Antenna structure and electronic device including the same

Abstract

The invention provides an antenna structure and an electronic device including the same. The present disclosure relates to a pre-5th-Generation (5G) or 5G communication system provided for supporting higher data rates than a beyond 4th-Generation (4G) communication system such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). According to an embodiment in the present disclosure, a dual-polarized antenna apparatus for a wireless communication system includes: a printed circuit board (PCB); the first feeder line is used for providing a first polarization signal; the second feeder line is used for providing a second polarization signal; and the patch antenna comprises a radiation area and a cutting area. An object corresponding to the cutting region is disposed to support the radiation region on the PCB.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application date of June 29, 2020, the application number of 202080047605X, and the title of "Antenna Structure and Electronic Device Including the Antenna Structure". Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an antenna structure and an electronic device including the antenna structure. Background Art

[0003] In order to meet the growing demand for wireless data services since the deployment of 4G communication systems, efforts have been made to develop improved 5G or pre-5G communication systems. Therefore, 5G or pre-5G communication systems may also be referred to as "super 4G networks" or "post-LTE systems".

[0004] The 5G communication system is considered to be implemented in a higher frequency (mmWave) band (e.g., 60 GHz band) in order to achieve higher data rates. In order to reduce the propagation loss of radio waves and increase the transmission distance, beamforming, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and massive antenna technologies are being discussed in 5G communication systems.

[0005] In addition, in 5G communication systems, development of system network improvements is underway based on advanced small cells, cloud radio access network (RAN), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, mobile networks, cooperative communication, coordinated multi-point (CoMP), receiver interference cancellation, etc.

[0006] In 5G systems, hybrid FSK and QAM modulation (FQAM) and sliding window superimposed coding (SWSC) as advanced coding modulation (ACM) and filter bank multicarrier (FBMC), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), and sparse code multiple access (SCMA) as advanced access technologies have been developed.

[0007] A dual-polarized antenna including two antenna ports is used for polarization diversity. In order to increase communication performance, in the dual-polarized antenna, it is necessary to improve the performance of the cross-polarization ratio (CPR).

[0008] The above information is only presented as background information for assisting in understanding the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion has been made, as to whether any of the above is applicable to the prior art with respect to the present disclosure. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Solution to the Problem Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a structure for connecting a radiation patch and a coupling patch of an antenna and an electronic device including the structure.

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a contact structure for a metal that allows surface mounting technology (SMT) through a bending structure on at least one surface of a metal radiation patch, and an electronic device including the contact structure.

[0011] Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide an antenna structure having improved CPR performance by satisfying symmetry between two antenna ports by means of a bending structure on at least one surface of a metal radiation patch, and an electronic device including the antenna structure.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a dual-polarized antenna device for a wireless communication system includes: a printed circuit board (PCB); a first feeder for providing a first polarization signal; a second feeder for providing a second polarization signal; and a patch antenna including a radiation area and a cut area. An object corresponding to the cut area is provided to support the radiation area on the PCB.

[0013] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a dual-polarized electronic device for a wireless communication system includes: at least one processor; at least one transceiver; and a plurality of antenna modules located on a printed circuit board (PCB). One of the plurality of antenna modules includes: a first feeder for providing a first polarization signal; a second feeder for providing a second polarization signal; and a patch antenna including a radiation area and a cut area. An object corresponding to the cut area is provided to support the radiation area on the PCB.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an antenna device prepared by a process including the following steps: (a) providing a metal plate of a patch antenna including a radiation area and a cut area; (b) forming a support object by bending the cut area of the metal plate; and (c) contacting the support object to a printed circuit board (PCB) in which a first feeder for a first polarization and a second feeder for a second polarization are provided.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a dual-polarized antenna module for a wireless communication system may include: an antenna substrate; a first antenna assembly including a first polarized antenna disposed on the antenna substrate; a second antenna assembly including a second polarized antenna disposed on the antenna substrate; a coupling patch disposed on the antenna substrate and electrically connected to the first antenna assembly and the second antenna assembly; and a radiation patch configured to radiate a signal received from the coupling patch, wherein the antenna module includes a support member including at least one region of one surface of the radiation patch that is bent to connect the radiation patch and the coupling patch.

[0016] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a dual-polarized electronic device for a wireless communication system may include: at least one processor, at least one transceiver, and a plurality of antenna modules, wherein each antenna module includes an antenna substrate, a first antenna assembly including a first polarized antenna, a second antenna assembly including a second polarized antenna, a coupling patch, and a radiation patch, and wherein each antenna module includes a support member including at least one region of one surface of the radiation patch that is bent to connect the radiation patch and the coupling patch corresponding to the radiation patch.

[0017] According to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, by means of a structure connecting the radiation patch and the coupling patch with a bent structure of the radiation patch, CPR performance can be ensured and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0018] The effects obtainable from the present disclosure may not be limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagram showing an exemplary electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 2A is a diagram showing an exemplary antenna radiation pattern for illustrating a cross-polarization ratio (CPR) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 2B is a diagram showing an example of a graph depicting the relationship between the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the bit error rate (BER) for cross-polarization discrimination (XPD) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 3Ais a diagram showing an example of an antenna module including a bent structure of a radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 3B is a plan view showing an example radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 3C is a front view showing an example bent structure of a radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 4 is a diagram showing another example antenna module including a bent structure of a radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example relationship between symmetry and CPR according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 6 is a diagram showing an improved example of the CPR of an antenna module including a bent structure of a radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example in which the CPR of the performance according to various embodiments of the present disclosure changes according to the position of the bent structure of the radiation patch; Figure 8 is a diagram showing another example in which the CPR of the performance according to various embodiments of the present disclosure changes according to the position of the bent structure of the radiation patch; Figure 9 is a diagram showing an improved example of the CPR performance of an antenna module including a bent structure of a radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; and Figure 10 is a diagram showing another improved example of the CPR performance of an antenna module including a bent structure of a radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Description

[0020] The terms used in the present disclosure are used to describe various example embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Singular expressions may include plural expressions unless they are clearly different in context. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. Terms such as those defined in a general dictionary may be interpreted as having the same meaning as the contextual meaning in the relevant technical field and not as having an ideal or overly formal meaning unless clearly defined in the present disclosure. In some cases, even the terms defined in the present disclosure should not be interpreted as excluding embodiments of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, various example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on a software-based method. However, various embodiments of the present disclosure include technologies using both hardware and software, and thus various embodiments of the present disclosure may not exclude the software perspective.

[0021] The present disclosure relates to an antenna structure for a wireless communication system and an electronic device including the antenna structure. For example, the present disclosure discloses a technique for improving the CPR performance of a dual-polarized antenna by, for example, cutting and / or bending (or folding) at least one surface of a radiation patch and providing an antenna structure that is effective in terms of performance, space, and cost. For example, since it is expected that devices having a much larger number of antennas will be more widely used through massive MIMO technology, it is necessary to design a more efficient antenna in terms of manufacturing time and production cost, while also requiring higher CPR performance.

[0022] Hereinafter, for convenience of description, terms for indicating components of an electronic device (e.g., substrate, printed circuit board (PCB), flexible PCB (FPCB), module, antenna, antenna element, circuit, processor, chip, component, and device), terms for indicating the shape of a component (e.g., structure body, structure, support part, contact part, protrusion, and opening), terms for indicating a connection part between structures (e.g., connection part, contact part, support part, contact structure, conductive member, and component), and terms for indicating a circuit (e.g., PCB, FPCB, signal line, feed line, data line, RF signal line, antenna feed line, RF path, RF module, and RF circuit) may be used by way of example. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not limited to the above terms, and other terms having equivalent technical meanings may be used. In addition, terms such as "unit", "-or", "structure", and "body" used herein may refer to at least one shape structure or unit for processing functions.

[0023] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 The wireless communication environment 100 corresponds to some nodes using a wireless channel, and by way of example, may include a communication node 110 and a terminal 120. As an example, the communication node 110 may be electrically connected to a base station or may be implemented on the base station.

[0024] A base station is network infrastructure that provides a wireless connection. The coverage area of a base station may be defined as a specific geographical area based on the distance at which signals can be transmitted and received. In addition to a base station, a base station may also be referred to as, for example, an "access point (AP)", "eNodeB (eNB)", "fifth-generation (5G) node", "5G NodeB (5G NB)", "wireless point", "transmission / reception point (TRP)", "access unit", "distributed unit (DU)", "transmission / reception point (TRP)", "radio unit (RU)", "remote radio head (RRH)", or other terms having equivalent technical meanings. A base station may transmit a downlink signal or receive an uplink signal.

