP. Additionally, according to an embodiment, the first communication processor 212 or the second communication processor 214 corresponds to another designated band (eg, about 6 GHz or less) among bands to be used for wireless communication with the second cellular network 294 . 5G network communication through the establishment of a communication channel and the established communication channel can be supported. According to one embodiment, the first communication processor 212 and the second communication processor 214 may be implemented in a single chip or a single package. According to various embodiments, the first communication processor 212 or the second communication processor 214 and the processor 120 , the coprocessor 123 of FIG. 1 , or the communication module 190 in a single chip or single package. can be formed.

The first RFIC 222, when transmitting, transmits a baseband signal generated by the first communication processor 212 from about 700 MHz to about 700 MHz used for the first cellular network 292 (eg, a legacy network). It can be converted into a 3GHz radio frequency (RF) signal. Upon reception, an RF signal is obtained from a first cellular network 292 (eg, a legacy network) via an antenna (eg, a first antenna module 242), and an RFFE (eg, a first RFFE 232) It can be preprocessed through The first RFIC 222 may convert the preprocessed RF signal into a baseband signal to be processed by the first communication processor 212 .

The second RFIC 224, when transmitting, uses the baseband signal generated by the first communication processor 212 or the second communication processor 214 to the second cellular network 294 (eg, a 5G network). It can be converted into an RF signal (hereinafter, 5G Sub6 RF signal) of the Sub6 band (eg, about 6 GHz or less). Upon reception, a 5G Sub6 RF signal is obtained from a second cellular network 294 (eg, 5G network) via an antenna (eg, second antenna module 244 ), and an RFFE (eg, second RFFE 234 ) ) can be preprocessed. The second RFIC 224 may convert the preprocessed 5G Sub6 RF signal into a baseband signal to be processed by a corresponding one of the first communication processor 212 or the second communication processor 214 .

The third RFIC 226 transmits the baseband signal generated by the second communication processor 214 to the 5G Above6 band (eg, about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) to be used in the second cellular network 294 (eg, 5G network). It can be converted into an RF signal (hereinafter referred to as 5G Above6 RF signal). Upon reception, a 5G Above6 RF signal may be obtained from the second cellular network 294 (eg, 5G network) via an antenna (eg, antenna 248 ) and pre-processed via a third RFFE 236 . For example, the third RFFE 236 may perform preprocessing of the signal using the phase converter 238 . The third RFIC 226 may convert the preprocessed 5G Above 6 RF signal into a baseband signal to be processed by the second communication processor 214 . According to one embodiment, the third RFFE 236 may be formed as part of the third RFIC 226 .

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may include the fourth RFIC 228 separately from or as at least a part of the third RFIC 226 . In this case, the fourth RFIC 228 converts the baseband signal generated by the second communication processor 214 to an RF signal (hereinafter, IF (intermediate frequency) of an intermediate frequency band (eg, about 9 GHz to about 11 GHz). ) signal), the IF signal may be transmitted to the third RFIC 226 . The third RFIC 226 may convert the IF signal into a 5G Above6 RF signal. Upon reception, the 5G Above6 RF signal may be received from the second cellular network 294 (eg, 5G network) via an antenna (eg, antenna 248 ) and converted to an IF signal by the third RFIC 226 . there is. The fourth RFIC 228 may convert the IF signal into a baseband signal for processing by the second communication processor 214 .

According to one embodiment, the first RFIC 222 and the second RFIC 224 may be implemented as a single chip or at least a part of a single package. According to an embodiment, the first RFFE 232 and the second RFFE 234 may be implemented as at least a part of a single chip or a single package. According to an example, at least one antenna module of the first antenna module 242 or the second antenna module 244 may be omitted or may be combined with another antenna module to process RF signals of a plurality of corresponding bands.

According to an embodiment, the third RFIC 226 and the antenna 248 may be disposed on the same substrate to form the third antenna module 246 . For example, the wireless communication module 192 or the processor 120 may be disposed on the first substrate (eg, main PCB). In this case, the third RFIC 226 is located in a partial area (eg, the bottom surface) of the second substrate (eg, sub PCB) that is separate from the first substrate, and the antenna 248 is located in another partial region (eg, the top surface). is disposed, the third antenna module 246 may be formed. According to one embodiment, the antenna 248 may include, for example, an antenna array that may be used for beamforming. By disposing the third RFIC 226 and the antenna 248 on the same substrate, it is possible to reduce the length of the transmission line therebetween. This, for example, can reduce loss (eg, attenuation) of a signal in a high-frequency band (eg, about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) used for 5G network communication by a transmission line. Accordingly, the electronic device 101 may improve the quality or speed of communication with the second cellular network 294 (eg, a 5G network).

The second cellular network 294 (eg, 5G network) may be operated independently (eg, Stand-Alone (SA)) or connected to the first cellular network 292 (eg, legacy network). Example: Non-Stand Alone (NSA)). For example, the 5G network may have only an access network (eg, 5G radio access network (RAN) or next generation RAN (NG RAN)) and no core network (eg, next generation core (NGC)). In this case, after accessing the access network of the 5G network, the electronic device 101 may access an external network (eg, the Internet) under the control of a core network (eg, evolved packed core (EPC)) of the legacy network. Protocol information for communication with a legacy network (eg, LTE protocol information) or protocol information for communication with a 5G network (eg, New Radio (NR) protocol information) is stored in the memory 130 , and other components (eg, processor 120 , the first communication processor 212 , or the second communication processor 214 ).

FIG. 3 shows, for example, one embodiment of the structure of the third antenna module 246 described with reference to FIG. 2 .

300a of FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the third antenna module 246 viewed from one side, and 300b of FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the third antenna module 246 viewed from the other side. 300c of FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of the third antenna module 246 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , in one embodiment, the third antenna module 246 includes a printed circuit board 310 , an antenna array 330 , a radio frequency integrate circuit (RFIC) 352 , and a power manage integrate circuit (PMIC). 354 , may include a module interface (not shown). Optionally, the third antenna module 246 may further include a shielding member 390 . In other embodiments, at least one of the above-mentioned components may be omitted, or at least two of the above-mentioned components may be integrally formed.

The printed circuit board 310 may include a plurality of conductive layers and a plurality of non-conductive layers alternately stacked with the conductive layers. The printed circuit board 310 may provide an electrical connection between the printed circuit board 310 and/or various electronic components disposed outside by using wires and conductive vias formed on the conductive layer.

Antenna array 330 (eg, 248 of FIG. 2 ) may include a plurality of antenna elements 332 , 334 , 336 , or 338 arranged to form a directional beam. The antenna elements may be formed on the first surface of the printed circuit board 310 as shown. According to another embodiment, the antenna array 330 may be formed inside the printed circuit board 310 . According to embodiments, the antenna array 330 may include a plurality of antenna arrays (eg, a dipole antenna array and/or a patch antenna array) of the same or different shape or type. According to various embodiments, the plurality of antenna elements 332 , 334 , 336 , or 338 may be a plurality of conductive plates or a plurality of conductive members.

The RFIC 352 (eg, the third RFIC 226 of FIG. 2 ) is located in another area of the printed circuit board 310 (eg, opposite to the first surface), spaced apart from the antenna array 330 . on the second side). The RFIC 352 may be configured to process a signal of a selected frequency band, which is transmitted/received through the antenna array 330 . According to an embodiment, the RFIC 352 may convert a baseband signal obtained from a communication processor (not shown) into an RF signal of a designated band during transmission. Upon reception, the RFIC 352 may convert the RF signal received through the antenna array 330 into a baseband signal and transmit it to the communication processor.

According to another embodiment, the RFIC 352, at the time of transmission, an IF signal (eg, about 9 GHz to about 11GHz) can be up-converted to an RF signal of the selected band. The RFIC 352 may, upon reception, down-convert the RF signal obtained through the antenna array 330, convert it into an IF signal, and transmit it to the IFIC.

The PMIC 354 may be disposed in another partial area (eg, the second surface) of the printed circuit board 310 spaced apart from the antenna array. The PMIC 354 may receive a voltage from a main PCB (not shown) to provide power required for various components (eg, the RFIC 352 ) on the antenna module.

The shielding member 390 may be disposed on a portion (eg, the second surface) of the printed circuit board 310 to electromagnetically shield at least one of the RFIC 352 and the PMIC 354 . According to an embodiment, the shielding member 390 may include a shield can.

