Antenna device and display device including antenna unit

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to a display device and a display panel including a reconfigurable antenna. The display device includes: a substrate including a display area displaying an image and a non-display area not displaying the image; the pixel unit comprises a plurality of pixels which are arranged in the display area; and an antenna unit disposed in at least a portion of the display area or at least a portion of the non-display area, where the antenna unit includes: a plurality of radiators; and an antenna configuration circuit that configures an antenna using at least one of the plurality of radiators.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2023 - 0195163, filed on December 28, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. Technical field

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a reconfigurable antenna and a display device including the reconfigurable antenna. Background art

[0004] The development of the smart society has led to an increased demand for various types of display devices. Display devices include, for example, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), organic light - emitting displays, or quantum dot light - emitting displays (QLEDs).

[0005] These display devices can be applied to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers, and antennas can be used in smartphones and tablet computers to communicate with other devices.

[0006] Recently, with the development of communication technologies such as Long Term Evolution - Advanced (LTE - A) or fifth - generation communication (5G), the frequency bands of transmitted / received wireless signals have become diversified. Antennas are required to have specific lengths or shapes according to the frequency or wavelength of the transmitted / received signals. Therefore, due to the progress of communication technologies, it has become increasingly difficult to implement traditional types of antennas.

[0007] Therefore, due to the development of communication technologies, a method for effectively implementing an antenna of an electronic device such as a display device is needed. Summary of the invention

[0008] In the above - mentioned background, embodiments of the present disclosure can provide an antenna device and a display device including an antenna unit, which can effectively utilize the space of the display device by having the antenna unit in at least a part of the display area or non - display area of the display panel.

[0009] Embodiments of the present disclosure also aim to provide an antenna device and a display device including an antenna unit, which can change the resonant frequency and radiation characteristics by controlling the connection between unit radiators.

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure also aim to provide an antenna device and a display device including an antenna unit, in which the connection structure between unit radiators can be easily changed to reconfigure the antenna.

[0011] A display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a substrate including a display area for displaying an image and a non-display area for not displaying an image; a pixel unit including a plurality of pixels disposed in the display area; and an antenna unit disposed in at least a part of the display area DA or at least a part of the non-display area NDA. The antenna unit may include: a plurality of radiators; and an antenna forming circuit that forms an antenna using at least one of the plurality of radiators.

[0012] An antenna device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a substrate; a plurality of radiators disposed on the substrate; and an antenna forming circuit that forms an antenna using at least one of the plurality of radiators. The antenna forming circuit may control whether to connect the plurality of radiators and includes a plurality of switching elements disposed on the substrate. One of the plurality of switching elements may be connected between two adjacent radiators among the plurality of radiators.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the space of the display panel can be effectively utilized by having an antenna unit in at least a part of the display area or the non-display area of the display panel.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the resonance frequency and radiation characteristics can be changed by controlling the connection between unit radiators provided in the display panel.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the connection structure between radiators for reconstructing an antenna can be easily changed, the changing method can be simplified, and costs can be saved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] Figure 1 is a diagram schematically showing the system configuration of an organic light emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the system implementation of an organic light emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 3 schematically shows an antenna device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and a display device including an antenna unit;

[0020] Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B and Figure 4C show examples of the connection structure of switching elements and radiators constituting an antenna device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the antenna size and the resonant frequency according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 6A and Figure 6B and Figure 6C and Figure 6D and Figure 6E and Figure 6F show examples of antenna shapes that are reconfigurable based on the resonant frequency of the antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 7 is a conceptual diagram showing antenna driving according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0024] Figure 8A and Figure 8B and Figure 8C is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a display device including an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Description

[0025] In the following description of examples or embodiments of the present disclosure, reference will be made to the drawings which illustrate specific examples or embodiments that can be implemented, and the same reference numerals and symbols may be used to refer to the same or similar components even if they are shown in different drawings. Further, in the following description of examples or embodiments of the present disclosure, when it is determined that a detailed description of well-known functions and components incorporated herein may obscure the subject matter in some embodiments of the present disclosure, such description will be omitted. Terms such as "comprising", "having", "including", "constituting", "consisting of", and "formed of" used herein are generally intended to allow the addition of other components, unless these terms are used together with the term "only". As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0026] Terms such as "first", "second", "A", "B", "(A)", or "(B)" may be used herein to describe elements of the present disclosure. Each of these terms is not used to define the essence, order, sequence, or quantity, etc. of the element, but is only used to distinguish the corresponding element from other elements.

