Antenna array, antenna device, and display device

Abstract

The present invention provides an antenna array, an antenna device, and a display device. The antenna array according to one embodiment includes a plurality of antenna elements arranged in a predetermined direction, where each antenna element includes: a first radiator; a second radiator arranged to be spaced apart from the first radiator in a first direction; a third radiator arranged to be spaced apart from the first radiator in a second direction; a first signal pad and a second signal pad configured to supply a signal to the first radiator; a first transmission line extending in the first direction and connecting the first signal pad and the first radiator; a second transmission line extending in the second direction and connecting the second signal pad and the first radiator; a third transmission line configured to connect the first radiator and the second radiator; and a fourth transmission line configured to connect the first radiator and the third radiator.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2021 - 0008377, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) on January 20, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to an antenna array, an antenna device, and a display device. Background Art

[0004] Recently, with the development of the information society, wireless communication technologies such as Wi - Fi and Bluetooth are implemented in the form of smartphones, for example, by being combined with display devices. In this case, an antenna can be coupled to the display device to perform a communication function.

[0005] Recently, as mobile communication technologies have become more and more advanced, there is a need to couple an antenna for performing communication in a high - frequency band or an ultra - high - frequency band to a display device. In addition, with the development of thin, highly transparent, and high - resolution display devices such as transparent displays and flexible displays, there is a need to develop an antenna that also has improved transparency and flexibility.

[0006] As the screen size of the display device on which the antenna is installed has increased, the space or area of the bezel portion or the light - shielding portion has been reduced. In this case, the space or area in which the antenna can be embedded may also be limited.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need to design an antenna that can radiate signals with high antenna gain in a limited space and is not visible to the user. Summary of the Invention

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide an antenna array, an antenna device, and a display device including them.

[0009] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions.

[0010] 1. An antenna array, comprising: a plurality of antenna elements arranged in a predetermined direction, wherein each antenna element includes: a first radiator; a second radiator arranged to be spaced apart from the first radiator in a first direction; a third radiator arranged to be spaced apart from the first radiator in a second direction; a first signal pad and a second signal pad configured to supply a signal to the first radiator; a first transmission line extending in the first direction and connecting the first signal pad and the first radiator; a second transmission line extending in the second direction and connecting the second signal pad and the first radiator; a third transmission line configured to connect the first radiator and the second radiator; and a fourth transmission line configured to connect the first radiator and the third radiator.

[0011] 2. The antenna array according to 1 above, wherein the plurality of antenna elements are arranged to share at least a part of them with each other.

[0012] 3. The antenna array according to 2 above, wherein adjacent antenna elements share a radiator with each other.

[0013] 4. The antenna array according to 3 above, wherein one radiator serves as the second radiator of one of the adjacent antenna elements and the third radiator of the other of the adjacent antenna elements.

[0014] 5. The antenna array according to 2 above, further comprising: a bonding pad; and a ground wire configured to connect the bonding pad and the radiator shared by adjacent antenna elements.

[0015] 6. The antenna array according to 2 above, wherein each antenna element further includes: a first ground pad provided around the first signal pad; and a second ground pad provided around the second signal pad.

[0016] 7. The antenna array according to 6 above, further comprising a ground wire configured to connect the radiator shared by adjacent antenna elements and the first ground pad or the second ground pad.

[0017] 8. The antenna array according to 1 above, wherein the plurality of antenna elements are arranged to be spaced apart from each other.

[0018] 9. The antenna array according to 8 above, wherein the spacing distance between adjacent antenna elements is 0.5 mm or more.

[0019] 10. The antenna array according to 8 above, further comprising: a boundary ground wire provided between adjacent antenna elements; and a bonding pad connected to a part of the boundary ground wire.

[0020] 11. According to the antenna array of item 10 above, wherein the boundary ground wire includes: a first section extending between adjacent antenna elements in the longitudinal direction of the antenna element; and a second section connected to the first section and surrounding a plurality of antenna elements.

[0021] 12. According to the antenna array of item 8 above, wherein each antenna element further includes: a first ground pad disposed around the first signal pad; and a second ground pad disposed around the second signal pad.

[0022] 13. According to the antenna array of item 12 above, it further includes a boundary ground wire disposed between adjacent antenna elements.

[0023] 14. According to the antenna array of item 13 above, wherein the boundary ground wire includes: a first section configured to connect the first ground pad of one of the adjacent antenna elements to the second ground pad of the other of the adjacent antenna elements; a second section surrounding a plurality of antenna elements; and a third section extending between adjacent antenna elements in the longitudinal direction of the antenna element to connect the first section and the second section.

[0024] 15. According to the antenna array of item 1 above, wherein the angle between the first direction and the second direction is 80° to 100°.

[0025] 16. According to the antenna array of item 1 above, wherein the first radiator, the second radiator, and the third radiator are rhombuses; the first transmission line and the second transmission line are respectively connected to two adjacent sides of the first radiator; the third transmission line connects the facing two sides of the first radiator and the second radiator to each other; and the fourth transmission line connects the facing two sides of the first radiator and the third radiator to each other.

[0026] 17. According to the antenna array of item 1 above, wherein the first radiator, the second radiator, and the third radiator are squares; the first transmission line and the second transmission line are respectively connected to two adjacent vertices of the first radiator; the third transmission line connects the facing two vertices of the first radiator and the second radiator to each other; and the fourth transmission line connects the facing two vertices of the first radiator and the third radiator to each other.

