Antenna structure and electronic device including the same

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a fifth generation (5G) or pre-5G communication system to support a higher data transmission rate than a fourth generation (4G) communication system such as long term evolution (LTE). According to various embodiments of the disclosure, an electronic device including an antenna in a wireless communication system can include a radiator, a main body, and a feed unit for transmitting a signal, wherein the radiator is coupled to at least a portion of the main body, the feed unit is coupled to the main body to support the main body, and the radiator is disposed to be spaced apart from the feed unit to form an air gap.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communication systems, and more specifically, to antenna structures in wireless communication systems and electronic devices including such antenna structures. Background Technology

[0002] To meet the increased demand for wireless data traffic since the deployment of 4G communication systems, efforts have been made to develop improved 5G or pre-5G communication systems. Therefore, 5G or pre-5G communication systems are also referred to as "beyond 4G network" communication systems or "post-Long Term Evolution (post-LTE)" systems.

[0003] 5G communication systems are considered to be implemented in ultra-high frequency (millimeter wave) bands (e.g., the 60 GHz band) to achieve higher data rates. To reduce radio wave propagation loss and increase transmission distance in the ultra-high frequency band, beamforming, massive MIMO, full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and massive MIMO technologies are discussed in 5G communication systems.

[0004] In addition, in 5G communication systems, development is underway to improve system networks based on advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (cloud RAN), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, mobile networks, cooperative communication, cooperative multipoint (CoMP), and receiver interference cancellation.

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

[0006] Technical issues

[0007] Based on the above logic, this disclosure provides an antenna structure that achieves broadband characteristics through a low dielectric constant in a wireless communication system and an electronic device including the antenna structure.

[0008] Technical solution

[0009] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device including an antenna in a wireless communication system may include: a radiator; a body; and a feeding unit for transmitting signals, wherein the radiator is coupled to at least a portion of the body, the feeding unit is coupled to the body to support the body, and the radiator is configured to be spaced apart from the feeding unit to form an air gap.

[0010] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a massive MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) unit (MMU) device may include at least one processor, a feed network, and a subarray comprising a plurality of antenna elements, wherein each antenna element of the subarray includes a body, a radiator coupled to at least a portion of the body, and a feed unit coupled to the body to support the body, and the radiator is configured to be spaced apart from the feed unit to form an air gap.

[0011] Beneficial effects

[0012] The devices and methods according to various embodiments of this disclosure can provide broadband characteristics by forming an air gap between the feed unit and the radiator.

[0013] The beneficial effects that can be obtained from this disclosure are not limited to those described above. Other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 Wireless communication systems according to various embodiments of the present disclosure are shown.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a view illustrating an example of broadband characteristics according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 3 An example of a slot patch structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 4 An example of an antenna with a slot patch structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 5 An assembly of an antenna having a slot patch structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figures 6A to 6D A graph depicting the antenna performance of an antenna with a slotted patch structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figures 7A to 7D An example of an antenna with a slot patch structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 8 An example of the design process for an antenna with a slotted patch structure according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0022] Figure 9 The functional configuration of an electronic device including an antenna with a slot patch structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. Singular expressions may include plural expressions unless they are clearly distinct in the context. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as those commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. These terms, as defined in commonly used dictionaries, may be interpreted as having the same meaning as in the context of the relevant technical field and should not be construed as having an ideal or overly formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the disclosure. In some cases, even terms defined in this disclosure should not be construed as excluding embodiments of this disclosure.

[0024] In the following description, various embodiments of this disclosure will be based on a hardware approach. However, the various embodiments of this disclosure include techniques using both hardware and software, and therefore, a software perspective is not excluded.

[0025] In the following, this disclosure relates to antenna structures in wireless communication systems and electronic devices including such antenna structures. Specifically, this disclosure describes a technique that, when designing antenna elements in a wireless communication system, reduces the dielectric constant by forming an air gap between the feed element and the radiator, and ensures broadband characteristics through the low dielectric constant.

[0026] In the following description, terms relating to electronic device components (e.g., substrates, printed circuit boards (PCBs), flexible PCBs (FPCBs), antennas, antenna elements, circuits, processors, chips, components, and devices), terms relating to component shapes (e.g., structural bodies, structures, supports, contacts, and protrusions), terms relating to connections between structures (e.g., connection portions, contact portions, support portions, contact structures, conductive members, and integrations), and illustrative terms used for ease of description, such as PCBs, FPCBs, signal lines, feed lines, data lines, RF signal lines, antenna cables, RF paths, RF modules, and RF circuits, are used. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the terms used below, and other terms relating to subjects having equivalent technical meaning may be used. Furthermore, as used below, the terms “unit,” “device,” “component,” “body,” etc., may denote at least one shape structure or may denote a unit used for processing functions.

[0027] In this disclosure, various embodiments will be described using terminology adopted in some communication standards (e.g., the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)), but these are merely for illustrative purposes. With modifications, embodiments of this disclosure can also be readily applied to other communication systems.

[0028] Figure 1 Wireless communication systems according to various embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. Figure 1 The wireless communication environment 100 shown illustrates an example of a base station 110 and a terminal 120 as part of a node using a wireless channel.

[0029] refer to Figure 1 The wireless communication environment 100 may include a base station 110 and a terminal 120.

