Antenna and electronic device including same

Abstract

According to various embodiments, an electronic device may comprise: a housing including a first conductive portion; a cover coupled to the housing; a display disposed in the housing to be at least partially visible from the outside through the cover; at least one conductive pattern which is disposed in the cover to be invisible from the outside of the electronic device and at least one point of which is electrically connected to the first conductive portion; and a wireless communication circuit configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal through the first conductive portion and the at least one conductive pattern.

Description

Antenna and electronic device including it

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an antenna and an electronic device including the same.

[0002] As functional gaps narrow across manufacturers, electronic devices are becoming increasingly slimmer to meet consumer purchasing demands. These devices are being developed to increase their rigidity, enhance their design, and differentiate their functional elements. As part of this trend, electronic devices may include at least one antenna, among their components, for communication. This antenna can be implemented through a metal bezel (e.g., a side member) that forms part of the electronic device's housing, and is being developed to enhance radiation performance.

[0003] The above information may be provided as background art to aid in understanding the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the above is applicable as prior art related to the present disclosure.

[0004] An electronic device (e.g., a portable communication device or a mobile terminal) may include at least one housing (e.g., a housing structure) that includes a space for accommodating electronic components. The housing may include a side member that serves as at least a portion of a side of the electronic device. The side member may be formed of a metal (e.g., a conductive member, a conductive portion, or a conductive material) and a polymer combined with a metal (e.g., a non-conductive member, a non-conductive portion, or a non-conductive material) for reinforcing the rigidity of the electronic device and / or performing a specific function (e.g., an antenna function). For example, the side member may include at least one conductive portion segmented by at least one non-conductive portion (e.g., a segmented portion, a gap, or a slit). The at least one conductive portion may be electrically connected to a wireless communication circuit of the electronic device, thereby functioning as at least one antenna (e.g., a bezel antenna or a metal frame antenna) that operates in at least one frequency band. For example, the at least one antenna may include at least one of a legacy antenna operating in a frequency band ranging from about 600 MHz to 6000 MHz, a 5G antenna operating in a frequency band ranging from about 3 GHz to 300 GHz, an ultra wide band (UWB) antenna operating in a frequency band ranging from about 6 GHz to 8.5 GHz, or a near field communication (NFC) antenna operating in a frequency band of about 13.56 MHz to perform communication at ultra-close range.

[0005] Electronic devices can be classified in various ways depending on the shape of the housing (e.g., housing structure). For example, the electronic device may include a bar-type electronic device including one housing, a foldable electronic device having a foldable housing structure in which a first housing and a second housing are rotatably connected to each other via a hinge module, a multi-foldable electronic device having a multi-foldable housing structure in which three or more housings are rotatably connected to each other via hinge modules, or a rollable electronic device having a sliding housing structure in which a first housing and a second housing are slidably connected to each other.

[0006] Electronic devices with such various structures are becoming increasingly slimmer, and through the arrangement of operating structures such as hinge modules, the effective volume of antennas operating through at least part of the side is gradually reduced, and it is difficult to secure an electrical length corresponding to the operating frequency band, which may deteriorate the radiation performance of the antenna.

[0007] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may provide an antenna and an electronic device including the same that may help improve radiation performance by increasing effective volume.

[0008] According to various embodiments, an antenna and an electronic device including the same can be provided that can help secure a sufficient electrical length corresponding to an operating frequency band.

[0009] However, the problem to be solved in this disclosure is not limited to the problem mentioned above, and may be expanded in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0010] According to various embodiments, an electronic device may include a housing including a first conductive portion, a cover coupled to the housing, a display arranged in the housing so as to be at least partially visible from the outside through the cover, at least one conductive pattern arranged in the cover so as not to be visible from the outside of the electronic device, the at least one point of which is electrically connected to the first conductive portion, and wireless communication circuitry configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal through the first conductive portion and the at least one conductive pattern.

[0011] An electronic device according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure includes an antenna in which both a conductive portion disposed as a part of a side surface and at least one conductive pattern disposed on an inner surface of a cover (e.g., a protective cover or a window layer) near the conductive portion are used as a radiator, thereby helping to improve the radiation performance of the antenna by securing an effective volume and electrical length of the antenna that can be reduced according to various operating structures and slimming of the electronic device.

[0012] In addition, various effects may be provided, either directly or indirectly, through this document.

[0013] The effects that can be obtained from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains from the description below.

[0014] In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for the same or similar components.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an electronic device illustrating a flat state or unfolded state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 2b is a drawing illustrating the front of an electronic device in an unfolded state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 2c is a drawing illustrating the rear side of an electronic device in an unfolded state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an electronic device illustrating a folded state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 3b is a perspective view of an electronic device illustrating an intermediate state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 4A is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 4b is a perspective view of a first protective cover according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram of a portion of an electronic device including a conductive pattern according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 5b is a cross-sectional perspective view of an electronic device taken along line 5b-5b of FIG. 5a according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 5c is a cross-sectional view of an electronic device taken along line 5b-5b of FIG. 5a according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 6 is a graph comparing radiation performance according to the presence or absence of a conductive pattern in the antenna of FIG. 5a according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device including a conductive pattern according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 8 is a graph comparing radiation performance according to the presence or absence of a conductive pattern in the antenna of FIG. 7 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIGS. 9A to 9G are schematic diagrams of electronic devices illustrating various arrangement structures of conductive patterns according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an electronic device including a conductive layer according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 11A is a front perspective view of a multi-foldable electronic device in an unfolded state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 11B is a rear perspective view of a multi-foldable electronic device in an unfolded state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 11C is a drawing illustrating one side of a multi-foldable electronic device in a folded state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 12A is a plan view of an electronic device in an extended state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view of an electronic device taken along line 12B-12B of FIG. 12A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 13A is a front perspective view of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 13b is a rear perspective view of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] 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 numerals 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.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to various embodiments.

[0040] 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)).

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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).

[0044] 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).

[0045] 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).

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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. In 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.

[0048] 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).

[0049] 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.

[0050] The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) to 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.

[0051] 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).

[0052] 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.

[0053] The camera module (180) can capture still images and moving images. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0054] 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).

[0055] 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.

[0056] The communication module (190) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may operate independently from the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, the corresponding communication module can communicate with an external electronic device (104) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules can be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) can verify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) by using subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0057] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following the 4G network, such as NR access technology (new radio access technology). The NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (104)), or a network system (e.g., the second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) can support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC realization.

[0058] 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).

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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)).

[0061] 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.

[0062] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an electronic device (300) in a flat state (or unfolding state) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating a front side of the electronic device (300) in a flat state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2C is a diagram illustrating a rear side of the electronic device (300) in a unfolding state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an electronic device (300) in a folded state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3B is a perspective view of an electronic device (300) in an intermediate state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0063] The electronic device (300) of FIGS. 2A to 3B may be at least partially similar to the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, or may further include other embodiments of the electronic device.

[0064] Referring to FIGS. 2A and 3B , an electronic device (300) (e.g., a portable communication device) may include a pair of housings (310, 320) (e.g., a foldable housing) that are rotatably coupled to face each other and foldable based on a hinge module (340) (e.g., a hinge device or a hinge structure). In some embodiments, the hinge modules (340) may be arranged in the x-axis direction or the y-axis direction. In some embodiments, two or more hinge modules (340) may be arranged so as to fold in the same direction or in different directions. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a first display (330) (e.g., a flexible display) that is arranged in an area formed by the pair of housings (310, 320). In one embodiment, the first housing (310) and the second housing (320) are arranged on both sides with respect to the folding axis (F) and may have a shape that is substantially symmetrical with respect to the folding axis (F). In one embodiment, the angle or distance between the first housing (310) and the second housing (320) may vary depending on whether the state of the electronic device (300) is a flat state (or unfolding state), a folding state, or an intermediate state.

[0065] According to various embodiments, a pair of housings (310, 320) may include a first housing (310) (e.g., a first housing structure) coupled with a hinge module (340) and a second housing (320) (e.g., a second housing structure) coupled with the hinge module (340). In one embodiment, the first housing (310) may include, in an unfolded state, a first surface (311) (e.g., a front surface) facing in a front direction (e.g., a z-axis direction) and a second surface (312) (e.g., a rear surface) facing in a rear direction (e.g., a -z-axis direction) opposite the first surface (311). In one embodiment, the second housing (320) may include, in an unfolded state, a third surface (321) (e.g., a front surface) facing in a front direction (e.g., a z-axis direction) and a fourth surface (322) (e.g., a rear surface) facing in a rear direction (e.g., a -z-axis direction). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may be operated in such a way that, in the unfolded state, the first surface (311) of the first housing (310) and the third surface (321) of the second housing (320) face substantially the same first direction (e.g., the z-axis direction), and in the folded state, the first surface (311) and the third surface (321) face each other. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may be operated in such a way that, in the unfolded state, the second surface (312) of the first housing (310) and the fourth surface (322) of the second housing (320) face substantially the same second direction (e.g., the -z-axis direction), and in the folded state, the second surface (312) and the fourth surface (322) face opposite directions. For example, in the folded state, the second side (312) may face in the first direction (e.g., the z-axis direction), and the fourth side (322) may face in the second direction (e.g., the -z-axis direction).

[0066] According to various embodiments, the first housing (310) may include a first side member (313) that at least partially forms an exterior of the electronic device (300) and a first rear cover (314) that is coupled with the first side member (313) and forms at least a portion of a second side (312) of the electronic device (300). In one embodiment, the first side member (313) may include a first side member (313a), a second side member (313b) that extends from one end of the first side member (313a), and a third side member (313c) that extends from the other end of the first side member (313a). In one embodiment, the first side member (313) may be formed into a rectangular (e.g., square or rectangular) shape through the first side member (313a), the second side member (313b), and the third side member (313c).

