Electronic device including antenna and operating method thereof

Abstract

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device comprises: a hinge module; a first housing including a first antenna, which is at least partially coupled to a first side of the hinge module; a second housing including a second antenna, which is at least partially coupled to a second side of the hinge module and configured to be foldable and unfoldable with respect to the first housing using the hinge module; a sensor circuit for detecting an unfolded state and / or a folded state of the first housing and the second housing; a processor operatively connected to the first antenna, the second antenna, and the sensor circuit; a first signal line connecting the processor and the first antenna; a tuner circuit disposed on the first signal line; and a second signal line connecting the processor and the second antenna. When the first housing and the second housing are detected to be in a folded state using the sensor circuit, the processor receives feedback of a signal transmitted to the second antenna, detects the phase of the feedback signal, and based on the phase of the detected signal, a tuner circuit disposed on the first signal line The above tuner circuit can be set to determine the time constant. Various other embodiments in addition to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may be possible.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic device including an antenna and a method of operating the same. Background Technology

[0002] Electronic devices are becoming increasingly slimmer and are being improved to enhance design aspects while simultaneously differentiating their functional elements. Electronic devices are moving away from uniform rectangular shapes and are gradually transforming into various shapes. For example, electronic devices may have a deformable structure capable of adjusting the size of the display to satisfy portability and usability. An electronic device having a deformable structure may include a foldable electronic device in which at least two housings, such as a first housing and a second housing, operate by folding or unfolding relative to each other. Since the foldable electronic device allows for the use of a large display area in the unfolded state and reduces the overall volume of the electronic device in the folded state, it can enhance both usability and portability. The problem to be solved

[0003] At least a portion of the first housing and the second housing may be formed of a conductive material, and at least a portion of the portion of the first housing and the second housing formed of the conductive material may be separated by at least one segment and used as an antenna (e.g., a first antenna and a second antenna) for performing wireless communication. When the electronic device is in a folded state, the phase difference between the first antenna and the second antenna may be reduced by using a fixed time constant for phase delay. However, when using a fixed time constant, a phase deviation may occur between the first antenna and the second antenna. Additionally, when the electronic device is in a folded state, the radiation performance of the first antenna and the second antenna may be degraded due to a performance difference, such as imbalance, between the first antenna and the second antenna.

[0004] An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may eliminate a fixed time constant placed on the path of a first antenna and place a variable tuner circuit. After receiving phase information of a second antenna, the electronic device may set a time constant of the tuner circuit placed on the path of the first antenna corresponding to the phase of the second antenna.

[0005] An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may apply different power backoffs to the first antenna and the second antenna when a performance imbalance occurs between the first antenna and the second antenna. means of solving the problem

[0006] An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure comprises: a hinge module; a first housing including a first antenna, which is coupled to at least a portion of a first side of the hinge module; a second housing including a second antenna, which is coupled to at least a portion of a second side of the hinge module and configured to be foldable and unfoldable with respect to the first housing using the hinge module; a sensor circuit for detecting an unfolded state and / or a folded state of the first housing and the second housing; a processor operatively connected to the first antenna, the second antenna, and the sensor circuit; a first signal line connecting the processor and the first antenna; a tuner circuit disposed on the first signal line; and a second signal line connecting the processor and the second antenna, wherein the processor receives feedback on the phase of a signal transmitted to the second antenna when the first housing and the second housing are detected to be in a folded state using the sensor circuit, detects the phase of the feedbacked signal, and based on the phase of the detected signal, the first It can be set to determine the time constant of the tuner circuit placed on the signal line.

[0007] A method of operation of an electronic device including an antenna according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include, when a first housing and a second housing of the electronic device are detected to be in a folded state using a sensor circuit, an operation of receiving feedback of a signal transmitted to a second antenna, an operation of detecting the phase of the feedback signal, and an operation of determining a time constant of a tuner circuit disposed on a first signal line connecting a processor of the electronic device and a first antenna based on the phase of the detected signal. Effects of the invention

[0008] An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure supports variably setting the time constant of a tuner circuit placed on a first antenna path corresponding to the phase of a second antenna when the electronic device is in a folded state, thereby reducing the phase difference between the first antenna and the second antenna, as well as improving the performance of the first antenna and the second antenna.

[0009] An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure supports applying different power backoffs to the first antenna and the second antenna so that the power supplied to the first antenna and the second antenna becomes equal when a performance imbalance occurs between the first antenna and the second antenna in a folded state of the electronic device, thereby not only securing the radiation performance of the first antenna and the second antenna but also preventing power degradation. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to various embodiments. FIG. 2a is a perspective view of an electronic device showing a flat state (or unfolding state) according to various embodiments. FIG. 2b is a plan view showing the front of an electronic device in an unfolded state according to various embodiments. FIG. 2c is a plan view showing the rear of an electronic device in an unfolded state according to various embodiments. FIG. 3a is a perspective view of an electronic device showing a folding state according to various embodiments. FIG. 3b is a perspective view of an electronic device illustrating an intermediate state according to various embodiments. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device according to various embodiments. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an antenna operation method according to various embodiments. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a tuner circuit according to various embodiments. FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining an antenna operation method according to various embodiments. FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining an antenna operation method according to various embodiments. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an antenna operation method according to various embodiments. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the impedance operation of an electronic device in a folded state according to various embodiments. FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining a method of applying power backoff to a first antenna and a second antenna according to various embodiments. FIGS. 12 and 13 are drawings for illustrating a method of applying different power backoffs to a first antenna and a second antenna according to the grip of an electronic device according to various embodiments. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) in a network environment (100) according to various embodiments.

[0012] Referring to FIG. 1, in a network environment (100), an electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network) or with at least one of an electronic device (104) or a server (108) through a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) through a server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), memory (130), input module (150), sound output module (155), display module (160), audio module (170), sensor module (176), interface (177), connection terminal (178), haptic module (179), camera module (180), power management module (188), battery (189), communication module (190), subscriber identification module (196), or antenna module (197). In some embodiments, at least one of these components (e.g., connection terminal (178)) may be omitted from the electronic device (101), or one or more other components may be added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., sensor module (176), camera module (180), or antenna module (197)) may be integrated into a single component (e.g., display module (160)).

[0013] The processor (120) can control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) by executing software (e.g., a program (140)), and can perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or operations, the processor (120) can store commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in volatile memory (132), process the commands or data stored in volatile memory (132), and store the resulting data in non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or an auxiliary processor (123) that can operate independently or together with it (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor). For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and an auxiliary processor (123), the auxiliary processor (123) may be configured to use lower power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a designated function. The auxiliary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as part thereof.

[0014] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least some of the functions or states associated with at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., display module (160), sensor module (176), or communication module (190)) on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., image signal processor or communication processor) may be implemented as part of another functionally related component (e.g., camera module (180) or communication module (190)). According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing an artificial intelligence model. The artificial intelligence model may be generated through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, on the electronic device (101) itself where the artificial intelligence model is executed, or through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm may include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers.An artificial neural network may be a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to the hardware structure, the artificial intelligence model may include a software structure, either additionally or substantially.

[0015] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)). The data may include, for example, input data or output data for software (e.g., program (140)) and related commands. The memory (130) may include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).

[0016] The program (140) may be stored as software in memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

[0017] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used for a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120)) from outside the electronic device (101) (e.g., user). The input module (150) may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0018] The sound output module (155) can output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device (101). The sound output module (155) may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver may be used to receive incoming calls. According to one embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from the speaker or as part thereof.

[0019] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external (e.g., user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling said device. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of the force generated by said touch.

[0020] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal or, conversely, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150) or output sound through the sound output module (155) or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphones) connected directly or wirelessly to the electronic device (101).

[0021] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating state of the electronic device (101) (e.g., power or temperature) or the external environmental state (e.g., user state) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an accelerometer sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biosensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0022] The interface (177) may support one or more specified protocols that can be used for the electronic device (101) to be connected directly or wirelessly to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0023] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) can be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0024] The haptic module (179) can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that can be perceived by the user through tactile or kinesthetic senses. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electric stimulation device.

[0025] The camera module (180) can capture still images and video. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0026] The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented, for example, as at least part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0027] The battery (189) can supply power to at least one component of the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0028] The communication module (190) can support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between an electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may include one or more communication processors that operate independently of the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) and support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., cellular communication module, short-range wireless communication module, or GNSS (global navigation satellite system) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., LAN (local area network) communication module, or power line communication module). The corresponding communication module among these communication modules can communicate with an external electronic device (104) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, WiFi (wireless fidelity) direct, or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) can identify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) using subscriber information (e.g., International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0029] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following 4G networks, for example, new radio access technology. NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (massive machine type communications (mMTC)), or high reliability and low latency (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC)). The wireless communication module (192) can support a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate, for example. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in the high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large-scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (104)), or network system (e.g., second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) may support a Peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or U-plane latency (e.g., downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each 0.5 ms or less, or round trip 1 ms or less) for URLLC realization.

[0030] An antenna module (197) can transmit a signal or power to or from an external source (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna comprising a radiator made of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as a first network (198) or a second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by a communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. According to some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, other components (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module (197).

[0031] According to various embodiments, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. According to one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent to a first surface (e.g., bottom surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a specified high frequency band (e.g., mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., array antennas) disposed on or adjacent to a second surface (e.g., top surface or side surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving a signal of the specified high frequency band.

[0032] At least some of the above components can be connected to each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)) and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other.

[0033] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between an electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) through a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102, or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations performed on the electronic device (101) may be performed on one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, if the electronic device (101) needs to perform a function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least part of the function or service instead of performing the function or service itself or additionally. One or more external electronic devices that receive the above request may execute at least part of the requested function or service, or additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may provide the result as is or additionally processed as at least part of the response to the request. For this purpose, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used. The electronic device (101) may provide ultra-low latency services using, for example, distributed computing or mobile edge computing. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server using machine learning and / or neural networks. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included within a second network (199).The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0034] The electronic device according to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may be of various forms. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a consumer electronics device. The electronic device according to the embodiments of this document is not limited to the devices described above.

