NFC antenna structure and electronic equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides an NFC (near field communication) antenna structure and electronic equipment. The NFC antenna structure comprises a near field communication NFC connector; and a mainboard support, at least part of the mainboard support is an NFC conductor, and the NFC conductor is connected with the NFC connecting piece.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to an NFC antenna structure and electronic device. Background Art

[0002] With the development of mobile communication technology, electronic devices are increasingly demanding higher performance antennas. The internal space of electronic devices is limited, and as users' demands for imaging and gaming performance increase, the hardware space available for Near Field Communication (NFC) functionality in electronic devices is becoming even more scarce.

[0003] In related technologies, NFC antennas are coil-type NFC antennas. These antennas use an NFC coil to form a closed loop, generating a magnetic field to implement NFC functionality. However, coil-type NFC antennas require a large amount of space in electronic devices, hindering their miniaturization. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide an NFC antenna structure and an electronic device, which can solve the problem in the related art that the NFC antenna needs to occupy a large space in the electronic device, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of the electronic device.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, this application is implemented as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an NFC antenna structure, the NFC antenna structure comprising:

[0007] Near field wireless communication NFC connector;

[0008] A mainboard bracket, at least a portion of which is an NFC conductor, and the NFC conductor is connected to the NFC connector.

[0009] Optionally, the mainboard bracket includes a first part and a second part, the first part is an NFC conductor, and the first part is not conductive with the second part.

[0010] Optionally, the mainboard bracket includes a first part and a second part, the first part is an NFC conductor, and the first part and the second part are located in the same plane.

[0011] Optionally, the mainboard bracket further comprises plastic, and the first part and the second part are connected via the plastic.

[0012] Optionally, the first part is a mainboard support steel sheet, the second part is a mainboard support steel sheet, and the first part is embedded in the second part.

[0013] Optionally, the NFC connector includes a first NFC spring and a second NFC spring, one end of the NFC conductor is connected to the first NFC spring, and the other end of the NFC conductor is connected to the second NFC spring.

[0014] Optionally, the first NFC spring clip, the NFC conductor, and the second NFC spring clip form a closed antenna loop.

[0015] Optionally, the second NFC spring is connected to the NFC chip;

[0016] The first NFC spring is grounded via an inductor.

[0017] Optionally, the NFC connector is provided on the main board.

[0018] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, comprising the NFC antenna structure described in the first aspect.

[0019] In an embodiment of the present application, the NFC antenna structure includes an NFC connector and a motherboard bracket, at least a portion of which is an NFC conductor connected to the NFC connector. Thus, the NFC conductor in the motherboard bracket forms the NFC antenna, allowing the NFC antenna structure to reuse the motherboard bracket, eliminating the need for a large space in the electronic device, facilitating miniaturization and reducing costs. Furthermore, since a large, relatively flat area on the motherboard bracket is not required for attaching the NFC coil, the NFC antenna structure is more flexible in design and avoids the severe heating caused by the NFC coil. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0021] Figure 1 This is one of the structural diagrams of an NFC antenna structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 2 This is the second structural diagram of an NFC antenna structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 3 This is the third structural diagram of an NFC antenna structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 4 This is one of the processing schematic diagrams of an NFC antenna structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 5This is the second processing schematic diagram of an NFC antenna structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of an NFC antenna structure provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application and are not to be construed as limiting the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0028] The terms "first" and "second" in the specification and claims of this application may explicitly or implicitly refer to one or more of the features. Throughout the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more. Furthermore, "and / or" in the specification and claims refers to at least one of the connected entities, and the character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the connected entities.

[0029] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "length", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0030] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified or limited, the term "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean internal communication between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood by those skilled in the art in specific circumstances.

[0031] The NFC antenna structure and electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and their application scenarios in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0032] like Figure 1As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides an NFC antenna structure, which includes:

[0033] Near field wireless communication NFC connector 10;

[0034] The mainboard bracket 11 , at least a portion of which is an NFC conductor, is connected to the NFC connector 10 .

[0035] The NFC connector 10 may be a spring or an interface, and any device that can be used for electrical connection may serve as the NFC connector 10 , which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0036] The mainboard bracket 11 may be made of metal, such as steel sheet or aluminum alloy. This embodiment does not limit the specific material of the mainboard bracket 11.

