Electronic device for controlling switch electrically connected to antenna, and operation method thereof

Abstract

This electronic device comprises: a power amplifier (PA) (830) for amplifying a RF signal to be transmitted to a satellite base station; a first power amplifier power management integrated circuit (PA PMIC) (811) for supplying power onto the PA; a first switch (821) for connecting one among an output port of the first PA PMIC and an input port of the PA to the first PA PMIC; and a communication processor (610). The communication processor may: control the first switch so as to connect the output port of the first PA PMIC to the first PA PMIC; control the first PA PMIC so as to measure an output voltage of the first PA PMIC; control the first switch so as to connect the input port of the PA to the first PA PMIC; control the first PA PMIC so as to measure a supply voltage of the PA; determine the difference value between the output voltage of the first PA PMIC and the supply voltage of the PA; and adjust the output voltage of the first PA PMIC on the basis of the determined difference value.

Description

Electronic device for controlling a switch electrically connected to an antenna and a method of operating the electronic device

[0001] Various embodiments of this document relate to electronic devices and methods of operating electronic devices, and to techniques for controlling a switch electrically connected to an antenna.

[0002] To meet the increasing demand for wireless data traffic since the commercialization of 4G (4th generation) communication systems, efforts are being made to develop improved 5G (5G) communication systems, or pre-5G communication systems. For this reason, 5G communication systems, or pre-5G communication systems, are also referred to as communication systems beyond 4G networks or systems after long-term evolution (LTE) systems. To achieve high data rates, 5G communication systems are being considered for implementation not only in the bands used by LTE (bands below 6 GHz), but also in ultra-high frequency (mmWave) bands (e.g., bands above 6 GHz). In 5G communication systems, beamforming, massive MIMO (multiple input multiple output), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, and large scale antenna technologies are being discussed.

[0003] 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.

[0004] Satellite communications may require relatively high transmit power (e.g., approximately 36 dBm). Because satellite communications use relatively high levels of transmit power (e.g., 36 dBm), even relatively small DC resistance (DCR) components in the power wiring can result in relatively large voltage drops. When comparing cellular and satellite communication systems with the same resistance, cellular systems use relatively low levels of transmit power (e.g., 23–26 dBm), resulting in relatively small current flows and thus relatively small voltage drops. However, satellite systems consume relatively large currents (e.g., 2 A) during transmission compared to cellular systems, which can result in relatively large voltage drops.

[0005] The electronic device according to the comparative example has a limitation in that a voltage drop occurs on the power amplifier (PA), causing signal distortion.

[0006] The electronic device includes a power amplifier (PA) (830) for amplifying an RF signal to be transmitted to a satellite base station, a first power amplifier power management integrated circuit (PMIC) (811) for supplying power to the PA (power amplifier), a first switch (821) for connecting one of an output port of the first PA PMIC and an input port of the PA to the first PA PMIC, and a communication processor (610), wherein the communication processor controls the first switch to connect the output port of the first PA PMIC to the first PA PMIC, controls the first PA PMIC to measure an output voltage of the first PA PMIC, controls the first switch to connect the input port of the PA to the first PA PMIC, controls the first PA PMIC to measure a supply voltage of the PA, determines a difference value between an output voltage of the first PA PMIC and a supply voltage of the PA, and adjusts the output voltage of the first PA PMIC based on the determined difference value.

[0007] An operating method of an electronic device may include an operation of controlling a first switch to connect an output port of a first PA PMIC and the first PA PMIC, and controlling the first PA PMIC to measure an output voltage of the first PA PMIC, an operation of controlling the first switch to connect an input port of the PA and the first PA PMIC, and controlling the first PA PMIC to measure a supply voltage of the PA, an operation of determining a difference value between an output voltage of the first PA PMIC and a supply voltage of the PA, and an operation of adjusting an output voltage of the first PA PMIC based on the determined difference value.

[0008] An electronic device according to various embodiments of this document can compensate for voltage when a voltage drop occurs, thereby preventing distortion of a transmission signal due to the voltage drop.

[0009] An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present document can detect a difference between the output of a power amplifier power management IC (PA PMIC) and the power supplied to a power amplifier (PA) by adding only a switch, and determine a voltage compensation level.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to various embodiments.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electronic device for supporting legacy network communication and 5G network communication according to various embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an electronic device and a remote communication network environment according to one embodiment.

[0013] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining the connection of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining a non-terrestrial network system (500) according to one embodiment.

[0015] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0016] Fig. 7a is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication circuit according to a comparative example.

[0017] Figure 7b is a graph showing that distortion appears in a signal when transmitting a signal using a communication circuit according to a comparative example.

[0018] FIG. 8a illustrates a configuration for explaining a switching operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present document.

[0019] FIG. 8b illustrates a first embodiment of a switching operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present document.

[0020] FIG. 9 illustrates the locations of a PMIC and a satellite power amplifier (PA) on an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0021] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an antenna switching 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 as, for example, 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, for example, by the communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device via the at least one selected 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] 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.

[0045] 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 (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.

[0046] 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).

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] FIG. 2 is a block diagram (200) of an electronic device (101) for supporting legacy network communication and 5G network communication according to various embodiments. 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). In another embodiment, the electronic device (101) may further include at least one of the components described in FIG. 1, and the network (199) may further include at least one other network. In 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 the wireless communication module (192). In another embodiment, the fourth RFIC (228) may be omitted or may be included as a portion of the third RFIC (226).

[0051] 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), an auxiliary processor (e.g., the auxiliary processor (123) of FIG. 1), or a communication module (e.g., the communication module (190) of FIG. 1).

[0052] 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).

[0053] 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).

[0054] 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).

[0055] The electronic device (101) may, according to one embodiment, include a fourth RFIC (228) separately 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.

[0056] According to an 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 an 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 an embodiment, at least one antenna module among 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.

[0057] 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).

[0058] According to an example, 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.

[0059] The second network (294) (e.g., a 5G network) may operate independently (e.g., stand-alone (SA)) or connectedly (e.g., non-stand-alone (NSA)) from 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 such a 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)).

