Electronic device having plurality of antennas, and control method therefor

Abstract

An electronic device according to various embodiments comprises: a first antenna; a filter for filtering out a noise component from an adjacent frequency band of a signal received through the first antenna; a second antenna; a first communication circuit for transmitting and receiving a signal in a first frequency band of a first communication network through at least one of a plurality of antennas comprising the first antenna and the second antenna; a second communication circuit for transmitting and receiving a signal in a second frequency band of a second communication network through the first antenna or the second antenna, wherein the second frequency band is a frequency band adjacent to the first frequency band, and the filter may reduce a noise component introduced into the first communication circuit according to a transmission operation of the second communication circuit. Various other embodiments are possible.

Description

Electronic device having multiple antennas and control method thereof

[0001] Various embodiments disclosed in this document relate to an electronic device having a plurality of antennas and a method of controlling the same.

[0002] With the advancement of wireless communication technology, electronic devices that provide wireless communication functions have become widespread, and various types of wireless communication technologies are being widely used to provide wireless communication services.

[0003] To provide wireless communication services through wireless communication technology, a wireless local area network (WLAN) mainly uses Wi-Fi to build a network environment from a hub to each terminal using radio frequencies or light instead of wired cables in indoor or outdoor environments limited to a certain space or building, such as offices, commercial buildings, or homes. WLAN requires no wiring, is easy to relocate terminals, allows communication while on the move, and can build a network in a short period of time. Furthermore, WLAN can transmit and receive large amounts of data despite low transmission delay, and is therefore used in various services across various fields.

[0004] To provide wireless communication services over a wider range, WWAN (wireless wide area network) aims to build a national broadband communication network by integrating various wireless communication technologies based on cellular networks, such as LTE (long term evolution) communication and 5G communication (or NR (new radio) communication).

[0005] The frequency resources available to provide various wireless communication services may be limited. Accordingly, some frequency bands available for WWAN wireless communication methods on electronic devices may be adjacent to or overlap with some frequency bands available for WLAN wireless communication methods.

[0006] Recently, electronic devices have come to use the same antenna or adjacent antennas for heterogeneous wireless communication methods in order to mount various components in a limited size. Therefore, when wireless communication methods with adjacent or overlapping frequency bands are used simultaneously, they may interfere with each other's communication, resulting in reduced communication quality, such as shortened recognition distance and reduced speed, or communication failure.

[0007] The above information may be provided as background art to aid in understanding the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the above is applicable as prior art related to the present disclosure.

[0008] An electronic device according to various embodiments includes a first antenna, a filter for filtering an adjacent frequency band noise component of a signal received through the first antenna, a second antenna, a first communication circuit for transmitting and receiving a signal in a first frequency band of a first communication network through at least one of a plurality of antennas including the first antenna and the second antenna, and a second communication circuit for transmitting and receiving a signal in a second frequency band of a second communication network through the first antenna or the second antenna, wherein the second frequency band is an adjacent frequency band of the first frequency band, and the filter can reduce a noise component introduced into the first communication circuit according to a transmission operation of the second communication circuit.

[0009] A method of an electronic device including a first antenna, a filter for filtering adjacent frequency band components of a signal received through the first antenna, a second antenna, a first communication circuit for transmitting and receiving a signal in a first frequency band of a first communication network through a plurality of antennas including the first antenna and the second antenna, and a second communication circuit for transmitting and receiving a signal in a second frequency band of a second communication network through the first antenna and the second antenna, according to various embodiments, may include an operation of confirming whether the second communication circuit is operating while transmitting and receiving a signal through at least one of the first antenna or the second antenna in the first communication circuit, and an operation of changing and applying gains of the first antenna and the second antenna when it is confirmed that the second communication circuit is operating.

[0010] The technical tasks, technical features, and effects to be achieved in the present disclosure are not limited to the technical tasks, technical features, and effects mentioned above, and other technical tasks, technical features, and effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains from the description below.

[0011] In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to various embodiments.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electronic device for supporting wireless network communication according to various embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 3A is a block diagram of an electronic device having multiple antennas according to one embodiment.

[0015] FIG. 3b is a block diagram of an electronic device having multiple antennas according to one embodiment.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an electronic device having a plurality of antennas according to one embodiment.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0019] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0020] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0021] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) within a network environment (100) according to various embodiments. Referring to FIG. 1, in the network environment (100), the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (102) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with at least one of the electronic device (104) or the server (108) via a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) via the server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), a memory (130), an input module (150), an audio output module (155), a display module (160), an audio module (170), a sensor module (176), an interface (177), a connection terminal (178), a haptic module (179), a camera module (180), a power management module (188), a battery (189), a communication module (190), a subscriber identification module (196), or an antenna module (197). In some embodiments, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (178)), or may have one or more other components added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., the sensor module (176), the camera module (180), or the antenna module (197)) may be integrated into one component (e.g., the display module (160)).

[0023] The processor (120) may, for example, execute software (e.g., a program (140)) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) and perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or operations, the processor (120) may store commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in a volatile memory (132), process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory (132), and store result data in a non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or an auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor) that can operate independently or together with the main processor (121). For example, when the electronic device (101) includes the main processor (121) and the auxiliary processor (123), the auxiliary processor (123) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a given function. The auxiliary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.

[0024] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least a portion of functions or states associated with at least one component (e.g., a display module (160), a sensor module (176), or a communication module (190)) of the electronic device (101), for example, on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another functionally related component (e.g., a camera module (180) or a communication module (190)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing artificial intelligence models. The artificial intelligence models may be generated through machine learning. This learning can be performed, for example, on the electronic device (101) itself where the artificial intelligence model is executed, or can be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm can include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model can include multiple artificial neural network layers.The artificial neural network may be one of a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to, or alternatively to, a hardware structure, an artificial intelligence model may include a software structure.

[0025] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)) of the electronic device (101). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., program (140)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (130) can include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).

[0026] The program (140) may be stored as software in the memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

[0027] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a processor (120)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The input module (150) can include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0028] The audio output module (155) can output audio signals to the outside of the electronic device (101). The audio output module (155) can include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. In one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0029] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.

[0030] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150), output sound through the sound output module (155), or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (101).

