KR20220109965A - Electronic device including a plurality of antennas and operating method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic device including multiple antennas and an operating method thereof. The electronic device may comprise: a first housing; a second housing connected to the first housing by at least one shaft, wherein a first surface of the first housing and a second surface of the second housing face each other when the electronic device is in the first state, and the first surface of the first housing and the second surface of the second housing are configured to face the same direction when the electronic device is in a second state; a first antenna disposed in the first housing; a second antenna disposed in the second housing; a wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the first and second antennas so that the first and second antennas operate as in-phase antennas; a signal distribution circuit electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit; and a processor electrically connected to the first antenna, the second antenna, the wireless communication circuit, and the signal distribution circuit. The processor can be configured so that in a first state, the wireless communication circuit transfers a transmission signal including a first transmission signal and a second transmission signal to the signal distribution circuit, the wireless communication circuit transmits the first transmission signal and the second transmission signal from the signal distribution circuit, and the wireless communications circuitry transmits the first transmit signal using the first antenna and transmits the second transmit signal using the second antenna. In addition, various embodiments identified through the specification are possible. According to the present invention, multiple antennas may be disposed in the foldable housing.

Description

ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF ANTENNAS AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device including a plurality of antennas and an operating method thereof.

Research and development of electronic devices (eg, foldable electronic devices) that can have various shapes are being actively conducted. Depending on the shape of the electronic device, various user experiences may be provided.

The foldable electronic device may be implemented as a foldable housing that is foldable based on a folding axis. The shape of the foldable electronic device may change according to the folding of the foldable housing.

A plurality of antennas may be disposed in the foldable housing. A distance between the plurality of antennas may be changed together according to a change in the shape of the electronic device. For example, in a folding state of the foldable electronic device, the first antenna and the second antenna may be disposed in respective regions of the foldable housing at a first interval. For example, in an unfolded state of the foldable electronic device, the first antenna and the second antenna may be disposed in respective regions of the foldable housing at second intervals. When the foldable electronic device in the unfolded state is folded to be in a folding state, the first antenna and the second antenna may be arranged at a first interval at a distance closer than the second interval. For example, in a folded state of the foldable electronic device, the first antenna and the second antenna may face each other at a first interval.

When performing communication, the performance of the first antenna may be deteriorated by the second antenna disposed in a short distance (eg, at a first interval). For example, a signal radiated from the first antenna may be blocked by the second antenna. When the second antenna has a resonance characteristic similar to that of the first antenna, performance degradation of the first antenna may be severe. Deterioration of antenna performance may also occur in the second antenna in the same principle.

In order to prevent performance degradation of the antenna, the foldable electronic device may be designed so that transmission/reception signals of antennas (eg, the first antenna and the second antenna) facing each other are in phase. For example, the foldable electronic device may supply power to substantially the same position of the first antenna and the second antenna. In this case, the direction of the current flowing through the first antenna and the direction of the current flowing through the second antenna may be the same. For example, when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, when viewed from the first direction, the feeding position of the first antenna and the feeding position of the second antenna may overlap.

The above-described antenna design method may be referred to as an equal-phase, in-phase antenna technique. The in-phase antenna technique can reduce the degradation of antenna performance.

In order to implement the in-phase antenna technique in the foldable electronic device, additional components (eg, a divider, a switch circuit, and an auxiliary antenna) may be disposed. Since the size and arrangement space of the foldable electronic device are limited, it may be difficult to design the foldable electronic device.

It is necessary to study a method to reduce the difficulty of designing an electronic device by implementing the in-phase antenna technique without an auxiliary antenna and a switch circuit.

In an electronic device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, a first housing, a second housing having at least one shaft connected to the first housing, and a first surface of the first housing and a second surface of the second housing are The electronic device faces each other when the electronic device is in the first state, and the first surface of the first housing and the second surface of the second housing face the same direction when the electronic device is in the second state; The first antenna disposed in the first housing, the second antenna disposed in the second housing, and the first antenna and the second antenna are electrically connected to the first antenna and the second antenna to operate as an in-phase antenna. a processor electrically coupled to a wireless communication circuit, a signal distribution circuit electrically coupled to the wireless communication circuit, the first antenna, the second antenna, the wireless communication circuit, and the signal distribution circuit, the processor comprising: In the first state, the wireless communication circuit transmits a transmission signal including a first transmission signal and a second transmission signal to the signal distribution circuit, and the wireless communication circuit receives the first transmission signal and Receive the second transmission signal, the wireless communication circuit may be configured to transmit the first transmission signal using the first antenna, and transmit the second transmission signal using the second antenna.

According to the embodiments disclosed in this document, the electronic device may reduce the difficulty of designing the electronic device by implementing the in-phase antenna technique without an auxiliary antenna and a switch circuit.

According to the embodiments disclosed in this document, the electronic device may secure a space for the electronic device by implementing the in-phase antenna technique without an auxiliary antenna and a switch circuit.

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

Effects that can be obtained in various embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned are clearly to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs from the description below. can be understood

1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
3 illustrates an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
4 illustrates a partial configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
5A illustrates a signal transmission path in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
5B illustrates a signal transmission path in a folded state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
6A illustrates an antenna arrangement according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
6B illustrates an antenna arrangement according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
7 illustrates a table comparing communication performance of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure with another embodiment.
In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for the same or similar components.

1 is a block diagram of an electronic device 101 in a network environment 100 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 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 module 150 , a sound output module 155 , a display module 160 , an audio module 170 , and a sensor module ( 176), interface 177, connection terminal 178, haptic module 179, camera module 180, power management module 188, battery 189, communication module 190, subscriber identification module 196 , or an antenna module 197 . In some embodiments, at least one of these components (eg, the connection terminal 178 ) may be omitted or one or more other components may be added to the electronic device 101 . In some embodiments, some of these components (eg, sensor module 176 , camera module 180 , or antenna module 197 ) are integrated into one component (eg, display module 160 ). can be

The processor 120, for example, executes software (eg, a 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 an embodiment, as at least part of data processing or operation, the processor 120 stores a command or data received from another component (eg, the sensor module 176 or the communication module 190 ) into the volatile memory 132 . may be stored in , process commands or data stored in the volatile memory 132 , and store the result data in the non-volatile memory 134 . According to an embodiment, the processor 120 is the main processor 121 (eg, a central processing unit or an application processor) or a secondary processor 123 (eg, a graphic processing unit, a neural network processing unit) a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor). For example, when the electronic device 101 includes the main processor 121 and the sub-processor 123 , the sub-processor 123 uses less power than the main processor 121 or is set to be specialized for a specified function. can The auxiliary processor 123 may be implemented separately from or as a part of the main processor 121 .

