KR20220125047A - Electronic device and method for transmitting a signal in the electronic device supporting a dual connectivity - Google Patents

Abstract

According to various embodiments, an electronic device comprises: a communication processor; at least one radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) connected to the communication processor; at least one radio frequency front-end (RFFE) circuit connected to the at least one RFIC and configured to process a transmission signal; and a plurality of antennas connected through the at least one RFFE circuit. The communication processor is controlled to check antenna information for a second radio access technology (RAT) configured based on at least one of an anchor band and a rank of a first RAT during dual connectivity, select a transmission antenna from among the antennas based on the antenna information for the second RAT, and transmit a signal through the transmission antenna. Various other embodiments are possible. Accordingly, communication performance can be improved.

Description

ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING A SIGNAL IN THE ELECTRONIC DEVICE SUPPORTING A DUAL CONNECTIVITY

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic device and a method for transmitting a signal in an electronic device supporting dual connectivity.

As the use of mobile terminals providing various functions has become common due to the recent development of mobile communication technology, efforts are being made to develop a 5G communication system to meet the increasing demand for wireless data traffic. In addition to the frequency band used in the 3G communication system and the LTE (long term evolution) communication system, the 5G communication system has a higher frequency band (eg, For example, implementation in the 25-60 GHz band) is being considered.

For example, in order to mitigate the path loss of radio waves and increase the propagation distance of radio waves in the mmWave band, in the 5G communication system, beamforming, massive MIMO, full dimensional MIMO; FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, and large scale antenna technologies are being discussed.

As a method of implementing 5G communication, a stand alone (SA) method and a non-stand alone (NSA) method are being considered. Among them, the SA method may be a method using only a new radio (NR) system, and the NSA method may be a method using an NR system together with an existing LTE system. In the NSA scheme, the user terminal may use the gNB of the NR system as well as the eNB of the LTE system. A technology that enables a user terminal to enable heterogeneous communication systems may be referred to as dual connectivity.

In order to transmit a signal from the electronic device to a communication network (eg, a base station), in the electronic device, a processor or data generated from the communication processor are transferred to a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) and a radio frequency front end (RFFE) circuit (hereinafter, described below). For convenience, the signal may be processed through 'RFFE') and then transmitted to the outside of the electronic device through an antenna.

The electronic device may perform an antenna switching operation with a Tx antenna satisfying a predetermined condition by comparing reference signal received power (RSRP) and transmission power of each of the plurality of antennas. In an NSA environment where 5G is not operated alone, a TX signal may be transmitted to the top, bottom, left, or right of the electronic device by switching the TX antenna of 5G. In Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access-NR Dual Connectivity (ENDC), where LTE is set as an anchor, 5G TX signal is a noise signal that causes degradation of LTE signal sensitivity depending on the antenna arrangement and isolation performance of electronic devices. can work

In various embodiments, the electronic device receives a signal from an electronic device that can reduce sensitivity degradation of LTE communication by setting an antenna to transmit a 5G TX signal in consideration of an LTE frequency band during dual access and an electronic device supporting dual access A method of transmission may be provided.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may provide a method for transmitting a 5G Tx signal through a path in which a decrease in sensitivity of an LTE Rx signal is relatively small among a plurality of antenna switching paths when transmitting a 5G Tx signal.

The electronic device may perform an antenna switching operation with a Tx antenna satisfying a predetermined condition by comparing reference signal received power (RSRP) and transmission power of each of the plurality of antennas. However, in an NSA environment where 5G is not operated alone, a TX signal can be transmitted anywhere up/down/left/right of the electronic device by switching the TX antenna of 5G, and LTE is set as an anchor. In Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access-NR Dual Connectivity (ENDC), the 5G TX signal may act as a noise signal that causes degradation of LTE sensitivity depending on the antenna arrangement and isolation performance of the electronic device.

In various embodiments, the electronic device may provide a 5G Tx antenna switching method capable of reducing sensitivity degradation of LTE communication during dual access.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may provide a method for transmitting a 5G Tx signal through a path in which a decrease in sensitivity of an LTE Rx signal is relatively small among a plurality of antenna switching paths when transmitting a 5G Tx signal.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may include a communication processor, at least one radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) connected to the communication processor, and at least one RFIC connected to the at least one RFIC configured to process a transmission signal. A radio frequency front-end (RFFE) circuit, comprising a plurality of antennas connected through the at least one RFFE circuit, wherein the communication processor includes an anchor band of a first radio access technology (RAT) during dual connectivity (dual connectivity). Antenna information for a second RAT configured based on at least one of an anchor band) and a rank, and selecting a transmit antenna from among the plurality of antennas based on the antenna information for the second RAT, It can be controlled to transmit a signal through the transmit antenna.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may include a communication processor, at least one radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) connected to the communication processor, and at least one RFIC connected to the at least one RFIC configured to process a transmission signal. A radio frequency front-end (RFFE) circuit, comprising a plurality of antennas connected through the at least one RFFE circuit, wherein the communication processor includes an anchor band of a first radio access technology (RAT) during dual connectivity (dual connectivity). Anchor band) and a rank (rank), check the transmit antenna information for the set second RAT based on at least one, monitor the state information on the receive antenna of the first RAT, the receive antenna of the first RAT It is possible to control to determine a transmit antenna for the second RAT based on the state information for , and the transmit antenna information for the second RAT.