[0027] 18. An antenna device, which includes: the antenna array according to item 1 above; and an FPCB, which is joined to the antenna array and includes a plurality of circuit wirings connected to the first signal pad and the second signal pad.

[0028] 19. According to the antenna device of item 18 above, wherein the FPCB further includes: a plurality of ground portions, which are disposed at positions such that when the antenna array is joined, the corresponding signal pads face each other with a plurality of ground portions interposed therebetween.

[0029] 20. A display device includes the antenna array according to 1 above or the antenna device according to 18 above.

[0030] The antenna array according to an exemplary embodiment may include antenna elements, where a plurality of radiators are connected in series in the extending direction of each of two transmission lines. Accordingly, a dual-polarized antenna with improved antenna gain can be achieved.

[0031] According to an exemplary embodiment, the antenna gain can be improved by arranging a plurality of antenna elements to be spaced apart from or overlap with each other.

[0032] According to an exemplary embodiment, undesired coupling between the radiator and the ground pad can be reduced by omitting the ground pad of each antenna element.

[0033] According to an exemplary embodiment, when a plurality of antenna elements are arranged to overlap with each other, undesired cross-coupling can be reduced by grounding the radiator shared by adjacent antenna elements.

[0034] According to an exemplary embodiment, when a plurality of antenna elements are arranged to be spaced apart from each other, undesired coupling between adjacent antenna elements can be reduced by arranging a ground wire between the adjacent antenna elements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The above and other objects, features, and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0036] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an antenna element according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0037] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing an antenna element according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0038] Figure 3 is a schematic plan view showing an antenna element according to another exemplary embodiment;

[0039] Figures 4A to 11 is a plan view showing an antenna array according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0040] Figure 12 and Figure 13 is a plan view showing an antenna device according to an exemplary embodiment; and

[0041] Figure 14 is a schematic plan view showing a display device according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, since the attached views of this disclosure document are only illustrated to easily understand the technical spirit of the present invention through the above-described invention, and show only one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it should not be construed as being limited to such description shown in the drawings.

[0043] The antenna element described in this disclosure document may be a patch antenna or a microstrip antenna formed in the form of a transparent film. For example, the antenna element may be applied to electronic devices for high-frequency or ultra-high-frequency (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G or higher) mobile communication, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), global positioning system (GPS), etc., but is not limited thereto. Here, the electronic device may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a navigation device, an MP3 player, a digital camera, a wearable device, etc. The wearable device may include a watch-type, wristband-type, ring-type, belt-type, necklace-type, ankle-band-type, thigh-band-type, forearm-band-type wearable device, etc. However, the electronic device is not limited to the above examples, and the wearable device is also not limited to the above examples. In addition, the antenna element may be applied to various objects or structures, such as vehicles and buildings.

[0044] In the following drawings, two directions parallel to the upper surface of the dielectric layer and perpendicular to each other are defined as the x-direction and the y-direction, and the direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the dielectric layer is defined as the z-direction. For example, the x-direction may correspond to the width direction of the antenna element, the y-direction may correspond to the length direction of the antenna element, and the z-direction may correspond to the thickness direction of the antenna element.

[0045] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an antenna element according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0046] Referring to Figure 1 , an antenna element 100 according to an exemplary embodiment may include a dielectric layer 110 and an antenna pattern layer 120.

[0047] The dielectric layer 110 may include an insulating material having a predetermined dielectric constant. According to one embodiment, the dielectric layer 110 may include an inorganic insulating material such as glass, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or metal oxide, or an organic insulating material such as epoxy resin, acrylic resin, or imide resin. The dielectric layer 110 may be used as a thin film substrate on which the antenna pattern layer 120 is formed for the antenna element 100.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the transparent film may be provided as the dielectric layer 110. In this case, the transparent film may include polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene isophthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, etc.; cellulose resins such as diacetyl cellulose, triacetyl cellulose, etc.; polycarbonate resins; acrylic resins such as poly(methyl)methacrylate, poly(methyl)acrylate, etc.; styrene resins such as polystyrene, acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer, etc.; polyolefin resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, cyclic polyolefin or polyolefin having a norbornene structure, ethylene-propylene copolymer, etc.; vinyl chloride resins; amide resins such as nylon, aromatic polyamide; imide resins; polyether sulfonic acid resins; sulfonic acid resins; polyether ether ketone resins; polyphenylene sulfide resins; vinyl alcohol resins; vinylidene chloride resins; vinyl butyral resins; allylated resins; polyoxymethylene resins; thermoplastic resins such as epoxy resins, etc. These compounds may be used alone or in combination of two or more. In addition, a transparent film made of a thermosetting resin or an ultraviolet curable resin such as (meth)acrylate, urethane, acrylic urethane, epoxy resin, silicone, etc. may be used as the dielectric layer 110.

[0049] According to one embodiment, an adhesive film such as an optically clear adhesive (OCA), an optically clear resin (OCR), etc. may also be included in the dielectric layer 110.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the dielectric layer 110 may be formed as a substantially single layer, or may be formed as a multilayer structure of two or more layers.

