Electronic device and method by which electronic device transmits transmission signal

Abstract

According to various embodiments, an operation method of an electronic device may comprise the steps of: in a first transmission mode, transmitting a first signal corresponding to first data via a first amplifier, and at the same time, transmitting a second signal corresponding to second data different from the first data via a second amplifier; in a second transmission mode, transmitting the first signal via the first amplifier, and at the same time, transmitting the second signal having the same data as the first signal via the second amplifier; on the basis of the transmission mode and the state of a housing, identifying a first antenna for transmitting the first signal and a second antenna for transmitting the second signal; and transmitting the first signal via the first amplifier and the first antenna, and at the same time, transmitting the second signal via the second amplifier and the second antenna.

Description

Electronic devices and methods for transmitting signals in electronic devices

[0001] Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to electronic devices and methods of transmitting a transmission signal in an electronic device.

[0002] With recent advancements in mobile communication technology, the widespread use of mobile devices offering diverse functions has led to efforts to develop 5G communication systems to meet the growing demand for wireless data traffic. To achieve high data rates and provide faster data transfer speeds, 5G communication systems are being considered for implementation in higher frequency bands (e.g., 25-60 GHz) in addition to those used in 3G and LTE (long-term evolution) systems.

[0003] For example, in order to mitigate path loss of radio waves and increase the transmission distance of radio waves in the mmWave band, beamforming, massive MIMO (massive MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, and large scale antenna technologies are being discussed in 5G communication systems.

[0004] In order to transmit a signal from an electronic device to a communication network (e.g., a base station), data generated from a processor or a communication processor within the electronic device may be processed through a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) and an RF circuit (e.g., a radio frequency front end (RFFE)) and then transmitted to the outside of the electronic device through at least one antenna.

[0005] 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.

[0006] According to one embodiment, an electronic device may include a housing configured to be movable between a first state and a second state. The electronic device may include a first radio frequency (RF) circuit including a first amplifier. The electronic device may include a second RF circuit including a second amplifier. The electronic device may include a memory storing instructions. The electronic device may include at least one processor. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to identify a configured transmission mode among a plurality of transmission modes. The instructions may cause the electronic device to transmit a first signal corresponding to first data through the first amplifier in a first transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, and concurrently transmit a second signal corresponding to second data different from the first data through the second amplifier. The instructions may cause the electronic device to transmit a first signal through the first amplifier and simultaneously transmit a second signal having the same data as the first signal through the second amplifier in a second transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes. The instructions may cause the electronic device to determine a state of the housing among the first state and the second state. The instructions may cause the electronic device to determine a first antenna for transmitting the first signal selected from among the plurality of antennas and a second antenna for transmitting the second signal selected from among the plurality of antennas based on the transmission mode and the state of the housing.The above instructions may cause the electronic device to transmit a first signal through the first amplifier and the first antenna, and simultaneously transmit a second signal through the second amplifier and the second antenna.

[0007] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device, comprising a housing configured to be movable between a first state and a second state, a first radio frequency (RF) circuit including a first amplifier, a second RF circuit including a second amplifier, and at least one processor, may include an operation of identifying a configured transmission mode among a plurality of transmission modes. The method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of transmitting, in a first transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, a first signal corresponding to first data through the first amplifier, and simultaneously transmitting, through the second amplifier, a second signal corresponding to second data different from the first data. The method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of transmitting, in a second transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, a first signal through the first amplifier, and simultaneously transmitting, through the second amplifier, a second signal having the same data as the first signal. The method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of identifying a state of the housing among the first state and the second state. The method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of identifying a first antenna for transmitting the first signal selected from among a plurality of antennas and a second antenna for transmitting the second signal selected from among the plurality of antennas based on the transmission mode and the state of the housing. The method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of transmitting a first signal through the first amplifier and the first antenna, and simultaneously transmitting a second signal through the second amplifier and the second antenna.

[0008] According to one embodiment, a storage medium storing at least one computer-readable instruction, wherein the at least one instruction, when executed by at least one processor of an electronic device, includes a housing configured to be movable between a first state and a second state, a first radio frequency (RF) circuit including a first amplifier, a second RF circuit including a second amplifier, and at least one processor, causes the electronic device to perform at least one operation. The at least one operation may include an operation of checking a set transmission mode among a plurality of transmission modes. The at least one operation may include an operation of transmitting, in a first transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, a first signal corresponding to first data through the first amplifier and concurrently transmitting, through the second amplifier, a second signal corresponding to second data different from the first data. The at least one operation may include, in a second transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, transmitting a first signal through the first amplifier and simultaneously transmitting a second signal having the same data as the first signal through the second amplifier. The at least one operation may include an operation of checking a state of the housing among the first state and the second state. The at least one operation may include an operation of checking a first antenna selected from among the plurality of antennas for transmitting the first signal and a second antenna selected from among the plurality of antennas for transmitting the second signal based on the transmission mode and the state of the housing. The at least one operation may include an operation of transmitting a first signal through the first amplifier and the first antenna and simultaneously transmitting a second signal through the second amplifier and the second antenna.

[0009] In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for the same or similar components.

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

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

[0012] FIG. 2b is a block diagram of an electronic device for supporting legacy network communication and 5G network communication according to various embodiments.

[0013] FIG. 2c is a block diagram of an electronic device for supporting legacy network communication and 5G network communication according to various embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating wireless communication systems providing a network of legacy communication and / or 5G communication according to various embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 3b is a diagram illustrating wireless communication systems providing a network of legacy communication and / or 5G communication according to various embodiments.

[0016] FIG. 3c is a diagram illustrating wireless communication systems providing a network of legacy communication and / or 5G communication according to various embodiments.

[0017] FIG. 4A illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0018] FIG. 4b illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0019] FIG. 4c illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating an antenna arrangement structure of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0021] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0022] FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0023] FIG. 8 is a drawing illustrating an antenna arrangement structure of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0024] FIG. 9A is a drawing illustrating an external appearance of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0025] FIG. 9b is a drawing illustrating an external appearance of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0026] FIG. 10 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0027] FIG. 11 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0028] FIG. 12A is a diagram showing a transmission signal transmission path of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0029] FIG. 12b is a perspective view of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0030] FIG. 13A illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0031] FIG. 13b is a diagram showing a transmission signal transmission path of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0032] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a transmission signal transmission path of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0033] FIG. 15A illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0034] FIG. 15b is a diagram showing a transmission signal transmission path of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0035] FIG. 16 illustrates a flowchart for explaining a method of operating an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0036] FIG. 17 illustrates a flowchart for explaining an operation method of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0037] FIG. 18a illustrates a flowchart for explaining a method of operating an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0038] FIG. 18b illustrates a flowchart for explaining a method of operating an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0039] FIG. 19 is a drawing for explaining folding state information of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0040] FIG. 20 is a drawing showing examples of flexible displays according to various embodiments.

[0041] 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.

[0042] The functions or operations described below may be processed by a single processor or a combination of processors. A single processor or a combination of processors may include circuitry that performs processing, such as an application processor (AP, e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), a communication processor (CP, e.g., a modem), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU) (e.g., an artificial intelligence (AI) chip), or a Wi-Fi TM Chip, BluetoothTM It may include a chip, a global positioning system (GPS) chip, a near field communication (NFC) chip, a connection chip, a sensor controller, a touch controller, a fingerprint sensor controller, a display driver integrated circuit (IC), an audio codec chip, a universal serial bus (USB) controller, a camera controller, an image processing IC, a microprocessor unit (MPU), a system on a chip (SoC), an IC, or similar circuitry.

[0043] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) within a network environment (100) according to one embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1 , in the network environment (100), the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (102) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with at least one of the electronic device (104) or the server (108) via a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to 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)).

[0044] 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 calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculations, 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 a secondary 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 therewith. For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and a secondary processor (123), the secondary processor (123) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a specified function. The secondary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.

[0045] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least a portion of functions or states associated with at least one component (e.g., a display module (160), a sensor module (176), or a communication module (190)) of the electronic device (101), for example, on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another functionally related component (e.g., a camera module (180) or a communication module (190)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing artificial intelligence models. The artificial intelligence models may be generated through machine learning. This learning can be performed, for example, on the electronic device (101) itself where the artificial intelligence model is executed, or can be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm can include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model can include multiple artificial neural network layers.The artificial neural network may be one of a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to, or alternatively to, a hardware structure, an artificial intelligence model may include a software structure.

[0046] 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).

[0047] 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).

[0048] 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).

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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).

[0052] 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.

[0053] The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). In one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0054] 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).

[0055] A 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. In one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0056] The camera module (180) can capture still images and videos. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0057] The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented, for example, as at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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).

[0060] 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.

[0061] The antenna module (197) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from an external device (e.g., an external electronic device). In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network (198) or the second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. In some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module (197).

[0062] According to various embodiments, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. According to 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.

[0063] 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)).

[0064] 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.

[0065] In the following detailed description, reference numerals in the drawings may be used interchangeably with or omitted for components that can be easily understood through previously described embodiments, and their detailed descriptions may also be omitted. An electronic device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document may be implemented by selectively combining components of different embodiments, and components of one embodiment may be replaced by components of another embodiment. For example, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to any specific drawing or embodiment.

[0066] FIG. 2A is a block diagram (200) of an electronic device (101) for supporting legacy network communication and 5G network communication according to various embodiments. Referring to FIG. 2A, the electronic device (101) may include a first communication processor (212), a second communication processor (214), a first radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) (222), a second RFIC (224), a third RFIC (226), a fourth RFIC (228), a first radio frequency front end (RFFE) (232), a second RFFE (234), a first antenna module (242), a second antenna module (244), a third antenna module (246), and antennas (248). The electronic device (101) may further include a processor (120) and a memory (130). The second network (199) may include a first cellular network (292) and a second cellular network (294). According to another embodiment, the electronic device (101) may further include at least one of the components described in FIG. 1, and the second network (199) may further include at least one other network. According to one embodiment, the first communication processor (212), the second communication processor (214), the first RFIC (222), the second RFIC (224), the fourth RFIC (228), the first RFFE (232), and the second RFFE (234) may form at least a portion of the wireless communication module (192). According to another embodiment, the fourth RFIC (228) may be omitted or may be included as a part of the third RFIC (226).

[0067] The first communication processor (212) may establish a communication channel in a band to be used for wireless communication with the first cellular network (292), and may support legacy network communication through the established communication channel. According to various embodiments, the first cellular network may be a legacy network including a second generation (2G), 3G, 4G, or long term evolution (LTE) network. The second communication processor (214) may establish a communication channel corresponding to a designated band (e.g., about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) among the bands to be used for wireless communication with the second cellular network (294), and may support 5G network communication through the established communication channel. According to various embodiments, the second cellular network (294) may be a 5G network defined by the 3GPP. Additionally, according to one embodiment, the first communication processor (212) or the second communication processor (214) may support establishment of a communication channel corresponding to another designated band (e.g., about 6 GHz or less) among the bands to be used for wireless communication with the second cellular network (294), and 5G network communication through the established communication channel.

[0068] The first communication processor (212) can transmit and receive data with the second communication processor (214). For example, data classified to be transmitted via the second cellular network (294) may be changed to be transmitted via the first cellular network (292). In this case, the first communication processor (212) can receive the transmission data from the second communication processor (214). For example, the first communication processor (212) can transmit and receive data with the second communication processor (214) via the processor-to-processor interface (213). The above interprocessor interface (213) may be implemented as, for example, a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) (e.g., HS-UART (high speed-UART) or PCIe (peripheral component interconnect bus express) interface), but there is no limitation on its type. Alternatively, the first communication processor (212) and the second communication processor (214) may exchange control information and packet data information using, for example, a shared memory. The first communication processor (212) may transmit and receive various information, such as sensing information, information on output intensity, and resource block (RB) allocation information, with the second communication processor (214).