[0035] The various embodiments of this document and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of said embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, phrases such as "A or B," "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B or C," "at least one of A, B and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C" may each include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish said components from other said components and do not limit said components in any other aspect (e.g., importance or order). Where any (e.g., 1st) component is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another (e.g., 2nd) component, with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicationly," it means that said any component may be connected to said other component directly (e.g., via a wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0036] The term “module” as used in the various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit, for example. A module may be a component formed integrally, or a minimum unit of said component or a part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0037] Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., program (140)) comprising one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory (136) or external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., electronic device (101)) may call at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to be operated to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code that can be executed by an interpreter. The storage medium readable by the machine may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-temporary' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the method according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or distributed online (e.g., download or upload) through an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created on a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0039] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., module or program) of the components described above may include a singular or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Generally or additionally, multiple components (e.g., module or program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as those performed by the corresponding component among the multiple components prior to integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by the module, program, or other components may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0040] FIG. 2a is a perspective view of an electronic device (200) in a flat state (or unfolding state) according to various embodiments. FIG. 2b is a plan view showing the front of the electronic device (200) in an unfolded state according to various embodiments. FIG. 2c is a plan view showing the rear of the electronic device (200) in an unfolded state according to various embodiments.

[0041] FIG. 3a is a perspective view of an electronic device (200) showing a folding state according to various embodiments. FIG. 3b is a perspective view of an electronic device (200) showing an intermediate state according to various embodiments.

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 2a through 3b, the electronic device (200) may include a pair of housings (210, 220) (e.g., foldable housings) that are rotatably coupled to face each other and fold with respect to a hinge device (e.g., hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b). In some embodiments, the hinge device (e.g., hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b) may be arranged in the x-axis direction or in the y-axis direction. In some embodiments, two or more hinge devices (e.g., hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b) may be arranged to fold in the same direction or in different directions. According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a flexible display (230) (e.g., foldable display) that is placed in an area formed by the pair of housings (210, 220). According to one embodiment, the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are positioned on both sides of a folding axis (axis A) and may have a shape that is substantially symmetric with respect to the folding axis (axis A). According to one embodiment, the angle or distance between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may vary depending on whether the state of the electronic device (200) is in a flat state (or unfolding state), a folding state, or an intermediate state.

[0043] According to various embodiments, a pair of housings (210, 220) may include a first housing (210) (e.g., a first housing structure) coupled to a hinge device (e.g., a hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b) and a second housing (220) (e.g., a second housing structure) coupled to a hinge device (e.g., a hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b). According to one embodiment, the first housing (210) may include, in an unfolded state, a first surface (211) facing a first direction (e.g., a front direction) (z-axis direction) and a second surface (212) facing a second direction (e.g., a rear direction) (-z-axis direction) opposite to the first surface (211). According to one embodiment, the second housing (220) may include a third surface (221) facing a first direction (z-axis direction) and a fourth surface (222) facing a second direction (-z-axis direction) when unfolded. According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may be operated such that, when unfolded, the first surface (211) of the first housing (210) and the third surface (221) of the second housing (220) face substantially the same first direction (z-axis direction), and when folded, the first surface (211) and the third surface (221) face each other. According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) can be operated such that, in the unfolded state, the second surface (212) of the first housing (210) and the fourth surface (222) of the second housing (220) face substantially the same second direction (-z axis direction), and in the folded state, the second surface (212) and the fourth surface (222) face opposite directions. For example, in the folded state, the second surface (212) may face the first direction (z axis direction) and the fourth surface (222) may face the second direction (-z axis direction).

[0044] According to various embodiments, the first housing (210) may include a first side member (213) that forms at least partially the exterior of the electronic device (200) and a first rear cover (214) that is coupled to the first side member (213) and forms at least a portion of the second side (212) of the electronic device (200). According to one embodiment, the first side member (213) may include a first side (213a), a second side (213b) extending from one end of the first side (213a), and a third side (213c) extending from the other end of the first side (213a). According to one embodiment, the first side member (213) may be formed into a rectangular shape (e.g., square or rectangular) through the first side (213a), the second side (213b), and the third side (213c).

[0045] According to various embodiments, the second housing (220) may include a second side member (223) that forms at least partially the exterior of the electronic device (200) and a second rear cover (224) that is coupled to the second side member (223) and forms at least a portion of the fourth side (222) of the electronic device (200). According to one embodiment, the second side member (223) may include a fourth side (223a), a fifth side (223b) extending from one end of the fourth side (223a), and a sixth side (223c) extending from the other end of the fourth side (223a). According to one embodiment, the second side member (223) may be formed in a rectangular shape through the fourth side (223a), the fifth side (223b), and the sixth side (223c).

[0046] According to various embodiments, a pair of housings (210, 220) are not limited to the illustrated form and combination and may be implemented by other shapes or combinations of parts and / or combinations. For example, in some embodiments, the first side member (213) may be formed integrally with the first rear cover (214), and the second side member (223) may be formed integrally with the second rear cover (224).

[0047] According to various embodiments, in the unfolded state, the electronic device (200) may have the second side (213b) of the first side member (213) and the fifth side (223b) of the second side member (223) connected without any gap. According to one embodiment, in the unfolded state, the electronic device (200) may have the third side (213c) of the first side member (213) and the sixth side (223c) of the second side member (223) connected without any gap. According to one embodiment, in the unfolded state, the electronic device (200) may be configured such that the combined length of the second side (213b) and the fifth side (223b) is longer than the length of the first side (213a) and / or the fourth side (223a). Additionally, the combined length of the third side (213c) and the sixth side (223c) may be configured to be longer than the length of the first side (213a) and / or the fourth side (223a).

[0048] According to various embodiments, the first side member (213) and / or the second side member (223) may be formed of metal or may further comprise a polymer injected into the metal. According to one embodiment, the first side member (213) and / or the second side member (223) may comprise at least one conductive portion (e.g., a first conductive portion (216) and / or a second conductive portion (226)) electrically segmented through at least one segment (2161, 2162, and / or 2261, 2262) formed of a polymer. In this case, the at least one conductive portion may be used as an antenna operating in at least one designated band (e.g., a legacy band) by being electrically connected to a wireless communication circuit included in the electronic device (200).

[0049] According to various embodiments, the first rear cover (214) and / or the second rear cover (224) may be formed by at least one or a combination of at least two of coated or colored glass, ceramic, polymer, or metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium).

[0050] According to various embodiments, the flexible display (230) may be positioned to extend from a first surface (211) of a first housing (210) across a hinge device (e.g., hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b) to at least a portion of a third surface (221) of a second housing (220). For example, the flexible display (230) may include a first portion (230a) substantially corresponding to the first surface (211), a second portion (230b) corresponding to the third surface (221), and a third portion (230c) (e.g., a bendable area) connecting the first portion (230a) and the second portion (230b) and corresponding to the hinge device (e.g., hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a first protective cover (215) (e.g., a first protective frame or a first decorative member) coupled along the edge of the first housing (210). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a second protective cover (225) (e.g., a second protective frame or a second decorative member) coupled along the edge of the second housing (220). According to one embodiment, the first protective cover (215) and / or the second protective cover (225) may be formed of a metal or polymer material. According to one embodiment, the first protective cover (215) and / or the second protective cover (225) may be used as a decoration member. According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may be positioned such that the edge of the first portion (230a) is interposed between the first housing (210) and the first protective cover (215). According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may be positioned such that the edge of the second part (230b) is interposed between the second housing (220) and the second protective cover (225).According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may be positioned so that the edge of the flexible display (400) corresponding to the protective cap (235) is protected through a protective cap (235) placed in an area corresponding to the hinge device (e.g., the hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b). Thus, the edge of the flexible display (230) may be substantially protected from the outside. According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a hinge housing (241) (e.g., a hinge cover) that supports the hinge device (e.g., the hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b) and is positioned so as not to be seen from the outside when the electronic device (200) is in a folded state, and is retracted into a first space (e.g., the internal space of the first housing (210)) and a second space (e.g., the internal space of the second housing (220)) when the electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state. In some embodiments, the flexible display (230) may be extended from at least a portion of the second surface (212) to at least a portion of the fourth surface (222). In this case, the electronic device (200) may be folded so that the flexible display (230) can be exposed to the outside (out-folding method).

[0051] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include a sub-display (231) disposed separately from the flexible display (230). According to one embodiment, the sub-display (231) is disposed so as to be at least partially exposed on the second side (212) of the first housing (210) so as to display state information of the electronic device (200) that replaces the display function of the flexible display (230) when folded. According to one embodiment, the sub-display (231) may be disposed so as to be visible from the outside through at least a portion of the first rear cover (214). In some embodiments, the sub-display (231) may be disposed on the fourth side (222) of the second housing (220). In this case, the sub-display (231) may be disposed so as to be visible from the outside through at least a portion of the second rear cover (224).

[0052] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include at least one of an input device (203) (e.g., a microphone), an acoustic output device (201, 202), a sensor module (204), a camera device (205, 208), a key input device (206), or a connector port (207). In the illustrated embodiment, the input device (203) (e.g., a microphone), an acoustic output device (201, 202), a sensor module (204), a camera device (205, 208), a key input device (206), or a connector port (207) refers to a hole or shape formed in the first housing (210) or the second housing (220), but may be defined to include a substantial electronic component (e.g., an input device, an acoustic output device, a sensor module, or a camera device) disposed inside the electronic device (200) and operating through the hole or shape.

[0053] According to various embodiments, the input device (203) may include at least one microphone (203) disposed in the second housing (220). In some embodiments, the input device (203) may include a plurality of microphones (203) disposed to detect the direction of sound. In some embodiments, the plurality of microphones (203) may be disposed at appropriate locations in the first housing (210) and / or the second housing (220). According to one embodiment, the acoustic output device (201, 202) may include speakers (201, 202). According to one embodiment, the speakers (201, 202) may include a call receiver (201) disposed in the first housing (210) and a speaker (202) disposed in the second housing (220). In some embodiments, the input device (203), the audio output device (201, 202), and the connector port (207) are disposed in a space provided in the first housing (210) and / or the second housing (220) of the electronic device (200) and may be exposed to the external environment through at least one hole formed in the first housing (210) and / or the second housing (220). According to one embodiment, at least one connector port (207) may be used to transmit and receive power and / or data with an external electronic device. In some embodiments, at least one connector port (e.g., an ear jack hole) may accommodate a connector (e.g., an ear jack) for transmitting and receiving audio signals with an external electronic device. In some embodiments, the hole formed in the first housing (210) and / or the second housing (220) may be used in common for the input device (203) and the audio output device (201, 202). In some embodiments, the acoustic output device (201, 202) may include a speaker (e.g., a piezo speaker) that is operated with holes formed in the first housing (210) and / or the second housing (220) excluded.