[0051] A capacitance or an inductance may be generated through the dielectric layer 110, thereby adjusting the frequency band that the antenna element 100 can drive or sense. When the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer 110 exceeds about 12, the driving frequency is excessively reduced, so that it may not be possible to drive the antenna at a desired high frequency band. Therefore, according to one embodiment, the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer 110 may be adjusted to a range of about 1.5 to 12 and preferably about 2 to 12. In addition, according to one embodiment, the thickness of the dielectric layer 110 may be 4 μm to 1000 μm so that the antenna element 100 can be driven at a desired high frequency band. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the dielectric constant and thickness of the dielectric layer 110 may be variously changed according to the desired frequency band.

[0052] According to one embodiment, an insulating layer (e.g., a packaging layer of a display panel, a passivation layer, etc.) inside the display device on which the antenna element 100 is mounted may be provided as the dielectric layer 110.

[0053] The antenna pattern layer 120 may be provided on the upper surface of the dielectric layer 110.

[0054] The antenna pattern layer 120 may include a low-resistance metal such as silver (Ag), gold (Au), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), chromium (Cr), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), vanadium (V), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), tin (Sn), molybdenum (Mo), calcium (Ca), or an alloy including at least one of them. They may be used alone or in combination of two or more. For example, the antenna pattern layer 120 may include silver (Ag) or a silver alloy (e.g., silver-palladium-copper (APC) alloy) to achieve low resistance. As another example, considering low resistance and a fine linewidth pattern, the antenna pattern layer 120 may include copper (Cu) or a copper alloy (e.g., copper-calcium (CuCa) alloy).

[0055] According to one embodiment, the antenna pattern layer 120 may include a transparent conductive oxide such as indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium zinc tin oxide (IZTO), zinc oxide (ZnOx), or copper oxide (CuO).

[0056] According to one embodiment, the antenna pattern layer 120 may include a stacked structure of a transparent conductive oxide layer and a metal layer. For example, it may have a bilayer structure of a transparent conductive oxide layer - metal layer or a trilayer structure of a transparent conductive oxide layer - metal layer - transparent conductive oxide layer. In this case, the metal layer can improve the signal transmission speed by reducing the resistance while enhancing flexibility, and the transparent conductive oxide layer can improve corrosion resistance and transparency.

[0057] Details will be described below with reference to Figure 2 and Figure 3 for the specific details of the antenna pattern layer 120.

[0058] According to one embodiment, the antenna element 100 may further include a ground layer 130. Since the antenna element 100 includes the ground layer 130, vertical radiation characteristics can be achieved.

[0059] The ground layer 130 may be disposed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer 110. The ground layer 130 and the antenna pattern layer 120 may overlap with the dielectric layer 110 interposed therebetween. For example, the ground layer 130 may completely overlap with the radiators (see 211, 212, and 213 in Figure 2 of the antenna pattern layer 120).

[0060] According to one embodiment, a conductive member of a display device or a display panel on which an antenna element 100 is mounted may be set as a ground layer 130. For example, the conductive member may include electrodes or wirings, such as gate electrodes, source / drain electrodes, pixel electrodes, common electrodes, data lines, scan lines, etc. of thin film transistors (TFTs) included in the display panel; and stainless steel (SUS) plates, heat sinks, digital converters, electromagnetic wave shielding layers, pressure sensors, fingerprint sensors, etc. of the display device.

[0061] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing an antenna element according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 The antenna element 200 of can be Figure 1 an embodiment of the antenna element 100 shown.

[0062] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 According to an exemplary embodiment, the antenna element 200 includes an antenna pattern layer 120 disposed on a dielectric layer 110, and the antenna pattern layer 120 may include a first radiator 211, a second radiator 212, a third radiator 213, a first transmission line 221, a second transmission line 222, a first signal pad 231, and a second signal pad 232.

[0063] The first radiator 211 and the second radiator 212 may receive an electrical signal from the first signal pad 231, convert it into an electromagnetic wave signal, and emit the converted electromagnetic wave signal. In addition, the first radiator 211 and the third radiator 213 may receive an electrical signal from the second signal pad 232, convert it into an electromagnetic wave signal, and emit the converted electromagnetic wave signal.

[0064] The first radiator 211, the second radiator 212, and the third radiator 213 may have substantially the same resonance frequency. For this purpose, the shapes and sizes (lengths and widths) of the first radiator 211, the second radiator 212, and the third radiator 213 may be substantially the same as each other. The lengths and widths of the first radiator 211, the second radiator 212, and the third radiator 213 may be determined according to the desired resonance frequency, radiation resistance, and gain.

[0065] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first radiator 211, the second radiator 212, and the third radiator 213 may be diamond-shaped and may be formed into a mesh structure, a solid structure (thin film or thick film), or a structure formed by mixing a mesh structure and a solid structure. When the first radiator 211, the second radiator 212, and the third radiator 213 are formed into a mesh structure, the light transmittance of the first radiator 211, the second radiator 212, and the third radiator 213 may be increased, and the flexibility of the antenna element 200 may be increased. Therefore, the antenna element 200 can be effectively applied to a flexible display device.

[0066] The first radiator 211 can be connected to the first signal pad 231 through a first transmission line 221 extending in the first direction 210, and can be connected to the second signal pad 232 through a second transmission line 222 extending in the second direction 220. Here, the first direction 210 and the second direction 220 can be perpendicular to the thickness direction (z direction) of the antenna element 100 and can intersect with the length direction (y direction) of the antenna element 100. In addition, the first direction 210 and the second direction 220 can intersect with each other. For example, the angle between the first direction 210 and the second direction 220 can be 80° to 100°, preferably 90°. By forming the extending directions of the first transmission line 221 and the second transmission line 222 to be orthogonal to each other, a dual-polarized antenna can be effectively realized.