[0030] Base station 110 corresponds to network infrastructure used to provide wireless access to terminal 120. Base station 110 has a coverage area defined as a predetermined geographical region based on the signal transmission distance. Besides being a base station, base station 110 may be referred to as a massively multi-input multiple-output (MIMO) unit (MMU), "access point (AP)," "eNodeB (eNB)," "fifth-generation node," "5G NodeB (NB)," "radio point," "transmit / receive point (TRP)," "access unit," "digital unit (DU)," "transmit / receive point (TRP)," "radio unit (RU)," "remote radio headend (RRH)," or other names with equivalent technical meanings. Base station 110 can transmit downlink signals or receive uplink signals.

[0031] Terminal 120 is a device used by a user and communicates with base station 110 via a wireless channel. In some cases, terminal 120 can operate without user intervention. That is, terminal 120 can be a device used to perform machine-type communication (MTC) and is not carried by the user. Besides "terminal," terminal 120 may also be referred to as "user equipment (UE)," "mobile station," "user station," "customer premises equipment (CPE)," "remote terminal," "wireless terminal," "electronic device," "vehicle terminal," "user equipment," or other terms with equivalent technical meanings.

[0032] Beamforming technology is used to reduce propagation path loss and increase radio propagation distance. Typically, beamforming uses multiple antennas to concentrate the arrival area of ​​radio waves or to increase the directivity of the receiver sensitivity in a specific direction. Therefore, base station 110 may include multiple antennas to form beamforming coverage, rather than forming a signal in an isotropic pattern using a single antenna. An antenna array including multiple antennas will be described below. Figure 1 The example of the antenna array shown in B is merely an example for explaining embodiments of this disclosure and is not to be construed as limiting other embodiments of this disclosure.

[0033] Base station 110 may include beamforming device 130. According to an embodiment, as a beamforming device, base station 110 may include a massive MIMO unit (MMU) comprising an antenna array. Each antenna included in the antenna array may be referred to as an array element or antenna element. The antenna array may be described as a two-dimensional planar array, but this is merely one embodiment and does not limit other embodiments of this disclosure. According to another embodiment, the antenna array may be configured in various forms, such as a linear array. The antenna array may be referred to as a massive MIMO array.

[0034] The main technology for increasing the data capacity of 5G communications is beamforming, which uses antenna arrays connected to multiple RF paths. To achieve higher data capacity, the number of RF paths needs to be increased, or the power of each RF path needs to be increased. Increasing the number of RF paths can lead to an increase in product size, and due to space constraints in installation, actual base station equipment is currently at a level where further increases are unlikely. To increase antenna gain through high output without increasing the number of RF paths, multiple antenna elements are connected using splitters (or distributors) on the RF paths, thereby increasing antenna gain.

[0035] The number of antennas (or antenna elements) in devices used to perform wireless communication (e.g., base station 110) has increased to improve communication performance. Furthermore, the number of RF components (e.g., amplifiers and filters) and assemblies used to process RF signals received or transmitted through the antenna elements has increased, thus requiring not only space gain and cost efficiency in configuring communication equipment, but also, in addition to meeting communication performance requirements.

[0036] To serve more users in a cell, wider bandwidth is required. This necessitates broadband base station equipment, and broadband antennas are essential for implementing broadband base station devices. Designing broadband antennas presents challenges. Wide reflection coefficients and beam characteristics within the required frequency band must be met. Due to the characteristics of base stations installed at high altitudes, the antenna beam is fixedly pointed to the ground, and the physical base station radiation angle is adjusted (e.g., tilted). A predetermined phase difference between antenna elements needs to be achieved through a feed network to guide the antenna beam to the ground. Broadband antennas are necessary for the design of the feed network to achieve an ideal phase difference. In practice, base station coverage may be insecure without broadband antennas. Grating lobes may occur, or coverage may be easily distorted. To address these issues, embodiments of this disclosure below propose an antenna structure that can cover a wide frequency band and exhibits low distortion in coverage performance.

[0037] Figure 2 This is a view illustrating an example of broadband characteristics according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0038] Reference Figure 2 The Smith chart 200 is a Smith chart related to the reflectance coefficient. The reflectance coefficient is an S-parameter, meaning S... 11 Here, curve 220 on the Smith chart 200 can be represented by the following equation.

[0039] Equation 1

[0040]

[0041] Here, Γ represents the reflection coefficient at reference point 210, and θ1 represents the phase change. The characteristic used to cover a wide bandwidth, i.e., the broadband characteristic, represents the relatively small change in antenna characteristics across the corresponding frequency band. That is, even if the frequency changes, the more constant the antenna characteristics, the better the broadband characteristic is likely to be. Therefore, it can be understood that if S... 11 Since a low frequency variation indicates a high broadband characteristic, to examine the relationship between frequency and phase, the phase constant can first be expressed by the following equation.

[0042] Equation 2

[0043]

[0044] β represents the phase constant, which is the amount of phase change per unit length of wave propagation. θ represents the phase, and L represents the length.

[0045] Phase velocity can be expressed by the following equation.

[0046] Equation 3

[0047]

[0048] v p Let w represent the phase velocity, w represent each frequency, f represent the frequency, ε represent the dielectric constant, and μ represent the permeability.

[0049] The following equations can be derived from equations 2 and 3.

[0050] Equation 4

[0051]

[0052] θ represents phase, L represents length, f represents frequency, ε represents permittivity, and μ represents permeability. Considering the relationship between frequency and phase, to minimize the phase change with frequency variation, a certain percentage of the coefficients must be minimized. Small. In the following, this disclosure uses the dielectric constant ε as an adjustment factor for the coefficient part A. In other words, an antenna structure with a low dielectric constant is proposed.

[0053] Compared to air, εr =1, and therefore the coefficient is Relative to dielectric, ε r >1, and therefore the coefficient is Because the coefficient of air is low, it can be determined that the frequency variation is small. Since A1 > A0, an air gap is required for broadband characteristics. This will be discussed further below. Figure 3 A and Figure 3 B describes the design principles of the slot patch antenna disclosed herein.

