Terminal device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a terminal device, which makes full utilization of a stereoscopic space of a camera decoration member of the terminal device to place a backfire antenna and a radio frequency chip connected to a broadside antenna, thereby effectively implementing signal coverage of a plurality of regions while fully utilizing the space; and additionally, the backfire antenna and the broadside antenna are designed to share a same radio frequency chip, high-frequency antennas are properly positioned further away from radio frequency chips connected thereto, so as to share the same radio frequency chip instead of using one AiP for each radiation direction, and high-frequency wiring loss is taken into account, ensuring antenna performance.

Description

Terminal device

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202410685557.7, filed on May 29, 2024, with the State Intellectual Property Office of China, the title of which is “Terminal device”, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a terminal device including an antenna. BACKGROUND

[0003] Millimeter-wave (mmW) technology can provide huge communication capacity due to its large bandwidth, and is an important component in 5G communication. The design of mmW antennas in terminal devices such as mobile phones will be a very concerned problem in the field. Mobile phones and other terminal devices contain screens, batteries, camera modules and various other components, leaving very limited space for antenna design. Moreover, the internal architecture is compact, and the space form required by the antenna in the whole machine is not ideal. This all poses a challenge to the design of mmW antennas in mobile phones. SUMMARY

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a terminal device, which can include a screen, a housing, a frame, a decoration piece, a backfire antenna, a side-fire antenna, and a radio frequency chip. The screen and the housing can be fixed on opposite sides of the frame, respectively, to enclose a first space. The display surface of the screen faces away from the first space, and the non-display surface of the screen faces toward the first space. The housing can include a first surface and a second surface, the first surface faces toward the first space, and the second surface faces away from the first space. The housing can be provided with a through hole, the through hole penetrates from the second surface to the first surface, and the through hole communicates with the first space. The decoration piece can be connected to the second surface of the housing around the through hole, and at least part of the decoration piece can protrude relative to the housing, the protruding part forming a second space. The backfire antenna and the side-fire antenna can be arranged in the internal space of the terminal device, and the internal space can include the first space and the second space. The surface where the radiating body of the backfire antenna is located faces in the same direction as the second surface, and the surface where the radiating body of the side-fire antenna is located faces the frame. The radio frequency chip can be connected to the backfire antenna and the side-fire antenna. At least part of the radio frequency chip can be arranged in the second space, and the projection of the radio frequency chip and the decoration piece on the surface of the housing overlaps.

[0005] The terminal device provided in the first aspect makes full use of the three-dimensional space of the camera decoration to place the back-fire antenna and the radio frequency chip connected to the side-fire antenna. The decoration and the surrounding back cover are used as the radiation aperture of these two high-frequency antennas. While making full use of space, it effectively achieves signal coverage in multiple areas. Furthermore, the back-fire antenna and the side-fire antenna are designed to share the same radio frequency chip. The high-frequency antenna and its connected radio frequency chip are appropriately distanced to share the same radio frequency chip instead of using a separate AiP for each radiation direction. This does not require a regular antenna design space and can make full use of the fragmented space within the whole device.

[0006] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the back-fired antenna can be an array antenna, comprising multiple array elements, which can be arranged linearly to form a linear array. Similarly, the side-fired antenna can also be an array antenna, comprising multiple array elements, which can also be arranged linearly to form a linear array.