[0067] The second radiator 212 can be arranged to be spaced apart from the first radiator 211 in the first direction 210. The second radiator 212 can be connected to the first radiator 211 through a third transmission line 223 extending in the first direction 210. Thus, the first transmission line 221, the first radiator 211, the third transmission line 223, and the second radiator 212 can form a series-fed antenna.

[0068] The third radiator 213 can be arranged to be spaced apart from the first radiator 211 in the second direction 220. The third radiator 213 can be connected to the first radiator 211 through a fourth transmission line 224 extending in the second direction 220. Thus, the second transmission line 222, the first radiator 211, the fourth transmission line 224, and the third radiator 213 can form another series-fed antenna.

[0069] According to an exemplary embodiment, in order to reduce the interference between the first radiator 211 and the second radiator 212 and the interference between the first radiator 211 and the third radiator 213, the distance between the center of the first radiator 211 and the center of the second radiator 212 and the distance between the center of the first radiator 211 and the center of the third radiator 213 can be λ / 2 or more.

[0070] According to an exemplary embodiment, the second radiator 212 and the third radiator 213 can be symmetrically formed based on the center line CL of the first radiator 211. In this case, the center line CL of the first radiator 211 can be defined as an imaginary line passing through the center of the first radiator 211 and parallel to the longitudinal direction (y direction) of the antenna element 200.

[0071] The first transmission line 221 may connect the first signal pad 231 and the first radiator 211. According to an exemplary embodiment, the first transmission line 221 may be bent. For example, the first transmission line 221 may include a first section 221a extending from the first signal pad 231 in the longitudinal direction (y direction) of the antenna element 200, and a second section 221b extending from the first section 221a in the first direction 210 and connected to the first radiator 211.

[0072] The second transmission line 222 may connect the second signal pad 232 and the first radiator 211. According to an exemplary embodiment, the second transmission line 222 may be bent. For example, the second transmission line 222 includes a first section 222a extending from the second signal pad 232 in the longitudinal direction (y direction) of the antenna element 200, and a second section 222b extending from the first section 222a in the second direction 220 and connected to the first radiator 211.

[0073] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first transmission line 221 and the second transmission line 222 may be respectively connected to two adjacent sides of the first radiator 211. In this case, the first transmission line 221 and the second transmission line 222 may be connected to the center of each side.

[0074] The third transmission line 223 may connect the first radiator 211 and the second radiator 212. According to an exemplary embodiment, the third transmission line 223 may extend from the first radiator 211 in the first direction 210 to connect to the second radiator 212. For example, the third transmission line 223 may connect the centers of the two facing sides of the first radiator 211 and the second radiator 212 to each other.

[0075] The fourth transmission line 224 may connect the first radiator 211 and the third radiator 213. According to an exemplary embodiment, the fourth transmission line 224 may extend from the first radiator 211 in the second direction 220 to connect to the third radiator 213. For example, the fourth transmission line 224 may connect the centers of the two facing sides of the first radiator 211 and the third radiator 213 to each other.

[0076] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first transmission line 221, the second transmission line 222, the third transmission line 223, and the fourth transmission line 224 may include a conductive material substantially the same as that of the first radiator 211, the second radiator 212, and the third radiator 213. Additionally, the first transmission line 221, the second transmission line 222, the third transmission line 223, and the fourth transmission line 224 may be integrally connected to the first radiator 211, the second radiator 212, and the third radiator 213 to form a substantially single member, or may be formed as a member separate from the first radiator 211, the second radiator 212, and the third radiator 213.

[0077] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first transmission line 221, the second transmission line 222, the third transmission line 223, and the fourth transmission line 224 may be formed in a mesh structure, a solid structure (thin film or thick film), or a structure formed by mixing a mesh structure and a solid structure.

[0078] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first transmission line 221 and the second transmission line 222 may be symmetrically formed based on the center line CL of the first radiator 211. Additionally, the third transmission line 223 and the fourth transmission line 224 may be symmetrically formed based on the center line CL of the first radiator 211.

[0079] The first signal pad 231 may be connected to the first transmission line 221 and may be electrically connected to the first radiator 211 through the first transmission line 221. The second signal pad 232 may be connected to the second transmission line 222 and may be electrically connected to the first radiator 211 through the second transmission line 222. Thus, the first signal pad 231 and the second signal pad 232 may electrically connect the antenna driving unit (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), etc.) and the first radiator 211, respectively. For example, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) is joined to the first signal pad 231 and the second signal pad 232, and the circuit wiring of the FPCB may be electrically connected to the first signal pad 231 and the second signal pad 232. For example, the first signal pad 231 and the second signal pad 232 may be electrically connected to the FPCB using an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) bonding technique (a bonding method that uses an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) to allow conduction in the up and down directions and insulation in the left and right directions) or using a coaxial cable, but is not limited thereto. The antenna driving unit may be mounted on the FPCB or on a separate printed circuit board (PCB) electrically connected to the circuit wiring of the FPCB. Therefore, the first radiator 211 and the antenna driving unit may be electrically connected.

