Array antenna and electronic device including same

Abstract

An antenna module of an electronic device is implemented by a phased array antenna formed on a dielectric substrate. The dielectric substrate may include: a first layer having a first conductive layer including a first opening and a second opening on a surface of the dielectric substrate; a second layer having a second conductive layer including a fourth opening and a fifth opening within the dielectric substrate; and a third layer having a third conductive layer including a third opening within the dielectric substrate. The antenna module may include a dielectric cap layer and a dielectric substrate having a surface mounted opposite the dielectric cap layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to an array antenna and an electronic device including the same, and more particularly to an antenna module having an array antenna implemented with a multi-layer substrate structure and an electronic device including the same. Background Art

[0002] As electronic devices become more versatile, they can be implemented as image display devices such as multimedia players that have combined functions such as playing music or video files, playing games, and receiving broadcasts.

[0003] Image display devices are devices that play video content, receiving and displaying images from a variety of sources. They can be implemented in a variety of devices, including PCs (personal computers), smartphones, tablet PCs, laptops, and TVs. Image display devices like smart TVs can include applications such as web browsers that provide online content.

[0004] Electronic devices such as these may include communication modules with antennas to communicate with surrounding electronic devices. Meanwhile, as the display area of ​​image display devices has recently expanded, the space available for configuring communication modules with antennas has decreased. Consequently, the need to configure antennas within the multilayer circuit substrates that implement these communication modules is increasing.

[0005] On the other hand, as an interface for communication services between electronic devices, a WiFi wireless interface can be considered. When using such a WiFi wireless interface, millimeter wave bands (mmWave) can be used for high-speed data transmission between electronic devices. In particular, wireless interfaces such as 802.11ay can be used to achieve high-speed data transmission between electronic devices.

[0006] In this regard, an array antenna capable of operating in the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency band can be installed in the antenna module. To achieve beamforming, the spacing between multiple antenna elements in the antenna module implemented by the array antenna can be formed adjacently at a predetermined interval or less. However, there is a problem that as the spacing between the multiple antenna elements decreases, interference between the multiple antenna elements may increase.

[0007] Antenna modules implemented with array antennas have the problem of increasing unnecessary side radiation components and reducing antenna efficiency due to surface wave components passing through the dielectric regions between multiple antenna elements. Furthermore, side radiation reduces the antenna's directivity in the frontal direction.

[0008] Furthermore, planar antenna elements, such as patch antenna elements, have a narrow operating bandwidth. Therefore, to provide broadband services in the millimeter wave band, an antenna structure that operates at a broadband speed while also achieving high antenna efficiency is required. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0010] The present disclosure aims to solve the aforementioned problems and other problems. In addition, another object is to improve the antenna efficiency in a broadband antenna module operating in the millimeter wave frequency band.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency and directivity in the front direction of an antenna element operating in the millimeter wave frequency band.

[0012] Another object of this specification is to propose an antenna structure that has high antenna efficiency while operating in broadband in order to provide broadband services in the millimeter wave frequency band.

[0013] Another object of this specification is to improve the high antenna gain in the millimeter wave frequency band and the antenna gain flatness in the entire frequency band.

[0014] Technical solutions to the problem

[0015] To achieve the above or other purposes, an antenna module of an electronic device according to one aspect of the present specification is implemented by a phased array antenna formed on a dielectric cover substrate. The dielectric substrate may include: a first layer having a first conductive layer including a first opening and a second opening on a surface of the dielectric substrate; a second layer having a second conductive layer including a fourth opening and a fifth opening in the dielectric substrate; and a third layer having a third conductive layer including a third opening in the dielectric substrate. The antenna module may include: a dielectric cover layer; and a dielectric substrate having a surface mounted opposite to the dielectric cover layer.

[0016] In an embodiment, a first portion of the first conductive layer may be disposed between the first opening and the second opening, and a second portion of the first conductive layer may face a first portion of the first conductive layer surrounding the first opening. A first portion of the second conductive layer may be disposed between the fourth opening and the fifth opening, and a second portion of the second conductive layer may face a first portion of the second conductive layer surrounding the fourth opening.

[0017] In an embodiment, the dielectric substrate may include: a fourth layer having a plurality of conductive traces; and a fifth layer having a fourth conductive layer serving as a ground. The dielectric substrate may include a phased array antenna on the dielectric substrate.

[0018] In an embodiment, the phased array antenna may include: a plurality of patch elements located on a surface of the dielectric substrate; and a plurality of transmission line paths coupled to positive antenna feed terminals on the plurality of patch elements within the dielectric substrate. The phased array antenna may be configured to transmit a plurality of radio-frequency signals having a frequency between 10 GHz and 300 GHz through the dielectric cover layer. The plurality of patch elements may be disposed within the second opening of the first conductive layer; and the plurality of transmission line paths may be disposed within the fifth opening of the second layer and the third opening of the third layer.

[0019] In an embodiment, the first portion of the first conductive layer, the first portion of the second conductive layer, and the first portion of the third conductive layer may be connected by a plurality of first conductive vias. The second portion of the first conductive layer, the second portion of the second conductive layer, and the second portion of the third conductive layer may be connected by a plurality of second conductive vias. The third portion of the third conductive layer may overlap with the first opening and the fourth opening. The plurality of first conductive vias and the plurality of second conductive vias may be electrically connected to the third portion of the third conductive layer.

[0020] In an embodiment, the second layer may include a plurality of layers within the dielectric substrate.

[0021] In an embodiment, the length of the long side of the second opening may be greater than or equal to the length of the long side of the first opening.

[0022] In an embodiment, a separation distance h1 from a surface of the first layer to a surface of the third layer may be greater than or equal to 0.02λ0.

[0023] In an embodiment, a spacing distance d from an edge of the first opening to an edge of the second opening may be greater than or equal to 0.13λ0.

[0024] In an embodiment, a length W1 of a long side of the first opening may be greater than or equal to λ0. A length L1 of a short side of the first opening may be greater than or equal to 0.13λ0.

[0025] In an embodiment, the antenna module may further include a plurality of virtual patterns disposed in the first opening formed in the dielectric substrate. The first side value L2 of the plurality of virtual patterns may be 0 < L2 < L1. The second side value W2 of the plurality of virtual patterns may be 0 < W2 < W1.

[0026] In an embodiment, the antenna module may further include a plurality of virtual patterns disposed in the third opening formed in the dielectric substrate. The first side value L2 of the plurality of virtual patterns may be 0 < L2 < L1. The second side value W2 of the plurality of virtual patterns may be 0 < W2 < W1.

[0027] In an embodiment, the antenna module may further include: a plurality of first virtual patterns disposed in the first opening formed in the dielectric substrate; and a plurality of second virtual patterns disposed in the third opening formed in the dielectric substrate. The plurality of first virtual patterns may be electrically connected to the plurality of second virtual patterns through a plurality of vertical conductive vias.

[0028] In an embodiment, the first opening may be disposed in the electric field direction of the phased array antenna.

[0029] In an embodiment, the first layer having the first conductive layer may further include a sixth opening formed in the surface of the dielectric substrate. A third portion of the first conductive layer may be disposed between the second opening and the sixth opening. A fourth portion of the first conductive layer may be disposed opposite to the third portion of the first conductive layer.

[0030] In an embodiment, the second layer having the second conductive layer may further include a seventh opening formed in the surface of the dielectric substrate. A third portion of the second conductive layer may be disposed between the fifth opening and the seventh opening. The fourth portion of the first conductive layer may be disposed opposite to the third portion of the second conductive layer around the seventh opening.

[0031] In an embodiment, the third portion of the first conductive layer, the third portion of the second conductive layer, and the fifth portion of the third conductive layer may be connected by a plurality of third conductive vias. The fourth portion of the first conductive layer, the fourth portion of the second conductive layer, and the sixth portion of the third conductive layer may be connected by a plurality of fourth conductive vias. The fourth portion of the third conductive layer may overlap with the sixth opening and the seventh opening. The plurality of third conductive vias and the plurality of fourth conductive vias may be electrically connected to the fourth portion of the third conductive layer.

[0032] To achieve the above or other purposes, the antenna module of an electronic device according to another aspect of the present specification is implemented by a phased array antenna formed on a dielectric substrate. The dielectric substrate may include: a first layer having a first conductive layer including a first opening and a second opening on the surface of the dielectric substrate; a second layer having a second conductive layer including a fourth opening and a fifth opening within the dielectric substrate; and a third layer having a third conductive layer including a third opening within the dielectric substrate. The phased array antenna may include: a plurality of parasitic patch elements on the surface of the dielectric substrate; a plurality of patch elements within the dielectric substrate; and a plurality of transmission line paths coupled to the respective positive antenna feed terminals on the plurality of patch elements within the dielectric substrate.

[0033] In an embodiment, the antenna module may include: a dielectric cover layer; and a dielectric substrate having a surface mounted facing the dielectric cover layer.

[0034] In an embodiment, a first portion of the first conductive layer may be disposed between the first opening and the second opening, and a second portion of the first conductive layer may face a first portion of the first conductive layer surrounding the first opening. A first portion of the second conductive layer may be disposed between the fourth opening and the fifth opening, and a second portion of the second conductive layer may face a first portion of the second conductive layer surrounding the fourth opening.

[0035] In an embodiment, the dielectric substrate may include: a fourth layer having a plurality of conductive traces; and a fifth layer having a fourth conductive layer serving as a ground. The dielectric substrate may include a phased array antenna on the dielectric substrate.

[0036] In an embodiment, the phased array antenna may include: a plurality of patch elements located on a surface of the dielectric substrate; and a plurality of transmission line paths coupled to positive antenna feed terminals on the plurality of patch elements within the dielectric substrate. The phased array antenna may be configured to transmit a plurality of wireless frequency signals between 10 GHz and 300 GHz through the dielectric cover layer. The plurality of patch elements may be disposed within the second opening of the first conductive layer; and the plurality of transmission line paths may be disposed within the fifth opening of the second layer and the third opening of the third layer.

[0037] In an embodiment, the first portion of the first conductive layer, the first portion of the second conductive layer, and the first portion of the third conductive layer may be connected by a plurality of first conductive vias. The second portion of the first conductive layer, the second portion of the second conductive layer, and the second portion of the third conductive layer may be connected by a plurality of second conductive vias. The third portion of the third conductive layer may overlap with the first opening and the fourth opening. The plurality of first conductive vias and the plurality of second conductive vias may be electrically connected to the third portion of the third conductive layer.

[0038] To achieve the above or other purposes, the antenna module of an electronic device according to another aspect of the present specification is implemented by a phased array antenna formed on a dielectric substrate. The dielectric substrate may include: a first layer having a first conductive layer including a first opening, a second opening, and a sixth opening on the surface of the dielectric substrate; a second layer having a second conductive layer including a fourth opening, a fifth opening, and a seventh opening in the dielectric substrate; and a third layer having a third conductive layer including a third opening in the dielectric substrate. The antenna module may include: a dielectric cover layer; and a dielectric substrate having a surface mounted opposite to the dielectric cover layer. The phased array antenna may include: a plurality of patch elements located on the surface of the dielectric substrate; and a plurality of transmission line paths coupled to positive antenna feed terminals on the plurality of patch elements in the dielectric substrate.

[0039] In an embodiment, the first portion of the first conductive layer may be arranged between the first opening and the second opening, and the second portion of the first conductive layer may face the first portion of the periphery of the first opening of the first conductive layer. The third portion of the first conductive layer may be arranged between the second opening and the sixth opening, and the fourth portion of the first conductive layer may face the third portion of the periphery of the sixth opening of the first conductive layer. The first portion of the second conductive layer may be arranged between the fourth opening and the fifth opening, and the second portion of the second conductive layer may face the first portion of the periphery of the fourth opening of the second conductive layer. The third portion of the second conductive layer may be arranged between the fourth opening and the seventh opening, and the fourth portion of the first conductive layer may face the third portion of the periphery of the seventh opening of the second conductive layer.

[0040] In an embodiment, the dielectric substrate may include: a fourth layer having a plurality of conductive traces; and a fifth layer having a fourth conductive layer serving as a ground. The dielectric substrate may include a phased array antenna on the dielectric substrate.

[0041] In an embodiment, the phased array antenna may include: a plurality of patch elements located on a surface of the dielectric substrate; and a plurality of transmission line paths coupled to positive antenna feed terminals on the plurality of patch elements within the dielectric substrate. The phased array antenna may be configured to transmit a plurality of wireless frequency signals between 10 GHz and 300 GHz through the dielectric cover layer. The plurality of patch elements may be disposed within the second opening of the first conductive layer; and the plurality of transmission line paths may be disposed within the fifth opening of the second layer and the third opening of the third layer.

[0042] In an embodiment, the first portion of the first conductive layer, the first portion of the second conductive layer, and the first portion of the third conductive layer may be connected by a plurality of first conductive vias. The second portion of the first conductive layer, the second portion of the second conductive layer, and the second portion of the third conductive layer may be connected by a plurality of second conductive vias. The third portion of the third conductive layer may overlap with the first opening and the fourth opening. The plurality of first conductive vias and the plurality of second conductive vias may be electrically connected to the third portion of the third conductive layer.

[0043] In an embodiment, the third portion of the first conductive layer, the third portion of the second conductive layer, and the fourth portion of the third conductive layer may be connected by a plurality of third conductive vias. The fourth portion of the first conductive layer, the fourth portion of the second conductive layer, and the sixth portion of the third conductive layer may be connected by a plurality of fourth conductive vias. The sixth portion of the third conductive layer may overlap with the sixth opening and the seventh opening. The plurality of third conductive vias and the plurality of fourth conductive vias may be electrically connected to the sixth portion of the third conductive layer.

[0044] In an embodiment, the electronic device may further include a display, the display including a first surface and a second surface and having pixel circuits that emit light through a display cover layer and the dielectric cover layer. The display cover may form the first surface of the electronic device, and the dielectric cover layer may be formed adjacent to the display cover layer.

[0045] In an embodiment, the first patch element and the second patch element may be in direct contact with a surface of the dielectric cap layer.

[0046] In an embodiment, the electronic device may further include an adhesive layer for attaching the dielectric substrate to the dielectric cover layer. The first patch element and the second patch element may be in direct contact with the adhesive layer.

[0047] In an embodiment, the dielectric cap layer may have a first dielectric constant; and the adhesive layer may have a second dielectric constant smaller than the first dielectric constant.

[0048] According to an embodiment, the plurality of wireless frequency signals of the frequency may exhibit an effective wavelength during propagation through the dielectric cover layer. The dielectric cover layer may have a thickness between 0.15 and 0.3 times the effective wavelength.

[0049] The dielectric cap layer may have a dielectric constant between 3.0 and 10.0.

[0050] Effects of the Invention

[0051] The technical effects of the antenna module operating in the millimeter wave frequency band and the electronic device including the same are described as follows.

[0052] According to the embodiment, antenna efficiency can be improved by a slot wall structure formed between antenna elements of a broadband antenna module operating in a millimeter wave frequency band.

