Electronic device and method for transmitting transmission signal in electronic device

Abstract

According to various embodiments, a method for operating an electronic device (102) including sensing circuits (531, 532), antennas (521, 522) that radiate radio-frequency (RF) signals, and a switch (510) may comprise an operation of identifying, by means of the sensing circuits (531, 532), whether an object is present within a first distance. The method for operating the electronic device (102) may include an operation of controlling the switch (510), on the basis of identifying that no object is present within the first distance, to be connected to the antenna through a first RF path using direct feeding. The method for operating the electronic device (102) may include an operation of controlling the switch (510), on the basis of identifying that an object is present within the first distance, to be connected to the antenna through a second RF path using coupling feeding.

Description

Electronic device and method of transmitting a transmission signal from an electronic device

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

[0002] Looking back at the development process of wireless communication over the past few generations, technologies have primarily focused on humans by providing services such as voice, multimedia, or data. Since the commercialization of LTE (long term evolution) and 5G (5th-generation) communication systems, various types of objects are being connected to communication networks. Examples of connected objects may include vehicles, robots, drones, home appliances, displays, smart sensors installed in various infrastructures, construction machinery, or factory equipment. Mobile devices are expected to evolve into various form factors, such as augmented reality glasses, virtual reality headsets, or holographic devices. Efforts are also underway to develop 6G (6th-generation) communication systems beyond 5G to provide diverse services by connecting hundreds of billions of devices and objects.

[0003] To improve frequency efficiency and system network, for example in 6G communication systems, various technologies are being developed, including full duplex technology in which uplink and downlink simultaneously utilize the same frequency resources at the same time, network technology that integrates satellites and HAPS (high-altitude platform stations), network structure innovation technology that supports mobile base stations and enables network operation optimization and automation, dynamic spectrum sharing technology through collision avoidance based on spectrum usage prediction, AI-based communication technology that realizes system optimization by utilizing AI (artificial intelligence) from the design stage and internalizing end-to-end AI support functions, and next-generation distributed computing technology that realizes services of complexity exceeding the limits of terminal computing capabilities by utilizing ultra-high performance communication and computing resources (e.g., mobile edge computing (MEC), or cloud). In addition, attempts are continuing to further strengthen connectivity between devices, further optimize networks, promote the softwareization of network entities, and increase the openness of wireless communication through, for example, the design of new protocols to be used in 6G communication systems, the implementation of hardware-based security environments, the development of mechanisms for the safe utilization of data, and the development of technologies regarding privacy maintenance methods.

[0004] The information described above may be provided as related art for the purpose of aiding understanding of the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the foregoing may be applied as prior art related to the present disclosure.

[0005] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may include a sensing circuit, an antenna configured to radiate a radio frequency (RF) signal, and a switch.

[0006] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may include a memory that stores instructions and includes one or more storage media.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may include at least one processor comprising processing circuitry.

[0008] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may cause the electronic device to determine whether an object exists within a first distance through the sensing circuit.

[0009] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may be caused to control the switch to be connected to the antenna via a first RF path using direct feeding, based on confirming that the object does not exist within the first distance.

[0010] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may be caused to control the switch to be connected to the antenna via a second RF path using coupling feeding based on confirming that the object exists within the first distance.

[0011] According to one embodiment, a method of operation of an electronic device comprising a sensing circuit, an antenna configured to radiate a radio frequency (RF) signal, and a switch may include an operation of determining whether an object exists within a first distance through the sensing circuit.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the method of operating the electronic device may include controlling the switch to be connected to the antenna via a first RF path using direct feeding, based on confirming that the object does not exist within the first distance.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the method of operating the electronic device may include controlling the switch to be connected to the antenna via a second RF path using coupling feeding, based on confirming that the object exists within the first distance.

[0014] According to one embodiment, a storage medium for storing at least one instruction readable by a computer may be provided.

[0015] According to one embodiment, when the at least one instruction is executed individually or collectively by at least one processor including the processing circuitry of the electronic device, the electronic device may be caused to perform at least one operation.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the at least one operation may include an operation of determining whether an object exists within a first distance by a sensing circuit of the electronic device.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the at least one operation may include controlling a switch to be connected to an antenna via a first RF path using direct feeding, based on confirming that the object does not exist within the first distance.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the at least one operation may include controlling the switch to be connected to the antenna via a second RF path using coupling feeding, based on confirming that the object exists within the first distance.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may include a communication circuit, an antenna configured to receive a transmission signal from the communication circuit through a first signal path or a second signal path, a sensing circuit configured to detect an external object, at least one processor including a processing circuitry, and a memory including one or more storage media for storing instructions.

[0020] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may cause the electronic device to establish a communication connection with an external electronic device through the communication circuit.

[0021] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may be caused to determine whether the external object is detected through the sensing circuit in connection with the establishment of the communication connection.

[0022] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may cause the transmission signal to be transmitted to the antenna through the first signal path, which includes a first feeding portion utilizing a physical connection, based at least in part on confirming that the external object is not detected.

[0023] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may cause the transmission signal to be transmitted to the antenna through the second signal path, which includes a second feeding portion utilizing a coupled connection, based at least partially on confirming that the external object is detected.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the method of operating an electronic device may include the operation of establishing a communication connection with an external electronic device through a communication circuit.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the method of operation of the electronic device may include an operation of determining whether an external object is detected through a sensing circuit in relation to the establishment of the communication connection.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the method of operation of the electronic device may include the operation of transmitting a transmission signal to an antenna through a first signal path including a first feeding portion utilizing a physical connection, based at least in part on confirming that the external object is not detected.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the method of operation of the electronic device may include the operation of transmitting the transmission signal to the antenna through a second signal path including a second feeding portion utilizing a coupled connection, based at least partially on confirming that the external object is detected.

[0028] According to one embodiment, a storage medium for storing at least one instruction readable by a computer may be provided.

[0029] According to one embodiment, when the at least one instruction is executed individually or collectively by at least one processor including the processing circuitry of the electronic device, the electronic device may be caused to perform at least one operation.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the at least one operation may include establishing a communication connection with an external electronic device through a communication circuit of the electronic device.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the at least one operation may include an operation of determining whether an external object is detected through the sensing circuit of the electronic device in relation to the establishment of the communication connection.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the at least one operation may include transmitting a transmission signal to the antenna of the electronic device through a first signal path including a first feeding portion utilizing a physical connection, based at least partially on confirming that the external object is not detected.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the at least one operation may include transmitting the transmission signal to the antenna through a second signal path including a second feeding portion utilizing a coupled connection, based at least partially on confirming that the external object is detected.

[0034] In relation to the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to various embodiments.

[0036] FIG. 2a is a drawing for explaining an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0037] FIG. 2b is a drawing for explaining the arrangement of components within an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0038] Figure 3 is a graph showing the relationship between power and throughput according to various embodiments.

[0039] FIG. 4a is a diagram showing the absorbed power density (APD) according to antenna feeding conditions according to various embodiments.

[0040] FIG. 4b is a diagram showing an APD according to antenna feeding conditions according to various embodiments.

[0041] FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0042] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0043] FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0044] FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart for explaining the operation method of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0045] FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart for explaining the operation method of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0046] FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart for explaining the operation method of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0047] FIG. 11a is a drawing for explaining the operation according to the gripping form of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0048] FIG. 11b is a drawing for explaining the operation according to the gripping form of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0049] FIG. 12 is a graph showing the total radiation efficiency by frequency according to various embodiments.

[0050] FIG. 13a is a diagram showing the specific absorption rate (SAR) in direct feeding according to various embodiments.

[0051] FIG. 13b is a diagram showing SAR in direct feeding according to various embodiments.

[0052] FIG. 13c is a drawing showing SAR in coupling feeding according to various embodiments.

[0053] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily practice them. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In relation to 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 brevity.

[0054] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) in a network environment (100) according to one embodiment.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 1, in a network environment (100), an electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network) or with at least one of an electronic device (104) or a server (108) through 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) through a server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), memory (130), input module (150), sound output module (155), display module (160), audio module (170), sensor module (176), interface (177), connection terminal (178), haptic module (179), camera module (180), power management module (188), battery (189), communication module (190), subscriber identification module (196), or antenna module (197). In some embodiments, at least one of these components (e.g., connection terminal (178)) may be omitted from the electronic device (101), or one or more other components may be added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., sensor module (176), camera module (180), or antenna module (197)) may be integrated into a single component (e.g., display module (160)).

[0056] The processor (120) can control at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) by executing software (e.g., program (140)), for example, and can perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or operations, the processor (120) can store commands or data received from other components (e.g., sensor module (176) or communication module (190)) in volatile memory (132), process the commands or data stored in volatile memory (132), and store the resulting data in non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., central processing unit or application processor) or an auxiliary processor (123) that can operate independently or together with it (e.g., graphics processing unit, neural processing unit (NPU), image signal processor, sensor hub processor, or communication processor). For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and an auxiliary processor (123), the auxiliary processor (123) may be configured to use lower power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a designated function. The auxiliary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as part thereof.

[0057] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least some of the functions or states associated with at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., display module (160), sensor module (176), or communication module (190)) 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. According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., image signal processor or communication processor) may be implemented as part of another functionally related component (e.g., camera module (180) or communication module (190)). According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing an artificial intelligence model. The artificial intelligence model may be generated through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, on the electronic device (101) itself where the artificial intelligence model is executed, or through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm may 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 may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers.An artificial neural network may be 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 the hardware structure, the artificial intelligence model may include a software structure, either additionally or substantially.

[0058] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)). The data may include, for example, input data or output data for software (e.g., program (140)) and related commands. The memory (130) may include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).

[0059] The program (140) may be stored as software in memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

[0060] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used for a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120)) from outside the electronic device (101) (e.g., user). The input module (150) may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0061] The sound output module (155) can output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device (101). The sound output module (155) may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver may be used to receive incoming calls. According to one embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from the speaker or as part thereof.

[0062] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external (e.g., 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 said device. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of the force generated by said touch.

[0063] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal or, conversely, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150) or output sound through the sound output module (155) or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphones) connected directly or wirelessly to the electronic device (101).

[0064] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating state of the electronic device (101) (e.g., power or temperature) or the external environmental state (e.g., user state) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an accelerometer sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biosensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0065] The interface (177) may support one or more specified protocols that can be used for the electronic device (101) to be connected directly or wirelessly to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to 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.

[0066] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) can 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).

[0067] The haptic module (179) can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that the user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic senses. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electric stimulation device.

[0068] The camera module (180) can capture still images and video. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0069] The power management module (188) can manage the power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented, for example, as at least part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0070] The battery (189) can supply power to at least one component of the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0071] The communication module (190) can support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between an 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 include one or more communication processors that operate independently of the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) and 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., cellular communication module, short-range wireless communication module, or GNSS (global navigation satellite system) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., LAN (local area network) communication module, or power line communication module). The corresponding communication module among these communication modules can communicate with an external electronic device (104) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, WiFi (wireless fidelity) direct, or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a second network (199) (e.g., 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 may 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 identify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) using subscriber information (e.g., International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0072] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following 4G networks, for example, new radio access technology. NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (massive machine type communications (mMTC)), or high reliability and low latency (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC)). The wireless communication module (192) can support a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate, for example. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in the high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output), 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), external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (104)), or network system (e.g., 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 realizing eMBB, loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for realizing mMTC, or U-plane latency (e.g., downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each 0.5 ms or less, or round trip 1 ms or less) for realizing URLLC.