[0080] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first signal pad 231 and the second signal pad 232 may include a conductive material substantially the same as that of the first transmission line 221 and the second transmission line 222. Additionally, the first signal pad 231 and the second signal pad 232 may be integrally connected to the first transmission line 221 and the second transmission line 222, respectively, to form a substantially single member, or may be formed as members separated from the first transmission line 221 and the second transmission line 222.

[0081] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first signal pad 231 and the second signal pad 232 may be formed as solid structures. Additionally, the first signal pad 231 and the second signal pad 232 may be symmetrically formed based on the center line CL of the first radiator 211.

[0082] According to an exemplary embodiment, the antenna pattern layer 120 may further include a first ground pad 241 and a second ground pad 242.

[0083] The first ground pad 241 may be disposed around the first signal pad 231 so as to be electrically and physically spaced apart from the first signal pad 231. For example, the first ground pad 241 may include two first ground pads 241a and 241b which are disposed to face each other with the first signal pad 231 interposed therebetween.

[0084] The second ground pad 242 may be disposed around the second signal pad 232 so as to be electrically and physically spaced apart from the second signal pad 232. For example, the second ground pad 242 may include two second ground pads 242a and 242b which are disposed to face each other with the second signal pad 232 interposed therebetween.

[0085] The first ground pad 241 and the second ground pad 242 may be formed as solid structures including the above-described metal or alloy.

[0086] Meanwhile, Figure 2 An example in which the first transmission line 221 and the second transmission line 222 are bent is shown, but this is only an exemplary embodiment. That is, the first transmission line 221 may include only the second section 221b, and the first section 221a may be included in the first signal pad 231. Similarly, the second transmission line 222 may include only the second section 222b, and the first section 222a may be included in the second signal pad 232.

[0087] Additionally, according to an exemplary embodiment, when the antenna pattern layer 120 includes the first ground pad 241 and the second ground pad 242, the first ground pad 241b and the second ground pad 242a may also be connected to each other to form one ground pad.

[0088] In addition, according to an exemplary embodiment, when the radiators 211, 212, and 213 and the transmission lines 221, 222, 223, and 224 are formed in a mesh structure, a dummy pattern (not shown) may be formed around the radiators 211, 212, and 213 and the transmission lines 221, 222, 223, and 224. The dummy pattern may be electrically and physically separated from the radiators 221, 212, and 213 and the transmission lines 221, 222, 223, and 224. In addition, the dummy pattern may include a conductive material substantially the same as that of the radiators 211, 212, and 213 and / or the transmission lines 221, 222, 223, and 224. According to an exemplary embodiment, the dummy pattern may be formed in a segmented mesh structure.

[0089] Since the dummy pattern is disposed around the radiators 211, 212, and 213 and the transmission lines 221, 222, 223, and 224, the optical uniformity of the pattern can be improved, thereby preventing the antenna pattern from being seen by the user.

[0090] Figure 3 FIG. is a schematic plan view showing an antenna element according to another exemplary embodiment. Figure 3 The antenna element 300 may be Figure 1 an embodiment of the antenna element 100 shown in FIG. Details of the content that is substantially the same as the structure and configuration described with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2 will not be described. In addition, since the first radiator 311, the second radiator 312, and the third radiator 313 are the same as the first radiator 211, the second radiator 212, and the third radiator 213, they will not be described in detail within the overlapping range.

[0091] Referring to Figure 3 FIG., the first radiator 311, the second radiator 312, and the third radiator 313 of the antenna element 300 may be square, respectively.

[0092] In this case, the first transmission line 221 and the second transmission line 222 may be connected to two adjacent vertices of the first radiator 311, respectively. In addition, the third transmission line 223 may connect two facing vertices of the first radiator 311 and the second radiator 312 to each other, and the fourth transmission line 224 may connect two facing vertices of the first radiator 311 and the third radiator 313 to each other.

[0093] Meanwhile, Figure 2 FIG. shows an example in which the radiators 211, 212, and 213 are rhombuses, and Figure 3An example is shown in which the radiators 311, 312, and 313 are square, but these are merely exemplary embodiments. That is, the shapes of the radiators 211, 212, 213, 311, 312, 313 are not particularly limited, and these radiators can be various planar shapes such as circular and polygonal shapes.

[0094] Figures 4A to 11 is a plan view showing an antenna array according to an exemplary embodiment. In Figures 4A to 11 the description, details of the content that is substantially the same as the structure and configuration described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 will not be described.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 4 ( Figure 4A and Figure 4B , which is also applicable hereinafter), an antenna array 400 according to an exemplary embodiment may include a plurality of antenna elements 100, which are arranged to share at least a part of them with each other in the width direction (x direction) of the antenna element 100. In this case, the antenna element 100 may include ground pads 241 and 242.

[0096] Adjacent antenna elements 100a and 100b may share a radiator 215 with each other. For example, the radiator 215 may be the second radiator 212 of the first antenna element 100a and the third radiator 213 of the second antenna element 100b. That is, the radiator 215 may be used as the second radiator 212 of the first antenna element 100a and the third radiator 213 of the second antenna element 100b.

