Apparatus including loop antenna

Abstract

Disclosed is an electronic apparatus including a loop antenna. The electronic apparatus includes: a housing including a first conductive member and a second conductive member which form parts of an outer sidewall of the electronic apparatus; a loop antenna disposed in the housing and including a first loop portion and a second loop portion; and an IC arranged in the housing to drive the loop antenna, wherein the first loop portion may be configured to radiate a signal in a direction passing through the rear surface of the electronic apparatus, and the second loop portion may be configured to radiate a signal in a direction passing through the outer sidewall between the first conductive member and the second conductive member.

Description

Device comprising a loop antenna

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device including a loop antenna.

[0002] Loop antennas, such as near field communication (NFC) antennas, are typically configured in a planar form and provide satisfactory performance in only one direction (e.g., the rear of an electronic device).

[0003] It is also desirable to improve the performance of NFC antennas in other directions.

[0004] 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-described matters constitute prior art related to the present disclosure.

[0005] A loop antenna is provided that satisfies the required performance in directions other than the rearward direction (e.g., the top of an electronic device). Therefore, the loop antenna can provide satisfactory performance in various directions.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device may include a housing including a conductive member forming a portion of a first lateral surface of the electronic device. The conductive member may include first segments and second segments formed in first and second directions, respectively, opposite to a non-conductive segment forming another portion of the first lateral surface. The electronic device may include a printed circuit board disposed within the housing. The electronic device may include a support plate disposed adjacent to a rear surface of the housing, the support plate having a loop antenna formed thereon. The loop antenna may include a first loop portion substantially forming a loop and a second loop portion substantially forming another loop. The second loop portion may include a first protruding portion, a second protruding portion, and a third protruding portion located outside the first loop portion. The first protruding portion may protrude toward the first segment with respect to the first loop portion and may extend at least to a first ending portion of the support plate adjacent the first segment. The second protruding portion may protrude toward the second segment with respect to the first loop portion and may extend at least to a second end adjacent to the second segment of the support plate. The third protruding portion may extend between the first end and the second end such that the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion are connected through the third protruding portion.

[0007] According to one embodiment, an electronic device may include a housing including a first conductive member and a second conductive member forming portions of an exterior side wall of the electronic device. The electronic device may include a printed circuit board disposed within the housing. The electronic device may include a support plate disposed within the housing. The electronic device may include a near field communication (NFC) antenna provided on the support plate. The NFC antenna may include a first loop portion and a second loop portion disposed on the support plate. The first loop portion may be configured to radiate a signal in a direction passing through a rear side of the electronic device, and the second loop portion may be configured to radiate a signal in a direction passing through the exterior side wall between the first conductive member and the second conductive member.

[0008] According to one embodiment, an electronic device may include a housing including a conductive member. The electronic device may include a printed circuit board disposed within the housing. The electronic device may include a support plate disposed within the housing and having a loop antenna formed thereon. The loop antenna may include a plurality of loops that are interconnected. The plurality of loops may include at least one first loop disposed within a first region on a first plane of the support plate. The plurality of loops may include at least one second loop including at least one portion disposed within the first region and at least one portion disposed outside the first region. The at least one portion of the second loop disposed outside the first region may include a first portion and a second portion extending from the first region in the direction of the conductive member on the first plane of the support plate.

[0009] The subject matter of the present disclosure can best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

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

[0011] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an exemplary electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of the electronic device of Figure 2.

[0013] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the electronic device of Figure 2.

[0014] FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a related electronic device including an NFC antenna.

[0015] Figure 5b is a schematic side view of the electronic device of Figure 5a.

[0016] Figure 5c is a schematic rear view of the electronic device of Figure 5a.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating positions of an electronic device including an NFC antenna that tags an NFC reader, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 7A is a diagram showing an NFC antenna configuration according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Fig. 7b is a drawing showing the NFC antenna configuration of Fig. 7a.

[0020] Figure 8 is a schematic side view of the NFC antenna configuration of Figures 7a and 7b.

[0021] FIG. 9 is a drawing illustrating an antenna pattern of the NFC antenna of FIGS. 7a, 7b, and 8.

[0022] Figure 10 shows magnetic field distribution patterns generated by NFC antennas.

[0023] FIG. 11A is a diagram showing an NFC antenna configuration according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 11b is a drawing showing the NFC antenna configuration of Figure 11a.

[0025] FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of the NFC antenna configuration of FIGS. 11a and 11b.

[0026] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an NFC antenna configuration according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 14A is a diagram showing an NFC antenna configuration according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 14b is a drawing showing the NFC antenna configuration of Figure 14a.

[0029] FIG. 15A is a diagram showing an NFC antenna configuration according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 15b is a drawing showing the NFC antenna configuration of Figure 15a.

[0031] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an NFC antenna configuration further including additional electrical components according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numbers may be used for identical or similar components. Furthermore, in the drawings and related descriptions, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0033] At this point, it will be understood that the method steps or blocks of each flowchart and their combinations can be performed by computer program instructions.

[0034] Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that contains one or more executable instructions for performing a specific logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementation examples, the functions or steps mentioned in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks depicted in succession may actually be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may be executed in reverse order.

[0035] Here, the term '~ part' used in this embodiment means software or hardware components such as FPGA (field programmable gate array) or ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), and the '~ part' performs certain roles. However, the '~ part' is not limited to software or hardware. The '~ part' may be configured to be on an addressable storage medium or may be configured to reproduce one or more packet processing devices. Therefore, as an example, the '~ part' includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, processes, functions, properties, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided within the components and '~ parts' may be combined into a smaller number of components and '~ parts' or further separated into additional components and '~ parts'. In addition, the components and '~units' may be implemented to play one or more central processing units (CPUs) within the device or secure multimedia card. In addition, in the embodiment, the '~units' may include one or more packet processing devices.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 1, in a network environment (100), an electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with an electronic device (104) or a 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)).

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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, in the electronic device (101) itself where artificial intelligence is performed, 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.

[0040] 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).

[0041] 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).

[0042] 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).

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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).

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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).

[0049] 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.

[0050] The camera module (180) can capture still images and videos. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0051] 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).

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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 communication module (192) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range 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 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).

[0054] The 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). 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 communication module (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The communication module (192) may 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 communication module (192) may 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 communication module (192) may 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.

[0055] 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).

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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).

[0058] 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.

[0059] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the electronic device of FIG. 2.

[0060] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 , an electronic device (101) according to one embodiment may include a housing (310). According to one embodiment, the housing (310) may have a structure including a front surface (310A), a rear surface (310B), and a side surface (310C) surrounding a space between the front surface (310A) and the rear surface (310B). According to one embodiment, the housing (310) may have a structure forming a portion of the front surface (310A) of FIG. 2 , the rear surface (310B) of FIG. 3B , and the side surface (310C).

[0061] In one embodiment, the front surface (310A) may be formed by a front plate (302) that is at least partially transparent (e.g., a glass plate or a polymer plate comprising various coating layers).

[0062] According to one embodiment, the back surface (310B) may be formed by a back surface plate (311). The back surface plate (311) may be formed of, for example, glass, ceramic, polymer, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), titanium, or magnesium), or a combination of at least two of these.

[0063] In one embodiment, the side (310C) may be coupled with the front plate (302) and / or the back plate (311) and formed by a side bezel structure (or “side member”) (318) comprising metal and / or polymer. In one embodiment, the back plate (311) and the side bezel structure (318) may be formed integrally and comprise the same material (e.g., a metal material such as glass, aluminum, STS, titanium, or a ceramic).

[0064] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include at least one of a display (301), an audio module (303, 307, 314) (e.g., the audio module (170) of FIG. 1), a sensor module (e.g., the sensor module (176) of FIG. 1), a camera module (305, 312) (e.g., the camera module (180) of FIG. 1), a key input device (317) (e.g., the input module (150) of FIG. 1), and a connector hole (308) (e.g., the connection terminal (178) of FIG. 1). In one or more embodiments, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of the components or may additionally include another component.

[0065] In one embodiment, the display (301) may be visually exposed, for example, through at least a portion of the front plate (302). For example, at least a portion of the display (301) may be exposed through the front plate (302) forming the front surface (310A). For example, the corners of the display (301) may be formed to be substantially identical to the adjacent outer shape of the front plate (302). For example, in order to expand the area to which the display (301) is exposed, the gap between the outer edge of the display (301) and the outer edge of the front plate (302) may be formed to be substantially identical.

[0066] In one embodiment, a side (e.g., surface) of the housing (310) (or front plate (302)) may include a screen display area formed by visually exposing the display (301). As an example, the screen display area may include the front surface (310A).

[0067] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may form a recess or opening in a portion of a screen display area (e.g., front surface (310A)) of the display (301), and may include at least one of an audio module (314), a sensor module, a light-emitting element, and a camera module (305) aligned with the recess or opening.

[0068] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include at least one of an audio module (314), a sensor module, a camera module (305), a fingerprint sensor, and a light-emitting element on the rear side (e.g., the back) of the screen display area of ​​the display (301).

[0069] According to one embodiment, the display (301) may be coupled to or disposed adjacent to a touch sensing circuit, a pressure sensor capable of measuring the intensity (pressure) of a touch, and / or a digitizer capable of detecting a magnetic field-type stylus pen.

[0070] According to one embodiment, the first camera module (305) and / or the sensor module among the camera modules (305, 312) may be arranged so as to be in contact with the external environment through the transparent area of ​​the display (301) in the internal space of the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the area of ​​the display (301) facing the first camera module (305) may be formed as a transparent area having a specified transmittance as part of an area for displaying content. According to one embodiment, the transparent area may be formed to have a transmittance in the range of about 5% to about 20%. This transparent area may include an area overlapping with an effective area (e.g., a field of view area) of the first camera module (305) through which light passes to be imaged by an image sensor to generate an image. For example, the transparent area of ​​the display (301) may include an area having a lower pixel density and / or wiring density than the surrounding area. For example, the transparent area may replace a recess or an opening.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the audio module (303, 307, 314) may include, for example, a microphone hole (303) and a speaker hole (307, 314). The microphone hole (303) may have a microphone disposed therein for acquiring external sound. Depending on the embodiment, multiple microphones may be disposed so as to detect the direction of the sound. The speaker hole (307, 314) may include an external speaker hole (307) and a receiver hole (314) for calls. In some embodiments, the speaker hole (307, 314) and the microphone hole (303) may be implemented as a single hole, or a speaker may be included without the speaker hole (307, 314) (e.g., a piezo speaker). The audio modules (303, 307, 314) are not limited to the structure described above, and may be designed in various ways, such as by mounting only some audio modules or adding new audio modules, depending on the structure of the electronic device (101).

[0072] According to one embodiment, the sensor module may generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to, for example, an internal operating state of the electronic device (101) or an external environmental state. The sensor module may include, for example, a first sensor module (e.g., a proximity sensor) and / or a second sensor module (e.g., a fingerprint sensor) disposed on a front (e.g., surface) (310A) of the housing (310), and / or a third sensor module (e.g., an HRM sensor) and / or a fourth sensor module (e.g., a fingerprint sensor) disposed on a rear (310B) of the housing (310). Meanwhile, according to an embodiment, the fingerprint sensor may be disposed on the rear (310B) as well as the front (310A) (e.g., display (301)) of the housing (310). The electronic device (101) may further include at least one sensor module not shown, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an IR sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor. The sensor module is not limited to the above structure, and may be designed in various ways, such as by mounting only some sensor modules or adding new sensor modules, depending on the structure of the electronic device (101).

[0073] According to one embodiment, the camera modules (305, 312) may include, for example, a first camera module (305) disposed on the front (310A) of the electronic device (101), a second camera module (312) disposed on the rear (310B), and / or a flash (319). The camera modules (305, 312) may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, and / or an image signal processor. The flash (319) may include, for example, a light-emitting diode or a xenon lamp. In some embodiments, two or more lenses (IR camera, wide-angle and telephoto lenses) and image sensors may be disposed on one side of the electronic device (101). The camera modules (305, 312) are not limited to the above structure, and may be designed in various ways, such as by mounting only some camera modules or adding new camera modules, depending on the structure of the electronic device (101).

[0074] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a plurality of camera modules (e.g., dual cameras or triple cameras) each having different properties (e.g., angles of view) or functions. For example, a plurality of camera modules (305, 312) including lenses having different angles of view may be formed, and the electronic device (101) may control the camera modules (305, 312) to change the angles of view performed by the electronic device (101) based on a user's selection. For example, at least one of the camera modules (305, 312) may be a wide-angle camera, and at least another may be a telephoto camera. Similarly, at least one of the camera modules (305, 312) may be a front camera, and at least another may be a rear camera. In addition, the camera modules (305, 312) may include at least one of a wide-angle camera, a telephoto camera, or an IR camera (e.g., a time of flight (TOF) camera, a structured light camera). In one embodiment, the IR camera may be operated as at least a part of the sensor module. For example, the TOF camera may be operated as at least a part of the sensor module for detecting a distance to a subject.