[0027] When referring to the first element and the second element being "connected or combined", "contacted or overlapped", etc., it should be interpreted that not only can the first element be "directly connected or combined" or "directly contacted or overlapped" with the second element, but also a third element can be "interposed" between the first element and the second element, or the first element and the second element can be "connected or combined", "contacted or overlapped", etc. with each other through a fourth element. Here, the second element may be included in at least one of two or more elements that are "connected or combined", "contacted or overlapped", etc. with each other.

[0028] When using relative time terms (such as "after", "subsequently", "next", "before", etc.) to describe the process or operation of an element or configuration, or the process or steps in an operation, process, or manufacturing method, these terms can be used to describe a non - continuous or non - sequential process or operation, unless the words "directly" or "immediately" are used together.

[0029] In addition, when referring to any size, relative size, etc., even if no relevant description is specified, the numerical value or corresponding information (such as level, range, etc.) of an element or feature should be considered to include the tolerance or error range that may be caused by various factors (such as process factors, internal or external influences, noise, etc.). Furthermore, the term "may" fully encompasses all the meanings of the term "can".

[0030] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Figure 1 is a diagram schematically showing the system configuration of an organic light - emitting display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Referring to Figure 1 , the organic light - emitting display device 100 according to the present embodiment may include: a display panel 110 in which a plurality of data lines DL and a plurality of gate lines GL are arranged, and a plurality of sub - pixels SP defined by the plurality of data lines DL and the plurality of gate lines GL are arranged in a matrix form; and a driving circuit 111 for driving the display panel 110.

[0033] Functionally, the driving circuit 111 may include a data driving circuit 120 for driving the plurality of data lines DL, a gate driving circuit 130 for driving the plurality of gate lines GL, and a controller 140 for controlling the data driving circuit 120 and the gate driving circuit 130.

[0034] In the display panel 110, the plurality of data lines DL and the plurality of gate lines GL may be arranged to cross each other. For example, the plurality of gate lines GL may be arranged in rows or columns, and the plurality of data lines DL may be arranged in columns or rows. For the sake of description, hereinafter, it is assumed that the plurality of gate lines GL are arranged in rows and the plurality of data lines DL are arranged in columns.

[0035] In the display panel 110, in addition to a plurality of data lines DL and a plurality of gate lines GL, other types of lines may be provided.

[0036] The controller 140 may supply image data DATA to the data driving circuit 120.

[0037] In addition, the controller 140 may control the operations of the data driving circuit 120 and the gate driving circuit 130 by supplying various control signals DCS and GCS required for the driving operations of the data driving circuit 120 and the gate driving circuit 130.

[0038] The controller 140 starts scanning according to the timing implemented in each frame, converts the input image data input from the outside into image data DATA in a data signal format suitable for use in the data driving circuit 120, outputs the image data DATA, and controls data driving at an appropriate time suitable for scanning.

[0039] To control the data driving circuit 120 and the gate driving circuit 130, the controller receives timing signals (e.g., vertical synchronization signal Vsync, horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, input data enable signal (Data Enable, DE), or clock signal CLK) from the outside (e.g., host system) 140, generates various control signals, and outputs the control signals to the data driving circuit 120 and the gate driving circuit 130.

[0040] As an example, to control the gate driving circuit 130, the controller 140 outputs various gate control signals GCS, and the gate control signals GCS include a gate start pulse GSP, a gate shift clock GSC, and a gate output enable signal (GateOutput Enable, GOE).

[0041] To control the data driving circuit 120, the controller 140 outputs various data control signals DCS, and the data control signals DCS include, for example, a source start pulse SSP, a source sampling clock SSC, and a source output enable signal (SourceOutput Enable, SOE).

[0042] The controller 140 may be a timing controller used in a general display technology, or a control device that may perform other control functions in addition to the function of the timing controller.

[0043] The controller 140 may be implemented as a component separate from the data driving circuit 120, or may be implemented as an integrated circuit together with the data driving circuit 120.

[0044] Specifically, the controller 140 according to the embodiment may include an antenna controller 600.

[0045] The antenna controller 600 may reconstruct the antenna by controlling the on / off states of a plurality of switching elements 530 connected between a plurality of radiators 500 provided in at least a part of the display panel 110. In other words, the antenna controller 600 may determine the number and positions of the on-switching elements among the plurality of switching elements 530 to determine the shape of the antenna, change the resonant frequency of the antenna, and change the radiation characteristics of the antenna. A more detailed description thereof will be made below with reference to Figures 3 to 8A , Figure 8B , Figure 8C this.

[0046] The data driving circuit 120 receives image data DATA from the controller 140 and supplies data voltages to a plurality of data lines DL, thereby driving the plurality of data lines DL. Here, the data driving circuit 120 is also referred to as a "source driving circuit".

