Apparatus and method for arranging antennas supporting millimeter wave frequency bands

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11011828-B2
Application number	US-201916383812-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2019
Priority date	Apr 13, 2018
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed is an electronic device. The electronic device comprises a housing forming an exterior of the electronic device, and including a front surface, a back surface facing away from the front surface, and a side surface substantially perpendicular to the front surface and the back surface; a first conductive plate positioned towards the back surface having a first antenna array disposed on the first conductive plate, the first antenna array configured to radiate a signal in a first frequency band toward the back surface; a second antenna array connected to the conductive plate, the second antenna array configured to radiate a signal in a second frequency band at least partially different from the first frequency band toward the side surface, and having an antenna element at least partially different from the first antenna array, a second conductive plate positioned towards the side surface having a third antenna array disposed on the second conductive plate, the third antenna array configured to radiate the signal in the second frequency band toward the side surface, and a fourth antenna array connected to the second conductive plate and configured to radiate the signal in the first frequency band toward the back surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing forming an exterior of the electronic device, and including a front surface, a back surface facing away from the front surface, and a side surface substantially perpendicular to the front surface and the back surface;
a first conductive plate positioned towards the back surface having a first antenna array disposed on the first conductive plate, the first antenna array configured to radiate a signal in a first frequency band toward the back surface;
a second antenna array connected to the first conductive plate, the second antenna array configured to radiate a signal in a second frequency band at least partially different from the first frequency band toward the side surface, and having an antenna element at least partially different from the first antenna array;
a second conductive plate positioned towards the side surface having a third antenna array disposed on the second conductive plate, the third antenna array configured to radiate the signal in the second frequency band toward the side surface; and
a fourth antenna array connected to the second conductive plate and configured to radiate the signal in the first frequency band toward the back surface.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive plate includes a first printed circuit board (PCB), and wherein the second conductive plate includes a second PCB, the electronic device further comprising:
a coaxial cable or a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) connecting the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first PCB comprises a first plurality of layers and the second PCB comprises a second plurality of layers, and
wherein the FPCB is connected to one of the first plurality of layers one of the second plurality of layers.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) supporting the first frequency band, disposed on the first conductive plate;
a second RFIC supporting the second frequency band, disposed on the second conductive plate,
wherein the first RFIC is configured to transmit the signal in the first frequency band to the second conductive plate through the coaxial cable or the FPCB, and
wherein the second RFIC is configured to transmit the signal in the second frequency band to the first conductive plate through the coaxial cable or the FPCB.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising a third RFIC supporting the signal in the first frequency band and the signal in the second frequency band disposed on the first conductive plate, and
wherein the third RFIC is configured to transmit the signal in the first frequency band or the signal in the second frequency band to the second conductive plate through the coaxial cable or the FPCB.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band have a frequency between 20 GHz and 100 GHz.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna array includes at least one patch antenna, and wherein the second antenna array includes at least one dipole antenna.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate are configured to form one module.

9. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including a first plate forming at least a portion of a front surface of the electronic device, a second plate facing away from the first plate and forming at least a portion of a back surface of the electronic device, and a side member at least partially surrounding a space between the first plate and the second plate;
a display positioned within the housing, and visually exposed outside the electronic device through a portion of the first plate;
an antenna structure positioned within the housing, wherein the antenna structure includes:
at least one first conductive plate facing a first direction, the first direction facing the second plate, and at least one first dipole formed between the first conductive plate and a first portion of the side member, when viewed from above the second plate;
at least one second conductive plate facing a second direction, the second direction facing the side member, while electrically connected to the at least one first conductive plate, at least one second dipole antenna formed between the second conductive plate and the second plate, when viewed from above the side member, and
at least one radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) electrically connected with the at least one first conductive plate, the at least one first dipole antenna, the at least one second conductive plate, and the at least one second dipole antenna, and configured to transmit/receive a signal having a frequency between 3 GHz and 100 GHz.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one first conductive plate includes a first PCB, and wherein the at least one second conductive plate includes a second PCB.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a third PCB parallel to the first PCB and disposed between the display and the second plate.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein a first portion of the RFIC is mounted on the first PCB,
wherein a second portion of the RFIC is mounted on the second PCB, and
wherein a third portion of the RFIC is electrically connected with the first portion and the second portion and is mounted on the third PCB.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the first portion of the RFIC includes a first signal path electrically connected with the at least one first conductive plate and a second signal path electrically connected with the second dipole antenna.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the second portion of the RFIC includes a third signal path electrically connected with the second conductive plate and a fourth signal path electrically connected with the first dipole antenna.

15. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one first conductive plate is substantially perpendicular to the at least one second conductive plate.

16. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including a front surface of the electronic device, a back surface facing away from the front surface, and a side surface at least partially surrounding a space between the front surface and the back surface;
a first conductive plate positioned on the back surface;
a second conductive plate positioned on the side surface;
an interface connecting the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate;
a first RFIC disposed on the first conductive plate and configured to transmit a signal in a first frequency band;
a first antenna array disposed on the first conductive plate and configured to radiate the signal in the first frequency band toward the back surface;
a second antenna array connected to the first conductive plate and configured to radiate a signal in a second frequency band at least partially different from the first frequency band toward the side surface, and having an antenna element at least partially different from the first antenna array;
a second RFIC disposed on the second conductive plate and configured to transmit the signal in the first frequency band;
a third antenna array disposed on the second conductive plate and configured to radiate the signal in the second frequency band toward the side surface; and
a fourth antenna array connected to the second conductive plate and configured to radiate the signal in the first frequency band toward

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Jungmin
• Lee Chih Wei
• Seo Chonghwa
• Yoo Sungcheol
• Lee Jongwon

Classifications

• H01Q21/30

  Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system · CPC title

• H01Q21/062

  using dipole aerials; (H01Q21/067, H01Q21/068 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q21/065

  Patch antenna array · CPC title

• H01Q1/243 Primary

  with built-in antennas · CPC title