[0067] According to various embodiments, the second housing (320) may include a second side member (323) that at least partially forms an exterior of the electronic device (300) and a second rear cover (324) that is coupled with the second side member (323) and forms at least a portion of a fourth side (322) of the electronic device (300). In one embodiment, the second side member (323) may include a fourth side member (323a), a fifth side member (323b) that extends from one end of the fourth side member (323a), and a sixth side member (323c) that extends from the other end of the fourth side member (323a). In one embodiment, the second side member (323) may be formed into a rectangular shape through the fourth side member (323a), the fifth side member (323b), and the sixth side member (323c). In one embodiment, the first housing (310) and the second housing (320) may be configured as a foldable housing (e.g., a foldable housing structure or a housing structure).

[0068] According to various embodiments, the pair of housings (310, 320) are not limited to the illustrated shapes and combinations, and may be implemented by other shapes or combinations and / or combinations of parts. For example, in some embodiments, the first side member (313) may be formed integrally with the first rear cover (314), and the second side member (323) may be formed integrally with the second rear cover (324).

[0069] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may be configured such that, in an unfolded state, the second side (313b) of the first side member (313) and the fifth side (323b) of the second side member (323) are connected. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may be configured such that, in an unfolded state, the third side (313c) of the first side member (313) and the sixth side (323c) of the second side member (323) are connected. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may be configured such that, in an unfolded state, the combined length of the second side (313b) and the fifth side (323b) is longer than the length of the first side (313a) and / or the fourth side (323a). Additionally, the combined length of the third side (313c) and the sixth side (323c) may be configured to be longer than the length of the first side (313a) and / or the fourth side (323a).

[0070] According to various embodiments, the first side member (313) and / or the second side member (323) may further include a polymer formed of metal (e.g., a conductive member or conductive region) or injected into the metal (e.g., a non-conductive member or non-conductive region). In one embodiment, the first side member (313) and / or the second side member (323) may also include at least one conductive portion (316 and / or 326) electrically segmented via at least one non-conductive portion (3161, 3162, and / or 3261, 3262) formed of a polymer (e.g., a segment, a gap, or a slit). For example, a conductive portion (616) disposed on the first side member (313) and disposed through spaced-apart non-conductive portions (3162, 6162) may be electrically connected to a wireless communication circuit (e.g., a wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1) (e.g., a cellular communication module) disposed inside the electronic device (300) and thus may function as an antenna (A1). In one embodiment, another conductive portion (326) disposed on the second side member (323) and disposed through other spaced-apart non-conductive portions (3261, 3262) may be electrically connected to a wireless communication circuit (e.g., a wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1) (e.g., a cellular communication module) disposed inside the electronic device (300) and thus may function as another antenna (A2). For example, the antenna (A1) and another antenna (A2) may be operated in at least one designated frequency band (e.g., about 400 MHz to about 6000 MHz) (e.g., a legacy band).

[0071] According to various embodiments, the first rear cover (314) and / or the second rear cover (324) may be formed by, for example, at least one or a combination of two of coated or colored glass, ceramic, polymer, or metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium).

[0072] According to various embodiments, the first display (330) may be arranged to extend from a first side (311) of the first housing (310) across a hinge module (340) (e.g., a hinge structure or hinge assembly) to at least a portion of a third side (321) of the second housing (320). For example, the first display (330) may include a first portion (330a) substantially corresponding to the first side (311), a second portion (330b) substantially corresponding to the third side (321), and a third portion (330c) (e.g., a bendable region) connecting the first portion (330a) and the second portion (330b) and corresponding to the hinge module (340).

[0073] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may include a first protective cover (315) (e.g., a first cover, a first protective frame, a first protective member, or a first decorative member) coupled along an edge of the first housing (310). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a second protective cover (325) (e.g., a second cover, a second protective frame, a second protective member, or a second decorative member) coupled along an edge of the second housing (320). In one embodiment, the first protective cover (315) and / or the second protective cover (325) may be formed of a metal or polymer material. In one embodiment, the first protective cover (315) and / or the second protective cover (325) may be used as a decoration member. In one embodiment, the first display (330) may be positioned such that an edge (e.g., an edge) of the first portion (330a) is interposed between the first housing (310) and the first protective cover (315). In one embodiment, the first display (330) may be positioned such that an edge of the second portion (330b) is interposed between the second housing (320) and the second protective cover (325). In one embodiment, the first display (330) may be positioned such that an edge (e.g., an edge) of the first display (330) is protected by a protective cap (335) disposed in an area corresponding to the hinge module (340). Accordingly, the first display (330) may be substantially protected from the outside at the edge. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a hinge housing (341) (e.g., a hinge cover) that supports the hinge module (340) and is exposed to the outside when the electronic device (300) is in a folded state and is positioned so as to be invisible from the outside by being inserted into a first space (3101) of the first housing (310) and a second space (3201) of the second housing (320) when the electronic device (300) is in an unfolded state. In some embodiments, the first display (330) may be positioned to extend from at least a portion of the second surface (312) to at least a portion of the fourth surface (322).In this case, the electronic device (300) can be folded so that the first display (330) can be exposed to the outside (out-folding method).

[0074] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may include a second display (400) (e.g., a sub-display) that is arranged separately from the first display (330). In one embodiment, the second display (400) is arranged to be at least partially exposed on the second side (312) of the first housing (310), so that when in a folded state, it can replace the display function of the first display (330) and display status information of the electronic device (300). In one embodiment, the second display (400) may be arranged to be visible from the outside through at least a portion of the first rear cover (314). In some embodiments, the second display (400) may be arranged on the fourth side (322) of the second housing (320). In such a case, the second display (400) may be arranged to be visible from the outside through at least a portion of the second rear cover (324).

[0075] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may include at least one of an input device (303) (e.g., a microphone), an audio output device (301, 302), a sensor module (304), a camera device (305, 308), a key input device (306), or a connector port (307). In the illustrated embodiment, the input device (303) (e.g., a microphone), an audio output device (301, 302), a sensor module (304), a camera device (305, 308), a key input device (306), or a connector port (307) refers to a hole or shape formed in the first housing (310) or the second housing (320), but may also include an actual electronic component (e.g., an input device, an audio output device, a sensor module, or a camera device) disposed inside the electronic device (300) and operating through the hole or shape.

[0076] According to various embodiments, the input device (303) may include at least one microphone (303) disposed in the second housing (320). In some embodiments, the input device (303) may include a plurality of microphones (303) disposed so as to detect the direction of sound. In some embodiments, the plurality of microphones (303) may be disposed at appropriate locations in the first housing (310) and / or the second housing (320). In one embodiment, the audio output devices (301, 302) may include speakers (301, 302). In one embodiment, the speakers (301, 302) may include a call receiver (301) disposed in the first housing (310) and a speaker (302) disposed in the second housing (320). In some embodiments, the input device (303), the audio output device (301, 302), and the connector port (307) are disposed in a space provided in the first housing (310) and / or the second housing (320) of the electronic device (300) and can be exposed to the external environment through at least one hole formed in the first housing (310) and / or the second housing (320). In one embodiment, the at least one connector port (307) can be used to transmit and receive power and / or data with an external electronic device. In some embodiments, the at least one connector port (e.g., an ear jack hole) can also accommodate a connector (e.g., an ear jack) for transmitting and receiving audio signals with the external electronic device. In some embodiments, the hole formed in the first housing (310) and / or the second housing (320) can be used in common for the input device (303) and the audio output device (301, 302). In some embodiments, the audio output device (301, 302) may include a speaker (e.g., a piezo speaker) that operates without the holes formed in the first housing (310) and / or the second housing (320).

[0077] According to various embodiments, the sensor module (304) may generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to an internal operating state of the electronic device (300) or an external environmental state. The sensor module (304) may detect an external environment, for example, through a first surface (311) of the first housing (310). In some embodiments, the electronic device (300) may further include at least one sensor module arranged to detect an external environment through a second surface (312) of the first housing (310). In one embodiment, the sensor module (304) (e.g., an illuminance sensor) may be arranged under the first display (330) to detect an external environment through the first display (330). In one embodiment, the sensor module (304) may include at least one of a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an ambient light sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or an ambient light sensor.

[0078] According to various embodiments, the camera devices (305, 308) may include a first camera device (305) (e.g., a front camera device) disposed on a first side (311) of a first housing (310) and a second camera device (308) disposed on a second side (312) of the first housing (310). The electronic device (300) may further include a flash (309) disposed near the second camera device (308). In one embodiment, the camera devices (305, 308) may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, and / or an image signal processor. The flash (309) may include, for example, a light emitting diode or a xenon lamp. In one embodiment, the camera devices (305, 308) may be arranged such that two or more lenses (e.g., a wide-angle lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, or a telephoto lens) and image sensors are positioned on one side of the electronic device (300) (e.g., a first side (311), a second side (312), a third side (321), or a fourth side (322)). In some embodiments, the camera devices (305, 308) may also include lenses and / or image sensors for time of flight (TOF).

[0079] According to various embodiments, the key input device (306) (e.g., a key button) may be disposed on a third side (313c) of the first side member (313) of the first housing (310). In some embodiments, the key input device (306) may also be disposed on at least one of the other sides (313a, 313b) of the first housing (310) and / or the sides (323a, 323b, 323c) of the second housing (320). In some embodiments, the electronic device (300) may not include some or all of the key input devices (306), and the key input devices (306) that are not included may be implemented in another form, such as a soft key, on the first display (330). In some embodiments, the key input device (306) may be implemented using a pressure sensor included in the first display (330).

[0080] According to various embodiments, some of the camera devices (305, 308) (e.g., the first camera device (305)) or the sensor module (304) may be arranged to be exposed through the first display (330). For example, the first camera device (305) or the sensor module (304) may be arranged to be in contact with the external environment through an opening (e.g., a through hole) at least partially formed in the first display (330) in the internal space of the electronic device (300). In another embodiment, some of the sensor modules (304) may be arranged to perform their functions without being visually exposed through the first display (330) in the internal space of the electronic device (300). For example, in this case, the opening may be omitted from the area of ​​the first display (330) that faces the sensor module (304).