The secondary processor 123 may, for example, act 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 module 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 auxiliary processor 123 (eg, image signal processor or communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another functionally related component (eg, camera module 180 or communication module 190). have. According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (eg, a neural network processing device) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing an artificial intelligence model. Artificial intelligence models can be created through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, in the electronic device 101 itself on which artificial intelligence is performed, or may be performed through a separate server (eg, the server 108). The learning algorithm may include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but in the above example not limited The artificial intelligence model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers. Artificial neural networks include deep neural networks (DNNs), convolutional neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), restricted boltzmann machines (RBMs), deep belief networks (DBNs), bidirectional recurrent deep neural networks (BRDNNs), It may be one of deep Q-networks or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the above example. The artificial intelligence model may include, in addition to, or alternatively, a software structure in addition to the hardware structure.

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 module 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 module 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (eg, a button), or a digital pen (eg, a stylus pen).

The sound output module 155 may output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device 101 . The sound output module 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. The receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. According to an embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from or as a part of the speaker.

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

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 module 150 , or an external electronic device (eg, a sound output module 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, a 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 an embodiment, the 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 performance 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 an 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). A corresponding communication module among these communication modules is a first network 198 (eg, a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network 199 (eg, legacy It may communicate with the external electronic device 104 through a cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (eg, a telecommunication network such as a LAN or a 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 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 or authenticated.

The wireless communication module 192 may support a 5G network after a 4G network and a next-generation communication technology, for example, a new radio access technology (NR). NR access technology includes high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), minimization of terminal power and access to multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency) -latency communications)). The wireless communication module 192 may support a high frequency band (eg, mmWave band) to achieve a high data rate, for example. The wireless communication module 192 uses various techniques for securing performance in a high-frequency band, for example, beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), all-dimensional multiplexing. It may support technologies such as full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), an array antenna, analog beam-forming, or a large scale antenna. The wireless communication module 192 may support various requirements defined in the electronic device 101 , an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 104 ), or a network system (eg, the second network 199 ). According to an embodiment, the wireless communication module 192 includes a peak data rate (eg, 20 Gbps or more) for realizing eMBB, loss coverage (eg, 164 dB or less) for realizing mMTC, or U-plane latency for realizing URLLC ( Example: Downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each 0.5 ms or less, or round trip 1 ms or less) can be supported.

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 an 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 (eg, an array antenna). 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, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other than the radiator may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module 197 .

According to various embodiments, the antenna module 197 may form a mmWave antenna module. According to one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module comprises a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent to a first side (eg, bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high frequency band (eg, mmWave band); and a plurality of antennas (eg, an array antenna) disposed on or adjacent to a second side (eg, top or side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals of the designated high frequency band. can do.

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 signal (eg 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 or 104 may be the same as or different from the electronic device 101 . According to an embodiment, all or part of the operations executed by the electronic device 101 may be executed by one or more 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. 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, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used. The electronic device 101 may provide an ultra-low latency service using, for example, distributed computing or mobile edge computing. In another embodiment, the external electronic device 104 may include an Internet of things (IoT) device. The server 108 may be an intelligent server using machine learning and/or neural networks. According to an embodiment, the external electronic device 104 or the server 108 may be included in the second network 199 . The electronic device 101 may be applied to an intelligent service (eg, smart home, smart city, smart car, or health care) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

The electronic device according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be a device of various types. 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.

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 should be understood to 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 , B, or C," each of which may include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding one of the phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", or "first" or "second" may simply be used to distinguish an element from other elements in question, and may refer elements to other aspects (e.g., importance or order) is not limited. It is said 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.

The term “module” used in various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and is interchangeable with terms such as, for example, logic, logic block, component, or circuit. can be used as 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).

According to various embodiments of the present document, 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 the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This makes it possible for the device to be operated to perform at least one function in accordance with the called at least one command. 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 is used in cases where data is semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and It does not distinguish between temporary storage cases.

According to an embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided by being included in a 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 device-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 portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium such as a memory of a server of a manufacturer, a server of an application store, or a memory of a relay server.

According to various embodiments, each component (eg, module or program) of the above-described components may include a singular or a plurality of entities, and some of the plurality of entities may be separately disposed in other components. . 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, omitted, or , or one or more other operations may be added.

2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 3 illustrates an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

In an embodiment, the electronic device 200 (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 ) includes a processor 210 (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1 ), a first housing 220 , and a second housing ( 225), a wireless communication circuit 230 (eg, the communication module 190 of FIG. 1 ), a first antenna 240 (eg, the antenna module 197 of FIG. 1 ), a second antenna 245 (eg: antenna module 197 of FIG. 1 ), and/or a signal distribution circuit 250 .

In an embodiment, the first housing 220 and the second housing 225 may constitute a foldable housing 227 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , the foldable housing 227 may be folded or unfolded about an A axis (or a folding axis). Reference numeral 300 denotes a flat state of the electronic device 200 . Reference numeral 350 denotes a folded state of the electronic device 200 . Reference number 370 shows a state in which the electronic device 200 in a folded state is viewed in the -X-axis direction.

In an embodiment, the first housing 220 and the second housing 225 may be disposed on both sides about the A axis, and may have a substantially symmetrical shape with respect to the A axis. The shape of the electronic device 200 may change according to the folding or unfolding of the foldable housing 227 . As will be described later, the angle or distance between the first housing 220 and the second housing 225 may vary depending on whether the electronic device 200 is in an unfolded state, a folded state, or an intermediate state. .