[0054] Figure 3 An example of a slot patch structure according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. In this disclosure, the slot patch structure represents a structure for providing a low dielectric constant through an air gap between the feed unit and the radiator. Reference will be made to... Figure 3 A and Figure 3 B describes a specific example of this structure.

[0055] refer to Figure 3 Cross-sectional view 301 shows an example of a cross-section of a slot patch structure. Cross-sectional view 302 shows another example of a cross-section of a slot patch structure. The slot patch structure may include a patch 310, a feed unit 320, and a dielectric 330. In this case, the patch 310 is a radiating element and can be configured to radiate an electrical signal into the air. The feed unit 320 corresponds to a component for feeding an electrical signal to the radiator and may include a feed wire for signal transmission via signal processing. For example, the feed unit 320 may be formed of metal. The feed unit 320 can simultaneously serve as support and perform signal transmission. According to an embodiment, the feed unit 320 can transmit an electrical signal to the patch 310 via a coupled feed. The dielectric 330 can be configured to be coupled to the feed unit to transmit charge. According to an embodiment, the dielectric 330 can be configured to fix the feed unit 320.

[0056] according to Figure 2 The principle described herein illustrates a structure in which an air gap 340 is formed to reduce the variation in antenna characteristics with frequency by lowering the dielectric constant in the region where the signal is transmitted. This structure can be referred to as a slot patch structure. A slot patch structure refers to a structure in which an air gap exists between the patch 310 and the feed element 320, that is, a structure in which there is no independent dielectric region (or layer).

[0057] Figure 4 An assembly of an antenna having a slot patch structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. A slot patch structure refers to a structure in which no dielectric region is ensured in the portion between the antenna's feed element and the radiator (i.e., the coupling portion).

[0058] Antenna 400 may include patch 410, support 415, and feed unit 420. Patch 410 is a patch antenna and can be used as a radiator. Patch 410 can radiate signals transmitted from feed unit 420 into the air. According to an embodiment, patch 410 may be configured as a metallic radiator. According to an embodiment, patch 410 may be fixed to support 415 by a heat-fusion method, which will be described below.

[0059] Support 415 represents the body of the antenna element (e.g., a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) body). Support 415 may have a low dielectric constant structure. According to an embodiment, support 415 may include a dielectric and air as the dielectric. In this case, the dielectric of support 415 may be configured to secure the legs of the feed element to be described. According to one embodiment, support 415 may be formed by an injection molding method (e.g., embedding injection). (See reference...) Figure 8 Describe the specific production methods.

[0060] Support 415 can be configured to support patch 410. For this purpose, at least one region of support 415 may include a protrusion to form a height greater than the dielectric region used to form the air gap. Support 415 can be attached to the radiator via the protrusion. The protrusion of support 415 can serve as a strut supporting the radiator. According to an embodiment, support 415 can secure the radiator via the protrusion during a manufacturing process such as a heat-fusion method.

[0061] The power supply unit 420 can be attached to a printed circuit board (PCB) and can transmit signals from the power supply wires to the patch 410 via coupled power supply. According to an embodiment, the power supply unit 420 can function as an isolator. In addition to performing power supply, the power supply unit 420 can also function as a support. The power supply unit 420 may include leg-shaped supports for stabilizing the structure. According to an embodiment, for stabilizing the support, the power supply unit 420 can be configured to... The form of the leg shape. In the following text, for ease of explanation, The feed unit is described as an example, and in embodiments of this disclosure, the shape of the feed unit 420 is not limited to... Shape. For example, the power supply unit 420 may include Shapely legs.

[0062] The power supply unit 420 may include multiple leg-shaped supports for stabilizing the structure. For example, the power supply unit 420 may include four leg-shaped supports. The power supply unit 420 may include a first leg-shaped support 421a, a second leg-shaped support 421b, a third leg-shaped support 421c, and a fourth leg-shaped support 421d. Figure 4Four leg supports are shown as an example, but this is merely an embodiment of this disclosure and other variations are not excluded. For example, the power supply unit 420 may include two leg supports. For example, the power supply unit 420 may include eight leg supports. Here, for stable arrangement, each leg support may be arranged substantially symmetrically based on the center of patch 410. Although Figure 4 Not shown, but the power supply unit 420 can be fixed to the PCB or dielectric board (i.e., the power supply network) via leg supports. The leg supports can be attached to the corresponding board using surface mount technology (SMT). In this case, as an example, the leg supports of the power supply unit 420 can undergo electroplating.

[0063] The leg supports can be designed to have a structure for power feeding. Each leg support can perform a power feeding function. A leg support can be referred to as a power feeding leg. According to an embodiment, all leg supports of the power feeding unit 420 can be configured to feed signals. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, the leg supports are described as power feeding legs as examples of power feeding units 420 in this disclosure, but embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, a portion of the leg supports of the power feeding unit 420 can be configured to feed signals, and another portion can be included solely for support functions.

[0064] According to an embodiment, the power supply unit 420 can be configured to provide dual polarization. Signals with different polarizations can be transmitted to the patch 410 via two power supply lines. In this case, the polarization of the signal transmitted by the first power supply branch (i.e., the common polarization component) and the polarization of the signal transmitted by the second power supply branch (the common polarization component) can be orthogonal to each other. The power supply branches of the power supply unit 420 can be arranged to accommodate dual polarization. Dual polarization embodiments can be combined with the foregoing embodiments. For example, two of the four leg-shaped supports are used as power supply legs, and the other supports can be structures used for support between the radiator and the PCB. Furthermore, the leg-shaped supports used to perform the power supply function can be arranged to provide dual polarization.