[0073] An antenna module (197) can transmit a signal or power to or from an external source (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna comprising a radiator made of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to 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 a first network (198) or a second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by a 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. According to some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, other components (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module (197).

[0074] 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 to a first surface (e.g., bottom surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a specified high frequency band (e.g., mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., array antennas) disposed on or adjacent to a second surface (e.g., top surface or side surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving a signal of the specified high frequency band.

[0075] At least some of the above components can be connected to each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)) and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other.

[0076] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) through 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 performed on the electronic device (101) may be performed on one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, if the electronic device (101) needs to perform a function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least part of the function or service instead of performing the function or service itself or additionally. One or more external electronic devices that receive the above request may execute at least part of the requested function or service, or 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 provide the result as is or additionally processed as at least part of the response to the request. For this purpose, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used. The electronic device (101) may provide ultra-low latency services using, for example, distributed computing or mobile edge computing. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server using machine learning and / or neural networks. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included within a 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.

[0077] In the following detailed description, reference numbers in the drawings may be assigned identically or omitted for configurations that can be easily understood through prior embodiments, and detailed descriptions thereof may also be omitted. An electronic device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may be implemented by selectively combining configurations of different embodiments, and a configuration of one embodiment may be replaced by a configuration of another embodiment. For example, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to specific drawings or embodiments.

[0078] FIG. 2a is a drawing for explaining an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0079] The embodiment of FIG. 2a will be explained with reference to FIG. 2b.

[0080] FIG. 2b is a drawing for explaining the arrangement of components within an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0081] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a printed circuit board (PCB) (210), a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) (220), and / or a mmWave antenna module (230).

[0082] According to one embodiment, a modem (211) (e.g., the communication module (190) of FIG. 1), an IF (intermediate) / RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) module (213), and / or an RFFE (radio frequency front end) (217) may be placed on the PCB (210).

[0083] The modem (211) can provide a 5G communication baseband signal and / or a 6G communication baseband signal by performing modulation. The modem (211) may be implemented to support both 5G communication and 6G communication. Alternatively, the modem (211) may be implemented as a plurality of modems, including a modem supporting 5G communication and a modem supporting 6G communication. The modem (211) may be configured to demodulate a received baseband signal.

[0084] The IF / RFIC module (213) is illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 2a as including an IF conversion circuit (214) for 5G communication and an RFIC (215) for 6G communication, but this is exemplary and those skilled in the art will understand that the IF conversion circuit (214) and the RFIC (215) for 6G communication may be implemented as separate hardware. Depending on various embodiments, the IF conversion circuit (214) for 5G communication may be omitted, or the IF conversion circuit for 6G communication may be added.

[0085] At least one of the modem (211), IF / RFIC module (213), or RFFE (217) may be referred to as a communication circuit. The IF / RFIC module (213) may correspond to a transceiver. For convenience of explanation, 5G and 6G communication are mentioned, but embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to cellular communication generations prior to 5G and after 6G, and to various communication methods including short-range high-speed communication (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RFID).

[0086] The IF conversion circuit (214) can convert a 5G communication baseband signal into an intermediate frequency signal and output it. When 5G communication uses FR (frequency range) 2, the frequency of the intermediate frequency signal may be included in the range of, for example, 7 GHz to 13 GHz, but there is no limitation. The IF conversion circuit (214) may convert the received intermediate frequency signal into a baseband signal and provide it to the modem (211). The RFIC (215) for 6G communication can convert a 6G communication baseband signal into a 6G communication RF (radio frequency) signal. For example, the frequency of the 6G communication RF signal may be 7 GHz or 13 GHz, but there is no limitation. Accordingly, the frequency band of the 5G communication intermediate frequency signal and the frequency band of the 6G communication RF signal may overlap at least partially, and / or the difference may be less than a threshold difference.

[0087] The RFFE (217) for 6G communication can process the RF signal for 6G communication provided from the RFIC (215) and provide it to each of the antennas for 6G communication (e.g., patch antennas (224, 225)). For example, the patch antenna may be fabricated in a rectangular or circular metal shape on a microstrip substrate to feed the RF signal. According to various embodiments, the patch antenna may include one or more patches acting as radiators, one or more slots (e.g., openings between patches), a dielectric substrate on which the patches are placed, a ground plane positioned to face the patches with the dielectric in between, and / or a feed portion that supplies a signal to the patches. The plurality of patch antennas may operate as directional antennas through beamforming. For example, the RFFE (217) may include a splitter for splitting into 6G communication RF signal lines (222, 223) corresponding to each of the patch antennas (224, 225), a combiner for combining the received RF signals, a power amplifier, a phase shifter, a low-noise amplifier, and / or a switch for switching the transmit / receive path, but is not limited to.

[0088] The mmWave antenna module (230) can convert an intermediate frequency signal provided through an intermediate frequency signal line (221) into an RF signal. The mmWave antenna module (230) may include, for example, a filter, an RF local oscillator (RF LO), a mixer, an internal-branch coupler, a serial interface (serial I / F), a combiner / splitter, a phase shifter, a switch, a PA, an LNA, a coupler, and / or an antenna for 5G communication, but is not limited thereto. Accordingly, an RF signal for 5G communication may be provided to an antenna for 5G communication.

[0089] Patch antennas (224, 225) for 6G communication of an electronic device (101) according to various embodiments can be placed on an FPCB (220).

[0090] The FPCB (220) can connect the PCB (210) to the mmWave antenna module (230), for example, as in FIG. 2b. For example, at least a portion of the FPCB (220) (e.g., the area where the patch antennas (224, 225) are placed) may be placed on the battery (280) (e.g., overlapping with at least a portion of the battery in the thickness direction of the electronic device (101), but is not limited thereto. According to one embodiment, the FPCB (220) may include a first region (220a) and a second region (220b).

[0091] In FIG. 2b, the patch antennas (224, 225) may be placed on a second region (220b) of the FPCB (220). The first region (220a) may include a rigid region, and the second region (220b) may include a flexible region and / or a rigid region. For example, the patch antennas (224, 225) may be placed in the rigid region of the second region (220b), but are not limited thereto. For example, the rigidity of the rigid region may be greater than that of the flexible region. The first region (220a) may be connected to, for example, a PCB (210). One side of the second region (220b) may be connected to the first region (220a), and the other side of the second region (220b) may be connected to a mmWave antenna module (230).

[0092] According to one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module (230) may be equipped with other patch antennas for 5G communication.

[0093] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include at least one antenna (e.g., a patch antenna) for 5G communication and / or 6G communication on a PCB (210) or on an auxiliary circuit board connected to the PCB (210).

[0094] According to one embodiment, the housing of the electronic device (101), the antenna (e.g., patch antenna), and / or the transmission power through the antenna (e.g., power amount, radiation pattern, radiation direction) may be designed with consideration of the effects of electromagnetic waves on the human body. Each country establishes regulations regarding the effects of electromagnetic waves on the human body (e.g., specific absorption rate; SAR) in consideration of the effects of electromagnetic waves on the human body. For example, if the SAR measured by the electronic device exceeds a set standard, the effects on the human body can be reduced by performing power backoff. As the transmission power decreases during the power backoff process based on the SAR, the transmission performance of the antenna may deteriorate. This deterioration in antenna transmission performance leads to reduced coverage and a decrease in uplink transmission speed (e.g., throughput), which may have a negative impact on the actual user experience.

[0095] Figure 3 is a graph showing the relationship between power and throughput according to various embodiments.

[0096] Referring to Fig. 3, as the transmit power at the near-cell location is reduced from 25.5 dBm to 23.5 dBm, the average throughput of the PUSCH (physical uplink shared channel) data can be reduced from 121.689 Mbps to 100.633 Mbps. As the transmit power at the mid-cell location is reduced from 25.5 dBm to 23.5 dBm, the average throughput of the PUSCH data can be reduced from 108.923 Mbps to 73.392 Mbps. As the transmit power at the far-cell location is reduced from 25.5 dBm to 23.5 dBm, the average throughput of the PUSCH data can be reduced from 40.721 Mbps to 21.847 Mbps. For example, if an electronic device reduces transmission power due to power backoff by SAR, the average throughput of uplink data (e.g., PUSCH) may be reduced regardless of where the electronic device is located from the cell center (e.g., short distance, medium distance, or long distance), as shown in FIG. 3.

[0097] With the advancement of communication technology, various communication access technologies are developing, and as wireless communication functions are being incorporated into various mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and wireless earphones, the use of frequency bands above 6 GHz is becoming widespread.

[0098] Table 1 below shows examples of frequency bands according to each communication technology.

[0099]

[0100] According to one embodiment, the 7.125 to 8.4 GHz and 14.8 to 15.35 GHz bands are being considered as 6G communication bands. For the bands above 6 GHz considered as 6G communication bands, absorbed power density (APD) standards have been established as regulations regarding the human body impact of electromagnetic waves. For example, in 6G communication, standards limiting the APD may be applied as a standard for evaluating the human body impact of near-field electromagnetic waves for electronic devices used in close proximity to the human body.

[0101] According to various embodiments, the aforementioned SAR regulations are applied in frequency bands below 6 GHz, and APD regulations are applied in frequency bands above 6 GHz, thereby reducing the impact of electromagnetic waves on the human body. Under SAR regulations, the amount of energy absorbed by human tissue is measured in watts per kilogram (W / kg), and under APD regulations, the power density incident on the human body is measured in milliwatts per square centimeter (mW / cm²). 2 ) or Watt / Square Meter ((W / m²) 2 It can be measured as ). In the case of APD, which evaluates the impact on the surface of human tissue, it can be relatively more affected by the antenna's near-field performance. In contrast, the antenna's transmission performance can be relatively more affected by its far-field performance.

[0102] FIG. 4a is a diagram showing an APD according to antenna feeding conditions according to various embodiments.

[0103] FIG. 4b is a diagram showing an APD according to antenna feeding conditions according to various embodiments.

[0104] Referring to FIG. 4a, when a feeding pad (or feeding point) (412) is positioned at the center of the rear of the patch antenna (411) as shown in the upper left and lower right, the antenna gain is 6.84 dBi and the APD may be 293 W / m². When a feeding pad (422) is positioned at the upper rear of the patch antenna (421) as shown in the upper right and lower right, the antenna gain is 7.09 dBi and the APD may be 326 W / m². For example, as the position of the feeding pad (or feeding point) is moved upward, the antenna gain increases, but the APD may increase.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 4b, a feeding pad (432) can be positioned through a feed line (433) connected to a patch antenna (431) as shown in the upper and lower left. The feeding pad (432) may include a feed point (432a).