[0060] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an electronic device and a remote communication network environment according to one embodiment.

[0061] The electronic device (101) can transmit and / or receive data via a terrestrial network and / or a non-terrestrial network. The electronic device (101) may have the same configuration as the electronic device presented in FIG. 1 or may include the configuration of the electronic device presented in FIG. 1.

[0062] A terrestrial network may refer to a network capable of providing data communication via a terrestrial wireless communication device (310). For example, the terrestrial wireless communication device (310) may include a base station located on the ground (e.g., fixed to the ground). The terrestrial wireless communication device (310) may support at least one communication method among various communication methods that the electronic device (101) can support. For example, the terrestrial wireless communication device (310) may include an eNodeB or a gNodeB, but there is no limitation on the type thereof.

[0063] A non-terrestrial network may refer to a network capable of providing data communication via at least one non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320). For example, the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320) may include at least one of various communication devices such as a base station or repeater that are not located on the ground. For example, the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320) may include, but is not limited to, a satellite and / or an unmanned aerial vehicle. For example, the satellite may include a low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium-earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite, and / or a high elliptical orbit (HEO) satellite. For example, the satellite may include a mobile satellite and / or a geostationary satellite.

[0064] The non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320) can support at least one of various wireless communication methods. For example, the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320) can support the NR NTN (non-terrestrial network) defined by the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). Alternatively, the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320) can support at least one of communication methods based on various communication standards such as LTE, GSM (global system for mobile communications), and CDMA (code-division multiple access), but there is no limitation on the type.

[0065] The terrestrial network and the non-terrestrial network may be independent networks. Alternatively, the terrestrial network and the non-terrestrial network may be included in at least one network that is interconnected (e.g., a network provided by the same operator).

[0066] The electronic device (101) may perform wireless communication via a non-terrestrial network when communication with the terrestrial network is unavailable or not smooth. Alternatively, the electronic device (101) may perform wireless communication via a non-terrestrial network regardless of the status of communication with the terrestrial network, depending on the case.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), a display module (160) (e.g., a display), a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., a communication circuit), and / or an antenna module (197). For example, the processor (120) may be operatively, functionally, and / or electrically connected to the display module (160), the wireless communication module (192), and / or the antenna module (197).

[0068] The processor (120) may control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) by executing, for example, instructions (e.g., a program (140) of FIG. 1) at least temporarily stored in a memory (e.g., a memory (130) of FIG. 1), and may perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may control overall operations related to terrestrial network communication and / or non-terrestrial network communication. For example, the processor (120) may include a communication processor (e.g., an auxiliary processor (123) of FIG. 1) related to terrestrial network communication and / or non-terrestrial network communication.

[0069] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101).

[0070] According to one embodiment, the display module (160) may display a UI indicating information related to a terrestrial network and / or a non-terrestrial network. For example, the UI indicating information related to a terrestrial network and / or a non-terrestrial network may include at least one of a UI indicating information related to a type of network (e.g., cellular communication (3G, 4G, 5G), short-range communication (e.g., BT, WIFI), satellite communication), a type of network service provider (e.g., satellite communication service provider (e.g., Iridium), emergency service provider (ESP)), a network signal strength (e.g., signal strength bars, RSSI, RSRP), an orientation of a communication device (satellite) included in the network (e.g., orientation, elevation angle, azimuth angle), presence information, and / or a network communication status (e.g., idle, transmit, receive).

[0071] According to one embodiment, the display module (160) may display a UI representing services related to a terrestrial network and / or a non-terrestrial network.

[0072] According to one embodiment, the services related to the terrestrial network and / or the non-terrestrial network may include, for example, at least one of an emergency message transmission service, a messaging service, a voice call, a video call, a data communication service, a location-related service, and / or an indicator-related service.

[0073] According to one embodiment, the emergency message transmission service may include, but is not limited to, at least one of a service providing SOS service status information (e.g., indicating SOS service availability), a service providing government office information, a service providing emergency contact information, a service providing commercial phrases that minimize text input by the user, and a service using questionnaires to quickly convey emergency situations (e.g., a service providing options for the type of accident, the location of the injury, and medical information (e.g., age, gender, disease information, and medication information)).

[0074] In one embodiment, the messaging service may include, but is not limited to, at least one of a small message service (SMS), a multimedia messaging service (MMS), and a rich communication suite (RCS) message.

[0075] According to one embodiment, the data communication service may include services through various applications (e.g., web browsers) that provide data communication.

[0076] According to one embodiment, the location-related service may include, but is not limited to, at least one of longitude / latitude coordinates, location-related map information of the non-terrestrial communication device (320), navigation, and street view.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the UI examples are not limited to the examples mentioned, and may also be provided through other output devices (e.g., the audio output module (155) of FIG. 1).

[0078] According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) may support various types of wireless communication bands supported by the electronic device (101). For example, the wireless communication bands supported by the electronic device (101) may include, but are not limited to, a short-range wireless communication band (e.g., BT, Wifi), a terrestrial network (e.g., cellular network) communication band, and / or a non-terrestrial network band.

[0079] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can support a frequency band (e.g., n255, 256) associated with non-terrestrial network wireless communication. The electronic device (101) can perform non-terrestrial network wireless communication using the frequency band associated with non-terrestrial network wireless communication, but is not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device (101) can perform non-terrestrial network wireless communication using at least a portion of the frequency band associated with terrestrial network wireless communication.

[0080] According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from an external source (e.g., an external electronic device).

[0081] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may perform wireless communication with a non-terrestrial network using at least one antenna among a plurality of antennas included in the antenna module (197). The at least one antenna supporting non-terrestrial wireless communication may include a dedicated antenna and / or a dual-purpose antenna. The dedicated antenna may include an antenna supporting a non-terrestrial network. The dual-purpose antenna may include an antenna supporting both a different type of network and a non-terrestrial network. For example, the electronic device (101) may communicate with at least one satellite (e.g., a GNSS satellite, a satellite for emergency message service) using at least one non-terrestrial network dedicated antenna. For example, the dual-purpose antenna may include an antenna supporting a short-range communication network (e.g., a Bluetooth network, a Wi-Fi network) and / or a terrestrial network (e.g., a long term evolution (LTE) network). The electronic device (101) may support a non-terrestrial network using a plurality of antennas among the antennas supporting a terrestrial network.

