Foldable electronic device and method for controlling antenna

Abstract

The invention provides foldable electronic equipment and a method for controlling an antenna. The foldable electronic device comprises a feed source; the first antenna is positioned on a first side edge of the electronic equipment; the second antenna is positioned on a middle frame at a rotating shaft of the electronic equipment; and the control circuit is used for controlling the feed source to be connected with the first antenna and the feed source to be disconnected with the second antenna when the electronic equipment is in an unfolded state, and controlling the feed source to be disconnected with the first antenna and the feed source to be connected with the second antenna when the electronic equipment is in a folded state. According to the embodiment of the invention, the antenna at the rotating shaft is not liable to be affected by the hand holding of a user on the antenna performance, and the communication experience of the electronic equipment in a folded state is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of wireless communication technology, and more specifically, to a foldable electronic device and a method for controlling an antenna. Background Art

[0002] As communication technology develops day by day, communication electronic devices are widely used. For example, mobile phones have become the most commonly used communication tools. Among them, foldable mobile phones have become the first choice of many users due to their small size, beautiful appearance and tablet-like experience. In the unfolded state, the antenna performance of the mobile phone is good, but in the folded state, the antenna performance of the mobile phone is reduced, which is not conducive to normal communication applications. Summary of the invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present application provide a foldable electronic device and a method for controlling an antenna. Various aspects involved in the embodiments of the present application are introduced below.

[0004] In a first aspect, a foldable electronic device is provided, comprising: a feed source; a first antenna, located on a first side of the electronic device; a second antenna, located on a middle frame at a hinge of the electronic device; a switching circuit, connected to the feed source, the first antenna and the second antenna, wherein when the switching circuit is in a first working state, the feed source is connected to the first antenna and disconnected from the second antenna, and when the switching circuit is in a second working state, the feed source is disconnected from the first antenna and connected to the second antenna; a control circuit, connected to the switching circuit, for performing the following operations: when the electronic device is in an unfolded state, controlling the switching circuit to be in the first working state, and when the electronic device is in a folded state, controlling the switching circuit to be in the second working state.

[0005] In a second aspect, a method for controlling an antenna is provided, which is applied to an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises: a feed source; a first antenna, located on a first side of the electronic device; a second antenna, located on a middle frame at a hinge of the electronic device; a switching circuit, connected to the feed source, the first antenna and the second antenna, wherein when the switching circuit is in a first working state, the feed source is connected to the first antenna and disconnected from the second antenna, and when the switching circuit is in a second working state, the feed source is disconnected from the first antenna and connected to the second antenna; a control circuit, connected to the switching circuit; the method comprises: determining the state of the electronic device; when the electronic device is in an unfolded state, controlling the switching circuit to be in the first working state, and when the electronic device is in a folded state, controlling the switching circuit to be in the second working state.

[0006] According to a third aspect, a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which instructions for executing the method according to the second aspect are stored.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect, a computer program or a computer program product is provided, comprising instructions for executing the method according to the second aspect.

[0008] The electronic device of the embodiment of the present application is provided with a second antenna at the position of the hinge. When the user holds the electronic device in the folded state, the hinge is not easily grasped by the hand and can be exposed. The antenna at the hinge of the embodiment of the present application is not easily affected by other antennas and is not easily affected by the user's hand holding the antenna performance, which helps to improve the communication experience of the electronic device in the folded state. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a horizontally folding mobile phone.

[0010] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a vertically folding mobile phone.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the antenna layout of a foldable mobile phone.

[0012] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the side view of the mobile phone in the folded state.

[0013] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the model holding the mobile phone in the folded state.

[0014] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of a component unit / partial component unit of a foldable electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0015] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A structural diagram of a possible implementation of an electronic device.

[0016] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the electronic device model in the folded state.

[0017] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 A partial schematic diagram of a second antenna of an electronic device.

[0018] Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the radiating branches.

[0019] Fig.11 yes Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the appearance of the electronic device model.

[0020] Fig.12 yes Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the working of the antenna system of an electronic device.

[0021] Fig.13 yes Fig.12 Schematic diagram of the efficiency of the second antenna.

[0022] Fig.14 yes Fig.12 Schematic diagram of the return loss of the second antenna.

[0023] Fig.15 yes Fig.12 Schematic diagram of the direction of the second antenna.

[0024] Fig.16 yes Figure 8 Schematic diagram of holding a model of an electronic device in a folded state.

[0025] Fig.17 yes Fig.16 Schematic diagram of the efficiency of the antenna.

[0026] Fig.18 yes Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of another possible implementation of an electronic device.

[0027] Fig.19 yes Fig.18 Schematic diagram of the principle of the second antenna.

[0028] Fig. 20 yes Fig.18 Schematic diagram of the radiating branches.

[0029] Fig.21 yes Fig.18 Schematic diagram of the electronic device model in the folded state.

[0030] Fig. 22 yes Fig.21 A partial schematic diagram of a second antenna of an electronic device.

[0031] Fig.23 yes Fig.21 Schematic diagram of the appearance of the electronic device model.

[0032] Fig.24 yes Fig. 22 Schematic diagram of the efficiency of the second antenna.

[0033] Fig.25 yes Fig. 22 Schematic diagram of the return loss of the second antenna.