Although not shown, in various embodiments, the third antenna module 246 may be electrically connected to another printed circuit board (eg, a main circuit board) through a module interface. The module interface may include a connection member, for example, a coaxial cable connector, a board to board connector, an interposer, or a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). Through the connection member, the RFIC 352 and/or the PMIC 354 of the third antenna module 246 may be electrically connected to the printed circuit board.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-section along line B-B' of the third antenna module 246 of 300a of FIG. 3 .

The printed circuit board 310 of the illustrated embodiment may include an antenna layer 411 and a network layer 413 .

The antenna layer 411 may include at least one dielectric layer 437 - 1 , and an antenna element 336 and/or a feeder 425 formed on or inside the outer surface of the dielectric layer. The feeding unit 425 may include a feeding point 427 and/or a feeding line 429 .

The network layer 413 includes at least one dielectric layer 437 - 2 , and at least one ground layer 433 formed on or inside the outer surface of the dielectric layer, at least one conductive via 435 , and a transmission line. 423 , and/or a signal line 430 .

In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, the third RFIC 226 is electrically connected to the network layer 413 via, for example, first and second solder bumps 440 - 1 and 440 - 2 . can be connected In other embodiments, various connection structures (eg, solder or ball grid array (BGA)) may be used in place of the connections. The third RFIC 226 may be electrically connected to the antenna element 336 through a first connection part 440 - 1 , a transmission line 423 , and a power supply part 425 . The third RFIC 226 may also be electrically connected to the ground layer 433 through the second connection part 440 - 2 and the conductive via 435 . Although not shown, the third RFIC 226 may also be electrically connected to the above-mentioned module interface through the signal line 430 .

FIG. 5 is an operation for wireless communication connection between the base station 520 and the electronic device 101 in the second network 294 (eg, 5G network) of FIG. 2 , using a directional beam for wireless connection shows an embodiment of

First, the base station (gNodeB (gNB), transmission reception point (TRP)) 520 may perform a beam detection operation with the electronic device 101 for the wireless communication connection. In the illustrated embodiment, for beam detection, the base station 520 sequentially transmits a plurality of transmission beams, for example, first to fifth transmission beams 531-1 to 531-5 having different directions. By doing so, at least one transmission beam sweep 530 may be performed.

The first to fifth transmission beams 531-1 to 531-5 may include at least one synchronization sequence (SS)/physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SS/PBCH) block. The SS/PBCH Block may be used to periodically measure the channel or beam intensity of the electronic device 101 .

In another embodiment, the first to fifth transmission beams 531-1 to 531-5 may include at least one channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS). The CSI-RS is a reference/reference signal that the base station 520 can set flexibly and may be transmitted periodically/semi-persistent or aperiodic. The electronic device 101 may measure channel and beam intensity by using the CSI-RS.

The transmission beams may form a radiation pattern having a selected beam width. For example, the transmission beams may have a broad radiation pattern having a first beamwidth or a sharp radiation pattern having a second beamwidth narrower than the first beamwidth. For example, the transmission beams including the SS/PBCH block may have a wider radiation pattern than the transmission beams including the CSI-RS.

The electronic device 101 may perform receive beam sweeping 540 while the base station 520 performs transmit beam sweeping 530 . For example, while the base station 520 performs the first transmission beam sweep 530 , the electronic device 101 fixes the first reception beam 545 - 1 in the first direction to set the first to fifth A signal of the SS/PBCH block transmitted from at least one of the transmission beams 531-1 to 531-5 may be received. While the base station 520 performs the second transmission beam sweep 530 , the electronic device 101 fixes the second reception beam 545 - 2 in the second direction to provide the first to fifth transmission beams 531 - 1 . 1 to 531-5), the signal of the SS/PBCH block transmitted may be received. As described above, the electronic device 101 performs a communicable reception beam (eg, the second reception beam 545-2) and a transmission beam (eg, a third transmission beams 531-3) may be selected.

As described above, after communicable transmit/receive beams are determined, the base station 520 and the electronic device 101 may transmit and/or receive basic information for cell configuration, and may set additional beam operation information based thereon. For example, the beam operation information may include detailed information on a configured beam, an SS/PBCH block, CSI-RS, or configuration information on an additional reference signal.

Also, the electronic device 101 may continuously monitor channel and beam strengths by using at least one of an SS/PBCH block and a CSI-RS included in the transmission beam. The electronic device 101 may adaptively select a beam having a good beam quality by using the monitoring operation. Optionally, when the communication connection is released due to movement of the electronic device 101 or blocking of the beam, the beam sweeping operation may be performed again to determine a communicable beam.

6 is a block diagram of an electronic device 101 for 5G network communication, according to an embodiment.

The electronic device 101 may include various components shown in FIG. 2 , but in FIG. 6 , for a brief description, a processor 120 , a second communication processor 214 , a fourth RFIC 228 , It is shown to include at least one third antenna module 246 .

In the illustrated embodiment, the third antenna module 246 includes first to fourth phase shifters 613-1 to 613-4 (eg, phase shifter 238 in FIG. 2) and/or first to fourth phase shifters 613-1 to 613-4. It may include fourth antenna elements 617-1 to 617-4 (eg, the antenna 248 of FIG. 2). Each one of the first to fourth antenna elements 617-1 to 617-4 may be electrically connected to a respective one of the first to fourth phase converters 613-1 to 613-4. The first to fourth antenna elements 617 - 1 to 617 - 4 may form at least one antenna array 615 .

The second communication processor 214 controls the first to fourth phase shifters 613-1 to 613-4 through the first to fourth antenna elements 617-1 to 617-4. It is possible to control the phase of the transmitted and/or received signals, thereby generating a transmit beam and/or a receive beam in a selected direction.

According to one embodiment, the third antenna module 246 is used, depending on the number of antenna elements, the above-mentioned broad radiation pattern beam 651 (hereinafter "broad beam") or narrow radiation pattern beam 653 (hereinafter “narrow beam”) may be formed. For example, the third antenna module 246 may form a narrow beam 653 when all of the first to fourth antenna elements 617-1 to 617-4 are used, and the first antenna element ( When only 617-1) and the second antenna element 617-2 are used, a wide beam 651 may be formed. The wide beam 651 has a wider coverage than the narrow beam 653 , but has a small antenna gain, so it may be more effective in beam search. On the other hand, the narrow beam 653 has a narrower coverage than the wide beam 651 , but has a higher antenna gain, so that communication performance can be improved.

According to an embodiment, the second communication processor 214 may utilize the sensor module 176 (eg, a 9-axis sensor, a grip sensor, or a GPS) for beam search. For example, the electronic device 101 may use the sensor module 176 to adjust the search position and/or the beam search period of the beam based on the location and/or movement of the electronic device 101 . As another example, when the electronic device 101 is gripped by the user, an antenna module with better communication performance is selected from among the plurality of third antenna modules 246 by grasping the gripping portion of the user using a grip sensor. can

7 is a block diagram of an electronic device including an antenna module, according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the electronic device (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 ) includes a memory 701 , an application processor (AP) 703 , a communication processor (CP) 705 , an antenna module 700 and/or It may include an intermediate frequency integrated circuit (IFIC) 730 . In the example of FIG. 7 , the electronic device 101 is illustrated as including one antenna module 700 , but embodiments of the present document are not limited thereto. For example, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 9 , the electronic device 101 may include a plurality of antenna modules.

In one embodiment, the memory 701 (eg, the memory 130 of FIG. 1 ) is at least one component of the electronic device 101 (eg, the AP 703 and/or the CP 705 of FIG. 7 ). It can store various data used by The AP 703 (eg, the main processor 121 of FIG. 1 ) executes software (eg, the program 140 of FIG. 1 ) to execute at least one of the electronic devices 101 operatively connected to the AP 703 . It may control other components (eg, hardware and/or software components) and may perform various data processing or operations. The CP 705 (eg, the auxiliary processor 123 of FIG. 1 ) has functions or states related to at least one of the components of the electronic device 101 (eg, the communication module 190 of FIG. 1 ). At least some of them can be controlled.

In one embodiment, the antenna module 700 (eg, the third antenna module 246 in FIG. 2 ) transmits a signal to an external (eg, the base station 520 in FIG. 5 ) or externally (eg, the base station in FIG. 5 ). 520). For example, the antenna module 700 may include at least one RFIC (710, 720) and at least one antenna array (715, 725).