[0082] Hereinafter, in the present disclosure, a satellite is mainly mentioned as a non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320), and although it is mentioned that the satellite provides wireless communication based on a specific radio access technology (RAT) (e.g., LTE) or a specific function (e.g., base station), this is only an example and the type is not limited.

[0083] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining the connection of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0084] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may be located within the coverage (415) of the terrestrial wireless communication device (310) (hereinafter, referred to as terrestrial wireless communication coverage (415)) and / or within the coverage (425) of the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320) (hereinafter, referred to as non-terrestrial wireless communication coverage (425)). The non-terrestrial wireless communication coverage (425) may be relatively larger (e.g., 50 times larger) than the terrestrial wireless communication coverage (415). For example, the non-terrestrial wireless communication coverage (425) may cover an area that the coverage (415) of the terrestrial wireless communication device (310) does not cover, and thus, the electronic device (101) may perform communication even in an area where terrestrial wireless communication is not supported.

[0085] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can perform a cell scan within the terrestrial wireless communication coverage (415) and / or the non-terrestrial wireless communication coverage (425). As a result of performing the cell scan, the electronic device (101) can check the cell provided by the terrestrial wireless communication device (310) and / or the cell provided by the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320). If there is a cell that satisfies the cell selection condition, the electronic device (101) can perform at least some of the operations for connecting to a network (e.g., a non-terrestrial network and / or a terrestrial network). Here, the connection to the network may include, but is not limited to, at least some of the preceding operations for registration to the network (e.g., camp on, connection procedure (e.g., random access (RA) procedure)) and / or registration operations to the network (e.g., attach, registration). The electronic device (101) may perform at least some of the disconnection operations when disconnection from a network is required (e.g., moving to a different network). The disconnection operation from the network may include at least some of the following operations: detaching from the network, disconnecting the connection, and / or declaring a Radio Link Failure (RLF), but is not limited to the listed operations.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may perform at least some of the following operations: cell scanning, disconnecting from a network, and / or connecting to a network, depending on movement (430, 435).

[0087] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) is located within the terrestrial communication coverage (415) included in the non-terrestrial wireless communication coverage (425) or is located in the boundary area of ​​the terrestrial communication coverage (415), the electronic device (101) may perform access to the terrestrial network and / or the non-terrestrial network based on a policy (e.g., priority policy) of the electronic device (101).

[0088] FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining a non-terrestrial network system (500) according to one embodiment.

[0089] Referring to FIG. 5, the non-terrestrial network system (500) may include a non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320), a radio unit (515), and a packet core (530).

[0090] According to one embodiment, the non-terrestrial network system (500) may be implemented, for example, in a regenerative manner. When implemented in a regenerative manner, at least one non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320) may include a base station (e.g., an eNode B). The non-terrestrial network system (500) may be implemented, for example, in a bent-pipe manner. The bent-pipe manner may include a passive relay method that performs frequency conversion and power amplification on a received signal. When the non-terrestrial network system (500) is implemented in a bent-pipe manner, at least one non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320) may include a relay that converts (e.g., amplifies) and transmits a signal. The implementation manner of the non-terrestrial network system (500) and the role of the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320) described in FIG. 5 are merely examples and are not limited thereto.

[0091] According to one embodiment, the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320) may include at least one satellite. The non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320) may perform communication with the electronic device (101) using, for example, a terrestrial network (e.g., a cellular network) band and / or a non-terrestrial network band. The terrestrial network band may be, for example, an operating band supported by long term evolution (LTE) and / or new radio (NR), but is not limited thereto. The non-terrestrial network band may include, but is not limited to, a band defined by 3GPP (e.g., n255 and / or n256 bands).

[0092] According to one embodiment, at least one radio unit (515) may receive a signal from a non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320) and transmit it to a packet core (530). The radio unit (515) and the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320) may communicate using, for example, a non-terrestrial network band. The non-terrestrial network band may be different from the terrestrial network band, but may be set to be the same in some cases.

[0093] According to one embodiment, at least one packet core (530) may transmit and receive data associated with the electronic device (101) using the radio unit (515). Accordingly, the packet core (530) may process the data associated with the electronic device (101) and transmit it to a packet data network (PDN) (540) (e.g., the Internet). The packet core (515) may include, for example, at least a portion of an evolved packet core (EPC) and / or a 5G core (5GC), but is not limited thereto. The packet core (530) may include a packet core associated with a non-terrestrial wireless communication device (320) operator and / or a packet core associated with a mobile network operator (MNO). The packet core (530) may be additionally connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) (not shown) to transmit and receive data associated with the electronic device (101).

[0094] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 6, an electronic device (600) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a communication processor (e.g., the first communication processor (212) of FIG. 2 or the second communication processor (214) of FIG. 2)) (610), a transceiver (e.g., the first RFIC (222), the second RFIC (224), or the fourth RFIC (228) of FIG. 2)) (620), a communication circuit (630), and / or an antenna (e.g., the first antenna module (242), the second antenna module (244), or the third antenna module (246) of FIG. 2)) (640).

[0096] The communication processor (610) can receive or transmit control data or user data via short-range wireless communication (e.g., Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) or cellular wireless communication (e.g., 4th generation mobile communication or 5th generation mobile communication). The communication processor (610) can establish a cellular communication connection with a base station via the control data, and can transmit data received from an application processor (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1) to the base station via the established cellular communication, or transmit data received from the base station to the application processor (120).

[0097] The transceiver (620) can perform various operations for processing signals received from the communication processor (610). For example, the transceiver (620) can perform a modulation operation on the signal received from the communication processor (610). For example, the transceiver (620) can perform a frequency modulation operation for converting a baseband signal into a radio frequency (RF) signal used for cellular communication. The transceiver (620) can also perform a demodulation operation on a signal received from the outside through the communication circuit (630). For example, the transceiver (620) can perform a frequency demodulation operation for converting a radio frequency (RF) signal into a baseband signal.