[0031] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating status (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (101) or the external environmental status (e.g., user status) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected status. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) can include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0032] The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). In one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0033] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0034] The haptic module (179) can convert electrical signals into mechanical stimuli (e.g., vibration or movement) or electrical stimuli that a user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic sensations. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0035] The camera module (180) can capture still images and moving images. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0036] The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented, for example, as at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0037] A battery (189) may power at least one component of the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0038] The communication module (190) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may operate independently from the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, the corresponding communication module can communicate with an external electronic device (104) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules can be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) can verify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) by using subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0039] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following the 4G network, such as NR access technology (new radio access technology). The NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (104)), or a network system (e.g., the second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) can support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC realization.

[0040] The antenna module (197) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from an external device (e.g., an external electronic device). In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network (198) or the second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. In some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module (197).

[0041] According to various embodiments, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. In one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent a first side (e.g., a bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high-frequency band (e.g., a mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna) disposed on or adjacent a second side (e.g., a top side or a side side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high-frequency band.

[0042] At least some of the above components can be interconnected and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., a bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)).

[0043] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) via a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102 or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (101) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, when the electronic device (101) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may, instead of or in addition to executing the function or service itself, request one or more external electronic devices to perform the function or at least a part of the service. One or more external electronic devices that receive the request may execute at least a portion of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may process the result as is or additionally and provide it as at least a portion of a response to the request. For this purpose, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used, for example. The electronic device (101) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server utilizing machine learning and / or a neural network. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included in the second network (199).The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0044] FIG. 2 is a block diagram (200) of an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) for supporting legacy network communication and 5G network communication according to various embodiments.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 2, the electronic device (101) may include a first communication processor (212), a second communication processor (214), a first radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) (222), a second RFIC (224), a third RFIC (226), a fourth RFIC (228), a first radio frequency front end (RFFE) (232), a second RFFE (234), a first antenna module (242), a second antenna module (244), and an antenna (248). The electronic device (101) may further include a processor (120) and a memory (130). The network (199) may include a first network (292) and a second network (294). According to another embodiment, the electronic device (101) may further include at least one component among the components described in FIG. 1, and the network (199) may further include at least one other network. According to one embodiment, the first communication processor (212), the second communication processor (214), the first RFIC (222), the second RFIC (224), the fourth RFIC (228), the first RFFE (232), and the second RFFE (234) may form at least a portion of a wireless communication module (192). According to another embodiment, the fourth RFIC (228) may be omitted or included as part of the third RFIC (226).

[0046] The first communication processor (212) may establish a communication channel in a band to be used for wireless communication with the first network (292), and may support legacy network communication through the established communication channel. According to various embodiments, the first network may be a legacy network including a second generation (2G), 3G, 4G, or long term evolution (LTE) network. The second communication processor (214) may establish a communication channel corresponding to a designated band (e.g., about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) among the bands to be used for wireless communication with the second network (294), and may support 5G network communication through the established communication channel. According to various embodiments, the second network (294) may be a 5G network defined by 3GPP. Additionally, according to one embodiment, the first communication processor (212) or the second communication processor (214) may establish a communication channel corresponding to another designated band (e.g., about 6 GHz or less) among the bands to be used for wireless communication with the second network (294), and support 5G network communication through the established communication channel. According to one embodiment, the first communication processor (212) and the second communication processor (214) may be implemented in a single chip or a single package. According to various embodiments, the first communication processor (212) or the second communication processor (214) may be formed in a single chip or a single package with the processor (120), the auxiliary processor (123), or the communication module (190).

[0047] The first RFIC (222) may, upon transmission, convert a baseband signal generated by the first communication processor (212) into a radio frequency (RF) signal of about 700 MHz to about 3 GHz used in the first network (292) (e.g., a legacy network). Upon reception, the RF signal may be acquired from the first network (292) (e.g., a legacy network) via an antenna (e.g., the first antenna module (242)) and preprocessed via an RFFE (e.g., the first RFFE (232)). The first RFIC (222) may convert the preprocessed RF signal into a baseband signal so that it may be processed by the first communication processor (212).

[0048] The second RFIC (224) may, upon transmission, convert a baseband signal generated by the first communication processor (212) or the second communication processor (214) into an RF signal (hereinafter, a 5G Sub6 RF signal) of a Sub6 band (e.g., about 6 GHz or less) used in the second network (294) (e.g., a 5G network). Upon reception, the 5G Sub6 RF signal may be acquired from the second network (294) (e.g., a 5G network) via an antenna (e.g., the second antenna module (244)) and preprocessed via an RFFE (e.g., the second RFFE (234)). The second RFIC (224) may convert the preprocessed 5G Sub6 RF signal into a baseband signal so that the preprocessed 5G Sub6 RF signal may be processed by a corresponding communication processor among the first communication processor (212) or the second communication processor (214).

[0049] The third RFIC (226) can convert a baseband signal generated by the second communication processor (214) into an RF signal (hereinafter, 5G Above6 RF signal) of a 5G Above6 band (e.g., about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) to be used in the second network (294) (e.g., 5G network). Upon reception, the 5G Above6 RF signal can be acquired from the second network (294) (e.g., 5G network) via an antenna (e.g., antenna (248)) and preprocessed via the third RFFE (236). The third RFIC (226) can convert the preprocessed 5G Above6 RF signal into a baseband signal so that it can be processed by the second communication processor (214). According to one embodiment, the third RFFE (236) can be formed as a part of the third RFIC (226).

[0050] The electronic device (101) may, according to one embodiment, include a fourth RFIC (228) separate from or at least as a part of the third RFIC (226). In this case, the fourth RFIC (228) may convert a baseband signal generated by the second communication processor (214) into an RF signal (hereinafter, referred to as an IF signal) of an intermediate frequency band (e.g., about 9 GHz to about 11 GHz) and then transmit the IF signal to the third RFIC (226). The third RFIC (226) may convert the IF signal into a 5G Above6 RF signal. Upon reception, the 5G Above6 RF signal may be received from the second network (294) (e.g., a 5G network) via an antenna (e.g., antenna (248)) and converted into an IF signal by the third RFIC (226). The fourth RFIC (228) can convert the IF signal into a baseband signal so that the second communication processor (214) can process it.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the first RFIC (222) and the second RFIC (224) may be implemented as a single chip or at least a portion of a single package. According to one embodiment, the first RFFE (232) and the second RFFE (234) may be implemented as a single chip or at least a portion of a single package. According to one embodiment, at least one antenna module of the first antenna module (242) or the second antenna module (244) may be omitted or combined with another antenna module to process RF signals of a corresponding plurality of bands.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the third RFIC (226) and the antenna (248) may be disposed on the same substrate to form a third antenna module (246). For example, the wireless communication module (192) or the processor (120) may be disposed on the first substrate (e.g., the main PCB). In this case, the third RFIC (226) may be disposed on a portion (e.g., the lower surface) of a second substrate (e.g., the sub PCB) separate from the first substrate, and the antenna (248) may be disposed on another portion (e.g., the upper surface) to form the third antenna module (246). By disposing the third RFIC (226) and the antenna (248) on the same substrate, it is possible to reduce the length of the transmission line therebetween. This can reduce, for example, the loss (e.g., attenuation) of signals in the high-frequency band (e.g., about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) used in 5G network communications due to transmission line transmission. As a result, the electronic device (101) can improve the quality or speed of communication with the second network (294) (e.g., the 5G network).

