Electronic device including antenna

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes at least one antenna structure, including a first surface and a second surface and including a first area and a second area surrounded by the first area. The antenna structure also includes: a plurality of insulating layers, arranged between the first surface and the second surface; a first conductive patch, arranged in the first area and arranged on the first surface or on the first insulating layer; a second conductive patch, at least partially overlapping the second area and arranged on the second insulating layer between the first insulating layer and the second surface; a ground layer, arranged on a third insulating layer between the second insulating layer and the second surface or on the second surface; one or more conductive walls, formed along at least a portion of the periphery of the first area and extending from the first insulating layer to the ground layer. The electronic device includes at least one wireless communication circuit, electrically connected to the second conductive patch and configured to send a signal and receive a signal, the signal having a frequency between 3 GHz and 100 GHz.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an antenna and an electronic device including the antenna. Background Art

[0002] With the development of wireless communication technology, communication electronic devices are commonly used in daily life, thereby exponentially increasing the use of content. Therefore, network capacity limits may be exhausted. After the commercialization of the 4th generation (4G) communication system, in order to meet the growing demand for wireless data traffic, a communication system (e.g., 5th generation (5G), pre-5G communication system or new radio (NR)) is being developed that uses high-frequency (e.g., millimeter wave (mmWave)) bands (e.g., 3 gigahertz (GHz) to 300 GHz bands) to send and / or receive signals.

[0003] Next generation wireless communication technology is currently being developed to allow signal transmission / reception using frequencies in the 3 GHz to 100 GHz range, overcome high free space losses attributed to frequency characteristics, implement efficient mounting structures for increasing antenna gain, and implement related new structures for antennas.

[0004] An antenna operating in the above-mentioned operating frequency band may include at least one conductive patch that can easily achieve high gain and dual polarization as an antenna element. However, due to the position relatively close to the ground of the printed circuit board, it may be difficult to achieve a wide bandwidth. In order to solve this problem, a conductive radiator having a certain shape and size can be arranged around the conductive patch for coupling. For example, the conductive radiator can be set at a position capable of coupling with the conductive patch, and can be formed by a conductive plate having a shape and size similar to that of the conductive patch, or by a plurality of conductive patches arranged around the conductive patch at regular intervals to have a periodic structure.

[0005] Although a wide frequency band can be achieved, such an antenna structure using a conductive plate may face a reduction in radiation efficiency because resonance is formed opposite to the resonance mode of the conductive patch in the operating frequency band. In the case of applying a conductive patch, a design for tuning to a desired frequency band is difficult, and isolation performance may be reduced due to an increase in the effective size of the antenna.

[0006] The above information is presented as background information only to assist with understanding the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above content may be applicable as prior art with respect to the present disclosure. Summary of the invention

[0007] Aspects of the present disclosure are to address at least the above-mentioned problems and / or disadvantages and provide at least the advantages described below. Therefore, one aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an antenna and an electronic device including the antenna.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an antenna that is relatively easy to design and an electronic device including the antenna.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an antenna having improved isolation performance to operate in a wide bandwidth and prevent a reduction in radiation efficiency, and an electronic device including the same.

[0010] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes: a housing including a first plate, a second plate facing a direction opposite to the first plate, and a side member surrounding a space between the first plate and the second plate and connected to the second plate or formed integrally with the second plate. The electronic device may also include: a display disposed in the space of the housing so as to be visible from the outside of the housing through at least a portion of the first plate; and at least one antenna structure disposed in the space of the housing, including a first surface and a second surface facing a direction opposite to the first surface, and including a first area and a second area surrounded by the first area when viewed from above the first surface. The antenna structure may also include: a plurality of insulating layers disposed between the first surface and the second surface; a first conductive patch disposed in the first region when viewed from above the first surface and disposed on the first surface or on the first insulating layer closer to the first surface than to the second surface; a second conductive patch at least partially overlapping the second region when viewed from above the first surface and disposed on the second insulating layer between the first insulating layer and the second surface; a ground layer disposed on a third insulating layer between the second insulating layer and the second surface or on the second surface; and one or more conductive walls formed along at least a portion of the periphery of the first region when viewed from above the first surface and extending from the first insulating layer to the ground layer. The electronic device may also include at least one wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the second conductive patch and configured to transmit and receive at least one of a signal having a frequency between about 3 GHz and about 100 GHz.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes: a housing including a first plate, a second plate facing a direction opposite to the first plate, and a side member surrounding a space between the first plate and the second plate and connected to the second plate or formed integrally with the second plate; a printed circuit board disposed in the space of the housing, including a first surface and a second surface facing a direction opposite to the first surface, and including a first area and a second area surrounded by the first area when viewed from above the first surface; a plurality of insulating layers disposed between the first surface and the second surface; a first conductive patch at least partially overlapping the first area when viewed from above the first surface and exposed to the first surface or disposed between the first surface and the second surface; on an insulating layer proximate to the first surface; a second conductive patch at least partially overlapping the second region when viewed from above the first surface and disposed on the insulating layer; at least one ground layer disposed on the second surface or on the insulating layer between the second conductive patch and the second surface; one or more conductive walls extending from at least a portion of the periphery of the first region when viewed from above the first surface and disposed at a position to capacitively couple with the first conductive patch; and at least one wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the second conductive patch through the plurality of insulating layers and configured to transmit and receive at least one of a signal having a frequency between about 3 GHz and about 100 GHz.

[0013] Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses various embodiments of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device in a network environment according to various embodiments;

[0016] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an electronic device for supporting traditional network communication and 5G network communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 3A is a perspective view showing a front surface of a mobile electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 3B This is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3A a perspective view of a rear surface of an electronic device;

[0019] Figure 3C This is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3A An exploded perspective view of an electronic device;

[0020] Figure 4A According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2 Shown and referenced in Figure 2 An embodiment of the structure of the third antenna module described;

[0021] Figure 4B According to the embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 4A A cross-sectional view taken along the line Y-Y';

[0022] Figure 5A is a perspective view showing an antenna module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 5B The present invention is shown in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5A A top view of the antenna module shown in FIG.

[0024] Fig. 6A According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5B A cross-sectional view taken along line AA' in FIG.

[0025] Figure 6B is a cross-sectional view partially showing an antenna module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 7 is a graph comparing return losses of antenna modules according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Fig. 8A , Figure 8B , Fig.9A and Fig. 9B is a graph showing impedance characteristics and current distribution with respect to frequency of an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Fig.10 is a perspective view partially showing an antenna module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Fig.11 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.10 A graph showing the frequency characteristics of the distance between the conductive walls as shown;

[0030] Fig. 12A , Fig. 12B , Fig. 12C , Fig.12D and Fig.12E is a diagram showing a configuration of an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] Fig.12Fand Figure 12G is a diagram showing a configuration of an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0032] Fig.12H is a diagram showing a configuration of an antenna module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Fig.13A and Fig. 13B is a diagram showing an arrangement relationship between a second conductive patch and a conductive wall according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0034] Fig.14 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 13B A graph showing frequency characteristics of a gap change between the first conductive patch and the conductive wall;

[0035] Fig.15 is a perspective view showing an antenna module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Fig.16 is a cross-sectional view partially showing a stacked structure of an antenna module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Fig.17 is a diagram showing a configuration of an antenna module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0038] Fig.18 The invention is based on an embodiment of the present invention. Fig.17 a graph showing the frequency characteristics of the spacing between the antenna structures shown;

[0039] Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals will be understood to refer to like parts, components and structures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram showing an electronic device 101 in a network environment 100 according to various embodiments. Figure 1, the electronic device 101 in the network environment 100 may communicate with the electronic device 102 via the first network 198 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or communicate with the electronic device 104 or the server 108 via the second network 199 (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may communicate with the electronic device 104 via the server 108. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may include a processor 120, a memory 130, an input device 150, a sound output device 155, a display device 160, an audio module 170, a sensor module 176, an interface 177, a haptic module 179, a camera module 180, a power management module 188, a battery 189, a communication module 190, a user identification module (SIM) 196, or an antenna module 197. In some embodiments, at least one of the components (e.g., the display device 160 or the camera module 180) may be omitted from the electronic device 101, or one or more other components may be added to the electronic device 101. In some embodiments, some of the components may be implemented as a single integrated circuit.For example, the sensor module 176 (eg, a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illumination sensor) may be implemented to be embedded in the display device 160 (eg, a display).

[0041] The processor 120 may run, for example, software (e.g., program 140) to control at least one other component (e.g., hardware component or software component) of the electronic device 101 connected to the processor 120, and may perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or calculation, the processor 120 may load a command or data received from another component (e.g., sensor module 176 or communication module 190) into the volatile memory 132, process the command or data stored in the volatile memory 132, and store the resultant data in the non-volatile memory 134. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may include a main processor 121 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP)) and an auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor (CP)) that is operationally independent or combined with the main processor 121. Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary processor 123 may be adapted to consume less power than the main processor 121, or adapted to be specifically used for a specified function. The auxiliary processor 123 may be implemented separately from the main processor 121 , or as part of the main processor 121 .

[0042] When the main processor 121 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, the auxiliary processor 123 may control at least some of the functions or states related to at least one component (e.g., display device 160, sensor module 176, or communication module 190) among the components of the electronic device 101 (not the main processor 121), or when the main processor 121 is in an active state (e.g., running an application), the auxiliary processor 123 may control at least some of the functions or states related to at least one component (e.g., display device 160, sensor module 176, or communication module 190) among the components of the electronic device 101 together with the main processor 121. According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as part of another component (e.g., camera module 180 or communication module 190) that is functionally related to the auxiliary processor 123.

[0043] The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the processor 120 or the sensor module 176). The various data may include, for example, software (e.g., the program 140) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory 130 may include a volatile memory 132 or a nonvolatile memory 134.

[0044] The program 140 may be stored as software in the memory 130 , and may include, for example, an operating system (OS) 142 , middleware 144 , or applications 146 .

[0045] The input device 150 may receive commands or data to be used by other components (eg, the processor 120) of the electronic device 101 from outside the electronic device 101 (eg, a user). The input device 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, or a keyboard.

[0046] The sound output device 155 can output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device 101. The sound output device 155 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes such as playing multimedia or playing records, and the receiver can be used for incoming calls. Depending on the embodiment, the receiver can be implemented as a separate part from the speaker, or as a part of the speaker.

[0047] The display device 160 may visually provide information to the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., a user). The display device 160 may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector, and a control circuit for controlling a corresponding one of the display, the holographic device, and the projector. According to an embodiment, the display device 160 may include a touch circuit adapted to detect a touch or a sensor circuit (e.g., a pressure sensor) adapted to measure the strength of a force caused by a touch.

[0048] The audio module 170 may convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 may obtain sound via the input device 150, or output sound via the sound output device 155 or an earphone of an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102) directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly connected to the electronic device 101.

[0049] The sensor module 176 may detect an operating state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device 101 or an environmental state (e.g., a user's state) outside the electronic device 101, and then generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. Depending on the embodiment, the sensor module 176 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illumination sensor.

[0050] The interface 177 may support one or more specific protocols to be used to connect the electronic device 101 directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102). According to an embodiment, the interface 177 may include, for example, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a secure digital (SD) card interface, or an audio interface.