[0069] Depending on the implementation, the first communication processor (212) may not be directly connected to the second communication processor (214). In this case, the first communication processor (212) may transmit and receive data with the second communication processor (214) through the processor (120) (e.g., application processor). For example, the first communication processor (212) and the second communication processor (214) may transmit and receive data with the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) through an HS-UART interface or a PCIe interface, but there is no limitation on the type of interface. Alternatively, the first communication processor (212) and the second communication processor (214) may exchange control information and packet data information with the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) using shared memory.

[0070] According to one embodiment, the first communication processor (212) and the second communication processor (214) may be implemented in a single chip or a single package. According to various embodiments, the first communication processor (212) or the second communication processor (214) may be formed in a single chip or a single package with the processor (120), the auxiliary processor (123), or the communication module (190). For example, as shown in FIG. 2B, the integrated communication processor (260) may support functions for communicating with both the first cellular network (292) and the second cellular network (294).

[0071] The first RFIC (222) may, upon transmission, convert a baseband signal generated by the first communication processor (212) into a radio frequency (RF) signal of about 700 MHz to about 3 GHz used in the first cellular network (292) (e.g., a legacy network). Upon reception, the RF signal may be acquired from the first cellular network (292) (e.g., a legacy network) via an antenna (e.g., the first antenna module (242)) and preprocessed via an RFFE (e.g., the first RFFE (232)). The first RFIC (222) may convert the preprocessed RF signal into a baseband signal so that it may be processed by the first communication processor (212).

[0072] The second RFIC (224) may, upon transmission, convert a baseband signal generated by the first communication processor (212) or the second communication processor (214) into an RF signal (hereinafter, a 5G Sub6 RF signal) of a Sub6 band (e.g., about 6 GHz or less) used in the second cellular network (294) (e.g., a 5G network). Upon reception, the 5G Sub6 RF signal may be acquired from the second cellular network (294) (e.g., a 5G network) via an antenna (e.g., the second antenna module (244)) and preprocessed via an RFFE (e.g., the second RFFE (234)). The second RFIC (224) may convert the preprocessed 5G Sub6 RF signal into a baseband signal so that the preprocessed 5G Sub6 RF signal may be processed by a corresponding communication processor among the first communication processor (212) or the second communication processor (214).

[0073] The third RFIC (226) can convert the baseband signal generated by the second communication processor (214) into an RF signal (hereinafter, 5G Above6 RF signal) of a 5G Above6 band (e.g., about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) to be used in the second cellular network (294) (e.g., 5G network). Upon reception, the 5G Above6 RF signal can be acquired from the second cellular network (294) (e.g., 5G network) via an antenna (e.g., antenna (248)) and preprocessed via the third RFFE (236). The third RFIC (226) can convert the preprocessed 5G Above6 RF signal into a baseband signal so that it can be processed by the second communication processor (214). According to one embodiment, the third RFFE (236) can be formed as a part of the third RFIC (226).

[0074] The electronic device (101) may, according to one embodiment, include a fourth RFIC (228) separate from or at least as a part of the third RFIC (226). In this case, the fourth RFIC (228) may convert a baseband signal generated by the second communication processor (214) into an RF signal (hereinafter, referred to as an IF signal) of an intermediate frequency band (e.g., about 9 GHz to about 11 GHz) and then transmit the IF signal to the third RFIC (226). The third RFIC (226) may convert the IF signal into a 5G Above6 RF signal. Upon reception, the 5G Above6 RF signal may be received from the second cellular network (294) (e.g., a 5G network) via an antenna (e.g., antenna (248)) and converted into an IF signal by the third RFIC (226). The fourth RFIC (228) can convert the IF signal into a baseband signal so that the second communication processor (214) can process it.

[0075] According to one embodiment, the first RFIC (222) and the second RFIC (224) may be implemented as a single chip or at least a portion of a single package. According to various embodiments, when the first RFIC (222) and the second RFIC (224) are implemented as a single chip or a single package in FIG. 2A or FIG. 2B, they may be implemented as an integrated RFIC (223) as illustrated in FIG. 2C. In this case, the integrated RFIC (223) may be connected to the first RFFE (232) and the second RFFE (234), such that the integrated RFIC (223) may convert a baseband signal into a signal in a band supported by the first RFFE (232) and / or the second RFFE (234), and transmit the converted signal to one of the first RFFE (232) and the second RFFE (234). In one embodiment, the first RFFE (232) and the second RFFE (234) may be implemented as at least a portion of a single chip or a single package. In one embodiment, at least one antenna module of the first antenna module (242) or the second antenna module (244) may be omitted or combined with another antenna module to process RF signals of a corresponding plurality of bands.

[0076] In one embodiment, the third RFIC (226) and the antenna (248) may be disposed on the same substrate to form a third antenna module (246). For example, the wireless communication module (192) or the processor (120) may be disposed on the first substrate (e.g., the main PCB). In this case, the third RFIC (226) may be disposed on a portion (e.g., the bottom surface) of a second substrate (e.g., the sub PCB) separate from the first substrate, and the antenna (248) may be disposed on another portion (e.g., the top surface) to form the third antenna module (246). By disposing the third RFIC (226) and the antenna (248) on the same substrate, it is possible to reduce the length of the transmission line therebetween. This can reduce, for example, the loss (e.g., attenuation) of signals in a high-frequency band (e.g., about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) used in 5G network communications by the transmission line. Due to this, the electronic device (101) can improve the quality or speed of communication with the second network (294) (e.g., 5G network).

[0077] In one embodiment, the antenna (248) may be formed as an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements that may be used for beamforming. In this case, the third RFIC (226) may include a plurality of phase shifters (238) corresponding to the plurality of antenna elements, for example, as part of the third RFFE (236). Upon transmission, each of the plurality of phase shifters (238) may shift the phase of a 5G Above6 RF signal to be transmitted to an external source (e.g., a base station of a 5G network) of the electronic device (101) via its corresponding antenna element. Upon reception, each of the plurality of phase shifters (238) may shift the phase of a 5G Above6 RF signal received from the external source via its corresponding antenna element to the same or substantially the same phase. This enables transmission or reception via beamforming between the electronic device (101) and the external source.

[0078] The second cellular network (294) (e.g., a 5G network) may operate independently (e.g., Stand-Alone (SA)) or in connection with (e.g., Non-Stand Alone (NSA)) the first cellular network (292) (e.g., a legacy network). For example, the 5G network may only have an access network (e.g., a 5G radio access network (RAN) or next generation RAN (NG RAN)) and no core network (e.g., next generation core (NGC)). In this case, the electronic device (101) may access an external network (e.g., the Internet) under the control of the core network (e.g., evolved packed core (EPC)) of the legacy network after accessing the access network of the 5G network. Protocol information for communication with a legacy network (e.g., LTE protocol information) or protocol information for communication with a 5G network (e.g., New Radio (NR) protocol information) may be stored in the memory (130) and accessed by other components (e.g., the processor (120), the first communication processor (212), or the second communication processor (214)).

[0079] FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are diagrams illustrating wireless communication systems that provide networks for legacy communication and / or 5G communication according to various embodiments. Referring to FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C, a network environment (300a to 300c) may include at least one of a legacy network and a 5G network. The legacy network may include, for example, a 4G or LTE base station (340) (e.g., an eNodeB (eNB)) of the 3GPP standard that supports wireless connection with an electronic device (101) and an evolved packet core (EPC) (342) that manages 4G communication. The above 5G network may include, for example, a New Radio (NR) base station (350) (e.g., gNB (gNodeB)) that supports wireless connection with an electronic device (101) and a 5th generation core (5GC) (352) that manages 5G communication of the electronic device (101).

[0080] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) may transmit and receive control messages and user data via legacy communication and / or 5G communication. The control messages may include, for example, messages related to at least one of security control, bearer setup, authentication, registration, or mobility management of the electronic device (101). The user data may refer to, for example, user data excluding control messages transmitted and received between the electronic device (101) and the core network (330) (e.g., EPC (342)).

[0081] Referring to FIG. 3A, an electronic device (101) according to one embodiment can transmit and receive at least one of a control message or user data to and from at least a part of a 5G network (e.g., an NR base station (350), 5GC (352)) using at least a part of a legacy network (e.g., an LTE base station (340), EPC (342)).

[0082] According to various embodiments, the network environment (300a) may include a network environment that provides wireless communication dual connectivity (DC) to an LTE base station (340) and an NR base station (350), and transmits and receives control messages with an electronic device (101) through a core network (330) of one of the EPC (342) or 5GC (352).

[0083] According to various embodiments, in a DC environment, one of the LTE base stations (340) or the NR base station (350) may operate as a master node (MN) (310) and the other may operate as a secondary node (SN) (320). The MN (310) may be connected to a core network (330) and may transmit and receive control messages. The MN (310) and the SN (320) may be connected via a network interface and may transmit and receive messages related to management of radio resources (e.g., communication channels) to each other.

[0084] According to various embodiments, the MN (310) may be configured as an LTE base station (340), the SN (320) as an NR base station (350), and the core network (330) as an EPC (342). For example, control messages may be transmitted and received through the LTE base station (340) and the EPC (342), and user data may be transmitted and received through at least one of the LTE base station (340) or the NR base station (350).

[0085] According to various embodiments, the MN (310) may be configured as an NR base station (350), the SN (320) as an LTE base station (340), and the core network (330) as a 5GC (352). For example, control messages may be transmitted and received through the NR base station (350) and the 5GC (352), and user data may be transmitted and received through at least one of the LTE base station (340) or the NR base station (350).

[0086] Referring to FIG. 3b, according to various embodiments, a 5G network may be composed of an NR base station (350) and a 5GC (352), and may transmit and receive control messages and user data independently from an electronic device (101).

[0087] Referring to FIG. 3c, the legacy network and the 5G network according to various embodiments can independently provide data transmission and reception. For example, the electronic device (101) and the EPC (342) can transmit and receive control messages and user data via the LTE base station (340). As another example, the electronic device (101) and the 5GC (352) can transmit and receive control messages and user data via the NR base station (350).

[0088] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) may be registered with at least one of the EPC (342) or the 5GC (352) to transmit and receive control messages.

[0089] According to various embodiments, the EPC (342) or the 5GC (352) may interwork to manage communication of the electronic device (101). For example, movement information of the electronic device (101) may be transmitted and received through an interface between the EPC (342) and the 5GC (352).

[0090] As described above, dual connectivity through an LTE base station (340) and an NR base station (350) may also be named EN-DC (E-UTRA new radio dual connectivity).

[0091] Hereinafter, the structure of an electronic device (101) according to various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C. In each drawing of the embodiments described below, one communication processor (260) and one RFIC (410) are illustrated as being connected to multiple RFFEs (431, 432), but the various embodiments described below are not limited thereto. For example, in the various embodiments described below, as illustrated in FIG. 2A or 2B, multiple communication processors (212, 214) and / or multiple RFICs (222, 224, 226, 228) may be connected to multiple RFFEs (431, 432), respectively.

[0092] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate block diagrams of electronic devices according to various embodiments.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 4A, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) according to various embodiments may include a processor (120), a communication processor (260), an RFIC (410), a first RFFE (431), a second RFFE (432), a first antenna (441), a second antenna (442), a third antenna (443), a fourth antenna (444), a first switch (451), or a second switch (452). For example, the first RFFE (431) may be disposed at an upper portion within a housing of the electronic device (101), and the second RFFE (432) may be disposed at a lower portion than the first RFFE (431) within the housing of the electronic device (101), but various embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described placement positions.

[0094] According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may, upon transmission, convert a baseband signal generated by the communication processor (260) into a radio frequency (RF) signal used in a first communication network or a second communication network. For example, the RFIC (410) may transmit an RF signal used in a first communication network to a first antenna (441) or a fourth antenna (444) via a first RFFE (431) and a first switch (451). The RFIC (410) may transmit an RF signal used in the first communication network or a second communication network to a second antenna (442) or a third antenna (443) via a second RFFE (432) and a second switch (452). According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may transmit an RF signal corresponding to a first communication network (e.g., NR) to a first antenna (441) or a fourth antenna (444) through a first RFFE (431), and may transmit an RF signal corresponding to a second communication network (e.g., LTE) to a second antenna (442) or a third antenna (443) through a second RFFE (432). In another embodiment, the RFIC (410) may operate as a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) antenna by transmitting an RF signal corresponding to a first communication network (e.g., NR) or a second communication network (e.g., LTE) to a first antenna (441) or a fourth antenna (444) through a first RFFE (431), and transmitting an RF signal corresponding to the same first communication network (e.g., NR) or a second communication network (e.g., LTE) to a second antenna (442) or a third antenna (443) through a second RFFE (432).