[0034] Fig.26 yes Fig. 22Schematic diagram of the direction of the second antenna.

[0035] Fig. 27 It is a flowchart of a method for controlling an antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments.

[0037] It should be understood that the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: global system of mobile communication (GSM) system, code division multiple access (CDMA) system, wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) system, general packet radio service (GPRS), long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD), universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WIMA) communication system, fifth generation (5G) system or new radio (NR), etc. The technical solutions provided in the present application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication system, satellite communication system, etc.

[0038] The electronic device in the embodiment of the present application may also be referred to as a terminal device, terminal, user equipment (UE), user terminal, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), remote terminal, remote station, mobile device, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. The terminal device in the embodiment of the present application may be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user, and may be used to connect people, objects and machines, such as a handheld device with wireless connection function, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. The terminal device in the embodiment of the present application can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop, a PDA, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, etc. Optionally, the UE can be used to act as a base station. For example, the UE can act as a scheduling entity that provides sidelink signals between UEs in V2X or D2D, etc. For example, a cellular phone and a car communicate with each other using a sidelink signal. The cellular phone and the smart home device communicate with each other without relaying the communication signal through the base station.

[0039] Electronic devices are developing rapidly. With the development of communication technology, mobile phones have become the most commonly used communication tool. The following is an example of mobile phones among electronic devices. The update speed of mobile phone products is also getting faster and faster. Folding phones have become the first choice for many users due to their small size, flexible use, beautiful appearance and tablet-like experience.

[0040] Currently, foldable phones are mainly divided into two types: horizontal folding and vertical folding. One type is a large-screen phone that folds horizontally from left to right, such as Figure 1 As shown in the figure, it unfolds into a large screen similar to a tablet, and when folded, it can have the screen experience of a regular straight-screen mobile phone. Another type is a small-screen mobile phone that folds vertically up and down, such as Figure 2 As shown, it unfolds into a regular straight-screen phone and has a small-sized secondary screen experience when folded. The secondary screen can realize infrequently used functions such as time, messages, navigation, etc.

[0041] Antennas are one of the important components of wireless communication products. They are used to convert electrical signals into electromagnetic waves and transmit them into the air. At the same time, they can receive electromagnetic waves in the air and convert them into electrical signals. Different from the application scenarios of traditional straight-bar mobile phone antennas, the performance changes of foldable mobile phones also need to be considered when designing antennas.

[0042] Figure 3 The figure is a schematic diagram of the antenna arrangement of a foldable mobile phone. Figure 3 As shown, the foldable mobile phone 300 includes: an upper screen 310, a lower screen 320 and a hinge 330. A flexible printed circuit (FPC) passing through the inside of the hinge 330 is used to electrically connect the upper and lower screens. The FPC serves to connect the main board and the small board to transmit radio frequency, power, control signals, etc. The antenna can be designed with a metal frame, that is, the branches required for antenna radiation are formed by slots / gaps on the mobile phone frame. These metal branches are both the frame of the mobile phone and the radiator of the antenna. Figure 3 As shown, there may be multiple antennas, such as ANT0 to ANT7. ANT0 to ANT7 can cover all frequency bands required by communication systems such as 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G / WIFI / GPS.

[0043] At present, the antenna design of foldable phones has the following problems compared with candy-bar phones:

[0044] 1. After folding, the isolation of the antenna is affected. Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A side view of the mobile phone in folded state. Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the distance between the two antennas ANT5 and ANT7 in the folded state is relatively close. If the two antennas have the same frequency band, the isolation between the two antennas in the same frequency band will deteriorate sharply, resulting in a significant degradation in the performance of the two antennas.

[0045] 2. After folding, the clearance of the antenna is reduced, causing the antenna performance to deteriorate.

[0046] 3. After folding, the antenna is more likely to be held by human hands, especially for vertically folding phones, which can cause the antenna performance to drop sharply. Figure 5 As shown in the figure, after folding, the top and bottom of the phone overlap, the antennas on both sides of the phone are basically held by the fingers, and the antennas on the top and bottom of the phone are also blocked by the palm, causing the radiation energy to be absorbed by the palm, and the antenna performance drops sharply. In particular, the antenna on the corner of the camera basically cannot meet the use requirements due to the grip of the thumb base. In actual situations, the antenna on the corner of the camera (such as ANT0) is generally an antenna of the GPS frequency band. Therefore, in the grip state, the secondary screen navigation application will be greatly affected.

[0047] It can be seen that after folding, the distance between the antennas is close, resulting in mutual interference, and the antenna performance is degraded due to the influence of the user holding the antenna.

[0048] Therefore, it is necessary to design an antenna arrangement scheme in which the antenna performance is less affected by the user's holding when the electronic device is folded.

[0049] It should be noted that the above-mentioned problem of mutual interference between multiple antennas after the folding of the foldable mobile phone and degradation of antenna performance due to the influence of user holding is only an example. The embodiments of the present application can be applied to any type of scenario in which antennas of the electronic device interfere with each other after being folded or antenna performance is degraded due to the influence of user holding.