In one embodiment, at least one RFIC 710 , 720 (eg, the third RFIC 226 of FIG. 2 ) converts an intermediate frequency signal received from the IFIC 730 into a signal of a specified frequency during transmission ( e.g. up-converting). Upon reception, at least one of the RFICs 710 and 720 may convert (eg, down-convert) the received signal into a signal of a frequency (eg, an intermediate frequency) that can be processed by the IFIC 730 . For example, the first RFIC 710 may transmit/receive a signal through the first antenna array 715 connected to the first RFIC 710 . The second RFIC 720 may transmit/receive a signal through the second antenna array 725 connected to the second RFIC 720 . 7, the antenna module 700 is illustrated as including a first RFIC 710 and a second RFIC 720, but embodiments of the present document are not limited thereto. For example, the first RFIC 710 and the second RFIC 720 may be implemented as a single chip. For another example, the antenna module 700 may include only the first RFIC 710 .

In an embodiment, the antenna arrays 715 and 725 (eg, the antenna array 330 of FIG. 3 ) may include a plurality of antenna elements corresponding to signals of a specified frequency band. For example, the first antenna array 715 may include a plurality of patch antenna elements, and the second antenna array 725 may include a plurality of dipole antenna elements. For another example, the first antenna array 715 and the second antenna array 725 may include the same type of antenna elements. In FIG. 7 , the antenna module 700 is illustrated as including a first antenna array 715 and a second antenna array 725 , but embodiments of the present document are not limited thereto. For example, the antenna module 700 may include only the first antenna array 715 . The number of antenna elements of the first antenna array 715 and the second antenna array 725 illustrated in FIG. 7 is exemplary, and embodiments of the present document are not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the IFIC 730 (eg, the fourth RFIC 228 of FIG. 2 ) may process a signal between the antenna module 700 and the CP 705 . For example, the IFIC 730 converts (eg, down-converts) the intermediate frequency signal converted by the antenna module 700 into a baseband signal upon reception, and then converts the baseband signal to CP. 705 . During transmission, the IFIC 730 may convert the baseband signal from the CP 705 into an intermediate frequency signal (eg, up-covering) and then transmit the intermediate frequency signal to the antenna module 700 .

In one embodiment, memory 701 and AP 703 and/or CP 705 may be electrically and/or operatively coupled. The AP 703 and the CP 705 may be electrically and/or operatively connected and may be implemented on one chip or a plurality of chips.

In one embodiment, the CP 705 and the antenna module 700 may be electrically connected. The CP 705 may acquire strength information of the received signal through an electrical connection between the CP 705 and the antenna module 700 . The IFIC 730 and the antenna module 700 may be electrically connected. The IFIC 730 and the antenna module 700 may transmit or receive a signal through an electrical connection between the IFIC 730 and the antenna module 700 . The IFIC 730 and the CP 705 may be electrically connected. The CP 705 may transmit or receive a signal through an electrical connection between the CP 705 and the IFIC 730 .

8 is a block diagram of an antenna module 800 , according to an embodiment.

For example, the antenna module (eg, the antenna module 700 of FIG. 7 ) may include a plurality of transmission/reception paths connected to respective antenna elements. In FIG. 8 , a block diagram of an exemplary antenna module 800 may be shown. According to one embodiment, the antenna module 800 may include an RFIC 810 and antenna elements 860 . The RFIC 810 (eg, the first RFIC 710 and the second RFIC 720 of FIG. 7 ) includes a power detector (PDET, 830, 835), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 845, a receive path ( 870), a transmission path 890 and/or a transmission/reception switch (TRX SW, 840, 850). The antenna elements 860 may be electrically connected to a front-end 880 of the antenna module. In FIG. 8 , the configuration of the antenna module 800 is exemplary, and embodiments of the present document are not limited thereto. For example, the number of PDETs 830 , 835 , ADC 845 , receive path 870 , transmit path 890 , and/or RFIC 810 is exemplary, and embodiments of this document are not limited thereto. no. For example, the antenna module 800 may further include a configuration not shown in FIG. 8 or may not include at least some of the configuration shown in FIG. 8 .

According to an embodiment, the PDET 830 detects the strength of a signal transmitted to the antenna elements 860 (eg, antenna elements of the antenna arrays 715 and 725 of 7) through the transmission path 890 . (eg, acquire, detect). The PDET 835 may sense (eg, acquire, detect) the strength of a signal transmitted to an IFIC (eg, the IFIC 730 of FIG. 7 ) through the reception path 870 . The PDETs 830 and 835 may transmit the sensed signal strength information to the ADC 845 . The ADC 845 may be electrically connected to at least one PDET 830 and 835 , and may transmit the received signal strength information to a CP (eg, CP 705 of FIG. 7 ). In this case, the ADC 845 may directly transmit the signal strength information to the CP 705 without going through an IFIC (eg, the IFIC 730 of FIG. 7 ).

According to an embodiment, the TRX SWs 840 and 850 may enable the RFIC 810 to be set as the transmission path 890 or the reception path 870 . For example, the TRX SWs 840 and 850 may control the connection of the RFIC 810 so that the RFIC 810 operates as a transmission path 890 during transmission. The TRX SWs 840 and 850 may control the connection of the RFIC 810 so that the RFIC 810 operates as a reception path 870 upon reception.

According to an embodiment, the transmit path 890 may include a power amplifier (PA) 820 , 824 , a phase shifter (PS) 822 , a pre-power amplifier (PPA) 823 , and/or a mixer 825 . can During transmission, the intermediate frequency signal received by the RFIC 810 from the IFIC 730 may be transmitted to the PA 824 through the TRX SW 850 . The mixer 825 converts the intermediate frequency signal into a signal of a specified frequency using the intermediate frequency signal amplified by the PA 824 and a signal of a specific frequency band input from an oscillator (not shown) (eg, upconverting). )can do. The signal of the designated frequency may be amplified by the PPA 823 , then amplified again in the PA 820 through the PS 822 , and then transmitted to the antenna elements 860 through the TRX SW 840 .

According to an embodiment, the receive path 870 of the RFIC may include a low noise amplifier (LNA) 827 and 828 , a PS 829 , and/or a mixer 826 . Upon reception, the reception path 870 of the RFIC may convert (eg, down-convert) a signal of a specified frequency into an intermediate frequency signal. A signal of a designated frequency received by the RFIC 810 from the antenna elements 860 may be transmitted to the LNA 827 through the TRX SW 840 . A signal of a specified frequency amplified by the LNA 827 may be input to the mixer 826 via the PS 829 . The mixer 826 converts a signal of a specified frequency into an intermediate frequency signal using a signal of a specified frequency amplified by the LNA 827 and a signal of a specific frequency band input from an oscillator (not shown) (eg, down-converting) can do. The intermediate frequency signal may be amplified by the LNA 828 and then transmitted to the CP 705 through the TRX SW 850 .

According to an embodiment, the CP 705 may control the reception path 870 of the RFIC based on the strength information of the reception signal received from the ADC 845 . For example, the CP 705 may turn on/off the receive path 870 of the RFIC based on the strength of the received signal. For example, turning off the receive path 870 of the RFIC is at least one of the components included in the receive path 870 (eg, the LNA 827 , 828 , the PS 829 and/or the mixer 826 ). It may include shutting off the power supply to or low power supply. For another example, turning off the receive path 870 of the RFIC may result in the CP 705 being an active element included in the receive path 870 (eg, LNAs 827 and 828 , oscillators, and/or mixer 826 ). ) may include an operation of controlling at least one of them not to operate. For example, turning on the receive path 870 of the RFIC may include supplying power or supplying high power (or general power) to all or active components included in the receive path 870 . .

9 is a block diagram of an intermediate frequency integrated circuit, according to one embodiment.

According to one embodiment, an intermediate frequency integrated circuit (IFIC) 900 (eg, IFIC 730 of FIG. 7 ) includes a diplexer 930a , 930b , 930c , 930d , a drive amplifier (DA) 932a , 932b , 932c, 932d), Oscillator (934a, 934b, 934c, 934d), DPDT (double pole double throw, 936a, 936b, 936c, 936d), Mixer (938a, 938b, 938c, 938d, 939a, 939b, 939c, 939d) , filters 940a, 940b, 940c, 940d, 941a, 941b, 941c, and 941d) and/or single pole double throw (SPDT) 942, 943. The IFIC 900 may include at least one transmitting end (Tx, 921, 922) and a receiving end (Rx, 911, 912, 913, 914). In the example of FIG. 9 , the number of transmitting terminals 921 and 922 and receiving terminals 911, 912, 913, and 914 of the IFIC 900 is exemplary, and embodiments of the present document are not limited thereto. The transmission terminals 921 and 922 may be electrically connected to the CP 705 . The receiving terminals 911 , 912 , 913 , and 914 may be electrically connected to the CP 705 .