[0053] According to an embodiment, a slot wall structure formed between antenna elements of a broadband antenna module operating in a millimeter wave frequency band is formed of a via structure on a multi-layer substrate, thereby being able to improve antenna efficiency.

[0054] According to the embodiment, the slot wall structure suppresses the side radiation component, thereby being able to improve the efficiency of the antenna element operating in the millimeter wave frequency band and the directivity in the front direction.

[0055] According to the embodiment, an antenna structure having high antenna efficiency while performing broadband operation can be provided by using a stacked antenna structure and a slot wall structure for providing broadband services in the millimeter wave frequency band.

[0056] According to the embodiment, an antenna structure can be provided that improves high antenna gain in the millimeter wave frequency band and antenna gain flatness in the entire frequency band through the slot wall structure and the dummy pattern inside the slot wall.

[0057] The scope of application of this specification will become clear from the detailed description below. However, those skilled in the art will clearly understand that various changes and modifications are within the scope and spirit of this specification, so it should be understood that the detailed description and specific embodiments such as the preferred embodiments of this specification are only examples. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] Figure 1 This is a diagram schematically showing an example of an entire wireless AV system including an image display device according to an embodiment of this specification.

[0059] Figure 2This section shows the detailed configuration of multiple electronic devices that support the wireless interface of this specification.

[0060] Figure 3a Indicates the RTS (Request to Send) frame and CTS (Clear to Send) frame in this specification.

[0061] Figure 3b A block diagram of a communication system 400 according to an example of the present specification is illustrated.

[0062] Figure 4 An electronic device according to one embodiment is provided with a plurality of antenna modules and a plurality of transceiver circuit modules.

[0063] Figure 5a The structure related to this specification shows the connection between a multilayer circuit substrate and an RFIC on which an array antenna module is arranged.

[0064] Figure 5b This is a conceptual diagram showing antenna structures having different radiation directions.

[0065] Figure 5c It is a diagram showing the bonding structure of the multi-layer substrate and the main substrate according to the embodiment.

[0066] Figure 6 This is a conceptual diagram of a plurality of communication modules arranged at the bottom of an image display device, the configuration of the communication modules, and communication with another communication module arranged in the front direction.

[0067] Figure 7 A side view of the antenna module of this specification operating in the millimeter wave frequency band.

[0068] Figure 8 express Figure 7 Front view of the antenna module.

[0069] Figure 9 express Figure 7 The antenna module is composed of various layers of a dielectric substrate.

[0070] Figure 10 Indicates that Figure 9 A structure in which a dummy pattern is configured in an opening area of ​​a multi-layer substrate of an antenna module.

[0071] Figure 11 Indicates that Figure 7 The opening area formed by each layer of the antenna module is Figure 10 R represents the composition of each layer differently.

[0072] Figure 12 A side view of the antenna module of this specification operating in the millimeter wave frequency band.

[0073] Figure 13 express Figure 12 Front view of the antenna module.

[0074] Figure 14 express Figure 12 The antenna module is composed of various layers of a dielectric substrate.

[0075] Figure 15 express Figure 7 or Figure 12 The antenna module has a dielectric substrate layer structure in which a conductive via is connected to a specific layer and no conductive layer is formed.

[0076] Figure 16 Indicates a structure in which the opening length of the U-shaped groove wall structure in the antenna module of this specification is shorter than the antenna length.

[0077] Figure 17a and Figure 17b Indicates Figure 16 A diagram showing antenna gain characteristics that vary with the length of the opening in the antenna module.

[0078] Figure 18 Indicates based on Figure 16 Whether an opening is formed in the lower area of ​​the conductive layer and the electric field distribution of the opening and its periphery.

[0079] Figure 19a and Figure 19b The antenna gain and radiation pattern are shown based on the presence or absence of a U-shaped slot wall structure.

[0080] Figure 20a and Figure 20b A virtual pattern structure representing various embodiments of this specification.

[0081] Figure 21 The figure shows a structure in which a dielectric substrate on which a phased array antenna is formed is combined with a dielectric cover layer and a display.

[0082] Figure 22a This shows a structure in which an antenna module including first-type antennas and second-type antennas formed by an array antenna is arranged in an electronic device. Figure 22b This is an enlarged view of multiple array antenna modules.

[0083] Figure 23 The embodiment shows antenna modules coupled to each other in different coupling structures at specific locations of the electronic device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] The embodiments disclosed in this specification are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, the same or similar components are given the same figure numbers regardless of the figure numbers, and repeated descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "section" used in the following description for the components are only given or mixed for the convenience of writing the specification, and they themselves do not have mutually distinguishing meanings or functions. In addition, in the process of describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that the specific description of the relevant known technology will cause confusion with the technical ideas of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the attached drawings are only for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in this specification should not be limited by the attached drawings, but should be understood to cover all changes, equivalents and even substitutes included in the ideas and technical scope of this specification.

[0085] Terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used only to distinguish one component from other components.

[0086] If a component is mentioned as being “connected” or “linked” to another component, it may be directly connected or linked to the other component, but it can also be understood that there are other components between them. Conversely, if a component is mentioned as being “directly connected” or “directly linked” to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components between them.

[0087] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, expressions in the singular shall include expressions in the plural.

[0088] In this application, terms such as "including" or "having" are only used to specify the existence of features, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, parts or their combinations recorded in the specification, and are not intended to exclude the possibility of the existence or addition of one or more other features or numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, parts or their combinations.

[0089] The electronic devices described in this specification may include mobile phones, smart phones, laptop computers, digital broadcasting terminals, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable multimedia players (PMPs), navigation, slate PCs, tablet PCs, ultrabooks, wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, smart glasses, head-mounted displays (HMDs)), etc.

[0090] However, anyone skilled in the art can easily understand that the configuration of the embodiments described in this specification is applicable not only to mobile terminals but also to fixed terminals such as digital TVs, desktop computers, and digital signage.

[0091] Figure 1 This is a diagram schematically showing an example of an entire wireless AV system including an image display device according to an embodiment of this specification.

[0092] like Figure 1 As shown, the image display device 100 of another embodiment of the present invention is connected to a wireless AV system (or broadcast network) and an Internet network. For example, the image display device 100 is a network TV, a smart TV, an HBBTV, etc.

[0093] On the other hand, the image display device 100 can be wirelessly connected to a wireless AV system (or broadcast network) through a wireless interface, or wirelessly or wiredly connected to an Internet network through an Internet interface. In this regard, the image display device 100 can be configured to be connected to a server or other electronic device through a wireless communication system. As an example, it is necessary for the image display device 100 to provide an 802.111ay communication service operating in the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency band to transmit and receive large-capacity high-speed data.

[0094] The mmWave frequency band can be any frequency band from 10 GHz to 300 GHz. In the present application, the mmWave frequency band may include the 802.11ay frequency band of the 60 GHz frequency band. In addition, the mmWave frequency band may include the 5G frequency band of the 28 GHz frequency band or the 802.11ay frequency band of the 60 GHz frequency band. The 5G frequency band can be set to approximately the 24 to 43 GHz frequency band, and the 802.11ay frequency band can be set to the 57 to 70 GHz or 57 to 63 GHz frequency band, but is not limited thereto.

[0095] On the other hand, the image display device 100 can wirelessly transmit and receive data with electronic devices around the image display device 100, such as a set-top box or other electronic devices, via a wireless interface. For example, the image display device 100 can transmit and receive wireless AV data with a set-top box located in front of or below the image display device, or with other electronic devices such as mobile terminals.

[0096] For example, the image display device 100 includes a wireless interface 101b, a section filter 102b, an AIT (application information table) filter 103b, an application data processing unit 104b, a data processing unit 111b, a media player 106b, an Internet protocol processing unit 107b, an Internet interface 108b, and a runtime module 109b.

[0097] AIT (Application Information Table) data, real-time broadcast content, application data, and stream events are received via the broadcast interface 101b. On the other hand, the real-time broadcast content can also be named as linear AV content.

[0098] The section filter 102b performs section filtering on the four types of data received through the wireless interface 101b, and transfers AIT data to the AIT filter 103b, transfers linear AV content to the data processing unit 111b, and transfers stream events and application data to the application data processing unit 104b.

[0099] On the other hand, non-linear AV content (Non-Linear A / V Content) and application data are received via the Internet interface 108b. Non-linear AV content may also be, for example, a COD (Content On Demand) application. The non-linear AV content is transmitted to the media player 106b, and the application data is transmitted to the runtime module 109b.

[0100] Further, if Figure 1 As shown, for example, the runtime module 109b includes an application manager and a browser. For example, the application manager uses AIT data to control the life cycle of interactive applications. For example, the browser performs the function of displaying and processing interactive applications.

[0101] The following describes in detail a communication module in an electronic device such as an image display device that includes an antenna for providing a wireless interface. The wireless interface used for communication between electronic devices may be, but is not limited to, a WiFi wireless interface. For example, for high-speed data transmission between electronic devices, a wireless interface supporting the 802.11ay standard may be provided.

[0102] The 802.11ay standard is a successor standard designed to increase the throughput of the 802.11ad standard to over 20Gbps. Electronic devices that support the 802.11ay wireless interface can be configured to use a frequency band of approximately 57 to 64 GHz. The 802.11ay wireless interface can provide backward compatibility with the 802.11ad wireless interface. On the other hand, electronic devices that provide the 802.11ay wireless interface can provide coexistence with legacy devices that use the same frequency band.

[0103] Regarding the wireless environment of the 802.11ay standard, it can provide a coverage range of more than 10 meters in an indoor environment, and a coverage range of more than 100 meters in an outdoor environment with LOS (Line of Sight) channel conditions.

[0104] Electronic devices that support the 802.11ay wireless interface can be configured to provide VR headset connections, support server backups, and support cloud applications that require low latency speeds.

[0105] The ultra-short-range (USR) communication scenario, a use case for 802.11ay, is a model for fast, high-capacity data exchange between two devices. USR communication scenarios can be configured with fast link setup times of less than 100msec, transaction times of less than 1second, and 10Gbps data rates at ultra-close distances of less than 10cm, while requiring low power consumption of less than 400mW.

[0106] As a use case for 802.11ay, 8K UHD Wireless Transfer at Smart Home Usage Model can be considered. In order to stream 8K UHD content in the home, the smart home usage model can consider a wireless interface between the source device and the sink device. In this regard, the source device can be one of a set-top box, a Blu-ray player, a tablet computer, and a smartphone, and the sink device can be one of a smart TV and a display device, but is not limited to these. In this regard, the wireless interface can be configured to transmit an uncompressed 8K UHD stream (60fps, 24 bits per pixel, minimum 4:2:2) within a coverage range of less than 5m between the source device and the sink device. To this end, the wireless interface can be configured to transmit data between electronic devices at a minimum speed of 28Gbps.

[0107] To provide such a wireless interface, embodiments of an array antenna operating in the mmWave frequency band and an electronic device having the same are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this specification may be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential features of this specification.

[0108] Figure 2 This section shows the detailed configuration of multiple electronic devices that support the wireless interface of this specification. Figure 2 A block diagram illustrates an access point 110 (generally, a first wireless node) and an access terminal 120 (generally, a second wireless node) in a wireless communication system. Access point 110 is a transmitting entity for downlinks and a receiving entity for uplinks. Access terminal 120 is a transmitting entity for uplinks and a receiving entity for downlinks. As used herein, a "transmitting entity" is an independently operated device or apparatus capable of transmitting data via a wireless channel, and a "receiving entity" is an independently operated device or apparatus capable of receiving data via a wireless channel.

[0109] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 The set-top box (STB) may be an access point 110, Figure 1 The electronic device 100 may be, but is not limited to, an access terminal 120. Therefore, it should be understood that, alternatively, the access point 110 may be an access terminal, and alternatively, the access terminal 120 may be an access point.

[0110] To transmit data, the access point 110 includes a transmit data processor 220, a frame builder 222, a transmit processor 224, a plurality of transceivers 226-1 to 226-N, and a plurality of antennas 230-1 to 230-N. The access point 110 also includes a controller 234 for controlling the operation of the access point 110.

[0111] To transmit data, the access point 110 includes a transmit data processor 220, a frame builder 222, a transmit processor 224, a plurality of transceivers 226-1 to 226-N, and a plurality of antennas 230-1 to 230-N. The access point 110 also includes a controller 234 for controlling the operation of the access point 110.

[0112] In operation, transmit data processor 220 receives data (e.g., a plurality of data bits) from data source 215 and processes the data for transmission. For example, transmit data processor 220 may encode data (e.g., a plurality of data bits) into coded data and modulate the coded data into a plurality of data symbols. Transmit data processor 220 may support a plurality of different MCS (modulation and coding schemes). For example, transmit data processor 220 may encode data using any of a plurality of different coding rates (e.g., using LDPC (low-density parity check) coding). In addition, transmit data processor 220 may modulate the coded data using any of a plurality of different modulation schemes, including, but not limited to, BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, 64APSK, 128APSK, 256QAM, and 256APSK.

[0113] The controller 234 may transmit instructions to the transmit data processor 220 for determining which MCS (modulation and coding scheme) to use (e.g., based on multiple downlink channel conditions). The transmit data processor 220 may encode and modulate the data from the data source 215 according to the specified MCS. It should be understood that the transmit data processor 220 may perform additional processing on the data, such as data scrambling and / or other processing. The transmit data processor 220 outputs multiple data symbols to the frame builder 222.

[0114] The frame builder 222 constructs a frame (also called a packet) and inserts a plurality of data symbols into the data payload of the frame. The frame may include a preamble, a header, and a data payload. To assist the access terminal 120 in receiving the frame, the preamble may include an STF (short training field) sequence and a CE (channel estimation) sequence. The header may include information related to the data in the payload, such as the length of the data and the MCS used to encode and modulate the data. This information allows the access terminal 120 to demodulate and decode the data. The data in the payload may be divided between a plurality of blocks, each block including a portion of the data and a GI (guard interval), which may assist the receiver in phase tracking. The frame builder 222 outputs the frame to the transmit processor 224.

[0115] The transmit processor 224 processes frames for transmission on the downlink. For example, the transmit processor 224 may support different transmission modes, such as an OFDM (orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing) transmission mode and an SC (single-carrier) transmission mode. In this example, the controller 234 may transmit an instruction to the transmit processor 224 specifying which transmission mode to use, and the transmit processor 224 may process the frame for transmission based on the specified transmission mode. The transmit processor 224 may apply a spectral mask to the frame so that the frequency composition of the downlink signal meets specific spectral requirements.

[0116] The transmit processor 224 may support MIMO (multiple-input-multiple-output) transmission. In this form, the access point 110 may include a plurality of antennas 230-1 to 230-N and a plurality of transceivers 226-1 to 226-N (e.g., one for each antenna). The transmit processor 224 may perform spatial processing on a plurality of receive frames, and a plurality of transmit frame streams may be provided to the plurality of antennas. The plurality of transceivers 226-1 to 226-N receive and process (e.g., analog-to-analog conversion, amplification, filtering, and frequency upconversion) the respective transmit frame streams to generate transmit signals for transmission via the plurality of antennas 230-1 to 230-N, respectively.