[0047] The data driving circuit 120 may include a shift register, a latch circuit, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), and an output buffer.

[0048] In some cases, the data driving circuit 120 may further include one or more analog-to-digital converters ADC.

[0049] The gate driving circuit 130 sequentially drives a plurality of gate lines GL by sequentially supplying scan signals to the plurality of gate lines GL. Here, the gate driving circuit 130 is also referred to as a "scan driving circuit".

[0050] The gate driving circuit 130 may include, for example, a shift register and a level shifter.

[0051] The gate driving circuit 130 sequentially supplies a scan signal of an on voltage (On voltage) or an off voltage (Off voltage) to the plurality of gate lines GL under the control of the controller 140.

[0052] When a specific gate line is turned on by the gate driving circuit 130, the data driving circuit 120 converts the image data DATA received from the controller 140 into an analog data voltage and supplies the analog data voltage to the plurality of data lines DL.

[0053] The data driving circuit 120 may be located only on one side (e.g., the top side or the bottom side) of the display panel 110, and in some cases, the data driving circuit 120 may be located on each of the opposite sides (e.g., the top side and the bottom side) of the display panel 110 according to a driving scheme or a panel design, etc.

[0054] The gate driving circuit 130 may be located only on one side (e.g., the left side or the right side) of the display panel 110, and in some cases, the gate driving circuit 130 may be located on each of the opposite sides (e.g., the left side and the right side) of the display panel 110 according to a driving scheme, panel design, etc.

[0055] The data driving circuit 120 may include at least one source driving integrated circuit SDIC.

[0056] Each source driving integrated circuit SDIC may be connected to a bonding pad of the display panel 110 in a tape automated bonding (TAB) form or a chip on glass (COG) form, or may be directly disposed on the display panel 110. In some cases, each source driving integrated circuit (SDIC) may be integrated and disposed on the display panel 110. Each source driving integrated circuit SDIC may be implemented in a chip on film (COF) form. In this case, each source driving integrated circuit (SDIC) may be mounted on a circuit film and electrically connected to a data line DL of the display panel 110 through the circuit film.

[0057] In the gate driving circuit 130, one or more gate driving integrated circuits (ICs) GDIC may be connected to a bonding pad of the display panel 110 in a TAB or COG form. In addition, the gate driving circuit 130 may be implemented in a gate in panel (GIP) form and directly disposed on the display panel 110. In addition, the gate driving circuit 130 may be implemented in a chip-on-film (COF) form. In this case, each gate driving integrated circuit GDIC included in the gate driving circuit 130 may be mounted on a circuit film and electrically connected to a gate line GL of the display panel 110 through the circuit film.

[0058] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing an example of a system implementation of an organic light emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] Figure 2 An example is shown in which each source driving integrated circuit SDIC included in the data driving circuit 120 is implemented in a chip on film (COF) form among various forms (e.g., TAB, COG, and COF), and the gate driving circuit 130 is implemented in a gate in panel (GIP) form among various forms (e.g., TAB, COG, COF, and GIP).

[0060] Each of the plurality of source driver integrated circuits (SDICs) included in the data driving circuit 120 may be mounted on the source-side circuit film SF.

[0061] One side of the source-side circuit film SF may be electrically connected to the display panel 110.

[0062] Wires for electrically connecting the source driver integrated circuit SDIC and the display panel 110 may be provided on the source-side circuit film SF.

[0063] The organic light emitting display device 100 may include: at least one source printed circuit board (SPCB) for circuit connection between the plurality of source driver integrated circuits SDICs and other devices; and a control printed circuit board (CPCB) for mounting control components and various electrical devices.

[0064] The other side of the source-side circuit film SF on which the source driver integrated circuit SDIC is mounted may be connected to at least one source printed circuit board SPCB.

[0065] In other words, one side of the source-side circuit film SF on which the source driver integrated circuit SDIC is mounted may be electrically connected to the display panel 110, and the other side of the source-side circuit film SF may be electrically connected to the source printed circuit board SPCB.

[0066] The controller 140 for controlling the operations of, for example, the data driving circuit 120 and the gate driving circuit 130, and the power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 210 for supplying various voltages or currents to, for example, the display panel 110, the data driving circuit 120, and the gate driving circuit 130, or controlling the various voltages or currents to be provided, may be mounted on the control printed circuit board CPCB.

[0067] At least one source printed circuit board SPCB and the control printed circuit board CPCB may be circuit-connected through at least one connection member. Here, the connection member may be, for example, a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or a flexible flat cable (FFC).

[0068] At least one source printed circuit board SPCB and the control printed circuit board CPCB may be integrated into one printed circuit board.