[0051] The connection end 178 may include a connector, wherein the electronic device 101 can be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102) via the connector. According to an embodiment, the connection end 178 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0052] The haptic module 179 may convert the electrical signal into mechanical stimulation (eg, vibration or motion) or electrical stimulation that can be recognized by the user via his sense of touch or kinesthetic sense. According to an embodiment, the haptic module 179 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulator.

[0053] The camera module 180 may capture still images or moving images. According to an embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, an image signal processor, or a flash.

[0054] The power management module 188 may manage power supply to the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the power management module 188 may be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0055] The battery 189 may power at least one component of the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the battery 189 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0056] The communication module 190 may support establishing a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102, electronic device 104, or server 108), and perform communication via the established communication channel. The communication module 190 may include one or more communication processors capable of operating independently from the processor 120 (e.g., an application processor (AP)) and supporting direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to an embodiment, the communication module 190 may include a wireless communication module 192 (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication (PLC) module). A corresponding one of these communication modules can communicate with an external electronic device via a first network 198 (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) Direct, or Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) or a second network 199 (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or a wide area network (WAN))). These various types of communication modules can be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single chip), or these various types of communication modules can be implemented as multiple components separated from each other (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module 192 can identify and authenticate the electronic device 101 in a communication network (such as the first network 198 or the second network 199) using user information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)) stored in the user identification module 196.

[0057] The antenna module 197 may transmit or receive a signal or power to or from the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., an external electronic device). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include one or more antennas, and thus, at least one antenna suitable for a communication scheme used in a communication network (such as the first network 198 or the second network 199) may be selected by, for example, the communication module 190 (e.g., the wireless communication module 192). A signal or power may then be transmitted or received between the communication module 190 and the external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna.

[0058] At least some of the above components may be connected to each other via an inter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, a general purpose input output (GPIO), a serial peripheral interface (SPI), or a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)) and communicatively transmit signals (e.g., commands or data) therebetween.

[0059] According to an embodiment, a command or data may be sent or received between the electronic device 101 and the external electronic device 104 via the server 108 connected to the second network 199. Each of the electronic device 102 and the electronic device 104 may be a device of the same type as the electronic device 101, or a device of a different type from the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, all or some operations to be executed in the electronic device 101 may be executed in one or more of the external electronic device 102, the external electronic device 104, or the server 108. For example, if the electronic device 101 should automatically execute a function or service or should execute a function or service in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device 101 may request the one or more external electronic devices to execute at least part of the function or service instead of executing the function or service, or the electronic device 101 may request the one or more external electronic devices to execute at least part of the function or service in addition to executing the function or service. The one or more external electronic devices that receive the request may execute the requested at least part of the function or service, or execute another function or another 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 at least a partial reply to the request with or without further processing the result. To this end, for example, cloud computing technology, distributed computing technology, or client-server computing technology may be used.

[0060] The electronic device according to various embodiments may be one of various types of electronic devices. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smart phone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a household appliance. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device is not limited to those electronic devices described above.

[0061] It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present disclosure and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features set forth herein to specific embodiments, but include various changes, equivalents or alternative forms for corresponding embodiments. For the description of the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar or related elements. It will be understood that the nouns in the singular form corresponding to the term may include one or more things unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each phrase in the 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 include all possible combinations of items listed together with the corresponding one of the multiple phrases. As used herein, terms such as "1st" and "2nd" or "first" and "second" may be used to simply distinguish the corresponding component from another component, and do not limit the component in other aspects (e.g., importance or order). It will be understood that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to as being “combined with another element (e.g., the second element)”, “combined to another element (e.g., the second element)”, “connected with another element (e.g., the second element)”, or “connected to another element (e.g., the second element)” when the terms “operably” or “communicatively” are used or when the terms “operably” or “communicatively” are not used, it means that the element may be directly (e.g., wired) connected to the other element, wirelessly connected to the other element, or connected to the other element via a third element.

[0062] As used herein, the term "module" may include units implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with other terms (e.g., "logic," "logic block," "portion," or "circuit"). A module may be a single integrated component adapted to perform one or more functions or the smallest unit or portion of the single integrated component. For example, depending on the implementation, a module may be implemented in the form of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0063] The various embodiments described herein may be implemented as software (e.g., program 140) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 136 or external memory 138) that can be read by a machine (e.g., electronic device 101). For example, under the control of a processor, 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 the at least one instruction with or without the use of one or more other components. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one instruction called. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code that can be run by an interpreter. A machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Among them, the term "non-transitory" only means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not include signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), but the term does not distinguish between data being semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and data being temporarily stored in the storage medium.

[0064] According to the implementation, the methods according to various implementations of the present disclosure may be included and provided 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 released in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be downloaded via an application store (e.g., Play Store TM ) The computer program product may be published (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) online, or the computer program product may be distributed (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones). If published online, at least part of the computer program product may be temporarily generated, or at least part of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored in a machine-readable storage medium (such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a forwarding server).

[0065] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., module or program) in the above-mentioned components may include a single entity or multiple entities. According to various embodiments, one or more components in the above-mentioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (e.g., module or program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, according to various embodiments, the integrated component may still perform the one or more functions of each component in the multiple components in the same or similar manner as a corresponding component in the multiple components before integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, program or another component may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly or in a heuristic manner, or one or more operations in the operations may be run or omitted in different orders, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0066] Figure 2 An electronic device 101 is shown in a network environment 200 including multiple cellular networks according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0067] Reference Figure 2 , the electronic device 101 includes a first communication processor 212, a second communication processor 214, a first RFIC 222, a second RFIC 224, a third RFIC 226, a fourth RFIC 228, a first RF front end (RFFE) 232, a second RFFE 234, a first antenna module 242, a second antenna module 244, an antenna 248, a processor 120, and a memory 130. The second network 199 includes a first cellular network 292 and a second cellular network 294. The electronic device 101 may also include a reference Figure 1 The first communication processor 212, the second communication processor 214, the first RFIC 222, the second RFIC 224, the fourth RFIC 228, the first RFFE 232, and the second RFFE 234 may form at least part of the wireless communication module 192. The fourth RFIC 228 may be omitted or included as part of the third RFIC 226.

[0068] The first communication processor 212 can establish a communication channel of a frequency band to be used for wireless communication with the first cellular network 292, and support traditional network communication through the established communication channel. The first cellular network can be a traditional network including a second generation (2G), 3G, 4G or long term evolution (LTE) network. The second communication processor 214 can establish a communication channel corresponding to a specified frequency band (e.g., about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) in the frequency band to be used for wireless communication with the second cellular network 294, and support 5G network communication through the established communication channel. The second cellular network 294 can be a 5G network defined in the 3G Partnership Project (3GPP).

[0069] The first communication processor 212 or the second communication processor 214 can establish a communication channel corresponding to another designated frequency band (e.g., about 6 GHz or less) in the frequency band to be used for wireless communication with the second cellular network 294, and support 5G network communication through the established communication channel. The first communication processor 212 and the second communication processor 214 can be implemented as a single chip or a single package. The first communication processor 212 or the second communication processor 214 can be formed as a single chip or a single package with the processor 120, the auxiliary processor 123, or the communication module 190.

[0070] When transmitting, the first RFIC 222 may convert a baseband signal generated by the first communication processor 212 into a radio frequency (RF) signal of about 700 MHz to about 3 GHz used in the first cellular network 292 (e.g., a legacy network). When receiving, an RF signal may be obtained from the first cellular network 292 through the first antenna module 242 and pre-processed by the first RFFE 232. The first RFIC 222 may convert the pre-processed RF signal into a baseband signal so that it can be processed by the first communication processor 212.

[0071] When transmitting, the second RFIC 224 can convert the baseband signal generated by the first communication processor 212 or the second communication processor 214 into an RF signal of the Sub6 frequency band (e.g., 6 GHz or less) to be used in the second cellular network 294 (e.g., a 5G network) (hereinafter referred to as a 5G Sub6 RF signal).

[0072] When receiving, a 5G Sub6 RF signal can be obtained from a second cellular network 294 (e.g., a 5G network) through the second antenna module 244, and the 5G Sub6 RF signal can be pre-processed through the second RFFE 234. The second RFIC 224 can convert the pre-processed 5G Sub6 RF signal into a baseband signal so that it can be processed by the corresponding communication processor in the first communication processor 212 or the second communication processor 214.

[0073] The third RFIC 226 may convert the baseband signal generated by the second communication processor 214 into an RF signal (hereinafter referred to as a 5G Above6 RF signal) of a 5G Above6 frequency band (e.g., about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) to be used in the second cellular network 294 (e.g., a 5G network). When receiving, the 5G Above6 RF signal may be obtained from the second cellular network 294 through the antenna 248, and the 5G Above6 RF signal may be pre-processed by the third RFFE 236. The third RFIC 226 may convert the pre-processed 5G Above6 RF signal into a baseband signal so as to be processed by the second communication processor 214. The third RFFE 236 may be formed as part of the third RFIC 226.

[0074] The electronic device 101 may include a fourth RFIC 228 that is separate from the third RFIC 226 or is at least part of the third RFIC 226. In this case, the fourth RFIC 228 may convert the baseband signal generated by the second communication processor 214 into an RF signal of an intermediate frequency band (e.g., about 9 GHz to about 11 GHz) (hereinafter referred to as an intermediate frequency (IF) signal), and transmit the IF signal to the third RFIC 226. The third RFIC 226 may convert the IF signal into a 5G Above6 RF signal. When receiving, the 5G Above6 RF signal may be received from the second cellular network 294 through the antenna 248, and the 5GAbove6 RF signal may be converted into an IF signal through the third RFIC 226. The fourth RFIC 228 may convert the IF signal into a baseband signal so that it is processed by the second communication processor 214.

[0075] The first RFIC 222 and the second RFIC 224 may be implemented as at least part of a single package or a single chip. The first RFFE 232 and the second RFFE 234 may be implemented as at least part of a single package or a single chip. At least one of the first antenna module 242 and the second antenna module 244 may be omitted, or may be combined with another antenna module to process RF signals of corresponding multiple frequency bands.

[0076] The third RFIC 226 and the antenna 248 may be disposed on the same substrate to form a third antenna module 246. For example, the wireless communication module 192 or the processor 120 may be disposed on a first substrate (e.g., a main printed circuit board (PCB)). The third RFIC 226 is disposed in a local area (e.g., a lower surface) of the first substrate and the separated second substrate (e.g., a sub-PCB), and the antenna 248 is disposed in another local area (e.g., an upper surface) of the first substrate and the separated second substrate, thereby forming the third antenna module 246. By disposing the third RFIC 226 and the antenna 248 in the same substrate, the length of the transmission line between them can be reduced. This can reduce the loss (e.g., attenuation) of the signal of the high frequency band (e.g., about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) to be used in 5G network communication caused by the transmission line. Therefore, the electronic device 101 can improve the quality or speed of communication with the second cellular network 294.

[0077] The antenna 248 can be formed as an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements that can be used for beamforming. In this case, the third RFIC 226 may include a plurality of phase shifters 238 corresponding to the plurality of antenna elements as part of the third RFFE 236. When transmitting, each of the plurality of phase shifters 238 can convert the phase of a 5G Above6 RF signal to be sent to the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., a base station of a 5G network) through the corresponding antenna element. When receiving, each of the plurality of phase shifters 238 can convert the phase of a 5G Above6 RF signal received from the outside through the corresponding antenna element to the same phase or substantially the same phase. This enables transmission or reception to be performed through beamforming between the electronic device 101 and the outside.