[0117] To transmit data, the access terminal 120 includes a transmit data processor 260, a frame builder 262, a transmit processor 264, a plurality of transceivers 266-1 through 266-M, and a plurality of antennas 270-1 through 270-M (e.g., one antenna for each transceiver). The access terminal 120 may transmit data on the uplink to the access point 110 and / or may transmit data to other access terminals (e.g., for peer-to-peer communication). In addition, the access terminal 120 includes a controller 274 for controlling the operation of the access terminal 120.

[0118] To transmit via one or more antennas 270-1 to 270-M, a plurality of transceivers 266-1 to 266-M receive and process (e.g., analog-to-analog conversion, amplification, filtering, and frequency upconversion) the output of the transmit processor 264. For example, the transceiver 266 may upconvert the output of the transmit processor 264 into a transmit signal having a frequency in the 60 GHz band. Therefore, the antenna module of the present specification may be configured to perform beamforming operations in the 60 GHz band, such as approximately 57 to 63 GHz. Furthermore, the antenna module may be configured to perform beamforming operations in the 60 GHz band and support MIMO transmission.

[0119] In this regard, the plurality of antennas 270-1 to 270-M and the plurality of transceivers 266-1 to 266-M may be implemented in an integrated form on a multi-layer circuit substrate. To this end, the antennas operating with vertical polarization among the plurality of antennas 270-1 to 270-M may be vertically arranged within the multi-layer circuit substrate.

[0120] To receive data, the access point 110 includes a receive processor 242 and a receive data processor 244. In operation, the plurality of transceivers 226-1 through 226-N receive signals (e.g., from the access terminal 120) and spatially process (e.g., downconvert, amplify, filter, and digitize) the received signals.

[0121] Receive processor 242 receives the outputs of the plurality of transceivers 226-1 through 226-N, processes the plurality of outputs, and recovers the plurality of data symbols. For example, access point 110 may receive data (e.g., from access terminal 120) in a frame. In this example, receive processor 242 may use an STF sequence within the preamble of the frame to detect the start of the frame. Furthermore, receive processor 242 may use the STF to adjust AGC (automatic gain control). Furthermore, receive processor 242 may perform channel estimation (e.g., using a CE sequence within the preamble of the frame) and may perform channel equalization on the received signal based on the channel estimate.

[0122] The receive data processor 244 receives the plurality of data symbols from the receive processor 242 and an indication of a corresponding MSC scheme from the controller 234. The receive data processor 244 demodulates and decodes the plurality of data symbols, recovers the data according to the indicated MSC scheme, and stores the recovered data (e.g., a plurality of data bits) and / or outputs the recovered data to a data sink 246 for additional processing.

[0123] The access terminal 120 can transmit data using an OFDM transmission mode or an SC transmission mode. In this case, the receive processor 242 can process the received signal according to the selected transmission mode. In addition, as previously described, the transmit processor 264 can support MIMO (multiple-input-multiple-output) transmission. In this case, the access point 110 includes a plurality of antennas 230-1 to 230-N and a plurality of transceivers 226-1 to 226-N (for example, one for each antenna). Therefore, the antenna module of the present specification can be configured to perform beamforming operations in the 60 GHz frequency band, as an example, in the approximately 57 to 63 GHz frequency band. In addition, the antenna module can be configured to perform beamforming operations in the 60 GHz frequency band and support MIMO transmission.

[0124] In this regard, the plurality of antennas 230-1 to 230-M and the plurality of transceivers 226-1 to 226-M may be implemented in an integrated form on a multi-layer circuit substrate. To this end, the antennas operating with vertical polarization among the plurality of antennas 230-1 to 230-M may be vertically arranged within the multi-layer circuit substrate.

[0125] On the other hand, each transceiver receives and processes (eg, downconverts, amplifies, filters, and digitally converts) signals from each antenna. A receive processor 242 may perform spatial processing on the outputs of the plurality of transceivers 226-1 through 226-N to recover the plurality of data symbols.

[0126] Additionally, the access point 110 includes a memory 236 coupled to the controller 234. The memory 236 may store instructions that, when executed by the controller 234, cause the controller 234 to perform one or more of the operations described herein. Similarly, the access terminal 120 also includes a memory 276 coupled to the controller 274. The memory 276 may store instructions that, when executed by the controller 274, cause the controller 274 to perform one or more of the operations described herein.

[0127] On the other hand, the electronic device supporting the 802.11ay wireless interface of the present specification determines whether the communication medium can be used for communication with other electronic devices. To this end, the electronic device sends an RTS-TRN frame including an RTS (Request to Send) portion and a first beam training sequence. In this regard, Figure 3a Indicates the RTS (Request to Send) frame and CTS (Clear to Send) frame of this specification. In this regard, the sending device may use the RTA frame to determine whether the communication medium can be used to transmit one or more data frames to the destination device. In response to receiving the RTS frame, if the communication medium can be used, the destination device again transmits a CTS (Clear to Send) frame to the sending device. In response to receiving the CTS frame, the sending device transmits one or more data frames to the destination device. In response to successfully receiving one or more data frames, the destination device transmits one or more confirmation response ("ACK") frames to the sending device.

[0128] Reference Figure 3a In (a), the frame 300 includes an RTS portion, which includes a frame control field 310, a duration field 312, a receiver address field 314, a transmitter address field 316, and a frame check sequence field 318. To improve communication and reduce interference, the frame 300 also includes a beam training sequence field 320, which is used to configure the respective antennas of the destination device and one or more neighboring devices.

[0129] Reference Figure 3a (b) The CTS frame 350 includes a CTS portion, which includes a frame control field 360, a duration field 362, a receiver address field 364, and a frame check sequence field 366. To improve communication and reduce interference, the frame 350 also includes a beam training sequence field 368, which is used to configure the respective antennas of the transmitting device and one or more neighboring devices.

[0130] The beam training sequence fields 320 and 368 may conform to a training (TRN) sequence based on IEEE 802.11ad or 802.11ay. A transmitting device may use the beam training sequence field 368 to configure its own antenna for directional transmission toward a destination device. Alternatively, to reduce transmission interference at the destination device, the transmitting device may use the beam training sequence field to configure its own antenna. In this case, the beam training sequence field may be used to configure its own antenna to generate an antenna radiation pattern with multiple nulls for the destination device.

[0131] Therefore, a plurality of electronic devices supporting the 802.11ay wireless interface can form initial beams using the beamforming pattern determined according to the beam training sequence to have a low interference level between each other. Figure 3b FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of a communication system 400 according to an example of the present specification. Figure 3b As shown, the first device 410 and the second device 420 can improve communication performance by aligning the directions of the main beams. On the other hand, in order to reduce interference with the third device 430, the first device 410 and the second device 420 can form a signal null point with weak signal strength in a specific direction.

[0132] Regarding the formation of such a main beam and signal null point, the plurality of electronic devices of this specification may be configured to perform beamforming using an array antenna. Figure 3b Some of the plurality of electronic devices may also be configured to communicate with array antennas of other electronic devices using a single antenna. In this regard, when communicating using a single antenna, a beam pattern is formed into an omnidirectional pattern.

[0133] Reference Figure 3b , showing that the first to third devices 410 to 430 perform beamforming, and the fourth device 440 does not perform beamforming, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Therefore, it is possible to configure that three of the first to fourth devices 410 to 430 perform beamforming, and the remaining device does not perform beamforming.

[0134] As another example, only one of the first to fourth devices 410 may perform beamforming, while the remaining three devices may not. As another example, two of the first to fourth devices may perform beamforming, while the remaining two devices may not. As another example, all of the first to fourth devices may perform beamforming.

[0135] Reference Figure 3a and Figure 3b The first device 410 determines that it is the intended receiving device of the CTS-TRN frame 350 based on the address indicated in the receiver address field 364 of the CTS-TRN frame 350. In response to determining that it is the intended receiving device of the CTS-TRN frame 350, the first device 410 may selectively use the beam training sequence in the beam training sequence field 368 of the received CTS-TRN 350 to configure its own antenna for directional transmission substantially targeted at the second device 420. That is, the antenna of the first device 410 generates an antenna radiation pattern having a main lobe (e.g., the highest gain lobe) substantially targeted at the second device 420 and non-main lobes targeted at other directions.

[0136] Because the second device 420 already knows the direction of the first device 410 based on the beam training sequence in the beam training sequence field 320 of the RTS-TRN frame 300 that it previously received, the second device 420 can selectively configure its antenna for directional reception (e.g., main antenna radiation lobe) directed toward the first device 410. Therefore, while the antenna of the first device 410 is configured for directional transmission toward the second device 420 and the antenna of the second device 420 is configured for directional reception from the first device 410, the first device 410 transmits one or more data frames to the second device 420. As a result, the first device 410 and the second device 420 perform directional transmission / reception (DIR-TX / RX) of one or more data frames using the main lobe (main beam).

[0137] On the other hand, in order to reduce interference with the third device 430 caused by the antenna radiation pattern having the non-main lobe, the first device 410 and the second device 420 may partially modify the beam pattern of the third device 430 .

[0138] In this regard, the third device 430 determines that it is not the intended recipient of the CTS-TRN frame 350 based on the address indicated by the receiver address field 364 of the CTS-TRN frame 350. In response to determining that it is not the intended recipient of the CTS-TRN frame 350, the third device 430 uses the beam training sequence in the beam training sequence field 368 of the received CTS-TRN frame 350 and the sequence in the beam training sequence field 320 of the previously received RTS-TRN frame 300 to configure its own antenna to generate an antenna radiation pattern having a plurality of nulls substantially targeted at the second device 420 and the first device 410, respectively. The plurality of nulls may be based on the estimated angles of arrival of the previously received RTS-TRN frame 300 and CTS-TRN frame 350. Generally speaking, the third device 430 generates antenna radiation patterns having desired signal power, loss, or gain for the first device 410 and the second device 420, respectively (e.g., to achieve a desired BER, SNR, SINR, and / or one or more other communication properties) in order to achieve that the estimated interference in such devices 410 and 420 becomes below a defined critical value).

[0139] The third device 430 estimates the antenna gain in the direction toward the first device 410 and the second device 420, and estimates the antenna reciprocity difference between the third device 430 and the first device 410 and the second device 420 (for example, transmitting antenna gain-receiving antenna gain). In order to determine the corresponding estimated interference in the first device 410 and the second device 420, the above content can be calculated separately in more than one sector to form its own antenna transmission radiation pattern.

[0140] The third device 430 transmits an RTS-TRN frame 300 intended for the fourth device 440, which is received by the fourth device 440. The third device 430 maintains an antenna configuration having multiple nulls targeted at the first device 410 and the second device 420 as long as the first device 410 and the second device 420 communicate for the duration indicated in the duration fields 312 and 362 of the RTS-TRN frame 300 and the CTS-TRN frame 350, respectively. Because the antennas of the third device 430 generate multiple nulls targeted at the first device 410 and the second device 420, the RTS-TRN frame 300 transmitted by the third device 430 can generate reduced interference in the first device 410 and the second device 420, respectively.

[0141] Therefore, multiple electronic devices supporting the 802.11ay wireless interface disclosed in this specification can use array antennas to align their main beam directions and form signal nulls along specific directions to reduce interference. To this end, the multiple electronic devices can form initial beam directions using a beam training sequence and change the beam directions using periodically updated beam training sequences.

[0142] As mentioned earlier, high-speed data communication between electronic devices requires consistent beam directions. Furthermore, high-speed data communication requires minimizing the loss of wireless signals transmitted to the antenna elements. To achieve this, the array antenna must be placed within the multilayer substrate where the RFIC is located. Furthermore, for optimal radiation efficiency, the array antenna must be placed adjacent to the side areas within the multilayer substrate.

[0143] In addition, in order to adapt to changes in the wireless environment, it is necessary to update the beam training sequence between multiple electronic devices. In order to update the beam training sequence, the RFIC must periodically transmit and receive signals with a processor such as a modem. Therefore, in order to minimize the update delay time, control signals must be transmitted and received between the RFIC and the modem in a short time. To this end, it is necessary to reduce the physical length of the connection path between the RFIC and the modem. To this end, the modem can be configured on a multi-layer substrate configured with an array antenna and an RFIC. Alternatively, the connection length between the RFIC and the modem can be minimized in a structure in which the array antenna and the RFIC are configured on a multi-layer substrate and the modem is configured on a main substrate. Regarding this, the detailed structure is described in Figure 5c is described in .

[0144] Next, the electronic device of this specification having an array antenna operable in the millimeter wave band will be described. Figure 4An electronic device is shown that is equipped with a plurality of antenna modules and a plurality of transceiver circuit modules according to an embodiment. Figure 4 The home appliance equipped with multiple antenna modules and multiple transceiver circuit modules may be a television, but is not limited thereto. Therefore, in this specification, the home appliance equipped with multiple antenna modules and multiple transceiver circuit modules may include any home appliance or display device that supports communication services in the millimeter wave frequency band.

[0145] Reference Figure 4 Electronic device 1000 includes a plurality of antenna modules ANT1 to ANT4 and antenna modules ANT1 to ANT4, and a plurality of transceiver circuit modules 1210a to 1210d. In this regard, the plurality of transceiver circuit modules 1210a to 1210d may correspond to the aforementioned transceiver circuit 1250. Alternatively, the plurality of transceiver circuit modules 1210a to 1210d may be part of the transceiver circuit 1250 or part of a front-end module disposed between the antenna modules and the transceiver circuit 1250.

[0146] The plurality of antenna modules ANT1 to ANT4 can be composed of an array antenna configured with a plurality of antenna elements. The number of elements of the antenna modules ANT1 to ANT4 is not limited to 2, 3, 4, etc. as shown in the figure. For example, the number of elements of the antenna modules ANT1 to ANT4 can be increased to 2, 4, 8, 16, etc. In addition, the number of elements of the antenna modules ANT1 to ANT4 can be selected to be the same or different. The plurality of antenna modules ANT1 to ANT4 can be configured in different areas of the display or at the bottom or side of the electronic device. The plurality of antenna modules ANT1 to ANT4 can be configured at the top, left, bottom, and right of the display, but are not limited to this configuration structure. As another example, the plurality of antenna modules ANT1 to ANT4 can also be configured at the upper left side, upper right side, lower left side, and lower right side of the display.

[0147] The antenna modules ANT1 to ANT4 can be configured to transmit and receive signals in any frequency band along a specific direction. For example, the antenna modules ANT1 to ANT4 can operate in any frequency band of 28 GHz, 39 GHz, and 64 GHz.

[0148] The electronic device can maintain a connection state with different entities or perform data transmission or reception operations for this purpose through two or more modules among the antenna modules ANT1 to ANT4. In this regard, the electronic device equivalent to the display device can transmit and receive data with the first entity through the first antenna module ANT1. In addition, the electronic device can transmit and receive data with the second entity through the second antenna module ANT2. As an example, the electronic device can transmit and receive data with a mobile terminal (UE) through the first antenna module ANT1. The electronic device can transmit and receive data with a control device such as a set-top box or an AP (access point) through the second antenna module ANT2.

