Antenna structure and electronic device including the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a quasi-fifth generation (5G) or 5G communication system provided to support a higher data rate than a super fourth generation (4G) communication system such as long term evolution (LTE). According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a dual-polarized antenna device for a wireless communication system includes: a printed circuit board (PCB); a first feeder line, the first feeder line is used to provide a first polarized signal; a second feeder line, the second feeder line is used to provide a second polarized signal; and a patch antenna, the patch antenna including a radiation area and a cutting area. An object corresponding to the cutting area is arranged to support the radiation area on the PCB.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In order to meet the growing demand for wireless data services since the deployment of 4G communication systems, efforts have been made to develop improved 5G or quasi-5G communication systems. Therefore, 5G or quasi-5G communication systems may also be referred to as "beyond 4G networks" or "post-LTE systems."

[0003] 5G communication systems are considered to be implemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands (e.g., 60 GHz bands) in order to achieve higher data rates. In order to reduce the propagation loss of radio waves and increase the transmission distance, beamforming, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and massive antenna technologies are being discussed in 5G communication systems.

[0004] In addition, in the 5G communication system, development of system network improvements is underway based on advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (RAN), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, mobile networks, collaborative communications, collaborative multi-point (CoMP), receiving-end interference cancellation, etc.

[0005] In 5G systems, hybrid FSK and QAM modulation (FQAM) and sliding window superposition coding (SWSC) as advanced coded modulation (ACM) and filter bank multi-carrier (FBMC), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and sparse code multiple access (SCMA) as advanced access technologies have been developed.

[0006] A dual-polarization antenna including two antenna ports is used for polarization diversity. In order to increase communication performance, in the dual-polarization antenna, the performance of the cross-polarization ratio (CPR) needs to be improved.

[0007] The above information is presented as background information only to assist in understanding the present disclosure. No determination has been made and no assertion is made as to whether any of the above may be applicable as prior art with respect to the present disclosure. Summary of the invention

[0008] Solution to the problem

[0009] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a structure for connecting a radiation patch and a coupling patch of an antenna and an electronic device including the structure.

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a metal contact structure that allows surface mounting technology (SMT) to be performed through a bent structure of at least one surface of a metal radiation patch, and an electronic device including the contact structure.

[0011] Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide an antenna structure having improved CPR performance by satisfying symmetry between two antenna ports by means of a bent structure of at least one surface of a metal radiation patch, and an electronic device including the antenna structure.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a dual-polarized antenna device for a wireless communication system includes: a printed circuit board (PCB); a first feeder line, the first feeder line is used to provide a first polarized signal; a second feeder line, the second feeder line is used to provide a second polarized signal; and a patch antenna, the patch antenna includes a radiation area and a cutting area. An object corresponding to the cutting area is set to support the radiation area on the PCB.

[0013] According to an example embodiment of the present disclosure, a dual-polarized electronic device for a wireless communication system includes: at least one processor; at least one transceiver; and a plurality of antenna modules located on a printed circuit board (PCB). One of the plurality of antenna modules includes: a first feeder line, the first feeder line is used to provide a first polarized signal; a second feeder line, the second feeder line is used to provide a second polarized signal; and a patch antenna, the patch antenna including a radiation area and a cutting area. An object corresponding to the cutting area is arranged to support the radiation area on the PCB.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an antenna device is prepared by a process including the following steps: (a) providing a metal plate of a patch antenna including a radiation area and a cut area; (b) forming a support object by bending the cut area of ​​the metal plate; and (c) contacting the support object to a printed circuit board (PCB) in which a first feed line for a first polarization and a second feed line for a second polarization are provided.

[0015] According to an example embodiment of the present disclosure, a dual-polarized antenna module for a wireless communication system may include: an antenna substrate; a first antenna component, the first antenna component including a first polarized antenna disposed on the antenna substrate; a second antenna component, the second antenna component including a second polarized antenna disposed on the antenna substrate; a coupling patch, the coupling patch being disposed on the antenna substrate and electrically connected to the first antenna component and the second antenna component; and a radiation patch, the radiation patch being configured to radiate a signal received from the coupling patch, wherein the antenna module includes a support member, the support member including at least one area of ​​a surface of the radiation patch that is bent to connect the radiation patch and the coupling patch.

[0016] According to another example embodiment of the present disclosure, a dual-polarized electronic device for a wireless communication system may include: at least one processor, at least one transceiver and multiple antenna modules, wherein each antenna module includes an antenna substrate, a first antenna component including a first polarized antenna, a second antenna component including a second polarized antenna, a coupling patch and a radiation patch, wherein each antenna module includes a support member, the support member including at least one area of ​​a surface of the radiation patch that is bent to connect the radiation patch and the coupling patch corresponding to the radiation patch.

[0017] According to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, by connecting the structure of the radiation patch and the coupling patch by means of the bent structure of the radiation patch, the CPR performance can be ensured and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0018] Effects obtainable from the present disclosure may not be limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 2A is a diagram showing an example antenna radiation pattern for illustrating a cross-polarization ratio (CPR) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 2B is a diagram illustrating an example of a graph depicting the relationship between a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and a bit error rate (BER) for cross-polarization discrimination (XPD) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 3A is a diagram showing an example of an antenna module including a bent structure of a radiating patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 3B is a plan view illustrating an example radiating patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 3C is a front view showing an example curved structure of a radiating patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating another example antenna module including a curved structure of a radiating patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example relationship between symmetry and CPR according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an improved example of CPR of an antenna module including a bent structure of a radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 7 is a graph showing an example in which the CPR of performance according to various embodiments of the present disclosure changes according to the position of the bent structure of the radiation patch;

[0030] Figure 8 is a diagram showing another example in which the CPR of the performance according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is changed according to the position of the bent structure of the radiation patch;

[0031] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of improvement in CPR performance of an antenna module including a bent structure of a radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0032] Fig.10 is a diagram illustrating another improved example of CPR performance of an antenna module including a bent structure of a radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The terms used in the present disclosure are used to describe various example embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Singular expressions may include plural expressions, unless they are distinct in context. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as the meanings generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Terms such as terms defined in general dictionaries can be interpreted as having the same meanings as contextual meanings in the relevant technical field, and are not interpreted as having ideal or overly formal meanings, unless clearly defined in the present disclosure. In some cases, even the terms defined in the present disclosure should not be interpreted as excluding embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on a software method. However, various embodiments of the present disclosure include technologies using both hardware and software, so various embodiments of the present disclosure may not exclude the software perspective.

[0035] The present disclosure relates to antenna structures for wireless communication systems and electronic devices including the antenna structures. For example, the present disclosure discloses a technique for improving the CPR performance of a dual-polarized antenna by, for example, cutting and / or bending (or folding) at least one surface of a radiating patch and providing an antenna structure that is efficient in terms of performance, space, and cost. For example, because devices with a much larger number of antennas are expected to be more widely used through massive MIMO technology, it is necessary to design more efficient antennas in terms of manufacturing time and production cost, while also requiring higher CPR performance.

[0036] Hereinafter, for the convenience of description, terms for indicating components of electronic devices (e.g., substrates, printed circuit boards (PCBs), flexible PCBs (FPCBs), modules, antennas, antenna elements, circuits, processors, chips, components, and devices), terms for indicating component shapes (e.g., structural bodies, structures, support portions, contact portions, protrusions, and openings), terms for indicating connecting portions between structures (e.g., connecting portions, contact portions, support portions, contact structures, conductive members, and components), and terms for indicating circuits (e.g., PCBs, FPCBs, signal lines, feed lines, data lines, RF signal lines, antenna feed lines, RF paths, RF modules, and RF circuits) may be used by way of example. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the above terms, and other terms with equivalent technical meanings may be used. In addition, terms such as "unit," "-device or-," "structure," and "body" used herein may refer to at least one shape structure or unit for processing functions.

[0037] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1The wireless communication environment 100 corresponds to some nodes using a wireless channel, for example, and by way of example, may include a communication node 110 and a terminal 120. As an example, the communication node 110 may be electrically connected to a base station or may be implemented on a base station.

[0038] A base station is a network infrastructure that provides wireless connectivity. The coverage of a base station can be defined as a specific geographical area based on the distance at which signals can be sent and received. In addition to a base station, a base station may also be referred to as, for example, an "access point (AP)", "eNodeB (eNB)", "fifth generation (5G) node", "5G NodeB (5G NodeB (NB))", "radio point", "transmit / receive point (TRP)", "access unit", "distributed unit (DU)", "transmit / receive point (TRP)", "radio unit (RU)", "remote radio head (RRH)" or other terms with equivalent technical meanings. A base station may send downlink signals or receive uplink signals.