According to various embodiments, a method of operating an electronic device includes a second RAT configured based on at least one of an anchor band and a rank of a first radio access technology (RAT) during dual connectivity. The method may include checking antenna information for RAT, selecting a transmit antenna from among the plurality of antennas based on the antenna information for the second RAT, and transmitting a signal through the transmit antenna. have.

According to various embodiments, a method of operating an electronic device includes a second RAT configured based on at least one of an anchor band and a rank of a first radio access technology (RAT) during dual connectivity. Checking transmit antenna information for , monitoring status information for a receiving antenna of the first RAT, and transmitting the status information about the receiving antenna of the first RAT and the second RAT and determining a transmit antenna for the second RAT based on antenna information.

In various embodiments, the electronic device may provide 5G Tx antenna switching capable of reducing performance degradation of LTE communication during dual access.

In various embodiments, an electronic device supporting 1T4R may provide 5G Tx antenna switching capable of reducing performance degradation of LTE communication without adding a separate circuit.

1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
2A 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;
2B 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;
3A is a diagram illustrating wireless communication systems that provide a network of legacy communication and/or 5G communication according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
3B is a diagram illustrating wireless communication systems that provide a network of legacy communication and/or 5G communication according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
3C is a diagram illustrating wireless communication systems that provide a network of legacy communication and/or 5G communication according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
4 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
5 illustrates an antenna arrangement of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
6 illustrates an example in which an electronic device performs antenna switching according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
7 illustrates another example in which an electronic device performs antenna switching according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
8 illustrates a method for an electronic device to perform antenna switching, according to various embodiments.
9 illustrates another example in which an electronic device performs antenna switching according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
10 illustrates a method of operating an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
11 illustrates a method of operating an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

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 , the electronic device 101 communicates with the 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 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 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 (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 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 ). 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 one embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from or as 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 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 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 one embodiment, the communication module 190 is a wireless communication module 192 (eg, a cellular communication module, a short-range 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 may include 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 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 or 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 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.

2A 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. 2A , 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 , fourth RFIC 228 , first radio frequency front end (RFFE) 232 , second RFFE 234 , first antenna module 242 , second antenna module 244 , third An antenna module 246 and antennas 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 an 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 may be a legacy network including a second generation (2G), 3G, 4G, or long term evolution (LTE) network. 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 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 . It is possible to support the establishment of a communication channel, and 5G network communication through the established communication channel.

The first communication processor 212 may transmit/receive data to and from the second communication processor 214 . For example, data that has been classified to be transmitted over the second cellular network 294 may be changed to be transmitted over the first cellular network 292 . In this case, the first communication processor 212 may receive transmission data from the second communication processor 214 . For example, the first communication processor 212 may transmit and receive data through the second communication processor 214 and the interprocessor interface 213 . The interprocessor interface 213 may be implemented as, for example, a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) (eg, high speed-UART (HS-UART) or peripheral component interconnect bus express (PCIe) interface). Alternatively, the first communication processor 212 and the second communication processor 214 may exchange control information and packet data information using, for example, a shared memory. The communication processor 212 may transmit/receive various information such as sensing information, information on output strength, and resource block (RB) allocation information with the second communication processor 214 .

Depending on the implementation, the first communication processor 212 may not be directly connected to the second communication processor 214 . In this case, the first communication processor 212 may transmit and receive data through the second communication processor 214 and the processor 120 (eg, an application processor). For example, the first communication processor 212 and the second communication processor 214 may transmit and receive data with the processor 120 (eg, an application processor) through an HS-UART interface or a PCIe interface, but There is no restriction on the type. Alternatively, the first communication processor 212 and the second communication processor 214 may exchange control information and packet data information using a shared memory with the processor 120 (eg, an application processor). .

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 may be formed in a single chip or a single package with the processor 120 , the coprocessor 123 , or the communication module 190 . have. For example, as shown in FIG. 2B , the unified communication processor 260 may support both functions for communication with the first cellular network 292 and the second cellular network 294 .

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 to a radio frequency (RF) signal of 3 GHz. Upon reception, an RF signal is obtained from a first network 292 (eg, a legacy network) via an antenna (eg, a first antenna module 242 ), and via an RFFE (eg, a first RFFE 232 ). It may be preprocessed. 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 pre-processed 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 . The third RFIC 226 may convert the preprocessed 5G Above6 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 into an RF signal (hereinafter, IF signal) of an intermediate frequency band (eg, about 9 GHz to about 11 GHz). After conversion, 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, a 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 a third RFIC 226 . have. The fourth RFIC 228 may convert the IF signal into a baseband signal for processing by the second communication processor 214 .

According to an embodiment, the first RFIC 222 and the second RFIC 224 may be implemented as at least a part of a single chip or a single package. According to various embodiments, when the first RFIC 222 and the second RFIC 224 in FIG. 2A or 2B are implemented as a single chip or a single package, the first RFIC 222 and the second RFIC 224 are It can be implemented with an integrated RFIC. In this case, the integrated RFIC is connected to the first RFFE 232 and the second RFFE 234 so that the integrated RFIC provides a baseband signal with a signal of a band supported by the first RFFE 232 and/or the second RFFE 234 . , and transmit the converted signal to one of the first RFFE 232 and the second RFFE 234 . 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) 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. 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 the transmission line. Accordingly, the electronic device 101 may improve the quality or speed of communication with the second network 294 (eg, a 5G network).