[0007] As mentioned in the first aspect, the radiating surface of a backfire antenna can refer to the surface where its array elements are located. The radiation direction of a backfire antenna is the same as or close to the normal direction of its array elements. Similarly, the radiating surface of a sidefire antenna, also mentioned in the first aspect, can refer to the surface where its array elements are located. The radiation direction of a backfire antenna is the same as or close to the normal direction of its array elements. Thus, by using backfire and sidefire antennas with different orientations, signal coverage in multiple areas can be achieved.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the decorative element may include a decorative cover and a decorative ring, the decorative ring being protruding from a second surface of the housing and forming a second space together with the decorative cover. The decorative cover may include a third surface and a fourth surface, the third surface being the surface facing the second space and the fourth surface being the surface facing away from the second space.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the camera module (e.g., the lens portion, or the camera itself) may be placed in the second space. The decorative cover of the second space may have a transparent area that faces the lens of the camera module, allowing external light to pass through the transparent area and be projected into the lens of the camera module. The cover portion of the transparent area may be made of glass.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the back-facing antenna may be disposed within the second space and extend on a parallel surface of the decorative cover. Thus, the projection of this at least portion onto the surface of the housing may fall within the projection of the decorative cover onto the surface of the housing. For example, the entire back-facing antenna may also be disposed within the second space, such that its projection onto the surface of the housing falls completely within the projection of the decorative cover onto the surface of the housing.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the portion of the cover facing the back-facing antenna is insulated, so that the back-facing antenna can radiate outward through this portion of the cover.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the number of back-fired antennas can be multiple, with some back-fired antennas disposed in the second space and others disposed in the first space. The housing as a whole can be insulating. The housing may also include an insulating portion disposed opposite to other back-fired antennas, allowing the other back-fired antennas to radiate outward through the insulating portion. For example, the housing needs to have a window in the housing area opposite to the other back-fired antenna, allowing the electromagnetic waves of the other back-fired antenna to radiate outward through the window. The width of the window may be, for example, 1 mm to 3 mm. The window may be filled with an insulating medium, which may constitute the insulating portion of the housing.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the side-emitting antenna may be specifically disposed within the second space. The projection of the side-emitting antenna onto the surface of the housing may also fall entirely within the projection of the decorative cover onto the surface of the housing. The distance from the radiating surface of the side-emitting antenna to the inner annular surface of the decorative ring is small, for example, less than 2 mm, and extends circumferentially along the decorative ring.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the decorative ring may be entirely insulating, serving as the radiating aperture of the side-fired antenna to facilitate signal radiation. The decorative ring may also include an insulating portion opposite to an element of the side-fired antenna, allowing the antenna to radiate signals through this insulating portion. For example, the decorative ring may also be conductive, in which case the side-fired antenna can be positioned close to the inner surface of the decorative ring without contacting it, and a gap needs to be provided on the decorative ring to allow the antenna to radiate signals through this gap. The location of the gap on the decorative ring can be further selected so that the gap is opposite to an element of the side-fired antenna. The width of the gap may be, for example, 1 mm to 3 mm. The gap may be filled with an insulating medium, which constitutes the insulating portion of the aforementioned decorative ring.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, to further expand the antenna radiating aperture, the housing portion surrounding the decorative element may be insulated. In this way, the housing portion, together with the decorative element, can serve as the radiating aperture for both back-fired and side-fired antennas, thereby improving radiation efficiency. The remaining housing portions may be conductive or insulated. The condition of "surrounding" can be constrained by the distance from the edge of the housing portion to the center of the decorative element; for example, a distance less than a specific value (e.g., 30 mm) is considered "surrounding".

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, a conductive plate can be added to the side of the side-emitting antenna facing the back of the terminal device. The conductive plate overlaps with the projection of the side-emitting antenna onto the surface of the housing, thereby constraining the electromagnetic waves of the side-emitting antenna to radiate towards the side of the terminal device, rather than towards the back of the terminal device. Specifically, this side refers to the plane opposite to the surface where the side-emitting antenna is located. The conductive plate can be a sheet-like plate. It can be horizontal or curved.

[0017] Here, "nearly parallel" can mean that the angle between the side of the conductive plate facing the first direction and the side of the shell facing the first direction is less than a first angle, such as 30°. The first angle can be, for example, a specific acute angle. The first direction can be the normal direction of the first surface of the shell or the normal direction of the second surface of the shell.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the portion of the cover opposite the side-firing antenna on the decorative cover can be conductive. This conductive portion can be implemented as a conductive plate, and the projections of the side-firing antenna and the cover portion on the surface of the housing overlap. In this way, the construction of the decorative element is fully utilized, and the purpose of constraining the radiation direction of the side-firing antenna can be achieved without the need for an additional conductive plate.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the frame may include: a first frame and a second frame opposite to each other, and a third frame and a fourth frame opposite to each other. The side-fired antenna may include an array of two or three adjacent frame segments from the first, second, third, and fourth frames, to cover a wider radiation area.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the side-emitting antenna can be disposed within the first space, meaning the side-emitting antenna can be moved out of the second space enclosed by the decorative elements and extended to the frame. The distance from the radiating surface of the side-emitting antenna to the inner surface of the frame is small, for example, less than 2 mm, and extends along the extension direction of the frame.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the frame can be entirely insulated, forming the radiating aperture of the side-fired antenna. The frame may also include an insulating portion positioned opposite the array elements of the side-fired antenna, allowing the side-fired antenna to radiate signals outwards through this insulating portion. For example, the frame can also be conductive, in which case the side-fired antenna is positioned close to the inner side of the frame, not in contact with it, and a gap is required on the frame to allow the side-fired antenna to radiate signals outwards through this gap. The gap on the frame can be positioned opposite the array elements of the side-fired antenna. The width of the gap can be, for example, 1 mm to 3 mm. The gap can be filled with an insulating medium, which can form the insulating portion of the frame.

[0022] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the radio frequency chip and the back-fire antenna can be disposed on a first carrier board, and the radio frequency chip is specifically connected to the back-fire antenna and the side-fire antenna through traces on the first carrier board. The first carrier board can be carrier board 61 in subsequent embodiments.

[0023] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the terminal device may further include: an intermediate frequency (IF) circuit and a digital signal processing circuit, wherein the IF circuit is disposed on a second carrier board, and the digital signal processing circuit is disposed on a third carrier board; the second carrier board is connected to the first carrier board to realize the connection between the radio frequency chip and the IF circuit; the third carrier board is connected to the second carrier board to realize the connection between the IF circuit and the digital signal processing circuit. The second carrier board and the third carrier board may be carrier board 62 and carrier board 63 in subsequent embodiments, respectively. This achieves an effective stacking design of the back-fired antenna, the side-fired antenna, and the transceiver circuits connected to them, making full use of space while avoiding losses caused by long traces. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the background art, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application or the background art will be described below.