[0097] Referring to Figure 5 , different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the ground pads 241 and 242 may be omitted in an antenna array 500 according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0098] When the radiators 211, 212, and 213 are positioned close to the ground pads 241 and 242, unwanted coupling may occur between the radiators 211, 212, and 213 and the ground pads 241 and 242. This unwanted coupling can affect the isolation and radiation efficiency of the antenna. Therefore, according to an exemplary embodiment, the ground pads 241 and 242 of the antenna element 100 may be removed to reduce the occurrence of unwanted coupling between the radiators 211, 212, 213, 311, 312, and 313 and the ground pads 241 and 242.

[0099] Referring to Figure 6 , an antenna array 600 according to an exemplary embodiment may further include a ground wire 610 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

[0100] The ground wire 610 may be disposed on the dielectric layer 110 to connect the radiator 215 shared by adjacent antenna elements 100a and 100b to at least one of the ground pads 241 and 242. For example, as Figure 6 shown, the ground wire 610 may include a first section that extends in the width direction (x direction) of the antenna element 100 to connect the second ground pad 242b of the first antenna element 100a and the first ground pad 241a of the second antenna element 100b adjacent to the first antenna element 100a, and a second section that extends in the longitudinal direction (y direction) of the antenna element 100 to connect the first section and the radiator 215. In this case, the second section may be connected to a vertex of the radiator 215.

[0101] In an example of a dual-polarized antenna of an antenna array 400 in which one radiator 215 is shared by adjacent antenna elements 100a and 100b as shown in FIG. 4, polarization separation may be difficult due to the influence of unwanted cross-coupling or isolation. Therefore, according to an exemplary embodiment, the antenna array 600 may connect the radiator 215 shared by adjacent antenna elements 100a and 100b to at least one of the ground pads 241 and 242 through the ground wire 610, thereby reducing the occurrence of unwanted cross-coupling.

[0102] According to an exemplary embodiment, the ground wire 610 may include a conductive material substantially the same as the radiator 215 and / or the ground pads 241 and 242. Additionally, the ground wire 610 may be integrally connected to the radiator 215 and / or the ground pads 241 and 242 to form a substantially single member, or may be formed as a member separate from the radiator 215 and / or the ground pads 241 and 242.

[0103] According to an exemplary embodiment, the ground wire 610 may be formed in a mesh structure or a solid structure (thin film or thick film).

[0104] Referring to Figure 7 , an antenna array 700 according to an exemplary embodiment may also include a ground wire 710 and a bonding pad 720 in the Figure 5 embodiment shown.

[0105] The ground wire 710 may be disposed on the dielectric layer 110 and may extend in the longitudinal direction (y direction) of the antenna element 100 to connect to the radiator 215. The bonding pad 720 that engages with the ground portion of the FPCB (see Figure 12 1222 of

[0106] The bonding pad 720 is bonded to the ground portion of the FPCB, and the ground wire 710 is connected to the ground portion of the FPCB, so that the radiator 215 can be connected to the ground portion of the FPCB. Thus, the occurrence of unwanted cross-coupling can be reduced.

[0107] According to an exemplary embodiment, the ground wire 710 may include the above-mentioned metal or alloy and may be formed in a mesh structure or a solid structure (thin film or thick film). In addition, the bonding pad 720 may include the above-mentioned metal or alloy and may be formed in a solid structure (thin film or thick film).

[0108] Referring to FIG. 8 ( Figure 8A and Figure 8B , which also applies hereinafter), an antenna array 800 according to an exemplary embodiment may include a plurality of antenna elements 100 arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the width direction (x-direction) of the antenna element 100. In this case, the antenna element 100 may include ground pads 241 and 242.

[0109] When adjacent antenna elements 100 are positioned close to each other, unwanted coupling may occur between the adjacent antenna elements 100, particularly between the second radiator 212 of the first antenna element 100c and the third radiator 213 of the second antenna element 100d adjacent to the first antenna element 100c. This coupling affects the isolation and radiation efficiency of the antenna. Therefore, according to an exemplary embodiment, the spacing distance b between adjacent antenna elements 100 may be 0.5 mm or more to reduce the occurrence of unwanted coupling between adjacent antenna elements 100.

[0110] Different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, since the adjacent antenna elements 100 in FIG. 8 do not share a radiator, the occurrence of unwanted cross-coupling can be reduced.

[0111] Referring to Figure 9 , different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the ground pads 241 and 242 may be omitted in an antenna array 900 according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0112] When the radiators 211, 212, and 213 are positioned close to the ground pads 241 and 242, unwanted coupling may occur between the radiators 211, 212, and 213 and the ground pads 241 and 242. This coupling affects the isolation and radiation efficiency of the antenna. Therefore, according to an exemplary embodiment, the ground pads 241 and 242 of the antenna element 100 may be removed to reduce the occurrence of unwanted coupling between the radiators 211, 212, 213, 311, 312, and 313 and the ground pads 241 and 242.

[0113] Referring to Figure 10, the antenna array 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment may also include a boundary ground line 1010 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8.

[0114] The boundary ground line 1010 may be disposed between adjacent antenna elements 100 on the dielectric layer 110 to be connected to the ground pads 241 and 242. For example, as Figure 10 shown, the boundary ground line 1010 may include a first section extending in the width direction (x direction) of the antenna element 100 to connect the ground pads 241 and 242 of adjacent antenna elements 100, a second section surrounding the antenna element 100, and a third section extending between adjacent antenna elements 100 in the longitudinal direction (y direction) of the antenna element 100 to connect the first section and the second section. In this case, the ends of the second section may be connected to the ground pads 241 and 242 of the antenna element 100.