[0069] The organic light emitting display device 100 may further include a set board 230 electrically connected to the control printed circuit board CPCB. The set board 230 may also be referred to as a power board.

[0070] The main power management circuit (M-PMC) 220 for managing the overall power of the organic light emitting display device 100 may be provided on the set board 230.

[0071] The power management integrated circuit 210 is a circuit that manages the power supply of a display module including the display panel 110 and its driving circuits 120, 130, and 140. The main power management circuit 220 is a circuit that manages the power supply of the entire display module including the display module and can work in cooperation with the power management integrated circuit 210.

[0072] Each of the sub-pixels SP arranged on the display panel 110 included in the organic light-emitting display device 100 according to the present embodiment may include an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) as a self-luminous element and circuit elements for driving the organic light-emitting diode (OLED), such as driving transistors.

[0073] The types and numbers of the circuit elements constituting each sub-pixel SP may be changed according to the functions to be provided and design schemes.

[0074] On the other hand, the display device 100 also requires an antenna for receiving wireless signals from the outside or transmitting wireless signals from the display device.

[0075] The display device may be provided with a transparent antenna, which is optically transparent or can transmit visible light to a certain extent. The transparent antenna can be integrated into the display device without generating a large visual sense of strangeness. The transparent antenna includes an indium tin oxide film (ITO film), an AgHT series multi-layer film, and a metal mesh antenna. Among them, considering the light transmittance, conductivity, and processing technology, the ITO film is often most suitable for manufacturing the antenna of the display panel. When designing the antenna, the ITO film has a fixed resonance frequency to operate at a specific communication frequency. Therefore, when the usage places of the panel are diverse, there is a disadvantage that it is necessary to design multiple versions of the antenna according to each demand.

[0076] In other words, since the antenna needs to have radiators of different shapes to fit radio signals of various frequency bands, it is necessary to adaptively implement the antenna provided in the display device 100 according to various frequency bands.

[0077] Refer to Figures 3 to 8A 、 Figure 8B 、 Figure 8C Embodiments of the present disclosure that disclose such a method are described in more detail.

[0078] Figure 3 An antenna device and a display device including an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are schematically shown. Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B And Figure 4C Examples of the connection structure of the switching element and the radiator constituting the antenna device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are shown.

[0079] Refer to Figure 3, a display device 100 including an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a substrate 10, a pixel unit 30, and an antenna unit 50.

[0080] The substrate 10 includes a display area DA for displaying an image and a non-display area NDA for not displaying an image.

[0081] The pixel unit 30 may include a plurality of pixels disposed in the display area DA. The pixels may include a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel, and each of the red sub-pixel, the green sub-pixel, and the blue sub-pixel may include a light-emitting diode (LED) as a light-emitting element ED.

[0082] The antenna unit 50 may be disposed in at least a part of the display area DA or at least a part of the non-display area NDA. Figure 3 The partial enlarged view shows an example in which the antenna unit 50 is formed in a part of the edge corresponding to the non-display area DA in contact with the outermost part of the pixel unit 30, but this is merely an example. The antenna unit 50 may be formed above at least a part of the display area DA and at least a part of the non-display area NDA, or may be formed only in at least a part of the display area DA.

[0083] Referring to Figure 3 and Figures 4A to 4C , the antenna unit 50 may include a plurality of radiators R1 to RN500, and antenna forming circuits 530, 540, and 550 that form an antenna using at least one of the plurality of radiators 500.

[0084] Referring to Figure 3 and Figures 4A to 4C , the antenna forming circuit may be electrically connected to the radiator 500 to use the radiator 500 as an antenna, and may include a switching element 530, a feeding unit 540, and a short-circuit pin 550.

[0085] Referring to Figure 3 and Figures 4A to 4C , a plurality of switching elements ( Figure 3 530 of Figures 4A to 4C and SW1 to SW14 of

[0086] ) may control whether to connect the plurality of radiators 500.

[0087] In this case, the size of each radiator 500 may correspond to the size of a unit pixel. In other words, each radiator may be set in units of pixels.

[0088] For example, each radiator 500 can be connected to radiators 500 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction on each of the four sides through a switching element 530. When the switching element 530 is turned on, two radiators connected to opposite sides of the switching element 530 can be electrically connected to each other, and when the switching element 530 is turned off, the two radiators connected to opposite sides of the switching element 530 can be electrically disconnected from each other.

[0089] The switching element 530 can be set as a thin film transistor. Such a thin film transistor can be formed by the same process and the same components as the transistors provided in the sub-pixels forming the display area DA.

[0090] Figure 4A A state is shown in which only the first radiator R1 connected to the power feeding unit 540 and the second radiator R2 connected to the short circuit pin 550 are connected through the first switch SW1.