[0025] Figure 1 shows the terminal device 10 provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 2 shows some of the disassembled components of the terminal device 10;

[0027] Figure 3 shows the back-fire antenna, side-fire antenna, and FEM within the space enclosed by the decorative elements of the terminal device 10;

[0028] Figure 4 shows the configuration of the back-fire antenna and the side-fire antenna;

[0029] Figure 5 shows a layered design of a back-fired antenna, a side-fired antenna, and their transceiver circuitry within the space enclosed by the decorative elements.

[0030] Figure 6 shows a high-frequency transceiver system consisting of a back-fire antenna, a side-fire antenna, and their transceiver circuitry.

[0031] Figure 7 shows one implementation of the decorative cover for the decorative element;

[0032] Figure 8 shows the slit made for the side-firing antenna on the conductive decorative ring;

[0033] Figure 9 shows a portion of the insulating housing near the decorative element that can be used as the antenna's radiating aperture;

[0034] Figure 10 shows the addition of a conductive plate on the side of the side-firing antenna facing the decorative cover;

[0035] Figure 11 shows that the conductive cover portion on the decorative cover 211 opposite the side-firing antenna is used as a conductive plate;

[0036] Figure 12 shows another arrangement of the side-fired antenna provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 13 illustrates another arrangement of the side-fired antenna provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 14 shows another arrangement of the backfire antenna provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The terminology used in the following embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be a limitation of this application.

[0040] When applied to terminal devices such as mobile phones, millimeter-wave antennas differ from Sub-6 antennas, which use frame branches as the main radiator. Instead, they are similar to base station antennas, using square or circular units for radiation. Furthermore, in order to compensate for the losses generated by high-frequency millimeter waves in free space, millimeter-wave antennas need to be arrayed to improve transmission performance.

[0041] Antenna in Package (AiP) is a typical implementation of millimeter-wave antenna arrays. AiP, based on packaging materials and processes, encapsulates the antenna and radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) chip together to form a regular rectangular AiP module, as shown in Figure 1. Several antenna elements (also called array elements) are distributed on an AiP, forming an array for overall radiation. In terminal devices, the AiP module can be connected to the motherboard via a B2B connector. Furthermore, because high-frequency millimeter-wave antennas have strong directivity, a single AiP module combined with phase control can only cover one area. Therefore, mobile phones often require multiple AiP modules in different locations to cover different areas. For example, as shown in Figure 2, one rectangular AiP module is located on the back of the phone, and another AiP module is located on the side bezel. It can be seen that the AiP module requires a relatively regular space, and the overall design needs to make room for it. It cannot utilize fragmented or irregularly shaped spaces, and needs to avoid structures such as cameras and decorative parts. If the space reservation does not meet the requirements, it will seriously affect the radiation performance of the millimeter-wave antenna.

[0042] Furthermore, due to the significant losses in high-frequency traces, the integration of millimeter-wave antennas and RF chips needs to be much tighter. For example, the millimeter-wave antenna must be closely integrated with the front-end module (FEM), and the distance between the RF chip and the antenna cannot be too great. They need to be designed together and their stacking within the overall device must be considered. Moreover, as mentioned in the background section, mobile phones and other terminal devices offer very limited design space for antennas, and their compact internal architecture results in less than ideal antenna design space shapes. All of these factors pose challenges to the design of millimeter-wave antennas in mobile phones.

[0043] The FEM in an RF chip is responsible for transmitting and receiving RF signals, amplifying and filtering them, and even includes power detection, control, and switching. Internally, it can integrate a power amplifier (PA), a low-noise amplifier (PA), an RF switch that controls the switching between the transmit (TX) and receive (RX) circuits, and a power coupler, among other things.

[0044] To address the design challenges of millimeter-wave antennas, this application embodiment fully utilizes the three-dimensional space of the camera trim of the terminal device to house the back-fired antenna and the radio frequency chip connected to the side-fired antenna. The trim and its surrounding back cover serve as the radiating apertures for these two high-frequency antennas, effectively achieving signal coverage in multiple areas while maximizing space utilization. Furthermore, the back-fired antenna and the side-fired antenna are designed to share the same radio frequency chip, and the high-frequency antenna is appropriately distanced from its connected radio frequency chip to share the same chip instead of using a separate AiP for each radiation direction. At the same time, high-frequency trace losses are considered to ensure antenna performance.

[0045] Compared to using multiple AiPs to cover different areas, the embodiments of this application use a single RF chip, and the back-fire antenna and side-fire antenna are appropriately distanced to share the same RF chip in order to achieve beam coverage in different areas, which can make full use of the irregular design space.

[0046] Figures 1-3 illustrate the terminal device 10 provided in the embodiments of this application. The terminal device 10 can be a tablet computer, mobile phone, camera, personal computer, laptop computer, in-vehicle device, wearable device, augmented reality (AR) device, virtual reality (VR) device, etc. Among them, Figure 2 is a partially exploded schematic diagram of the terminal device 10, and Figure 3 shows the arrangement of the back-fired antenna 52 and the side-fired antenna 51 included in the terminal device 10 in the decorative member 21.

