Electronic device including antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12046801-B2
Application number	US-202318117521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2023
Priority date	Feb 19, 2019
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

An electronic device in accordance with an example embodiment of the disclosure includes a first non-conductive cover defining a first surface of the electronic device, a second non-conductive cover including a first portion defining a second surface of the electronic device, and a second portion defining one portion of a lateral surface of the electronic device, a conductive frame defining an other portion of the lateral surface of the electronic device, and an antenna module, wherein the antenna module is positioned so that the one surface is substantially perpendicular to the second surface at a position within a specified proximity to the lateral surface of the electronic device and is configured to transmit and/or receive a signal through the lateral surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable communication device comprising:
a first non-conductive cover forming at least a portion of a front surface of the portable communication device;
a second non-conductive cover including a planar portion and a curved portion extended from the planar portion, the planar portion forming at least a portion of a rear surface of the portable communication device, and the curved portion forming at least a first portion of a lateral surface of the portable communication device;
a conductive frame forming a second portion of the lateral surface between at least the front surface and the curved portion of the lateral surface,
wherein the conductive frame, when viewed in a direction substantially perpendicular to a lateral side of the portable communication device, comprises a first height substantially smaller than a second height of the curved portion of the second non-conductive cover;
a bracket integrally formed with the conductive frame, the bracket disposed between at least the first non-conductive cover and the second non-conductive cover; and
an antenna module disposed between at least the bracket and the second non-conductive cover and substantially perpendicular to the planar portion of the second non-conductive cover, a first surface of the antenna module that faces the planar portion of the second non-conductive cover comprising a first length, a second surface of the antenna module that faces the lateral surface comprising a second length substantially longer than the first length so as to be overlapped with at least the curved portion of the second non-conductive cover and the conductive frame when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the second surface, and wherein the antenna module comprises a plurality of antenna radiators and is configured to transmit and/or receive a millimeter wave (mmWave) signal via at least the second surface.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive frame extends from the bracket such that the conductive frame and the bracket are composed of a same material.

3. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive frame is composed of a first metal and the bracket is composed of a second metal different from the first metal.

4. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna module includes a third surface opposite to the first surface and a fourth surface opposite to the second surface, wherein the bracket includes a recess formed therein, and wherein the antenna module is disposed in the bracket such that at least part of the second surface and at least part of the fourth surface are surrounded by inner walls of the recess.

5. The portable communication device of claim 4 , wherein the inner walls of the recess include a first inner wall facing the second surface and a second inner wall facing the fourth surface, and wherein a first height of the first inner wall is lower than a second height of the second inner wall.

6. The portable communication device of claim 5 , wherein the second inner wall protrudes such that the antenna module is disposed in a first portion of the bracket, and that an electrical component other than the antenna module is disposed in a second portion of the bracket.

7. The portable communication device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a non-conducive member disposed between an inner surface of the curved portion and the second surface of the antenna module so as to be hidden from an outside of the portable communication device.

8. The portable communication device of claim 7 , wherein the non-conductive member is attached to the conductive frame and the bracket.

9. The portable communication device of claim 7 , wherein the non-conductive member is spaced apart from the second surface via an air gap.

10. The portable communication device of claim 9 , wherein the non-conductive member is spaced apart from the inner surface via another air gap.

11. The portable communication device of claim 10 , wherein, when viewed in the direction, a first distance between the non-conductive member and the second surface is greater than a second distance between the non-conductive member and the inner surface.

12. The portable communication device of claim 7 wherein the non-conductive member includes a first protruding portion and a second protruding portion protruded toward the second surface.

13. The portable communication device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display provided between at least the first non-conductive cover and the second non-conductive cover, wherein the display is viewable via at least one of the first non-conductive cover and the second non-conductive cover.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the lateral surface, defined by the conductive frame, is located between the first non-conductive cover and the second non-conductive cover when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the second surface.

15. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second surface of the antenna module is tilted relative the planar portion of the second non-conductive cover, when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the second surface.

16. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second surface of the antenna module is substantially perpendicular to the planar portion of the second non-conductive cover, when viewed cross-sectionally.

17. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna module is configured to transmit and/or receive a signal having a frequency between 6 GHz and 100 GHz.

18. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second surface of the antenna module is a planar surface and does not comprise any curved surface.

19. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the second surface that overlaps with the second portion of the lateral surface defined by the conductive frame represents substantially less than half the second surface when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the second surface.

20. The electronic device of claim 1 , the plurality of antenna radiators forms one or more antenna arrays.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Moon Heecheul
• Seok Sangyoup
• Son Kwonho
• Yun Inkuk
• Lee Sunghyup
• Jung Heeseok
• Yoon Chongo
• Choi Jongchul

Classifications

• G06F1/1637 Primary

  Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing · CPC title

• H01Q9/0407

  Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna (dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40) · 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

• G06F1/1683

  for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling · CPC title

• H04B1/40

  Circuits · CPC title