[0091] Refer to Figure 4A , according to the on / off states of the plurality of switching elements SW1 to SW12, N (where N is a natural number of 1 or more) radiators among the plurality of radiators R1 to R6 can be electrically connected to form an antenna. In Figures 4A to 4C , for ease of description, a case where there are 9 radiators and 14 switching elements is taken as an example, but the number of radiators and the number of switching elements are not limited thereto.

[0092] As Figures 4A to 4C shown, the size of the antenna can be changed according to the number of the switching elements 530 that are turned on among the plurality of switching elements 530.

[0093] After the connection state in Figure 4A , as Figure 4B shown, as the first switch SW1, the second switch SW2, the fourth switch SW4, the seventh switch SW7, and the eighth switch SW8 are turned on by the antenna controller 600, the first radiator R1, the second radiator R2, the third radiator R3, the fourth radiator R4, and the fifth radiator R5 can be connected to the power feeding unit 540.

[0094] In addition, the first radiator R1, the second radiator R2, the third radiator R3, the fourth radiator R4, and the fifth radiator R5 can be connected to the short circuit pin 550.

[0095] Therefore, the first radiator R1, the second radiator R2, the third radiator R3, the fourth radiator R4, and the fifth radiator R5 can receive an electrical signal from the power feeding unit 540, and can be grounded through the short circuit pin 550 to be used as an antenna.

[0096] Alternatively, after the connection state in Figure 4A , as Figure 4CAs shown, as the first switch SW1, the fourth switch SW4, the seventh switch SW7, the eighth switch SW8, the tenth switch SW10, the eleventh switch SW11 and the thirteenth switch SW13 are turned on by the antenna controller 600, the first radiator R1, the second radiator R2, the fourth radiator R4, the fifth radiator R5, the seventh radiator R7 and the eighth radiator R8 can be connected to the feeding part 540.

[0097] In addition, the first radiator R1 , the second radiator R2 , the fourth radiator R4 , the fifth radiator R5 , the seventh radiator R7 , and the eighth radiator R8 may be connected to the short-circuit pin 550 .

[0098] Therefore, the first radiator R1 , the second radiator R2 , the fourth radiator R4 , the fifth radiator R5 , the seventh radiator R7 , and the eighth radiator R8 may receive an electrical signal from the feeding portion 540 , and may be grounded through the short-circuit pin 550 to function as an antenna.

[0099] According to the position of the turned-on switch element 530 among the plurality of switch elements 530 , the position of the radiator constituting the antenna may be determined, and thus the shape of the antenna may be changed.

[0100] Furthermore, the number and positions of the radiators 500 constituting the antenna ANT may be determined according to the number and positions of the turned-on switch elements 530 among the plurality of switch elements 530 , and thus the resonance frequency of the antenna unit may be changed.

[0101] Each of the plurality of radiators 500 may correspond to a pixel size. In other words, a unit radiator may have an area corresponding to a unit pixel.

[0102] Figure 5 is a graph of an example of antenna size versus resonant frequency according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6A , Figure 6B , Figure 6C , Figure 6D , Figure 6E and Figure 6F An example of an antenna shape that is reconfigurable based on the resonant frequency of the antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0103] Reference Figure 5 The relationship between the operating frequency and length value of the planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) is shown in the following formula. For reference, PIFA can act as a radiating element while the patch is resonated with the ground through current feeding, and the bandwidth, gain, resonant frequency, etc. can be determined according to the height, area and length of the patch, the location of the feed line, and the location of the short-circuit pin.

[0104]

[0105] cλf

[0106]

[0107] Here, L1 is the vertical length of the antenna, L2 is the horizontal length of the antenna, W is the width of the short-circuit pin, λ is the wavelength, c is the speed of light, f is the frequency, εr is the dielectric constant, and C0 is the speed of light in a vacuum.

[0108] Therefore, an antenna can be implemented by determining the final length or width of the antenna according to the resonant frequency of the antenna to be operated and combining unit radiators.

[0109] Referring to Figure 5 , assuming that the cross-sectional area of the rectangle is the same as the total cross-sectional area obtained by adding the cross-sectional areas of the unit radiators that will form the antenna ANT, the sum of the vertical length L1 and the horizontal length L2 of the rectangle is inversely proportional to the resonant frequency of the antenna.

[0110] In addition, the short-circuit pin 550 (i.e., the ground) connected to the antenna ANT has a predetermined width W, and the value obtained by subtracting the width W of the short-circuit pin 550 from the sum of the vertical length L1 and the horizontal length L2 is inversely proportional to the resonant frequency of the antenna.

