Antenna system and foldable electronic equipment
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202380076244.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-11-11
- Filing Date
- 2023-08-22
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-24
AI Technical Summary
The environment of the antenna radiator of foldable electronic devices is different in the unfolded and closed states, which affects the radiation performance. It is difficult for the existing technology to maintain good wireless communication performance in both states.
Through the setting of the distributed antenna radiator and the signal tuning processing on the link far away from the feed radiator, the tuning module is used to tune the phase, amplitude and power of the signal of the longer link, so that the signal input to the second radiator meets the The expected setting ensures the superposition of the radiator fields in the unfolded state and the current distribution in the closed state is in the same direction to avoid gap modes.
It can provide better radiation performance in both expanded and closed states, improving the quality of wireless communication, and through the use of power adjustment and coupling modules, it ensures the performance consistency of the radiator in different states.
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Figure CN120202593A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Antenna system and foldable electronic device
[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on November 11, 2022, with application number 202211413909.0 and invention name “An Antenna System and Foldable Electronic Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field
[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of electronic devices, and in particular to an antenna system and a foldable electronic device. Background Art
[0003] Foldable electronic devices may be equipped with an antenna system to support wireless communication functions of the foldable electronic device. The antenna system may include an antenna radiator for converting electrical signals into electromagnetic waves.
[0004] Since foldable electronic devices may be in an unfolded or closed state during use, the environment around the antenna radiator is different in the unfolded and closed states. For example, in the unfolded state, the space around the antenna radiator is relatively open, and the corresponding antenna system can have better radiation performance. For another example, in the closed state, the antenna radiator may be closer to components with higher losses, such as the folding screen of the foldable device, which means that the space around the antenna radiator is poor, thus affecting the corresponding radiation performance.
[0005] In order to meet the wireless communication needs in different scenarios, the antenna system in foldable electronic devices needs to provide good radiation performance in both the unfolded and closed states.
[0006] Summary of the Invention
[0007] An embodiment of the present application provides an antenna system and a foldable electronic device. Through the setting of a distributed antenna radiator and signal tuning processing on a link away from the feed radiator, the antenna system can provide good radiation performance in both the unfolded state and the closed state, thereby supporting the wireless communication quality of the foldable electronic device.
[0008] In a first aspect, an antenna system is provided for use in a foldable electronic device. The foldable electronic device includes a first portion and a second portion. When the foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state, the first portion and the second portion are on the same plane. When the foldable electronic device is in a closed state, the first portion and the second portion are on different planes. The antenna system includes a feed source, a first radiator, and a second radiator. The feed source and the first radiator are disposed on the first portion, and the feed source and the second radiator are disposed on the second portion. The operating frequency bands of the first radiator and the second radiator at least partially overlap. The feed source is coupled to the first radiator to form a first link, and the feed source is further coupled to the second radiator to form a second link. The insertion loss of the second link is greater than that of the first link, and / or the second link and the first link produce a different phase difference for the same input signal. The second link is provided with a tuning module for tuning the phase, amplitude, and power of the signal on the second link.
[0009] In this way, by tuning the phase amplitude and power of the longer link (such as the second link) by the tuning module, the signals input to the second radiator and the first radiator meet the expected settings. As a result, in the unfolded state, the fields generated by the two radiators can be effectively superimposed, thereby improving the radiation performance. Correspondingly, in the closed state, the two radiators can be distributed with currents in the same direction, so that no slot mode is generated to affect the antenna radiation. In addition, since the tuning module can also adjust the power, the signal power input to the second radiator can be adjusted according to actual needs. For example, the signal power input to the second radiator can be equivalent to the power of the feed signal output by the feed source, thereby providing better active radiation performance through the distributed antenna architecture. In other implementations, when the radiation performance (such as system efficiency) of any of the two radiators is less than that of the other radiator, the power adjustment function can be used to adjust the power input to the radiator with lower radiation performance to be greater than the power of the other radiator. This allows the two radiators to radiate with the same or similar performance when working simultaneously.
[0010] Optionally, the first link and the second link include an overlapping third portion. The feed source is connected to the third portion. The feed source is coupled to the first radiator to form a first link, including: the feed source is connected to the first end of the third portion, and the second end of the third portion is coupled to the first radiator. The feed source is coupled to the second radiator to form a second link, including: the feed source is connected to the first end of the third portion, and the second end of the third portion is also coupled to the second radiator.
[0011] Optionally, the antenna system further includes a coupling module, an input end of the coupling module is connected to the second end of the third part, a first output end of the coupling module is coupled to the first radiator, and a second output end of the coupling module is coupled to the second radiator.
[0012] Optionally, the coupling module is a directional coupler, the first output end is a through end, and the second output end is a coupling end.
[0013] The coupler thus achieves signal division between the two paths. As you can understand, the power at the coupler's through-port is comparable to the input power, while the power at the coupled port is lower. This effectively guarantees the signal power input to the first radiator. And because the second link is equipped with a tuning module, the signal power ultimately input to the second radiator is also guaranteed, even when connected to the coupled port.
[0014] Optionally, the tuning module includes: an amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit for performing amplitude and phase adjustment, and a power amplification unit for performing power adjustment.
[0015] Optionally, the amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit includes an adjustable phase shifter; or, an adjustable attenuator and an adjustable phase shifter. It is understood that when the amplification unit requires a pre-amplitude attenuator, the amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit may include an attenuator or an adjustable attenuator. Correspondingly, when the amplification unit does not require a pre-amplitude attenuator, the amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit may only include a phase shifter or an adjustable phase shifter.
[0016] Optionally, the amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit is further configured to modulate the phase of a second signal so that the second signal corresponds to the phase of the first signal. The first signal is a feed signal fed by the feed source and transmitted to the first radiator via the first link. The second signal is a signal transmitted from the feed signal to the second radiator via the second link.
[0017] Optionally, the phase of the second signal corresponds to the phase of the first signal, including: when the antenna system operates in a low frequency band, when the foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state, the phase difference between the second signal and the first signal is included in the range of [70 degrees, 250 degrees]. When the antenna system operates in a low frequency band or a medium-high frequency band, when the foldable electronic device is in a closed state, the phase difference between the second signal and the first signal is included in the range of [0 degrees, 90 degrees].
[0018] As a result, the phases of the signals transmitted to the two radiators can be adjusted differently in different folding states, thereby ensuring that the fields generated by the two radiators can be superimposed on each other in the unfolded state, and that the currents on the two radiators can be distributed in the same direction in the closed state.
[0019] Optionally, the tuning module further includes a filtering unit. The filtering unit is configured to filter the signal on the second link based on the current operating frequency band. In some implementations, the filtering process can remove clutter signals during amplification and amplitude and phase modulation. In other implementations, the filtering process can also implement a frequency selection function.
[0020] Optionally, the filtering unit includes at least one filter.
[0021] Optionally, the filtering unit includes a filter, and the response frequency band of the filter corresponds to the operating frequency band of the second radiator.
[0022] Optionally, the filtering unit includes at least two filters, the at least two filters including a first filter and a second filter, the corresponding frequency band of the first filter being the first frequency band, and the response frequency band of the second filter being the second frequency band. The first frequency band is different from the second frequency band, and the first frequency band and the second frequency band are included in the operating frequency band of the second radiator. Each of the at least two filters is connected to a switch unit so that the foldable device can control the on / off switching of the switch unit to implement filtering processing of the signal on the second link by the corresponding filter.
[0023] Optionally, when the antenna system operates in the first frequency band, the switch unit connected to the first filter is turned on, and the switch unit connected to the second filter is turned off. The signal on the second link is filtered by the first filter. When the antenna system operates in the second frequency band, the switch unit connected to the second filter is turned on, and the switch unit connected to the first filter is turned off. The signal on the second link is filtered by the second filter.
[0024] Therefore, by setting a plurality of filters with different response frequency bands and controlling different filters to operate in different situations, selective processing of the current operating frequency can be achieved so that the radiation of the second radiator can support current wireless communication.
[0025] Optionally, the operating frequency bands of the first radiator and the second radiator at least partially overlap. For example, the overlapping portion of the operating frequency bands of the first radiator and the second radiator may include a low frequency band, such as the low frequency band includes at least one of the following: B71, n71, B12, n12, B28, n28, B20, n20, B5, n5, B8, and n8. It will be understood that this example takes the example of the overlapping portion of the operating frequency bands of the first radiator and the second radiator including the low frequency band. In other implementations, the overlapping portion of the operating frequency bands of the first radiator and the second radiator may also include medium and high frequency bands.
[0026] Optionally, when the communication quality of the foldable electronic device is better than a preset condition, the tuning module stops working and the antenna system communicates through the first link. Exemplarily, the preset condition may be that RSRP is greater than a preset RSRP threshold, and / or the received signal strength indication RSSI in the current communication is greater than a preset RSSI threshold, and / or the reference signal reception quality RSRQ in the current communication is greater than a preset RSRQ threshold, and / or the signal to interference plus noise ratio SINR in the current communication is greater than a preset SINR threshold. In this way, even if only the first link is used for communication, the quality of wireless communication can be guaranteed. Then, by stopping the operation of the second link, the energy saving effect can be achieved.
[0027] In a second aspect, a foldable electronic device is provided. The foldable electronic device includes a first portion and a second portion. When the foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state, the first portion and the second portion are on the same surface. When the foldable electronic device is in a closed state, the first portion and the second portion are on different surfaces. The foldable electronic device can be provided with an antenna system as provided in the first aspect and any possible design thereof for wireless communication.