[0075] In one embodiment, the key input device (317) may be disposed on a side surface (310C) of the housing (310). In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may not include some or all of the mentioned key input devices (317), and the key input devices (317) that are not included may be implemented in another form, such as soft keys, on the display (301). In some embodiments, the key input device may include a sensor module (316) disposed on a second surface (310B) of the housing (310).

[0076] In one embodiment, the light emitting element may be disposed, for example, on the front surface (310A) of the housing (310). The light emitting element may provide, for example, status information of the electronic device (101) in the form of light. In one embodiment, the light emitting element may provide, for example, a light source that is linked to the operation of the front camera module (305). The light emitting element may include, for example, a light emitting diode (LED), an IR LED, and / or a xenon lamp.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the connector hole (308) may accommodate, for example, a connector (e.g., a USB connector) for transmitting and receiving power and / or data to and from an external electronic device.

[0078] In one embodiment, the first camera module (305) among the camera modules (305, 312) and / or some sensor modules among the sensor modules may be arranged to be exposed to the outside through at least a portion of the display (301). For example, the camera module (305) may include a punch hole camera arranged inside a hole or recess formed in the back surface of the display (301). In one embodiment, the second camera module (312) may be arranged inside the housing (310) such that the lens is exposed to the second surface (310B) of the electronic device (101). For example, the second camera module (312) may be arranged on a printed circuit board (e.g., the printed circuit board (340) of FIG. 4).

[0079] According to one embodiment, the first camera module (305) and / or the sensor module may be positioned so as to be in contact with the external environment through a transparent area from the internal space of the electronic device (101) to the front plate (302) of the display (301). Additionally, some sensor modules may be positioned so as to perform their functions without being visually exposed through the front plate (302) in the internal space of the electronic device.

[0080] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the electronic device of Figure 2.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 4, the electronic device (101) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIGS. 1 to 2 and 3) may include a support bracket (370), a front plate (320) (e.g., the front plate (302) of FIG. 2), a display (330) (e.g., the display (301) of FIG. 2), a printed circuit board (PCB) (340) (e.g., a PCB, a flexible PCB (FPCB), or a rigid flexible PCB (RFPCB)), a battery (350) (e.g., the battery (189) of FIG. 1), a support plate (390) including an antenna (e.g., the antenna module (197) of FIG. 1 and / or the antenna (220) of FIG. 2), and / or a back plate (380) (e.g., the back plate (311) of FIG. 2). According to one embodiment, a support bracket (370) of an electronic device (101) may include a side bezel structure (371) (e.g., the side bezel structure (318) of FIG. 2) and a first support member (372). In the present disclosure, the support plate (390) may be referred to as an antenna plate.

[0082] Meanwhile, depending on the embodiment, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of the components or additionally include another component. At least one of the components of the electronic device (101) may be identical to or similar to at least one of the components of the electronic device (101) of FIGS. 2 and 3, and any overlapping descriptions will be omitted below.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the first support member (372) may be disposed inside the electronic device (101) and connected to the side bezel structure (318) or may be formed integrally with the side bezel structure (318). The first support member (372) may be formed of, for example, a metallic material and / or a non-metallic (e.g., polymer) material. The first support member (372) may have a display (330) coupled to one surface and a printed circuit board (340) coupled to the other surface.

[0084] According to one embodiment, the printed circuit board (340) may be equipped with a processor (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1), memory (e.g., memory (130) of FIG. 1), and / or an interface (e.g., interface (177) of FIG. 1). In the present disclosure, a plane including the printed circuit board (340) may also be referred to as a conductive plane or a ground plane.

[0085] According to one embodiment, the processor may include, for example, one or more of a central processing unit, an application processor, a graphics processing unit, an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the printed circuit board (340) may include a flexible printed circuit board type radio frequency cable (FRC). For example, the printed circuit board (340) may be disposed on at least a portion of the first support member (372) and may be electrically connected to an antenna module (e.g., the antenna module (197) of FIG. 1 and / or the antenna (200) of FIG. 2) and a communication module (e.g., the communication module (190) of FIG. 1 and / or the transceiver (210) of FIG. 2).

[0087] According to one embodiment, the memory may include, for example, volatile memory or non-volatile memory.

[0088] According to one embodiment, the interface may include, for example, an HDMI, a USB interface, an SD card interface, and / or an audio interface. The interface may electrically or physically connect the electronic device (101) to an external electronic device, for example, and may include a USB connector, an SD card / MMC connector, or an audio connector.

[0089] According to one embodiment, the battery (350) is a device for supplying power to at least one component of the electronic device (101), and may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell. At least a portion of the battery (350) may be disposed substantially on the same plane as, for example, the printed circuit board (340). The battery (350) may be disposed integrally within the electronic device (101), or may be disposed detachably from the electronic device (101).

[0090] According to one embodiment, an antenna plate (390) may be disposed between the back plate (380) and the printed circuit board (340) (and / or the battery (350)). The antenna plate (390) may include, for example, an NFC antenna, a wireless charging antenna, and / or a magnetic secure transmission (MST) antenna. At least one antenna included in the antenna plate (390) may, for example, perform short-range communication with an external device or wirelessly transmit and receive power required for charging. Meanwhile, as described above, the antenna or antenna structure may be positioned at any other suitable location. For example, one or more antennas may be positioned in a first region (e.g., an upper region) of the electronic device, and one or more antennas may be positioned in a second region (e.g., a lower region) spaced apart from the first region of the device. For example, one or more antennas may be positioned along an edge (e.g., a side member or side bezel structure (318)) of the electronic device. For example, one or more antennas may be located at the center of the rear plate (380) or at a corner of the electronic device.

[0091] As used herein, the term "loop antenna" refers to an inductive short-range signal, such as an NFC antenna. An NFC antenna can generate a magnetic field to transmit a signal and can receive a signal using magnetic induction. Typically, inductive short-range signals are directional. Furthermore, the performance of the antennas transmitting and receiving these signals is identical. That is, the higher the performance of the antenna transmitting the signal, the higher the performance of the antenna receiving the signal, and vice versa.

[0092] According to one embodiment, the back plate (380) may form at least a portion of the back (e.g., surface) of the electronic device (101) (e.g., the second side (310B) of FIG. 3).

[0093] FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a related electronic device including an NFC antenna. FIG. 5B is a schematic side view of the electronic device of FIG. 5A. FIG. 5C is a schematic rear view of the electronic device of FIG. 5A.

[0094] FIG. 5A may be a perspective view of the electronic device when viewed from, for example, the rear (e.g., surface) (e.g., the rear (310B) of FIG. 3).

[0095] Referring to FIG. 5A, the electronic device (101) may include a housing (310), an NFC antenna (510), and an NFC IC (integrated circuit) (520) for driving the NFC antenna (510). Referring to FIG. 5B, the electronic device (101) may include a support plate (540) (e.g., the support plate (390) of FIG. 4), a printed circuit board (340), and / or a display (330).

[0096] In the present disclosure, the housing (310) may be referred to as a case or frame. In the present disclosure, the NFC IC (520) may be referred to as an NFC chip.

[0097] The housing (310) may include a structure (hereinafter, referred to as a rear housing structure) forming a rear surface (e.g., a surface) (e.g., a rear surface (310B) of FIG. 3) and / or a structure (hereinafter, referred to as a side housing structure) forming a side surface (e.g., a surface) (e.g., a side surface (310C) of FIG. 3). The side housing structure (or bezel) may be formed as an extended portion of the rear housing structure, for example, or may be composed of one or more separate members.

[0098] The NFC antenna (510) may be a two-dimensional (2D) planar antenna (e.g., a two-dimensional loop antenna).

[0099] The NFC antenna (510) may include a plurality of interconnected loops (or loop portions). The loop portions may substantially form a loop. One loop may correspond to one turn.

[0100] A plurality of loops (or loop portions) may be arranged in a common rotation orientation. The arrangement of the plurality of loops (or loop portions) may be as illustrated in Fig. 5a, but is not limited thereto. For example, the plurality of loops (or loop portions) may be arranged in a circular shape, or may form, for example, a spiral shape.

[0101] As illustrated in FIG. 5B, the NFC antenna (510) may be disposed (or provided) on the support plate (540). For example, the NFC antenna (510) may be disposed (or formed) on a first surface (541) of the support plate (540). For example, all of the plurality of loops of the NFC antenna (510) may be disposed (or formed) within a first area (550) on the first surface (541) of the support plate (540). The first surface (541) may be a surface (e.g., surface) facing the direction (rear direction) (501) of the rear surface (e.g., surface) (e.g., 310B) of the electronic device (101).

[0102] The size of the first region (550) may be related to the performance (e.g., NFC recognition rate) of the rearward direction of the NFC antenna (510). For example, a larger first region (550) may result in more accurate and / or more precise NFC recognition, i.e., increased NFC recognition rate and increased NFC performance.

[0103] As illustrated in FIG. 5B, the NFC antenna (510) can be electrically connected to at least one electrical element (e.g., an NFC IC (520) disposed on the printed circuit board (340)) on the printed circuit board (340) via a connecting member (e.g., a C-Clip) (525). For example, the NFC antenna (510) can be brought into contact with the connecting member (525) through a through-hole in the support plate (390), and the connecting member (525) can be electrically connected to the NFC IC (520) disposed on the printed circuit board (340) (or, a wire connected to the NFC IC (520)). Through this, the NFC antenna (510) and the NFC IC (520) can be electrically connected, and the NFC IC (520) can drive the NFC antenna (510).

[0104] Referring to FIG. 5C, the housing (310) of the electronic device (101) may include a conductive member (530) including a conductive material (e.g., metal, titanium, or other conductive material). For example, a side member (e.g., side member (318) of FIG. 2) of the housing (310) may include the conductive member (530). In the present disclosure, the conductive member (530) may be referred to as a conductive housing member. In the present disclosure, a side member including the conductive member (530) may be referred to as a conductive side member. In the present disclosure, a frame (or housing) of the electronic device (101) including the conductive member (530) including metal may be referred to as a metal frame.

[0105] The electronic device (101) may include one or more antennas (e.g., a metal antenna or a metal frame antenna) including an antenna structure formed by at least a portion of a conductive member (530) (or a conductive side member) of the electronic device (101).

[0106] The conductive member (530) (or conductive side member) may be divided into a plurality of segments (e.g., a first segment (531), a second segment (532)) by at least one segment portion. The segment portions are portions between the segments and may be filled with a dielectric. The dielectric may be, for example, air, plastic, ceramic, glass, or other dielectric. In the present disclosure, the segment portions may also be referred to as gaps or gap portions.

[0107] The shape of the segments of the conductive member (530) (or conductive side member) can be set to form an antenna having the required or desired antenna performance characteristics.

[0108] As illustrated in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the NFC antenna (510) is positioned (or formed) on the first plane of the support plate (540) facing the rear direction, so that when a source of current is connected, the NFC antenna (510) can generate a magnetic field in the rear direction (501). Accordingly, the NFC antenna (510) having the structure of FIGS. 5A to 5C can provide satisfactory NFC performance (e.g., NFC recognition rate) in the rear direction (501) of the electronic device (101).

[0109] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating positions of an electronic device including an NFC antenna for an NFC reader, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. These positions may be for NFC tagging.

[0110] Referring to FIG. 6, in the case of a measurement angle of 0°, the position (hereinafter, referred to as a first tag position) may be tagged in parallel with the NFC reader by the rear surface (e.g., the surface) of the electronic device. In the case of a measurement angle of 45°, the position (hereinafter, referred to as a second tag position) may be tagged in such a way that the angle formed by the rear surface (e.g., the surface) of the electronic device and the plane of the NFC reader is 45°. In the case of a measurement angle of 90°, the position (hereinafter, referred to as a third tag position) may be tagged in such a way that the rear surface (e.g., the surface) of the electronic device is tagged perpendicular to the plane of the NFC reader. The measurement angle refers to the angle between the rear surface (e.g., the surface) of the electronic device and the plane of the NFC reader along the y-axis.

[0111] Table 1 is a table evaluating NFC performance according to tag position on an electronic device.

[0112] Measurement angle 0°45°90°Performance value 71%54%19%

[0113] Table 1 shows the performance of NFC tagging (e.g., NFC recognition rate) when an electronic device (101) including an NFC antenna (510) of FIGS. 5A to 5C recognizes a card at a distance of at least 45 mm from an NFC reader (card reader) in card mode, at positions (e.g., positions shown in FIG. 6) according to measurement angles (e.g., 0°, 45°, 90°).