[0039] The terminal 120 may refer to, for example, a device used by a user to perform communication with a base station through a wireless channel. The terminal 120 may be operated without any operation by the user. For example, the terminal 120 may refer to, for example, a device that performs machine type communication (MTC), and may not be carried by a user. For example, in addition to a terminal, the terminal 120 may also be referred to as a "user equipment (UE)", "mobile station", "user station", "customer premises equipment (CPE)", "remote terminal", "wireless terminal", "electronic device", "vehicle-mounted terminal", "user equipment" or other terms with equivalent technical meanings.

[0040] The number of antennas (or antenna elements) of a device performing wireless communication is increased to increase communication performance. In addition, the number of RF components or assemblies for processing RF signals received or sent by the antenna elements is also increased, so when communication performance is met in a communication device, space gain and cost efficiency are basically required. In order to meet the requirements, dual-polarized antennas have been used to meet the requirements. When channel independence between signals of different polarizations is met, polarization diversity and signal gain due to polarization diversity can be increased. Therefore, it is advantageous to improve the cross-polarization ratio (CPR) in a dual-polarized antenna.

[0041] Although components of a wireless device (e.g., a massive MIMO unit (MMU)) connected to a base station are shown by way of example to illustrate a connection structure according to the present disclosure and an electronic device including the connection structure, the various embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, the connection structure according to the present disclosure and the electronic device including the connection structure may be applied to Figure 1 The terminal 120 or another device requiring a stable connection structure of a communication component for signal processing.

[0042] Reference Figure 1 , shows an example functional configuration of a communication node 110. The communication node 110 may include an antenna section 111, a filter section 112, a radio frequency (RF) processor 113, and a controller (eg, including a processing circuit) 114.

[0043] The antenna portion 111 may include a plurality of antennas. The antenna performs the function of sending and receiving signals through a wireless channel. The antenna may include, for example, a radiator including a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). The antenna may radiate an up-converted signal to a wireless channel, or acquire a signal radiated by another device. Each antenna may be referred to as an antenna element or an antenna device. In some embodiments, the antenna portion 111 may include an antenna array in which a plurality of antenna elements constitute an array. The antenna portion 111 may be electrically connected to the filter portion 112 via an RF signal line. The antenna portion 111 may be mounted on a PCB including a plurality of antenna elements. The PCB may include a plurality of RF signal lines connecting the antenna elements and the filter portion 112. The RF signal line may be referred to as a feed network. The antenna portion 111 may provide a received signal to the filter portion 112, or may radiate a signal provided from the filter portion 112 to the air.

[0044] The antenna section 111 according to various embodiments may include at least one antenna module having a dual-polarized antenna. For example, the dual-polarized antenna may be a cross-polarized (x-pol) antenna. The dual-polarized antenna may include, for example, two antenna ports corresponding to different polarizations. For example, the dual-polarized antenna may include a first antenna port having a +45° polarization and a second antenna port having a -45° polarization. The antenna port is connected to a feeder line and may be electrically connected to the filter section 112, the RF processor 113, and the controller 114.

[0045] According to various embodiments, the dual-polarized antenna may include, for example, a patch antenna (or a microstrip antenna). Because the dual-polarized antenna has the form of a patch antenna, it is easy to implement and integrate an array antenna. Two signals with different polarizations can be input to an antenna port. The antenna port corresponds to an antenna element. For high efficiency, the relationship between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic between the two signals with different polarizations can be improved. In a dual-polarized antenna, the co-polarization characteristic may represent the characteristics of a specific polarization component, and the cross-polarization characteristic represents the characteristics of a polarization component different from the specific polarization component.

[0046] The filter section 112 can perform filtering to pass the signal of the desired frequency. The filter section 112 can perform a function for selectively identifying the frequency by forming resonance. In some embodiments, the filter section 112 can form resonance by a cavity including a dielectric body in the structure. In addition, in some embodiments, the filter section 112 can form resonance by forming an element of inductance or capacitance. The filter section 112 may include, for example, but not limited to, at least one of a bandpass filter, a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, a band-stop filter, etc. For example, the filter section 112 may include an RF circuit for obtaining a signal of a frequency band for transmitting a signal or a frequency band for receiving a signal. According to various embodiments, the filter section 112 may be electrically connected to the antenna section 111 and the RF processor 113.

[0047] The RF processor 113 may include multiple RF paths. The RF path may refer to a path unit along which a signal received by an antenna or a signal radiated by an antenna passes, for example. At least one RF path may be referred to as an RF chain. The RF chain may include multiple RF elements. The RF elements may include, for example, but not limited to, amplifiers, mixers, oscillators, digital-to-analog converters (DACs), analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), etc. For example, the RF processor 113 may include an up-converter that up-converts a baseband digital transmission signal to a transmission frequency and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that converts the up-converted digital transmission signal into an analog RF transmission signal. The up-converter and the DAC may be components of the transmission path. The transmission path may also include, for example, a power amplifier (PA) or a coupler (or combiner). In addition, for example, the RF processor 113 may include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that converts an analog RF receive signal into a digital receive signal and a down-converter that converts a digital receive signal into a baseband digital receive signal. The ADC and the down-converter may be components of the receiving path. The receiving path may also include a low noise amplifier (LNA) or a coupler (or divider). The RF components of the RF processor may be implemented on a PCB. The base station 110 may include a structure in which an antenna portion 111, a filter portion 112, and an RF processor 113 are sequentially stacked. The RF components of the antenna and the RF processor may be implemented on a PCB, and the filter may be repeatedly coupled between the PCBs to form a plurality of layers.

[0048] The controller 114 may include various processing circuits and control the overall operation of the communication node 110. The controller 114 may include various modules for performing communication. The controller 114 may include at least one processor. The controller 114 may include modules for digital signal processing. For example, when transmitting data, the controller 114 may generate complex symbols by encoding and modulating the transmission bit array. In addition, for example, when transmitting data, the controller 114 may restore the reception bit array by demodulating and decoding the baseband signal. The controller 114 may perform the functions of the protocol stack required by the communication standard.

[0049] Figure 1 The device for utilizing the antenna structure of the present disclosure is shown, and the functional configuration of the communication node 110 is shown. However, Figure 1 The examples shown in the examples are merely example configurations for utilizing antenna structures according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to Figure 1 Therefore, the antenna module, the communication device of another configuration, and the antenna structure including the antenna structure, which will be described in more detail below, may also be understood as exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 2A 2 is a diagram showing an example 200 of an antenna radiation pattern for illustrating a cross-polarization ratio (CPR) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The radiation pattern may represent the relationship between the strength of an electric or magnetic field and a physical space. The present invention relates to an example electric field, such as an E-plane.

[0051] If the polarization characteristics are different, the attenuation state may be different. Different polarization characteristics indicate that the channel correlation between signals with different polarizations is low. When signals with different polarizations experience independent channels, polarization diversity may be increased. For polarization diversity, a dual-polarization antenna is used. Signal gain may increase as polarization diversity increases, which directly results in an increase in channel capacity, so the independence between polarization components in a dual-polarization antenna is used as an indicator of the performance of a dual-polarization antenna.

[0052] Reference Figure 2A , the antenna radiation pattern 200 represents an example relationship between the spatial coordinates (polar coordinates) of the polarization component and the electric field strength in the E plane of the dual-polarized antenna. In order to provide two different polarization characteristics, the dual-polarized antenna includes two antenna components (i.e., antenna ports or antenna feed lines for the antenna ports), and the antenna ports can be independently connected to the feed lines. The dual-polarized antenna can include a first antenna component for a first polarization and a second antenna component for a second polarization.

[0053] The antenna radiation pattern 200 may include two signal components. The two signal components may include a first component 210 and a second component 220. The first component 210 may be, for example, a co-polarization component for a first polarization, and the second component 220 may be, for example, a cross-polarization component for the first polarization. For example, the co-polarization component may be a first polarization component of a signal transmitted through a first antenna port, and the cross-polarization component may be a second polarization component of a signal transmitted through the first antenna port. When a signal is applied to the first antenna port, the co-polarization component may be measured by an antenna element relative to the first polarization. When a signal is applied to the first antenna port, the cross-polarization component may be measured by an antenna element relative to the second polarization as a second polarization.

