Electronic device using hinge structure as antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12456796-B2
Application number	US-202318328176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2023
Priority date	Dec 4, 2020
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device is provided, The electronic device includes a housing, a hinge including a conductive portion, at least one contact electrically connecting the conductive portion and at least one of a first frame and second frame of the housing, and a wireless communication circuit. The first frame includes a first conductive portion. The second frame includes a second conductive portion. In a first state, the wireless communication circuit at least one of transmits or receives a signal of a first frequency band, based on the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion. In a second state, the wireless communication circuit at least one of transmits or receives the signal of the first frequency band, based on the first conductive portion and the conductive portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a housing including a first frame and a second frame, the first frame including a first insulating member formed in a first point and a first conductive portion extending from the first point to a first end of the first frame, and the second frame including a second insulating member formed in a second point and a second conductive portion extending from the second point to a second end of the second frame facing the first end of the first frame; a hinge coupled to the first end of the first frame and the second end of the second frame, foldable in at least one point, and including a conductive portion; at least one contact structure electrically connecting the conductive portion and at least one of the first frame or the second frame; and a wireless communication circuit disposed in the housing, wherein, in a first state in which the hinge is in a folded state and the first end of the first frame and the second end of the second frame are electrically in contact, the wireless communication circuit at least one of transmits or receives a signal of a first frequency band, based on the first conductive portion of the first frame and the second conductive portion of the second frame, and wherein, in a second state in which the hinge is in an unfolded state and the first end of the first frame and the conductive portion of the hinge are electrically connected by the at least one contact structure, the wireless communication circuit at least one of transmits or receives the signal of the first frequency band, based on the first conductive portion of the first frame and the conductive portion of the hinge.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second conductive portion of the second frame and the conductive portion of the hinge have substantially a same electrical length.

3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a lumped element electrically connected to the hinge, wherein the wireless communication circuit at least one of transmits or receives the signal of the first frequency band, based on the first conductive portion of the first frame, the conductive portion of the hinge, and the lumped element.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the hinge comprises:
a first contact surface in contact with the first end of the first frame; and a second contact surface in contact with the second end of the second frame.

5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the hinge comprises:
a third insulating member disposed in a third point of the hinge; a fourth insulating member disposed in a fourth point spaced apart from the third point; a first portion extending from the third insulating member to the first contact surface; a second portion extending from the third insulating member to the first insulating member; and a third portion extending from the fourth insulating member to the second contact surface.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 ,
wherein the first portion of the hinge comprises the conductive portion, and wherein the conductive portion has a same electrical length as the second conductive portion of the second frame.

7 . The electronic device of claim 5 ,
wherein the third portion of the hinge comprises the conductive portion, and wherein, in the second state, the wireless communication circuit at least one of transmits or receives the signal of the first frequency band, based on the second conductive portion of the second frame and the third portion of the hinge.

8 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the hinge comprises:
a third insulating member in a point of the hinge; a first portion having a first length extending from the third insulting member to the first contact surface; and a second portion having a second length extending from the third insulating member to the second contact surface.

9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein, in the second state, the wireless communication circuit:
at least one of transmits or receives the signal of the first frequency band, based on the first conductive portion of the first frame and the first portion of the hinge; and at least one of transmits or receives a signal of a second frequency band, based on the second conductive portion of the second frame and the second portion of the hinge.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, in the first state, the first end of the first frame and the second end of the second frame are electrically connected by the at least one contact structure.

11 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, in the first state, the first end of the first frame and the second end of the second frame are directly in contact.

12 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the hinge comprises a conductive pattern based on laser direct structuring (LDS) in a region, and wherein the wireless communication circuit at least one of transmits or receives the signal of the first frequency band, based on an electrical length including the first conductive portion of the first frame and the conductive pattern.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the second conductive portion of the second frame and the conductive pattern of the hinge have a same electrical length.

14 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency band includes 0.8 gigahertz (GHz).

15 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a flexible display, wherein the flexible display is drawn into the housing upon transitioning from the second state to the first state, and wherein the flexible display is drawn out of the housing upon transitioning from the first state to the second state.

16 . An electronic device comprising:
a frame forming at least part of a side surface of the electronic device and including a first frame and a second frame; a hinge including a conductive portion; at least one contact electrically connecting the conductive portion of the hinge and at least one of the first frame or the second frame; and a wireless communication circuit, wherein the first frame includes:
a first insulating member, and
a first conductive portion of the first frame extending from the first insulating member to a first end of the first frame,
wherein the second frame includes:
a second insulating member, and
a second conductive portion extending from the second insulating member to a second end of the second frame facing the first end of the first frame,
wherein the hinge which is folded in at least one point is coupled to the first conductive portion of the first frame and the second conductive portion of the second frame, wherein, in case that the electronic device transitions from a second state to a first state, the hinge is folded and drawn into the frame, and the first end of the first frame and the second end of the second frame are in contact such that the first conductive portion of the first frame is electrically connected to the second conductive portion of the second frame, wherein, in case that the electronic device transitions from the first state to the second state, the hinge is unfolded and drawn out from the frame, the first frame and the second frame is spaced apart by a specific distance, and the first conductive portion of the first frame is electrically connected to the conductive portion of the hinge via the at least one contact, and wherein the wireless communication circuit is configured to:
transmit and/or receive a signal of a first frequency band, based on the first conductive portion of the first

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Seol Kyungmoon
• Kim Kyunggu
• Yun Sumin
• Jang Kyihyun
• Chun Jaebong

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• H04M1/0235

  Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts · CPC title

• H01Q1/44

  using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna {, e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspect}(H01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q1/42

  Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome · CPC title

• H01Q1/243 Primary

  with built-in antennas · CPC title