According to an embodiment, the IFIC 900 may be electrically connected to at least one antenna module 800a, 800b, 800c, 800d (eg, a high-frequency RF module or a 5G antenna module). For example, the at least one antenna module 800a , 800b , 800c , 800d may be the antenna module 700 of FIG. 7 . In the example of FIG. 9 , the number of at least one antenna module 800a , 800b , 800c , 800d electrically connected to the IFIC 900 is exemplary, and embodiments of the present document are not limited thereto. For example, at least one of the antenna modules 800a, 800b, 800c, and 800d may be omitted. For another example, the electronic device may include a larger number of antenna modules than shown in FIG. 9 .

According to an embodiment, during transmission, the transmitters 921 and 922 may receive a baseband frequency signal from the CP 705 . The received baseband frequency signal may be branched through SPDTs 942 and 943 . The filters 941a, 941b, 941c, and 941d may receive the branched signal, filter it, and then transmit it to the mixers 939a, 939b, 939c, and 939d. The mixers 939a, 939b, 939c, and 939d convert (eg, up-convert) a baseband frequency signal to an intermediate frequency signal using the filtered signal and a signal of a specific frequency band input from an oscillator (not shown). can The intermediate frequency signal may be amplified by the DAs 932a, 932b, 932c, and 932d and then transmitted to the antenna modules 800a, 800b, 800c, and 800d through the DPDTs 936a, 936b, 936c, and 936d.

According to an embodiment, upon reception, the diplexers 930a, 930b, 930c, and 930d may receive intermediate frequency signals from the plurality of antenna modules 800a, 800b, 800c, and 800d. The diplexers 930a, 930b, 930c, and 930d may receive the intermediate frequency signal and a signal of a specific frequency band through the oscillators 934a, 934b, 934c, and 934d, and pass only the signal of the set frequency band. The passed signal of the set frequency band may be transmitted to the mixers 938a, 938b, 938c, and 938d through the DPDTs 936a, 936b, 936c, and 936d. The mixers 938a, 938b, 938c, and 938d convert an intermediate frequency signal into a baseband frequency signal using the passed signal of the set frequency band and a signal of a specific frequency band input from an oscillator (not shown) (eg: down-converting). The baseband frequency signal may be filtered by the filters 940a, 940b, 940c, and 940d and then transmitted to the CP 705 through the receiving terminals 911, 912, 913, and 914.

According to an embodiment, upon reception, the IFIC 900 transmits the intermediate frequency signals received from the antenna modules 800a, 800b, 800c, and 800d to the Diplexers 930a, 930b, 930c, 930d, DPDTs 936a, 936b, 936c, 936d); The down-converted path may be referred to as receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC.

The CP 705 may control the reception paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC based on the strength information of the received signal. For example, the CP 705 may turn on/off the reception paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC based on the strength of the received signal. For example, turning off the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC may result in components included in the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d (e.g., mixers 938a, 938b, 938c, 938d). and/or cutting off or low power supply to at least one of the filters 940a, 940b, 940c, 940d. As another example, the turn-off of the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC causes the CP 705 to be an active element (eg, a mixer 938a, 938b, 938c, and 938d) and filters 940a, 940b, 940c, and 940d) to not operate). For example, the turn-on of the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d of the IFIC may result in the supply of power or power to all components or active components included in the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d. It may include a high power (or normal power) supply.

The reception paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC may correspond to the antenna modules 800a, 800b, 800c, and 800d, respectively. For example, the reception path 950a of the IFIC may be described as a reception path of the IFIC corresponding to a reception signal received by the first antenna modules (RF modules #1 and 800a). The reception paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC may be independently turned on/off according to the strength of a reception signal received by the corresponding antenna modules 800a, 800b, 800c, and 800d. For example, the reception path 950a of the IFIC may be turned on/off based only on the strength of the reception signal of the first antenna module (RF module #1, 800a).

According to an embodiment, according to an IFIC design method, the reception paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC may be configured to use one path. For example, the reception paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC may be designed in a switched form. In this case, the beamforming operation may be performed by time division, and the transmission path and/or the reception path 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d may be designed to share one path. The transmit path includes the transmit stages 921, 922, SPDTs 942, 943, mixers 939a, 939b, 939c, 939d, filters 941a, 941b, 941c, 941d, DAs 932a, 932b, 932c, 932d. , and/or the DPDTs 936a, 936b, 936c, and 936d, and may be understood as a path through which a signal received from the CP 705 is converted (eg, upconverted) to a high frequency.

10 is an example illustrating a signal transmission path between components of an electronic device, according to an embodiment.

Among the reference numbers of FIG. 10 , components corresponding to the reference numbers of FIGS. 1 to 9 may be referred to by the descriptions related to FIGS. 1 to 9 .

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may include an AP 703 , a CP 705 , an IFIC 900 , a PMIC 1011 , 1012 , 1013 , and/or at least one antenna module 1020 . there is.

According to an embodiment, the CP 705 may obtain signal strength information through the path 1000 between the CP 705 and at least one antenna module 1020 (eg, the antenna module 800 of FIG. 8 ). there is. For example, the path 1000 between the CP 705 and the at least one antenna module 1020 may be a high-speed serial communication interface (eg, Hi-SPEEDY signal interface). For example, the path 1000 may be a path having one end connected to the ADC 845 of FIG. 8 .

According to an embodiment, the CP 705 may communicate with an external electronic device (eg, the base station 520 of FIG. 5 ) using the IFIC 900 and at least one antenna module 1020 . The CP 705 may transmit and receive signals through the path 1060 between the CP 705 and the IFIC 900 . For example, the CP 705 may transmit and receive a baseband signal through the path 1060 . The IFIC 900 may transmit/receive a signal through the path 1050 between the IFIC 900 and at least one antenna module 1020 . For example, the IFIC 900 may transmit and receive an intermediate frequency signal through the path 1050 .

According to an embodiment, the at least one antenna module 1020 may acquire a received signal using an antenna array (eg, the antenna arrays 715 and 725 of FIG. 7 ). The CP 705 may obtain information on the received signal through various paths. For example, the CP 705 may acquire information about the received signal through the path 1000 and/or the path 1060 . For example, the CP 705 may acquire strength information of the received signal through the path 1000 . The CP 705 may acquire strength information of the received signal from the received signal obtained through the path 1060 . For example, the CP 705 may acquire strength information of the received signal in a process of decoding the received signal.

According to an embodiment, the CP 705 is based on the strength of the received signal, the reception path of the IFIC (eg, the reception paths 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d in FIG. 9) and/or the reception path of the RFIC (eg, : It is possible to control the reception path 870 of FIG. 8). For example, the CP 705 turns on/turns the receive path 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d of the IFIC and/or the receive path 870 of the RFIC based on the strength of the received signal. can be turned off. For example, the turn-off of the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC is a component included in the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d (eg, the mixer ( 938a , 938b , 938c , 938d ) and/or low power supply or power supply to at least one of the filters 940a , 940b , 940c , 940d ). As another example, the turn-off of the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC causes the CP 705 to be an active element (eg, a mixer 938a, 938b, 938c, 938d) and/or controlling at least one of the filters 940a, 940b, 940c, and 940d) to not operate. As another example, turning off the receive paths 950a , 950b , 950c , 950d of the IFIC is such that the CP 705 does not receive a signal through the path 1060 between the CP 705 and the IFIC 900 . It can include actions. As another example, when the IFIC 900 is connected to the selection terminal, the turn-off of the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC causes the CP 705 to control the selection terminal to cause the IFIC 900 to be turned off. It may include an operation to block the connection with the . As another example, turning off the receive paths 950a , 950b , 950c , and 950d of the IFIC may include shutting off the power supply to the IFIC 900 of the CP 705 . For example, the turn-on of the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d of the IFIC may result in the supply of power or power to all components or active components included in the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d. It may include a high power (or normal power) supply. For example, the turn-off of the receive path 870 of the RFIC may include components included in the receive path 870 (eg, the LNAs 827 and 828 of FIG. 8 , the PS 829 and/or shut-off or low-power supply to at least one of the mixers 826). For example, turning on the receive path 870 of the RFIC may include the supply of power or the supply of high power (or general power) to all or active components included in the receive path 870 . .

