Metal frame antenna

Abstract

A signal transmission method includes: transmitting a first signal in a first frequency band between a metal frame member and a first front-end circuit, the metal frame member extending along a portion of a periphery of a device; and transmitting a second signal in a second frequency band between the metal frame member and a second front-end circuit by reactively coupling the metal frame member and a coupling element electrically connected to the second front-end circuit.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Wireless communication devices are becoming more and more popular and more and more complex. For example, mobile communication devices have evolved from simple mobile phones to smart phones with multiple communication capabilities (e.g., multiple cellular communication protocols, Wi-Fi, and other short-range communication protocols), supercomputing processors, cameras, etc. Wireless communication devices have antennas to support various functions, such as communication over a frequency range, reception of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals (also called satellite positioning signals (SPS signals)), etc.

[0002] In the case of multiple antennas arranged in a single wireless communication device, coupling between antennas may degrade performance. For example, power in a transmitted communication signal may be received and dissipated by another antenna in the device (e.g., an antenna for receiving GNSS signals, an antenna for receiving and transmitting other communication signals, etc.). As another example, power may flow between antenna systems that are very close to each other, for example, if both antenna systems use shared conductors for corresponding radiators. Summary of the invention

[0003] An example device includes: a metal frame member that extends along a portion of the periphery of the device; a first front-end circuit that is coupled to the metal frame member and is configured to perform at least one of sending a first signal in the first frequency band to the metal frame member or receiving the first signal from the metal frame member; a first ground connector that is coupled to the metal frame member and is physically and electrically connected to the first ground conductor; a coupling element that is spaced apart from the metal frame member and is configured and arranged to be reactively coupled to the metal frame member relative to the metal frame member; a second front-end circuit that is electrically connected to the coupling element and is configured to perform at least one of sending a second signal in the second frequency band to the coupling element or receiving the second signal from the coupling element; and a second ground connector that is electrically connected to the coupling element and is physically and electrically connected to a second ground conductor.

[0004] An example signal transmission method includes: transmitting a first signal in a first frequency band between a metal frame member and a first front-end circuit, the metal frame member extending along a portion of the periphery of a device; and transmitting a second signal in a second frequency band between the metal frame member and the second front-end circuit by reactance coupling the metal frame member and a coupling element electrically connected to the second front-end circuit.

[0005] Another example device includes: a unit for transmitting a first signal in a first frequency band between a metal frame member and a first front-end circuit, the metal frame member extending along a portion of the periphery of the device; and a unit for transmitting a second signal in a second frequency band between the metal frame member and the second front-end circuit by reactance coupling the metal frame member and a coupling element electrically connected to the second front-end circuit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the communication system.

[0007] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the simplified components of a mobile device is shown.

[0008] Figure 3 is a plan view of an apparatus including an antenna system.

[0009] Figure 4 is a simplified circuit diagram of an example of a metal frame antenna system of a device, wherein one of the antenna systems is capacitively coupled to the metal frame.

[0010] Figure 5 is a simplified circuit diagram of another example of a metal frame antenna system for a device in which one of the antenna systems is capacitively coupled to the metal frame.

[0011] Figure 6 is a simplified circuit diagram of another example of a metal frame antenna system of a device, wherein two of the antenna systems are capacitively coupled to the metal frame.

[0012] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 An example implementation of the apparatus shown in .

[0013] Figure 8 yes Figure 5 An example implementation of the apparatus shown in .

[0014] Fig. 9 yes Figure 6 An example implementation of the apparatus shown in .

[0015] Fig.10 yes Figure 4 An example of the apparatus shown in , showing a signal processing module and a matching circuit for each of the two antenna systems.

[0016] Fig.11 is a simplified circuit diagram of an example of two metal frame antenna systems of a device, where both antenna systems are capacitively coupled to the metal frame.

[0017] Fig.12 It is a block diagram of the signal transmission method. Summary of the invention

[0019] This article discusses techniques for signal transmission using antennas using metal frame radiators. For example, a portion of a metal frame of a device (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, etc.) is used as a radiator (for signal reception and / or signal transmission) by multiple antenna systems. The antenna system can operate on different frequency bands. The front-end circuit of at least one antenna system in the antenna system is reactance-coupled to the metal frame without being physically connected to the metal frame and the electrical conductor of the front-end circuit. For example, the front-end circuit can be electrically connected to a coupling element that is configured and arranged to reactance-couple (e.g., capacitively) to the metal frame. In one implementation, one or more other antenna systems can be electrically connected to the metal frame. In one implementation, a first antenna system can be reactance-coupled to the metal frame along a portion of the length of the metal frame, and a second antenna system is electrically connected to the metal frame at one or more points in the portion of the length of the metal frame. In an implementation, multiple antenna systems can have corresponding front-end circuits that are reactance-coupled to the metal frame. However, other configurations can also be used.

[0020] The items and / or techniques described herein may provide one or more of the following functions and other functions not mentioned. Multiple antenna systems may be provided in a device more compactly than in the prior art. Multiple antenna systems may operate on different frequency bands using a common portion of a metal frame as a radiator and with better isolation than in the prior art. Multiple antenna systems may provide a wider bandwidth than in the prior art. Other capabilities may be provided, and each implementation according to the present disclosure is not necessarily required to provide any of the capabilities discussed, let alone all of the capabilities discussed. In addition, the above effects may be achieved in ways other than those described, and the items / techniques may not necessarily produce the effects.

[0021] Reference Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes a mobile device 112, a network 114, a server 116, and access points (APs) 118, 120. The communication system 100 is a wireless communication system because the components of the communication system 100 can communicate with each other (at least some of the time) directly or indirectly using wireless connections, for example, via one or more of the network 114 and / or access points 118, 120 (and / or one or more other devices not shown, such as one or more base transceiver stations). For indirect communication, the communication can be changed during transmission from one entity to another, for example, to change the header information of the data packet, to change the format, etc. The mobile device 112 shown is a mobile wireless communication device (although they can communicate wirelessly and via a wired connection), which includes mobile phones (including smart phones), laptops, and tablets. Other mobile devices, whether currently existing or developed in the future, can also be used. In addition, other wireless devices (whether mobile or not) may be implemented within the communication system 100 and may communicate with each other and / or with the mobile device 112, the network 114, the server 116, and / or the APs 118, 120. For example, such other devices may include Internet of Things (IoT) devices, medical devices, home entertainment and / or automation devices, automotive devices, etc. The mobile device 112 or other devices may be configured to communicate in different networks and / or for different purposes (e.g., 5G, Wi-Fi communications, Wi-Fi communications at multiple frequencies, satellite communications and / or positioning, one or more types of cellular communications (e.g., GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), etc.), communication, etc.) to communicate.