[0028] It should be understood that the technical solutions provided in the above-mentioned second aspect and their technical features can correspond to the technical solutions provided in the first aspect and its possible designs, so the beneficial effects that can be achieved are similar and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an antenna system on a mobile phone;
[0030] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a foldable mobile phone;
[0031] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an antenna system for a foldable mobile phone;
[0032] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a solution for reusing the metal frame of a foldable mobile phone to set an antenna;
[0033] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of antenna operation of a foldable mobile phone in a closed state;
[0034] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of antenna operation of a foldable mobile phone in a closed state;
[0035] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of antenna efficiency simulation in a closed state;
[0036] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of an antenna system for a foldable mobile phone;
[0037] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of antenna efficiency simulation in a closed state;
[0038] FIG10 is a schematic diagram showing the composition of a path loss;
[0039] FIG11A is a schematic diagram of the composition of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0040] FIG11B is a logic diagram of an antenna solution provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0041] FIG12 is a logic diagram of an antenna solution provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0042] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of a coupling module provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0043] FIG14 is a logic diagram of an antenna solution provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0044] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of a specific implementation of a coupling module provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0045] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of the composition of a tuning module provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0046] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of a specific implementation of a tuning module provided in an embodiment of the present application applied to an antenna link;
[0047] FIG18A is a schematic diagram of the composition of a filtering unit provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0048] FIG18B is a schematic diagram of the composition of a filtering unit provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0049] FIG19 is a schematic diagram of a power distribution provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0050] FIG20 is a logic diagram of an antenna solution provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0051] FIG21 is a logic diagram of an antenna solution provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0052] FIG22 is a logic diagram of an antenna solution provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0053] FIG23 is a logical schematic diagram of an antenna solution provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0054] An antenna system may be provided in an electronic device to support the wireless communication function of the electronic device.
[0055] For example, with reference to FIG1 , the electronic device is taken as an example of a mobile phone.
[0056] An antenna system 110 may be provided in the mobile phone. The antenna system 110 may enable the mobile phone to provide cellular, short-range and other wireless communication functions to the user through its components.
[0057] In this example, as shown in Figure 1, the antenna system 110 may include a feed source 111 and an antenna 112. The feed source 111 may be used to provide a transmission signal in a transmission scenario, or to receive a signal from the antenna for analysis and processing in a receiving scenario. The operating frequency band of the antenna 112 may include at least part of the corresponding operating frequency band for wireless communication. For example, the operating frequency band may include a cellular communication frequency band (such as 700MHz-3GHz), a short-range communication frequency band (such as 2.4GHz Bluetooth, 2.4G WIFI, 5G WIFI related frequency bands, etc.), and other wireless communication frequency bands. When the antenna system 110 is working, the feed source 111 may transmit a feed signal to the antenna 112, thereby stimulating the antenna 112 to operate in the corresponding mode. For example, in a transmission scenario, the antenna 112 may convert the feed signal from the feed source 111 into an electromagnetic wave for radiation. For example, in a receiving scenario, antenna 112 can receive electromagnetic waves and convert them into electrical signals for transmission to feed source 111, so that the RF / baseband circuit at the front end of feed source 111 can determine the information carried in the electromagnetic waves based on the electrical signals.
[0058] It is understood that the antenna system 110 shown in FIG1 can be used to cover part or all of the wireless communication frequency band of the electronic device. When the antenna system 110 cannot cover the entire wireless communication frequency band of the electronic device, multiple antenna systems operating in different frequency bands can be provided in the electronic device.
[0059] In the example shown in FIG1 , the electronic device is described as a bar phone.
[0060] In other embodiments, the electronic device may also be a foldable electronic device (referred to as a foldable device). In the embodiments of the present application, the foldable device may be an electronic device provided with a folding axis. The foldable device may be provided with a folding axis. By folding the folding axis, the foldable device may have different folding states. For example, a closed state, an unfolded state, and a semi-closed state between the closed state and the unfolded state.
[0061] In some implementations, a foldable device may be provided with a foldable screen so that as the folding angle of the folding axis changes from small to large (corresponding to the process of opening the foldable device), the foldable screen can gradually unfold to provide display functions to the user. In different implementations, foldable devices may include: foldable mobile phones, foldable tablets, etc.
[0062] Take the foldable device as an example of a foldable phone. In some embodiments, the foldable phone can be provided with at least two screens. For example, take the example of a foldable phone provided with three screens. Two interconnected screens, such as screen A and screen B, can be provided on one side of the foldable phone. In other embodiments, the two interconnected screens can also be a foldable screen. For example, screen A and screen B can respectively correspond to two parts of a foldable flexible screen on both sides of the folding axis. Correspondingly, a third screen, such as screen C, can be provided on the other side of the foldable phone.
[0063] The folded state of the foldable phone is briefly described in conjunction with Figure 2. Screen A is abbreviated as A, screen B is abbreviated as B, and screen C is abbreviated as C. In some embodiments, the corresponding folding angle range of the folding axis on the foldable phone during the folding process can be between 0 and 180 degrees.
[0064] As shown in Figure 2 (a), when the folding angle is 180 degrees, the foldable phone is in the unfolded state. In this unfolded state, screens A and B on the foldable phone can be unfolded on the same surface. These screens A and B can be referred to as the inner screens of the foldable phone. In this unfolded state, the foldable phone can provide display functions to the user through screens A and / or B.
[0065] As shown in Figure 2 (c), when the folding angle is 0 degrees, the foldable phone is in the closed state. In this closed state, screens A and B on the foldable phone can be closed together. Correspondingly, screen C can be presented to the user as the external surface of the foldable phone. This screen C can be called the external screen. In this closed state, the foldable phone can provide display functions to the user through screen C.
[0066] In contrast to (a) and (c) in FIG. 2 , as shown in (b) in FIG. 2 , when the folding angle is between 0 degrees and 180 degrees, the foldable phone is in a semi-closed state.
[0067] 1 , when the electronic device is a foldable device as shown in FIG. 2 , one or more antenna systems as shown in FIG. 1 may also be provided in the electronic device to implement its wireless communication function.
[0068] For example, consider the example of setting up an antenna system in the projection area of screen A. The projection area of screen A may correspond to the projection area of screen A on the other side of the electronic device. For ease of explanation, setting up the antenna system in the projection area of screen A may also be referred to as setting up the antenna system on screen A.
[0069] Referring to Figure 3 , the projection area of screen A may include a feed source 301, an antenna radiator 303, and a transmission line 302 connecting the feed source 301 and the antenna radiator 303. The point on the antenna radiator 303 where the transmission line 302 connects may also be referred to as a feed point. For example, the feed point may be located in the middle of the antenna radiator 303.
[0070] Based on the antenna scheme A corresponding to the feed source 301, the transmission line 302 and the antenna radiator 303, the wireless communication function of the foldable mobile phone can be realized.
[0071] Taking the transmission scenario as an example, the feed source 301 can transmit the feed signal via the transmission line 302 to the antenna radiator 303 for radiation. The antenna radiator 303 can propagate the feed signal into space in the form of electromagnetic waves, thereby achieving signal transmission. From the perspective of electrical signal flow, Figure 3 also illustrates the flow of current through the feed source 301, transmission line 302, and antenna radiator 303. As can be seen, in the transmission scenario, current can flow from the feed source 301, through the transmission line 302, and from the feed point to the antenna radiator 303. The current can flow from this feed point to the two ends of the antenna radiator 303.
[0072] It should be noted that the current flow diagram in FIG3 is merely a diagram of a specific moment. It is understood that the electrical signal fed into feed point 301 may be a sinusoidal signal. That is, the direction and phase of the current may vary periodically at different moments. The following description will continue using the current flow diagram shown in FIG3 as an example.
[0073] In antenna solution A shown in Figure 3 , antenna radiator 303 can be implemented using a conductive material. In different implementations, antenna radiator 303 can be implemented differently. For example, antenna radiator 303 can include an FPC with metal traces. In another example, antenna radiator 303 can be formed by etching an antenna support using a LDS process.
[0074] In other implementations, the setting of the antenna radiator 303 can also be achieved by reusing the existing metal structure on the folding mobile phone. For example, take the folding mobile phone with a metal frame structure as an example. Referring to Figure 4, the metal frame can be provided with multiple gaps running through inside and outside. The multiple gaps can divide the metal frame into multiple relatively independent metal strips. Then, by reasonably setting the position and size of the gaps, it is possible to obtain metal strips corresponding to the position and size of the antenna radiator 303 (the metal frame 401 as shown in Figure 4). Thus, by connecting to the metal frame 401 through the transmission line 302, radiation can be performed through the metal frame 401.
[0075] In the configuration shown in Figure 4, the unfolded state of a foldable phone is used as an example for illustration. In this example, by reusing the metal frame 401, the antenna radiator 303 can be configured, thereby achieving the radiation function of antenna solution A.
[0076] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of a foldable phone in a closed state, equipped with the antenna chain (antenna system) shown in Figure 4 . In this closed state, screens A and B are interlocked. As a result, the metal frame 402 on the side of screen B is very close to the metal frame 401, which serves as the antenna radiator 303. For example, the minimum distance between metal frame 401 and metal frame 402 may be close to or even less than 2 mm. It is understood that any metal material or reference ground in the space near the antenna radiator will affect the antenna's radiation. The closer the metal material or reference ground is to the antenna radiator, the greater the impact. Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 5 , metal frame 402 can be free of gaps, resulting in a much longer metal frame 402 than metal frame 401. Generally speaking, to ensure structural stability, metal frame 402 can be grounded. In other words, in the closed state, the distance between metal frame 401 and the metal frame 402 corresponding to the reference ground is very small. This significantly degrades the performance of the antenna chain corresponding to metal frame 401 in the closed state.
[0077] In some implementations, to avoid the metal frame 402 being grounded, which would significantly affect its radiation when placed close to the metal frame 401, gaps can be provided on the metal frame 402 at positions corresponding to the sides of the metal frame 401, as shown in FIG6 . This allows a metal frame 403 on screen B to be similar in size and position to the metal frame 401. This metal frame 403 does not need to be directly grounded. This avoids the problem of deteriorating radiation performance of the metal frame 401 due to its proximity to the floor.