In an embodiment, the electronic device 200 may further include a hinge cover 320 that covers the foldable portion of the foldable housing 227 . In an embodiment, the hinge cover 320 may be disposed between the first housing 220 and the second housing 225 to cover an internal component (eg, a hinge structure). In an embodiment, at least a portion of the hinge cover 320 is formed by a portion of the first housing 220 and the second housing 225 depending on the state (the unfolded state or the folded state) of the electronic device 200 . It may be covered or exposed to the outside.

Hereinafter, a shape of the electronic device 200 according to a state (eg, an unfolded state and a folded state) of the electronic device 200 will be described.

Referring to reference numeral 300 , when the electronic device 200 is in an unfolded state, the first housing 220 and the second housing 225 may be disposed to face the same direction while forming an angle of about 180 degrees. In an embodiment, when the electronic device 200 is in a folded state, the first housing 220 and the second housing 225 may be disposed to face each other. In this case, the first housing 220 and the second housing 225 may face each other while forming a narrow angle (eg, between about 0 degrees and about 10 degrees). Although not shown in FIG. 3 , when the electronic device 200 is in an intermediate state, the first housing 220 and the second housing 225 may be disposed at a certain angle to each other.

In an embodiment, when the electronic device 200 is in an unfolded state, the first housing 220 or the second housing 225 may be rotated (eg, folded) with respect to the A axis. The rotation of the first housing 220 or the second housing 225 may be performed on the YZ plane. For example, the rotation of the first housing 220 or the second housing 225 may be performed in the +Z axis direction on the YZ plane. As a result of the rotation of the second housing 225 , the second housing 225 may overlap (or be aligned with) the first housing 220 in the Z-axis direction. In this case, the electronic device 200 may have a folded state. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 200 may include an intermediate state between an unfolded state and a folded state.

In one embodiment, as a result of the rotation of the first housing 220 or the second housing 225 , the second housing 225 and the first housing 220 are rotated at a predetermined angle (eg, 10 degrees at 0 degrees) on the YZ plane. between degrees) can be achieved. In this case, the electronic device 200 may have a third state. In an embodiment, the shape change of the electronic device 200 may be reversely performed. For example, the electronic device 200 may change from a folded state to an unfolded state (eg, unfolding). In an embodiment, the shape change of the electronic device 200 may be performed by rotation of the first housing 220 . Alternatively, the shape change of the electronic device 200 may be performed by simultaneously rotating the first housing 220 and the second housing 225 .

In an embodiment, the first housing 220 and the second housing 225 include various components of the electronic device 200 (eg, the processor 210 , the wireless communication circuit 230 , the signal distribution circuit 250 , and the / or a space in which the antennas (the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245) can be disposed may be formed.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the first antenna 240 , the wireless communication circuit 230 , the processor 210 , and/or the signal distribution circuit 250 may be disposed in the first housing 220 . The second antenna 245 may be disposed in the second housing 225 . The arrangement of FIG. 2 is exemplary, and at least one of the wireless communication circuit 230 , the processor 210 , and the signal distribution circuit 250 may be disposed in the second housing 225 .

In an embodiment, the processor 210 may include a communication processor (CP). The processor 210 may be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit 230 . In one embodiment, the processor 210 may be implemented as part of the wireless communication circuit 230 . The processor 210 may control at least some of functions or states related to the wireless communication circuit 230 .

In an embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 may be electrically connected to the processor 210 , the first antenna 240 , the second antenna 245 , and/or the signal distribution circuit 250 .

In an embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 uses antennas (eg, the first antenna 240 and/or the second antenna 245) to perform various protocols (eg, long-term evolution (LTE), It is possible to perform communication based on new radio (NR).

In an embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 may receive a signal from the outside or transmit a signal to the outside using an antenna (eg, the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 ). In an embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit/receive a wireless signal using one antenna (eg, the first antenna 240 or the second antenna 245 ) in the unfolded state. In an embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit and/or receive a wireless signal using two antennas (the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 ) in the folded state. In another embodiment, in the unfolded state, a wireless signal may be transmitted and/or received using two antennas (the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 ). In another embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit and/or receive a wireless signal using one antenna (eg, the first antenna 240 or the second antenna 245) in the folded state. . In another embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit and/or receive a wireless signal using one antenna (eg, the first antenna 240 or the second antenna 245 ) in the unfolded state. .

Referring to FIG. 3 , the wireless communication circuit 230 may include a first front end module (FEM) 330 , a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) 340 , and/or a second FEM 350 . For example, the first FEM may include a power amplifier (PA) and a low noise amplifier (LNA), and the second FEM may include an LNA.

In an embodiment, the first FEM 330 may amplify and output the input signal. For example, the first FEM 330 may amplify an input signal and transmit it to an antenna (eg, the first antenna 240 and/or the second antenna 245 ).

In an embodiment, the RFIC 340 converts a signal received from an antenna (eg, the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 ) to a signal of a frequency band that can be processed by the processor 210 at the time of reception. Down-converting is possible. The RFIC 340 may up-convert a signal received from the processor 210 into a signal of a specified frequency band during transmission. The designated frequency may be determined based on a communication protocol used by the processor 210 .

In an embodiment, the second FEM 350 may pre-process (eg, filter, amplify) the signal received from the antenna upon reception.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the first housing 220 may include a first conductive member, and the second housing 225 may include a second conductive member. In an embodiment, the first antenna 240 may include at least a portion of the first conductive member. The second antenna 245 may include at least a portion of the second conductive member. In an embodiment, the first antenna 240 may be disposed (or disposed) in the first housing 220 . The second antenna 245 may be disposed (or disposed) in the second housing 225 .

In an embodiment, the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 may be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit 230 . When receiving, the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 may transmit a signal received from the outside to the wireless communication circuit 230 . The first antenna 240 and/or the second antenna 245 may radiate a signal received from the wireless communication circuit 230 to the outside during transmission.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the distance between the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 may change according to a change in the shape of the electronic device 200 .

In an embodiment, when the electronic device 200 is in the unfolded state (reference numeral 300 ), the distance between the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 may be the first gap 310 .