[0054] The CPR may represent the ratio of two polarization components when a signal is transmitted with a specific polarization. For example, the CPR represents the ratio of the first component 210 to the second component 220. The size of the signal is in dBi, and the CPR may be the difference 230 (e.g., about 10 dB) between the first component 210 and the second component 220 in the E plane = 0°. Because the difference between the two components increases as the size of the second component 220 decreases, the CPR may increase. Because in an ideal communication system, the two polarization components of a dual-polarization antenna may be completely perpendicular to each other, the signal components of different polarizations, i.e., the cross-polarization components, may be completely interrupted. However, because in an actual communication system, the two polarization components may not be completely perpendicular to each other, it is necessary to improve the CPR.

[0055] Figure 2B 250 is an example of a graph depicting the relationship between a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and a bit error rate (BER) for cross-polarization discrimination (XPD) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The cross-polarization separation may refer to, for example, the ratio of polarization components of two polarizations when a signal of a specific polarization is radiated. For example, it may represent Figure 2A For example, XPD can be represented as in Formula 1.

[0056] [Formula 1]

[0057]

[0058] Here, y co represents the component of the signal received with the particular polarization in which the signal was radiated, and y cross Represents the component of the signal received with the other polarization.

[0059] Reference Figure 2B, a graph 250 shows the relationship between SNR and BER. A horizontal axis 251 of the graph 250 represents SNR, and the unit is decibel (dB). A vertical axis 252 of the graph 250 represents BER%, and the unit is bit / second.

[0060] The graph 250 may include four lines. The four lines include a first line 261, a second line 262, a third line 263, and a fourth line 264. The first line 261 may represent the relationship between the BER and the SNR of a dual-polarized antenna having a cross-polarization separation of 0 dB. The second line 262 may represent the relationship between the BER and the SNR of a dual-polarized antenna having a cross-polarization separation of 5 dB. The third line 263 may represent the relationship between the BER and the SNR of a dual-polarized antenna having a cross-polarization separation of 10 dB. The fourth line 264 may represent the relationship between the BER and the SNR of a dual-polarized antenna having a cross-polarization separation of 15 dB.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 250 , it can be recognized that, referring to the same BER (e.g., 10 -5 bits / second), as the cross-polarization separation increases (first line 261->second line 262->third line 263->fourth line 264), the SNR increases. Figure 2A As mentioned in , because the independence between the two polarizations is met, the polarization diversity increases. The cross-polarization separation ratio may refer to, for example, the ratio of the polarization amplitudes of the two polarizations when radiating signals of the same polarization. As the cross-polarization separation increases, the independence between the two polarizations increases. Therefore, as shown in the graph 250, the increase in the cross-polarization separation improves the signal gain in the same requirement.

[0062] exist Figure 2A and Figure 2B In the figure, CPR and XPD are shown as examples of parameters for independently representing the independence between different polarizations. Hereinafter, the performance, effect, relationship between the performance and effect and the structure, and relationship between the performance and effect and the arrangement form of the structure of the antenna structure according to various embodiments are shown as examples, but it is clear that another metric representing the independence between polarizations can be used. This is because the independence between polarizations improves the quality of the channel by improving the polarization diversity gain.

[0063] In the following, Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Fig. 9 and Fig.10Various example embodiments of connection structures of antenna modules for improving independence between polarizations (eg, CPR) are shown by way of non-limiting examples.

[0064] Figure 3A is a diagram illustrating an example of an antenna module including a bent structure of a radiation patch 330 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0065] Reference Figure 3A , the exploded view 300 shows the individual components of the antenna module, and the assembled view 350 shows the assembled antenna module. The antenna module may include an antenna PCB 310, a first antenna port 311, a second antenna port 312, a coupling patch 320, a radiation patch 330, and a feed line (or feed lines) (not shown) connected to the antenna port.

[0066] The antenna module may include a structure in which the antenna PCB 310, the coupling patch 320, and the radiation patch 330 are stacked in the z-axis direction. The coupling patch 320 may be disposed on the antenna PCB 310 of the antenna module, and the radiation patch 330 may be disposed in the (+) z-axis direction of the coupling patch 320. The radiation patch 330 may be spaced apart from the first antenna 311, the second antenna port 312, and the feed coupling patch 320, and may be positioned substantially parallel to the antenna PCB 310.

[0067] The antenna PCB 310 may be an antenna substrate, and a plurality of feed lines supplying RF signals may be attached to the antenna PCB 310. For example, the plurality of feed lines may be printed on the antenna PCB 310. The antenna PCB 310 may include a dielectric body. The plurality of feed lines may include a feed line for connecting an antenna component for a first polarization in a dual-polarized antenna and a feed line for connecting an antenna component for a second polarization. An input port connected to an antenna component may be referred to as an antenna port.

[0068] The coupling patch 320 may be connected to a feed line of the first antenna port 311 and a feed line of the second antenna port 312. The coupling patch 320 may transfer signals of the two antenna ports input through the feed line to the radiation patch 330. The first antenna port 311 may be, for example, an antenna port for a first polarization, and the second antenna port 312 may be, for example, an antenna port for a second polarization. The coupling patch 320 may include, for example, a metal plate.

[0069] According to various embodiments, the radiation patch 330 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the coupling patch 320 by a specific interval. For example, the radiation patch 330 may be disposed in parallel to the coupling patch to form a resonance. The radiation patch 330 may radiate the signal of the first antenna port 311 and the signal of the second antenna port 312 provided from the coupling patch to the air. The radiation patch 330 may include, for example, a metal plate. The bandwidth of the radiated signal is based on a specific interval between the two patches. The specific interval between the two patches may be implemented by at least a portion of the radiation patch 330.

[0070] According to various embodiments, the radiation patch 330 may have at least one curved structure (e.g., curved portion). In the present disclosure, the curved structure may, for example, refer to a structure in which a surface disposed at a position different from one surface of the plate (e.g., a radiation surface (xy surface)) is formed by folding a specific portion of a plate (e.g., a metal plate) of the radiation patch 330. The curved structure may, for example, be formed by, but not limited to, cutting and / or bending at least a portion of the plate of the radiation patch 330. For example, by cutting a side of the plate other than a specific side of at least a portion of the plate (e.g., spatially separating the side from the side of the metal plate) and connecting and folding the specific side of the at least a portion, the cut portion of the plate may no longer be disposed on the radiation surface of the plate. The cut portion may be referred to as, for example, a cut portion or a cut region. For example, when four specific portions on a surface of the radiation patch 330 perpendicular to the z-axis are cut and folded, a first curved structure 331, a second curved structure 332, a third curved structure 333, and a fourth curved structure of the radiation patch 330 may be formed. The cut portion may be a portion of the plate that is not located on the radiation surface and may be referred to as a curved surface. The specific side that is connected to the plate is the bend and may be referred to as the bend line. Figure 3B The curved surface and the curved line are described in detail.

[0071] According to various embodiments, the bent structure may be used as a supporting member (e.g., a support) for contact of the coupling patch 320 and the radiation patch 330. The bent structure (e.g., the first bent structure 331, the second bent structure 332, the third bent structure 333, and the fourth bent structure 334) may be used to support the radiation patch 330 on the coupling patch 320. The bent surface of the bent structure may be provided in a form of supporting the radiation patch 330 on the antenna PCB 310 and the coupling patch 320 by forming the bent surface so that the bent surface is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the plate. Since the radiation patch 330 may include a metal plate and the bent structure is formed by the radiation patch 330, a metal column may be formed between the coupling patch 320 and the radiation patch 330. This is because the area corresponding to the cut portion is also formed of a metal object because the plate is a metal portion.

[0072] According to various embodiments, the radiation patch 330 can be directly attached to the coupling portion 320 through a surface mount technology (SMT) scheme. The support structure between the two layers can be implemented by a separate support member, and additional processes such as making the support member according to the material of the support member and welding can be considered. However, since the bent structure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is a metal structure formed by bending a portion of the plate of the radiation patch 330 including metal without using a separate support member, the bent structure can be directly attached to the coupling patch 320 according to the SMT scheme. For example, since the additional processes according to the production of the support member and the material of the support member according to various embodiments of the present disclosure are omitted, the production cost of the antenna module can be reduced. For example, since the accumulated processing errors may significantly affect the performance in a communication device such as an MMU including multiple antenna modules, the effect between metals can be maximized without using any separate support member due to the simple SMT scheme.

[0073] According to an embodiment, in order to stabilize the support, in addition to the portion connected to the plate and folded, the cut portion may also be bent. A curved surface parallel to the coupling patch 320 may be additionally formed by further bending one surface of the cut portion. That is, the curved structure may have an "L" shape. Figure 3C Describe a detailed description of the "L" shape.

