Method for sensing RF signal and electronic device for executing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11489581-B2
Application number	US-201917283059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2019
Priority date	Oct 11, 2018
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device, according to various embodiments of the present invention, is disclosed, comprising: an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements disposed at intervals of a first distance; and a communication circuit electrically connected with the antenna array, wherein the communication circuit is configured to: supply power to a first antenna element and a second antenna element spaced apart from the first antenna element by a second distance among the plurality of antenna elements; form a beam comprising a main lobe and a grating lobe having a predetermined angle with the main lobe, by using the first antenna element and the second antenna element; and sense an RF signal incident from the outside by using the formed beam. Various other embodiments inferred from the present specification are also possible.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements arranged at an interval of a first distance; and
a communication circuit electrically connected to the antenna array,
wherein the communication circuit is configured to:
feed a first antenna element and a second antenna element spaced a second distance apart from the first antenna element among the plurality of antenna elements, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance;
form a first beam including a main lobe and a grating lobe that forms a specified angle with the main lobe using the first antenna element and the second antenna element;
sense an RF signal that is incident externally using the first beam;
in response sensing the RF signal, form a second beam in a direction of the main lobe using the first antenna element and a third antenna element spaced the first distance from the first antenna element among the plurality of antenna elements;
when the RF signal is sensed using the second beam, receive the RF signal with a beam formed in the direction of the main lobe by activating at least a part of the plurality of antenna elements; and
when the RF signal is not sensed using the second beam, receive the RF signal with a beam formed in a direction of the grating lobe by activating at least a part of the plurality of antenna elements.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the antenna array corresponds to a first antenna array,
the electronic device further comprises a second antenna array, which is arranged to be spaced a third distance apart from the first antenna array and includes a plurality of antenna elements arranged at the interval of the first distance, wherein the third distance is the same or greater than the second distance, and
wherein the communication circuit is configured to:
feed a fourth antenna element and a fifth antenna element spaced the second distance apart from the fourth antenna element among the plurality of antenna elements included in the second antenna array,
form a third beam which is different from the first beam and includes another main lobe and another grating lobe that forms another specified angle with the other main lobe by feeding the fourth antenna element and the fifth antenna element, and
sense the RF signal using the first beam and the third beam.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the third distance is substantially five times a wavelength of the RF signal.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuit is configured to:
determine a direction of the RF signal as the direction of the main lobe when the RF signal is sensed using the second beam.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the communication circuit is configured to receive the RF signal in the determined direction using all of the plurality of antenna elements of the antenna array.

6. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the communication circuit is configured to:
determine the direction of the RF signal as the direction of the grating lobe of the first beam when the RF signal is not sensed using the second beam.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first distance is substantially the same as half of a wavelength of the RF signal.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second distance is substantially the same as a wavelength of the RF signal.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second distance is substantially 1.5 times a wavelength of the RF signal.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the specified angle is substantially 90 degrees.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuit is configured to change the first beam by the specified angle each time in order to sense the RF signal.

12. A method for sensing an RF signal, the method comprising:
feeding a first antenna element and a second antenna element spaced a second distance apart from the first antenna element among a plurality of antenna elements included in an antenna array, wherein the plurality of antenna elements are arranged at an interval of a first distance and the second distance is greater than the first distance;
forming a first beam including a main lobe and a grating lobe that forms a specified angle with the main lobe by feeding the first antenna element and the second antenna element;
sensing an RF signal that is incident externally using the first beam;
in response sensing the RF signal, forming a second beam in a direction of the main lobe using the first antenna element and a third antenna element spaced the first distance from the first antenna element among the plurality of antenna elements;
when the RF signal is sensed using the second beam, receiving the RF signal with a beam formed in the direction of the main lobe by activating at least a part of the plurality of antenna elements; and
when the RF signal is not sensed using the second beam, receiving the RF signal with a beam formed in a direction of the grating lobe by activating at least a part of the plurality of antenna elements.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Sungchul
• Yoon Suha

Classifications

• G01S3/32

  derived from different combinations of signals from separate antennas, e.g. comparing sum with difference · CPC title

• H04B7/0874

  using subgroups of receive antennas · CPC title

• H04M1/0249

  Details of the mechanical connection between the housing parts or relating to the method of assembly · CPC title

• H01Q21/0006 Primary

  Particular feeding systems · CPC title

• G01S3/043

  Receivers · CPC title