In an embodiment, when the electronic device 200 is folded to be in a folded state (reference numeral 350 ), the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 may be aligned along the +Z axis. Referring to reference numeral 370 , a distance between the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 in the folded state of the electronic device 200 may be a second gap 315 . For example, the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 may face each other. In an embodiment, the second interval 315 may be a closer interval than the first interval 310 . In an embodiment, when the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 have a second distance 315 , the performance of the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 may be deteriorated. For example, a signal radiated from the first antenna 240 may be blocked by the second antenna 245 . As another example, when the current direction of the first antenna 240 and the current direction of the second antenna 245 are opposite to each other, the performance may be deteriorated by canceling each other. When the second antenna 245 has a resonance characteristic similar to that of the first antenna 240 , performance degradation of the first antenna may be severe. The performance of the second antenna 245 may be deteriorated by the same principle as that of the first antenna 240 .

In one embodiment, in order to prevent the above-described performance degradation of the antenna, the antennas (eg, the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245) may be designed to radiate a signal of the same phase. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 may be fed at substantially the same position. For example, in the folded state, the feeding point of the first antenna 240 and the feeding point of the second antenna 245 may be aligned in the Z-axis direction. In this case, the direction of current flowing through the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 may be the same. Such a design method of the electronic device 200 may be referred to as an equal-phase, in-phase antenna technique.

4 illustrates a partial configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Electrical connection of the wireless communication circuit 230 , the signal distribution circuit 250 , the first antenna 240 , and the second antenna 245 in FIG. 4 will be described. 2 and 3 may be referred to for the description of FIG. 4 .

In one embodiment, the first FEM 330 is at least one switch (425-1, 425-2, 425-3, 425-4, 425-5, 425-6, 425-7), at least one BPF It may include a band pass filter 435 , a power amplifier (PA) 445 - 1 , at least one LNA 445 - 2 and 445 - 3 , and/or a signal processing module 450 . Each component of the first FEM 330 may be electrically connected.

The at least one switch 425 - 1 , 425 - 2 , 425 - 3 , 425 - 4 , 425 - 5 , 425 - 6 or 425 - 7 may connect or block electrical connections between a plurality of circuit elements. The plurality of circuit elements may include passive elements or active elements.

At least one BPF 435 may pass a component corresponding to a specified frequency band among the input signals. In an embodiment, the designated frequency bands passed by each of the at least one BPF 435 may be different from each other.

The PA 445 - 1 may amplify the input signal.

At least one LNA (445-2, 445-3) may amplify the input signal to low noise.

The signal processing module 450 may include a switch, a coupler 452 , or a variable tunable low pass filter (LPF) 454 .

The coupler 452 may acquire at least a portion of the transmitted signal reflected from the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 . The coupler 452 may transmit the acquired reflected signal to an element including the switch 425 - 5 . According to the connection of the switch 425 - 5 , the reflected signal may be transmitted to the RFIC 340 . A device including the coupler 452 and the switch 425 - 5 may form a feedback circuit.

The variable LPF 454 may pass components of a band below a specific frequency among the input signals. In one embodiment, the specific frequency may vary.

In an embodiment, the second FEM 350 may include at least one switch 420-1, 420-2, 420-3, at least one BPF 430, and/or an LNA 440. . Each of the components of the second FEM 350 may be electrically connected.

The LNA 440 may amplify the input signal to low noise.

In an embodiment, the RFIC 340 may be electrically connected to the second FEM 350 and the first FEM 330 . In an embodiment, the RFIC 340 may be electrically connected to the processor 210 (eg, a communication processor). The RFIC 340 may generate a transmission signal or process a reception signal.

In an embodiment, the signal distribution circuit 250 may include a divider 400 and at least one duplexer 410 and 415 .

The divider 400 may branch the input signal. For example, the divider 400 may divide the input signal into two signals having the same intensity and transmit it to another path.

The duplexer (eg, 410 and 415 ) may selectively pass a signal transmitted from the wireless communication circuit 230 . A path of a transmission signal and a path of a reception signal may share at least a partial section including duplexers (eg, 410 and 415 ).

Hereinafter, when the wireless communication circuit 230 performs communication in the folded state or the unfolded state of the electronic device 200, a transmission path of a transmission signal or a reception signal will be described.

In an embodiment, a path through which the wireless communication circuit 230 transmits a transmission signal to an antenna (eg, the first antenna 240 or the second antenna 245) may be referred to as a transmission path of the transmission signal. A path through which the wireless communication circuit 230 receives a reception signal from an antenna (eg, the first antenna 240 or the second antenna 245 ) may be referred to as a transmission path of the received signal. In an embodiment, the transmission path of the transmission signal in the unfolded state and the folded state of the electronic device 200 may be different from each other. In an embodiment, the transmission path of the received signal in the unfolded state and the folded state of the electronic device 200 may be different from each other.

In an embodiment, when the electronic device 200 is in the unfolded state, the wireless communication circuit 230 may perform communication using the second antenna 245 . In another embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 may perform communication using the first antenna 240 . In another embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 may perform communication using the first antenna 240 or the second antenna 245 individually.

In an embodiment, when the electronic device 200 is in an unfolded state, the wireless communication circuit 230 may include at least one of the switches 420-1, 420-3, 425-1, and a switch included in the preprocessing module 450. ) may not be used to connect the signal distribution circuit 250 and the electrical connection.

When the electronic device 200 is in the unfolded state, the RFIC 340 may generate a first transmission signal during transmission. The RFIC 340 may transmit the first transmission signal to the first FEM 330 . The first transmission signal transmitted to the first FEM 330 may be input to the PA 445-1 through the switch 445-6. The PA 445 - 1 may amplify the first transmission signal. The amplified first transmission signal may be input to one of the at least one BPF 435 through the switch 425 - 1 . For example, the BPF 435 to which the first transmission signal is input may be determined based on a frequency band used by the wireless communication circuit 230 . The first transmission signal passing through any one of the at least one BPF 435 may be input to the signal processing module 450 . The signal processing module 450 may process (eg, filter) the first transmission signal. The signal processing module 450 may transmit the processed first transmission signal to the second antenna 245 . The second antenna 245 may radiate the first transmission signal to the outside.