[0078] The second cellular network 294 can work independently of the first cellular network 292 (e.g., a traditional network) (e.g., independent networking (SA)), or can work in combination with the first cellular network 292 (e.g., non-independent networking (NSA)). For example, a 5G network may have only an access network (e.g., a 5G radio access network (RAN) or a next generation (NG) RAN) and not a next generation core network (NGC). After accessing the access network of the 5G network, the electronic device 101 can access an external network (e.g., the Internet) under the control of a core network of the traditional network (e.g., an evolved packet switching core network (EPC)). LTE protocol information for communicating with a traditional network or new radio (NR) protocol information for communicating with a 5G network can be stored in the memory 130 for access by the processor 120, the first communication processor 212, or the second communication processor 214.

[0079] Figure 3Ais a perspective view showing a front surface of a mobile electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0080] Figure 3B This is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3A A perspective view of a rear surface of an electronic device.

[0081] Reference Figure 3A and Figure 3B According to one embodiment, the electronic device 320 may include a housing 310, the housing 310 including a first surface (or front surface) 310A, a second surface (or rear surface) 310B, and a side surface 310C surrounding a space between the first surface 310A and the second surface 310B. According to another embodiment, the housing 310 may refer to a structure forming a portion of the first surface 310A, the second surface 310B, and the side surface 310C. According to one embodiment, the first surface 310A may be formed by a front plate 302 (e.g., a glass plate or a polymer plate coated with various coatings), and at least a portion of the front plate 102 is substantially transparent. The second surface 310B may be formed by a substantially opaque rear plate 311. The rear plate 311 may be formed by, for example, coated or colored glass, ceramics, polymers, metals (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS) or magnesium), or any combination thereof. The side surface 310C may be formed by a side frame structure (or "side member") 318 that is combined with the front plate 302 and the rear plate 311 and includes metal and / or polymer. The rear plate 311 and the side frame structure 318 may be integrally formed and may be made of the same material (e.g., a metal material such as aluminum).

[0082] In the illustrated embodiment, the front plate 302 may include two first regions 310D, which are respectively disposed at the long edges of the front plate 302 and are seamlessly bent and extended from the first surface 310A toward the rear plate 311. In the illustrated embodiment, the rear plate 311 may include two second regions 310E, which are respectively disposed at the long edges of the rear plate 311 and are seamlessly bent and extended from the second surface 310B toward the front plate 302 (see FIG. Figure 2 ). In various embodiments, the front plate 302 (or the rear plate 311) may include only one of the first regions 310D (or the second regions 310E). In various embodiments, the first region 310D or the second region 310E may be partially omitted. In an embodiment, when viewed from the side of the electronic device 300, the side frame structure 318 may have a first thickness (or width) on a side that does not include one of the first regions 310D or one of the second regions 310E, and may have a second thickness that is less than the first thickness on another side that includes one of the first regions 310D or one of the second regions 310E.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may include at least one of the following: a display 301, audio modules 303, 307, and 314, sensor modules 304, 316, and 319, camera modules 305, 312, and 313, a key input device 317, a light emitting device 306, and connector holes 308 and 309. In various embodiments, the electronic device 300 may omit at least one of the above components (e.g., the key input device 317 or the light emitting device 306), or may further include other components.

[0084] For example, the display 301 may be exposed through a substantial portion of the front plate 302. In various embodiments, at least a portion of the display 301 may be exposed through the front plate 302 forming the first surface 310A and the first area 310D. In various embodiments, the outline (i.e., edges and corners) of the display 301 may have substantially the same form as the outline of the front plate 302. In another embodiment (not shown), in order to expand the exposed area of ​​the display 301, the interval between the outline of the display 301 and the outline of the front plate 302 may be substantially unchanged.

[0085] In another embodiment (not shown), a recess or opening may be formed in a portion of the display area of ​​the display 301 to accommodate at least one of an audio module (e.g., audio module 314), a sensor module 304, a camera module 305, and a light emitting device 306. In another embodiment (not shown), at least one of an audio module (e.g., audio module 314), a sensor module 304, a camera module 305, a sensor module 316 (e.g., a fingerprint sensor), and a light emitting device 306 may be disposed on the back of the display area of ​​the display 301. In another embodiment (not shown), the display 301 may be combined with or adjacent to a touch sensing circuit, a pressure sensor capable of measuring touch intensity (pressure), and / or a digitizer for detecting a stylus. In various embodiments, at least a portion of the sensor modules 304 and 319 and / or at least a portion of the key input device 317 may be disposed in one of the first regions 310D and / or one of the second regions 310E.

[0086] Audio modules 303, 307, and 314 may correspond to microphone holes (e.g., audio module 303) and speaker holes (e.g., audio modules 307 and 314). The microphone hole may include a microphone disposed therein for acquiring external sound, and in one case, may include multiple microphones to sense the direction of the sound. The speaker hole may be classified into an external speaker hole and a call receiver hole. In various embodiments, the microphone hole and the speaker hole may be implemented as a single hole, or a speaker (e.g., a piezoelectric speaker) may be provided without a speaker hole.

[0087] The sensor modules 304, 316, and 319 may generate electrical signals or data corresponding to the internal operating state or external environmental conditions of the electronic device 300. The sensor modules 304, 316, and 319 may include a first sensor module (e.g., sensor module 304) (e.g., proximity sensor) and / or a second sensor module (e.g., fingerprint sensor) disposed on the first surface 310A of the housing 310, and / or a third sensor module (e.g., sensor module 319) (e.g., heart rate monitor (HRM) sensor) and / or a fourth sensor module (e.g., sensor module 316) (e.g., fingerprint sensor) disposed on the second surface 310B of the housing 310. The fingerprint sensor may be disposed on the first surface 310A (e.g., display 301) of the housing 310 and the second surface 310B of the housing 310. The electronic device 300 may further include at least one of the following: a gesture sensor, a gyroscope sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illumination sensor.

[0088] The camera modules 305, 312 and 313 may include a first camera device (e.g., camera module 305) disposed on the first surface 310A of the electronic device 300, and a second camera device (e.g., camera module 312) and / or a flash (e.g., camera module 313) disposed on the second surface 310B. The camera module 305 or the camera module 312 may include one or more lenses, an image sensor and / or an image signal processor. The flash may include, for example, a light emitting diode or a xenon lamp. In various embodiments, two or more lenses (infrared camera, wide-angle and telephoto lenses) and an image sensor may be disposed on one side of the electronic device 300.

[0089] The key input device 317 may be provided on the side surface 310C of the housing 310. In another embodiment, the electronic device 300 may not include some or all of the key input devices 317 described above, and the key input device 317 not included may be implemented in another form such as a soft key on the display 301. In various embodiments, the key input device 317 may include a sensor module 316 provided on the second surface 310B of the housing 310.

[0090] For example, the light emitting device 306 may be disposed on the first surface 310A of the housing 310. For example, the light emitting device 306 may provide status information of the electronic device 300 in an optical form. In various embodiments, the light emitting device 306 may provide a light source associated with the operation of the camera module 305. The light emitting device 306 may include, for example, a light emitting diode (LED), an infrared (IR) LED, or a xenon lamp.

[0091] Connector holes 308 and 309 may include: a first connector hole (e.g., connector hole 308), a connector suitable for sending and receiving power and / or data to and from an external electronic device (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) connector); and / or a second connector hole (e.g., connector hole 309), a connector suitable for sending and receiving audio signals to and from an external electronic device (e.g., a headphone jack).

[0092] Figure 3C This is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3A An exploded perspective view of an electronic device.

[0093] Reference Figure 3C , electronic device 322 (e.g., Figure 3A The electronic device 300 may include a side frame structure 321, a first support member 3211 (e.g., a bracket), a front panel 322, a display 323 (e.g., the display 101), a printed circuit board (PCB) 321, a battery 325, a second support member 326 (e.g., a back cover), an antenna 327, and a back panel 328. In various embodiments, the electronic device 322 may omit at least one of the above components (e.g., the first support member 3211 or the second support member 326), or may further include another component. Some components of the electronic device 322 may be different from those of the electronic device 322. Figure 3A or Figure 3B Those components of the illustrated electronic device 300 are the same or similar, and thus description thereof is omitted below.

[0094] The first support member 3211 is disposed inside the electronic device 322 and can be connected to the side frame structure 321 or integrated with the side frame structure 321. The first support member 3211 can be formed of, for example, a metal material and / or a non-metallic (e.g., polymer) material. The first support member 3211 can be combined with the display 323 on one side thereof and can also be combined with the PCB 321 on the other side thereof. On the PCB 321, a processor, a memory and / or an interface can be installed. The processor can include, for example, one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), an application processor (AP), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor (CP).

[0095] The memory may include, for example, volatile memory or non-volatile memory.

[0096] The interface may include, for example, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a USB interface, a secure digital (SD) card interface, and / or an audio interface. The interface may electrically or physically connect the electronic device 322 to an external electronic device, and may include a USB connector, an SD card / multimedia card (MMC) connector, or an audio connector.

[0097] The battery 325 is a device for supplying power to at least one component of the electronic device 322, and may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell. At least a portion of the battery 325 may be disposed on substantially the same plane as the PCB 321. The battery 325 may be integrally disposed within the electronic device 322, and may be detachably disposed from the electronic device 322.

[0098] The antenna 327 may be disposed between the back plate 328 and the battery 325. The antenna 327 may include, for example, a near field communication (NFC) antenna, a wireless charging antenna, and / or a magnetic secure transmission (MST) antenna. The antenna 327 may perform short-range communication with an external device, or transmit and receive power required for wireless charging. The antenna structure may be formed by a portion or combination of the side frame structure 321 and / or the first support member 3211.

[0099] Figure 4A A reference according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 The structure of the third antenna module is described.

[0100] Figure 4A (a) is a perspective view showing the third antenna module 246 viewed from one side, Figure 4A (b) is a perspective view showing the third antenna module 246 viewed from the other side, Figure 4A (c) shows that along Figure 4A FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the third antenna module 246 taken along line XX′ of FIG. 2 .

[0101] Reference Figure 4A , the third antenna module 246 includes a printed circuit board 410, an antenna array 430, an RFIC 452, and a PMIC 454. The third antenna module 246 further includes a shielding member 490. At least one of the above components may be omitted, or at least two of the components may be integrally formed.

[0102] The printed circuit board 410 may include a plurality of conductive layers and a plurality of non-conductive layers alternately stacked with the conductive layers. The printed circuit board 410 may provide electrical connections between the printed circuit board 410 and / or various electronic components disposed outside using wiring and conductive paths formed in the conductive layers.

[0103] The antenna array 430 includes a plurality of antenna elements 432, 434, 436, or 438 configured to form a directional beam. The antenna elements 432, 434, 436, or 438 may be formed on a first surface of the printed circuit board 410. The antenna array 430 may be formed inside the printed circuit board 410. The antenna array 430 may include a plurality of antenna arrays of the same or different shapes or types (e.g., a dipole antenna array and / or a patch antenna array).