[0115] When adjacent antenna elements 100 are positioned close to each other, unwanted coupling may occur between the adjacent antenna elements 100. Such coupling can affect the isolation and radiation efficiency of the antenna. Therefore, according to an exemplary embodiment, the boundary ground line 1010 may be disposed between adjacent antenna elements 100 to reduce unwanted coupling occurring between the adjacent antenna elements 100.

[0116] According to an exemplary embodiment, the boundary ground line 1010 may include a conductive material substantially the same as the radiators 211, 212, and 213 and / or the ground pads 241 and 242. In addition, the boundary ground line 1010 may be integrally connected to the radiators 211, 212, and 213 and / or the ground pads 241 and 242 to form a substantially single member, or may be formed as a member separate from the radiators 211, 212, and 213 and / or the ground pads 241 and 242.

[0117] According to an exemplary embodiment, the boundary ground line 1010 may be formed as a mesh structure or a solid structure (thin film or thick film).

[0118] Referring to Figure 11 , the antenna array 1100 according to an exemplary embodiment may also include a boundary ground line 1110 and a bonding pad 1120 in the Figure 9 embodiment shown.

[0119] The boundary ground line 1110 may be disposed between adjacent antenna elements 100 on the dielectric layer 110. For example, the boundary ground line 1110 may include a first section extending between adjacent antenna elements 100 in the longitudinal direction (y direction) of the antenna element 100 and connected to the second section, and a second section surrounding the antenna element 100.

[0120] The bonding pad 1120 joined to the ground portion of the FPCB (see Figure 12 1222) can be connected to one end of the boundary ground line 1110.

[0121] The bonding pad 1120 can be joined to the ground portion of the FPCB such that the boundary ground line 1110 can be connected to the ground portion of the FPCB. Thereby, undesired coupling occurring between adjacent antenna elements 100 can be reduced.

[0122] According to an exemplary embodiment, the boundary ground line 1110 can include the above-described metal or alloy and can be formed in a mesh structure or a solid structure (thin film or thick film). Additionally, the bonding pad 1120 can include the above-described metal or alloy and can be formed in a solid structure (thin film or thick film).

[0123] Figure 12 and Figure 13 are plan views showing an antenna device according to an exemplary embodiment. In Figure 12 and Figure 13 description, details of the content substantially the same as the structure and configuration described with reference to Figures 1 to 11 will not be described.

[0124] Referring to Figure 12 and Figure 13 , the antenna devices 1200 and 1300 according to an exemplary embodiment can include an antenna array 1210 and an FPCB 1220.

[0125] Here, the antenna array 1210 can be the antenna arrays 500, 700, 900, and 1100 described above with reference to Figure 5 , Figure 7 , Figure 9 and Figure 11 . That is, the antenna array 1210 can be the antenna array from which the ground pads 241 and 242 are removed.

[0126] The FPCB 1220 can include a plurality of circuit wirings 1221 electrically connected to the corresponding signal pads 231 and 232. In this case, the FPCB 1220 can include a ground portion 1222 corresponding to the ground pads 241 and 242 removed from the antenna array 1210 (see Figure 12 ), or may not include this ground portion (see Figure 13 ). As Figure 12As shown, if the FPCB 1220 includes a ground portion 1222, each ground portion 1222 may be disposed at a position on the FPCB 1220 where the signal pads 231 and 232 of the antenna array 1210 face each other with the ground portion 1222 interposed therebetween when the antenna array 1210 is joined to the FPCB 1220.

[0127] Meanwhile, when the antenna array 1210 is Figure 7 or Figure 11 the antenna array 700 or 1100 shown, the bonding pads 720 and 1120 may be joined to the ground portion 1222 of the FPCB 1220. Accordingly, the ground wire 710 and the boundary ground wire 1110 may be connected to the ground portion 1222 of the FPCB 1220.

[0128] Figure 14 is a schematic plan view showing a display device according to an exemplary embodiment. More specifically, Figure 14 is a plan view showing the outer shape of a window including the display device.

[0129] Referring to Figure 14 , the display device 1400 may include a display area 1410 and a peripheral area 1420.

[0130] The display area 1410 may represent an area for displaying visual information, and the peripheral area 1420 may represent an opaque area provided on both sides and / or both ends of the display area 1410. For example, the peripheral area 1420 may correspond to a light-shielding portion or a bezel portion of the display device 1400.

[0131] According to one embodiment, the above-described antenna elements 100, 200, and 300, antenna arrays 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, and 1100, or antenna devices 1200 and 1300 may be mounted on the display device 1400. For example, the radiators 211, 212, 213, 311, 312, and 313, transmission lines 221, 222, 223, and 224, ground wire 710, and boundary ground wire 1110 of the antenna elements 100, 200, and 300, antenna arrays 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, and 1100, and antenna devices 1200 and 1300 may be provided to at least partially correspond to the display area 1410, and the signal pads 231 and 232, ground pads 241 and 242, and bonding pads 720 and 1120 may be provided to correspond to the peripheral area 1420.

[0132] An FPCB or a PCB may be disposed in the peripheral region 1420 together with an antenna driving unit (e.g., an RFIC). By disposing the antenna elements 100, 200, and 300 of the antenna devices 1200 and 1300, the antenna arrays 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, and 1100, and the signal pads 231 and 232 adjacent to the antenna driving unit, signal loss can be suppressed by shortening the paths of transmitted and received signals.