[0095] According to various embodiments, the transmission path transmitted from the RFIC (410) through the first RFFE (431) and the first switch (451) to the first antenna (441) may be referred to as a 'first antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 1)'. The transmission path transmitted from the RFIC (410) through the first RFFE (431) and the first switch (451) to the fourth antenna (444) may be referred to as a 'fourth antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 4)'.

[0096] According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may, upon transmission, convert a baseband signal generated by the communication processor (260) into a radio frequency (RF) signal used in the first communication network or the second communication network. For example, the RFIC (410) may transmit the RF signal used in the first communication network or the second communication network to the second antenna (442) or the third antenna (443) via the second RFFE (432) and the second switch (452).

[0097] According to various embodiments, the transmission path transmitted from the RFIC (410) through the second RFFE (432) and the second switch (452) to the second antenna (442) may be referred to as a 'second antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 2)'. The transmission path transmitted from the RFIC (410) through the second RFFE (432) and the second switch (452) to the third antenna (443) may be referred to as a 'third antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 3)'.

[0098] According to various embodiments, upon receiving, an RF signal may be received from a first communication network via a first antenna (441) or a fourth antenna (444), and the received RF signal may be transmitted to a communication processor (260) via at least one RFIC. Additionally, an RF signal may be received from a first communication network or a second communication network via a second antenna (442) or a third antenna (443), and the received RF signal may be transmitted to a communication processor (260) via at least one RFIC.

[0099] According to various embodiments, the first communication network and the second communication network may be different communication networks. For example, the first communication network may be a 5G network, and the second communication network may be a legacy network (e.g., an LTE network). When the first communication network is a 5G network, the first RFFE (431) may be designed to be suitable for processing signals corresponding to the 5G network, and the second RFFE (432) may be designed to be suitable for processing signals corresponding to a legacy network. According to various embodiments, the frequency band of a signal transmitted through the first RFFE (431) and the frequency band of a signal transmitted through the second RFFE (432) may be the same, similar, or different.

[0100] According to various embodiments, when an electronic device transmits a signal through one of the first antenna (441) and the fourth antenna (444) via the first RFFE (431) and the first switch (451), and transmits a reference signal through the first antenna (441) and the fourth antenna (444), it may be referred to as '1T2R' since it uses one transmit antenna (Tx) and two receive antennas (Rx). According to various embodiments, when an electronic device transmits a signal through one of the second antenna (442) and the third antenna (443) via the second RFFE (432) and the second switch (452), and transmits a reference signal through the second antenna (442) and the third antenna (443), it may be referred to as '1T2R' since it uses one transmit antenna (Tx) and two receive antennas (Rx).

[0101] According to various embodiments, when the electronic device simultaneously transmits and receives data through the first RFFE (431) and the second RFFE (432), it may be referred to as '2T4R' since it uses two transmit antennas (Tx) and four receive antennas (Rx). The electronic device illustrated in FIG. 4A may operate in 1T2R or 2T4R according to various embodiments, and thus may be referred to as an electronic device supporting '1T2R / 2T4R'.

[0102] Referring to FIG. 4B, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) according to various embodiments may include a processor (120), a communication processor (260), an RFIC (410), a first RFFE (431), a second RFFE (432), a first antenna (441), a second antenna (442), a third antenna (443), a fourth antenna (444), a first switch (451), or a second switch (452). For example, the first RFFE (431) may be disposed at an upper portion within a housing of the electronic device (101), and the second RFFE (432) may be disposed at a lower portion than the first RFFE (431) within the housing of the electronic device (101), but the various embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described placement positions. In the embodiment of FIG. 4B described below, a description that is commonly applicable to the aforementioned FIG. 4A will be omitted.

[0103] According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may, upon transmission, convert a baseband signal generated by the communication processor (260) into a radio frequency (RF) signal used in a first communication network or a second communication network. For example, the RFIC (410) may transmit an RF signal used in a first communication network to a first antenna (441) or a fourth antenna (444) via a first RFFE (431) and a first switch (451). Additionally, the RFIC (410) may transmit an RF signal used in the first communication network to a second antenna (442) or a third antenna (443) via a first RFFE (431), a first switch (451), and a second switch (452).

[0104] According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may transmit an RF signal corresponding to a first communication network (e.g., NR) to a first antenna (441) or a fourth antenna (444) through a first RFFE (431), and may transmit an RF signal corresponding to a second communication network (e.g., LTE) to a second antenna (442) or a third antenna (443) through a second RFFE (432). According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may operate as a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) antenna by transmitting an RF signal corresponding to a first communication network (e.g., NR) or a second communication network (e.g., LTE) to a first antenna (441) or a fourth antenna (444) through a first RFFE (431) and a first switch (451), and to a second antenna (442) or a third antenna (443) through the first RFFE (431), the first switch (451), and the second switch (452). According to various embodiments, a transmission path transmitted from the RFIC (410) to the first antenna (441) through the first RFFE (431) and the first switch (451) may be referred to as a 'first antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 1)'. The transmission path transmitted from the RFIC (410) through the first RFFE (431), the first switch (451) to the fourth antenna (444) may be referred to as a 'fourth antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 4)'. The transmission path transmitted from the RFIC (410) through the first RFFE (431), the first switch (451), and the second switch (452) to the second antenna (442) may be referred to as a 'second antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 2)'. The transmission path transmitted from the RFIC (410) through the first RFFE (431), the first switch (451), and the second switch (452) to the third antenna (443) may be referred to as a 'third antenna transmission path (Ant Tx 3)'.

[0105] FIG. 4C illustrates a detailed block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments. Referring to FIG. 4C, an electronic device according to various embodiments (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 ) may include a communication processor (260), an RFIC (410), a first RFFE (431), a first antenna (441), a second RFFE (432), and a second antenna (442).

[0106] According to various embodiments, the first RFFE (431) may further include additional components different from the second RFFE (432) for signal processing suited to the characteristics of a 5G network or for supporting multi-bands. For example, the first RFFE (431) may include a front end module (FEM) (460) and a first single pole double throw (SPDT) switch (470).

[0107] According to various embodiments, the FEM (460) may include an amplifier (e.g., a power amplifier (PA) (461)) and a PA ET IC (envelop tracking IC) (464). According to various embodiments, the PA ET IC (464) may be included within the FEM (460) as illustrated in FIG. 4C, or may be connected to the FEM (460) externally. The PA ET IC (464) may control the Vcc of the PA (461) under the control of the communication processor (260) or the RFIC (410). The above PA ET IC (envelop tracking IC) (464) can operate in a plurality of modes (e.g., envelope tracking (ET) mode, average power tracking (APT) mode, maximum power mode (e.g., APT full bias or battery direct)) under the control of the communication processor (260) or RFIC (410).

[0108] According to one embodiment, the first RFFE (431) and / or the second RFFE (432) may be referred to as an RF circuit in the following description. According to one embodiment, the RF circuit may include an amplifier (e.g., a power amplifier (PA)), band pass filters (BPF), a coupler, a switching circuit (e.g., a switch box or an antenna switch module (ASM)), or a low noise amplifier (LNA). According to one embodiment, the RF circuit may be referred to as an RFFE, a front end module (FEM), a power amplifier module (PAM), a power amplifier module with integrated duplexer (PAMiD), an LNA PAMiD (LPAMiD), or a front end module with integrated duplexer (FEMid) depending on a function or a component included therein, but is not limited to the above terms.

[0109] According to one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4C, the power amplifier (461) and the switch (470) may be included in a single semiconductor chip or integrated circuit constituting the RF circuit (e.g., the first RFFE (431)). According to one embodiment, the switch (470) may be configured as a separate module external to the RF circuit. According to one embodiment, the RF circuit may be configured as a semiconductor chip or an integrated integrated circuit integrated with the RFIC (410) as described above. For example, the power amplifier (461) and / or the switch (470) included in the RF circuit may be configured as a semiconductor chip or an integrated integrated circuit integrated with the RFIC (410) described above.

[0110] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an antenna arrangement structure of an electronic device according to various embodiments. According to one embodiment, in 5G terminals, in addition to the non-stand-alone (NSA) communication method of LTE and NR (SUB6), the stand-alone (SA) communication method that can operate solely with 5G NR (SUB6) without LTE is increasing. As the number of cases of operating solely with 5G NR (SUB6) increases, electronic devices that configure circuits and devices to support various new NR features are being provided.

[0111] Referring to FIG. 5, the electronic device (101) may include a plurality of antennas (511, 512, 513, 514, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 526) inside a housing forming the exterior of the electronic device (101) and / or at least a portion of the housing.

[0112] According to various embodiments, the antennas (511, 512, 513, 514) arranged at the bottom of the electronic device (101) may be referred to as main antennas. Among the main antennas, the first main antenna (511) or the second main antenna (512) may be formed of metal outside the housing. The first main antenna (511) may be used to transmit and receive 2G, 3G, LTE, or NR signals. The second main antenna (512) may be used to transmit and receive LTE signals or receive NR signals.

[0113] According to various embodiments, the fourth main antenna (514) among the main antennas may be configured in the form of LDS (laser direct structuring) inside the housing. The fourth main antenna (514) may be used for receiving 3G, LTE, or NR signals. The third main antenna (513) among the main antennas may be configured in the form of LDS or a metal slit inside the housing or at least in a portion thereof. According to various embodiments, the second main antenna (512) may be used for transmitting and receiving a high band (HB) signal (e.g., N41). The third main antenna (513) may be used for transmitting and receiving an ultra high band (UHB) signal (e.g., N77, N78, N79).

[0114] According to various embodiments, the antennas (521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 526) disposed on the top or side of the electronic device (101) may be referred to as sub-antennas. At least one of the sub-antennas (e.g., the first sub-antenna (521), the second sub-antenna (522), the third sub-antenna (523), the fourth sub-antenna (524), the fifth sub-antenna (525), the sixth sub-antenna (526)) may be formed of metal outside the housing or may be formed in the form of a metal slit in at least a portion of the housing (e.g., the side key (501)). At least one of the sub-antennas (521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 526) may be used to receive a 2G, 3G, LTE, or NR signal. According to one embodiment, the fifth sub-antenna (525) may be used for receiving GPS or WiFi signals. The second sub-antenna (522) or the third sub-antenna (523) may be used for transmitting and receiving NR signals (e.g., N77, N78, or N79). According to one embodiment, the seventh sub-antenna (541) may be configured in the form of an LDS inside the housing. According to one embodiment, the eighth sub-antenna (531) and the ninth sub-antenna (532) may be configured as mmWave modules. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the antenna arrangement and antenna use of the electronic device (101) according to various embodiments are not limited to what is illustrated and described above.

[0115] According to various embodiments, the electronic device may support multi-layer (e.g., 4X4 layers or more), high modulation (e.g., 1024 QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation)) to improve downlink (DL) throughput (T-PUT) and reception performance, and may support complex and diverse EN-DC combinations to increase reception bandwidth.

[0116] According to various embodiments, the electronic device may support uplink-multiple input multiple output (UL-MIMO) or uplink carrier aggregation (ULCA) to improve uplink (UL) throughput and transmission performance, and may support power class 1.5 (PC1.5) to expand coverage. For example, the UL-MIMO may be configured to transmit different signals through a plurality of antennas, and will be referred to as a first transmission mode for convenience in the following description. The PC1.5 may be configured to simultaneously transmit the same signal through a plurality of antennas (e.g., two antennas), and will be referred to as a second transmission mode for convenience in the following description.