[0106] According to various embodiments, when shielding is achieved by placing a shielding member (434) on the feeding pad (432) (e.g., covering it), the antenna gain may be 6.5 dBi and the APD may be 153 W / m². As shown in the upper and lower right, the feeding pad (442) may be placed through a feed line (443) connected to a patch antenna (441). The feeding pad (442) may include a feed point (442a).

[0107] According to various embodiments, when there is no shielding member on the feeding pad (442), the antenna gain may be 6.3 dBi and the APD may be 170 W / m². For example, when the feeding pad (432) is shielded by the shielding member (434), the antenna gain may increase and the APD may decrease. Additionally, when comparing FIG. 4a, in which a feed section (e.g., feeding pad (412, 422)) is formed on a radiator (e.g., patch) of a patch antenna (411, 421), with FIG. 4b, in which the radiator (e.g., patch) of a patch antenna (431, 441) and the feed section (e.g., feeding pad) are spaced apart from each other, the greater the distance between the radiator (e.g., patch) and the feed section (e.g., feeding pad) as in FIG. 4b, the APD may decrease at a greater rate compared to the amount by which the antenna gain decreases as the distance between the radiator (e.g., patch) and the feed section (e.g., feeding pad) increases.

[0108] According to one embodiment, an antenna radiator and a feed unit that are spaced apart from each other may be connected via a feed line (e.g., a transmission line). According to one embodiment, the feed unit may include an antenna-side feed unit connected to the radiator via a feed line and a transmission line-side feed unit connected to the RFIC (215) via a transmission line. For example, the antenna-side feed unit and the transmission line-side feed unit may be spatially separated to form an indirect feed (i.e., coupling feeding) in which a high-frequency signal is coupled and transmitted. For example, each of the antenna-side feed unit and the transmission line-side feed unit may be formed as a conductive pad. For example, the antenna-side feed unit and the transmission line-side feed unit may supply current using at least one of electromagnetic induction or capacitive coupling.

[0109] According to one embodiment, the feed section (or feed portion) may be wider than the feed line (e.g., RF path, transmission line, signal path). For example, the feed line may include a microstrip line, strip line, or waveguide matched to a specific impedance value (e.g., 50 ohms). For example, the feed section may be formed of a conductive pad of a specific shape (e.g., square, circular). For example, the feed section may be connected to at least one of circuit elements for impedance matching (e.g., capacitor, inductor, resistor, or ground). For example, the feed section may be positioned in close proximity to the circuit elements for impedance matching.

[0110] Various embodiments of the present disclosure describe methods for selecting (or switching) an RF transmission path based on the proximity of an object (e.g., a human body) based on the difference between near-field performance and far-field performance according to the antenna feeding method. Each patch antenna (224, 225) (e.g., antenna radiator) may include a plurality of feed points, for example, including a first feed point and a second feed point.

[0111] According to one embodiment, the first feed point may correspond to a first feeding pad (or first feed section) formed on the antenna radiator. The first feed point may be connected to an RFIC (215) via a first RF path (or first signal path). A transmission signal from the RFIC (215) may be supplied directly to the antenna radiator through the first feed point (i.e., direct feeding). For example, the current density of the transmission signal on the first RF path may be highest at the first feed point formed on the antenna radiator.

[0112] According to one embodiment, a second feed point formed on an antenna radiator may be connected via a feed line (e.g., a transmission line) to a second feeding pad (or second feed section) spaced apart from the antenna radiator. The second feed point may be connected to an RFIC (215) via a second RF path (or second signal path) different from the first RF path. For example, the current density of the transmitted signal on the second RF path may be highest at the second feeding pad spaced apart from the antenna radiator. The second feeding pad may be further away from the APD measurement location compared to the first feed point. As the second feeding pad is spaced apart from the antenna radiator, the amount of degradation in the antenna's far-field performance and the amount of degradation in its near-field performance may differ. For example, when the RFIC (215) transmits a transmission signal of a specified power to the antenna, if the second RF path is selected, the strength of the electromagnetic wave measured at a distance from the antenna is reduced to some extent compared to the case where the first RF path is selected, but the strength of the electromagnetic wave measured at a relatively close distance may be reduced more than at a distance.

[0113] According to one embodiment, the second RF path may include a portion in which a high-frequency transmission signal sent from the RFIC (215) is coupled and transmitted (e.g., coupling feeding) between two spatially separated conductors (e.g., antenna-side feed and transmission line-side feed).

[0114] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can be configured such that when an external object (e.g., a human body) approaches the electronic device (101) to satisfy a certain standard, an RF signal is supplied to a patch antenna (224, 225) (e.g., an antenna radiator) through a second RF path (e.g., an RF path using coupling feeding), and when an external object (e.g., a human body) does not approach the electronic device (101), an RF signal is supplied to a patch antenna (224, 225) (e.g., an antenna radiator) through a first RF path (e.g., an RF path using direct feeding). Accordingly, when an external object (e.g., a human body) approaches the electronic device, the RF signal is transmitted through an RF path with relatively low near-field performance, thereby allowing the electromagnetic waves generated by the electronic device (101) to satisfy APD regulations and / or SAR regulations without power backoff. For example, by utilizing the principle that the measurement value for APD decreases as the distance from the sensing area for APD to the feeding pad (or feeding point) to which the transmission line is connected from the antenna (e.g., a patch antenna) increases, APD regulations can be satisfied (or complied with) without power backoff even if an external object approaches the electronic device.

[0115] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may select an RF path (or feeding method) between the RFIC (215) and the patch antenna (224, 225) based at least partly on the strength of the power received from the base station and / or the strength of the transmission power of the electronic device (101). For example, if the electronic device (101) receives a weak electric field due to being located more than a certain distance from the base station or due to an obstacle, the base station may instruct the electronic device (101) to transmit an uplink signal with a power greater than a certain level. For example, based on a determination that an external object (e.g., a human body) is in close proximity (or contact) to the electronic device (101) and that the transmission power of the electronic device (101) satisfies a predefined criterion, the electronic device (101) may supply current to the antenna using a second RF path (or coupling feeding). For example, if an external object (e.g., a human body) comes into close proximity (or contact) with the electronic device (101) and the transmission power of the electronic device (101) does not satisfy a predefined standard, the electronic device (101) may supply current to the antenna using a first RF path (or direct feeding). For example, if the received electric field from an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), electronic device (108), access point, or base station) is lower than a specific value, the electronic device (101) may be configured to transmit a signal at a specified maximum power. The specified maximum power may be 26 dBm when a communication connection corresponding to a second power class is established, and 23 dBm to 24 dBm when a communication connection corresponding to a third power class is established. For example, based on the determination that an external object (e.g., a human body) approaches (or contacts) the electronic device (101) and the transmission power of the electronic device (101) is set to maximum power, the electronic device (101) can supply current to the antenna using a second RF path (or coupling feeding).For example, if an external object (e.g., a human body) approaches (or contacts) the electronic device (101) and the transmission power of the electronic device (101) is not set to maximum power, the electronic device (101) can supply current to the antenna using a first RF path (or direct feeding).

[0116] According to one embodiment, when the received electric field of the electronic device (101) is lower than a specific value and it is determined that an external object (e.g., a human body) is in close proximity to or in contact with the electronic device (101), the electronic device (101) can supply current to the antenna using a second RF path (or coupling feeding).

[0117] FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0118] Referring to FIG. 5, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a switch (510) (e.g., a first switch (511), a second switch (512)), a first antenna (521) (e.g., a first radiator), and a second antenna (522) (e.g., a second radiator), and a sensing circuit. Each of the first antenna (521) and the second antenna (522) may be a component of a set of antennas composed of multiple antennas. Each of the first antenna (521) and the second antenna (522) may correspond to a patch antenna (224) and a patch antenna (225). However, the type of antenna is not limited to a patch antenna. The sensing circuit may include a sensing unit (531) (or sensor) and a sensor IC (532).

[0119] The sensing unit (531) may include a sensing pattern. The sensing pattern may be positioned in close proximity to the first antenna (521) and / or the second antenna (522). The sensing pattern may include one or more sensors (e.g., conductors) each positioned between a radiator (e.g., a patch) and a radiator (e.g., a patch).

[0120] The switch (510), the first antenna (521), the second antenna (522), and the sensing unit (531) may be placed on a first surface (501a) of a substrate (e.g., PCB or FPCB) (501), and the sensor IC (532) may be placed on a second surface (501b) opposite to the first surface (501a) of the substrate (501). The sensing unit (531) may be placed between the first antenna (521) and the second antenna (522).

[0121] The arrangement or position of each component shown in FIG. 5 above is exemplary and is not limited thereto. For example, the switch (510) and / or sensor IC (532) may be placed on a printed circuit board (e.g., PCB (210)) where the RFIC (215) is located, and the sensing unit (531) may be placed on a printed circuit board (e.g., FPCB (220)) where the first antenna (521) and the second antenna (522) are located.

[0122] According to various embodiments, the switch (510) (e.g., the first switch (511), or the second switch (512)) may be connected to at least one of the first antenna (521) or the second antenna (522) through at least one of the first transmission line (541), the second transmission line (542), the third transmission line (543), and the fourth transmission line (544). For example, the first switch (511) may be connected to the first antenna (521) through the first transmission line (541) or the second transmission line (542). The second switch (512) may be connected to the second antenna (522) through the third transmission line (543) or the fourth transmission line (544).

[0123] According to one embodiment, the switch (510) (e.g., the first switch (511), or the second switch (512)) may be included within the modem (211), the IF / RFIC module (213), or the RFFE (217). According to one embodiment, the switch (510) (e.g., the first switch (511), or the second switch (512)) may be provided as a separate module.

[0124] According to one embodiment, the switch (510) can transmit an RF signal (or, transmission signal, transmission power, transmission current) output from the RFIC (215) to the first antenna (521) (or second antenna (522)) between the RFIC (215) and the first antenna (521) (or second antenna (522)). For example, the switch (510) (e.g., first switch (511), or second switch (512)) may refer to at least one of hardware, software, or firmware that includes a structure capable of selecting one of a plurality of transmission lines based on at least one of the proximity of an external object or the strength of the transmission power according to a command of a processor (e.g., processor (120)).

[0125] According to one embodiment, the first switch (511) may be configured to select one of the first transmission line (541) and the second transmission line (542) connected to the first antenna (521). According to one embodiment, the first switch (511) may maintain the connection of the first antenna (521) with the other transmission line while transmitting an RF signal to the selected transmission line among the first transmission line (541) and the second transmission line (542). According to one embodiment, the first switch (511) may be configured so that when one of the first transmission line (541) and the second transmission line (542) is connected to the first antenna (521), the other one is not connected to the first antenna (521).