[0050] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application proposes a foldable electronic device. There is no limitation on the folding type of the electronic device, for example, it can be horizontal folding, vertical folding, or other types of folding in the future. The electronic device of the embodiment of the present application is provided with an antenna at the position of the hinge, and when the electronic device is in the folded state, the hinge is not in the gripping area, which helps to reduce the mutual interference between the antenna and other antennas in the folded state, and avoid the influence of the user's hand holding on the antenna performance. Figure 6 Schematic diagram of component units / partial component units of a foldable electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 The electronic device according to the embodiment of the present application is introduced in detail.

[0051] For ease of explanation, the embodiment of the present application takes the large screen of the electronic device display as the front side, and the side opposite to the front side as the back side. The direction of the electronic device display when placed vertically is taken as the reference direction, and the vertical direction includes the up and down directions; the horizontal direction of the front and back vertically placed on the display is the front and back direction (or the front and back direction), and the direction of the left and right sides of the display parallel to the display is the left and right direction.

[0052] like Figure 6 As shown, the electronic device 600 may include: a feed source 610 , a first antenna 620 , a second antenna 630 , a switch circuit 640 and a control circuit 650 .

[0053] The feed source 610 is used to provide the first antenna 620 and the second antenna 630 with excitation signals to be transmitted.

[0054] The first antenna 620 is located at the first side 640 of the electronic device. The first side 640 is any side of the multiple sides of the electronic device, such as the first side 640 can be the top side, the bottom side or the left side. The side may be the side of the overall frame of the electronic device. The side may be the side surface, which is not distinguished in the embodiment of the present application. The first antenna 620 can be any antenna of the multiple antennas on the side of the electronic device. When the electronic device is in a folded state, the first antenna 620 is usually susceptible to the influence of other antennas or the influence of the user's hand holding, resulting in a decrease in antenna performance.

[0055] The second antenna 630 is located on the middle frame at the hinge 650 of the electronic device. For example, in an electronic device that folds vertically up and down, the middle frame is usually arranged on the outside of the hinge 650. The middle frame at the hinge 650 may include an upper middle frame and a lower middle frame (or a left middle frame and a right middle frame). When the electronic device is in the unfolded state, the upper middle frame and the lower middle frame usually contact each other to block the outer peripheral surface of the hinge 650. The middle frame may refer to the middle frame on the back (or back) of the electronic device. The second antenna 630 may be an antenna arranged on the middle frame at the hinge 650, and the second antenna 630 may also be any one of a plurality of antennas arranged on the middle frame at the hinge 650. In some embodiments, the second antenna 630 may also be located on the hinge 650 of the electronic device.

[0056] The switch circuit 660 is connected to the feed source 610, the first antenna 620 and the second antenna 630. The switch circuit 660 can have multiple working states. When the switch circuit 660 is in the first working state, the feed source 610 is connected to the first antenna 620, and the feed source 610 is disconnected from the second antenna 630; when the switch circuit 660 is in the second working state, the feed source 610 is disconnected from the first antenna 620, and the feed source 610 is connected to the second antenna 630.

[0057] The switch circuit 660 may have various forms. For example, the switch circuit 660 may include a single-pole double-throw switch, wherein a fixed end of the single-pole double-throw switch is connected to the feed source 610 , and an active end of the single-pole double-throw switch is connected to the first antenna 620 and the second antenna 630 , respectively.

[0058] The control circuit 670 is connected to the switch circuit 660 and is used to perform the following operations: when the electronic device is in the unfolded state, the switch circuit 660 is controlled to be in the first working state; when the electronic device is in the folded state, the switch circuit is controlled to be in the second working state.

[0059] The first antenna 620 and the second antenna 630 can be used in the same type of communication system or in different types of communication systems. In some implementations, the first antenna 620 and the second antenna 630 are both used for GPS communication. In other embodiments, the first antenna 620 and the second antenna 630 can be used in any of 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, GPS, WIFI, Bluetooth and other communication systems.

[0060] Electronic devices also include a ground plane, which is also called a reference ground, ground, or ground plane.

[0061] The first antenna 630 may be implemented in various ways, such as a slot antenna, an aperture antenna, or an inverted F antenna (IFA). The second antenna 630 may also be implemented in various ways, such as a slot antenna, an aperture antenna, or an inverted F antenna (IFA).

[0062] In some implementations, the second antenna 630 may include a radiation branch, which may be called a radiator. The radiation branch may be composed of a metal branch with a slit in the middle frame, one end of the radiation branch is grounded through the middle frame and connected to the ground plane (as a grounding terminal), and the other end is disconnected from the middle frame.

[0063] In some implementations, the feed source 610 may directly feed the excitation signal to be transmitted to the radiation branch of the second antenna 630. The electronic device may include a feed connector, which may be a feed spring, for example. The feed connector is connected to the radiation branch, and the feed connector is connected to the feed source.

[0064] In some embodiments, the electronic device may include an antenna platelet. The antenna platelet is an auxiliary circuit board relative to the main board of the electronic device, used to carry antenna matching components and RF connection sockets, such as feed shrapnel. The antenna platelet is usually arranged in parallel with the main board and connected to the main board through a wire. The antenna platelet can be adjacent to the middle frame and spaced apart from the middle frame so that the arrangement is compact and reasonable. The feed shrapnel can be located on the antenna platelet so as to be in stable contact with the radiating branch. The radiating branch can be connected to the feed source 610 through the feed shrapnel and the antenna platelet.

