Electronic device including plural antennas, and operation method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12143192-B2
Application number	US-202117554193-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2021
Priority date	Nov 26, 2020
Publication date	Nov 12, 2024
Grant date	Nov 12, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed is an electronic device including a plurality of antennas, and a control circuit configured to identify a two-dimensional coordinate value using signals received through the plurality of antennas and correct a signal reception angle based on the two-dimensional coordinate value, or to selectively filter data received from a signal source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a plurality of antennas configured to receive signals from a signal source; and
a control circuit configured to:
determine, from a phase difference between signals received through a first antenna and a second antenna among the plurality of antennas, a first reception angle with respect to an x-axis of the electronic device,
determine, from a phase difference between signals received through the first antenna and a third antenna among the plurality of antennas, a second reception angle with respect to a y-axis of the electronic device, and
filter the signals received from the signal source through the plurality of antennas according to the first signal reception angle and the second signal reception angle,

wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are aligned in a first direction parallel to the x-axis,
wherein the first antenna and the third antenna are misaligned in a second direction parallel to the y-axis such that a misalignment distance in the first direction between the first antenna and the third antenna is formed, and
wherein the control circuit is further configured to correct the second signal reception angle based on the first signal reception angle and the misalignment distance.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first antenna and the second antenna, or the first antenna and the third antenna are spaced apart by a length of one-half of a wavelength of the signals.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein, in filtering the signals received from the signal source through the plurality of antennas according to the first signal reception angle and the second signal reception angle, the control circuit is configured to:
generate a two-dimensional coordinate value comprising an x-coordinate value corresponding to the first signal reception angle and a y-coordinate value corresponding to the second signal reception angle, the two-dimensional coordinate value indicating a relative position of the signal source with respect to the electronic device, and
filter the signals received from the signal source when the two-dimensional coordinate value is not included in a designated coordinate value range.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein at least one among the plurality of antennas comprises a patch antenna.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of antennas are included in an antenna array.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of antennas are positioned at an identical substrate.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a housing configured to form a front surface of the electronic device and a rear surface of the electronic device; and
a display positioned inside the housing and visually exposed through the front surface,
wherein the plurality of antennas are configured to form a main beam in a direction in which the rear surface faces.

8. An electronic device, comprising:
a first antenna and a second antenna aligned in a first direction parallel to an x-axis of the electronic device;
a third antenna misaligned with the first antenna in a second direction parallel to a y-axis of the electronic device such that a misalignment distance in the first direction between the first antenna and the third antenna is formed; and
a control circuit,
wherein the control circuit is configured to:
determine a first signal reception angle from a phase difference between signals received from a signal source through the first antenna and the second antenna,
determine a second signal reception angle from a phase difference between signals received from the signal source through the first antenna and the third antenna, and
correct the second signal reception angle based on the first signal reception angle and the misalignment distance.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 ,
wherein the first antenna, the second antenna, and the third antenna comprise a patch antenna.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 ,
wherein the first antenna, the second antenna, and the third antenna are positioned at an identical substrate.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 ,
wherein the control circuit is further configured to filter signals received from the signal source based on the first signal reception angle and the corrected second signal reception angle.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
generate a two-dimensional coordinate value comprising an x-coordinate value corresponding to the first signal reception angle and a y-coordinate value corresponding to the second signal reception angle, the two-dimensional coordinate value indicating a relative position of the signal source with respect to the electronic device, and
filter the signals received from the signal source when the two-dimensional coordinate value is not included in a designated coordinate value range.

13. A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising:
determining, from a phase difference between signals received through a first antenna and a second antenna, a first reception angle with respect to an x-axis of the electronic device;
determining, from a phase difference between signals received through the first antenna and a third antenna, a second reception angle with respect to a y-axis of the electronic device; and
filtering signals received from a signal source through the plurality of antennas according to the first signal reception angle and the second signal reception angle,
wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are aligned in a first direction parallel to the x-axis,
wherein the first antenna and the third antenna are misaligned in a second direction parallel to the y-axis such that a misalignment distance in the first direction between the first antenna and the third antenna is formed, and
wherein the method further comprises correcting the second signal reception angle based on the first signal reception angle and the misalignment distance.

14. The method of claim 13 ,
wherein filtering the signals received from the signal source through the plurality of antennas according to the first signal reception angle and the second signal reception angle comprises:
generating a two-dimensional coordinate value comprising an x-coordinate value corresponding to the first signal reception angle and a y-coordinate value corresponding to the second signal reception angle, the two-dimensional coordinate value indicating a relative position of the signal source with respect to the electronic device, and
filtering the signals received from the signal source when the two-dimensional coordinate value is not included in a designated coordinate value range.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Woosup
• Yoo Youngsuk
• Hong Sukgi
• Kang Moonseok
• Yang Yi
• Choi Kunyoung

Classifications

• H01Q21/06

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

• G01S5/04

  Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders · CPC title

• H01Q1/243 Primary

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• H01Q9/0407 Primary

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

• H01Q21/065

  Patch antenna array · CPC title