[0098] The communication circuit (630) may include at least one RF chain that receives a signal radiated from the outside through the antenna (640) or radiates a signal transmitted by the transceiver (620) through the antenna (640). For example, the RF chain may refer to a signal travel path between the transceiver (620) and the antenna (640). The RF chain may include a front-end module (631) that includes various components (e.g., amplifiers, switches, filters) that amplify a signal received through the antenna (640) and / or a signal transmitted by the transceiver (620) and perform an operation of filtering the amplified signal.

[0099] The communication circuit (630) may include a switch (633) that electrically connects an antenna (640) to one of a plurality of grounds implemented inside the electronic device (600).

[0100] The communication processor (610) can control the switch (633) in various ways. If a line (e.g., an inter-process communication (IPC) line) for transmitting a control signal of the switch (633) exists between the communication processor (610) and the switch (633), the communication processor (610) can control the switch (633) by transmitting a control signal of the switch (633) to the switch (633). If a line (e.g., an IPC line) for transmitting a control signal of the switch (633) does not exist between the communication processor (610) and the switch (633), the communication processor (610) can control the switch (633) by transmitting a control signal of the switch (633) to the switch (633) through the transceiver (620) or the front-end module (631).

[0101] In FIG. 6, only one transceiver (620), one switch (633), and one antenna (640) are shown for explanation, but the electronic device (600) may include multiple of each component.

[0102] Fig. 7a is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication circuit according to a comparative example.

[0103] According to FIG. 7A, a communication circuit according to a comparative embodiment may include a configuration for transmitting and receiving a signal using an antenna (730). The communication circuit according to the comparative embodiment may include a plurality of batteries (e.g., a first battery (701), a second battery (702)). The communication circuit according to the comparative embodiment may include an IF PMIC (705). The IF PMIC (interface power management IC) (705) may manage power supply provided to various components within an electronic device. The IF PMIC (interface power management IC) (705) may supply power to hardware components (e.g., a display, a touchscreen, a camera, a memory, etc.). The IF PMIC (705) may convert a battery voltage and provide various voltage and current values ​​to supply optimal power to each hardware component.

[0104] A communication circuit according to a comparative embodiment may include a plurality of PA PMICs (a first PA PMIC (711), a second PA PMIC (712)). The PA PMIC (power amplifier power management IC) may supply or transmit power using a power amplifier (PA) (720), which is a main component. The communication circuit according to the comparative embodiment may include a modem (714) for satellite communication (e.g., a communication processor (610) of FIG. 6) and an RFIC (716). The communication circuit according to the comparative embodiment may include an RF switch (725) that selectively transmits signals of various frequency bands and blocks signals of other unselected frequency bands. The communication circuit according to the comparative embodiment may prevent interference between signals and improve transmission quality by using the RF switch (725). That is, in satellite communication, the RF switch (725) may play a role in improving transmission quality by enabling switching and selective transmission of signals.

[0105] The configurations described in FIG. 7a may also appear in FIGS. 8a and 8b describing an electronic device according to the present document, and the basic role is the same as that described in FIG. 7a.

[0106] Figure 7b is a graph showing that distortion appears in a signal when transmitting a signal using a communication circuit according to a comparative example.

[0107] An electronic device (e.g., a terminal) according to a comparative example may require an effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of a certain level (e.g., 29 dBm) or more to utilize satellite communication. For this purpose, a Tx power of approximately 36 dBm or more is used in the electronic device. Effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) may refer to an index representing the power density of a signal generated from a specific antenna. EIRP may be calculated using the transmission output of the antenna and the antenna pattern. The antenna pattern may represent a power density that varies depending on the direction in which the antenna radiates the signal. EIRP may reflect the efficiency of the antenna and the influence of the propagation environment (e.g., the atmosphere, terrain, buildings, etc.). EIRP is mainly used in wireless communications, and may be used to predict a communication distance or propagation range by measuring the power of a signal generated from an antenna.

[0108] In order to output a relatively high level of transmit power (Tx power) (e.g., 36 dBm) from a power amplifier (PA) (720) used in satellite communication, a power amplifier (PA) (720) VCC of a certain level (e.g., 5 V) or higher and a power amplifier (PA) (720) current of a certain level (e.g., 2 A) or higher may be required.

[0109] An electronic device according to a comparative embodiment may utilize a power supply unit that supports a relatively low level of transmit power (Tx power) (e.g., 23 to 26 dBm). An electronic device according to a comparative embodiment may use two or more power supply units (e.g., PA PMICs) to supply power to a power amplifier (PA) (720) in order to output a relatively high level of transmit power (Tx power) (e.g., 36 dBm) during a satellite communication process.

[0110] When using a relatively high output transmit power (Tx power) in an integrated smartphone terminal structure, a voltage drop phenomenon (Vcc drop) of a power amplifier (PA) (720) may occur under certain conditions (e.g., a low battery voltage condition). The low battery voltage condition may vary depending on the setting, and for example, a low voltage condition may be set when the voltage supplied from the battery is 3.7 V or lower. This is only an example and the low voltage condition is not limited thereto. The voltage drop phenomenon (Vcc drop) may reduce the linearity of the power amplifier (PA) (720), and the reduction in the linearity of the power amplifier may cause signal distortion and deteriorate the quality of the transmitted signal.

[0111] The electronic device according to the comparative example uses a relatively high level of transmit power (TX power) (e.g., 36 dBm) for satellite communication, and thus a relatively large voltage drop may occur even with a relatively small DCR (DC resistance) component on the power wiring. In a situation where a cellular communication system and a satellite communication system having the same resistance are compared, the cellular communication system uses a relatively low level of transmit power (TX power) (e.g., 23 to 26 dBm), and therefore the amount of current flowing is relatively low, and thus a relatively large voltage drop may not occur. When transmitting on a satellite communication system, a relatively large current (e.g., 2 A) is consumed compared to a cellular communication system, and thus a relatively large voltage drop may occur.