[0053] In one embodiment, the antenna (248) may be formed as an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements that may be used for beamforming. In this case, the third RFIC (226) may include a plurality of phase shifters (238) corresponding to the plurality of antenna elements, for example, as part of the third RFFE (236). Upon transmission, each of the plurality of phase shifters (238) may shift the phase of a 5G Above6 RF signal to be transmitted to an external source (e.g., a base station of a 5G network) of the electronic device (101) via its corresponding antenna element. Upon reception, each of the plurality of phase shifters (238) may shift the phase of a 5G Above6 RF signal received from the external source via its corresponding antenna element to the same or substantially the same phase. This enables transmission or reception via beamforming between the electronic device (101) and the external source.

[0054] The second network (294) (e.g., a 5G network) may operate independently (e.g., Stand-Alone (SA)) or connected to (e.g., Non-Stand Alone (NSA)) the first network (292) (e.g., a legacy network). For example, the 5G network may only have an access network (e.g., a 5G radio access network (RAN) or next generation RAN (NG RAN)) and no core network (e.g., next generation core (NGC)). In this case, the electronic device (101) may access an external network (e.g., the Internet) under the control of the core network (e.g., evolved packed core (EPC)) of the legacy network after accessing the access network of the 5G network. Protocol information for communication with a legacy network (e.g., LTE protocol information) or protocol information for communication with a 5G network (e.g., New Radio (NR) protocol information) may be stored in the memory (130) and accessed by other components (e.g., the processor (120), the first communication processor (212), or the second communication processor (214)).

[0055] FIG. 3A is a block diagram (300) of an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2) having multiple antennas according to one embodiment.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 3A, an electronic device (101) according to one embodiment (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a first communication circuit (330) for transmitting and receiving a signal in a first frequency band of a first communication network (e.g., a WLAN network such as a WiFi network) and a second communication circuit (340) for transmitting and receiving a signal in a second frequency band of a second communication network (e.g., a WWAN network such as an LTE or 5G (NR, new radio) network).

[0057] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may transmit and receive a first frequency band signal used in a WiFi network through a first communication circuit (330). To this end, the first communication circuit (330) may be connected to one or more radio frequency front ends (RFFEs) (331). One or more RFFEs (331 and / or 332) may, upon transmission, convert a signal generated by the first communication circuit (330) into a radio frequency (RF) signal of a first frequency band used in the first communication network, for example, a frequency band of about 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz and / or a frequency band of about 5.15 GHz to 7.15 GHz, and transmit the signal through a first antenna (310) and / or a second antenna (320). Upon reception, one or more RFFEs (331) may convert an RF signal received through the first antenna (310) so that it can be processed by the first communication circuit (330) and transmit it to the first communication circuit (330). Although it is described herein that one or more RFEEs (331) operate separately from the first communication circuit (330), this is by way of example only and the functions of one or more RFEEs (331) may be integrated into the first communication circuit (330).

[0058] According to one embodiment, the second communication circuit (340) may include the first communication processor (212) and / or the second communication processor (214) of FIG. 2. Depending on the operation of the second communication circuit (340), an RF signal of a second frequency band used in a second communication network, for example, a band below 6 GHz and / or a band above 6 GHz, may be transmitted or received through the second antenna (320). Depending on the operation of the second communication circuit (340), the second frequency band used in the second communication network may be an adjacent frequency band of the first frequency band used in the first communication network depending on the operation of the first communication circuit (330). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may transmit and receive a signal of the first frequency band used in a WiFi network through the first communication circuit (330). To this end, the first communication circuit (330) may be connected to one or more RFFE (radio frequency front ends) (331). For example, the second communication circuit (340) may be connected to one or more RFFEs (332). The one or more RFFEs (332) may, upon transmission, convert a signal generated by the second communication circuit (340) into a radio frequency (RF) signal of a second frequency band used in the second communication network, for example, a frequency band of about 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz and / or a frequency band of about 5.15 GHz to 7.15 GHz, and transmit the signal through the second antenna (320). Upon reception, the one or more RFFEs (332) may convert an RF signal received through the second antenna (320) so that the second communication circuit (340) can process the RF signal and transmit the converted RF signal to the second communication circuit (340). Although the one or more RFEEs (332) are described herein as operating separately from the second communication circuit (340), this is by way of example only, and the functionality of the one or more RFEEs (332) may be integrated into the second communication circuit (340).

[0059] According to one embodiment, a signal received from the second antenna (320) may be transmitted to the second communication circuit (340). According to one embodiment, a signal transmitted from the second communication circuit (340) may be transmitted through the second antenna (320).

[0060] According to one embodiment, the first antenna (310) can transmit and receive an RF signal of a first frequency band, and the second antenna (320) can transmit and receive an RF signal of a second frequency band. The electronic device (301) can perform communication in a second frequency band used in a second communication network through the second communication circuit (340) while performing communication in a first frequency band used in a first communication network through the first communication circuit (330).

[0061] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) is implemented as a portable electronic device such as a smartphone or a foldable smartphone, the first communication circuit (330) of the WLAN and the second communication circuit (340) of the WWAN, which use adjacent RF frequency bands, may use adjacent antennas, for example, the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320), respectively, to increase antenna usage efficiency. When the first communication circuit (330) and the second communication circuit (340) use adjacent antennas, a transmission signal transmitted from the second communication circuit (340) of the WWAN to the second antenna (320) may partially enter the reception path of the first communication circuit (330) of the WLAN through the first antenna (310), which may cause performance degradation in the first communication circuit (330) of the WLAN. For example, if a transmission signal in a WWAN frequency band such as N48, N77, N78, or N79 is radiated through an antenna located adjacent to a WLAN, WLAN performance degradation may occur.