[0025] The terminal 120 may refer to, for example, a device used by a user that performs communication with a base station through a wireless channel. The terminal 120 may be operated without any operation by the user. For example, the terminal 120 may refer to, for example, a device that performs machine type communication (MTC) and may not be carried by the user. For example, in addition to a terminal, the terminal 120 may also be referred to as a "user equipment (UE)", "mobile station", "user station", "customer premise equipment (CPE)", "remote terminal", "wireless terminal", "electronic device", "vehicle-mounted terminal", "user equipment", or other terms having an equivalent technical meaning.

[0026] The number of antennas (or antenna elements) of a device performing wireless communication is increased to improve communication performance. In addition, the number of RF components or assemblies for processing RF signals received or transmitted through the antenna elements is also increased. Therefore, when communication performance is satisfied in a communication device, spatial gain and cost efficiency are basically required. To meet the requirements, a dual-polarized antenna has been used to meet the requirements. When channel independence between signals of different polarizations is satisfied, polarization diversity and signal gain due to polarization diversity can be increased. Therefore, it is advantageous to improve the cross-polarization ratio (CPR) in the dual-polarized antenna.

[0027] Although components of a wireless device (e.g., a massive MIMO unit (MMU)) connected to a base station are shown by way of example to illustrate a connection structure according to the present disclosure and an electronic device including the connection structure, various embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, the connection structure according to the present disclosure and an electronic device including the connection structure may be applied to Figure 1 the terminal 120 or another device that requires a stable connection structure of communication components for signal processing.

[0028] Referring to Figure 1 , an example functional configuration of the communication node 110 is shown. The communication node 110 may include an antenna unit 111, a filter unit 112, a radio frequency (RF) processor 113, and a controller (e.g., including a processing circuit) 114.

[0029] The antenna unit 111 may include a plurality of antennas. The antennas perform the function of transmitting and receiving signals through a wireless channel. The antennas may include, for example, radiators that include conductors or conductive patterns formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). The antennas may radiate the up-converted signals into the wireless channel or acquire signals radiated by another device. Each antenna may be referred to as an antenna element or an antenna device. In some embodiments, the antenna unit 111 may include an antenna array in which a plurality of antenna elements form an array. The antenna unit 111 may be electrically connected to the filter unit 112 through an RF signal line. The antenna unit 111 may be mounted on a PCB that includes a plurality of antenna elements. The PCB may include a plurality of RF signal lines that connect the antenna elements and the filter of the filter unit 112. The RF signal lines may be referred to as a feed network. The antenna unit 111 may provide the received signals to the filter unit 112 or may radiate the signals provided from the filter unit 112 into the air.

[0030] The antenna unit 111 according to various embodiments may include at least one antenna module having a dual-polarized antenna. For example, the dual-polarized antenna may be a cross-polarized (x-pol) antenna. The dual-polarized antenna may include, for example, two antenna ports corresponding to different polarizations. For example, the dual-polarized antenna may include a first antenna port having a +45° polarization and a second antenna port having a -45° polarization. The antenna ports are connected to feed lines and may be electrically connected to the filter unit 112, the RF processor 113, and the controller 114.

[0031] According to various embodiments, the dual-polarized antenna may include, for example, a patch antenna (or a microstrip antenna). Since the dual-polarized antenna has the form of a patch antenna, an array antenna can be easily implemented and integrated. Two signals having different polarizations may be input to the antenna ports. The antenna ports correspond to the antenna elements. For high efficiency, the relationship between the co-polarization (co-pol) characteristics and the cross-polarization characteristics between two signals having different polarizations may be improved. In the dual-polarized antenna, the co-polarization characteristics may represent the characteristics of a specific polarization component, and the cross-polarization characteristics represent the characteristics of a polarization component different from the specific polarization component.

[0032] The filter unit 112 can perform filtering to transmit signals of a desired frequency. The filter unit 112 can perform a function of selectively identifying a frequency by forming resonance. In some embodiments, the filter unit 112 can form resonance through a cavity structurally including a dielectric body. Additionally, in some embodiments, the filter unit 112 can form resonance through elements forming inductance or capacitance. The filter unit 112 can include at least one of, for example but not limited to, a band-pass filter, a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, a band-stop filter, etc. For example, the filter unit 112 can include an RF circuit for obtaining signals of a frequency band for transmitting signals or a frequency band for receiving signals. According to various embodiments, the filter unit 112 can be electrically connected to the antenna unit 111 and the RF processor 113.

[0033] The RF processor 113 can include multiple RF paths. An RF path can refer to, for example, a path unit along which a signal received through an antenna or a signal radiated through an antenna passes. At least one RF path can be referred to as an RF chain. The RF chain can include multiple RF elements. The RF elements can include, for example but not limited to, amplifiers, mixers, oscillators, digital-to-analog converters (DACs), analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), etc. For example, the RF processor 113 can include an upconverter that upconverts a digital transmission signal in the baseband to a transmission frequency and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that converts the upconverted digital transmission signal into an analog RF transmission signal. The upconverter and the DAC can be components of the transmission path. The transmission path can also include, for example, a power amplifier (PA) or a coupler (or combiner). Additionally, for example, the RF processor 113 can include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that converts an analog RF reception signal into a digital reception signal and a downconverter that converts the digital reception signal into a digital reception signal in the baseband. The ADC and the downconverter can be components of the reception path. The reception path can also include a low-noise amplifier (LNA) or a coupler (or divider). The RF components of the RF processor can be implemented on a PCB. The base station 110 can include a structure in which the antenna unit 111, the filter unit 112, and the RF processor 113 are sequentially stacked. The RF components of the antenna and the RF processor can be implemented on a PCB, and the filters can be repeatedly connected between PCBs to form multiple layers.

[0034] The controller 114 may include various processing circuits and control the overall operation of the communication node 110. The controller 114 may include various modules for performing communications. The controller 114 may include at least one processor. The controller 114 may include a module for digital signal processing. For example, when transmitting data, the controller 114 may generate complex symbols by encoding and modulating the transmitted bit array. In addition, for example, when receiving data, the controller 114 may recover the received bit array by demodulating and decoding the baseband signal. The controller 114 may perform the functions of the protocol stack required by the communication standard.

[0035] Figure 1 A device for utilizing the antenna structure of the present disclosure is shown, and a functional configuration of the communication node 110 is shown. However, Figure 1 The examples shown in are merely example configurations for utilizing the antenna structure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to Figure 1 the elements of the device. Accordingly, the antenna module, the communication device of another configuration, and the antenna structure including the antenna structure, which will be described in more detail below, may also be understood as example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 2A FIG. 200 is a diagram showing an example 200 of an antenna radiation pattern for illustrating the cross-polarization ratio (CPR) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The radiation pattern may represent the relationship between the intensity of the electric field or magnetic field and the physical space. The present invention relates to an example electric field in the E-plane, for example.

[0037] If the polarization characteristics are different, the attenuation state may be different. Different polarization characteristics indicate low channel correlation between signals having different polarizations. Polarization diversity can increase when signals having different polarizations experience independent channels. For polarization diversity, dual-polarized antennas are utilized. The signal gain may increase as the polarization diversity increases, which directly results in an increase in the channel capacity. Therefore, the independence between the polarization components in the dual-polarized antenna is used as an index representing the performance of the dual-polarized antenna.

[0038] Referring to Figure 2A , the antenna radiation pattern 200 represents an example relationship between the spatial coordinates (polar coordinates) of the polarization components and the electric field strength in the E-plane of the dual-polarized antenna. To provide two different polarization characteristics, the dual-polarized antenna includes two antenna components (i.e., antenna ports or antenna feed lines for antenna ports), and the antenna ports may be independently connected to the feed lines. The dual-polarized antenna may include a first antenna component for the first polarization and a second antenna component for the second polarization.

[0039] The antenna radiation pattern 200 may include two signal components. The two signal components may include a first component 210 and a second component 220. The first component 210 may be, for example, a co-polarized component for a first polarization, and the second component 220 may be, for example, a cross-polarized component for the first polarization. For example, the co-polarized component may be the first polarization component of the signal transmitted through the first antenna port, and the cross-polarized component may be the second polarization component of the signal transmitted through the first antenna port. When a signal is applied to the first antenna port, the co-polarized component may be measured by the antenna element with respect to the first polarization. When a signal is applied to the first antenna port, the cross-polarized component may be measured by the antenna element with respect to the second polarization as the second polarization.