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 blocks the power supply to the IFIC 900 or a component included in the PMIC 1012 and/or the RFIC (eg, 810 in FIG. 8 ) for supplying power (eg, : may include a PMIC 1013 for cutting off or low power supply to at least one of the LNAs 827 and 828 , PS 829 and/or mixer 826 of FIG. 8 . For example, when turning off the receive path of the IFIC (eg, 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d in FIG. 9 ), the CP 705 uses the PMIC 1012 to the receive path of the IFIC (eg, in FIG. 9 ) Power supply to the elements on 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d) may be cut off or low power may be supplied. For example, when turning off the receive path of the RFIC (eg, 870 in FIG. 8 ), the CP 705 uses the PMIC 1013 to connect the elements on the receive path of the RFIC (eg, 870 in FIG. 8 ). The power supply can be cut off or low power can be supplied. In order to cut off the power supply or to supply low power to the elements on the reception path of each of the antenna modules 1020 (eg, RF module #1, RF module #2, RF module #3, RF module #4), the PMIC ( 1013) may be electrically connected to each antenna module 1020 (eg, RF module #1, RF module #2, RF module #3, RF module #4) through a separate transmission path (not shown). The PMIC 1012 and the PMIC 1013 may be implemented as one PMIC (eg, 1012 or 1013).

11 illustrates a configuration of a synchronization signal block according to an embodiment.

According to one embodiment, the synchronization signal block (synchronization signal block, SSB) 1100 is PSS (primary synchronization signal, 1150), SSS (secondary synchronization signal, 1160) and PBCH (physical broadcast channel, 1155, 1165, 1170) may include.

According to an embodiment, the SSB may include four orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in a time domain 1105 . The SSB may have 240 sub-carrier spacings in a frequency domain 1130 . 127 sub-carriers 1125 of the first OFDM symbol 1180 in the time domain may be mapped to the PSS 1150 . 240 sub-carriers of the second OFDM symbol 1182 may be mapped to the PBCH 1155 . 48 sub-carriers 1110 and 1120 of the third OFDM symbol 1184 may be mapped to the PBCH 1165 , respectively, and 127 sub-carriers 1125 may be mapped to the SSS 1160 . 240 sub-carriers of the fourth OFDM symbol 1186 may be mapped to the PBCH 1170 .

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may receive the SSB 1100 from a base station (eg, the base station 520 of FIG. 5 ). The electronic device 101 may obtain information for access to and/or synchronization of a base station cell through decoding of the received PSS 1150 , SSS 1160 , and PBCH 1155 included in the SSB 1100 . there is.

12 is an example illustrating a transmission period of a plurality of synchronization signal blocks according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may receive a synchronization signal (eg, the SSB 1100 of FIG. 11 ) from the base station for communication with the base station (eg, the base station 520 of FIG. 5 ). . For example, the base station may transmit a plurality of SSBs 1221 , 1222 , 1223 , and 1225 including a synchronization signal for beam sweeping. For example, a series of SSBs may be referred to as one SS burst (synchronization signal burst, 1215). A plurality of synchronization signal blocks included in one SS burst 1215 may correspond to different directional beams, respectively. The base station may transmit a plurality of SS bursts within a specified period (eg, SS burst set period). For example, the plurality of SS bursts 1215 transmitted within one period may be referred to as one SS burst set 1210 .

According to an embodiment, the transmission period 1200 of the SS burst set 1210 may be 2 frames (eg, 20 ms). The SS burst 1215 may be transmitted during a certain period of time (eg, half frame (5 ms)) during the cycle of the SS burst set 1210 .

According to an embodiment, T1 1250 of FIG. 12 represents a period in which the SS burst set 1210 is periodically repeated. T2 ( 1255 ) of FIG. 12 represents a section corresponding to one SS burst set period. T3 1260 of FIG. 12 indicates a section corresponding to a specific window in which the base station 520 can transmit the SSB 1100 .

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may receive the above-described synchronization signal block SSB for beam searching or synchronization. In this case, the electronic device 101 crosses the reception path of the electronic device 101 (eg, the reception paths 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d of the IFIC or the reception path 870 of the RFIC) in order to receive the synchronization signal block. It can be kept active or in a wake-up state (eg high-power state). In high-frequency mobile communication, in order to receive a synchronization signal from the base station 520, the duration of the active state or the wake-up state may be increased. The increase in the duration may cause power consumption of the electronic device 101 .

13 is an example illustrating an operation in which an electronic device receives a synchronization signal block for beam searching or synchronization, according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 1300 (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 ) may include a plurality of antenna modules 1311 , 1312 , and 1313 . The number of antenna modules of the electronic device 1300 in FIG. 13 is exemplary, and embodiments of the present document are not limited thereto. The electronic device 1300 may receive a plurality of SSBs (eg, SSBs 1221 , 1222 , 1223 , 1225 of FIG. 12 ) using the plurality of antenna modules 1311 , 1312 , and 1313 . According to an embodiment, the plurality of antenna modules 1311 , 1312 , and 1313 may include antenna arrays (eg, 715 and 725 of FIG. 7 ). For example, the antenna array of the first antenna module 1311 (eg, the antenna array 725 of FIG. 7 ) may include a plurality of dipole antenna elements 1340 . The antenna array of the second antenna module 1312 (eg, the antenna array 715 of FIG. 7 ) and/or the antenna array of the third antenna module 1313 (eg, the antenna array 715 of FIG. 7 ) ) may include a plurality of patch antenna elements 1350 and 1360 . The antenna element of the antenna module of FIG. 13 is exemplary, and embodiments of the present document are not limited thereto.

An exemplary beam searching procedure of the electronic device 1300 according to a comparative embodiment may be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13 . For example, when the electronic device 1300 supports nine reception beams 1321 , 1322 , 1323 , 1324 , 1325 , 1326 , 1327 , 1328 , and 1329 , the electronic device 1300 determines a beam pair. , an SS burst set 1210 may be received for each of the nine reception beams 1321 , 1322 , 1323 , 1324 , 1325 , 1326 , 1327 , 1328 , and 1329 . In this case, when the reception circuit is activated while the electronic device 1300 receives all SS burst sets (eg, 9 SS burst sets), power consumption of the electronic device 1300 may increase. Hereinafter, the electronic device 1300 may reduce power consumption according to various embodiments.

According to one embodiment, the CP 705 uses the first antenna module 1311 (eg, the antenna module 700 of FIG. 7 ) to the beam sweeping area of the base station (eg, T3 ( T3 ( ) of FIG. 12 ) 1260)), some of a series of synchronization signal blocks (eg, the SS burst set 1210 of FIG. 12 ) included in the plurality of synchronization signal blocks may be received. The CP 705 may acquire the strength of the received signal by receiving the strength information of the signal received by the first antenna module 1311 through various paths. The description of the various routes may be referred to by the description of the various routes of FIG. 10 . The CP 705 is the reception path of the IFIC 900 (eg, the reception paths 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d in FIG. 9) and/or the first antenna module 1311 based on the strength of the received signal. The reception path (eg, the reception path 870 of FIG. 8 ) may be turned on/off. The number of some of the series of synchronization signal blocks included in the plurality of synchronization signal blocks received by the first antenna module 1311 is exemplary and is not limited by the embodiment of this document.

According to one embodiment, the CP 705 is the second antenna module 1312 (eg, the antenna module 700 of FIG. 7 ) or the third antenna module 1313 (eg, the antenna module of FIG. 7 ). 700), the same operations as obtaining the strength of the received signal and controlling the reception path using the above-described first antenna module 1311 may be independently performed. For example, the CP 705 is based on the strength of the received signal received by the second antenna module 1312 through various paths, based on the reception path of the IFIC 900 (eg, the reception paths 950a and 950b of FIG. 9 , 950c and 950d)) and/or the reception path of the second antenna module 1312 (eg, the reception path 870 of FIG. 8 ) may be turned on/off. . For example, the CP 705 is based on the strength of the received signal received by the third antenna module 1313 through various paths, based on the reception path of the IFIC 900 (eg, the reception paths 950a and 950b of FIG. 9 , 950c and 950d)) and/or the reception path of the third antenna module 1313 (eg, the reception path 870 of FIG. 8 ) may be turned on/off. .

