Electronic device including single antenna supporting multiple communication protocols and operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017163293-A1
Application number	US-201615368567-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 2, 2016
Priority date	Dec 4, 2015
Publication date	Jun 8, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device includes a first communication circuit including a first port and a second port, the first port being used to transmit and receive a first signal of a first frequency band and the second port being used to transmit and receive a second signal of a second frequency band lower than the first frequency band, a second communication circuit including a third port used to transmit and receive a third signal of a third frequency band that is at least partially overlapping the first frequency band, and a first diplexer including three terminals, the first terminal being connected with the first antenna, the second terminal being connected with the second port of the first communication circuit, and the third terminal being connected with the first port of the first communication circuit and the third port of the second communication circuit through at least one first signal divider/signal combiner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a housing: a first antenna configured to form a first portion of the housing or located in the housing so as to be adjacent to the first portion of the housing; a first communication circuit comprising a first port and a second port, the first port being used to transmit and/or receive a first signal of a first frequency band and the second port being used to transmit and/or receive a second signal of a second frequency band lower than the first frequency band; a second communication circuit comprising a third port used to transmit and/or receive a third signal of a third frequency band that is at least partially overlapping the first frequency band; and a first diplexer comprising three terminals, a first terminal being electrically connected with the first antenna, a second terminal being electrically connected with the second port of the first communication circuit, and a third terminal being electrically connected with the first port of the first communication circuit and the third port of the second communication circuit through at least one first signal divider and/or signal combiner.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first signal divider and/or signal combiner comprises a first coupler or a first divider configured to divide one input signal to output two identical output signals.

3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one first signal divider and/or signal combiner further comprises:
a first filter configured to pass a frequency band supported by a first communication scheme; and a second filter configured to pass a frequency band supported by a second communication scheme.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device further comprises a second antenna configured to form a second portion of the housing or located in the housing so as to be adjacent to the second portion of the housing,
the first communication circuit further comprises a fourth port and a fifth port, the fourth port being used to transmit and/or receive the first signal of the first frequency band and the fifth port being used to transmit and/or receive the second signal of the second frequency band lower than the first frequency band, and the second communication circuit further comprises a sixth port used to transmit and/or receive the third signal of the third frequency band that is at least partially overlapping the first frequency band, wherein the electronic device further comprises a second diplexer comprising three terminals, the first terminal being electrically connected with the second antenna, the second terminal being electrically connected with the fifth port of the first communication circuit, and the third terminal being electrically connected with the fourth port of the first communication circuit and the sixth port of the second communication circuit through at least one second signal divider and/or signal combiner.

5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one second signal divider and/or signal combiner comprises a second coupler or a second divider configured to divide one input signal to output two identical output signals.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one second signal divider and/or signal combiner further comprises:
a fifth filter configured to pass a frequency band supported by a first communication scheme; and a sixth filter configured to pass a frequency band supported by a second communication scheme.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device further comprises a second antenna configured to form a second portion of the housing or located in the housing so as to be adjacent to the second portion of the housing,
the first communication circuit further comprises a fourth port and a fifth port, the fourth port being used to transmit and/or receive the first signal of the first frequency band and the fifth port being used to transmit/receive the second signal of the second frequency band lower than the first frequency band, and the second communication circuit further comprises a sixth port used to transmit/receive the third signal of the third frequency band that is at least partially overlapping the first frequency band, wherein the electronic device further comprises a second diplexer comprising three terminals, the first terminal being electrically connected with the second antenna, the second terminal being electrically connected with the fifth port of the first communication circuit, and the third terminal being electrically connected with the fourth port of the first communication circuit and the sixth port of the second communication circuit through at least one switch.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first communication circuit operates on a basis of a Wi-Fi communication protocol, and the second communication circuit operates on a basis of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication protocol.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first and third frequency bands comprise a frequency range of 5.15 GHz to 5.85 GHz.

10 . An electronic device comprising:
an antenna configured to receive, through a first antenna, at least one of a signal of a first frequency band corresponding to a first communication protocol and a signal of a second frequency band that is at least partially overlapping the first frequency band and corresponding to a second communication protocol; a signal divider configured to divide one of the signal of the first frequency band and the signal of the second frequency band into two paths; a first communication processor configured to decode the signals divided from each other based on the first communication protocol; and a second communication processor configured to decode the signals divided from each other based on the second communication protocol.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the first communication processor removes the signal of the second frequency band that is included in the signals divided from each other.

12 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the second communication processor removes the signal of the first frequency band that is included in the signals divided from each other.

13 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein when the signals divided from each other are decoded based on the first communication protocol, the signals divided from each other are not decoded in a case in which the signals divided from each other are signals of the second frequency band.

14 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein when the signals divided from each other are decoded based on the second communication protocol, the signals divided from each other are not decoded in a case in which the signals divided from each other are signals of the first frequency band.

15 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the first communication protocol is a Wi-Fi communication protocol, and the second communication protocol is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication protocol.

16 . An operating method for an electronic device, comprising:
receiving, through a first antenna, at least one of a signal of a first frequency band corresponding to a first communication protocol and a signal of a second frequency band that is at least partially overlapping the first frequency band and corresponding to a second communication protocol; dividing at least one of the signal of the first frequency band and the signal of the second frequency band into two paths; decoding the signals

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jeongheum
• Lee Yong-Suk

Classifications

• H04B1/0057 Primary

  using diplexing or multiplexing filters for selecting the desired band · CPC title

• H04B7/0871

  using different reception schemes, at least one of them being a diversity reception scheme · CPC title

• H04L67/04

  specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability · CPC title

• H04L67/125

  involving control of end-device applications over a network · CPC title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title