[0022] Reference Figure 2 , as Figure 1The mobile device 200 of one of the examples of the mobile devices 112 shown in the figure includes a top cover 210, a display layer 220, a printed circuit board (PCB) layer 230 and a bottom cover 240. The mobile device 200 as shown can be a smart phone or a tablet computer, but the embodiments described herein are not limited to such devices (for example, in other implementations of the concepts described herein, the device can be a router or a customer premises equipment (CPE)). The top cover 210 includes a screen 214. The bottom cover 240 has a bottom surface 244. The sides 212, 242 of the top cover 210 and the bottom cover 240 provide edge surfaces. The top cover 210 and the bottom cover 240 include a housing that holds the display layer 220, the PCB layer 230 and other components of the mobile device 200, which may or may not be on the PCB layer 230. For example, the housing can hold (e.g., hold, accommodate) the antenna system, front-end circuit, intermediate frequency (IF) circuit and processor discussed below, or be integrated with the antenna system, front-end circuit, intermediate frequency circuit and processor discussed below. The housing can be substantially rectangular, with two sets of parallel edges in the illustrated embodiment, and can be configured to bend or fold. In this example, although the housing has rounded corners, the housing can be substantially rectangular with angles of other shapes (e.g., right angled (e.g., 45°) angles, 90°, other non-right angles, etc.). In addition, the size and / or shape of the PCB layer 230 may be disproportionate to the size and / or shape of any one of the top cover or bottom cover, or disproportionate to the periphery of the device. For example, the PCB layer 230 may have a cutout for receiving a battery. In addition, the PCB layer 230 may include a sandwich board and / or a PCB daughter board. The daughter board may be selected to aid in the design and / or manufacturing process, for example, to strengthen functional separation or to better utilize the space in the housing. Embodiments of the PCB layer 230 other than those illustrated may be implemented.

[0023] The limited space available in UEs (e.g., smartphones, tablets, etc.) presents challenges to antenna design. For example, with 10 or more antennas for LTE and sub-6 GHz bands in a mobile phone, there may not be additional space available for another antenna. Since antenna frequency bandwidth varies with antenna size, with small antennas typically having narrow bandwidths, it is challenging to design independent antennas to cover a wide frequency bandwidth. In addition, the mechanical stability of the UE (e.g., mobile phone) may be challenging, for example, because non-conductive (e.g., plastic) breaks in the metal frame of the UE may be required to separate the antennas, but too many breaks (e.g., to separate multiple antennas) may weaken the stability of the frame and may cause thermal issues due to the inability to dissipate heat.

[0024] Also refer to Figure 3, the device 300 includes antenna systems 310, 320, 330. The device 300 may be an example of the mobile device 200. This is an example, and other types of devices may be used and / or other numbers of antennas may be provided in the device 300. For example, the antenna system 330 may be omitted. As another example, some existing smartphones include eight (8) or more antennas, such as 11 or more antennas. Each of the antenna systems 310, 320, 330 includes a front end circuit (FEC) 312, 322, 332, an energy coupler (EC) 314, 324, 334, and a ground connector 316, 326, 336, respectively. In the example shown, the FEC 312, EC 314, and ground connector 316 of antenna system 310 are arranged along or near the right edge of device 300, and the FEC 322, 332, EC 324, 334, and ground connector 326, 336 of antenna systems 320, 330 are arranged along or near the top edge of device 300. One or more of antenna systems 310, 320, 330 may be arranged elsewhere relative to device 300. At least antenna systems 310, 320 are configured to use a portion of a metal frame 340 (e.g., stamped metal) as a transformer to transform between wired radio frequency (RF) signals and wireless RF signals. Energy couplers 314, 324, 334 are configured to transfer energy to and / or from the antenna elements of antenna systems 310, 320, 330, respectively. Antenna elements may be referred to as radiating elements even though the antenna elements are reciprocal, capable of radiating wireless signals and receiving wireless signals. Front end circuits 312, 322, 332 (also referred to as radio frequency (RF) circuits) are coupled to a transceiver 350, which is coupled to a processor 360 including a memory 362. The memory 362 may be a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium including software having processor-readable instructions configured to cause the processor 360 to perform functions (e.g., possibly after compiling the instructions). The processor 360 may be implemented as a modem or a portion thereof. One or more of the antenna systems 310, 320, 330 may include a wire-inverted-F antenna (WIFA).

[0025] The front end circuits 312, 322, 332 may be configured to provide one or more signals to be radiated by the antenna elements of the antenna systems 310, 320, 330 and / or to receive and process one or more signals received by the front end circuits 312, 322, 332 from the respective antenna elements of the antenna systems 310, 320, 330 and provided to the front end circuits 312 and 322 and 332. One or more of the front end circuits 312, 322, 332 may include respective matching circuits to facilitate transmission of signals from the FECs 312, 322, and 332 to the ECs 314, 324, and 334 and from the ECs 314, 324, and 334 to the FECs 312 and 322 and 332. The front end circuits 312, 322, 332 may be configured to process (e.g., amplify, route, filter, etc.) RF signals received from the transceiver 350 or antenna elements of the antenna systems 310, 320, 330, for example, without significantly adjusting their frequencies. In such examples, the transceiver 350 may be configured to convert the frequency of the signal between baseband and RF (e.g., a frequency used for wireless transmission or reception) in a direct conversion or heterodyne architecture.

