Electronic device and method for transmitting beamforming signal by using liquid crystal layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12586919-B2
Application number	US-202318205932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2023
Priority date	Aug 13, 2022
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

An electronic device includes a memory, a frequency selective surface (FSS) including a plurality of cells, and at least one processor. Each cell of the plurality of cells includes a liquid crystal layer. The at least one processor is configured to receive a signal from another electronic device based on the FSS. The at least one processor is configured to determine refraction information for each cell of the plurality of cells of the FSS based on a difference between first pattern information for the other electronic device and second pattern information for the received signal. The at least one processor is configured to perform a reconfiguration for the FSS based on refraction information for each cell of the plurality of cells of the FSS. The at least one processor is configured to obtain a reconstruction signal from the other electronic device based on the reconfigured FSS.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a memory; a frequency selective surface (FSS) comprising a plurality of cells, each cell of the plurality of cells comprising a liquid crystal layer; and at least one processor operatively connected with the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
receive a signal, from external electronic device, by the FSS;
determine refraction information of the plurality of cells of the FSS based on a difference between:
first pattern information including first signal gains of the FSS obtained from the external electronic device before receiving the signal, and
second pattern information including second signal gains of the FSS obtained by the received signal;

perform a reconfiguration for the FSS based on the refraction information of the plurality of cells of the FSS; and
obtain a reconstruction signal from the external electronic device, by the reconfigured FSS.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is, to determine the refraction information, configured to:
identify the first pattern information for the external electronic device; identify the second pattern information for the received signal; and identify blocking pattern information corresponding to the difference between the first pattern information and the second pattern information.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the refraction information by determining a refractive index of each cell based on blocking pattern information corresponding to the difference between the first pattern information and the second pattern information, and wherein the refraction information comprises the refractive index of each cell.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein each cell of the plurality of cells comprises a first metal layer, a second metal layer disposed on one surface of a printed circuit board (PCB), a third metal layer disposed on another surface of the PCB, and the liquid crystal layer disposed between the first metal layer and the second metal layer, and wherein a permittivity of the liquid crystal layer of each cell of the plurality of cells is adjustable by applying a voltage between the first metal layer and the third metal layer.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform the reconfiguration of the FSS by, of the plurality of cells of the FSS:
determining a voltage for a cell based on the refraction information; and change a permittivity of the liquid crystal layer of the cell by applying the determined voltage to the cell.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of cells includes a first cell associated with a first biasing line and a second cell associated with a second biasing line different from the first biasing line, wherein a first permittivity of the liquid crystal layer of the first cell is changed by applying a first voltage, via the first biasing line, to the first cell, and wherein a second permittivity of the liquid crystal layer of the second cell is changed by applying a second voltage, via the second biasing line, to the second cell.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the FSS further comprises a ground plane, and wherein a gap between adjacent cells among the plurality of cells is disposed inon the ground plane.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each cell of the plurality of cells comprises a plurality of dipole antennas having different lengths respectively.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the FSS is disposed on a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS).

10 . A method performed by an electronic device, the method comprising:
receiving a signal from an external electronic device based on a frequency selective surface (FSS) comprising a plurality of cells, each cell of the plurality of cells comprising a liquid crystal layer; determining refraction information of the plurality of cells of the FSS based on a difference between:
first pattern information including first signal gains of the FSS obtained from the external electronic device before receiving the signal, and
second pattern information including second signal gains of the FSS obtained by the received signal;
performing a reconfiguration for the FSS based on the refraction information of the plurality of cells of the FSS; and obtaining a reconstruction signal from the external electronic device, by the reconfigured FSS.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining of the refraction information, comprises:
identifying the first pattern information for the external electronic device; identifying the second pattern information for the received signal; and identifying blocking pattern information corresponding to the difference between the first pattern information and the second pattern information.

12 . The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the determining of the refraction information comprises: determining a refractive index of each cell based on blocking pattern information corresponding to the difference between the first pattern information and the second pattern information, and wherein the refraction information comprises the refractive index of each cell.

13 . The method of claim 10 ,
wherein each cell of the plurality of cells comprises a first metal layer, a second metal layer disposed on one surface of a printed circuit board (PCB), a third metal layer disposed on another surface of the PCB, and the liquid crystal layer disposed between the first metal layer and the second metal layer, and wherein a permittivity of the liquid crystal layer of each cell of the plurality of cells is adjustable by applying a voltage between the first metal layer and the third metal layer.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the performing of the reconfiguration of the FSS comprises, of the plurality of cells of the FSS:
determining a voltage based on the refraction information for the cell; and changing a permittivity of the liquid crystal layer of the cell by applying the determined voltage to the cell.

15 . The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the plurality of cells includes a first cell associated with a first biasing line and a second cell associated with a second biasing line different from the first biasing line, wherein a first permittivity of the liquid crystal layer of the first cell is changed by applying a first voltage, via the first biasing line, to the first cell, and wherein a second permittivity of the liquid crystal layer of the second cell is changed by applying a second voltage, via the second biasing line, to the second cell.

16 . The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the FSS further comprises a ground plane, and wherein a gap between adjacent cells among the plurality of cells is disposed on the ground plane.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein each cell of the plurality of cells comprises a plurality of dipole antennas having different lengths, respectively.

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the FSS is disposed on a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS).

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Postech Res & Business Dev Found

Inventors

• Ko Seungtae
• Kim Daehyeon
• Lee Jungyub
• Hong Wonbin

Classifications

• H01Q9/16

  with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole (H01Q9/44 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q21/062

  using dipole aerials; (H01Q21/067, H01Q21/068 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04B7/0408

  using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity · CPC title

• H01Q3/44

  varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of reflecting, refracting, or diffracting devices associated with the radiating element · CPC title

• H01Q15/002 Primary

  said selective devices being reconfigurable or tunable, e.g. using switches or diodes · CPC title