[0111] Referring to Figure 6A , when the resonant frequency of the antenna ANT is realized as 500 MHz, it can be assumed that the cross-sectional area of the rectangular antenna ANT is the same as the total cross-sectional area obtained by adding the cross-sectional areas of the unit radiators 500 set with the unit pixel size.

[0112] In other words, the layouts of ANT1, ANT2, ANT3, and ANT4 are all different, but the total areas are the same.

[0113] In this case, within the range where the value obtained by subtracting the width W of the short-circuit pin 550 from the sum of the vertical length L1 and the horizontal length L2 of the rectangular antenna ANT remains the same, the shape of the rectangle can be reconstructed into several shapes as shown in Figure 6A . This is based on the principle that since the antenna controller 600 determines the number and positions of the turned-on switching elements among the plurality of switching elements 530 as described above, the shape of the antenna ANT can be determined.

[0114] Referring to Figure 6B, it can be seen that the value obtained by subtracting the width W of the short - circuit pin 550 from the sum of the vertical length L1 and the horizontal length L2 is inversely proportional to the resonant frequency of the antenna. In other words, it can be seen that ANT7 and ANT8 with a resonant frequency of 2 GHz and ANT6 with a resonant frequency of 3 GHz have relatively smaller cross - sectional area dimensions compared to ANT5 with a resonant frequency of 500 MHz.

[0115] Referring to Figure 6C , the antenna controller 600 can connect an additional radiator according to the resonant frequency to be achieved by a predetermined radiator in contact with the short - circuit pin 550 and a predetermined radiator in contact with the feeding unit 540, such that at least a part of the antenna ANT is connected to the feeding unit 540 and at least another part of it is connected to the short - circuit pin 550.

[0116] In this case, the antenna controller 600 can further connect the radiator by controlling the number and position of the conducting switching elements SW 530 among the plurality of switching elements 530 according to the resonant frequency, thereby reconstructing the antenna ANT that resonates at different frequencies, as Figure 6C shown.

[0117] For example, referring to Figure 6C , the antenna controller 600 can control the number and position of the conducting switching elements among the plurality of switching elements 530 provided in the display panel 110 according to the resonant frequency to change the antenna ANT1 that resonates at the first frequency implemented in the display device 100 into an antenna ANT that resonates at another frequency, thereby reconstructing the antenna into an antenna ANT2 that resonates at the second frequency or an antenna ANT3 that resonates at the third frequency. Or, the antenna controller 600 can control the number and position of the conducting switching elements among the plurality of switching elements 530 provided in the display panel 110 according to the resonant frequency and / or the use of the antenna to implement Figure 6D the loop antenna of Figure 6E the bent - wire antenna of Figure 6F the fractal antenna of

[0118] As a reference, a fractal antenna is an antenna that adopts a fractal, self - similar design to maximize the effective length of the material that can receive or emit electromagnetic radiation within a given total surface area or volume or increase the perimeter (internal part or external structure) of the material.

[0119] In addition, the feeding unit 540 and the short - circuit pin 550 can be reset in position according to the characteristics and implementation purposes of the antenna. In other words, the positions of the radiator to be connected to the feeding unit 540 and the radiator to be connected to the short - circuit pin 550 can be determined according to the characteristics and implementation purposes of the antenna. Here, the radiator to be connected to each of the feeding unit 540 and the short - circuit pin 550 can be a unit radiator or a plurality of radiators.

[0120] In addition, since a plurality of feeding units 540 and a plurality of short - circuit pins 550 are provided for a plurality of unit radiators, a plurality of antennas can be provided. In this case, the plurality of antennas can support a plurality of frequency bands.

[0121] As an embodiment, a switch can be used to implement a plurality of frequency bands through a plurality of unit radiators. For this purpose, by controlling the conduction / disconnection of a plurality of switches according to the required frequency band of the antenna, the connection or non - connection between the unit radiators can be determined to support the required frequency band.

[0122] According to an embodiment, a first antenna corresponding to a first frequency band can be implemented through a plurality of switches according to the connection structure between unit radiators, and a second antenna corresponding to a second frequency band different from the first frequency band can be implemented. Here, when the first frequency band is implemented, the second frequency band can be turned off by the switch to minimize the influence of coupling between the frequency bands.

[0123] Here, a predetermined unit radiator can be selectively connected to antennas supporting different frequency bands through a switch. In other words, the unit radiator implementing the first antenna can be the unit radiator implementing the second antenna according to the switch control.