[0026] The antenna systems 310, 320, 330 can be configured to operate at various frequencies. In some examples, the antenna systems 310, 320, 330 are configured to operate at sub-6 GHz (or sub-7 GHz) frequencies, such as in the range of 1.8 GHz-5 GHz. In some examples, the front-end circuits 312, 322, 332 can be configured to convert IF signals received from the transceiver 350 into RF (radio frequency) signals (amplified and / or phase-shifted using a power amplifier, for example, when coupled to an antenna array, as the case may be), and provide the RF signals to the antenna systems 310, 320, 330 for radiation. Similarly, the front-end circuits 312, 322, 332 can be configured to convert RF signals received by the antenna systems 310, 320, 330 into IF signals (for example, using a low noise amplifier and a mixer), and send the IF signals to the transceiver 350. In these examples, the transceiver 350 can be configured to convert IF signals received from the front end circuits 312, 322, 332 to baseband signals and provide the baseband signals to the processor 360. The transceiver 350 can be configured to convert the baseband signals provided by the processor 360 to IF signals and provide the IF signals to the front end circuits 312, 322, 332. The processor 360 is communicatively coupled to the transceiver 350, which is communicatively coupled to the front end circuits 312, 322, 332, which are communicatively coupled to the ECs 314, 324, and 334, which are communicatively coupled to the antenna elements of the antenna systems 310, 320, and 330.

[0027] Both antenna system 310 and antenna system 320 may use a portion 370 of metal frame 340 between breaks 381, 382 (e.g., an insulator such as plastic). In this way, space for providing antenna systems 310, 320 may be saved. Antenna systems 310, 320 may operate in different (e.g., non-overlapping or partially overlapping) frequency ranges (e.g., different frequency bands), for example, each frequency range corresponding to a standardized communication frequency band (e.g., LTE frequency band, 5G frequency band, WiFi frequency band, Frequency band, etc.) or standardized positioning frequency band (for example, a standardized positioning reference signal frequency band (which may be a standardized communication frequency band) or a standardized satellite positioning system frequency band such as a GPS frequency band, a GNSS frequency band, a Beidou frequency band, etc.). For example, the frequency band of the antenna system 310 may be lower than the frequency band of the antenna system 320. In an example implementation, the antenna system 310 may be configured to operate in a low frequency band (for example, B71, B12, B28, B20, B5, B8, etc.; Japanese frequency bands B11, B21, B32), and the antenna system 320 may be configured to operate in a GNSS frequency (for example, L1 / L2 / L5). In another example implementation, the antenna system 310 may be configured to operate in a mid-to-high frequency band (for example, B1, B2, B3, B7, B40, B41, etc.), and the antenna system 320 may be configured to operate in a sub-6 GHz frequency (for example, N77 / N78 / N79). In another example implementation, antenna system 310 may be configured to operate in a low-mid-high frequency band (e.g., B1, B2, B3, B5, B7, B8, B12, B20, B28, B40, B41, etc.), antenna system 320 may be configured to operate in a GNSS frequency (e.g., L1 / L2 / L5), and antenna system 330 may be configured to operate in a sub-6 GHz frequency (e.g., N77 / N78 / N79). The operating frequency band of antenna system 310 may be close to the operating frequency band of antenna system 320, for example, within 1.5 GHz of the operating frequency band of antenna system 320. Antenna system 330 may use a portion of metal frame 340 between fracture 381 and fracture 383 as an antenna element for transforming RF signals.

[0028] One or more of the energy couplers 314, 324 may be configured to reduce coupling between the FEC 312 and the FEC 322. For example, as discussed further below, the energy coupler 324 may include a conductive coupling element configured and arranged to be closely coupled to a portion 370 of the metal frame 340. The coupling element may, for example, be reactively coupled to the metal frame 340, for example, being a conductive plate configured (e.g., longer than 0.1 wavelengths) and arranged (e.g., less than 0.01 wavelengths) from the portion 370 of the metal frame 340 to capacitively couple to the metal frame 340. The FECs 312, 322 may be independently coupled to the transceiver 350, and the ground connectors 316, 326 may be independently physically and electrically connected to respective ground planes (via respective conductive lines) or respective portions of a common ground plane. Thus, the lines 313, 323 connecting the FEC 312, 322 to the transceiver 350 are not electrically coupled to each other, and the ground connectors 316, 326 are not electrically coupled to each other except through a common ground plane (if the ground connectors 316, 326 are connected to a common ground plane). The antenna systems 310, 320 (and possibly 330) can be compact, using the same portion of the metal frame 340 for the antenna systems 310 and 320. The antenna systems 310, 320 can provide a wide bandwidth, for example, four to five times greater bandwidth than previous antenna systems. The antenna systems 310, 320 can be easily tuned, for example, due to having independent connections to the FEC (including independent matching circuits) and ground. The antenna systems 310, 320 can provide flexibility regarding the location of the antenna systems 310 and 320 in a device (e.g., a UE such as a smartphone or tablet). The antenna systems 310, 320 can provide wide bandwidth operation and / or operation in a variety of frequency ranges.

[0029] Many implementation examples of antenna systems 310, 320, 330 are possible. Different implementations may be used depending on, for example, one or more desired performance characteristics and / or one or more design constraints (e.g., one or more antenna system locations). For example, energy coupler 314 of antenna system 310 may electrically couple portion 370 of metal frame 340 to FEC 312 and to ground connector 316, and energy coupler 324 may reactively (e.g., capacitively) couple to portion 370 of metal frame 340 and electrically connect to FEC 322 and ground connector 326, wherein energy couplers 314, 324 are coupled to different portions of portion 370 of metal frame 340 (here, along different edges of device 300 (e.g., see Figure 4, where the portion 435 of the metal frame 430 used by the antennas 410, 420 extends along the side edges and top edge of the device 400)). As another example, such an energy coupler can be coupled to the same portion of the portion 370 of the metal frame 340 (e.g., see Figure 5 and Figure 8 As another example, multiple energy couplers may be reactively coupled to portion 370 of metal frame 340, e.g., along different edges of the device, e.g., with one such energy coupler coupled to the same portion of metal frame 340 as energy coupler 314 (e.g., see Figure 6 and 9 As another example, the energy coupler 314 can be reactively coupled to the portion 370 of the metal frame.

[0030] Also refer to Figure 4 , part of which is in Figure 4 The wireless signal transmission device 400 (e.g., UE) shown in FIG. 4 includes antenna systems 410 and 420, which are examples of antenna systems 310 and 320. Antenna systems 410 and 420 each use a portion 435 of a metal frame 430 of the device 400, between breaks 431 and 432 (e.g., insulators) in the metal frame 430. Antenna system 410 includes an FEC 412 electrically connected to portion 435 of the metal frame 430 by an electrical conductor (here, a conductive line 413), and a ground connector 414 electrically connected to portion 435 of the metal frame 430 and to a ground conductor 440 (e.g., a PCB ground plane). Conductive line 413 (and optional ground connector 414) may include a component of an energy coupler (e.g., an implementation of energy coupler 314). Antenna system 420 includes FEC 422 electrically connected to coupling element 425 via an electrical conductor, here conductive line 423, and ground connector 424 electrically connected to coupling element 425 and to ground conductor 450 (e.g., ground conductor 440 or another ground). Conductive line 423, optional ground connector 424, and coupling element 425 may comprise components of an energy coupler (e.g., an implementation of energy coupler 324).