[0065] In some implementations, the gap between the radiation branch and the middle frame may be filled with a non-conductive material, such as plastic, to provide isolation and stabilize the structural strength.

[0066] In some implementations, the feed source 610 can indirectly feed the excitation signal to be transmitted to the radiating branch of the second antenna 630. The second antenna 630 may include a radiating branch and a coupled feed branch. The coupled feed branch, or coupled feed branch, may be composed of a metal trace on the back shell (or bracket) of the electronic device. The coupled feed branch is connected to the feed source 610 and is used to feed the radiating branch in a coupled manner, and the coupled feed branch at least partially overlaps with the open end of the radiating branch along the length direction. There is a gap (or slit) between the radiating branch and the coupled feed branch, and the coupled feeding method may be capacitive coupling or inductive coupling. For example, the coupled feed branch feeds the radiating branch in a capacitive coupling manner. In some embodiments of coupled feeding, the electronic device may further include a feeding connector, which may be, for example, a feeding shrapnel. The feeding connector is connected to the coupled feed branch and to the feed source 610. In the coupled feeding mode, the arrangement position of the feeding spring is relatively flexible, and the antenna board can be omitted, which helps to optimize the internal space layout of the electronic device.

[0067] The metal traces constituting the coupled feed branch may be metal sheets or wires. In some implementations, the metal traces are made by any of the following methods: flexible printed circuit (FPC), laser printing metal forming, printing direct structuring (PDS). Among them, laser printing metal forming is also called laser direct structuring (LDS) process, and PDS is also called direct pad printing process.

[0068] In some implementations, the electrical length of the radiating branch is determined according to 1 / 4 wavelength of its operating frequency band.

[0069] The electronic device of the embodiment of the present application is provided with a second antenna at the position of the hinge. When the user holds the electronic device in the folded state, the antenna at the hinge is not easily held by the hand and can usually be exposed, and the performance of the second antenna is basically not affected by the user's grip. The antenna at the hinge of the embodiment of the present application is not easily affected by other antennas, and is not easily affected by the user's grip on the antenna performance, which helps to improve the user communication experience of the electronic device in the folded state.

[0070] The foldable electronic device according to the embodiment of the present application is further described below in combination with some possible implementation methods of the embodiment of the present application.

[0071] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A structural diagram of a possible implementation of an electronic device. Taking a vertically folding mobile phone in an electronic device as an example, combined with Figure 7 The foldable electronic device according to the embodiment of the present application is exemplarily introduced. Figure 7 In the embodiment, a radiating branch is designed in the middle frame at the hinge of the mobile phone by means of a slit, and the radiating branch is designed as a second antenna to replace the first antenna in the folded state, thereby achieving good performance of the antenna system in the folded state. The first antenna and the second antenna are both used for GPS communication for illustration.

[0072] like Figure 7 As shown, the electronic device 700 may include: a feed source 710, a first antenna 720, a second antenna 730, a switching circuit and a control circuit (not shown in the figure). Figure 7 The left side is a top view, and the right side is a front view.

[0073] The first antenna 720 is located at the top edge of the electronic device, and is designed as a required radiation branch by slits in the upper frame.

[0074] The second antenna 730 is located on the middle frame of the electronic device at the hinge 750. The middle frame at the hinge 750 is designed with slits to form the radiation branches required by the antenna, and the radiation branches constitute the second antenna 730, which can be an inverted F antenna. When the electronic device is in a folded state, it replaces the first antenna 720 to work.

[0075] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the model of an electronic device in a folded state. Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 A partial schematic diagram of the second antenna (dashed box area) of the model schematic diagram. Fig. 9 The upper part and the lower part are partial schematic diagrams at two different angles. Fig. 9 In the arrangement of, the feed source 710 can directly feed the radiation branch of the second antenna 730 with the excitation signal to be transmitted.

[0076] like Fig. 9 As shown, the electronic device 700 may further include: a middle frame 760 , a feeding spring 770 , and an antenna board 780 .

[0077] The middle frame 760 is a structural member of the mobile phone, and is mostly made of metal materials such as aluminum alloy. In a vertically folding mobile phone, it is usually divided into two parts, the upper and lower parts, which are connected by a hinge 750 in the middle, and play a role in supporting the structural strength of the entire mobile phone.

[0078] The hinge 750 connects the upper and lower middle frames 760 of the mobile phone, and a hinge is usually assembled inside the hinge to realize the folding function of the mobile phone.

[0079] The antenna board 780 is usually arranged parallel to the main board and connected to the main board through a wire. The antenna board 780 is arranged near the middle frame 760 , and usually the antenna matching device and the RF connection seat are located on the antenna board 780 .

[0080] One end of the feed spring 770 is pin-welded on the antenna plate 780, connected to the RF signal line thereon, and the other end is in contact with the radiation branch 733 (i.e., the second antenna 730). The RF signal of the feed source 710 reaches the radiation branch 733 through the feed spring 770 and is radiated out. The electronic device 700 may also include a battery 782.