[0078] However, this also presents some problems. As shown in Figure 6, since metal frame 401 and metal frame 403 are very close, due to the characteristics of electromagnetic coupling, when a current flows from the feed point to both sides of metal frame 401 as shown in Figure 4, a current will be coupled on metal frame 403 in the opposite direction to that on metal frame 401. For example, as shown in Figure 6, a coupled current will be generated on metal frame 403, converging from both sides to the center.
[0079] It is understandable that when currents in opposite directions are distributed on two adjacent metal frames, the gap between the two metal frames will be stimulated to radiate, that is, the slot mode will be stimulated. This slot mode is generally less efficient. Then, in the closed state, this slot mode may fall into the corresponding resonance range of the metal frame 401, thereby significantly affecting the radiation performance of the metal frame 401.
[0080] For example, FIG7 shows a system efficiency simulation of the antenna solution shown in FIG6 . For example, the antenna link corresponding to the metal frame 401 is used for low-frequency radiation. The low-frequency radiation band may include at least one of B71, n71, B12, n12, B28, n28, B20, n20, B5, n5, B8, and n8. B may correspond to a 4G LTE-related frequency band, and n may correspond to a 5G NR-related frequency band. It is understood that when evaluating the radiation performance of an antenna, it can be identified by the passive system efficiency and radiation efficiency in the working frequency band and the active total radiated power (TRP). TRP can be obtained by performing surface integration and averaging on the transmission power of the entire radiation sphere. It reflects the transmission power of the entire electronic device (such as a mobile phone) and is related to the transmission power of the mobile phone in conduction and the antenna radiation performance. For example, the TRP at a certain frequency point can be determined based on the total power input to the antenna and the efficiency of the antenna at that frequency point.
[0081] It can be seen that when the foldable phone equipped with the antenna solution shown in Figure 6 is in the closed state, the antenna's system efficiency at B8 (880MHz-960MHz) is less than -7dB. For example, the system efficiency at 920MHz is only -7.7dB. This also reflects the problem of poor radiation performance of the antenna solution shown in Figure 6 when closed.
[0082] In the description of Figures 3 to 6 above, the example of the reused metal frame of the antenna radiator is used for explanation. It is understandable that similar problems also exist in other antenna implementation methods. That is, when an antenna is set on a foldable device, there will be a problem of deterioration of radiation performance in the closed state. The deterioration of the radiation performance may be caused by the distance between the reference ground and the antenna radiator being too small, or by the gap pattern between the metal material close to the antenna radiator and the antenna in the closed state. The following continues to take the reuse of the metal frame of the antenna radiator as an example.
[0083] To improve the radiation performance of foldable devices in the closed state, a distributed antenna solution is provided in the patent application (application number 202211080212.6). For example, please refer to Figure 8, which shows the antenna solution in the unfolded and closed states when it is set on a foldable phone. The antenna solution shown in Figure 8 is called Antenna Solution B.
[0084] Take the unfolded state as an example. In this antenna solution, similar to the arrangement of FIG6 above, a feed source 301, a transmission line 302, and an antenna radiator 303 reusing the metal frame 401 corresponding to antenna solution A can be set in the projection area of screen A. In this solution, an antenna radiator 305 is set in the projection area of screen B. The antenna radiator 305 can reuse the metal frame 403. The position and length of the metal frame 403 can correspond to the metal frame 401. For example, the metal frame 403 and the metal frame 401 can be symmetrically arranged with respect to the folding axis. Different from the floating arrangement of the metal frame 403 in the example of FIG6 , in the example of FIG8 , a feeding point can also be set on the metal frame 403. For example, the feeding point on the metal frame 403 can also be set in the middle position of the metal frame 403. The feed signal of the feed source 301 can be fed into the metal frame 403 through the transmission line 304, so as to generate a current distribution from the middle to both sides on the metal frame 403. As one possible implementation, a power splitter (not shown) is provided on transmission line 302. The input of the power splitter is connected to feed source 301, and the two outputs of the power splitter are coupled to the feed points of antenna radiator 303 and antenna radiator 305, respectively. Thus, the transmission link connecting feed source 301 to antenna radiator 305 via the power splitter corresponds to the transmission path of transmission line 304 shown in FIG8 .
[0085] The power divider may be a power divider with different output ratios such as 1:1 or 1:2, so that the signal output by the feed source 301 can be divided and transmitted to the transmission line 302 and the transmission line 304 to be radiated by the radiator of the distributed antenna.
[0086] Thus, compared to the antenna solution A shown in FIG3 , when the antenna solution B shown in FIG8 is in the unfolded state, the antenna radiator 303 and the antenna radiator 305 work simultaneously, resulting in a larger radiation area and better radiation performance.
[0087] Continuing to refer to Figure 8, in the closed state, screen A and screen B are buckled together. Metal frame 403 and metal frame 401 are close to each other. Unlike the example in Figure 6, since a signal is fed into the metal frame 403, currents in the same direction can be distributed on the metal frame 401 and the metal frame 403 in the closed state. For example, currents from the middle to both sides can be distributed on the metal frame 401 and the metal frame 403. In this way, when currents in the same direction are distributed on two metal frames close to each other, the slot mode will not be excited. This can also avoid the influence of the slot mode on the normal operation of the antenna.
[0088] As an example, Figure 9 shows a system efficiency simulation for Antenna Solution B operating in a closed state. As can be seen, the overall antenna system efficiency is significantly improved compared to the system efficiency of Antenna Solution A in the implementation shown in Figure 6. For example, when Antenna Solution B is operating in a closed state, the system efficiency peak exceeds -4dB. The system efficiency at 920MHz also improves from -7.7dB to -5.6dB.
[0089] It should be understood that antenna solution B shown in FIG8 is a significant improvement over antenna solution A, but still has some shortcomings.
[0090] For example, refer to the unfolded state in Figure 8. In this example, the feed source 301 is set on screen A as an example. Then, the transmission line 304 needs to be set across the folding axis. In the actual implementation process, when the transmission line 304 crosses the folding axis, it is often necessary to transfer the signal on different media (such as the signal may be transferred on different media such as coaxial cables, through-axis flexible boards, PCB traces, etc.). In the process of transferring the signal on different media, additional losses will inevitably be generated. In this application, the loss due to the signal transfer on different media during the process of the signal passing through the folding axis can be called through-axis loss. The through-axis loss will also lead to an increase in the signal loss fed into the antenna radiator 305.
[0091] That is, as shown in Figure 10, the loss of the feed signal caused by transmission line 302 is path loss 1001, and the loss of the feed signal caused by transmission line 304 is path loss 1002. Path loss 1002 is significantly greater than path loss 1001. For example, path loss 1002 can correspond to the loss resulting from the superposition of path loss 1001 and transaxial loss.
[0092] It should be noted that, in different implementations, the lengths of transmission line 302 and transmission line 304 can differ. The difference in loss caused by the difference in transmission line length is generally smaller than the loss caused by transaxle loss. Therefore, even if transmission line 302 is longer than transmission line 304, the loss of the feed signal passing through transmission line 304 will be greater than the loss through transmission line 302.
[0093] This means that when antenna solution B is operating, the current intensity on metal frame 401 is significantly greater than the current intensity on metal frame 403. Thus, in the unfolded state, due to the significant difference in current intensity on the two radiators, the antenna radiation field on both sides of the folding axis is asymmetric, resulting in distortion of the entire antenna radiation pattern. That is, there are significant differences in radiation gain in different directions. In the closed state, from the perspective of equivalent analysis, due to the significant difference in current intensity on the two radiators, this will also excite the corresponding slot mode. This slot mode will also affect the radiation of the entire antenna.
[0094] In order to ensure that the antenna has good radiation performance in both the unfolded and closed states, the embodiments of the present application provide a technical solution that controls the signal strength fed to the radiator on screen A to be the same as or similar to the signal strength fed to the radiator on screen B, thereby achieving better radiation performance than antenna solution A and antenna solution B. In some embodiments, based on the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application, the phase difference between the signal fed to the radiator on screen A and the signal fed to the radiator on screen B can correspond to the current folding state. This allows the radiation of the two radiators to complement each other in the unfolded or semi-closed state; in the closed state, currents in the same direction can be distributed on the two radiators, thereby not exciting the slot mode and affecting the normal operation of the antenna.
[0095] The technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to electronic devices. The electronic device may be provided with a folding screen. That is, it corresponds to the foldable device in the aforementioned example. Exemplarily, the electronic device may include a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a handheld computer, a notebook computer, an ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), a netbook, a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an augmented reality (AR) device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an artificial intelligence (AI) device, a wearable device, an in-vehicle device, a smart home device, or at least one of a smart city device. The embodiment of the present application does not impose any special restrictions on the specific type of the electronic device.
[0096] As an example, a schematic diagram of the composition of an electronic device is shown in FIG11A . As shown in FIG11A , the electronic device may include a processor 210, an external memory interface 220, an internal memory 221, a universal serial bus (USB) connector 230, a charging management module 240, a power management module 241, a battery 242, an antenna 1, an antenna 2, a mobile communication module 250, a wireless communication module 260, an audio module 270, a speaker 270A, a receiver 270B, a microphone 270C, an earphone jack 270D, a sensor module 280, a button 290, a motor 291, an indicator 292, a camera module 293, a display 294, and a subscriber identification module (SIM) card interface 295, etc. The sensor module 280 may include a pressure sensor 280A, a gyroscope sensor 280B, an air pressure sensor 280C, a magnetic sensor 280D, an acceleration sensor 280E, a distance sensor 280F, a proximity light sensor 280G, a fingerprint sensor 280H, a temperature sensor 280J, a touch sensor 280K, an ambient light sensor 280L, a bone conduction sensor 280M, etc.
[0097] It is understood that the structures illustrated in the embodiments of the present application do not constitute specific limitations on the electronic device. In other embodiments of the present application, the electronic device may include more or fewer components, or combine or separate certain components, or arrange the components differently. The components in the above examples may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.