[0031] The coupling element 425 is configured and arranged to be reactively coupled to the metal frame 430. In this example, the coupling element 425 is a conductive plate that is sized relative to the metal frame 430 and arranged to capacitively couple to the metal frame 430. For example, the coupling element 425 can be made of stamped metal. The coupling element 425 can be displaced from the metal frame 430 by a sufficient distance to provide at least some isolation between the FEC 422 and the FEC 412, and is arranged close enough to the metal frame 430 to provide capacitive coupling with the metal frame 430. For example, the coupling element 425 can be displaced from the metal frame by a distance 460 that is less than about 0.01 wavelengths of the center frequency that is configured to be processed by the FEC 422. The distance 460 can be, for example, about 1 / 300 of the wavelength of the center frequency. For example, for a frequency of about 2 GHz, with a corresponding wavelength of about 150 mm, the distance 460 can be about 0.5 mm or less. The coupling element 425 can have a length 470 to facilitate coupling energy to / from the metal frame 430 at the operating frequency of the FEC 422. For example, the length 470 can be between about 0.1 wavelengths and about 0.2 wavelengths of the center frequency of the FEC 422. For a center frequency of about 2 GHz, the length 470 can be about 22.5 mm. The conductive wire 423 and the ground conductor 424 can be separated by a distance 462 of about 0.01-0.02 wavelengths, for example, between about 2 mm and about 3 mm for a frequency of about 2 GHz. The distance 462 can vary with the length 470, with a larger distance 462 corresponding to a longer length 470.

[0032] Also refer to Figure 7 , a portion of the wireless signal transmission device 700 is an example implementation of the wireless signal transmission device 400. The device 700 includes a metal frame 730, a conductive line 723, a ground connector 724, and a coupling element 725 (as part of an antenna system (as an implementation of the antenna system 420)), and a conductive line 713 and a ground connector 714 (as part of another antenna system (as an implementation of the antenna system 410)). The conductive line 713 electrically connects the metal frame 730 to a front-end circuit (not shown), and the ground connector 714 electrically connects the metal frame 730 to a ground conductor 740 (which can be referred to as a ground plane). The conductive line 723 electrically connects the coupling element 725 to the front-end circuit (not shown), and the ground connector 724 electrically connects the coupling element 725 to the ground plane, in this example, to the ground conductor 740. The coupling element 725 can be arranged and configured to capacitively couple to the metal frame 730 as in this example.

[0033] Also refer to Figure 5 , part of which is in Figure 5The wireless signal transmission device 500 (e.g., UE) shown in FIG. 5 includes antenna systems 510, 520, which are examples of antenna systems 310, 320. Although the antenna systems 510, 520 are each coupled to the same portion of a metal frame 530 of the device 500 between breaks 531, 532 (e.g., insulators) in the metal frame 530, the antenna systems may be coupled to different amounts in the metal frame 530. The antenna system 510 includes an FEC 512 electrically connected to the metal frame 530 through a conductive line 513, and a ground connector 514 electrically connected to the metal frame 530 and to a ground conductor 540 (e.g., a PCB ground plane). The antenna system 520 includes an FEC 522 electrically connected to a coupling element 525 through a conductive line 523, and a ground connector 524 electrically connected to the coupling element 525 and to a ground conductor 550 (e.g., the ground conductor 540 or another ground). Conductive line 513 (and optional ground connector 514) may comprise components of an energy coupler (e.g., an implementation of energy coupler 314). Conductive line 523, optional ground connector 524, and coupling element 525 may comprise components of an energy coupler (e.g., an implementation of energy coupler 324).

[0034] Also refer to Figure 8 , a portion of the wireless signal transmission device 800 is an example implementation of the wireless signal transmission device 400. The device 800 includes a metal frame 830, a conductive line 823, a ground connector 824, and a coupling element 825 as part of an antenna system (as an implementation of the antenna system 520), and a conductive line 813 and a ground connector 814 as part of another antenna system (as an implementation of the antenna system 510). The conductive line 813 electrically connects the metal frame 830 to a front-end circuit (not shown), and the ground connector 814 electrically connects the metal frame 830 to a ground conductor 840. The conductive line 823 electrically connects the coupling element 825 to the front-end circuit (not shown), and the ground connector 824 electrically connects the coupling element 825 to a ground plane, in this example, to the ground conductor 840. The coupling element 825 can be arranged and configured to capacitively couple to the metal frame 830 as in this example.

[0035] Also refer to Figure 6 , part of which is in Figure 6The wireless signal transmission device 600 (e.g., UE) shown in FIG. 6 includes antenna systems 610, 620, 630, which are examples of antenna systems 310, 320. Although each of the antenna systems 610, 620, 630 is coupled to the same portion of a metal frame 670 of the device 600 between breaks 641, 642 (e.g., insulators) in the metal frame 670, the antenna systems may be coupled to different amounts of the metal frame 670. The antenna system 610 includes an FEC 612 electrically connected to the metal frame 670 through a conductive line 613, and a ground connector 614 electrically connected to the metal frame 670 and to a ground conductor 640 (e.g., a PCB ground plane). Antenna system 620 includes FEC 622 electrically connected to coupling element 625 via conductive line 623, and ground connector 624 electrically connected to coupling element 625 and to ground conductor 650 (e.g., ground conductor 640 or another ground). Antenna system 630 includes FEC 632 electrically connected to coupling element 635 via conductive line 633, and ground connector 634 electrically connected to coupling element 635 and to ground conductor 660 (e.g., ground conductor 640 or another ground). Coupling element 635 (e.g., similar to coupling element 625) is configured and arranged to be reactively coupled to metal frame 670. Conductive line 613 (and optional ground connector 614) may include components of an energy coupler (e.g., an implementation of energy coupler 314). Conductive line 623, optional ground connector 624, and coupling element 625 may include components of an energy coupler (e.g., an implementation of energy coupler 324). Conductive line 633 , optional ground connector 634 , and coupling element 635 may comprise components of an energy coupler (eg, an implementation of energy coupler 324 ).