[0133] The antenna elements 100, 200, and 300, the antenna arrays 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, and 1100, and the antenna devices 1200 and 1300 include radiators 211, 212, 213, 311, 312, and 313, transmission lines 221, 222, 223, and 224, and / or dummy patterns formed in a mesh structure, so that the patterns can be significantly reduced or suppressed from being seen while improving the light transmittance. Therefore, the image quality in the display region 1410 can be improved while maintaining or improving the desired communication reliability.

[0134] The present invention has been described with reference to the above preferred embodiments, and those skilled in the art can understand that various modifications can be made without departing from the essential features of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various other embodiments equivalent to the content described in the claims are also included in the present invention.

Claims

1. An antenna device, characterized in that, it includes: an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements arranged in a predetermined direction; and a flexible printed circuit board joined to the antenna array, wherein each of the antenna elements includes: a first radiator; a second radiator arranged to be spaced apart from the first radiator in a first direction; a third radiator arranged to be spaced apart from the first radiator in a second direction; a first signal pad and a second signal pad configured to supply a signal to the first radiator; a first transmission line extending in the first direction and connecting the first signal pad and the first radiator; a second transmission line extending in the second direction and connecting the second signal pad and the first radiator; a third transmission line configured to connect the first radiator and the second radiator; and a fourth transmission line configured to connect the first radiator and the third radiator, wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes a plurality of circuit wirings connected to the first signal pad and the second signal pad.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the plurality of antenna elements are arranged to share at least a part of them with each other.

3. The antenna device according to claim 2, characterized in that, the plurality of antenna elements include a first antenna element and a second antenna element adjacent to each other, and the first antenna element and the second antenna element share a radiator with each other.

4. The antenna device according to claim 3, characterized in that, the shared radiator serves as the second radiator of the first antenna element and the third radiator of the second antenna element.

5. The antenna device according to claim 3, characterized in that, the antenna array further includes: a bonding pad; and a ground wire configured to connect the bonding pad and the radiator shared by the first antenna element and the second antenna element.

6. The antenna device according to claim 3, characterized in that, each of the antenna elements further includes: a first ground pad arranged around the first signal pad; and a second ground pad arranged around the second signal pad.

7. The antenna device according to claim 6, characterized in that, the antenna array further includes a ground wire configured to connect the radiator shared by adjacent antenna elements and the first ground pad or the second ground pad.

8. The antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the plurality of antenna elements are arranged to be spaced apart from each other.

9. The antenna device according to claim 8, characterized in that, the spacing distance between adjacent antenna elements is 0.5 mm or more.

10. The antenna device according to claim 8, characterized in that, the antenna array further includes: a boundary ground wire arranged between adjacent antenna elements; and a bonding pad connected to a part of the boundary ground wire.

11. The antenna device according to claim 10, characterized in that, the boundary ground wire includes: A first section extending between adjacent ones of the antenna elements in a longitudinal direction of the antenna elements; and A second section connected to the first section and surrounding a plurality of the antenna elements.

12. The antenna device according to claim 8, wherein, each of the antenna elements further comprises: A first ground pad disposed around the first signal pad; and A second ground pad disposed around the second signal pad.

13. The antenna device according to claim 12, wherein, the antenna array further comprises a boundary ground wire disposed between adjacent ones of the antenna elements.

14. The antenna device according to claim 13, wherein, the boundary ground wire comprises: A first section configured to connect the first ground pad of one of the adjacent antenna elements to the second ground pad of the other of the adjacent antenna elements; A second section surrounding a plurality of the antenna elements; and A third section extending between adjacent ones of the antenna elements in the longitudinal direction of the antenna elements to connect the first section and the second section.

15. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, an angle between the first direction and the second direction is 80° to 100°.

16. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, the first radiator, the second radiator, and the third radiator are rhombuses; the first transmission line and the second transmission line are respectively connected to two adjacent sides of the first radiator; the third transmission line connects two facing sides of the first radiator and the second radiator to each other; and the fourth transmission line connects two facing sides of the first radiator and the third radiator to each other.

17. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, the first radiator, the second radiator, and the third radiator are squares; the first transmission line and the second transmission line are respectively connected to two adjacent vertices of the first radiator; the third transmission line connects two facing vertices of the first radiator and the second radiator to each other; and the fourth transmission line connects two facing vertices of the first radiator and the third radiator to each other.

18. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, the flexible printed circuit board further comprises: A plurality of ground portions disposed such that corresponding signal pads face each other with the plurality of ground portions interposed therebetween when the antenna array is joined.

19. A display device, wherein, it comprises the antenna device according to claim 1.

20. An antenna array, wherein, it comprises: A plurality of antenna elements disposed in a predetermined direction, each of the antenna elements comprising: A first radiator; A second radiator disposed to be spaced apart from the first radiator in a first direction; A third radiator disposed to be spaced apart from the first radiator in a second direction; A first signal pad and a second signal pad configured to supply a signal to the first radiator; A first transmission line that extends in the first direction and connects the first signal pad and the first radiator; A second transmission line that extends in the second direction and connects the second signal pad and the first radiator; A third transmission line configured to connect the first radiator and the second radiator; A fourth transmission line configured to connect the first radiator and the third radiator; A first ground pad disposed around the first signal pad; and A second ground pad disposed around the second signal pad.

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