[0040] CPR may represent the ratio of two polarization components when a signal is transmitted with a specific polarization. For example, CPR represents the ratio of the first component 210 to the second component 220. The unit of the signal magnitude is dBi, and the CPR may be the difference 230 (e.g., about 10 dB) between the first component 210 and the second component 220 in the E-plane = 0°. Since the difference between the two components increases as the magnitude of the second component 220 decreases, the CPR may increase. Since in an ideal communication system, the two polarization components of a dual-polarized antenna may be completely perpendicular to each other, the signal components of different polarizations, i.e., the cross-polarized components, may be completely interrupted. However, since in an actual communication system, the two polarization components cannot be completely perpendicular to each other, it is necessary to improve the CPR.

[0041] Figure 2B is an example 250 of a graph showing the relationship between the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the bit error rate (BER) for cross-polarization discrimination (XPD) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The cross-polarization isolation may refer to, for example, the ratio of the polarization components of two polarizations when a signal of a specific polarization is radiated. For example, it may represent Figure 2A the above-mentioned CPR. For example, XPD may be expressed as in Equation 1.

[0042] [Equation 1]

[0043] Here, y co represents the component of the signal received with the specific polarization in which the signal is radiated, and y cross represents the component of the signal received with the other polarization.

[0044] Referring to Figure 2B, Curve 250 shows the relationship between SNR and BER. The horizontal axis 251 of Curve 250 represents SNR, and the unit is decibel (dB). The vertical axis 252 of Curve 250 represents BER%, and the unit is bit / second.

[0045] Curve 250 may include four lines. The four lines include the first line 261, the second line 262, the third line 263, and the fourth line 264. The first line 261 may represent the relationship between the BER and SNR of a dual-polarized antenna with a cross-polarization discrimination of 0 dB. The second line 262 may represent the relationship between the BER and SNR of a dual-polarized antenna with a cross-polarization discrimination of 5 dB. The third line 263 may represent the relationship between the BER and SNR of a dual-polarized antenna with a cross-polarization discrimination of 10 dB. The fourth line 264 may represent the relationship between the BER and SNR of a dual-polarized antenna with a cross-polarization discrimination of 15 dB.

[0046] Referring to Figure 250, it can be recognized that, referring to the same BER (e.g., 10 -5 bit / second), as the cross-polarization discrimination increases (first line 261 -> second line 262 -> third line 263 -> fourth line 264), the SNR increases. As Figure 2A mentioned, since the independence between the two polarizations is satisfied, the polarization diversity increases. The cross-polarization ratio may refer to, for example, the ratio of the polarization amplitudes of the two polarizations when radiating signals of the same polarization. As the cross-polarization discrimination increases, the independence between the two polarizations increases. Therefore, as in Curve 250, the increase in cross-polarization discrimination improves the signal gain in the same requirement.

[0047] In Figure 2A and Figure 2B , CPR and XPD are shown as example parameters for independently representing the independence between different polarizations. Hereinafter, the performance, effects, the relationship between performance and effects and the structure, and the relationship between performance and effects and the arrangement form of the structure of the antenna structure according to each embodiment will be shown as examples, but it is clear that another measure representing the independence between polarizations can be used. This is because the independence between polarizations improves the quality of the channel by improving the polarization diversity gain.

[0048] Hereinafter, in Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10Various example embodiments of a connection structure of an antenna module for improving independence between polarizations (e.g., CPR) are shown by way of non-limiting examples.

[0049] Figure 3A FIG. is a diagram showing an example of an antenna module including a bent structure of a radiation patch 330 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0050] Referring to Figure 3A , an exploded view 300 shows individual components of the antenna module, and an assembled view 350 shows the assembled antenna module. The antenna module may include an antenna PCB 310, a first antenna port 311, a second antenna port 312, a coupling patch 320, a radiation patch 330, and one or more feed lines (not shown) connected to the antenna ports.

[0051] The antenna module may include a structure in which the antenna PCB 310, the coupling patch 320, and the radiation patch 330 are stacked in the z-axis direction. The coupling patch 320 may be disposed on the antenna PCB 310 of the antenna module, and the radiation patch 330 may be disposed in the (+) z-axis direction of the coupling patch 320. The radiation patch 330 may be spaced apart from the first antenna 311, the second antenna port 312, and the feed-coupling patch 320, and may be positioned substantially parallel to the antenna PCB 310.

[0052] The antenna PCB 310 may be an antenna substrate, and a plurality of feed lines for supplying RF signals may be attached to the antenna PCB 310. For example, the plurality of feed lines may be printed on the antenna PCB 310. The antenna PCB 310 may include a dielectric body. The plurality of feed lines may include a feed line for connecting antenna components for a first polarization in a dual-polarized antenna and a feed line for connecting antenna components for a second polarization. An input port connecting the antenna components may be referred to as an antenna port.

[0053] The coupling patch 320 may be connected to the feed line of the first antenna port 311 and the feed line of the second antenna port 312. The coupling patch 320 may transfer signals of the two antenna ports input through the feed lines to the radiation patch 330. The first antenna port 311 may be, for example, an antenna port for a first polarization, and the second antenna port 312 may be, for example, an antenna port for a second polarization. The coupling patch 320 may include, for example, a metal plate.

[0054] According to various embodiments, the radiation patch 330 may be arranged to be spaced apart from the coupling patch 320 by a specific interval. For example, the radiation patch 330 may be arranged parallel to the coupling patch to form resonance. The radiation patch 330 may radiate the signals of the first antenna port 311 and the second antenna port 312 provided from the coupling patch into the air. The radiation patch 330 may include, for example, a metal plate. The bandwidth of the radiated signal is based on the specific interval between the two patches. The specific interval between the two patches may be achieved by at least a part of the radiation patch 330.

[0055] According to various embodiments, the radiation patch 330 may have at least one bending structure (e.g., a bent portion). In the present disclosure, the bending structure may refer to, for example, a structure in which a specific part of the plate (e.g., a metal plate) of the radiation patch 330 is folded to form a surface disposed at a position different from one surface of the plate (e.g., the radiation surface (xy surface)). The bending structure may be formed, for example, but not limited to, by cutting and / or bending at least a part of the plate of the radiation patch 330. For example, by cutting the side surface of the plate except for a specific side surface of at least a part of the plate (e.g., spatially separating the side surface from the side surface of the metal plate) and connecting and folding the specific side surface of the at least a part, the cut part of the plate may no longer be disposed on the radiation surface of the plate. The cut part may be referred to as, for example, a cut portion or a cut area. For example, when four specific parts on the surface of the radiation patch 330 perpendicular to the z-axis are cut and folded, the first bending structure 331, the second bending structure 332, the third bending structure 333, and the fourth bending structure of the radiation patch 330 may be formed. The cut part may be a part of the plate that is not located on the radiation surface and may be referred to as a bent surface. The specific side surface connected to the plate is a bent portion and may be referred to as a bent line. A detailed description of the bent surface and the bent line will be made with reference to Figure 3B Make a detailed description of the bent surface and the bent line.

[0056] According to various embodiments, the bending structure may be used as a support member (e.g., a support) for the contact between the coupling patch 320 and the radiation patch 330. The bending structure (e.g., the first bending structure 331, the second bending structure 332, the third bending structure 333, and the fourth bending structure 334) may be used to support the radiation patch 330 on the coupling patch 320. The bent surface of the bending structure may be arranged in a form that supports the radiation patch 330 on the antenna PCB 310 and the coupling patch 320 by forming the bent surface such that the bent surface is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the plate. Since the radiation patch 330 may include a metal plate and the bending structure is formed by the radiation patch 330, a metal column may be formed between the coupling patch 320 and the radiation patch 330. This is because the region corresponding to the cut part is also formed of a metal object since the plate is a metal part.

[0057] According to various embodiments, the radiation patch 330 may be directly attached to the coupling part 320 by a surface mount technology (SMT) scheme. The support structure between the two layers may be implemented by a separate support member, and additional processes such as fabricating the support member according to the material of the support member and welding may be considered. However, since the bending structure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is a metal structure formed by bending a part of the plate of the radiation patch 330 including metal without using a separate support member, the bending structure may be directly attached to the coupling patch 320 according to the SMT scheme. For example, since the additional processes according to the fabrication of the support member and the material of the support member according to various embodiments of the present disclosure are omitted, the manufacturing cost of the antenna module may be reduced. For example, since the accumulated processing errors may significantly affect the performance in a communication device including multiple antenna modules such as an MMU, due to the simple SMT scheme, without using any separate support member, the effect between metals may be maximized.