[0149] Data can be transmitted and received with other entities via other antenna modules, such as the third antenna module ANT3 and the fourth antenna module ANT4. As another example, dual connectivity or multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) can be performed by at least one of the first entity and the second entity previously connected via the third antenna module ANT3 and the fourth antenna module ANT4.

[0150] The mobile terminals UE1 and UE2 are arranged in the front area of ​​the electronic device, and the mobile terminals UE1 and UE2 can be configured to communicate with the first antenna module ANT1. On the other hand, the set-top box (STB) or AP is arranged in the lower area of ​​the electronic device, and the set-top box (STB) or AP can be configured to communicate with the second antenna module ANT2, but is not limited thereto. As another example, the second antenna module ANT2 can have a first antenna that radiates toward the lower area and a second antenna that radiates toward the front area. Therefore, the second antenna module ANT2 can communicate with the set-top box (STB) or AP via the first antenna, and can communicate with one of the mobile terminals UE1 and UE2 via the second antenna.

[0151] On the other hand, one of the mobile terminals UE1 and UE2 can be configured to perform multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) with the electronic device. As an example, UE1 can be configured to perform MIMO while performing beamforming with the electronic device. As mentioned above, the electronic device equivalent to the image display device can perform high-speed communication with other electronic devices or set-top boxes via a WiFi wireless interface. As an example, the electronic device can perform high-speed communication with other electronic devices or set-top boxes in the 60 GHz frequency band via an 802.11ay wireless interface.

[0152] On the other hand, the transceiver circuit modules 1210a to 1210d can be operated to process transmit and receive signals in the RF frequency band. Here, the RF frequency band can be any frequency band of the millimeter frequency band such as the aforementioned 28 GHz frequency band, 39 GHz frequency band, and 64 GHz frequency band. On the other hand, the transceiver circuit modules 1210a to 1210d can be referred to as RF sub-modules (SUB-MODULE) 1210a to 1210d. At this time, the number of RF sub-modules 1210a to 1210d is not limited to four and can be changed to any number of two or more according to the application.

[0153] In addition, the RF submodules 1210a to 1210d may include an up-conversion module and a down-conversion module for converting RF band signals into IF band signals or vice versa. To this end, the up-conversion module and the down-conversion module may be provided with a local oscillator (LO) capable of performing up-conversion and down-conversion.

[0154] On the other hand, in the plurality of RF sub-modules 1210a to 1210d, a signal can be transmitted from any one of the plurality of transceiver circuit modules to an adjacent transceiver circuit module. Thus, the transmitted signal can be transmitted at least once to all of the plurality of transceiver circuit modules 1210a to 1210d.

[0155] To this end, a data transfer path of a loop structure may be added. In this regard, adjacent RF sub-modules 1210b and 1210c may transmit signals in two directions (bi-direction) through the transmission path P2 of the loop structure.

[0156] Alternatively, a data transmission path of a feedback structure may be added. In this regard, at least one submodule 1210c may transmit a signal to the remaining submodules 1210a, 1210b, and 1210c in a uni-direction through the data transmission path of the feedback structure.

[0157] The plurality of RF sub-modules may include a first RF sub-module 1210a to a fourth RF sub-module 1210d. In this regard, the signal from the first RF sub-module 1210a may be transmitted to the adjacent RF sub-module 1210b and the fourth RF sub-module 1210d. In addition, the second RF sub-module 1210b and the fourth RF sub-module 1210d may transmit the signal to the adjacent third RF sub-module 1210c. In this case, if the second RF sub-module 1210b and the third RF sub-module 1210c can be connected as shown in FIG. Figure 4If the second RF sub-module 1210b and the third RF sub-module 1210c can transmit signals in two directions, the structure can be called a loop structure. On the other hand, if the second RF sub-module 1210b and the third RF sub-module 1210c can only transmit signals in one direction, the structure can be called a feedback structure. On the other hand, in the feedback structure, there can be at least two signals transmitted to the third RF sub-module 1210c.

[0158] However, this configuration is not limited to this. Depending on the application, the baseband module may be provided only in specific modules among the first to fourth RF sub-modules 1210a to 1210d. Alternatively, depending on the application, the baseband module may not be provided in the first to fourth RF sub-modules 1210a to 1210d, but may be provided by an additional control unit, namely the baseband processor 1400. As an example, control signal transmission may also be performed solely through the additional control unit, namely the baseband processor 1400.

[0159] On the other hand, the following Figure 1 The electronic device shown has Figure 2 The specific composition and function of the electronic device of the wireless interface shown are explained. It is necessary to use the communication service of the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency band between electronic devices to send or receive data between electronic devices. In this regard, as a mmWave wireless interface, an 802.11ay wireless interface can be used to provide wireless AV (audio-video) services and / or high-speed data transmission. In this case, it is not limited to the 802.11ay wireless interface, and any wireless interface in the 60GHz frequency band can be applied. In this regard, in order to transmit data at high speed between electronic devices, a 5G or 6G wireless interface using the 28GHz frequency band or the 60GHz frequency band can also be used.

[0160] To deliver images at resolutions exceeding 4K, electronic devices such as image display devices face a lack of specific solutions for antennas and RFICs (radio frequency integrated chips) that provide wireless interfaces. In particular, given that electronic devices such as image display devices are mounted on building walls or desktops, wireless AV data transmission and reception with other electronic devices is necessary. Therefore, it is necessary to develop specific configurations and antenna structures for the specific areas within the image display device where the antennas and RFICs should be located.

[0161] Regarding this, Figure 5a The present invention relates to a multilayer circuit substrate and RFIC connected to configure an array antenna module. Specifically, the present invention relates to an AIP (Antenna in Package) module structure and an antenna module structure implemented on a flexible substrate.

[0162] Reference Figure 5a (a), for mmWave frequency band communication, the AIP (Antenna In Package) module is constructed as an RFIC-PCB-antenna integrated type. In this regard, as shown in Figure 5(a), the array antenna module 1100-1 can be integrally formed with a multi-layer substrate (multi-layer PCB). Therefore, the array antenna module 1100-1 integrally formed with the multi-layer substrate can be called an AIP module. Specifically, the array antenna module 1100-1 can be configured in a side area of ​​the multi-layer substrate (multi-layer). In this regard, using the array antenna module 1100-1 configured in a side area of ​​the multi-layer substrate, a first beam B1 can be formed in the side area of ​​the multi-layer substrate.

[0163] On the other hand, refer to Figure 5a (b), the array antenna module 1100-2 can be configured on a multi-layer substrate. The configuration of the array antenna module 1100-2 is not limited to Figure 5a The structure (b) can be configured on any layer within the multi-layer substrate. In this regard, using the array antenna module 1100-2 configured on any layer of the multi-layer substrate, a second beam B2 can be formed on the front area of ​​the multi-layer substrate. In this regard, to minimize the distance between the RFIC and the antenna, the AIP module formed integrally with the array antenna module can configure the array antenna on the same PCB.

[0164] On the other hand, the antenna of the AIP module can be realized by a multi-layer PCB manufacturing process, and can radiate signals in the vertical / lateral direction of the PCB. In this regard, patch antennas, dipole / monopole antennas can be used to achieve dual polarization. Figure 5a The first array antenna 1100-1 of (a) is configured to the side area of ​​the multi-layer substrate, which can be Figure 5a The second array antenna 1100-2 in (b) is configured on the side area of ​​the multilayer substrate. Thus, the first array antenna 1100-1 can generate a first beam B1, and the second array antenna 1100-2 can generate a second beam B2.

[0165] The first array antenna 1100-1 and the second array antenna 1100-2 can be configured to have the same polarization. Alternatively, the first array antenna 1100-1 and the second array antenna 1100-2 can be configured to have orthogonal polarizations. Operation is also possible. Regarding this, the first array antenna 1100-1 can operate as a vertically polarized antenna or as a horizontally polarized antenna. As an example, the first array antenna 1100-1 can be a monopole antenna with vertical polarization, and the second array antenna can be a patch antenna with horizontal polarization.

[0166] on the other hand, Figure 5b This is a conceptual diagram showing antenna structures having different radiation directions.

[0167] Reference Figure 5a (a) and Figure 5b In (a), the radiation direction of the antenna module located in the side area of ​​the multilayer substrate corresponds to the side direction. In this regard, the antenna implemented on the flexible substrate can be composed of radiating elements such as dipole / monopole antennas. In other words, the antenna implemented on the flexible substrate can be an end-fire antenna element.

[0168] In this regard, end-fire radiation can be achieved by an antenna that radiates in a direction parallel to the substrate. Such an end-fire antenna can be achieved by a dipole / monopole antenna, a Yagi dipole antenna, a Vivaldi antenna, an SIW horn (substrate integrated waveguide horn) antenna, etc. In this regard, the Yagi dipole antenna and the Vivaldi antenna have horizontal polarization characteristics. On the other hand, in the antenna module configured in the image display device proposed in this specification, one is required to be a vertically polarized antenna. Therefore, it is necessary to propose an antenna structure that operates with a vertically polarized antenna and can minimize the exposed portion of the antenna.

[0169] Reference Figure 5a (b) and Figure 5b In (a), the radiation direction of the antenna module located in the front area of ​​the multi-layer substrate corresponds to the front direction. In this regard, the antenna located in the AIP module can be composed of a radiating element such as a patch antenna. In other words, the antenna located in the AIP module can be a broadside antenna element that radiates along the broadside.

[0170] On the other hand, the multilayer substrate in which the array antenna is arranged can be formed integrally with the main substrate or connected to the main substrate by a connector to form a module. Figure 5c The combined structure of the multi-layer substrate and the main substrate of the embodiment is shown. Figure 5c (a) shows a structure in which RFIC 1250 and modem 1400 are integrally formed on multi-layer substrate 1010. Modem 1400 can be referred to as baseband processor 1400. Thus, multi-layer substrate 1010 is integrally formed with the main substrate. This integrated structure is suitable for use in electronic devices with only one array antenna module.

[0171] On the other hand, the multi-layer substrate 1010 and the main substrate 1020 can be configured to be connected to form a module by a connector. Figure 5c (b) In this regard, the multi-layer substrate 1010 can be configured to be interfaced with the main substrate 1020 via a connector. In this case, the RFIC 1250 can be configured on the multi-layer substrate 1010, and the modem 1400 can be configured on the main substrate 1020. Thus, the multi-layer substrate 1010 can be formed of a substrate separate from the main substrate 1020 and connected via a connector.

[0172] This modular structure can be applied to the configuration of multiple array antenna modules in electronic equipment. Figure 5c (b) The multi-layer substrate 1010 and the second multi-layer substrate 1020 can be connected to the main substrate 1020 through a connector to achieve an interface connection. The modem 1400 configured on the main substrate 1020 is configured to be electrically connected to the RFICs 1250 and 1250b configured on the multi-layer substrate 1010 and the second multi-layer substrate 1020.

[0173] On the other hand, in the case where the AIP module is arranged at the lower part of an electronic device such as an image display device, it is necessary to perform communication with other communication modules arranged in the lower direction and the front direction. Figure 6 This is a conceptual diagram of a plurality of communication modules disposed at the bottom of an image display device, the configuration of the communication modules, and the communication performed with another communication module disposed in the front direction. Figure 6 (a), different communication modules 1100-1 and 1100-2 may be disposed at the bottom of the image display device 100. Figure 6 In (b), the image display device 100 can communicate with the communication module 1100b configured at the bottom via the antenna module 1100. In addition, the image display device 100 can communicate with the second communication module 1100c configured at the front via the antenna module 1100. In addition, the image display device 100 can communicate with the third communication module 1100d configured at the side via the antenna module 1100.

[0174] In this regard, the communication module 1100b can be a set-top box or AP (Access point) that transmits AV data to the image display device 100 at high speed through an 802.11ay wireless interface, but is not limited to this. On the other hand, the second communication module 1100c can be any electronic device that transmits and receives data at high speed with the image display device 100 through an 802.11ay wireless interface. On the other hand, in order to perform wireless communication with a plurality of communication modules 1100b, 1100c, and 1100d arranged on the front, bottom, and sides, the antenna module 1100 having a plurality of array antennas forms beams in directions different from each other. Specifically, the antenna module 1100 can form beams toward the front direction B1, the lower direction B2, and the side direction B3 through array antennas different from each other.

[0175] On the other hand, in Figure 5a In the AIP module structure shown in (a), the antenna height may increase depending on the RFIC drive circuit and heat dissipation structure. In addition, depending on the type of antenna used, Figure 5a The antenna height may be increased in the AIP module structure shown in (a). On the other hand, in Figure 5a In the multi-layer substrate shown in (b), the antenna module structure implemented in the side area can realize the antenna in a low-profile shape.

[0176] On the other hand, in Figure 1 and Figure 2 The electronic device shown in FIG. Figure 3a and Figure 3b In the structure shown, the Figure 4 and Figure 6 Inside or on the side of an electronic device Figures 5a to 5c The specific structure of the antenna module is described below.

[0177] Electronic devices such as image display devices may include communication modules with antennas to communicate with surrounding electronic devices. Meanwhile, as the display area of ​​image display devices has recently expanded, the space available for configuring communication modules with antennas has decreased. Consequently, the need to configure antennas within the multilayer circuit substrates that implement these communication modules is increasing.

[0178] On the other hand, as an interface for communication services between electronic devices, a WiFi wireless interface can be considered. When using such a WiFi wireless interface, millimeter wave bands (mmWave) can be used for high-speed data transmission between electronic devices. In particular, wireless interfaces such as 802.11ay can be used to achieve high-speed data transmission between electronic devices.

[0179] In this regard, an array antenna capable of operating in the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency band can be installed in an antenna module. However, the antenna configured in such an antenna module and electronic components such as the transceiver circuit are electrically connected. To this end, the transceiver circuit is operably coupled to the antenna module, and the antenna module can be constructed using a multi-layer substrate.

[0180] In antenna modules using multi-layer substrates, implementing antenna elements on a single layer can limit the bandwidth of the antenna element. On the other hand, stacking multiple antenna elements on different layers can cause coupling variations between the multiple antenna elements that are sensitive to frequency changes.

[0181] The present disclosure aims to solve the aforementioned and other problems. In addition, another object is to provide a broadband antenna module operating in the millimeter wave frequency band and an electronic device having the same.

[0182] Another object of the present disclosure is to increase antenna gain by improving the efficiency of antenna elements operating in the millimeter wave frequency band.

[0183] Another object of the present specification is to reduce the mutual interference level when implementing a dual-polarized antenna by reducing the current component in an undesired direction of an antenna element operating in the millimeter wave frequency band.

[0184] Another object of the present specification is to optimize antenna performance when an RFIC and an antenna element are connected via a feed line inside a PCB in the form of a multi-layer substrate.

[0185] The present specification describes an antenna module operating in the millimeter wave frequency band and an electronic device including the same. Figure 7 A side view of the antenna module of this specification operating in the millimeter wave band. Figure 8 express Figure 7 Front view of the antenna module. Figure 9 express Figure 7 The antenna module is composed of various layers of a dielectric substrate.