[0054] According to various embodiments, the sensor module (204) may generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to an internal operating state of the electronic device (200) or an external environmental state. The sensor module (204) may detect the external environment, for example, through a first surface (211) of the first housing (210). In some embodiments, the electronic device (200) may further include at least one sensor module positioned to detect the external environment through a second surface (212) of the first housing (210). According to one embodiment, the sensor module (204) (e.g., an illuminance sensor) may be positioned below the flexible display (230) to detect the external environment through the flexible display (230). According to one embodiment, the sensor module (204) may include at least one of a gesture sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an accelerometer sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biosensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an illuminance sensor, a proximity sensor, a biosensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0055] According to various embodiments, camera devices (205, 208) may include a first camera device (205) (e.g., a front camera device) disposed on a first surface (211) of a first housing (210) and a second camera device (208) disposed on a second surface (212) of the first housing (210). The electronic device (200) may further include a flash (209) disposed near the second camera device (208). According to one embodiment, the camera device (205, 208) may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, and / or an image signal processor. The flash (209) may include, for example, a light-emitting diode or a xenon lamp. According to one embodiment, the camera device (205, 208) may be arranged such that two or more lenses (e.g., wide-angle lens, ultra-wide-angle lens, or telephoto lens) and image sensors are located on one side of the electronic device (200) (e.g., first side (211), second side (212), third side (221), or fourth side (222)). In some embodiments, the camera device (205, 208) may include lenses for time of flight (TOF) and / or image sensors.

[0056] According to various embodiments, a key input device (206) (e.g., a key button) may be placed on a third side (213c) of a first side member (213) of a first housing (210). In some embodiments, the key input device (206) may be placed on at least one of the other sides (213a, 213b) of the first housing (210) and / or the sides (223a, 223b, 223c) of the second housing (220). In some embodiments, the electronic device (200) may not include some or all of the key input devices (206), and the key input device (206) that is not included may be implemented in other forms, such as a soft key, on the flexible display (230). In some embodiments, the key input device (206) may be implemented using a pressure sensor included in the flexible display (230).

[0057] According to various embodiments, some of the camera devices (205, 208), such as a first camera device (205) or a sensor module (204), may be positioned to be exposed through a flexible display (230). For example, the first camera device (205) or the sensor module (204) may be positioned within the internal space of the electronic device (200) to come into contact with the external environment through an opening (e.g., a through hole) formed at least partially in the flexible display (230). In another embodiment, some of the sensor module (204) may be positioned within the internal space of the electronic device (200) to perform its function without being visually exposed through the flexible display (230). For example, in this case, the area of ​​the flexible display (230) facing the sensor module (204) may not require an opening.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 3b, the electronic device (200) may be operated to maintain an intermediate state via a hinge device (e.g., the hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b). In this case, the electronic device (200) may control the flexible display (230) so that different content is displayed in the display area corresponding to the first side (211) and the display area corresponding to the third side (221). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may be operated via a hinge device (e.g., the hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b) to a substantially unfolded state (e.g., the unfolded state of FIG. 2a to 2c) and / or a substantially folded state (e.g., the folded state of FIG. 3a) based on a certain inflection angle (e.g., the angle between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) when in the intermediate state). For example, the electronic device (200) can be operated to transition to an unfolded state (e.g., the unfolded state of FIG. 2a) when pressure is applied in the unfolding direction (direction B) while it is unfolded at a certain inflection angle through a hinge device (e.g., the hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b). For example, the electronic device (200) can be operated to transition to a closed state (e.g., the folded state of FIG. 3a) when pressure is applied in the folding direction (direction C) while it is unfolded at a certain inflection angle through a hinge device (e.g., the hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b). In one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may be operated to maintain an unfolded state (not shown) at various angles through a hinge device (e.g., the hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b).

[0059] FIG. 4 is a block diagram (400) illustrating an electronic device (401) according to various embodiments.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 4, an electronic device (401) (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, electronic device (200) of FIG. 2a through 3b) comprises a sensor circuit (405) (e.g., sensor module (176) of FIG. 1), a memory (410) (e.g., memory (130) of FIG. 1), a processor (415) (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1), a transceiver (420) (e.g., communication module (190) of FIG. 1), a divider (423), a first matching circuit (425), a first antenna (430) (e.g., first conductive part (216) of FIG. 3a and 3b), a second matching circuit (435), a second antenna (440) (e.g., second conductive part (226) of FIG. 3a and 3b), a tuner circuit (445), and a first front end. It may include a module (450), and / or a second front-end module (455).

[0061] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a sensor circuit (405) (e.g., sensor module (176) of FIG. 1) can detect the folding state of an electronic device (401). For example, the sensor circuit (405) can detect whether the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are in an unfolded state or a folded state based on the hinge module (240) of the electronic device (401). The sensor circuit (405) can transmit a detection signal corresponding to the unfolded state or the folded state of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) to a processor (415).

[0062] In various embodiments, the sensor circuit (405) may include an accelerometer sensor, a gyro sensor, a proximity sensor, a Hall IC, and / or a 6-axis sensor for detecting the unfolded or folded state of the electronic device (401).

[0063] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the sensor circuit (405) can detect the grip state of the electronic device (401). For example, the sensor circuit (405) may include at least one grip sensor. The sensor circuit (405) can acquire a sensor signal related to contact with the electronic device (401) through at least one grip sensor. The sensor circuit (405) can transmit the acquired sensor signal related to contact with the electronic device (401) to a processor (415).

[0064] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a memory (410) (e.g., memory (130) of FIG. 1) may store various data used by at least one component of an electronic device (401) (e.g., sensor circuit (405), processor (415), and / or transceiver (420)). In one embodiment, the data may include input data or output data for software (e.g., program) and related commands. In one embodiment, the data may include information related to sensor values ​​for determining the unfolded state of the electronic device (401) (e.g., the state of FIG. 2a through 2c), sensor values ​​for determining the folded state of the electronic device (401) (e.g., the state of FIG. 3a), and / or sensor values ​​for detecting the transition of the electronic device (401) from the unfolded state to the folded state. In one embodiment, the data may include information related to sensor values ​​for detecting the grip state of the electronic device (401).

[0065] In various embodiments, the memory (410) can store instructions related to various operations performed by the processor (415).

[0066] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a processor (415) (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1) can control the overall operation of the electronic device (401) and the flow of signals between the internal components of the electronic device (401), and perform data processing. For example, the processor (415) may include a central processing unit (CPU), an application processor (AP), and / or a communication processor (CP). The processor (415) may include a single-core processor or a multi-core processor.

[0067] In various embodiments, the processor (415) may control the transceiver (420) using a communication processor. The processor (415) may control the operation of the transceiver (420) generating a wireless signal (e.g., a transmission signal). The processor (415) may determine the wireless signal (e.g., a first transmission signal and a second transmission signal) to be radiated through the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) using the transceiver (420). The processor (415) may determine the phase and / or frequency of the wireless signal (e.g., a first transmission signal and a second transmission signal) for the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440).

[0068] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a transceiver (420) (e.g., communication module (190) of FIG. 1) can convert a wireless signal received from a first antenna (430) into digital data that can be processed (e.g., decoded) by a processor (415) and transmit it to the processor (415). The transceiver (420) can convert a wireless signal received from a second antenna (440) into digital data that can be processed (e.g., decoded) by a processor (415) and transmit it to the processor (415).

[0069] In various embodiments, the transceiver (420) may transmit a wireless signal (e.g., a transmission signal) to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) in the form of an electromagnetic wave including a carrier. For example, the transceiver (420) may transmit the wireless signal (e.g., a transmission signal) to a divider (423). The divider (423) may divide the wireless signal (e.g., a transmission signal) received from the transceiver (420) into two signals and transmit each of the two divided signals to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440). The transceiver (420) may include an oscillator that generates a carrier and a modulation circuit that modulates the carrier.

[0070] In various embodiments, the transceiver (420) can extract data from a wireless signal received through the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) and transmit the extracted data to the processor (415). The transceiver (420) may include a demodulation circuit that demodulates the wireless signal received from the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440).

[0071] In one embodiment, the first antenna (430) (e.g., the first conductive portion (216)) may be positioned between the first segment (2161) and the second segment (2162) formed on the first side (213a) of the first housing (210). The first antenna (430) may be electrically connected to a processor (415) positioned on a printed circuit board (not shown). The first antenna (430) may transmit and receive signals of a designated first frequency band. In various embodiments, the first antenna (430) may be a diversity antenna (e.g., a Drx (diversity rx) antenna) for augmenting the wireless signal received by the second antenna (440).

[0072] In one embodiment, a second antenna (440) (e.g., a second conductive portion (226)) may be positioned between a third segment (2261) and a fourth segment (2262) formed on a fourth side (223a) of the second housing (220). The second antenna (440) may be electrically connected to a processor (415) positioned on a printed circuit board (not shown). The second antenna (440) may transmit and receive signals in a designated second frequency band. In various embodiments, the second antenna (440) may be a main antenna (e.g., a Prx (primary rx) antenna) that transmits and / or receives wireless signals.

[0073] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the first matching circuit (425) can perform impedance matching of a wireless signal transmitted to the first antenna (430). The second matching circuit (435) can perform impedance matching of a wireless signal transmitted to the second antenna (440).

[0074] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the tuner circuit (445) is disposed in the processor (415) and the first matching circuit (425), so that a time constant for adjusting the phase of the first antenna (430) can be set by the processor (415).

[0075] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the first front-end module (450) may include a power amplifier (not shown) that amplifies a signal transmitted by a transceiver (420) and transmits it to a first antenna (430), a low-noise amplifier (LNA) (not shown) that amplifies a signal received through the first antenna (430) and transmits the amplified signal to the transceiver (420), and / or a filter (not shown).