[0074] According to various embodiments, in addition to the function of the supporting member, the deployment and shape of the bent structure of the radiation patch 330 may be related to the electric field distribution. Because the bent structure is formed by a portion of the metal plate of the radiation patch 330 from which the signal is radiated, the formation scheme affects the radiation performance of the antenna. The deployment of the bent structure may include at least one of the bending position, the cutting position, the number of bent structures, and whether the cutting positions on the radiation surface are symmetrical to each other. The form of the bent structure may include at least one of the number of bends in each bent structure, the shape of the bent surface, and the bending direction. In the antenna resonance mode of the dual-polarized antenna, the distribution of the electric field may be different based on the deployment and form of the bent structure. Therefore, the CPR performance of the dual-polarized antenna may be different based on where the bent structure is set in space and what size the bent structure is formed. Below, reference will be made to Figure 7 and Figure 8 A detailed description of the deployment and form of the curved structure is given.

[0075] Figure 3A An example is shown in which the radiation patch 330 has four curved structures, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, the radiation patch 330 may have one curved structure. In addition, according to an embodiment, the radiation patch 330 may have two curved structures. It will be understood from the disclosure that any suitable number of curved structures may be employed.

[0076] Figure 3B is a plan view illustrating an example radiating patch 330 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3B The diagram shows the observation from the (+) z-axis to the (-) z-axis direction. Figure 3A Figure 330 of the radiation patch. Figure 3B China Shared Based Figure 3A The xyz coordinates are described.

[0077] Reference Figure 3B The metal plate for the radiation patch 330 may include a first curved structure 331, a second curved structure 332, a third curved structure 333 and a fourth curved structure 334. In order to stabilize the support, Figure 3B In each bent structure, a specific portion of the metal plate of the radiation patch 330 may be cut and bent (hereinafter, primary bending), and the cut portion may be further bent (hereinafter, secondary bending). For example, the bent structure of the radiation patch 330 may be attached to the coupling patch 320 in an L shape.

[0078] The curved surface of the cut portion of the metal plate of the radiation patch 330 according to the primary bending may be used as a supporting member (e.g., a short pin) of the radiation patch 330. Therefore, the cut surface according to the primary bending may be referred to as a supporting curved surface. The bending line between the supporting curved surface of the radiation patch 330 and the metal plate may be referred to as a supporting curved line. The surface of the supporting curved surface facing the surface attached to the coupling patch 320 according to the secondary bending may be referred to as an attachment curved surface. The surface facing the attachment curved surface (e.g., the opposite surface) may be attached to the coupling patch 320.

[0079] In addition, the bending line of the secondary bending can be referred to as an attachment bending line. The first bending structure 331 may include an attachment bending surface 331a, an attachment bending line 331b, a support bending surface 331c, and a support bending line 331d. The second bending structure 332 may include an attachment bending surface 332a, an attachment bending line 332b, a support bending surface 332c, and a support bending line 332d. The third bending structure 333 may include an attachment bending surface 333a, an attachment bending line 333b, a support bending surface 333c, and a support bending line 333d. The fourth bending structure 334 may include an attachment bending surface 334a, an attachment bending line 334b, a support bending surface 334c, and a support bending line 334d.

[0080] Figure 3C is a diagram illustrating an example of a front view of a bent structure of a radiation patch 330 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3C When viewed from the (+) x-axis along the (-) x-axis Figure 3AFIG. 3 is a diagram of an antenna module 300. Figure 3C China Shared Based Figure 3A The xyz coordinate system is described and based on Figure 3B By way of example, the first curved structure 331 is shown as the curved structure.

[0081] Reference Figure 3C , the first bent structure 331 may be formed by cutting one region 331z of the metal plate of the radiation patch 330. The one region 331z may be referred to as a cutting region. Since the radiation patch 330 is a metal plate, the cutting region may be a metal object, for example, a conductor. In order to form a stacked structure of the radiation patch 330 and the coupling patch 320, the one region 331z of the radiation patch 330 may be attached to the coupling patch 320 and may be used as a supporting member of the radiation patch 330. The one region 331z may include a supporting curved surface 331c formed by performing a single bending on the metal plate and an attachment curved surface 331a that may be formed by an additional secondary bending.

[0082] at the same time, Figure 3B and Figure 3C It is shown that the surface facing the attachment curved surface is provided in the coupling patch 320, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, in the case of secondary bending, the folding direction may be opposite. For example, instead of Figure 3C The cut surface 331a is formed in the (-)y-axis direction, and the curved surface can be formed by bending the metal plate in the (+)y-axis direction. Figure 3B The attachment curved surface 331 a may be directly provided in the coupling plate 320 .

[0083] Figure 4 4 is a diagram illustrating another example antenna module including a bent structure of a radiating patch 430 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4 Shown with Figure 3A The different radiating patch 300 includes two examples of curved structures.

[0084] Reference Figure 4 , the exploded view 400 shows the individual components of the antenna module, and the assembled view 450 shows the assembled antenna module. The antenna module may include an antenna PCB 410, a first antenna port 411, a second antenna port 412, a coupling patch 420, a radiation patch 430, and a feed line (or multiple feed lines) connected to the antenna port (not shown). The antenna PCB 410, the first antenna port 411, the second antenna port 412, the coupling patch 420, and the radiation patch 430 correspond to Figure 3AThe antenna PCB 310, the first antenna port 311, the second antenna port 312, the coupling patch 320 and the radiation patch 330 are provided, and thus the same or similar descriptions thereof may not be repeated here.

[0085] According to various embodiments, the radiation patch 430 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the coupling patch 320 by a specific interval. The radiation patch 430 may radiate the signal of the first antenna port 411 and the signal of the second antenna port 412 provided from the coupling patch to the air. The radiation patch 330 may include a metal plate. According to various embodiments, the radiation patch 430 may have at least one bent structure. For example, when four specific portions on a surface of the radiation patch 330 perpendicular to the z-axis are cut and folded, the first bent structure 431 and the second bent structure 433 of the radiation patch 330 may be formed.

[0086] According to various embodiments, the bending structure may be used as a supporting member for contact of the coupling patch 420 and the radiation patch 430. The bending structure (e.g., the first bending structure 431 and the second bending structure 433) may be used to support the radiation patch 330 on the coupling patch 420. Then, since the radiation patch 430 is a metal plate and the bending structure is formed by cutting the radiation patch 430, a metal column may be formed between the coupling patch 420 and the radiation patch 430. The radiation patch 430 may be directly attached to the coupling patch 420 via an SMT scheme. In order to stabilize the support, in addition to a portion connected to the board and folded, the cut portion may also be bent additionally. The opposite surface of the curved surface formed by the additional bending may be attached to the coupling patch 420.

[0087] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example relationship between symmetry and CPR according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. To describe the symmetry, by way of example, a +45° polarization and a -45° polarization are shown as two different polarizations.

[0088] The polarization characteristic of the antenna is determined by the vector sum of the antenna electric field. The signal radiated from the antenna may include multiple vectors. The multiple vectors can be detected from the change in the electric field strength. Since the distribution of the vectors detected from the electric field is symmetrical with respect to the polarization direction, for a specific polarization, the component of the signal of the other polarization component may become smaller in the signal. If a +45° polarized signal is radiated, +45° polarization should be detected. However, the actual radiated signal may include undesirable components, and asymmetry may be caused for the vectors of undesirable components in the electric field. Therefore, the symmetry of the electric field distribution can directly represent the CPR performance of the antenna. Hereinafter, the case of a +45° polarized signal will be described.

[0089] Reference Figure 5, the first vector diagram 511 represents the vector of +45° polarization in the existing antenna module, and the first electric field pattern 512 represents the electric field of +45° polarization in the existing antenna module. Hereinafter, for the electric field pattern in the present disclosure, the following table may be referred to. The highest contour line corresponds to level 16.

[0090] [Table 1]

[0091]

[0092]

[0093] The vector sum of the first vector diagram 511 indicates 45+α° (α>0). That is, a signal polarized at +45° is output counterclockwise from the +45° direction (that is, counterclockwise 45+α° (α>0)). If the ends of the contour lines are connected to each other in the first electric field pattern 512, the asymmetry of +45° can be identified. The fact that the first endpoint 513 and the second endpoint 514 are formed longer than the other endpoints may mean that there are additional vector components in the corresponding directions, for example. A symmetrical reference line can be formed in the first electric field pattern 512 of 45+α° (α>0), but the symmetry of +45° cannot be satisfied.

[0094] The second vector diagram 511 represents a vector of +45° polarization in an antenna module including a bent structure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and the second vector diagram 522 represents an electric field of a signal of +45° polarization in an antenna module including a bent structure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The vector sum of the second vector diagram 521 indicates 45. That is, the signal of +45° polarization is output substantially at 45°. If the ends of the contour lines in the second electric field pattern 522 are connected to each other, the symmetry of +45° can be recognized. Because the third endpoint 523 and the fourth endpoint 524 are formed to be symmetrical with the other endpoints, unlike in the first electric field pattern 512, the symmetry reference line of the second electric field pattern 522 can be formed to be +45°. When the symmetry is satisfied, the cross-polarization component of the signal with +45° polarization can be reduced, and thus the CPR performance can be improved.