[0186] Reference Figures 7 to 9 The electronic device may include an antenna module, which may include a dielectric cover layer 1010 , a dielectric substrate 1020 , and a phased array antenna 1100 .

[0187] The dielectric substrate 1020 of the antenna module may be composed of a plurality of conductive layers. Each of the plurality of conductive layers constitutes a layer. In this regard, the dielectric substrate 1020 may include a first layer 1021 and a second layer 1022. The upper and lower regions of the first and second layers 1021, 1022, which are formed to enclose the openings for the antenna elements, may have opening regions. The dielectric substrate 1020 may also include a third layer 1023, a fourth layer 1024, and a fifth layer 1025. The third layer 1023, the fourth layer 1024, and the fifth layer 1025 may have openings only in regions where the antenna elements are located, but are not limited thereto.

[0188] The first layer 1021 may be formed to include a first conductive layer 1120 including a first opening O1 and a second opening O2 on a surface of a dielectric substrate 1020. A first portion P1 of the first conductive layer 1120 may be disposed between the first opening O1 and the second opening O2. The second portion P2 of the first conductive layer 1120 may be disposed opposite the first portion P1 of the first conductive layer 1120 surrounding the first opening O1.

[0189] The second layer 1022 may be formed to include a second conductive layer 1130 including a fourth opening O4 and a fifth opening O5 within the dielectric substrate 1020. A first portion P1 of the second conductive layer 1130 may be disposed between the fourth opening O4 and the fifth opening O5. A second portion P2 of the second conductive layer 1130 may be disposed opposite the first portion P1 of the second conductive layer 1130 surrounding the fourth opening O4.

[0190] The third layer 1023 may be formed to include a third conductive layer 1140 including a third opening O3 within the dielectric substrate 1020. The fourth layer 1024 may be formed to include a plurality of conductive traces. The fourth layer 1024 may be composed of a plurality of conductive traces forming a plurality of transmission line paths. The fifth layer 1025 may be formed to include a fourth conductive layer 1150 serving as a ground.

[0191] Due to the plurality of conductive layers 1120, 1130, and 1140 formed from a plurality of layers and the plurality of conductive vias V1 and V2 connecting them, a U-shaped wall can be formed on one side of the antenna element 1110. Furthermore, due to the plurality of conductive layers 1120, 1130, and 1140 formed from a plurality of layers and the plurality of conductive vias V3 and V4 connecting them, a U-shaped wall can be formed on one side of the antenna element 1110. Antenna element 1110 may include a patch element 1110a and a transmission line path 1110b.

[0192] Dielectric cover layer 1010 can be disposed on an upper region of dielectric substrate 1020. Dielectric cover layer 1010 can be formed from a dielectric structure of an electronic device and can function as a cover or antenna cover to prevent phased array antenna 1100 from being exposed to the outside. Dielectric substrate 1020 can be formed to have a surface facing the dielectric cover layer.

[0193] The phased array antenna 1100 can be configured on a dielectric substrate 1020. The phased array antenna 1100 can include a plurality of patch elements 1100a and a plurality of transmission line paths 1100b located on the surface of the dielectric substrate 1020. The plurality of patch elements 1100a can include first through fourth patch elements 1110a through 1140a. The plurality of transmission line paths 1100b can include first through fourth transmission line paths 1110b through 1140b. First through fourth feeders F1 through F4 can be formed at locations where the first through fourth transmission line paths 1110b through 1140b connect to the first through fourth patch elements 1110a through 1140a, respectively. The first through fourth feeders F1 through F4 can be symmetrically arranged about a centerline to reduce interference between the first through fourth patch elements 1110a through 1140a.

[0194] In this regard, the number of the plurality of patch elements is not limited to four and may be changed to two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve, sixteen, etc., depending on the application. The phased array antenna 1100 may be configured to transmit a plurality of radio-frequency signals having a frequency between 10 GHz and 300 GHz through the dielectric cover layer 1010. The phased array antenna 1100 may be configured to perform beamforming by controlling the phases of the signals applied to the plurality of patch elements 1100a to change the direction of the beam.

[0195] Multiple patch elements 1100a can be arranged within the second opening O2 of the first conductive layer 1120. Multiple transmission line paths 1100b can be arranged within the fifth opening O5 of the second layer 1022 and the third opening O3 of the third layer 1020. The first portion P1 of the first conductive layer 1120, the first portion P1 of the second conductive layer 1130, and the first portion P1 of the third conductive layer 1140 can be connected by a plurality of first conductive vias V1. The second portion P2 of the first conductive layer 1120, the second portion P2 of the second conductive layer 1130, and the second portion P2 of the third conductive layer 1140 can be connected by a plurality of second conductive vias V2. The first portion P1 and the second portion P2 of the first conductive layer 1120, the second conductive layer 1130, and the third conductive layer 1140 can be formed so as to correspond to each other in each layer. The third conductive layer 1140 can have a third portion P3 formed between the first portion P1 and the second portion P2. This third portion P3 is not an opening region but a metal region.

[0196] The third portion P3 of the third conductive layer 1140 may be formed to overlap with the first opening O1 and the fourth opening O4. A plurality of first conductive vias V1 and a plurality of second conductive vias V2 may be formed to electrically connect to the third portion P3 of the third conductive layer 1140. A plurality of first conductive vias V1 and a plurality of second conductive vias V2 may be formed to electrically connect to the third portion P3 of the third conductive layer 1140.

[0197] The second layer 1022 may be formed of a plurality of layers within the dielectric substrate 1020. The length L2 of the long side of the second opening O2 may be greater than or equal to the length L1 of the long side of the first opening O1. In this regard, the length W1 of the long side of the first opening O1 may be greater than or equal to λ0. The length L1 of the short side of the first opening O1 may be greater than or equal to 0.13λ0.

[0198] A spacing distance h1 from a surface of the first layer 1021 to a surface of the third layer 1023 may be formed to be greater than or equal to 0.02λ0. A spacing distance d from an edge of the first opening O1 to an edge of the second opening O2 may be formed to be greater than or equal to 0.13λ0.

[0199] Figure 10 Indicates that Figure 9 The structure of configuring a dummy pattern in the opening area of ​​the multi-layer substrate of the antenna module. Figure 7 、 Figure 8 as well as Figure 10, the antenna module may further include a plurality of virtual patterns 1110d disposed in a first opening O1 formed in the dielectric substrate 1020. A first side value L2 of the virtual pattern 1110d may be set such that 0 < L2 < L1. Here, L1 corresponds to the length L1 of the short side of the first opening O1. A second side value W2 of the virtual pattern 1110d may be set such that 0 < W2 < W1. Here, W1 corresponds to the length W1 of the long side of the first opening O1.

[0200] The antenna module may further include a plurality of virtual patterns 1120d disposed in a third opening O3 formed in the dielectric substrate 1020. A first side value L2 of the virtual pattern 1120d may be set such that 0 < L2 < L1. Here, L1 corresponds to the length L1 of the short side of the first opening O1. A second side value W2 of the virtual pattern 1120d may be set such that 0 < W2 < W1. Here, W1 corresponds to the length W1 of the long side of the first opening O1.

[0201] The plurality of virtual patterns 1100d may include a first virtual pattern 1110d and a second virtual pattern 1120d. The first virtual pattern 1110d may be disposed in a first opening O1 formed in the dielectric substrate 1020. The second virtual pattern 1120d may be disposed in a third opening O3 formed in the dielectric substrate 1020. The plurality of first virtual patterns 1110d may be formed to be electrically connected to the plurality of second virtual patterns 1120d through a plurality of vertical conductive vias VV.

[0202] A plurality of openings formed in each layer of the dielectric substrate 1020 will be described in detail. A first opening O1 of the first layer 1021 may be disposed in the electric field direction of the phased array antenna 1100. On the other hand, the first layer 1021 having the first conductive layer 1120 may further include a sixth opening O6 formed in the surface of the dielectric substrate 1020. Regarding this, the first layer 1021 is not limited to including the first opening O1, the second opening O2, and the third opening O3. As another example, Figure 11

[0203] Therefore, the first opening O1, the second opening O2, and the sixth opening O6 may be disposed in the first layer 1021. A plurality of patch elements 1100a may be disposed in the second opening O2, and the first opening O1 and the sixth opening O6 may be referred to as upper openings and lower openings.

[0204] A third portion P3 and a fourth portion P4 of the first conductive layer 1120 may be formed in upper and lower regions of the sixth opening O6, which is a lower opening. The third portion P3 of the first conductive layer 1120 may be disposed between the second opening O2 and the sixth opening O6. The fourth portion P4 of the first conductive layer 1120 may be disposed to face the third portion P3 of the first conductive layer 1120.

[0205] The second layer 1130 including the second conductive layer 1022 may further include a seventh opening O7 within the surface of the dielectric substrate 1020. In this regard, the second layer 1022 is not limited to including the fourth opening O4, the fifth opening O5, and the sixth opening O6. Therefore, the second layer 1022 may include a third opening O4, a fourth opening O5, and a seventh opening O7. The third opening O3 and the seventh opening O7, which are located above and below the fourth opening O4, may be referred to as an upper opening and a lower opening.

[0206] The third portion P3 and the fourth portion P4 of the second conductive layer 1130 may be formed above and below the seventh opening O7, which serves as the lower opening. The third portion P3 of the second conductive layer 1130 may be disposed between the fourth opening O4 and the seventh opening O7. The fourth portion P4 of the second conductive layer 1130 may be disposed opposite the third portion P3 around the seventh opening O7 of the second conductive layer 1130.

[0207] The third portion P3 of the first conductive layer 1120, the third portion P3 of the second conductive layer 1120, and the fifth portion P5 of the third conductive layer 1130 may be connected by a plurality of third conductive vias V3. The fourth portion P4 of the first conductive layer 1120, the fourth portion P4 of the second conductive layer 1120, and the sixth portion P6 of the third conductive layer 1130 may be connected by a plurality of fourth conductive vias V4. The fourth portion P4 of the third conductive layer 1130 may be formed to overlap with the sixth opening O6 and the seventh opening O7. The plurality of third conductive vias V3 and the plurality of fourth conductive vias V4 may be connected to the fifth portion P5 and the sixth portion P6 of the third conductive layer 1140, respectively. Therefore, the plurality of third conductive vias V3 and the plurality of fourth conductive vias V4 may be formed to electrically connect to the fourth portion P4 of the third conductive layer 1140.

[0208] Another aspect of this specification is to describe an antenna module operating in the millimeter wave frequency band and an electronic device including the same. Figure 12 A side view of the antenna module of this specification operating in the millimeter wave band. Figure 13 express Figure 12 Front view of the antenna module. Figure 14 express Figure 12 The antenna module is composed of various layers of a dielectric substrate.

[0209] Reference Figures 12 to 14 The electronic device may include an antenna module, which may include a dielectric cover layer 1010 , a dielectric substrate 1020 , and a phased array antenna 1100 .

[0210] The dielectric substrate 1020 of the antenna module can be composed of a plurality of conductive layers. Each of the plurality of conductive layers constitutes a layer. In this regard, the dielectric substrate 1020 may include a first layer 1021 and a second layer 1022. The upper and lower regions of the first and second layers 1021, 1022, which are formed to enclose the opening of the antenna element, may have an opening region. The dielectric substrate 1020 may also include a third layer 1023, a fourth layer 1024, and a fifth layer 1025. The third layer 1023, the fourth layer 1024, and the fifth layer 1025 may have openings only in regions where the antenna element is configured, but are not limited thereto. The dielectric substrate 1020 may also have a sixth layer 1026 formed above the first layer 1021, on which the parasitic patch element 1110p may be configured. Due to the patch element 1110 a of the first layer 1021 and the parasitic patch element 1110 p of the sixth layer 1026 , the antenna element 1110 can perform wideband operation.

[0211] The first layer 1021 may be formed to include a first conductive layer 1120 including a first opening O1 and a second opening O2 on a surface of a dielectric substrate 1020. A first portion P1 of the first conductive layer 1120 may be disposed between the first opening O1 and the second opening O2. The second portion P2 of the first conductive layer 1120 may be disposed opposite the first portion P1 of the first conductive layer 1120 surrounding the first opening O1.

[0212] The second layer 1022 may be formed to include a second conductive layer 1130 including a fourth opening O4 and a fifth opening O5 within the dielectric substrate 1020. A first portion P1 of the second conductive layer 1130 may be disposed between the fourth opening O4 and the fifth opening O5. A second portion P2 of the second conductive layer 1130 may be disposed opposite the first portion P1 of the second conductive layer 1130 surrounding the fourth opening O4.

[0213] The third layer 1023 may be formed to include a third conductive layer 1140 including a seventh opening O7 within the dielectric substrate 1020. The fourth layer 1024 may be formed to include a plurality of conductive traces. The fourth layer 1024 may be composed of a plurality of conductive traces forming a plurality of transmission line paths. The fifth layer 1025 may be formed to include a fourth conductive layer 1150 serving as a ground.

[0214] Dielectric cover layer 1010 can be disposed on the upper region of dielectric substrate 1020. Dielectric cover layer 1010 can be formed from a dielectric structure of an electronic device and can function as a cover or radome to prevent phased array antenna 1100 from being exposed to the outside. Dielectric substrate 1020 can be formed to have a surface facing the dielectric cover layer.

[0215] The phased array antenna 1100 can be configured on a dielectric substrate 1020. The phased array antenna 1100 can include a plurality of parasitic patch elements 1100p on the surface of the dielectric substrate 1020, a plurality of patch elements 1100a within the dielectric substrate 1020, and a plurality of transmission line paths 1100b. The plurality of transmission line paths 1100b can be configured to couple to the positive antenna feed terminals F1 to F4 of the plurality of patch elements 1100 within the dielectric substrate 1020. The plurality of patch elements 1100a can include first to fourth patch elements 1110a to 1110d. The plurality of transmission line paths 1100b can include first to fourth transmission line paths 1110b to 1140d. The plurality of parasitic patch elements 1100p can include first to fourth parasitic patch elements 1110p to 1140p.

[0216] In this regard, the number of the plurality of patch elements is not limited to four and may be changed to two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve, sixteen, or the like depending on the application. The phased array antenna 1100 may be configured to transmit a plurality of radio frequency signals having a frequency between 10 GHz and 300 GHz through the dielectric cover layer 1010. The phased array antenna 1100 may be configured to perform beamforming by controlling the phases of the signals applied to the plurality of patch elements 1100a to change the direction of the beam.

[0217] Multiple patch elements 1100a can be arranged within the second opening O2 of the first conductive layer 1120. Multiple transmission line paths 1100b can be arranged within the fifth opening O5 of the second layer 1022 and the third opening O3 of the third layer 1020. The first portion P1 of the first conductive layer 1120, the first portion P1 of the second conductive layer 1130, and the first portion P1 of the third conductive layer 1140 can be connected by a plurality of first conductive vias V1. The second portion P2 of the first conductive layer 1120, the second portion P2 of the second conductive layer 1130, and the second portion P2 of the third conductive layer 1140 can be connected by a plurality of second conductive vias V2. The first portion P1 and the second portion P2 of the first conductive layer 1110, the second conductive layer 1120, and the third conductive layer 1130 can be formed so as to correspond to each other in each layer. The third conductive layer 1130 can have a third portion P3 formed between the first portion P1 and the second portion P2. This third portion P3 is not an opening region but a metal region.