[0036] Also refer to Fig. 9, a portion of the wireless signal transmission device 900 is an example implementation of the wireless signal transmission device 600. The device 900 includes a metal frame 930, a conductive line 923, a ground connector 924, and a coupling element 925 (as part of an antenna system (as an implementation of the antenna system 620)), a conductive line 913 and a ground connector 914 (as part of another antenna system (as an implementation of the antenna system 610)), and a conductive line 933, a ground connector 934, and a coupling element 935 (as part of another antenna system (as an implementation of the antenna system 630)). The conductive line 913 electrically connects the metal frame 930 to a front-end circuit (not shown), and the ground connector 914 electrically connects the metal frame 930 to a ground conductor 940. The conductive line 923 electrically connects the coupling element 925 to a front-end circuit (not shown), and the ground connector 924 electrically connects the coupling element 925 to a ground plane, in this example, to the ground conductor 940. The coupling element 925 may be arranged and configured as in this example to capacitively couple to the metal frame 930. Conductive wire 933 electrically connects the coupling element 935 to the front end circuit (not shown), and ground connector 934 electrically connects the coupling element 935 to a ground plane, in this example, to a ground conductor 940. The coupling element 935 may be arranged and configured as in this example to capacitively couple to the metal frame 930.

[0037] Other implementations may also be used. For example, one implementation may include an antenna system similar to antenna systems 410, 420, but the antenna system is arranged at the bottom of the UE instead of the top of the UE (e.g., as in Figure 4 ), or arranged along more than two edges. Different portions of the UE may present different electrical environments and / or different mechanical challenges for placing antenna systems. As another example, an implementation may include antenna systems similar to antenna systems 410, 420, but the antenna systems are arranged along the same edge (e.g., side edge) of the UE rather than along the same edge (e.g., side edge) as in Figure 4 2 are shown to be arranged along different edges of the UE. Still other implementations are possible.

[0038] The antenna systems of various implementations may be used for various purposes and may be used in various frequency bands. Various implementations may have one or more performance characteristics that are better than other antenna system configurations and / or may have a better phone space utilization factor than other antenna system configurations. For example, various implementations may provide a better performance than other antenna system configurations. Figure 4 An improvement on an existing design such as the device 400 shown in FIG. 1 , but utilizing two antenna systems configured like antenna system 410 (with direct electrical connections from the FEC and ground to the metal frame), or utilizing a plurality of antenna systems configured like in FIG. Figure 3 , wherein the two antenna systems are configured like antenna system 410. These existing designs can be used for LB and GNSS signaling, with a phone space utilization factor of approximately 50% and 25%, respectively, and a bandwidth of approximately 0.8 GHz. The implementation discussed herein may provide one or more improvements thereto. For example, antenna system 410 may be used for LB (low band) and JPB (Japan band) signaling, and antenna system 420 may be used for GNSS signaling, the combination may have a phone space utilization factor of approximately 25% and a bandwidth of approximately 0.9 GHz (LB, JPB, and GNSS). As another example, using a configuration similar to device 400 but with antenna systems 410 and 420 arranged at the bottom of the device, antenna system 410 may be used for LB signaling, and antenna system 420 may be used for GNSS signaling, the combination may have a phone space utilization factor of approximately 25% and a bandwidth of approximately 0.8 GHz. As another example, antenna system 510 can be used for MHB (medium and high band) signaling, antenna system 520 can be used for sub-6 GHz signaling, and the combination can have a phone space utilization factor of about 12% and a bandwidth of about 3.7 GHz. As another example, antenna system 610 can be used for LMHB (low, medium and high band) signaling, antenna system 620 can be used for GNSS signaling, and antenna system 630 can be used for sub-6 GHz signaling, and the combination can have a phone space utilization factor of about 12% and a bandwidth of about 3.7 GHz. LB frequencies include B71, B12, B28, B20, B5, B8, etc. JPB frequencies include B11, B21, B32. GNSS frequencies include L1, L2, L5. MHB frequencies include B1, B2, B3, B7, B40, B41, etc. Sub-6 GHz frequencies include N77, N78, N79. LMHB frequencies include B1, B2, B3, B5, B7, B8, B12, B20, B28, B40, B41, etc.

[0039] Reference Fig.10 , see further Figure 4, device 1000 is an example of device 400, and includes antenna systems 1010, 1020 configured similarly to antenna systems 410, 420. Antenna systems 1010, 1020 include FECs 1030, 1040, respectively, and FECs 1030, 1040 include signal processing modules 1032, 1042 and matching circuits 1034, 1044, respectively. Matching circuits 1034, 1044 provide independent matching impedances for different antenna systems 1010, 1020, and thus present separate impedances to radiators (e.g., a portion 1050 of a metal frame 1060 of device 1000) for antenna systems 1010 and 1020. The respective matching circuits 1034, 1044 can be customized for the respective antenna systems 1010, 1020 to provide good return loss (e.g., better than 5 dB, better than 10 dB, or more) at the operating frequencies of the antenna systems 1010 and 1020, and good isolation (e.g., better than 5 dB, better than 10 dB, or more) between the antenna systems 1010, 1020. By having the coupling element 1046 reactively coupled to the metal frame 1060, but not physically connected by electrical conductors, the antenna systems 1010, 1020 are isolated from each other and can be operated simultaneously, each with acceptable performance (e.g., able to effectively transmit signals and / or able to effectively receive and process (e.g., decode, measure, etc.) signals).

[0040] Reference Fig.11 , see further Figure 4 , the device 1100 includes antenna systems 1110, 1120, which are examples of antenna systems 310, 320. In this example, the two antenna systems 1110, 1120 are configured similarly to the antenna system 420, including respective coupling elements 1115, 1125 configured and arranged to capacitively couple to a portion 1135 of the metal frame 1130 between the breaks 1131, 1132. The coupling elements 1115, 1125 are electrically connected to the FECs 1112, 1122 and to the grounds 1140, 1150, respectively.

[0041] Reference Fig.12 , see further Figure 3-6 , 10 and 11, a block diagram of a signal transmission method 1200 includes the stages shown. However, the method 1200 is an example and not a limitation. The method 1200 can be changed (for example, by causing one or more stages to be added, removed, rearranged, combined, performed simultaneously, and / or causing a single stage to be split into multiple stages).