[0114] Referring to Table 1, the NFC recognition rate at a position of a measurement angle of 0° is 71%, the NFC recognition rate at a position of a measurement angle of 45° is 54%, and the NFC recognition rate at a position of a measurement angle of 90° is 19%. The NFC recognition rate (i.e., performance value) is the average number of times accurate NFC recognition is performed per 100 attempts. Referring to Table 1, it can be confirmed that, for example, an electronic device (101) having a structure such as the NFC antenna (510) of FIGS. 5A to 5C exhibits satisfactory performance only at a measurement angle of 0°, and does not exhibit satisfactory performance at a measurement angle of 90°.

[0115] FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating an NFC antenna configuration according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating the NFC antenna configuration of FIG. 7A. FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of the NFC antenna configuration of FIGS. 7A and 7B. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the antenna pattern of the NFC antenna of FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 8.

[0116] Figure 7a illustrates an NFC antenna configuration when viewed from above (e.g., rear). Figure 7b illustrates an NFC antenna configuration when viewed from the top side. Figure 8 illustrates an NFC antenna configuration when viewed from the left or right side. Figure 9 illustrates an NFC antenna configuration excluding the support plate on which the NFC antenna is positioned.

[0117] In the embodiments of FIGS. 7A to 9, for convenience of explanation, the NFC antenna is described as an example of a loop antenna, but the description of the present embodiment can be applied identically or similarly to other types of loop antennas in addition to the NFC antenna.

[0118] Referring to FIGS. 7A to 9, the electronic device (101) may include a housing (310) and an NFC antenna (710) disposed within the housing (310). The description of the housing (310) includes the description of the housing (310) of FIGS. 2 to 5C. Therefore, any duplicate description will be omitted.

[0119] According to one embodiment, the housing (310) may include a conductive member (770) (e.g., conductive member (530) of FIG. 5C) as part of the housing (310). The description of the conductive member (770) includes the description of the conductive member (530) of FIG. 5C.

[0120] In one embodiment, the conductive member (770) may be segmented (or divided) into a first conductive member (771) and a second conductive member (772) by a segmented portion (790). In one embodiment, the segmented portion (790) may be positioned between the first conductive member (771) and the second conductive member (772). In the present disclosure, the segmented portion (790) may be referred to as a non-conductive segmented portion. In the present disclosure, the first conductive member (771) may be referred to as a first segment, and the second conductive member (772) may be referred to as a second segment.

[0121] According to one embodiment, the conductive member (770) may form a portion of a first side (e.g., an upper side) of the electronic device (101). The conductive member (770) may include a first segment (771) and a second segment (772) formed in a first direction and a second direction, respectively, opposite to a non-conductive segment portion (790) forming another portion of the first side.

[0122] According to one embodiment, the segmented portion (790) may be filled with a dielectric. The dielectric may be, for example, air, plastic, ceramic, glass, or other dielectric. In the present disclosure, the segmented portion (790) may also be referred to as a gap or gap portion.

[0123] According to one embodiment, the shapes of the first conductive member (771) and the second conductive member (772) may be shapes for forming an antenna (e.g., a metal antenna or a metal frame antenna) having required antenna performance characteristics.

[0124] In one embodiment, the NFC antenna (710) may be a three-dimensional (3D) antenna.

[0125] According to one embodiment, the NFC antenna (710) may be a laser direct structuring (LDS) antenna formed (or provided) on the support plate (750).

[0126] In one embodiment, the NFC antenna (710) may include a plurality of interconnected loop portions (720). In one embodiment, each loop portion may substantially form a corresponding loop. In one embodiment, one loop may correspond to one turn.

[0127] According to one embodiment, the plurality of loop portions (720) may include at least one first loop portion (730) and / or at least one second loop portion (740).

[0128] In one embodiment, the first loop portion (730) can substantially form a loop. In one embodiment, the second loop portion (740) can substantially form a loop that is substantially different in shape and / or position from the loop of the first loop portion (730). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7A , the first loop portion (730) is in a plane parallel to the back (e.g., surface) of the electronic device. As illustrated in FIG. 7A , the second loop portion (740) is between the first loop portion (730) and a side wall of the housing (310). As illustrated in FIG. 7B , the second loop portion (740) is at least partially in a plane parallel to the side wall of the electronic device. In other words, the second loop portion (740) can be parallel to the side surface of the housing (310). In this manner, the second loop portion (740) can improve the performance of the NFC antenna (710) in the lateral direction.

[0129] According to one embodiment, the arrangement of the plurality of loop portions (720) may be as illustrated in FIG. 7A, but is not limited thereto. For example, the plurality of loops (or loop portions) may be arranged in a circular shape, for example, forming a spiral shape.

[0130] According to one embodiment, at least one first loop portion (730) may include a loop portion (731) disposed innermost among the plurality of loop portions (720), a loop portion (732) disposed outside the loop portion (731), and / or a loop portion (733) disposed outside the loop portion (732).

[0131] According to one embodiment, each loop portion included in at least one first loop portion (730) may be arranged in a common rotational direction.

[0132] According to one embodiment, the spacing between consecutive loop portions included in at least one first loop portion (730) may be equal.

[0133] According to one embodiment, at least one first loop portion (730) may be disposed within a first area (760) on a first plane (751) of a support plate (750) (e.g., support plate (390) of FIG. 4 or support plate (540) of FIG. 5B). For example, all of the at least one first loop portion (730) may be disposed (or formed) within the first area (760) on the first plane (751) of the support plate (750). The shape of the first area (760) may be a rectangular shape as illustrated in FIG. 7A, but is not limited thereto. For example, the shape of the first area (760) may be a shape similar to the first area (550) of FIG. 5A.

[0134] According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the first region (760) may be a ferrite region.

[0135] According to one embodiment, at least one first loop portion (730) can generate a magnetic field toward the rear of the electronic device (101) when connected to a source of current, e.g., an NFC integrated circuit (IC) that drives an NFC antenna. For example, the at least one first loop portion (730) can generate a magnetic field toward the rear of the electronic device (101), similar to the multiple loop portions of the NFC antenna (510) of FIGS. 5A to 5C . Satisfactory NFC performance toward the rear can be provided through the at least one first loop portion (730).

[0136] According to one embodiment, the antenna configuration for at least one first loop portion (730) (e.g., the width of the first region (760), the number of loops (or the number of turns), the length of the loops and / or the spacing between the loops) can be set to a value that can satisfy the required NFC performance or satisfactory NFC performance in the rear direction.

[0137] According to one embodiment, at least one of the second loop portions (740) may be an outermost loop disposed at the outermost edge of the plurality of loop portions (720), for example, as illustrated in FIG. 7A.

[0138] According to one embodiment, at least one second loop portion (740) may include at least one portion disposed (or positioned) inside the first region (760) (or the first loop portion (730)) and at least one protruding portion (780) disposed outside the first region (760).

[0139] According to one embodiment, at least one protruding portion (780) disposed (or positioned) outside the first region (760) (or the first loop portion (730)) may include a first protruding portion (780a), a second protruding portion (780b), and a third protruding portion (780c).

[0140] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (780a) can protrude (e.g., extend) toward the first segment (771) of the conductive member (770) with respect to the first loop portion (730). The first protruding portion (780a) can extend to have at least a first end adjacent the first segment (771) of the conductive member (770). The first end adjacent the first segment (771) of the conductive member (770) can include, for example, an edge adjacent to the first segment (771) of the conductive member (770) and / or a portion adjacent to the edge.

[0141] In one embodiment, the second protruding portion (780b) can protrude (e.g., extend) toward the second segment (772) of the conductive member (770) with respect to the first loop portion (730). The second protruding portion (780b) can extend to have at least a second end adjacent the second segment (772) of the conductive member (770). The second end adjacent the second segment (772) of the conductive member (770) can include, for example, an edge adjacent to the second segment (772) of the conductive member (770) and / or a portion adjacent to the edge.

[0142] In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (780c) may be extended (e.g., positioned or located) between the first end and the second end such that the first protruding portion (780a) and the second protruding portion (780b) are connected through the third protruding portion (780c). In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (780c) may be configured to generate a magnetic field in at least a first lateral direction (e.g., an upward direction) when connected to a source of current.

[0143] In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (780c) may overlap with the non-conductive segment portion (790), at least a portion of the first segment (771), and at least a portion of the second segment (772) when viewed from the first side (e.g., the upper side).

[0144] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (780a) and the second protruding portion (780b) may be formed on a first surface (e.g., surface) (e.g., first plane (751)) of the support plate (750), and the third protruding portion (780c) may be formed on a second surface (e.g., surface) (e.g., third plane (753)) opposite to the first surface (e.g., surface) of the support plate (750).

[0145] According to one embodiment, the first loop portion (730) includes a plurality of loop portions (731, 732, 733), and a distance between the third protruding portion (780c) and the outermost loop portion (733) of the plurality of loop portions (731, 732, 733) of the first loop portion (730) may be longer than a distance between two adjacent loop portions of the plurality of loop portions (731, 732, 733).

[0146] According to one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the first protruding portion (780a) may include a first portion (781), a third portion (783), and / or a fifth portion (785).

[0147] According to one embodiment, the second protruding portion (780b) may include a second portion (782), a fourth portion (784), and / or a sixth portion (786).

[0148] According to one embodiment, the first portion (781) and the second portion (782) may each extend from a first region (760) (e.g., a point within the first region (760)) on the first plane (751) of the support plate (750) toward the conductive member (770). For example, the first portion (781) may extend to a location adjacent to the first conductive member (771) (e.g., a first end), and the second portion (782) may extend to a location adjacent to the second conductive member (772) (e.g., a second end). For example, the first portion (781) may extend to a position closest to the first conductive member (771) on the first plane (751) of the support plate (750), and the second portion (782) may extend to a position closest to the second conductive member (772) on the first plane (751) of the support plate (750).

[0149] According to one embodiment, the first portion (781) and the second portion (782) may be arranged parallel to each other when viewed from above (i.e., when viewed from the rear), as illustrated in FIG. 7a, but are not limited thereto.

[0150] According to one embodiment, the first conductive member (771) may form a first antenna (e.g., a first metal antenna), and the second conductive member (772) may form a second antenna (e.g., a second metal antenna).

[0151] In one embodiment, the third portion (783) can extend from the first portion (781) on the first plane (751) (e.g., one end or a point of the first portion (781)) along a second plane (752) perpendicular to the first plane (751) to the third plane (753). In one embodiment, the second plane (752) can be a plane corresponding to a side wall of the support plate (750).

[0152] In one embodiment, the fourth portion (784) can extend from a second portion (782) on the first plane (751) (e.g., one end or a point of the second portion (782)) along a second plane (752) perpendicular to the first plane (751) to a third plane (753).

[0153] According to one embodiment, the third portion (783) and the fourth portion (784) may be arranged parallel to each other when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the top side), as illustrated in FIG. 7b, but are not limited thereto.

[0154] In one embodiment, the fifth portion (785) can extend away from the conductive member (770) from the third portion (783) (e.g., one end or a point of the third portion (783)) on the third plane (753). For example, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the left / right side), the fifth portion (785) can be parallel to the first portion (781). In one embodiment, the extension length of the fifth portion (785) can be shorter than the extension length of the first portion (781).

[0155] In one embodiment, the sixth portion (786) can extend away from the conductive member (770) from the fourth portion (784) (e.g., one end or a point of the fourth portion (784)) on the third plane (753). For example, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the left / right side), the sixth portion (786) can be parallel to the second portion (782). The extension length of the sixth portion (786) can be shorter than the extension length of the second portion (782).

[0156] According to one embodiment, the fifth portion (785) and the sixth portion (786) may be arranged parallel to each other when viewed from above (e.g., when viewed from the rear), but are not limited thereto.

[0157] Through this extension structure, at least one second loop (720) can extend from a first plane (751) (outer side) of the support plate (750) to a third plane (753) (inner side) opposite to the first plane (751). Through this, at least one second loop (720) can have a three-dimensional shape.

[0158] According to one embodiment, the third protruding portion (780c) may extend from a fifth portion (785) (e.g., one end or a point of the fifth portion (785)) on the third plane (753) along the third plane (753) to a sixth portion (786) (e.g., one end or a point of the sixth portion (786)) on the third plane (753).

[0159] According to one embodiment, the third protruding portion (780c) may include a segmented portion (790) of the conductive member (770).

[0160] In one embodiment, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 7b, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the top side), at least a portion of the third protruding portion (780c) may overlap with the segmented portion (790) of the conductive member (770).