[0218] A third portion P3 of the third conductive layer 1140 may be formed to overlap with the first opening O1 and the fourth opening O4. A plurality of first conductive vias V1 and a plurality of second conductive vias V2 may be formed to be electrically connected to the third portion P3 of the third conductive layer 1140. A plurality of first conductive vias V1 and a plurality of second conductive vias V2 may be formed to be electrically connected to the third portion P3 of the third conductive layer 1140.

[0219] The second layer 1022 may be configured to include a plurality of layers within the dielectric substrate 1020. The length of the long side of the second opening O2 may be formed to be greater than or equal to the length of the long side of the first opening O1. Regarding this, the length W1 of the long side of the first opening O1 may be formed to be greater than or equal to λ0. The length L1 of the short side of the first opening O1 may be formed to be greater than or equal to 0.13λ0.

[0220] The spacing distance h1 from the surface of the first layer 1021 to the surface of the third layer 1023 may be formed to be greater than or equal to 0.02λ0. The spacing distance d from the edge of the first opening O1 to the edge of the second opening O2 may be formed to be greater than or equal to 0.13λ0.

[0221] The antenna module may further include a plurality of virtual patterns 1110d disposed within the first opening O1 on the dielectric substrate 1020. The first side value L2 of the virtual pattern 1110d may be set such that 0 < L2 < L1. Here, L1 corresponds to the length L1 of the short side of the first opening O1. The second side value W2 of the virtual pattern 1110d may be set such that 0 < W2 < W1. Here, W1 corresponds to the length W1 of the long side of the first opening O1.

[0222] The antenna module may further include a plurality of virtual patterns 1120d disposed within the third opening O3 on the dielectric substrate 1020. The first side value L2 of the virtual pattern 1120d may be set such that 0 < L2 < L1. Here, L1 corresponds to the length L1 of the short side of the first opening O1. The second side value W2 of the virtual pattern 1120d may be set such that 0 < W2 < W1. Here, W1 corresponds to the length W1 of the long side of the first opening O1.

[0223] The plurality of virtual patterns 1100d may include a first virtual pattern 1110d and a second virtual pattern 1120d. The first virtual pattern 1110d may be disposed within the first opening O1 on the dielectric substrate 1020. The second virtual pattern 1120d may be disposed within the third opening O3 on the dielectric substrate 1020. The plurality of first virtual patterns 1110d may be formed to be electrically connected to the plurality of second virtual patterns 1120d through a plurality of vertical conductive vias VV.

[0224] The plurality of openings formed in each layer of the dielectric substrate 1020 will be described in detail. A first opening O1 of the first layer 1021 can be arranged in the direction of the electric field of the phased array antenna 1100. On the other hand, the first layer 1021 having the first conductive layer 1120 can also include a sixth opening O6 within the surface of the dielectric substrate 1020. In this regard, the first layer 1021 is not limited to including the first opening O1, the second opening O2, and the third opening O3. Therefore, the first layer 1021 can be provided with the first opening O1, the second opening O2, and the sixth opening O6. A plurality of patch elements 1100a can be arranged within the second opening O2. The first opening O1 and the sixth opening O6 can be referred to as the upper opening and the lower opening.

[0225] The third portion P3 and the fourth portion P4 of the first conductive layer 1120 may be formed above and below the sixth opening O6, which serves as the lower opening. The third portion P3 of the first conductive layer 1120 may be disposed between the second opening O2 and the sixth opening O6. The fourth portion P4 of the first conductive layer 1120 may be disposed opposite the third portion P3 of the first conductive layer 1120.

[0226] The second layer 1130 including the second conductive layer 1022 may further include a seventh opening O7 within the surface of the dielectric substrate 1020. In this regard, the second layer 1022 is not limited to including the fourth opening O4, the fifth opening O5, and the sixth opening O6. Therefore, the second layer 1022 may include a third opening O4, a fourth opening O5, and a seventh opening O7. The third opening O3 and the seventh opening O7, which are located above and below the fourth opening O4, may be referred to as an upper opening and a lower opening.

[0227] The third portion P3 and the fourth portion P4 of the second conductive layer 1130 may be formed above and below the seventh opening O7, which serves as the lower opening. The third portion P3 of the second conductive layer 1130 may be disposed between the fourth opening O4 and the seventh opening O7. The fourth portion P4 of the second conductive layer 1130 may be disposed opposite the third portion P3 around the seventh opening O7 of the second conductive layer 1130.

[0228] The third portion P3 of the first conductive layer 1120, the third portion P3 of the second conductive layer 1120, and the fifth portion P5 of the third conductive layer 1130 may be formed to be connected by a plurality of third conductive vias V3. The fourth portion P4 of the first conductive layer 1120, the fourth portion P4 of the second conductive layer 1120, and the sixth portion P6 of the third conductive layer 1130 may be formed to be connected by a plurality of fourth conductive vias V4. The sixth portion P6 of the third conductive layer 1130 may be formed to overlap with the sixth opening O6 and the seventh opening O7. The plurality of third conductive vias V3 and the plurality of fourth conductive vias V4 may be formed to be electrically connected to the sixth portion P6 of the third conductive layer 1140.

[0229] Another aspect of this specification is to describe an antenna module operating in the millimeter wave frequency band and an electronic device including the same. Figure 15 express Figure 7 or Figure 12 The antenna module has a dielectric substrate layer structure in which a conductive via is connected to a specific layer and no conductive layer is formed. Figure 7 、 Figure 12 as well as Figure 15 The electronic device may include an antenna module, which may include a dielectric cover layer 1010 , a dielectric substrate 1020 , and a phased array antenna 1100 .

[0230] Reference Figure 7 、 Figure 12 as well as Figure 15 The dielectric substrate 1020 of the antenna module may be composed of a plurality of conductive layers. Each of the plurality of conductive layers constitutes a layer. In this regard, the dielectric substrate 1020 may include a first layer 1021 and a second layer 1022. The upper and lower regions of the first and second layers 1021, 1022, which are formed to surround the opening of the antenna element, may be formed with an opening region. The dielectric substrate 1020 may further include a third layer 1023, a fourth layer 1024, and a fifth layer 1025. The third layer 1023, the fourth layer 1024, and the fifth layer 1025 may be formed with an opening only in the region where the antenna element is configured, but are not limited thereto.

[0231] The first layer 1021 may be formed to include a first conductive layer 1120 including a first opening O1, a second opening O2, and a sixth opening O6 on a surface of a dielectric substrate 1020. A first portion P1 of the first conductive layer 1120 may be disposed between the first opening O1 and the second opening O2. A second portion P2 of the first conductive layer 1120 may be disposed opposite the first portion P1 of the first conductive layer 1120 surrounding the first opening O1. A third portion P3 of the first conductive layer 1120 may be disposed between the second opening O2 and the sixth opening O6. A fourth portion P4 of the first conductive layer 1120 may be disposed opposite the third portion P3 of the first conductive layer 1120 surrounding the sixth opening O6.

[0232] The second layer 1022 may be formed to include a second conductive layer 1130 including a fourth opening O4, a fifth opening O5, and a seventh opening O7 within the dielectric substrate 1020. A first portion P1 of the second conductive layer 1130 may be disposed between the fourth opening O4 and the fifth opening O5. A second portion P2 of the second conductive layer 1130 may be disposed opposite the first portion P1 of the second conductive layer 1130 surrounding the fourth opening O4. A third portion P3 of the second conductive layer 1130 may be disposed between the second opening O5 and the seventh opening O7. The fourth portion P4 of the second conductive layer 1130 may be disposed opposite the third portion P3 of the second conductive layer 1130 surrounding the seventh opening O7.

[0233] The third layer 1023 can be formed to include a third conductive layer 1140 including a third opening O3 within the dielectric substrate 1020. The fourth layer 1024 can be formed to include a plurality of conductive traces. The fourth layer 1024 can be composed of a plurality of conductive traces forming a plurality of transmission line paths. Each of the first conductive trace CT1 to the fourth conductive trace CT4 can include a transmission line path connected to the patch component in the form of a conductive via and a connection line path connected to the RFIC in the form of a conductive via. For example, the conductive traces of the fourth layer 1024 can include a transmission line path 1110b and a connection line path 1110c. Each of the first conductive trace CT1 to the fourth conductive trace CT4 can be formed to be separated from the conductive layer constituting the fourth layer 1024. The fifth layer 1025 can be formed to include a fourth conductive layer 1150 serving as a ground.

[0234] Dielectric cover layer 1010 can be disposed on an upper region of dielectric substrate 1020. Dielectric cover layer 1010 can be formed from a dielectric structure of an electronic device and can function as a cover or antenna cover to prevent phased array antenna 1100 from being exposed to the outside. Dielectric substrate 1020 can be formed to have a surface facing the dielectric cover layer.

[0235] Phased array antenna 1100 can be configured on a dielectric substrate 1020. Phased array antenna 1100 can include a plurality of patch elements 1100a and a plurality of transmission line paths 1100b located on a surface of dielectric substrate 1020. The plurality of transmission line paths 1100b can be configured to couple to positive antenna feed terminals F1 to F4 on the plurality of patch elements 1100 within dielectric substrate 1020. The plurality of patch elements 1100a can include first to fourth patch elements 1110a to 1110d. The plurality of transmission line paths 1100b can include first to fourth transmission line paths 1110b to 1140d.

[0236] The first positive antenna feed terminal F1 to the fourth positive antenna feed terminal F4 can be arranged at the same position inside the first patch element 1110a to the fourth patch element 1110d, but are not limited thereto. Figure 9 and Figure 14 As shown, the first positive antenna feed terminal F1 to the fourth positive antenna feed terminal F4 may also be formed to be symmetrical with respect to the center lines of the first patch element 1110a to the fourth patch element 1110d.

[0237] The number of the plurality of patch elements is not limited to four and may be changed to two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve, sixteen, etc., depending on the application. The phased array antenna 1100 may be configured to transmit a plurality of radio-frequency signals having a frequency between 10 GHz and 300 GHz through the dielectric cover layer 1010. The phased array antenna 1100 may be configured to perform beamforming by controlling the phase of the signal applied to the plurality of patch elements 1100a to change the direction of the beam.

[0238] Multiple patch elements 1100a can be arranged within the second opening O2 of the first conductive layer 1120. Multiple transmission line paths 1100b can be arranged within the fifth opening O5 of the second layer 1022 and the third opening O3 of the third layer 1020. The first portion P1 of the first conductive layer 1120, the first portion P1 of the second conductive layer 1130, and the first portion P1 of the third conductive layer 1140 can be connected by a plurality of first conductive vias V1. The second portion P2 of the first conductive layer 1120, the second portion P2 of the second conductive layer 1130, and the second portion P2 of the third conductive layer 1140 can be connected by a plurality of second conductive vias V2. The first portion P1 and the second portion P2 of the first conductive layer 1110, the second conductive layer 1120, and the third conductive layer 1130 can be formed so as to correspond to each other in each layer. The third conductive layer 1130 can have a third portion P3 formed between the first portion P1 and the second portion P2. This third portion P3 is not an opening region but a metal region.

[0239] The third portion P3 of the third conductive layer 1140 may be formed to overlap with the first opening O1 and the fourth opening O1. A plurality of first conductive vias V1 and a plurality of second conductive vias V2 may be formed to electrically connect to the third portion P3 of the third conductive layer 1140. The third portion P3 of the first conductive layer 1120, the third portion P3 of the second conductive layer 1130, and the fourth portion P4 of the third conductive layer 1140 may be connected by a plurality of third conductive vias V3. The fourth portion P4 of the first conductive layer 1120, the fourth portion P4 of the second conductive layer 1130, and the sixth portion P6 of the third conductive layer 1140 may be connected by a plurality of fourth conductive vias V4. The plurality of third conductive vias V3 and the plurality of fourth conductive vias V4 may be formed to electrically connect to the sixth portion P6 of the third conductive layer 1140.

[0240] On the other hand, in the antenna module with a U-shaped groove wall structure operating in the millimeter wave frequency band of this specification, the U-shaped groove wall structure can be changed in various ways. Figure 16 Indicates a structure in which the opening length of the U-shaped groove wall structure is shorter than the antenna length in the antenna module of this specification. Figure 16 The number of patch elements 1100a is eight, and the length of the opening of the U-shaped groove wall structure corresponds to the length of the four patch elements. Patch elements 1100a may include first through eighth patch elements 1110a, but are not limited thereto. Depending on the application, the number of patch elements 1100a may be two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve, or sixteen. The length W2 of the long side of second opening O2, where patch elements 1100a are located, may be longer than the length W1 of the long sides of first and third openings O1 and O3.

[0241] Figure 17a and Figure 17b Indicates Figure 16 The antenna gain characteristics of the antenna module are shown in FIG. Figure 16 and Figure 17a (a) shows the antenna gain characteristics that change with the length W1 of the long side of the first opening O1 and the third opening O3. Figure 16 and Figure 17a (b) shows the antenna gain characteristics that change with the length L1 of the short side of the first opening O1 and the third opening O3. Figure 16 and Figure 17b (a) shows the antenna gain characteristics that change with the distance d between the first opening O1 and the second opening O2. Figure 7 and Figure 17b (b) shows the antenna gain characteristics that change with the height h of the U-shaped wall.

[0242] Reference Figures 16 to 17b , which shows the change in antenna gain performance as W1, L1, d, and h1 change when 8 patch antennas are arranged. The operating frequency band can be 57 to 70 GHz, and 60 GHz can be used as a reference. The wavelength corresponding to 60 GHz in air is 5 mm. Figure 17a (a) If W1 = 2mm, the antenna performance condition cannot be met and the antenna performance is the worst. It can be seen that as W1 increases to 5mm and 10mm, the antenna gain performance continues to increase. Therefore, W1 can be determined to be greater than the wavelength corresponding to 5mm based on 60GHz. Figure 17a In (b), antenna performance is worst when L1 = 0.2 mm, and antenna gain performance in the high-frequency band begins to improve at L1 = 0.7 mm. As L1 continues to increase, antenna gain performance is even higher at 1.2 mm. Therefore, L1 can be determined to be greater than 0.13 wavelengths, corresponding to approximately 0.65 mm, based on 60 GHz.

[0243] Reference Figure 17b (a) shows that the antenna performance is the worst when d = 0.1 mm, and the antenna gain increases in the order of d = 0.6 mm and 1.1 mm. Therefore, L1 can be determined to be greater than 0.12 wavelengths corresponding to about 0.6 mm, based on 60 GHz. Figure 17b From (b), we can see that the antenna performance is worst when h1 = 0.02 mm, and the antenna gain increases in the order of h1 = 0.1 mm and 0.18 mm. Therefore, h1 can be determined to be greater than 0.02 wavelengths, which corresponds to approximately 0.1 mm, at 60 GHz.