[0081] Referring to FIG. 3B, the electronic device (300) may be operated to maintain an intermediate state via the hinge module (340). In one embodiment, in the intermediate state, the electronic device (300) may control the first display (330) to display different contents on the display area corresponding to the first side (311) and the display area corresponding to the third side (321). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may be operated in a substantially unfolded state (e.g., the unfolded state of FIG. 2A) and / or a substantially folded state (e.g., the folded state of FIG. 3A) based on a certain inflection angle (e.g., the angle between the first housing (310) and the second housing (320) when in the intermediate state) via the hinge module (340). For example, the electronic device (300) may be operated to transition to an unfolded state (e.g., the unfolded state of FIG. 2a) when a pressure is applied in the unfolding direction (R1 direction) from an intermediate state in which the device is unfolded at a certain inflection angle through the hinge module (340). For example, the electronic device (300) may be operated to transition to a closed state (e.g., the folded state of FIG. 3a) when a pressure is applied in the folding direction (R2 direction) from an intermediate state in which the device is unfolded at a certain inflection angle through the hinge module (340). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may be operated to maintain an unfolded state (not shown) at various angles through the hinge module (340).

[0082] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may include at least one conductive pattern (3151) (e.g., a conductive layer or a conductor) disposed between the first housing (310) and the first protective cover (315). In one embodiment, the at least one conductive pattern (3151) may be disposed on an inner surface of the first protective cover (315) (e.g., the inner surface (315a) of FIG. 4B ) so as to be invisible from the outside. In one embodiment, the at least one conductive pattern (3151) may be electrically connected at least at one point to a conductive portion (316) used as an antenna, so as to be used as a part of the antenna (A1). For example, the at least one conductive pattern (3151) may help improve radiation performance (e.g., gain) by increasing an effective volume of the antenna (A1) operating through the conductive portion (316). In one embodiment, at least one conductive pattern (3151) may assist in frequency shift or bandwidth expansion by extending the electrical length of an antenna (A1) operating through a conductive portion (316). In some embodiments, the electronic device (300) may be arranged on the inner surface of a second protective cover (325) in a manner substantially identical to the arrangement structure disposed on the first protective cover (315) and configured to assist in improving the radiation performance of another antenna (A2) operating through another conductive portion (326).

[0083] FIG. 4A is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 4B is a perspective view of a first protective cover according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0084] Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B , the electronic device (300) may include a first side member (313) (e.g., a first side frame), a second side member (323) (e.g., a second side frame), and a hinge module (340) (e.g., a hinge structure or a hinge assembly) that rotatably connects the first side member (213) and the second side member (223). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a first extension member (3131) that extends at least partially from the first side member (313), or a second extension member (3231) that extends at least partially from the second side member (323). In one embodiment, the first extension member (3131) may include a first face (3131a) facing the front direction of the electronic device (300) (e.g., in the z-axis direction) and a second face (3131b) facing in a direction opposite to the first face (3131a) (e.g., in the -z-axis direction). In one embodiment, the second extension member (3231) may include a third face (3231a) facing in the front direction (e.g., in the z-axis direction) and a fourth face (3231b) facing in a direction opposite to the third face (3231a) (e.g., in the -z-axis direction). In one embodiment, the first extension member (3131) may be formed integrally with the first side member (313) or may be structurally coupled with the first side member (313). In one embodiment, the second extension member (3231) may be formed integrally with the second side member (323) or structurally coupled with the second side member (323). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a first display (330) arranged to be supported by a first side (3131a) of the first extension member (3131) and a third side (3231a) of the second extension member (3231).In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a first back cover (314) coupled with the first side member (313) and providing a first space (e.g., first space (3101) of FIG. 2B) between the first side member (313) and the second side member (323) and providing a second space (e.g., second space (3201) of FIG. 2B) between the second side member (323) and the fourth side member (3231) of the second extension member (3231). In one embodiment, the first side member (313) and the first back cover (314) may be formed integrally. In one embodiment, the second side member (323) and the second back cover (324) may be formed integrally. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a first housing (e.g., the first housing (310) of FIG. 2A) (e.g., the first housing structure) provided through a first side member (313), a first extension member (3131), and a first rear cover (314). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a second housing (e.g., the second housing (320) of FIG. 2A) (e.g., the second housing structure) provided through a second side member (323), a second extension member (3231), and a second rear cover (324). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a second display (400) positioned between the first rear cover (314) and a second side (3131b) of the first extension member (3131) so as to be visible from the outside through at least a portion of the first rear cover (314).

[0085] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may include a first substrate (361) (e.g., a first printed circuit board (PCB) or main printed circuit board) disposed in a first space between a first side member (313) and a first rear cover (314), a camera assembly (363), a first battery (371), or a first bracket (351). In one embodiment, the camera assembly (363) may include a plurality of camera devices (e.g., camera devices (305, 308) of FIGS. 2A and 3A) and may be electrically connected to the first substrate assembly (361). In one embodiment, the first bracket (351) may provide a support structure and enhanced rigidity for supporting the first substrate (361) and / or the camera assembly (363).

[0086] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may include a second substrate (362) (e.g., a second PCB or sub-printed circuit board), a conductive coil (390) (e.g., an antenna member), a second battery (372), or a second bracket (352) disposed in a second space between the second side member (323) and the second rear cover (324). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a wiring member (380) (e.g., a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB)) that extends from the first substrate (361) across the hinge module (340) to a plurality of electronic components (e.g., a second substrate (362), a second battery (372), or a conductive coil (390)) disposed between the second side member (323) and the second rear cover (324) and provides an electrical connection. In one embodiment, the conductive coil (390) may operate as at least one of a near field communication (NFC) antenna, a wireless charging antenna, and / or a magnetic secure transmission (MST) antenna. The conductive coil (390) may, for example, perform short-range communication with an external device or wirelessly transmit and receive power required for charging.

[0087] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may include a hinge housing (341) (e.g., a hinge cover) that supports the hinge module (340) and is exposed to the outside when the electronic device (300) is in a folded state (e.g., the folded state of FIG. 3A) and is positioned so as to be invisible from the outside by being introduced into the first space and / or the second space when the electronic device (300) is in an unfolded state (e.g., the unfolded state of FIG. 2A).

[0088] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may include a first protective cover (315) coupled along an edge of the first side member (313). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a second protective cover (325) coupled along an edge of the second side member (323). In one embodiment, the first display (330) may have an edge (e.g., an edge) of a first planar portion (e.g., a first portion (330a) of FIG. 3B) protected by the first protective cover (315). In one embodiment, the first display (330) may have an edge (e.g., an edge) of a second planar portion (e.g., a second portion (330b) of FIG. 3B) protected by the second protective cover (325). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a protective cap (335) positioned to protect an edge of a flexible portion (e.g., the third portion (330c) of FIG. 3B) corresponding to a hinge module (340) of the first display (330). In some embodiments, the protective cap (335) and / or the protective covers (315, 325) may be omitted.

[0089] According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device (300) may include at least one conductive pattern (3151) disposed between the first side member (313) of the first housing (310) and the first protective cover (315). In one embodiment, the at least one conductive pattern (3151) may be disposed on the inner surface (315a) of the first protective cover (315), so as to be invisible from the outside. In one embodiment, the at least one conductive pattern (3151) may be used as an additional antenna radiator that is connected to a wireless communication circuit (e.g., a wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1) and electrically connected to at least a portion (e.g., a conductive portion (316) of FIG. 3A) of the first side member (313) used as an antenna (e.g., an antenna (A1) of FIG. 3A). In one embodiment, at least one conductive pattern (3151) can be in direct physical contact with the conductive portion (316) at least at one point. In some embodiments, at least one conductive pattern (3151) can be indirectly electrically connected by being positioned at a position that is at least partially coupleable with the conductive portion. In one embodiment, at least one conductive line pattern (3151) can help to improve the gain by increasing the effective volume of the antenna (A1), or to improve the radiation performance, such as by shifting the operating frequency band and / or expanding the bandwidth.

[0090] FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram of a portion of an electronic device including a conductive pattern according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional perspective view of the electronic device taken along line 5b-5b of FIG. 5A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view of the electronic device taken along line 5b-5b of FIG. 5A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0091] Referring to FIGS. 5A to 5C , the electronic device (300) may include a first housing (310) and a second housing (e.g., the second housing (320) of FIG. 2B ) that is foldably connected to the first housing (310) via a hinge module (e.g., the hinge module (340) of FIG. 2B ). In one embodiment, the first housing (310) may include a first side member (313) that is at least partially formed of a conductive material (e.g., metal). In one embodiment, the first side member (313) may be formed as at least a portion of a side surface of the electronic device (300) (e.g., the first side surface (313a) of FIG. 2B ), thereby being arranged to be visible from the outside. In one embodiment, the first side member (313) may include a first non-conductive portion (3161) (e.g., a first segment, a first slit, or a first gap), a second non-conductive portion (3162) (e.g., a second segment, a second slit, or a second gap) disposed at a location spaced from the first non-conductive portion (3161), and a first conductive portion (316) disposed between the first non-conductive portion (3161) and the second non-conductive portion (162). In one embodiment, the first side member (313) may include a second conductive portion (317) disposed opposite the first conductive portion (316) with a first non-conductive portion (3161) therebetween, and a third conductive portion (318) disposed opposite the first conductive portion (316) with a second non-conductive portion (3162) therebetween. In one embodiment, the first conductive portion (316) may be configured to operate as an antenna (A1) configured to transmit and / or receive a wireless signal in a designated frequency band (e.g., a legacy band) through a wireless communication circuit (F1) (e.g., a wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1) (e.g., a feed point or a feed line) disposed in the internal space (3101) of the electronic device (300) at a first point (L1). In one embodiment, the second conductive portion (317) and / or the third conductive portion (318) may also be configured to operate as antennas operating in another frequency band.In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a first extension member (3131) disposed in the interior space (3101). In one embodiment, the first extension member (3131) may extend from the first side member (313) or be structurally coupled with the first side member (313). In one embodiment, the first extension member (3131) may include a conductive material (e.g., metal) and a non-conductive material (e.g., polymer) coupled with the conductive material. In one embodiment, the first extension member (3131) may be formed by coupling the conductive material and the non-conductive material through insert injection or through a structural coupling.