According to an embodiment, an exemplary synchronization procedure of the electronic device 1300 for reducing power consumption may be described. For example, the CP 705 uses the three receive beams 1321 , 1322 , 1323 of the first antenna module 1311 in the SS burst set 1210 section to each receive beam (eg, a directional beam). ) (eg, SSB1 (first synchronization signal block, 1221), SSB2 (second synchronization signal block, 1222), and SSB3 (third synchronization signal block, 1223) of FIG. 12) may be received. . For example, in the section of the SS burst set 1210 of FIG. 12 , the first reception beam 1321 of the first antenna module 1311 of the electronic device 1300 receives the SSB1 1221 of FIG. 12 , and the second reception The beam 1322 may receive the SSB2 1222 of FIG. 12 , and the third receive beam 1323 may receive the SSB3 1223 of FIG. 12 . The CP 705 is the first antenna module 1311 based on the strength of the reception signal received by using the first reception beam 1321 , the second reception beam 1322 , and the third reception beam 1323 . 1 It is possible to control the reception path of the antenna module 1311 and/or the IFIC 900 . For example, the CP 705 is based on the strength of the received signal, the reception path of the IFIC 900 (eg, the reception paths 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d in FIG. 9) and/or the first antenna module ( 1311) (eg, the reception path 870 of FIG. 8 ) may be turned on/off. The number of reception beams of the first antenna module 1311 and the SSB corresponding to the reception beams are exemplary and are not limited by the embodiment of this document.

According to an embodiment, the CP 705 uses the second antenna module 1312 and the third antenna module 1313 to perform the same procedure as the synchronization procedure and the control of the reception path using the first antenna module 1311 described above. and control can be performed independently. For example, the CP 705 uses the three receive beams 1324 , 1325 , 1326 of the second antenna module 1312 in the SS burst set 1210 section to receive SSBs corresponding to the respective receive beams. can For example, in the CP 705 , the strength of the reception signal received by the second antenna module 1312 using the fourth reception beam 1324 , the fifth reception beam 1325 , and the sixth reception beam 1326 . Based on , the reception path of the second antenna module 1312 and/or the IFIC 900 may be controlled. For example, the CP 705 uses the three receive beams 1327 , 1328 , 1329 of the third antenna module 1313 in the SS burst set 1210 section to receive SSBs corresponding to the respective receive beams. can For example, in the CP 705 , the strength of the reception signal received by the third antenna module 1313 by using the seventh reception beam 1327 , the eighth reception beam 1328 , and the ninth reception beam 1329 . Based on , the reception path of the third antenna module 1313 and/or the IFIC 900 may be controlled.

14A is an example illustrating control of a reception path according to the strength of a reception signal, according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, the CP (eg, the CP 705 of FIG. 7 ) may obtain information on the strength of the received signal (eg, the strength of the first received signal and the strength of the second received signal). The strength information of the received signal may be strength information on a signal received using an antenna (eg, the antenna element 860 of FIG. 8 ) connected to an antenna module (eg, the antenna module 800 of FIG. 8 ).

According to an embodiment, the CP 705 may acquire strength information of the received signal through various paths. For example, the CP 705 may acquire the strength information of the received signal through a path directly connected to the antenna module 800 (eg, 1000 in FIG. 10 ). As another example, the CP 705 may obtain information on the strength of the received signal from the received signal obtained through a path (eg, 1060 in FIG. 10 ) connected to the IFIC (eg, IFIC 900 in FIG. 9 ). there is. The CP 705 may acquire strength information of the received signal in the decoding process of the received signal.

According to an embodiment, the strength information of the received signal may be obtained in various types of information. For example, the received signal strength information is at least one of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a reference signal received power (RSRP), or a signal to noise ratio (SNR). It can be obtained as information including one. As another example, the received signal may be classified into a specific level according to the strength of the RSSI, and the strength of the received signal may be obtained as information about the specific level. As another example, the RFIC (eg, the RFIC 810 of FIG. 8 ) turns on the reception path of the IFIC (eg, the reception paths 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d of FIG. 9 ) according to the strength of the received signal To determine whether (turn-on) / turn-off (turn-off), the CP (705) to obtain whether the turn-on (turn-on) / turn-off (turn-off) whether the strength information of the received signal can

According to an embodiment, as described above, the RFIC 810 turns on/off the reception paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC according to the strength of the reception signal. off), and can directly control the reception paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC.

According to an embodiment, the time axis of the graphs 1400a and 1400b of FIG. 14A may be partitioned at regular intervals. For example, each section (eg, 0-t1, t1-t2, t3-t4...) on the time axis of the graphs 1400a, 1400b may be referred to as 1 slot.

According to an embodiment, the turn-on/turn-off of Tx of FIG. 14A is a transmission path (eg, the transmission end of FIG. 9 ) of an IFIC (eg, the IFIC 900 of FIG. 9 ). 921, 922, filters 941a, 941b, 941c, 941d, mixers 939a, 939b, 939c, 939d, DAs 932a, 932b, 932c, 932d, and/or DPDTs 936a, 936b, 936c, 936d) and a transmission path (eg, transmit path 890 in FIG. 8) of an RFIC (eg, RFIC 810 in FIG. 8) ) may be referred to by the turn-on/turn-off of. The turn-on/turn-off of Rx of FIG. 14A is the turn-on of the receive path of the IFIC (eg, the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d of FIG. 9). )/turn-off. For example, the control of the CP 705 to turn on and turn off Rx is performed by the CP 705 based on the strength of the received signal in FIG. 10 in the receive path 950a of the IFIC. , 950b, 950c, 950d) may be referred to by a control that turns on/off.

The CP 705 may set Tx to be turned on and Rx to be turned off in the transmission periods 1410 and 1420 . The CP 705 may set the Tx to be turned off and the Rx to be turned on in the reception sections 1411 and 1421 . Upon reception, the CP 705 may compare the strength of the first received signal obtained using the first antenna module 1311 with a first threshold value (eg, RSRP < -80 dBm).

According to an embodiment, when the strength of the first received signal is equal to or greater than the first threshold ( 1400a ), the CP 705 may maintain the Rx in a turn-on state in the reception period 1411 .

According to an embodiment, when the strength of the first received signal is less than the first threshold ( 1400b ), the CP 705 may turn off the Rx in the reception period 1422 . The CP 705 compares the newly acquired strength of the received signal (the strength of the second received signal) with a first threshold value after turning off the Rx to determine the strength of the second received signal. When the threshold value is greater than 1, the Rx may be turned on in the reception period 1423 .

According to an embodiment, the CP 705 can independently perform the same control as the control using the above-described first antenna module 1311 using the second antenna module 1312 and the third antenna module 1313 . there is.

14B is an example illustrating control of a reception path according to the strength of a reception signal, according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, the CP (eg, the CP 705 in FIG. 7 ) obtains information on the strength of the received signal (eg, the strength of the first received signal, the strength of the second received signal, and the strength of the third received signal). can do. The strength information of the received signal may be strength information on a signal received using an antenna (eg, the antenna element 860 of FIG. 8 ) connected to an antenna module (eg, the antenna module 800 of FIG. 8 ).

According to an embodiment, the CP 705 may acquire strength information of the received signal through various paths. For example, the CP 705 may acquire the strength information of the received signal through a path directly connected to the antenna module 800 (eg, 1000 in FIG. 10 ). As another example, the CP 705 may obtain information on the strength of the received signal from the received signal obtained through a path (eg, 1060 in FIG. 10 ) connected to the IFIC (eg, IFIC 900 in FIG. 9 ). there is. The CP 705 may acquire strength information of the received signal in the decoding process of the received signal.

According to an embodiment, the strength information of the received signal may be obtained in various types of information. For example, the received signal strength information is at least one of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a reference signal received power (RSRP), or a signal to noise ratio (SNR). It can be obtained as information including one. As another example, the received signal may be classified into a specific level according to the strength of the RSSI, and the strength of the received signal may be obtained as information on the specific level. For another example, the RFIC (eg, the RFIC 810 of FIG. 8 ) turns on the reception path of the IFIC (eg, the reception paths 950a , 950b , 950c , 950d of FIG. 9 ) according to the strength of the received signal To determine whether (turn-on) / turn-off (turn-off), the CP (705) to obtain whether the turn-on (turn-on) / turn-off (turn-off) whether the strength information of the received signal can

According to an embodiment, as described above, the RFIC 810 turns on/off the reception paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC according to the strength of the reception signal. off), and can directly control the reception paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC. According to an embodiment, the time axis of the graphs 1450a, 1450b, and 1450c of FIG. 14B is at regular intervals. can be partitioned into Each section of the time axis of the graphs 1450a, 1450b, and 1450c may be referred to as 1 slot.