[0081] The radiation branch 733 is a radiator of the second antenna 730 . Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the radiation branches, Fig.10 The upper part is the external view of the middle frame 760. Fig.10 The lower half of FIG. 7 is a view of the inner side of the middle frame 760. Fig.10 As shown, the radiation branch 733 is formed by opening a gap on the middle frame 760 , one end of the radiation branch 733 is disconnected from the middle frame 760 , and the other end is connected to the middle frame 760 as a grounding point of the second antenna 730 .

[0082] There is a gap between the radiation branch 733 and the middle frame 760 , and the gap can be filled with a non-conductive material, such as plastic 790 .

[0083] The second antenna 730 is usually in the main mode (or fundamental mode), and the electrical length of the radiating branch 733 can be 1 / 8 to 1 / 4 wavelength of the working frequency band. In some embodiments, if the second antenna 730 is in the high-order mode working mode, the length of the radiating branch 733 can be greater than 1 / 4 wavelength.

[0084] Fig.11 yes Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the appearance of the electronic device model. Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of the appearance of a mobile phone after adding an antenna to the hinge. The width of the gap filled by the plastic 790 affects the antenna performance. Generally, the wider the horizontal gap, the farther the antenna is from the hinge, the larger the clearance, and the better the antenna performance. In practical applications, the structural strength of the metal radiation branch of the antenna needs to be considered, and the gap should not be too large.

[0085] The electronic device of the embodiment of the present application is provided with a second antenna at the position of the hinge. When the user holds the electronic device in the folded state, the hinge is not easily held by the hand and can usually be exposed, and the performance of the second antenna is basically not affected by the hand holding. The embodiment of the present application helps to reduce the influence of the user's hand holding on the antenna performance in the folded state, increases the degree of freedom of the foldable mobile phone antenna design, and helps to improve the user communication experience of the electronic device in the folded state.

[0086] Fig.12 yes Figure 7 The working diagram of the antenna system of the electronic device is shown in FIG. Fig.12As shown, the feed source 710 is used to provide an excitation signal, or is called a signal processing system. The first antenna 720 is an initially set frame antenna, and the second antenna 730 is an IFA antenna at the shaft. Take the working frequency band of the first antenna 720 and the second antenna 730 as the GPS frequency band as an example.

[0087] The switch circuit 716 of the electronic device 700 is connected to the feed source 710, the first antenna 720 and the second antenna 730. For example, the switch circuit 716 can be a single-pole double-throw switch, the fixed end of the single-pole double-throw switch is connected to the feed source 710, and the movable end is connected to the first antenna 720 and the second antenna 730 respectively.

[0088] When transmitting a signal, the RF signal of the feed source 710 can pass through the coaxial line from the main board to the antenna board, and enter the second antenna 730 for radiation. When receiving a signal, the signal of the first antenna 720 can enter the switch circuit 716 through the main board wiring; the signal received by the second antenna 730 reaches the mobile phone main board through the antenna board and the coaxial line, and enters the switch circuit 716 together with the signal of the first antenna 720.

[0089] The switch circuit 716 can have multiple working states. When the switch circuit 716 is in a first working state, the feed source 710 is connected to the first antenna 720, and the feed source 710 is disconnected from the second antenna 730; when the switch circuit 716 is in a second working state, the feed source 710 is disconnected from the first antenna 720, and the feed source 710 is connected to the second antenna 730.

[0090] like Fig.12 The working principle of the two-antenna system shown, the first antenna 720 and the second antenna 730 is as follows:

[0091] When the mobile phone is in the unfolded state, the first antenna 720 works well, and the clearance of the second antenna 730 deteriorates sharply, and the performance decreases. Therefore, in the unfolded state, the second antenna 730 is not suitable for working, and the initially set first antenna 720 can be used. When the mobile phone is in the unfolded state, the control circuit (such as the mobile phone CPU) sends a signal to control the switch circuit 716 to be in the first working state, connect the first antenna 720, and disconnect the second antenna 730. At this time, the signal of the first antenna 720 enters the signal processing system (feed source 710), and the second antenna 730 is in a non-working state.

[0092] When the mobile phone is in the folded state, the first antenna 720 is easily interfered by other antennas or affected by the user's hand, and the working condition is poor. The second antenna 730 at the hinge is easily exposed and the working condition is good. The control circuit (such as the mobile phone CPU) sends a signal to control the switch circuit 716 to be in the second working state, disconnect the first antenna 720, and connect the second antenna 730. At this time, the signal of the second antenna 730 enters the signal processing system (feed source 710), and the first antenna 720 is in a non-working state.

[0093] It can be seen that according to the different usage states (folded, unfolded) of electronic devices, selecting different antennas can achieve communication signal optimization in all scenarios.

[0094] Fig.13 yes Fig.12 Schematic diagram of the efficiency of the second antenna in . Fig.13 As shown, near the GPS frequency band (such as 1.575 GHz), the difference between the radiation efficiency of the second antenna and the total efficiency of the system is small, and the radiation efficiency of the second antenna is greater than -5 dB, with good performance. Fig.14 yes Fig.12 Schematic diagram of the return loss of the second antenna in Figure 1. Near the GPS frequency band, the return loss (S11) of the second antenna is approximately greater than -10dB and less than -5dB.