[0098] The processor 210 may include one or more processing units, for example, an application processor (AP), a modem processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a controller, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband processor, and / or a neural-network processing unit (NPU). Different processing units may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors 210.
[0099] The processor 210 can generate an operation control signal according to the instruction operation code and the timing signal to complete the control of instruction fetching and execution.
[0100] Processor 210 may also include a memory for storing instructions and data. In some embodiments, the memory in processor 210 may be a cache memory. This memory can store instructions or data that have been used or are frequently used by processor 210. When processor 210 needs to use the instruction or data, it can directly access the memory. This avoids duplicate accesses, reduces processor 210 latency, and thus improves system efficiency.
[0101] The wireless communication function of the electronic device can be implemented through antenna 1, antenna 2, mobile communication module 250, wireless communication module 260, modem processor and baseband processor.
[0102] Antenna 1 and Antenna 2 are used to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals. Each antenna in an electronic device can be used to cover a single or multiple communication frequency bands. Different antennas can also be reused to improve antenna utilization. For example, antenna 1 can be reused as a diversity antenna for a wireless local area network. In other embodiments, the antennas can be used in conjunction with a tuning switch.
[0103] The mobile communication module 250 can provide solutions for wireless communications including 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G / 6G applied to electronic devices. The mobile communication module 250 may include at least one filter, a switch, a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier (LNA), etc. The mobile communication module 250 can receive electromagnetic waves from the antenna 1, and filter, amplify, and process the received electromagnetic waves, and transmit them to the modulation and demodulation processor for demodulation. The mobile communication module 250 can also amplify the signal modulated by the modulation and demodulation processor, and convert it into electromagnetic waves for radiation through the antenna 1. In some embodiments, at least some of the functional modules of the mobile communication module 250 can be set in the processor 210. In some embodiments, at least some of the functional modules of the mobile communication module 250 can be set in the same device as at least some of the modules of the processor 210.
[0104] The modem processor may include a modulator and a demodulator. The modulator is used to modulate the low-frequency baseband signal to be transmitted into a medium-high frequency signal. The demodulator is used to demodulate the received electromagnetic wave signal into a low-frequency baseband signal. The demodulator then transmits the demodulated low-frequency baseband signal to the baseband processor for processing. After being processed by the baseband processor, the low-frequency baseband signal is passed to the application processor. The application processor outputs a sound signal through an audio device (not limited to the speaker 270A, the receiver 270B, etc.) or displays an image or video through the display screen 294. In some embodiments, the modem processor may be an independent device. In other embodiments, the modem processor may be independent of the processor 210 and be set in the same device as the mobile communication module 250 or other functional modules.
[0105] The wireless communication module 260 can provide wireless communication solutions for electronic devices, including wireless local area networks (WLAN) (such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks), Bluetooth (BT), Bluetooth low energy (BLE), ultra wide band (UWB), global navigation satellite system (GNSS), frequency modulation (FM), near field communication (NFC), infrared (IR), etc. The wireless communication module 260 can be one or more devices that integrate at least one communication processing module. The wireless communication module 260 receives electromagnetic waves via the antenna 2, frequency modulates and filters the electromagnetic wave signals, and sends the processed signals to the processor 210. The wireless communication module 260 can also receive the signal to be sent from the processor 210, frequency modulate it, amplify it, and convert it into electromagnetic waves for radiation through the antenna 2.
[0106] In some embodiments, antenna 1 of the electronic device is coupled to mobile communication module 250, and antenna 2 is coupled to wireless communication module 260, so that the electronic device can communicate with a network and other electronic devices via wireless communication technology. The wireless communication technology may include global system for mobile communications (GSM), general packet radio service (GPRS), code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), time-division code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA), long term evolution (LTE), BT, GNSS, WLAN, NFC, FM, and / or IR technology. The GNSS may include global positioning system (GPS), global navigation satellite system (GLONASS), Beidou navigation satellite system (BDS), quasi-zenith satellite system (QZSS) and / or satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS).
[0107] As a specific implementation, take the application of the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application to mobile communications as an example. Two or more radiators can be provided in an electronic device to form a distributed antenna structure. Take the distributed antenna structure including two antennas as an example. The two antennas can be respectively provided on screen A and screen B of the electronic device. In some embodiments, the two antenna radiators can be left-right symmetrical with respect to the folding axis. In the specific setting, the two or more radiators can reuse the metal frame of the electronic device to realize its functional setting. The modem processor can emit a digital signal, and the digital signal can obtain analog signals of different frequency bands after being processed in the RF domain. When the analog signals of different frequency bands are input to the antenna radiator, they can excite the antenna radiator to radiate in the corresponding frequency band. In the embodiment of the present application, the signal processed in the RF domain can be referred to as a feed signal. For the sake of convenience, the feed signal can be emitted by a virtually set feed source (such as feed source 301).
[0108] In an embodiment of the present application, a feed source may be provided in the antenna system for simultaneously exciting two or more radiators. The feed source and different radiators may be connected via a signal transmission link. For example, take the antenna system as an example including two radiators. A coupling module may be provided between the feed source and the antenna radiator for dividing the feed signal into two paths according to a preset rule and transmitting them to different antenna radiators respectively. A tuning module including an amplifier and / or an amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit and / or a filter may also be provided between the coupling module and the radiator provided on a side different from that on which the feed source is located, for adjusting the phase amplitude of the signal fed into the radiator. This makes the feed signal power on the two radiators substantially equivalent (e.g., a difference of no more than 3dBm). In addition, in different folding states, the signal phases on the two radiators can be modulated within a preset range, thereby ensuring that the two radiators can be positively superimposed and radiated in different folding states.
[0109] The electronic device can implement display functions through a GPU, display screen 294, and an application processor. The GPU is a microprocessor for image processing that connects the display screen 294 and the application processor. The GPU is used to perform mathematical and geometric calculations for graphics rendering. The processor 210 may include one or more GPUs that execute program instructions to generate or modify display information.
[0110] The electronic device can realize the camera function through the camera module 293, ISP, video codec, GPU, display screen 294, application processor, neural network processor, etc.
[0111] The electronic device can implement audio functions such as music playback and recording through the audio module 270, the speaker 270A, the receiver 270B, the microphone 270C, the headphone jack 270D, and the application processor.
[0112] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can all be applied to the above-mentioned electronic devices. The antenna solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0113] As an example, please refer to Figure 11B, which is a logical diagram of an antenna scheme provided in an embodiment of the present application. In this antenna scheme (such as referred to as antenna scheme C), two radiators may be provided on screen A and screen B. The two radiators may be respectively coupled to the same feed source to form a distributed antenna configuration. The positions and sizes of the radiators provided on screen A and screen B may be the same or comparable. For example, the radiators provided on screen A and screen B may be symmetrical with respect to the folding axis. For example, as shown in Figure 11B, the configuration of the antenna radiator of the distributed antenna may refer to the configuration of the antenna radiator in antenna scheme B shown in the aforementioned 8.
[0114] In this example, the antenna scheme C may also include a feed source (not shown in FIG11B ), which may be set on screen A or screen B. The feed signal is connected to the radiator set on screen A and the radiator set on screen B through the feed source. The position where the feed signal is connected to the radiator on screen A (i.e., the feeding point on the radiator of screen A) and the position where the feed signal is connected to the radiator on screen B (i.e., the feeding point on the radiator of screen B) may also be symmetrically arranged relative to the folding axis. For example, the feed point on the radiator of screen A may be set in the middle position of the radiator of screen A. The feed point on the radiator of screen B may be set in the middle position of the radiator of screen B. Of course, in other embodiments, in order to excite the corresponding modes on the radiator of screen A and / or screen B, the feed point position may also be flexibly selected at other positions.
[0115] It should be noted that in this example, the difference in intensity between the signal 1101 connected to the radiator on screen A and the signal 1102 connected to the radiator on screen B does not exceed a preset intensity threshold, for example, the preset intensity threshold may be less than or equal to 3 dB.
[0116] In addition, the phase of signal 1101 at the feeding point on the radiator of screen A and the phase difference of signal 1102 at the feeding point on the radiator of screen B can correspond to different folding states and be within different ranges. In the unfolded state and the semi-closed state, the distance between the two antenna radiators is generally large, so the same or similar phase control mechanism can be adopted. As a result, when the electronic device is in different folding states, the two antenna radiators are excited by the adjusted signal, so that the electromagnetic waves radiated into space can be effectively superimposed, thereby obtaining better radiation performance.
[0117] In some embodiments, taking the antenna solution used to cover a low frequency band (e.g., 600 MHz-1 GHz) as an example, when the foldable device is in a closed state, the phase difference between the corresponding signal 1101 and the signal 1102 can be between [0 degrees, 90 degrees]. When the foldable device is in an unfolded state or a semi-closed state, the phase difference between the corresponding signal 1101 and the signal 1102 can be between [70 degrees, 250 degrees].
[0118] In other embodiments, the antenna solution is used to cover medium and high frequency bands (such as 1.4GHz-3GHz) as an example. When the folding state of the foldable device is the closed state, the phase difference between the corresponding signal 1101 and the signal 1102 can be between [0 degrees, 90 degrees]. When the folding state of the foldable device is the unfolded state or the semi-closed state, since the antenna operating wavelength is small, the phase difference between the signal 1101 and the signal 1102 can be adjusted and optimized. In some scenarios, when the electronic device is in the unfolded state or the semi-closed state, and the distance between the antenna radiator 303 and the antenna radiator 305 is less than the preset distance threshold, the phase difference between the signal 1101 and the signal 1102 can be adjusted to between [70 degrees, 250 degrees].
[0119] In the following description, the antenna scheme provided in the embodiment of the present application is used to cover low frequencies, and the strength (i.e., power) and phase of the access signal on different radiators based on the scheme are described. Combined with the above description, the phase modulation mechanism of different radiators can correspond to the current folding state. In the following description, examples are given for the closed state and the unfolded state respectively. The semi-closed state can refer to the setting of the unfolded state and will not be repeated.
