Electronic device and antenna device thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9853348-B2
Application number	US-201514873595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2015
Priority date	Oct 8, 2014
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

An electronic device having a housing formed of a condutive material, and an antenna device thereof. The electronic device includes a housing provided with a plurality of housing modules, and a printed circuit board positioned inside the housing, and having an antenna power feeding unit electrically connected to the printed circuited board. The plurality of housing modules may be at least partially formed of a conductive material. At least one of the conductive materials of the plurality of housing modules may be electrically connected to the antenna power feeding unit of the printed circuit board so as to function as an antenna of the electronic device. Various embodiments may be made based on the technical idea of the present disclosure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including at least first and second housing modules mechanically attachable to and detachable from one another; and
a printed circuit board that includes at least one antenna power feeding unit positioned thereon, wherein the printed circuit board is arranged within the housing,
wherein the first and second housing modules are each at least partially formed of a conductive material, and the second housing module is partially formed of a non-conductive material, and
the conductive material of the second housing module is electrically connected to the at least one antenna power feeding unit of the printed circuit board to function as an antenna of the electronic device,
wherein when the first housing module is detached from the second housing module, the second housing module is detached from the at least one antenna power feeding unit and the printed circuit board.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material of each one of the first and second housing modules is physically separated from each other and forms at least one side surface of the housing.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second housing module is formed by coating or depositing the conductive material on the non-conductive material.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , further including an antenna pattern formed on the non-conductive material of the second housing module.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material forms both side surfaces and a rear surface of the housing.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material forms a part of a top end surface, a bottom end surface, or a front surface of the housing.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material forms a side surface of the housing.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, among the conductive material that respectively forms in part each one of the at least first and second housing modules, a conductive material, which does not function as the antenna, is connected to a ground of the antenna or a ground of the electronic device.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the printed circuit board includes a matching circuit configured to adjust a characteristic of the antenna.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein an auxiliary antenna pattern is formed on the non-conductive material of the second housing module, the auxiliary antenna pattern being connected to the conductive material that functions as the antenna, to adjust a characteristic of the antenna.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second housing modules are mechanically attachable via at least one of a snap fit, a press fit, an interlocking fit and a screw-implemented mechanism.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material of the second housing module is electrically connected to the at least one power feeding unit via a mechanically biased connection, the mechanically biased connection comprising an elastic contact terminal or a cable connector.

13. A housing of an electronic device, the housing comprising:
at least first and second housing modules configured to be mechanically attachable to and detachable from each other, wherein the second housing module includes a non-conductive material having an inner surface, and a conductive material forming an exterior surface of the electronic device; and
at least one antenna disposed on the inner surface of the second housing module,
wherein each of the conductive material and the at least one antenna is electrically connected with a respective antenna power feeding unit within the housing.

14. The housing of claim 13 , wherein the conductive material of each one of the at least first and second housing modules are physically separated from each other, and form at least one side surface of the housing.

15. The housing of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the at least first and second housing modules is formed by joining the conductive material to a non-conductive material, or by coating or depositing the conductive material on a non-conductive material.

16. The housing of claim 13 , wherein the at least first and second housing modules includes a third housing module joined to a lower end of the first housing module, wherein:
the first housing module includes a display device; and
the second housing module is joined to an upper end of the first housing module.

17. The housing of claim 16 , wherein the third housing module is detachable/attachable from/to the first housing module.

18. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing module, on which a display device is mounted;
a second housing module fastened to the first housing module; and
a printed circuit board mounted on the first housing module, the printed circuit board including an antenna power feeding unit;
wherein the second housing module includes a conductive material and a non-conductive material,
the conductive material is electrically connected to the antenna power feeding unit to function as an antenna for transmitting/receiving a wireless signal, and
wherein an auxiliary antenna pattern is disposed on a surface of the non-conductive material, the auxiliary antenna pattern being electrically connected to the conductive material and configured to adjust a characteristic of the antenna.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the second housing module is fastened to wrap a part of the first housing module.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the non-conductive material of the second housing module wraps a top end surface and a part of a rear surface of the first housing module, and
the conductive material of the second housing module is joined to the non-conductive material of the second housing module to wrap an edge of a front surface, a part of a side surface, and a part of a rear surface of the first housing module.

21. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the printed circuit board further includes a matching circuit configured to adjust a characteristic of the antenna.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Woosup
• Kim Yeonwoo
• Park Jungsik
• Jeon Seunggil
• Noh Juseok
• Chun Jaebong
• Hong Hyunju

Classifications

• H01Q1/243 Primary

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• H01Q21/29

  Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic (H01Q25/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q9/42

  with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength · CPC title

• H01Q21/28

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

• H01Q1/40

  Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material · CPC title