[0244] Regarding this, the principle of how the antenna gain increases due to changes in current distribution caused by providing opening regions (slot regions) in the plurality of conductive layers of the antenna module will be described below. Figure 18 Indicates based on Figure 16 Whether an opening is formed in the lower area of ​​the conductive layer and the electric field distribution of the opening and its periphery.

[0245] Reference Figure 16 and Figure 18 Since the opening O3 is formed in the lower region of the conductive layer 1120, the antenna gain can be improved in the opening O3 and its surroundings. Figure 18 (a) is a current distribution diagram when no opening is formed in the lower region of the conductive layer. Figure 18 (b) is as follows Figure 16 This is a current distribution diagram when the opening O3 is formed in the lower region of the conductive layer 1120 .

[0246] Reference Figure 18 In (a), when no opening region (slot region) is formed, the current generated by the antenna element in the first ground region R1 of the conductive layer is formed to have a large first current value I1. Furthermore, the current in the second ground region R2 of the conductive layer is formed to have a second current value I2 that is smaller than the first current value.

[0247] Reference Figure 18 In (b), when an opening region (slot region) is formed, the current generated by the antenna element in the first ground region R1 of the conductive layer is formed to be large at the first current value I1. In addition, the current in the second ground region R2 of the conductive layer is formed to be a third current value I3 that is larger than the second current value I2. An opening O3 is configured between the first ground region R1 and the second ground region R2. Therefore, the current is formed to be large in the first ground region R1 and the second ground region R2 of the conductive layer in the upper and lower regions of the opening O3. As a result, a stronger electric field can be induced by the strong current generated in the ground, thereby improving the antenna gain.

[0248] On the other hand, compared with the structure without the slot wall structure, the broadband antenna module with the U-shaped slot wall structure in this specification has improved antenna gain in the entire millimeter wave frequency band. Figure 19a and Figure 19b The antenna gain and radiation pattern are shown based on whether or not the U-shaped groove wall structure exists. In this regard, the operating frequency bandwidth of the antenna module can be set to f1 = 57 GHz and f2 = 70 GHz, but is not limited thereto.

[0249] Figure 19a(a) compares the antenna gain of i) an antenna module without a U-groove wall and ii) an antenna module with a U-groove wall configured above and below the patch element. Figure 19a (b) compares the antenna gains of i) an antenna module without a U-slot wall and iii) an antenna module with a dummy pattern formed inside the U-slot wall.

[0250] Reference Figure 19a (a) shows that with the application of U-groove wall, the gain of the array patch antenna is increased to a maximum of +1dB or more in the entire frequency range. Figure 19a (b) By configuring virtual patches inside the U-shaped slot walls, the antenna gain can be improved in the low-frequency band. Furthermore, it can be seen that the antenna gain is improved and the flatness at each frequency is improved. It can be seen that by configuring virtual patches inside the U-shaped slot walls, the antenna gain deviation is reduced to within 1dB across the entire frequency band. Therefore, in the millimeter wave band, the flatness characteristics of the array antenna gain are improved, thereby improving communication performance across the entire operating frequency band.

[0251] Reference Figure 19b , it can be seen that in the 3D radiation pattern, the beam has almost no distortion or sidelobes, and the gain performance of the patch antenna array is improved. In this regard, with the application of U-slot walls with dummy patterns formed inside, the gain of the array patch antenna is improved by up to +2dB at a specific frequency. In addition, Figure 19b As shown, side lobes caused by side radiation do not occur, thereby improving antenna efficiency.

[0252] On the other hand, in the broadband antenna module of the present specification, the U-shaped groove wall structure can be variously changed. Figure 20a and Figure 20b Indicates the virtual pattern structure of various embodiments of this specification. Figure 20a and Figure 20b The virtual pattern structure can be applied to Figures 7 to 16 In this regard, the dummy pattern can be formed by a flat metal patch on each layer of the multilayer dielectric substrate, and therefore can also be called a dummy patch.

[0253] Reference Figure 20a In (a), the plurality of dummy patterns 1110d may be arranged within the opening at predetermined intervals. In this regard, the intervals between the plurality of dummy patterns 1110d may correspond to the intervals between the plurality of patch elements. The plurality of dummy patterns 1110d may form a second length L2 and a second width W2.

[0254] Reference Figure 20aIn (b), a long dummy pattern 1110d2 may be disposed within the opening. In this regard, the dummy pattern 1110d2 may have a third length L3 and a third width W3. The third length L3 of the dummy pattern 1110d2 may be shorter than the length L1 of the short side of the opening. The third width W3 of the dummy pattern 1110d2 may be shorter than the length W1 of the long side of the opening.

[0255] Figure 20b (a) to Figure 20b (d) shows the virtual pattern structures of multiple embodiments. Figure 20b (a) shows a structure in which the dummy pattern 1110d - 1 is arranged only on the first layer 1021 . Figure 20b (b) shows a structure in which the dummy pattern 1110d - 2 is arranged on the second layer 1022 and the third layer 1023 . Figure 20b (c) shows a structure in which the dummy pattern 1110d - 3 is disposed on the first layer 1021 and the second layer 1022 and connected by a vertical via VV. Figure 20b (d) shows a structure in which the dummy pattern 1110d - 4 is disposed on the second layer 1022 and the third layer 1023 and connected by a vertical via VV.

[0256] Reference Figure 20b In the cross-sectional view, the dummy patterns 1110d-1 to 1110d-4 can be located at any inner layer. In an embodiment, assuming that there is a ground connection below the third layer 1023, the dummy pattern can be located at any position from the first layer 1021 to the third layer 1023. The dummy pattern can be simultaneously located at two or more layers from the first layer 1021 to the third layer 1023. In addition, the dummy patterns 1110d-3 and 1110d-4 on different layers can also be connected by vertical vias VV.

[0257] The above describes the structural features of the antenna module (phase array antenna) operating in the millimeter wave band of this specification. The following describes in detail the laminated structure and electrical characteristics of the patch element, dielectric substrate, and dielectric cover layer forming the phase array antenna of this specification. Figure 21 The figure shows a structure in which a dielectric substrate on which a phased array antenna is formed is combined with a dielectric cover layer and a display.

[0258] Figure 21 (a) shows a structure in which an antenna module 1100 formed of a phased array antenna is formed on the front surface of the electronic device 1000. Specifically, it shows a structure in which the antenna module 1100 is arranged below the display 151 formed on the front surface of the electronic device. Figure 21In (a), the pixel circuit 151a can be formed to the first portion P1. Thus, the area displaying information in the display 151 can be formed to the first portion P1, and a bezel area can be formed from the first portion P1 to the second portion P2. As another example, the pixel circuit 151a can also be formed to the end of the electronic device 1000, thereby achieving a full display. Thus, the area displaying information in the display 151 can be formed to the second portion P1, thereby achieving a bezel-less full display.

[0259] Figure 21 (b) shows a structure in which an antenna module 1100 formed by a phased array antenna is formed on the side of the electronic device 1000. A dielectric cover layer 1010 is formed on the upper part of the dielectric substrate 1020 on which the antenna module 1100 is formed, thereby protecting the antenna module 1100 from the influence of the external environment. In addition, a display cover 1040 can also be formed on the upper part of the dielectric cover layer 1010. Thus, the electronic device 1000 can also form a full display on the front and side. For this purpose, the pixel circuit 151a can also be formed on the side. The antenna module 1100 can be configured in the housing 1001 of the electronic device or in a housing separate from the housing 1001.

[0260] Reference Figures 7 to 21 , first patch element 1110a and second patch element 1120a may also be formed to be in direct contact with the surface of dielectric cover layer 1010. In this regard, Figure 16 The stacked structure is based on Figure 7 The antenna structure is shown as a reference, but is not limited thereto. Figure 16 The stacked structure can also be applied to Figure 13 In this regard, the first parasitic patch element 1110 p and the second parasitic patch element 1120 p may be formed to directly contact the surface of the dielectric cover layer 1010 .

[0261] The antenna module may further include an adhesive layer 1030 that attaches the dielectric substrate 1020 to the dielectric cover layer 1010. The first patch element 1110a and the second patch element 1120a may be formed in direct contact with the adhesive layer 1030. Figure 16 The stacked structure is based on Figure 7 The antenna structure is shown as a reference, but is not limited thereto. Figure 16 The stacked structure can also be applied to Figure 13 In this regard, the first parasitic patch element 1110 p and the second parasitic patch element 1120 p may be formed to be in direct contact with the adhesive layer 1030 .

[0262] The dielectric cover layer 1010 can be formed to have a first dielectric constant. As an example, the dielectric cover layer 1010 can be formed to have a dielectric constant between 3.0 and 10.0. On the other hand, the adhesive layer 1030 can have a second dielectric constant that is smaller than the first dielectric constant. In this regard, the antenna efficiency can be improved by forming the dielectric constant of the adhesive layer 1030 that is in direct contact with the first patch element 1110a and the second patch element 1120a to be smaller. On the other hand, the antenna directivity (gain) can be improved by forming the dielectric constant of the dielectric cover layer 1010 that is separated from the first patch element 1110a and the second patch element 1120a to be larger than a specified interval.

[0263] The phased array antenna 1100 is configured to radiate a plurality of radio frequency signals at an operating frequency. The plurality of radio frequency signals at the operating frequency can be formed to exhibit an effective wavelength (effective wavelength) during propagation through the dielectric cover layer 1010. The dielectric cover layer 1010 can be formed to have a thickness between 0.15 and 0.3 times the effective wavelength. The thickness of the dielectric cover layer 1010 can be set to a value within a specified range based on 1 / 4 wavelength, i.e., 0.25 times the effective wavelength. Therefore, the antenna directivity (gain) can be improved by forming the dielectric constant of the dielectric cover layer 1010 that is separated from the first patch element 1110a and the second patch element 1120a by a larger distance.

[0264] The electronic device may further include a display 151 having pixel circuits 151a. The display 151 forms a first surface, which serves as the front portion of the electronic device. The display 151 may be formed to include a first surface and a second surface. Thus, the display 151 may be formed on the front of the electronic device, or, depending on the circumstances, on the side. The display 151 may include pixel circuits 151a that emit light through a display cover layer 1040 and a dielectric cover layer 1010. The display cover layer 1040 may form the first surface of the electronic device, and the dielectric cover layer 1010 may be formed adjacent to the display cover layer 1040.

[0265] The antenna module disclosed in this specification may be composed of an array antenna. Figure 22a The structure of the electronic device 1000 is shown in which an antenna module 1100 in which a first-type antenna and a second-type antenna are formed of an array antenna is disposed. Figure 22b This is an enlarged view of multiple array antenna modules. Figure 22a and Figure 22b The antenna module 1100 , which corresponds to a phased array antenna, is formed on the side surface of the lower end portion of the electronic device 1000 . Figure 22a and Figure 22b The antenna module 1100 can be used with Figure 16 The structure in b corresponds to that in which the antenna module 1100 is arranged on the side surface of the lower end portion of the display 151.

[0266] Reference Figures 1 to 22b , the array antenna may include a first array antenna module 1100-1 and a second array antenna module 1100-2 that is spaced apart from the first array antenna module 1100-1 in a first horizontal direction. On the other hand, the number of array antennas is not limited to two, such as Figure 22b As shown, it can also be implemented with more than three. Therefore, the array antenna can be configured to include a first array antenna module 1100-1 to a third array antenna module 1100-3. As an example, at least one of the first array antenna module 1100-1 and the third array antenna module 1100-3 can be configured to be arranged on the side of the antenna module 1100 to form a beam in the side direction.

[0267] As another example, at least one of the first array antenna module 1100-1 and the third array antenna module 1100-3 can be configured to be arranged in front of the antenna module 1100 to form a beam in the front direction. In this regard, the first array antenna module 1100-1 and the second array antenna module 1100-2 can be used to form a first beam and a second beam in the front direction B1, respectively. Figure 5c The processor 1400 of the modem can be controlled to form a first beam and a second beam in a first direction and a second direction respectively using the first array antenna module 1100-1 and the second array antenna module 1100-2. That is, the first array antenna module 1100-1 can be used to form a first beam in the first direction in the horizontal direction. In addition, the second array antenna module 1100-2 can be used to form a second beam in the second direction in the horizontal direction. In this regard, the processor 1400 can perform multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) using the first beam in the first direction and the second beam in the second direction.

[0268] Equivalent to Figure 5c The processor 1400 of the modem can be controlled to form a first beam and a second beam in a first direction and a second direction respectively using the first array antenna module 1100-1 and the second array antenna module 1100-2. That is, the first array antenna module 1100-1 can be used to form a first beam in the first direction in the horizontal direction. In addition, the second array antenna module 1100-2 can be used to form a second beam in the second direction in the horizontal direction. In this regard, the processor 1400 can perform multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) using the first beam in the first direction and the second beam in the second direction.

[0269] The processor 1400 can form a third beam in a third direction using the first array antenna module 1100-1 and the second array antenna module 1100-2. In this regard, the processor 1400 can control the transceiver circuit 1250 to synthesize the signals received by the first array antenna module 1100-1 and the second array antenna module 1100-2. In addition, the processor 1400 can control the signals transmitted by the transceiver circuit 1250 to the first array antenna module 1100-1 and the second array antenna module 1100-2 to be distributed to their respective antenna elements. The processor 1400 can perform beamforming using a third beam having a narrower beamwidth than the first beam and the second beam.

[0270] On the other hand, the processor 1400 may perform multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) using a first beam in a first direction and a second beam in a second direction, and may perform beamforming using a third beam having a narrower beamwidth than the first beam and the second beam. In this regard, if the quality of the first signal and the second signal received from other electronic devices around the electronic device is below a critical value, beamforming may be performed using the third beam.

[0271] The number of elements in an array antenna is not limited to 2, 3, or 4 as shown. For example, the number of elements in an array antenna can be increased to 2, 4, 8, or 16. Thus, the array antenna can be composed of 1x2, 1x3, 1x4, 1x5, or 1x8 array antennas.

[0272] on the other hand, Figure 23 The embodiment shows antenna modules that are coupled to specific locations of the electronic device in different coupling structures. Figure 23 In (a), the antenna module 1100 can be disposed substantially horizontally with the display 151 in a lower area of ​​the display 151. Thus, a beam B1 can be generated toward the bottom of the electronic device by the antenna module 1100. On the other hand, another beam B2 can be generated toward the front of the electronic device by the patch antenna. Figure 23 The antenna module 1100 of (a) can be connected with Figure 21 This corresponds to the structure in (a) in which the antenna module 1100 is arranged at the lower end portion of the front surface of the display 151 .

[0273] Reference Figure 23 In (b), the antenna module 1100 can be arranged substantially perpendicular to the display 151 at a lower region of the display 151. Thus, a beam B2 can be generated toward the front of the electronic device by the antenna module 1100. On the other hand, another beam B1 can be generated toward the lower portion of the electronic device by the patch antenna. Figure 18 The antenna module 1100 of (b) can be connected with Figure 21This corresponds to the structure in (b) where the antenna module 1100 is arranged on the side surface of the lower end portion of the display 151 .