[0062] According to one embodiment, a filter (311) for filtering adjacent (and / or overlapping) frequency band signal components as described above may be applied to the reception path of the first frequency band signal to the first communication circuit (330) via the first antenna (310). By applying such a filter (311), performance degradation due to adjacent frequency band transmission signals can be prevented.

[0063] FIG. 3b is a block diagram (300) of an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2) having multiple antennas according to one embodiment.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 3B, an electronic device (101) according to one embodiment (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a first communication circuit (330) for transmitting and receiving a signal in a first frequency band of a first communication network (e.g., a WLAN network such as a WiFi network) and a second communication circuit (340) for transmitting and receiving a signal in a second frequency band of a second communication network (e.g., a WWAN network such as an LTE or 5G (NR, new radio) network).

[0065] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may transmit and receive a first frequency band signal used in a WiFi network through a first communication circuit (330). To this end, the first communication circuit (330) may be connected to one or more radio frequency front ends (RFFEs) (331 and / or 332). The one or more RFFEs (331 and / or 332), upon transmission, may convert a signal generated by the first communication circuit (330) into a radio frequency (RF) signal of a first frequency band used in the first communication network, for example, a frequency band of about 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz and / or a frequency band of about 5.15 GHz to 7.15 GHz, and transmit the signal through a first antenna (310) and / or a second antenna (320). Upon reception, one or more RFFEs (331 and / or 332) may convert RF signals received via the first antenna (310) and / or the second antenna (320) so that they can be processed by the first communication circuit (330) and transmitted to the first communication circuit (330). Although it is described herein that one or more RFEEs (331 and / or 332) operate separately from the first communication circuit (330), this is by way of example only and the functionality of one or more RFEEs (331 and / or 332) may be integrated into the first communication circuit (330).

[0066] According to one embodiment, the second communication circuit (340) may include the first communication processor (212) and / or the second communication processor (214) of FIG. 2. Depending on the operation of the second communication circuit (340), an RF signal of a second frequency band used in the second communication network, for example, a band below 6 GHz and / or a band above 6 GHz, may be transmitted or received through the first antenna (310) or the second antenna (320). Depending on the operation of the second communication circuit (340), the second frequency band used in the second communication network may be an adjacent frequency band of the first frequency band used in the first communication network depending on the operation of the first communication circuit (330).

[0067] According to one embodiment, a signal received from the first antenna (310) and / or the second antenna (320) may be transmitted to the first communication circuit (330) or the second communication circuit (340) via a diplexer (315 and / or 325).

[0068] According to one embodiment, a signal transmitted from the first communication circuit (330) and / or the second communication circuit (340) may be transmitted to the first antenna (310) and / or the second antenna (320) via the diplexer (315 and / or 325).

[0069] According to one embodiment, the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) can transmit and receive RF signals of a first frequency band and a second frequency band. The electronic device (301) can perform communication in a second frequency band used in a second communication network through the second communication circuit (340) while performing communication in a first frequency band used in a first communication network through the first communication circuit (330). While the first communication circuit (330) and the second communication circuit (340) have been described as sharing the same antenna, for example, the first antenna (310) and / or the second antenna (320), the second communication circuit (340) may be implemented to use another adjacent antenna in addition to the first antenna (310) and / or the second antenna (320).

[0070] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) is implemented as a portable electronic device such as a smartphone or a foldable smartphone, the first communication circuit (330) of the WLAN and the second communication circuit (340) of the WWAN using adjacent RF frequency bands may use the same antenna or adjacent antennas, for example, the first antenna (310) and / or the second antenna (320), thereby improving antenna usage efficiency. When the first communication circuit (330) and the second communication circuit (340) use the same antenna or adjacent antennas, a transmission signal transmitted from the second communication circuit (340) of the WWAN to the diplexer (315 and / or 325) may partially enter the reception path of the first communication circuit (330) of the WLAN, which may cause performance degradation in the first communication circuit (330) of the WLAN. For example, if a transmission signal in a WWAN frequency band such as N48, N77, N78, or N79 is radiated through the same antenna as a WLAN or an antenna located adjacent to it, WLAN performance degradation may occur.

[0071] According to one embodiment, a filter (311) for filtering adjacent (and / or overlapping) frequency band signal components as described above may be applied to the reception path of the first frequency band signal through the first antenna (310) to the first communication circuit (330). By applying such a filter (311), performance degradation due to adjacent frequency band transmission signals can be prevented. The first communication circuit (330) can reduce WLAN communication performance degradation due to adjacent frequency band signals by actively utilizing the first antenna (310) to which the filter (311) is applied under conditions of simultaneous WWAN operation by the second communication circuit (340). The first antenna (310) to which the filter (311) is applied may have relatively poor antenna reception performance compared to the second antenna (340), or may be relatively vulnerable to adjacent frequency band noise interference compared to the second antenna (320) due to the influence of the adjacent frequency band of the WWAN, which becomes a noise source.

[0072] According to one embodiment, the filter (311) described above may not be applied to the reception path to the first communication circuit (330) via the second antenna (320). As a structure for preventing WLAN performance degradation due to adjacent frequency bands, the filter (311) for filtering adjacent frequency band signals may not be applied to at least one antenna (e.g., the second antenna (320)).

[0073] According to one embodiment, the first antenna (310) may experience a signal strength attenuation (insertion loss) of approximately 3 dB due to filtering of adjacent WWAN frequency bands from the received signal by applying the filter (311). For example, the first antenna (310) may experience a decrease in reception sensitivity (TIS, total isotropic sensitivity) and / or transmission output (TRP, total radiated power) performance of approximately 3 dB due to application of the filter (311).

[0074] According to Table 1, when a filter is applied to both the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) compared to when no filter is applied, the performance is reduced by an average of about 3 dB in a simultaneous operation situation. However, when the filter is applied only to the first antenna (310) and MIMO operation is performed, the performance reduction is clearly reduced even in a simultaneous operation situation.

[0075] Filter application statusTRP / TIS44CH100 CH161 CH3CH Average filter not appliedTRP1513.413.413.9TIS-71-73.1-71.1-71.7Filter applied to both the first and second antennasTRP11.811.910.211.3TIS-68.5-69.5-68.4-68.8Filter applied only to the first antennaTRP14.714.211.813.6TIS-71.7-72-69.4-71

[0076] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) can reduce signal strength attenuation by actively utilizing the second antenna (320) to which the filter is not applied under conditions other than the simultaneous operation of WWAN by the second communication circuit (340). Since the filter is not applied to the second antenna (320), TIS and / or TRP performance degradation can be prevented. Accordingly, antenna performance degradation can be reduced by performing MIMO operation for the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320). Table 2 can show direct reception performance degradation due to transmission signals of adjacent frequency bands in the second antenna (320) to which the filter is not applied. The first communication circuit (330) can show excessive reception performance degradation due to signal components introduced through the signal line by transmission signals of adjacent frequency bands in the second antenna (320) to which the filter is not applied under the simultaneous operation conditions of the second communication circuit (340).