[0042] At stage 1210, method 1200 includes transmitting a first signal in a first frequency band between a metal frame member and a first front-end circuit, the metal frame member extending along a portion of a periphery of the device. For example, one or more signals may be sent from FEC 312 to a portion 370 of metal frame 340 via energy coupler 314, and / or one or more signals may be received by FEC 312 from a portion 370 of metal frame 340 via energy coupler 314. Antenna system 310 (e.g., FEC 312, energy coupler 314, and portion 370 of metal frame 340) may include means for transmitting the first signal between the metal frame member and the first front-end circuit.

[0043] At stage 1220, method 1200 includes transmitting a second signal in a second frequency band between the metal frame member and the second front end circuit by reactively coupling the metal frame member and a coupling element electrically connected to the second front end circuit. For example, one or more signals may be sent from FEC 322 to portion 370 of metal frame 340 via energy coupler 324, and / or one or more signals may be received by FEC 322 from portion 370 of metal frame 340 via energy coupler 324. Antenna system 320 (e.g., FEC 322, energy coupler 324, and portion 370 of metal frame 340) may include means for transmitting the second signal between the metal frame member and the second front end circuit.

[0044] Implementations of method 1200 may include one or more of the following features. In an example implementation, transmitting a second signal includes capacitively coupling a metal frame member and a coupling element. For example, one or more signals may be sent from FEC 422 to portion 435 of metal frame 430 via conductive line 423 and coupling element 425 (which is capacitively coupled to metal frame 430), and / or one or more signals may be received by FEC 422 from portion 435 of metal frame 430 via coupling element 425 and conductive line 423. As another example, one or more signals may be sent from FEC 522 to metal frame 530 via conductive line 523 and coupling element 525 (which is capacitively coupled to metal frame 530), and / or one or more signals may be received by FEC 522 from metal frame 530 via coupling element 525 and conductive line 523. As another example, one or more signals may be sent from the FEC 622 to the metal frame 670 via the conductive line 623 and the coupling element 625 (which is capacitively coupled to the metal frame 670), and / or one or more signals may be received by the FEC 622 from the metal frame 670 via the coupling element 625 and the conductive line 623. The coupling elements 425, 525, 625 and the metal frames 430, 530, 670 may include units for capacitively coupling metal frame members and coupling elements, respectively.

[0045] Additionally or alternatively, implementations of method 1200 may include one or more of the following features. In an example implementation, transmitting the first signal includes transmitting the first signal through an electrical connection between the metal frame member and the first front-end circuit. For example, one or more signals may be sent from FEC 412 to a portion 435 of metal frame 430 via conductive line 413, and / or one or more signals may be received by FEC 412 from a portion 435 of metal frame 430 via conductive line 413. Conductive line 413 may include a unit for transmitting the first signal through an electrical connection. In another example implementation, the coupling element is a first coupling element, and transmitting the first signal includes capacitively coupling the metal frame member and a second coupling element electrically connected to the first front-end circuit. For example, the first coupling element may be coupling element 1125, and one or more signals may be sent from FEC 1112 to a portion 1135 of metal frame 1130 via coupling element 1115 (which is capacitively coupled to metal frame 1130) and the conductive line, and / or one or more signals may be received by FEC 1112 from a portion 1135 of metal frame 1130 via coupling element 1115 and the conductive line. Coupling element 1115 and metal frame 1130 may include a unit for capacitively coupling a second coupling element and a metal frame member. As another example, the first coupling element may be coupling element 625, and one or more signals may be sent from FEC 632 to metal frame 670 via coupling element 635 (which is capacitively coupled to metal frame 670) and conductive line 633, and / or one or more signals may be received by FEC 632 from metal frame 670 via coupling element 635 and conductive line 633. The coupling element 635 and the metal frame 670 may include a unit for capacitively coupling the second coupling element and the metal frame member.

[0046] Implementation example

[0047] Examples of implementations are provided in the numbered clauses below.

[0048] Clause 1. A device comprising:

[0049] a metal frame member extending along a portion of the periphery of the device;

[0050] a first front-end circuit coupled to the metal frame member and configured to at least one of transmit a first signal in a first frequency band to the metal frame member or receive the first signal from the metal frame member;

[0051] a first ground connector coupled to the metal frame member and physically and electrically connected to a first ground conductor;

[0052] a coupling element spaced from and configured relative to the metal frame member and arranged to reactively couple to the metal frame member;

[0053] a second front-end circuit electrically connected to the coupling element and configured to at least one of transmit a second signal in a second frequency band to the coupling element or receive the second signal from the coupling element; and

[0054] A second ground connector is electrically connected to the coupling element and is physically and electrically connected to a second ground conductor.

[0055] Clause 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coupling element comprises an electrical conductor configured relative to the metal frame member and arranged to capacitively couple to the metal frame member.

[0056] Clause 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the coupling element is separated from the metal frame member by less than 0.01 wavelengths of the second signal along the first portion of the metal frame member.

[0057] Clause 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, for lengths between 0.1 wavelengths of the second signal and 0.2 wavelengths of the second signal, the coupling element is separated from the first portion of the metal frame member by less than 0.01 wavelengths of the second signal.

[0058] Clause 5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first front end circuit is electrically connected to the first portion of the metal frame member.

[0059] Clause 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coupling element is a first coupling element, the apparatus further comprising:

[0060] a second coupling element spaced apart from a second portion of the metal frame member, the second portion of the metal frame member being spaced apart from the first portion of the metal frame member and configured and arranged relative to the second portion of the metal frame member to reactively couple to the metal frame member;

[0061] A third front-end circuit electrically connected to the second coupling element and configured to process a third signal; and

[0062] A third ground connector is electrically connected to the second coupling element and is physically and electrically connected to a third ground conductor.

[0063] Clause 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first front end circuit and the first ground connector are electrically connected to the metal frame member.

[0064] Clause 8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

[0065] a first energy coupler connector electrically connecting the first front end circuit to the metal frame member; and

[0066] a second energy coupler connector physically separated from the first energy coupler connector, the second energy coupler connector electrically connecting the second front end circuit to the coupling element;

[0067] wherein the first grounding connector electrically connects the metal frame member to the first grounding conductor; and

[0068] The second ground connector is physically separated from the first ground connector and electrically connects the coupling element to the second ground conductor.