[0058] According to an embodiment, for stable support, in addition to a part that is connected to the plate and folded, the cut part may also be bent. A bent surface parallel to the coupling patch 320 may be additionally formed by further bending one surface of the cut part. That is, the bending structure may have an "L" shape. Hereinafter, reference will be made to Figure 3C describe a detailed description of the "L" shape.

[0059] According to various embodiments, in addition to the function of the support member, the deployment and shape of the bending structure of the radiation patch 330 may be related to the electric field distribution. Since the bending structure is formed by a part of the metal plate of the radiation patch 330 from which signals are radiated, the formation scheme affects the radiation performance of the antenna. The deployment of the bending structure may include at least one of a bending position, a cutting position, the number of bending structures, and whether the cutting positions on the radiation surface are symmetric to each other. The form of the bending structure may include at least one of the number of bends in each bending structure, the shape of the bent surface, and the bending direction. In the antenna resonance mode of the dual-polarization antenna, based on the deployment and form of the bending structure, the distribution of the electric field may be different. Therefore, the CPR performance of the dual-polarization antenna may be different based on where the bending structure is set in space and what size the bending structure forms. Hereinafter, reference will be made to Figure 7 and Figure 8 describe a detailed description of the deployment and form of the bending structure.

[0060] Figure 3A An example in which the radiation patch 330 has four bending structures is shown, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, the radiation patch 330 may have one bending structure. Additionally, according to an embodiment, the radiation patch 330 may have two bending structures. It will be understood from the disclosure that any suitable number of bending structures may be employed. Figure 3B is a plan view showing an exemplary radiation patch 330 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3B is a view showing the Figure 3A radiation patch 330 viewed from the (+)z axis in the (-)z axis direction. Descriptions made according to the Figure 3B xyz coordinates can be shared in Figure 3A this.

[0061] Referring to Figure 3B , the metal plate for the radiation patch 330 may include a first bending structure 331, a second bending structure 332, a third bending structure 333, and a fourth bending structure 334. For stable support, in each bending structure of Figure 3B , a specific portion of the metal plate of the radiation patch 330 may be cut and bent (hereinafter, primary bending), and the cut portion may be additionally bent (hereinafter, secondary bending). For example, the bending structure of the radiation patch 330 may be attached to the coupling patch 320 in an L shape.

[0062] The bending surface of the cut portion of the metal plate of the radiation patch 330 according to the primary bending may be used as a support member (e.g., a short pin) of the radiation patch 330. Accordingly, the cut surface according to the primary bending may be referred to as a support bending surface. The bending line between the support bending surface of the radiation patch 330 and the metal plate may be referred to as a support bending line. The surface of the support bending surface facing the surface attached to the coupling patch 320 according to the secondary bending may be referred to as an attachment bending surface. The surface facing the attachment bending surface (e.g., the opposite surface) may be attached to the coupling patch 320.

[0063] In addition, the bending line of the secondary bending may be referred to as an attachment bending line. The first bending structure 331 may include an attachment bending surface 331a, an attachment bending line 331b, a support bending surface 331c, and a support bending line 331d. The second bending structure 332 may include an attachment bending surface 332a, an attachment bending line 332b, a support bending surface 332c, and a support bending line 332d. The third bending structure 333 may include an attachment bending surface 333a, an attachment bending line 333b, a support bending surface 333c, and a support bending line 333d. The fourth bending structure 334 may include an attachment bending surface 334a, an attachment bending line 334b, a support bending surface 334c, and a support bending line 334d.

[0064] Figure 3C is a view showing an example of a front view of the bending structure of the radiation patch 330 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3C is a view when the antenna module 300 of Figure 3A is viewed from the (+)x axis in the (-)x axis direction. Descriptions made according to the Figure 3CThe description based on the xyz coordinate system shared in Figure 3A and the description based on the xy coordinate system in Figure 3B . By way of example, the first bending structure 331 is shown as the bending structure.

[0065] Referring to Figure 3C , the first bending structure 331 can be formed by cutting a region 331z of the metal plate of the radiation patch 330. This region 331z can be referred to as the cutting region. Since the radiation patch 330 is a metal plate, the cutting region can be a metal object, for example, a conductor. In order to form a stacked structure of the radiation patch 330 and the coupling patch 320, this region 331z of the radiation patch 330 can be attached to the coupling patch 320 and can be used as a support member for the radiation patch 330. This region 331z can include a support bending surface 331c formed by performing a single bend on the metal plate and an attachment bending surface 331a that can be formed by an additional secondary bend.

[0066] Meanwhile, Figure 3B and Figure 3C show that the surface facing the attachment bending surface is provided in the coupling patch 320, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, in the case of secondary bending, the folding direction can be opposite. For example, instead of forming the cutting surface 331a in the (-)y-axis direction in Figure 3C , the bending surface can be formed by bending the metal plate in the (+)y-axis direction. Figure 3B The attachment bending surface 331a in

[0067] Figure 4 can be directly provided in the coupling plate 320. Figure 4 shows Figure 3A Another example antenna module including a bending structure of a radiation patch 430 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0068] Referring to Figure 4 , the exploded view 400 shows the individual components of the antenna module, and the assembled view 450 shows the assembled antenna module. The antenna module can include an antenna PCB 410, a first antenna port 411, a second antenna port 412, a coupling patch 420, a radiation patch 430, and one feeder line (or multiple feeder lines) connected to the antenna port (not shown). The antenna PCB 410, the first antenna port 411, the second antenna port 412, the coupling patch 420, and the radiation patch 430 respectively correspond to Figure 3AThe antenna PCB 310, the first antenna port 311, the second antenna port 312, the coupling patch 320, and the radiation patch 330, so the same or similar descriptions thereof will not be repeated here.

[0069] According to various embodiments, the radiation patch 430 may be arranged to be spaced apart from the coupling patch 320 by a specific interval. The radiation patch 430 may radiate the signals of the first antenna port 411 and the second antenna port 412 provided from the coupling patch into the air. The radiation patch 330 may include a metal plate. According to various embodiments, the radiation patch 430 may have at least one bending structure. For example, when four specific portions on the surface of the radiation patch 330 perpendicular to the z-axis are cut and folded, the first bending structure 431 and the second bending structure 433 of the radiation patch 330 may be formed.

[0070] According to various embodiments, the bending structure may be used as a support member for the contact between the coupling patch 420 and the radiation patch 430. The bending structure (e.g., the first bending structure 431 and the second bending structure 433) may be used to support the radiation patch 330 on the coupling patch 420. Then, since the radiation patch 430 is a metal plate and the bending structure is formed by cutting the radiation patch 430, metal posts may be formed between the coupling patch 420 and the radiation patch 430. The radiation patch 430 may be directly attached to the coupling patch 420 via the SMT scheme. For stable support, in addition to a part that is connected to the board and folded, the cut part may also be bent. The opposite surface of the bent surface formed by the additional bending may be attached to the coupling patch 420.

[0071] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example relationship between symmetry and CPR according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. For the description of symmetry, by way of example, the a + 45° polarization and the A - 45° polarization are shown as two different polarizations.

[0072] The polarization characteristics of the antenna are determined by the vector sum of the antenna electric fields. The signal radiated from the antenna may include multiple vectors. The multiple vectors may be detected from the change in the electric field strength. Since the distribution of the vectors detected from the electric field is symmetric with respect to the polarization direction, for a specific polarization, the component of the signal of the other polarization component may become smaller in the signal. If a signal of + 45° polarization is radiated, the + 45° polarization should be detected. However, the actually radiated signal may include an unwanted component, and the vector of the unwanted component in the electric field will cause asymmetry. Therefore, the symmetry of the electric field distribution can directly represent the CPR performance of the antenna. Hereinafter, the case of the signal of + 45° polarization will be described.

[0073] Refer to Figure 5, the first vector diagram 511 represents the vector of +45° polarization in the existing antenna module, and the first electric field pattern 512 represents the electric field of +45° polarization in the existing antenna module. In the following text, for the electric field pattern in the present disclosure, the following table can be referred to. The highest contour line corresponds to level 16.

[0074] [Table 1]

[0075] The vector sum of the first vector diagram 511 indicates 45 + α° (α > 0). That is, the signal of +45° polarization is output counterclockwise from the +45° direction (i.e., counterclockwise 45 + α° (α > 0)). If the ends of the contour lines are connected to each other in the first electric field pattern 512, the asymmetry of +45° can be recognized. The fact that the first end point 513 and the second end point 514 are formed longer than other end points may mean that there are additional vector components in the corresponding direction, for example. In the first electric field pattern 512 of 45 + α° (α > 0), a symmetric reference line can be formed, but the symmetry of +45° cannot be satisfied.