[0112] Satellite communication services can be used to communicate with an emergency service provider (ESP) in emergencies, such as distress situations, when cellular networks are unavailable. For satellite communication services, electronic devices must be able to transmit signals regardless of battery voltage. However, the electronic device according to the comparative example has a limitation in that a voltage drop occurs at the power amplifier (PA) (720), resulting in signal distortion.

[0113] Figure 750 illustrates a situation in which no signal interference occurs. The first graph (752) illustrates the degree to which a signal output from a power amplifier (PA) (720) is distorted in a specific frequency band when attempting to transmit a signal through an antenna (730) in the communication circuit of the preceding Figure 7a. According to Figure 750, it can be confirmed that the first graph (752) outputs a signal without distortion.

[0114] When using a relatively high output transmit power (TX power) in an integrated smartphone terminal structure, a voltage drop (VCC drop) of the power amplifier (PA) (720) may occur under certain conditions, such as a low battery voltage condition. Due to the voltage drop (VCC drop) of the power amplifier (PA) (720), the linearity of the signal output from the power amplifier (PA) (720) may decrease, causing signal distortion and deterioration of the quality of the transmitted signal.

[0115] Figure 760 illustrates a situation in which signal interference occurs due to a decrease in linearity of a power amplifier (PA) (720) caused by a voltage drop (VCC drop) in the PA. The second graph (762) confirms that linearity is lacking and signal quality is unstable.

[0116] If the power supplied to the power amplifier (PA) (720) is insufficient, the linearity of the signal output from the power amplifier (PA) (720) may decrease. Insufficient power supplied may mean a situation in which power is supplied under the previously mentioned low voltage conditions (e.g., voltage below 3.7 V).

[0117] When the linearity of the power amplifier (PA) (720) decreases, unwanted frequency components may be generated on the left and right sides of the center frequency (0 MHz in Figure 760), as illustrated in Figure 760. These unwanted frequency components may interfere with the output signal. These unwanted frequency components may prevent proper demodulation of the transmitted signal back to its original signal. In this way, the unwanted frequency components illustrated in Figure 760 may cause quality degradation of the transmitted signal and / or result in transmission failure.

[0118] An electronic device according to this document (e.g., an electronic device (600) of FIG. 6) can resolve a voltage drop in a satellite RF power amplifier (PA) when it occurs. The electronic device (600) compares voltage levels at a PA PMIC output and a PA VCC terminal using a feedback line and at least one switch on the power supply of the PA VCC, calculates a voltage drop level according to the voltage difference, and compensates for the power in a booster of the PA PMIC. Hereinafter, a process of calculating a voltage drop level in the electronic device (600) and performing compensation equivalent to the voltage drop to resolve a voltage drop problem in the power amplifier (PA) will be described.

[0119] FIG. 8a illustrates a configuration for explaining a switching operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present document.

[0120] An electronic device according to the present document (e.g., an electronic device (600) of FIG. 6) may include a communication circuit (e.g., a communication circuit (630) of FIG. 6). The communication circuit (630) may include a battery (801), an IF PMIC (803), a first PA PMIC (811), a second PA PMIC (812), a first switch (821), a second switch (822), a power amplifier (PA) (830), an RF switch (832), a plurality of antennas (841, 842, 842) for cellular communication, and at least one antenna (845) for satellite communication. The electronic device (600) may include an RFIC (e.g., an RFIC (716) of FIG. 7) and a modem (e.g., a modem (714) of FIG. 7) for communication.

[0121] The electronic device (600) can apply voltage to a power amplifier (830) by using all of the plurality of PA PMICs to satisfy an effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of a certain level (e.g., about 29 dBm) or more required by a satellite communication system. The first PA PMIC (811) and the second PA PMIC (812) can supply power to the power amplifier (PA) (830). The first PA PMIC (811) and the second PA PMIC (812) are configured as buck boosters and can receive information about a voltage drop from a communication processor (e.g., the communication processor (610) of FIG. 6) and compensate for the output.

[0122] The communication circuit (630) can increase the output of a satellite transmission signal transmitted from a transceiver (e.g., transceiver (620) of FIG. 6) and transmit it through an antenna (845). When a satellite signal with a relatively high output is used within the circuit of an integrated terminal, a relatively large voltage drop in the power amplifier (PA) (830) can occur even with a small resistance change.

[0123] The communication processor (610) can determine the voltage drop level of the power amplifier (PA) (830) and compensate for the voltage using the first PA PMIC (811) and / or the second PA PMIC (812).

[0124] An electronic device (600) according to various embodiments of the present document may have a wiring for feedback positioned on a node branching from a PA VCC wiring adjacent to a power amplifier (PA) (830). The feedback line may be connected to an output terminal of a first PA PMIC (811) through a first switch (821), and may be connected to an output terminal of a second PA PMIC (812) through a second switch (822).

[0125] In a situation where a cellular network is used, the electronic device (600) can check the power level input to the power amplifier (PA) (830) through the feedback line of the first PA PMIC (811) and / or the second PA PMIC (812), and adjust the output value of the first PA PMIC (811) and / or the second PA PMIC (812) based on the checked value. In a situation where a satellite network is used under specific conditions (e.g., low temperature, low voltage), the electronic device (600) can check the voltage drop input to the power amplifier (PA) (830). The electronic device (600) can check the voltage drop level and compensate the voltage of the first PA PMIC (811) and / or the second PA PMIC (812) by the amount of the voltage drop.

[0126] When the electronic device (600) uses a satellite network under specific conditions (e.g., low temperature and low voltage), the first switch (821) can be controlled to be connected to the first feedback line (A) and the second switch (822) can be controlled to be connected to the fourth feedback line (D) under the control of the communication processor (630). The first switch (821) can be connected to the first feedback line (A) branched at a point relatively close to the output terminal of the first PA PMIC (811) while being electrically connected to the first PA PMIC (811), and can be connected to the second feedback line (B) branched at a point relatively close to the power supplied to the power amplifier (PA) (830). The connection of the first switch (821) to the first feedback line (A) can refer to electrically connecting the output port of the first PA PMIC (811) and the first PA PMIC (811). A relatively close point may mean a relatively close point between an output port of the first PA PMIC (811) and a power line supplied to a power amplifier (PA) (830). The electronic device (600) may, under the control of the communication processor (630), differently control the connection state of the first switch (821).