When the electronic device 200 is in the unfolded state, when receiving, the first antenna 240 may receive the first reception signal from the outside. The first antenna 240 may transmit the first received signal to the second FEM 350 . The first received signal transmitted to the second FEM 350 may be input to one of the at least one BPF 430 through the switch 420-1. The BPF 430 to which the first reception signal is input may be determined based on a frequency band used by the wireless communication circuit 230 . The first received signal passing through any one of the at least one BPF 430 may be transmitted to the LNA 440 through the switch 420 - 2 or the switch 420 - 3 . The LNA 440 may amplify the first received signal. The LNA 440 may transmit the amplified first received signal to the RFIC 340 . The RFIC 340 may process the first received signal.

When the electronic device 200 is in the unfolded state, when receiving, the second antenna 245 may receive a second reception signal from the outside. The second antenna 245 may transmit the second received signal to the first FEM 330 . The second received signal transmitted to the first FEM 330 may pass through the signal processing module 450 . The second received signal passing through the signal processing module 450 may be input to one of the at least one BPF 435 . The BPF 435 to which the second reception signal is input may be determined based on a frequency band used by the wireless communication circuit 230 . The second received signal passing through any one of the at least one BPF 435 may be transmitted to the LNA 445-2 or the LNA 445-3 through the switch 425-2 or the switch 425-3. have. The LNA 445-2 or the LNA 445-3 may amplify the second received signal. The LNA 445 - 2 or the LNA 445 - 3 may transmit the amplified second reception signal to the RFIC 340 through the switch 445 - 7 . The RFIC 340 may process the second received signal.

In an embodiment, the RFIC 340 (or the processor 210 ) may perform multi input multi output (MIMO) using the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 . For example, the RFIC 340 (or the processor 210 ) may increase communication capacity or efficiency based on the first received signal and the second received signal. In an embodiment, the RFIC 340 (or the processor 210 ) may perform diversity using a received signal (eg, a first received signal and a second received signal). Diversity may be understood as a reception method in which a single signal is obtained by synthesizing different reception signals (eg, a first reception signal and a second reception signal) in order to increase the reliability of the received signal.

In an embodiment, when the electronic device 200 is in a folded state, the wireless communication circuit 230 may perform communication using the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 . For example, the wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit a 2-1 transmission signal using the first antenna 240 and receive a third reception signal. For example, the wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit a 2-2 transmission signal and receive a fourth reception signal using the second antenna 245 .

Hereinafter, transmission paths of the 2-1 transmission signal and the 2-2 transmission signal will be described.

In an embodiment, when the electronic device 200 is in a folded state, the wireless communication circuit 230 may be electrically connected to the signal distribution circuit 250 . The signal distribution circuit 250 may receive a signal from the wireless communication circuit 230 or transmit a signal to the wireless communication circuit 230 . In an embodiment, the signal transferred from the wireless communication circuit 230 to the signal distribution circuit 250 may be branched by the signal distribution circuit 250 . The signal branched by the signal distribution circuit 250 may be transferred back to the wireless communication circuit 230 .

In an embodiment, a path through which the 2-1 transmission signal moves may be referred to as a first path (①). A path through which the 2-2 transmission signal moves may be referred to as a second path (②).

In an embodiment, the RFIC 340 may generate a second transmission signal. The second transmission signal may include a 2-1 transmission signal and a 2-2 transmission signal. The RFIC 340 may transmit the second transmission signal to the PA 445-1 through the switch 445-6. The PA 445 - 1 may amplify the second transmission signal. The PA 445 - 1 may transmit the amplified second transmission signal to the divider 400 of the signal distribution circuit 250 through the switch 425 - 1 .

In an embodiment, the divider 400 may branch the second transmission signal into a 2-1 th transmission signal and a 2-2 th transmission signal. The 2-1 th transmission signal and the 2-2 th transmission signal may have substantially the same strength. For example, the signal strength of each of the 2-1 transmission signal and the 2-2 transmission signal may be substantially half of the strength of the second transmission signal. However, this is only an example, and the signal strength of the 2-1 transmission signal and the signal strength of the 2-2 transmission signal may be different from each other. For example, according to the power distribution ratio of the divider 400 , the ratio of the signal strength of the 2-1 th transmission signal and the signal strength of the 2-2 th transmission signal may be determined.

In an embodiment, the divider 400 may transmit the 2-1 th transmission signal to the duplexer 415 . The 2-1 th transmission signal passing through the duplexer 415 may be transmitted to the second FEM 350 . The 2-1 th transmission signal transmitted to the second FEM 350 may be transmitted to the first antenna 240 through the switch 420-1. The first antenna 240 may radiate the 2-1 transmission signal to the outside.

In an embodiment, the divider 400 may transmit the 2-2 th transmission signal to the duplexer 410 . The 2-2 transmission signal passing through the duplexer 410 may be transmitted to the first FEM 330 . The transmitted 2-2 transmission signal may be input to the signal processing module 450 . The signal processing module 450 may process (eg, filter) the 2-2 transmission signal. The signal processing module 450 may transmit the processed 2-2 th transmission signal to the second antenna 245 . The second antenna 245 may radiate the 2-2 th transmission signal to the outside. In an embodiment, the duplexer 410 and the duplexer 415 may be substantially the same duplexer. For example, the duplexer 410 and the duplexer 415 may support substantially the same frequency band and band. As another example, the duplexer 410 and the duplexer 415 may support substantially the same frequency band and band as at least one of the at least one BPF 435 or the at least one BPF 430 .

Hereinafter, transmission paths of the third received signal and the fourth received signal will be described.

In an embodiment, a path through which the third received signal moves may be referred to as a third path (③). The first antenna 240 may receive the third reception signal. The first antenna 240 may transmit the third received signal to the second FEM 350 . The transmitted third reception signal may be transmitted to the duplexer 415 of the signal distribution circuit 250 through the switch 420-1. The third received signal passing through the duplexer 415 may be transmitted to the second FEM 350 again. The third reception signal may be input to the LNA 440 through the switch 420 - 3 . The LNA 440 may amplify the third received signal to low noise. The LNA 440 may transmit the amplified third reception signal to the RFIC 340 . The RFIC 340 may process the third received signal.