[0076] The second vector diagram 511 represents the vector of +45° polarization in the antenna module including a bent structure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and the second vector diagram 522 represents the electric field of the signal of +45° polarization in the antenna module including a bent structure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The vector sum of the second vector diagram 521 indicates 45. That is, the signal of +45° polarization is output basically at 45°. If the ends of the contour lines are connected to each other in the second electric field pattern 522, the symmetry of +45° can be recognized. Since the third end point 523 and the fourth end point 524 are formed symmetrically with other end points, different from the first electric field pattern 512, the symmetry reference line of the second electric field pattern 522 can be formed as +45°. When the symmetry is satisfied, the cross-polarization component of the signal with +45° polarization can be reduced, and thus the CPR performance can be improved.

[0077] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the improvement of the CPR of the antenna module 650 including a bent structure of a radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. To describe the bent structure and performance of the antenna module 650 according to various embodiments, an example of the antenna module 600 without a bent structure will be described.

[0078] Refer to Figure 6, the antenna module 600 may include an antenna PCB 610, a first antenna port 611, a second antenna port 612, a coupling patch 620, a radiation patch 630, and one or more feeder lines (not shown) connected to the antenna ports. The radiation patch 630 uses a metal plate for radiation but does not have a separate bending structure. Since the antenna module 600 does not have a bending structure, the degree of separation of different polarization components can be relatively low. The electric field pattern 640 represents the electric field of the first antenna port 611 of the antenna module 600, that is, the +45° polarization. Since the electric field pattern 640 is asymmetric with respect to the +45° direction, the antenna module 600 may have a relatively low CPR compared to the antenna module 650 including a bending structure, which will be described below.

[0079] The antenna module 650 may include an antenna PCB 660, a first antenna port 661, a second antenna port 662, a coupling patch 670, a radiation patch 680, and one or more feeder lines (not shown) connected to the antenna ports. The description of the components of the antenna module 650 of Figure 6 corresponds at least in part to the components of the antenna module of Figure 3A or Figure 4 the antenna module, so the same or similar descriptions may not be repeated here.

[0080] The radiation patch 680 may have two bending structures including two cut portions (or may be referred to as cut regions) in one metal plate. The two cut portions may include a first cut portion 681a and a second cut portion 682a. The first cut portion 681a may correspond to the first bending structure 681b. The second cut portion 682a may correspond to the second bending structure 682b. The first bending structure 681b and the second bending structure 682b may perform the function of metal posts connecting the coupling patch 670 and the radiation patch 680.

[0081] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, by arranging the first cut portion 681a and the second cut portion 682a, it is possible to control Figure 5The asymmetry problem of the polarization components mentioned. That is, by designing the antenna module 650 to suppress a part of the vector components of the electric field formed in the radiation patch or supply signals with components in the opposite direction, the first cutting part 681a and the second cutting part 682a can be set such that the electric field of the signal of the antenna for a specific polarization is symmetric. According to an embodiment, the cutting part can be set based on experimental values. In addition, according to an embodiment, the cutting part can be flexibly set according to the obtained electric field pattern. For example, the cutting part can be set on the radiation surface of the radiation patch as if it were not cut, or it can be removed to control the CPR. In addition, for example, instead of removing the cut part, the cut part that has been cut can be used to support the support member. The electric field pattern 690 represents the electric field of the first antenna port 661 of the antenna module 650, that is, +45° polarization. Since the electric field pattern 690 is symmetric with respect to the +45° direction, the antenna module 650 can have a relatively high CPR compared to the antenna module 650 that does not include the above-mentioned bending structure.

[0082] Via Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B 、 Figure 3C 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5 And Figure 6 , measures for easily improving the CPR of the support structure between the radiation patch and the coupling patch and the dual-polarized antenna by using a bending structure formed by cutting at least one area of the radiation patch are described. Hereinafter, embodiments showing an exemplary relationship between the deployment and form of the bending structure and the improvement of the CPR will be described via Figure 7 And Figure 8 .

[0083] Figure 7 Is a diagram showing an example in which the CPR showing the performance according to various embodiments of the present disclosure changes according to the position of the bending structure of the radiation patch. As shown in Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B 、 Figure 3C 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5 And Figure 6 , as shown in Figure 7The antenna module may include an antenna PCB, a coupling patch, a radiation patch, a first antenna port for a first polarization, and a second antenna port for a second polarization. In order to determine the improvement in performance according to the deployment of the bending structure, measurements are performed on an antenna module having one bending structure. In order to describe the bending structure and the improvement in performance of the antenna module according to each embodiment, an example of an antenna module 600 without a bending structure will be described by comparison. When considering the electric field pattern 640, the output of the signal with +45° polarization in the antenna module 600 may be in the direction of approximately +45 + α° (α > 0). In the antenna module 600, the output of the signal with -45° polarization may be in the direction of approximately -45 + β° (β > 0).

[0084] Referring to Figure 7 , in the first case 710, the antenna module includes a bending structure formed at the central position 711 of the radiation patch. The end points of the contour line of the electric field pattern 710a of the first antenna port form an asymmetry with respect to the +45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 715a of the first antenna port does not increase. Since the central position of the radiation patch is a physically symmetric position, setting the bending structure at the central position may not help from the perspective of improving the CPR. The end points of the contour line of the electric field pattern 710b of the second antenna port form an asymmetry with respect to the -45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 715b of the second antenna port does not increase. Since the central position of the radiation patch is a physically symmetric position, setting the bending structure at the central position may not help from the perspective of improving the CPR.

[0085] In the second case 740, the antenna module includes a bending structure formed on the right side 741 of the central position of the radiation patch. The end points of the contour line of the electric field pattern 740a of the first antenna port form a symmetry with respect to the +45° direction. It is recognized that there is an increase of approximately 15 dB 747 in the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 745a of the first antenna port. In Figure 6 , the antenna module without a bending structure provides a vector sum in the +45 + α° direction. However, since the component in the +45 + α° direction (i.e., counterclockwise) decreases according to the cutting regions located on the lower side and the right side of the +45° direction on the radiation patch, the symmetry can increase. Due to the high symmetry, the CPR performance can be improved.

[0086] The end points of the contour line of the electric field pattern 740b of the second antenna port form an asymmetry with respect to the -45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 745b of the second antenna port increases. In Figure 6In [the case where there is no bent structure], the antenna module provides a vector sum in the -45 + β° direction. Since the component in the -45 + β° direction can be somewhat increased according to the cut region on the radiation patch that is located in the upper right direction (i.e., clockwise direction) relative to the -45° direction, the asymmetry can be increased.

[0087] In the third case 770, the antenna module includes a bent structure formed on the left side 771 of the center position of the radiation patch. The end points of the contour line of the electric field pattern 770a of the first antenna port form symmetry with respect to the +45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 775a of the first antenna port increases. In Figure 6 [the case where there is no bent structure], the antenna module provides a vector sum in the +45 + α° direction. Since the component in the +45 + α° direction can be somewhat increased according to the cut region on the radiation patch that is located in the upper left direction relative to the +45° direction, the asymmetry can be increased.

[0088] The end points of the contour line of the electric field pattern 770b of the second antenna port form symmetry with respect to the -45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 745b of the second antenna port has an increase of about 15 dB 777. In Figure 6 [the case where there is no bent structure], the antenna module provides a vector sum in the -45 + β° direction. However, since the component in the -45 + β° direction (i.e., counterclockwise) decreases according to the cut regions on the radiation patch that are located on the lower side and the left side of the +45° direction, the symmetry can be increased. Due to the high symmetry, the CPR performance can be improved.

[0089] As discussed via Figure 7 [the above], the position of the appropriate bent structure can be designed according to the vector characteristics of the initial antenna port. For example, the default value of the +45° polarized antenna port represents a vector sum of +45 + α°, the cut region of the radiation patch can be formed on the right side of the center, and the bent structure can be set as in the second case 740. In addition, from the perspective of the transmitted signal, it may not be preferable to improve only the CPR of one polarization. As in the third case 770, in order to improve the CPR for the -45° polarized antenna port, a cut region of the radiation patch is additionally formed on the left side of the center position, and a bent structure for the corresponding cut region can be set. The two bent structures set on the opposite sides of the center can be implemented as in Figure 4 [the above].