[0104] The RFIC 452 may be disposed on a second surface of the printed circuit board 410 opposite to the first surface, spaced apart from the antenna array. The RFIC 452 is configured to process a signal of a selected frequency band transmitted / received through the antenna array 430. When transmitting, the RFIC 452 may convert a baseband signal obtained from the communication processor into an RF signal of a specified frequency band. When receiving, the RFIC 452 may convert an RF signal received through the antenna array 430 into a baseband signal and transmit the baseband signal to the communication processor.

[0105] When transmitting, RFIC 452 can convert an IF signal (e.g., about 9 GHz to about 11 GHz) obtained from an intermediate frequency integrated circuit (IFIC) into an RF signal of a selected frequency band. When receiving, RFIC 452 can down-convert the RF signal obtained by antenna array 430, convert the RF signal into an IF signal, and transmit the IF signal to the IFIC.

[0106] The PMIC 454 may be disposed in another local area (eg, the second surface) of the printed circuit board 410 spaced apart from the antenna array 430. The PMIC 454 may receive a voltage from the main PCB to provide power required by the RFIC 452 on the antenna module.

[0107] The shielding member 490 may be provided at a portion (eg, the second surface) of the printed circuit board 410 to electromagnetically shield at least one of the RFIC 452 or the PMIC 454. The shielding member 490 may include a shield case.

[0108] Alternatively, the third antenna module 246 may be electrically connected to another printed circuit board (e.g., a main circuit board) via a module interface. The module interface may include a connecting member, a coaxial cable connector, a board-to-board connector, an interposer, or a flexible PCB (FPCB). The RFIC 452 and / or PMIC 454 of the antenna module may be electrically connected to the printed circuit board via a connecting member.

[0109] Figure 4B The invention is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4A FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the third antenna module 246 taken along line YY′ of FIG. 4A . The printed circuit board 410 of the illustrated embodiment may include an antenna layer 411 and a network layer 413 .

[0110] Reference Figure 4B The antenna layer 411 includes at least one dielectric layer 437-1 and an antenna element 436 and / or a feed portion 425 formed on or inside an outer surface of the dielectric layer. The feed portion 425 may include a feed point 427 and / or a feed line 429.

[0111] The network layer 413 includes at least one dielectric layer 437 - 2 , at least one ground layer 433 formed on or inside the outer surface of the dielectric layer, at least one conductive path 435 , a transmission line 423 and / or a feed line 429 .

[0112] Figure 4A (c) The RFIC 452 can be electrically connected to the network layer 413 through the first solder bump 440-1 and the second solder bump 440-2. Alternatively, various connection structures (e.g., solder or a ball grid array (BGA)) can be used instead of the solder bump. The RFIC 452 can be electrically connected to the antenna element 436 through the first solder bump 440-1, the transmission line 423 and the feeding portion 425. The RFIC 452 can also be electrically connected to the ground layer 433 through the second solder bump 440-2 and the conductive path 435. The RFIC 452 can also be electrically connected to the above-mentioned module interface through the feeding line 429.

[0113] Figure 5A is a perspective view showing an antenna module 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5B The present invention is shown in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5A FIG. 5 is a top view of the antenna module 500 shown in FIG.

[0114] Figure 5A and Figure 5B The antenna module 500 may be at least partially similar to Figure 2 The third antenna module 246 may include other embodiments of the antenna module.

[0115] Reference Figure 5A and Figure 5B , the antenna module 500 may include an antenna array AR1 composed of a plurality of antenna structures 510, 520, 530, and 540. According to one embodiment, the plurality of antenna structures 510, 520, 530, and 540 may be formed on a printed circuit board (PCB) 590. According to one embodiment, the PCB 590 may have a first direction (indicated by ①, for example, Figure 3B -Z direction in the first surface 591), facing the direction opposite to the first surface 591 (indicated by ②, for example, Figure 3A The antenna module 500 includes a second surface 592 (in the Z direction in the PCB 590), and a side surface 593 surrounding a space between the first surface 591 and the second surface 592. According to one embodiment, the antenna module 500 may include a wireless communication circuit 595 disposed on the second surface 592 of the PCB 590. According to one embodiment, the plurality of antenna structures 510, 520, 530, and 540 may be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit 595. According to one embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 595 may be configured to transmit and / or receive radio frequency signals in the range of about 3 GHz to 100 GHz via the antenna array AR1.

[0116] According to various embodiments, the plurality of antenna structures 510, 520, 530, and 540 may include a first antenna structure 510, a second antenna structure 520, a third antenna structure 530, and a fourth antenna structure 540 disposed at regular intervals on a first surface 591 of the PCB 590. The antenna structures 510, 520, 530, and 540 may have substantially the same configuration. Although the antenna module 500 according to an embodiment is shown and described as including an antenna array AR1 consisting of four antenna structures 510, 520, 530, and 540, this is exemplary and should not be construed as limiting. Alternatively, the antenna module 500 may include one, two, three, five, or more antenna structures as the antenna array AR1.

[0117] According to various embodiments, when viewed from above the first surface 591 of the PCB 590, the first antenna structure 510 may include a first area 5101 and a second area 5102 surrounded by the first area 5101. According to an embodiment, when viewed from above the first surface 591, the first antenna structure 510 may include a plurality of first conductive patches 512 periodically disposed in the first area 5101. According to an embodiment, when viewed from above the first surface 591, the first antenna structure 510 may include a second conductive patch 511 at least partially overlapping the second area 5102. According to an embodiment, the first conductive patch 512 may be disposed to be capacitively coupled with the second conductive patch 511. According to an embodiment, when viewed from above the first surface 591, the first antenna structure 510 may include one or more conductive walls 5131, 5132, 5133, and 5134 formed along at least a portion of the periphery of the first area 5101. According to one embodiment, each of the conductive walls 5131, 5132, 5133, and 5134 may have a ground layer (eg, Fig. 6A The second conductive patch 511 is provided at one end of the ground layer 5903 of the second conductive patch 511, and the other end is provided at a position capable of capacitive coupling with the first conductive patch 512. According to one embodiment, the second conductive patch 511 may be formed into a shape having a four-directional symmetrical structure to realize a dual-polarized antenna. For example, the second conductive patch 511 may be formed into a square, a circle, or a regular octagon. According to one embodiment, the second conductive patch 511 may be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit 595 through a pair of feeding portions 5111 and 5112. According to one embodiment, the pair of feeding portions 5111 and 5112 may include a first feeding portion 5111 and a second feeding portion 5112 symmetrically arranged about a center line BB' of the second conductive patch 511. Therefore, the second conductive patch 511 may be formed into a dual-polarized antenna. In another embodiment, the second conductive patch 511 may include a feeding portion for dual polarization dual feeding. In yet another embodiment, the second conductive patch 511 may include only one feeding portion for single polarization. In this case, the second conductive patch 511 may not be formed in a symmetrical shape as described above.

[0118] According to various embodiments, when viewed from above the first surface 591, the first conductive patch 512 may be disposed around the second conductive patch 511 located in the center. According to one embodiment, the first conductive patch 512 may be exposed to the first surface 591 of the PCB 590 or disposed near the first surface 591 inside the PCB 590. According to one embodiment, in the PCB 590, the first conductive patch 512 may be disposed on an insulating layer different from a certain insulating layer on which the second conductive patch 511 is disposed. According to one embodiment, the insulating layer on which the first conductive patch 512 is disposed may be closer to the first surface 591 than another insulating layer on which the second conductive patch 511 is disposed. In another embodiment, the first conductive patch 512 and the second conductive patch 511 may be disposed side by side on the same insulating layer. In yet another embodiment, the insulating layer on which the first conductive patch 512 is disposed may be farther from the first surface 591 than another insulating layer on which the second conductive patch 511 is disposed. According to one embodiment, when viewed from above the first surface 591, the first conductive patch 512 may be arranged side by side with the second conductive patch 511. In another embodiment, when viewed from above the first surface 591, the first conductive patch 512 may be arranged to at least partially overlap with the second conductive patch 511. In this case, the first conductive patch 512 and the second conductive patch 511 may be arranged on different insulating layers of the PCB 590. According to one embodiment, as shown, each first conductive patch 512 may be formed by a conductive plate having a rectangular shape. In another embodiment, each first conductive patch 512 may be formed into a circular, elliptical or any polygon other than a rectangle. According to one embodiment, when the second conductive patch 511 is implemented as a dual-polarized antenna, the overall shape formed by the first conductive patch 512 may have a four-directional symmetrical structure.

[0119] According to various embodiments, one or more conductive walls 5131, 5132, 5133, and 5134 may be disposed on the side surface 593 of the PCB 590. According to one embodiment, the conductive walls 5131, 5132, 5133, and 5134 may be disposed to be exposed or not exposed on the side surface 593 of the PCB 590. According to one embodiment, the conductive walls 5131, 5132, 5133, and 5134 may be disposed at regular intervals along the periphery of the first region 5101 in which the first conductive patch 512 of the PCB 590 is disposed. In another embodiment, the conductive walls 5131, 5132, 5133, and 5134 may be disposed at regular intervals in any region capable of capacitive coupling with the first conductive patch 512 other than the side surface of the PCB 590. According to one embodiment, when the second conductive patch 511 operates as a dual-polarization antenna or a dual-polarization dual-feed antenna, the conductive walls 5131, 5132, 5133, and 5134 may be arranged at regular intervals along the periphery of the first conductive patch 512, so as to always have the same layout as the initial layout even after the first conductive patch 512 is rotated 90 degrees, 180 degrees, or 270 degrees. According to one embodiment, the conductive walls 5131, 5132, 5133, and 5134 may include a first conductive wall 5131, a second conductive wall 5132, a third conductive wall 5133, and a fourth conductive wall 5134 arranged at a corner of the PCB 590 along the periphery of the first conductive patch 590. As will be described below, the conductive walls 5131, 5132, 5133, and 5134 may extend from the first surface 591 of the PCB 590 to the second surface 592. In addition, one end of the conductive wall may be electrically connected to a ground layer (eg, Fig. 6A The ground layer 5903 in the circuit), and the other end can be set to be capacitively coupled with the first conductive patch 512.

[0120] According to various embodiments, each of the second antenna structure 520, the third antenna structure 530, and / or the fourth antenna structure 540 may have a configuration substantially the same as that of the first antenna structure 510. According to an embodiment, when viewed from above the first surface 591, the second antenna structure 520 may include a third region 5201 and a fourth region 5202 surrounded by the third region 5201. According to an embodiment, when viewed from above the first surface 591, the second antenna structure 520 may include a plurality of third conductive patches 522 disposed in the third region 5201, and a fourth conductive patch 521 disposed to at least partially overlap the fourth region 5202 and having a third feeding portion 5211 and / or a fourth feeding portion 5212. According to an embodiment, when viewed from above the first surface 591, the second antenna structure 520 may include one or more conductive walls 5231, 5232, 5233, and 5234 formed along a portion of the periphery of the third region 5201.

[0121] According to various embodiments, when viewed from above the first surface 591, the third antenna structure 530 may include a fifth region 5301 and a sixth region 5302 surrounded by the fifth region 5301. According to one embodiment, when viewed from above the first surface 591, the third antenna structure 530 may include a plurality of fifth conductive patches 532 disposed in the fifth region 5301, and a sixth conductive patch 531 disposed to at least partially overlap the sixth region 5302 and having a fifth feeding portion 5311 and / or a sixth feeding portion 5312. According to one embodiment, when viewed from above the first surface 591, the third antenna structure 530 may include one or more conductive walls 5331, 5332, 5333, and 5334 formed along at least a portion of the periphery of the fifth region 5301.