[0126] According to various embodiments, one side of the first transmission line (541) may be connected to the first switch (511), and the other side of the first transmission line (541) may be connected to the first antenna (521) through the first feeding pad (551) (or feed section). For example, the first feeding pad (551) may be located on the surface of the substrate (501) where the first antenna (521) is placed (e.g., the first surface (501a)). An RF (radio frequency) signal may be transmitted from the first switch (511) to the first antenna (521) through the first transmission line (541) and the first feeding pad (551). For convenience of explanation, the path through which the RF signal is transmitted from the first switch (511) to the first antenna (521) via the first transmission line (541) and the first feeding pad (551) may be referred to as the 'first RF path'. The first RF path may be referred to as an RF path utilizing 'direct feeding' as it is directly connected to the first feeding pad (551) via the first transmission line (541), but is not limited to this term.

[0127] According to various embodiments, one side of the second transmission line (542) may be connected to the first switch (511), and the other side of the second transmission line (542) may be connected to a first coupling pad (552b) (e.g., transmission line side feed) which is coupled to a second feeding pad (552a) (e.g., antenna side feed) connected to the first antenna (521).

[0128] According to various embodiments, the second feeding pad (552a) may be connected to the first antenna (521) via the first feeding line (552c). The second feeding pad (552a) may also be directly connected to the first antenna (521) without the first feeding line (552c). For example, the second feeding pad (552a) may be located on the inside of the substrate (501) at a first distance from the surface on which the first antenna (521) is placed (e.g., the first surface (501a)). For example, the first coupling pad (552b) may be located on the inside of the substrate (501) at a second distance from the surface on which the first antenna (521) is placed (e.g., the first surface (501a)). The second distance may be longer than the first distance. When an RF signal is transmitted from the first switch (511) to the second transmission line (542), the RF signal can be transmitted to the first antenna (521) through wireless coupling between the first coupling pad (552b) and the second feeding pad (552a). For convenience of explanation, the path through which the RF signal is transmitted from the first switch (511) to the first antenna (521) via the second transmission line (542), the first coupling pad (552b), and the second feeding pad (552a) may be referred to as the 'second RF path'. The second RF path may be referred to as an RF path utilizing 'coupling feeding' as the RF signal is transmitted by coupling with the second feeding pad (552a) through the first coupling pad (552b), but is not limited to the above terminology.

[0129] According to various embodiments, at least one of the second feeding pad (552a) and / or the first feeding line (552c) connecting the second feeding pad (552a) to the first antenna (521) may be omitted. For example, an RF signal may be transmitted to the first antenna (521) by coupling between the first coupling pad (552b) and the first antenna (521). For example, the first coupling pad (552b) may have substantially the same area as the first antenna (521).

[0130] According to one embodiment, the second switch (512) may be configured to select one of the third transmission line (543) and the fourth transmission line (544) connected to the second antenna (522). According to one embodiment, the second switch (512) may maintain the connection of the second antenna (522) with the other transmission line while transmitting an RF signal to the selected transmission line among the third transmission line (543) and the fourth transmission line (544). According to one embodiment, the second switch (512) may be configured so that when one of the third transmission line (543) and the fourth transmission line (544) is connected to the second antenna (522), the other one is not connected to the second antenna (522).

[0131] According to various embodiments, one side of the third transmission line (543) may be connected to the second switch (512), and the other side of the third transmission line (543) may be connected to the second antenna (522) through the third feeding pad (553) (or feed section). For example, the third feeding pad (553) may be located on the surface of the substrate (501) where the second antenna (522) is placed (e.g., the first surface (501a)). An RF signal may be transmitted from the second switch (512) to the second antenna (522) through the third transmission line (543) and the third feeding pad (553). For convenience of explanation, the path through which the RF signal is transmitted from the second switch (512) to the second antenna (522) via the third transmission line (543) and the third feeding pad (553) may be referred to as the 'third RF path'. The third RF path may be referred to as an RF path utilizing 'direct feeding' as it is directly connected to the third feeding pad (553) via the third transmission line (543), but is not limited to this term.

[0132] According to various embodiments, one side of the fourth transmission line (544) may be connected to the second switch (512), and the other side of the fourth transmission line (544) may be connected to a second coupling pad (554b) (e.g., transmission line side feed) which is coupled to a fourth feeding pad (554a) (e.g., antenna side feed) connected to the second antenna (522).

[0133] According to various embodiments, the fourth feeding pad (554a) may be connected to the second antenna (522) via the second feeding line (554c). The fourth feeding pad (554a) may also be directly connected to the second antenna (522) without the second feeding line (554c). For example, the fourth feeding pad (554a) may be located on the inside of the substrate (501) at a first distance from the surface on which the second antenna (522) is placed (e.g., the first surface (501a)). For example, the second coupling pad (554b) may be located on the inside of the substrate (501) at a second distance from the surface on which the second antenna (522) is placed (e.g., the first surface (501a)). The second distance may be longer than the first distance. When an RF signal is transmitted from the second switch (512) to the fourth transmission line (544), the RF signal can be transmitted to the second antenna (522) through wireless coupling between the second coupling pad (554b) and the fourth feeding pad (554a). For convenience of explanation, the path through which the RF signal is transmitted from the second switch (512) to the second antenna (522) via the fourth transmission line (544), the second coupling pad (554b), and the fourth feeding pad (554a) may be referred to as the 'fourth RF path'. The fourth RF path may be referred to as an RF path utilizing 'coupling feeding' as it transmits the RF signal by coupling with the fourth feeding pad (554a) through the second coupling pad (554b), but it is not limited to the above terminology.

[0134] According to various embodiments, at least one of the fourth feeding pad (554a) and / or the second feeding line (554c) connecting the fourth feeding pad (554a) to the second antenna (522) may be omitted. For example, an RF signal may be transmitted to the second antenna (522) by coupling between the second coupling pad (554b) and the second antenna (522). For example, the second coupling pad (554b) may have substantially the same area as the second antenna (522). According to various embodiments, the first distance between the second feeding pad (552a) and the first coupling pad (552b) may differ from the second distance between the fourth feeding pad (554a) and the second coupling pad (554b). For example, the second distance may be longer than the first distance.

[0135] According to various embodiments, a sensing circuit (e.g., a sensing unit (531) and a sensor IC (532)) can sense the proximity of an object (e.g., a human body) within a sensing area (e.g., whether the object exists or is located within a set first distance). For convenience of explanation, the proximity of an object is described as an example, but it is obvious that the detection of proximity may include the detection of contact or wearing of an object. For example, the sensing unit (531) can transmit a signal of sensing an object (e.g., a human body) within a sensing area to the sensor IC (532). Based on the signal received from the sensing unit (531), the sensor IC (532) can generate data (or information) corresponding to the distance to the object (e.g., a human body).

[0136] Data (or information) corresponding to the distance to an object generated by the sensor IC (532) can be transmitted to a processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the communication module (190) or the modem (211) of FIG. 2). Based on the data (or information) corresponding to the distance to an object received from the sensor IC (532), the processor can determine whether the sensed object is within a set distance (e.g., a first distance).

[0137] If the sensor IC (532) is a proximity sensor or a grip sensor, the sensor IC (532) may transmit data (or information) indicating that an object exists within a set distance (e.g., a first distance) to a processor when the distance to the sensed object is within a set distance. According to one embodiment, the processor may determine whether an external object is in close proximity (or contact) to the electronic device (101) (or the first antenna (521) and / or the second antenna (522) of the electronic device (101)) based on the data (or information) received from the sensor IC (532).

[0138] According to one embodiment, the processor can determine whether the electronic device (101) is worn on the user's body (e.g., head) based on data (or information) received from the sensor IC (532).

[0139] According to various embodiments, the sensing circuit may be implemented in various ways. For example, the sensing circuit may detect the proximity (or contact) of an external object (e.g., a human body) using an antenna (e.g., a first antenna (521) and / or a second antenna (522)) without using a separate sensing unit (531). The sensor IC (532) may determine whether an external object (e.g., a human body) is present within a set distance based on a measurement value related to the return loss of the antenna tuner. Additionally, the sensing circuit may be implemented by a touch sensor that determines whether a touch occurs based on the amount of change in the electric field. Alternatively, the sensing circuit may detect the proximity of an external object based on the reflection specifications of the emitted infrared light.

[0140] According to various embodiments, the operation of checking the proximity of an object (e.g., a human body) may be performed when a designated application (e.g., a call application, a multimedia application) is executed on the electronic device (101). For example, when a user presses an icon for a call function (e.g., a button containing text or an image), the electronic device (101) can check the proximity of the object. For example, when a communication connection is established with an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), electronic device (108), an access point, or a base station), the electronic device (101) can check the proximity of the object. For example, when the transmission / reception of a signal (e.g., data, voice) is initiated with the external electronic device, the electronic device (101) can check the proximity of the object.

[0141] According to one embodiment, the operation of checking the proximity of an object (e.g., a human body) may be performed in advance before a designated application is executed on the electronic device (101). For example, determining whether an external object is detected in relation to the establishment of a communication connection may mean that the detection operation of the external object may be performed before or after the establishment of the communication connection.

[0142] According to one embodiment, the operation of checking the proximity of an object (e.g., a human body) may be performed periodically while a designated application is running. According to one embodiment, the operation of checking the proximity of an object (e.g., a human body) may be stopped when the execution of the designated application ends. According to one embodiment, the operation of checking the proximity of an object (e.g., a human body) may be performed based on the determination that the frequency used for communication with an external electronic device is a designated frequency. For example, the operation of checking the proximity of an object (e.g., a human body) may be stopped if the frequency used for communication with an external electronic device changes from the designated frequency to another frequency.

[0143] According to one embodiment, the sensing unit (531) may be placed at various locations on the electronic device (101). For example, the sensing unit (531) may be placed at a location where the user holds the electronic device (101) with their hand to bring the earpiece speaker of the electronic device (101) to their ear during a call. For example, the sensing unit (531) may be placed around the earpiece speaker of the electronic device (101). For example, the sensing unit (531) may be placed at a location where the user holds the electronic device (101) with their hand to use data communication-related functions while looking at the screen of the display module (160).

[0144] According to one embodiment, the sensing unit (531) may include a touch sensor or a proximity sensor formed on the outer surface of the electronic device (101).

[0145] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may select an RF path using direct feeding for one of the first antenna (521) (e.g., a first radiator or a first patch) and the second antenna (522) (e.g., a second radiator or a second patch), and select an RF path using coupling feeding for the other.

[0146] For example, under the first specified condition, an RF path using direct feeding can be selected for both the first antenna (521) and the second antenna (522), and under the second specified condition, an RF path using direct feeding can be selected for the first antenna (521) but an RF path using coupling feeding can be selected for the second antenna (522). Under the third specified condition, an RF path using coupling feeding can be selected for both the first antenna (521) and the second antenna (522), and under the fourth specified condition, an RF path using coupling feeding can be selected for the first antenna (521) but an RF path using direct feeding can be selected for the second antenna (522).

[0147] The first specified condition, the second specified condition, the third specified condition, and the fourth specified condition may relate to at least one of, for example, the type of communication function (e.g., whether it is a call function or a data communication function), the area of ​​contact with the human body (e.g., whether the contact area is larger or smaller than a set size), the location of contact with the human body (e.g., whether it is in contact with the face or only with the hand), the time of contact with the human body (e.g., whether it is in contact for more than a specified time), the strength of the transmission power, or the distance from the base station.

