Method for selecting transmit antenna and electronic device for supporting the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10038486-B2
Application number	US-201715436153-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2017
Priority date	Feb 19, 2016
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a plurality of antennas and a communication circuit configured to electrically connect with at least one of the plurality of antennas, wherein the communication circuit is configured to obtain information of a level of a transmit power and transmit a signal based on a designated antenna among the plurality of antennas if the level of the transmit power is less than a level, determine an antenna for signal transmission among the plurality of antennas if the level of the transmit power is greater than or equal to the level, and perform an antenna switching operation of selecting the determined antenna.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a plurality of antennas; and
a communication circuit configured to electrically connect with at least one of the plurality of antennas,
wherein the communication circuit is configured to:
obtain a transmit power level,
transmit a signal based on a first antenna among the plurality of antennas if the transmit power level is less than a predetermined level,
determine a second antenna for signal transmission among the plurality of antennas and perform an antenna switching operation of selecting the second antenna, if the transmit power level is greater than or equal to the predetermined level,
increase an interval at which a communication characteristic value associated with the antenna switching operation is collected, if a level of a communication characteristic value of an antenna which is being currently operated is greater than or equal to a first level, if a difference between communication characteristic values of the plurality of antennas is greater than or equal to a setting value, or if the transmit power level is less than a second level, and
decrease the interval at which the communication characteristic value associated with the antenna switching operation is collected, if the level of the communication characteristic value of the antenna which is being currently operated is less than the first level, if the difference between the communication characteristic values of the plurality of antennas is less than the setting value, or if the transmit power level is greater than or equal to the second level.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuit is further configured to:
perform the antenna switching operation based on a type of a network and based on at least one of the plurality of antennas or an available frequency band.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the communication circuit is configured to:
select at least one antenna as a data transmit and receive antenna based on the type of the network or the available frequency band, and
perform a switching operation with an antenna spaced apart from the first antenna at an interval in a first direction of the electronic device when performing the antenna switching operation, or perform a switching operation with an antenna spaced apart from the first antenna at an interval in a second direction of the electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the communication circuit is further configured to:
detect communication characteristic values of a set of antennas that are not being currently operated, at a period if a sub-antenna except for an antenna matched to the type of the network or the available frequency band is being currently operated, and
perform the antenna switching operation.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the communication circuit is further configured to:
if the type of the network or the available frequency band is changed, operate an antenna matched to the changed type of the network or the changed available frequency band as the first antenna, and
perform the antenna switching operation based on the transmit power level.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the communication circuit comprises:
a processor; and
a switching circuit configured to connect the processor with at least one of the plurality of antennas, and

wherein the processor is configured to:
if detecting a sub-antenna having a communication characteristic value which is better than a communication characteristic value of a main antenna matched to a type of a network which is being currently operated or an available frequency band by a first level or more, establish a communication path comprising the sub-antenna.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
if detecting the main antenna having a communication characteristic value which is better than a communication characteristic value of the sub-antenna which is being currently operated by a second level or more, establish a communication path comprising the main antenna.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the second level is lower than the first level.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuit is further configured to:
activate at least one antenna, which is in an inactive state, at an interval,
collect a communication characteristic value of the activated antenna, and
deactivate antennas which are not selected after performing the antenna switching operation.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuit is further configured to:
detect a communication characteristic value based on a data frame of an interval of a data communication channel, if the electronic device is in a data transmit and receive state when performing the antenna switching operation, and
detect a communication characteristic value based on control data received during a plurality of periods, if the electronic device is in a data communication waiting state.

11. A method for selecting a transmit antenna, the method comprising:
selecting a first antenna of one group corresponding to a type of a network and an available frequency band among a plurality of antennas;
obtaining a transmit power level of the first antenna used for data transmission among the plurality of antennas;
performing signal transmission based on the first antenna if the transmit power level of the first antenna is less than a predetermined level;
selecting a second antenna for signal transmission among the plurality of antennas if the transmit power level is greater than or equal to the predetermined level;
increasing an interval at which a communication characteristic value associated with an antenna switching operation is collected, if a level of a communication characteristic value of an antenna which is being currently operated is greater than or equal to a first level, if a difference between communication characteristic values of the plurality of antennas is greater than or equal to a setting value, or if the level of the transmit power is less than a second level; and
decreasing the interval at which the communication characteristic value associated with the antenna switching operation is collected, if the level of the communication characteristic value of the antenna which is being currently operated is less than the first level, if the difference between the communication characteristic values of the plurality of antennas is less than the setting value, or if the level of the transmit power is greater than or equal to the second level.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the selecting of the second antenna comprises:
performing a switching operation with an antenna spaced apart from a designated antenna at an interval in a first direction of an electronic device; or
performing a switching operation with an antenna spaced apart from the designated antenna at an interval in a second direction of the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the selecting of the second antenna comprises:
detecting communication characteristic values of a set of antennas that are not being currently operated, at a period if a sub-antenna except for an antenna matched to the type of the network or the available frequency band is being currently operated; and
performing antenna switching.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the selecting of the second antenna comprises:
if the type of the network or the available frequency band is changed, operating an antenna matched to the changed type of the network or the

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Kee Hoon
• Lee Hyoungjoo
• Lee Byung Gil
• Lim Chaiman

Classifications

• H04B1/3833

  Hand-held transceivers · CPC title

• H04B7/0602 Primary

  using antenna switching (H04B7/0686 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24) · CPC title

• H04B17/102

  Power radiated at antenna · CPC title

• H04B1/40 Primary

  Circuits · CPC title

• H04B7/0608

  Antenna selection according to transmission parameters · CPC title