[0122] According to various embodiments, when viewed from above the first surface 591, the fourth antenna structure 540 may include a seventh region 5401 and an eighth region 5402 surrounded by the seventh region 5401. According to one embodiment, when viewed from above the first surface 591, the fourth antenna structure 540 may include a plurality of seventh conductive patches 542 disposed in the seventh region 5401, and an eighth conductive patch 541 disposed to at least partially overlap the eighth region 5402 and having a seventh feeding portion 5411 and / or an eighth feeding portion 5412. According to one embodiment, when viewed from above the first surface 591, the fourth antenna structure 540 may include one or more conductive walls 5431, 5432, 5433, and 5434 formed along at least a portion of the periphery of the seventh region 5401.

[0123] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the antenna module 500 is connected to a ground layer (e.g., a ground layer) by means of conductive walls 5131, 5132, 5133, 5134, 5231, 5232, 5233, 5234, 5331, 5332, 5333, 5334, 5431, 5432, 5433, and 5434 that are capacitively coupled to the first conductive patch 512, the third conductive patch 522, the fifth conductive patch 532, or the seventh conductive patch 542 that are respectively arranged around the second conductive patch 511, the fourth conductive patch 521, the sixth conductive patch 531, or the eighth conductive patch 541. Fig. 6A The ground layer 5903 in the circuit can form an indirect ground. This can not only improve the isolation performance in the working frequency band, but also extend the bandwidth without reducing the radiation efficiency.

[0124] Fig. 6A According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5B A cross-sectional view taken along line AA'.

[0125] Although the arrangement configuration of the first antenna structure 510 provided in the PCB 590 of the antenna module 500 is Fig. 6A , but the second, third and fourth antenna structures (eg, Figure 5B Each of 520, 530 and 540) in the figure may also have substantially the same arrangement configuration.

[0126] Reference Fig. 6A , the antenna module 500 may include a first antenna structure 510. According to an embodiment, the first antenna structure 510 may include a PCB 590. According to an embodiment, the PCB 590 may have a first surface 591, a second surface 592 facing a direction opposite to the first surface 591, and a side surface 593 surrounding a space between the first surface 591 and the second surface 592. According to an embodiment, the PCB 590 may include a plurality of insulating layers. According to an embodiment, the PCB 590 may include a first layer region 5901 having at least one insulating layer, and a second layer region 5902 adjacent to the first layer region 5901 and having at least one additional insulating layer. According to an embodiment, the first layer region 5901 may include a first conductive patch 512 and a second conductive patch 511. According to an embodiment, the second layer region 5902 may include at least one ground layer 5903. According to an embodiment, a plurality of ground layers 5903 may be formed through a plurality of insulating layers in the second layer region 5902, and may work as one ground layer by at least one conductive path 5904 vertically penetrating each ground layer.

[0127] According to various embodiments, the first antenna structure 510 may include a first conductive patch 512 disposed on the first insulating layer 5901 a in the first layer region 5901 closer to the first surface 591 than to the second surface 592 .

[0128] According to various embodiments, the first antenna structure 510 may include a second conductive patch 511 disposed on a second insulating layer 5901b between a first insulating layer 5901a and a second surface 592 in the first layer region 5901. According to one embodiment, the second conductive patch 511 may be disposed in the first layer region 5901 close to the first surface 591. In another embodiment, the second conductive patch 511 may be disposed in the first layer region 5901 to be exposed to the first surface 591. According to one embodiment, when used as a dual-polarized antenna, the first antenna structure 510 may include a first feeding portion 5111 and a second feeding portion 5112 electrically connected to different positions of the second conductive patch 511 spaced apart from each other. According to one embodiment, each of the first feeding portion 5111 and the second feeding portion 5112 may include a conductive path formed to penetrate the first layer region 5901 in the thickness direction of the PCB 590. According to one embodiment, the first feeding portion 5111 may be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit 595 via a first feeding line 5905 disposed in the second layer region 5902. According to one embodiment, the second feeding portion 5112 may be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit 595 via a second feeding line 5906 disposed in the second layer region 5902. According to one embodiment, the first feeding line 5905 and / or the second feeding line 5906 may be electrically isolated from the ground layer 5903 disposed in the third insulating layer 5902a in the second layer region 5902.

[0129] According to various embodiments, the first conductive patch 512 may be disposed closer to the first surface 591 than the second conductive patch 511. According to one embodiment, the first conductive patch 512 may be disposed so as not to overlap with the second conductive patch 511 when viewed from above the first surface 591. In another embodiment, the first conductive patch 512 may at least partially overlap with the second conductive patch 511 when viewed from above the first surface 591 while being disposed on an insulating layer different from the insulating layer in which the second conductive patch 511 is disposed.

[0130] According to various embodiments, the first antenna structure 510 may include a plurality of conductive walls 5131 and 5132 disposed in the first layer region 5901 and extending from the first surface 591 to the second surface 592. According to one embodiment, each of the conductive walls 5131 and 5132 may be disposed around the first conductive patch 512 at a position capable of capacitive coupling with the first conductive patch 512. According to one embodiment, the conductive walls 5131 and 5132 may be formed by a conductive path 5907 that is electrically connected to and penetrates a plurality of conductive members disposed on an adjacent insulating layer in the first layer region 5901. According to one embodiment, one end of each of the conductive walls 5131 and 5132 adjacent to the first conductive patch 512 may be disposed to be capacitively coupled with the first conductive patch 512. According to one embodiment, one end of each of the conductive walls 5131 and 5132 adjacent to the second surface 592 may be disposed to be electrically connected to at least one ground layer 5903 disposed on a third insulating layer in the second layer region 5902. Therefore, the first conductive patch 512 can be indirectly grounded to the ground layer 5903 at least partially through the conductive walls 5131 and 5132.

[0131] Figure 6B is a cross-sectional view partially showing an antenna module 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0132] Figure 6B The antenna module 500 shown has Fig. 6A The configuration of the antenna module 500 shown above is substantially the same configuration, and thus a detailed description will be omitted.

[0133] Refer to the above description Fig. 6A , the conductive walls 5131 and 5132 are arranged side by side with the first conductive patch 512 on the first insulating layer 5901a in the first layer area 5901 of the PCB 590. In contrast, Figure 6B The conductive walls 5131 and 5132 shown may be disposed lower than the first conductive patch 512. In this case, at least a portion of the conductive walls 5131 and 5132 may be disposed to overlap the first conductive patch 512 when viewed from above the first surface 591. In another embodiment, the conductive walls 5131 and 5132 may be disposed not to overlap the first conductive patch 512 when viewed from above the first surface 591. That is, as long as they are in a position capable of capacitive coupling with the first conductive patch 512, the conductive walls 5131 and 5132 may be disposed on the same insulating layer (e.g., the first insulating layer 5901a) as the first conductive patch 512, or may be disposed on another insulating layer so as to overlap or not overlap the first conductive patch 512.

[0134] Figure 7is a graph comparing the return losses of the antenna modules 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0135] Reference Figure 7 , it can be seen that the first conductive patch, the third conductive patch, the fifth conductive patch or the seventh conductive patch (for example, Figure 5B The plurality of conductive walls (e.g., Figure 5B 5131, 5132, 5133, 5134, 5231, 5232, 5233, 5234, 5331, 5332, 5333, 5334, 5431, 5432, 5433 and 5434) of the antenna modules (for example, Figure 5B 500) has a bandwidth 701 of about 5 GHz, which is relatively wider than the case where the entire side surface is formed of a conductor or the case where the side surface is formed of only a dielectric without a conductor.

[0136] Fig. 8A , Figure 8B , Fig.9A and Fig. 9B is a graph showing impedance characteristics and current distribution with respect to frequency of the antenna module 500 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0137] Reference Fig. 8A and Figure 8B It can be seen that in a relatively low first frequency band (eg, about 22.5 GHz band) in the operating frequency band ranging from about 22 GHz to about 25 GHz, the antenna module (eg, Figure 5B 500) as in a general patch antenna having a second conductive patch (eg, Figure 5B The electric field distribution is symmetrical around the center of 511).

[0138] Reference Fig.9A and Fig. 9B , it can be seen that in a relatively high second frequency band (eg, about 34 GHz band) in the operating frequency band ranging from about 29 GHz to about 35 GHz, the antenna module (eg, Figure 5B 500) has a tendency to increase with increasing frequency toward the PCB (e.g., Figure 5B 590) of the outer periphery of the conductive wall (e.g., Figure 5B For example, in the second frequency band, the antenna module (eg, Figure 5B 500) can be formed on the conductive wall (for example, Figure 5B 5133 in) and the periodically arranged first conductive patch (for example, Figure 5BThe indirect grounding structure between 512 in the example has an electric field distribution similar to that of a planar inverted patch antenna (PIPA). Figure 5B 500) in the working frequency band can have two resonance modes, thereby having a wide resonance characteristic.

[0139] Fig.10 is a perspective view partially showing an antenna module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.11 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.10 A graph showing the frequency characteristics of changes in the distance between the conductive walls is shown.

[0140] Fig.10 The antenna module 500 shown may have Figure 5A and Figure 5B The configuration of the antenna module 500 shown above is substantially the same configuration, and thus a detailed description will be omitted.

[0141] Reference Fig.10 , the antenna module 500 may include a first conductive patch 512 disposed on the PCB 590, and a second conductive patch 511 disposed to be surrounded by the first conductive patch 512. In addition, the antenna module 500 may include a first conductive wall 5131, a second conductive wall 5152, a third conductive wall 5133, and / or a fourth conductive wall 5134 that may be disposed at least partially along the periphery of the first conductive patch 512. According to an embodiment, the first to fourth conductive walls 5131, 5132, 5133, and 5134 are disposed at regular intervals along the periphery of the first conductive patch 512, thereby having the same layout as the initial layout even after the antenna structure 510 is rotated 90 degrees, 180 degrees, or 270 degrees.

[0142] According to various embodiments, the antenna module 500 can ensure a wide operating frequency band through the first conductive patch 512 disposed close to the second conductive patch 511 and capacitively coupled to the second conductive patch 511 and through the first to fourth conductive walls 5131, 5132, 5133, and 5134. According to one embodiment, in the antenna module 500, one conductive wall (e.g., Fig.10 The first conductive wall 5131 in the embodiment and the adjacent conductive wall (e.g., Fig.10 The distance (d1) between the second conductive wall 5132 or the fourth conductive wall 5134) can shift the operating frequency band while ensuring a wide bandwidth.

[0143] Reference Fig.11As the distance (d1) between the first to fourth conductive walls 5131, 5132, 5133 and 5134 increases, that is, as the coupling amount between the first conductive patch 512 and the conductive walls 5131, 5132, 5133 and 5134 decreases, the capacitance decreases, and thus the operating frequency band of the antenna module 500 shifts to a higher frequency band.

[0144] Since an operating frequency band is determined by adjusting the distances ( d1 ) between the first to fourth conductive walls 5131 , 5132 , 5133 , and 5134 , the antenna module 500 according to the embodiment may influence frequency design.