[0095] Fig.15 yes Fig.12 Schematic diagram of the direction of the second antenna in . Fig.15 As shown, most (greater than 80%) of the energy radiation of the second antenna is directed toward the upper hemisphere, which is beneficial to the reception of GPS signals.

[0096] Fig.16 yes Figure 8 Schematic diagram of holding the electronic device model in a folded state. Fig.16 As shown, in the folded state, the first antenna 720 is located in the hand holding area, and the second antenna 730 at the hinge is basically not affected by the hand holding. Fig.17 yes Fig.16 Schematic diagram of the efficiency of the antenna. Fig.17 As shown, through the comparison of the system efficiency of the first antenna 720 and the second antenna 730, it can be seen that when the electronic device is in the folded state, near the GPS frequency band, the radiation efficiency of the second antenna 730 is about 5dB higher than that of the first antenna 720, and the performance is greatly improved to meet normal communication needs.

[0097] Table 1 shows the measured GPS satellite search data of the first antenna 720. Table 2 shows the measured GPS satellite search data of the second antenna 730 when the electronic device is folded. It can be seen that the average value of the Top4 carrier-to-noise ratio (CN0) of the satellite search using the second antenna 730 when the electronic device held by the user is folded is 31.556dB, and the average value of the Top4 carrier-to-noise ratio (CN0) of the satellite search using the first antenna 720 is 20.875dB, that is, the Top4 CN0 of the satellite search using the second antenna 730 is more than 10dB higher than the Top4 CN0 of the satellite search using the first antenna 720, and the required positioning time is also less.

[0098] Table 1. GPS satellite search data of the first antenna.

[0099]

[0100]

[0101] Table 2. GPS satellite search data of the second antenna.

[0102]

[0103]

[0104] The electronic device of the embodiment of the present application is provided with a second antenna at the position of the hinge. When the user holds the electronic device in the folded state, the hinge is not easily held by the hand and can usually be exposed, and the performance of the second antenna is basically not affected by the hand holding. The embodiment of the present application helps to reduce the influence of the user's hand holding on the antenna performance of the second antenna in the folded state, and helps to improve the user's communication experience in the folded state.

[0105] Fig.18 yes Figure 6 A structural schematic diagram of another possible implementation of an electronic device. Fig.19 yes Fig.18 The electronic device may be a mobile phone. For example, the first antenna and the second antenna in the mobile phone are both used for GPS communication. Fig.18 The electronic device of the embodiment of the present application is introduced in detail, wherein the second antenna comprises a coupled feeding branch and a radiating branch, and the feed source feeds the radiating branch with an excitation signal to be transmitted in a capacitive coupling manner through the coupled feeding branch.

[0106] like Fig.18 As shown, the electronic device 1800 may include: a feed source 1810, a first antenna 1820, a second antenna 1830, a switching circuit and a control circuit (not shown in the figure). Fig.18 The left side is a top view, and the right side is a front view.

[0107] The feed source 1810 may be a radio frequency source on a mobile phone mainboard (PCB board).

[0108] The first antenna 1820 is located at the top edge of the electronic device and is a radiator designed with a slit on the upper frame.

[0109] The second antenna 1830 is located on the middle frame of the electronic device at the rotating shaft 1850. Fig.18 and Fig.19 As shown, the second antenna 1830 may include: a coupling feed branch 1831 and a radiation branch 1833. The radiation branch 1833 is a metal branch formed by a slit in the mobile phone frame, with one end grounded and the other end open, and is located above the rotating shaft.

[0110] The coupling feed branch 1831 is connected to the feed source 1810 and is used to feed the radiating branch 1833 in a coupled manner. The feed source 1810 can be directly connected to the coupling feed branch 1831 through a metal feed spring soldered on the mainboard. The coupling feed branch 1831 at least partially overlaps with the open end of the radiating branch 1831 along the length direction. The coupling feed branch 1831 is composed of metal traces on the back shell (or bracket) of the electronic device. The coupling feed branch 1831 can be a PDS, LDS metal trace (such as a PDS or LDS trace) etched on the back shell / bracket of the mobile phone. Fig. 20 As shown), it can also be used to route the FPC attached to the back cover / bracket of the mobile phone.

[0111] There is a gap between the radiation branch 1833 and the coupling feeding branch 1831, and the coupling feeding branch 1831 feeds the radiation branch 1833 in a capacitive coupling manner.

[0112] The length and spacing of the coupling feed branch 1831 and the radiation branch 1833 will affect the matching and coupling strength of the antenna. For example, the electrical length of the radiation branch 1833 can be 1 / 8 to 1 / 4 wavelength of the working frequency band, and the overlapping (coincidence) length of the coupling feed branch 1831 and the radiation branch 1833 can be 1 / 8 wavelength of the working frequency band. The spacing between the two can be determined according to the application, for example, it can be 0.5 mm.

[0113] The specific implementation structure is further explained below. Fig.21 yes Fig.18 Schematic diagram of the model of an electronic device in a folded state. Fig. 22 yes Fig.21 A partial schematic diagram of the second antenna in FIG. Fig.21 The dotted box area in .

[0114] like Fig. 22 As shown, the electronic device 1800 may further include: a middle frame 1860 and a feeding spring 1870 .