[0161] In one embodiment, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the top side), at least a portion of the third protruding portion (780c) may be positioned to pass through the segmented portion (790) of the conductive member (770).

[0162] In one embodiment, when viewed from above (e.g., when viewed from the rear), at least a portion of the third protruding portion (780c) may be disposed adjacent to and parallel to the segmented portion (790) of the conductive member (770).

[0163] According to one embodiment, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 7A, when viewed from above (e.g., when viewed from the rear), at least a portion of the third protruding portion (780c) may be spaced apart from and arranged parallel to the segmented portion (790) of the conductive member (770).

[0164] According to one embodiment, the third protruding portion (780c) is perpendicular to the support plate (750) and can pass through a plane passing through the segmented portion (790) of the conductive member (770).

[0165] According to one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 7A, the length (l1) of the third protruding portion (780c) may be longer than the length (l2) (or width) of the segmented portion (790). For example, when viewed from the side, the length of the third protruding portion (780c) may be longer than the length of the portion where the third protruding portion (780c) and the segmented portion (790) overlap. In this case, the length of the segmented portion (790) is the length of the portion where the third protruding portion (780c) and the segmented portion (790) overlap. Due to the at least one protruding portion (780) disposed outside the first region (760) of the above-described structure, the at least one second loop portion (740) and thus the NFC antenna (710) may generate a magnetic field in the direction of the first side (or upper side) of the electronic device (101) when connected to a source of current. In practice, when at least one second loop portion (740) is connected to a current source, at least one protruding portion (780) generates a magnetic field in the direction of the first side (or upper side) of the electronic device (101). In practice, unlike the multiple loops of the NFC antenna (510) of FIGS. 5A to 5C, when at least one second loop portion (740) is connected to a current source, the magnetic field generates in the upper direction of the electronic device (101) (e.g., the upper direction (502) of FIG. 5B). In this way, the NFC performance in the upper direction can be further increased or improved.

[0166] Therefore, compared to the NFC antenna (510) of FIG. 5a, the NFC antenna (710) having the structure (or pattern) exemplified in FIGS. 7a to 9 can satisfy not only the NFC performance in the rear direction but also the NFC performance in the upper direction.

[0167] Meanwhile, the conductive member (770) may block at least a portion of the upward magnetic field generated by the NFC antenna (710) (i.e., the magnetic field generated by the at least one second loop portion (740)). In contrast, the segmented portion (790) may allow most of the upward magnetic field generated by the NFC antenna (710) (i.e., the magnetic field generated by the at least one second loop portion (740)) to pass through. For example, the segmented portion (790) may have a higher upward magnetic field transmission rate, i.e., a higher magnetic field permeability (i.e., allowing more magnetic fields to pass through), compared to the first conductive member (771) and the second conductive member (772). Accordingly, when at least a portion of the third protruding portion (780c) overlaps with the segmented portion (790), the strength of the magnetic field transmitted in the upward direction of the electronic device (101) may be stronger than when there is no overlap. In this way, the NFC performance in the upward direction may be further enhanced or improved.

[0168] Therefore, the NFC antenna (710) having the structure (or pattern) illustrated in FIGS. 7a to 9 can satisfy not only the NFC performance in the rear direction but also the NFC performance in the upper direction when compared to the NFC antenna (510) of FIG. 5a.

[0169] According to one embodiment, the antenna configuration for at least one second loop portion (740) (e.g., the width of the first region (760), the number of loops (or number of turns), the length of the loops, and / or the spacing between the loops) can be selected to satisfy the required or satisfactory NFC performance in the upward direction.

[0170] According to one embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 7a, 7b and 9, one end of an innermost loop of at least one first loop portion (730) and one end of an outermost loop of at least one second loop portion (740) may be electrically connected to at least one electrical element of a printed circuit board (e.g., printed circuit board (340) of FIG. 4). For example, the NFC antenna (710) can be electrically connected to at least one electrical element of a printed circuit board (e.g., an NFC IC (e.g., an NFC chip (520) of FIG. 5A) disposed on the printed circuit board) through a connecting member (525) as illustrated in FIG. 5B. For example, the NFC antenna (710) can be brought into contact with a connecting member (e.g., a connecting member (525) of FIG. 5B) through a through hole in a support plate (750), and the connecting member can be electrically connected to an NFC IC (or a wiring connected to an NFC IC) disposed on the printed circuit board. Through this, the NFC antenna (710) and the NFC IC can be electrically connected, and the NFC IC can drive the NFC antenna (710).

[0171] Meanwhile, depending on the embodiment, unlike as illustrated in FIGS. 7A to 9, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the upper side), the third protruding portion (780c) included in at least one second loop portion (740) may not overlap with the segmented portion (790) of the conductive member (770). In this case, as described above, the performance of the NFC antenna in the upper direction may be lower than the performance of the NFC antenna (710) having the structure illustrated in FIGS. 7A to 9.

[0172] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a magnetic field distribution pattern generated by an NFC antenna according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The blue region indicates an area of ​​low magnetic field strength, and the red region indicates an area of ​​high magnetic field strength.

[0173] Figure 10 (a) illustrates the magnetic field distribution of the NFC antenna (510) of Figure 5a in the upper direction of the electronic device (101).

[0174] FIG. 10 (b) illustrates a magnetic field distribution in the upper direction of the electronic device (101) of the NFC antenna (710) similar to FIGS. 7a, 7b, 8 and 9, but has a structure in which the third protruding portion (780c) does not overlap the segmented portion (790) when viewed from the side, unlike the examples of FIGS. 7a and 7b.

[0175] FIG. 10 (c) has a structure in which the third protruding portion (780c) overlaps the segmented portion (790) when viewed from the side, as in the examples of FIGS. 7a and 7b, and illustrates the magnetic field distribution in the upper direction of the electronic device (101) of the NFC antenna (710) of FIGS. 7a, 7b, 8, and 9.

[0176] Compared to (a) of Fig. 10, in the case of (b) of Fig. 10, it can be confirmed that a larger amount of magnetic field is transmitted in the upward direction due to the loop (e.g., the second loop portion (740) of Fig. 7a) that generates a magnetic field in the upward direction.

[0177] Compared to the case of (b) of FIG. 10, in the case of (c) of FIG. 10, a part (e.g., a part of the third protruding part (780c) of FIG. 7a) of the loop part (e.g., the second loop part (740) of FIG. 7a) that generates a magnetic field in the upward direction overlaps the segmented part (e.g., the segmented part (790) of FIG. 7a), so that the magnetic field intensity in the upward direction increases. This is because, as described above, the segmented part has a higher transmission or permeability of the magnetic field than the conductive member (e.g., the conductive member (770) of FIG. 7a). Therefore, in reality, more magnetic fields can pass through the segmented part.

[0178] Table 2 is a table evaluating NFC performance according to tag position on an electronic device.

[0179] Measurement angle 0°45°90°1st performance value 71%54%19%2nd performance value 83%61%36%3rd performance value 83%65%47%

[0180] Table 2 shows the performance of NFC tagging (e.g., NFC recognition rate) when an electronic device (101) including an NFC antenna recognizes a card at a distance of at least 45 mm from an NFC reader (card reader) in card mode, at positions (e.g., positions shown in FIG. 6) according to measurement angles (e.g., 0°, 45°, 90°).

[0181] The first performance value is a performance value corresponding to the first antenna structure of Fig. 10 (a), the second performance value is a performance value corresponding to the second antenna structure of Fig. 10 (b), and the third performance value is a performance value corresponding to the third antenna structure of Fig. 10 (c).

[0182] Referring to Table 1, for the first performance value, the NFC recognition rate at a position of a measurement angle of 0° is 71%, the NFC recognition rate at a position of a measurement angle of 45° is 54%, and the NFC recognition rate at a position of a measurement angle of 90° is 19%. It can be confirmed that when the electronic device has the first antenna structure, only the performance toward the rear of the electronic device is satisfied, but the performance toward the rear of the electronic device is not satisfied.

[0183] For the second performance values, the NFC recognition rate at a position of a measurement angle of 0° is 83%, the NFC recognition rate at a position of a measurement angle of 45° is 61%, and the NFC recognition rate at a position of a measurement angle of 90° is 36%. When the electronic device has the second antenna structure, the performance toward the rear of the electronic device is satisfactory, and it can be confirmed that the performance toward the rear of the electronic device is also higher than that of the first antenna structure.

[0184] For the third performance value, the NFC recognition rate at the position of the measurement angle of 0° is 83%, the NFC recognition rate at the position of the measurement angle of 45° is 65%, and the NFC recognition rate at the position of the measurement angle of 90° is 47%. When the electronic device has the third antenna structure, the performance toward the rear of the electronic device is satisfactory, and it can be confirmed that the performance toward the rear of the electronic device is higher than that of the second antenna structure.

[0185] FIG. 11A is a diagram illustrating an NFC antenna configuration according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11B is a diagram illustrating the NFC antenna configuration of FIG. 11A. FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of the NFC antenna configuration of FIGS. 11A and 11B.

[0186] Figure 11a illustrates the NFC antenna configuration when viewed from above (e.g., rear). Figure 11b illustrates the NFC antenna configuration when viewed from the top side. Figure 12 illustrates the NFC antenna configuration when viewed from the left or right side.

[0187] The NFC antenna configuration of the embodiment of FIGS. 11A to 12 may be substantially the same as the NFC antenna configuration of FIGS. 7A to 9, except that the loop portion (or protruding portion) extends from the first plane (outer side) of the support plate to the opposite plane (inner side) through a through hole in the support plate rather than through the side wall of the support plate, and the other configurations may be substantially the same. Therefore, a description of the overlapping portions is omitted.

[0188] In the embodiments of FIGS. 11A to 12, for convenience of explanation, the NFC antenna is described as an example of a loop antenna, but the description of the present embodiment can be applied identically or similarly to other types of loop antennas in addition to the NFC antenna.

[0189] Referring to FIGS. 11A to 12 , the electronic device (101) may include a housing (310) and an NFC antenna (1110) disposed within the housing (310). The description of the housing (310) includes the description of the housing (310) of FIGS. 2 to 5C and the housing (310) of FIGS. 7A to 7B . Therefore, any duplicate description will be omitted.

[0190] According to one embodiment, the housing (310) may include a conductive member (1170) as part of the housing (310) (e.g., conductive member (530) of FIG. 5C or conductive member (770) of FIGS. 7A / B). The description of the conductive member (1170) includes the description of the conductive member (530) of FIG. 5C and the conductive member (770) of FIGS. 7A and 7B.

[0191] According to one embodiment, the conductive member (1170) may be segmented (or divided) into a first conductive member (1171) and a second conductive member (1172) by a segmented portion (1190). According to one embodiment, the segmented portion (1190) may be positioned between the first conductive member (1171) and the second conductive member (1172). In the present disclosure, the segmented portion (1190) may be referred to as a non-conductive segmented portion. In the present disclosure, the first conductive member (1171) may be referred to as a first segment, and the second conductive member (1172) may be referred to as a second segment.

[0192] According to one embodiment, the conductive member (1170) may form a portion of a first side (e.g., an upper side) of the electronic device (101). The conductive member (1170) may include a first segment (1171) and a second segment (1172) formed in a first direction and a second direction, respectively, opposite to a non-conductive segment portion (1190) forming another portion of the first side.

[0193] According to one embodiment, the segmented portion (1190) may be filled with a dielectric. The dielectric may be, for example, air, plastic, ceramic, glass, or other dielectric. In the present disclosure, the segmented portion (1190) may also be referred to as a gap or gap portion.

[0194] In one embodiment, the NFC antenna (1110) may be a three-dimensional antenna.

[0195] According to one embodiment, the NFC antenna (1110) may be an LDS antenna formed (or provided) on the support plate (1150).

[0196] In one embodiment, the NFC antenna (1110) may include a plurality of interconnected loop portions (1120). In one embodiment, each loop portion may substantially form a corresponding loop. In one embodiment, one loop may correspond to one turn.

[0197] According to one embodiment, the plurality of loop portions (1120) may include at least one first loop portion (1130) and / or at least one second loop portion (1140).

[0198] In one embodiment, the first loop portion (1130) can substantially form a loop. In one embodiment, the second loop portion (1140) can substantially form a loop that is substantially different in shape and / or position from the loop of the first loop portion (1130).

[0199] According to one embodiment, at least one first loop portion (1130) may include a loop portion (1131) disposed innermost among the plurality of loop portions (1120), a loop portion (1132) disposed outside the loop portion (1131), and / or a loop portion (1133) disposed outside the loop portion (1132). Descriptions of the at least one first loop portion (1130) and the loop portion (1131), the loop portion (1132), and the loop portion (1133) included in the at least one first loop portion (1130) may be the same as the description of this feature related to FIGS. 7A to 9, respectively. Therefore, duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0200] According to one embodiment, at least one of the second loop portions (1140) may be an outermost loop portion disposed at the outermost edge of the plurality of loop portions (1120), for example, as illustrated in FIG. 11A.