[0145] FIG. 12A to FIG. 12E is a diagram illustrating configurations of antenna modules 1200 - 1 , 1200 - 2 , 1200 - 3 , 1200 - 4 , and 1200 - 5 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 12A to FIG. 12E Antenna modules are shown, each having a configuration for dual polarization dual feed.

[0146] FIG. 12A to FIG. 12E The antenna modules 1200-1, 1200-2, 1200-3, 1200-4, and 1200-5 shown may be at least partially similar to Figure 2 The third antenna module 246 may include other embodiments of the antenna module.

[0147] exist FIG. 12A to FIG. 12E , the first conductive patch (eg, Fig.10 512) in to simplify the diagram.

[0148] Reference Fig. 12A , the antenna module 1200-1 may include a first antenna structure 1210, a second antenna structure 1220, ... and an Nth antenna structure disposed at regular intervals on a printed circuit board (PCB) 1201. According to one embodiment, the antenna module 1200-1 may include N antenna structures disposed on one PCB 1201, and the antenna structures may have substantially the same configuration.

[0149] According to various embodiments, the first antenna structure 1210 may include a first conductive patch arrangement area 1212, a second conductive patch 1211, and first to fourth conductive walls 1213a, 1213b, 1213c, and 1213d. Even after rotating 90 degrees, 180 degrees, or 270 degrees around the intersection between the x-axis and the y-axis perpendicular to each other, the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212 has the same layout as the initial layout. The second conductive patch 1211 is surrounded by the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212 and may include a first feed portion 1211a and a second feed portion 1211b arranged at a symmetrical position about the y-axis. The first to fourth conductive walls 1213a, 1213b, 1213c, and 1213d are at least partially arranged along the periphery of the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212. According to an embodiment, the first to fourth conductive walls 1213a, 1213b, 1213c, and 1213d may have the same layout as the initial layout even after being rotated 90 degrees, 180 degrees, or 270 degrees about the aforementioned intersection.

[0150] According to various embodiments, each of the first to fourth conductive walls 1213a, 1213b, 1213c, and 1213d may be disposed at each central portion of four edges along the periphery of the first conductive patch arrangement region 1212 having a square shape and also be arranged symmetrically to each other.

[0151] Reference Fig. 12B and Fig. 12C , each of the antenna modules 1200-2 and 1200-3 may include a first antenna structure 1230, a second antenna structure 1240, ... and an Nth antenna structure disposed at regular intervals on the PCB 1201. According to one embodiment, each of the antenna modules 1200-2 and 1200-3 may include N antenna structures disposed on one PCB 1201, and the antenna structures may have substantially the same configuration.

[0152] According to various embodiments, each of the antenna modules 1200-2 and 1200-3 may include a Fig. 12A In the same manner as in FIG. 1 , a first conductive patch arrangement area 1232 is provided on the PCB 1201, and a second conductive patch 1231 having a circular shape and surrounded by the first conductive patch arrangement area 1232. The second conductive patch 1231 may include a first feeding portion 1231a and a second feeding portion 1231b.

[0153] like Fig. 12B As shown, the antenna module 1200-2 may include first to fourth conductive walls 1233a, 1233b, 1233c, and 1233d provided at each corner portion along the outer circumference of the first conductive patch arrangement area 1232 having a square shape.

[0154] like Fig. 12C As shown, the antenna module 1200-3 may include first to fourth conductive walls 1234a, 1234b, 1234c and 1234d disposed at each central portion of four edges along the periphery of the first conductive patch arrangement area 1232 having a square shape.

[0155] Reference Fig.12D and Fig.12E , each of the antenna modules 1200-4 and 1200-5 may include a first antenna structure 1250, a second antenna structure 1260, ... and an Nth antenna structure disposed at regular intervals on the PCB 1201. According to one embodiment, each of the antenna modules 1200-4 and 1200-5 may include N antenna structures disposed on one PCB 1201, and the antenna structures may have substantially the same configuration.

[0156] According to various embodiments, each of the antenna modules 1200-4 and 1200-5 may include a Fig. 12A In the same manner as in FIG. 1 , a first conductive patch arrangement area 1252 is provided on the PCB 1201, and a second conductive patch 1251 having a regular octagonal shape and surrounded by the first conductive patch arrangement area 1252. The second conductive patch 1251 may include a first feeding portion 1251a and a second feeding portion 1251b.

[0157] like Fig.12D As shown, the antenna module 1200-4 may include first to fourth conductive walls 1253a, 1253b, 1253c, and 1253d provided at each corner portion along the outer circumference of the first conductive patch arrangement region 1252 having a square shape.

[0158] like Fig.12E As shown, the antenna module 1200-5 may include first to fourth conductive walls 1254a, 1254b, 1254c and 1254d disposed at each central portion of four edges along the periphery of the first conductive patch arrangement region 1252 having a square shape.

[0159] In another embodiment, when each of the first conductive patch arrangement areas 1212, 1232, and 1252 is formed in a square, circle, or regular octagon corresponding to each of the second conductive patches 1211, 1231, and 1251, the conductive walls may be provided at various positions on the PCB along the periphery of the first conductive patch arrangement area having a square, circle, or regular octagonal shape, rather than at the edge or corner of the PCB 1201. Also in this case, in order to achieve dual polarization or dual polarization dual feeding and also to ensure isolation, the conductive walls may be formed to have the same layout as the initial layout even after being rotated 90 degrees, 180 degrees, or 270 degrees.

[0160] Fig.12F and Figure 12G is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig.12F and Figure 12G Antenna modules are shown, each having a configuration for single polarization dual feed.

[0161] Fig.12F and 12G The antenna modules 1200-6 and 1200-7 shown may be at least partially similar to Figure 2 The third antenna module 246 may include other embodiments of the antenna module.

[0162] Reference Fig.12F , the antenna module 1200-6 may include a first antenna structure 1210, a second antenna structure 1220, ... and an Nth antenna structure disposed at regular intervals on a printed circuit board (PCB) 1201. According to one embodiment, the antenna module 1200-6 may include N antenna structures disposed on one PCB 1201, and the antenna structures may have substantially the same configuration.

[0163] According to various embodiments, the first antenna structure 1210 may include a first conductive patch arrangement area 1212 having the same layout as the initial layout even after rotating 90 degrees, 180 degrees, or 270 degrees around the intersection between the x-axis and the y-axis that are perpendicular to each other. The first antenna structure 1210 may also include a second conductive patch 1211 surrounded by the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212. According to one embodiment, in order to achieve single polarization, the second conductive patch 1211 may include a first feeding portion 1211c. In another embodiment, in order to achieve single polarization dual feeding, the second conductive patch 1211 may further include a second feeding portion 1211d disposed at a symmetrical position about the x-axis. In this case, the second conductive patch 1211 may have a symmetrical shape about the x-axis.

[0164] According to various embodiments, the first antenna structure 1210 may include a first conductive wall 1213e and a second conductive wall 1213f disposed at least partially along the periphery of the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212. The first conductive wall 1213e may be disposed at one edge of the periphery of the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212, and the second conductive wall 1213f may be disposed symmetrically with the first conductive wall 1213e about the x-axis or the y-axis. In another embodiment, the first antenna structure 1210 may include only one conductive wall disposed at any one edge of the periphery of the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212. In yet another embodiment, the first antenna structure 1210 may include three conductive walls disposed at three edges of the periphery of the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212, respectively.

[0165] Reference Figure 12G , the antenna module 1200-7 may include a first antenna structure 1210, a second antenna structure 1220, ... and an Nth antenna structure disposed at regular intervals on a printed circuit board (PCB) 1201. According to one embodiment, the antenna module 1200-7 may include N antenna structures disposed on one PCB 1201, and the antenna structures may have substantially the same configuration.

[0166] According to various embodiments, the first antenna structure 1210 may include a first conductive patch arrangement area 1212 having the same layout as the initial layout even after rotating 90 degrees, 180 degrees, or 270 degrees around the intersection between the x-axis and the y-axis that are perpendicular to each other. The first antenna structure 1210 may also include a second conductive patch 1211 surrounded by the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212. According to one embodiment, in order to achieve single polarization, the second conductive patch 1211 may include a first feeding portion 1211e. In another embodiment, in order to achieve single-polarization dual feeding, the second conductive patch 1211 may further include a second feeding portion 1211f arranged at a symmetrical position in the diagonal direction. In this case, the second conductive patch 1211 may have a symmetrical shape about the intersection between the x-axis and the y-axis.

[0167] According to various embodiments, the first antenna structure 1210 may include a first conductive wall 1213g and a second conductive wall 1213h disposed at least partially along the periphery of the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212. The first conductive wall 1213g may be disposed at one corner of the periphery of the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212, and the second conductive wall 1213h may be disposed at an opposite corner to be symmetrical with the first conductive wall 1213g about the intersection point between the x-axis and the y-axis. In another embodiment, the first antenna structure 1210 may include only one conductive wall disposed at any one corner of the periphery of the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212. In yet another embodiment, the first antenna structure 1210 may include three conductive walls disposed at three corners of the periphery of the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212, respectively.

[0168] Fig.12H is a diagram showing a configuration of an antenna module 1200 - 8 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0169] Fig.12H The antenna module 1200-8 shown may be at least partially similar to Figure 2 The third antenna module 246 may include other embodiments of the antenna module.

[0170] Reference Fig.12H , the antenna module 1200-8 may include a first antenna structure 1210, a second antenna structure 1220, ... and an Nth antenna structure disposed at regular intervals on a printed circuit board (PCB) 1201. According to one embodiment, the antenna module 1200-8 may include N antenna structures disposed on one PCB 1201, and the antenna structures may have substantially the same configuration.

[0171] According to various embodiments, the first antenna structure 1210 may include a first conductive patch arrangement area 1212 having the same layout as the initial layout even after rotating 90 degrees, 180 degrees, or 270 degrees around an intersection between an x-axis and a y-axis perpendicular to each other. The first antenna structure 1210 may also include a second conductive patch 1211 surrounded by the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212. According to one embodiment, in order to achieve dual polarization, the second conductive patch 1211 may include a first feeding portion 1211a and a second feeding portion 1211b. According to one embodiment, in order to achieve dual polarization, the second conductive patch 1211 may have a symmetrical shape with respect to the y-axis.

[0172] According to various embodiments, the first antenna structure 1210 may include a first conductive wall 1213i, a second conductive wall 1213j, a third conductive wall 1213k, and a fourth conductive wall 1213l disposed at least partially along the periphery of the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212. According to one embodiment, the first conductive wall 1213i, the second conductive wall 1213j, the third conductive wall 1213k, and the fourth conductive wall 1213l may be disposed at respective corners of the periphery of the first conductive patch arrangement area 1212. According to one embodiment, at least some of the conductive walls 1213i, 1213j, 1213k, and 1213l of the first antenna structure 1210 may be used in common with adjacent conductive walls of the second antenna structure 1220. For example, the third conductive wall 1213k and the fourth conductive wall 1213l of the first antenna structure 1210 may be used together as conductive walls of the second conductive structure 1220 adjacent to the first antenna structure 1210. As such, one antenna structure (eg, the first antenna structure 1210) may share at least one conductive wall with an adjacent antenna structure (eg, the second antenna structure 1220), thereby reducing the volume of the antenna module 1200-8.