[0120] Antenna Solution C, as shown in Figure 11B , ensures that the radiation intensities of radiators on screen A and B are similar, regardless of whether the foldable device is in the unfolded or closed state. Phase adjustment allows the two to achieve a superimposed effect in both the unfolded and closed states, thereby preventing pattern distortion or the effects of slot patterns on antenna radiation.
[0121] As a possible implementation, FIG12 shows a logic diagram of a specific antenna solution provided in an embodiment of the present application.
[0122] As shown in Figure 12, similar to Figure 11B, the antenna scheme may include distributed antenna radiators. For example, antenna radiator 303 and antenna radiator 305. Feeding points may be respectively provided on the antenna radiator 303 and the antenna radiator 305 for coupling to the feed source 301. For example, the antenna radiator 303 may be coupled to the feed source 301 through the transmission line 302. For another example, the antenna radiator 305 may be coupled to the feed source 301 through the transmission line 304. It should be noted that, in the present application, the transmission line 302 and the transmission line 304 may respectively indicate the transmission links between the corresponding modules. In different implementations, the transmission line 302 and the transmission line 304 may realize their transmission function through one or more transmission media and / or module connections. Exemplarily, the transmission line 302 may also be referred to as the first link, and the transmission line 304 may also be referred to as the second link.
[0123] The feed source 301 can be connected to the antenna radiator 303 and the antenna radiator 305 through a coupling module. The coupling module can be used to receive the feed signal from the feed source 301 and divide the feed signal into a first sub-signal and a second sub-signal. The intensity of the first sub-signal is close to the feed signal output by the feed source 301 (for example, the difference between the two is less than 1 dB). The intensity of the second sub-signal is much smaller than the feed signal output by the feed source 301 (for example, the difference between the two is greater than 4 dB). As a result, the intensity of the first sub-signal is much greater than the intensity of the second sub-signal. For example, the intensity of the first sub-signal is greater than the second sub-signal by more than 3 dB. Described from the perspective of the transmission link, as shown in Figure 12, the transmission line 302 and the transmission line 304 may include a third part between the feed source and the coupling module. The feed signal is emitted from the feed source 301, passed through the transmission link corresponding to the third part, and input into the coupling module, thereby obtaining at least two signals divided into the first sub-signal and the second sub-signal.
[0124] Thus, after passing through the coupling module, the signal strength input to transmission line 302 (i.e., the aforementioned first sub-signal) approaches the strength of the feed signal output by feed source 301. For example, if the strength of the feed signal output by feed source 301 is 23 dBm, the first sub-signal can have a strength of 22 dBm, and the second sub-signal can have a strength of approximately 3 dBm. This ensures the strength of the signal fed to antenna radiator 303, enabling better radiation from antenna radiator 303.
[0125] In this example, a tuning module may also be provided on the transmission line 304 between the coupling module output and the antenna radiator 305. This tuning module may be used to adjust the amplitude and phase of the second sub-signal output by the coupling module based on the feed signal input by the feed source 301. Adjusting the signal amplitude may also be referred to as adjusting the signal power.
[0126] By tuning the amplitude and phase, signals 1101 and 1102 can have different corresponding relationships depending on the current folding state. For example, in the unfolded state (or semi-closed state), the phase difference between signals 1102 and 1101 can be within the range of [70 degrees, 250 degrees]. For another example, in the closed state, the phase difference between signals 1101 and 1102 can be within the range of [0 degrees, 90 degrees].
[0127] As a result, in both the expanded state (or semi-closed state) and the closed state, the fields radiated by the two radiators can be effectively superimposed, thereby improving the overall radiation performance.
[0128] By tuning the power, the power of signal 1101 and signal 1102 are made equal or similar. For example, the power difference between signal 1101 and signal 1102 does not exceed 3 dB.
[0129] This ensures that the current magnitude difference between the two radiators during radiation is not too large, thereby preventing the excitation of the slot mode due to the large current difference in the folded state, thereby preventing the slot mode from affecting the antenna operation.
[0130] It should be noted that, in the example of Figure 12, the feed source 301 can be located on the same surface as the antenna radiator 303 (such as screen A), so there will be no additional loss due to transaxial loss or long transmission line during normal link transmission. Correspondingly, the feed source 301 and the antenna radiator 305 are on different surfaces (such as the feed source 301 is located on screen A, and the antenna radiator 305 is located on screen B). Then, the transaxial loss during transmission and the transmission loss introduced by the long transmission line can be compensated by setting a tuning module, thereby ensuring the signal strength and phase input to the radiator. Based on this, in other embodiments, when the feed source 301 is set on screen B, the tuning module can be adjusted to the transmission line 302 between the feed source and the antenna radiator 303. In addition, the port of the coupling module can also be adjusted accordingly.
[0131] The following describes an example of the specific implementation of the antenna solution shown in FIG12 with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0132] In some embodiments, the function of the coupling module can be implemented by a directional coupler. As an example, Figure 13 provides an example of a directional coupler. In this example, the directional coupler may include port 1201, port 1202, port 1203, and port 1204. Different ports may have different functions. For example, port 1201 may serve as a signal input terminal. Port 1202 may serve as a through terminal. The signal strength output from port 1202 may be the same as or similar to the signal strength input to port 1201. Port 1203 may serve as a coupling terminal. The signal strength output from port 1203 may be less than the signal strength output from port 1202. In different implementations, the signal strength output from port 1203 may be adjusted by adjusting the coupling strength of the directional coupler. Port 1204 may serve as an isolation terminal. For example, port 1204 may be connected to the ground through a component such as a resistor (R1), or left floating.
[0133] FIG14 shows a connection diagram for implementing the coupling module function using the directional coupler shown in FIG13 . A feed source 301 can be connected to port 1201 for inputting a feed signal to port 1201 . An antenna radiator 303 disposed on screen A can be connected to port 1202 via a transmission line 302 to obtain a signal 1101 close to the strength of the feed signal. An antenna radiator 305 disposed on screen B can be connected to port 1203 via a transmission line 304 (and a tuning module disposed on the transmission line 304 ). This allows the second sub-signal output after the feed signal is processed by the coupling module to be processed by the tuning module to form a signal 1102 that is input to the antenna radiator 305 .
[0134] Figures 13 and 14 illustrate the logic for implementing the coupling module functionality of this application using a directional coupler. In a specific implementation, the directional coupler can be implemented by providing at least two microstrip lines on a PCB. Depending on the implementation, the at least two microstrip lines can be located on the same layer or on different layers. In other embodiments, the directional coupler can also be an integrated coupler component.
[0135] For example, FIG15 shows two different implementation examples of directional couplers arranged on a PCB. In arrangement 1, the PCB can be a single-layer or multi-layer board, which can include layer 1. Component 1501 and component 1502 can be arranged on layer 1. Component 1501 and component 1502 can be implemented using RF microstrip lines, respectively. The lengths of components 1501 and 1502, as well as the distance between them, can be determined based on the desired coupling parameters of the directional coupler. In arrangement 2, as shown in FIG15 , the PCB can be a multi-layer board, which can include layer 2 and layer 3. Layer 2 can be any layer of the multi-layer PCB, and layer 3 can be any layer different from layer 2. A non-conductive medium can be provided between layers 2 and 3. The spacing between layers 2 and 3 can be determined based on the coupling parameters. One component of the directional coupler, such as component 1501, can be arranged on layer 2. Another component of the directional coupler, such as component 1502, can be arranged on layer 3. By selecting layer 2 and layer 3, a preset distance can be set between component 1501 and component 1502, thereby obtaining the coupling amount required by the directional coupler.
[0136] Any of the directional coupler implementations shown in FIG15 can be used in the solutions shown in FIG13 or FIG14 to support the functionality of the coupling module in this application. Of course, in other implementations, the functionality of the coupling module can also be implemented using directional couplers other than the one shown in FIG14 , or using other components with configurations other than that shown in FIG15 . This embodiment of the application is not limited to this.
[0137] Thus, Figures 13 to 15 illustrate the specific implementation and functions of the coupling module involved in the solution provided by this application as shown in Figure 12. The specific implementation of the tuning module will be introduced below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0138] As described above, in the present application, the coupling module can reduce the signal strength output to the path corresponding to the antenna radiator 305 to ensure the signal strength output to the path corresponding to the antenna radiator 303. For example, if the strength of the feed signal output by the feed source 301 is 23dBm, the signal strength output to the path corresponding to the antenna radiator 303 can be 22dBm, and the signal strength output to the path corresponding to the antenna radiator 305 can be 3dBm.
[0139] It should be noted that this example uses two outputs of 22 dBm and 3 dBm respectively as an example. In other embodiments, the coupling module may also output more signals or output other power ratios.
[0140] Then, the signal output by the coupling module to the corresponding path of the antenna radiator 305 can be tuned through the tuning module, so that the intensity of the signal (i.e., signal 1102) finally input to the antenna radiator 305 can be close to the intensity of signal 1101, and the phase can also correspond to the current folding state.
[0141] As an example, please refer to FIG16 , the tuning module involved in the embodiment of the present application may include an amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit, an amplification unit and a filtering unit.
[0142] The amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit can be used to adjust the amplitude and phase of the signal from the coupling module. In some implementations, the amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit can include an attenuator for amplitude adjustment and a phase shifter for phase adjustment. The attenuator and phase shifter can cooperate to tune the amplitude of the signal from the coupling module to a state corresponding to the signal output by the coupler to the antenna radiator 303.
[0143] It should be noted that, in this example, the antenna scheme shown in Figure 12 can be applied to foldable devices. Corresponding to the closed state and the unfolded state of the foldable device, in order to enable the two radiators of the distributed antenna (such as antenna radiator 303 and antenna radiator 305) to effectively perform field superposition in different folding states. In some embodiments of the present application, the amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit can be an adjustable device. That is, in different situations, the electronic device can control the amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit to perform different amplitude and / or phase adjustment effects on the input signal. In this way, different corresponding amplitude modulation and / or phase modulation effects can be obtained in different situations.