[0090] An overly wide cutting area reduces the original radiation patch area, thus degrading the radiation function. Therefore, a minimum and / or reduced area may be necessary to form a curved area from the cutting area. Since the vector sum is greatly affected when it horizontally deviates from the center of the vector sum formed by the radiation patch, as the vector sum becomes further away from the center, a patch design that meets the antenna requirements of a smaller cutting area can be formed. According to various embodiments, the cutting area (or curved structure) of the radiation patch can be set based on the vector characteristics of the antenna element. According to an embodiment, the size of the cutting area can be determined based on the distance (e.g., the spacing distance) by which the cutting area is spaced apart from the center of the radiation patch. Similarly, the length of the support portion of the curved structure connecting the radiation patch and the coupling patch can be determined based on the distance (i.e., the spacing distance) by which the cutting area is spaced apart from the center of the radiation patch.

[0091] Figure 8 FIG. is another example showing that the CPR indicating the performance according to various embodiments of the present disclosure changes according to the position of the curved structure of the radiation patch. As Figures 3A to 6 shown in Figure 8 , the antenna module may include an antenna PCB, a coupling patch, a radiation patch, a first antenna port for first polarization, and a second antenna port for second polarization. At the same time, in order to determine the improvement in performance according to the deployment of the curved structure, measurements are performed on the antenna module having one curved structure. To describe the curved structure and the improvement in performance of the antenna module according to various embodiments, an example of the antenna module 600 without a curved structure will be described by comparison. When considering the electric field pattern 640, the output of the signal with +45° polarization in the antenna module 600 may be in the direction of about +45 + α° (α > 0). In the antenna module 600, the output of the signal with -45° polarization may be in the direction of about -45 + β° (β > 0).

[0092] Referring to Figure 8 , in the first case 810, the antenna module includes a curved structure formed at the center position 811 of the radiation patch. The end points of the contour line of the electric field pattern 810a of the first antenna port form an asymmetry with respect to the +45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 815a of the first antenna port increases. Since the center position of the radiation patch is a physically symmetric position, from the perspective of improving the CPR, actually setting the curved structure at the center position may not be helpful. The end points of the contour line of the electric field pattern 810b of the second antenna port form an asymmetry with respect to the -45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 815b of the second antenna port increases. Since the center position of the radiation patch is a physically symmetric position, from the perspective of improving the CPR, actually setting the curved structure at the center position may not be helpful.

[0093] In the second case 840, the antenna module includes a bending structure formed on the upper side 841 at the center position of the radiation patch. The end points of the contour line of the electric field pattern 840a of the first antenna port form symmetry with respect to the +45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 845a of the first antenna port increases. In Figure 6 the antenna module without the bending structure provides a vector sum in the +45 + α° direction. The cutting region is located on the upper side in the 45° direction of the radiation patch. However, since the direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) of the vector sum is hardly affected even if the vector components of the corresponding cutting region are eliminated, it may not be helpful for improving the CPR of the bending structure provided on the upper side.

[0094] The end points of the contour line of the electric field pattern 840b of the second antenna port form asymmetry with respect to the -45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 845b of the second antenna port increases. In Figure 6 the antenna module without the bending structure provides a vector sum in the -45 + β° direction. The cutting region is located on the upper side of -45° on the radiation patch. However, since the direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) of the vector sum is hardly affected even if the vector components of the corresponding cutting region are eliminated, it may not be helpful for improving the CPR of the bending structure provided on the upper side.

[0095] In the third case 870, the antenna module includes a bending structure formed on the lower side 871 at the center position of the radiation patch. The end points of the contour line of the electric field pattern 870a of the first antenna port form asymmetry with respect to the +45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 875a of the first antenna port increases. In Figure 6 the antenna module without the bending structure provides a vector sum in the +45 + α° direction. The cutting region is located on the lower side of 45° on the radiation patch. However, since the direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) of the vector sum is hardly affected even if the vector components of the corresponding cutting region are eliminated, it may not be helpful for improving the CPR of the bending structure provided on the lower side.

[0096] The end points of the contour line of the electric field pattern 870b of the second antenna port form asymmetry with respect to the -45° direction. It is recognized that the difference between the co-polarization characteristic and the cross-polarization characteristic of the radiation pattern 845b of the second antenna port increases. In Figure 6Among them, the antenna module without a bending structure provides a vector sum in the -45 + β° direction. The cutting area is located on the lower side in the -45° direction of the radiation patch. However, since the direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) of the vector sum is hardly affected even when the vector components of the corresponding cutting area are eliminated, it may not be helpful for improving the CPR of the bending structure provided on the lower side.

[0097] Since the vector sum is not greatly affected even if the vector sum deviates from the center of the vector sum formed by the radiation patch, the designer of the antenna module can consider the direction relative to the center of the radiation patch in addition to the size of the cutting area (or bending structure) and the distance from the center of the radiation patch. According to various embodiments, the cutting area (or bending structure) of the radiation patch can be set based on the vector characteristics of the antenna element. According to an embodiment, the size of the cutting area can be determined based on at least one of the distance by which the cutting area is spaced apart from the center of the radiation patch, the spacing distance, and the spacing direction. Similarly, the length of the support portion of the bending structure connecting the radiation patch and the coupling patch can be determined based on at least one of the distance by which the cutting area is spaced apart from the center of the radiation patch, the spacing distance, and the spacing direction.

[0098] Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of improvement in the CPR performance of an antenna module including a bending structure of a radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; and Referring to Figure 9 , the antenna module 900 may include an antenna PCB 910, a first antenna port 911, a second antenna port 912, a coupling patch 920, a radiation patch 930, and one feeder line (or multiple feeder lines) (not shown) connected to the antenna port. The description of the components of the antenna module of Figure 9 corresponds at least in part to the components of the antenna module of Figure 4 , so the same or similar description may not be repeated here. The radiation patch 930 may have two cut portions (or may be referred to as cutting areas) in one metal plate and two bending structures. The two cut portions may include a first cut portion 931 and a second cut portion 932. The first cut portion 931 may correspond to the first bending structure 933. The second cut portion 932 may correspond to the second bending structure 934. The first bending structure 933 and the second bending structure 934 may perform the function of a metal post connecting the coupling patch 920 and the radiation patch 930.

[0099] Referring to the electric field pattern 940, it can be recognized that symmetry is satisfied, as compared with Figure 6The electric field pattern 640 is different. The first radiation pattern 951 shows an improvement in the CPR performance for the first antenna port (i.e., the first antenna assembly) for the first polarization. It is recognized that the difference 961 between the co-polarized component and the cross-polarized component of the signal radiated through the first antenna port has increased by approximately 12 dB compared to the case without the bent structure. The second radiation pattern 952 shows an improvement in the CPR performance for the second antenna port (i.e., the second antenna assembly) for the second polarization. It is recognized that the difference 962 between the co-polarized component and the cross-polarized component of the signal radiated through the second antenna port has increased by approximately 12 dB compared to the case without the bent structure.

[0100] Figure 10 FIG. is another example showing an improvement in the CPR performance of an antenna module including a bent structure of a radiation patch according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0101] Referring to Figure 10 , the antenna module 1000 may include an antenna PCB 1010, a first antenna port 1011, a second antenna port 1012, a coupling patch 1020, a radiation patch 1030, and one feeder line (or multiple feeder lines) (not shown) connected to the antenna port. The description of the components of the antenna module in Figure 10 corresponds at least in part to the components of the antenna module in Figure 3A , so the same or similar description may not be repeated here. The radiation patch 1030 may have four cut portions (or may be referred to as cut regions) in one metal plate and four bent structures. The four cut portions may include a first cut portion 1031, a second cut portion 1032, a third cut portion 1033, and a fourth cut portion 1034. The first cut portion 1031 may correspond to the first bent structure. The second cut portion 1032 may correspond to the second bent structure. The third cut portion 1033 may correspond to the third bent structure. The fourth cut portion 1034 may correspond to the fourth bent structure. The first bent structure, the second bent structure, the third bent structure, and the fourth bent structure may perform the function of connecting the metal posts of the coupling patch 1020 and the radiation patch 1030. Referring to the electric field pattern 1040, it can be recognized that symmetry is satisfied, which is different from the electric field pattern 640 in Figure 6 .

[0102] Through the radiation pattern 1050, it is recognized that the difference 1061 between the co-polarized component and the cross-polarized component of the signal radiated through the first antenna port has increased by approximately 15 dB compared to the case without the bent structure. Compared with the measurement results in Figure 9 , when four bent structures and cut regions are formed, the CPR performance has increased by 3 dB compared to when two bent structures and cut regions are formed.