[0092] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may include a first protective cover (315) disposed along an outer edge of the first side member (313) and disposed between the first side member (313) and a first display (330) (e.g., a flexible display). For example, the first protective cover (315) may be formed of a non-conductive material (e.g., a dielectric). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a conductive pattern (3151) disposed on an inner surface (315a) of the first protective cover (315). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) may be electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) at a second point (L2) between the first point (L1) and the second non-conductive portion (3162). Through this electrical connection structure, the conductive pattern (3151) can also function as a single antenna radiator together with the first conductive portion (316), thereby helping to increase the effective volume of the antenna (A1). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) can be electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) at a third point (L3) between the first point (L1) and the first non-conductive portion (3161). In one embodiment, the second point (L2) or the third point (L3) can be distal ends of the first conductive portion (316) adjacent to the second and first non-conductive portions (3162, 3161), respectively. In some embodiments, the second point (L2) and / or the third point (L3) may be a portion of the first conductive portion (316) that is spaced apart from the second and first non-conductive portions (3162, 3161).

[0093] According to various embodiments, a designated separation distance may be provided between the conductive pattern (3151) and the first conductive portion (316). In one embodiment, the designated separation distance may be within about 3 mm. In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) may be arranged to be capacitively coupled with the first conductive portion (316). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) may be formed in a pattern manner on the inner surface (315a) of the first protective cover (315). In some embodiments, the conductive pattern (3151) may include at least one conductive tape attached to the inner surface (315a) of the first protective cover (315). In some embodiments, the conductive pattern (3151) may include at least one metal plate attached to the inner surface (315a) of the first protective cover (315). In some embodiments, the conductive pattern (3151) may include a conductive paint applied to at least one point on the inner surface (315a) of the first protective cover (315). In some embodiments, the conductive pattern (3151) may also include at least one conductor that is embedded in the interior of the first protective cover (315) when the first protective cover (315) is injection-molded. In one embodiment, when the conductive pattern (3151) is disposed on the inner surface (315a) of the first protective cover (315), the conductive pattern (3151) may come into contact with the inner surface (313d) of the first side member (313) only by a process in which the first protective cover (315) is mounted on the first side member (313) of the first housing (310) with the edge of the first display (330) interposed therebetween.

[0094] According to various embodiments, the conductive pattern (3151) may be electrically connected to at least one point of the first conductive portion (316), thereby serving as an additional radiator for the antenna (A1). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) may be electrically connected in a manner that physically contacts the first conductive portion (316). In some embodiments, the conductive pattern (3151) may be spaced apart from the first conductive portion (316) and electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) in a coupleable manner. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the conductive pattern (3151) may be electrically connected to a ground of the electronic device (300).

[0095] According to various embodiments, the first protective cover (315) may include a first portion (315b) (e.g., the first protective cover portion) forming another portion of a side surface of the first side member (313) (e.g., the first side surface (313a) of FIG. 2B) and / or a second portion (315c) (e.g., the second protective cover portion) extending from the first portion (315b) and forming at least a portion of a front surface (e.g., the first side surface (211) of FIG. 2B). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) may be disposed in the first portion (315b) so as to be spaced apart from the side surface (331) of the first display (330). In some embodiments, the conductive pattern (3151) may also be disposed in the second portion (315c) so as to be spaced apart from the side surface (331) of the first display (330). In some embodiments, the conductive pattern (3151) may be arranged such that it extends from at least a portion of the first portion (315b) to at least a portion of the second portion (315c). In one embodiment, when the first display (330) is viewed from above, the conductive pattern (3151) may be positioned in an area corresponding to the first conductive portion (316). In some embodiments, the conductive pattern (3151) may be arranged such that it extends to at least a portion of the second conductive portion (317) or to at least a portion of the third conductive portion (318). In some embodiments, the conductive pattern (3151) may be arranged such that it has a shorter length than the first conductive portion (316). In some embodiments, the conductive pattern (3151) may be positioned at at least one of a position corresponding to at least a portion of the first conductive portion (316), a position corresponding to at least a portion of the second conductive portion (317), or a position corresponding to at least a portion of the third conductive portion (318).

[0096] According to various embodiments, when the conductive pattern (3151) is not present, the antenna (A1) using the first conductive portion (316) may have a first effective volume (D1), as illustrated in FIG. 5C. In one embodiment, the antenna (A1) including the conductive pattern (3151) attached to the inner surface (315a) of the first protective cover (315) and electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) may additionally have a second effective volume (D2) formed by the conductive pattern in addition to the first effective volume (D1). The antenna (A1) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may have improved radiation performance by being set to have a relatively large effective volume through the conductive pattern (3151).

[0097] FIG. 6 is a graph comparing radiation performance according to the presence or absence of a conductive pattern in the antenna of FIG. 5a according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0098] Referring to FIG. 6, it can be seen that a relatively higher gain is secured when the conductive pattern (3151) disposed on the inner surface (315a) of the first protective cover (315) is electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) and used as an additional radiator (602 graph) than when the conductive pattern (3151) is not disposed on the inner surface (315a) of the first protective cover (315) and only the first conductive portion (316) is used as an antenna (601 graph). This may mean that the radiation performance is improved by increasing the effective volume of the antenna (A1) by using the conductive pattern (3151) as an additional radiator for the first conductive portion (316).

[0099] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device including a conductive pattern according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0100] In describing the electronic device (300) of FIG. 7, the same symbols are given to components that are substantially the same as those of the electronic devices (300) of FIGS. 5A to 5C, and a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0101] Referring to FIG. 7, the electronic device (300) may include a first housing (310) and a second housing (320) foldably connected to the first housing (310) via a hinge module (e.g., the hinge module (340) of FIG. 2b). In one embodiment, the first housing (310) may include a first side member (313) that forms a portion of the exterior of the electronic device (300). In one embodiment, the first side member (313) may include a first side member (313a), a second side member (313b) extending in a vertical direction from one end of the first side member (313a), and a third side member (313c) extending in a parallel direction to the second side member (313b) from the other end of the first side member (313a). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a first conductive portion (316) disposed between a first non-conductive portion (3161) and a second non-conductive portion (3162) on a first side (313a). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a second conductive portion (317) disposed opposite the first conductive portion (316) with the first non-conductive portion (3161) interposed therebetween, and a third conductive portion (318) disposed opposite the first conductive portion (316) with the second non-conductive portion (3162) interposed therebetween. In one embodiment, the second conductive portion (317) may extend from the first side (313a) to at least a portion of the second side (313b). In one embodiment, the third conductive portion (318) may extend from the first side (313a) to at least a portion of the third side (313c). In some embodiments, the first conductive portion (316) may extend from the first side (313a) to at least a portion of the second side (313b), or may extend to at least a portion of the third side (313c). In one embodiment, the first conductive portion (316) may be electrically connected to a wireless communication circuit (F1) (e.g., a wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1 ) disposed in the electronic device (300) via the first point (L1).In one embodiment, the first conductive portion (316) may be electrically connected to a ground (G) of the electronic device (300) between the first point (L1) and the first non-conductive portion (3161). For example, the ground (G1) of the electronic device (300) may include the ground (G) of a first substrate (e.g., the first substrate (361) of FIG. 4) disposed in the first housing (310).

[0102] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may include a protective cover (315) (e.g., a protective member, a decorative member, or a protective frame) disposed near a first conductive portion (316) in a first housing (310). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include a conductive pattern (3151) disposed between the protective cover (315) and a first extension member (e.g., the first extension member (3131) of FIG. 5B) and / or a first side member (313). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) may be disposed on an inner surface of the protective cover (315) (e.g., the inner surface (315a) of FIG. 5B). In some embodiments, the conductive pattern (3151) may be disposed on at least a portion of a non-conductive area of ​​the first extension member (3131).

[0103] According to various embodiments, the conductive pattern (3151) can be electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) at a second point (L2) between the first point (L1) and the second non-conductive portion (3162). In one embodiment, the second point (L2) can be an open end of the first conductive portion (316) located near the second non-conductive portion (3162). In one embodiment, the first conductive portion (316) and the conductive pattern (3151) electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) can be operated as an antenna (A1) configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal in a designated frequency band via a wireless communication circuit (F1). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) can assist in extending the electrical length of the antenna (A1).

[0104] FIG. 8 is a graph comparing radiation performance according to the presence or absence of a conductive pattern in the antenna of FIG. 7 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 8, it can be seen that when the conductive pattern (3151) is not arranged on the inner surface (315a) of the first protective cover (315) and only the first conductive portion (316) is used as an antenna (graph 801), the frequency band is shifted to a relatively lower band when the conductive pattern (3151) arranged on the inner surface (315a) of the first protective cover (315) is electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) and used as an additional radiator (graph 802). This may mean that the operating frequency band of the antenna (A1) may be shifted by the conductive pattern (3151) being used as an additional radiator for the first conductive portion (316).

[0106] FIGS. 9A to 9G are schematic diagrams of electronic devices illustrating various arrangement structures of conductive patterns according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0107] In describing the electronic device (300) of FIGS. 9A to 9G, the same reference numerals are given to components that are substantially the same as those of the electronic device (300) of FIG. 7, and a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0108] Referring to FIG. 9A, the first conductive portion (316) can be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit (F1) at a first point (L1) between the first non-conductive portion (3161) and the second non-conductive portion (3162). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) disposed on the first protective cover (315) can be electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) at a second point (L2) between the first point (L1) and the second non-conductive portion (3162). In one embodiment, the second point (L2) can be located at or near the middle point of the first conductive portion (316). In this case, the antenna (A1) using the first conductive portion (316) and the conductive pattern (3151) can operate as a multi-band antenna in different frequency bands.