[0076] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the second front-end module (455) may include a power amplifier (not shown) that amplifies a signal transmitted by a transceiver (420) and transmits it to a second antenna (440), a low-noise amplifier (LNA) (not shown) that amplifies a signal received through the second antenna (440) and transmits the amplified signal to the transceiver (420), and / or a filter (not shown).

[0077] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, although not illustrated, the electronic device (401) may include a coupler disposed between the second matching circuit (435) and the second front-end module (455).

[0078] FIG. 5 is a drawing (500) for explaining an antenna operation method according to various embodiments.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 5, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) may include a processor (415), a tuner circuit (445), a first matching circuit (425), and a first antenna (430), a second matching circuit (435), and / or a second antenna (440).

[0080] In various embodiments, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) of the electronic device (401) are detected to be folded through a sensor circuit (e.g., sensor circuit (405) of FIG. 4), the processor (415) can control the phase of the signal of the first antenna (430) included in the first housing (210) and / or the second antenna (440) included in the second housing (220) so that current flows in the same direction and / or is in the same phase to the first antenna (430) and / or the second antenna (440). By controlling the current to flow in the same direction and / or is in the same phase, current and / or magnetic field interference can be minimized in the folded state of the electronic device (401).

[0081] In various embodiments, the processor (415) and the first antenna (430) may be electrically connected by a first signal line (505). The processor (415) and the second antenna (440) may be electrically connected by a second signal line (510).

[0082] In various embodiments, the first antenna (430) may be a diversity antenna (e.g., a Drx (diversity rx) antenna) for reinforcing the wireless signal received by the second antenna (440). The second antenna (440) may be a main antenna (e.g., a Prx (primary rx) antenna) for transmitting and / or receiving the wireless signal. Not limited thereto, in various embodiments, the first antenna (430) may be a main antenna (e.g., a Prx antenna) for transmitting and / or receiving the wireless signal, and the second antenna (440) may be a diversity antenna (e.g., a Drx antenna) for reinforcing the wireless signal received by the first antenna (430).

[0083] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) may be configured as a closed loop circuit capable of receiving phase information of the second antenna (440) when the electronic device (401) is in a folded state (e.g., the state of FIG. 3a) and controlling to set a time constant for adjusting the phase of the first antenna (430) using a tuner circuit (445) placed on the first signal line (505). For example, a signal (e.g., Tx signal) output through a power amplifier (not shown) of the second front-end module (455) may be coupled through a coupler (not shown). The coupled signal may be fed back to the processor (415) through the third signal line (520). For example, the transceiver (420) may down-convert the feedback signal to lower the frequency of the feedback signal. The transceiver (420) can transmit the down-converted signal to the processor (415). The processor (415) can detect the phase of the signal based on the signal received from the transceiver (420). A tuner circuit (445) can be placed on the first signal line (505). The processor (415) can set a time constant (e.g., inductor (L) and / or capacitance (C)) for adjusting the phase of the first antenna (430) based on the phase of the detected signal using the tuner circuit (445).

[0084] In various embodiments, the phase difference (515) may be caused by a difference in length between the first signal line (505) and the second signal line (510). For example, the processor (415) may set a time constant to adjust the phase of the signal transmitted to the first antenna (430) corresponding to the phase of the second antenna (440) to reduce the phase difference (e.g., the phase of the signal fed back through the third signal line (520)). The processor (415) may transmit the set time constant (e.g., an inductor (L) and / or capacitance (C)) to the tuner circuit (445) (530, 535).

[0085] In various embodiments, the first matching circuit (425) can perform impedance matching between the first antenna (430) and the transmitting / receiving circuit. The second matching circuit (435) can perform impedance matching between the second antenna (440) and the transmitting / receiving circuit.

[0086] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) can variably set the time constant of the first antenna (430) to correspond to the phase of the second antenna (440) using a tuner circuit (445), so that the phase deviation of the signals transmitted to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) can be reduced.

[0087] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) can variably set the time constant of the first antenna (430) to correspond to the phase of the second antenna (440) using a tuner circuit (445), thereby reducing the phase difference between the first antenna (430) (e.g., Drx antenna) and the second antenna (440) (e.g., Prx antenna), so that the antenna performance can be formed when the electronic device (401) is in a folded state.

[0088] FIG. 6 is a drawing (600) illustrating a tuner circuit (445) according to various embodiments.

[0089] Reference number in Fig. 6 <610> Referring to the above, the tuner circuit (445) may be placed between the processor (415) and the first matching circuit (425), for example, on a first signal line (e.g., the first signal line (505) of FIG. 5). In various embodiments, the tuner circuit (445) may include a first switch (SW1), a second switch (SW2), a third switch (SW3), a fourth switch (SW4), and / or a variable capacitance (C1).

[0090] In various embodiments, the first switch (SW1) may be a bypass switch for switching whether the bypass path is connected. The tuner circuit (445) may include at least one time constant that is optionally connected to ground via the second switch (SW2), the third switch (SW3), or the fourth switch (SW4). The at least one time constant may include an inductor (L) and / or a capacitor (C). The tuner circuit (445) may optionally use at least one time constant to adjust the phase of the first antenna (e.g., the first antenna (430) of FIG. 4) through a variable capacitance (C1) by controlling the second switch (SW2), the third switch (SW3), or the fourth switch (SW4).

[0091] In various embodiments, reference number <650> Referring to the above, a tuner circuit (445) placed on a first signal line (e.g., the first signal line (505) of FIG. 5) between the processor (415) and the first matching circuit (425) may include a first switch (SW1), a second switch (SW2), a third switch (SW3), a fourth switch (SW4), a first variable capacitance (C1), a second variable capacitance (C2), and / or a third variable capacitance (C3).

[0092] In various embodiments, the first switch (SW1) may be a bypass switch for switching whether a bypass path is connected. The tuner circuit (445) may include at least one time constant that is optionally connected to ground via the second switch (SW2), the third switch (SW3), or the fourth switch (SW4). At least one time constant may include an inductor and / or a variable capacitor. The tuner circuit (445) may optionally use at least one time constant to adjust the phase of the first antenna (e.g., the first antenna (430) of FIG. 4) via the first variable capacitance (C1), the second variable capacitance (C2), and / or the third variable capacitance (C3) by controlling the second switch (SW2), the third switch (SW3), or the fourth switch (SW4).

[0093] FIG. 7 is a drawing (700) for explaining an antenna operation method according to various embodiments.

[0094] Referring to FIG. 7, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) may include a processor (415), a phase shifter (701), a first matching circuit (425), and a first antenna (430) (e.g., a Drx antenna), a second matching circuit (435), and / or a second antenna (440) (e.g., a Prx antenna).

[0095] In FIG. 5 according to various embodiments, it has been described that a tuner circuit (445) is positioned on a first signal line (505) to set a time constant for adjusting the phase of a signal transmitted to the first antenna (430) corresponding to the phase of the second antenna (440) (e.g., the phase of a signal fed back through the third signal line (520)), but this is not limited thereto. For example, in FIG. 7 according to various embodiments, the electronic device (401) may include a phase shifter (701) positioned between a processor (415), a first matching circuit (425), and a second matching circuit (435).

[0096] In various embodiments, the processor (415) may receive feedback (715) of the phase of the first feedback point (705) in the first signal line (505) during the process step (e.g., the phase of the signal transmitted to the first antenna (430) (e.g., Drx antenna)) and the phase of the second feedback point (710) in the second signal line (510) (e.g., the phase of the signal transmitted to the second antenna (440) (e.g., Prx antenna). The processor (415) may calibrate the phase difference between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) using the feedbacked phase of the first feedback point (705) and the phase of the second feedback point (710). The processor (415) may store the phase of the signal transmitted to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440), which has been phase-difference corrected during the process step, in a memory (e.g., the memory (410) of FIG. 4).

[0097] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) in FIG. 7 performs correction between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) in a set during the process step, and can execute an optimized data value for each set (e.g., a phase shift value for adjusting the phase of a signal transmitted to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440)) in the form of a hard-coded program.

[0098] In various embodiments, when the electronic device (401) is identified as being in a folded state (e.g., the state of FIG. 3a), the processor (415) can control the phase of the signal transmitted to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) by changing the phase with a control value of the phase shifter (701) stored in memory (410) (e.g., a control value for the required phase shift).

[0099] In one embodiment, the electronic device (401) may include a divider (503) positioned between a processor (415) and a phase shifter (701). The divider (503) may divide a wireless signal received from a transceiver (420) into a first antenna (430) and a second antenna (440). For example, the wireless signal divided from the divider (503) may be input to the phase shifter (701). In one embodiment, the phase shifter (701) may include a plurality of input / output terminals. For example, the phase shifter (701) may be designed to receive two signals from the divider (503) and output two signals. For example, the first wireless signal distributed by the divider (503) may be input to the second switch (SW2) of the phase shifter (701). The phase shifter (701) can adjust the phase of the first wireless signal based on the phase of the signal transmitted to the first antenna (430) stored in the memory (410). The phase shifter (701) can output the phase-adjusted first wireless signal to the first switch (SW1). The output phase-adjusted first wireless signal can be transmitted to the first antenna (430). The second wireless signal distributed by the divider (503) can be input to the third switch (SW3) of the phase shifter (701). The phase shifter (701) can adjust the phase of the second wireless signal based on the phase of the signal transmitted to the second antenna (440) stored in the memory (410). The phase shifter (701) can output the phase-adjusted second wireless signal to the fourth switch (SW4). The output phase-adjusted second wireless signal can be transmitted to the second antenna (440).

[0100] In various embodiments, the phase of the signal transmitted to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) can be controlled by using a phase shifter (701) to perform a phase difference correction in advance during the process step, thereby reducing the phase difference between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440).

[0101] FIG. 8 is a drawing (800) for explaining an antenna operation method according to various embodiments.

[0102] Referring to FIG. 8, the electronic device (401) (e.g., the electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) may include a processor (415), an inductor (L) (810), a capacitor (C) (825), a first matching circuit (425), a first antenna (430) (e.g., a Drx antenna), a second matching circuit (435), and / or a second antenna (440) (e.g., a Prx antenna).