According to an example, the antenna 248 may be formed as an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements that may be used for beamforming. In this case, the third RFIC 226 may include, for example, as part of the third RFFE 236 , a plurality of phase shifters 238 corresponding to a plurality of antenna elements. During transmission, each of the plurality of phase shifters 238 may transform the phase of a 5G Above6 RF signal to be transmitted to the outside of the electronic device 101 (eg, a base station of a 5G network) through a corresponding antenna element. . Upon reception, each of the plurality of phase shifters 238 may convert the phase of the 5G Above6 RF signal received from the outside through a corresponding antenna element into the same or substantially the same phase. This enables transmission or reception through beamforming between the electronic device 101 and the outside.

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 may not have a 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 230, and other components (eg, processor 120 , the first communication processor 212 , or the second communication processor 214 ).

3A, 3B, and 3C are diagrams illustrating wireless communication systems that provide networks of legacy communication and/or 5G communication according to various embodiments. Referring to FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C , the network environments 300a to 300c may include at least one of a legacy network and a 5G network. The legacy network includes, for example, a 4G or LTE base station 340 (eg, an eNB (eNodeB)) of the 3GPP standard supporting a wireless connection with the electronic device 101 and an evolved packet (EPC) for managing 4G communication. core) 342 . The 5G network, for example, manages 5G communication between the electronic device 101 and a New Radio (NR) base station 350 (eg, gNB (gNodeB)) supporting wireless connection with the electronic device 101 and the electronic device 101 . It may include a 5th generation core (5GC) 352.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 may transmit/receive a control message and user data through legacy communication and/or 5G communication. The control message is, for example, a message related to at least one of security control, bearer setup, authentication, registration, or mobility management of the electronic device 101 . may include. The user data may refer to, for example, user data excluding a control message transmitted/received between the electronic device 101 and the core network 330 (eg, the EPC 342 ).

Referring to FIG. 3A , the electronic device 101 according to an embodiment uses at least a part of a legacy network (eg, an LTE base station 340 and an EPC 342 ) to at least a part of a 5G network (eg: The NR base station 350 and the 5GC 352 may transmit and receive at least one of a control message or user data.

According to various embodiments, network environment 300a provides wireless communication dual connectivity (DC) to LTE base station 340 and NR base station 350 , and either EPC 342 or 5GC 352 . It may include a network environment in which a control message is transmitted and received with the electronic device 101 through the core network 230 of the .

According to various embodiments, in a DC environment, one of the LTE base station 340 or the NR base station 350 operates as a master node (MN) 310 and the other operates as a secondary node (SN) 320 . can do. The MN 310 may be connected to the core network 230 to transmit and receive control messages. The MN 310 and the SN 320 may be connected through a network interface to transmit/receive messages related to radio resource (eg, communication channel) management with each other.

According to various embodiments, the MN 310 may be configured as the LTE base station 340 , the SN 320 may be configured as the NR base station 350 , and the core network 330 may be configured as the EPC 342 . For example, a control message may be transmitted/received through the LTE base station 340 and the EPC 342 , and user data may be transmitted/received through at least one of the LTE base station 340 and the NR base station 350 .

According to various embodiments, the MN 310 may include the NR base station 350 , the SN 320 may include the LTE base station 340 , and the core network 330 may include the 5GC 352 . For example, a control message may be transmitted/received through the NR base station 350 and the 5GC 352 , and user data may be transmitted/received through at least one of the LTE base station 340 or the NR base station 350 .

Referring to FIG. 3B , according to various embodiments, a 5G network may include an NR base station 350 and a 5GC 352 , and may independently transmit/receive a control message and user data to/from the electronic device 101 .

Referring to FIG. 3C , the legacy network and the 5G network according to various embodiments may independently provide data transmission/reception. For example, the electronic device 101 and the EPC 342 may transmit and receive a control message and user data through the LTE base station 340 . As another example, the electronic device 101 and the 5GC 352 may transmit/receive a control message and user data through the NR base station 350 .

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 may be registered with at least one of the EPC 342 and the 5GC 352 to transmit/receive a control message.

According to various embodiments, the EPC 342 or the 5GC 352 may interwork to manage communication of the electronic device 101 . For example, movement information of the electronic device 101 may be transmitted/received through an interface between the EPC 342 and the 5GC 352 .

As described above, dual connectivity through the LTE base station 340 and the NR base station 350 may be referred to as E-UTRA new radio dual connectivity (EN-DC).

4 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; In FIG. 4 , one communication processor 260 and one RFIC 410 are illustrated as being connected to a plurality of RFFEs 431 and 432 , but various embodiments to be described below are not limited thereto. For example, various embodiments to be described below may include a plurality of communication processors 212, 214 and/or a plurality of RFICs 222, 224, 226, and 228 as shown in FIG. 2A or FIG. 2B in which a plurality of RFFEs ( 431 and 432), respectively.

Referring to FIG. 4 , an electronic device (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 ) according to various embodiments includes a processor 120 , a communication processor 260 , an RFIC 410 , a first RFFE 431 , and a first 2 RFEE 432 , a first antenna 441 , a second antenna 442 , a third antenna 443 , a fourth antenna 444 , a first switch 451 , or a second switch 452 . can do.