[0274] Reference Figure 21 In (c), antenna module 1100 can also be disposed inside rear housing 1001, which corresponds to the mechanical structure. It can be disposed substantially parallel to display 151 inside rear housing 1001. This allows beam B2 to be generated toward the bottom of the electronic device using the monopole radiator. Meanwhile, another beam B3 can be generated toward the back of the electronic device using the patch antenna.

[0275] The broadband antenna module operating in the millimeter wave frequency band and the electronic device including the same are described above. The technical effects of the antenna module operating in the millimeter wave frequency band and the electronic device including the same are described below.

[0276] According to the embodiment, antenna efficiency can be improved by a slot wall structure formed between antenna elements of a broadband antenna module operating in a millimeter wave frequency band.

[0277] According to an embodiment, a slot wall structure formed between antenna elements of a broadband antenna module operating in a millimeter wave frequency band is formed of a via structure on a multi-layer substrate, thereby improving antenna efficiency.

[0278] According to the embodiment, the slot wall structure suppresses the side radiation component, thereby being able to improve the efficiency of the antenna element operating in the millimeter wave frequency band and the directivity in the front direction.

[0279] According to the embodiment, an antenna structure having high antenna efficiency while performing broadband operation can be provided by using a stacked antenna structure and a slot wall structure for providing broadband services in the millimeter wave frequency band.

[0280] According to the embodiment, an antenna structure can be provided that improves high antenna gain in the millimeter wave frequency band and antenna gain flatness in the entire frequency band through the slot wall structure and the dummy pattern inside the slot wall.

[0281] The additional scope to which this specification is applicable will become clear from the detailed description below. However, it will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications are within the scope of the concept and scope of this specification, and therefore it should be understood that the detailed description and preferred embodiments of this specification are applicable. The additional scope to which this specification is applicable will become clear from the detailed description below. However, it will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications are within the scope of the concept and scope of this specification, and therefore it should be understood that the detailed description and specific embodiments such as the preferred embodiments of this specification are only examples. In connection with the aforementioned present specification, the design of an antenna operating in the millimeter wave frequency band and the electronic equipment controlling it and its driving can be implemented by computer-readable code in a medium recording a program.

[0282] Computer-readable media include all types of storage devices that store data that can be read by a computer system. Examples of computer-readable media include HDD (Hard Disk Drive), solid-state drive (SolidState Disk), SDD (Silicon Disk Drive), ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc., and can also be implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, based on Internet transmission). In addition, the computer may also include a control unit of the terminal. Therefore, the detailed description described above should not be understood as restrictive in all aspects, but should be understood as exemplary. The scope of this specification should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of this specification should fall within the scope of this specification.

Claims

1. An electronic device, wherein: include: a dielectric cap layer; as well as a dielectric substrate having a surface mounted facing the dielectric cover layer; The dielectric substrate comprises: A first layer including a first conductive layer including a first opening and a second opening on a surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein a first portion of the first conductive layer is disposed between the first opening and the second opening, and a second portion of the first conductive layer faces a first portion of the first conductive layer around the first opening; The second layer includes a second conductive layer including a fourth opening and a fifth opening in the dielectric substrate, wherein a first portion of the second conductive layer is disposed between the fourth opening and the fifth opening, and a second portion of the second conductive layer faces a first portion of the second conductive layer around the fourth opening; a third layer having a third conductive layer including a third opening in the dielectric substrate; a fourth layer having a plurality of conductive traces; a fifth layer having a fourth conductive layer used as a ground; and A phased array antenna on the dielectric substrate; The phased array antenna comprises: A plurality of patch elements are located on the surface of the dielectric substrate; and A plurality of transmission line paths coupled to positive antenna feed terminals on a plurality of said patch elements in said dielectric substrate; The phased array antenna is configured to transmit a plurality of wireless frequency signals having a frequency between 10 GHz and 300 GHz through the dielectric cover layer; A plurality of patch elements are disposed in the second opening of the first conductive layer; The plurality of transmission line paths are arranged in the fifth opening of the second layer and the third opening of the third layer; The first portion of the first conductive layer, the first portion of the second conductive layer, and the first portion of the third conductive layer are connected by a plurality of first conductive vias; The second portion of the first conductive layer, the second portion of the second conductive layer, and the second portion of the third conductive layer are connected by a plurality of second conductive vias; A third portion of the third conductive layer overlaps the first opening and the fourth opening; The plurality of first conductive vias, the plurality of second conductive vias, and the third portion of the third conductive layer are electrically connected.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The second layer includes a plurality of layers within the dielectric substrate.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The length of the long side of the second opening is greater than or equal to the length of the long side of the first opening.

4. The electronic device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A spacing distance (h1) from a surface of the first layer to a surface of the third layer is greater than or equal to 0.02λ0.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A spacing distance (d) from an edge of the first opening to an edge of the second opening is greater than or equal to 0.13λ0.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length (W1) of the long side of the first opening is greater than or equal to λ0; The length (L1) of the short side of the first opening is greater than or equal to 0.13λ0.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, characterized in that: Also included are a plurality of dummy patterns disposed in the first opening on the dielectric substrate; The first edge value (L2) of the plurality of virtual patterns is 0 <L2<L1; The second edge value (W2) of the plurality of virtual patterns is 0 <W2<W1。 8. The electronic device according to claim 6, characterized in that: Also included are a plurality of dummy patterns disposed in a third opening on the dielectric substrate; The first edge value (L2) of the plurality of virtual patterns is 0 <L2<L1; The second edge value (W2) of the plurality of virtual patterns is 0 <W2<W1。 9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: include: A plurality of first dummy patterns are arranged in the first opening on the dielectric substrate; as well as A plurality of second dummy patterns are arranged in a third opening on the dielectric substrate; A plurality of the first dummy patterns are electrically connected to a plurality of the second dummy patterns through a plurality of vertical conductive vias.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The first opening is arranged in the electric field direction of the phased array antenna.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The first layer having the first conductive layer further includes a sixth opening in the surface of the dielectric substrate; The third portion of the first conductive layer is disposed between the second opening and the sixth opening; The fourth portion of the first conductive layer is arranged to face the third portion of the first conductive layer; The second layer having the second conductive layer further includes a seventh opening in the surface of the dielectric substrate; The third portion of the second conductive layer is disposed between the fifth opening and the seventh opening; The fourth portion of the first conductive layer is arranged to face the third portion of the second conductive layer around the seventh opening.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: The third portion of the first conductive layer, the third portion of the second conductive layer, and the fifth portion of the third conductive layer are connected by a plurality of third conductive vias; The fourth portion of the first conductive layer, the fourth portion of the second conductive layer, and the sixth portion of the third conductive layer are connected by a plurality of fourth conductive vias; A fourth portion of the third conductive layer overlaps the sixth opening and the seventh opening; The plurality of third conductive vias and the plurality of fourth conductive vias are electrically connected to the fourth portion of the third conductive layer.

13. An electronic device, wherein: include: a dielectric cap layer; as well as a dielectric substrate having a surface mounted facing the dielectric cover layer; The dielectric substrate comprises: A first layer including a first conductive layer including a first opening and a second opening on a surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein a first portion of the first conductive layer is disposed between the first opening and the second opening, and a second portion of the first conductive layer faces a first portion of the first conductive layer around the first opening; The second layer includes a second conductive layer including a fourth opening and a fifth opening in the dielectric substrate, wherein a first portion of the second conductive layer is disposed between the fourth opening and the fifth opening, and a second portion of the second conductive layer faces a first portion of the second conductive layer around the fourth opening; a third layer having a third conductive layer including a third opening in the dielectric substrate; a fourth layer having a plurality of conductive traces; a fifth layer having a fourth conductive layer used as a ground; and A phased array antenna on the dielectric substrate; The phased array antenna comprises: a plurality of parasitic patch elements on a surface of the dielectric substrate; A plurality of patch components within the dielectric substrate; and transmission line paths connected to positive antenna feed terminals on a plurality of patch elements in the dielectric substrate; The phased array antenna is configured to transmit a plurality of wireless frequency signals having a frequency between 10 GHz and 300 GHz through the dielectric cover layer; A plurality of patch elements are disposed in the second opening of the first conductive layer; The plurality of transmission line paths are arranged in the fifth opening of the second layer and the third opening of the third layer; The first portion of the first conductive layer, the first portion of the second conductive layer, and the first portion of the third conductive layer are connected by a plurality of first conductive vias; The second portion of the first conductive layer, the second portion of the second conductive layer, and the second portion of the third conductive layer are connected by a plurality of second conductive vias; A third portion of the third conductive layer overlaps the first opening and the fourth opening; The plurality of first conductive vias, the plurality of second conductive vias, and the third portion of the third conductive layer are electrically connected.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The second layer includes a plurality of layers within the dielectric substrate; The length of the long side of the second opening is greater than or equal to the length of the long side of the first opening.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13, characterized in that: A spacing distance (h1) from a surface of the first layer to a surface of the third layer is greater than or equal to 0.02λ0.

16. The electronic device according to claim 13, characterized in that: A spacing distance (d) from an edge of the first opening to an edge of the second opening is greater than or equal to 0.13λ0.

17. The electronic device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The length (W1) of the long side of the first opening is greater than or equal to λ0; The length (L1) of the short side of the first opening is greater than or equal to 0.13λ0.

18. The electronic device according to claim 13, characterized in that: Also included are a plurality of dummy patterns disposed in the first opening on the dielectric substrate; The first edge value (L2) of the plurality of virtual patterns is 0 <L2<L1; The second edge value (W2) of the plurality of virtual patterns is 0 <W2<W1。 19. The electronic device according to claim 13, characterized in that: Also included are a plurality of dummy patterns disposed in a third opening on the dielectric substrate; The first edge value (L2) of the plurality of virtual patterns is 0 <L2<L1; The second edge value (W2) of the plurality of virtual patterns is 0 <W2<W1。 20. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein: Also includes: a plurality of first dummy patterns, arranged in the first opening on the dielectric substrate; and A plurality of second dummy patterns are arranged in a third opening on the dielectric substrate; A plurality of the first dummy patterns are electrically connected to a plurality of the second dummy patterns through a plurality of vertical conductive vias.

21. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein: The first opening is arranged in the electric field direction of the phased array antenna.

22. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein: The first layer having the first conductive layer further includes a sixth opening in the surface of the dielectric substrate; The third portion of the first conductive layer is disposed between the second opening and the sixth opening; The fourth portion of the first conductive layer is arranged to face the third portion of the first conductive layer; The second layer having the second conductive layer further includes a seventh opening in the surface of the dielectric substrate; The third portion of the second conductive layer is disposed between the fifth opening and the seventh opening; The fourth portion of the first conductive layer is arranged to face the third portion of the second conductive layer around the seventh opening.

23. The electronic device according to claim 22, wherein: The third portion of the first conductive layer, the third portion of the second conductive layer, and the fifth portion of the third conductive layer are connected by a plurality of third conductive vias; The fourth portion of the first conductive layer, the fourth portion of the second conductive layer, and the sixth portion of the third conductive layer are connected by a plurality of fourth conductive vias; A fourth portion of the third conductive layer overlaps the sixth opening and the seventh opening; The plurality of third conductive vias and the plurality of fourth conductive vias are electrically connected to a fourth portion of the third conductive layer.

24. An electronic device, wherein: include: a dielectric cap layer; as well as a dielectric substrate having a surface mounted facing the dielectric cover layer; The dielectric substrate comprises: A first layer, comprising a first conductive layer including a first opening, a second opening, and a sixth opening on a surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein a first portion of the first conductive layer is disposed between the first opening and the second opening, a second portion of the first conductive layer faces a first portion of the first conductive layer around the first opening, a third portion of the first conductive layer is disposed between the second opening and the sixth opening, and a fourth portion of the first conductive layer faces a third portion of the first conductive layer around the sixth opening; The second layer comprises a second conductive layer including a fourth opening, a fifth opening and a seventh opening in the dielectric substrate, wherein a first portion of the second conductive layer is arranged between the fourth opening and the fifth opening, a second portion of the second conductive layer faces a first portion of the second conductive layer around the fourth opening, a third portion of the second conductive layer is arranged between the fourth opening and the seventh opening, and a fourth portion of the first conductive layer faces a third portion of the second conductive layer around the seventh opening; a third layer having a third conductive layer including a third opening in the dielectric substrate; a fourth layer having a plurality of conductive traces; a fifth layer having a fourth conductive layer used as a ground; and A phased array antenna on the dielectric substrate; The phased array antenna comprises: A plurality of patch elements are located on the surface of the dielectric substrate; and A plurality of transmission line paths coupled to positive antenna feed terminals on a plurality of said patch elements in said dielectric substrate; The phased array antenna is configured to transmit a plurality of wireless frequency signals having a frequency between 10 GHz and 300 GHz through the dielectric cover layer; A plurality of patch elements are disposed in the second opening of the first conductive layer; The plurality of transmission line paths are arranged in the fourth opening of the second layer and the third opening of the third layer; (same) The first portion of the first conductive layer, the first portion of the second conductive layer, and the first portion of the third conductive layer are connected by a plurality of first conductive vias; The second portion of the first conductive layer, the second portion of the second conductive layer, and the second portion of the third conductive layer are connected by a plurality of second conductive vias; A third portion of the third conductive layer overlaps the first opening and the fourth opening; A plurality of the first conductive vias, a plurality of the second conductive vias are electrically connected to a third portion of the third conductive layer; The third portion of the first conductive layer, the third portion of the second conductive layer, and the fourth portion of the third conductive layer are connected by a plurality of third conductive vias; The fourth portion of the first conductive layer, the fourth portion of the second conductive layer, and the sixth portion of the third conductive layer are connected by a plurality of fourth conductive vias; A sixth portion of the third conductive layer overlaps the sixth opening and the seventh opening; The plurality of third conductive vias and the plurality of fourth conductive vias are electrically connected to a sixth portion of the third conductive layer.

25. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The electronic device also includes a display including a first surface and a second surface and having pixel circuits that emit light through the display cover layer and the dielectric cover layer; The display cover forms a first surface of the electronic device, and the dielectric cover layer is formed adjacent to the display cover layer.

26. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The first patch element and the second patch element are in direct contact with a surface of the dielectric cap layer.

27. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: Also included is an adhesive layer attaching the dielectric substrate to the dielectric cover layer; The first patch element and the second patch element are in direct contact with the adhesive layer.

28. The electronic device according to claim 27, wherein: The dielectric cap layer has a first dielectric constant; The adhesive layer has a second dielectric constant smaller than the first dielectric constant.

29. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of said radio frequency signals of said frequencies exhibit effective wavelengths during propagation through said dielectric cover layer; The dielectric cap layer has a thickness between 0.15 and 0.3 times the effective wavelength.

30. The electronic device according to claim 29, wherein: The dielectric cap layer has a dielectric constant between 3.0 and 10.0.

Images