[0148] According to one embodiment, the sensing unit (531) may include a first sensing unit disposed around a first housing portion (e.g., a housing portion forming the left side) of the electronic device (101) and / or a second sensing unit disposed around a second housing portion (e.g., a housing portion forming the right side). The sensing unit (531) may further include a third sensing unit disposed around an antenna of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a first antenna (521) and / or a second antenna (522)). For example, when the electronic device (101) detects a specific external object (e.g., a human body) that is in close proximity to or in contact with the electronic device (101) through the first sensing unit and / or the second sensing unit, it may select an RF path using direct feeding for one of the first antenna (521) and the second antenna (522), and select an RF path using coupling feeding for the other. For example, when the electronic device (101) detects a specific external object (e.g., a human body) that is in close proximity to or in contact with the electronic device (101) through the third sensing unit, it may select an RF path that uses coupling feeding for both the first antenna (521) and the second antenna (522).

[0149] According to various embodiments, a processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the communication module (190) or the modem (211) of FIG. 2) may control the first switch (511) to be connected to a first RF path based on confirming that no object exists within the set distance (e.g., a first distance). For example, based on confirming that no object exists within the set distance, the processor may control the first switch (511) so that the first switch (511) is connected to a first transmission line (541) and not connected to a second transmission line (542). When the first switch (511) is connected to the first transmission line (541), the RF signal transmitted to the first transmission line (541) may be transmitted to the first antenna (521) through the first feeding pad (551). For example, the RF signal transmitted from the first switch (511) to the first transmission line (541) can be transmitted to the first antenna (521) through the first RF path using direct feeding.

[0150] According to various embodiments, a processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the communication module (190) or the modem (211) of FIG. 2) may control the first switch (511) to disconnect from the first RF path and connect to the second RF path based on confirming that an object exists within the set distance. For example, based on confirming that an object exists within the set distance, the processor may control the first switch (511) to switch from a state where the first switch (511) is connected to the first transmission line (541) to a state where it is connected to the second transmission line (542). When the first switch (511) is connected to the second transmission line (542), the RF signal transmitted to the second transmission line (542) may be transmitted to the first antenna (521) through coupling with the first coupling pad (552b) and the second feeding pad (552a). For example, the RF signal transmitted from the first switch (511) to the second transmission line (542) can be transmitted to the first antenna (521) through the second RF path using coupling feeding.

[0151] According to various embodiments, a processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the communication module (190) or the modem (211) of FIG. 2) may control the second switch (512) to be connected to a third RF path based on confirming that there is no object within the set distance (e.g., the first distance). For example, based on confirming that there is no object within the set distance, the processor may control the second switch (512) to be connected to the third transmission line (543) and not connected to the fourth transmission line (544). When the second switch (512) is connected to the third transmission line (543), the RF signal transmitted to the third transmission line (543) may be transmitted to the second antenna (522) through the third feeding pad (553). For example, the RF signal transmitted from the second switch (512) to the third transmission line (543) can be transmitted to the second antenna (522) through the third RF path using direct feeding.

[0152] According to various embodiments, a processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the communication module (190) or the modem (211) of FIG. 2) may control the second switch (512) to disconnect from the third RF path and connect to the fourth RF path based on confirming that an object is present within the set distance (e.g., the first distance). For example, based on confirming that an object is present within the set distance, the processor may control the second switch (512) to switch or transition from a state where the second switch (512) is connected to the third transmission line (543) to a state where it is connected to the fourth transmission line (544). When the second switch (512) is connected to the fourth transmission line (544), the RF signal transmitted to the fourth transmission line (544) may be transmitted to the second antenna (522) through coupling with the second coupling pad (554b) and the fourth feeding pad (554a). For example, the RF signal transmitted from the second switch (512) to the fourth transmission line (544) can be transmitted to the second antenna (522) through the fourth RF path using coupling feeding.

[0153] According to various embodiments, the second antenna (522), the third transmission line (543), and the fourth transmission line (544) in FIG. 5 may be omitted. According to various embodiments, FIG. 5 illustrates that two antennas (521, 522) are connected to the switch (510), but it may be connected to three or more antennas. For example, if the switch (510) is connected to three or more antennas, the switch (510) may be connected via an RF path using coupling feeding with each antenna, based on confirming that there is an object within a set distance. If the switch (510) is connected to three or more antennas, the switch (510) may be connected via an RF path using direct feeding with each antenna, based on confirming that there is no object within a set distance.

[0154] According to various embodiments, when the coupling feeding is used, the position of the coupling pad (e.g., the first coupling pad (552b), or the second coupling pad (554b)) is positioned further away from the sensing direction (e.g., the direction in which the first surface (501a) of the substrate (e.g., PCB or FPCB) (501) faces) than the position of the feeding pad (e.g., the first feeding pad (551), or the third feeding pad (553)), so that the APD may be lowered as described above in the description of FIG. 4a. Thus, by using coupling feeding in the RF path, the APD is lowered compared to the direct feeding, so power backoff may not be performed even if an object is in close proximity. By not performing power backoff, the electronic device can transmit RF signals with a relatively high transmission power, thereby providing a relatively high throughput. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not intended to be limited thereto.

[0155] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may use coupling feeding and power backoff together when specified conditions are satisfied. The specified conditions may include, for example, when the area of ​​an external object close to the electronic device (101) is larger than a specified standard, when the external object maintains a state of closeness for more than a specified time, or when the electronic device (101) transmits power greater than a specified standard for more than a specified time.

[0156] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can adjust the magnitude of the power of a signal to be transmitted at least partially simultaneously while using coupling feeding when a specific condition is satisfied. Adjusting the magnitude of the transmitted power may include, depending on the condition, selecting one of a plurality of specified power offset values ​​and adding or subtracting the selected power offset value from the magnitude of the transmitted power.

[0157] According to various embodiments, when an object is present within a set distance, if an RF signal is transmitted via a direct feeding path rather than an RF path using the coupling feeding, a power backoff of, for example, about 3.5 dB may be required according to the APD standard.

[0158] In contrast, when an object is present within a set distance, if an RF signal is transmitted through an RF path using the coupling feeding, the long-distance performance (e.g., passive TRP (total radiated power) and active TRP) may be reduced by, for example, about 1.5 dB due to the transmission of the RF signal through coupling, but the performance may be improved by about 2 dB relatively by not performing a 3.5 dB power backoff, thereby providing a relatively high throughput.

[0159] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0160] Referring to FIG. 6, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a switch (610) (e.g., a first switch (611), a second switch (612)), a first antenna (621) (e.g., a first radiator), and a second antenna (622) (e.g., a second radiator), and a sensing circuit. Each of the first antenna (621) and the second antenna (622) may be a component of a set of antennas composed of multiple antennas. Each of the first antenna (621) and the second antenna (622) may correspond to a patch antenna (224) and a patch antenna (225). However, the type of antenna is not limited to a patch antenna.

[0161] The sensing circuit may include a sensing unit (631) (or sensor) and a sensor IC (632). The sensing unit (631) may include a sensing pattern. The sensing pattern may be positioned in close proximity to the first antenna (621) and / or the second antenna (622). The sensing pattern may include one or more sensors (e.g., conductors) each positioned between a radiator (e.g., a patch) and a radiator (e.g., a patch). The switch (610), the first antenna (621), the second antenna (622), and the sensing unit (631) may be positioned on a first surface (501a) of a substrate (e.g., a PCB or an FPCB) (501), and the sensor IC (632) may be positioned on a second surface (501b) opposite to the first surface (501a) of the substrate (501). The sensing unit (631) can be positioned between the first antenna (621) and the second antenna (622).

[0162] The arrangement or position of each component shown in FIG. 6 above is exemplary and is not limited thereto. The components of FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 described below can be understood by referring to the description of the corresponding components included in FIG. 5. For example, the switch (610) and / or sensor IC (632) may be placed on a printed circuit board (e.g., PCB (210)) where the RFIC (215) is located, and the sensing unit (631) may be placed on a printed circuit board (e.g., FPCB (220)) where the first antenna (621) and the second antenna (622) are located.

[0163] According to various embodiments, the switch (610) (e.g., the first switch (611), or the second switch (612)) may be connected to at least one of the first antenna (621) or the second antenna (622) through at least one of the first transmission line (641), the second transmission line (642), the third transmission line (643), and the fourth transmission line (644). For example, the first switch (611) may be connected to the first antenna (621) through the first transmission line (641) or the second transmission line (642). The second switch (612) may be connected to the second antenna (622) through the third transmission line (643) or the fourth transmission line (644).

[0164] According to one embodiment, the switch (610) (e.g., the first switch (611), or the second switch (612)) may be included within the modem (211), the IF / RFIC module (213), or the RFFE (217). According to one embodiment, the switch (610) (e.g., the first switch (611), or the second switch (612)) may be provided as a separate module. According to one embodiment, the switch (610) may transmit an RF signal (or, transmission signal, transmission power, transmission current) output from the RFIC (215) to the first antenna (621) (or the second antenna (622)) between the RFIC (215) and the first antenna (621) (or the second antenna (622)). For example, the switch (610) (e.g., the first switch (611), or the second switch (612)) may refer to at least one of hardware, software, or firmware that includes a structure capable of selecting one of a plurality of transmission lines based on at least one of the proximity of an external object or the strength of the transmission power according to a command of the processor (e.g., the processor (120)).

[0165] According to one embodiment, the first switch (611) may be configured to select one of the first transmission line (641) and the second transmission line (642) connected to the first antenna (621). According to one embodiment, the first switch (611) may maintain the connection of the first antenna (621) with the other transmission line while transmitting an RF signal to the selected transmission line among the first transmission line (641) and the second transmission line (642). According to one embodiment, the first switch (611) may be configured so that when one of the first transmission line (641) and the second transmission line (642) is connected to the first antenna (621), the other is not connected to the first antenna (621).

[0166] According to various embodiments, one side of the first transmission line (641) may be connected to the first switch (611), and the other side of the first transmission line (641) may be connected to the first antenna (621) through the first feeding pad (651) (or feed section). For example, the first feeding pad (651) may be located on the surface of the substrate (501) where the first antenna (621) is placed (e.g., the first surface (501a)). An RF (radio frequency) signal may be transmitted from the first switch (611) to the first antenna (621) through the first transmission line (641) and the first feeding pad (651). For convenience of explanation, the path through which the RF signal is transmitted from the first switch (611) to the first antenna (621) via the first transmission line (641) and the first feeding pad (651) may be referred to as the 'first RF path'. In the first RF path, the first feeding pad (651) is connected in relative proximity to the first antenna (621), so it may be referred to as an RF path utilizing 'near feeding', but is not limited to the above terminology.

[0167] According to various embodiments, one side of the second transmission line (642) may be connected to the first switch (611), and the other side of the second transmission line (642) may be connected to the first antenna (621) through the second feeding pad (652) (or feed section).