[0144] For example, in the above example, the attenuator used for amplitude tuning may be an adjustable attenuator. For another example, in the above example, the phase shifter used for phase tuning may be an adjustable phase shifter.
[0145] The amplification unit in the tuning module can be used to power-amplify the signal input to the amplification unit. For example, the amplification unit can be a power amplifier. In different implementations, a power amplifier with corresponding parameters can be selected based on the degree of amplification required for the signal input to the amplification unit.
[0146] It should be noted that the amplitude modulation function of the amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit in this example, as well as the amplification function of the amplification unit, are both adjustments made to the power of the signal. Therefore, in actual implementation, the amplitude modulation function and the amplification function can be used in conjunction with each other. For example, when the amplification unit adopts an amplifier with a fixed gain, an amplitude modulation function can be used to reduce the power input to the amplification unit so that a signal of corresponding power can be obtained after amplification processing by the amplification unit. For example, take the amplification unit with a gain of 23dBm as an example. When the amplification unit is required to output a signal with a power of 20dBm, the amplitude modulation function can be used to reduce the signal power from the coupling module to -3dBm. In this way, the -3dBm signal is input to the amplification unit, and after amplification processing with a gain of 23dBm, the required signal with a power of 20dBm can be obtained.
[0147] Of course, in other implementations, if the gain of the amplifying unit matches the signal power from the coupling module and the required power output by the amplifying unit, the amplitude modulation function may not be used in the amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit; or, components with amplitude modulation functions (such as the attenuator or adjustable attenuator for amplitude modulation described above) may not be provided in the tuning module. Similarly, if the gain of the amplifying unit is adjustable, if the required signal power can be obtained through amplification within the adjustable gain range based on the signal power from the coupling module, the amplitude modulation function may not be used in the amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit; or, components with amplitude modulation functions may not be provided in the tuning module.
[0148] In the following description, the tuning module including both amplitude modulation function and phase modulation function is taken as an example.
[0149] The filter unit in the tuning module can be used to filter the signal input to the filter unit, thereby achieving a frequency selection effect. For example, the filter unit may include one or more filters.
[0150] In conjunction with the foregoing description, please refer to Figure 17, which shows a schematic diagram of a link setting of a tuning unit in a specific implementation. In the schematic diagram of Figure 17, the coupling module (such as port 1203 of the directional coupler) can be connected to an adjustable attenuator and an adjustable phase shifter, respectively. The adjustable attenuator and the adjustable phase shifter can be used to adjust the amplitude and phase of the signal from the coupling module. The signal after amplitude and phase adjustment can be input into a power amplifier for power amplification to obtain an effect close to the power of the feed signal. The power-amplified signal can be input into a filter for frequency selection, thereby obtaining a signal corresponding to the current operating frequency band. The signal that has undergone phase adjustment, power adjustment and filtering processing can correspond to the signal 1102 in the aforementioned example, and is input into the antenna radiator 305 for radiation.
[0151] It should be noted that the example solution shown in Figure 17 is based on an example in which the filtering unit includes a filter. Therefore, for an antenna solution such as Figure 11B or Figure 12 that supports an operating frequency band of a foldable device, the response frequency band of the filter can correspond to the operating frequency band, thereby implementing filtering operations in the operating frequency band.
[0152] In other embodiments, the filtering unit may further include a plurality of filters with different response frequency bands.
[0153] As an implementation, the filtering unit may correspond to the current operating frequency band. For example, if the current operating frequency band is the n28 band, the filtering unit may include a filter whose pass frequency includes the frequency band corresponding to n28. Similarly, if the current operating frequency band is the B5 band, the filtering unit may include a filter whose pass frequency includes the frequency band corresponding to B5. If the current operating frequency band is the B8 band, the filtering unit may include a filter whose pass frequency includes the frequency band corresponding to B8.
[0154] In this way, when the antenna solution shown in FIG. 11B or FIG. 12 is used to support low-frequency multi-band operation, corresponding filtering effects when operating at different low frequencies can be achieved by setting multiple filters.
[0155] For example, FIG18A is a schematic diagram of a filter unit provided in an embodiment of the present application. In this example, the filter unit may include multiple filters arranged in parallel. Each filter covers a corresponding operating frequency band.
[0156] For example, as shown in FIG. 18A , the filtering unit may include an n28 filter for performing a corresponding n28 filter on n28, a B5 filter for performing a corresponding B5 filter on B5, and a B8 filter for performing a corresponding B8 filter on B8.
[0157] In addition, each filter path may be provided with a switch, and when the switch is turned on, the filter unit can perform filtering processing in the corresponding frequency band.
[0158] For example, a switch 1801 is provided on the n28 filter path, a switch 1802 is provided on the B5 filter path, and a switch 1803 is provided on the B8 filter path.
[0159] Thus, as shown in FIG18A , when the antenna operates at frequency B8, the electronic device can control switch 1803 to be turned on and switch 1802 and switch 1801 to be closed. This allows the amplified signal to pass through filter B8 for frequency filtering and clutter removal, obtaining signal 1102 corresponding to operating frequency band B8 and feeding it into antenna radiator 305 for radiation.
[0160] Similarly, when the antenna operates at n28, the electronic device can control switch 1801 to be turned on and switches 1802 and 1803 to be closed. This allows the amplified signal to be filtered through the n28 filter for frequency screening and clutter removal, obtaining a signal 1102 corresponding to the operating frequency band n28 and feeding it into the antenna radiator 305 for radiation.
[0161] When the antenna operates at frequency B5, the electronic device can control switch 1802 to be turned on and switches 1801 and 1802 to be closed. This allows the amplified signal to pass through the B5 filter for frequency screening and clutter removal, obtaining a signal 1102 corresponding to the operating frequency band B5 and feeding it into the antenna radiator 305 for radiation.
[0162] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, in order to prevent signals on different paths from flowing to other paths, a corresponding cutoff switch may be provided on each path.
[0163] As shown in FIG18A , a switch 1804 may be provided at the output end of the n28 filter (i.e., the end of the n28 filter close to the antenna radiator 305). A switch 1805 may be provided at the output end of the B5 filter (i.e., the end of the B5 filter close to the antenna radiator 305). A switch 1806 may be provided at the output end of the B8 filter (i.e., the end of the n28 filter close to the antenna radiator 305).
[0164] Thus, when the antenna operates at n28, switches 1804 and 1801 can be turned on simultaneously, while the other switches are turned off, thereby filtering out the signal in the n28 frequency band and outputting it to the antenna radiator 305. Since the cutoff switches on the B5 and B8 paths (such as switches 1805 and 1806) are both turned off, the n28 signal will not flow back into the paths where the B5 and B8 filters are located.
[0165] It should be understood that, as shown in FIG18A , one channel corresponds to one frequency band. B8, B5, and n28 shown therein are only examples. In a specific implementation, the frequency band settings on each channel can be flexibly selected according to actual needs.
[0166] In addition, the example shown in FIG18A is based on the example of one path being turned on at the same time. In other embodiments, the antenna can also be used to provide simultaneous signal transmission and reception of two or more frequency bands. For example, in conjunction with FIG18B , the example of the simultaneous operation of the n28 and B5 frequency bands is taken. The signal from the amplification unit input to the filtering unit can include signals of both the n28 and B5 frequency bands. In this case, the switching switch 1801 and the switching switch 1804 on the n28 path can be turned on to obtain the filtered signal of the n28 frequency band. In addition, the switching switch 1802 and the switching switch 1805 on the B5 path can also be turned on to obtain the filtered signal of the B5 frequency band. The n28 frequency band signal and the B5 frequency band signal respectively obtained by the two paths can be simultaneously included in the signal 1102 and transmitted to the antenna radiator 305 for radiation.
[0167] Therefore, in the implementation of the solution shown in Figure 18B, two signals can be transmitted and received simultaneously. The relevant frequency bands can be n28 and B5 as shown in Figure 18B, or other frequency bands. For example, simultaneous transmission and reception of n20 and n28, n20 and B5, n20 and B8, etc.
[0168] Based on the example of this solution, when the antenna operates in different working frequency bands, the working state of the filtering unit can be switched and the filter corresponding to the working frequency band can be used to filter the amplified signal, thereby obtaining the signal 1102 corresponding to the working frequency band and feeding it into the antenna radiator 305.
[0169] In the examples of Figures 16 to 18A above, the phase adjustment function is integrated into the amplitude phase adjustment unit as an example. In other embodiments, the phase adjustment operation can also be performed in other forms before power amplification. For example, the phase adjustment function can also be integrated into the amplification unit. Then, an amplitude adjustment unit (such as an adjustable attenuator) can be provided between the amplification unit and the coupling module to adjust the gain of the amplification unit. In this way, the amplitude-adjusted signal can be input into the amplification unit, and phase adjustment and power amplification processing are performed in turn. It is then output to the filtering unit to obtain the corresponding signal 1102 and feed it into the antenna radiator 305.
[0170] Therefore, when the technical solution shown in FIG12 is applied to a foldable electronic device, it is possible to effectively adjust the signal fed into the distributed antenna radiator from the perspectives of power and phase, thereby ensuring good radiation performance in different folding states.
[0171] As an example, from the perspective of power tuning, Figure 19 shows a schematic diagram of power distribution on an antenna link. As shown in Figure 19, the power of the feed signal fed by the feed source 301 is 23dBm as an example. Through the coupling module, a power signal close to the power of the feed signal, such as 22.8dBm, can be transmitted to the antenna radiator 303. Through the coupling module, a power signal much smaller than the power of the feed signal, such as 3dBm, can also be transmitted to the tuning module on the link where the antenna radiator 305 is located. The 3dBm signal can be processed by the tuning module to output a signal power close to the signal input to the antenna radiator 303, such as 23dBm. In this way, it is equivalent to feeding a 23dBm signal to both the antenna radiator 303 and the antenna radiator 305. As a result, from the perspective of power, there is at least a 3dB improvement (doubled) compared to antenna scheme A and antenna scheme B.