[0124] Referring to Figure 7 , the feeding unit 540 can be connected to at least a part of the radiators 500 provided in the outermost part among the plurality of radiators 500. The feeding unit 540 can supply signals to at least a part of the radiators 500. In an embodiment, the feeding unit 540 can receive an external signal received from the external RF circuit communication unit 700 and transmit the external signal to the radiator 500.

[0125] Similarly, referring to Figure 7 , the antenna - forming circuit can include a feeding unit 540 connected to at least a part of the radiators R1 among the plurality of radiators 500. In this case, the feeding unit 540 can receive signals from at least a part of the radiators 500. In an embodiment, the feeding unit 540 can transmit the signals received from at least a part of the radiators 500 to the external RF circuit communication unit 700.

[0126] Figures 8A to 8C is a cross - sectional view showing an example of a display device including an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0127] Referring to Figures 8A to 8C , each of the plurality of pixels 30 includes a red sub - pixel R, a green sub - pixel G, and a blue sub - pixel B, and each of the red sub - pixel R, the green sub - pixel G, and the blue sub - pixel B includes a light - emitting diode (LED).

[0128] A plurality of radiators 500 may be located on the side surfaces of the outermost light-emitting diodes among the plurality of light-emitting diodes.

[0129] The display device 100 may further include a packaging layer 13 provided on the plurality of light-emitting diodes, and the plurality of radiators 500 may be provided on the packaging layer 13.

[0130] In Figures 8A to 8C in the vertical cross-sectional view of, the plurality of radiators 500 may be provided on the plurality of light-emitting diodes 12 and may be provided to overlap with the plurality of light-emitting diodes 12. To this end, the plurality of radiators 500 may be formed of a transparent metal.

[0131] For example, the transparent metal may be a transparent metal material such as indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), and zinc oxide (ZnO).

[0132] A brief description of the above-disclosed embodiments will be given below.

[0133] A display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a substrate including a display area for displaying an image and a non-display area for not displaying an image; a pixel unit including a plurality of pixels provided in the display area DA; and an antenna unit provided in at least a part of the display area or at least a part of the non-display area. The antenna unit may include: a plurality of radiators; and an antenna forming circuit that forms an antenna using at least one radiator among the plurality of radiators.

[0134] The antenna forming circuit may include a plurality of switching elements that control whether to connect the plurality of radiators. Each of the plurality of switching elements may include a thin film transistor.

[0135] The size of the antenna may be changed according to the number of the switching elements that are turned on among the plurality of switching elements.

[0136] The shape of the antenna may be changed according to the positions of the switching elements that are turned on among the plurality of switching elements.

[0137] The resonant frequency of the antenna unit may be changed according to the number and positions of the switching elements that are turned on among the plurality of switching elements.

[0138] The radiation characteristics of the antenna unit may be changed according to the number and positions of the switching elements that are turned on among the plurality of switching elements.

[0139] The antenna forming circuit may include a feeding unit connected to at least a part of the radiators provided in the outermost part among the plurality of radiators. The feeding unit may supply a signal to at least a part of the radiators.

[0140] The antenna forming circuit may include a feeding unit, and the feeding unit is connected to at least a part of the radiators arranged at the outermost part among the plurality of radiators. The feeding unit may receive signals from at least a part of the radiators.

[0141] According to the on / off states of each of the plurality of switching elements, N (where N is a natural number of 1 or more) radiators among the plurality of radiators may be electrically connected to form an antenna.

[0142] Each of the plurality of radiators may correspond to the size of one pixel.

[0143] When assuming that a rectangular antenna has the same cross-sectional area as the total cross-sectional area obtained by adding the cross-sectional areas of the unit radiators that will form the antenna, the sum of the vertical length L1 and the horizontal length L2 of the rectangular antenna may be inversely proportional to the resonance frequency of the antenna.

[0144] The ground connected to the antenna may have a predetermined width W. The value obtained by subtracting the width W from the sum of the vertical length L1 and the horizontal length L2 may be inversely proportional to the resonance frequency of the antenna.

[0145] Each of the plurality of pixels may include a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel. Each of the red sub-pixel, the green sub-pixel, and the blue sub-pixel may include a light-emitting diode (LED).

[0146] The plurality of radiators may be located on the side surfaces of the outermost light-emitting diodes among the plurality of light-emitting diodes.

[0147] The display device may further include a packaging layer provided on the plurality of light-emitting diodes, and the plurality of radiators may be provided on the packaging layer.

[0148] The plurality of radiators may be provided on the plurality of light-emitting diodes and overlap the plurality of light-emitting diodes.

[0149] The plurality of radiators may be formed of a transparent metal.

[0150] The antenna forming circuit may include a feeding unit connected to a first radiator among the plurality of radiators and a short-circuit pin connected to a second radiator among the plurality of radiators.