[0047] As shown in Figures 1-3, the terminal device 10 may include a housing 11, a frame 12, a screen 13, a decorative element 21, a back-facing antenna 52, a side-facing antenna 51, and a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) 53. Wherein:

[0048] The housing 11 can be the back cover of the terminal device 10; the housing 11 and the screen 13 can be fixedly connected to opposite sides of the frame 12 to jointly enclose and form a first space (not shown). The housing 11 may include a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface faces the first space and the second surface faces away from the first space. Because the second surface faces away from the first space, it also forms part of the exterior surface of the terminal device 10, which is also the back surface of the terminal device 10. In Figure 2, the second surface is schematically shown as 11a, and the first surface is on the back of 11a. The screen 13 includes a display surface and a non-display surface, wherein the display surface faces away from the first space and the non-display surface faces the first space. The display surface is also the front of the terminal device 10. In Figure 2, the non-display surface of the screen 13 is schematically shown as 13a, and the display surface is on the back of 13a.

[0049] The first space can be used to house internal components (not shown) of the terminal device 10, such as batteries, digital processing circuits, radio frequency integrated circuits, processors, memory, etc. These internal components can be located on the motherboard and various small boards within the terminal device 10.

[0050] The housing 11 may have a through hole 20. The through hole 20 extends from the second surface of the housing 11 to the first surface. The through hole 20 communicates with the first space. The terminal device 10 may also include a decorative element 21. The decorative element 21 is attached to the housing 11 by an adhesive layer or other bonding method, specifically around the through hole 20 and attached to the second surface of the housing 11. At least a portion of the decorative element 21 protrudes relative to the housing 11, and the protruding portion forms the second space.

[0051] At least a portion (e.g., the lens portion, or the camera) of the camera module 30 of the terminal device 10 can be placed in the second space.

[0052] Decorative component 21 may include a decorative cover 211 and a decorative ring 212, the decorative ring 212 being attached to the decorative cover 211 by an adhesive layer or other bonding method. Decorative component 21 may also be integrally molded, with the decorative ring 212 and the decorative cover 211 being two parts of a single unit. The decorative ring 212 may have a certain height, protruding from the second surface of the housing 11, and together with the decorative cover 211, enclosing a second space. The decorative cover 211 may include a third surface and a fourth surface, the third surface facing the second space and the fourth surface facing away from the second space. In Figure 3, the fourth surface is schematically shown as 211a, and the third surface is on the back of 211a. The fourth surface forms part of the exterior surface of the terminal device 10. The decorative cover 211 may have a transparent area, which may face the lens of the camera module 30, allowing external light to pass through the transparent area and be projected into the lens of the camera module 30. The cover portion of the transparent area may be made of glass.

[0053] The radiators of the back-fire antenna 52 and the side-fire antenna 51 can be sheet-like. The radiator surface of the back-fire antenna 52 can face the housing 11, so the radiation direction of the back-fire antenna 52 is outward towards the housing 11, that is, towards the back of the terminal device 10. The radiator surface of the side-fire antenna can face the frame 12, so the radiation direction of the side-fire antenna 51 is outward towards the frame 12 of the electronic device 10. Here, "outward" means towards the outside of the terminal device 10, which is relative to the internal space of the terminal device 10. The internal space of the terminal device 10 may include a first space and a second space.

[0054] The backfire antenna 52 can be an array antenna, comprising multiple array elements arranged linearly to form a linear array. Similarly, the sidefire antenna 51 can also be an array antenna, comprising multiple array elements arranged linearly to form a linear array. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the backfire antenna 52 can include four array elements: 52a, 52b, 52c, and 52d, and the sidefire antenna 51 can include four array elements: 51a, 51b, 51c, and 51d. Not limited to linear array antennas, the backfire antenna 52 can also be other types of array antennas, such as circular array antennas or rectangular array antennas.

[0055] The radiating surface of the aforementioned back-fire antenna 52 can refer to the surface where its array elements are located. The radiation direction of the back-fire antenna 52 is the same as or close to the normal direction of its array elements. Similarly, the radiating surface of the aforementioned side-fire antenna 51 can refer to the surface where its array elements are located. The radiation direction of the back-fire antenna 52 is the same as or close to the normal direction of its array elements.

[0056] The back-fired antenna 52 and the side-fired antenna 51 can be installed inside the terminal device 10.