[0095] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of improvement of CPR of an antenna module 650 including a bent structure of a radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In order to describe the bent structure and performance of the antenna module 650 according to various embodiments, an example of the antenna module 600 without a bent structure will be described.

[0096] Reference Figure 6, the antenna module 600 may include an antenna PCB 610, a first antenna port 611, a second antenna port 612, a coupling patch 620, a radiation patch 630, and a feed line (or multiple feed lines) connected to the antenna port (not shown). The radiation patch 630 uses a metal plate for radiation, but does not have a separate bending structure. Because the antenna module 600 does not have a bending structure, the degree of separation of different polarization components can be relatively low. The electric field pattern 640 represents the electric field of the first antenna port 611 of the antenna module 600, that is, +45° polarization. Because the electric field pattern 640 is asymmetric with respect to the +45° direction, the antenna module 600 can have a relatively low CPR compared to the antenna module 650 including a bending structure, which will be described below.

[0097] The antenna module 650 may include an antenna PCB 660, a first antenna port 661, a second antenna port 662, a coupling patch 670, a radiation patch 680, and a feed line (or feed lines) (not shown) connected to the antenna port. Figure 6 The description of the components of antenna module 650 corresponds at least in part to Figure 3A or Figure 4 The components of the antenna module are described above, and therefore the same or similar descriptions may not be repeated here.

[0098] The radiation patch 680 may have two curved structures including two cut portions (or may be referred to as cut regions) in one metal plate. The two cut portions may include a first cut portion 681a and a second cut portion 682a. The first cut portion 681a may correspond to a first curved structure 681b. The second cut portion 682a may correspond to a second curved structure 682b. The first curved structure 681b and the second curved structure 682b may perform the function of connecting the metal column of the coupling patch 670 and the radiation patch 680.

[0099] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the first cutting portion 681a and the second cutting portion 682a may be arranged to control Figure 5The asymmetry problem of polarization components mentioned in the embodiment. That is, by designing the antenna module 650 so as to suppress a part of the vector component of the electric field formed in the radiation patch or supply a signal of a component in the opposite direction, the first cut portion 681a and the second cut portion 682a can be set so that the electric field of the signal of the antenna for a specific polarization is symmetrical. According to an embodiment, the cut portion can be set based on an experimental value. In addition, according to an embodiment, the cut portion can be flexibly set according to the acquired electric field pattern. For example, the cut portion can be set on the radiation surface of the radiation patch as if it is not cut, or can be removed to control the CPR. In addition, for example, the cut portion can be used to support the support member instead of removing the cut portion using the cut portion. The electric field pattern 690 represents the electric field of the first antenna port 661 of the antenna module 650, that is, +45° polarization. Because the electric field pattern 690 is symmetrical with respect to the +45° direction, the antenna module 650 can have a relatively high CPR compared to the antenna module 650 that does not include the above-mentioned bending structure.

[0100] via Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 , describes a measure for easily improving the CPR of a support structure between a radiation patch and a coupling patch and a dual-polarized antenna by using a bent structure formed by cutting at least one area of ​​the radiation patch. Figure 7 and Figure 8 Embodiments are described showing example relationships of the deployment and form of curved structures to improvements in CPR.

[0101] Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of how the CPR of the performance according to various embodiments of the present disclosure changes according to the position of the curved structure of the radiation patch. Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown in Figure 7The antenna module may include an antenna PCB, a coupling patch, a radiation patch, a first antenna port for a first polarization, and a second antenna port for a second polarization. In order to determine the improvement in performance according to the deployment of the curved structure, measurements are performed on an antenna module having a curved structure. In order to describe the curved structure and the improvement in performance of the antenna module according to various embodiments, an example of an antenna module 600 without a curved structure will be described by comparison. When considering the electric field pattern 640, the output of a +45° polarized signal in the antenna module 600 may be in a direction of approximately +45+α° (α>0). In the antenna module 600, the output of a -45° polarized signal may be in a direction of approximately -45+β° (β>0).

[0102] Reference Figure 7 In the first case 710, the antenna module includes a bent structure formed at a center position 711 of the radiation patch. The endpoints of the contour line of the electric field pattern 710a of the first antenna port form asymmetry with respect to the +45° direction. It is identified that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 715a of the first antenna port does not increase. Because the center position of the radiation patch is a physically symmetrical position, from the perspective of improving the CPR, actually setting the bent structure at the center position may not help. The endpoints of the contour line of the electric field pattern 710b of the second antenna port form asymmetry with respect to the -45° direction. It is identified that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 715b of the second antenna port does not increase. Because the center position of the radiation patch is a physically symmetrical position, from the perspective of improving the CPR, actually setting the bent structure at the center position may not help.

[0103] In the second case 740, the antenna module includes a curved structure formed on the right side 741 of the center position of the radiation patch. The endpoints of the contour line of the electric field pattern 740a of the first antenna port form symmetry with respect to the +45° direction. It is identified that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 745a of the first antenna port has an increase 747 of about 15 dB. Figure 6 In the embodiment of the present invention, the antenna module without a bent structure provides a vector sum in the +45+α° direction. However, since the component in the +45+α° direction (i.e., counterclockwise) is reduced according to the cut area on the radiation patch located on the lower side and the right side of the +45° direction, the symmetry can be increased. Due to the high symmetry, the CPR performance can be improved.

[0104] The endpoints of the contour line of the electric field pattern 740b of the second antenna port form asymmetry with respect to the -45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 745b of the second antenna port increases. Figure 6In FIG. 1 , the antenna module without a bent structure provides a vector sum in the direction of -45+β°. Because the component in the direction of -45+β° may be somewhat increased according to the cut area on the radiation patch located in the upper right direction (ie, clockwise direction) relative to the -45° direction, the asymmetry may be increased.

[0105] In the third case 770, the antenna module includes a curved structure formed on the left side 771 of the center position of the radiation patch. The endpoints of the contour line of the electric field pattern 770a of the first antenna port form symmetry with respect to the +45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 775a of the first antenna port increases. Figure 6 In FIG. 1 , the antenna module without a bent structure provides a vector sum in the +45+α° direction. Since the component in the +45+α° direction may be somewhat increased according to the cut area on the radiation patch located in the upper left direction relative to the +45° direction, the asymmetry may be increased.

[0106] The endpoints of the contour line of the electric field pattern 770b of the second antenna port form symmetry with respect to the -45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 745b of the second antenna port has an increase 777 of about 15 dB. Figure 6 In the embodiment of the present invention, the antenna module without a bent structure provides a vector sum in the -45+β° direction. However, since the component in the -45+β° direction (i.e., counterclockwise) is reduced according to the cut area on the lower side and left side of the +45° direction on the radiation patch, the symmetry can be increased. Due to the high symmetry, the CPR performance can be improved.

[0107] If via Figure 7 As discussed, the position of a suitable bending structure may be designed according to the vector characteristics of the initial antenna port. For example, the default value of the antenna port with +45° polarization represents the vector sum of +45+α°, the cutting area of ​​the radiation patch may be formed on the right side of the center and the bending structure may be set as in the second case 740. In addition, from the perspective of transmitting signals, improving the CPR of only one polarization may not be preferred. As in the third case 770, in order to improve the CPR for the antenna port with -45° polarization, a cutting area of ​​the radiation patch is additionally formed on the left side of the center position, and a bending structure may be set for the corresponding cutting area. The two bending structures set on opposite sides of the center may be as shown in FIG. Figure 4 is implemented in the same way.

[0108] A cutting area that is too wide reduces the original radiation patch area, thereby degrading the radiation function. Therefore, a minimum and / or reduced area may be necessary to form a curved area from the cutting area. Since the vector sum is greatly affected when the vector sum deviates horizontally from the center of the vector sum formed by the radiation patch, as the vector sum becomes farther away from the center, a patch design that meets the antenna requirements of a smaller cutting area can be formed. According to various embodiments, the cutting area (or curved structure) of the radiation patch can be set based on the vector characteristics of the antenna element. According to an embodiment, the size of the cutting area can be determined based on the distance (e.g., spacing distance) separating the cutting area from the center of the radiation patch. Similarly, the length of the support portion of the curved structure connecting the radiation patch and the coupling patch can be determined based on the distance (i.e., spacing distance) separating the cutting area from the center of the radiation patch.