[0103] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) may be configured as a closed loop circuit that can receive feedback on the phase of the signal transmitted to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) when the electronic device (401) is in a folded state (e.g., the state of FIG. 3a), and can control to set a time constant for adjusting the phase of the signal transmitted to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) using an inductor (810) placed on the first signal line (505) and a capacitor (825) placed on the second signal line (510). For example, the processor (415) may receive feedback of the phase of the first feedback point (805) in the first signal line (505) (e.g., the phase of the signal transmitted to the first antenna (430) (e.g., Drx antenna)) and the phase of the second feedback point (810) in the second signal line (510) (e.g., the phase of the signal transmitted to the second antenna (440) (e.g., Prx antenna)) through the third signal line (815) and the fourth signal line (830). The processor (415) may compare the phase of the signal fed back to the third signal line (815) with the phase of the signal fed back to the fourth signal line (830). Based on the comparison, the processor (415) may detect a phase difference between the signal fed back to the third signal line (815) and the signal fed back to the fourth signal line (830).

[0104] The processor (415) may detect a phase difference based on a signal received from the first antenna (430) (e.g., Drx antenna) and a signal received from the second antenna (440) (e.g., Prx antenna). For example, the processor (415) may receive a reference signal transmitted by a base station through the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440). The processor (415) may detect a phase difference based on the reference signal received through the first antenna (430) and the reference signal received through the second antenna (440).

[0105] In FIG. 6, according to various embodiments, the phase of the signal is adjusted through the tuner circuit (445), or in FIG. 7, the phase of the signal is adjusted through the phase shifter (701), but this is not limited thereto. For example, in FIG. 8, the processor (415) can compensate for and output a phase (e.g., phase delay) based on the detected phase difference. For example, the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) can be connected to separate ports through different signal lines from the processor (415), and accordingly, different phases (e.g., phase delay) can be applied.

[0106] In one embodiment, the electronic device (401) may include an inductor (L) (810) and a capacitor (C) (825). A processor (415) may use the inductor (810) and the capacitor (825) to compensate for a phase (e.g., phase delay). For example, the processor (415) may set a time constant (e.g., inductor (L) (810)) for adjusting the phase of a signal transmitted to a first antenna (430) and a time constant (e.g., capacitor (C) (825)) for adjusting the phase of a signal transmitted to a second antenna (440) based on the phase of a first feedback point (805) and the phase of a second feedback point (820) fed back through a third signal line (815) and a fourth signal line (840).

[0107] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) in FIG. 8 performs correction between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) on a set-by-set basis during the process step, and can perform the set-by-set optimized data value (e.g., a time constant for adjusting the phase of the signal transmitted to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440)) in the form of a hard-coding and soft-coding program.

[0108] In FIG. 8 according to various embodiments, the phase of the signal transmitted to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) can be adjusted by applying a variable time constant through soft coding and hard coding without providing a separate circuit, so that material costs can be reduced.

[0109] FIG. 9 is a flowchart (900) for explaining an antenna operation method according to various embodiments.

[0110] Referring to FIG. 9, the processor (e.g., the processor (415) of the electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) can determine the performance difference between the first antenna (e.g., the first antenna (430) of FIG. 4) and the second antenna (e.g., the second antenna (440) of FIG. 4) based on the fact that the folding state of the electronic device (401) is detected as a folded state (e.g., the state of FIG. 3a) in operation 905.

[0111] In one embodiment, the electronic device (401) may include a hinge module (e.g., the hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b), a first housing (e.g., the first housing (210) of FIG. 2a) which is coupled to at least a part of the first side of the hinge module (240) and includes a first antenna (430), and a second housing (e.g., the second housing (220) of FIG. 2a) which is coupled to at least a part of the second side of the hinge module (240) and is configured to be foldable and unfoldable with respect to the first housing (210) using the hinge module (240) and includes a second antenna (440). The electronic device (401) can determine whether the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are in an unfolded state (e.g., the state of FIG. 2a, 2b, and 2c) or a folded state (e.g., the state of FIG. 3a) based on sensor values ​​obtained through the sensor circuit (405).

[0112] As seen in FIG. 5 described above according to various embodiments, the processor (415) and the first antenna (430) may be connected by a first signal line (e.g., the first signal line (505) of FIG. 5). The processor (415) and the second antenna (440) may be connected by a second signal line (e.g., the second signal line (510) of FIG. 5). The electronic device (401) may include a first tuner circuit (e.g., the tuner circuit (445) of FIG. 4) disposed on the first signal line (505) that electrically connects the processor (415) and the first antenna (430). The electronic device (401) may include a second tuner circuit (not shown) disposed on the second signal line (510) that electrically connects the processor (415) and the second antenna (440). For example, the second matching circuit (e.g., the second matching circuit (435) of FIG. 4) may be configured as a second tuner circuit. The second tuner circuit may be implemented identically to the first tuner circuit (445).

[0113] In various embodiments, the radiation performance and / or radiation characteristics of the electronic device (401) under the control of the tuner circuit (e.g., first tuner circuit (445) and second tuner circuit) can be verified through experiment. The radiation performance and / or radiation characteristics of the electronic device (401) under the control of the tuner circuit verified through experiment can be stored in the form of a lookup table in the memory of the electronic device (401) (e.g., memory (410) of FIG. 4).

[0114] In one embodiment, the total radiated power (TRP) and / or total isotropic sensitivity (TIS) may be measured through an experiment, and a performance difference, such as an imbalance, between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) according to the measured radiated power and / or isotropic sensitivity may be identified.

[0115] In one embodiment, conduction loss and / or radiation difference can be identified through experiment. The conduction loss and / or radiation difference can be stored in the form of a lookup table in the memory (410) of the electronic device (401). The processor (401) can identify the performance difference between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) based on the conduction loss and / or radiation difference from the lookup table stored in the memory (410).

[0116] In various embodiments, the first antenna (430) (e.g., the first conductive portion (216)) may be positioned between the first segment (2161) and the second segment (2162) formed on the first side (213a) of the first housing (210). The first antenna (430) may be electrically connected to a processor (415) positioned on a printed circuit board (not shown). The first antenna (430) may transmit and receive signals of a designated first frequency band. In various embodiments, the first antenna (430) may include a first feed point integrally coupled to the inside. The first feed point may be electrically connected to a first signal connection member (not shown) connected to the printed circuit board (not shown). For example, the first signal connection member (not shown) may include one of a coaxial cable, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), or an FPCB type RF cable (FRC).

[0117] In various embodiments, the second antenna (440) (e.g., the second conductive portion (226)) may be positioned between the third segment (2261) and the fourth segment (2262) formed on the fourth side (223a) of the second housing (220). The second antenna (440) may be electrically connected to a processor (415) positioned on a printed circuit board (not shown). The second antenna (440) may transmit and receive signals in a designated second frequency band. In various embodiments, the second antenna (440) may include a second feed point integrally coupled to the inside. The second feed point may be electrically connected to a second signal connection member (not shown) connected to a printed circuit board (not shown). For example, the second signal connection member may include one of a coaxial cable, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), or an FPCB type RF cable (FRC).

[0118] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) may include a power divider for supplying power to each of the first signal connection member of the first antenna (430) and the second signal connection member of the second antenna (440). In one embodiment, the power divider may be positioned between the processor (415) and the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) so as to distribute power to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440).

[0119] In various embodiments, when a wireless signal is transmitted from the processor (415) to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440), the wireless signal passing through the power splitter, for example, one carrier, may be split into two carriers. For example, the first carrier of the two carriers may be transmitted to the first antenna (430). The second carrier of the two split carriers may be transmitted to the second antenna (440).

[0120] In various embodiments, when power is supplied to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) respectively by a power divider, the magnitude of the power supplied to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) respectively may be reduced. For example, when 24 dBm of power is supplied to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440), the 24 dBm of power may be reduced by a certain amount and supplied to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440). For example, the 24 dBm of power may be reduced by 3 dBm, so that 21 dBm of power is supplied to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) respectively. The magnitude of the power described above according to various embodiments is one example and is not limited to the aforementioned numerical value.

[0121] In one embodiment, depending on the length, artwork, and placement of the signal connection members (e.g., the first signal connection member and the second signal connection member) of the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440), a difference in conduction power and / or sensitivity reaching the first feed point and the second feed point may occur. Due to the resulting difference in radiation gain between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440), an imbalance in total radiated power (TRP) and / or total isotropic sensitivity (TIS) may occur, which may result in a decrease in the total TRP and / or TIS finally radiated from the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440).

[0122] In various embodiments, when a performance difference occurs between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440), the processor (415) can identify the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) in operation 907.

[0123] In various embodiments, the processor (415) can determine whether there is a transmitting critical situation in operation 910.

[0124] In one embodiment, the processor (415) can determine whether a transmission critical situation exists based on the result of transmitting a wireless signal using the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440). For example, the processor (415) can determine whether a transmission critical situation exists based on the Tx AGC (automatic gain control) of the first antenna (430) and the Tx AGC of the second antenna (440).

[0125] In one embodiment, when a transmission critical situation is identified (e.g., YES of operation 910), the processor (415) may, in operation 915, apply a transmission weight to the antenna with lower performance (e.g., the first antenna (430) or the second antenna (440)) to control it to operate with a dominant impedance for transmission, and control the other antenna (e.g., the second antenna (440) or the first antenna (430)) to operate with a dominant impedance for reception.

[0126] In one embodiment, if it is determined that there is no transmission critical situation (e.g., NO of operation 910), the processor (415) can determine whether there is a receiving critical situation in operation 920. In one embodiment, the processor (415) can determine whether there is a receiving critical situation based on the result of receiving a wireless signal using the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440). For example, the processor (415) can receive a reference signal transmitted by the base station through the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440). The processor (415) can determine whether there is a receiving critical situation based on the reference signal received through the first antenna (430) and the reference signal received through the second antenna (440).

[0127] In one embodiment, when a reception critical situation is identified (e.g., YES of 920 operation), the processor (415) may apply a reception weight to the antenna with lower performance (e.g., the first antenna (430) or the second antenna (440)) to control it to operate with a dominant impedance for reception, and control the other antenna (e.g., the second antenna (440) or the first antenna (430)) to operate with a dominant impedance for transmission.