[0057] RFIC 53 is responsible for RF transceiver, frequency synthesis, power amplification, etc. Both back-fire antenna 52 and side-fire antenna 51 can be connected to RFIC 53 to share the same RFIC; furthermore, at least a portion of RFIC 53 can be located within the second space, with the projection of RFIC 53 overlapping with that of the decorative element 21 on the surface of housing 11. When the entire RFIC 53 is located within the second space, the projection of RFIC 53 on the surface of housing 11 will completely fall within the projection of the decorative element 21 on the surface of housing 11. This not only fully utilizes the second space formed by the decorative element 21 to place the RF chip, but also appropriately distances the high-frequency antenna from the RF chip, thus eliminating the need for a separate RF antenna for each high-frequency antenna, and eliminating the need to package each high-frequency antenna and its connected RF chip into an AiP (Antenna-in-Package). It also eliminates the requirement for a regular antenna design space, making it more advantageous to utilize fragmented and irregularly shaped spaces in the terminal device to place multiple high-frequency antennas covering multiple radiation directions.

[0058] The RFIC 53 and the camera module 30 are staggered to avoid obstructing the lens's light intake.

[0059] The back-firing antenna 52 and the side-firing antenna 51 can also be arranged within the second space formed by the decorative element 21 to make full use of the fragmented space of the decorative element 21. The projection of the back-firing antenna 52 onto the surface of the housing 11 can fall completely within the projection of the decorative cover 21 onto the surface of the housing 11. The projection of the side-firing antenna 51 onto the surface of the housing 11 can also fall completely within the projection of the decorative cover 21 onto the surface of the housing 11. The distance from the radiating surface of the side-firing antenna 51 to the inner ring surface 212a of the decorative ring 212 is small, for example, less than 2 mm, and extends along the circumference of the decorative ring 212. That is, the side-firing antenna 51 can be close to or attached to the inner ring surface 212a of the decorative ring 212. The normal direction of the array element of the side-firing antenna 51 is perpendicular to the inner ring surface 212a of the decorative ring 212. The back-firing antenna 52 can face the fourth surface of the decorative cover 211 and extend on a parallel plane of the decorative cover 211. The parallel plane can be the plane on which the carrier plate supporting the back-fire antenna 52 is located. Radio frequency integrated circuits can also be set on the carrier plate. The carrier plate will be introduced later, but will not be discussed here.

[0060] The antenna is not limited to being entirely placed in the second space; the back-firing antenna 52 can extend from the first space to the second space, that is, a portion of the back-firing antenna 52 is in the second space, and another portion is in the first space. In this case, the projection of the back-firing antenna 52 onto the surface of the housing 11 overlaps with the projection of the decorative cover 21 onto the surface of the housing 11.

[0061] The back-facing antenna 52 is staggered from the lens of the camera module 30 to avoid obstructing the lens's light intake.

[0062] As shown in Figure 3, the RFIC 53 can be mounted on the same substrate 61 as the back-fire antenna 52. The RFIC 53 connects the back-fire antenna 52 and the side-fire antenna 51. For example, the RFIC 53 is soldered onto the substrate 61 and then connected to the back-fire antenna 52 and the side-fire antenna 51 via traces on the substrate 61. To shorten the trace length between the RFIC 53 and the side-fire antenna 51, the substrate 61 can be positioned close to the side-fire antenna 51. This proximity can be constrained by the distance between the substrate 61 and the side-fire antenna 51; for example, a distance less than a specific value (e.g., 5 mm) is considered close. In this way, the RFIC 53, the back-fire antenna 52, and the side-fire antenna 51 become a single unit, which is then connected to the downstream intermediate frequency circuit (not shown) and the digital signal processing circuit (not shown). This achieves an efficient stacking design of the back-fire antenna 52, the side-fire antenna 51, and the transceiver circuits connected to them, making full use of space while avoiding losses caused by long traces.

[0063] Figure 5 shows a layered design of the back-fire antenna 52, the side-fire antenna 51, and their transceiver circuits within a second space (enclosed by the decorative elements 21). As shown in Figure 5, the layers from top to bottom are decorative cover 211, decorative ring 212, carrier plate 61, carrier plate 62, and carrier plate 63. The intermediate frequency circuit (not shown) can be mounted on carrier plate 62, and the digital signal processing circuit (not shown) can be mounted on carrier plate 63.

[0064] In this embodiment, the carrier board is a circuit board on which various circuit devices, such as chips, camera modules, etc., can be soldered. The carrier board may include daughter boards, motherboards, expansion boards, etc.

[0065] Carrier board 61 is connected to carrier board 62, specifically via a board-to-board (B2B) connection. Components 71a and 71b in Figure 5 constitute a board-to-board connector for connecting carrier board 61 and carrier board 62. This board-to-board connection enables the connection between RFIC 53 and the intermediate frequency circuit.

[0066] Carrier board 62 can also be connected to carrier board 63, specifically via a board-to-board (B2B) connection. Components 72a and 72b in Figure 5 constitute a board-to-board connector for connecting carrier board 62 and carrier board 63. This board-to-board connection enables the connection between the intermediate frequency circuit and the digital signal processing circuit. Carrier board 63 can be the motherboard of terminal device 10, and it can also house a central processing unit (CPU), a power management unit (PMU), a baseband chip, etc. The aforementioned digital signal processing circuit can be integrated into the baseband chip.

[0067] Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary high-frequency transceiver system 80 consisting of a back-fire antenna 52, a side-fire antenna 51, and their transceiver circuitry.

