Antenna array and electronic device including antenna array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11223102-B2
Application number	US-201816614710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2018
Priority date	May 30, 2017
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include housing including a rear cover and a cover glass facing away from the rear cover, an antenna array interposed between the rear cover and the cover glass and including at least one or more antenna units, a printed circuit board (PCB) interposed between the antenna array and the cover glass, and a communication circuit disposed on the PCB and feeding the antenna array. Other various embodiments as understood from the specification are also possible.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including a rear cover and a cover glass facing away from the rear cover;
an antenna array interposed between the rear cover and the cover glass and including at least one or more antenna units;
a printed circuit board (PCB) interposed between the antenna array and the cover glass; and
a communication circuit disposed on the PCB and configured to feed the antenna array,
wherein each of the antenna units includes a ground layer and at least one or more antenna elements disposed on the ground layer,
wherein each of the antenna elements includes:
a conductive member extending from the ground layer;
a radiator having a specified spaced distance from the conductive member and surrounding a part of the conductive member; and
a feed part electrically connecting the radiator to the communication circuit,

and
wherein the communication circuit is configured to transmit/receive a signal of a specified frequency band through an electrical path formed via the antenna array.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each of the antenna units includes a nonconductive layer contacting the ground layer, and
wherein the nonconductive layer includes a first surface, a second surface interposed between the first surface and the ground layer, and a side surface surrounding a space between the first surface and the second surface.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first surface includes a first region and a second region surrounding a part of the first region,
wherein the conductive member extends from the ground layer to the first region, and
wherein at least part of the radiator is disposed in the second region.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna elements include a first antenna element and a second antenna element, and
wherein each of the antenna units further includes:
a central member interposed between the first antenna element and the second antenna element; and
a central radiator interposed between the central member and the rear cover.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the communication circuit feeds the antenna array such that a phase difference between a current applied to the first antenna element and a current applied to the second antenna element has a specified value.

6. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the central radiator extends from a first point to a second point on a plane positioned between the central member and the rear cover,
wherein the first point is positioned in a region corresponding to the first antenna element, and
wherein the second point is positioned in a region corresponding to the second antenna element.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein a length between the first point and the second point is longer than a length between one end and the other end of the radiator.

8. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the second antenna element has a symmetrical structure with the first antenna element with respect to the central member.

9. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the central radiator is attached to the rear cover through an adhesive material.

10. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the antenna elements further include a third antenna element and a fourth antenna element, and
wherein the third antenna element and the fourth antenna element have a symmetrical structure with respect to the central member.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the antenna elements further include a fifth antenna element, a sixth antenna element, a seventh antenna element, and an eighth antenna element,
wherein the fifth antenna element and the sixth antenna element have a symmetrical structure with respect to the central member, and
wherein the seventh antenna element and the eighth antenna element have a symmetrical structure with respect to the central member.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a support member interposed between the PCB and the cover glass.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the PCB includes an opening in a specified region, and
wherein the support member supports the antenna array through the opening.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jeon Seung Gil

Classifications

• H01Q1/243 Primary

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• H01Q21/0006

  Particular feeding systems · CPC title

• H01Q9/04

  Resonant antennas · CPC title

• H01Q1/24 Primary

  with receiving set · CPC title

• H01Q21/06

  Arrays of individually energised antenna units similarly polarised and spaced apart · CPC title