[0069] Clause 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first ground conductor is the second ground conductor.

[0070] Clause 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the metal frame member extends along at least a portion of two different edges of the device.

[0071] Clause 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are non-overlapping frequency bands, and wherein:

[0072] The first frequency band is a standardized first communication frequency band or a standardized first positioning frequency band, and

[0073] The second frequency band is a standardized second communication frequency band or a standardized second positioning frequency band.

[0074] Clause 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first front-end circuit comprises a first matching circuit that provides a first matching impedance, and the second front-end circuit comprises a second matching circuit that provides a second matching impedance that is independent of the first matching impedance.

[0075] Clause 13. A signal transmission method comprising:

[0076] transmitting a first signal in a first frequency band between a metal frame member and a first front end circuit, the metal frame member extending along a portion of a periphery of the device; and

[0077] A second signal in a second frequency band is transmitted between the metal frame member and the second front end circuit by reactively coupling the metal frame member and a coupling element electrically connected to the second front end circuit.

[0078] Clause 14. The signal transmission method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the second signal comprises capacitively coupling the metal frame member and the coupling element.

[0079] Clause 15. The signal transmission method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the first signal comprises transmitting the first signal through an electrical connection between the metal frame member and the first front-end circuit.

[0080] Clause 16. The signal transmission method of claim 13, wherein the coupling element is a first coupling element, and wherein transmitting the first signal comprises capacitively coupling the metal frame member and a second coupling element electrically connected to the first front end circuit.

[0081] Clause 17. A device comprising:

[0082] means for transmitting a first signal in a first frequency band between a metal frame member and a first front end circuit, the metal frame member extending along a portion of a periphery of the device; and

[0083] means for transmitting a second signal in a second frequency band between the metal frame member and the second front end circuit by reactively coupling the metal frame member and a coupling element electrically connected to the second front end circuit.

[0084] Clause 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein means for transmitting the second signal comprises means for capacitively coupling the metal frame member and the coupling element.

[0085] Clause 19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein means for transmitting the first signal comprises means for transmitting the first signal through an electrical connection between the metal frame member and the first front end circuit.

[0086] Clause 20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the coupling element is a first coupling element, and wherein the means for transmitting the first signal comprises means for capacitively coupling the metal frame member and a second coupling element electrically connected to the first front end circuit.

[0087] Other considerations

[0088] Other examples and implementations are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, configurations other than those shown may be used. Furthermore, due to the nature of software and computers, the functions described above may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or any combination of these. Features that implement the functions may also be physically located in a variety of locations, including being distributed so that portions of the functions are implemented in different physical locations.

[0089] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" also include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the terms "comprises", "comprising", "includes" and / or "including" specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof.

[0090] Furthermore, as used herein, "or" as used in a list of items (possibly ending with "at least one of", or ending with "one or more of") represents a disjunctive list, for example, a list of "at least one of A, B, or C", or a list of "one or more of A, B, or C", or a list of "A or B or C" represents A, or B, or C, or AB (A and B), or AC (A and C), or BC (B and C), or ABC (i.e., A, B, and C), or a combination having more than one feature (e.g., AA, AAB, ABBC, etc.). Thus, a statement that an item (e.g., a processor) is configured to perform a function with respect to at least one of A or B, or a statement that an item is configured to perform function A or function B means that the item can be configured to perform the function with respect to A, or can be configured to perform the function with respect to B, or can be configured to perform the functions with respect to both A and B. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to measure at least one of A or B" or "a processor configured to measure A or measure B" means that the processor may be configured to measure A (and may or may not be configured to measure B), or may be configured to measure B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or may be set to measure A and measure B (and may be configured to select which one or both of A and B to measure). Similarly, a statement of a unit for measuring at least one of A or B includes a unit for measuring A (which may or may not be able to measure B), a unit for measuring B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or a unit for measuring A and B (which may select which one or both of A and B to measure). As another example, a statement that an item (e.g., a processor) is configured to perform at least one of function X or to perform function Y means that the item may be configured to perform function X, or may be configured to perform function Y, or may be configured to perform function X and configured to perform function Y. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to perform at least one of measuring X or measuring Y" means: the processor may be configured to measure X (and may or may not be configured to measure Y), or may be configured to measure Y (and may or may not be configured to measure X), or may be configured to measure X and measure Y (and may be configured to select which one or both of X and Y to measure).

[0091] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, a statement that a function or operation is "based on" a term or condition means that the function or operation is based on the term or condition and may be based on one or more terms and / or conditions other than the term and condition.

[0092] Substantial changes may be made according to specific requirements. For example, customized hardware may also be used, and / or specific elements may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor (including portable software, such as applets, etc.), or both. In addition, connections to other computing devices such as network input / output devices may be used. Unless otherwise indicated, the functional components or other components shown in the drawings and / or discussed herein that are connected or communicated with each other are communicatively coupled. That is, they may be connected directly or indirectly to enable communication between them.

[0093] The systems and devices discussed above are examples. Various configurations may omit, replace, or add various processes or components as appropriate. For example, features described with respect to certain configurations may be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of configurations may be combined in a similar manner. In addition, technology is developing, and therefore, many elements are examples and do not limit the scope of this disclosure or claims.

[0094] A wireless communication system is a system that transmits communications wirelessly (i.e., by electromagnetic waves and / or sound waves propagating through air space (rather than through conductive wires or other physical connections)) between wireless communication devices (also called wireless communication devices). A wireless communication system (also called a wireless communication system, a wireless communication network, or a wireless communication network) may not have all communications sent wirelessly, but may be configured to have at least some communications sent wirelessly. In addition, the term "wireless communication device" or similar terms does not require that the function of the device is exclusively or even primarily used for communication, or that communications using the wireless communication device are exclusively or even primarily wireless, or that the device is a mobile device, but indicates that the device includes wireless communication capabilities (one-way or two-way), for example, including at least one radio unit for wireless communication (each radio unit is part of a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver).

[0095] Specific details are given in the specification to provide a comprehensive understanding of example configurations (including implementations). However, each configuration can be implemented without these specific details. For example, in order to avoid confusing the configuration, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures and techniques have been shown without unnecessary details. This specification provides example configurations and does not limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the claims. Instead, the previous description of the configuration provides a description for implementing the described technology. Various changes can be made to the function and arrangement of each element.