[0037] For example, Figure 2 As shown, the mainboard bracket 11 may include a first portion 110 and a second portion 111, wherein the first portion 110 is an NFC conductor, and the first portion 110 is not conductive with the second portion 111. The NFC conductor of the mainboard bracket 11 may serve as an NFC antenna to implement the NFC function.

[0038] For example, the NFC conductor in the mainboard bracket 11 may be in a curved shape.

[0039] For example, the NFC conductor in the mainboard bracket 11 may be an open curved structure.

[0040] For example, the signal flow when the NFC conductor is working is as follows: Figure 3 shown.

[0041] In the related art, the mainstream designs of NFC antennas for electronic devices (such as mobile phones) are coil-type NFC and mid-frame NFC. Coil-type NFC uses a powered coil to form a closed loop, thereby generating a magnetic field to realize the NFC function. However, its performance is closely related to the size of the coil area. When the area is insufficient, the performance of the NFC antenna cannot meet the normal use requirements, and the extreme internal space of electronic devices often cannot provide sufficient and relatively flat area for the NFC coil. Mid-frame NFC is mostly used in metal mid-frame models, by reusing the antenna on the metal mid-frame (such as the top antenna) for NFC function. However, as users' demand for the network performance of electronic devices continues to increase, the top antenna of electronic devices is increasingly used for high-frequency antennas to achieve a better network experience. However, the high-frequency antenna structure is short in length and cannot meet the length requirement for reuse as an NFC antenna, resulting in the inability to realize the mid-frame NFC antenna function.

[0042] In summary, the NFC antenna design of electronic devices in the related art has the following defects:

[0043] Whether it is a coil-type or mid-frame NFC antenna, both have relatively stringent requirements on the overall space of the electronic device and the communication antenna. This is in obvious contradiction with the increasingly extreme internal space of electronic devices and the optimization and upgrade space of flexible antenna solutions.

[0044] When electronic devices are equipped with large structures such as cameras, the holes in the motherboard bracket are too large to meet the design requirements of coil-type NFC. Furthermore, the antenna solution, designed on the top of the device, is too short to reuse the top antenna for NFC functions.

[0045] Furthermore, when using a coil-based NFC solution, the NFC coil is typically attached to a designated area of ​​the electronic device's motherboard bracket with double-sided tape. However, in some design scenarios, the NFC coil's coverage area often overlaps with the projection of the motherboard's central processing unit (CPU). This location, with its low thermal resistance and high heat transfer, can lead to a heat dissipation bottleneck on the back of the device. For example, the NFC coil occupies the Z-direction space within the projected CPU area, reducing the air gap between the motherboard and the battery cover, and thus lowering thermal resistance. Removing the NFC coil and freeing up space between the motherboard bracket and the battery cover could effectively optimize the device's heat dissipation in some design scenarios.

[0046] In response to the insufficient space requirements of traditional coil-type NFC and mid-frame NFC, as well as the adverse effects of coil-type NFC on the heat dissipation design of the entire device in some models, the embodiments of the present application propose a solution for reusing the motherboard bracket 11 (such as a motherboard bracket steel sheet) as an NFC antenna. This solution can eliminate the limitations of the NFC antenna on the design space of the entire device, optimize the heat dissipation problem in some models, and reduce costs.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present application, the NFC antenna structure includes an NFC connector 10 and a motherboard bracket 11, at least a portion of which is an NFC conductor connected to the NFC connector 10. Thus, the NFC conductor in the motherboard bracket 11 forms the NFC antenna, allowing the NFC antenna structure to reuse the motherboard bracket 11, eliminating the need for a large space in the electronic device, facilitating miniaturization and reducing costs. Furthermore, there is no need to provide a large, relatively flat area on the motherboard bracket 11 for attaching the NFC coil, making the NFC antenna structure more flexible in design and avoiding the problem of severe heating caused by the NFC coil.

[0048] Optionally, the mainboard bracket 11 includes a first part 110 and a second part 111 , the first part 110 is an NFC conductor, and the first part 110 and the second part 111 are not conductive.

[0049] The second portion 111 may be a supporting portion of the mainboard bracket 11 .

[0050] It should be noted that, taking the mainboard bracket 11 as an example, the mainboard bracket 11 is generated by processing a steel sheet. Compared with the design of two separate steel sheets, the mold cost will increase, and the subsequent injection molding of the NFC conductor is easy to deform, and the positioning of the two steel sheets is more difficult; the embodiment of the present application integrates the NFC conductor into a mainboard bracket steel sheet by adding multiple connecting positions 112 in the middle of a steel sheet, which can optimize costs and solve problems such as deformation and positioning.