According to an embodiment, the turn-on/turn-off of Tx of FIG. 14B is a transmission path (eg, the transmission end of FIG. 9 ) of the IFIC (eg, the IFIC 900 of FIG. 9 ). 921, 922, filters 941a, 941b, 941c, 941d, mixers 939a, 939b, 939c, 939d, DAs 932a, 932b, 932c, 932d and/or DPDTs 936a, 936b, 936c, 936d ) of the turn-on / turn-off (turn-off) of the transmission path (eg, the transmission path 890 of FIG. 8 ) of the RFIC (eg, the RFIC 810 of FIG. 8 ) may be referred to as turn-on/turn-off. The turn-on/turn-off of Rx_IFIC of FIG. 14B is the turn-on of the receive path of the IFIC (eg, the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d of FIG. 9). )/turn-off. Turn-on/turn-off of Rx_RFIC of FIG. 14B is turn-on/turn-off of the receive path of the RFIC (eg, the receive path 870 of FIG. 8) -off) can be referenced. For example, the control for turning on and off the Rx_IFIC by the CP 705 is performed by the CP 705 based on the strength of the received signal in FIG. , 950b, 950c, 950d) may be referred to by a control that turns on/off. For example, the CP 705 turns on the Rx_RFIC, and the control for turning off the Rx_RFIC is controlled by the CP 705 in FIG. ) can be referred to by a control to turn on / turn off (turn-off).

According to an embodiment, the CP 705 may set Tx to be turned on and Rx_RFIC and Rx_IFIC to be turned off in the transmission periods 1460 , 1470 , and 1480 . The CP 705 may set the Tx to be turned off and the Rx_RFIC and the Rx_IFIC to be turned on in the reception periods 1461 , 1471 , and 1481 . Upon reception, the CP 705 determines the strength of the first received signal obtained using the first antenna module 1311 as a first threshold (eg, RSRP < -80 dBm) and a second threshold (eg, , RSRP < -100dBm).

According to an embodiment, the CP 705 maintains the Rx_RFIC and the Rx_IFIC in a turn-on state in the reception period 1411 when the strength of the first received signal is equal to or greater than the first threshold ( 1450a ). can

According to an embodiment, the CP 705 turns off the Rx_IFIC in the reception period 1472 when the strength of the first received signal is less than the first threshold and greater than or equal to the second threshold (1450b). ) and the Rx_RFIC may be maintained in a turn-on state. After turning off the Rx_IFIC, the CP 705 compares the strength of the newly acquired reception signal (the strength of the second reception signal) with the first threshold value and the second threshold value to obtain the second reception signal. When the intensity is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the Rx_IFIC may be turned on in the reception period 1473 .

According to an embodiment, when the strength of the first received signal is less than the second threshold ( 1450c ), the CP 705 may turn off the Rx_RFIC and the Rx_IFIC in the reception period 1482 . . When a predetermined time elapses after turning off the Rx_RFIC and the Rx_IFIC, the CP 705 turns on the Rx_RFIC in a state in which the Rx_IFIC is turned off in the reception period 1483 . can be turned on.

According to an embodiment, the CP 705 checks the strength of the received signal in the last slot (tn-tn+1) of the reception periods 1481, 1482, and 1483 in a state in which Rx_RFIC is turned off. It can be set to turn on Rx_RFIC.

According to an embodiment, the CP 705 turns on Rx_RFIC after a certain time elapses in a state in which Rx_RFIC is turned off, and then turns on Rx_RFIC, 2) is greater than or equal to the second threshold, Tx may be set to turn on when the transmission period (tn+1-tn+2) is reached after the reception period 1483 .

According to an embodiment, the CP 705 turns on Rx_RFIC after a certain time elapses in a state in which Rx_RFIC is turned off, and then turns on Rx_RFIC, 2) the strength of the received signal) is less than the second threshold, after the reception period 1483, it can be set to maintain the turn-off of Tx even when the transmission period (tn+1-tn+2) is reached .

According to an embodiment, the CP 705 can independently perform the same control as the control using the above-described first antenna module 1311 using the second antenna module 1312 and the third antenna module 1313 . there is.

According to an embodiment, after the reception period, the CP 705 determines that Tx is Tx in the transmission period (eg, t5-t6 of 1450a, tn+1-tn+2 of 1450b, tn+1-tn+2 of 1450c). It can be set to be turned on. When Tx is turned on, the CP 705 may transmit a transmission signal using an antenna module (eg, 1311 , 1312 , 1313 of FIG. 13 ).

15 is a flowchart illustrating control of a reception path according to the strength of a reception signal, according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 15 , in operation 1510 , the CP 705 may acquire the strength of the first received signal based on at least one synchronization signal block. For example, a CP (eg, CP 705 in FIG. 7 ) may acquire information about a received signal through a path (path 1000 in FIG. 10 ) and/or a path (path 1060 in FIG. 10 ). can For example, the CP 705 may acquire strength information of the received signal through the path 1000 . The CP 705 may acquire strength information of the received signal from the received signal obtained through the path 1060 . For example, the CP 705 may acquire strength information of the received signal in a process of decoding the received signal.

In operation 1520, the CP 705 may determine whether the strength of the first received signal is less than a first threshold (eg, RSRP < -80 dBm). For example, when the strength of the first received signal is greater than or equal to the first threshold (eg, RSRP = -70dBm, > -80dBm) (eg, 1520-N), the CP 705 continues to monitor the strength of the received signal can do. For example, when the strength of the first received signal is less than the first threshold (eg, RSRP = -90 dBm, < -80 dBm) (eg, 1520-Y), operation 1530 is performed.

In operation 1530, the CP 705 turns off at least one reception path of the IFIC (eg, (950a, 950b, 950c, 950d) in FIG. 9) and then proceeds to operation 1540. Turning off the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC may be explained by the description of FIGS. 9 to 10 .

In operation 1540 , the CP 705 obtains the strength of the second received signal based on at least one synchronization signal block and then proceeds to operation 1550 .

In operation 1550, the CP 705 may determine whether the strength of the second received signal is less than a first threshold. For example, when the strength of the second received signal is less than the first threshold (eg, RSRP = -90dBm, < -80dBm) (eg, 1550-Y), the CP 705 is at least one reception path of the IFIC. In a state in which (950a, 950b, 950c, 950d) is turned off, the strength of the received signal may be continuously monitored. For example, when the strength of the second received signal is equal to or greater than the first threshold (eg, RSRP = -70 dBm, > -80 dBm) (eg, 1550-N), operation 1560 is performed.

In operation 1560 , the CP 705 may turn on at least one reception path 950a , 950b , 950c , and 950d of the IFIC and then continuously monitor the strength of the reception signal. For example, referring to FIG. 9 , the turn-on of the receive paths 950a , 950b , 950c , and 950d of the IFIC includes all components or active components included in the receive paths 950a , 950b , 950c and 950d. It may include the supply of power to or high power (or general power) supply.

16 is a flowchart illustrating control of a reception path according to the strength of a reception signal, according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 16 , in operation 1610 , the CP 705 may acquire the strength of the first received signal based on at least one synchronization signal block. For example, a CP (eg, CP 705 in FIG. 7 ) may acquire information about a received signal through a path (path 1000 in FIG. 10 ) and/or a path (path 1060 in FIG. 10 ). can For example, the CP 705 may acquire strength information of the received signal through the path 1000 . The CP 705 may acquire strength information of the received signal from the received signal obtained through the path 1060 . For example, the CP 705 may acquire strength information of the received signal in a process of decoding the received signal.

In operation 1620, the CP 705 may determine whether the strength of the first received signal is less than a first threshold (eg, RSRP < -80 dBm). For example, when the strength of the first received signal is greater than or equal to the first threshold (eg, RSRP = -70 dBm, > -80 dBm) (eg, 1620-N), the CP 705 continues to measure the strength of the received signal. can be monitored. For example, when the strength of the first received signal is less than the first threshold (eg, RSRP = -90 dBm, < -80 dBm) (eg, 1620-Y), operation 1630 is performed.