[0077] Antenna Classification 11a Sensitivity Specification 44CH 100CH 1st Antenna (filter applied) - 76.25-76.00 DEF - 75.75-76.00 N77 2nd Antenna (filter not applied) - 76.25-76.50 DEF - 30.50-30.00 N77

[0078] According to one embodiment, while transmitting or receiving a signal through the first antenna (310) and / or the second antenna (320) in the first communication circuit (330), it can be determined whether the second communication circuit (340) is operating. According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) can determine whether the second communication circuit (340) is operating based on the quality of the received signal of the first antenna (310) and / or the second antenna (320).

[0079] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) can determine that the second communication circuit (340) operates when the intensities of the received signals of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) differ by a specified value or more. For example, when the RSSI of the first antenna (310) is -83 dBm and the RSSI of the second antenna (320) is -128 dBm, for example, when the difference is 15 dBm or more, the second communication circuit (340) can be determined to operate and transmit a signal.

[0080] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) transmits a signal through the second antenna (320) and receives a signal through the first antenna (310), and if the gain loss of the received signal is greater than or equal to a specified value, for example, a value corresponding to a pre-calculated degree of isolation between antennas, it can be determined that the second communication circuit (340) is not operating, assuming a situation such as antenna failure. For example, if the value specified as the gain loss corresponding to the pre-calculated degree of isolation between antennas is 15 dBm, if the gain loss of the RSSI value of the signal received through the first antenna (310) compared to the RSSI of the signal transmitted through the second antenna (320) from the first communication circuit (330) shows 15 dBm, it can be determined that the wp2 communication circuit (340) is operating, and if the gain loss shows 20 dBm and exceeds 15 dBm, it can be determined that a situation such as antenna failure occurs.

[0081] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) can determine that the second communication circuit (340) is operating when the difference in the intensity (e.g., RSSI) of the received signals of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) is greater than a specified value, and the signal to noise ratio of the antenna having the higher intensity of the received signal among the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) decreases.

[0082] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) can determine that the second communication circuit (340) is operating when the quality (e.g., RSSI or SNR) of the received signals of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) differs by a specified value or more for a specified period of time. For example, when the difference in RSSI values ​​of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) exceeds a specified period of time, the transmission of the second communication circuit (340) can be determined to be operating.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a signal line connected between a first communication circuit (330) and a second communication circuit (340), and when such a signal line is present, the first communication circuit (330) may check the operation of the second communication circuit (340) through the signal line connected to the second communication circuit (340).

[0084] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) may change and apply the gains of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) when it is confirmed that the second communication circuit (340) is operating. For example, when the gains of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) are each set to 16 dBm, the first communication circuit (330) may change the gain of the first antenna (310) to 20 dBm and the gain of the second antenna (320) to 12 dBm.

[0085] According to one embodiment, when the second communication circuit (340) is confirmed to be operating, the first communication circuit (330) changes the gains of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) to adjust the power of the second antenna (320) where the reception performance degradation occurs due to the transmission signal of the adjacent WWAN frequency band, for example, so as to fluctuate within the SAR standard, thereby reducing the reception performance degradation of the WLAN due to the transmission signal of the adjacent WWAN frequency band. In addition, the WLAN operating conditions can be changed to conditions more favorable for signal transmission and reception through MIMO or ASD, so that the gain value of each antenna can be configured so as to maintain optimal WLAN performance when the second communication circuit (340) is not operating.

[0086] According to one embodiment, when the first communication circuit (330) and the second communication circuit (340) are confirmed to operate simultaneously, the first communication circuit (330) may increase the gain value of the first antenna (310) to which the filter (311) is applied in order to reduce the degradation of WLAN communication performance and perform smooth WLAN communication.

[0087] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) can increase the gain of the first antenna (310) to a specified value and decrease the gain of the second antenna (320) when it is confirmed that the second communication circuit (340) is operating. The output power of WLAN communication antennas is limited by various standards such as the specific absorption rate (SAR) standard. Under general conditions, the electronic device (101) can adjust the power of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) based on a pre-specified gain table. Under the condition that the transmission operation of the first communication circuit (340) of the adjacent frequency band WWAN communication operates simultaneously with the first communication circuit (330) of the WLAN communication, the gain table can be changed to increase the gain of the first antenna (310) to which the filter is applied and proportionally decrease the gain of the second antenna (320) to which the filter is not applied.

[0088] According to one embodiment, when the second communication circuit (340) is confirmed to be operating, the first communication circuit (330) can check the current SAR and adjust the gain of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) based on the current SAR so as not to exceed the SAR limit.

[0089] According to one embodiment, the antenna gain table can be changed to a preset value, or can be dynamically changed within a range that satisfies the SAR specification. For example, the gains of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) can be adjusted based on the following mathematical expression 1 based on the measured SAR value.

[0090]

[0091] Here, σ represents conductivity, E represents electric field strength, and ρ represents mass density.

[0092] For example, if the gains of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) are each set to 16 dBm, the first communication circuit (330) changes the gain of the first antenna (310) to 20 dBm and the gain of the second antenna (320) to 12 dBm from the MCS_0 to the MCS_4 level, changes the gain of the first antenna (310) to 19 dBm and the gain of the second antenna (320) to 11 dBm from the MCS_5 to the MCS_7 level, changes the gain of the first antenna (310) to 18 dBm and the gain of the second antenna (320) to 10 dBm at the MCS_8 and MCS_9 levels, and changes the gain of the first antenna (310) to 17 dBm and the gain of the second antenna (320) to 9 dBm at the MCS_10 and MCS_11 levels. You can change the gain table to change dynamically.

[0093] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, or FIG. 3) having a plurality of antennas according to one embodiment.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a first antenna (e.g., the first antenna (310) of FIG. 3) and a second antenna (e.g., the second antenna (320) of FIG. 3). A filter (e.g., the filter (311) of FIG. 3) may be applied to the first antenna (310) to filter adjacent frequency band signals of the WWAN.

[0095] In FIG. 4, the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) may incur a specified gain loss (e.g., 15 dBm) corresponding to the pre-calculated isolation of each antenna.