[0151] The display device may further include a radio frequency (RF) circuit unit electrically connected to the feeding unit.

[0152] A display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a substrate; a plurality of radiators disposed on the substrate; and an antenna forming circuit that forms an antenna using at least one of the plurality of radiators. The antenna forming circuit may control whether to connect the plurality of radiators and includes a plurality of switching elements disposed on the substrate. One of the plurality of switching elements may be connected between two adjacent radiators among the plurality of radiators.

[0153] The above briefly describes the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0154] The above description is provided to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the inventive concept of the present disclosure and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications, additions, and substitutions to the described embodiments will be apparent to a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications. The above description and the drawings provide only examples of the inventive concept of the present disclosure for illustrative purposes. That is, the disclosed embodiments are intended to illustrate the scope of the inventive concept of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising: A substrate, the substrate comprising a display area for displaying an image and a non-display area for not displaying an image; A pixel unit, the pixel unit comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in the display area; as well as an antenna unit, wherein the antenna unit is disposed in at least a portion of the display area or at least a portion of the non-display area, Wherein, the antenna unit comprises: multiple radiators; and The antenna configuration circuit configures an antenna using at least one radiator among the plurality of radiators.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The antenna configuration circuit includes a plurality of switch elements that control whether to connect the plurality of radiators, and Each of the plurality of switch elements comprises a thin film transistor.

3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein: The size of the antenna changes according to the number of switching elements that are turned on among the plurality of switching elements.

4. The display device according to claim 2, wherein: The shape of the antenna changes according to a position of a switching element that is turned on among the plurality of switching elements.

5. The display device according to claim 2, wherein: The resonant frequency of the antenna unit changes according to the number and positions of the turned-on switching elements among the plurality of switching elements.

6. The display device according to claim 2, wherein: The radiation characteristics of the antenna unit vary according to the number and positions of the turned-on switch elements among the plurality of switch elements.

7. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The antenna configuration circuit includes a feeder connected to at least a portion of the radiators disposed at the outermost portion among the plurality of radiators, and The feeder supplies a signal to at least a portion of the radiators.

8. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The antenna configuration circuit includes a feeder connected to at least a portion of the radiators disposed at the outermost portion among the plurality of radiators, and The feeder receives a signal from at least a portion of the radiators.

9. The display device according to claim 2, wherein: According to an on / off state of each of the plurality of switch elements, N of the plurality of radiators are electrically connected to form the antenna, wherein N is a natural number greater than or equal to 1.

10. The display device according to claim 9, wherein: Each of the plurality of radiators corresponds to a size of one pixel.

11. The display device according to claim 10, wherein: When it is assumed that the rectangular antenna has the same cross-sectional area as the total cross-sectional area obtained by adding the cross-sectional areas of the unit radiators constituting the antenna, the sum of the vertical length and the horizontal length of the rectangular antenna is inversely proportional to the resonant frequency of the antenna.

12. The display device according to claim 11, wherein: The ground connected to the antenna has a predetermined width, and The value obtained by subtracting the width from the sum of the vertical length and the horizontal length is inversely proportional to the resonant frequency of the antenna.

13. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the plurality of pixels includes a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel and a blue sub-pixel, and wherein each of the red sub-pixel, the green sub-pixel and the blue sub-pixel includes a light emitting diode (LED).

14. The display device according to claim 13, wherein: The plurality of radiators are located on side surfaces of outermost light emitting diodes among the plurality of light emitting diodes.

15. The display device according to claim 13, further comprising an encapsulation layer disposed on the plurality of light emitting diodes, in, The plurality of radiators are disposed on the packaging layer.

16. The display device according to claim 13, wherein: The plurality of radiators are disposed on the plurality of light emitting diodes and overlap with the plurality of light emitting diodes.

17. The display device according to claim 16, wherein: The plurality of radiators are formed of a transparent metal.

18. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The antenna forming circuit comprises: a feeder connected to a first radiator among the plurality of radiators; and A short-circuit pin is connected to a second radiator among the plurality of radiators. 19 . The display device according to claim 18 , further comprising a radio frequency circuit unit (RF circuit unit) electrically connected to the feeding portion.

20. An antenna device, comprising: substrate; a plurality of radiators, wherein the plurality of radiators are disposed on the substrate; as well as an antenna forming circuit, wherein the antenna forming circuit forms an antenna using at least one radiator among the plurality of radiators, The antenna configuration circuit controls whether to connect the plurality of radiators and includes a plurality of switch elements disposed on the substrate, and Among them, one switching element among the plurality of switching elements is connected between two adjacent radiators among the plurality of radiators.

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