In an embodiment, a path along which the fourth received signal moves may be referred to as a fourth path (④). The second antenna 245 may receive the fourth reception signal. The second antenna 245 may transmit the fourth received signal to the first FEM 330 . The transmitted fourth reception signal may be transmitted to the duplexer 410 of the signal distribution circuit 250 through the signal processing module 450 . The fourth received signal passing through the duplexer 410 may be transmitted to the first FEM 330 again. The transferred fourth reception signal may be input to the LNA 445-2 or the LNA 445-3 through the switch 425-2 or the switch 425-3. The LNA 445-2 or the LNA 445-3 may amplify the fourth received signal to low noise. The LNA 445 - 2 or the LNA 445 - 3 may transmit the amplified fourth reception signal to the RFIC 340 through the switch 445 - 7 . The RFIC 340 may process the fourth received signal.

In an embodiment, the RFIC 340 (or the processor 210 ) may perform MIMO and/or diversity based on the third received signal and the fourth received signal.

In one embodiment, the electrical path including the switch 420-1 and the duplexer 415 of the first antenna 240, the second FEM 350 is between the first path (①) and the third path (③) can be shared The duplexer 415 may selectively pass the 2-1 th transmission signal or the third reception signal. In an embodiment, an electrical path including the second antenna 245 , the signal processing module 450 , and the duplexer 410 may be shared between the second path ② and the fourth path ④ . The duplexer 410 may selectively pass the 2-2 th transmission signal or the 4 th reception signal.

In an embodiment, in the folded state, the phase of the second-first transmission signal and the phase of the second-second transmission signal may be substantially the same. In this case, deterioration of antenna performance due to mutual interference between the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 may be prevented.

In an embodiment, by designing the electronic device 200 as shown in FIG. 4 , an in-phase antenna technique may be implemented. Since the electronic device 200 includes the signal distribution circuit 250 instead of an additional antenna or switch circuit, design difficulties may be reduced. In the unfolded state of the electronic device 200 , by cutting off the connection between the wireless communication circuit 230 and the signal distribution circuit 250 , a decrease in the strength of a received signal may be reduced.

According to an embodiment, the signal distribution circuit 250 may further include a duplexer and a switch based on the number of bands that the wireless communication circuit 240 can support. For example, when the wireless communication circuit 240 can support bands corresponding to two BPFs among at least one BPF 435 , the signal distribution circuit 250 may include four duplexers.

5A illustrates a signal transmission path in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 5B illustrates a signal transmission path in a folded state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For description of FIGS. 5A and 5B , the configurations of FIGS. 2 to 4 may be referred to.

Referring to FIG. 5A , in the unfolded state of the electronic device 200 , the wireless communication circuit 230 may perform communication using the second antenna 245 . In an embodiment, a portion of the wireless communication circuit 230 (eg, the first FEM 330 and the second FEM 350 ) may not be electrically connected to the signal distribution circuit 250 .

In an embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit the first transmission signal using the second antenna 245 . The wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit the first transmission signal to the second antenna 245 through the path 500 .

In an embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 may receive the first reception signal using the first antenna 240 . The wireless communication circuit 230 may receive the first received signal from the first antenna 245 through the path 510 .

In an embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 may receive the second reception signal using the second antenna 245 . The wireless communication circuit 230 may receive the second received signal from the second antenna 245 through the path 515 .

In an embodiment, the RFIC 340 (or the processor 210 ) may perform MIMO and/or diversity based on the first received signal and the second received signal.

Referring to FIG. 5B , in the folded state of the electronic device 200 , the wireless communication circuit 230 may be electrically connected to the signal distribution circuit 250 . In the folded state of the electronic device 200 , the wireless communication circuit 230 may perform communication using the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245 . In an embodiment, the phases of a signal (eg, a 2-1 transmission signal) transmitted by the first antenna 240 and a signal transmitted by the second antenna 245 (eg, a 2-2 transmission signal) are substantially can be the same as

In an embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit a 2-1 transmission signal using the first antenna 240 . The 2-1 transmission signal may be transmitted from the wireless communication circuit 230 to the first antenna 240 through the first path (①). Referring to the first path (①), the wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit the second transmission signal to the signal distribution circuit 250 . The signal distribution circuit 250 may transmit the 2-1 th transmission signal from which the second transmission signal is branched to the wireless communication circuit 230 . The wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit the received 2-1 transmission signal to the first antenna 240 . The first antenna 240 may radiate the 2-1 transmission signal to the outside.

In an embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit a 2-2 transmission signal using the second antenna 245 . The 2-2 transmission signal may be transmitted from the wireless communication circuit 230 to the second antenna 245 through the second path (②). Referring to the second path (②), the wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit the second transmission signal to the signal distribution circuit 250 . The signal distribution circuit 250 may transmit the 2-2 transmission signal from which the second transmission signal is branched to the wireless communication circuit 230 . The wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit the received 2-2 th transmission signal to the second antenna 245 . The second antenna 245 may radiate the 2-2 th transmission signal to the outside.

In an embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 may receive the third reception signal using the first antenna 240 . The third received signal may be transmitted from the first antenna 240 to the wireless communication circuit 230 through the third path (③). Referring to the third path (③), the first antenna 240 may transmit a third reception signal to the wireless communication circuit 230 . The wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit the third received signal to the signal distribution circuit 250 . The signal distribution circuit 250 may transmit the third received signal to the wireless communication circuit 230 . The wireless communication circuit 230 may process the third received signal.

In an embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 230 may receive the fourth reception signal using the second antenna 245 . The fourth received signal may be transmitted from the second antenna 245 to the wireless communication circuit 230 through the fourth path (④). Referring to the fourth path (④), the second antenna 245 may transmit a fourth reception signal to the wireless communication circuit 230 . The wireless communication circuit 230 may transmit the fourth received signal to the signal distribution circuit 250 . The signal distribution circuit 250 may transmit the fourth received signal to the wireless communication circuit 230 . The wireless communication circuit 230 may process the third received signal.

In an embodiment, the RFIC 340 (or the processor 210 ) may perform MIMO and/or diversity based on the third received signal and the fourth received signal.