[0065] Regarding the arrangement and number of leg supports, the inclusion of leg supports in the feeder cable, etc., various modifications other than those described above are permitted without departing from the slot patch structure (a feature of this disclosure).

[0066] Figure 4 An example of an antenna assembly with a slotted patch structure is shown below. References are made to this section. Figure 5 This will describe a method for forming a slot patch structure by coupling components.

[0067] Figure 5An example of an antenna with a slot patch structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. A slot patch structure refers to a structure in which no dielectric region is ensured in the portion between the antenna's feed element and the radiator (i.e., the coupling portion). Figure 4 Antenna 400 in the example is an antenna with a slot patch structure.

[0068] Reference Figure 5 Perspective view 501 shows an example of the components of antenna 400 with a slot patch structure being coupled. Cross-sectional view 402 shows an example of a cross-section of antenna 400. Enlarged view 403 shows the slot patch structure shown in the cross-section of antenna 400. These components may include a patch 410, a support 415, and a feed unit 420. Referring to enlarged view 403, support 415 may include a dielectric 530. Feed unit 420 may include feed legs 521.

[0069] To explain the slotted patch structure, the terminology for the slot is first defined. Height is defined based on a surface of the main body (hereinafter referred to as the reference surface). The height of the feed leg 521 can be defined as a first height 511. The height of the radiator 530 can be defined as a second height 512. The radiator 512 can be an assembly of the antenna main body. The height of the patch 410 can be defined as a third height 513. The height of the patch 410 represents the gap between the patch 410 and the reference surface when the support 415 of the patch 410 is coupled (e.g., by thermal fusion) to the structure to which it will be fixed.

[0070] A slotted patch structure refers to a structure with a slot between a radiator (e.g., patch 410) and a feed element (e.g., feed leg 521). This slot represents an air gap with a low dielectric constant. Therefore, according to an embodiment, the first height 511 needs to be lower than the third height 513. The reason is that the difference between the first height 511 and the third height 513 is the slot. Therefore, when patch 410 is coupled to support 415, for example, when patch 410 is thermoformed to support 415, this process can be performed such that the third height 513 is formed to be higher than the first height 511. However, this is merely an example of the production process sequence, and if the third height 513 is determined first and then the first height 511 is determined, the process can be performed such that the feed leg is formed to have a height lower than a specified range, i.e., the third height 513.

[0071] Furthermore, according to the embodiment, in order to form a stable air gap, the dielectric needs to be positioned below a first height 511, which is the height at which the air gap begins. That is, a second height 512 needs to be lower than the first height 511. The support 415 can be configured to allow the dielectric 530 to be inserted at a position lower than the first height 511.

[0072] Antenna 400, in which patch 410, support 415, and feed branch 521 are coupled as described above, can be mounted on a PCB (e.g., referred to as an antenna board or feed network board) via SMT. Dielectric 530 can be fixed in support 415. Antennas produced in this manner can correspond to antenna elements in an array antenna. A group of antenna elements can form a subarray (e.g., an nx1 subarray, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2). The subarray can form a beam by coupling with a feed network (e.g., a power divider). The phase can be adjusted by length adjustment of the power divider, thereby forming a beam in various ways. Here, due to the air gap formed between the antenna elements and the feed unit, the subarray can provide stable frequency characteristics in a wide bandwidth. Stable bandwidth can improve coverage and throughput.

[0073] In the following text, reference will be made to Figures 6A to 6D Examples of antenna performance with slot patch structures are illustrated with diagrams.

[0074] Figures 6A to 6D A graph depicting antenna performance of an antenna having a slot patch structure according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. A slot patch structure refers to a structure in which no dielectric region is ensured in the portion between the antenna's feed element and the radiator (i.e., the coupling portion). Figure 4 Antenna 400 in the example is an antenna with a slot patch structure.

[0075] refer to Figure 6A The first graph 610 indicates the return loss performance of the antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The horizontal axis represents the operating frequency (i.e., bandwidth, unit: GHz), and the vertical axis represents the return loss. The first line 611 represents the return loss of a conventional antenna (e.g., a narrowband antenna), and the second line 612 represents the return loss of an antenna having a slot patch structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It can be seen that the width of the bandwidth with a certain return loss or less in the second line 612 is formed to be wider than the width of the bandwidth with a certain return loss or less in the first line 611. This may mean that it exhibits broadband characteristics within the bandwidth. Since the bandwidth is stably formed even in the broadband, it can be determined that a relatively wide coverage range can be ensured when the antenna is tilted (scanned) by means of an antenna with a slot patch structure.

[0076] refer to Figure 6B The second graph 620 indicates the return loss performance of the antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The horizontal axis represents the beam angle (in degrees) and the vertical axis represents the gain (in dB). Referring to the second graph 620, no grating lobes are identified (e.g., 10 dB or greater).

[0077] refer to Figure 6CThe third graph 630 indicates the gain of the antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The horizontal axis represents the operating frequency (i.e., bandwidth, in GHz), and the vertical axis represents the antenna gain (in dB) loss. The first line 631 represents the return loss of a conventional antenna (e.g., a narrowband antenna), and the second line 632 represents the return loss of an antenna having a slot patch structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It can be determined that even if the operating frequency changes, the antenna gain remains constant in the second line 632 over a relatively wider range than in the first line 631. Specifically, it is identified that in the first line 631, the gain decreases relatively rapidly whenever the frequency moves based on the center frequency (approximately 3.8 GHz). The bandwidth with a predetermined gain exceeding a certain amount in the first line 631 is approximately 370 MHz. However, in the second line 632, the gain decreases relatively slowly as the frequency moves. The bandwidth with a predetermined gain exceeding a certain amount in the second line 631 is approximately 1050 MHz. Antennas with slotted patch structures can maintain high gain and generate a strong field in broadband applications, and offer high efficiency due to low dielectric loss caused by the air gap. Therefore, antennas with slotted patch structures can be used for broadband services.