[0128] In one embodiment, if it is determined that the receiving critical situation is not (e.g., NO of operation 920), the processor (415) can determine in operation 930 whether the transmitting and receiving critical situation is. If it is determined that the transmitting and receiving critical situation is not (e.g., YES of operation 930), the processor (415) can perform operation 925. If it is determined that the transmitting and receiving critical situation is not (e.g., NO of operation 930), the processor (415) can terminate the operation controlling the antenna.

[0129] FIG. 10 is a drawing (1000) for explaining impedance operation in a folded state of an electronic device (401) according to various embodiments.

[0130] Referring to FIG. 10, when the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) is identified as being in a folded state (e.g., the state of FIG. 3a), the electronic device (401) can identify a performance difference, such as a performance imbalance, between the first antenna (e.g., the first antenna (430) of FIG. 4) and the second antenna (e.g., the second antenna (440) of FIG. 4). If a performance difference occurs between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440), the electronic device (401) can identify the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) and, based on electric field conditions, determine whether it is a transmission critical situation or a reception critical situation. In one embodiment, the electric field conditions may include automatic gain control (AGC) and / or signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, it is not limited thereto.

[0131] As seen in FIG. 5 according to various embodiments, the processor (415) and the first antenna (430) may be connected by a first signal line (e.g., the first signal line (505) of FIG. 5). The processor (415) and the second antenna (440) may be connected by a second signal line (e.g., the second signal line (510) of FIG. 5).

[0132] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) may include a first tuner circuit (e.g., tuner circuit (445) of FIG. 5) placed on a first signal line (505) and a second tuner circuit (not shown) placed on a second signal line (510).

[0133] In one embodiment, when the electronic device (401) is confirmed to be in a folded state, the processor (415) can identify a performance imbalance between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) and identify the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440).

[0134] Reference numbers according to various embodiments <1010> and <1030> In this, the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) will be described by assuming it is the first antenna (430).

[0135] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) can determine whether there is a transmit critical situation and / or a receive critical situation based on electric field conditions, e.g., whether the AGC exceeds 200 and / or whether the SNR exceeds 5. Based on whether there is a transmit critical situation and / or a receive critical situation, the electronic device (401) can control the first tuner circuit (445) and the second tuner circuit (not shown) to operate with a dominant impedance for transmission or to operate with a dominant impedance for reception, as shown in below.

[0136] Tx AGC SNR First tuner circuit Second tuner circuit Tx critical situation 200 or more 5 or more Tx Best Rx Best Rx Critical Situation Less than 200 Less than 5 Rx Best Tx Best Tx and Rx critical situations 200 or more Less than 5 Rx Best Tx Best

[0137] In various embodiments, when the electronic device (401) determines that a transmission critical situation is present as the AGC is 200 or higher and the SNR is 5 or higher, the low-performance first antenna (430) can be controlled to operate at the transmission-dominant impedance (Tx best impedance). For example, as the low-performance first antenna (430) continues to operate at the transmission-dominant impedance during a transmission critical situation, reference number <1010> As illustrated in [Image], the impedance point (1015) of the first antenna (430) can be maintained.

[0138] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) can control the second antenna (440), which is another antenna excluding the first antenna (430) with low performance, to operate at the best impedance for reception (Rx best impedance) within the transmission tolerance (Tx tolerance). In one embodiment, the transmission tolerance may be optimized. For example, as the second antenna (440) operates at the best impedance for reception, reference number <1030> As illustrated in the figure, the impedance of the second antenna (440) can be changed from the first point (1035) to the second point (1040). For example, the second point (1040) may be a point for operating with an impedance that is dominant for reception.

[0139] In various embodiments, although not illustrated, if the electronic device (401) determines that the reception critical situation is such that the AGC is less than 200 and the SNR is less than 5, the first antenna (430) with lower performance can be controlled to operate at the impedance dominant for reception (Rx best impedance). The electronic device (401) can also control the second antenna (440), which is another antenna excluding the first antenna (430) with lower performance, to operate at the impedance dominant for transmission (Tx best impedance).

[0140] In various embodiments, although not illustrated, if the electronic device (401) determines that the transmission and reception critical situation is such that the AGC is 200 or higher and the SNR is less than 5, the electronic device (401) can control the first antenna (430), which has lower performance, to operate at the impedance dominant for reception (Rx best impedance). The electronic device (401) can control the second antenna (440), which is another antenna excluding the first antenna (430) with lower performance, to operate at the impedance dominant for transmission (Tx best impedance).

[0141] Reference numbers according to various embodiments <1050> and <1070> In this, the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) will be described as the second antenna (440).

[0142] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) can determine whether a transmit critical situation and / or a receive critical situation based on electric field conditions, such as whether the AGC exceeds 200 and / or whether the SNR exceeds 5. Based on whether a transmit critical situation and / or a receive critical situation, the electronic device (401) can control the first tuner circuit (445) and the second tuner circuit (not shown) to operate with an impedance dominant for transmission or to operate with an impedance dominant for reception, as shown in below.

[0143] Tx AGC SNR First tuner circuit Second tuner circuit Tx critical situation 200 or more 5 or more Rx Best Tx Best Rx Critical Situation Less than 200 Less than 5 Tx Best Rx Best Tx and Rx critical situations 200 or more Less than 5 Tx Best Rx Best

[0144] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) can control the first antenna (430), which is another antenna excluding the second antenna (440) with lower performance, to operate at a receiving-dominant impedance (Rx best impedance) within the transmission tolerance (Tx tolerance). In one embodiment, the transmission tolerance may be optimized. For example, as the first antenna (430) operates at a receiving-dominant impedance, reference number <1050> As illustrated in the figure, the impedance of the first antenna (430) can be changed from a first point (1050) to a second point (1060). For example, the second point (1060) may be a location for operating with an impedance that is dominant for reception.

[0145] In various embodiments, when the electronic device (401) determines that a transmission critical situation is occurring as the AGC is 200 or higher and the SNR is 5 or higher, it can control the second antenna (440) with lower performance to operate at the transmission-dominant impedance (Tx best impedance). For example, as the second antenna (440) continues to operate at the transmission-dominant impedance during a transmission critical situation, reference number <1070> As shown in the figure, the impedance point (1075) of the second antenna (440) can be.

[0146] In various embodiments, although not illustrated, if the electronic device (401) determines that the reception critical situation is such that the AGC is less than 200 and the SNR is less than 5, the second antenna (440) with lower performance can be controlled to operate at the impedance dominant for reception (Rx best impedance). The electronic device (401) can also control the first antenna (430), which is another antenna excluding the second antenna (440) with lower performance, to operate at the impedance dominant for transmission (Tx best impedance).

[0147] In various embodiments, although not illustrated, if the electronic device (401) determines that the transmission and reception critical situation is such that the AGC is 200 or higher and the SNR is less than 5, the second antenna (440) with lower performance can be controlled to operate at a receiving-dominant impedance (Rx best impedance). The electronic device (401) can also control the first antenna (430), which is another antenna excluding the second antenna (440) with lower performance, to operate at a transmitting-dominant impedance (Tx best impedance).

[0148] In FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 according to various embodiments, in the case of a transmission critical situation, the processor (415) applies a transmission weight to the antenna with lower performance (e.g., the first antenna (430) or the second antenna (440)) to control it to operate with an impedance dominant for transmission, and controls the other antenna (e.g., the second antenna (440) or the first antenna (430)) to operate with an impedance dominant for reception, thereby minimizing the performance difference, such as performance imbalance, between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440). Alternatively, in the case of a reception critical situation or a transmission and reception critical situation, the processor (415) can apply a reception weight to the antenna with lower performance (e.g., the first antenna (430) or the second antenna (440)) to control it to operate with an impedance dominant for reception, and control the other antenna (e.g., the second antenna (440) or the first antenna (430)) to operate with an impedance dominant for transmission, thereby minimizing the performance difference, such as performance imbalance, between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440).

[0149] FIG. 11 is a drawing (1100) for explaining a method of applying power backoff to a first antenna (430) and a second antenna (440) according to various embodiments.

[0150] Referring to FIG. 11, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) may include a processor (415), an inductor (L) (810), a capacitor (C) (825), a first matching circuit (425), a first antenna (430) (e.g., Drx antenna), a second matching circuit (435), and / or a second antenna (440) (e.g., Prx antenna).

[0151] As seen in FIG. 5 above according to various embodiments, the processor (415) and the first antenna (430) may be connected by a first signal line (e.g., the first signal line (505) of FIG. 5). The processor (415) and the second antenna (440) may be connected by a second signal line (e.g., the second signal line (510) of FIG. 5).

[0152] In various embodiments, the first signal line (505) and the second signal line (510) between the processor (415) and the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) can be configured differently to identify a performance imbalance between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) based on the conduction loss and radiation difference of the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440). If a performance imbalance between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) is identified, the electronic device (401) can apply different power back-offs to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440).

[0153] In various embodiments, the specified power supplied through the power divider (1105) can be reduced to a certain amount as it is supplied to the inductor (810) and the first antenna (430) through the first signal line (505) and the first matching circuit (425). For example, assuming the specified power is 24 dBm power (1110), the 24 dBm power (1110) supplied through the power divider (1105) can be supplied to the inductor (L) (810) as 21 dBm power (1215), which is reduced by 3 dBm. The 21 dBm power (1115) supplied through the inductor (810) can be supplied to the first matching circuit (425) as 19 dBm power (1120), which is reduced by 2 dBm as it is transmitted through the first signal line (505). 19 dBm of power (1120) is transmitted through the first matching circuit (425) and reduced by 4 dBm (1125), so that finally 15 dBm of power can be supplied to the first antenna (430).

[0154] In various embodiments, the specified power supplied through the power divider (1105) may be reduced to a certain amount as it is supplied to the capacitor (C) (825) and the second antenna (440) through the second signal line (510) and the second matching circuit (435). For example, 24 dBm power (1110) supplied through the power divider (1105) may be supplied to the capacitor (825) as 21 dBm power (1135) which is reduced by 3 dBm. The 21 dBm power (1135) supplied through the capacitor (825) may be supplied to the second matching circuit (435) as 20 dBm power (1140) which is reduced by 1 dBm as it is transmitted through the second signal line (510). 20 dBm of power (1140) is transmitted through the second matching circuit (435) and reduced by 3 dBm (1145), so that finally 17 dBm of power can be supplied to the second antenna (440).