[0173] Fig.13A and Fig. 13B is a diagram showing an arrangement relationship between the second conductive patch 1320 and the conductive walls 1331 and 1332 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0174] Fig.13A and Fig. 13B The antenna modules 1300-1 and 1300-2 shown may be at least partially similar to Figure 2 The third antenna module 246 may include other embodiments of the antenna module.

[0175] Reference Fig.13A , the antenna module 1300-1 may include an antenna structure R1. The antenna structure R1 may include a first conductive patch 1310, a second conductive patch 1320 arranged to be surrounded by the first conductive patch 1310, and one or more conductive walls 1331 and 1332 arranged along the periphery of the first conductive patch 1310. According to one embodiment, the one or more conductive walls 1331 and 1332 may be electrically connected to a ground layer 1340 provided in the antenna structure R1, and also be provided at a position capable of capacitive coupling with the first conductive patch 1310. According to one embodiment, the antenna structure R1 may include one or more feeding portions 1321 and 1322 for electrically connecting the second conductive patch 1320 to a wireless communication circuit (e.g., Figure 5A 595 in ).

[0176] According to various embodiments, the second conductive patch 1320 may be disposed at a position lower in the vertical direction than one end of the conductive walls 1331 and 1332 disposed to be capacitively coupled with the first conductive patch 1310. That is, in the vertical direction, one end of the conductive walls 1331 and 1332 may be disposed closer to the first conductive patch 1310 than the second conductive patch 1320.

[0177] Reference Fig. 13B , the antenna module 1300-2 may include an antenna structure R2. According to one embodiment, the antenna structure R2 may include a second conductive patch 1320 disposed closer to the first conductive patch 1310 in a vertical direction than one end of the conductive walls 1331 and 1332. In this case, the gap (h) between the ends of the conductive walls 1331 and 1332 and the first conductive patch 1310 may be adjusted within the range of coupling.

[0178] Fig.14 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 13B FIG. 1 is a graph showing frequency characteristics of a change in the gap (h) between the first conductive patch 1310 and the conductive walls 1331 and 1332 .

[0179] Reference Fig.14 , along with the conductive wall (e.g. Fig. 13B 1331 and 1332) and the end of the first conductive patch ( Fig. 13B 1310) increases, that is, as the coupling amount between the conductive walls 1331 and 1332 and the first conductive patch 1310 decreases, the capacitance decreases, and thus the operating frequency band of the antenna module 1300-2 shifts to a higher frequency band.

[0180] Since the operating frequency band is determined by adjusting the gap (h) between the conductive walls 1331 and 1332 and the first conductive patch 1310, the antenna module 1300-2 according to the embodiment can affect the frequency design. In another embodiment, the operating frequency band of the antenna module 1300-2 can be determined by adjusting the coupling area of ​​the conductive walls 1331 and 1332 while maintaining the gap between the conductive walls 1331 and 1332 and the first conductive patch 1310.

[0181] Fig.15 is a perspective view showing an antenna module 1500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0182] Fig.15 The antenna module 1500 shown may be at least partially similar to Figure 2 The third antenna module 246 may include other embodiments of the antenna module.

[0183] Fig.15The first antenna array AR1 of the antenna module 1500 shown has Figure 5A and Figure 5B The antenna array AR1 shown above has substantially the same configuration, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0184] Reference Fig.15 , the antenna module 1500 may include a first antenna array AR1 and a second antenna array AR2 disposed on a PCB 590. According to one embodiment, the PCB 590 may have a first direction (indicated by ①, for example, Figure 3B -Z direction in the first surface 591), facing the direction opposite to the first surface 591 (indicated by ②, for example, Figure 3A The antenna module 1500 includes a second surface 592 (in the Z direction) of the PCB 590, and a side surface 593 surrounding a space between the first surface 591 and the second surface 592. According to one embodiment, the antenna module 1500 may include a wireless communication circuit 595 disposed on the second surface 592 of the PCB 590. According to one embodiment, the PCB 590 may include a grounding region G and a filling cut region F (e.g., a non-conductive region) adjacent to the grounding region G. In the grounding region G, the first antenna array AR1 is disposed, and a ground layer (e.g., Fig. 6A Ground layer 5503 in.

[0185] According to various embodiments, the second antenna array AR2 may include a plurality of conductive patterns 1510, 1520, 1530, and 1540 in the fill cut region F of the PCB 590. According to one embodiment, the plurality of conductive patterns 1510, 1520, 1530, and 1540 may include a first conductive pattern 1510 disposed near the first antenna structure 510, a second conductive pattern 1520 disposed near the second antenna structure 520, a third conductive pattern 1530 disposed near the third antenna structure 530, and a fourth conductive pattern 1540 disposed near the fourth antenna structure 540. According to one embodiment, the plurality of conductive patterns 1510, 1520, 1530, and 1540 may be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit 595. According to one embodiment, the plurality of conductive patterns 1510, 1520, 1530, and 1540 may operate as a dipole antenna. According to one embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 595 may be configured to transmit and / or receive radio frequency signals in the range of about 3 GHz to 100 GHz via the second antenna array AR2.

[0186] According to various embodiments, the antenna module 1500 may be configured to transmit signals in a first direction (indicated by ①, for example) via the first antenna array AR1. Figure 3BAccording to one embodiment, the antenna module 1500 may be configured to form a beam pattern in a third direction (indicated by ③, for example, perpendicular to the first direction) through the second antenna array AR2. Figure 3A and Figure 3B A beam pattern is formed in the X direction, -X direction, Y direction or -Y direction).

[0187] According to various embodiments, the antenna module 1500 may include a first antenna array AR1 composed of antenna structures 510, 520, 530, and 540 arranged in a one-by-four array, and a second antenna array AR2 composed of conductive patterns 1510, 1520, 1530, and 1540 arranged in a one-by-four array. In another embodiment, the antenna module 1500 may include one antenna structure and one conductive pattern. In yet another embodiment, the antenna module may include an antenna structure and a conductive pattern, each of which is arranged in a multi-row and multi-column array.

[0188] Fig.16 is a cross-sectional view partially showing a stacked structure of an antenna module 1600 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0189] Fig.16 The antenna module 1600 may be at least partially similar to Figure 2 The third antenna module 246 may include other embodiments of the antenna module.

[0190] In addition to the feeding structure of the second conductive patch 511, Fig.16 The antenna module 1600 has Fig. 6A The configuration of the antenna module 500 is substantially the same as the configuration of FIG. 1 . Therefore, a detailed description will be omitted.

[0191] Reference Fig.16 The antenna module 1600 may include a first conductive patch 512 and a second conductive patch 511, wherein the first conductive patch 512 is arranged on a first insulating layer 5901a in a first layer area 5901 of the PCB 590, and the second conductive patch 511 is arranged between the first insulating layer 5901a and a ground layer 5903 formed on a third insulating layer 5902a in a second layer area 5902.

[0192] According to various embodiments, the second conductive patch 511 may be electrically connected to and capacitively coupled with a pair of feed pads 551 and 552, which are spaced apart from each other on a fourth insulating layer 5901c interposed between the second insulating layer 5901b and the third insulating layer 5902a in the first layer region 5901. According to one embodiment, the first feed pad 551 may be electrically connected to the first feed portion 5111 through the first conductive connector 5511 and the first conductive path 5512. Similarly, the second feed pad 552 may be electrically connected to the second feed portion 5112 through the second conductive connector 5521 and the second conductive path 5522. According to one embodiment, each of the first conductive connector 5511 and the second conductive connector 5521 may be formed in a pad shape having a certain area. According to one embodiment, each of the feed portions 5111 and 5112 and a corresponding one of the conductive paths 5512 and 5522 may be arranged to be inconsistent or coincident with each other in the vertical direction of the PCB 590.

[0193] According to various embodiments, the antenna module 1600 may have improved design freedom through the first feed pad 551 and the second feed pad 552 that indirectly feed (e.g., couple) power to the second conductive patch 511. According to one embodiment, in the antenna module 1600, adjusting the capacitance through the coupling area and / or gap between the second conductive patch 511 and each of the first and second feed pads 551 and 552 may determine and adjust antenna characteristics, such as extending bandwidth and / or shifting an operating frequency band.

[0194] Fig.17 is a diagram showing a configuration of an antenna module 1700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0195] Fig.17 The antenna module 1700 may be at least partially similar to Figure 2 The third antenna module 246 may include other embodiments of the antenna module.

[0196] Fig.17 The first antenna array AR1 of the antenna module 1700 shown has Figure 5A and Figure 5B The antenna array AR1 shown above has substantially the same configuration, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0197] Reference Fig.17 , the antenna module 1700 may include a first antenna structure 510 , a second antenna structure 520 , a third antenna structure 530 , and a fourth antenna structure 540 disposed on a PCB 590 at regular intervals (S).

[0198] According to various embodiments, in the antenna module 1700, the frequency characteristics may be determined depending on the intervals between the antenna structures 510, 520, 530, and 540. For example, increasing the intervals (S) between the antenna structures 510, 520, 530, and 540 may improve the gain in the first mmWave frequency band (e.g., from about 24.25 GHz to about 29.5 GHz) (e.g., 28 GHz band).

[0199] According to various embodiments, even if the antenna structures 510, 520, 530, and 540 are arranged at intervals (S) of half a wavelength at a specific frequency, the intervals may not be half a wavelength at another frequency because 5G mmWave is used in a wide frequency band rather than a single frequency. For example, even if the antenna structures are arranged at half a wavelength interval in the case of 28 GHz, the arrangement interval may be reduced compared to half a wavelength in the case of low frequencies used in mmWave. Unfortunately, this will result in a reduction in the gain of the antenna module.

[0200] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the total length (L) of the PCB can be increased by increasing the interval (S) between the antenna structures 510, 520, 530, and 540. In this case, as shown in Table 1 below, as the interval (S) increases, the electrical length of the antenna module increases, and thus the gain in the low frequency band improves.

[0201] Table 1

[0202]

[0203] Fig.18 The invention is based on an embodiment of the present invention. Fig.17 A graph showing the frequency characteristics of the spacing (S) between antenna structures 510, 520, 530, and 540 is shown.

[0204] Reference Fig.18 , when the spacing (S) between the antenna structures 510, 520, 530 and 540 is 4.8 mm, the antenna module 1700 has a gain of 7.8 dBi in a frequency band of about 24.25 GHz. However, when the spacing (S) between the antenna structures 510, 520, 530 and 540 is increased to 6.0 mm, the antenna module 1700 has a gain of about 8.5 dBi in the same frequency band, that is, a gain improvement of about 0.7 dBi. This means that when the spacing (S) between the antenna structures 510, 520, 530 and 540 is increased in a low frequency band (e.g., Fig.18 When the area 1801 in the antenna increases, the antenna gain can be improved. Moreover, this means that it can help to expand the bandwidth.

[0205] In another embodiment, the antenna characteristics of the antenna module 1700 can be determined by arranging the antenna structures 510, 520, 530, and 540 to have different intervals (S). For example, the beam steering of the antenna module can be induced by gradually increasing or decreasing the intervals (S) between the antenna structures 510, 520, 530, and 540.

[0206] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an antenna structure includes a plurality of first conductive patches periodically arranged around a second conductive patch, and further includes one or more conductive walls, the one or more conductive walls having one end electrically connected to a ground layer and another end configured to be capacitively coupled with the first conductive patch. This makes it possible to design an antenna that operates in a relatively wide frequency band without reducing radiation efficiency.