[0051] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the mainboard bracket 11 is injection molded and then the connecting position is cut by computer numerical control (CNC) technology.

[0052] For example, the mainboard bracket 11 and the plastic can be integrated into one by an injection molding process.

[0053] For example, the steel sheet connection at the connection position 112 can be cut by CNC to form an independent, closed NFC conductor; and the first part 110 and the second part 111 of the mainboard bracket 11 can be fixed by plastic.

[0054] In this embodiment, the mainboard bracket 11 includes a first portion 110 and a second portion 111. The first portion 110 is an NFC conductor. The first portion 110 and the second portion 111 are not conductive, so that the second portion 111 of the mainboard bracket 11 does not affect the current flow of the first portion 110, so that the NFC conductor and the NFC connector 10 can form a closed NFC antenna loop.

[0055] Optionally, the mainboard bracket 11 includes a first part 110 and a second part 111 , the first part 110 is an NFC conductor, and the first part 110 and the second part 111 are located in the same plane.

[0056] It is understandable that both the first portion 110 and the second portion 111 can be used to support and fix the mainboard. The first portion 110 can not only be used to support and fix the mainboard, but also serve as an NFC antenna to implement NFC functionality.

[0057] Optionally, the mainboard bracket 11 further includes plastic 113 , and the first part 110 and the second part 111 are connected via the plastic 113 .

[0058] Optionally, the first part 110 is a mainboard bracket steel sheet, the second part 111 is a mainboard bracket steel sheet, and the first part 110 is embedded in the second part 111 .

[0059] It should be noted that the first portion 110 and the second portion 111 can be different parts of the same steel sheet. The steel sheet is processed by injection molding or CNC, so that the first portion 110 is embedded in the second portion 111.

[0060] Optionally, the first portion 110 and the second portion 111 are plastic-molded to form the mainboard bracket 11 .

[0061] In this embodiment, the first portion 110 and the second portion 111 are plastic-molded to form the mainboard bracket 11, and the NFC conductor can be integrated into the mainboard bracket 11. Compared with independently providing the NFC conductor and the mainboard bracket 11, this can reduce costs and avoid problems such as deformation of the NFC conductor and difficulty in positioning.

[0062] Optionally, an opening formed by a material connection position 112 is provided between the first portion 110 and the second portion 111 .

[0063] In this embodiment, an opening formed by a connecting position 112 is provided between the first part 110 and the second part 111. The connecting position 112 can conveniently realize the plastic molding of the first part 110 and the second part 111 into the mainboard bracket 11, and integrate the NFC conductor into the mainboard bracket 11.

[0064] Optionally, the NFC connector 10 includes a first NFC spring 100 and a second NFC spring 101 , one end of the NFC conductor is connected to the first NFC spring 100 , and the other end of the NFC conductor is connected to the second NFC spring 101 .

[0065] In this embodiment, by providing the first NFC spring 100 and the second NFC spring 101 , the NFC conductor in the mainboard bracket 11 can be electrically connected as an NFC antenna.

[0066] Optionally, the first NFC spring 100 , the NFC conductor, and the second NFC spring 101 form a closed antenna loop.

[0067] Optionally, the second NFC spring 101 is connected to the NFC chip;

[0068] The first NFC spring 100 is grounded via an inductor.

[0069] In this embodiment, the first NFC spring 100 is grounded via an inductor, and the inductance value of the NFC loop can be adjusted by the inductor, thereby adjusting and optimizing the NFC performance.

[0070] Alternatively, as Figure 6 As shown, the NFC connector 10 is arranged on the main board.

[0071] Optionally, the mainboard bracket 11 is a mainboard bracket steel sheet.

[0072] The application of the NFC antenna structure of the embodiment of the present application is not limited to mobile phones, but can also be applied to terminals that need to use NFC, such as tablets and watches.

[0073] As an embodiment, taking the motherboard bracket as the motherboard bracket steel sheet as an example, the embodiment of the present application proposes a design form of reusing the motherboard bracket steel sheet as the NFC antenna. The motherboard bracket NFC antenna solution is as follows: Figure 6 As shown in the figure, it includes a steel sheet, plastic, and an NFC spring located on the motherboard. The steel sheet includes three parts: the motherboard bracket support part, the NFC conductor, and the connection position.