[0068] As shown in Figure 6, the back-fire antenna 52 and the side-fire antenna 51 can share the same transceiver circuit, meaning that the back-fire antenna 52 and the side-fire antenna 51 can be connected as a whole to the back-end transceiver circuit. This transceiver circuit may include: an RFIC 53, an intermediate frequency (IF) circuit 81, and a digital signal processing circuit 82. The RFIC 53 connects the back-fire antenna 52 and the side-fire antenna 51, and also connects to the IF circuit 81; the IF circuit 81 is also connected to the digital signal processing circuit 82. As mentioned earlier, the RFIC 53 and the IF circuit 81, and the IF circuit 81 and the digital signal processing circuit 82, can be connected via a board-to-board connection. The IF circuit 81 and the digital signal processing circuit 82 are not shown in Figure 5.

[0069] When the high-frequency transceiver system 80 shown in Figure 6 transmits a signal, the digital signal processing circuit 82 can output a baseband signal to the intermediate frequency circuit 81. The intermediate frequency circuit 81 modulates the baseband signal into an intermediate frequency signal. Then, the RFIC 53 converts the frequency of the intermediate frequency signal into a high frequency. After power amplification, it forms a radio frequency signal. Finally, the back-fire antenna 52 and the side-fire antenna 51 convert the radio frequency signal into electromagnetic waves and radiate them outward.

[0070] When the high-frequency transceiver system 80 shown in Figure 6 receives signals, the RFIC 53 can convert the electromagnetic waves received by the back-fire antenna 52 and the side-fire antenna 51 into radio frequency signals, and then convert the radio frequency signals into intermediate frequency signals and send them to the intermediate frequency circuit 81. The intermediate frequency circuit 81 converts the intermediate frequency signals into digital signals and outputs the digital signals to the digital signal processing circuit for further processing.

[0071] To avoid obstructing the outward radiation of the back-facing antenna 52, the portion of the decorative cover 211 facing the back-facing antenna 52 can be insulated. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the decorative cover 211 can be divided into a cover portion 211b and a cover portion 211c. The cover portion 211b is insulated, such as a glass cover; the cover portion 211b faces the back-facing antenna 52, and the projections of the back-facing antenna 52 and the cover portion 211b onto the surface of the housing 11 overlap. The cover portion 211c can be conductive or insulated.

[0072] The decorative ring 212 can be insulated as a whole, serving as the radiating aperture of the side-fired antenna 51, facilitating the outward radiation of signals by the side-fired antenna 51. The decorative ring 212 may also include an insulating portion opposite to the array elements of the side-fired antenna 51, allowing the side-fired antenna 51 to radiate signals through this insulating portion. For example, the decorative ring 212 can also be conductive, in which case the side-fired antenna can be positioned close to the inner ring surface 212a of the decorative ring 21, without contacting it, and a gap needs to be formed in the decorative ring 212 so that the side-fired antenna 51 can radiate signals through this gap. The location of the gap in the decorative ring 212 can be further selected so that the gap is opposite to the array elements of the side-fired antenna 51. For example, as shown in Figure 8, gaps are formed at positions 41, 42, 43, and 44 of the decorative ring 212, so that each gap is opposite to array elements 51a, 51b, 51c, and 51d in the side-fired antenna 51, respectively. The width of the gap can be, for example, 1 mm to 3 mm. The gap can be filled with an insulating medium, which can form the insulating part of the aforementioned decorative ring 212.

[0073] To further expand the antenna's radiating aperture, as shown in Figure 9, the housing portion 11a surrounding the decorative element 212 in the housing 11 can be insulated. In this way, housing portion 211a, together with the decorative element 21, can serve as the radiating aperture for the back-fire antenna 52 and the side-fire antenna 51, thereby improving radiation efficiency. The remaining housing portions of housing 11 can be conductive or insulated. The condition of "surrounding" can be constrained by the distance from the edge of housing portion 211a to the center of the decorative element 21; for example, a distance less than a specific value (such as 30 mm) is considered "surrounding".

[0074] The structures illustrated in Figures 1-9 do not constitute a specific limitation on the terminal device 10. The terminal device 10 may include more components than illustrated, or combine some components, or separate some components.

[0075] As shown in Figure 10, a conductive plate 90 can be added to the side of the side-emitting antenna 51 facing the back of the terminal device 10. The conductive plate 90 can be a sheet-like plate. It can be horizontal or curved. The conductive plate 90 overlaps with the projection of the side-emitting antenna 51 onto the surface of the housing 11 to constrain the electromagnetic waves of the side-emitting antenna 51 to radiate towards the side of the terminal device 10, rather than towards the back of the terminal device 10. Specifically, the side refers to the plane opposite to the surface of the side-emitting antenna 51.

[0076] The conductive plate 90 can be parallel or nearly parallel to the housing 11.

[0077] Here, "nearly parallel" can mean that the angle between the side of the conductive plate 90 facing the first direction and the side of the housing 11 facing the first direction is less than a first angle, such as 30°. The first angle can be, for example, a specific acute angle. The first direction can be the normal direction of the first surface of the housing 11 or the normal direction of the second surface of the housing 11.