[0115] The hinge 1850 connects the upper and lower middle frames 1860 of the mobile phone, and a hinge is usually assembled inside the hinge to realize the folding function of the mobile phone.

[0116] The middle frame 1860 is a structural member of the middle frame of the mobile phone, and its material may be aluminum alloy or other metal materials. In a vertically folding mobile phone, it is usually composed of two parts, the upper and lower parts, which are connected by a hinge 1850 in the middle, and play a role in supporting the structural strength of the entire mobile phone.

[0117] One end of the feed spring 1870 is soldered to the main board 1880 and connected to the RF signal line thereon, and the other end is in contact with the coupling feed branch 1831. The RF signal of the feed source 1810 reaches the coupling feed branch 1831 through the feed spring 1870 and radiates out. The main board 1880 usually contains various chips and circuits required for the operation of the mobile phone, such as the circuit of the feed source 1810. The electronic device 1800 may also include a battery.

[0118] Fig.23 yes Fig.21 Schematic diagram of the second antenna, Fig.23 The upper part is the external view of the middle frame 1860. Fig.23 The lower half of FIG. 1 is an inner side view of the middle frame 1860. Fig.23 As shown, the radiation branch 1833 is formed by opening a gap on the middle frame 1860, one end of the radiation branch 1833 is disconnected from the middle frame 1860, and the other end is connected to the middle frame 1860 as a grounding point. There is a gap (or gap) between the radiation branch 1833 and the middle frame 1860, and the gap can be filled with a non-conductive material, such as plastic 1890. Generally, the wider the transverse gap, the farther the antenna is from the shaft, the larger the clearance, and the better the antenna performance.

[0119] The second antenna 1830 is usually in the main mode, and the electrical length of the radiation branch 1833 can be 1 / 4 wavelength of the working frequency band. In some embodiments, if the second antenna 1830 is in the high-order mode working mode, the length of the second antenna 1830 can be greater than 1 / 4 wavelength.

[0120] Fig.24 yes Fig. 22 Schematic diagram of the efficiency of the second antenna. Fig.24 As shown, near the GPS frequency band (such as 1.575 GHz), the difference between the radiation efficiency of the second antenna and the total efficiency of the system is small, and the radiation efficiency of the second antenna is greater than -5 dB, with good performance. Fig.25 yes Fig. 22 Schematic diagram of the return loss of the second antenna. Fig.25 As shown, near the GPS frequency band, the return loss (S11) of the second antenna is approximately greater than -9dB and less than -4dB.

[0121] Fig.26 yes Fig. 22 Schematic diagram of the direction of the second antenna in . Fig.26 As shown, most of the energy radiation direction of the second antenna is toward the upper hemisphere, which is beneficial to the reception of GPS signals.

[0122] The electronic device of the embodiment of the present application is provided with a second antenna at the hinge position. When the user holds the electronic device in a folded state, the hinge is not easily held by the hand and can usually be exposed, and the performance of the second antenna is basically not affected by the hand holding. The embodiment of the present application helps to reduce the mutual influence between the second antenna and other antennas in the folded state, reduces the influence of the user's hand holding on the antenna performance, increases the freedom of design of foldable mobile phone antennas, and helps to improve the user's communication experience in the folded state. While ensuring the efficiency of the antenna, the embodiment of the present application uses coupled feeding branches to feed the radiating branches, avoiding the need to set up an additional antenna board near the antenna due to the absence of a main board, helping to reduce costs and internal space, and optimizing structural stacking and manufacturability.

[0123] Combination of the above Figures 1 to 26 The device embodiment of the present application is described in detail. Fig. 27 The method embodiment of the present application is described in detail. It should be understood that the description of the method embodiment corresponds to the description of the device embodiment, so the parts not described in detail can refer to the previous device embodiment.

[0124] Fig. 27 It is a flow chart of a method for controlling antenna direction provided in an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 27 The method is applied to an electronic device, which includes: a feed source; a first antenna located at a first side of the electronic device; a second antenna located on a middle frame at a rotating shaft of the electronic device; a switch circuit connected to the feed source, the first antenna, and the second antenna; when the switch circuit is in a first working state, the feed source is connected to the first antenna and disconnected from the second antenna; when the switch circuit is in a second working state, the feed source is disconnected from the first antenna and connected to the second antenna; and a control circuit connected to the switch circuit. Fig. 27 As shown, the method may mainly include steps S2710 to S2720, which are described in detail below.

[0125] It should be pointed out that the size of the serial numbers of the steps in the embodiments of the present application does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0126] In step S2710, the state of the electronic device is determined. Generally, the state of the electronic device can be determined by a built-in gesture sensor.

[0127] In step S2720, when the electronic device is in the unfolded state, the switch circuit is controlled to be in the first working state, and when the electronic device is in the folded state, the switch circuit is controlled to be in the second working state.

[0128] When the mobile phone is in the unfolded state, the first antenna works well, while the clearance of the second antenna deteriorates sharply and the performance decreases. Therefore, the second antenna should not work in the unfolded state, and the first antenna set initially can be used. When the mobile phone is in the unfolded state, the control switch circuit is in the first working state, the first antenna is turned on, and the second antenna is disconnected. The first antenna is in the working state and the second antenna is in the non-working state.