[0074] like Figure 4 As shown, the specific processing steps for the motherboard bracket steel sheet to realize the NFC function are as follows:

[0075] (1) The mainboard bracket steel sheet is formed into a sheet metal. Traditional mainboard bracket steel sheets are generally large steel sheets. In this embodiment, in order to realize the NFC function, a section of the steel sheet is removed separately as the NFC conductor. However, the design of two separate steel sheets will increase the mold cost, and the subsequent injection molding of the NFC conductor is easy to deform, and the positioning of the two steel sheets is difficult. The embodiment of the present application integrates the NFC conductor into a mainboard bracket steel sheet by adding multiple connecting positions in the middle of a steel sheet, which can optimize the cost and solve the problems of deformation and positioning.

[0076] (2) The motherboard bracket and the plastic are integrated into one through the injection molding process.

[0077] (3) Cut the steel sheet at the connecting position through CNC (such as Figure 5 ) to form an independent, closed NFC conductor; plastic is used to fix two separate steel sheets; and finally the NFC antenna that reuses the motherboard bracket steel sheet is completed.

[0078] Electronic device assembly: After installing the mainboard, press the mainboard bracket assembly of the embodiment of the present application onto the mainboard, connect the NFC steel sheet in the mainboard bracket to the mainboard spring sheet, and then tighten the mainboard bracket screws. The electrical signal passes through spring sheet 1 (i.e., the first NFC spring sheet), the NFC steel sheet in the mainboard bracket (i.e., the NFC conductor), and spring sheet 2 (i.e., the second NFC spring sheet) to form a closed NFC antenna loop to realize the NFC function. In addition, due to the difference in inductance of different steel sheet loops, it will have an adverse effect on the NFC performance. In actual design, the inductance value of the NFC loop can be adjusted by adding inductance to the NFC loop to adjust and optimize the NFC performance.

[0079] The NFC antenna structure of the embodiment of the present application reuses the motherboard bracket steel sheet, and there is no need to provide a large, relatively flat area on the motherboard bracket to paste the NFC coil. The NFC loop can be realized by bending the steel sheet. In the design scheme with a large hole in the motherboard bracket, the flexibility of the antenna structure design is significantly improved; in addition, the NFC antenna structure of the embodiment of the present application is simple in design and reuses the motherboard bracket steel sheet, which can reduce costs; the NFC antenna structure of the embodiment of the present application eliminates the traditional coil-type NFC structure, and has certain optimization effects on the performance of some models with severe heat generation on the back of the whole machine; the NFC antenna structure of the embodiment of the present application reuses the motherboard bracket steel sheet, is not restricted by the mid-frame antenna design, and the antenna scheme design is more flexible.

[0080] An embodiment of the present application further provides an electronic device, which includes the NFC antenna structure provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0081] Throughout this specification, reference to terms such as "optionally," "one embodiment," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0082] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and intent of the present application, and that the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An NFC antenna structure, characterized in that: The NFC antenna structure includes: A near field wireless communication NFC connector (10); A mainboard bracket (11), at least a portion of the mainboard bracket (11) is an NFC conductor, and the NFC conductor is connected to the NFC connector (10).

2. The NFC antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that The mainboard bracket (11) comprises a first part (110) and a second part (111), the first part (110) is an NFC conductor, and the first part (110) and the second part (111) are not conductive.

3. The NFC antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein: The mainboard bracket (11) comprises a first part (110) and a second part (111), the first part (110) is an NFC conductor, and the first part (110) and the second part (111) are located in the same plane.

4. The NFC antenna structure according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The mainboard bracket (11) further comprises plastic, and the first part (110) and the second part (111) are connected via the plastic.

5. The NFC antenna structure according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The first part (110) is a mainboard support steel sheet, the second part (111) is a mainboard support steel sheet, and the first part (110) is embedded in the second part (111).

6. The NFC antenna structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The NFC connector (10) comprises a first NFC spring (100) and a second NFC spring (101); one end of the NFC conductor is connected to the first NFC spring (100); and the other end of the NFC conductor is connected to the second NFC spring (101).

7. The NFC antenna structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first NFC spring (100), the NFC conductor and the second NFC spring (101) form a closed antenna loop.

8. The NFC antenna structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second NFC spring (101) is connected to the NFC chip; The first NFC spring (100) is grounded via an inductor.

9. The NFC antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein: The NFC connector (10) is arranged on the main board.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises the NFC antenna structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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