[0127] The electronic device (600) can detect the output voltage of the first PA PMIC (811) by controlling the first switch (821) to be connected to the first feedback line (A). The electronic device (600) can detect the voltage supplied to the power amplifier (PA) (830) by controlling the second switch (822) to be connected to the fourth feedback line (D). The connection of the second switch (822) to the fourth feedback line (D) may refer to the electrical connection of the second PA PMIC (812) to the input port of the power amplifier (830). This will be described in detail in FIG. 8B.

[0128] The electronic device (600) can compare the output voltage of the first PA PMIC (811) with the voltage supplied to the power amplifier (PA) (830) and determine a difference value. The electronic device (600) can compensate for (or adjust, change) the output voltage of the first PA PMIC (811) so as to compensate for the voltage by the difference. The compensated output voltage of the first PA PMIC (811) can be substantially the same as the sum of the output voltage before compensation of the first PA PMIC (811) and the difference value. That is, the electronic device (600) can prevent the voltage supplied to the power amplifier (830) from being affected by a voltage drop (or minimize the effect of a voltage drop) by compensating for (or adjusting, changing) the output voltage of the first PA PMIC (811), and can prevent distortion of a signal amplified by the power amplifier (830).

[0129] The second switch (822) may be connected to a third feedback line (C) branched at a point relatively close to the output terminal of the second PA PMIC (812) while being electrically connected to the second PA PMIC (812), and may be connected to a fourth feedback line (D) branched at a point relatively close to the power supplied to the power amplifier (PA) (830). The connection of the second switch (822) to the fourth feedback line (D) may refer to the electrical connection of the second PA PMIC (812) to the input port of the power amplifier (830). The relatively close point may mean a point relatively close between the output terminal of the second PA PMIC (812) and the power line supplied to the power amplifier (PA) (830). The electronic device (600) may control the connection state of the second switch (822) differently under the control of the communication processor (630).

[0130] The compensated output voltage of the second PA PMIC (812) may be substantially equal to the output voltage before compensation of the second PA PMIC (812) plus the difference value.

[0131] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (600) can detect the output voltage of the second PA PMIC (812) by controlling the second switch (822) to be connected to the third feedback line (C). The electronic device (600) can detect the voltage supplied to the power amplifier (PA) (830) by controlling the first switch (821) to be connected to the third feedback line (C).

[0132] The electronic device (600) can compare the output voltage of the second PA PMIC (812) with the voltage supplied to the power amplifier (PA) (830) to determine the difference. The electronic device (600) can compensate for the output voltage of the second PA PMIC (812) so as to compensate for the voltage by the difference. That is, the electronic device (600) can control the voltage supplied to the power amplifier (PA) (830) to maintain a constant level despite the voltage drop by compensating for the output voltage of the second PA PMIC (812) so as to prevent signal distortion from occurring.

[0133] FIG. 8b illustrates a first embodiment of a switching operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present document.

[0134] The electronic device (600) can detect the output voltage of the first PA PMIC (811) by controlling the first switch (821) to be connected to the first feedback line (A). The electronic device (600) can detect the voltage supplied to the power amplifier (PA) (830) by controlling the second switch (822) to be connected to the fourth feedback line (D).

[0135] The electronic device (600) can compare the output voltage of the first PA PMIC (811) and the voltage supplied to the power amplifier (PA) (830) to determine the difference. The electronic device (600) can compensate for the output voltage of the first PA PMIC (811) so as to compensate for the voltage by the difference. That is, the electronic device (600) can control the voltage supplied to the power amplifier (PA) (830) to maintain a constant level despite the voltage drop by compensating for the output voltage of the first PA PMIC (811) so as to prevent signal distortion from occurring.

[0136] FIG. 9 illustrates the locations of a PMIC and a satellite power amplifier (PA) on an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0137] An electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (600) of FIG. 6) can generate a relatively high output (e.g., about 36 dBm) by simultaneously using a plurality of PA PMICs (a first PA PMIC (911) and a second PA PMIC (912)) under the control of a communication processor (e.g., a communication processor (610) of FIG. 6).

[0138] The electronic device (600) can supply a relatively high output (e.g., about 36 dBm) to a power amplifier (PA) (930) (e.g., the power amplifier (PA) (830) of FIG. 8).

[0139] The electronic device (600) can control the Vcc of the power amplifier (PA) (930) using the feedback lines of the first PA PMIC (911) and the second PA PMIC (912) in a situation where a cellular network is used as described in FIG. 8A. The electronic device (600) can detect a voltage drop in the power amplifier (PA) (930) because a voltage drop may occur on the PA when using a satellite network under certain conditions (e.g., low temperature and low voltage). The electronic device (600) can check the level of the voltage drop and compensate for the voltage of the first PA PMIC (911) and / or the second PA PMIC (912) by the amount of the voltage drop.

[0140] That is, the electronic device (600) can control the voltage supplied to the power amplifier (PA) (930) to be maintained at a constant level by compensating the voltage of the first PA PMIC (911) and / or the second PA PMIC (912) so that signal distortion does not occur. The electronic device (600) can transmit a signal without distortion to the satellite base station using the antenna (940).

[0141] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an antenna switching operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0142] The operations described through FIG. 10 may be implemented based on instructions that may be stored in a computer recording medium or memory (e.g., memory (130) of FIG. 1). The illustrated method (1000) may be executed by an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (600) of FIG. 6) described above through FIGS. 1 to 9, and the technical features described above will be omitted below. The order of each operation of FIG. 10 may be changed, some operations may be omitted, and some operations may be performed simultaneously.