[0096] As used herein, the terms "processor-readable medium," "machine-readable medium," and "computer-readable medium" refer to any medium that participates in providing data for causing a machine to operate in a particular manner. Using a computing platform, various processor-readable media may participate in providing instructions / code to a processor for execution and / or may be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code (e.g., as signals). In many implementations, processor-readable media are physical and / or tangible storage media. Such media may take a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical disks and / or magnetic disks. Volatile media include, but are not limited to, dynamic memory.

[0097] After describing several example configurations, various modifications, alternative structures and equivalents can be used. For example, the above elements can be components of a larger system, wherein other rules can take precedence over or otherwise modify the application of the present disclosure. In addition, several operations can be performed before, during or after considering the above elements. Therefore, the above description does not restrict the scope of the claims.

[0098] Unless otherwise indicated, as used herein, "about" and / or "approximately" shall mean that a measurable value (such as an amount, duration, etc.) includes variations of ±20% or ±10%, ±5% or ±0.1% from the specified value (as appropriate in the context of the systems, devices, circuits, methods, and other implementations described herein). Unless otherwise indicated, as used herein, "substantially" shall mean that a measurable value (such as an amount, duration, physical property (such as frequency), etc.) also includes variations of ±20% or ±10%, ±5% or ±0.1% from the specified value (as appropriate in the context of the systems, devices, circuits, methods, and other implementations described herein).

[0099] A statement that a value exceeds (or is greater than or above) a first threshold is equivalent to a statement that the value meets or exceeds a second threshold that is slightly greater than the first threshold, e.g., at the resolution of the computing system, the second threshold is one value higher than the first threshold. A statement that a value is less than (or is at or below) a first threshold is equivalent to a statement that the value is less than or equal to a second threshold that is slightly less than the first threshold, e.g., at the resolution of the computing system, the second threshold is one value lower than the first threshold.

Claims

1. A device comprising: a metal frame member extending along a portion of the periphery of the device; a first front-end circuit coupled to the metal frame member and configured to at least one of transmit a first signal in a first frequency band to the metal frame member or receive the first signal from the metal frame member; a first ground connector coupled to the metal frame member and physically and electrically connected to a first ground conductor; a coupling element spaced from the metal frame member and configured relative to the metal frame member and arranged to reactively couple to the metal frame member; a second front-end circuit electrically connected to the coupling element and configured to at least one of transmit a second signal in a second frequency band to the coupling element or receive the second signal from the coupling element; as well as A second ground connector is electrically connected to the coupling element and is physically and electrically connected to the second ground conductor.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The coupling element includes an electrical conductor configured relative to the metal frame member and arranged to capacitively couple to the metal frame member.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein: The coupling element is spaced apart from the metal frame member along a first portion of the metal frame member by less than 0.01 wavelengths of the second signal.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein: For lengths between 0.1 wavelengths of the second signal and 0.2 wavelengths of the second signal, the coupling element is separated from the first portion of the metal frame member by less than 0.01 wavelengths of the second signal.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein: The first front end circuit is electrically connected to the first portion of the metal frame member.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The coupling element is a first coupling element and is spaced apart from the first portion of the metal frame member to reactively couple to the first portion of the metal frame member, the apparatus further comprising: a second coupling element spaced apart from a second portion of the metal frame member, the second portion of the metal frame member being spaced apart from the first portion of the metal frame member and configured and arranged relative to the second portion of the metal frame member to reactively couple to the metal frame member; a third front-end circuit electrically connected to the second coupling element and configured to process a third signal; and A third ground connector is electrically connected to the second coupling element and is physically and electrically connected to a third ground conductor.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The first front end circuit and the first ground connector are electrically connected to the metal frame member.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a first energy coupler connector electrically connecting the first front end circuit to the metal frame member; as well as a second energy coupler connector physically separated from the first energy coupler connector, the second energy coupler connector electrically connecting the second front end circuit to the coupling element; wherein the first grounding connector electrically connects the metal frame member to the first grounding conductor; and The second ground connector is physically separated from the first ground connector and electrically connects the coupling element to the second ground conductor.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The first ground conductor is the second ground conductor.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The metal frame members extend along at least a portion of two different edges of the device.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The first frequency band and the second frequency band are non-overlapping frequency bands, and wherein: The first frequency band is a standardized first communication frequency band or a standardized first positioning frequency band, and The second frequency band is a standardized second communication frequency band or a standardized second positioning frequency band.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The first front-end circuit includes a first matching circuit providing a first matching impedance, and the second front-end circuit includes a second matching circuit providing a second matching impedance independent of the first matching impedance.

13. A signal transmission method, comprising: transmitting a first signal in a first frequency band between a metal frame member and a first front end circuit, the metal frame member extending along a portion of a periphery of the device; as well as A second signal in a second frequency band is transmitted between the metal frame member and the second front end circuit by reactively coupling the metal frame member and a coupling element electrically connected to the second front end circuit.

14. The signal transmission method according to claim 13, wherein: Transmitting the second signal includes capacitively coupling the metal frame member and the coupling element.

15. The signal transmission method according to claim 13, wherein: Transmitting the first signal includes transmitting the first signal through an electrical connection between the metal frame member and the first front end circuit.

16. The signal transmission method according to claim 13, wherein: The coupling element is a first coupling element, and wherein transmitting the first signal includes capacitively coupling the metal frame member and a second coupling element electrically connected to the first front end circuit.

17. An apparatus comprising: means for transmitting a first signal in a first frequency band between a metal frame member and a first front end circuit, the metal frame member extending along a portion of a periphery of the device; as well as means for transmitting a second signal in a second frequency band between the metal frame member and the second front end circuit by reactively coupling the metal frame member and a coupling element electrically connected to the second front end circuit.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein: The means for transmitting the second signal includes means for capacitively coupling the metal frame member and the coupling element.

19. The device according to claim 17, wherein: The means for transmitting the first signal includes means for transmitting the first signal through an electrical connection between the metal frame member and the first front end circuit.

20. The device according to claim 17, wherein: The coupling element is a first coupling element, and wherein the means for transmitting the first signal includes means for capacitively coupling the metal frame member and a second coupling element electrically connected to the first front end circuit.

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