[0109] Referring to FIG. 9B, the first conductive portion (316) may be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit (F1) at a first point (L1) between the first non-conductive portion (3161) and the second non-conductive portion (3162). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) disposed on the first protective cover (315) may be electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) at a second point (L2) between the first point (L1) and the second non-conductive portion (3162). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) may be electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) at a third point (L3) between the first point (L1) and the first non-conductive portion (3161). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) can be electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) at a fourth point (L4) between the first point (L1) and the second point (L2). In one embodiment, the antenna (A1) can be helped to increase the effective volume by having a reinforced electrical connection structure in which the conductive pattern (3151) is electrically connected to the first conductive portion at three different points (L2, L3, L4).

[0110] Referring to FIG. 9C, the first conductive portion (316) can be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit (F1) at a first point (L1) between the first non-conductive portion (3161) and the second non-conductive portion (3162). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) disposed on the first protective cover (315) can be electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) at a second point (L2) between the first point (L1) and the second non-conductive portion (3162). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) can be electrically connected to a third point (L3) of the third conductive portion (318). In one embodiment, the third conductive portion (318) can also be used as an antenna (A1) together with the first conductive portion (316) through the electrical connection structure of the conductive pattern (3151). For example, this structure may be advantageous when the second non-conductive portion (3162) of the first housing (310) needs to be aligned with the non-conductive portion (3262 of FIG. 3A) of the second housing (320) in the folded state, and the third conductive portion (318) needs to be used as an extended antenna radiator for the first conductive portion (316).

[0111] Referring to FIG. 9D, the electronic device (300) may include a fourth conductive portion (319) disposed to face the third conductive portion (318) through a third non-conductive portion (3163). In one embodiment, the first conductive portion (316) may be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit (F1) at a first point (L1) between the first non-conductive portion (3161) and the second non-conductive portion (3162). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) disposed on the first protective cover (315) may be electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) at a second point (L2) between the first point (L1) and the second non-conductive portion (3162). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) may be electrically connected to a third point (L3) of the third conductive portion (318). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) may be electrically connected to a fourth point (L4) of the fourth conductive portion (319). In one embodiment, the third conductive portion (318) and the fourth conductive portion (319) may also be used as an antenna (A1) together with the first conductive portion (316) through the electrical connection structure of the conductive pattern (3151).

[0112] Referring to FIG. 9E, the first conductive portion (316) may be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit (F1) at a first point (L1) between the first non-conductive portion (3161) and the second non-conductive portion (3162). In one embodiment, one end of the conductive pattern (3151) disposed on the first protective cover (315) may be electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) at a second point (L2) between the first point (L1) and the second non-conductive portion (3162). In one embodiment, the other end of the conductive pattern (3151) may be electrically connected to the ground (G) of the electronic device (300). In this case, when a design constraint occurs in which a part of the first conductive portion (316) is not connected to the ground (G), the conductive pattern (3151) may be used to connect to the ground, thereby helping in efficient design changes.

[0113] Referring to FIG. 9F, the first conductive portion (316) may be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit (F1) at a first point (L1) between the first non-conductive portion (3161) and the second non-conductive portion (3162). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) disposed on the first protective cover (315) may be arranged to be at least partially capacitively coupled to the first conductive portion (316). For example, the conductive pattern (3151) may be electromagnetically connected to the first conductive portion (316). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) may be electrically connected to the ground (G) of the electronic device (300). In this case, the antenna (A1) operating using the first conductive portion (316) can be assisted in low band shift or bandwidth expansion through the conductive pattern (3151) arranged to be coupled with the first conductive portion (316).

[0114] Referring to FIG. 9g, the first conductive portion (316) may be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit (F1) at a first point (L1) between the first non-conductive portion (3161) and the second non-conductive portion (3162). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern may include a first conductive pattern (3151) electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) at a second point (L2) between the first point (L1) and the second non-conductive portion (3162), and a second conductive pattern (3151-1) electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316) at a third point (L3) between the second point (L2) and the first point (L1). In one embodiment, the first conductive pattern (3151) and the second conductive pattern (3151-1) may be spaced apart from each other by a specified interval in the first protective cover (315). In this case, the antenna (A1) using the first conductive portion (316) and two conductive patterns (3151, 3151-1) can operate as a multi-band antenna in different frequency bands. In some embodiments, the conductive patterns may include three or more conductive patterns spaced apart from the first protective cover (315) and at least one conductive pattern electrically connected to the first conductive portion (316).

[0115] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an electronic device including a conductive layer according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0116] Referring to FIG. 10, the electronic device (300) may include a first display (330) (e.g., a flexible display) arranged to be supported by a first housing (310) and a second housing (e.g., the second housing (320) of FIG. 2B). In one embodiment, the first display (330) may include a display panel (430), a POL (420) laminated on an upper surface (e.g., in the +z-axis direction) of the display panel (430), a window layer (410), and a polymer layer (440) and / or a support plate (450) laminated on a back surface (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) of the display panel (430). In one embodiment, the window layer (410), the polarizing layer (420), the display panel (430), the polymer layer (440), and / or the support plate (450) may be attached to each other via adhesives (P1, P2, P3, P4) (or adhesives). In some embodiments, the support plate (450) may also be attached to an additional reinforcing plate (not shown) disposed between the support plate (450) and the housings (110, 120) via the adhesives. In one embodiment, the window layer (410) may include a first layer (411) formed of a polymer (e.g., a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer or a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) layer) and a second layer (412) formed of glass (e.g., an ultra-thin glass (UTG) layer) disposed below the first layer (411). In some embodiments, the polarizing layer (420) may be omitted.

[0117] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may omit the protective cover (e.g., the first protective cover (315) of FIG. 5B) arranged to protect the edge of the first display (330). In this case, in one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3154) (e.g., the conductive pattern (3151) of FIG. 2B) may be arranged on the back surface of the first layer (411) of the window layer (410). In some embodiments, the conductive pattern (3154) may be arranged on the second layer (412) of the window layer (410). In some embodiments, the conductive pattern (3154) may be arranged on the outer surface of a molding member that is applied and cured to protect the edge of the first display (330), or may be arranged in a manner that it is embedded in the interior of the molding member.

[0118] FIG. 11A is a front perspective view of a multi-foldable electronic device in an unfolded state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 11B is a rear perspective view of a multi-foldable electronic device in an unfolded state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 11C is a diagram illustrating one side of a multi-foldable electronic device in a folded state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0119] The multi-foldable electronic device (600) of FIGS. 11A to 11C may be at least partially similar to the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, or may further include other embodiments of the multi-foldable electronic device.

[0120] Referring to FIGS. 11A to 11C , a multi-foldable electronic device (600) (e.g., a portable communication device or an electronic device) may include a first housing (610), a second housing (620) that is rotatably connected to the first housing (610) in a direction (e.g., right) of one side (e.g., right) of the first housing (610) (e.g., x-axis direction) with respect to a first folding axis (F1) via a first hinge assembly (not shown), and a third housing (630) (e.g., third housing portion) that is rotatably connected to the first housing (610) in a direction (e.g., left) of the first housing (610) (e.g., -x-axis direction) with respect to a second folding axis (F2) via a second hinge assembly (not shown). In one embodiment, the first hinge assembly may include a first hinge housing (666) that accommodates at least one first hinge module (e.g., a first hinge device or a first hinge module) that connects the first housing (610) and the second housing (620), and the second hinge assembly may include a second hinge housing (667) that accommodates at least one second hinge module (e.g., a second hinge device or a second hinge module) that connects the first housing (610) and the third housing (630). In one embodiment, the size of at least one first hinge module (e.g., narrow hinge module) of the first hinge assembly connecting the first housing (610) and the second housing (620) may be smaller than the size of at least one second hinge module (e.g., wide hinge module) of the second hinge assembly connecting the first housing (610) and the third housing (630) and folding the flexible display (640) in a folded state. Through this configuration, the second hinge housing (667) may have a first receiving width (W1), and the first hinge housing (666) may have a second receiving width (W2) smaller than the first receiving width (W1).In one embodiment, the multi-foldable electronic device (600) may include a flexible display (640) (e.g., a first display) that is arranged to be supported by a first housing (610), a second housing (620), and a third housing (630). In one embodiment, the multi-foldable electronic device (600) may include a sub-display (650) (e.g., a second display) that is arranged through the third housing (630). In this document, the side on which the flexible display (640) is arranged may be defined as the front side of the multi-foldable electronic device (600), and the side opposite the front side may be defined as the back side of the multi-foldable electronic device (600). In one embodiment, the side surrounding the space between the front side and the back side may be defined as the side surface of the electronic device (600).

[0121] According to various embodiments, the first housing (610) may include a first side (611), a second side (612) facing in an opposite direction from the first side (611), and a first side member (613) surrounding a first space between the first side (611) and the second side (612). In one embodiment, at least a portion of the first side member (613) may form at least a portion of a side of the multi-foldable electronic device (600). In one embodiment, the first side member (613) may include a first side (6131) and a second side (6132) positioned opposite the first side (6131). In one embodiment, the first housing (610) may include a first rear cover (614) coupled with the first side member (613). In one embodiment, the first space may be formed through a first rear cover (614) coupled with a first side member (613) on a second surface (612) of the first housing (610).