[0129] When the mobile phone is in the folded state, the first antenna is easily interfered by other antennas or affected by the user's hand, and the working state is poor. The second antenna at the hinge is exposed and the working state is good. The control switch circuit is in the second working state, disconnecting the first antenna and connecting the second antenna. The second antenna is in the working state and the first antenna is in the non-working state.

[0130] Through the above operations, different antennas are selected according to the different usage states (folded or unfolded) of the electronic device to achieve communication signal optimization in all scenarios.

[0131] Optionally, the second antenna includes a radiation branch, and the electronic device includes a feed connector, the feed connector is connected to the radiation branch, and the feed connector is connected to a feed source.

[0132] Optionally, the second antenna includes: a radiating branch for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals; a coupling feeding branch connected to a feed source, the coupling feeding branch at least partially overlapping with the radiating branch along the length direction, and the coupling feeding branch being used to feed the radiating branch in a coupled manner.

[0133] Optionally, there is a gap between the radiation branch and the coupling and feeding branch, and the coupling and feeding branch feeds the radiation branch in a capacitive coupling manner.

[0134] Optionally, the coupling feed branch is composed of metal traces on the rear shell of the electronic device, and the metal traces are any one of the following forms: flexible printed circuit board, laser printed metal molding, and printed direct molding.

[0135] Optionally, the electronic device comprises a feeding connector, which is connected to the coupling feeding branch and is connected to the feeding source.

[0136] Optionally, one end of the radiation branch is grounded through the middle frame, and the other end of the radiation branch is disconnected from the middle frame.

[0137] Optionally, the electrical length of the radiation branch is determined according to 1 / 4 wavelength of its operating frequency band.

[0138] Optionally, the second antenna is used for GPS communications.

[0139] An embodiment of the present application also provides a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being used to execute any of the methods described above.

[0140] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any other combination. When implemented by software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a machine-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one machine-readable storage medium to another machine-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website site, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (digital subscriber line, DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website site, computer, server or data center. The machine-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0141] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of the present disclosure.

[0142] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, "first", "second", etc. are used to distinguish different objects rather than to describe a specific order. The size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0143] In the several embodiments provided in the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0144] In several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that when a certain part is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another part, it means that the part can not only be "directly connected" but also "electrically connected" with another element intervening therebetween. In addition, the term "connected" also means that the part is "physically connected" and "wirelessly connected". In addition, when a certain part is said to "include" a certain element, unless otherwise stated, it means that the certain part can include another element, rather than excluding the other element.

[0145] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0146] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present disclosure may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0147] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present disclosure, which should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that: include: Feeds; A first antenna, located at a first side of the electronic device; A second antenna is located on the middle frame of the electronic device at the rotation axis; a switch circuit connected to the feed source, the first antenna and the second antenna, wherein when the switch circuit is in a first working state, the feed source is connected to the first antenna and the feed source is disconnected from the second antenna, and when the switch circuit is in a second working state, the feed source is disconnected from the first antenna and the feed source is connected to the second antenna; A control circuit is connected to the switch circuit and is used to perform the following operations: When the electronic device is in an unfolded state, the switch circuit is controlled to be in the first working state, and when the electronic device is in a folded state, the switch circuit is controlled to be in the second working state.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second antenna comprises: Radiating branches, used for sending and receiving radio frequency signals; A coupling feeding branch is connected to the feed source, the coupling feeding branch at least partially overlaps with the radiation branch along the length direction, and the coupling feeding branch is used to feed the radiation branch in a coupled manner.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, characterized in that: There is a gap between the radiation branch and the coupling and feeding branch, and the coupling and feeding branch feeds the radiation branch in a capacitive coupling manner.

4. The electronic device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The coupling feed branch is composed of a metal trace on the rear shell of the electronic device, and the metal trace is any one of the following: Flexible printed circuit boards, laser printed metal forming, print direct forming.

5. The electronic device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises: A feeding connector is connected to the coupling feeding branch, and the feeding connector is connected to the feed source.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second antenna includes a radiation branch, and the electronic device includes: A feed connector is connected to the radiation branch, and the feed connector is connected to the feed source.

7. The electronic device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that: One end of the radiation branch is grounded through the middle frame, and the other end of the radiation branch is disconnected from the middle frame.

8. The electronic device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that: The electrical length of the radiation branch is determined according to 1 / 4 wavelength of its working frequency band.

9. A method for controlling an antenna, characterized in that: Applicable to electronic equipment, the electronic equipment comprising: Feeds; A first antenna, located at a first side of the electronic device; A second antenna is located on the middle frame of the electronic device at the rotation axis; a switch circuit connected to the feed source, the first antenna and the second antenna, wherein when the switch circuit is in a first working state, the feed source is connected to the first antenna and the feed source is disconnected from the second antenna, and when the switch circuit is in a second working state, the feed source is disconnected from the first antenna and the feed source is connected to the second antenna; A control circuit connected to the switch circuit; The method comprises: determining a status of the electronic device; When the electronic device is in an unfolded state, the switch circuit is controlled to be in the first working state, and when the electronic device is in a folded state, the switch circuit is controlled to be in the second working state.

10. A non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: A computer program is stored thereon, which is used to implement the method according to claim 9 when being executed.

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