[0078] As shown in Figure 11, the cover portion 211d on the decorative cover 211 opposite to the side-firing antenna 51 can be conductive. This conductive cover portion 211d can be implemented as a conductive plate 90, and the projections of the side-firing antenna 51 and the cover portion 211d on the surface of the housing 11 overlap. In this way, the structure of the decorative part 21 is fully utilized, and the purpose of constraining the radiation direction of the side-firing antenna 51 can be achieved without the need for an additional conductive plate.

[0079] The side-firing antenna 51 can be elongated to cover a longer arc of the decorative ring 212, thereby covering more radiation directions.

[0080] Figure 12 briefly illustrates another arrangement of the side-fire antenna 51.

[0081] As shown in Figure 12, the frame 12 may include a first frame 12a and a second frame 12b arranged opposite each other, and a third frame 12c and a fourth frame 12d arranged opposite each other. The longer side-fired antenna 51 may include an array element 51a opposite to the third frame 12c, and may also include an array element 51b opposite to the first frame 12a. In this way, the side-fired antenna 51 can radiate outwards not only towards the first frame 12a, but also towards the third frame 12c, improving spatial coverage.

[0082] In summary, the side-fired antenna 51 may include an array that is opposite to any two adjacent frames of the first frame 12a, the second frame 12b, the third frame 12c, and the fourth frame 12d.

[0083] Furthermore, the side-fired antenna 51 can be longer, such as including an array that is opposite to any three of the first frame 12a, second frame 12b, third frame 12c and fourth frame 12d, so as to cover a wider radiation area.

[0084] The side-firing antenna 51 can also be moved out of the second space enclosed by the decorative piece 21 and extended to the frame 12.

[0085] Figure 13 briefly illustrates another arrangement of the side-fire antenna 51.

[0086] As shown in Figure 13, the side-emitting antenna 51 can be close to or attached to the inner side of the frame 12 and extends along the extension direction of the frame 12. The normal direction of the array element of the side-emitting antenna 51 is perpendicular to the inner side of the frame 12. The frame 12 can be insulated as a whole, forming the radiation aperture of the side-emitting antenna 51. The frame 12 can also include an insulating portion, which is positioned opposite to the array element of the side-emitting antenna 51, allowing the side-emitting antenna 51 to radiate signals outward through the insulating portion. For example, the frame 12 can also be conductive, in which case the side-emitting antenna 51 is positioned close to the inner side of the frame 12 without contacting it, and a gap needs to be opened on the frame 12 so that the side-emitting antenna 51 can radiate signals outward through the gap. The position of the gap on the frame 12 can be opposite to the array element of the side-emitting antenna 51. The width of the gap can be, for example, 1 mm to 3 mm. The gap can be filled with an insulating medium, which can form the insulating portion of the frame 12.

[0087] The extended side-firing antenna 51 is still connected to RFIC 53.

[0088] By bringing the side-fired antenna 51 closer to the frame 12, it is more advantageous for the side-fired antenna 51 to radiate outward through the frame 12. Meanwhile, the back-fired antenna 52 and RFIC 53 retain the design shown in Figures 1-3. Only space needs to be reserved near the frame 12 to house the side-fired antenna 51 itself, unlike the AiP antenna which requires a space with a regular shape for the AiP. The side-fired antenna 51 and back-fired antenna 52 can be designed as single-polarized antennas instead of dual-polarized antennas to further save space; this also applies to the side-fired and back-fired antennas described elsewhere in the embodiments of this application.

[0089] Furthermore, a back-firing antenna can be added to the terminal device 10, and the added back-firing antenna can be extended to other areas of the housing 11, beyond the second space enclosed by the decorative parts 21.

[0090] Figure 14 briefly illustrates another arrangement of the backfire antenna.

[0091] As shown in Figure 14, the terminal device 10 may include multiple backfire antennas. Backfire antenna 52 may be positioned in the second space as shown in Figures 1-3. Other backfire antennas, such as backfire antenna 91 and backfire antenna 92, may be positioned in an area outside the second space, such as within the first space. Specifically, the array of other backfire antennas may extend parallel to the housing 11. The housing 11 may be entirely insulated. The housing 11 may also include an insulating portion opposite to the other backfire antennas, allowing the other backfire antennas to radiate outwards through the insulating portion. For example, the housing 11 may have a window in the housing area opposite to the other backfire antenna, allowing the electromagnetic waves of the other backfire antennas to radiate outwards through the window. The width of the window may be, for example, 1 mm to 3 mm. The window may be filled with an insulating medium, which may constitute the insulating portion of the housing 11.

[0092] That is, there can be multiple back-fired antennas. Some of the back-fired antennas can be placed in the second space, as shown in Figure 1; the other part of the back-fired antennas can be moved to other locations in the first space.

[0093] The added back-facing antenna is also connected to RFIC 53. The back-facing antenna 52 and RFIC 53 can still maintain the design shown in Figures 1-3, only requiring space to be reserved for the added back-facing antenna itself. By adding a back-facing antenna, the spatial coverage capability of the back-facing radiation of the terminal device 10 can be significantly improved.