[0172] Furthermore, from the perspective of amplitude / phase tuning, in the expanded state, the amplitudes of signal 1102 and signal 1101 are the same or similar, and the phase difference is within the range of [70 degrees, 250 degrees]. This allows the field distributions generated by radiators 303 and 305 to be positively superimposed in space, resulting in better performance. Correspondingly, in the closed state, the amplitudes of signal 1102 and signal 1101 are the same or similar, and the phase difference does not exceed 90 degrees. This allows the field distributions generated by radiators 303 and 305 to be positively superimposed in space, resulting in better performance.
[0173] In the example shown in Figure 19 above, the power output from the feed source 301 and the signal power fed to each antenna radiator are both described as 23dBm or close to 23dBm. This allows for better radiation effects. For example, take the system efficiency of -5.6dB when the antenna scheme shown in Figure 12 operates in closed mode as an example. When the power input to both antenna radiators is 23dBm, the TPR of the antenna scheme can be 20.4dBm.
[0174] It is understandable that the tuning module needs to provide power to various components in the process of processing the 3dBm signal to output a 23dBm signal. The greater the difference between the power before and after amplification, the greater the corresponding power supply overhead. Furthermore, when the RF link provides 23dBm power to the feed source 301, similar power supply overhead also exists.
[0175] For example, when the output power of the feed source 301 and the power fed into the two antenna radiators are both adjusted to 23 dBm, the electronic device needs to provide a power supply current of about 800 mA for the RF link and the tuning module.
[0176] Based on this, in some embodiments of the present application, it is also possible to achieve energy saving by reducing the power on the entire link while ensuring that the TRP can meet the radiation performance requirements.
[0177] For example, when the output power of the feed source 301 and the power fed to the two antenna radiators are both adjusted to 20dBm, the electronic device can save half of the above-mentioned 800mA overhead. That is, the electronic device only needs to provide a power supply current of about 400mA for the RF link and the tuning module. In this case, let's continue to take the system efficiency of -5.6dB when the antenna scheme shown in Figure 12 works in closed mode as an example. When the power input to the two antenna radiators is 20dBm, the TPR of the antenna scheme can be 17.4dBm. It can also meet normal low-frequency communication needs. Among them, the TRP for normal low-frequency communication needs is approximately 16dBm-16.5dBm.
[0178] In this way, during actual implementation, the signal power provided for the entire antenna solution can be flexibly adjusted according to the current communication situation, thereby achieving energy saving.
[0179] Figure 19 above provides an example of a solution that achieves energy conservation while maintaining antenna performance from the perspective of reducing overall power. This embodiment of the application also provides an implementation that can flexibly adjust the operating state of the antenna branch on screen B based on the communication conditions in the current actual usage scenario, thereby achieving energy conservation.
[0180] Exemplarily, the processor in the electronic device can provide a function of judging the current communication situation and adjusting the working state of the antenna branch on the B screen accordingly. The processor can determine whether the current communication situation is good based on the radio frequency parameters in the current communication process. As a possible implementation, the radio frequency parameters may include at least one of the following: Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP), Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), Reference Signal Receiving Quality (RSRQ), Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR). For example, take the radio frequency parameters including RSRP as an example. The processor can detect RSRP in real time. When RSRP is greater than a preset RSRP threshold, the processor believes that the current communication situation is good and can consider power consumption control, such as turning off the tuning module on the antenna branch on the B screen to achieve energy saving. Correspondingly, when the RSRP is less than the preset RSRP threshold, the processor believes that the current communication situation is poor, and can control the tuning module on the antenna branch on the B screen to start working, so that the antenna branch on the B screen can radiate normally, thereby improving the radiation performance of the antenna system.
[0181] Similarly, taking the example of the RF parameters including RSSI, the processor can turn off the tuning module on the antenna branch on the B screen when the RSSI is greater than the preset RSSI threshold, thereby achieving energy saving. Taking the example of the RF parameters including RSRQ, the processor can turn off the tuning module on the antenna branch on the B screen when the RSRQ is greater than the preset RSRQ threshold, thereby achieving energy saving. Taking the example of the RF parameters including SINR, the processor can turn off the tuning module on the antenna branch on the B screen when the SINR is greater than the preset SINR threshold, thereby achieving energy saving.
[0182] As an example, as shown in FIG20 , taking the antenna solution configuration shown in FIG12 as an example, the processor may be provided with at least one control output port for outputting a control signal. The control output port of the processor may be connected to a control input port of the tuning module, so that the processor can input a control signal to the tuning module through the control input port to adjust the tuning module's operation between different states.
[0183] In some implementations, the processor may determine that the current communication conditions are good, and may then input a shutdown control signal to the tuning module via the control output terminal, thereby instructing the tuning module to disconnect and the corresponding antenna radiator 305 to stop operating. In this way, even if the antenna branch on screen B is not involved in radiation, the radiation capacity of the current antenna system can still meet the communication requirements in the current environment.
[0184] In other implementations, the processor may determine that the current communication conditions are poor and may input a conduction control signal to the tuning module via the control output terminal, thereby instructing the tuning module to conduct and the corresponding antenna radiator 305 to operate normally. In this way, the antenna branch on the B screen is added to the radiation of the antenna system, thereby improving the antenna radiation performance in the current environment.
[0185] Through this solution example, when the tuning module does not need to work, the electronic device does not need or reduces the power output to the tuning module, thereby achieving energy saving.
[0186] It should be noted that, in the example shown in FIG. 20 above, the explanation is given by taking the adjustment of the working state of the tuning module through a control signal as an example. In other embodiments of the present application, the electronic device can also directly control the working state of the tuning module through a power supply signal. For example, when the processor determines that the current communication situation is good, the processor can instruct the electronic device to reduce or suspend the power supply to the tuning module, thereby adjusting the tuning module to a disconnected working state to achieve energy saving. For another example, when the processor determines that the current communication situation is poor, the processor can instruct the electronic device to power the tuning module according to the power supply signal requirement for the normal operation of the tuning module, thereby pulling up the tuning module to work normally, so as to improve the radiation performance of the antenna system.
[0187] As a specific example, the above energy-saving solution is illustrated by taking the example of the processor adjusting the working state of the tuning module through the control signal and combining the composition of the tuning module in the example of FIG14 .
[0188] 21 , the control output of the processor may specifically include at least three ports, such as port 2111 to port 2113. Ports 2111 to 2113 may be respectively coupled to an active component in the tuning module to control the active component to operate normally or stop operating.
[0189] Correspondingly, in combination with the description of Figure 14, the tuning module may include an adjustable attenuator, an adjustable phase shifter, a power amplifier, and a filter. Among them, the adjustable attenuator, the adjustable phase shifter, and the power amplifier can be active devices with different working states. For example, the adjustable attenuator may include a control port 2121 for receiving a control signal so that the adjustable attenuator can determine whether it is working properly based on the control signal. Similarly, the adjustable phase shifter may include a control port 2122 for receiving a control signal so that the adjustable phase shifter can determine whether it is working properly based on the control signal. The power amplifier may include a control port 2123 for receiving a control signal so that the power amplifier can determine whether it is working properly based on the control signal.
[0190] In this example, port 2111 can be connected to port 2121 so that the processor can control the operating state of the adjustable attenuator. Port 2112 can be connected to port 2122 so that the processor can control the operating state of the adjustable phase shifter. Port 2113 can be connected to port 2123 so that the processor can control the operating state of the power amplifier.
[0191] In some embodiments, when the processor determines that the tuning module can be disabled, the processor can send a shutdown control signal through at least one of ports 2111 to 2113 to control the corresponding active device to stop operating. This can achieve the purpose of controlling the tuning module to stop operating and achieve energy saving.
[0192] In other embodiments, the processor can also implement control of active devices in the tuning module in other ways. Take the example of the processor controlling the operating state of the power amplifier through the RF power supply. As shown in Figure 21, the power amplifier can also be provided with a power supply input terminal 2124. The power supply input terminal 2124 can be connected to the RF power supply so that the RF power supply can output power to the power amplifier to support the normal operation of the power amplifier. In this example, the control output terminal on the processor can also include a port 2114. The port 2114 can be connected to the RF power supply to control the power supply signal output by the RF power supply to the power amplifier. Then, when the processor determines that the power amplifier can stop working, the processor can instruct the RF power supply to stop or reduce the power supply to the power amplifier through port 2114. This controls the power amplifier to stop working and achieves an energy-saving effect.
[0193] In combination with the above description, the antenna solution provided in the embodiment of the present application can not only provide good radiation performance in the closed state, but also provide good radiation performance in the unfolded state.
[0194] For example, as a comparison, the following Table 1 shows a performance comparison diagram of the existing antenna solution A shown in FIG4 and the antenna solution shown in FIG12 provided in an embodiment of the present application in the unfolded state.
[0195] Table 1
[0196] In this example, the input power of antenna solution A is 23dBm. After processing, the input power of the two radiators in the solution described in this application can be close to 23dBm. In the unfolded state, the system efficiency of antenna solution A can be -3.2dB. In the solution described in this application, since the phase difference of the feed signals of the two antenna radiators in the unfolded state is within the range of [70 degrees, 250 degrees], the radiation of the two radiators can be superimposed on each other to obtain better system efficiency, such as -2.8dB. Therefore, under the same input power, the technical solution provided by this application can obtain better radiation effect, such as TRP can reach 23.3dBm.
[0197] Based on the above-mentioned introduction of the power reduction and energy saving solution, in the comparison of Table 1, even if the power input to the antenna described in this application is reduced to 20dBm, the obtained TRP can be 20.3dBm, which is still higher than the radiation performance of antenna solution A.