[0103] By checking Figure 9 and Figure 10 Based on the experimental results of each embodiment, the deployment and shape of the bending structure of the radiation patch 330 can be determined based on the required CPR performance and the number of bending structures. Since many bending structures require many cutting areas on the radiation patch, the radiation area is reduced. Since the reduction of the radiation area causes performance degradation, a trade-off between communication performance and CPR performance must be considered when designing the deployment and form of the bending structure of the radiation patch 330.

[0104] Items related to the design mentioned in the present disclosure can be related as follows.

[0105] 1. Requirements during design 1) Radiation requirement: Basic signal gain (target gain) 2) CPR requirement: Ratio of cross-polarization components (target item of service provider) - Before achieving the target CPR, the design can be made possible by changing the following change items (e.g., the number of bending structures, the area of the cutting area, etc.).

[0106] 3) Support member requirements (weight, size, position, and thickness (= thickness of the board of the radiation patch)) - According to each embodiment of the present disclosure, the configuration of the radiation patch is used as a support member without using any separate support member, so the manufacturing cost and weight can be reduced.

[0107] The size and thickness of the support member can be determined considering the requirements of the service provider and the size and location of the communication device.

[0108] 4) Vector sum according to the basic setting between antenna components (i.e., when there is no bending structure) As mentioned in Figure 7 and Figure 8 When the symmetry of +45° or -45° is not satisfied, the bending structure and the cutting area can be set and formed considering the degree of deviation from the symmetry reference. According to the embodiment, the bending structure of the antenna module connected to the radiation patch can be set on the radiation patch based on the vector sum according to the basic setting of the antenna port and the degree of deviation from the reference line.

[0109] 2. Items to be changed 1) Cutting area and position of bending structure - As Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the radiation performance and CPR performance can vary according to the cutting position, bending position, and the size of the bent area on the radiation patch. According to an embodiment, the positions of the cutting area and the bending structure can be determined based on the vector sum according to the basic settings of the dual-polarized antenna. According to an embodiment, the positions of the cutting area and the bending structure can be determined based on the difference between the vector sum according to the basic settings of the dual-polarized antenna and the direction of the corresponding polarization. Further, according to an embodiment, based on the direction of the vector sum (e.g., whether the direction is vertically or horizontally inclined), the positions of the cutting area and the bending structure on the radiation patch that can cause the vector sum and the polarization direction to coincide with each other on the xy coordinate system can be identified. By inputting the corresponding experimental values, the bending structure can be designed at the optimal position (x, y).

[0110] 2) Number of cutting areas and bending structures - As shown in Figure 9 and Figure 10 the performance varies according to whether certain bending structures are symmetric with each other at certain positions and only according to the bending position, and the number of bending structures included in the antenna module can be adjusted according to the CPR requirements of the service provider. The feature that the number of bending structures included in two antenna modules included in one MMU is different can also be understood as an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0111] 3) Whether the bending structure is additionally bent (e.g., Figure 3C ) - For a stable support structure, additional bending (i.e., secondary bending) can be performed. Whether a stable support structure is necessary varies according to the weight and deployment of the stacked structure. For a more stable structure, during the additional bending, the area of the attached bending surface can be widened, and the height of the support member can be reduced. To control the bandwidth, the height of the support member can be controlled, and the height of the attached bending surface can also be controlled to meet the same radiation performance.

[0112] 4) Thickness of the board of the radiation patch 5) Availability of SMT according to the radiation patch material - Since the bending structure of the radiation patch is metal and the coupling patch is also metal, attachment of the SMT scheme may be allowed due to the contact of the metals. Since additional support members and another material are not necessary, processor errors during mass production processing and cumulative errors during assembly can be reduced.

[0113] According to various example embodiments of the present disclosure, a dual-polarized antenna module for a wireless communication system is provided. The antenna module includes: an antenna substrate; a first antenna port for a first polarization, disposed on the antenna substrate; a second antenna port for a second polarization, disposed on the antenna substrate; a coupling patch disposed on the antenna substrate and electrically connected to the first antenna port and the second antenna port; and a radiation patch configured to radiate a signal received from the coupling patch. Wherein, the antenna module includes a support member, and the support member includes at least one region of a surface of the radiation patch that is bent to connect the radiation patch and the coupling patch.

[0114] In some example embodiments, the at least one region may include a first cut region and a second cut region. A first metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to the first cut region may be bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch, and a second metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to the second cut region may be bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch.

[0115] In some example embodiments, the first metal object may include a first support portion and a first attachment portion along a cut line of the first metal object, the second metal object may include a second support portion and a second attachment portion along a cut line of the second metal object, the first support portion and the second support portion may be configured to support the radiation patch on the coupling patch, the first attachment portion may be configured to attach the first metal object to the coupling patch, and the second attachment portion may be configured to attach the second metal object to the coupling patch.

[0116] In some example embodiments, a third metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to a third cut region may be bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch, and a fourth metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to a fourth cut region may be bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch.

[0117] In some example embodiments, the first antenna port and the second antenna port may be disposed line-symmetric to each other with respect to a reference line, and the first cut region and the second cut region may be disposed at positions separated with respect to the reference line. As an example, the cut region and the second cut region may be substantially line-symmetric to each other.

[0118] In some example embodiments, the first cut region may be disposed such that a ratio of a first component of a first polarization of a signal radiated from the first antenna port to a second component of the second polarization.

[0119] In some example embodiments, the second cutting region may be set such that a ratio of a second component of the second polarization of the signal radiated from the second antenna port to a first component of the first polarization.

[0120] In some example embodiments, the first cutting region and the second cutting region may be set based on a vector sum of the radiation signals of the first port and a vector sum of the radiation signals of the second antenna port.

[0121] In some example embodiments, at least one metal object corresponding to at least one region may be disposed between the radiation patch and the coupling patch, and the antenna module may not include any support other than the at least one metal object.

[0122] In some example embodiments, the radiation patch may include a metal plate, the coupling patch may include a metal material, and a bend at at least one region of the radiation patch may be attached to the coupling patch by a surface mount technology (SMT) scheme.

[0123] According to various example embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a dual-polarized electronic device for a wireless communication system, the electronic device including at least one processor, at least one transceiver, and a plurality of antenna modules, wherein each of the antenna modules includes an antenna substrate, a first antenna port for a first polarization, a second antenna port for a second polarization, a coupling patch, and a radiation patch, wherein each of the antenna modules includes a support, the support including at least one region of one surface of the radiation patch that is bent to connect the radiation patch and the coupling patch corresponding to the radiation patch.

[0124] In some example embodiments, the at least one region may include a first cutting region and a second cutting region, a first metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to the first cutting region is bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch, and a second metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to the second cutting region is bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch.

[0125] In some example embodiments, the first metal object may include a first support portion and a first attachment portion along a cutting line of the first metal object, the second metal object may include a second support portion and a second attachment portion along a cutting line of the second metal object, the first support portion and the second support portion may be configured to support the radiation patch on the coupling patch, the first attachment portion may be configured to attach the first metal object to the coupling patch, and the second attachment portion may be configured to attach the second metal object to the coupling patch.

[0126] In some example embodiments, at least one region may include a third cutting region and a fourth cutting region. A third metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to the third cutting region is bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch, and a fourth metal object of the radiation patch corresponding to the fourth cutting region is bent from the radiation patch and attached to the coupling patch.

[0127] In some example embodiments, a first antenna assembly and a second antenna assembly disposed in the coupling patch may be arranged to be line-symmetrical to each other with respect to a reference line, and a first cutting region and a second cutting region may be disposed at positions separated from each other with respect to the reference line. As an example, the cutting region and the second cutting region may be substantially line-symmetrical to each other.

[0128] In some example embodiments, the first cutting region may be arranged such that the ratio of a first component of a first polarization of a signal radiated from a first antenna port to a second component of a second polarization has a specific value or greater.

[0129] In some example embodiments, the second cutting region may be arranged such that the ratio of a second component of a second polarization of a signal radiated from a second antenna port to a first component of a first polarization has a specific value or greater.

[0130] In some example embodiments, the first cutting region and the second cutting region may be set based on the vector sum of the radiation signals of the first port and the vector sum of the radiation signals of the second antenna port.

[0131] In some example embodiments, at least one metal object corresponding to at least one region may be disposed between the radiation patch and the coupling patch, and the antenna module may not include any support other than the at least one metal object.