[0078] Reference Figure 6D The fourth graph 640 illustrates the pattern of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the fourth graph 640, the antenna pattern indicates the horizontal beam pattern of a single antenna element. The horizontal axis represents the beam angle (in degrees), and the vertical axis represents the gain (in dB). The first line 641 indicates the antenna pattern in the 3.5 GHz band. The second line 642 indicates the antenna pattern in the 3.7 GHz band. The third line 643 indicates the antenna pattern in the 3.9 GHz band. The fourth line 644 indicates the antenna pattern in the 4.1 GHz band. Referring to the fourth graph 640, it can be seen that a stable beam pattern is formed in the broadband.

[0079] Figures 7A to 7D An example of an antenna with a slot patch structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. A slot patch structure refers to a structure in which no dielectric region is ensured in the portion between the antenna's feed element and the radiator (i.e., the coupling portion).

[0080] In description Figures 7A to 7D Previously, we defined feeding methods. Indirect feeding refers to a feeding method in a structure where there is an air gap or dielectric between the radiator and the feeding unit. In the following text, we will discuss... Figures 7A to 7B An example of a slot patch structure based on the direct feeding method is shown. The direct feeding method refers to a feeding method where the radiator and the feeding unit are directly connected. In the following text, this will be explained through... Figures 7C to 7D An example of a slot patch structure based on the direct feeding method is shown.

[0081] refer to Figure 7A The slot patch antenna 700a may include a first patch 711a, a second patch 712a, a first feed structure 721a, a second feed structure 722a, and a dielectric 730a. For example, the first patch 711a and the second patch 712a may include metal. Furthermore, for example, the first feed structure 721a and the second feed structure 722a may include metal. The dielectric 730a may be inserted between the first feed structure 721a and the second feed structure 722a shown in the figure. Based on... Figure 7A The first patch 711a can be disposed on the first power supply structure 721a, the second power supply structure 722a, and the dielectric 730a. The second patch 712a can be disposed on the first patch 711a.

[0082] According to an embodiment, the first patch 711a can be spaced apart from both the first feed structure 721a and the second feed structure 722a. That is, a gap can be formed between the first patch 711a and the feed units (the first feed structure 721a and the second feed structure 722a). Furthermore, the second patch 712a and the first patch 711a can be positioned spaced apart from each other. In other words, a gap can exist between the second patch 712a and the first patch 711a to form an air gap. The slot patch antenna 700a can have a structure including an air gap between the first patch 711a and the feed and an air gap between the second patch 711b and the first patch 711a.

[0083] refer to Figure 7B The slot patch antenna 700b may include a first patch 711b, a second patch 712b, a first feed structure 721b, a second feed structure 722b, and a dielectric 730b. Here, as an example, the first patch 711b and the second patch 712b may include metal. Furthermore, for example, the first feed structure 721b and the second feed structure 722b may include metal. The dielectric 730b may be inserted onto the first feed structure 721b and the second feed structure 722b shown in the figure. Based on... Figure 7B The dielectric 730b can be disposed on the first patch 711b. The second patch 712b can be disposed on the first patch 711b.

[0084] According to an embodiment, the first patch 711b may be spaced apart from the feeding units (first feeding structure 721b and second feeding structure 722b), and a dielectric 730b may be inserted therebetween. That is, no gap is formed between the first patch 711b and the feeding units (first feeding structure 721b and second feeding structure 722b). However, the second patch 712b and the first patch 711b may be positioned spaced apart from each other. In other words, a gap may exist between the second patch 712b and the first patch 711b to form an air gap. The slotted patch antenna 700b may have a structure including the air gap between the second patch 711b and the first patch 711b.

[0085] refer to Figure 7C The slot patch antenna 700c may include a first patch 711c, a second patch 712c, a third feed structure 723c, a fourth feed structure 724c, and a dielectric 730c. Here, as an example, the first patch 711c and the second patch 712c may include metal. Furthermore, for example, the third feed structure 723c and the fourth feed structure 724c may include metal. The dielectric 730c may be inserted between the third feed structure 723c and the fourth feed structure 724c shown in the figure. The third feed structure 723c and the fourth feed structure 724c may be directly connected to the first patch 711c. That is, the first patch 711c receives signals using a direct feeding method. In some embodiments, according to the direct connection, the feed structure may have... type. Figure 7C It shows This is just one embodiment, and the disclosure is not limited thereto. The feeding structure shown in the figure can be used with... The structure of the type is replaced.

[0086] based on Figure 7C The second patch 712c can be disposed on the first patch 711c. According to an embodiment, the first patch 711c can be directly fed by a feeding unit (a first feeding structure 721c and a second feeding structure 722c). The dielectric 730c can be disposed below the coupling portion. However, the second patch 712c and the first patch 711c can be disposed at positions spaced apart from each other. In other words, a gap can exist between the second patch 712c and the first patch 711c to form an air gap. The slot patch antenna 700c can have a structure including the air gap between the second patch 711c and the first patch 711c.