[0155] In various embodiments, the power finally supplied to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) may differ to 15 dBm and 17 dBm, respectively. As the power supplied to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) differs, a performance difference (e.g., performance imbalance) may occur between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440).

[0156] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) may apply different power backoff to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440). For example, the electronic device (401) may apply a power backoff (1130) of 3 dBm to the first antenna (430) and a power backoff (1150) of 5 dBm to the second antenna (440) so that the power supplied to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) becomes equal. As the power supplied to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) becomes equal, performance imbalance that may occur between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) can be prevented, and accordingly, power degradation can also be improved.

[0157] FIGS. 12 and 13 are drawings (1200, 1300) for explaining a method of applying different power backoff to a first antenna (430) and a second antenna (440) according to the grip of an electronic device (401) according to various embodiments.

[0158] FIGS. 12 and FIG. 13 according to various embodiments may be additional operations of FIG. 11 described above.

[0159] Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, a processor (e.g., processor (415) of the electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) can detect a grip of the electronic device (401) in operation 1205 when the electronic device (401) is in a folded state (e.g., state of FIG. 3a). For example, the electronic device (401) may be gripped by an external object, such as a user's hand. The processor (415) can detect the folded state and whether the electronic device (401) is gripped using a sensor circuit (e.g., sensor circuit (405) of FIG. 5).

[0160] In various embodiments, the folded state of the electronic device (401) is such that the first surface (e.g., the first surface (211) of FIG. 2A) of the first housing (e.g., the first housing (210) of FIG. 2A) and the third surface (e.g., the third surface (221) of FIG. 2A) of the second housing (e.g., the second surface (212) of FIG. 2C) and the fourth surface (e.g., the fourth surface (222) of FIG. 2C) of the second housing (220) face each other, and the second surface (212) of the first housing (210) may face in a first direction (e.g., the z-axis direction of FIG. 3A), and the fourth surface (222) of the second housing (220) may face in a second direction (e.g., the -z-axis of FIG. 3A). It can mean a state of operation in a manner that moves toward the direction.

[0161] In various embodiments, the sensor circuit (405) may include at least one grip sensor. For example, reference number of FIG. 13 <1310> As illustrated in the figure, the electronic device (401) may include a first grip sensor (1320) electrically connected to a first antenna (430) and a second grip sensor (1330) electrically connected to a second antenna (440). A processor (415) may obtain information regarding contact with the electronic device (401) through the first grip sensor (1320) and the second grip sensor (1330). Based on the information regarding contact with the electronic device (401) obtained through the first grip sensor (1320) and the second grip sensor (1330), the processor (415) may detect whether the electronic device (401) is being gripped.

[0162] In one embodiment, when the processor (415) detects a performance imbalance between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) in operation 1210, it can identify the surface that contacts an external object among the plurality of surfaces constituting the exterior of the electronic device (401).

[0163] As described above, a plurality of surfaces constituting the exterior of the electronic device (401) may include a second surface (212) of the first housing (210) and a fourth surface (222) of the second housing (220).

[0164] In one embodiment, the reference number of FIG. 13 <1350> As illustrated in the figure, the processor (415) can detect whether the second surface (212) of the first housing (210) is in contact (or gripped) (e.g., the second surface (212), the fourth surface (222)) of the electronic device (401) through the first grip sensor (1320) and the second grip sensor (1330) of the plurality of surfaces (e.g., the second surface (212) is positioned to face the user's palm) or whether the fourth surface (222) of the second housing (220) is in contact (or gripped) (e.g., the fourth surface (222) is positioned to face the user's palm).

[0165] In various embodiments, when the electronic device (401) is in a folded state, the state in which the second surface (212) of the first housing (210) is in contact (or gripped) by the user's palm may be such that the difference in sensor values ​​obtained through the first grip sensor (1320) electrically connected to the first antenna (430) is greater than the difference in sensor values ​​obtained through the second grip sensor (1330) electrically connected to the second antenna (440). In another example, when the electronic device (401) is in a folded state, the state in which the fourth surface (222) of the second housing (220) is in contact with the user's palm may be such that the difference in sensor values ​​obtained through the second grip sensor (1330) electrically connected to the second antenna (440) is greater than the difference in sensor values ​​obtained through the first grip sensor (1320) electrically connected to the first antenna (430).

[0166] In various embodiments, the processor (415) can perform power backoff of the first antenna (430) and / or the second antenna (440) of the 1315 operation described below by checking whether the second side (212) of the first housing (210) is in contact (or held) by the palm of the user, or whether the fourth side (222) of the second housing (220) is in contact (or held) by the palm of the user when the electronic device (401) is in a folded state.

[0167] In one embodiment, the processor (415) may perform the same power backoff for the antenna formed on one side of the surface that contacts an external object among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) (e.g., the first side (213a) of the first housing (210) or the fourth side (223a) of the second housing (220)) and perform less power backoff for the other antenna in operation. For example, as seen in FIG. 11, when a power backoff of 3 dBm (1130) is applied to the first antenna (430) and a power backoff of 5 dBm (1150) is applied to the second antenna (440) so that the power supplied to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) becomes equal, the processor (415) can perform the same power backoff for the antenna formed on one side of the surface that contacts an external object among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440), and perform less power backoff for the other antenna.

[0168] For example, if it is confirmed that the second surface (212) of the electronic device (401) is in contact (or held) by the user's palm, the processor (415) may perform the same power backoff, e.g., 3 dBm power backoff (1130), on the first antenna (430) and perform a power backoff, e.g., 4 dBm, which is less than the power (1150) of 5 dBm, on the second antenna (440). As another example, if it is confirmed that the fourth surface (222) of the electronic device (401) is in contact (or held) by the user's palm, the processor (415) may perform a power backoff, e.g., 2 dBm, which is less than the power (1130) of 3 dBm, on the first antenna (430) and perform the same power backoff, e.g., 5 dBm power backoff (1150), on the second antenna (440).

[0169] In FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 according to various embodiments, the electronic device (401) can prevent power degradation by applying different power backoffs to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) in consideration of the grip state of the electronic device (401) as well as the performance imbalance between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440).

[0170] In various embodiments, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) comprises a hinge module (e.g., hinge device (240) of FIG. 2b), a first housing (e.g., first housing (210) of FIG. 2a) which is at least partially coupled to a first side of the hinge module (240) and includes a first antenna (e.g., first antenna (430) of FIG. 4), a second housing (e.g., second housing (220) of FIG. 2a) which is at least partially coupled to a second side of the hinge module (240) and configured to be foldable and unfoldable with respect to the first housing (210) using the hinge module (240), and includes a second antenna (e.g., second antenna (440) of FIG. 4), and a sensor circuit (e.g., sensor of FIG. 4) which detects the unfolded state and / or folded state of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220). The circuit (405)), the first antenna (430), the second antenna (440), and the processor (e.g., the processor (415) of FIG. 4) operatively connected to the sensor circuit (405), the first signal line (e.g., the first signal line (505) of FIG. 5) connecting the processor (415) and the first antenna (430), the tuner circuit (e.g., the tuner circuit (445) of FIG. 4) disposed on the first signal line (505), and the second signal line (e.g., the second signal line (510) of FIG. 5) connecting the processor (415) and the second antenna (440) are included, wherein the processor (415) receives feedback of a signal transmitted to the second antenna (440) when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are detected to be in a folded state using the sensor circuit (405), and the phase of the feedback signal It can be configured to detect and, based on the phase of the detected signal, determine the time constant of the tuner circuit (445) placed on the first signal line (505).

[0171] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) may include a phase shifter (e.g., the phase shifter (701) of FIG. 7) positioned between the processor (415) and the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) instead of the tuner circuit (445).

[0172] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) further includes a memory (e.g., memory (410) of FIG. 4) and a divider (e.g., divider (503) of FIG. 7), and the processor (415) may be configured to control the phase of a first signal distributed by the divider (503) and transmitted to the first antenna (430) and the phase of a second signal transmitted to the second antenna (440) by changing the phase with a control value of the phase shifter (701) stored in the memory (410) when the phase shifter (701) is placed between the processor (415) and the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) instead of the tuner circuit (445).

[0173] In various embodiments, the processor (415) can, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are detected to be in a folded state using the sensor circuit (405), identify the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440), determine whether a transmission critical situation exists based on electric field conditions, and if a transmission critical situation is confirmed, apply a transmission weight to the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) to control it to operate with a dominant impedance for transmission, and control the other antennas excluding the antenna with lower performance to operate with a dominant impedance for reception.

[0174] In various embodiments, the processor (415) checks whether it is a reception critical situation based on the electric field conditions when it is not a transmission critical situation, and if it is confirmed to be a reception critical situation, it controls the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) to operate with an impedance dominant for reception, and controls the other antenna excluding the antenna with lower performance to operate with an impedance dominant for transmission.

[0175] In various embodiments, the processor (415), when a transmission and reception critical situation is identified based on the electric field conditions, can control the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) to operate with an impedance dominant for reception by applying a reception weighting, and control the other antenna, excluding the antenna with lower performance, to operate with an impedance dominant for transmission.

[0176] In various embodiments, the electric field conditions may include automatic gain control (AGC) and / or signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

[0177] In various embodiments, the electronic device (401) further includes a power divider (e.g., the power divider (1105) of FIG. 11) for distributing power to each of the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440), and the processor (415) checks the power supplied to each of the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) through the power divider (1105) when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are detected to be in a folded state using the sensor circuit (405), and checks the power supplied to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) through the power divider (1105) when the power supplied to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) is different, and checks that the performance imbalance between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) has occurred, and performs a first power backoff to the first antenna (430), and the second The antenna (440) may be configured to perform a second power backoff different from the first power.

[0178] In various embodiments, the sensor circuit (405) may include a first grip sensor (e.g., the first grip sensor (1320) of FIG. 13) electrically connected to the first antenna (430) and a second grip sensor (e.g., the second grip sensor (1330) of FIG. 13) electrically connected to the second antenna (440).

[0179] In various embodiments, the processor (415) may be configured to detect contact of an external object with respect to the electronic device (401) through the first grip sensor (1320) and the second grip sensor (1330).