[0122] According to various embodiments, the second housing (620) may include a third side (621), a fourth side (622) facing opposite to the third side (621), and a second side member (623) surrounding a second space between the third side (621) and the fourth side (622). In one embodiment, at least a portion of the second side member (623) may form at least a portion of a side surface of the multi-foldable electronic device (600). In one embodiment, the second side member (623) may include a third side surface (6231), a fourth side surface (6232) extending perpendicularly from the third side surface (6231), and a fifth side surface (6233) extending from the fourth side surface (6232) and being parallel to the third side surface (6231). In one embodiment, the second housing (620) may include a second rear cover (624) coupled with the second side surface (623). In one embodiment, the second space may be formed through a second rear cover (624) coupled with a second side member (623) on the fourth surface (622).

[0123] According to various embodiments, the third housing (630) may include a fifth side (631), a sixth side (632) facing opposite to the fifth side (631), and a third side member (633) surrounding a third space between the fifth side (631) and the sixth side (632). In one embodiment, at least a portion of the third side member (633) may form at least a portion of a side surface of the multi-foldable electronic device (600). In one embodiment, the third side member (633) may include a sixth side surface (6331), a seventh side surface (6332) extending perpendicularly from the sixth side surface (6331), and an eighth side surface (6333) extending from the seventh side surface (6332) and being parallel to the sixth side surface (6331). In one embodiment, the third space may be formed through a third rear cover (634) coupled with a third side member (633) on the sixth side (6331).

[0124] According to various embodiments, the multi-foldable electronic device (600) may be configured such that, in an unfolded state (e.g., a first state), the first housing (610), the second housing (620), and the third housing (630) are positioned side by side so that the first side (611), the third side (621), and the fifth side (631) face the same direction. In one embodiment, the multi-foldable electronic device (600) may be configured such that, in a folded state (e.g., a second state), the first housing (610), the second housing (620), and the third housing (630) are positioned in a sequentially stacked manner so that the first side (611) and the third side (621) face each other, and the fourth side (622) and the fifth side (631) face each other. In such a case, the second side (612) and the sixth side (632) may be visible from the outside, and the third side (621) and the fourth side (622) may be positioned so as not to be visible from the outside through the first housing (610) and the third housing (630). In one embodiment, the sub-display (650) may be positioned so as to be visible from the outside through at least a portion of the sixth side (632) in the unfolded and / or folded states.

[0125] According to various embodiments, the multi-foldable electronic device (600) may include a first protective cover (661) (e.g., a first decorative member) and a second protective cover (662) (e.g., a second decorative member) disposed in a first housing (610) and arranged to cover an edge of a flexible display (640). In one embodiment, the first protective cover (661) may be disposed along a first side (6131) of the first housing (610), and the second protective cover (662) may be disposed along a second side (6132). In one embodiment, an edge of the flexible display (640) corresponding to the first housing (610) may be concealed from the outside through the first and second protective covers (661, 662). In one embodiment, the multi-foldable electronic device (600) may include a third protective cover (663) (e.g., a third decorative member) disposed in the second housing (620) and arranged to cover an edge of the flexible display (640). In one embodiment, the third protective cover (663) may be disposed along a third side (6231), a fourth side (6232), and a fifth side (6233) of the second housing (620). In one embodiment, an edge of the flexible display (640) corresponding to the second housing (620) may be concealed from the outside through the third protective cover (663). In one embodiment, the multi-foldable electronic device (600) may include a fourth protective cover (664) (e.g., a fourth decorative member) disposed in the third housing (630) and arranged to cover an edge of the flexible display (640). In one embodiment, the fourth protective cover (664) may be positioned along the sixth side (6331), the seventh side (6332), and the eighth side (6333) of the third housing (630). In one embodiment, the edge of the flexible display (640) corresponding to the third housing (630) may be concealed from the outside through the fourth protective cover (664).In some embodiments, at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth protective covers (661, 662, 663, 664) may be omitted.

[0126] According to various embodiments, the multi-foldable electronic device (600) may include a first protective cap (665a) disposed between the first protective cover (661) and the third protective cover (663) and arranged to cover at least a portion of an edge of the flexible display (640), and a second protective cap (665b) disposed between the second protective cover (662) and the third protective cover (663) and arranged to cover at least a portion of an edge of the flexible display (640). In one embodiment, the multi-foldable electronic device (600) may include a third protective cap (665c) disposed between the first protective cover (661) and the fourth protective cover (664) and positioned to cover at least a portion of an edge of the flexible display (640), and a fourth protective cap (665d) disposed between the second protective cover (662) and the fourth protective cover (664) and positioned to cover at least a portion of an edge of the flexible display (640). In one embodiment, at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth protective caps (665a, 665b, 665c, 665d) may be omitted.

[0127] According to various embodiments, the multi-foldable electronic device (600) may include at least one electronic component disposed in at least one of the first housing (610), the second housing (620), and / or the third housing (630). In one embodiment, at least one electronic component may include a flexible display (640) (e.g., a first display) disposed through a first housing (610), a second housing (620), and a third housing (630), a sub-display (650) (e.g., a second display) disposed in the third housing (630), at least one microphone (671a, 671b) (e.g., an input module or input device), at least one speaker (672a, 672b, 672c, 672d) (e.g., an audio output module or audio output device), at least one camera (673a, 673b, 673c) (e.g., a camera module or camera device), at least one sensor (674a, 674b, 674c) (e.g., a sensor module), at least one key button (675) (e.g., an input device or a physical key), a connector port (676) or a socket device (677). In some embodiments, the electronic device (600) may additionally include at least one other component. In some embodiments, at least one of the above-described components may be omitted.

[0128] According to various embodiments, the flexible display (640) may be placed in a receiving space formed by the housings (610, 620, 630). For example, the flexible display (640) may be placed in a recess formed by the housings (610, 620, 630) and, when unfolded, may be placed to occupy substantially most of the front surface of the electronic device (600). In one embodiment, the sub-display (650) may be placed in the third housing (630) so as to be visible from the outside through the third rear cover (634).

[0129] In various embodiments, at least one microphone (671a, 671b) may include a first microphone (671a) positioned through a first side (6131) of the first housing (610) and a second microphone (671b) positioned through a second side (6132) of the first housing (610). In some embodiments, at least one microphone (671a, 671b) may be positioned on a third side (6231) and / or a fifth side (6233) of the second housing (620). In some embodiments, at least one microphone (671a, 671b) may be positioned on a sixth side (6331) and / or an eighth side (6333) of the third housing (630).

[0130] In various embodiments, at least one speaker (672a, 672c) may include a first speaker (672a) positioned to emit sound through a third side (6231) of the second housing (620) and a second speaker (672c) positioned to emit sound through a sixth side (6331) of the third housing (630). In one embodiment, the at least one speaker (672a, 672c) may be symmetrically positioned to implement stereophonic sound (e.g., three-dimensional sound) in an unfolded or folded state of the multi-foldable electronic device (200).

[0131] According to various embodiments, at least one camera (673a, 673b, 673c) may be disposed in the third space of the third housing (630) and may include a first camera (673a) disposed through a fifth side (631) of the third housing (630), a second camera (673b) disposed through a second side (612) of the first housing (610), and / or a third camera (673c) disposed through a sixth side (632) of the third housing (630). In one embodiment, the at least one camera (673a, 673b, 673c) may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, and / or an image signal processor. In some embodiments, at least one camera (673a, 673b, 673c) includes two or more lenses (e.g., wide-angle and / or telephoto lenses) and image sensors, and may be arranged together on one side of any one of the first housing (610), the second housing (620), or the third housing (630).

[0132] According to various embodiments, at least one sensor (674a, 674b, 674c) may generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to an internal operating state or an external environmental state of the multi-foldable electronic device (600). In one embodiment, at least one sensor (674a, 674b, 674c) may include a first sensor (674a) disposed on a fifth side (631) of the third housing (630), a second sensor (674b) disposed on a second side (612) of the first housing (610), and / or a third sensor (674c) disposed on a sixth side (632) of the third housing (630). In some embodiments, at least one sensor (674a, 674b, 674c) may include at least one of a gesture sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a light sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an iris recognition sensor, and a distance detection sensor (e.g., a time of flight (TOF) sensor or a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor).

[0133] According to various embodiments, at least one key button (675) may be positioned on the seventh side (6332) of the third housing (630). This may help improve usability when the multi-foldable electronic device (600) is in a folded state, as the sixth side (632) faces upward for using the sub-display (650) and at least one key button (675) is positioned on the right side. In some embodiments, at least one key button (675) may be positioned on at least one of the first side (6131) or the second side (6132) of the first housing (610), the third side (6231) or the fifth side (6233) of the second housing (620), and / or the sixth side (6331) or the eighth side (6333) of the third housing (630), which may be used when the multi-foldable electronic device (600) is in an unfolded state and / or a folded state.

[0134] According to various embodiments, the connector port (676) may be disposed through the first side (6131) of the first housing (610). In one embodiment, the connector port (676) may include a connector (e.g., a USB connector or an interface connector port module) structure for transmitting and receiving power and / or data with an external electronic device. In some embodiments, the connector port (676) may be disposed on at least one of the second side (6132) of the first housing (610), the third side (6231), the fourth side (6232), or the fifth side (6233) of the second housing (620), and / or the sixth side (6331), the seventh side (6332), or the eighth side (6333) of the third housing (630), which may be used when the multi-foldable electronic device (600) is in an unfolded state and / or a folded state.

[0135] According to various embodiments, the socket device (677) may be positioned on the seventh side (6332) of the third housing (630) so that the multi-foldable electronic device (600) can be used even when folded. In one embodiment, the socket device (677) may include a tray retractably coupled from the seventh side (6332) to accommodate a SIM card or an external memory card.

[0136] According to various embodiments, at least one microphone (671a, 671b), at least one speaker (672a, 672c), at least one key button (675), connector port (676) or socket device (677) may be exposed to the external environment through at least one hole (e.g., a through hole) formed in the first housing (610), the second housing (620) and / or the third housing (630).