[0094] In this embodiment, multiple high-frequency antennas share a common radio frequency (RF) chip, which is placed within the projection area of ​​the decorative element 21. The back-fired antenna and side-fired antenna connected to the RF chip can be appropriately distanced, requiring only placement space for the back-fired antenna and side-fired antenna themselves. This fully utilizes the fragmented space of the terminal device 10, unlike AiP antennas which require a regular design space. The preceding embodiments described various arrangements of the back-fired antenna and the side-fired antenna, demonstrating the flexibility this embodiment offers to antenna design.

[0095] The above detailed embodiments further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the embodiments of this application. It should be understood that the above are merely specific embodiments of the embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made on the basis of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application should be included within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A terminal device, characterized in that, include: Screen, housing, bezel, decorative parts, back-fired antenna, side-fired antenna, and RF chip, among which: The screen and the housing are respectively fixed to opposite sides of the frame, forming a first space. The display surface of the screen faces away from the first space, while the non-display surface of the screen faces the first space. The housing includes a first surface and a second surface, the first surface facing the first space and the second surface facing away from the first space; the housing is provided with a through hole, the through hole extending from the second surface to the first surface, and the through hole communicating with the first space; The decorative element is attached to the second surface of the housing around the through hole, and at least a portion of the decorative element protrudes relative to the housing, forming a second space. The back-fire antenna and the side-fire antenna are disposed in the internal space of the terminal device, the internal space including the first space and the second space; the radiating surface of the back-fire antenna faces the same direction as the second surface, and the radiating surface of the side-fire antenna faces the frame. The radio frequency chip is connected to the back-fired antenna and also to the side-fired antenna; at least a portion of the radio frequency chip is disposed within the second space, and the projection of the radio frequency chip and the decorative element on the surface of the housing overlaps.

2. The terminal device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The decorative element includes a decorative cover and a decorative ring. The decorative ring protrudes from the second surface of the housing and together with the decorative cover forms the second space. The decorative cover includes a third surface and a fourth surface. The third surface faces the second space, and the fourth surface faces away from the second space.

3. The terminal device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, At least a portion of the back-firing antenna is disposed within the second space and extends on a parallel surface of the decorative cover.

4. The terminal device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The portion of the decorative cover that faces the back-facing antenna is insulated.

5. The terminal device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The number of back-fired antennas is multiple, with some back-fired antennas located in the second space and others located in the first space.

6. The terminal device as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The housing includes an insulating portion, which is positioned opposite the other portion of the back-facing antenna.

7. The terminal device as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The width of the window is 1 mm to 3 mm.

8. The terminal device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The side-emitting antenna is specifically disposed within the second space, and is positioned close to or attached to the inner ring surface of the decorative ring, extending along the circumference of the decorative ring.

9. The terminal device as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The decorative ring includes an insulating portion, which is opposite to the array element of the side-fired antenna.

10. The terminal device as described in any one of claims 2-9, characterized in that, The portion of the housing surrounding the decorative element on the housing is insulated.

11. The terminal device as described in any one of claims 9-10, characterized in that, A conductive plate is provided on the side of the side-emitting antenna facing the back of the terminal device, and the conductive plate overlaps with the projection of the side-emitting antenna on the surface of the housing.

12. The terminal device as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The conductive plate is specifically the first cover portion of the decorative cover. The first cover portion is conductive, and the side-emitting antenna overlaps with the projection of the first cover portion onto the surface of the housing.

13. The terminal device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The frame includes: a first frame and a second frame arranged opposite each other, and a third frame and a fourth frame arranged opposite each other; the side-fired antenna includes an array of two or three frame segments that are adjacent to the first frame, the second frame, the third frame and the fourth frame.

14. The terminal device as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The side-fired antenna is disposed within the first space, and the distance from the radiating surface of the side-fired antenna to the inner side of the frame is less than 2 mm, and extends along the extension direction of the frame.

15. The terminal device as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The frame includes an insulating portion, which is positioned opposite to the array element of the side-fired antenna.

16. The terminal device as described in any one of claims 1-15, characterized in that, The radio frequency chip and the back-fire antenna are mounted on the first carrier board, and the radio frequency chip is specifically connected to the back-fire antenna and the side-fire antenna through traces on the first carrier board.

17. The terminal device as described in claim 16, characterized in that, The terminal device further includes an intermediate frequency circuit and a digital signal processing circuit, wherein the intermediate frequency circuit is disposed on the second carrier board, and the digital signal processing circuit is disposed on the third carrier board; the second carrier board is connected to the first carrier board to realize the connection between the radio frequency chip and the intermediate frequency circuit; the third carrier board is connected to the second carrier board to realize the connection between the intermediate frequency circuit and the digital signal processing circuit.

18. The terminal device as described in any one of claims 1-17, characterized in that, The decorative element is a camera decorative element, and the camera of the terminal device is placed in the second space.

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