[0117] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0118] Referring to FIG. 6, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1) according to various embodiments may include a communication processor (260), an RFIC (410), a first PA (621) (e.g., a first RFFE), a second PA (622) (e.g., a second RFEE), a first band pass filter (BPF) (631), a second band pass filter (632), a first antenna (ANT1) (641), or a second antenna (ANT2) (642). The first PA (621) may be included in a first RFFE or a first RF circuit. The first RF circuit may further include a first BPF (631), a low noise amplifier, or at least one switch in addition to the first PA (621). The second PA (622) may be included in a second RFFE or a second RF circuit. The second RF circuit may further include a second BPF (632) or a low noise amplifier or at least one switch in addition to the second PA (622).

[0119] According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may include a signal processing circuit (601) and at least two transmit chains (Tx chains) (e.g., a first transmit chain (Tx Chain 0) (611) and a second transmit chain (Tx Chain 1) (612)). The signal processing circuit (601) may receive a baseband signal (e.g., a Qlink signal) from the communication processor (260) and, based on the electronic device operating in a UL-MIMO mode (e.g., a first transmit mode), output a first signal (or first transmit signal (TX0)) for the first transmit chain (611) and a second signal (or second transmit signal (TX1)) for the second transmit chain (612). The first signal and the second signal may be different signals.

[0120] According to various embodiments, the first transmission chain (611) of the RFIC (410) may be connected to a first PA (621). The second transmission chain (612) of the RFIC (410) may be connected to a second PA (622). The RFIC (410) may transmit a first signal for UL-MIMO to the first PA (621) through the first transmission chain (611). The first signal transmitted from the RFIC (410) may be amplified in the first PA (621), and then transmitted to a communication network through the first antenna (641) via the first BPF (631). For example, the first signal transmitted through the first antenna (641) in the electronic device can be received by a plurality of receiving antennas of the base station (e.g., the first receiving antenna (651), the second receiving antenna (652), the third receiving antenna (653), or the fourth receiving antenna (654)).

[0121] According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may transmit a second signal for UL-MIMO to a second PA (622) through a second transmission chain (612). The second signal transmitted from the RFIC (410) may be amplified in the second PA (622), and then transmitted to a communication network through a second antenna (642) via a second BPF (632). For example, the second signal transmitted in the electronic device through the second antenna (642) may be received by a plurality of receiving antennas of a base station (e.g., a first receiving antenna (651), a second receiving antenna (652), a third receiving antenna (653), or a fourth receiving antenna (654)).

[0122] According to various embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 6, when operating in UL 2X2 MIMO, the uplink throughput may be doubled because the electronic device transmits different uplink data in each transmission chain to support UL-MIMO. Accordingly, the electronic device may reduce network congestion and provide a twice as fast uplink experience to the user as the network capacity is improved. According to various embodiments, when the power class set in the electronic device is PC3, the first signal and the second signal may be transmitted at a maximum size of 23 dBm each.

[0123] FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0124] Referring to FIG. 7, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) according to various embodiments may include a communication processor (260), an RFIC (410), a first PA (621) (e.g., a first RFFE), a second PA (622) (e.g., a second RFEE), a first band pass filter (BPF) (631), a second band pass filter (632), a first antenna (ANT1) (641), or a second antenna (ANT2) (642). The first PA (621) may be included in a first RFFE or a first RF circuit. The first RF circuit may further include a first BPF (631), a low noise amplifier, or at least one switch in addition to the first PA (621). The second PA (622) may be included in a second RFFE or a second RF circuit. The second RF circuit may further include a second BPF (632) or a low noise amplifier or at least one switch in addition to the second PA (622).

[0125] According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may include a signal processing circuit (601) and at least two transmit chains (Tx chains) (e.g., a first transmit chain (Tx Chain 0) (611) and a second transmit chain (Tx Chain 1) (612)). The signal processing circuit (601) may receive a baseband signal (e.g., a Qlink signal) from the communication processor (260) and, based on the electronic device operating in a PC1.5 mode (e.g., a second transmit mode), output a first signal (or first transmit signal (TX0)) for the first transmit chain (611) and a second signal (or second transmit signal (TX1)) for the second transmit chain (612). The first signal and the second signal may be the same signal. For example, the signal processing circuit (601) can split the same uplink data (e.g., I / Q (in-phase / quadrature) data) into a splitter and transmit it simultaneously to different transmission chains (e.g., the first transmission chain (611) and the second transmission chain (612)) based on the electronic device operating in PC1.5 mode. For example, if the same transmission I / Q data is modulated in a transmission PLL (phase locked loop) circuit within the RFIC (410), the same transmission I / Q data can be transmitted in 1 layer through each antenna (e.g., the first antenna (641) and the second antenna (642)).

[0126] According to various embodiments, the first transmission chain (611) of the RFIC (410) may be connected to a first PA (621). The second transmission chain (612) of the RFIC (410) may be connected to a second PA (622). The RFIC (410) may transmit a first signal for PC1.5 to the first PA (621) through the first transmission chain (611). The first signal transmitted from the RFIC (410) may be amplified in the first PA (621), and then transmitted to a communication network through a first antenna (641) via a first BPF (631). For example, the first signal transmitted through the first antenna (641) in the electronic device can be received by a plurality of receiving antennas of the base station (e.g., the first receiving antenna (651), the second receiving antenna (652), the third receiving antenna (653), or the fourth receiving antenna (654)).

[0127] According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may transmit a second signal for PC1.5 to a second PA (622) through a second transmission chain (612). The second signal transmitted from the RFIC (410) may be amplified in the second PA (622), and then transmitted to a communication network through a second antenna (642) via a second BPF (632). For example, the second signal transmitted in the electronic device through the second antenna (642) may be received by a plurality of receiving antennas of a base station (e.g., a first receiving antenna (651), a second receiving antenna (652), a third receiving antenna (653), or a fourth receiving antenna (654)).

[0128] According to various embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the electronic device can increase the output of a transmission signal by simultaneously transmitting the same uplink data in each transmission chain to support PC1.5. For example, when the electronic device operates in a second transmission mode corresponding to PC1.5, the effect of transmitting with twice the transmission power can be achieved, and theoretically (for example, assuming no path loss or interference), the coverage can be expanded up to twice. According to various embodiments, when the power class set to the electronic device is set to PC1.5, the first signal and the second signal can be transmitted with a maximum size of 26 dBm each. Accordingly, the electronic device can transmit a signal of 29 dBm because the first signal and the second signal are the same signal. For example, the target power in PC1.5 can be expressed as in <Mathematical Formula 1> below.

[0129]

[0130] FIG. 8 is a drawing illustrating an antenna arrangement structure of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0131] Referring to FIG. 8, the electronic device (101) may include a first housing (101a) (or a first housing portion or an upper body) and a second housing (101b) (or a second housing portion or a lower body). The second housing (101b) may be rotatably coupled to the first housing (101a). For example, the second housing may be configured to be movable with the first housing between a closed state and an open state. According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a plurality of antennas. The first housing (101a) may include a plurality of conductive portions forming an outer side surface of the electronic device (101). At least one of the plurality of conductive portions of the first housing (101a) may be used as an antenna. The second housing (101b) may include a plurality of conductive portions forming an outer side surface of the electronic device (101). At least one of the plurality of conductive portions of the second housing (101b) may be used as an antenna. For example, the electronic device (101) may include three main antennas in the second housing (101b), namely, a first main antenna (811), a second main antenna (812), and a third main antenna (813). The first main antenna (811) may process signals in a frequency band corresponding to a low band (LB) and a mid band (MB). The second main antenna (812) may process signals in a frequency band corresponding to a high band (HB). The third main antenna (813) may process signals in a frequency band corresponding to a mid band (MB) and a high band (HB).

[0132] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include six sub-antennas in the first housing (101a), namely, a first sub-antenna (821), a second sub-antenna (822), a third sub-antenna (823), a fourth sub-antenna (824), a fifth sub-antenna (825), and a sixth sub-antenna (826). The first sub-antenna (821) may process a signal in a frequency band corresponding to a high band (HB) or a low band (LB). The second sub-antenna (822) may process a signal in a frequency band corresponding to the high band (HB) and a WiFi signal. The third sub-antenna (923) may process a signal in a frequency band corresponding to a middle band (MB). The fourth sub-antenna (924) may process a global positioning system (GPS) signal and a WiFi signal. The fifth sub-antenna (925) can process signals in a frequency band corresponding to a mid-band (MB) or a high-band (HB). The frequency bands corresponding to the low-band (LB), mid-band (MB), and high-band (HB) described above can be variously set by the operator. According to one embodiment, within the frequency band of 300 MHz to 300 GHz, the band below 1 GHz can be classified as a low-band (LB), the band between 1 GHz and 6 GHz can be classified as a mid-band (MB), and the band above 6 GHz can be classified as a high-band (HB). However, this is merely an example and is not limited to the above figures. For example, the high-band (HB) can also be referred to as a frequency above 3.5 GHz.

[0133] According to various embodiments, an electronic device having a foldable form factor, an electronic device having a slider form factor, or an electronic device having a rollable form factor as illustrated in FIG. 8 may have transmit antennas configured to optimize performance depending on the UL MIMO or PC1.5 mode and the state of the electronic device (e.g., open state / closed state). For example, in order to improve the performance of the uplink throughput of the electronic device, the two antennas must be sufficiently spaced apart and sufficiently isolated from each other to operate effectively in a 2-layer environment. According to one embodiment, good isolation can be secured when the spacing and space are at least half the wavelength (λ) of free space (λ / 2). For example, the N41 frequency is 2.5 GHz, the wavelength is 0.12 m, and sufficient isolation can be secured when the distance between the two antennas is at least about 6 cm, which is half the wavelength. For example, considering the length of the electronic device, optimal performance can be ensured when transmitting two layers of transmission signals with top / bottom or left / right antennas.

[0134] In various embodiments, for a layer 1 electronic device set to PC1.5 mode, since the same data is transmitted from two antennas, the radiation performance may be determined by the phase adjustment or ground (GND) conditions rather than the isolation between each antenna. For example, when set to PC1.5 mode, the electronic device may experience problems such as heat generation and reduced usage time due to high power consumption of PC2 because the two PAs output simultaneously.

[0135] According to various embodiments, if the form factor of the electronic device is the bar type as illustrated in FIG. 5, and the length and width are assumed to be 150 mm Х 70 mm, a certain degree of isolation can be secured when the transmitting antennas are arranged relative to each other in consideration of the frequency length in the up / down and left / right directions based on the metal housing antenna. If the form factor of the electronic device is the foldable type, the slider type, or the rollable type as illustrated in FIG. 8, the spacing between the antennas may vary and affect each other depending on the state or form (e.g., open state / closed state) of the electronic device, so isolation may not be secured and the uplink throughput may be degraded.

[0136] FIG. 9A is a drawing illustrating an external appearance of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0137] Referring to FIG. 9A, the electronic device (101) may have a form of an upper / lower foldable form factor as illustrated in FIG. 8. As illustrated in FIG. 9A, sufficient isolation can be secured when the electronic device (101) operates in an open state with UL-MIMO. For example, when the electronic device (101) operates in UL-MIMO, the first antenna for transmitting the first signal may be set to the second sub-antenna (822) disposed in the first housing (101a), and the second antenna for transmitting the second signal may be set to the second main antenna (812) disposed in the second housing (101b). For example, assuming that the transmission frequency band of the first and second signals is N77, half of the wavelength (8 cm) corresponding to the frequency of N77 is 4 cm, and considering the distance (e.g., 14 cm) between the two antennas (e.g., the second sub-antenna (822) and the second main antenna (812)), sufficient isolation can be secured, so that the performance of the uplink throughput does not deteriorate.

[0138] FIG. 9b is a drawing illustrating an external appearance of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0139] Referring to FIG. 9B, the electronic device (101) may have a form factor of an upper / lower foldable form factor as illustrated in FIG. 8. As illustrated in FIG. 9B, when the electronic device (101) is in a closed state, sufficient isolation may not be secured when operating in UL-MIMO. For example, if the electronic device (101) is in a closed state and operates in UL MIMO, as illustrated in FIG. 9B, the distance between the two antennas (e.g., the second sub-antenna (822) and the second main antenna (812)) may become physically close (e.g., within 3 mm), and thus isolation between the antennas may not be secured. Accordingly, the electronic device (101) may experience interference between transmission signals through the two antennas, resulting in performance degradation in the uplink.