[0132] In some example embodiments, the radiation patch of each antenna module among a plurality of antenna modules may include a metal material, the coupling patch of each antenna module among the plurality of antenna modules may include a metal material, and the radiation patch of each antenna module among the plurality of antenna modules may be attached to the corresponding coupling patch by bending its surface.

[0133] In the present disclosure, a bent structure formed by cutting and bending regions of a radiation patch included in an existing patch antenna module is provided. A measure is provided that allows the bent structure to be used as a support structure between the coupling patch and the radiation patch and to control the CPR performance in a structure in which antenna elements, feed lines, and coupling patches of a dual-polarized antenna are disposed on an antenna PCB and the radiation patch is disposed on the coupling patch.

[0134] By using a part of the radiation patch as a support structure, a stacked structure can be achieved without using a separate support member, which may be advantageous from a cost perspective. Additionally, since a part of the radiation deployment of the metal is also a metal material, it is easily allowed to be attached to the coupling patch in an SMT scheme. Since the SMT connects the two structures without the need to fabricate additional components for assembly and separate components, the manufacturing tolerance can be significantly reduced. Additionally, by maintaining a symmetric structure, the structure can be further simplified. The simplified structure and small manufacturing tolerance can even be suitable for the requirements of devices including antennas whose number has increased due to the introduction of the 5G system.

[0135] Since the antenna structures according to various embodiments of the present disclosure satisfy the symmetry of the electric field through a simple bending structure, the difference between the patterns of the ports can be minimized and / or reduced and the CPR can be improved. Additionally, the antenna module can be mass-produced by implementing a simple process without using additional structures.

[0136] The protection scope is defined by the appended independent claims. Other features are defined by the appended dependent claims. Example implementations can be achieved including one or more features of any claim taken jointly and separately in any and all permutations.

[0137] The examples described in the present disclosure include non-limiting example implementations of components corresponding to one or more features specified by the appended independent claims, and these features (or their corresponding components) independently or in combination can contribute to improving one or more technical problems that a person skilled in the art can infer from the present disclosure.

[0138] Furthermore, one or more selected components of any example described in the present disclosure can be combined with one or more selected components of any other example described in the present disclosure, or alternatively, can be combined with the features of the appended independent claims to form other alternative examples.

[0139] Other example implementations can be achieved including one or more components of any implementation described herein taken jointly and separately in any and all permutations. Other example implementations can also be achieved by combining the features of one or more of the appended claims with one or more selected components of any example implementation described herein. In forming such other example implementations, some components of any example implementation described in the present disclosure may be omitted. One or more components that may be omitted are those components that a person skilled in the art would directly and clearly recognize as not being indispensable for the function of the present technology in accordance with the technical problems discernible from the present disclosure. A person skilled in the art will recognize that the replacement or removal of such omitted components does not require modifying other components or features of other alternative examples to compensate for the change. Thus, according to the present technology, other example implementations may be included even if a combination of selected features and / or components is not specifically recited in the present disclosure.

[0140] Where possible, two or more physically distinct components in any described example implementation of the present disclosure may optionally be integrated into a single component, provided that the single component so formed performs the same function. Conversely, in appropriate cases, a single component in any example implementation described in the present disclosure may optionally be implemented as two or more different components to achieve the same function.

[0141] The methods disclosed in the claims and / or methods according to the various embodiments described in the present disclosure may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. When the method is implemented by software, a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more programs (software modules) may be provided. The one or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium may be configured to be executed by one or more processors within an electronic device. The at least one program may include instructions that cause the electronic device to execute the methods according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0142] In the above various example embodiments of the present disclosure, the elements included in the present disclosure are presented in the singular or plural according to the specific embodiments proposed. However, for ease of description, the singular or plural form is appropriately selected for the presented situation, and the present disclosure is not limited by the elements presented in the singular or plural. Thus, elements represented in the plural may also include a single element, or elements represented in the singular may also include a plurality of elements.

[0143] Although the present disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various example embodiments of the present disclosure, it will be understood that the various example embodiments are intended to be illustrative, not restrictive. A person of ordinary skill in the art will also understand that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the true spirit and the entire scope of the present disclosure, including the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An antenna device in a wireless communication system, the antenna device comprising: A substrate; A first feeder line for a first polarization signal; A second feeder line for a second polarization signal; And A patch antenna, the patch antenna comprising a radiation part and a bent part formed by cutting the patch antenna, Wherein each of the bent parts includes a first part bent from the radiation part to form a cut area in the patch antenna and a second part bent from the first part, Wherein the bent part is arranged to support the radiation part on the substrate, and Wherein the radiation part of the patch antenna radiates the first polarization signal from the first feeder line and radiates the second polarization signal from the second feeder line.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein, The cut area includes a first cut area and a second cut area, the first cut area and the second cut area being formed in the patch antenna and being symmetric with respect to the center of the patch antenna, Wherein the bent part includes a first bent part corresponding to the first cut area and a second bent part corresponding to the second cut area, and Wherein the first bent part and the second bent part are symmetric with respect to the center of the patch antenna.

3. The antenna device according to claim 2, Among them, The cut area further includes a third cut area and a fourth cut area, and Wherein the third cut area and the fourth cut area are symmetric with respect to the center of the patch antenna.

4. The antenna device according to claim 3, wherein, The first cut area and the second cut area are symmetric with respect to a first reference line, and Wherein the third cut area and the fourth cut area are symmetric with respect to a second reference line, the second reference line being substantially perpendicular to the first reference line.

5. The antenna device according to claim 3, wherein, The bent part further includes a third bent part corresponding to the third cut area and a fourth bent part corresponding to the fourth cut area, and Wherein the third bent part and the fourth bent part are symmetric with respect to the center of the patch antenna.

6. The antenna device according to claim 1, Among them, The radiation part is arranged to be parallel to the substrate, Wherein the bent part is arranged to support the radiation part in a bent form, and Wherein the first part of each of the bent parts is arranged to be substantially perpendicular to the radiation part.

7. The antenna device according to claim 1, Among them, The patch antenna corresponds to a metal plate, and Wherein the bent part includes the part of the metal plate corresponding to the cut area.

8. The antenna device according to claim 1, Among them, The first polarization signal and the second polarization signal are from the bent part to the radiation part.

9. The antenna device according to claim 1, Among them, The first polarization signal is associated with +45° polarization, and the second polarization signal is associated with -45° polarization.

10. A base station in a wireless communication system, the base station comprising: A substrate; A radio frequency integrated circuit disposed on the substrate; A plurality of antenna arrays disposed on the substrate; A first feeder line for a first polarized signal; and a second feeder line for a second polarized signal, wherein each of the plurality of antenna arrays includes: a patch antenna including a radiation portion and a bent portion formed by cutting the patch antenna, wherein each of the bent portions includes a first portion bent from the radiation portion to form a cut region in the patch antenna and a second portion bent from the first portion, wherein the bent portion is arranged to support the radiation portion on the substrate, and wherein the radiation portion of the patch antenna radiates the first polarized signal from the first feeder line and the second polarized signal from the second feeder line.

11. The base station according to claim 10, wherein, The cut region includes a first cut region and a second cut region formed in the patch antenna and symmetric with respect to the center of the patch antenna, wherein the bent portion includes a first bent portion corresponding to the first cut region and a second bent portion corresponding to the second cut region, and wherein the first bent portion and the second bent portion are symmetric with respect to the center of the patch antenna.

12. The base station according to claim 11, Among them, the cut region further includes a third cut region and a fourth cut region, and wherein the third cut region and the fourth cut region are symmetric with respect to the center of the patch antenna.

13. The base station according to claim 10, Among them, the radiation portion is arranged to be parallel to the substrate, wherein the bent portion is arranged to support the radiation portion in a bent form, wherein the first portion of each of the bent portions is arranged to be substantially perpendicular to the radiation portion, wherein the patch antenna corresponds to a metal plate, and wherein the bent portion includes a portion of the metal plate corresponding to the cut region.

14. The base station according to claim 10, wherein, The first polarized signal is associated with +45° polarization, and the second polarized signal is associated with -45° polarization.

15. A method of manufacturing an antenna device, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a metal plate corresponding to a patch antenna, the patch antenna including a radiation portion and a bent portion formed by cutting the patch antenna; b) bending the bent portion from the radiation portion to form a cut region in the radiation portion, wherein the first portion of each of the bent portions is bent from the radiation portion; c) bending a second portion from the first portion of each of the bent portions; and d) bringing the bent portion into contact with a substrate on which a first feeder line for a first polarization and a second feeder line for a second polarization are provided.

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