[0168] According to various embodiments, the second feeding pad (652) may be connected to the first antenna (621) via the first feeding line (621a). The second feeding pad (652) may also be directly connected to the first antenna (621) without the first feeding line (621a). An RF (radio frequency) signal may be transmitted from the first switch (611) to the first antenna (621) via the second transmission line (642), the second feeding pad (652), and the first feeding line (621a). For convenience of explanation, the path through which the RF signal is transmitted from the first switch (611) to the first antenna (621) via the second transmission line (642), the second feeding pad (652), and the first feeding line (621a) may be referred to as the 'second RF path'. In the second RF path, the second feeding pad (652) is connected at a relative distance from the first antenna (621) compared to the first feeding pad (651), so it may be referred to as an RF path using 'far feeding,' but is not limited to the above term.

[0169] According to various embodiments, at least one of the second feeding pad (652a) and / or the first feeding line (621a) connecting the second feeding pad (652a) to the first antenna (621) may be omitted.

[0170] According to various embodiments, one side of the third transmission line (643) may be connected to the second switch (612), and the other side of the third transmission line (643) may be connected to the second antenna (622) through the third feeding pad (653) (or feed section). For example, the third feeding pad (653) may be located on the surface of the substrate (501) where the second antenna (622) is placed (e.g., the first surface (501a)). An RF signal may be transmitted from the second switch (612) to the second antenna (622) through the third transmission line (643) and the third feeding pad (653). For convenience of explanation, the path through which the RF signal is transmitted from the first switch (611) to the second antenna (622) via the third transmission line (643) and the third feeding pad (653) may be referred to as the 'third RF path'. In the third RF path, the third feeding pad (653) is connected in relative proximity to the second antenna (622), so it may be referred to as an RF path utilizing 'near feeding', but is not limited to the above terminology.

[0171] According to various embodiments, one side of the fourth transmission line (644) may be connected to the second switch (612), and the other side of the fourth transmission line (644) may be connected to the second antenna (622) through the fourth feeding pad (654) (or feed section).

[0172] According to various embodiments, the fourth feeding pad (654) may be connected to the second antenna (622) via the second feeding line (622a). The fourth feeding pad (654) may also be directly connected to the second antenna (622) without the second feeding line (622a). An RF (radio frequency) signal may be transmitted from the second switch (612) to the second antenna (622) via the fourth transmission line (644), the fourth feeding pad (654), and the second feeding line (622a). For convenience of explanation, the path through which the RF signal is transmitted from the second switch (612) to the second antenna (622) via the fourth transmission line (644), the fourth feeding pad (654), and the second feeding line (622a) may be referred to as the 'fourth RF path'. In the above-mentioned fourth RF path, the fourth feeding pad (654) is connected at a relative distance from the second antenna (622) compared to the third feeding pad (653), so it may be referred to as an RF path utilizing 'far feeding,' but is not limited to the above term.

[0173] According to various embodiments, at least one of the fourth feeding pad (654) and / or the second feeding line (622a) connecting the fourth feeding pad (654) to the second antenna (622) may be omitted.

[0174] According to various embodiments, a sensing circuit (e.g., a sensing unit (631) and a sensor IC (632)) can sense the proximity of an object (e.g., a human body) within a sensing area (e.g., whether the object exists or is located within a set first distance). For convenience of explanation, the proximity of an object is described as an example, but it is obvious that the detection of proximity may include the detection of contact or wearing of the object. For example, the sensing unit (631) can transmit a signal of sensing an object (e.g., a human body) within the sensing area to the sensor IC (632).

[0175] The sensor IC (632) can generate data (or information) corresponding to the distance to an object (e.g., a human body) based on a signal received from the sensing unit (631). The data (or information) corresponding to the distance to an object generated by the sensor IC (632) can be transmitted to a processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the communication module (190) or the modem (211) of FIG. 2).

[0176] The processor can determine whether the sensed object is within a set distance (e.g., a first distance) based on data (or information) corresponding to the distance to the object received from the sensor IC (632). If the sensor IC (632) is a proximity sensor or a grip sensor, the sensor IC (632) can transmit data (or information) indicating that the object exists within the set distance to the processor when the distance to the sensed object is within the set distance (e.g., a first distance).

[0177] According to one embodiment, the processor can determine whether there is an external object in close proximity (or contact) to the electronic device (101) (or the first antenna (621) and / or the second antenna (622) of the electronic device (101)) based on data (or information) received from the sensor IC (632). According to one embodiment, the processor can determine whether the electronic device (101) is worn on a user's body (e.g., head) based on data (or information) received from the sensor IC (632).

[0178] According to various embodiments, the sensing circuit may be implemented in various ways. For example, the sensing circuit may detect the proximity (or contact) of an external object (e.g., a human body) using an antenna (e.g., a first antenna (621) and / or a second antenna (622)) without using a separate sensing unit (631).

[0179] The sensor IC (632) can determine whether an external object (e.g., a human body) is present within a set distance based on a measurement related to the return loss of the antenna tuner. Additionally, the sensing circuit may be implemented by a touch sensor that determines whether a touch occurs based on the amount of change in the electric field. Alternatively, the sensing circuit may detect the proximity of an external object based on the amount of reflected infrared radiation emitted.

[0180] According to various embodiments, the operation of checking the proximity of an object (e.g., a human body) may be performed when a designated application (e.g., a call application, a multimedia application) is executed on the electronic device (101). For example, when a user presses an icon for a call function (e.g., a button containing text or an image), the electronic device (101) can check the proximity of the object. For example, when a call is connected and the exchange of transmission and reception tones begins, the electronic device (101) can check the proximity of the object.

[0181] According to one embodiment, the operation of checking the proximity of an object (e.g., a human body) may be performed in advance before a designated application is executed on the electronic device (101). For example, determining whether an external object is detected in relation to the establishment of a communication connection may mean that the detection operation of the external object may be performed before or after the establishment of the communication connection.

[0182] According to one embodiment, the operation of checking the proximity of an object (e.g., a human body) may be performed periodically while a designated application is running. According to one embodiment, the operation of checking the proximity of an object (e.g., a human body) may be stopped when the execution of the designated application ends.

[0183] According to one embodiment, the sensing unit (631) may be placed at various locations on the electronic device (101). For example, the sensing unit (631) may be placed at a location where the user holds the electronic device (101) with their hand to bring the earpiece speaker of the electronic device (101) to their ear during a call. For example, the sensing unit (631) may be placed around the earpiece speaker of the electronic device (101). For example, the sensing unit (631) may be placed at a location where the user holds the electronic device (101) with their hand to use data communication-related functions while looking at the screen of the display module (160).

[0184] According to one embodiment, the sensing unit (631) may include a touch sensor or a proximity sensor formed on the outer surface of the electronic device (101).

[0185] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may select an RF path using near-field feeding for one of the first antenna (621) (e.g., a first radiator or a first patch) and the second antenna (622) (e.g., a second radiator or a second patch), and select an RF path using far-field feeding for the other.

[0186] For example, under the first specified condition, an RF path using near-field feeding can be selected for both the first antenna (621) and the second antenna (622), and under the second specified condition, an RF path using near-field feeding can be selected for the first antenna (621) but an RF path using far-field feeding can be selected for the second antenna (622). Under the third specified condition, an RF path using far-field feeding can be selected for both the first antenna (621) and the second antenna (622), and under the fourth specified condition, an RF path using far-field feeding can be selected for the first antenna (621) but an RF path using near-field feeding can be selected for the second antenna (622).

[0187] The first specified condition, the second specified condition, the third specified condition, and the fourth specified condition may relate to at least one of, for example, the type of communication function (e.g., whether it is a call function or a data communication function), the area of ​​contact with the human body (e.g., whether the contact area is larger or smaller than a set size), the location of contact with the human body (e.g., whether it is in contact with the face or only with the hand), the time of contact with the human body (e.g., whether it is in contact for more than a specified time), the strength of the transmission power, or the distance from the base station.

[0188] According to one embodiment, the sensing unit (631) may include a first sensing unit disposed around a first housing portion (e.g., a housing portion forming the left side) of the electronic device (101) and / or a second sensing unit disposed around a second housing portion (e.g., a housing portion forming the right side). The sensing unit (631) may further include a third sensing unit disposed around an antenna of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a first antenna (621) and / or a second antenna (622)). For example, when the electronic device (101) detects a specific external object (e.g., a human body) that is in close proximity to or in contact with the electronic device (101) through the first sensing unit and / or the second sensing unit, it may select an RF path using short-range feeding for one of the first antenna (621) and the second antenna (622), and select an RF path using long-range feeding for the other. For example, when the electronic device (101) detects a specific external object (e.g., a human body) that is in close proximity to or in contact with the electronic device (101) through the third sensing unit, it may select an RF path that uses remote feeding for both the first antenna (621) and the second antenna (622).

[0189] According to various embodiments, a processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the communication module (190) or the modem (211) of FIG. 2) may control the first switch (611) to be connected to a first RF path based on confirming that there is no object within the set distance (e.g., the first distance). For example, based on confirming that there is no object within the set distance, the processor may control the first switch (611) so that the first switch (611) is connected to the first transmission line (641) and not connected to the second transmission line (642). When the first switch (611) is connected to the first transmission line (641), the RF signal transmitted to the first transmission line (641) may be transmitted to the first antenna (621) through the first feeding pad (651). For example, the RF signal transmitted from the first switch (611) to the first transmission line (641) can be transmitted to the first antenna (621) through the first RF path using near-field feeding.

[0190] According to various embodiments, a processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the communication module (190) or the modem (211) of FIG. 2) may control the first switch (611) to disconnect from the first RF path and connect to the second RF path based on confirming that an object exists within the set distance. For example, based on confirming that an object exists within the set distance, the processor may control the first switch (611) to switch from being connected to the first transmission line (641) to being connected to the second transmission line (642). When the first switch (611) is connected to the second transmission line (642), the RF signal transmitted to the second transmission line (642) may be transmitted to the first antenna (621) through the second feeding pad (652) and / or the first feeding line (621a). For example, the RF signal transmitted from the first switch (611) to the second transmission line (642) can be transmitted to the first antenna (621) through the second RF path using long-distance feeding.

[0191] According to various embodiments, a processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the communication module (190) or the modem (211) of FIG. 2) may control the second switch (612) to be connected to a third RF path based on confirming that there is no object within the set distance (e.g., the first distance). For example, based on confirming that there is no object within the set distance, the processor may control the second switch (612) so that the second switch (612) is connected to the third transmission line (643) and not connected to the fourth transmission line (644). When the second switch (612) is connected to the third transmission line (643), the RF signal transmitted to the third transmission line (643) may be transmitted to the second antenna (622) through the third feeding pad (653). For example, the RF signal transmitted from the second switch (612) to the third transmission line (643) can be transmitted to the second antenna (622) through the third RF path using near-field feeding.