[0137] According to various embodiments, the multi-foldable electronic device (600) may include a conductive portion (633c) disposed between a pair of spaced-apart non-conductive portions (633a, 633b) on the eighth side (6333) of the third housing (630) and operating as an antenna (A1) via a wireless communication circuit (e.g., the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1). In one embodiment, the electronic device (630) may include a conductive pattern (3151) disposed between the third side member (633) and the third rear cover (634). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) may be arranged on at least a portion of the inner surface of the third rear cover (634), the third side member (633), or the edge of the sub-display (650), as described above, and may be electrically connected at least at one point to the conductive portion (633c), thereby helping to improve the radiation performance of the antenna (A1).

[0138] FIG. 12A is a plan view of an electronic device in an extended state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view of the electronic device taken along line 12B-12B of FIG. 12A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0139] The electronic device (700) of FIGS. 12A and 12B may be at least partially similar to the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, or may further include other embodiments of the electronic device.

[0140] Referring to FIGS. 12A and 12B , an electronic device (700) (e.g., a slideable electronic device or a rollable electronic device) may include a first housing (710) and a second housing (720) that is slidably coupled from the first housing (710) in a specified direction and a specified reciprocal distance. In one embodiment, the electronic device (700) may include a flexible display (730) that is fixed to at least a portion of the second housing (720) and slides in or out of the internal space (7101) of the first housing (710) according to a sliding motion of the second housing (720), thereby having a variable display area. For example, the flexible display (730) may have a first display area when the second housing (720) is pulled out from the first housing (710) in a first direction (e.g., the y-axis direction). In one embodiment, the flexible display (730) may have a second display area smaller than the first display area when the second housing (720) is inserted in a second direction (e.g., in the -y-axis direction) opposite to the first direction.

[0141] According to various embodiments, the flexible display (730) may have substantially the same laminated structure as the first display (330) of FIG. 10. In one embodiment, the flexible display (730) may include a display panel (430), a POL (420) laminated on an upper surface of the display panel (430), a window layer (410), a polymer layer (440) laminated on a back surface of the display panel (430), and / or a support plate (450). In one embodiment, the flexible display (730) may include a bending portion (432) and a protective layer (431) that extend from the display panel (430) and are arranged in a foldable manner on the back surface of the support plate (450). In one embodiment, the flexible display (730) may include a control circuit (e.g., a display IC (DDI)) (not shown) arranged in the bending portion (432).

[0142] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (700) may include a conductive portion (720c) disposed between a pair of spaced-apart non-conductive portions (720a, 720b) ​​in the second housing (720) and operating as an antenna (A1) via a wireless communication circuit (e.g., the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1). In one embodiment, the electronic device (630) may include a conductive pattern (3151) disposed on a back surface of the window layer (410) (e.g., the first layer (411)). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) may help improve the radiation performance of the antenna (A1) by having at least one point electrically connected to the conductive portion (720c).

[0143] FIG. 13A is a front perspective view of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 13B is a rear perspective view of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0144] The electronic device (900) of FIGS. 13A and 13B may be at least partially similar to the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, or may further include other embodiments of the electronic device.

[0145] Referring to FIGS. 13A and 13B , an electronic device (900) may include a housing (910) that includes a first side (or front side) (910A), a second side (or back side) (910B), and a side surface (910C) that surrounds a space between the first side (910A) and the second side (910B). In another embodiment (not shown), the housing (910) may refer to a structure that forms a portion of the first side (910A), the second side (910B), and the side surface (910C) of FIG. 13A . In one embodiment, the first side (910A) may be formed by a front plate (902) that is at least partially transparent (e.g., a glass plate or a polymer plate including various coating layers). The second side (910B) may be formed by a substantially opaque back plate (911). The rear plate (911) may be formed of, for example, coated or colored glass, ceramic, polymer, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium), or a combination of at least two of the foregoing materials. The side (910C) may be formed by a side bezel structure (or “side member”) (918) that is coupled to the front plate (902) and the rear plate (911) and comprises a metal and / or polymer. In some embodiments, the rear plate (911) and the side bezel structure (918) may be formed integrally and comprise the same material (e.g., a metal material such as aluminum).

[0146] In the illustrated embodiment, the front plate (902) can include a first region (910D) that extends seamlessly from the first side (910A) toward the back plate, on both long edges of the front plate (902). In the illustrated embodiment (see FIG. 13B), the back plate (911) can include a second region (910E) that extends seamlessly from the second side (910B) toward the front plate (902), on both long edges of the front plate (902). In some embodiments, the front plate (902) or the back plate (911) can include only one of the first region (910D) or the second region (910E). In some embodiments, the front plate (902) may not include the first region and the second region, but may only include a flat plane that is arranged parallel to the second side (910B). In the above embodiments, when viewed from the side of the electronic device (900), the side bezel structure (918) may have a first thickness (or width) on the side that does not include the first region (910D) or the second region (910E), and may have a second thickness that is thinner than the first thickness on the side that includes the first region (910D) or the second region (910E).

[0147] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (900) may include at least one of a display (901) (e.g., a first display), an input device (903), an audio output device (907, 914), a sensor module (904, 919), a camera module (905, 912, 913), a key input device (917), an indicator (not shown), and a connector (908, 909). In some embodiments, the electronic device (900) may omit at least one of the components (e.g., the key input device (917) or the indicator) or may additionally include other components.

[0148] The display (901) may be exposed, for example, through a substantial portion of the front plate (902). In some embodiments, at least a portion of the display (901) may be exposed through the front plate (902), which forms the first area (910D) of the first surface (910A) and the side surface (910C). For example, the display (901) 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 for detecting a magnetic stylus pen. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the sensor modules (904, 919), and / or at least a portion of the key input device (917), may be disposed in the first area (910D), and / or the second area (910E).

[0149] In one embodiment, the input device (903) may include a microphone. In some embodiments, the input device (903) may include multiple microphones arranged to detect the direction of sound. The audio output device (907, 914) may include speakers. The audio output device (907, 914) may include an external speaker (907) and a call receiver (914). In some embodiments, the input device (903), the audio output device (907, 914), and the connectors (908, 909) may be arranged in a space of the electronic device (900) and may be exposed to the external environment through at least one hole formed in the housing (910). In some embodiments, the hole formed in the housing (910) may be used jointly for the input device (903) and the audio output device (907, 914). In some embodiments, the audio output device (907, 914) may include a speaker (e.g., a piezo speaker) that operates without the hole formed in the housing (910).

[0150] According to one embodiment, the sensor modules (904, 919) may generate electrical signals or data values ​​corresponding to an internal operating state of the electronic device (900) or an external environmental state. The sensor modules (904, 919) may include, for example, a first sensor module (904) (e.g., a proximity sensor) and / or a second sensor module (not shown) (e.g., a fingerprint sensor) disposed on a first surface (910A) of the housing (910), and / or a third sensor module (919) (e.g., an HRM sensor) disposed on a second surface (910B) of the housing (910). The fingerprint sensor may be disposed on the first surface (910A) of the housing (910). The fingerprint sensor (e.g., an ultrasonic or optical fingerprint sensor) may be disposed under the display (901) on the first surface (910A). The electronic device (900) may further include at least one of a 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 infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor (904).

[0151] According to one embodiment, the camera modules (905, 912, 913) may include a first camera module (905) disposed on a first side (910A) of the electronic device (900), and / or a second camera module (912) disposed on a second side (910B), and / or a flash (913). The camera modules (905, 912) may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, and / or an image signal processor. The flash (913) may include, for example, a light emitting diode or a xenon lamp. In some embodiments, two or more lenses (wide-angle and telephoto lenses) and image sensors may be disposed on one side of the electronic device (900).

[0152] In one embodiment, the key input device (917) may be positioned on a side surface (910C) of the housing (910). In another embodiment, the electronic device (900) may not include some or all of the key input devices (917), and the key input devices (917) that are not included may be implemented in another form, such as soft keys, on the display (901). In another embodiment, the key input device (917) may be implemented using a pressure sensor included in the display (901).

[0153] The indicator may be disposed, for example, on the first side (910A) of the housing (910). The indicator may provide, for example, status information of the electronic device (900) in the form of light. In another embodiment, the light-emitting element may provide a light source that is linked to the operation of, for example, the camera module (905). The indicator may include, for example, an LED, an IR LED, and / or a xenon lamp.

[0154] According to one embodiment, the connector holes (908, 909) may include a first connector hole (908) that can accommodate a connector (e.g., a USB connector or an IF module (interface connector port module)) for transmitting and receiving power and / or data with an external electronic device, and / or a second connector hole (or earphone jack) (909) that can accommodate a connector for transmitting and receiving audio signals with an external electronic device.

[0155] In one embodiment, some of the camera modules (905, 912), some of the sensor modules (904, 919), or indicators may be arranged to be exposed through the display (901). For example, the camera module (905), the sensor module (904), or the indicator may be arranged to be in contact with the external environment through an opening perforated from the internal space of the electronic device (900) to the front plate (902) of the display (901). In another embodiment, some of the sensor modules (904) may be arranged to perform their functions without being visually exposed through the front plate (902) in the internal space of the electronic device. For example, in this case, an area of ​​the display (901) facing the sensor modules may not require a perforated opening.

[0156] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (900) may include a conductive portion (9183) disposed between a pair of spaced-apart non-conductive portions (9181, 9182) on the side member (918) and operating as an antenna (A1) via a wireless communication circuit (e.g., the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1). In one embodiment, the electronic device (630) may include a conductive pattern (3151) disposed on the back surface of the front plate (902) or the side member (918). In one embodiment, the conductive pattern (3151) may help improve the radiation performance of the antenna (A1) by being electrically connected at least at one point to the conductive portion (9183).