[0180] In various embodiments, the processor (415) may be configured to detect contact of the external object with respect to the electronic device (401), identify the surface among the plurality of surfaces constituting the exterior of the electronic device (401) that is in contact with the external object based on the finding that the performance imbalance between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) has occurred, and perform the first power backoff for the antenna formed on one side of the surface among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) that is in contact with the external object, and perform a third power backoff that is smaller than the second power for the other antenna.

[0181] In various embodiments, a method of operation of an electronic device (401) including an antenna may include, when a sensor circuit (405) detects that the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) of the electronic device (401) are in a folded state, an operation of receiving feedback on the phase of a signal transmitted to the second antenna (440), an operation of detecting the phase of the feedbacked signal, and an operation of determining a time constant of a tuner circuit (445) placed on a first signal line (505) connecting the processor (415) of the electronic device (401) and the first antenna (430) based on the phase of the detected signal.

[0182] In various embodiments, the method of operation of an electronic device (401) including an antenna may further include, when a phase shifter (701) is placed between the processor (415) and the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) instead of the tuner circuit (445), changing the phase with a control value of the phase shifter (701) stored in the memory (410) of the electronic device (401) to control the phase of a first signal distributed by a divider (503) and transmitted to the first antenna (430) and the phase of a second signal transmitted to the second antenna (440).

[0183] In various embodiments, the method of operation of an electronic device (401) including an antenna may further include, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are detected to be in a folded state using the sensor circuit (405), the operation of identifying the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440), the operation of identifying whether a transmission critical situation exists based on electric field conditions, and when the transmission critical situation is identified, the operation of applying a transmission weight to the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) to control it to operate with a dominant impedance for transmission, and controlling other antennas excluding the antenna with lower performance to operate with a dominant impedance for reception.

[0184] In various embodiments, the method of operation of an electronic device (401) including an antenna may further include, when not in a transmission critical situation, checking whether it is in a reception critical situation based on the electric field conditions, and when it is confirmed to be in a reception critical situation, applying a reception weight to the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) to control it to operate with an impedance dominant for reception, and controlling other antennas excluding the antenna with lower performance to operate with an impedance dominant for transmission.

[0185] In various embodiments, the method of operation of an electronic device (401) including an antenna may further include, when a transmission and reception critical situation is identified based on the electric field conditions, applying a reception weight to the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) to control it to operate with an impedance dominant for reception, and controlling the other antenna, excluding the antenna with lower performance, to operate with an impedance dominant for transmission.

[0186] In various embodiments, the electric field conditions may include automatic gain control (AGC) and / or signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

[0187] In various embodiments, the method of operation of an electronic device (401) including an antenna may further include: when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are detected to be in a folded state using the sensor circuit (405), checking the power supplied to each of the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) through the power splitter (1105); when the power supplied to the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) through the power splitter (1105) is different, checking that the performance imbalance between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) has occurred; and performing a first power backoff to the first antenna (430) and performing a second power backoff to the second antenna (440) that is different from the first power.

[0188] In various embodiments, the method of operation of an electronic device (401) including an antenna may further include the operation of detecting contact of an external object with the electronic device (401) through a first grip sensor (1320) electrically connected to the first antenna (430) and a second grip sensor (1330) electrically connected to the second antenna (440).

[0189] In various embodiments, a method of operation of an electronic device (401) including an antenna may further include, after detecting contact of the external object with the electronic device (401), identifying a surface among a plurality of surfaces constituting the exterior of the electronic device (401) that is in contact with the external object based on the finding that a performance imbalance has occurred between the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440), and performing the first power backoff for an antenna formed on one side of the surface among the first antenna (430) and the second antenna (440) that is in contact with the external object, and performing a third power backoff smaller than the second power for the other antenna. The various embodiments disclosed in this specification and drawings are merely specific examples provided to facilitate the explanation of the technical content of this disclosure and to aid in understanding this disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of this disclosure should be interpreted to include all modifications or variations derived based on the technical concept of this disclosure, in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein. Explanation of the symbols

[0190] 401: Electronic device 405: Sensor circuit 410: Memory 415: Processor 420: Transceiver 423: Divider 425: First matching circuit 430: First antenna 435: Second matching circuit 440: Second antenna 445: Tuner circuit 450: First front-end module 455: 2nd Frontend Module

Claims

Claim 1 An electronic device comprises: a first housing including a first antenna; a second housing rotatably connected to the first housing via a hinge module and including a second antenna; a sensor circuit for detecting an unfolded or folded state of the electronic device; a processor operatively connected to the first antenna, the second antenna, and the sensor circuit; a first signal line connecting the processor and the first antenna; and a tuner circuit disposed on the first signal line. and includes a second signal line connecting the processor and the second antenna, wherein the processor receives feedback of a signal transmitted to the second antenna when the electronic device is in a folded state, detects the phase of the feedback signal, determines a time constant of the tuner circuit placed on the first signal line based on the detected phase of the signal, adjusts the phase of the first antenna based on the determined time constant of the tuner circuit, identifies at least one of a transmit critical situation or a receive critical situation based on electric field conditions, and if the transmit critical situation is identified, controls the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna and the second antenna to operate with a dominant impedance for transmission by applying a transmit weighting to the antenna with lower performance, and controls the other antenna excluding the antenna with lower performance to operate with a dominant impedance for reception, and if the receive critical situation, or both the transmit and receive critical situations are identified, controls the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna and the second antenna to apply a receive weighting An electronic device configured to control operation with an impedance dominant for reception by applying, and to control other antennas, excluding the antenna with lower performance, to operate with an impedance dominant for transmission. Claim 2 An electronic device according to claim 1, comprising a phase shifter disposed between the processor and the first antenna and the second antenna, instead of the tuner circuit. Claim 3 An electronic device according to claim 2, further comprising a memory; and a divider, wherein the processor is configured to control the phase of a first signal distributed by the divider and transmitted to the first antenna and the phase of a second signal transmitted to the second antenna by changing the phase with a control value of the phase shifter stored in the memory when the phase shifter is disposed between the processor and the first antenna and the second antenna instead of the tuner circuit. Claim 4 delete Claim 5 delete Claim 6 delete Claim 7 An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electric field condition comprises at least one of AGC (automatic gain control) and SNR (signal to noise ratio). Claim 8 The electronic device according to claim 1 further comprises a power divider for distributing power to each of the first antenna and the second antenna, wherein the processor determines the power supplied to each of the first antenna and the second antenna through the power divider based on the electronic device being detected in the folded state using the sensor circuit, and determines that a performance imbalance has occurred between the first antenna and the second antenna if the power supplied to the first antenna and the second antenna through the power divider is different, and is configured to perform a first power backoff to the first antenna and a second power backoff different from the first power to the second antenna. Claim 9 In claim 8, the sensor circuit comprises: a first grip sensor electrically connected to the first antenna; and a second grip sensor electrically connected to the second antenna. Claim 10 In claim 9, the processor is an electronic device configured to detect contact of an external object with respect to the electronic device through the first grip sensor and the second grip sensor. Claim 11 An electronic device configured such that, in claim 10, the processor detects contact of the external object with respect to the electronic device and, based on the finding that a performance imbalance has occurred between the first antenna and the second antenna, identifies a surface among a plurality of surfaces constituting the exterior of the electronic device that is in contact with the external object, and performs the first power backoff for an antenna formed on one side of the surface among the first antenna and the second antenna that is in contact with the external object, and performs a third power backoff smaller than the second power for the other antenna. Claim 12 A method of operation of an electronic device including an antenna, wherein the electronic device comprises: a first housing including a first antenna; a second housing rotatably connected to the first housing through a hinge module and including a second antenna; a sensor circuit for detecting an unfolded or folded state of the electronic device; a processor operatively connected to the first antenna, the second antenna, and the sensor circuit; a first signal line connecting the processor and the first antenna; a tuner circuit disposed on the first signal line; and a second signal line connecting the processor and the second antenna, wherein the method of operation comprises, when the electronic device is in a folded state, an operation of receiving feedback on the phase of a signal transmitted to the second antenna; and an operation of detecting the phase of the feedbacked signal. A method comprising: determining a time constant of a tuner circuit placed on a first signal line based on the phase of the detected signal; adjusting the phase of the first antenna based on the determined time constant of the tuner circuit; identifying at least one of a transmission critical situation or a reception critical situation based on electric field conditions; if the transmission critical situation is identified, controlling the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna and the second antenna to operate with a dominant impedance for transmission by applying a transmission weighting, and controlling the other antenna excluding the antenna with lower performance to operate with a dominant impedance for reception; and if the reception critical situation, or the transmission and reception critical situations are identified, controlling the antenna with lower performance among the first antenna and the second antenna to operate with a dominant impedance for reception by applying a reception weighting, and controlling the other antenna excluding the antenna with lower performance to operate with a dominant impedance for transmission. Claim 13 In claim 12, a method further comprising, when a phase shifter is disposed between the processor and the first antenna and the second antenna instead of the tuner circuit, changing the phase with a control value of the phase shifter stored in the memory of the electronic device to control the phase of a first signal distributed by a divider and transmitted to the first antenna and the phase of a second signal transmitted to the second antenna. Claim 14 delete Claim 15 delete Claim 16 delete Claim 17 In claim 12, the electric field condition comprises at least one of AGC (automatic gain control) and SNR (signal to noise ratio). Claim 18 A method according to claim 12, further comprising: an operation of confirming power supplied to each of the first antenna and the second antenna through a power splitter based on the electronic device being detected in the folded state using the sensor circuit; an operation of confirming that a performance imbalance has occurred between the first antenna and the second antenna when the power supplied to the first antenna and the second antenna through the power splitter is different; and an operation of performing a first power backoff to the first antenna and performing a second power backoff to the second antenna that is different from the first power. Claim 19 A method according to claim 18, further comprising the operation of detecting contact of an external object with the electronic device through a first grip sensor electrically connected to the first antenna and a second grip sensor electrically connected to the second antenna. Claim 20 A method according to claim 19, further comprising: an operation of identifying a surface among a plurality of surfaces constituting the exterior of the electronic device that is in contact with the external object, based on the finding that, after detecting contact of the external object with the electronic device, the performance imbalance between the first antenna and the second antenna has occurred; and an operation of performing the first power backoff for an antenna formed on one side of the surface among the first antenna and the second antenna that is in contact with the external object, and performing a third power backoff smaller than the second power for the other antenna.

Images