[0201] According to one embodiment, at least one second loop portion (1140) may include at least one portion disposed (or positioned) inside the first region (1160) (or the first loop portion (1130)) and at least one protruding portion (1180) disposed outside the first region (1160).

[0202] According to one embodiment, at least one protruding portion (1180) disposed (or positioned) outside the first region (1160) (or the first loop portion (1130)) may include a first protruding portion (1180a), a second protruding portion (1180b), and a third protruding portion (1180c).

[0203] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (1180a) may protrude (e.g., extend) toward the first segment (1171) of the conductive member (1170) with respect to the first loop portion (1130). The first protruding portion (1180a) may extend to have at least a first end adjacent the first segment (1171) of the conductive member (1170). The first end adjacent the first segment (1171) of the conductive member (1170) may include, for example, an edge adjacent to the first segment (1171) of the conductive member (1170) and / or a portion adjacent to the edge.

[0204] According to one embodiment, the second protruding portion (1180b) can protrude toward the second segment (1172) of the conductive member (1170) with respect to the first loop portion (1130). The second protruding portion (780b) can extend to have at least a second end adjacent the second segment (1172) of the conductive member (1170). The second end adjacent the second segment (1172) of the conductive member (1170) can include, for example, an edge adjacent to the second segment (1172) of the conductive member (1170) and / or a portion adjacent to the edge.

[0205] In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1180c) may extend between the first end and the second end such that the first protruding portion (1180a) and the second protruding portion (1180b) are connected through the third protruding portion (1180c). In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1180c) may be configured to generate a magnetic field in at least a first lateral direction (e.g., an upward direction) when connected to a source of current.

[0206] In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1180c) may overlap with the non-conductive segment portion (1190), at least a portion of the first segment (1171), and at least a portion of the second segment (1172) when viewed from the first side (e.g., the upper side).

[0207] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (1180a) and the second protruding portion (1180b) may be formed on a first surface (e.g., surface) (e.g., first plane (1151)) of the support plate (1150), and the third protruding portion (1180c) may be formed on a second surface (e.g., surface) (e.g., third plane (1153)) opposite to the first surface (e.g., surface) of the support plate (1150).

[0208] According to one embodiment, the first loop portion (1130) includes a plurality of loop portions (1131, 1132, 1133), and a distance between the third protruding portion (1180c) and the outermost loop portion (1133) of the plurality of loop portions (1131, 1132, 1133) of the first loop portion (1130) may be longer than a distance between two adjacent loop portions of the plurality of loop portions (1131, 1132, 1133).

[0209] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (1180a) may extend to a second surface (e.g., a surface) along a first through hole of the support plate (1150), and the second protruding portion (1180b) may extend to a second surface along a second through hole of the support plate (1150).

[0210] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (1180a) may include a first portion (1181), a third portion (1183), and / or a fifth portion (1185).

[0211] According to one embodiment, the second protruding portion (1180b) may include a second portion (1182), a fourth portion (1184), and / or a sixth portion (1186).

[0212] According to one embodiment, the first portion (1181) and the second portion (1182) may each extend from a first area (1160) (e.g., a point within the first area (1160)) on the first plane (1151) of the support plate (1150) toward the conductive member (1170). For example, the first portion (1181) may extend to a position closer to the first conductive member (1171), and the second portion (1182) may extend to a position closer to the second conductive member (1172). For example, the first portion (1181) may extend to a position closest to the first conductive member (1171) on the first plane (751) of the support plate (1150), and the second portion (1182) may extend to a position closest to the second conductive member (1172) on the first plane (1151) of the support plate (1150).

[0213] According to one embodiment, the first portion (1181) and the second portion (1182) may be arranged parallel to each other when viewed from above (i.e., when viewed from the rear), as illustrated in FIG. 11A, but are not limited thereto.

[0214] According to one embodiment, the first conductive member (1171) may form a first antenna (e.g., a first metal antenna), and the second conductive member (1172) may form a second antenna (e.g., a second metal antenna).

[0215] In one embodiment, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the third portion (1183) can extend from the first portion (1181) on the first plane (1151) (e.g., at one end or a point of the first portion (1181)) along the through hole (1152) to the third plane (1153). In one embodiment, the through hole (1152) for the third portion (1183) can be formed at a point adjacent to the first portion (1181) (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 11B, at the point where the first portion (1181) is closest to the first conductive member (1171).

[0216] In one embodiment, the fourth portion (1184) can extend from the second portion (1182) on the first plane (1151) (e.g., at one end or a point of the second portion (1182)) along the through hole (1152) to the third plane (1153). In one embodiment, the through hole (1152) for the fourth portion (1184) can be formed at a point adjacent to the second portion (1182) (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 11B, at the point where the second portion (1182) is closest to the first conductive member (1171).

[0217] According to one embodiment, the third portion (1183) and the fourth portion (1184) may be arranged parallel to each other when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the top side), as illustrated in FIG. 11b, but are not limited thereto.

[0218] In one embodiment, the fifth portion (1185) can extend away from the conductive member (1170) from the third portion (1183) (e.g., one end or a point of the third portion (1183)) on the third plane (1153). For example, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the left / right side), the fifth portion (1185) can be parallel to the first portion (1181). In one embodiment, the extension length of the fifth portion (1185) can be shorter than the extension length of the first portion (1181).

[0219] In one embodiment, the sixth portion (1186) can extend away from the conductive member (1170) from the fourth portion (1184) (e.g., one end or a point of the fourth portion (1184)) on the third plane (1153). For example, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the left / right side), the sixth portion (1186) can be parallel to the second portion (1182). The extension length of the sixth portion (1186) can be shorter than the extension length of the second portion (1182).

[0220] According to one embodiment, the fifth portion (1185) and the sixth portion (1186) may be arranged parallel to each other when viewed from above (e.g., when viewed from the rear), but are not limited thereto.

[0221] Through this extension structure, the second loop portion (1140) can extend from the first plane (1151) (outer side) of the support plate (1150) to the third plane (1153) (inner side) opposite to the first plane (1151). Through this, the second loop portion (1140) can have a three-dimensional shape.

[0222] According to one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1180c) may extend from a fifth portion (1185) (e.g., one end or a point of the fifth portion (1185)) on the third plane (1153) along the third plane (1153) to a sixth portion (1186) (e.g., one end or a point of the sixth portion (1186)) on the third plane (1153).

[0223] According to one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1180c) may include a segmented portion (1190) of the conductive member (1170).

[0224] In one embodiment, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the top side), at least a portion of the third protruding portion (1180c) may overlap with the segmented portion (1190) of the conductive member (1170).

[0225] In one embodiment, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the top side), at least a portion of the third protruding portion (1180c) may be positioned to pass through the segmented portion (1190) of the conductive member (1170).

[0226] According to one embodiment, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 11a, when viewed from above (e.g., when viewed from the rear), at least a portion of the third protruding portion (1180c) may be disposed adjacent to and parallel to the segmented portion (1190) of the conductive member (1170).

[0227] According to one embodiment, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 11a, when viewed from above (e.g., when viewed from the rear), at least a portion of the third protruding portion (1180c) may be spaced apart from and arranged parallel to the segmented portion (1190) of the conductive member (1170).

[0228] According to one embodiment, the third protrusion (1180c) is perpendicular to the support plate (1150) and can pass through a plane passing through the segmented portion (1190) of the conductive member (1170).

[0229] According to one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 11A, the length (l1) of the third protruding portion (1180c) may be longer than the length (l2) (or width) of the segmented portion (1190). For example, when viewed from the side, the length of the seventh portion (1187) may be longer than the length of the portion where the seventh portion (1187) and the segmented portion (1190) overlap. In this case, the length of the segmented portion (1190) may correspond to the length of the portion where the seventh portion (1180c) and the segmented portion (1190) overlap.

[0230] According to one embodiment, the antenna configuration for at least one second loop portion (1140) (e.g., the width of the first region (1160), the number of loops (or number of turns), the length of the loops, and / or the spacing between loops) can be selected to satisfy the required or satisfactory NFC performance in the upward direction.

[0231] As described above, the NFC antenna (1110) of FIGS. 11A to 12 may be substantially the same as the NFC antenna (710) of FIGS. 7A to 9 except that a through hole is used instead of a side wall to extend the loop pattern from the outside to the inside of the support plate. Accordingly, the NFC performance of the NFC antenna (1110) in the rear and upper directions may have substantially the same performance as the NFC performance of the NFC antenna (710) in the rear and upper directions described above. Meanwhile, depending on the embodiment, unlike as illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 8, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the upper side), the third protruding portion (1180c) included in at least one second loop (1140) may not overlap with the segmented portion (1790) of the conductive member (1170).

[0232] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an NFC antenna configuration according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0233] FIG. 13 illustrates an NFC antenna configuration, for example, when viewed from above (e.g., rear).

[0234] The NFC antenna configuration of the embodiment of FIG. 13 may be substantially the same as the NFC antenna configuration of FIGS. 7A to 9 and 11A to 12 except that the second loop portion that generates an upward magnetic field, e.g., the second loop portion (740) of FIGS. 7A to 9 and the second loop portions of FIGS. 11A to 12, differ in that there are multiple second loop portions.

[0235] In the embodiment of FIG. 13, for convenience of explanation, the NFC antenna is described as an example of a loop antenna, but the description of the present embodiment can be applied identically or similarly to other types of loop antennas in addition to the NFC antenna.

[0236] Referring to FIG. 13, the electronic device (101) may include a housing (310) and an NFC antenna (1310) disposed within the housing (310). The description of the housing (310) includes the description of the housing (310) of FIGS. 5A to 5C, the housing (310) of FIGS. 2 to 7B, and the housing (310) of FIGS. 11A to 11B. Therefore, any duplicate description will be omitted.

[0237] According to one embodiment, the housing (310) may include a conductive member (1370) as part of the housing (310) (e.g., the conductive member (530) of FIG. 5C , the conductive member (770) of FIG. 7A / B , or the conductive member (1170) of FIG. 11A / B ). A description of the conductive member (1370) may refer to the description of the conductive member (530) of FIG. 5C , the conductive member (770) of FIG. 7A / B , or the conductive member (1170) of FIG. 11A / B .

[0238] According to one embodiment, the conductive member (1370) can be segmented (or divided) into a first conductive member (1371) and a second conductive member (1372) by a segmented portion (1390). According to one embodiment, the segmented portion (1390) can be positioned between the first conductive member (1371) and the second conductive member (1372). In the present disclosure, the segmented portion (1390) can be referred to as a non-conductive segmented portion. In the present disclosure, the first conductive member (1371) can be referred to as a first segment, and the second conductive member (1372) can be referred to as a second segment.

[0239] According to one embodiment, the conductive member (1370) may form a portion of a first side (e.g., an upper side) of the electronic device (101). The conductive member (1370) may include a first segment (1371) and a second segment (1372) formed in a first direction and a second direction, respectively, opposite to a non-conductive segment portion (1390) forming another portion of the first side.

[0240] According to one embodiment, the segmented portion (1390) may be filled with a dielectric. The dielectric may be, for example, air, plastic, ceramic, glass, or other dielectric. In the present disclosure, the segmented portion (1390) may also be referred to as a gap or gap portion.

[0241] In one embodiment, the NFC antenna (1310) may be a three-dimensional antenna.

[0242] According to one embodiment, the NFC antenna (1310) may be an LDS antenna formed (or provided) on the support plate (1350).

[0243] In one embodiment, the NFC antenna (1310) may include a plurality of interconnected loop portions (1320). In one embodiment, each loop portion may substantially form a corresponding loop. In one embodiment, one loop may correspond to one turn.

[0244] According to one embodiment, the plurality of loop portions (1320) may include at least one first loop portion (1330) and / or at least one second loop portion (1340).

[0245] According to one embodiment, at least one first loop portion (1330) may include a loop portion (1331) disposed innermost among the plurality of loop portions (1320), and / or a loop portion (1132) disposed outside the loop portion (1331). The description of the at least one first loop portion (1330) and the loop portion (1331) and the loop portion (1132) included in the at least one first loop portion (1330) may be the same as the description of these features related to FIGS. 7A to 9 , respectively. Therefore, the duplicate description is omitted. Meanwhile, unlike the example illustrated in FIG. 13 , the number of the at least one first loop portion (1330) may be, for example, the same as the number of the at least one first loop portion (730) of FIGS. 7A to 9 . Through this, substantially the same rearward performance may be ensured.