[0087] refer to Figure 7DThe slot patch antenna 700d may include a first patch 711d, a second patch 712d, a third feed structure 723d, a fourth feed structure 724d, and a dielectric 730d. For example, the first patch 711d and the second patch 712d may include metal. Furthermore, for example, the third feed structure 723d and the fourth feed structure 724d may include metal. The dielectric 730d may be inserted between the third feed structure 723d and the fourth feed structure 724d shown in the figure. The third feed structure 723d and the fourth feed structure 724d may be directly connected to the first patch 711d. That is, the first patch 711d receives signals using a direct feeding method. In some embodiments, according to the direct connection, the feed structure may have... Type. In Figure 7D It shows This is just one embodiment, and the disclosure is not limited thereto. The feeding structure shown in the figure can be used with... The structure of the type is replaced.

[0088] based on Figure 7D The second patch 712d can be disposed on the first patch 711d. According to an embodiment, the first patch 711d can be directly fed by a feeding unit (a first feeding structure 721d and a second feeding structure 722d). Furthermore, the dielectric 730d can be coupled to the first patch 711d. However, the second patch 712d and the first patch 711d can be disposed at positions spaced apart from each other. In other words, a gap can exist between the second patch 712d and the first patch 711d to form an air gap. The slot patch antenna 700d can have a structure including the air gap between the second patch 711d and the first patch 711d.

[0089] pass Figures 7A to 7D Examples of various types of antennas with slotted patch structures have already been described. However, Figures 7A to 7D The examples provided are merely modifications of antenna structures derived from support designs used to form an air gap between the radiator (e.g., a radiating patch) and the feed unit, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. Any antenna structure in which the radiator and feed unit are structurally fixed and form an air gap can be understood as an embodiment of this disclosure. That is, all structures that add patches, using one or more combinations of air gaps and dielectrics, can also correspond to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0090] Figure 8 An example of the design process for an antenna with a slotted patch structure according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. A slotted patch structure refers to a structure in which no dielectric region is ensured in the portion between the antenna's feed element and the radiator (i.e., the coupling portion). Although Figure 4 Antenna 400 is exemplified as an antenna with a slotted patch structure, but in addition to Figures 7A to 7D Apart from the antenna, the following description can be applied in the same or similar manner to the antennas forming the slot patch structure of this disclosure. Figure 8 The design process described herein is merely an embodiment of the process for designing the aforementioned slot patch antenna; therefore, the slot patch structure disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting the structure to... Figure 8 The method shown is designed in this way. That is, a part of the structure forming the slot patch structure can be designed by... Figure 8 The methods shown are designed using different processes.

[0091] Reference Figure 8 Antenna modules that can be attached to a PCB can be produced through the first process 801, the second process 803, the third process 805, the fourth process 807, and the fifth process 809.

[0092] The first process 801 may include an insertion process. As the insertion material, a leg-shaped support may be inserted into the mold. Here, the description of the leg-shaped support may correspond not only to a feed leg used as a feeder, but also to a structure performing a simple support function. According to an embodiment, the leg-shaped support may include a metal or electroplated material.

[0093] The second process 803 may include an injection molding process. Injection molding is a manufacturing process that produces a structure by injecting molten material into a mold. Injection molding can be used to produce bodies, such as... Figure 4 Support 415. Here, the body may correspond to the LCP body. During the injection molding process, the mold (hereinafter, the lower mold plate), leg support, and dielectric of the first process 801 may be inserted, and the mold corresponding to the body (hereinafter, the upper mold plate) may be coupled thereto.

[0094] The third process 805 may include the process of removing the mold coupled to the injection molding. When the mold is removed, a structure coupled to the body and the leg-shaped structure (power supply unit) is obtained.

[0095] The fourth process 807 may include a pressing process. In the fourth process 807, a pressing process can be performed to attach the patch to the structure obtained by the third process 805. In this case, pressing may include a thermoforming pressing process. The pressing process can be performed such that the height of the fixed patch is formed to be higher than the height of the leg-shaped support (feed leg). Through thermoforming pressing, the patch can have a fixed height on the protrusion of the body. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the pressing height of the patch can be specified to form a slotted patch structure.

[0096] The fifth process 809 may include the process of coupling the antenna structure obtained from the fourth process 807 to the PCB. The antenna structure may correspond to a structure in which the antenna radiator and feed unit are coupled. In this case, the method for attaching the antenna structure to the PCB may include the process of attaching the leg support to the PCB via SMT.

[0097] Figure 9 The illustration shows a functional configuration of an electronic device including an antenna with a slotted patch structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic device 910 may correspond to... Figure 1 The base station 110 or the MMU of the base station 110. However, unlike the description above, this disclosure does not exclude that the electronic device 910 may be... Figure 1 The implementation in terminal 120. Embodiments of this disclosure include reference to... Figures 1 to 8 The mentioned antenna structure and electronic device including the antenna structure. Electronic device 910 may include antenna elements having a slotted patch structure inside the antenna array.

[0098] Figure 9 An exemplary functional configuration of an electronic device 910 is shown. The electronic device 910 may include an antenna unit 911, a filter unit 912, a radio frequency (RF) processor 913, and a controller 914.