[0140] FIG. 10 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0141] Fig. 10 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments. Referring to Fig. 10, a plurality of RFFEs (1011, 1012, 1013, 1021, 1022, 1023, 1031, 1032, 1033, 1040) may be connected to at least one RFIC (410). Multiple RFFEs (1011, 1012, 1013, 1013, 1021, 1022, 1023, 1031, 1032, 1033, 1040) can be connected to multiple antennas (1051, 1052, 1061, 1062, 1071, 1072, 1073, 1081, 1091, 1092).

[0142] According to various embodiments, the 1-1 RFFE (1011) and the 2-1 RFFE (1021) may be connected to a first main antenna (1051) and a second main antenna (1061), respectively. The 1-2 RFFE (1012) and the 1-3 RFFE (1013) may be connected to a first sub antenna (1052) to provide diversity with the first main antenna (1051). The 2-2 RFFE (1022) and the 2-3 RFFE (1023) may be connected to a second sub antenna (1062) to provide diversity with the second main antenna (1061). The 3-1 RFFE (1031) may be connected to two third main antennas (1071, 1072) to provide MIMO. Additionally, the 3-2 RFFE (1032) and the 3-3 RFFE (1033) can be connected to a third sub antenna (1073) through a duplexer to provide MIMO or diversity with the third main antennas (1071, 1072). The 5th antenna (1081) can be directly connected to the RFIC (410) without going through the RFFE. The 6-1st antenna (1091) and the 6-2nd antenna (1092) can also be directly connected to the RFIC (410) without going through the RFFE, and can provide MIMO or diversity through two antennas. The 4th RFFE (1040) can be connected to two WiFi antennas (e.g., WiFi 1 and WiFi 2).

[0143] According to various embodiments, at least one of the RFFEs of FIG. 10 may correspond to any one of the first RFFE (431) and the second RFFE (432) described above in FIG. 4a, FIG. 4b, or FIG. 4c. At least one of the antennas of FIG. 10 may correspond to any one of the plurality of antennas described above in FIG. 4a, FIG. 4b, FIG. 4c, FIG. 5, or FIG. 8.

[0144] FIG. 11 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0145] Referring to FIG. 11, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a processor (120), a communication processor (260), an RFIC (410), a first RF circuit (1110) (or a first RFFE), a second RF circuit (1120) (or a second RFFE), a second main antenna (1132) (e.g., the second main antenna (812) of FIG. 8), a first sub-antenna (1141) (e.g., the first sub-antenna (821) of FIG. 8), a second sub-antenna (1142) (e.g., the second sub-antenna (822) of FIG. 8), and a fifth sub-antenna (1145) (e.g., the fifth sub-antenna (825) of FIG. 8). According to various embodiments, the first RF circuit (1110) may include a first PA (1111), a first BPF (1112), a first coupler (1113), and a first switch (1114). The second RF circuit (1120) may include a second PA (1121), a second BPF (1122), a second coupler (1123), and a second switch (1124). In the embodiments described below, specific frequency bands or specific antennas are exemplified to aid understanding, and the various embodiments described below are not limited to the specific frequency bands or specific antennas.

[0146] According to one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the first power amplifier (1111), the first BPF (1112), the first coupler (1113), and the first switch (1114) may be included in one semiconductor chip or integrated circuit constituting the first RF circuit (1110) (or the first RFFE). According to one embodiment, the first switch (1114) may be configured as a separate module external to the first RF circuit (1110). According to one embodiment, the first RF circuit (1110) may be configured as a semiconductor chip or an integrated integrated circuit integrated with the aforementioned RFIC (410). For example, the first power amplifier (1111) and / or the first switch (1114) included in the first RF circuit (1110) may be configured as a semiconductor chip or an integrated integrated circuit integrated with the aforementioned RFIC (410).

[0147] According to one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the second power amplifier (1121), the second BPF (1122), the second coupler (1123), and the second switch (1124) may be included in a single semiconductor chip or integrated circuit constituting the second RF circuit (1210) (or the second RFFE). According to one embodiment, the second switch (1124) may be configured as a separate module external to the second RF circuit (1120). According to one embodiment, the second RF circuit (1120) may be configured as a semiconductor chip or an integrated integrated circuit integrated with the aforementioned RFIC (410). For example, the second power amplifier (1121) and / or the second switch (1124) included in the second RF circuit (1120) may be configured as a semiconductor chip or an integrated integrated circuit integrated with the aforementioned RFIC (410).

[0148] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) may operate in UL-MIMO. For example, the electronic device (101) may operate in UL-MIMO by confirming a configuration message (e.g., an RRC (radio resource control) reconfiguration message) received from a communication network.

[0149] According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may include a signal processing circuit (e.g., a signal processing circuit (601) of FIG. 6) and at least two transmit chains (Tx chains) (e.g., a first transmit chain (Tx Chain 0) (611) and a second transmit chain (Tx Chain 1) (612)). The signal processing circuit may receive a baseband signal (e.g., a Qlink signal) from the communication processor (260), and based on the electronic device operating in a UL-MIMO mode (e.g., a first transmit mode), output a first signal (or first transmit signal (TX0)) for the first transmit chain (611) and a second signal (or second transmit signal (TX1)) for the second transmit chain (612). The first signal and the second signal may be different signals.

[0150] According to various embodiments, the first transmission chain (611) of the RFIC (410) may be connected to a first PA (1111). The second transmission chain (612) of the RFIC (410) may be connected to a second PA (1121). The RFIC (410) may transmit a first signal for UL-MIMO to the first PA (1111) through the first transmission chain (611). The first signal transmitted from the RFIC (410) may be amplified in the first PA (621), and then transmitted to a communication network through a first BPF (1112), a first coupler (1113), and a first switch (1114) through a second sub-antenna (1142).

[0151] According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may transmit a second signal for UL-MIMO to the second PA (1121) through the second transmission chain (612). The second signal transmitted from the RFIC (410) may be amplified in the second PA (1121), and then transmitted to the communication network through the second BPF (1122), the second coupler (1123), the second switch (1124), and the first switch (1114) through the fifth sub-antenna (1145).

[0152] FIG. 12A is a diagram showing a transmission signal transmission path of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0153] Referring to FIG. 12a, as described above in FIG. 11, when the electronic device (101) operates in UL-MIMO, the first signal may be transmitted through the second sub-antenna (822), and the second signal may be transmitted through the fifth sub-antenna (825).

[0154] As illustrated in FIG. 12A, sufficient isolation can be secured when the electronic device (101) operates in UL-MIMO in an open state. For example, as the electronic device (101) operates in UL-MIMO, as described above, the first antenna for transmitting the first signal may be set to the second sub-antenna (822) disposed in the first housing (101a), and the second antenna for transmitting the second signal may be set to the fifth sub-antenna (825) disposed in the first housing (101a). For example, assuming that the transmission frequency bands of the first and second signals are N77, half of the wavelength (8 cm) corresponding to the frequency of N77 is 4 cm, and considering the distance between the two antennas (e.g., the second sub-antenna (822) and the fifth sub-antenna (825)), sufficient isolation can be secured.

[0155] According to various embodiments, when the electronic device (101) operates in UL-MIMO, the electronic device may change its form from an open state to a closed state. For example, the processor (120) (e.g., an application processor) may check the status of the electronic device (101) and transmit a status flag corresponding to the current state to the communication processor (260). For example, when the electronic device (101) is in an open state, the status flag may be set to 0, and when the electronic device (101) is in a closed state, the status flag may be set to 1. According to various embodiments, the processor (120) may set the status flag by calculating the position of the electronic device (101) by an acceleration sensor or by checking the status of the electronic device (101) by a Hall IC. According to various embodiments, the processor (120) may transmit status information corresponding to the type of the electronic device (101) to the communication processor (260) in the form of a status flag as a device status index (DSI). The communication processor (260) may check the current status (e.g., open state or closed state) of the electronic device (101) based on the status flag received from the processor (120).

[0156] FIG. 12b is a perspective view of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0157] Referring to FIG. 12b, sufficient isolation can be secured even when the electronic device (101) changes from an open state to a closed state while operating in UL-MIMO. For example, as the electronic device (101) operates in UL-MIMO, as described above, the first antenna for transmitting the first signal may be set to the second sub-antenna (822) disposed in the first housing (101a), and the second antenna for transmitting the second signal may be set to the fifth sub-antenna (825) disposed in the first housing (101a). For example, assuming that the transmission frequency band of the first and second signals is N77, half of the wavelength (8 cm) corresponding to the frequency of N77 is 4 cm, and even if the electronic device (101) is changed to a closed state, sufficient isolation can be secured considering the distance between the two antennas (e.g., the second sub-antenna (822) and the fifth sub-antenna (825)).

[0158] Referring to FIGS. 12A and 12B , when the electronic device (101) operates in UL-MIMO, as the state of the electronic device changes, two antennas may be selected or set to ensure sufficient isolation between antennas or maximize antenna gain in response to each state. The processor (120) or the communication processor (260) of the electronic device (101) may control the transmission paths of the first signal and the second signal so that the first signal and the second signal can be transmitted to the corresponding antennas according to the settings of the antennas. For example, the processor (120) or the communication processor (260) of the electronic device (101) may control the transmission paths of the first signal and the second signal by controlling the first switch (1114) and / or the second switch (1124) through mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) communication or general purpose input / output (GPIO) interface communication.

[0159] According to various embodiments, when the electronic device (101) operates in UL-MIMO and isolation is secured between two antennas, it can be confirmed that the throughput increases as shown in below.

[0160] UL-MIMO ONUL-MIMO OFFDownload (Mbps)Upload (Mbps)Download (Mbps)Upload (Mbps)Isolation secured (antenna separation) (SUB2-SUB5)1073.2148.41027.4111.2Isolation not secured (adjacent antennas) (SUB2-SUB1)1034.2114.21024.8110.8

[0161] Referring to the above , it can be confirmed that when the electronic device (101) operates in UL-MIMO and isolation between antennas is not secured, the throughput is 114.2 Mbps, but when isolation between antennas is secured, the throughput increases to 148.4 Mbps.

[0162] FIG. 13A illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0163] Referring to FIG. 13A, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a processor (120), a communication processor (260), an RFIC (410), a first RF circuit (1110) (or a first RFFE), a second RF circuit (1120) (or a second RFFE), a second main antenna (1132) (e.g., the second main antenna (812) of FIG. 8), a first sub-antenna (1141) (e.g., the first sub-antenna (821) of FIG. 8), a second sub-antenna (1142) (e.g., the second sub-antenna (822) of FIG. 8), and a fifth sub-antenna (1145) (e.g., the fifth sub-antenna (825) of FIG. 8). According to various embodiments, the first RF circuit (1110) may include a first PA (1111), a first BPF (1112), a first coupler (1113), and a first switch (1114). The second RF circuit (1120) may include a second PA (1121), a second BPF (1122), a second coupler (1123), and a second switch (1124).

[0164] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) may operate as PC1.5. For example, the electronic device (101) may operate as PC1.5 by confirming a configuration message (e.g., an RRC (radio resource control) reconfiguration message) received from a communication network.

[0165] According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may include a signal processing circuit (e.g., a signal processing circuit (601) of FIG. 6) and at least two transmit chains (Tx chains) (e.g., a first transmit chain (Tx Chain 0) (611) and a second transmit chain (Tx Chain 1) (612)). The signal processing circuit may receive a baseband signal (e.g., a Qlink signal) from the communication processor (260), and output a first signal (or first transmit signal (TX0)) for the first transmit chain (611) and a second signal (or second transmit signal (TX1)) for the second transmit chain (612) based on the electronic device operating in a PC1.5 mode (e.g., a second transmit mode). The first signal and the second signal may be the same signal. For example, the signal processing circuit can split the same uplink data (e.g., I / Q data) using a splitter and transmit it simultaneously to different transmission chains (e.g., the first transmission chain (611) and the second transmission chain (612)) based on the electronic device operating in PC1.5 mode.