[0096] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can transmit a WiFi signal through a second antenna (320) to which a filter is not applied, and receive an RF signal through a first antenna (310) to which a filter is applied. Accordingly, if a specified gain loss occurs in the first antenna (310) compared to the second antenna (320) and the input level of the reception signal of the first antenna (310) is lower than a specified value (e.g., 0 dBm), it can be confirmed that the second communication circuit (e.g., the second communication circuit (340) of FIG. 3) operates simultaneously with the first communication circuit (e.g., the first communication circuit (310) of FIG. 3).

[0097] According to one embodiment, if a gain loss exceeding a specified gain loss, for example, 20 dBm, occurs in the first antenna (310) compared to the second antenna (320), and the reception signal input level of the first antenna (310) is below a specified value (e.g., -5 dBm), it can be confirmed that a situation such as antenna failure occurs, causing additional gain loss, and thus the difference in reception input levels becomes relatively larger.

[0098] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, or FIG. 3) according to one embodiment.

[0099] According to one embodiment, in operation 501, a signal may be transmitted or received through a first antenna (e.g., the first antenna (310) of FIG. 3) and / or a second antenna (e.g., the second antenna (320) of FIG. 3) depending on the operation of a first communication circuit (e.g., the first communication circuit (330) of FIG. 3) of an electronic device (101). A filter (e.g., the filter (311) of FIG. 3) may be applied to the first antenna (310) to filter adjacent frequency band signals of the WWAN. A filter may not be applied to the second antenna (320).

[0100] According to one embodiment, during operation of the first communication circuit (330), it can be determined whether the second communication circuit (340) is operating at operation 503.

[0101] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) can determine whether the second communication circuit (340) is operating based on the quality of the received signal of the first antenna (310) and / or the second antenna (320).

[0102] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) can determine that the second communication circuit (340) is operating when the difference in the intensity (e.g., RSSI) of the received signals of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) is greater than a specified value.

[0103] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) can determine that the second communication circuit (340) is not operating when the gain loss of the received signal is greater than a specified value by transmitting a signal through the second antenna (320) and receiving a signal through the first antenna (310).

[0104] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) can determine that the second communication circuit (340) is operating when the intensities of the received signals of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) differ by a specified value or more, and the signal to noise ratio of the antenna having a higher intensity of the received signal (e.g., RSSI) among the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) decreases.

[0105] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) can determine that the second communication circuit (340) is operating when the intensity (e.g., RSSI or SNR) of the received signal of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) differs by a specified value or more for a specified period of time or more.

[0106] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a signal line connected between a first communication circuit (330) and a second communication circuit (340), and when such a signal line is present, the first communication circuit (330) may check the operation of the second communication circuit (340) through the signal line connected to the second communication circuit (340).

[0107] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) may change and apply the gains of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) in operation 505 when the second communication circuit (340) is confirmed to be operating.

[0108] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) can increase the gain value of the first antenna (310) to which the filter (311) is applied when the simultaneous operation of the second communication circuit (340) is confirmed.

[0109] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) may increase the gain of the first antenna (310) to a specified value and decrease the gain of the second antenna (320) when the second communication circuit (340) is confirmed to be operating.

[0110] According to one embodiment, when the first communication circuit (330) determines that the second communication circuit (340) is operating, the first communication circuit (330) can change the gain table to increase the gain of the first antenna (310) to which the filter is applied and proportionally decrease the gain of the second antenna (320) to which the filter is not applied.

[0111] According to one embodiment, when the second communication circuit (340) is confirmed to be operating, the first communication circuit (330) can check the current SAR and adjust the gain of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) based on the current SAR so as not to exceed the SAR limit.

[0112] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) may change the antenna gain table to a preset value or dynamically change it within a range that satisfies the SAR standard.

[0113] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0114] According to one embodiment, in operation 601, a WiFi connection may be established, for example, by transmitting or receiving a signal through a first antenna (e.g., the first antenna (310) of FIG. 3) and / or a second antenna (e.g., the second antenna (320) of FIG. 3) according to an operation of a first communication circuit (e.g., the first communication circuit (330) of FIG. 3) of an electronic device (101). A filter (e.g., the filter (311) of FIG. 3) may be applied to the first antenna (310) to filter out adjacent frequency band signals of the WWAN. A filter may not be applied to the second antenna (320).

[0115] According to one embodiment, in operation 603, the first communication circuit (330) may determine whether a signal capable of determining whether the second communication circuit (340) is performing WWAN communication is received. For example, the electronic device (101) may include a signal line connected between the first communication circuit (330) and the second communication circuit (340), and if such a signal line exists, the first communication circuit (330) may determine the operation of the second communication circuit (340) through the signal line connected to the second communication circuit (340). Accordingly, if it is determined in operation 605 that the second communication circuit (340) is operating and transmitting a signal, the process may proceed to operation 611 to apply a changed gain table to increase the power of the first antenna (310).

[0116] According to one embodiment, when a signal capable of confirming whether the second communication circuit (340) is performing WWAN communication is not received, the first communication circuit (330) can confirm the signal quality (e.g., RSSI) of the WiFi reception signal through the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) in operation 607.

[0117] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) may determine in operation 609 whether the RSSI of the second antenna (320) exceeds the RSSI of the first antenna (310) by a specified value, for example, a difference of 30 dBm or more, and if so, apply a modified gain table to increase the power of the first antenna (310) in operation 611. In this case, the gain table may be modified to proportionally decrease the power of the second antenna (320). The gain modification has been described above and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

[0118] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0119] According to one embodiment, in operation 701, a WiFi connection may be performed, for example, by transmitting or receiving a signal through a first antenna (e.g., the first antenna (310) of FIG. 3) and / or a second antenna (e.g., the second antenna (320) of FIG. 3) according to an operation of a first communication circuit (e.g., the first communication circuit (330) of FIG. 3) of an electronic device (101). A filter (e.g., the filter (311) of FIG. 3) may be applied to the first antenna (310) to filter adjacent frequency band signals of the WWAN. A filter may not be applied to the second antenna (320).

[0120] According to one embodiment, in operation 703, the first communication circuit (330) may determine whether a signal capable of determining whether the second communication circuit (340) is performing WWAN communication is received. For example, the electronic device (101) may include a signal line connected between the first communication circuit (330) and the second communication circuit (340), and if such a signal line exists, the first communication circuit (330) may determine the operation of the second communication circuit (340) through the signal line connected to the second communication circuit (340). Accordingly, if it is determined in operation 705 that the second communication circuit (340) is operating and transmitting a signal, the process may proceed to operation 713 to apply a changed gain table to increase the power of the first antenna (310).

