Electronic device comprising antenna array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11417954-B2
Application number	US-201917262087-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2019
Priority date	Aug 1, 2018
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a housing and an antenna module disposed on one surface of the housing, wherein the antenna module may include a printed circuit board including a first layer facing the one surface of the housing, a second layer facing the first layer, and at least one ground layer disposed between the first layer and the second layer, a first antenna array disposed on the first layer, a second antenna array disposed on the second layer and at least partially overlapping the first antenna array when viewed from the one surface of the housing, and a communication circuit (radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) electrically connected to the first antenna array and the second antenna array and feeding the first antenna array and the second antenna array, wherein the communication circuit may be configured to receive a first signal from an external device via at least one of the first antenna array or the second antenna array, change a phase of at least a portion of the first antenna array and the second antenna array based on the first signal, and transmit/receive a second signal in a direction of a beam formed by the changed phase. Other various embodiments could be derived from the description.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing; and
an antenna circuitry disposed on one surface of the housing, wherein the antenna circuitry comprises:
a printed circuit board comprising a first layer facing the one surface of the housing, a second layer facing the first layer, and at least one ground layer disposed between the first layer and the second layer;
a first antenna array disposed on the first layer;
a second antenna array disposed on the second layer and at least partially overlapping the first antenna array when viewed from the one surface of the housing; and
a communication circuit comprising a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) and being electrically connected to the first antenna array and the second antenna array, the communication circuit feeding the first antenna array and the second antenna array, and

wherein the communication circuit is configured to:
feed the first antenna array and the second antenna array such that a phase difference between the first antenna array and the second antenna array has a specific value; and
transmit or receive a signal in a direction of a beam by using the first antenna array and the second antenna array, wherein the direction of the beam is dependent on the specific value.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuit feeds the first antenna array and the second antenna array so that a difference between a phase of the first antenna array and a phase of the second antenna array maintains a specified value.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuit changes a phase of at least a portion of the first antenna array and the second antenna array so as to form the beam in the direction to an external device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna array is spaced a specified distance apart from the second antenna array.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the antenna circuitry is disposed in a region adjacent to a first edge of the housing, and
wherein the electronic device further comprises an additional antenna circuitry disposed in a region adjacent to a second edge facing the first edge.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna circuitry further comprises a feeding line connecting the communication circuit, the first antenna array, and the second antenna array.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first antenna array and the second antenna array comprises a plurality of patch antennas.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the communication circuit feeds each of the plurality of patch antennas so that the phase difference occurs between the plurality of patch antennas.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of patch antennas are spaced a specified distance apart.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first layer and the second layer comprise an insulating material.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the direction of the beam includes:
a first direction parallel to the first layer; or
a second direction perpendicular to the first layer.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the communication circuit is further configured to:
feed the first antenna array and the second antenna array out-of-phase to transmit the signal in the first direction; or
feed the first antenna array and the second antenna array in-phase to transmit the signal in the second direction.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuit is further configured to:
receive a first signal from an external device via at least one of the first antenna array or the second antenna array; and
based on the first signal, determine the specific value.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the communication circuit is further configured to:
based on the first signal, determine an orientation of the external device and the electronic device; and
based on the determination of the orientation of the external device and the electronic device, feed the first antenna array and the second antenna array such that the phase difference has the specific value.

15. An antenna circuitry comprising:
a printed circuit board comprising a first layer, a second layer facing the first layer, and at least one ground layer disposed between the first layer and the second layer;
a first antenna array disposed on the first layer;
a second antenna array disposed on the second layer and at least partially overlapping the first antenna array when viewed above the first layer; and
a communication circuit comprising a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) and being electrically connected to the first antenna array and the second antenna array, the communication circuit feeding the first antenna array and the second antenna array,
wherein the communication circuit is configured to:
feed the first antenna array and the second antenna array such that a phase difference between the first antenna array and the second antenna array has a specific value; and
transmit or receive a signal in a direction of a beam by using the first antenna array and the second antenna array, wherein the direction of the beam is dependent on the specific value.

16. The antenna circuitry of claim 15 , wherein the communication circuit feeds the first antenna array and the second antenna array so that a difference between a phase of the first antenna array and a phase of the second antenna array maintains a specified value.

17. The antenna circuitry of claim 15 , wherein the communication circuit changes a phase of at least a portion of the first antenna array and the second antenna array so as to form the beam in the direction to an external device.

18. The antenna circuitry of claim 15 , wherein the first antenna array is spaced a specified distance apart from the second antenna array.

19. The antenna circuitry of claim 15 , further comprising a feeding line connecting the communication circuit, the first antenna array, and the second antenna array.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Postech Acad Ind Found

Inventors

• Kim Yeonwoo
• Hong Wonbin
• Park Sehyun
• Park Junho
• Yun Sumin

Classifications

• H01Q21/293

  one unit or more being an array of identical aerial elements (adaptive arrays H01Q3/2605) · CPC title

• H01Q21/0025

  Modular arrays · CPC title

• H01Q1/2283

  mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package · CPC title

• H04W16/28

  using beam steering · CPC title

• H01Q3/36 Primary

  with variable phase-shifters · CPC title