[0166] According to various embodiments, the first transmission chain (611) of the RFIC (410) may be connected to the first PA (1111). The second transmission chain (612) of the RFIC (410) may be connected to the second PA (1121). The RFIC (410) may transmit a first signal for PC1.5 to the first PA (1111) through the first transmission chain (611). The first signal transmitted from the RFIC (410) may be amplified in the first PA (1111), and then transmitted to a communication network through the first BPF (1112), the first coupler (1113), and the first switch (1114) through the second sub-antenna (1142).

[0167] According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may transmit a second signal for PC1.5 to the second PA (1121) through the second transmission chain (612). The second signal transmitted from the RFIC (410) may be amplified in the second PA (1121), and then transmitted to the communication network through the second BPF (1122), the second coupler (1123), the second switch (1124), and the first switch (1114) through the fifth sub-antenna (1145).

[0168] FIG. 13b is a diagram showing a transmission signal transmission path of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0169] Referring to FIG. 13b, as described above in FIG. 13a, when the electronic device (101) operates as PC1.5, the first signal can be transmitted through the second sub-antenna (822), and the second signal can be transmitted through the fifth sub-antenna (825).

[0170] As illustrated in FIG. 13b, when the electronic device (101) is in an open state, the antenna with the highest efficiency of transmit diversity (Tx diversity) can be selected when operating in PC1.5. For example, as the electronic device (101) operates in PC1.5, as described above, the first antenna for transmitting the first signal may be set to the second sub-antenna (822) disposed in the first housing (101a), and the second antenna for transmitting the second signal may be set to the fifth sub-antenna (825) disposed in the first housing (101a). According to various embodiments, when the electronic device (101) is in an open state, a combination of the same antennas (e.g., the second sub-antenna (822) and the fifth sub-antenna (825)) for UL-MIMO and PC1.5 may be selected or set, as illustrated in FIGS. 12a and 13b. According to various embodiments, different combinations of antennas for UL-MIMO and PC1.5 may be selected or set, unlike those shown in FIGS. 12a and 13b, when the electronic device (101) is in an open state.

[0171] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a transmission signal transmission path of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0172] Referring to FIG. 14, when the electronic device (101) is operating in PC1.5 and changes from an open state to a closed state, unlike the aforementioned UL-MIMO, two antennas that overlap or are symmetrical to each other can be selected or set.

[0173] According to various embodiments, when the electronic device (101) operates in PC1.5, in a closed state, the current direction can be made the same by forming feeding at the same or adjacent positions between different antennas. For example, when the electronic device (101) operates in PC1.5, as illustrated in FIG. 14, by selecting or setting antennas in which the first feeding (1401) of the first antenna transmitting the first signal and the second feeding (1402) of the second antenna transmitting the second signal overlap, the offset effect of the current flow can be minimized, thereby increasing the efficiency of the power radiated to the antennas (e.g., total radiation power (TRP)). According to various embodiments, a technology for increasing the efficiency of the power radiated to the antennas by forming feeding at the same or adjacent positions between the different antennas to make the current direction the same may be referred to as an EPA (equivalent phase antenna) method, but is not limited to the technology or the term.

[0174] FIG. 15A illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0175] Referring to FIG. 15A, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a processor (120), a communication processor (260), an RFIC (410), a first RF circuit (1110) (or a first RFFE), a second RF circuit (1120) (or a second RFFE), a second main antenna (1132) (e.g., the second main antenna (812) of FIG. 8), a first sub-antenna (1141) (e.g., the first sub-antenna (821) of FIG. 8), a second sub-antenna (1142) (e.g., the second sub-antenna (822) of FIG. 8), and a fifth sub-antenna (1145) (e.g., the fifth sub-antenna (825) of FIG. 8). According to various embodiments, the first RF circuit (1110) may include a first PA (1111), a first BPF (1112), a first coupler (1113), and a first switch (1114). The second RF circuit (1120) may include a second PA (1121), a second BPF (1122), a second coupler (1123), and a second switch (1124).

[0176] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) may operate as PC1.5. For example, the electronic device (101) may operate as PC1.5 by confirming a configuration message (e.g., an RRC (radio resource control) reconfiguration message) received from a communication network.

[0177] According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may include a signal processing circuit (e.g., a signal processing circuit (601) of FIG. 6) and at least two transmit chains (Tx chains) (e.g., a first transmit chain (Tx Chain 0) (611) and a second transmit chain (Tx Chain 1) (612)). The signal processing circuit may receive a baseband signal (e.g., a Qlink signal) from the communication processor (260), and output a first signal (or first transmit signal (TX0)) for the first transmit chain (611) and a second signal (or second transmit signal (TX1)) for the second transmit chain (612) based on the electronic device operating in a PC1.5 mode (e.g., a second transmit mode). The first signal and the second signal may be the same signal. For example, the signal processing circuit can split the same uplink data (e.g., I / Q data) using a splitter and transmit it simultaneously to different transmission chains (e.g., the first transmission chain (611) and the second transmission chain (612)) based on the electronic device operating in PC1.5 mode.

[0178] According to various embodiments, the first transmission chain (611) of the RFIC (410) may be connected to the first PA (1111). The second transmission chain (612) of the RFIC (410) may be connected to the second PA (1121). The RFIC (410) may transmit a first signal for PC1.5 to the first PA (1111) through the first transmission chain (611). The first signal transmitted from the RFIC (410) may be amplified in the first PA (1111), and then transmitted to a communication network through the first BPF (1112), the first coupler (1113), and the first switch (1114) through the second sub-antenna (1142).

[0179] According to various embodiments, the RFIC (410) may transmit a second signal for PC1.5 to a second PA (1121) through a second transmission chain (612). The second signal transmitted from the RFIC (410) may be amplified in the second PA (1121), and then transmitted to a communication network through a second BPF (1122), a second coupler (1123), a second switch (1124), and a second main antenna (1132).

[0180] FIG. 15b is a diagram showing a transmission signal transmission path of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0181] Referring to FIG. 15b, when the electronic device (101) is operating in PC1.5 and changes from an open state to a closed state, two antennas that overlap or are symmetrical to each other can be selected or set, unlike the aforementioned UL-MIMO.

[0182] According to various embodiments, when the electronic device (101) operates in PC1.5, the current direction can be made the same by forming feeding at the same or adjacent positions between different antennas in the closed state. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 15b, it can be confirmed that when the electronic device (101) is in the closed state, the first feeding (822a) of the second sub-antenna (822) disposed in the first housing (101a) and the second feeding (812a) of the second main antenna (812) disposed in the second housing (101b) overlap each other and are formed at the same or adjacent positions. As described above in FIG. 15a, according to various embodiments, when the electronic device (101) operates as PC1.5, the radiated power (e.g., TRP) can be maximized by controlling the electronic device (101) to transmit the first signal through the second sub-antenna (822) and transmit the second signal through the second main antenna (812) in a closed state.

[0183] According to various embodiments, when the electronic device (101) operates as PC1.5 and is in a closed state, the second sub-antenna (822) disposed in the first housing (101a) and the second main antenna (812) disposed in the second housing (101b) may at least partially overlap each other. For example, the position of the first feed (822a) of the second sub-antenna (822) disposed in the first housing (101a) and the position of the second feed (812a) of the second main antenna (812) may be formed such that the current direction of the second sub-antenna (822) disposed in the first housing (101a) and the current direction of the second main antenna (812) disposed in the second housing (101b) are the same. For example, as described above, the RFIC (410) of the electronic device (101) adjusts the phases of the first and second signals output through each set antenna to the same phase and applies EPA technology, thereby confirming that the transmission performance (e.g., TRP) is improved as shown in below.

[0184] Measurement Case Antenna n41 n77 n79 TRPT RPT R PEPA Non-applied Transmit Power PC2 (1st) 26 26 25.5 PC2 (2nd) 26 26 25.5 PC1.5 (SUM) 29 29 28.5 Closed State (Sub2-Sub5) UL-MIMO 23.5 22.5 20.5 EPA Applied Transmit Power PC2 (1st) 26 26.3 25.5 PC2 (2nd) 26 25.3 25 PC1.5 (SUM) 29 28.8 28.2 Closed State (Sub2-Main2) EPA 25.5 24.1 21.3 Improved Dose (Δ) 21.6 0.8

[0185] Referring to the above , it can be confirmed that when the electronic device (101) is operated at PC1.5 in a closed state, an improvement effect of about 1 to 2 dB or more is achieved by applying EPA.

[0186] FIG. 16 illustrates a flowchart for explaining a method of operating an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0187] In the following examples, the operations may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily sequential. For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel.

[0188] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) (e.g., at least one of the processor (120), the first communication processor (212), the second communication processor (214), or the unified communication processor (260)) may, in operation 1602, identify a transmission mode set among a first transmission mode (e.g., UL-MIMO) set to transmit different signals through the first RF circuit and the second RF circuit, and a second transmission mode (e.g., PC1.5) set to transmit the same signal. For example, the electronic device (101) may identify the set transmission mode based on a configuration message (e.g., an RRC (radio resource control) reconfiguration message) received through a communication network.

[0189] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) may, in operation 1604, control to transmit a first signal (first signals) through the first RF circuit and simultaneously transmit a second signal (second signals) through the second RF circuit based on the transmission mode.

[0190] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) may, in operation 1606, determine that the form of the electronic device has changed. For example, the electronic device (101) may set a status flag by calculating the position of the electronic device (101) by an acceleration sensor or determining the state of the electronic device (101) by a Hall IC. According to various embodiments, the processor (120) of the electronic device (101) may transmit status information corresponding to the form of the electronic device (101) to the communication processor (260) in the form of a status flag as a device status index (DSI). The communication processor (260) may determine a change in the current state (e.g., an open state or a closed state) or form of the electronic device (101) based on the status flag received from the processor (120).

[0191] According to various embodiments, in operation 1608, the electronic device (101) may select or confirm a first antenna for transmitting the first signal and a second antenna for transmitting the second signal based on the transmission mode (e.g., UL-MIMO or PC1.5) and the shape of the electronic device (e.g., an open state or a closed state). For example, based on confirming that the transmission mode is the second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device is changed to a closed state, the electronic device may select or confirm the first antenna and the second antenna whose feeding positions are adjacent to each other. Based on confirming that the transmission mode is the second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device is changed to a closed state, the electronic device may select or confirm the first antenna and the second antenna that satisfy an equivalent phase antenna (EPA) condition. Based on determining that the transmission mode is the second transmission mode and that the shape of the electronic device is changed to an open state, the electronic device can select or confirm the first antenna and the second antenna that maximize the efficiency of transmission diversity. Based on determining that the transmission mode is the first transmission mode and that the shape of the electronic device is changed to an open state or a closed state, the electronic device can select or confirm the first antenna and the second antenna that maintain the isolation between the antennas or maximize the antenna gain.

[0192] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) may, in operation 1610, control to transmit the first signal through the first RF circuit and the first antenna, and simultaneously transmit the second signal through the second RF circuit and the second antenna.

[0193] FIG. 17 illustrates a flowchart for explaining an operation method of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0194] In the following examples, the operations may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily sequential. For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel.

[0195] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) (e.g., at least one of the processor (120), the first communication processor (212), the second communication processor (214), or the integrated communication processor (260)) may operate to check the status of the electronic device (101) in operation 1702.

[0196] According to various embodiments, the processor (120) may, in operation 1704, calculate the position of the electronic device (101) by an acceleration sensor or check the status of the electronic device (101) by a hall IC. According to various embodiments, the processor (120) may, in operation 1706, check or set a status flag or status index based on the sensed status.

[0197] According to various embodiments, the processor (120) may, in operation 1708, transmit status information corresponding to the type of the electronic device (101) to the communication processor (260) in the form of a status flag as a device status index (e.g., a device status index (DSI)). For example, if the electronic device (101) is in an open state, the status flag may be set to 0, and if the electronic device (101) is in a closed state, the status flag may be set to 1.