[0121] According to one embodiment, when a signal capable of confirming whether the second communication circuit (340) is performing WWAN communication is not received, in operation 707, the first communication circuit (330) can confirm the signal quality (e.g., RSSI) of the WiFi reception signal through the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320).

[0122] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) can determine whether the RSSI of the second antenna (320) exceeds the RSSI of the first antenna (310) by a difference of a specified value or more in operation 709, and if so, can determine whether the SNR of the first antenna (310) exceeds the SNR of the second antenna (320) by a specified value or more in operation 711.

[0123] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit may apply a changed gain table to increase the power of the first antenna (310) in operation 713 when the RSSI of the second antenna (320) exceeds the RSSI of the first antenna (310) by a difference of a specified value or more and the SNR of the first antenna (310) exceeds the SNR of the second antenna (320) by a specified value or more. In this case, the gain table may be changed to proportionally decrease the power of the second antenna (320). The gain change has been described above and thus a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

[0124] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0125] According to one embodiment, in operation 801, a WiFi connection may be established, for example, by transmitting or receiving a signal through a first antenna (e.g., the first antenna (310) of FIG. 3) and / or a second antenna (e.g., the second antenna (320) of FIG. 3) according to an operation of a first communication circuit (e.g., the first communication circuit (330) of FIG. 3) of an electronic device (101). A filter (e.g., the filter (311) of FIG. 3) may be applied to the first antenna (310) to filter out adjacent frequency band signals of the WWAN. A filter may not be applied to the second antenna (320).

[0126] According to one embodiment, in operation 803, the first communication circuit (330) may determine whether a signal capable of determining whether the second communication circuit (340) is performing WWAN communication is received. For example, the electronic device (101) may include a signal line connected between the first communication circuit (330) and the second communication circuit (340), and when such a signal line exists, the first communication circuit (330) may determine the operation of the second communication circuit (340) through the signal line connected to the second communication circuit (340). If it is determined through the signal line that the second communication circuit (340) is operating and transmitting a signal in operation 805, the process may proceed to operation 813, and a changed gain table may be applied to increase the power of the first antenna (310).

[0127] According to one embodiment, when a signal capable of confirming whether the second communication circuit (340) is performing WWAN communication is not received, in operation 807, the first communication circuit (330) can confirm the signal quality (e.g., RSSI) of the WiFi reception signal through the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320).

[0128] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) can determine whether the RSSI of the second antenna (320) exceeds the RSSI of the first antenna (310) by a difference of a specified value or more in operation 809, and if so, determine whether the time during which the RSSI of the second antenna (320) exceeds the RSSI of the first antenna (310) by a difference of a specified value or more continues for a specified period of time or more in operation 811.

[0129] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit may apply a changed gain table to increase the power of the first antenna (310) in operation 813 based on the RSSI of the second antenna (320) exceeding the RSSI of the first antenna (310) by a difference of a specified value or more and the time for which the difference of the specified value or more exceeds the difference continues for a specified period of time or more. In this case, the gain table may be changed to proportionally decrease the power of the second antenna (320). The gain change has been described above and thus a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

[0130] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0131] According to one embodiment, in operation 901, a WiFi connection may be established, for example, by transmitting or receiving a signal through a first antenna (e.g., the first antenna (310) of FIG. 3) and / or a second antenna (e.g., the second antenna (320) of FIG. 3) according to an operation of a first communication circuit (e.g., the first communication circuit (330) of FIG. 3) of an electronic device (101). A filter (e.g., the filter (311) of FIG. 3) may be applied to the first antenna (310) to filter out adjacent frequency band signals of the WWAN. A filter may not be applied to the second antenna (320).

[0132] According to one embodiment, in operation 903, the first communication circuit (330) may determine whether a signal capable of determining whether the second communication circuit (340) is performing WWAN communication is received. For example, the electronic device (101) may include a signal line connected between the first communication circuit (330) and the second communication circuit (340), and when such a signal line exists, the first communication circuit (330) may determine the operation of the second communication circuit (340) through the signal line connected to the second communication circuit (340). If it is determined through the signal line that the second communication circuit (340) is operating and transmitting a signal in operation 905, the process may proceed to operation 915, and a changed gain table may be applied to increase the power of the first antenna (310).

[0133] According to one embodiment, when a signal capable of confirming whether the second communication circuit (340) is performing WWAN communication is not received, in operation 907, the first communication circuit (330) can confirm the signal quality (e.g., RSSI) of the WiFi reception signal through the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320).

[0134] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit (330) may determine in operation 909 whether the RSSI of the second antenna (320) exceeds the RSSI of the first antenna (310) by a difference of a specified value or more, and if so, the first communication circuit (330) may cause the second antenna (320) to transmit a WiFi transmission signal in operation 911.

[0135] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit may determine whether the input level of the reception signal received through the first antenna (310) is below a specified value in operation 913, and if so, apply a changed gain table to increase the power of the first antenna (310) in operation 915. In this case, the gain table may be changed to proportionally decrease the power of the second antenna (320). The gain change has been described above, and thus a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

[0136] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) includes a first antenna (e.g., the first antenna (310) of FIG. 3), a filter (e.g., the filter (311) of FIG. 3) for filtering an adjacent frequency band noise component of a signal received through the first antenna, a second antenna (e.g., the second antenna (320) of FIG. 3), a first communication circuit (e.g., the first communication circuit (330) of FIG. 3) for transmitting and receiving a signal in a first frequency band of a first communication network through at least one of a plurality of antennas including the first antenna and the second antenna, and a second communication circuit (e.g., the second communication circuit (340) of FIG. 3) for transmitting and receiving a signal in a second frequency band of a second communication network through the first antenna or the second antenna, wherein the filter can reduce a noise component introduced into the first communication circuit according to a transmission operation of the second communication circuit.

[0137] According to one embodiment, the apparatus may further include a diplexer (e.g., diplexer (315 and / or 325) of FIG. 3) that selectively transmits one of the transmission signals of the first communication circuit or the second communication circuit to the first antenna or the second antenna, and selectively transmits a signal received from the first antenna or the second antenna to the first communication circuit or the second communication circuit.

[0138] According to one embodiment, noise components of an adjacent frequency band are not filtered out and transmitted to the first communication circuit for the reception signal of the second antenna, and the first antenna may have a characteristic of having lower reception performance or being vulnerable to noise interference of an adjacent frequency band compared to the second antenna.