[0246] According to one embodiment, the loops of at least one second loop portion (1340) may include an outermost loop portion (1342) disposed at the outermost side of the plurality of loop portions (1320) and a loop portion (1341) disposed inside the outermost loop (1342). The description of the outermost loop portion (1342) includes, for example, the description of the second loop portion (740) of FIGS. 7A to 9 or the second loop portion (1140) of FIGS. 11A to 12.

[0247] According to one embodiment, the loop portion (1341) may form a loop that is substantially different in shape and / or position from the outermost loop portion (1342) and at least one first loop portion (1330).

[0248] According to one embodiment, the loop portion (1341) may include at least one portion disposed inside the first region (1360) (or the first loop portion (1330)) and at least one protruding portion (1380) disposed outside the first region (1360). According to one embodiment, the at least one protruding portion (1380) disposed outside the first region (1360) (or the first loop portion (1330)) may include a first protruding portion (1381), a second protruding portion (1382), and / or a third protruding portion (1383).

[0249] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (1381) can protrude toward the first segment (1371) with respect to the first loop portion (1330). The first protruding portion (1381) can be extended to have at least a first end adjacent to the first segment (1371) of the conductive member (1370). The first end adjacent to the first segment (1371) of the conductive member (1370) can include, for example, an edge adjacent to the first segment (1371) of the conductive member (1370) and / or a portion adjacent to the edge.

[0250] According to one embodiment, the second protruding portion (1382) can protrude toward the second segment (1372) with respect to the first loop portion (1330). The second protruding portion (1382) can extend at least to a second end adjacent the second segment (1371) of the support plate (1350). The second end adjacent the second segment (1372) of the support plate (1350) can include, for example, an edge adjacent to the second segment (1372) of the support plate (1350) and / or a portion adjacent to the edge.

[0251] In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1383) may extend between the first end and the second end such that the first protruding portion (1381) and the second protruding portion (1382) are connected through the third protruding portion (1383). In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1180c) may be configured to generate a magnetic field in at least a first lateral direction (e.g., an upward direction) when connected to a source of current.

[0252] In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1383) may overlap with the non-conductive segment portion (1390), at least a portion of the first segment (1371), and at least a portion of the second segment (1372) when viewed from the first side (e.g., the upper side).

[0253] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (1381) and the second protruding portion (1382) may be formed on a first side (e.g., surface) of the support plate (1350), and the third protruding portion (1383) may be formed on a second side (e.g., surface) opposite to the first side (e.g., surface) of the support plate (1350).

[0254] According to one embodiment, the first loop portion (1330) includes a plurality of loop portions (1331, 1332), and a distance between the third protruding portion (1383) and an outermost loop portion (1332) of the plurality of loop portions (1331, 1332) of the first loop portion (1330) may be longer than a distance between two adjacent loop portions of the plurality of loop portions (1331, 1332). According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (1381) and the second protruding portion (1382) may each extend from a first area (1360) (e.g., a point within the first area (1360)) toward the conductive member (1370) on a first plane (e.g., the first plane (751) of FIG. 8 or the first plane (1151) of FIG. 12) of the support plate (1350). For example, the first protruding portion (1381) may extend to a position closer to the first conductive member (1371), and the second protruding portion (1382) may extend to a position closer to the second conductive member (1372). As an example, the first protruding portion (1381) may extend to a position closest to the first conductive member (1371) on the first plane of the support plate (1350), and the second protruding portion (1382) may extend to a position closest to the second conductive member (1372) on the first plane of the support plate (1350).

[0255] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (1381) and the second protruding portion (1382) may be arranged parallel to each other when viewed from above (i.e., when viewed from the rear), as illustrated in FIG. 13, but are not limited thereto.

[0256] According to one embodiment, the first conductive member (1371) may form a first antenna (e.g., a first metal antenna), and the second conductive member (1372) may form a second antenna (e.g., a second metal antenna).

[0257] According to one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1383) may extend from a first protruding portion (1381) on the first plane (e.g., one end or a point of the first protruding portion (1381)) to a second protruding portion (1382) on the first plane (e.g., one end or a point of the second protruding portion (1382). The description of the third protruding portion (1383) may refer to the description of the third protruding portion (780c) of FIGS. 7A to 9. Therefore, a duplicate description will be omitted.

[0258] According to one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1383) may include a segmented portion (1390) of the conductive member (1370).

[0259] In one embodiment, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the top side), a portion of the third protruding portion (1383) may overlap with a segmented portion (1390) of the conductive member (1370).

[0260] In one embodiment, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the top side), a portion of the third protruding portion (1383) may be positioned to pass through the segmented portion (1390) of the conductive member (1370).

[0261] In one embodiment, when viewed from above (e.g., when viewed from the rear), a portion of the third protruding portion (1383) may be disposed adjacent to and parallel to the segmented portion (1390) of the conductive member (1370).

[0262] In one embodiment, when viewed from above (e.g., when viewed from the rear), a portion of the third protruding portion (1383) may be spaced apart from and arranged parallel to the segmented portion (1390) of the conductive member (1370).

[0263] According to one embodiment, the third protrusion (1383) is perpendicular to the support plate (1350) and can pass through a plane passing through the segmented portion (1390) of the conductive member (1370).

[0264] According to one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the length of the third protruding portion (1383) may be longer than the length (l2) (or width) of the segmented portion (1390). For example, when viewed from the side, the length of the third protruding portion (1383) may be longer than the length of the portion where the third protruding portion (1383) and the segmented portion (1390) overlap. In this case, the length of the segmented portion (1390) may correspond to the length of the portion where the third protruding portion (1383) and the segmented portion (1390) overlap.

[0265] According to one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the length of the third protruding portion (1383) may be shorter than the length (l1) of the third protruding portion of the outermost loop (1342) (e.g., the length of the third protruding portion (787) of FIGS. 7a to 7b or the seventh portion (1187) of FIGS. 11a to 11b).

[0266] In one embodiment, when viewed from above (e.g., when viewed from the rear), the third protruding portion (1383) may be positioned adjacent to and parallel to the third portion of the outermost loop (1342).

[0267] In one embodiment, when viewed from above (e.g., when viewed from the rear), the third protruding portion (1383) may be spaced apart from and arranged parallel to the third portion of the outermost loop (1342).

[0268] As illustrated in Fig. 13, when there are multiple second loops (or second loop portions) that generate an upward magnetic field, the NFC antenna (1110) can generate a magnetic field of higher intensity in the upward direction compared to when there is only one second loop. In this way, the NFC performance in the upward direction can be increased.

[0269] Meanwhile, as described above, the NFC antenna (1310) of FIG. 13 may be substantially the same as the NFC antenna (710) of FIGS. 7A to 9 or the NFC antenna (1110) of FIGS. 11A to 12, except that it includes a plurality of second loops (or second loop portions) that generate an upward magnetic field. Accordingly, the NFC performance of the NFC antenna (1310) in the upward direction may have relatively higher performance than the NFC performance of the NFC antenna (710) or the NFC antenna (1110) in the upward direction. However, the NFC antenna (1310) may occupy a larger space on the support plate than the NFC antenna (710) or the NFC antenna (1110).

[0270] In another example, similar to the outermost loop portion (1342), the loop portion (1341) may extend from the first plane of the support plate (1350) to a third plane opposite to the first plane (e.g., the third plane (753) of FIGS. 7A to 9 or the third plane (1153) of FIGS. 7A to 9). The description of the extension of the loop portion (1341) from the first plane to the third plane includes the description of the extension of the second loop portion (740; 1140) from the first plane to the third plane described above in FIGS. 7A to 9 or FIGS. 11A to 12. Therefore, a duplicate description is omitted.

[0271] FIG. 14a is a diagram illustrating an NFC antenna configuration according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 14b is a diagram illustrating an NFC antenna configuration according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0272] Figure 14a illustrates an NFC antenna configuration when viewed from above (e.g., rear). Figure 14b illustrates an NFC antenna configuration when viewed from the top side.

[0273] The NFC antenna configuration of the embodiment of FIGS. 14a and 14b may be substantially the same as the NFC antenna configuration of FIGS. 7a to 9 (or FIGS. 11a to 12, or FIG. 13) except that the entire NFC antenna is configured in two dimensions on a first plane, as in FIGS. 14a and 14b.

[0274] In the embodiments of FIGS. 14a and 14b, for convenience of explanation, the NFC antenna is described as an example of a loop antenna, but the description of the present embodiment can be applied identically or similarly to other types of loop antennas in addition to the NFC antenna.

[0275] Referring to FIGS. 14A and 14B , the electronic device (101) may include a housing (310) and an NFC antenna (1410) disposed within the housing (310). The description of the housing (310) includes the description of the housing (310) of FIGS. 5A to 5C and the housing (310) of FIGS. 2 to 7B (or FIGS. 11A to 12 , or FIG. 13 ). Therefore, any duplicate description will be omitted.

[0276] According to one embodiment, the conductive member (1470) can be segmented (or divided) into a first conductive member (1471) and a second conductive member (1472) by a segmented portion (1490). According to one embodiment, the segmented portion (1490) can be positioned between the first conductive member (1471) and the second conductive member (1472). In the present disclosure, the segmented portion (1490) can be referred to as a non-conductive segmented portion. In the present disclosure, the first conductive member (1471) can be referred to as a first segment, and the second conductive member (1472) can be referred to as a second segment.

[0277] According to one embodiment, the conductive member (1470) may form a portion of a first side (e.g., an upper side) of the electronic device (101). The conductive member (1470) may include a first segment (1471) and a second segment (1472) formed in a first direction and a second direction, respectively, opposite to a non-conductive segment portion (1490) forming another portion of the first side.

[0278] In one embodiment, the NFC antenna (1410) may be a two-dimensional antenna.

[0279] According to one embodiment, the NFC antenna (1410) may be an LDS antenna formed on a first plane (e.g., the first plane (751) of FIG. 7A or the first plane (1151) of FIG. 11A) of a support plate (e.g., the support plate (750) of FIG. 7A or the support plate (1150) of FIG. 11A).

[0280] In one embodiment, the NFC antenna (1410) may include a plurality of interconnected loop sections. In one embodiment, each loop section may substantially form a corresponding loop. In one embodiment, one loop may correspond to one turn.

[0281] According to one embodiment, the plurality of loop portions (1420) may include at least one first loop portion (1430) and / or at least one second loop portion (1440). The at least one first loop portion (1430) may include a loop portion (1431) disposed most innerwardly among the plurality of loop portions (1420), a loop portion (1432) disposed outside the loop portion (1431), and / or a loop portion (1433) disposed outside the loop portion (1432). For a description of the remaining loop portions included in the plurality of loop portions excluding the second loop portion (1440), reference may be made to the descriptions of FIGS. 7A to 13 described above. Therefore, a duplicate description will be omitted.

[0282] According to one embodiment, the second loop portion (1440) may be an outermost loop positioned at the outermost edge among the plurality of loops.

[0283] According to one embodiment, the second loop portion (1440) may include at least one portion disposed inside the first region (e.g., the first region (760) of FIG. 7A or the first region (1160) of FIG. 11A) (or the first loop portion (1430)) and at least one protruding portion (1480) disposed outside the first region (or the first loop portion (1430)).

[0284] According to one embodiment, at least one protruding portion (1480) may include a first protruding portion (1481), a second protruding portion (1482), and / or a third protruding portion (1483).

[0285] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (1481) can protrude toward the first segment (1471) of the conductive member (1470) with respect to the first loop portion (1430). The first protruding portion (1481) can extend at least to a first end adjacent the first segment (1471) of the support plate (1450). The first end adjacent the first segment (1471) of the support plate (1450) can include, for example, an edge adjacent to the first segment (1471) of the support plate (1450) and / or a portion adjacent to the edge.

[0286] In one embodiment, the second protruding portion (1482) can protrude toward the second segment (1472) of the conductive member (1470) with respect to the first loop portion (1430). The second protruding portion (1482) can extend at least to a second end adjacent the second segment (1472) of the support plate (1450). The second end adjacent the second segment (1472) of the support plate (1450) can include, for example, an edge adjacent to the second segment (1472) of the support plate (1450) and / or a portion adjacent to the edge.

[0287] In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1483) can extend between the first end and the second end such that the first protruding portion (1481) and the second protruding portion (1482) extend (e.g., connect) through the third protruding portion (1483). In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1483) can be configured to generate a magnetic field in at least a first lateral direction (e.g., an upward direction) when connected to a source of current.

[0288] In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1483) may overlap the non-conductive segment portion (1490), at least a portion of the first segment (1471), and at least a portion of the second segment (1472) when viewed from the first side (e.g., the upper side).