[0207] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device may include a housing (eg, Figure 3A The housing 310 in the embodiment includes a first plate (eg, Figure 3A , a front plate 302 in the middle, a second plate facing in the opposite direction to the first plate (eg, Figure 3B , and a side member (eg, a rear plate 311 in the embodiment of the present invention) surrounding the space between the first plate and the second plate and connected to the second plate or formed integrally with the second plate. Figure 3A The electronic device may also include: a display (for example, Figure 3A 301 in the display), arranged in the space so as to be visible from the outside through at least a portion of the first plate; and at least one antenna structure (e.g., Figure 5B The first antenna structure 510 in the housing is disposed in the space of the housing and includes a first surface (eg, Figure 5A a first surface 591 in the middle) and a second surface facing in a direction opposite to the first surface (e.g., Figure 5A 592) and includes a first region (e.g., Figure 5B a first region 5101 in the first surface) and a second region surrounded by the first region when viewed from above the first surface (e.g., Figure 5B The antenna structure may further include: a plurality of insulating layers (eg, Fig. 6A The insulating layers 5901 and 5902 in the embodiment are disposed between the first surface and the second surface; the first conductive patch (eg, Fig. 6A The first conductive patch 512 in the embodiment of the present invention is disposed in the first region when viewed from above the first surface and is disposed on the first surface or on a first insulating layer closer to the first surface than to the second surface (e.g., Figure 6B on the first insulating layer 5901a); on the second conductive patch (eg, Fig. 6AThe second conductive patch 511 in the embodiment of the present invention at least partially overlaps the second region when viewed from above the first surface and is disposed in a second insulating layer (e.g., Fig. 6A The second insulating layer 5901b in the embodiment; the ground layer (eg, Fig. 6A A ground layer 5903 in the middle), a third insulating layer (eg, Fig. 6A 5902a) in the third insulating layer or on the second surface; and one or more conductive walls (eg, Fig. 6A The conductive walls 5131 and 5132 in the first region are formed along at least a portion of the periphery of the first region when viewed from above the first surface, and extend from the first insulating layer to the ground layer. The electronic device may also include at least one wireless communication circuit (e.g., Fig. 6A The at least one wireless communication circuit 595 is electrically connected to the second conductive patch and configured to send and / or receive signals having a frequency between about 3 GHz and about 100 GHz.

[0208] According to various embodiments, the first conductive patch may at least partially overlap the second conductive patch when viewed from above the first surface.

[0209] According to various embodiments, the wireless communication circuit may be disposed on the second surface.

[0210] According to various embodiments, the one or more conductive walls may include a plurality of conductive pathways.

[0211] According to various embodiments, the first conductive patch may be arranged not to overlap the second conductive patch when viewed from above the first surface.

[0212] According to various embodiments, the one or more conductive walls may be arranged to be at least partially capacitively coupled with the first conductive patch.

[0213] According to various embodiments, the second conductive patch may be formed in a shape having a four-directional symmetrical structure.

[0214] According to various embodiments, the arrangement area of ​​the first conductive patch may have the same layout as the initial layout after the rotation.

[0215] According to various embodiments, an electronic device may include: a housing (eg, Figure 3A The housing 310 in the embodiment includes a first plate (eg, Figure 3A ), a second plate facing in the opposite direction to the first plate (e.g., a rear plate 311 in the housing 3B), and a side member (e.g., a side member) surrounding a space between the first plate and the second plate and connected to the second plate or formed integrally with the second plate. Figure 3A side frame structure 318 in the printed circuit board (eg, Figure 5A PCB 590 in the housing), disposed in the space of the housing, including a first surface (eg, Figure 5A a first surface 591 in the middle) and a second surface facing in a direction opposite to the first surface (e.g., Figure 5A 592) and includes a first region (e.g., Figure 5B a first area 5101 in the first surface) and a second area surrounded by the first area when viewed from above the first surface (e.g., Figure 5B a second region 5102 in the middle); a plurality of insulating layers (eg, Fig. 6A The insulating layers 5901 and 5902 in the embodiment are disposed between the first surface and the second surface; the first conductive patch (eg, Fig. 6A The first conductive patch 512 in the embodiment of the present invention at least partially overlaps the first region when viewed from above the first surface and is exposed on the first surface or on an insulating layer disposed between the first surface and the second surface and closer to the first surface; the second conductive patch (e.g., Fig. 6A The second conductive patch 511 in the first surface at least partially overlaps the second region when viewed from above the first surface and is disposed on the insulating layer; at least one ground layer (e.g., Fig. 6A The ground layer 5903 in the embodiment is disposed on the second surface or on the insulating layer between the second conductive patch and the second surface; one or more conductive walls (e.g., Fig. 6A , and at least one wireless communication circuit (e.g., Fig. 6A The wireless communication circuit 595 in the embodiment of the present invention is electrically connected to the second conductive patch through the multiple insulating layers and is configured to send and / or receive signals having a frequency between about 3 GHz and about 100 GHz.

[0216] According to various embodiments, the first conductive patch and the second conductive patch may be disposed on different insulating layers (eg, Fig. 6A The first conductive patch may at least partially overlap the second conductive patch when viewed from above the first surface.

[0217] According to various embodiments, the first conductive patch and the second conductive patch may be disposed on the same insulating layer (eg, Fig. 6A On the first insulating layer 5901a or the second insulating layer 5901b).

[0218] According to various embodiments, the one or more conductive walls may be arranged to at least partially overlap the first conductive patch or not overlap the first conductive patch when viewed from above the first surface.

[0219] According to various embodiments, the conductive wall may be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the first surface (eg, Fig. 6A ① indicates that the conductive patch is closer to the first conductive patch than the second conductive patch.

[0220] According to various embodiments, the conductive wall may be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the first surface (eg, Fig. 6A ① indicates in the figure) is farther away from the first conductive patch than the second conductive patch.

[0221] According to various embodiments, the wireless communication circuit may be disposed on the second surface.

[0222] According to various embodiments, the one or more conductive walls may include a plurality of conductive pathways vertically penetrating at least a portion of an insulating layer of the printed circuit board.

[0223] According to various embodiments, the second conductive patch may be arranged to be at least partially capacitively coupled with the first conductive patch.

[0224] According to various embodiments, the second conductive patch may be formed in a shape having a four-directional symmetrical structure.

[0225] According to various embodiments, the arrangement area of ​​the first conductive patch may have the same layout as the initial layout after the rotation.

[0226] According to various embodiments, the electronic device may further include a display (eg, Figure 3A A display 301 in the space is arranged in the space so as to be visible from the outside through at least a portion of the first panel.

[0227] While the present disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An electronic device, include: a housing including a first plate, a second plate facing in a direction opposite to the first plate, and a side member surrounding a space between the first plate and the second plate and connected to or integrally formed with the second plate; a display disposed in the space of the housing so as to be visible from outside the housing through at least a portion of the first panel; at least one antenna structure, disposed in the space of the housing, including a first surface and a second surface facing in a direction opposite to the first surface, including a first area and a second area surrounded by the first area when viewed from above the first surface, and comprising: A plurality of insulating layers disposed between the first surface and the second surface; a first conductive patch disposed in the first region when viewed from above the first surface and disposed on the first surface or on the first insulating layer closer to the first surface than to the second surface; a second conductive patch at least partially overlapping the second region when viewed from above the first surface and disposed on the second insulating layer between the first insulating layer and the second surface; a ground layer disposed on a third insulating layer between the second insulating layer and the second surface or on the second surface; and a plurality of conductive walls formed along a portion of an outer periphery of the first region when viewed from above the first surface and extending from the first insulating layer to the ground layer, the conductive walls being spaced apart by gaps so that there is a distance between one conductive wall and an adjacent conductive wall; and at least one wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the second conductive patch and configured to at least one of transmit and receive signals, the signals having a frequency between 3 GHz and 100 GHz; wherein the plurality of conductive walls are configured to capacitively couple with the first conductive patch, wherein the operating frequency band of the second conductive patch is determined by the coupling amount between the plurality of conductive walls and the first conductive patch, The distance is adjusted to shift the operating frequency band.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, in, The first conductive patch at least partially overlaps the second conductive patch when viewed from above the first surface. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication circuit is disposed on the second surface. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive walls comprises a plurality of conductive pathways.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, in, The first conductive patch is arranged not to overlap the second conductive patch when viewed from above the first surface. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the second conductive patch is formed in a shape having a four-directional symmetrical structure. 7 . The electronic device according to claim 6 , wherein the arrangement area of ​​the first conductive patch has the same layout as an initial layout after the rotation.

8. An electronic device, include: a housing including a first plate, a second plate facing in a direction opposite to the first plate, and a side member surrounding a space between the first plate and the second plate and connected to or integrally formed with the second plate; a printed circuit board disposed in the space of the housing, including a first surface and a second surface facing in a direction opposite to the first surface, and including a first area and a second area surrounded by the first area when viewed from above the first surface; A plurality of insulating layers disposed between the first surface and the second surface; a first conductive patch at least partially overlapping the first region when viewed from above the first surface and exposed to the first surface or disposed on an insulating layer closer to the first surface between the first surface and the second surface; a second conductive patch at least partially overlapping the second region when viewed from above the first surface and disposed on the insulating layer; at least one ground layer disposed on the second surface or on the insulating layer between the second conductive patch and the second surface; a plurality of conductive walls extending from a portion of a periphery of the first region when viewed from above the first surface and disposed at a position to capacitively couple with the first conductive patch, the conductive walls being spaced apart by gaps so as to have a distance between one conductive wall and an adjacent conductive wall; as well as at least one wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the second conductive patch through the plurality of insulating layers and configured to at least one of transmit and receive signals, the signals having a frequency between 3 GHz and 100 GHz, wherein the operating frequency band of the second conductive patch is determined by the coupling amount between the plurality of conductive walls and the first conductive patch, The distance is adjusted to shift the operating frequency band.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, in, The first conductive patch and the second conductive patch are disposed on different insulating layers when viewed from above the first surface, and Wherein, when viewed from above the first surface, the first conductive patch at least partially overlaps with the second conductive patch. 10 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the first conductive patch and the second conductive patch are disposed on the same insulating layer.

11. The electronic device according to claim 9, in, The plurality of conductive walls are arranged to at least partially overlap the first conductive patch or not overlap the first conductive patch when viewed from above the first surface. 12 . The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein the conductive wall is disposed closer to the first conductive patch than the second conductive patch in a direction perpendicular to the first surface. 13 . The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein the conductive wall is disposed farther from the first conductive patch than the second conductive patch in a direction perpendicular to the first surface. The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein the wireless communication circuit is disposed on the second surface.

15. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of conductive walls include a plurality of conductive paths vertically penetrating at least a portion of an insulating layer of the printed circuit board. 16 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the second conductive patch is configured to be at least partially capacitively coupled with the first conductive patch. 17 . The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein the second conductive patch is formed in a shape having a four-directional symmetrical structure. The electronic device according to claim 17 , wherein the arrangement area of ​​the first conductive patch has the same layout as an initial layout after the rotation.

19. The electronic device according to claim 8, further comprising: include: A display is disposed in the space of the housing so as to be visible from outside the housing through at least a portion of the first plate.

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