[0139] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit may determine whether the second communication circuit is operating while transmitting and receiving a signal through at least one of the first antenna or the second antenna in the first communication circuit, and if it is determined that the second communication circuit is operating, change and apply the gains of the first antenna and the second antenna.

[0140] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit can determine whether the second communication circuit is operating based on the reception signal quality of the first antenna and the second antenna.

[0141] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit can determine that the second communication circuit is operating when the difference in strength of the received signals of the first antenna and the second antenna is greater than a specified value.

[0142] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit can transmit a signal through the second antenna and receive a signal through the first antenna, and determine that the second communication circuit is not operating when the gain loss of the received signal is greater than a specified value.

[0143] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit can determine that the second communication circuit is operating when the intensities of the received signals of the first antenna and the second antenna differ by a specified value or more, and the signal to noise ratio of the antenna with the higher intensities of the received signals decreases.

[0144] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit can determine that the second communication circuit is operating when the intensity of the received signal of the first antenna and the second antenna differs by a specified value or more for a specified period of time or more.

[0145] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit can check the operation of the second communication circuit through a signal line connected to the second communication circuit.

[0146] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit can be configured to increase the gain of the first antenna to a specified value and decrease the gain of the second antenna when the second communication circuit is confirmed to be operating.

[0147] According to one embodiment, the gain of the second antenna can be set to be lowered in proportion to the gain of the first antenna.

[0148] According to one embodiment, the first communication circuit can determine a specific absorption rate (SAR) when the second communication circuit is confirmed to be operating, and adjust the gains of the first antenna and the second antenna based on the SAR.

[0149] Electronic devices according to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may take various forms. Electronic devices may include, for example, portable communication devices (e.g., smartphones), computer devices, portable multimedia devices, portable medical devices, cameras, wearable devices, or home appliances. Electronic devices according to the embodiments of this document are not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0150] The various embodiments of this document and the terminology used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase among those phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another component (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0151] The term "module" used in various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be an integral component, or a minimum unit or part of such a component that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0152] Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (140)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (136) or an external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)) may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

[0153] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0154] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0155] The embodiments disclosed in this document are merely examples presented to facilitate easy explanation and understanding of the technical content, and are not intended to limit the scope of the technology disclosed in this document. Therefore, the scope of the technology disclosed in this document should be interpreted to include all modifications or variations derived based on the technical concepts of the various embodiments disclosed in this document, in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. In electronic devices, First antenna (310); A filter (311) that filters out noise components in adjacent frequency bands of a signal received through the first antenna (310); Second antenna (320); A first communication circuit (330) for transmitting and receiving a signal in a first frequency band of a first communication network through at least one of a plurality of antennas including the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320); and A second communication circuit (340) for transmitting and receiving a signal in a second frequency band of a second communication network through the first antenna (310) or the second antenna (320); The second frequency band is an adjacent frequency band of the first frequency band, and the filter (311) reduces noise components flowing into the first communication circuit according to the transmission operation of the second communication circuit. Electronic devices.

2. In paragraph 1, An electronic device further comprising a diplexer (315 and / or 325) selectively transmitting one of the transmission signals of the first communication circuit (330) or the second communication circuit (340) to the first antenna (310) or the second antenna (320), and selectively transmitting a signal received from the first antenna (310) or the second antenna (320) to the first communication circuit (330) or the second communication circuit (340).

3. In paragraph 1, The above first communication circuit (330) While transmitting and receiving a signal through at least one of the first antenna (310) or the second antenna (320) in the first communication circuit (330), it is confirmed whether the second communication circuit (340) is operating, An electronic device that changes and applies the gains of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) when it is confirmed that the second communication circuit (340) is operating.

4. In paragraph 3, An electronic device in which the first communication circuit (330) determines whether the second communication circuit (340) is operating based on the reception signal quality of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320).

5. In paragraph 3, The first communication circuit (330) is an electronic device that determines that the second communication circuit (340) is operating when the difference in the intensities of the received signals of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) is greater than a specified value.

6. In paragraph 5, The first communication circuit (330) is an electronic device that transmits a signal through the second antenna (320) and receives a signal through the first antenna (310), and determines that the second communication circuit (340) does not operate when the gain loss of the received signal is greater than a specified value.

7. In paragraph 3, The first communication circuit (330) is an electronic device that determines that the second communication circuit (340) is operating when the intensities of the reception signals of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) differ by a specified value or more, and the signal to noise ratio of the antenna with the higher intensities of the reception signals decreases.

8. In paragraph 3, The first communication circuit (330) is an electronic device that determines that the second communication circuit (340) is operating when the intensities of the received signals of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) differ by a specified value or more for a specified period of time.

9. In paragraph 3, An electronic device in which the first communication circuit (330) confirms the operation of the second communication circuit (340) through a signal line connected to the second communication circuit (340).

10. In paragraph 3, An electronic device in which the first communication circuit (330) is set to increase the gain of the first antenna (310) to a specified value and to decrease the gain of the second antenna (320) when it is confirmed that the second communication circuit (340) is operating.

11. In paragraph 10, An electronic device in which the gain of the second antenna (320) is set to be lowered in proportion to the gain of the first antenna (310).

12. In paragraph 3, An electronic device in which the first communication circuit (330) checks the SAR (specific absorption rate) when the second communication circuit (340) is confirmed to be operating and adjusts the gains of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) based on the SAR.

13. A method of an electronic device including a first antenna (310), a filter (311) for filtering out adjacent frequency band noise components of a signal received through the first antenna (310), a second antenna (320), a first communication circuit (330) for transmitting and receiving a signal in a first frequency band of a first communication network through at least one of a plurality of antennas including the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320), and a second communication circuit (340) for transmitting and receiving a signal in a second frequency band of a second communication network through the first antenna or the second antenna, An operation of checking whether the second communication circuit (340) is operating while transmitting and receiving a signal through at least one of the first antenna (310) or the second antenna (320) in the first communication circuit (330); and A method including an operation of changing and applying the gains of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) when it is confirmed that the second communication circuit (340) is operating.

14. In paragraph 13, The operation of checking the operation of the second communication circuit (340) is a method of checking whether the second communication circuit (340) is operating based on the reception signal quality of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320).

15. In paragraph 13, The operation of confirming the operation of the second communication circuit (340) is a method of confirming that the second communication circuit (340) is operating when the intensities of the received signals of the first antenna (310) and the second antenna (320) differ by a specified value or more.

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