[0143] In operation 1010, an electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (600) of FIG. 6) may, under the control of a communication processor (e.g., a communication processor (610) of FIG. 6), connect a first switch (e.g., a first switch (821) of FIG. 8A) to a first feedback line (e.g., a first feedback line (A) of FIG. 8A) to receive information about an output voltage of a first PA PMIC (e.g., a first PA PMIC (811) of FIG. 8A). According to various embodiments of the present document, the electronic device (600) may have a wiring for feedback positioned on a node branching from a PA VCC wiring adjacent to a power amplifier (PA) (830). The above feedback line may be connected to the output terminal of the first PA PMIC (811) through the first switch (821), and may be connected to the output terminal of the second PA PMIC (812) through the second switch (e.g., the second switch (822) of FIG. 8a).

[0144] In operation 1020, the communication processor (610) can receive information about the voltage supplied to the PA (e.g., the power amplifier (PA) (830) of FIG. 8a) by connecting the first switch (811) to a second feedback line (e.g., the second feedback line (B) of FIG. 8a).

[0145] In operation 1030, the communication processor (610) may determine a difference value between the output voltage of the first PA PMIC (811) and the voltage supplied to the PA (830). The communication processor (610) may determine the difference value based on information about the output voltage of the first PA PMIC (811) obtained in operation 1010 and information about the supply voltage of the PA (830) obtained in operation 1020. The difference value may mean a voltage drop value.

[0146] In operation 1040, the communication processor (610) can transmit a signal to the first PA PMIC (811) so as to compensate for the difference value of the determined voltage. The communication processor (610) can compensate for the voltage of the first PA PMIC (811) by the determined difference value. That is, the electronic device (600) can control the voltage supplied to the PA (830) to be maintained at a constant level despite the voltage drop by compensating for the output voltage of the first PA PMIC (811) so as to prevent signal distortion from occurring.

[0147] In Fig. 10, the process of determining the voltage drop and compensating for the voltage by comparing the output voltage of the first PA PMIC (811) with the voltage supplied to the PA (830) is described, but the voltage drop may also be determined and compensated for using the output voltage of the second PA PMIC (812). Alternatively, the first switch (821) and the second switch (822) may be controlled simultaneously to relatively quickly compare the output voltage of the PA PMIC with the voltage supplied to the PA (830) and compensate for the voltage.

[0148] The electronic device includes a power amplifier (PA) (830) for amplifying an RF signal to be transmitted to a satellite base station, a first power amplifier power management integrated circuit (PMIC) (811) for supplying power to the PA (power amplifier), a first switch (821) for connecting one of an output port of the first PA PMIC and an input port of the PA to the first PA PMIC, and a communication processor (610), wherein the communication processor controls the first switch to connect the output port of the first PA PMIC to the first PA PMIC, controls the first PA PMIC to measure an output voltage of the first PA PMIC, controls the first switch to connect the input port of the PA to the first PA PMIC, controls the first PA PMIC to measure a supply voltage of the PA, determines a difference value between an output voltage of the first PA PMIC and a supply voltage of the PA, and adjusts the output voltage of the first PA PMIC based on the determined difference value.

[0149] The electronic device further includes a second PA PMIC (power management integrated circuit) (812) for supplying power to a PA (power amplifier), and a second switch (822) for connecting one of an output port of the second PA PMIC and an input port of the PA to the second PA PMIC, and the communication processor controls the first switch to connect the output port of the first PA PMIC to the first PA PMIC, controls the first PA PMIC to measure an output voltage of the first PA PMIC, controls the second switch to connect the input port of the PA to the second PA PMIC, controls the second PA PMIC to measure a supply voltage of the PA, determines a difference value between an output voltage of the first PA PMIC and a supply voltage of the PA, and adjusts the output voltage of the first PA PMIC based on the difference value.

[0150] The communication processor can control a second switch to connect an output port of the second PA PMIC with the second PA PMIC, control the second PA PMIC to measure an output voltage of the second PA PMIC, control a first switch to connect an input port of the PA with the first PA PMIC, control the first PA PMIC to measure a supply voltage of the PA, determine a difference value between a supply voltage of the PA and an output voltage of the second PA PMIC, and adjust an output voltage of the second PA PMIC based on the difference value.

[0151] The electronic device further includes a second PA PMIC (power management integrated circuit) (812) for supplying power to a PA (power amplifier), and a second switch (822) for connecting one of an output port of the second PA PMIC and an input port of the PA to the second PA PMIC, and the communication processor can control the second switch to connect the output port of the second PA PMIC and the second PA PMIC, control the second PA PMIC to measure an output voltage of the second PA PMIC, control the second switch to connect the input port of the PA and the second PA PMIC, control the second PA PMIC to measure a supply voltage of the PA, determine a difference value between an output voltage of the second PA PMIC and a supply voltage of the PA, and adjust the output voltage of the second PA PMIC based on the difference value.

[0152] The first switch can be connected to a first feedback line branched at a point relatively close to an output terminal of the first PA PMIC while being electrically connected to the first PA PMIC, and to a second feedback line branched at a point relatively close to a power source supplied to the PA.

[0153] A relatively close point may mean a relatively close point between the output terminal of the first PA PMIC and the power supplied to the PA phase.

[0154] The communication processor can transmit the signal output from the PA to the satellite base station via the antenna.

[0155] The second switch can be connected to a third feedback line branched at a point relatively close to the output terminal of the second PA PMIC while being electrically connected to the second PA PMIC, and to a fourth feedback line branched at a point relatively close to the power supplied to the PA.

[0156] A relatively close point may mean a relatively close point between the output terminal of the second PA PMIC and the power supplied to the PA phase.

[0157] An operating method of an electronic device may include an operation of controlling a first switch to connect an output port of a first PA PMIC and the first PA PMIC, and controlling the first PA PMIC to measure an output voltage of the first PA PMIC, an operation of controlling the first switch to connect an input port of the PA and the first PA PMIC, and controlling the first PA PMIC to measure a supply voltage of the PA, an operation of determining a difference value between an output voltage of the first PA PMIC and a supply voltage of the PA, and an operation of adjusting an output voltage of the first PA PMIC based on the determined difference value.