[0109] Figure 8 is a diagram showing another example of how the CPR of the performance according to various embodiments of the present disclosure changes according to the position of the curved structure of the radiation patch. Figures 3A to 6 As shown in Figure 8 The antenna module may include an antenna PCB, a coupling patch, a radiation patch, a first antenna port for a first polarization, and a second antenna port for a second polarization. At the same time, in order to determine the performance improvement according to the deployment of the curved structure, measurements are performed on an antenna module having a curved structure. In order to describe the curved structure and performance improvement of the antenna module according to various embodiments, an example of an antenna module 600 without a curved structure will be described by comparison. When considering the electric field pattern 640, the output of a +45° polarized signal in the antenna module 600 may be in a direction of approximately +45+α° (α>0). In the antenna module 600, the output of a -45° polarized signal may be in a direction of approximately -45+β° (β>0).

[0110] Reference Figure 8 In the first case 810, the antenna module includes a bent structure formed at a center position 811 of the radiation patch. The endpoints of the contour line of the electric field pattern 810a of the first antenna port form asymmetry with respect to the +45° direction. It is identified that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 815a of the first antenna port increases. Because the center position of the radiation patch is a physically symmetrical position, from the perspective of improving the CPR, actually setting the bent structure at the center position may not help. The endpoints of the contour line of the electric field pattern 810b of the second antenna port form asymmetry with respect to the -45° direction. It is identified that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 815b of the second antenna port increases. Because the center position of the radiation patch is a physically symmetrical position, from the perspective of improving the CPR, actually setting the bent structure at the center position may not help.

[0111] In the second case 840, the antenna module includes a curved structure formed on the upper side 841 at the center of the radiation patch. The endpoints of the contour line of the electric field pattern 840a of the first antenna port form symmetry with respect to the +45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 845a of the first antenna port increases. Figure 6 In the embodiment, the antenna module without a bent structure provides a vector sum in the +45+α° direction. The cut area is located on the upper side of the 45° direction on the radiation patch. However, since the direction of the vector sum (clockwise or counterclockwise) is hardly affected even if the vector component corresponding to the cut area is eliminated, it may not help to improve the CPR of the bent structure set on the upper side.

[0112] The endpoints of the contour line of the electric field pattern 840b of the second antenna port form asymmetry with respect to the -45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 845b of the second antenna port increases. Figure 6 In the embodiment, the antenna module without the bent structure provides a vector sum in the direction of -45+β°. The cut area is located on the upper side of -45° on the radiation patch. However, since the direction of the vector sum (clockwise or counterclockwise) is hardly affected even if the vector component corresponding to the cut area is eliminated, it may not help to improve the CPR of the bent structure set on the upper side.

[0113] In the third case 870, the antenna module includes a curved structure formed on the lower side 871 at the center of the radiation patch. The endpoints of the contour line of the electric field pattern 870a of the first antenna port form asymmetry with respect to the +45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 875a of the first antenna port increases. Figure 6 In the embodiment, the antenna module without the bent structure provides a vector sum in the direction of +45+α°. The cut area is located on the lower side of 45° on the radiation patch. However, since the direction of the vector sum (clockwise or counterclockwise) is hardly affected even if the vector component corresponding to the cut area is eliminated, it may not help to improve the CPR of the bent structure set on the lower side.

[0114] The endpoints of the contour line of the electric field pattern 870b of the second antenna port form asymmetry with respect to the -45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 845b of the second antenna port increases. Figure 6In the embodiment, the antenna module without the bent structure provides the vector sum in the -45+β° direction. The cut area is located on the lower side of the -45° direction on the radiation patch. However, since the direction of the vector sum (clockwise or counterclockwise) is hardly affected even if the vector component corresponding to the cut area is eliminated, it may not help to improve the CPR of the bent structure set on the lower side.

[0115] Because the vector sum is not greatly affected even if it deviates from the center of the vector sum formed by the radiation patch, the designer of the antenna module may consider the direction relative to the center of the radiation patch in addition to the size of the cutting area (or bending structure) and the distance from the center of the radiation patch. According to various embodiments, the cutting area (or bending structure) of the radiation patch may be set based on the vector characteristics of the antenna element. According to an embodiment, the size of the cutting area may be determined based on at least one of the distance, spacing distance, and spacing direction separating the cutting area from the center of the radiation patch. Similarly, the length of the support portion of the bending structure connecting the radiation patch and the coupling patch may be determined based on at least one of the distance, spacing distance, and spacing direction separating the cutting area from the center of the radiation patch.

[0116] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of improvement in CPR performance of an antenna module including a bent structure of a radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0117] Reference Fig. 9 The antenna module 900 may include an antenna PCB 910, a first antenna port 911, a second antenna port 912, a coupling patch 920, a radiation patch 930, and a feed line (or feed lines) (not shown) connected to the antenna port. Fig. 9 The description of the components of the antenna module corresponds at least in part to Figure 4 Components of the antenna module, so the same or similar description may not be repeated here. The radiation patch 930 may have two cut portions (or may be referred to as cut areas) and two bent structures in a metal plate. The two cut portions may include a first cut portion 931 and a second cut portion 932. The first cut portion 931 may correspond to a first bent structure 933. The second cut portion 932 may correspond to a second bent structure 934. The first bent structure 933 and the second bent structure 934 may perform the function of connecting the metal columns of the coupling patch 920 and the radiation patch 930.

[0118] Referring to the electric field pattern 940, it can be recognized that the symmetry is satisfied, and Figure 6The electric field pattern 640 is different. The first radiation pattern 951 represents an improvement in the CPR performance of the first antenna port (i.e., the first antenna assembly) for the first polarization. It is identified that the difference 961 between the co-polarization component and the cross-polarization component of the signal radiated through the first antenna port increases by approximately 12 dB compared to the case without the bending structure. The second radiation pattern 952 represents an improvement in the CPR performance of the second antenna port (i.e., the second antenna assembly) for the second polarization. It is identified that the difference 962 between the co-polarization component and the cross-polarization component of the signal radiated through the second antenna port increases by approximately 12 dB compared to the case without the bending structure.

[0119] Fig.10 is a diagram illustrating another improved example of CPR performance of an antenna module including a bent structure of a radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0120] Reference Fig.10 The antenna module 1000 may include an antenna PCB 1010, a first antenna port 1011, a second antenna port 1012, a coupling patch 1020, a radiation patch 1030, and a feed line (or feed lines) (not shown) connected to the antenna port. Fig.10 The description of the components of the antenna module corresponds at least in part to Figure 3A , and thus the same or similar description may not be repeated here. The radiation patch 1030 may have four cut portions (or may be referred to as cut areas) and four bent structures in a metal plate. The four cut portions may include a first cut portion 1031, a second cut portion 1032, a third cut portion 1033, and a fourth cut portion 1034. The first cut portion 1031 may correspond to a first bent structure. The second cut portion 1032 may correspond to a second bent structure. The third cut portion 1033 may correspond to a third bent structure. The fourth cut portion 1034 may correspond to a fourth bent structure. The first bent structure, the second bent structure, the third bent structure, and the fourth bent structure may perform the function of a metal column connecting the coupling patch 1020 and the radiation patch 1030. Referring to the electric field pattern 1040, it can be identified that the symmetry is satisfied, and Figure 6 The electric field pattern 640 is different.

[0121] Through the radiation pattern 1050, it is recognized that the difference 1061 between the co-polarization component and the cross-polarization component of the signal radiated through the first antenna port increases by about 15 dB compared to the case without the bending structure. Fig. 9 Compared with the measurement results of , when four curved structures and cutting areas are formed, the CPR performance is increased by 3dB compared with that when two curved structures and cutting areas are formed.

[0122] By inspection Fig. 9 and Fig.10 According to the experimental results, according to various embodiments, the deployment and shape of the curved structure of the radiation patch 330 can be determined based on the required CPR performance and the number of curved structures. Because many curved structures require many cutting areas on the radiation patch, the radiation area is reduced. Because the reduction of the radiation area causes performance degradation, the trade-off between communication performance and CPR performance must be considered when designing the deployment and form of the curved structure of the radiation patch 330.

[0123] Items related to the design mentioned in this disclosure can be related as follows.

[0124] 1. Requirements during design

[0125] 1) Radiation requirements: basic signal gain (target gain)

[0126] 2) CPR requirement: Ratio of cross-polarization components (target item for service providers)

[0127] - Until the target CPR is achieved, the design is made possible by changing the following changing items (eg, the number of bending structures, the area of ​​the cutting region, etc.).