[0198] According to various embodiments, the communication processor (260) may, in operation 1710, check the flag of the device state index transmitted from the processor (120). As a result of the check, if the flag is set to 1 (Flag=1), the communication processor (260) determines that it is a first state (e.g., a closed state), and, in operation 1712, check the settings (e.g., settings of the first antenna and the second antenna) corresponding to the first state and the corresponding transmission mode (e.g., the first transmission mode (UL-MIMO) or the second transmission mode (PC1.5)). As a result of the above verification, if the flag is set to 0 (Flag=0), the communication processor (260) determines that it is in the second state (e.g., open state), and in operation 1714, it can check the settings (e.g., settings of the first antenna and the second antenna) corresponding to the second state and the corresponding transmission mode (e.g., the first transmission mode (UL-MIMO) or the second transmission mode (PC1.5)).

[0199] FIG. 18a illustrates a flowchart for explaining an operating method of an electronic device according to various embodiments. FIG. 18b illustrates a flowchart for explaining an operating method of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0200] In the following examples, the operations may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily sequential. For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel.

[0201] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) (e.g., at least one of the processor (120), the first communication processor (212), the second communication processor (214), or the integrated communication processor (260)) may, in operation 1802, perform an RRC connection with a communication network.

[0202] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) may, in operation 1804, check an RRC configuration message (e.g., an RRC reconfiguration message) received from the communication network according to the RRC connection.

[0203] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101), in operation 1806, if the confirmed RRC configuration message includes a configuration corresponding to UL-MIMO, may transmit different data through a communication processor (e.g., communication processor (260)) in operation 1808. According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101), in operation 1810, may transmit the different data through the first transmission chain and the second transmission chain through the PAs connected to each other.

[0204] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) may, in operation 1812, determine a change in the shape of the electronic device. For example, the electronic device (101) may determine that the shape of the electronic device changes from an open state to a closed state, or from a closed state to an open state.

[0205] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) may, in operation 1814, select or set a first antenna for transmitting a first signal and a second antenna for transmitting a second signal, taking into account antenna gain and isolation.

[0206] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) may, in operation 1816, transmit the first signal and the second signal for UL-MIMO to the selected or set first antenna and the second antenna.

[0207] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101), in operation 1806, if the confirmed RRC configuration message includes a setting corresponding to PC1.5, the electronic device (101) may branch to A and perform the operations of FIG. 18b. For example, if the confirmed RRC configuration message includes a setting corresponding to PC1.5 in operation 1806, the electronic device (101) may transmit identical data through a communication processor (e.g., communication processor (260)) in operation 1820, as illustrated in FIG. 18b. According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101), in operation 1822, may transmit the identical data through the first transmission chain and the second transmission chain through the PAs connected to each other.

[0208] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) may, in operation 1824, determine a change in the shape of the electronic device. For example, the electronic device (101) may determine that the shape of the electronic device changes from an open state to a closed state, or from a closed state to an open state.

[0209] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) may, in operation 1826, if the flag of the device status index is confirmed to be 0, set the antenna in consideration of antenna gain and isolation in operation 1828. According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101), in operation 1826, if the flag of the device status index is confirmed to be 1, select or set the antenna for transmitting the first signal and the second signal in consideration of EPA in operation 1830.

[0210] According to various embodiments, when an antenna for transmitting the first signal and the second signal is selected or set in operation 1828 or operation 1830, the electronic device (101) may transmit the first signal and the second signal for PC1.5 to the selected or set antenna in operation 1832.

[0211] FIG. 19 is a drawing for explaining folding state information of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0212] FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining a folding state of an electronic device associated with an angle between housings of the electronic device (e.g., a first housing (1910) (e.g., the first housing (101a) of FIG. 8) and a second housing (1920) (e.g., the second housing (101b) of FIG. 8)) according to various embodiments. According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) (e.g., at least one processor (120)) may check the state of the housings (e.g., the first housing (1910) and the second housing (1920)) (e.g., the angle between the first housing (1910) and the second housing (1920)) and generate a device state index (DSI) corresponding to the checked folding state. For example, the electronic device can check the angle between the first housing (1910) and the second housing (1920), and check the second folding state (1902) corresponding to the second angle range that includes the checked angle among the plurality of folding states of the folding state information (1901) as illustrated in FIG. 19.

[0213] For example, the electronic device (101) (e.g., at least one processor (120)) can check the folding state corresponding to the angle between the housings (e.g., the first housing (1910) and the second housing (1920)). The electronic device (101), as illustrated in FIG. 19, can store a plurality of folding state information (1901) related to the angle between the first housing (1910) and the second housing (1920) as a device state index in the memory (130). The device state index can be stored in the form of a state flag as described above. According to various embodiments, in the embodiments described above, the state flag corresponding to the device state index is set to two states of 0 or 1, but as illustrated in FIG. 19, state flags corresponding to three states or four or more state flags may be set. According to various embodiments, the communication processor (260) may check folding state information corresponding to the angle between the current first housing (1910) and the second housing (1920). Each of the plurality of folding state information (1901) (e.g., the first folding state, the second folding state, and the third folding state of FIG. 19) may correspond to a specific angular range (e.g., the first angular range, the second angular range, and the third angular range of FIG. 19).

[0214] According to various embodiments, the above description may be applied even when more than two housings are provided, without being limited to the above description. For example, when the electronic device (101) is provided with three housings (e.g., the first housing (1910) to the third housing), folding state information corresponding to a first angular range between the first housing (1910) and the second housing (1920) and a second angular range between the second housing (1920) and the third housing may be determined. According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) (e.g., at least one processor (120)) may check the angle between the first housing (1910) and the second housing (1920) at various points in time. For example, the electronic device (101) (e.g., at least one processor (120)) can determine the angle between the first housing (1910) and the second housing (1920) when rotation of at least one of the first housing (1910) or the second housing (1920) is initiated (e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise). As an example, the electronic device (101) (e.g., at least one processor (120)) can continuously determine the angle between the first housing (1910) and the second housing (1920) when at least one of the first housing (1910) or the second housing (1920) is initiated to rotate about a rotation axis and while rotating. Also, as another example, the electronic device (101) can determine the angle between the first housing (1910) and the second housing (1920) when at least one of the first housing (1910) or the second housing (1920) starts to rotate around the rotation axis and when the rotation ends. Also, for example, the electronic device (101) (e.g., at least one processor (120)) can also determine the angle between the first housing (1210) and the second housing (1220) at a specified cycle, regardless of the rotation of at least one of the first housing (1910) or the second housing (1920).

[0215] According to various embodiments, the input framework of the electronic device (101) may receive various sensing values ​​for measuring the open / closed state of the electronic device (101). The input framework may check the sensing values ​​obtained from at least one sensor to determine the open / closed state of the electronic device (101) and transmit the sensing values ​​to the processor (120). For example, a sensor driver (e.g., at least one of an angle sensor driver, a distance sensor driver, and a gyro sensor driver) may transmit the sensing values ​​to the input framework. The input framework may transmit information indicating that the electronic device (101) is in a second folding state to a folding event handler using the obtained sensing values. The folding event handler may transmit an event of the processor (120) corresponding to the folding state information to the communication processor (260).

[0216] FIG. 20 is a drawing showing examples of flexible displays according to various embodiments.

[0217] According to various embodiments, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include two or more housing structures, each of which is rotatably connected, and a flexible display. According to various embodiments, the flexible display is disposed on the two or more housing structures and may be bent depending on the rotational state of the housing structures.

[0218] According to various embodiments, the electronic device may be formed in various shapes depending on two or more housing structures and a flexible display provided in the electronic device, and the rotational state of the housing structures. For example, the various shapes may include a shape forming two regions in the electronic device (e.g., a flexible display) (Half fold), a shape forming three regions in the electronic device (e.g., a Tri fold, a Z fold, a Single open gate fold), a shape forming four regions in the electronic device (e.g., a flexible display) (e.g., a double parallel reverse fold, a double parallel fold, a double gate fold, a roll fold, an accordion fold, a half fold then half fold), and a shape forming a number of regions greater than that (e.g., a half fold then a tri fold), as illustrated in FIG. 20. The electronic device includes housing structures and a flexible display that are rotatably connected to each other, and the housing structures may be rotated in the shape.

[0219] The electronic device and its operating method according to various embodiments of the present document can be applied to the description of an electronic device including three or more housing structures and a flexible display as illustrated in FIG. 20, as well as an electronic device including two housing structures.

[0220] An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present document may include at least one antenna in each of at least two housing structures, and as each of the housing structures is folded into an unfolded state or a folded state, as illustrated in FIG. 20, the radiation direction of the antennas included in each housing structure and the distance between the antennas may change.

[0221] According to various embodiments, when supporting dual Tx (2Tx) in an electronic device having a form factor that can change shape (e.g., a foldable electronic device, a rollable electronic device, or a sliderable electronic device), optimized performance (e.g., TPUT, TRP) can be provided depending on the state (open state or closed state) and transmission mode (e.g., UL-MIMO or PC1.5) of the electronic device.

[0222] According to various embodiments, when the electronic device operates in UL-MIMO as described above, TPUT performance can be optimized by using antennas with high isolation between antennas. When the electronic device operates in PC1.5, the transmission performance of the electronic device can be maximized by performing EPA operation in a closed state. For example, considering the current state or change in state of an electronic device with a form factor that changes shape, the TPUT performance can be maximized when operating in UL MIMO, and the TRP can be maximized when operating in PC1.5, thereby maximizing the coverage between the electronic device and the network. Accordingly, the transmission / reception quality of the electronic device can be improved, and the current consumption of the network and the electronic device can be reduced under the same conditions, thereby having the effect of reducing heat generation.

[0223] According to various embodiments, an electronic device may include a housing configured to be movable between a first state and a second state. The electronic device may include a first radio frequency (RF) circuit including a first amplifier. The electronic device may include a second RF circuit including a second amplifier. The electronic device may include a memory storing instructions. The electronic device may include at least one processor. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to identify a configured transmission mode among a plurality of transmission modes. The instructions may cause the electronic device to transmit a first signal corresponding to first data through the first amplifier in a first transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, and concurrently transmit a second signal corresponding to second data different from the first data through the second amplifier. The instructions may cause the electronic device to transmit a first signal through the first amplifier and simultaneously transmit a second signal having the same data as the first signal through the second amplifier in a second transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes. The instructions may cause the electronic device to determine a state of the housing among the first state and the second state. The instructions may cause the electronic device to determine a first antenna for transmitting the first signal selected from among the plurality of antennas and a second antenna for transmitting the second signal selected from among the plurality of antennas based on the transmission mode and the state of the housing.The above instructions may cause the electronic device to transmit a first signal through the first amplifier and the first antenna, and simultaneously transmit a second signal through the second amplifier and the second antenna.

[0224] According to one embodiment, the housing comprises a foldable housing including a first housing portion and a second housing portion movable between a closed state and an open state, the first housing portion including a plurality of first conductive portions forming an outer side surface, the second housing portion including a plurality of second conductive portions forming an outer side surface, and the instructions cause the electronic device to, when the transmission mode is a second transmission mode and a shape of the electronic device corresponds to the closed state of the foldable housing, identify one conductive portion included in the first housing portion to be used as the first antenna for transmitting the first signal, and identify one conductive portion included in the second housing portion to be used as the second antenna for transmitting the second signal, and, in order to transmit the first signal and the second signal in the second transmission mode, identify one conductive portion included in the first housing portion to be used as the first antenna and one of the plurality of second conductive portions included in the second housing portion to be used as the second antenna. The conductive portions may at least partially overlap each other in the closed state of the foldable housing.

[0225] According to one embodiment, the instructions may cause the electronic device to form a position of the power supply of the first antenna and a position of the power supply of the second antenna such that the current direction of the first antenna and the current direction of the second antenna are the same when the transmission mode is the second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the closed state of the foldable housing.

[0226] According to one embodiment, the instructions can cause the electronic device to identify the first antenna and the second antenna that satisfy an equivalent phase antenna (EPA) condition when the transmission mode is a second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the closed state of the foldable housing.

[0227] According to one embodiment, the instructions can cause the electronic device to identify the first antenna and the second antenna that maximize the efficiency of transmission diversity when the transmission mode is the second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the open state of the foldable housing.