[0198] It should be noted that the description of the antenna solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application in Figures 12-21 above uses the example of providing an antenna radiator on each of screens A and B. In other embodiments of the present application, other antenna radiators may be provided on screens A and / or B to achieve improved radiation performance through similar mechanisms.
[0199] As an example, please refer to Figure 22, which is an example of another antenna solution provided in an embodiment of the present application.
[0200] In the antenna scheme of this example, feed source 301 can still be set on screen A. Based on the scheme shown in Figure 12, screen A can also be equipped with antenna radiator 306 that reuses metal frame 404, and screen B can also be equipped with antenna radiator 307 that reuses metal frame 405. The positions and lengths of antenna radiators 306 and 307 can be arranged symmetrically with respect to the folding axis.
[0201] In this example, radiator 306, coplanar with feed source 301, can be connected to the through-port on the coupling module to feed signal 1103. In this way, the sum of the powers of signal 1103 and signal 1101 can correspond to the signal power at the through-port output. For example, separation of signal 1101 and signal 1103 can be achieved using a power splitter. For example, if the through-port output power is 20 dBm and the power splitter outputs a 1:1 signal power ratio, the corresponding powers of signal 1101 and signal 1103 can be 17 dBm, respectively.
[0202] Correspondingly, the radiator 307, which is on a different plane from the feed source 301, can be connected to the coupling port on the coupling module to feed in the signal 1104. Similar to the above description, the signal output from the coupling port can also be realized by a power divider. Take the example of a straight-through port output power of 3dBm and a power divider outputting a 1:1 signal power. Then the signal power input to the tuning module corresponding to the radiator 307 can be 0dBm (i.e. corresponding to 1mw). Similarly, the signal power input to the tuning module corresponding to the radiator 305 can be 0dBm. In this way, through the tuning processing of the tuning modules on their respective links, the output signals 1104 and 1102 corresponding to the signals 1101 and 1103 are obtained. For example, the signal powers of the signals 1102 and 1104 can be adjusted to 20dBm.
[0203] Thus, the distributed antenna design with multiple radiators, as shown in Figure 22, can still achieve significant improvements in radiation performance in both the deployed and closed states. The principle is similar to that of the distributed antenna solution with two radiators (as shown in Figure 12), and will not be further described here.
[0204] In the example shown in Figure 22, the signal output by the coupling module to antenna radiator 303 can be split into two paths by a power splitter and transmitted respectively to antenna radiator 303 and antenna radiator 306, while the signal output by the coupling module to antenna radiator 305 can be split into two paths by another power splitter and transmitted respectively to antenna radiator 307 and antenna radiator 305. In other embodiments of the present application, when the antenna solution includes four radiators as shown in Figure 22, other methods can also be used to achieve signal access to the radiators.
[0205] For example, refer to Figure 23. In this example, the signal 1103 connected to the antenna radiator 306, the signal 1104 connected to the antenna radiator 307, and the signal 1102 connected to the antenna radiator 305 can be obtained by dividing them through a one-input three-output power divider.
[0206] As shown in Figure 23, in this example, the feed signal of the feed source 301 can be divided into two paths by the coupling module. Take the feed signal power of 23dBm as an example. The signal 1101 output from the through end can be 20dBm, and the power input to the power divider from the coupling end can be 3dB. Take the output ratio of the power divider as 1:1:1 as an example. Then the three output ends of the power divider can output signals with a power of -1.5dBm respectively. The three signals can be input to the antenna radiator 306, the antenna radiator 307 and the antenna radiator 305 respectively through the tuning modules on the corresponding paths. Through the processing of the power (i.e., amplitude) by the tuning module, the -1.5dBm signal on each path can be amplified to about 20dBm. In this way, the feeding of each radiator is achieved.
[0207] Thus, as shown in Figures 22 and 23, two radiators are provided on screens A and B of the electronic device, respectively. Through the aforementioned signal connection processing method, the signal power fed into each radiator can be maintained at approximately 20dBm. In conjunction with the foregoing description, antenna radiators 306 and 307 can serve as one antenna pair, while antenna radiators 303 and 305 can serve as another antenna pair. The phase adjustment function of the tuning module allows the operating phase of each antenna pair to be matched to its folded state.
[0208] For example, taking the operating frequency band covering low frequencies as an example, in the extended or semi-closed state, the phase difference between antenna radiator 306 and antenna radiator 307 can be within the range of [70 degrees, 250 degrees], and the phase difference between antenna radiator 303 and antenna radiator 305 can be within the range of [70 degrees, 250 degrees]. In the closed state, the phase difference between antenna radiator 306 and antenna radiator 307 can be within the range of [0 degrees, 90 degrees], and the phase difference between antenna radiator 303 and antenna radiator 305 can be within the range of [0 degrees, 90 degrees].
[0209] Although the present application has been described with reference to specific features and embodiments thereof, it is apparent that various modifications and combinations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, this specification and the drawings are merely illustrative of the present application as defined by the appended claims and are deemed to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents within the scope of the present application. Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, the present application is intended to include such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents.
Claims
1. An antenna system, characterized in that: Applicable to a foldable electronic device, the foldable electronic device comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein when the foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state, the first portion and the second portion are on the same surface, and when the foldable electronic device is in a closed state, the first portion and the second portion are on different surfaces; the antenna system comprising: A feed source, a first radiator and a second radiator; The feed source and the first radiator are arranged on the first part, the feed source and the second radiator are arranged on the second part, and the operating frequency bands of the first radiator and the second radiator at least partially overlap; The feed source is coupled to the first radiator to form a first link, and the feed source is also coupled to the second radiator to form a second link; The insertion loss of the second link is greater than that of the first link, and / or the second link and the first link generate different phase differences for the same input signal; The second link is provided with a tuning module, and the tuning module is used to perform phase and power tuning processing on the signal on the second link.
2. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein The first link and the second link include a third portion that overlaps; The feed source is connected to the third part; The feed source is coupled to the first radiator to form a first link, comprising: The feed source is connected to the first end of the third portion, and the second end of the third portion is coupled to the first radiator; The feed source is coupled to the second radiator to form a second link, comprising: The feed source is connected to the first end of the third part, and the second end of the third part is also coupled to the second radiator.
3. The antenna system according to claim 2, wherein: The antenna system further includes a coupling module, an input end of the coupling module is connected to the second end of the third part, a first output end of the coupling module is coupled to the first radiator, and a second output end of the coupling module is coupled to the second radiator.
4. The antenna system according to claim 3, wherein: The coupling module is a directional coupler, the first output end is a through end, and the second output end is a coupling end.
5. The antenna system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The tuning module includes: Amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit for amplitude and phase adjustment, and power amplification unit for power adjustment.
6. The antenna system according to claim 5, characterized in that The amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit includes an adjustable phase shifter; or, Adjustable attenuator, and adjustable phase shifter.
7. The antenna system according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that When the antenna system is working, The amplitude modulation and phase modulation unit is used to modulate the phase of the second signal so that the phase of the second signal corresponds to the phase of the first signal; The first signal is a feed signal fed by the feed source and transmitted to the first radiator through the first link; the second signal is a signal transmitted from the feed signal to the second radiator through the second link.
8. The antenna system according to claim 7, wherein: The second signal corresponds to the phase of the first signal, and includes: When the antenna system operates in a low frequency band, when the foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state, a phase difference between the second signal and the first signal is within a range of [70 degrees, 250 degrees]; When the antenna system operates in a low frequency band or a medium to high frequency band, when the foldable electronic device is in a closed state, the phase difference between the second signal and the first signal is within the range of [0 degrees, 90 degrees].
9. The antenna system according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that: The tuning module further includes: a filtering unit; The filtering unit is configured to perform filtering processing on the signal on the second link according to the current operating frequency band.
10. The antenna system according to claim 9, characterized in that The filtering unit includes at least one filter.
11. The antenna system according to claim 10, wherein: The filtering unit includes a filter, and the response frequency band of the filter corresponds to the working frequency band of the second radiator.
12. The antenna system according to claim 10, wherein: The filtering unit includes at least two filters, the at least two filters include a first filter and a second filter, the corresponding frequency band of the first filter is a first frequency band, and the response frequency band of the second filter is a second frequency band; The first frequency band is different from the second frequency band, and the first frequency band and the second frequency band are included in the operating frequency band of the second radiator; Each of the at least two filters is connected to a switch unit, so that the foldable device can control the on / off switching of the switch unit to implement filtering processing of the signal on the second link by the corresponding filter.
13. The antenna system according to claim 12, wherein: When the antenna system operates in the first frequency band, the switch unit connected to the first filter is turned on, and the switch unit connected to the second filter is turned off; the signal on the second link is filtered by the first filter; When the antenna system operates in the second frequency band, the switch unit connected to the second filter is turned on, and the switch unit connected to the first filter is turned off; the signal on the second link is filtered by the second filter.
14. The antenna system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that: Both the first radiator and the second radiator operate in a low frequency band, and the low frequency band includes at least one of the following: B71, n71, B12, n12, B28, n28, B20, n20, B5, n5, B8 and n8.
15. The antenna system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that: When the communication quality of the foldable electronic device is better than a preset condition, the tuning module stops working, and the antenna system communicates through the first link.
16. The antenna system according to claim 15, wherein: The preset condition includes at least one of the following: The reference signal received power RSRP in the current communication is greater than the preset RSRP threshold; the received signal strength indication RSSI in the current communication is greater than the preset RSSI threshold; the reference signal received quality RSRQ in the current communication is greater than A preset RSRQ threshold; a signal to interference plus noise ratio SINR in current communication is greater than a preset SINR threshold.
17. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that: The foldable electronic device includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein when the foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state, the first portion and the second portion are on the same surface, and when the foldable electronic device is in a closed state, the first portion and the second portion are on different surfaces; The foldable electronic device is provided with an antenna system as described in any one of claims 1-16 for wireless communication.