In an embodiment, the signal distribution circuit 250 may use the divider 400 to branch the second transmission signal into a 2-1 th transmission signal and a 2-2 th transmission signal. In an embodiment, the signal distribution circuit 250 may selectively pass the 2-1 th transmission signal and the third reception signal using the duplexer 410 . In an embodiment, the signal distribution circuit 250 may selectively pass the 2-2 th transmission signal and the 4 th reception signal through the duplexer 415 .

6A illustrates an antenna arrangement according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 6B illustrates an antenna arrangement according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; In an embodiment, the electronic device 600 or 650 may be folded or unfolded about an A' axis or an A'' axis. Reference numeral 602 of FIG. 6A denotes an unfolded state of the electronic device 600 . Reference numeral 607 of FIG. 6A shows a folded state of the electronic device 600 . Reference numeral 652 of FIG. 6B denotes an unfolded state of the electronic device 650 . Reference numeral 657 of FIG. 6B shows a folded state of the electronic device 650 . In an embodiment, the electronic device 600 or 650 may have an intermediate state between the folded state and the unfolded state according to the degree of folding or unfolding.

Referring to FIG. 6A , a plurality of antennas may be disposed in the electronic device 600 . In an embodiment, the antennas 610 - 1 , 610 - 2 , or 610 - 3 may correspond to the first antenna 240 of FIG. 2 . In an embodiment, the antenna 620 - 1 , 620 - 2 , or 620 - 3 may correspond to the second antenna 245 of FIG. 2 .

According to an embodiment, in the folded state, the antenna 610 - 1 may be aligned with or face the antenna 620 - 1 . In the folded state, the antenna 610 - 2 may be aligned with the antenna 620 - 2 or may face each other. In the folded state, the antennas 610 - 3 may be aligned with each other or the antennas 620 - 3 may face each other. In the folded state, the electronic device 200 is aligned with each other or an antenna combination facing each other (eg, an antenna 610-1 and an antenna 620-1, an antenna 610-2 and an antenna 620-2, an antenna ( 610-3) and an antenna 620-3). For example, the electronic device 200 may include an antenna 610 - 1 and an antenna 620 - 1 . As another example, the electronic device 200 may include an antenna 610 - 2 and an antenna 620 - 2 . As another example, the electronic device 200 may include an antenna 610 - 2 and an antenna 620 - 2 .

In an embodiment, the electronic device 600 may perform communication in substantially the same principle as the electronic device 200 of FIGS. 2 to 4 . For example, the electronic device 200 may include an antenna 610 - 2 and an antenna 620 - 2 . In the unfolded state of the electronic device 200 , the wireless communication circuit 230 may perform communication using the antenna 620 - 2 . In this case, the RFIC 340 of the wireless communication circuit 230 may not be electrically connected to the signal distribution circuit 250 . In the folded state of the electronic device 200 , the wireless communication circuit 230 may perform communication using the antenna 610 - 2 and the antenna 620 - 2 . In this case, the RFIC 340 of the wireless communication circuit 230 may be electrically connected to the signal distribution circuit 250 . In the folded state of the electronic device 200 , a phase of a signal transmitted by the antenna 610 - 2 and a signal transmitted by the antenna 620 - 2 may be substantially the same.

Referring to FIG. 6B , according to an embodiment, a plurality of antennas may be disposed on the electronic device 650 . In an embodiment, the antennas 630-1, 630-2, or 630-3 may correspond to the first antenna 240 of FIG. 2 . The antenna 640-1, 640-2, or 640-3 may correspond to the second antenna 245 of FIG. 2 .

In the folded state, the antenna 630-1 may be aligned with the antenna 640-1 or may face each other. In the folded state, the antenna 630 - 2 may be aligned with the antenna 640 - 2 or may face each other. In the folded state, the antenna 630 - 3 may be aligned with the antenna 640 - 3 or may face each other. The electronic device 200 is aligned with each other in the folded state or a combination of opposite antennas (eg, the antenna 630-1 and the antenna 640-1, the antenna 630-2 and the antenna 640-2, the antenna ( 630-3) and an antenna 640-3). For example, the electronic device 200 may include an antenna 630-1 and an antenna 640-1. As another example, the electronic device 200 may include an antenna 630 - 2 and an antenna 640 - 2 . As another example, the electronic device 200 may include an antenna 630 - 3 and an antenna 640 - 3 .

In an embodiment, the electronic device 650 may perform communication in substantially the same principle as the electronic device 200 of FIGS. 2 to 4 . In this case, deterioration of the performance of the antenna may be reduced. For example, the electronic device 200 may include an antenna 630 - 2 and an antenna 640 - 2 . In the unfolded state of the electronic device 200 , the wireless communication circuit 230 may perform communication using the antenna 640 - 2 . In this case, the RFIC 340 of the wireless communication circuit 230 may not be electrically connected to the signal distribution circuit 250 . In the folded state of the electronic device 200 , the wireless communication circuit 230 may perform communication using the antenna 630 - 2 and the antenna 640 - 2 . In this case, the RFIC 340 of the wireless communication circuit 230 may be electrically connected to the signal distribution circuit 250 . In the folded state of the electronic device 200 , a phase of a signal transmitted by the antenna 630 - 2 and a signal transmitted by the antenna 640 - 2 may be substantially the same.

7 illustrates a table comparing communication performance of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure with another embodiment.

Referring to the table 700 , the electronic device of the first type (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 ) is aligned at a close distance (eg, the second gap 315 of FIG. 3 ) in the folded state, or , the opposite antennas (eg, the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 245) may be designed to be fed in opposite phases. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second type electronic device (eg, the electronic device 200 of FIG. 2 ) may be designed such that, in a folded state, antennas facing each other at a close distance are fed in opposite phases.

Table 700 compares the communication performance of the electronic device according to the first scheme and the electronic device according to the second scheme in bands B71 and B12. In the table 700, a low channel, a medium channel, or a high channel of the B71 and B12 bands may be compared, respectively.