[0099] Antenna unit 911 may include multiple antennas. The antennas perform the function of transmitting or receiving signals via a wireless channel. Antennas may include radiators formed of conductors or conductive patterns formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). Antennas may radiate up-converted signals over the wireless channel or receive signals radiated by other devices. Each antenna may be referred to as an antenna element or antenna assembly. In some embodiments, antenna assembly 911 may include an antenna array in which multiple antenna elements form an array. Antenna unit 911 may be electrically connected to filter unit 912 via RF signal lines. Antenna assembly 911 may be mounted on a PCB including multiple antenna elements. The PCB may include multiple RF signal lines for connecting each antenna element and filter unit 912. RF signal lines may be referred to as a feed network. Antenna unit 911 may provide received signals to filter unit 912 or radiate signals provided by filter unit 912 into the air. Antenna unit 911 according to embodiments of this disclosure may include antenna elements having a slot patch structure. (See reference...) Figures 1 to 8 The slotted patch structure refers to an antenna structure designed to create an air gap between the radiator (e.g., a patch antenna) and the feed element. Although Figure 4 Antenna 400 in Figure 9 The example shown is an antenna with a slotted patch structure, but besides... Figures 7A to 7DApart from the antenna, the following description can be applied in the same or similar manner to the antennas forming the slot patch structure of this disclosure.

[0100] Filter unit 912 can perform filtering to transmit signals at a desired frequency. Filter unit 912 can selectively identify frequencies by generating resonance. Filter unit 912 may include at least one of a bandpass filter, a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, or a band-stop filter. That is, filter unit 912 may include RF circuitry for obtaining signals in a transmit or receive frequency band. Filter unit 912, according to various embodiments, may be electrically connected to antenna section 911 and RF processor 913.

[0101] RF processor 913 may include multiple RF paths. An RF path can be a path unit through which a signal received by an antenna or a signal radiated by an antenna passes. At least one RF path may be referred to as an RF chain. An RF chain may include multiple RF components. RF components may include amplifiers, mixers, oscillators, DACs, ADCs, etc. For example, RF processor 913 may include an upconverter for upconverting a digital transmission signal in baseband to a transmission frequency and a digital-to-analog converter for converting the upconverted digital transmission signal into an analog RF transmission signal. The upconverter and DAC form part of the transmission path. The transmission path may also include a power amplifier (PA) or a coupler (or combiner). Furthermore, for example, RF processor 913 may include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for converting an analog RF received signal into a digital received signal and a downconverter for downconverting the digital received signal into a digital received signal in the terrestrial band. The ADC and downconverter form part of the receiving path. The receiving path may also include a low-noise amplifier (LNA) or a coupler (or distributor). The RF components of the RF processor may be implemented on a PCB. Base station 910 may include an antenna section 911, a filter section 912, and an RF processor 913 stacked sequentially. The antenna and RF components of the RF processor can be implemented on a PCB, and the filters between PCBs can be repeatedly coupled to each other to form multiple layers.

[0102] Processor 914 can control the general operation of electronic device 910. Processor 914 may include various modules for performing communication. Processor 914 may include at least one processor, such as a modem. Processor 914 may include modules for digital signal processing. For example, processor 914 may include a modem. When transmitting data, processor 914 can generate complex symbols by encoding and modulating the transmitted bit stream. Furthermore, for example, when receiving data, processor 914 can recover the bit stream by demodulating and decoding the baseband signal. Processor 914 can perform the functions of the protocol stack required by the communication standard.

[0103] exist Figure 9 In the description, the functional configuration of electronic device 910 is described as a device that can utilize the antenna structure of this disclosure. However, the example shown in Figure 10 merely utilizes the antenna structure according to the present disclosure. Figures 1 to 8 The description of various embodiments of the antenna structures described herein is exemplary, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the components of the device shown in FIG10. Therefore, antenna modules including antenna structures, other types of communication devices, and the antenna structures themselves can also be understood as embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0104] According to various embodiments of this disclosure, an antenna device in a wireless communication system may include a radiator, a body, and a feed unit for transmitting signals, wherein the radiator is coupled to at least a portion of the body, the feed unit is coupled to the body to support the body, and the radiator is configured to be spaced apart from the feed unit to form an air gap.

[0105] According to an embodiment, the antenna device may further include a printed circuit board (PCB) coupled to the feed unit.

[0106] According to an embodiment, in an antenna device, the feed unit can be coupled to a PCB using surface mount technology (SMT).

[0107] According to an embodiment, the power supply unit may include multiple leg structures, and in the multiple leg structures, the power supply of the first power supply leg structure and the power supply of the second power supply leg structure may be configured to form dual polarization.

[0108] According to an embodiment, the antenna device may further include additional leg structures for supporting the main body.

[0109] According to an embodiment, in an antenna device, the radiator may include a radiating patch, the first surface of which may be coupled to at least a portion of the body, and the first surface of which may be spaced apart from the feed unit.

[0110] According to an embodiment, in an antenna device, the main body may include a dielectric, at least a portion of the main body may include a protrusion formed to be longer than the height of the dielectric, and the height of the dielectric may be lower than the height of the feed element.

[0111] According to an embodiment, the antenna device may correspond to the antenna elements of a subarray.

[0112] According to an embodiment, each of the radiator and the feed unit can be formed by at least one of injection molding, molding, or three-dimensional (3D) printing.

[0113] According to an embodiment, the body can be formed by injection molding.

[0114] According to an embodiment, in an antenna device, a feed unit can be configured to transmit electrical signals to a radiator via a coupled feed.

[0115] According to an embodiment, in an antenna device, a feed element and a radiator can be arranged to form a structure in which there is no dielectric between the feed element and the radiator.

[0116] According to an embodiment, the antenna device may further include an additional radiator, which may be disposed between the radiator and the feed unit. The additional radiator and the radiator may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other to form a first air gap, and the additional radiator and the feed unit may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other to form a second air gap.

[0117] According to an embodiment, the antenna device may further include an additional radiator, which may be disposed between the radiator and the body in a dielectric, and the additional radiator and the radiator may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other to form an air gap.