[0157] According to various embodiments, an electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (300) of FIG. 5A) may include a housing (e.g., a first housing (310) of FIG. 5A) including a first conductive portion (e.g., a first conductive portion (316) of FIG. 5A), a cover (e.g., a first protective cover (315) of FIG. 5A) coupled to the housing, a display (e.g., a first display (330) of FIG. 4A) arranged in the housing so as to be at least partially visible from the outside through the cover, at least one conductive pattern (e.g., a conductive pattern (3151) of FIG. 5A) arranged in the cover so as not to be visible from the outside of the electronic device, at least one point of which is electrically connected to the first conductive portion, and a wireless communication circuit (e.g., a wireless communication circuit (F1) of FIG. 5A) configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal through the first conductive portion and the at least one conductive pattern.

[0158] According to various embodiments, the at least one conductive pattern may be arranged to have a length in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the first conductive portion.

[0159] According to various embodiments, the at least one conductive pattern may be arranged to have a length equal to or shorter than the length of the first conductive portion.

[0160] According to various embodiments, the cover includes a first portion (e.g., the first portion (315b) of FIG. 5B) forming a portion of a side surface of the electronic device and a second portion (e.g., the second portion (315c) of FIG. 5B) extending from the first portion and forming a portion of a front surface of the electronic device, and the at least one conductive pattern may be disposed at a position corresponding to the first portion and / or the second portion of the cover.

[0161] According to various embodiments, the at least one conductive pattern may be spaced apart from the display.

[0162] According to various embodiments, the housing includes a side member (e.g., a first side member (313) of FIG. 5A) forming at least a portion of a side surface of the electronic device, and the first conductive portion can be disposed through a first non-conductive portion (e.g., a first non-conductive portion (3161) of FIG. 5A) and a second non-conductive portion (e.g., a second non-conductive portion (3162) of FIG. 5A) that are spaced apart from each other in the side member.

[0163] According to various embodiments, the wireless communication circuit is powered through a first point (e.g., a first point (L1) of FIG. 5A) of the first conductive portion between the first non-conductive portion and the second non-conductive portion, and the at least one conductive pattern can be electrically connected to the first conductive portion at a second point (e.g., a second point (L2) of FIG. 5A) between the first point and the second non-conductive portion.

[0164] According to various embodiments, the at least one conductive pattern may be electrically connected to a ground of the electronic device (e.g., ground (G) in FIG. 9e).

[0165] According to various embodiments, the at least one conductive pattern may be additionally connected to the first conductive portion at a third point (e.g., the third point (L3) of FIG. 5A) between the first non-conductive portion and the second point (e.g., the second point (L2) of FIG. 5A).

[0166] According to various embodiments, the at least one conductive pattern may be additionally connected to the first conductive portion at a fourth point (e.g., a fourth point (L4) in FIG. 9b) between the second point (e.g., a second point (L2) in FIG. 9b) and the third point (e.g., a third point (L3) in FIG. 9b).

[0167] According to various embodiments, the second conductive portion (e.g., the third conductive portion (318) of FIG. 9c) is further disposed through a third non-conductive portion (e.g., the third non-conductive portion (3163) of FIG. 9c) spaced apart from the second non-conductive portion, and the at least one conductive pattern can be additionally connected at a third point (e.g., the third point (L3) of FIG. 9c) of the second conductive portion.

[0168] According to various embodiments, the first conductive portion may be electrically connected to a ground of the electronic device (e.g., ground (G) in FIG. 7) between the first non-conductive portion and the first point (e.g., first point (L1) in FIG. 7).

[0169] According to various embodiments, the wireless communication circuit is powered through a first point (e.g., a first point (L1) of FIG. 9g) of the first conductive portion between the first non-conductive portion and the second non-conductive portion, and the at least one conductive pattern comprises a first conductive pattern (e.g., a first conductive pattern (3151) of FIG. 9g) electrically connected to the first conductive portion at a second point (e.g., a second point (L2) of FIG. 9g) between the first point and the second non-conductive portion (e.g., a second non-conductive portion (3162) of FIG. 9g), and a second conductive pattern (e.g., a second conductive pattern (3151-1) of FIG. 9g) spaced apart from the first conductive pattern and electrically connected to the first conductive portion at a third point (e.g., a third point (L3) of FIG. 9g) between the first point and the second point. May include.

[0170] According to various embodiments, the at least one conductive pattern (e.g., conductive pattern (3151) of FIG. 9F) may be positioned at a position that is coupleable with the first conductive portion.

[0171] According to various embodiments, the cover comprises a protective cover (e.g., a first protective cover (315) of FIG. 4b) covering at least a portion of an edge of the display, and the at least one conductive pattern can be disposed on an inner surface of the protective cover (e.g., an inner surface (315a) of FIG. 4b).

[0172] According to various embodiments, the cover includes a window layer (e.g., window layer (410) of FIG. 10), and the at least one conductive pattern can be disposed on an inner surface of the window layer.

[0173] According to various embodiments, the housing may include a first housing (e.g., a first housing (310) of FIG. 4A) and a second housing (e.g., a second housing (320) of FIG. 4A) rotatably connected to the first housing via a hinge module (e.g., a hinge module (340) of FIG. 4A), and the electronic device may include a flexible display (e.g., a first display (330) of FIG. 4A) that is bendably arranged to be supported by the first housing and the second housing.

[0174] According to various embodiments, the cover includes a first protective cover (e.g., the first protective cover (315) of FIG. 4A) disposed in the first housing so that an edge of the flexible display is not visible from the outside, with the flexible display interposed therebetween, and a second protective cover (e.g., the second protective cover (325) of FIG. 4A) disposed in the second housing so that an edge of the flexible display is not visible from the outside, with the flexible display interposed therebetween, and the at least one conductive pattern may be disposed on an inner surface of at least one protective cover of the first protective cover or the second protective cover.

[0175] According to various embodiments, the housing includes a first housing (e.g., a first housing (710) of FIG. 12A) and a second housing (e.g., a second housing (720) of FIG. 12A) slidably coupled from the first housing, and the electronic device may include a flexible display (e.g., a flexible display (730) of FIG. 12A) arranged to be at least partially supported by the second housing and arranged to have a display area that varies according to an inlet / outlet operation of the second housing.

[0176] According to various embodiments, the flexible display includes a window layer (e.g., the window layer (410) of FIG. 12b) and a display panel (e.g., the display panel (430) of FIG. 12b) laminated on the back surface of the window layer, and the at least one conductive pattern may be disposed on an inner surface of the window layer.

[0177] In addition, the embodiments of the present disclosure disclosed in this specification and drawings are merely specific examples to easily explain the technical contents according to the embodiments of the present disclosure and to help understand the embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure should be interpreted as including all changes or modified forms derived based on the technical ideas of the various embodiments of the present disclosure in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. In an electronic device (300), A housing (310) including a first challenging portion (316); A cover (315) combined with the above housing; A display (330) arranged so as to be at least partially visible from the outside through the cover in the housing; In the cover, at least one conductive pattern (3151) is arranged so as not to be visible from the outside of the electronic device, and at least one point is electrically connected to the first conductive portion; and An electronic device comprising a wireless communication circuit (F1) configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal through the first conductive portion and the at least one conductive pattern.

2. In paragraph 1, An electronic device wherein at least one conductive pattern is arranged to have a length in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the first conductive portion.

3. In paragraph 1, An electronic device wherein at least one conductive pattern is arranged to have a length equal to or shorter than a length of the first conductive portion.

4. In paragraph 1, The cover comprises a first portion (315b) forming a part of a side surface of the electronic device and a second portion (315c) extending from the first portion and forming a part of a front surface of the electronic device, An electronic device wherein at least one conductive pattern is positioned at a position corresponding to the first portion and / or the second portion of the cover.

5. In paragraph 4, An electronic device wherein at least one of the conductive patterns is spaced apart from the display.

6. In paragraph 1, The housing comprises a side member (313) forming at least a portion of a side surface of the electronic device; An electronic device in which the first conductive portion is disposed through a first non-conductive portion (3161) and a second non-conductive portion (3162) that are spaced apart from each other in the side member.

7. In paragraph 6, The wireless communication circuit is powered between the first non-conductive portion and the second non-conductive portion through a first point (L1) of the first conductive portion, An electronic device wherein at least one conductive pattern is electrically connected to the first conductive portion at a second point (L2) between the first point and the second non-conductive portion.

8. In paragraph 7, An electronic device wherein at least one conductive pattern is electrically connected to a ground (G) of the electronic device.

9. In paragraph 7, An electronic device wherein said at least one conductive pattern is additionally connected to said first conductive portion at a third point (L3) between said first non-conductive portion and said second point (L2).

10. In paragraph 9, An electronic device wherein said at least one conductive pattern is additionally connected to said first conductive portion at a fourth point (L4) between said second point (L2) and said third point (L3).

11. In paragraph 7, Further comprising a second conductive portion (318) arranged through a third non-conductive portion (3163) spaced apart from the second non-conductive portion, An electronic device wherein at least one conductive pattern is additionally connected at a third point (L3) of the second conductive portion.

12. In paragraph 7, An electronic device wherein the first conductive portion is electrically connected to a ground (G1) of the electronic device between the first non-conductive portion and the first point (L1).

13. In paragraph 6, The wireless communication circuit is powered between the first non-conductive portion and the second non-conductive portion through a first point (L1) of the first conductive portion, At least one of the above challenging patterns, At a second point (L2) between the first point (L1) and the second non-conductive portion (3162), a first conductive pattern (3151) electrically connected to the first conductive portion; and An electronic device comprising a second conductive pattern (3151-1) spaced apart from the first conductive pattern and electrically connected to the first conductive portion at a third point (L3) between the first point (L1) and the second point (L2).

14. In paragraph 1, An electronic device in which at least one conductive pattern (3151) is positioned at a position that is coupleable with the first conductive portion.

15. In paragraph 1, The above cover includes a protective cover (315) that covers at least a portion of the edge of the display, An electronic device in which at least one of the above conductive patterns is arranged on the inner surface (315a) of the protective cover.

Images