Claims

1. In an electronic device (101), A PA (power amplifier) ​​(830) that amplifies the RF signal to be transmitted to the satellite base station; A first PA PMIC (power amplifier power management integrated circuit) (811) that supplies power to the PA (power amplifier); A first switch (821) connecting the first PA PMIC with one of the output ports of the first PA PMIC and the input port of the PA; Contains a communication processor (610), The above communication processor Controlling the first switch to connect the output port of the first PA PMIC and the first PA PMIC, and controlling the first PA PMIC to measure the output voltage of the first PA PMIC, Controlling the first switch to connect the input port of the PA and the first PA PMIC, and controlling the first PA PMIC to measure the supply voltage of the PA, Determine the difference value between the output voltage of the first PA PMIC and the supply voltage of the PA, An electronic device configured to regulate an output voltage of the first PA PMIC based on the determined difference value.

2. In paragraph 1, The above electronic device A second PA PMIC (power management integrated circuit) (812) that supplies power to the PA (power amplifier); and Further comprising a second switch (822) connecting the output port of the second PA PMIC and one of the input ports of the PA to the second PA PMIC, The above communication processor Controlling the first switch to connect the output port of the first PA PMIC and the first PA PMIC, and controlling the first PA PMIC to measure the output voltage of the first PA PMIC, Controlling the second switch to connect the input port of the PA and the second PA PMIC, and controlling the second PA PMIC to measure the supply voltage of the PA, Determine the difference value between the output voltage of the first PA PMIC and the supply voltage of the PA, An electronic device configured to regulate an output voltage of said first PA PMIC based on said difference value.

3. In paragraph 2, The above communication processor Controlling the second switch to connect the output port of the second PA PMIC and the second PA PMIC, and controlling the second PA PMIC to measure the output voltage of the second PA PMIC, Controlling the first switch to connect the input port of the PA and the first PA PMIC, and controlling the first PA PMIC to measure the supply voltage of the PA, Determine the difference value between the supply voltage of the above PA and the output voltage of the second PA PMIC, An electronic device configured to regulate an output voltage of the second PA PMIC based on the difference value.

4. In paragraph 1, The above electronic device A second PA PMIC (power management integrated circuit) (812) that supplies power to the PA (power amplifier); and Further comprising a second switch (822) connecting the output port of the second PA PMIC and one of the input ports of the PA to the second PA PMIC, The above communication processor Controlling the second switch to connect the output port of the second PA PMIC and the second PA PMIC, and controlling the second PA PMIC to measure the output voltage of the second PA PMIC, Controlling the second switch to connect the input port of the PA and the second PA PMIC, and controlling the second PA PMIC to measure the supply voltage of the PA, Determine the difference value between the output voltage of the above second PA PMIC and the supply voltage of the PA, An electronic device configured to regulate an output voltage of the second PA PMIC based on the difference value.

5. In paragraph 1, The above first switch An electronic device connected to a first feedback line branched at a point relatively close to an output terminal of the first PA PMIC while being electrically connected to the first PA PMIC, and connected to a second feedback line branched at a point relatively close to power supplied to the PA phase.

6. In paragraph 5, An electronic device in which a relatively close point means a relatively close point between the output terminal of the first PA PMIC and the power supplied to the PA phase.

7. In paragraph 1, The above communication processor An electronic device that transmits a signal output from the above PA to a satellite base station via an antenna.

8. In paragraph 2, The second switch above An electronic device connected to a third feedback line branched at a point relatively close to the output terminal of the second PA PMIC while being electrically connected to the second PA PMIC, and connected to a fourth feedback line branched at a point relatively close to the power supplied to the PA phase.

9. In paragraph 8, A relatively close point is An electronic device meaning a relatively close point between the output terminal of the above second PA PMIC and the power supplied to the PA phase.

10. In the method of operating an electronic device, An operation of controlling a first switch to connect an output port of a first PA PMIC and the first PA PMIC, and controlling the first PA PMIC to measure an output voltage of the first PA PMIC; An operation of controlling the first switch to connect the input port of the PA and the first PA PMIC, and controlling the first PA PMIC to measure the supply voltage of the PA; An operation for determining a difference value between the output voltage of the first PA PMIC and the supply voltage of the PA; and A method comprising an operation of regulating an output voltage of the first PA PMIC based on the determined difference value.

11. In paragraph 10, An operation of controlling the first switch to connect the output port of the first PA PMIC and the first PA PMIC, and controlling the first PA PMIC to measure an output voltage of the first PA PMIC; Controlling a second switch to connect the input port of the PA and the second PA PMIC, and controlling the second PA PMIC to measure the supply voltage of the PA, Determine the difference value between the output voltage of the first PA PMIC and the supply voltage of the PA, A method further comprising an operation of adjusting an output voltage of the first PA PMIC based on the difference value.

12. In paragraph 11, An operation of controlling the second switch to connect the output port of the second PA PMIC and the second PA PMIC, and controlling the second PA PMIC to measure the output voltage of the second PA PMIC; An operation of controlling the first switch to connect the input port of the PA and the first PA PMIC, and controlling the first PA PMIC to measure the supply voltage of the PA; An operation of determining a difference value between the supply voltage of the above PA and the output voltage of the second PA PMIC; A method further comprising an operation of adjusting an output voltage of the second PA PMIC based on the difference value.

13. In paragraph 11, An operation of controlling the second switch to connect the output port of the second PA PMIC and the second PA PMIC, and controlling the second PA PMIC to measure the output voltage of the second PA PMIC; An operation of controlling the second switch to connect the input port of the PA and the second PA PMIC, and controlling the second PA PMIC to measure the supply voltage of the PA; An operation of determining a difference value between the output voltage of the second PA PMIC and the supply voltage of the PA; A method further comprising an operation of adjusting an output voltage of the second PA PMIC based on the difference value.

14. In paragraph 10, The above first switch A method of connecting a first feedback line branched at a point relatively close to the output terminal of the first PA PMIC while being electrically connected to the first PA PMIC, and connecting a second feedback line branched at a point relatively close to the power supplied to the PA phase.

15. In paragraph 14, A method in which a relatively close point means a relatively close point between an output terminal of the first PA PMIC and a power line supplied to the PA phase.

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