Electronic device and antenna control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9843375-B2
Application number	US-201615177854-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2016
Priority date	Jun 10, 2015
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first antenna, a second antenna, a transmission/reception path unit, a first reception path unit, a second reception path unit including a low noise amplifier (LNA), a signal path selection unit configured to connect each of the first antenna and the second antenna to the transmission/reception path unit, the first reception path unit, or the second reception path unit, and a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) module or a processor including the RFIC module configured to control the signal path selection unit to have a first state in which the first antenna is connected to the transmission/reception path unit and the second antenna is connected to the second reception path unit or control the signal path selection unit to have a second state in which the first antenna is connected to the first reception path unit and the second antenna is connected to the transmission/reception path unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first antenna;
a second antenna;
a transmission/reception path unit including a main transmission path and a main reception path provided with a duplexer for connecting to the first antenna or the second antenna operating as a main antenna;
a first reception path unit;
a second reception path unit including a low noise amplifier (LNA);
a signal path selection unit configured to connect each of the first antenna and the second antenna to the transmission/reception path unit, the first reception path unit, or the second reception path unit; and
a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) module or a processor including the RFIC module configured to:
control the signal path selection unit to have a first state in which the first antenna is connected to the main transmission path and the main reception path of the transmission/reception path unit and the second antenna is connected to the second reception path unit when the first antenna operates as the main antenna, and
control the signal path selection unit to have a second state in which the first antenna is connected to the first reception path unit and the second antenna is connected to the main transmission path and the main reception path of the transmission/reception path unit when the second antenna operates as the main antenna.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the LNA is closer to the second antenna rather than the first antenna.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the RFIC module or the processor is further configured to:
measure strengths of signals received by the first antenna and the second antenna, and
control the signal path selection unit to have the first state or the second state based on the strengths of the signals.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the RFIC module or the processor is further configured to control the signal path selection unit to have the second state when a difference between the strength of the signal received through the second antenna and the strength of the signal received through the first antenna is larger than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the RFIC module or the processor is further configured to control the signal path selection unit to have the second state when transmission power of a signal transmitted through the first antenna is larger than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the RFIC module or the processor is further configured to control the signal path selection unit to have the second state when transmission power of a signal transmitted through the first antenna is larger than or equal to a predetermined threshold and a command for increasing the transmission power is received.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a band adjusting circuit configured to adjust a frequency of the first antenna to be included in a frequency band including a first frequency; and
a tuner circuit configured to adjust the first antenna to have the first frequency.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the RFIC module and the band adjusting circuit, and the RFIC module and the tuner circuit are connected to each other through one mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) line.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the RFIC module or the processor is further configured to:
control the signal path selection unit to operate in an open loop mode or a closed loop mode in the first state, and
control the signal path selection unit to operate in the open loop mode in the second state.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the RFIC module or the processor is further configured to:
control the band adjusting circuit and the tuner circuit based on a band and a channel used by the electronic device in the open loop mode, and
control the tuner circuit based on a reflection loss of a transmitted signal in the closed loop mode.

11. A method for controlling antennas of an electronic device, the method comprising:
if a first antenna operates as a main antenna and a second antenna operates as a sub antenna, determining performance of the first antenna corresponding to the main antenna;
determining whether the performance of the first antenna is suitable for the main antenna; and
maintaining or switching the main antenna and the sub antenna based on a result of the determination,
wherein maintaining or switching the main antenna and the sub antenna comprises either connecting the first antenna to a transmission/reception path unit and the second antenna to a second reception path unit including a low noise amplifier (LNA) or connecting the first antenna to a first reception path unit and the second antenna to the transmission/reception path unit,
wherein the maintaining or switching of the main antenna and the sub antenna comprises:
if the performance of the first antenna is suitable for the main antenna, controlling the electronic device to have a first state in which the first antenna is connected to the transmission/reception path unit and the second antenna is connected to the second reception path unit; and
if the performance of the first antenna is not suitable for the main antenna, controlling the electronic device to have a second state in which the first antenna is connected to the first reception path unit and the second antenna is connected to the transmission/reception path unit.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the LNA is closer to the second antenna rather than the first antenna.

13. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein determining the performance of the first antenna corresponding to the main antenna comprises measuring strengths of signals received by the first antenna and the second antenna, and
wherein maintaining or switching the main antenna and the sub antenna based on the result of the determination comprises controlling the electronic device to have the first state or the second state based on the strengths of the signals.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein controlling the electronic device to have the first state or the second state based on the strengths of the signals comprises controlling the electronic device to have the second state if a difference between the strength of the signal received through the second antenna and the strength of the signal received through the first antenna is larger than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein controlling the electronic device to have the first state or the second state based on the strengths of the signals comprises controlling the electronic device to have the second state when transmission power of a signal transmitted through the first antenna is larger than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising controlling the electronic device to have the second state if transmission power of a signal transmitted through the first antenna is larger than or equal to a predetermined threshold and a command for increasing the transmission power is received.

17. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein a frequency of the first antenna is adjusted using a band adjusting circuit that adjusts the frequency of the first antenna to be included in a frequency band including a first frequency and a tuner circuit that adjusts the first antenna to have the first frequency,
wherein the band adjusting circuit and the tuner circuit are controlled through a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) module, and
wherein

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Sung-Soo
• Paik Min-Chull
• Lee Jong-In
• Jang Chang-Won
• Lee Seung-Min
• Cha Jae-Min

Classifications

• H04B7/0822

  according to predefined selection scheme · CPC title

• H04B17/102

  Power radiated at antenna · CPC title

• H03F2200/165

  A filter circuit coupled to the input of an amplifier · CPC title

• H04B17/101

  for measurement of specific parameters of the transmitter or components thereof · CPC title

• H04B17/14

  of the whole transmission and reception path, e.g. self-test loop-back · CPC title