According to various embodiments, the RFIC 410 transmits a baseband signal generated by the communication processor 260 during signal transmission to a radio frequency (RF) signal used in the first communication network or the second communication network. can be converted to According to various embodiments, the RFIC 410 transmits an RF signal used in a first communication network (eg, NR) to the first antenna 441 or the fourth through the first RFFE 431 and the first switch 451 . may be transmitted to the antenna 444 . According to various embodiments, the RFIC 410 transmits an RF signal used in the first communication network to the second antenna 442 through the first RFFE 431 , the first switch 451 , and the second switch 452 . Alternatively, it may transmit to the third antenna 443 .

According to various embodiments, the RFIC 410 transmits an RF signal corresponding to the first communication network (eg, NR) to the first antenna 441 or the fourth antenna 444 through the first RFFE 431 and , an RF signal corresponding to the second communication network (eg, LTE) may be transmitted to the second antenna 442 or the third antenna 443 through the second RFFE 432 . According to various embodiments, the RFIC 410 transmits an RF signal corresponding to the first communication network (eg, NR) or the second communication network (eg, LTE) to the first RFFE 431 and the first switch 451 . Transmits to the first antenna 441 or the fourth antenna 444 through the second antenna 442 or the third antenna through the first RFFE 431, the first switch 451 and the second switch 452 By transmitting to 443, it can operate as a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) antenna.

According to various embodiments, the transmission path transmitted from the RFIC 410 to the first antenna 441 through the first RFFE 431 and the first switch 451 is a 'first antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 1)'. may be referred to as A transmission path transmitted from the RFIC 410 to the fourth antenna 444 through the first RFFE 431 and the first switch 451 may be referred to as a 'fourth antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 4)'. A transmission path transmitted from the RFIC 410 to the second antenna 442 through the first RFFE 431 , the first switch 451 , and the second switch 452 is a 'second antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 2 ). ) can be referred to as '. The transmission path transmitted from the RFIC 410 to the third antenna 443 through the first RFFE 431 , the first switch 451 , and the second switch 452 is a 'third antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 3 ). ) can be referred to as '.

According to various embodiments, an RF signal is received from the first communication network through the first antenna 441 or the fourth antenna 444 , and the received RF signal is transmitted to the communication processor 260 via the RFIC 410 . can be transmitted. According to various embodiments, an RF signal is received from the first communication network or the second communication network via the second antenna 442 or the third antenna 443 , and the received RF signal is communicated via the RFIC 410 . may be transmitted to the processor 260 .

According to various embodiments, the electronic device transmits a signal through one of the first antenna 441 and the fourth antenna 444 through the first RFFE 431 and the first switch 451 , and the When the electronic device receives a signal through the first antenna 441 , the second antenna 442 , the third antenna 443 , and the fourth antenna 444 , the electronic device operates as '1T2R' or '1T4R' can do.

According to various embodiments, the communication processor 260 receives a reference signal (eg, a sounding reference signal (SRS)) referenced for channel estimation in the base station of the first communication network through the first RFFE 431 . Through this, it is possible to control transmission to at least one antenna (the first antenna 441 or the fourth antenna 444 ) among the plurality of antennas of the first antenna group. According to various embodiments, the communication processor 260 transmits the reference signal referenced for channel estimation in the base station of the first communication network to the plurality of antennas of the second antenna group through the second RFFE circuit 432 . It is possible to control transmission to at least one of the antennas (the second antenna 442 or the third antenna 443 ).

According to various embodiments, the electronic device receives the signal transmitted from the base station of the first communication network through the first antenna 441 , the second antenna 442 , the third antenna 443 , and the fourth antenna 444 . can be received through According to various embodiments, by receiving and processing a signal transmitted from the base station of the first communication network through the first antenna 441 , the second antenna 442 , the third antenna 443 , and the fourth antenna 444 , The electronic device may operate as '1T4R'.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may implement 5G TX Antenna switching for the first communication network (eg, NR) by utilizing a circuit implemented as '1T4R'. According to various embodiments, the communication processor 260 transmits a signal (eg, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) signal) transmitted to the base station of the first communication network to the first RFFE 431 and/or the second RFFE 432 . ) through one of the first antenna 441 to the fourth antenna 444 may be controlled to be transmitted. According to various embodiments, the communication processor 260 transmits a signal (eg, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) signal) to the base station of the first communication network based on an environment of the electronic device and a set threshold condition. You can change the path to .

5 illustrates an antenna arrangement of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; Referring to FIG. 5 , the electronic device 101 supporting 1T4R includes an RFFE 510 , a first antenna 521 , a second antenna 522 , a third antenna 523 , a fourth antenna 524 , and a fourth antenna 524 . It may include a fifth antenna 525 , a sixth antenna 526 , and a seventh antenna 527 . According to various embodiments, the first antenna 521 is an NR RX0 antenna (ANT), the second antenna 522 is NR RX2 and LTE MHB RX1 ANT, and the third antenna 523 is LTE LB RX1 and LTE MHB. RX3, fourth antenna 524 is LTE MB RX1 and NR RX3 ANT, fifth antenna 525 is LTE HB RX2 ANT, sixth antenna 526 is LTE HB RX0 and NR RX1 ANT, seventh The antenna 527 may be an LTE LMB RX0 ANT.