[0228] According to one embodiment, the instructions may cause the electronic device to identify the first antenna and the second antenna such that isolation between the antennas is maintained or antenna gain is maximized when the transmission mode is the first transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the open state or the closed state of the foldable housing.

[0229] According to one embodiment, the first transmission mode may include an uplink-multi input multi output (UL-MIMO) mode.

[0230] According to one embodiment, the second transmission mode may include a PC1.5 (power class 1.5) mode.

[0231] According to one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to determine the configured transmission mode based on a configuration message received via a communications network.

[0232] According to one embodiment, the configuration message may include an RRC (radio resource control) reconfiguration message.

[0233] According to various embodiments, a method of operating an electronic device, comprising a housing configured to be movable between a first state and a second state, a first radio frequency (RF) circuit including a first amplifier, a second RF circuit including a second amplifier, and at least one processor, may include an operation of identifying a configured transmission mode among a plurality of transmission modes. The method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of transmitting, in a first transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, a first signal corresponding to first data through the first amplifier, and simultaneously transmitting, through the second amplifier, a second signal corresponding to second data different from the first data. The method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of transmitting, in a second transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, a first signal through the first amplifier, and simultaneously transmitting, through the second amplifier, a second signal having the same data as the first signal. The method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of identifying a state of the housing among the first state and the second state. The method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of identifying a first antenna for transmitting the first signal selected from among a plurality of antennas and a second antenna for transmitting the second signal selected from among the plurality of antennas based on the transmission mode and the state of the housing. The method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of transmitting a first signal through the first amplifier and the first antenna, and simultaneously transmitting a second signal through the second amplifier and the second antenna.

[0234] According to one embodiment, the housing comprises a foldable housing including a first housing portion and a second housing portion movable between a closed state and an open state, the first housing portion including a plurality of first conductive portions forming an outer side surface, the second housing portion including a plurality of second conductive portions forming an outer side surface, and the method comprises: when the transmission mode is a second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the closed state of the foldable housing, identifying one conductive portion included in the first housing portion to be used as the first antenna for transmitting the first signal, and identifying one conductive portion included in the second housing portion to be used as the second antenna for transmitting the second signal, and in order to transmit the first signal and the second signal in the second transmission mode, the one conductive portion included in the first housing portion to be used as the first antenna and the one conductive portion included in the second housing portion to be used as the second antenna are coupled to each other in the closed state of the foldable housing. They can overlap at least partially.

[0235] According to one embodiment, when the transmission mode is the second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the closed state of the foldable housing, the position of the power supply of the first antenna and the position of the power supply of the second antenna may be formed so that the current direction of the first antenna and the current direction of the second antenna are the same.

[0236] According to one embodiment, the method may include an operation of identifying the first antenna and the second antenna that satisfy an equivalent phase antenna (EPA) condition when the transmission mode is a second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the closed state of the foldable housing.

[0237] According to one embodiment, the method may include an operation of identifying the first antenna and the second antenna that maximize the efficiency of transmission diversity when the transmission mode is a second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the open state of the foldable housing.

[0238] According to one embodiment, the method may include an operation of identifying the first antenna and the second antenna such that isolation between the antennas is maintained or antenna gain is maximized when the transmission mode is the first transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the open state or the closed state of the foldable housing.

[0239] According to one embodiment, the first transmission mode may include an uplink-multi input multi output (UL-MIMO) mode.

[0240] According to one embodiment, the second transmission mode may include a PC1.5 (power class 1.5) mode.

[0241] According to one embodiment, the method may include an operation of confirming the set transmission mode based on a set message received through a communication network.

[0242] According to one embodiment, the configuration message may include an RRC (radio resource control) reconfiguration message.

[0243] According to various embodiments, a storage medium storing at least one computer-readable instruction, wherein the at least one instruction, when executed by at least one processor of an electronic device, includes a housing configured to be movable between a first state and a second state, a first radio frequency (RF) circuit including a first amplifier, a second RF circuit including a second amplifier, and at least one processor, causes the electronic device to perform at least one operation. The at least one operation may include an operation of checking a set transmission mode among a plurality of transmission modes. The at least one operation may include an operation of transmitting, in a first transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, a first signal corresponding to first data through the first amplifier and concurrently transmitting, through the second amplifier, a second signal corresponding to second data different from the first data. The at least one operation may include, in a second transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, transmitting a first signal through the first amplifier and simultaneously transmitting a second signal having the same data as the first signal through the second amplifier. The at least one operation may include an operation of checking a state of the housing among the first state and the second state. The at least one operation may include an operation of checking a first antenna selected from among the plurality of antennas for transmitting the first signal and a second antenna selected from among the plurality of antennas for transmitting the second signal based on the transmission mode and the state of the housing. The at least one operation may include an operation of transmitting a first signal through the first amplifier and the first antenna and simultaneously transmitting a second signal through the second amplifier and the second antenna.

[0244] Electronic devices according to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may take various forms. Electronic devices may include, for example, portable communication devices (e.g., smartphones), computer devices, portable multimedia devices, portable medical devices, cameras, wearable devices, or home appliances. Electronic devices according to the embodiments of this document are not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0245] The various embodiments of this document and the terminology used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase among those phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another component (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0246] The term "module" used in various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be an integral component, or a minimum unit or part of such a component that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0247] Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (140)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (136) or an external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)) may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

[0248] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided as a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between sellers and buyers as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or may be provided through an application store (e.g., Play Store). TM ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones), online distribution (e.g., downloading or uploading). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily created in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0249] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

Claims

1. In electronic devices, A housing configured to be moveable between a first state and a second state; A first radio frequency circuit including a first amplifier; A second RF circuit comprising a second amplifier; Memory that stores instructions; and Contains at least one processor, The above instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: Check the set transmission mode among multiple transmission modes, In the first transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, a first signal corresponding to first data is transmitted through the first amplifier, and a second signal corresponding to second data different from the first data is transmitted concurrently through the second amplifier. In the second transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, a first signal is transmitted through the first amplifier, and at the same time, a second signal having the same data as the first signal is transmitted through the second amplifier. Check the state of the housing among the first state and the second state, Based on the transmission mode and the state of the housing, a first antenna for transmitting the first signal selected from among a plurality of antennas and a second antenna for transmitting the second signal selected from among the plurality of antennas are identified, An electronic device that transmits a first signal through the first amplifier and the first antenna, and simultaneously causes a second signal to be transmitted through the second amplifier and the second antenna.

2. In paragraph 1, The housing comprises a foldable housing comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion movable between a closed state and an open state, The first housing portion includes a plurality of first conductive portions forming an outer side surface, and the second housing portion includes a plurality of second conductive portions forming an outer side surface, The above instructions cause the electronic device to: When the transmission mode is the second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the closed state of the foldable housing, one conductive part among the plurality of first conductive parts included in the first housing part is identified to be used as the first antenna for transmitting the first signal, and one conductive part among the plurality of second conductive parts included in the second housing part is identified to be used as the second antenna for transmitting the second signal. An electronic device, wherein, in order to transmit the first signal and the second signal in the second transmission mode, one conductive portion among the plurality of first conductive portions included in the first housing portion to be used as the first antenna and one conductive portion among the plurality of second conductive portions included in the second housing portion to be used as the second antenna are at least partially overlapped with each other in the closed state of the foldable housing.

3. In the first or second paragraph, the instructions cause the electronic device to: If the above transmission mode is a second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the closed state of the foldable housing, An electronic device in which the feeding position of the first antenna and the feeding position of the second antenna are formed so that the current direction of the first antenna and the current direction of the second antenna are the same.

4. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, the instructions cause the electronic device to: If the above transmission mode is a second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the closed state of the foldable housing, An electronic device that verifies that the first antenna and the second antenna satisfy the EPA (equivalent phase antenna) condition.

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, the instructions cause the electronic device to: If the above transmission mode is a second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the open state of the foldable housing, An electronic device for confirming the first antenna and the second antenna that maximize the efficiency of transmission diversity.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, the instructions cause the electronic device to: If the above transmission mode is the first transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the open state or the closed state of the foldable housing, An electronic device for determining whether the first antenna and the second antenna are such that isolation between the antennas is maintained or antenna gain is maximized.

7. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 6, the first transmission mode is: An electronic device comprising an uplink-multi input multi output (UL-MIMO) mode.

8. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 7, the second transmission mode is: An electronic device including a PC1.5 (power class 1.5) mode.

9. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 8, The above instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: An electronic device that causes a configured transmission mode to be determined based on a configuration message received through a communication network.

10. In paragraph 9, the setting message is: An electronic device containing an RRC (radio resource control) reconfiguration message.

11. A method of operating an electronic device, comprising: a housing configured to be movable between a first state and a second state; a first radio frequency circuit including a first amplifier; a second RF circuit including a second amplifier; and at least one processor; An action to check the set transmission mode among multiple transmission modes; In a first transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, an operation of transmitting a first signal corresponding to first data through the first amplifier and simultaneously transmitting a second signal corresponding to second data different from the first data through the second amplifier; In the second transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, an operation of transmitting a first signal through the first amplifier and simultaneously transmitting a second signal having the same data as the first signal through the second amplifier; An operation of checking the state of the housing among the first state and the second state; An operation of identifying a first antenna for transmitting the first signal selected from among a plurality of antennas and a second antenna for transmitting the second signal selected from among the plurality of antennas based on the transmission mode and the state of the housing; and An operating method of an electronic device, comprising an operation of transmitting a first signal through the first amplifier and the first antenna, and simultaneously transmitting a second signal through the second amplifier and the second antenna.

12. In paragraph 11, The housing comprises a foldable housing comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion movable between a closed state and an open state, The first housing portion includes a plurality of first conductive portions forming an outer side surface, and the second housing portion includes a plurality of second conductive portions forming an outer side surface, The above method, If the above transmission mode is a second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the closed state of the foldable housing, An operation of identifying one conductive part to be used as the first antenna for transmitting the first signal among the plurality of first conductive parts included in the first housing part, and an operation of identifying one conductive part to be used as the second antenna for transmitting the second signal among the plurality of second conductive parts included in the second housing part, An operating method of an electronic device, wherein, in order to transmit the first signal and the second signal in the second transmission mode, one conductive portion among the plurality of first conductive portions included in the first housing portion to be used as the first antenna and one conductive portion among the plurality of second conductive portions included in the second housing portion to be used as the second antenna at least partially overlap each other in the closed state of the foldable housing.

13. In the 11th or 12th paragraph, the method, If the above transmission mode is a second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the closed state of the foldable housing, An operating method of an electronic device, wherein the position of the power supply of the first antenna and the position of the power supply of the second antenna are formed so that the current direction of the first antenna and the current direction of the second antenna are the same.

14. In any one of paragraphs 11 to 13, If the above transmission mode is a second transmission mode and the shape of the electronic device corresponds to the closed state of the foldable housing, An operating method of an electronic device, comprising an operation of confirming that the first antenna and the second antenna satisfy an EPA (equivalent phase antenna) condition.

15. A storage medium storing at least one computer-readable instruction, wherein the at least one instruction, when executed by at least one processor of an electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform at least one operation, the at least one instruction comprising a housing configured to be movable between a first state and a second state, a first radio frequency circuit including a first amplifier, a second RF circuit including a second amplifier, and at least one processor, At least one of the above actions: An action to check the set transmission mode among multiple transmission modes; In a first transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, an operation of transmitting a first signal corresponding to first data through the first amplifier and simultaneously transmitting a second signal corresponding to second data different from the first data through the second amplifier; In the second transmission mode among the plurality of transmission modes, an operation of transmitting a first signal through the first amplifier and simultaneously transmitting a second signal having the same data as the first signal through the second amplifier; An operation of checking the state of the housing among the first state and the second state; An operation of identifying a first antenna for transmitting the first signal selected from among a plurality of antennas and a second antenna for transmitting the second signal selected from among the plurality of antennas based on the transmission mode and the state of the housing; and A storage medium comprising an operation of transmitting a first signal through the first amplifier and the first antenna, and simultaneously transmitting a second signal through the second amplifier and the second antenna.

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