[0289] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (1481), the second protruding portion (1482), and the third protruding portion (1483) may be formed on the first surface of the support plate (750).

[0290] According to one embodiment, the first loop portion (1430) includes a plurality of loop portions (1431, 1432, 1433), and a distance between the third protruding portion (1483) and an outermost loop portion (1433) of the plurality of loop portions (1431, 1432, 1433) of the first loop portion (1430) may be longer than a distance between two adjacent loop portions of the plurality of loop portions (1431, 1432, 1433).

[0291] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (1481) and the second protruding portion (1482) may each extend from a first area (e.g., a point within the first area) on a first plane of the support plate (1450) toward the conductive member (1470). For example, the first protruding portion (1481) may extend to a position adjacent to the first conductive member (1471), and the second protruding portion (1482) may extend to a position adjacent to the second conductive member (1472). As an example, the first protruding portion (1381) may extend to a position closest to the first conductive member (1471) on the first plane of the support plate (1450), and the second protruding portion (1482) may extend to a position closest to the second conductive member (1472) on the first plane of the support plate (1450).

[0292] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (1481) and the second protruding portion (1482) may be arranged parallel to each other when viewed from above (e.g., when viewed from the rear), as illustrated in FIG. 14a, but are not limited thereto.

[0293] According to one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1483) may extend from a first protruding portion (1481) on the first plane (e.g., one end or a point of the first portion (1481)) to a second protruding portion (1482) on the first plane (e.g., one end or a point of the second portion (1482)). The description of the third protruding portion (1483) may refer to the description of the seventh portion (787) of FIGS. 7A to 9 or the description of the third protruding portion (1180c) of FIGS. 11A to 12. Therefore, a duplicate description will be omitted.

[0294] According to one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1483) may include a segmented portion (1490) of the conductive member (1470).

[0295] In one embodiment, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the top side), a portion of the third protruding portion (1483) may overlap with a segmented portion (1490) of the conductive member (1470).

[0296] In one embodiment, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the top side), a portion of the third protruding portion (1483) may be positioned to pass through the segmented portion (1490) of the conductive member (1470).

[0297] In one embodiment, when viewed from above (e.g., when viewed from the rear), a portion of the third protruding portion (1483) may be disposed adjacent to and parallel to a segmented portion (1490) of the conductive member (1470).

[0298] In one embodiment, when viewed from above (e.g., when viewed from the rear), a portion of the third protruding portion (1483) may be spaced apart from and arranged parallel to the segmented portion (1490) of the conductive member (1470).

[0299] According to one embodiment, the third protrusion (1483) is perpendicular to the support plate (1450) and can pass through a plane passing through the segmented portion (1490) of the conductive member (1470).

[0300] According to one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 14A, the length of the third protruding portion (1483) may be longer than the length (or width) of the segmented portion (1490). For example, when viewed from the side, the length of the third protruding portion (1483) may be longer than the length of the portion where the third protruding portion (1483) and the segmented portion (1490) overlap.

[0301] The NFC antenna (1410) of FIGS. 14a and 14b differs from the NFC antenna (710) of FIGS. 7a to 9, the NFC antenna (1110) of FIGS. 11a to 12, or the NFC antenna (1310) of FIG. 13 in that the NFC antenna (1410) is configured two-dimensionally. Accordingly, the NFC performance in the upper direction of the NFC antenna (1410) may be relatively lower than the NFC performance in the upper direction of the NFC antenna (710), the NFC antenna (1110), or the NFC antenna (1310), but the space occupied by the NFC antenna on the support plate may be saved.

[0302] FIG. 15A is a diagram illustrating an NFC antenna configuration according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 15B is a diagram illustrating an NFC antenna configuration according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0303] FIG. 15a illustrates an NFC antenna configuration, for example, when viewed from above (e.g., rear). FIG. 15b illustrates an NFC antenna configuration, for example, when viewed from the top side.

[0304] The NFC antenna configuration of the embodiment of FIGS. 15a to 15b may be substantially the same as the NFC antenna configuration of FIGS. 7a to 9 (or FIGS. 11a to 12, or FIG. 13) except that the loop extends only to a plane perpendicular to the first plane (outer side) of the support plate. Therefore, a description of the overlapping portion is omitted.

[0305] In the embodiments of FIGS. 15a and 15b, for convenience of explanation, the NFC antenna is described as an example of a loop antenna, but the description of the present embodiment can be applied identically or similarly to other types of loop antennas in addition to the NFC antenna.

[0306] Referring to FIGS. 15A to 15B , the electronic device (101) may include a housing (310) and an NFC antenna (1510) disposed within the housing (310). The description of the housing (310) may refer to the description of the housing (310) of FIGS. 5A to 5C and the description of the housing (310) of FIGS. 7A to 7B (or FIGS. 11A to 12 , or FIG. 13 ). Therefore, any duplicate description will be omitted.

[0307] According to one embodiment, the conductive member (1570) can be segmented (or divided) into a first conductive member (1571) and a second conductive member (1572) by a segmented portion (1590). According to one embodiment, the segmented portion (1590) can be positioned between the first conductive member (1571) and the second conductive member (1572). In the present disclosure, the segmented portion (1590) can be referred to as a non-conductive segmented portion. In the present disclosure, the first conductive member (1571) can be referred to as a first segment, and the second conductive member (1572) can be referred to as a second segment.

[0308] According to one embodiment, the conductive member (1570) may form a portion of a first side (e.g., an upper side) of the electronic device (101). The conductive member (1570) may include a first segment (1571) and a second segment (1572) formed in a first direction and a second direction, respectively, opposite to a non-conductive segment portion (1590) forming another portion of the first side.

[0309] In one embodiment, the NFC antenna (1510) may be a three-dimensional antenna.

[0310] According to one embodiment, the NFC antenna (1510) may be an LDS antenna formed on a first plane (e.g., the first plane (751) of FIG. 7A or the first plane (1151) of FIG. 11A) of a support plate (e.g., the support plate (750) of FIG. 7A or the support plate (1150) of FIG. 11A) and a second plane (e.g., the second plane (752) of FIG. 7A or the second plane (1152) of FIG. 11A) perpendicular to the first plane.

[0311] In one embodiment, the NFC antenna (1410) may include a plurality of interconnected loop sections. In one embodiment, each loop section may substantially form a corresponding loop. In one embodiment, one loop may correspond to one turn.

[0312] According to one embodiment, the plurality of loop portions may include at least one first loop portion (1530) and at least one second loop portion (1540). The at least one first loop portion (1530) may include a loop portion (1531) that is positioned most inner among the plurality of loop portions (1520), a loop portion (1532) that is positioned outside the loop portion (1531), and / or a loop portion (1533) that is positioned outside the loop portion (1532). For a description of the remaining loop portions included in the plurality of loop portions excluding the second loop portion (1540), reference may be made to the descriptions of FIGS. 7A to 14B described above. Therefore, a duplicate description will be omitted.

[0313] According to one embodiment, the second loop portion (1540) may be an outermost loop positioned at the outermost edge among the plurality of loop portions.

[0314] According to one embodiment, the second loop portion (1540) may include at least one portion disposed inside the first region (e.g., the first region (760) of FIG. 7A or the first region (1160) of FIG. 11A) (or the first loop portion (1530)) and at least one protruding portion (1580) disposed outside the first region (or the first loop portion (1530)).

[0315] According to one embodiment, at least one protruding portion (1580) may include a first protruding portion (1580a), a second protruding portion (1580b), and a third protruding portion (1580c).

[0316] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (1580a) can protrude toward the first segment (1571) of the conductive member (1570) with respect to the first loop portion (1530). The first protruding portion (1580a) can extend at least to a first end adjacent to the first segment (1571) of the support plate (1550). The first end adjacent to the first segment (1571) of the support plate (1550) can include, for example, an edge adjacent to the first segment (1571) of the support plate (1550) and / or a portion adjacent to the edge.

[0317] According to one embodiment, the second protruding portion (1580b) can protrude toward the second segment (1572) of the conductive member (1570) with respect to the first loop portion (1530). The second protruding portion (1580b) can extend at least to a second end adjacent the second segment (1572) of the support plate (1550). The second end adjacent the second segment (1572) of the support plate (1550) can include, for example, an edge adjacent to the second segment (1572) of the support plate (1550) and / or a portion adjacent to the edge.

[0318] In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1580c) may extend between the first end and the second end such that the first protruding portion (1580a) and the second protruding portion (1580b) are connected through the third protruding portion (1580c). In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1580c) may be configured to generate a magnetic field in at least a first lateral direction (e.g., an upward direction) when connected to a source of current.

[0319] In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1580c) may overlap with the non-conductive segment portion (1590), at least a portion of the first segment (1571), and at least a portion of the second segment (1572) when viewed from the first side (e.g., the upper side).

[0320] In one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1580c) may be in at least partial contact with the side surface of the support plate (1550). In one embodiment, substantially the entire area of ​​the third protruding portion (780c) may be formed on the side surface of the support plate (1550).

[0321] According to one embodiment, the first loop portion (1530) includes a plurality of loop portions (1531, 1532, 1533), and a distance between the third protruding portion (1530c) and an outermost loop portion (1533) of the plurality of loop portions (1531, 1532, 1533) of the first loop portion (1530) may be longer than a distance between two adjacent loop portions of the plurality of loop portions (1531, 1532, 1533).

[0322] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion (1580a) may include a first portion (1581) and / or a third portion (1483). According to one embodiment, the second protruding portion (1580b) may include a second portion (1582) and / or a fourth portion (1584). The description of the first portion (1581) and the second portion (1582) may refer to the description of the first portion (781) and the second portion (782) of FIGS. 7A to 9 . Therefore, any duplicate description will be omitted.

[0323] According to one embodiment, the third portion (1583) can extend from a first portion (1581) (e.g., one end or a point of the first portion (1581)) on a first plane (e.g., the first plane (751) of FIG. 7A or the first plane (751) of FIG. 11A) of a support plate (e.g., the support plate (750) of FIG. 7A or the support plate (1150) of FIG. 11A)) along a second plane (e.g., the second plane (752) of FIG. 7A) or a through hole (e.g., the through hole (1152) of FIG. 11A) perpendicular to the first plane.

[0324] In one embodiment, the fourth portion (1584) may extend along a second plane or through hole perpendicular to the first plane from the second portion (1582) (e.g., one end or a point of the second portion (1582)) on the first plane of the support plate.

[0325] According to one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1580c) may extend from a third portion (1583) on the second plane (e.g., one end or a point of the third portion (1583)) to a fourth portion (1584) on the second plane (e.g., one end or a point of the fourth portion (1584)). The description of the third protruding portion (1580c) may refer to the description of the third protruding portion (780c) of FIGS. 7A to 9 or the description of the third protruding portion (1180c) of FIGS. 11A to 12. Therefore, any duplicate description will be omitted.

[0326] According to one embodiment, the third protruding portion (1580c) may include a segmented portion of the conductive member.

[0327] In one embodiment, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the top side), a portion of the third protruding portion (1580c) may overlap a segmented portion of the conductive member.

[0328] In one embodiment, when viewed from the side (e.g., when viewed from the top side), a portion of the third protruding portion (1580c) may be positioned to pass through the segmented portion of the conductive member.

[0329] In one embodiment, when viewed from above (e.g., when viewed from the rear), a portion of the third protruding portion (1580c) may be positioned adjacent to and parallel to the segmented portion of the conductive member.

[0330] In one embodiment, when viewed from above (e.g., when viewed from the rear), a portion of the third protruding portion (1580c) may be spaced apart from and arranged parallel to the segmented portion of the conductive member.

[0331] According to one embodiment, the third protrusion (1580c) is perpendicular to the support plate and can pass through a plane passing through the segmented portion of the conductive member.

[0332] According to one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 15A, the length of the third protruding portion (1580c) may be longer than the length of the segmented portion. For example, when viewed from the side, the length of the third protruding portion (1580c) may be longer than the length of the portion where the third protruding portion (1580c) and the segmented portion overlap.

[0333] The NFC antenna (1510) of FIGS. 15A and 15B differs from the NFC antenna (710) of FIGS. 14A to 7A to 9, the NFC antenna (1110) of FIGS. 11A to 12, the NFC antenna (1310) of FIG. 13, or the NFC antenna (1410) of FIG. 14A in that the NFC antenna (1510) extends only to a second plane perpendicular to the first plane (outer side) of the support plate. Accordingly, the NFC performance of the NFC antenna (1510) in the upward direction may be relatively lower than the NFC performance of the NFC antenna (710), the NFC antenna (1110), or the NFC antenna (1310) in the upward direction, but the space occupied by the NFC antenna on the support plate may be saved. Additionally, the NFC performance in the upper direction of the NFC antenna (1510) may have relatively higher performance than the NFC performance in the upper direction of the NFC antenna (1410), but the space occupied by the NFC antenna on the support plate may increase.