5 to 8, the uses of the first antenna 521 to the seventh antenna 527 are defined as above for convenience of explanation, but the uses of the first antenna 521 to the seventh antenna 527 are designed It may be implemented in various ways according to specifications, and the technical spirit of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 may set four antenna transmission paths as antenna transmission paths for an RF signal used in a communication network (eg, NR). For example, a transmission path transmitted to the first antenna 521 through the RFFE 510 may be referred to as a 'first antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 1)', and the second antenna 522 through the RFFE 510 A transmission path transmitted to 'A' may be referred to as a 'third antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 3)'. For example, a transmission path transmitted to the fourth antenna 524 through the RFFE 510 may be referred to as a 'fourth antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 4)', and the sixth antenna 526 through the RFFE 510 A transmission path transmitted to . 2 may be referred to as a 'second antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 2)'.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 may use the first antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 1) to transmit an RF signal for a communication network (eg, NR), and a wireless communication environment and threshold of the electronic device An antenna transmission path for transmitting an RF signal for a communication network (eg, NR) can be changed (or switched) from a first antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 1) to another antenna transmission path based on a threshold condition have. The electronic device 101 supporting 1T4R has no circuit restrictions when changing the antenna transmission path, but since all antennas for different communication networks and/or frequency bands are implemented in the electronic device 101, the changed antenna transmission path is changed when the antenna transmission path is changed. Antenna/circuitry for other communication networks (eg, LTE) adjacent to the antenna transmission path may be affected and cause TP (sensitivity) degradation of other communication networks (eg, LTE).

6 illustrates an example in which an electronic device performs antenna switching according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; Referring to FIG. 6 , the electronic device 101 includes an RFFE 610 , a first antenna 621 , a second antenna 622 , a third antenna 623 , a fourth antenna 624 , and a fifth antenna 625 . ), a sixth antenna 626 , and a seventh antenna 627 may be included. According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 sets an antenna transmission path for transmitting an RF signal for a communication network (eg, NR) from a first antenna transmission path Ant Tx 1 to a third antenna transmission path Ant Tx. 3) can be changed.

As the antenna transmission path is changed from the first antenna transmission path Ant Tx 1 to the third antenna transmission path Ant Tx 3 , the electronic device 101 may transmit an RF signal through the second antenna 622 . . The RF transmission signal transmitted through the second antenna 622 is adjacent to the second antenna 622 and is noisy with respect to a third antenna 623 for receiving RF signals for another communication network (eg, LTE). can cause For example, the PUSCH signal transmitted from the electronic device 101 to the NR base station through the second antenna 622 along the third antenna transmission path Ant Tx 3 is transmitted by the electronic device 101 from the LTE base station to the third antenna 623 . ) may affect the LTE LB signal and / or LTE MHB signal received through and degrade the quality of the LTE LB signal and / or LTE MHB signal.

7 illustrates another example in which an electronic device performs antenna switching according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; Referring to FIG. 7 , the electronic device 101 includes an RFFE 710 , a first antenna 721 , a second antenna 722 , a third antenna 723 , a fourth antenna 724 , and a fifth antenna 725 . ), a sixth antenna 726 , and a seventh antenna 727 may be included. According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 sets an antenna transmission path for transmitting an RF signal for a communication network (eg, NR) from a first antenna transmission path Ant Tx 1 to a second antenna transmission path Ant Tx. 2) can be changed.

As the antenna transmission path is changed from the first antenna transmission path Ant Tx 1 to the second antenna transmission path Ant Tx 2 , the electronic device 101 may transmit an RF signal through the sixth antenna 726 . . The RF transmission signal transmitted through the sixth antenna 726 is adjacent to the sixth antenna 726 and generates noise for the fifth antenna 725 for receiving RF signals for another communication network (eg, LTE). can do it For example, the PUSCH signal transmitted from the electronic device 101 to the NR base station through the sixth antenna 726 along the second antenna transmission path Ant Tx 2 is transmitted by the electronic device 101 from the LTE base station to the fifth antenna 725. ) may affect the LTE HB signal received through and degrade the quality of the LTE HB signal.

When a plurality of antennas for different communication networks are complexly implemented in the electronic device 101 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the Tx signal due to antenna switching for the first communication network (eg, NR) is noise from the adjacent antenna. A problem of reducing the quality (or sensitivity) of the Rx signal for the second communication network (eg, LTE) may occur. In various embodiments described below, it is possible to reduce the influence on the Rx antenna of the second communication network (eg, LTE) while maintaining the Tx antenna switching function for the first communication network (eg, NR) in the NSA environment.

According to various embodiments, the second communication network ( For example, the degree of TP (sensitivity) degradation for the Rx path for LTE) is confirmed through pre-test and simulation, and the band (including CA operation)/rank for the second communication network (eg, LTE) based on the confirmation result A restriction on Tx antenna transmission path switching for the first communication network (eg, NR) may be set for each rank.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 converts a 5G Tx antenna switching possible path for each LTE band into a memory (eg, nonvolatile (NV) memory) as data (eg, NV data). can be saved According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 may limit a switching operation to a 5G Tx antenna transmission path that may cause LTE performance degradation by using NV data.

[Table 1]

In Table 1, 5G Tx Antenna Switching Path (for example, switching from 5G RX0 (default) to 5G RX1, 5G RX2, or 5G RX3) for each LTE PATH for each LTE BAND) numerically shows the sensitivity degradation. The sensitivity values in Table 1 indicate that the lower the value, the better the sensitivity of the corresponding LTE PATH. For example, in the case of RX0 of LTE BAND3, it can be seen that the sensitivity is not the best when switching from 5G RX0 to 5G RX3.

