Electronic device having 5G antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11283180-B2
Application number	US-202016918630-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2020
Priority date	Mar 9, 2020
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device having a fifth-generation (5G) antenna according to an embodiment is provided. The electronic device includes a cover glass through which electromagnetic waves are transmitted, a metal frame having a metal rim formed on side surfaces of the electronic device, an antenna module configured to transmit or receive beamformed signals through a plurality of antenna elements, and a frame mold made of a dielectric and disposed between the metal frame and the antenna module, wherein a frame slot is formed in a lower portion of the metal frame so that the signals transmitted or received in the antenna module is radiated through the frame slot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a cover glass through which electromagnetic waves are transmitted;
a metal frame having a metal rim formed on side surfaces of the electronic device;
a module bracket formed of a metal member and configured to be tilted at a predetermined slant angle from a baseline of the electronic device;
an antenna module configured to be coupled with the module bracket and to transmit or receive beamformed signals through a plurality of antenna elements, wherein the metal frame having the metal rim is configured to have a partially overlapping area on a side surface in a lengthwise direction of the antenna module;
a frame mold made of a dielectric and disposed between the metal frame and the antenna module; and
a frame slot formed from a lower end portion of the antenna module to a lower portion of the metal frame,
wherein the signals transmitted or received in the antenna module are radiated in a forward direction of the electronic device through the frame slot and in a rearward direction of the electronic device through the cover glass.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the cover glass comprises:
a front cover glass disposed on a front surface of the electronic device; and
a rear cover glass disposed on a rear surface of the electronic device,
wherein a display is disposed on a lower portion of the front cover glass and a dielectric mold is disposed on a lower portion of the display.

3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one manipulation key provided on the side surface of the metal rim and partially overlapped with the antenna module in the lengthwise direction; and
a second antenna module configured to be perpendicular to the baseline of the electronic device on another side surface of the electronic device,
wherein a position of an upper end portion of the side surface of the metal rim is lower than a center line of the antenna module, and
wherein a first position of the upper end portion of the side surface of the metal rim is higher than a second position of an upper end portion of another surface of the metal rim.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein a beam peak in a rearward direction of the first antenna module coupled to the module bracket in the tilted state is greater than a beam peak in a rearward direction of the second antenna module perpendicularly formed.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the frame mold is formed inside the cover glass in a first region where the frame slot is formed, so as to support a lower portion of the antenna module, and
wherein a beam coverage area by the antenna module extends to both sides in a perpendicular direction of the antenna module.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the frame mold is formed inside the cover glass in a second region where the frame slot is not formed, and disposed on an upper portion of the metal frame disposed at a lower portion of the antenna module, and
wherein a beam coverage area by the antenna module is formed at one side in a perpendicular direction of the antenna module so as not to be blocked by the metal rim.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna module is disposed perpendicular to the baseline of the electronic device, and an upper end portion of the metal frame is located lower than a center portion of the antenna module.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna module is disposed perpendicular to the baseline of the electronic device, and an upper end portion of the metal frame is located lower than a center portion of the antenna module by a predetermined interval or more, so that a peak of a radiation pattern by the antenna module in a perpendicular direction is arranged at the center portion.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna module is disposed on one side surface of the electronic device, with being tilted from a perpendicular line of the electronic device by a predetermined angle, and
wherein the predetermined angle is determined in a manner that a beam coverage area by the antenna module is not blocked by the metal rim.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the frame slot is exposed through a slot gap having a predetermined width or more and formed from a lower end portion of the antenna module to one end portion of the metal frame, so as not to be blocked by the antenna module, and
wherein the metal frame is disposed on a lower portion of the antenna module.

11. The device of claim 1 ,
wherein the module bracket is configured to be mounted on a slanted surface of the metal frame corresponding to a case, so as to dissipate heat generated by active components of the antenna module while supporting the antenna module.

12. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a camera module disposed on the metal frame and having one or more image sensors,
wherein the metal frame having a slanted surface supporting the antenna module has a predetermined height or more to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) by the antenna module, and
wherein a dielectric mold is disposed between the metal frame having the slanted surface and the camera module.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna module comprises:
a dielectric carrier disposed to be mounted on the module bracket; and
at least one substrate disposed on an upper portion of the dielectric carrier,
wherein a plurality of antenna elements is disposed at predetermined intervals on an upper or lower layer of a specific substrate of the at least one substrate of the antenna module, and
wherein the antenna module includes a first antenna module and a second antenna module disposed on different side surfaces of the electronic device.

14. The device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a transceiver circuit operatively coupled with the first antenna module and the second antenna module, and configured to transmit or receive a first signal through the first antenna module and a second signal through the second antenna module; and
a baseband processor operatively coupled to the transceiver circuit, and configured to perform multiple input/output (MIMO) through the first signal and the second signal transmitted or received through the transceiver circuit.

15. The device of claim 13 , wherein the antenna module further comprises a third antenna module disposed with being spaced a predetermined distance apart from the first antenna module or the second antenna module and configured to emit a third signal through a rear surface of the electronic device.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Dongjin
• Park Cheolwan
• Kwon Youngbae
• Jung Byungwoon
• Ha Jihun

Classifications

• H01Q21/28

  Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems {(multiple beam H01Q25/00)} · CPC title

• H01Q13/106 Primary

  Microstrip slot antennas (patch antenna elements H01Q9/0407) · CPC title

• H01Q3/36

  with variable phase-shifters · CPC title

• H01Q3/2617

  Array of identical elements · CPC title

• H01Q1/245 Primary

  with means for shaping the antenna pattern, e.g. in order to protect user against rf exposure · CPC title