[0128] 3) Support structure requirements (weight, size, location and thickness (= thickness of the radiator patch board))

[0129] - According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the configuration of the radiation patch is used as a supporting member without using any separate supporting member, so the manufacturing cost and weight can be reduced.

[0130] The size and thickness of the support member may be determined in consideration of the requirements of the service provider and the size and location of the communication equipment.

[0131] 4) Based on the vector sum of the basic configuration (i.e., when there is no bending structure) between antenna components

[0132] As in Figure 7 and Figure 8 As mentioned in, when the symmetry of +45° or -45° is not met, the bending structure and the cutting area can be set and formed in consideration of the degree of deviation from the symmetry reference. According to an embodiment, the bending structure of the antenna module connected to the radiation patch can be set on the radiation patch based on the vector according to the basic setting of the antenna port and the degree of deviation from the reference line.

[0133] 2. Change item

[0134] 1) Location of cutting area and bending structure

[0135] -like Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown in , the radiation performance and CPR performance may be different depending on the cutting position, the bending position and the size of the bending area on the radiation patch. According to an embodiment, the position of the cutting area and the bending structure may be determined based on the vector sum according to the basic settings of the dual-polarized antenna. According to an embodiment, the position of the cutting area and the bending structure may be determined based on the difference between the vector sum according to the basic settings of the dual-polarized antenna and the direction of the corresponding polarization. In addition, according to an embodiment, based on the direction of the vector sum (for example, whether the direction is inclined vertically or horizontally), the position of the cutting area and the bending structure of the radiation patch that can cause the vector sum and the polarization direction to coincide with each other in the xy coordinate system can be identified. By inputting the corresponding experimental values, the bending structure can be designed at the optimal position (x, y).

[0136] 2) Number of cutting areas and bending structures

[0137] -like Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown in , the performance varies depending on whether certain bending structures are symmetrical to each other at certain positions and only depending on the bending position, and the number of bending structures included in the antenna module can be adjusted according to the CPR requirements of the service provider. The feature that the number of bending structures included in two antenna modules included in one MMU is different can also be understood as an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0138] 3) Whether the curved structure is additionally curved (e.g. Figure 3C )

[0139] - For a stable support structure, additional bending (i.e., secondary bending) can be performed. Depending on the weight and deployment of the stacked structure, whether a stable support structure is necessary is different. For a more stable structure, during the additional bending, the area of ​​the attached curved surface can be widened and the height of the support member can be reduced. To control the bandwidth, the height of the support member can be controlled, and the height of the attached curved surface can also be controlled to meet the same radiation performance.

[0140] 4)Thickness of the radiation patch board

[0141] 5) According to the availability of SMT of radiation patch materials

[0142] -Because the curved structure of the radiation patch is metal and the coupling patch is also metal, it is possible to allow attachment of SMT scheme due to the contact of metal.Because additional support members and another material are not necessary, the processor error during the mass production process and the cumulative error during assembly can be reduced.

[0143] According to various example embodiments of the present disclosure, a dual-polarized antenna module for a wireless communication system is provided, the antenna module comprising: an antenna substrate; a first antenna port, the first antenna port being used for a first polarization and being arranged on the antenna substrate; a second antenna port, the second antenna port being used for a second polarization and being arranged on the antenna substrate; a coupling patch, the coupling patch being arranged on the antenna substrate and electrically connected to the first antenna port and the second antenna port; and a radiation patch, the radiation patch being configured to radiate a signal received from the coupling patch, wherein the antenna module comprises a support member, the support member comprising at least one area of ​​a surface of the radiation patch being bent to connect the radiation patch and the coupling patch.

[0144] In some example embodiments, at least one area may include a first cutting area and a second cutting area, and a first metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to the first cutting area can be bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch, and a second metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to the second cutting area can be bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch.

[0145] In some example embodiments, the first metal object may include a first supporting portion and a first attaching portion along a cutting line of the first metal object, the second metal object may include a second supporting portion and a second attaching portion along a cutting line of the second metal object, the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion may be configured to support the radiation patch on the coupling patch, the first attaching portion may be configured to attach the first metal object to the coupling patch, and the second attaching portion may be configured to attach the second metal object to the coupling patch.

[0146] In some example embodiments, a third metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to the third cutting area may be bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch, and a fourth metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to the fourth cutting area may be bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch.

[0147] In some example embodiments, the first antenna port and the second antenna port may be arranged to be line-symmetrical with respect to a reference line, and the first cutting area and the second cutting area may be arranged at positions separated from the reference line. As an example, the cutting area and the second cutting area may be substantially line-symmetrical with respect to each other.

[0148] In some example embodiments, the first cut region may be set to reduce the ratio of a first component of a first polarization of a signal radiated from the first antenna port to a second component of the second polarization.

[0149] In some example embodiments, the second cutting area may be set to reduce the ratio of the second component of the second polarization of the signal radiated from the second antenna port to the first component of the first polarization.

[0150] In some example embodiments, the first cutting area and the second cutting area may be set based on a vector sum of the radiation signal of the first port and a vector sum of the radiation signal of the second antenna port.

[0151] In some example embodiments, at least one metal object corresponding to the at least one region may be disposed between the radiation patch and the coupling patch, and the antenna module may not include any support member other than the at least one metal object.

[0152] In some example embodiments, the radiation patch may include a metal plate, the coupling patch may include a metal material, and the bend at at least one region of the radiation patch may be attached to the coupling patch through a surface mounting technology (SMT) scheme.

[0153] According to various example embodiments of the present disclosure, a dual-polarized electronic device for a wireless communication system is provided, the electronic device comprising at least one processor, at least one transceiver and a plurality of antenna modules, wherein each of the antenna modules comprises an antenna substrate, a first antenna port for a first polarization, a second antenna port for a second polarization, a coupling patch and a radiation patch, wherein each of the antenna modules comprises a support member, the support member comprising at least one area of ​​a surface of the radiation patch that is bent to connect the radiation patch and the coupling patch corresponding to the radiation patch.

[0154] In some example embodiments, at least one area may include a first cutting area and a second cutting area, a first metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to the first cutting area is bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch, and a second metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to the second cutting area is bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch.

[0155] In some example embodiments, the first metal object may include a first supporting portion and a first attaching portion along a cutting line of the first metal object, the second metal object may include a second supporting portion and a second attaching portion along a cutting line of the second metal object, the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion may be configured to support the radiation patch on the coupling patch, the first attaching portion may be configured to attach the first metal object to the coupling patch, and the second attaching portion may be configured to attach the second metal object to the coupling patch.

[0156] In some example embodiments, at least one region may include a third cutting region and a fourth cutting region, the third metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to the third cutting region being bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch, and the fourth metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to the fourth cutting region being bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch.

[0157] In some example embodiments, the first antenna component and the second antenna component provided in the coupling patch may be provided to be line-symmetrical with respect to a reference line, and the first cut region and the second cut region may be provided at positions separated from the reference line. As an example, the cut region and the second cut region may be substantially line-symmetrical with respect to each other.

[0158] In some example embodiments, the first cut region may be set so that a ratio of a first component of a first polarization to a second component of a second polarization of a signal radiated from the first antenna port has a specific value or more.

[0159] In some example embodiments, the second cutting area may be set so that a ratio of a second component of a second polarization of a signal radiated from the second antenna port to a first component of a first polarization has a specific value or more.

[0160] In some example embodiments, the first cutting area and the second cutting area may be set based on a vector sum of a radiation signal of the first port and a vector sum of a radiation signal of the second antenna port.

[0161] In some example embodiments, at least one metal object corresponding to the at least one region may be disposed between the radiation patch and the coupling patch, and the antenna module may not include any support member other than the at least one metal object.

[0162] In some example embodiments, the radiation patch of each antenna module among the multiple antenna modules may include a metal material, the coupling patch of each antenna module among the multiple antenna modules may include a metal material, and the radiation patch of each antenna module among the multiple antenna modules may be attached to the corresponding coupling patch by bending its surface.

[0163] In the present disclosure, a bent structure formed by cutting and bending a region of a radiation patch included in an existing patch antenna module is provided. A measure is provided for allowing the bent structure to serve as a support structure between a coupling patch and a radiation patch and controlling CPR performance in a structure in which an antenna element, a feed line, and a coupling patch of a dual-polarized antenna are arranged on an antenna PCB and a radiation patch is arranged on the coupling patch.

[0164] By utilizing a portion of the radiation patch as a supporting structure, a stacked structure can be achieved without using a separate supporting member, which may be advantageous from a cost perspective. In addition, because a portion of the metal radiation deployment is also a metal material, it is easily allowed to be attached to the coupling patch in an SMT scheme. Because SMT connects the two structures without the need to make additional components for assembly and separate components, manufacturing tolerances can be significantly reduced. In addition, by maintaining a symmetrical structure, the structure can be further simplified. The simplified structure and small manufacturing tolerances can even be adapted to the needs of devices including antennas whose number increases due to the introduction of 5G systems.