Referring to Table 1, for example, 5G transmit antenna path switching (5G Tx Antenna Switching Path) for LTE BAND1 may not cause performance degradation for all LTE Rx paths (RX0 to RX3). For example, with respect to LTE BAND3, performance degradation of 'LTE BAND3 RX0' occurs when switching 5G transmit antenna path to '5G RX3', and performance degradation of 'LTE BAND3 RX3' occurs when switching 5G transmit antenna path to '5G RX2' can occur. For example, 5G transmit antenna path switching for LTE BAND5 may not cause performance degradation for all LTE Rx paths (RX0 to RX3). For example, with respect to LTE BAND7, performance degradation of 'LTE BAND7 RX0' occurs when switching 5G transmit antenna path to '5G RX1', and performance degradation of 'LTE BAND7 RX3' occurs when switching 5G transmit antenna path to '5G RX2' can occur.

Referring to Table 1, the electronic device 101 changes the path by the 5G TX Antenna Switching operation in Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (ENDC)-NR Dual Connectivity (ENDC) to the anchor ( Anchor) band LTE B1/B7 may cause sensitivity (TP) degradation. According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 pre-stores (or sets) 5G TX antenna information (eg, NV data for an antenna switchable path) for each LTE band and/or LTE rank as shown in Table 2 and using this, 5G TX antenna switching operation can be performed. According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 may receive information about an LTE band and an LTE rank from an LTE base station.

[Table 2]

Referring to Table 2, for example, in the ENDC environment, if the anchor band is LTE BAND1 and the LTE rank is 2 (or 4), if the NV data is {1,1,1,1}, the 5G Tx antenna switchable path is It may be RX0, RX1, RX2, RX3. For example, if the anchor band is LTE BAND3 in the ENDC environment and the LTE rank is 2, if the NV data is {1,1,1,0}, the 5G Tx antenna switchable paths may be RX0, RX1, RX2. For example, if the anchor band is LTE BAND3 and the LTE rank is 4 in the ENDC environment, if the NV data is {1,1,0,0}, the 5G Tx antenna switchable paths may be RX0, RX1.

8 illustrates a method for an electronic device to perform antenna switching, according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 8 , in an NSA (ENDC) environment in which LTE and 5G are simultaneously connected in operation 801, an electronic device (eg, 101 in FIGS. 1 and 2) sets a 5G TX antenna switching operation, and in operation 803 The device (eg, 101 of FIGS. 1 and 2 ) may determine whether the antenna switching operation condition of the 5G TX antenna is satisfied. According to various embodiments, the electronic device (eg, 101 of FIGS. 1 and 2 ) compares the performance (eg, RSRP/ TX POWER) of each antenna path with a preset threshold to provide a better environment. It may be determined to change the TX Path to an existing antenna path (eg, an antenna path having a performance exceeding a threshold).

If the antenna switching operation condition of the 5G TX antenna is not satisfied in operation 803 , in operation 805 , the electronic device (eg, 101 of FIGS. 1 and 2 ) may check the antenna switching operation condition again. Thereafter, returning to operation 810, the electronic device (eg, 101 of FIGS. 1 and 2 ) may reset the 5G TX antenna switching operation.

When the antenna switching operation condition of the 5G TX antenna is satisfied in operation 803 , in operation 807 , the electronic device (eg, 101 of FIGS. 1 and 2 ) may identify an LTE anchor band. According to various embodiments, in operation 807 , the electronic device (eg, 101 of FIGS. 1 and 2 ) may identify an LTE rank (eg, LTE BAND1, LTE BAND3, LTE BAND5, LTE BAND7) together with an LTE anchor band.

In operation 809, the electronic device (eg, 101 of FIGS. 1 and 2 ) performs the 5G antenna for each LTE BAND based on the identified LTE anchor band and data stored in the memory (eg, NV data in which a 5G antenna switchable path is set in advance). Switchable paths can be checked. According to various embodiments, in operation 809 , the electronic device (eg, 101 of FIGS. 1 and 2 ) determines the identified LTE anchor band. Based on the confirmed LTE rank and data stored in the memory (eg, NV data in which a 5G antenna switchable path is set in advance), a 5G antenna switchable path may be checked for each LTE BAND and LTE rank.

In operation 811 , the electronic device (eg, 101 of FIGS. 1 and 2 ) may set the antenna switching operation to the 5G antenna switchable path identified in operation 809 . For example, if the NSA LTE anchor band is LTE BAND3 and the LTE rank is 2, even if 'RX3' satisfies the 5G antenna switching condition (eg, if it satisfies the threshold value of RSRP / TX POWER for RX3), the electronic device ( Example: 101) of FIGS. 1 and 2 can be controlled not to switch the 5G antenna through 'RX3'.

9 illustrates another example in which an electronic device performs antenna switching according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

Referring to FIG. 9 , the electronic device 101 includes an RFFE 910 , a first antenna 921 , a second antenna 922 , a third antenna 923 , a fourth antenna 924 , and a fifth antenna 925 . ), a sixth antenna 926 , and a seventh antenna 927 may be included. According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 sets an antenna transmission path for transmitting an RF signal for a communication network (eg, NR) from a first antenna transmission path Ant Tx 1 to another antenna transmission path Ant Tx 2 to Ant Tx 3). According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 confirms that the 5G antenna non-switchable path limited by data stored in the memory (eg, NV data) is the third antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 3), and the electronic device 101 As a result of monitoring in my communication processor, it is confirmed that the path limiting 5G antenna switching is the fourth antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 4), and the antenna transmission path is changed from the first antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 1) to the second antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 2) to perform antenna switching.