[0334] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an NFC antenna configuration further including additional electrical components according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0335] Referring to FIG. 16, the NFC antenna (1610) may include a plurality of loops. The NFC antenna may be, for example, the NFC antenna (710) of FIG. 7A, the NFC antenna (1110) of FIG. 11A, the NFC antenna (1310) of FIG. 13, the NFC antenna (1410) of FIG. 14A, or the NFC antenna (1510) of FIG. 15A.

[0336] In one embodiment, one loop (e.g., the outermost loop) of the plurality of loops of the NFC antenna (1610) may have a portion included in a first region (1620) and a portion included outside of the first region. In one embodiment, the portion of the loop included outside of the first region may define a second region (1630).

[0337] According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the first region (1620) may be a ferrite region.

[0338] According to one embodiment, the second region (1630) may include at least one additional electrical component (1640), such as an antenna. For example, as illustrated in part (a) of FIG. 16 , the second region (1630) may include a PIFA (1641). For example, as illustrated in part (b) of FIG. 16 , the second region (1630) may include a patch antenna (1642). For example, as illustrated in part (c) of FIG. 16 , the second region (1630) may include other electrical components (1643).

[0339] Meanwhile, various embodiments of the NFC antenna configuration described above with reference to FIGS. 5A to 16 may be combined and used as long as they do not contradict each other. For example, the NFC antenna (1410) of FIG. 14A and the NFC antenna (1510) of FIG. 15A may further include one or more additional second loop portions within the outermost loop portion, similar to the NFC antenna (1310) of FIG. 13. According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a housing (310) including a conductive member (770; 1170; 1370; 1470; 1570) forming a portion of a first lateral surface of the electronic device. The conductive member may include first segments (771;1171;1371;1471;1571) and second segments (772;1172;1372;1472;1572) formed in first and second directions, respectively, which are opposite to each other with respect to non-conductive segmented portions (790;1190;1390;1490;1590) forming another part of the first side.

[0340] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a printed circuit board (340) disposed within the housing (310); and a support plate (750; 1150; 1350; 1450; 1550) disposed adjacent to the rear surface (e.g., surface) of the housing (310) and having a loop antenna (710; 1110; 1310; 1410; 1510) formed thereon (or provided thereon).

[0341] According to one embodiment, the loop antenna may include a first loop portion (730; 1130; 1330; 1430; 1530) substantially forming a loop, and a second loop portion (740; 1140; 1340; 1440; 1540) substantially forming another loop.

[0342] According to one embodiment, the second loop portion may include a first protruding portion (780a; 1180a; 1381; 1481; 1580a), a second protruding portion (780b; 1180b; 1382; 1482; 1580b), and a third protruding portion (780c, 1180c, 1383 1483, 1580c) located outside the first loop portion.

[0343] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion protrudes toward the first segment with respect to the first loop portion and may extend at least to a first ending portion adjacent to the first segment of the support plate.

[0344] In one embodiment, the second protruding portion protrudes toward the second segment with respect to the first loop portion and may extend at least to a second end adjacent to the second segment of the support plate.

[0345] According to one embodiment, the third protruding portion may extend between the first end and the second end such that the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion are connected through the third protruding portion.

[0346] In one embodiment, the third protruding portion may overlap with the non-conductive segment portion, at least one portion of the first segment, and at least one portion of the second segment when viewed from the first lateral surface.

[0347] In one embodiment, the third protruding portion may be in at least partial contact with a side surface (e.g., a surface) of the support plate.

[0348] In one embodiment, substantially the entire portion of the third protruding portion may be formed on a side surface (e.g., a surface) of the support plate.

[0349] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion may be formed on a first surface (e.g., surface) of the support plate, and the third protruding portion may be formed on a second surface (e.g., surface) of the support plate opposite to the first surface (e.g., surface).

[0350] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion may extend to the second surface (e.g., surface) along a first through hole formed in the first end, and the second protruding portion may extend to the second surface (e.g., surface) along a second through hole formed in the second end.

[0351] According to one embodiment, the third protruding portion may be configured to generate a magnetic field at least in the first lateral direction.

[0352] According to one embodiment, the second loop portion may be disposed at the outermost of a plurality of loop portions, including the first loop portion and the second loop portion, forming the loop antenna.

[0353] According to one embodiment, the loop antenna further includes a third loop portion forming a loop substantially different from the first loop portion and the second loop portion, the third loop portion including a fourth protruding portion (1381), a fifth protruding portion (1382), and a sixth protruding portion (1383) positioned between the first loop portion and the second loop portion, the fourth protruding portion protruding (e.g., extending) with respect to the first loop portion in the direction of the first segment and extending at least to a third end adjacent to the first segment of the support plate, the fifth protruding portion protruding with respect to the first loop portion in the direction of the second segment and extending at least to a fourth end adjacent to the second segment of the support plate, and the sixth protruding portion may extend between the third end and the fourth end such that the fourth protruding portion and the fifth protruding portion are connected via the sixth protruding portion.

[0354] According to one embodiment, the first loop portion includes a plurality of loop portions, and a distance between the sixth protruding portion and an outermost loop among the plurality of loop portions may be longer than a distance formed between adjacent loop portions among the plurality of loop portions.

[0355] According to one embodiment, it may further include an additional antenna (1641; 1642) formed between the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion.

[0356] In one embodiment, the loop antenna may form an NFC antenna, and the additional antenna may form a PIFA or patch antenna.

[0357] According to one embodiment, the first loop portion includes a plurality of loop portions, and a distance between the third protruding portion and an outermost loop portion among the plurality of loop portions may be longer than a distance between two adjacent loop portions among the plurality of loop portions.

[0358] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a housing (310) including a conductive member (770; 1170; 1370; 1470; 1570) forming a portion of a first lateral surface of the electronic device. The conductive member may include a first segment (771; 1171; 1371; 1471; 1571) and a second segment (772; 1172; 1372; 1472; 1572) formed in a first direction and a second direction, respectively, opposite to a non-conductive segmented portion (790; 1190; 1390; 1490; 1590) forming another portion of the lateral surface (e.g., surface).

[0359] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a printed circuit board (340) disposed within the housing (310); and a support plate (750; 1150; 1350; 1450; 1550) disposed adjacent to the rear surface of the housing (310) and including a loop antenna (710; 1110; 1310; 1410; 1510).

[0360] According to one embodiment, the loop antenna may include a first loop portion (730; 1130; 1330; 1430; 1530) substantially forming a loop, and a second loop portion (740; 1140; 1340; 1440; 1540) substantially forming another loop, wherein the second loop portion may include a first protruding portion (780a; 1180a; 1381; 1481; 1580a), a second protruding portion (780b; 1180b; 1382; 1482; 1580b), and a third protruding portion (780c; 1180c; 1383; 1483; 1580c) located outside the first loop portion.

[0361] According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the first protruding portion or at least a portion of the second protruding portion may protrude toward the first side with respect to the first loop portion.

[0362] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion may extend at least to a first ending portion adjacent to the first segment of the support plate.

[0363] In one embodiment, the second protruding portion may extend at least to a second end adjacent to the second segment of the support plate.

[0364] According to one embodiment, the third protruding portion may extend between the first end and the second end such that the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion are connected through the third protruding portion.

[0365] According to one embodiment, the first loop portion includes a plurality of loop portions, and a distance between the third protruding portion and an outermost loop among the plurality of loop portions may be longer than a distance between two adjacent loop portions among the plurality of loop portions.

[0366] In one embodiment, the third protruding portion may overlap, when viewed from the first side, the non-conductive segmented portion, at least a portion of the first segment, and at least a portion of the second segment.

[0367] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion may be formed on a first surface of the support plate, and the third protruding portion may be formed on a second surface of the support plate that is different from the first surface.

[0368] According to one embodiment, the first protruding portion may extend to the second surface along a first through hole formed in the first end, and the second protruding portion may extend to the second surface along a second through hole formed in the second end.

[0369] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may further include an additional antenna formed between the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion. According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a housing (310) including a first conductive member (771; 1171; 1371; 1471; 1571) and a second conductive member (772; 1172; 1372; 1472; 1572) forming portions of an exterior side wall of the electronic device. The electronic device (101) may include a printed circuit board (340) disposed within the housing (310). The electronic device (101) may include a support plate (750; 1150; 1350; 1450; 1550) disposed within the housing (310). The electronic device (101) may include a near field communication (NFC) antenna provided on the support plate. The NFC antenna may include a first loop portion (730; 1130; 1330; 1430; 1530) and a second loop portion (740; 1140; 1340; 1440; 1540) disposed on the support plate. The first loop portion may be configured to radiate a signal in a direction passing through a rear side of the electronic device, and the second loop portion may be configured to radiate a signal in a direction passing through the outer side wall between the first conductive member and the second conductive member.

[0370] In one embodiment, the second loop portion may be at least partially disposed on a side edge of the support plate.

[0371] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described above, components included in the present disclosure are expressed in the singular or plural form, depending on the specific embodiment presented. However, the singular or plural expressions are selected to suit the presented situation for convenience of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components. Components expressed in the plural form may be composed of singular elements, or components expressed in the singular form may be composed of plural elements.

Claims

1. In an electronic device (101), A housing (310) comprising a first conductive member (771) and a second conductive member (772) forming portions of an exterior side wall of the electronic device; A loop antenna is disposed within the housing, wherein the loop antenna comprises a first loop portion (730) and a second loop portion (740). Including an IC (integrated circuit) arranged within the housing for driving the above loop antenna, An electronic device, wherein the first loop portion is configured to radiate a signal in a direction passing through a rear side of the electronic device, and the second loop portion is configured to radiate a signal in a direction passing through the outer side wall between the first conductive member and the second conductive member.

2. In paragraph 1, An electronic device, wherein the first loop portion is in a plane parallel to the rear surface of the electronic device.

3. In paragraph 1 or 2, An electronic device wherein the second loop portion is located between the outer side wall and the first loop portion.

4. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, An electronic device, wherein the second loop portion is in a plane parallel to the outer side wall of the electronic device.

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, The first conductive member and the second conductive member are separated by a non-conductive segment portion (790), An electronic device wherein the second loop portion overlaps at least a portion of the non-conductive segment portion when viewed from the first lateral surface.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, It further includes a support plate (750; 1150; 1350; 1450; 1550) arranged adjacent to the rear of the housing (310), and the loop antenna is arranged on the support substrate. The second loop portion includes a first protruding portion (780a), a second protruding portion (780b), and a third protruding portion (780c), The first protruding portion protrudes toward the first segment with respect to the first loop portion and extends at least to a first ending portion, The second protruding portion protrudes toward the second segment with respect to the first loop portion and extends at least to the second end, and An electronic device wherein the third protruding portion extends between the first end and the second end such that the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion are connected through the third protruding portion.

7. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 6, An electronic device, wherein the third protruding portion is set to generate a magnetic field at least in the first lateral direction.

8. In paragraph 6 or 7, An electronic device wherein the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion are formed on a first surface of the support plate, and the third protruding portion is formed on a second surface of the support plate opposite to the first surface.

9. In paragraph 8, An electronic device wherein the third protruding portion is at least partially in contact with a side surface of the support plate.

10. In paragraph 8, The first protruding portion extends to the second surface along the first through hole formed in the support plate, and An electronic device wherein the second protruding portion extends to the second surface along the second through hole formed in the support plate.

11. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 10, An electronic device, wherein the loop antenna further includes a third loop portion forming a loop substantially different from the first loop portion and the second loop portion.

12. In paragraph 11, The third loop portion includes a fourth protruding portion (1381), a fifth protruding portion (1382), and a sixth protruding portion (1383) located between the first loop portion and the second loop portion, The fourth protruding portion protrudes toward the first segment direction with respect to the first loop portion and extends at least to a third end adjacent to the first segment of the support plate, The fifth protruding portion protrudes toward the second segment with respect to the first loop portion and extends at least to the fourth end adjacent to the second segment of the support plate, and An electronic device wherein the sixth protruding portion extends between the third end and the fourth end such that the fourth protruding portion and the fifth protruding portion are connected through the sixth protruding portion.

13. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 12, An electronic device wherein the second loop portion is disposed at the outermost portion among a plurality of loop portions, including the first loop portion and the second loop portion, forming the loop antenna.

14. In paragraph 11, An electronic device wherein the above loop antenna forms a near field communication (NFC) antenna.

15. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 14, It further includes an additional antenna (1641; 1642) formed between the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion, The above additional antennas are electronic devices forming planar inverted f antennas (PIFAs) or patch antennas.

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