In an embodiment, the B71 band may be understood as a frequency band ranging from 617 to 698 MHz. A channel having a low frequency range among a plurality of channels included in the B71 band may be understood as a low channel. Among the plurality of channels included in the B71 band, some channels having a frequency in the middle range may be understood as a medium (MIDDLE) channel. Some channels having a high frequency range among a plurality of channels included in the B71 band may be understood as a HIGH channel. In an embodiment, the B12 band may be understood as a frequency band ranging from 698 to 646 MHz. A channel having a low frequency range among a plurality of channels included in the B12 band may be understood as a low channel. Among the plurality of channels included in the B12 band, some channels having a frequency in the middle range may be understood as a medium (MIDDLE) channel. Some channels having a high frequency range among a plurality of channels included in the B12 band may be understood as a HIGH channel.

In an embodiment, in all channels of the B71 band and the B12 band, the communication performance of the electronic device according to the second method may be superior to the communication performance of the electronic device according to the first method. For example, the strength (eg, 13.9 dBm) of a transmission signal transmitted by the electronic device according to the second method in the low channel of the B71 band is the strength (eg, 11.3 dBm) of the transmission signal transmitted by the electronic device according to the first method. ) can be stronger. The same result can be confirmed for other channels in the table 700 .

In an embodiment, the second scheme may provide higher performance communication than the first scheme by designing an electronic device such that a plurality of antennas transmit signals of the same phase.

Claims (20)

In an electronic device,
a first housing;
a second housing in which at least one shaft is connected to the first housing;
The first surface of the first housing and the second surface of the second housing face each other when the electronic device is in a first state, and the first surface of the first housing and the second surface of the second housing is configured to face the same direction when the electronic device is in the second state,
a first antenna disposed in the first housing;
a second antenna disposed in the second housing;
a wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the first antenna and the second antenna so that the first antenna and the second antenna operate as an in-phase antenna;
a signal distribution circuit electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit;
a processor electrically coupled to the first antenna, the second antenna, the wireless communication circuit, and the signal distribution circuit;
The processor, in the first state,
The wireless communication circuit transmits a transmission signal including a first transmission signal and a second transmission signal to the signal distribution circuit,
the wireless communication circuit receives the first transmission signal and the second transmission signal from the signal distribution circuit;
the wireless communication circuitry is configured to transmit the first transmit signal using the first antenna and transmit the second transmit signal using the second antenna;
electronic device.
According to claim 1, wherein in the first state,
The wireless communication circuit includes a first front end module (FEM), a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), and a second FEM,
The second FEM is electrically connected to the first antenna and the signal distribution circuit,
The first FEM is electrically connected to the second antenna and the signal distribution circuit,
The RFIC is electrically connected to the first FEM and the second FEM,
electronic device.
The method of claim 2, wherein in the first state,
The signal distribution circuit includes a divider, a first duplexer, and a second duplexer,
the divider is electrically connected to the first FEM, the first duplexer, and the second duplexer;
The first duplexer is electrically connected to the second FEM,
The second duplexer is electrically connected to the first FEM,
electronic device.
The method of claim 3, wherein in the first state,
the transmit signal is branched into the first transmit signal and the second transmit signal by the divider,
electronic device.
The method of claim 3, wherein in the first state,
The second FEM includes a first low noise amplifier (LNA), a first at least one switch, and a first at least one band pass filter (BPF),
a portion of the first at least one switch is electrically connected to the first duplexer,
electronic device.
The method of claim 5, wherein in the first state,
The first FEM includes a second at least one BPF, a second at least one switch, a power amplifier (PA), a second LNA, and a feedback circuit,
a portion of the second at least one switch is electrically connected to the divider and the second duplexer,
wherein the feedback circuit is electrically connected to the second duplexer;
electronic device.
The method of claim 6, wherein in the first state,
wherein the feedback circuit is electrically connected to the RFIC;
electronic device.
The method of claim 6, wherein in the first state,
A transmission path of the first transmission signal includes the RFIC, a portion of the second at least one switch, the PA, the divider, the first duplexer, a portion of the first at least one switch, and a first antenna ,
electronic device.
9. The method of claim 8,
The processor, in the first state,
the wireless communication circuitry is configured to receive a first received signal using the first antenna;
A transmission path of the first received signal includes the first antenna, a part of the first at least one switch, the first duplexer, the first LNA, and the RFIC,
electronic device.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein in the first state,
wherein the first duplexer selectively passes the first transmit signal and the first receive signal;
electronic device.
The method of claim 6, wherein in the first state,
The transmission path of the second transmission signal includes the RFIC, a part of the second at least one switch, the PA, the divider, the second duplexer, the feedback circuit, and the second antenna.
electronic device.
12. The method of claim 11,
The processor, in the first state,
the wireless communication circuitry is configured to receive a second received signal using the second antenna;
A transmission path of the second received signal includes the second antenna, the feedback circuit, a part of the second at least one switch, the second duplexer, the second LNA, and the RFIC.
electronic device.
The method of claim 12, wherein in the first state,
wherein the second duplexer selectively passes the second transmit signal and the second receive signal;
electronic device.
According to claim 1, wherein in the first state,
The first antenna and the second antenna face each other,
electronic device.
15. The method of claim 14,
In the first state, the interval between the first antenna and the second antenna is a first interval,
In the second state, the interval between the first antenna and the second antenna is a second interval,
the first interval is shorter than the second interval;
electronic device.
The method of claim 15, wherein in the first state,
Feeding a point of the first antenna,
Further configured to feed a point facing the one point of the second antenna,
electronic device.
The method of claim 6, wherein in the second state,
a portion of the first at least one switch is configured to disconnect an electrical connection between the second FEM and the first duplexer;
electronic device.
18. The method of claim 17,
The processor, in the second state,
a portion of the second at least one switch is configured to disconnect an electrical connection between the first FEM and the divider and the second duplexer;
electronic device.
19. The method of claim 18,
The processor, in the second state,
the wireless communication circuit is further configured to transmit a third transmission signal using the second antenna;
A transmission path of the third transmit signal includes the RFIC, a part of the second at least one switch, the PA, the second at least one BPF, the feedback circuit, and the second antenna.
electronic device.
20. The method of claim 19,
The processor, in the second state,
the wireless communication circuit is further configured to receive a third received signal using the second antenna,
A transmission path of the third received signal includes the second antenna, the feedback circuit, the second at least one BPF, a part of the second at least one switch, the second LNA, and the RFIC,
electronic device.

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