When an electronic device operates in an actual field commercial network, the influence of the 5G antenna switching path limited by NV data may be reduced due to various external factors, and on the contrary, noise occurs in the LTE path that is not limited in actual operation, resulting in NR performance can lower The present disclosure proposes a method of changing or updating an antenna switching path limiting operation in a field environment.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device sets the LTE band as an anchor band in the ENDC environment, sets the NR band, and switches the NR Tx antenna based on the NV data stored in advance when the NR antenna switching operation condition is satisfied can do. According to various embodiments, when the CN0 value or the BLER value of the LTE-specific PATH monitored by the CP (communication processor) increases in the antenna switching operation state, the electronic device may further restrict the NR TX antenna switching to the corresponding PATH. .

10 illustrates a method of operating an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The electronic device (101 in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4) includes a communication processor (123 in FIG. 1, 212, 214 in FIG. 2A, 260 in FIG. 2B, and 260 in FIG. 4), the communication processor ( At least one RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) connected to 212 to 214 in FIG. 2a, 260 in FIG. 2b, 260 in FIG. 4 (222 to 228 in FIG. 2a, 222 to 228 in FIG. 2b, 410 in FIG. 4), At least one radio frequency front-end (RFFE) circuit connected to the at least one RFIC (222-228 of FIG. 2A, 222-228 of FIG. 2B, 410 of FIG. 4) and configured to process a transmission signal (FIG. 2A) 232 to 236, 232 to 236 in FIG. 2B, 431 to 432 in FIG. 4), and the at least one RFFE circuit) (232 to 236 in FIG. 2A, 232 to 236 in FIG. 2B, 431 to 432 in FIG. 4) a plurality of antennas connected through the .

Referring to FIG. 10 , in operation 1010 , the electronic device (or communication processor) is based on at least one of an anchor band and a rank of a first radio access technology (RAT) during dual connectivity. Thus, it is possible to check antenna information (eg, switching (antenna switching) path information) for the configured second RAT. According to various embodiments, the first RAT may be long term evolution (LTE), and the second RAT may be new radio (NR).

In operation 1020, the electronic device (or communication processor) may select at least one antenna from among the plurality of antennas based on the antenna information for the second RAT. In operation 1030, the electronic device (or communication processor) may control to transmit a signal through the at least one antenna. According to various embodiments, the signal transmitted through the at least one antenna may be transmitted to the base station of the second RAT through a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

According to various embodiments, the electronic device (or communication processor) checks the antenna switching operation condition for the second RAT, and when the antenna switching operation condition for the second RAT is satisfied, the anchor band of the first RAT and at least one of the ranks. According to various embodiments, the electronic device (or communication processor) may monitor the reception signal path for the first RAT and set to limit the antenna switching path for the second RAT based on the monitoring result.

According to various embodiments, the antenna information for the second RAT is based on at least one of the anchor band and the rank of the first RAT among a plurality of antenna paths for a transmission signal for the second RAT. It may be information indicating an antenna switchable path configured by According to various embodiments, the antenna information for the second RAT may consist of 2 bits when the plurality of antenna paths for the transmission signal for the second RAT are four.

11 illustrates a method of operating an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The electronic device (101 in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4) includes a communication processor (123 in FIG. 1, 212, 214 in FIG. 2A, 260 in FIG. 2B, and 260 in FIG. 4), the communication processor ( At least one RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) connected to 212 to 214 in FIG. 2a, 260 in FIG. 2b, 260 in FIG. 4 (222 to 228 in FIG. 2a, 222 to 228 in FIG. 2b, 410 in FIG. 4), At least one radio frequency front-end (RFFE) circuit connected to the at least one RFIC (222-228 of FIG. 2A, 222-228 of FIG. 2B, 410 of FIG. 4) and configured to process a transmission signal (FIG. 2A) 232 to 236, 232 to 236 in FIG. 2B, 431 to 432 in FIG. 4), and the at least one RFFE circuit) (232 to 236 in FIG. 2A, 232 to 236 in FIG. 2B, 431 to 432 in FIG. 4) a plurality of antennas connected through the .

Referring to FIG. 11 , in operation 1110 , the electronic device (or communication processor) is based on at least one of an anchor band and a rank of a first radio access technology (RAT) during dual connectivity. Thus, it is possible to check transmit antenna information (eg, Tx antenna switching path information) for the configured second RAT. In operation 1120, the electronic device (or communication processor) may monitor status information on the reception antenna of the first RAT. According to various embodiments, the first RAT may be long term evolution (LTE), and the second RAT may be new radio (NR).

In operation 1130, the electronic device (or communication processor) may determine the transmit antenna for the second RAT based on the state information about the receive antenna of the first RAT and the transmit antenna information for the second RAT. have. In operation 1140, the electronic device (or communication processor) may transmit a signal to the base station of the second RAT through a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) based on the transmit antenna for the second RAT.

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 computer device, a portable communication device (eg, a smart phone), 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 terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but it 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 the component from other such components, and refer to those components in other aspects (e.g., importance or order) is not limited. that one (e.g., first) component is "coupled" or "connected" to another (e.g., 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 software (eg, one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (eg, internal memory or external memory) readable by a machine (eg, a master device or a task performing device)) For example, it can be implemented as a program). For example, a processor of a device (eg, a master device or a task performing device) 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 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 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 through 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 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.