[0118] According to an embodiment, the antenna device may further include an additional radiator, which may be directly connected to the feed unit, and the additional radiator and the radiator may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other to form an air gap.

[0119] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a massive MIMO unit (MMU) device may include at least one processor, a feed network, and a subarray comprising a plurality of antenna elements, wherein each antenna element of the subarray includes a body, a radiator coupled to at least a portion of the body, and a feed unit coupled to the body to support the body, and the radiator is configured to be spaced apart from the feed unit to form an air gap (air gap).

[0120] According to an embodiment, the power supply network may include a power divider, and the power divider may be configured to control the phase of the signal transmitted to the subarray by adjusting the line length.

[0121] According to an embodiment, the MMU device may further include printed circuit boards (PCBs) for the power supply network and subarrays.

[0122] According to an embodiment, the body of each antenna element may include a dielectric, and the dielectric may be disposed at a height lower than that of the feed element.

[0123] In the above embodiments, the radiating patch is described as an example of a radiator. However, the radiating patch antenna is merely an example, and other radiating structures with the same technical meaning can be used interchangeably.

[0124] The antenna device disclosed herein can provide excellent broadband characteristics through the aforementioned slot patch antenna structure (i.e., the air gap formed between the radiator and the feed element). Due to stable beam performance, broadband characteristics can improve communication channel capacity, leading to increased coverage and throughput. Furthermore, the integrated structure of the radiator and support can reduce manufacturing and coupling costs (manufacturing costs, tolerance reduction, etc.). Moreover, the antenna module can be integrated with a PCB via SMT, thus maximizing the benefits of mass production in beamforming apparatuses requiring multiple antenna elements. The implementation of this disclosure can be determined based on the air gap formed under the radiating patch in the antenna element of the beamforming apparatus.

[0125] The methods described in the claims or specification of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0126] When these methods are implemented in software, a computer-readable storage medium may be provided for storing one or more programs (software modules). One or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium may be configured to be executed by one or more processors within an electronic device. The at least one program may include instructions causing the electronic device to perform methods according to the various embodiments defined by the appended claims and / or disclosed herein.

[0127] The program (software module or software) can be stored in non-volatile memory, including random access memory and flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), disk storage devices, optical disc-ROM (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD) or other types of optical storage devices, or magnetic tape. Optionally, any combination of some or all of these can form the memory storing the program. Furthermore, an electronic device may include multiple such memories.

[0128] Furthermore, the program can be stored on an attachable storage device that can be accessed by the electronic device via a communication network such as the Internet, intranet, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WLAN), and storage area network (SAN), or a combination thereof. This storage device can access the electronic device via an external port. Additionally, a standalone storage device on the communication network can access portable electronic devices.

[0129] In the detailed embodiments described above, elements included in this disclosure are represented in a singular or plural form according to the presented embodiments. However, for the sake of convenience, singular or plural forms have been suitably chosen as presented, and this disclosure is not limited to elements expressed in a singular or plural form. Thus, an element represented in a plural form may also include a single element, or an element represented in a singular form may include multiple elements.

[0130] Although specific embodiments have been described in the detailed description of this disclosure, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure should not be defined as limited to the embodiments, but rather as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An antenna device, comprising: Radiator; A feed structure for transmitting signals to a radiator, wherein the feed structure comprises a conductive material; A dielectric material, comprising a first portion therein coupled to a feed structure and a second portion protruding from the first portion for supporting a radiator; and The power supply structure is coupled to the first part of the dielectric material to be fixed. The power supply structure is mounted on the substrate to support the dielectric. The radiator is positioned to be spaced apart from the feeding structure to form an air gap. Wherein, the first height from the bottom surface of the first part to the top surface of the first part is less than the second height from the bottom surface to the top end of the power supply structure, and The third height from the bottom to the upper surface of the second part is greater than the first height.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, The power supply structure is coupled to the substrate via surface mount technology (SMT).

3. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, The power supply structure includes multiple power supply structures, and The plurality of feeding structures include a first feeding structure for a first polarization and a second feeding structure for a second polarization.

4. The antenna device according to claim 3 further includes an additional leg structure for supporting the dielectric.

5. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the radiator comprises a patch, in, The first surface of the patch is coupled to at least a portion of the second part of the dielectric, and The first surface of the patch is configured to be spaced apart from the power supply structure.

6. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, The difference between the third height of the second part and the second height of the feed structure corresponds to the air gap.

7. The antenna device according to claim 6, wherein, The second height of the power supply structure, the first height of the first part, and the third height of the second part are referenced to the bottom surface of the first part of the dielectric.

8. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, The dielectric is formed by injection molding.

9. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, The feed structure is configured to transmit electrical signals to the radiator via a coupled feed.

10. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, The feed structure and the radiator are arranged to form a structure in which there is no dielectric between the feed structure and the radiator.

11. The antenna device according to claim 1, further comprising: Additional radiator, The additional radiator is positioned between the radiator and the feed structure. The additional radiators and radiators are arranged spaced apart from each other to form a first air gap, and The additional radiators and the feeding structure are arranged to be spaced apart from each other to form a second air gap.

12. The antenna device according to claim 1, further comprising: Additional radiator, The additional radiator is disposed between the radiator and the first part, and The auxiliary radiators and radiators are arranged to be spaced apart from each other to form an air gap.

13. The antenna device according to claim 1, further comprising: Additional radiator, The additional radiator is directly connected to the feed structure, and The auxiliary radiators and radiators are arranged to be spaced apart from each other to form an air gap.

14. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, Dielectric fixed power supply structure.

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