In operation 1630, the CP 705 turns off at least one reception path of the IFIC (eg, (950a, 950b, 950c, 950d) of FIG. 9) and then proceeds to operation 1640. Turning off the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC may be explained by the description of FIGS. 9 to 10 .

In operation 1640 , the CP 705 obtains the strength of the second received signal based on at least one synchronization signal block and then proceeds to operation 1650 .

In operation 1650, the CP 705 may determine whether the strength of the second received signal is less than a second threshold (eg, RSRP < -100 dBm).

For example, when the strength of the second received signal is equal to or greater than the second threshold (eg, RSRP = -90dBm, >-100dBm) (eg, 1650-N), operation 1660 is performed.

In operation 1660, the CP 705 may determine whether the strength of the second received signal is equal to or greater than a first threshold. For example, when the strength of the second received signal is less than the first threshold (eg, RSRP = -90dBm, < -80dBm) (eg, 1660-N), the CP 705 is at least one reception path of the IFIC. In a state in which (950a, 950b, 950c, 950d) is turned off, the strength of the received signal may be continuously monitored. For example, when the strength of the second received signal is equal to or greater than the first threshold (eg, RSRP = -70Bm, >-80dBm) (eg, 1660-Y), operation 1670 is performed. In operation 1670 , the CP 705 may turn on at least one reception path 950a , 950b , 950c , and 950d of the IFIC and then continuously monitor the strength of the reception signal. For example, referring to FIG. 9 , the turn-on of the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d of the IFIC includes all components or active components included in the receive paths 950a, 950b, 950c, and 950d. It may include the supply of power to or high power (or general power) supply.

For example, when the strength of the second received signal is less than the second threshold (eg, RSRP = -110 dBm, < -100 dBm) (eg, 1650-Y), operation 1680 is performed.

In operation 1680 , the CP 705 turns off at least one reception path of the RFIC (eg, 870 in FIG. 8 ) and then proceeds to operation 1690 after a predetermined time elapses. Turning off the receive path 870 of the RFIC can be explained by the description of FIG. 8 .

In operation 1690, the CP 705 turns on at least one receive path of the RFIC, and then turns off at least one receive path 950a, 950b, 950c, 950d of the IFIC. ), it is possible to continuously monitor the strength of the received signal. For example, referring to FIG. 8 , the turn-on of the receive path 870 of the RFIC is the supply of power or high power (or general power) to all components or active components included in the receive path 870 . supply may be included.

Claims (20)

In an electronic device,
an antenna module comprising an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements and a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) electrically connected to the antenna array;
an intermediate frequency integrated circuit (IFIC) electrically connected to the RFIC; and
a processor electrically connected to the IFIC and the antenna module;
The processor is
Obtaining (obtain) the strength of the received signal,
set to turn off a receiving path of the intermediate frequency integrated circuit (IFIC) when the strength of the received signal is less than a first threshold,
electronic device.
According to claim 1,
The antenna module is
a plurality of paths electrically connected to the plurality of antenna elements; and
at least one power detector electrically connected to the plurality of paths;
The processor is further configured to obtain the strength of the received signal using the at least one power detector,
electronic device.
3. The method of claim 2,
The at least one power detector is electrically connected to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC),
The processor is further configured to obtain the strength of the received signal from the ADC through a high-speed serial communication interface,
electronic device.
According to claim 1,
The processor is further configured to turn on the reception path of the IFIC when the strength of the received signal is equal to or greater than the first threshold,
electronic device.
According to claim 1,
The processor is
receiving at least one synchronization signal block using the antenna module;
Further configured to obtain the strength of the received signal based on the reference signal included in the at least one synchronization signal block,
electronic device.
6. The method of claim 5,
The processor is further configured to obtain the strength of the received signal by using some of a series of synchronization signal blocks included in the plurality of synchronization signal blocks,
electronic device.
7. The method of claim 6,
The processor is
When the strength of the received signal is less than the first threshold, the reception path of the IFIC is turned off during the remaining time period except for some of the series of synchronization signal blocks among the time period corresponding to the synchronization signal burst set period off) is further set to
wherein the synchronization signal burst set period is a transmission period of the plurality of synchronization signal blocks;
electronic device.
7. The method of claim 6,
the antenna array is configured to form a plurality of directional beams using the plurality of antenna elements;
The processor is
receiving a first synchronization signal block among the plurality of synchronization signal blocks by using a first directional beam among the plurality of directional beams;
receiving a second synchronization signal block from among the plurality of synchronization signal blocks by using a second directional beam from among the plurality of directional beams;
receiving a third synchronization signal block among the plurality of synchronization signal blocks by using a third directional beam among the plurality of directional beams;
further configured to obtain the strength of the received signal based on the received strength of at least one of the first synchronization signal block, the second synchronization signal block, or the third synchronization signal block,
electronic device.
According to claim 1,
The processor is
Further configured to turn off at least one receiving path of the RFIC when the strength of the received signal is less than a second threshold,
electronic device.
10. The method of claim 9,
The processor is
Further configured to turn on at least one receive path of the RFIC after a certain time has elapsed since at least one receive path of the RFIC is turned off,
electronic device.
10. The method of claim 9,
Turning off the receive path of the IFIC is,
is performed by the processor controlling at least one of the active elements of the IFIC not to operate, or
wherein the processor does not receive a signal over the path between the processor and the IFIC.
electronic device.
A method of operating an electronic device including an antenna module, comprising:
receiving a signal using an antenna array of the antenna module;
obtaining the strength of the received signal; and
and, when the strength of the received signal is less than a first threshold, turning off a reception path of an intermediate frequency integrated circuit (IFIC) of the electronic device; and
The IFIC is,
It is located between a communication processor (CP) of the electronic device and the antenna module,
configured to convert the signal received from the antenna module into a baseband frequency signal and transmit it to the CP or convert the signal received from the CP into an intermediate frequency signal and transmit it to the antenna module,
method.
12. The method of claim 11,
The operation of obtaining the strength of the received signal is,
detecting the strength of the received signal using at least one power detector included in the antenna module; and
The operation of acquiring the strength of the received signal by using a path through which the at least one power detector and the CP are connected.
13. The method of claim 12,
A path through which the at least one power detector and the CP are connected is a high-speed serial communication interface,
method.
12. The method of claim 11,
When the strength of the received signal is greater than or equal to the first threshold, turning on the reception path of the IFIC; further comprising
method.
12. The method of claim 11,
The operation of obtaining the strength of the received signal is,
receiving at least one block of synchronization signals; and
Acquiring the strength of the received signal based on the reference signal included in the at least one synchronization signal block;
method.
16. The method of claim 15,
Receiving the at least one synchronization signal block comprises:
receiving a portion of a series of synchronization signal blocks included in the plurality of synchronization signal blocks; and
Including; obtaining the strength of the received signal by using some of the series of synchronization signal blocks;
method.
17. The method of claim 16,
When the strength of the received signal is less than the first threshold, the reception path of the IFIC is turned off during the remaining time period except for some of the series of synchronization signal blocks among the time period corresponding to the synchronization signal burst set period off) operation; further comprising,
wherein the synchronization signal burst set period is a transmission period of the plurality of synchronization signal blocks;
method.
17. The method of claim 16,
the antenna array is configured to form a plurality of directional beams using the plurality of antenna elements;
Receiving a part of a series of synchronization signal blocks included in the plurality of synchronization signal blocks includes:
receiving a first synchronization signal block from among the plurality of synchronization signal blocks by using a first directional beam from among the plurality of directional beams;
receiving a second synchronization signal block from among the plurality of synchronization signal blocks by using a second directional beam from among the plurality of directional beams; and
receiving a third synchronization signal block from among the plurality of synchronization signal blocks by using a third directional beam from among the plurality of directional beams;
The operation of obtaining the strength of the received signal by using some of the series of synchronization signal blocks may include receiving strength of at least one of the first synchronization signal block, the second synchronization signal block, or the third synchronization signal block. Including the operation of obtaining the strength of the received signal based on
method.
12. The method of claim 11,
When the strength of the received signal is less than the second threshold, the operation of turning off at least one reception path of the RFIC of the electronic device; further comprising,
The RFIC is electrically connected to the antenna array and included in the antenna module, and converts the signal received from the antenna array into an intermediate frequency signal and transmits it to the IFIC, or converts the signal received from the IFIC into a signal of a specified frequency. set to pass to the antenna array,
method.

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