[0165] Since the antenna structure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure satisfies the symmetry of the electric field through a simple bending structure, the difference between the patterns of the ports can be minimized and / or reduced and the CPR can be improved. In addition, the antenna module can be mass-produced by implementing a simple process without using an additional structure.

[0166] The scope of protection is defined by the attached independent claims. Other features are defined by the attached dependent claims. Example implementations may be implemented comprising one or more features of any claim taken jointly and separately in any and all permutations.

[0167] The examples described in the present disclosure include non-limiting example implementations of components corresponding to one or more features specified by the attached independent claims, and these features (or their corresponding components) independently or in combination can help to improve one or more technical problems that a technician can infer from the present disclosure.

[0168] Furthermore, one or more selected components of any one of the examples described in this disclosure may be combined with one or more selected components of any other one or more examples described in this disclosure, or, alternatively, may be combined with features of the appended independent claims to form further optional examples.

[0169] Other example implementations may be implemented including one or more components of any implementation described herein taken in any and all permutations, both jointly and separately. Other example implementations may also be implemented by combining the features of one or more of the appended claims with one or more selected components of any example implementation described herein.

[0170] In forming such other example implementations, some components of any example implementation described in the present disclosure may be omitted. One or more components that may be omitted are those components that a skilled person will directly and clearly recognize as not so indispensable to the functionality of the present technology in accordance with the technical problems discernible from the present disclosure. A skilled person will recognize that the replacement or removal of such omitted components does not require modification of other components or features of other alternative examples to compensate for the change. Therefore, according to the present technology, other example implementations may be included even if selected combinations of features and / or components are not specifically described in the present disclosure.

[0171] Where possible, two or more physically different components in any described example implementation of the present disclosure may be optionally integrated into a single component, provided that the same function is performed by the single component so formed. Conversely, where appropriate, a single component of any example implementation described in the present disclosure may be optionally implemented as two or more different components to achieve the same function.

[0172] The methods disclosed in the claims and / or methods according to various embodiments described in the present disclosure may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0173] When the method is implemented by software, a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more programs (software modules) may be provided. One or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium may be configured to be executed by one or more processors in an electronic device. The at least one program may include instructions that cause the electronic device to perform the method according to each embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0174] In the above-mentioned various example embodiments of the present disclosure, the elements included in the present disclosure are expressed in the singular or plural, depending on the specific embodiment proposed. However, for ease of description, the singular form or plural form is appropriately selected for the presented situation, and the present disclosure is not limited by the elements expressed in the singular or plural. Therefore, an element expressed in the plural may also include a single element, or an element expressed in the singular may also include multiple elements.

[0175] Although the present disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it will be understood that the various exemplary embodiments are intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the true spirit and full scope of the present disclosure, including the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A dual-polarized antenna device for a wireless communication system, the antenna device comprising: Printed circuit boards; a first feeder line, the first feeder line being used for a first polarized signal; a second feeder line, the second feeder line being used for a second polarized signal; as well as A patch antenna comprising a radiation portion for the first polarized signal and the second polarized signal and a bent portion formed by cutting the patch antenna, wherein each of the bent portions comprises a first portion bent from the radiation portion to form a cut region inside a surface of the radiation portion and a second portion bent from the first portion, wherein the bent portion is configured to support the radiating portion on the printed circuit board, wherein the cutting area includes a first cutting area and a second cutting area, and the first cutting area and the second cutting area are formed inside the surface of the radiation part and are symmetrical with respect to the center of the patch antenna, wherein the curved portion includes a first curved portion corresponding to the first cutting area and a second curved portion corresponding to the second cutting area, and The first bending portion and the second bending portion are symmetrical with respect to the center of the patch antenna.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1, in, The cutting area further includes a third cutting area and a fourth cutting area, and The third cutting area and the fourth cutting area are symmetrical with respect to the center of the patch antenna.

3. The antenna device according to claim 2, wherein: The curved portion further includes a third curved portion corresponding to the third cutting area and a fourth curved portion corresponding to the fourth cutting area, and The third curved portion and the fourth curved portion are symmetrical with respect to the center of the patch antenna.

4. The antenna device according to claim 1, in, The radiating portion is arranged parallel to the printed circuit board, wherein the curved portion is configured to support the radiating portion in a curved form, and Wherein, the first portion of each of the bent portions is arranged to be substantially perpendicular to the radiating portion.

5. The antenna device according to claim 1, in, The patch antenna corresponds to the metal plate, and The bent portion includes a portion of the metal plate corresponding to the cutting area.

6. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein: The radiation portion radiates a signal including the first polarization signal and the second polarization signal, and Wherein, the signal comes from the curved portion.

7. The antenna device according to claim 1, further comprising: a coupling patch connected to the first feed line and the second feed line on the printed circuit board, and Wherein, the bent portion corresponding to the cutting area is configured to be connected to the coupling patch and the radiating portion.

8. The antenna device according to claim 7, wherein: The radiation portion radiates a signal including the first polarization signal and the second polarization signal, and Wherein, the signal comes from the coupling patch.

9. The antenna device according to claim 1, in, the first polarized signal is associated with a +45° polarization and the second polarized signal is associated with a −45° polarization, Wherein, the cutting area also includes a third cutting area and a fourth cutting area, wherein the first cutting area and the second cutting area are symmetrical with respect to a first reference line, and The third cutting area and the fourth cutting area are symmetrical with respect to a second reference line, and the second reference line is substantially perpendicular to the first reference line.

10. A dual-polarization electronic device for a wireless communication system, the electronic device comprising: at least one processor; at least one transceiver; Printed circuit boards; as well as a plurality of antenna modules, wherein the plurality of antenna modules are located on the printed circuit board, Wherein, each of the plurality of antenna modules comprises: a first feeder line, the first feeder line being used for a first polarized signal; a second feeder line for a second polarized signal; and A patch antenna comprising a radiation portion for the first polarized signal and the second polarized signal and a bent portion formed by cutting the patch antenna, wherein each of the bent portions comprises a first portion bent from the radiation portion to form a cut region inside a surface of the radiation portion and a second portion bent from the first portion, wherein the bent portion is configured to support the radiating portion on the printed circuit board, wherein the cutting area includes a first cutting area and a second cutting area, and the first cutting area and the second cutting area are formed inside the surface of the radiation part and are symmetrical with respect to the center of the patch antenna, wherein the curved portion includes a first curved portion corresponding to the first cutting area and a second curved portion corresponding to the second cutting area, and The first bending portion and the second bending portion are symmetrical with respect to the center of the patch antenna.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10, in, The cutting area further includes a third cutting area and a fourth cutting area, and The third cutting area and the fourth cutting area are symmetrical with respect to the center of the patch antenna.

12. The electronic device according to claim 10, in, The radiating portion is arranged parallel to the printed circuit board, wherein the curved portion is configured to support the radiating portion in a curved form, wherein the first portion of each of the curved portions is arranged to be substantially perpendicular to the radiating portion, wherein the patch antenna corresponds to a metal plate, and The bent portion includes a portion of the metal plate corresponding to the cutting area.

13. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein: the first polarized signal is associated with a +45° polarization and the second polarized signal is associated with a −45° polarization, Wherein, the cutting area also includes a third cutting area and a fourth cutting area, wherein the first cutting area and the second cutting area are symmetrical with respect to a first reference line, and The third cutting area and the fourth cutting area are symmetrical with respect to a second reference line, and the second reference line is substantially perpendicular to the first reference line.

14. A method for preparing an antenna device, the method comprising the following steps: (a) providing a metal plate corresponding to a patch antenna, the patch antenna including a radiating portion and a bent portion formed by cutting the patch antenna; (b) bending the bent portion from the radiating portion to form a cutting area inside a face of the radiating portion, wherein A first portion of each of the bent portions is bent from the radiating portion; (c) bending a second portion from said first portion of each of said bent portions; as well as (d) contacting the bent portion with a printed circuit board on which a first feed line for a first polarization and a second feed line for a second polarization are provided, wherein the cutting area includes a first cutting area and a second cutting area, wherein the first cutting area and the second cutting area are formed inside the surface of the radiating portion and are symmetrical with respect to the center of the patch antenna, wherein the curved portion includes a first curved portion corresponding to the first cutting area and a second curved portion corresponding to the second cutting area, and The first bending portion and the second bending portion are symmetrical with respect to the center of the patch antenna.

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