Electronic device including 5G antenna module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11069956-B2
Application number	US-201916522019-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2019
Priority date	Jul 26, 2018
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

An electronic device including an antenna module is provided. The electronic device includes a 5th generation (5G) antenna module that includes an antenna array, at least one conductive region operating as a ground with respect to the antenna array, and a first communication circuit feeding a power to the antenna array to communicate through a millimeter wave signal, and a printed circuit board (PCB) that includes a second communication circuit and a ground region. The second communication circuit feeds the power to an electrical path at least including the at least one conductive region and transmits or receives a signal in a frequency band different from a frequency band of the millimeter wave signal based on the electrical path supplied with the power and the ground region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a 5G antenna module including:
an antenna array,
at least one conductive region operating as a ground with respect to the antenna array, and
a first communication circuit configured to feed a power to the antenna array to communicate through a millimeter wave signal; and

a printed circuit board (PCB) including:
a second communication circuit, and
a ground region,

wherein the second communication circuit is configured to:
feed the power to an electrical path at least including the at least one conductive region, and
transmit or receive a signal in a different frequency band different from a frequency band of the millimeter wave signal based on the electrical path supplied with the power and the ground region.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a conductive element extended from the at least one conductive region and forming at least a portion of the electrical path.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a connection member electrically connecting the at least one conductive region and the conductive element.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one sub printed circuit board,
wherein at least a portion of the 5G antenna module is mounted on the at least one sub printed circuit board.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a flexible printed circuit board,
wherein the at least one sub printed circuit board includes:
a first sub printed circuit board where the antenna array and a portion of the at least one conductive region are mounted, and
a second sub printed circuit board where a remaining portion of the at least one conductive region and the first communication circuit are mounted, and

wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes:
a first conducting wire electrically connecting the antenna array and the first communication circuit, and
a second conducting wire electrically connecting the portion and the remaining portion of the at least one conductive region.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a housing including a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a side member surrounding a space between the first surface and the second surface and formed of a conductive material,
wherein at least a portion of the side member is electrically connected with the at least one conductive region, and
wherein the electrical path includes at least a portion of the side member.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the electrical path operates as a radiator of an antenna of a planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) type.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the electrical path operates as a radiator of a loop-type antenna.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the frequency band different from the frequency band of the millimeter wave signal includes 400 MHz to 6 GHz.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the 5G antenna module corresponds to a first 5G antenna module,
wherein the antenna array corresponds to a first antenna array,
wherein the electronic device further comprises a second 5G antenna module including a second antenna array and disposed adjacent to the first 5G antenna module, and
wherein the first communication circuit feeds the power to the first antenna array or the second antenna array to communicate through a millimeter wave signal.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the first antenna array is of a form of 1×n arrangement, and the second antenna array is of a form of m×m arrangement.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one conductive region operates as a shield can.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna array includes at least one of a plurality of dipole antenna elements or a plurality of patch antenna elements.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the printed circuit board further includes an intermediate frequency integrated circuit (IF IC) electrically connected with the first communication circuit, and
wherein the IF IC transfers a feed signal to the first communication circuit such that the power is supplied to the antenna array.

15. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the 5G antenna module and at least a portion of the printed circuit board are electrically coupled through a flexible printed circuit board, a C-clip, a screw, a pogo pin, foam, or a plate-shaped spring.

16. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including:
a first plate,
a second plate facing away from the first plate, and
a side member surrounding a space between the first plate and the second plate;

a first printed circuit board (PCB) disposed in the housing; and
a 5G antenna module including:
an antenna structure disposed in the housing,
a second printed circuit board including a first surface facing in a first direction,
a second surface facing away from the first surface,
at least one conductive region between the first surface and the second surface,
an antenna array formed at at least a portion of the second printed circuit board, the at least one conductive region operating as a ground with respect to the antenna array, and
a first wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the antenna array and configured to transmit and/or receive a first signal having a frequency between 6 GHz and 100 GHz, the first wireless communication circuit configured to feed a power to the antenna array to communicate through a millimeter wave signal,

wherein the first printed circuit board (PCB) includes:
a second wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the at least one conductive region and configured to transmit and/or receive a second signal having a frequency between 400 MHz and 6 GHz, and
a ground region, and

wherein the second wireless communication circuit is configured to:
feed the power to an electrical path at least including the at least one conductive region, and
transmit or receive a signal in a different frequency band different from a frequency band of the millimeter wave signal based on the electrical path supplied with the power and the ground region.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 ,
wherein the second printed circuit board includes at least one non-conductive region, and
wherein the at least one conductive region is implemented with a conductive pattern formed on the non-conductive region.

18. The electronic device of claim 16 , further comprising:
a conductive element extended from the at least one conductive region.

19. The electronic device of claim 16 ,
wherein at least a portion of the side member is formed of a conductive material, and
wherein the at least a portion of the side member is electrically connected with the at least one conductive region.

20. The electronic device of claim 16 ,
wherein the antenna array corresponds to a first antenna structure,
wherein the antenna array corresponds to a first antenna array,
wherein the electronic device further includes a second antenna structure including a second antenna array, the second antenna structure disposed adjacent to the first antenna structure, and
wherein the first wireless communication circuit is electrically connected to the first antenna array or the second antenna array and is configured to transmit and/or receive a first signal having a frequency between 6 GHz and 100 GHz.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jaehyung
• Bang Jinkyu
• Lee Hanbin
• Han Sangmin
• Chun Jaebong

Classifications

• H04B1/0064

  with separate antennas for the more than one band (H04B1/0053 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q21/0006 Primary

  Particular feeding systems · CPC title

• H01Q9/0421

  with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element (H01Q9/0414 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q7/00

  Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop · CPC title

• H01Q1/38

  formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support {(patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface  H01Q15/142)} · CPC title