101 electronic device 120 processor
130: memory 190: communication module
197: antenna module 212: first communication processor
214: second communication processor 222: first RFIC
224: second RFIC 226: third RFIC
232: first RFFE 234: second RFFE
236: third RFFE 238: phase converter
238: fourth RFIC 242: first antenna module
244: second antenna module 260: communication processor
410: RFIC 431: first RFFE
432: second RFFE 441: first antenna
442: second antenna 443: third antenna
444: fourth antenna 451: first switch
452: second switch

Claims (20)

In an electronic device,
communication processor;
at least one radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) coupled to the communication processor;
at least one radio frequency front-end (RFFE) circuit coupled to the at least one RFIC and configured to process a transmission signal;
A plurality of antennas connected through the at least one RFFE circuit,
The communication processor,
Check antenna information for a second RAT set based on at least one of an anchor band and a rank of a first radio access technology (RAT) during dual connectivity,
Selecting a transmit antenna from among the plurality of antennas based on the antenna information for the second RAT, and controlling to transmit a signal through the transmit antenna. According to claim 1,
The first RAT is a long term evolution (LTE), and the second RAT is a new radio (NR), the electronic device. According to claim 1, wherein the communication processor,
Check the antenna switching operation condition for the second RAT,
The electronic device is configured to check at least one of the anchor band and the rank of the first RAT when the antenna switching operation condition for the second RAT is satisfied. According to claim 1, wherein the communication processor,
An electronic device configured to monitor a reception signal path for the first RAT and to limit an antenna switching path for the second RAT based on a monitoring result. According to claim 1,
The signal transmitted through the at least one antenna is transmitted to the base station of the second RAT through a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna information for the second RAT comprises:
Information indicating an antenna switchable path configured based on at least one of the anchor band and the rank of the first RAT among a plurality of antenna paths for the transmission signal for the second RAT. The method of claim 6, wherein the antenna information for the second RAT,
When the plurality of antenna paths for the transmission signal for the second RAT are 4, the electronic device is configured of 2 bits. In an electronic device,
communication processor;
at least one radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) coupled to the communication processor;
at least one radio frequency front-end (RFFE) circuit coupled to the at least one RFIC and configured to process a transmission signal;
A plurality of antennas connected through the at least one RFFE circuit,
The communication processor,
Check transmit antenna information for a second RAT set based on at least one of an anchor band and a rank of a first radio access technology (RAT) during dual connectivity,
Monitor status information on the reception antenna of the first RAT, and transmit antenna for the second RAT based on the state information on the reception antenna of the first RAT and the transmission antenna information for the second RAT Controlling to determine, the electronic device. 9. The method of claim 8,
The first RAT is a long term evolution (LTE), and the second RAT is a new radio (NR), the electronic device. 9. The method of claim 8,
Controlling to transmit a signal to the base station of the second RAT through a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) based on the transmit antenna for the second RAT. a communication processor, at least one radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) coupled to the communication processor, at least one radio frequency front-end (RFFE) circuit coupled to the at least one RFIC and configured to process a transmission signal; and a method for transmitting a signal in an electronic device including a plurality of antennas connected through the at least one RFFE circuit,
checking antenna information for a second RAT configured based on at least one of an anchor band and a rank of a first radio access technology (RAT) during dual connectivity;
selecting a transmit antenna from among the plurality of antennas based on the antenna information for the second RAT; and
and transmitting a signal through the transmit antenna. 12. The method of claim 11,
The first RAT is long term evolution (LTE), and the second RAT is a new radio (NR). 12. The method of claim 11,
checking an antenna switching operation condition for the second RAT; and
The method further comprising: checking at least one of the anchor band and the rank of the first RAT when the antenna switching operation condition for the second RAT is satisfied. 12. The method of claim 11,
monitoring a received signal path for the first RAT; and
The method further comprising setting to limit the antenna switching path for the second RAT based on the monitoring result. 12. The method of claim 11,
The signal transmitted through the at least one antenna is transmitted to the base station of the second RAT through a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). The method of claim 11, wherein the antenna information for the second RAT,
Among a plurality of antenna paths for the transmission signal for the second RAT, the method characterized in that it is information indicating an antenna switchable path configured based on at least one of the anchor band and the rank of the first RAT. . The method of claim 16, wherein the antenna information for the second RAT,
When the plurality of antenna paths for the transmission signal for the second RAT is 4, the method is characterized in that it consists of 2 bits. a communication processor, at least one radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) coupled to the communication processor, at least one radio frequency front-end (RFFE) circuit coupled to the at least one RFIC and configured to process a transmission signal; In an electronic device including a plurality of antennas connected through the at least one RFFE circuit, in the method of determining a transmit antenna,
checking transmit antenna information for a second RAT configured based on at least one of an anchor band and a rank of a first radio access technology (RAT) during dual connectivity;
monitoring status information on the reception antenna of the first RAT; and
and determining a transmit antenna for the second RAT based on the state information on the receive antenna of the first RAT and the transmit antenna information on the second RAT. 19. The method of claim 18,
The first RAT is long term evolution (LTE), and the second RAT is a new radio (NR). 19. The method of claim 18,
and transmitting a signal to the base station of the second RAT through a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) based on the transmit antenna for the second RAT.

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