[0192] According to various embodiments, a processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the communication module (190) or the modem (211) of FIG. 2) may control the second switch (612) to disconnect from the third RF path and connect to the fourth RF path based on confirming that an object is present within the set distance (e.g., the first distance). For example, based on confirming that an object is present within the set distance, the processor may control the second switch (612) to switch or transition from a state where the second switch (612) is connected to the third transmission line (643) to a state where it is connected to the fourth transmission line (644). When the second switch (612) is connected to the fourth transmission line (644), the RF signal transmitted to the fourth transmission line (644) may be transmitted to the second antenna (622) through the fourth feeding pad (654) and / or the second feeding line (622a). For example, the RF signal transmitted from the second switch (612) to the fourth transmission line (644) can be transmitted to the second antenna (622) through the fourth RF path using long-distance feeding.

[0193] Depending on various embodiments, the second antenna (622), the third transmission line (643), and the fourth transmission line (644) in FIG. 6 may be omitted.

[0194] According to various embodiments, FIG. 6 illustrates that two antennas (621, 622) are connected to the switch (610), but it may be connected to three or more antennas. For example, if the switch (610) is connected to three or more antennas, the switch (610) may be connected to each antenna via an RF path using long-range feeding based on confirming that there is an object within a set distance. If the switch (610) is connected to three or more antennas, the switch (610) may be connected to each antenna via an RF path using short-range feeding based on confirming that there is no object within a set distance.

[0195] According to various embodiments, when using the far-distance feeding, the position of the feeding pad (e.g., second feeding pad (652) or fourth feeding pad (654)) connected to each antenna (621, 622) is placed at a relatively greater distance from the antenna (621, 622) than the position of the feeding pad using the short-distance feeding (e.g., first feeding pad (651) or third feeding pad (653)), as described above in the description of FIG. 4a, the APD may be lowered. Thus, by using far-distance feeding in the RF path, the APD is lowered compared to the short-distance feeding, so power backoff may not be performed even if an object is in close proximity. By not performing the power backoff, the electronic device can transmit RF signals with a relatively high transmission power, thereby providing a relatively high throughput. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not intended to be limited thereto.

[0196] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may use remote feeding and power backoff together when specified conditions are satisfied. The specified conditions may include, for example, when the area of ​​an external object close to the electronic device (101) is larger than a specified standard, when the external object maintains a state of closeness for more than a specified time, or when the electronic device (101) transmits power greater than a specified standard for more than a specified time.

[0197] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can adjust the magnitude of the power of a signal to be transmitted at least partially simultaneously while using remote feeding when certain conditions are satisfied. Adjusting the magnitude of the transmitted power may include, depending on the conditions, selecting one of a plurality of specified power offset values ​​and adding or subtracting the selected power offset value from the magnitude of the transmitted power.

[0198] FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0199] Referring to FIG. 7, a feeding cover may be placed on a second feeding pad (652) and / or a fourth feeding pad (654) positioned on an RF path utilizing remote feeding in the electronic device of FIG. 6. A detailed description of the configuration and function identical to FIG. 6 will be omitted. For example, a first feeding cover (710) may be placed on the upper part of the second feeding pad (652), and a second feeding cover (720) may be placed on the upper part of the fourth feeding pad (654). The first feeding cover (710) and the second feeding cover (720) may be placed to reduce the electromagnetic wave effect that may increase as the corresponding feeding pad is exposed relatively to the outer surface of the substrate (501) without being covered by an antenna (e.g., a first antenna (621) or a second antenna (622)). The first feeding cover (710) and the second feeding cover (720) may be formed from a conductive material. The first feeding cover (710) and the second feeding cover (720) may be connected to the ground of the substrate (501).

[0200] According to various embodiments, when using remote feeding, the APD can be lowered as described above in FIG. 4b by placing a feeding cover (e.g., first feeding cover (710) or second feeding cover (720)) on top of a feeding pad (e.g., second feeding pad (652) or fourth feeding pad (654)) connected to each antenna (621, 622).

[0201] FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart for explaining the operation method of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0202] In the following embodiments, each operation may be performed sequentially, but is not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel.

[0203] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a sensing circuit (e.g., a sensing unit (531), a sensor IC (532)), an antenna (521, 522) configured to radiate an RF signal, and a switch (510) (e.g., a first switch (511), a second switch (512)). The electronic device may include a memory (e.g., the memory (130) of FIG. 1) that stores instructions and includes one or more storage media. The electronic device may include at least one processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or a communication module (190) or a modem (211) of FIG. 2) that includes a processing circuit. The instructions may cause the electronic device to perform at least one operation when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor.

[0204] According to various embodiments, an electronic device (101) (e.g., at least one of a processor (120) or a communication module (190) or a modem (211) of FIG. 2) can determine, in operation 802, whether an object is present within a first distance through the sensing circuit. For example, the electronic device (101) can determine whether a specific external object (e.g., a human body) is in close proximity (e.g., in contact) to the electronic device (101).

[0205] According to various embodiments, in operation 804, if the result of the verification is not confirmed to be that an object exists within a first distance (operation 804-No), the electronic device (101) may control the switch in operation 806 to be connected to the antenna via a first RF path using direct feeding. The first RF path may correspond to the first RF path of FIG. 5 or the third RF path of FIG. 5. For example, the electronic device (101) may select the RF path using direct feeding among the RF path using direct feeding and the RF path using coupling feeding when a specific external object (e.g., a human body) is not close to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may supply transmission current to the antenna via the selected RF path.

[0206] According to various embodiments, in operation 804, if it is confirmed that an object exists within a first distance as a result of the verification (operation 804-e), the electronic device (101) may control the switch in operation 808 to be connected to the antenna via a second RF path using coupling feeding. The second RF path may correspond to the second RF path of FIG. 5 or the fourth RF path of FIG. 5. For example, the electronic device (101) may select the RF path using coupling feeding from among the RF path using direct feeding and the RF path using coupling feeding, based at least in part on a determination that a specific external object (e.g., a human body) has approached the electronic device (101).

[0207] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may select an RF path using coupling feeding among an RF path using direct feeding and an RF path using coupling feeding when a specific external object (e.g., a human body) is in close proximity to the electronic device (101) and the magnitude of the transmission power of the electronic device (101) satisfies a specified criterion. The electronic device (101) may supply transmission current to an antenna through the selected RF path.

[0208] FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart for explaining the operation method of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0209] In the following embodiments, each operation may be performed sequentially, but is not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel.

[0210] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a sensing circuit (e.g., a sensing unit (531), a sensor IC (532)), an antenna (521, 522) configured to radiate an RF signal, and a switch (510) (e.g., a first switch (511), a second switch (512)). The electronic device may include a memory (e.g., the memory (130) of FIG. 1) that stores instructions and includes one or more storage media. The electronic device may include at least one processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or a communication module (190) or a modem (211) of FIG. 2) that includes a processing circuit. The instructions may cause the electronic device to perform at least one operation when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor.

[0211] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) (e.g., at least one of a processor (120) or a communication module (190) or a modem (211) of FIG. 2) may maintain a radio resource control (RRC) connected state in operation 902.

[0212] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) can determine whether an object exists within a first distance through the sensing circuit in the RRC connection state (or call connection state) in operation 904. For example, the electronic device (101) can determine whether a specific external object (e.g., a human body) is in close proximity (e.g., in contact) to the electronic device (101).

[0213] According to various embodiments, in operation 906, if the result of the verification is not confirmed to be that an object exists within a first distance (operation 906-No), the electronic device (101) may control the switch in operation 908 to be connected to the antenna via a first RF path using direct feeding. The first RF path may correspond to the first RF path of FIG. 5 or the third RF path of FIG. 5. For example, the electronic device (101) may select the RF path using direct feeding among the RF path using direct feeding and the RF path using coupling feeding when a specific external object (e.g., a human body) is not close to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may supply transmission current to the antenna via the selected RF path.

[0214] According to various embodiments, in operation 906, if the result of the verification is that an object exists within a first distance (operation 906-e), the electronic device (101) may check in operation 910 whether the current frequency band corresponds to a specified frequency band. For example, the specified frequency band may correspond to a frequency band (e.g., 6 GHz to 60 GHz) set to apply power backoff according to the APD criteria.

[0215] According to various embodiments, in operation 910, if the result of the verification is confirmed to be that the current frequency band corresponds to a specified frequency band (operation 910-e), the electronic device (101) may control the switch in operation 912 to be connected to the antenna through a second RF path using coupling feeding. The second RF path may correspond to the second RF path of FIG. 5 or the fourth RF path of FIG. 5. For example, if the electronic device (101) confirms that the current frequency band corresponds to a specified frequency band, it may select the RF path using coupling feeding among the RF path using direct feeding and the RF path using coupling feeding.

[0216] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may select an RF path using coupling feeding among an RF path using direct feeding and an RF path using coupling feeding when a specific external object (e.g., a human body) is in close proximity to the electronic device (101), the current frequency band corresponds to a frequency band set to apply power backoff, and the magnitude of the transmission power of the electronic device (101) satisfies a specified criterion. The electronic device (101) may supply transmission current to an antenna through the selected RF path.

[0217] According to various embodiments, in operation 910, if the result of the verification is that the current frequency band does not correspond to the specified frequency band (operation 910-No), the electronic device (101) may control the switch in operation 908 to be connected to the antenna via a first RF path using direct feeding. The first RF path may correspond to the first RF path of FIG. 5 or the third RF path of FIG. 5. For example, the electronic device (101) may select the RF path using direct feeding among the RF path using direct feeding and the RF path using coupling feeding when the current frequency band does not correspond to the specified frequency band even if a specific external object (e.g., a human body) approaches the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may supply transmission current to the antenna via the selected RF path.

[0218] FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart for explaining the operation method of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0219] In the following embodiments, each operation may be performed sequentially, but is not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel.

[0220] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a sensing circuit (e.g., a sensing unit (531), a sensor IC (532)), an antenna (521, 522) configured to radiate an RF signal, and a switch (510) (e.g., a first switch (511), a second switch (512)). The electronic device may include a memory (e.g., the memory (130) of FIG. 1) that stores instructions and includes one or more storage media. The electronic device may include at least one processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or a communication module (190) or a modem (211) of FIG. 2) that includes a processing circuit. The instructions may cause the electronic device to perform at least one operation when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor.

[0221] According to various embodiments, an electronic device (101) (e.g., at least one of a processor (120) or a communication module (190) or a modem (211) of FIG. 2) may maintain an RRC connection state in operation 1002.

[0222] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (101) can determine whether an object exists within a first distance through the sensing circuit in the RRC connection state (or call connection state) in operation 1004. For example, the electronic device (101) can determine whether a specific external object (e.g., a human body) is in close proximity (e.g., in contact) to the electronic device (101).

[0223] According to various embodiments, in operation 1006, if the result of the check is not confirmed to be that an object exists within a first distance (operation 1006-No), the electronic device (101) may control the switch in operation 1008 to be connected to the antenna via a first RF path using direct feeding. The first RF path may correspond to the first RF path of FIG. 5 or the third RF path of FIG. 5. For example, the electronic device (101) may select the RF path using direct feeding among the RF path using direct feeding and the RF path using coupling feeding when a specific external object (e.g., a human body) is not close to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may supply transmission current to the antenna via the selected RF path.

