Electronic device with antenna device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017201014-A1
Application number	US-201715401022-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 7, 2017
Priority date	Jan 7, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device may include: an array antenna including a plurality of first radiating conductors that transmit or receive a wireless signal in a first frequency band and are arranged on a circuit board; and a lens unit including at least one lens disposed on a housing of the electronic device to correspond to the first radiating conductors. The lens unit may refract or reflect a wireless signal transmitted/received through each of the first radiating conductors. The electronic device as described above may be variously implemented according to embodiments. For example, a portion of the lens unit may transmit/receive a wireless signal in a frequency band that is different from the frequency band of the wireless signal transmitted/received by the first radiating conductors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
an array antenna including a plurality of first radiating conductors configured to that transmit or receive a wireless signal in a first frequency band, wherein the plurality of first radiating conductors are arranged on a circuit board; and a lens unit including at least one lens disposed on a housing of the electronic device corresponds to the first radiating conductors, wherein the lens unit is configured to refract or reflect a wireless signal transmitted or received through each of the first radiating conductors.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one lens includes a dielectric lens formed on an inner face of the housing.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
a plurality of lenses are arranged to correspond to the first radiating conductors, respectively, and each of the plurality of lenses is formed of a combination of unit cells that are formed on an inner face of the housing.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the unit cells is formed of dielectric materials that have different sizes or dielectric constants, respectively.

5 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the unit cells is formed of a dielectric material, and another unit cells are formed of an electric conductor.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one of the unit cells formed of the dielectric material and the other unit cells formed of the electric conductor are arranged regularly or irregularly to form the plurality of lenses, respectively.

7 . The electronic device of claim 5 , further comprising at least one second radiating conductor disposed on the housing,
wherein the at least one of the unit cells formed of the electric conductor is electrically connected to the at least one second radiating conductor that transmits or receives, together with the at least one second radiating conductor, a wireless signal in a second frequency band that is lower than the first frequency band.

8 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the housing comprises an electric conductor, and wherein
at least a portion of the electric conductor of the housing forms the second radiating conductor.

9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the second radiating conductor is disposed on a side wall of the housing.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a main circuit board accommodated in the housing,
wherein the circuit board is disposed adjacent to the main circuit board.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising at least one second radiating conductor disposed on the housing, wherein the at least one second radiating conductor is configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal in a second frequency band that is lower than the first frequency band, and
wherein the second radiating conductor is connected to one of the circuit board and the main circuit board to receive a feeding signal.

12 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one second radiating conductor disposed on the housing, wherein the at least one second radiating conductor is configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal in a second frequency band that is lower than the first frequency band, and
wherein a portion of the second radiating conductor is disposed to correspond to the first radiating conductors, thereby forming the lens unit.

13 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one second radiating conductor disposed on the housing and a parasitic conductor disposed to correspond to the first radiating conductors,
wherein the parasitic conductor and the at least one second radiating conductor that are electrically connected to each other are configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal in a second frequency band that is lower than the first frequency band.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the parasitic conductor forms the lens unit.

15 . The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising dielectric members disposed between the parasitic conductor and each of the first radiating conductors,
wherein the parasitic conductor and the dielectric members are combined to form the lens unit.

16 . An electronic device comprising:
a first antenna including a plurality of first radiating conductors configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal in a first frequency band and are arranged on a circuit board; and at least one second antenna is configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal in a second frequency band that is lower than the first frequency band, the at least one second antenna being arranged adjacent to the first radiating conductors, wherein a portion of the at least one second antenna is configured to refract or reflect the wireless signal that is transmitted or received through each of the first radiating conductors.

17 . The electronic device of claim 16 , further comprising a lens unit including at least one lens disposed to correspond to second radiating conductors,
wherein the lens unit is configured to refract or reflect, together with the portion of the at least one second antenna, the wireless signal that is transmitted or received through each of the first radiating conductors.

18 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein each of a plurality of lenses is formed of a combination of unit cells that are formed on an inner face of the housing.

19 . The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the unit cells is formed of a dielectric material, and another unit cells are formed of an electric conductor.

20 . The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the at least one of the unit cells formed of the electric conductor is connected to the second antenna to transmit or receive the wireless signal.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Young-Ju
• Ko Seung-Tae
• Kim Hyun-Jin

Classifications

• H01Q21/28

  Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems {(multiple beam H01Q25/00)} · CPC title

• H01Q1/243 Primary

  with built-in antennas · 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

• H01Q1/2291

  used in Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi® devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] (H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W) · CPC title

• H01Q19/06

  using refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens {(radome H01Q1/42)} · CPC title