[0224] According to various embodiments, in operation 1006, if the result of the verification is that an object exists within a first distance (operation 1006-e), the electronic device (101) can check in operation 1010 whether the current frequency band corresponds to a specified frequency band. For example, the specified frequency band may include a frequency band in which power backoff is set according to an APD standard.

[0225] According to various embodiments, in operation 1010, if the result of the verification is that the current frequency band does not correspond to the specified frequency band (operation 1010-No), the electronic device (101) may control the switch in operation 1008 to be connected to the antenna via a first RF path using direct feeding. The first RF path may correspond to the first RF path of FIG. 5 or the third RF path of FIG. 5. For example, the electronic device (101) may select the RF path using direct feeding among the RF path using direct feeding and the RF path using coupling feeding when the current frequency band does not correspond to the specified frequency band even if a specific external object (e.g., a human body) approaches the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may supply transmission current to the antenna via the selected RF path.

[0226] According to various embodiments, in operation 1010, if the result of the verification is that the current frequency band corresponds to a specified frequency band (operation 1010-e), the electronic device (101) can, in operation 1012, check whether the power backoff value exceeds a set value related to coupling feeding. The power backoff value may correspond to a value that reduces power in the electronic device when an APD condition is satisfied according to an APD criterion.

[0227] The setting value related to the coupling feeding above can correspond to the antenna performance (e.g., TRP) that decreases when the RF path is changed from direct feeding to coupling feeding. For example, if the power backoff value is set to 3.5 dB, when an object approaches the electronic device and the electronic device satisfies the APD condition, the electronic device can reduce the transmission power by 3.5 dB. The setting value related to the coupling feeding above can be set as the difference in TRP between direct feeding and coupling feeding measured for each channel at each frequency, as shown in described later. For example, if the power backoff value is 3.5 dB and the setting value related to coupling feeding is 1.5 dB, the electronic device (101) can confirm that the power backoff value exceeds the setting value related to coupling feeding. In such cases, even if switching from direct feeding to coupling feeding, the loss in antenna performance is smaller than the power value reduced by power backoff, so switching to coupling feeding in an APD situation can provide relatively high throughput.

[0228] According to various embodiments, in operation 1012, if it is confirmed that the power backoff value exceeds a set value related to coupling feeding (operation 1012-e), the electronic device (101) may control the switch in operation 1016 to be connected to the antenna via a second RF path using coupling feeding. The second RF path may correspond to the second RF path of FIG. 5 or the fourth RF path of FIG. 5. For example, if the electronic device (101) determines that the current frequency band corresponds to a specified frequency band and that the power backoff value exceeds a set value related to coupling feeding, it may select the RF path using coupling feeding among the RF path using direct feeding and the RF path using coupling feeding.

[0229] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may select an RF path using coupling feeding among an RF path using direct feeding and an RF path using coupling feeding when a specific external object (e.g., a human body) is in close proximity to the electronic device (101), the current frequency band corresponds to a frequency band set to apply power backoff, the power backoff value exceeds a set value related to coupling feeding, and the magnitude of the transmission power of the electronic device (101) satisfies a specified criterion. The electronic device (101) may supply transmission current to an antenna through the selected RF path.

[0230] According to various embodiments, in operation 1012, if it is confirmed that the power back-off value does not exceed the set value associated with coupling feeding (operation 1012-No), the electronic device (101) can back-off the power in operation 1014 and control the switch to be connected to the antenna through an RF path using direct feeding (e.g., the first RF path of FIG. 5, or the third RF path of FIG. 5) in operation 1008.

[0231] FIG. 11a is a drawing for explaining the operation according to the gripping form of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0232] FIG. 11b is a drawing for explaining the operation according to the gripping form of an electronic device according to various embodiments.

[0233] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to wearable (e.g., AR (augmented reality) glasses), rollable, foldable, or multi-foldable electronic devices. A foldable electronic device (1100) (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a flexible display comprising housing portions (e.g., a first housing (1110) and a second housing (1120)) rotatably connected to each other with respect to a folding axis, and display portions (e.g., a first display area and a second display area) accommodated in said housing portions.

[0234] Between the first housing and the second housing, a hinge assembly coupled to each housing and supporting a folding function may be included. Between the first housing and the second housing, a hinge housing for accommodating at least a portion of the hinge assembly may be disposed.

[0235] The foldable electronic device may include at least one sensor (e.g., accelerometer, geomagnetic sensor, gyroscope, Hall sensor) that detects a folding state / unfolding state and / or a folding motion / unfolding motion.

[0236] The multi-foldable electronic device may include a second housing rotatably connected to a first housing with respect to a first folding axis. The multi-foldable electronic device may include a third housing rotatably connected to a second housing with respect to a second folding axis. The multi-foldable electronic device may include a flexible display comprising a first display area, a second display area, and a third display area, each accommodated in the first housing, the second housing, and the third housing, respectively.

[0237] The folding axis of the above-described foldable electronic device may support an in-folding or out-folding method. The in-folding method may correspond to a method in which corresponding display areas are folded in a direction facing each other, and the out-folding method may correspond to a method in which corresponding display areas are folded in a direction not facing each other. The first folding axis of the above-described multi-foldable electronic device may enable out-folding, and the second folding axis may enable in-folding.

[0238] According to various embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 11a, when the first housing (1110) and the second housing (1120) of the electronic device (1100) are unfolded, and it is confirmed that a user is holding the electronic device (1100) with their hand (1130) and performing data communication (e.g., multimedia streaming), the electronic device (1100) can transmit a transmission signal to an antenna using the aforementioned coupling feeding. For example, when the user holds the electronic device (1100) with their hand (1130) while the electronic device (1100) is unfolded, the user's body or head may remain separated from the electronic device (1100).

[0239] According to various embodiments, based on the fact that voice communication (e.g., a call) is performed in a folded state with the first housing (1110) and the second housing (1120) of the electronic device (1100) as illustrated in FIG. 11b, the electronic device (1100) may transmit a transmission signal to an antenna using the aforementioned coupling feeding and / or power backoff. For example, when the electronic device (1100) is in a folded state and a user holds it with their hand (1134) to perform a voice call, a part of the user's body (e.g., ear (1131), mouth (1132), jaw (1133), hand (1134), finger (1135)) may come into contact with or be in close proximity to the electronic device (1100).

[0240] According to various embodiments, the foldable electronic device or the multi-foldable electronic device may transmit a transmission signal transmitted to a first antenna (e.g., the first antenna (521) of FIG. 5) using direct feeding and transmit a transmission signal transmitted to a second antenna (e.g., the second antenna (522) of FIG. 5) using coupling feeding, based on the fact that data communication (e.g., multimedia streaming) is performed in the unfolded state as shown in FIG. 11a.

[0241] According to various embodiments, the foldable electronic device or the multi-foldable electronic device can transmit all transmission signals transmitted to the first antenna (e.g., the first antenna (521) of FIG. 5) and the second antenna (e.g., the second antenna (522) of FIG. 5) using coupling feeding, based on the fact that voice communication (e.g., a call) is performed in the folded state as shown in FIG. 11b.

[0242] FIG. 12 is a graph showing the total radiation efficiency by frequency according to various embodiments.

[0243] Referring to FIG. 12, according to various embodiments, when an RF signal is transmitted through an RF path using coupling feeding (1212) in an HB (high-frequency band) frequency band (1210) (e.g., N41), it can be seen that the long-distance performance (e.g., passive TRP (total radiated power) and active TRP) is reduced by the RF signal transmission through coupling, and the total radiation efficiency is reduced by about 1.5 dB compared to direct feeding (1211).

[0244] According to one embodiment, referring to below, it can be seen that the TRP in the HB frequency band (e.g., N41) is slightly reduced in coupling feeding compared to direct feeding for each channel.

[0245]

[0246] As described above, the value at which TRP is reduced by the coupling feeding can be set to a value related to the coupling feeding. For example, if the power value reduced by power backoff is 3.5 dB and the setting value related to the coupling feeding is 1.5 dB, then even if switching from direct feeding to coupling feeding, the loss of antenna performance is smaller than the power value reduced by power backoff, so switching to coupling feeding in an APD situation can provide relatively high throughput.

[0247] FIG. 13a is a drawing showing SAR in direct feeding according to various embodiments.

[0248] FIG. 13b is a diagram showing SAR in direct feeding according to various embodiments.

[0249] FIG. 13c is a drawing showing SAR in coupling feeding according to various embodiments.

[0250] Figure 13a shows the SAR for each channel (e.g., L (low) channel, M (medium) channel, H (high) channel) when the transmission power in direct feeding is 25.5 dBm.

[0251] Figure 13b shows the SAR per channel when the transmission power is 22.0 dBm due to power backoff in direct feeding.

[0252] Figure 13c shows the SAR per channel when the transmit power is 25.5 dBm without power backoff in coupling feeding.

[0253] According to various embodiments, the experimental results of FIGS. 13a, 13b, and 13c can be summarized as shown in Table 3 below.

[0254]

[0255] Referring to Table 3 above, it can be seen that the SAR in each channel when power back-off is applied to the direct feeding transmission power from 25.5 dBm to 22.0 dBm is similar to the SAR when power back-off is not applied in coupling feeding.

[0256] Therefore, when an object approaches, the SAR or APD criteria can be satisfied by changing the feeding method from direct feeding to coupled feeding without excessive backoff according to the SAR or APD criteria.

[0257] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a sensing circuit (531, 532), an antenna (521, 522) set to radiate an RF signal, and a switch (510).

[0258] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may include a memory (130) that stores instructions and includes one or more storage media.

[0259] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may include at least one processor (120) including a processing circuit.

[0260] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may cause the electronic device to determine whether an object exists within a first distance through the sensing circuit.

[0261] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may be caused to control the switch to be connected to the antenna via a first RF path (541) using direct feeding, based on confirming that the object does not exist within the first distance.

[0262] The direct feeding described above may be a direct feeding in which the first RF path is a continuous conductive path. The direct feeding may be a direct feeding formed by one or more conductive components that are conductively connected so that the first RF path forms a continuous conductive path.

[0263] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may be caused to control the switch to be connected to the antenna via a second RF path (542) using coupling feeding based on confirming that the object is within the first distance.

[0264] The coupling feed may be a coupling feed that is an indirect feed. The coupling feed may be a coupling feed in which two or more components of the second RF path are not conductively connected to form a continuous conductive path. The coupling feed may be a coupling feed that includes inductive or capacitive coupling between two components of the second RF path.

[0265] According to one embodiment, a second feeding pad coupled to the antenna for the coupling feeding may be positioned further away from the sensing direction of the sensing circuit than a first feeding pad for the direct feeding.

[0266] According to one embodiment, the antenna may include a patch antenna.

[0267] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may be caused to check whether the electronic device is in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state.

[0268] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may be caused to check whether the electronic device is in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state before checking whether a first object exists within a first distance through the sensing circuit.

[0269] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may be caused to check whether an object exists within the first distance through the sensing circuit in the RRC connection state. According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may be caused to check whether an object exists within the first distance through the sensing circuit in response to the electronic device confirming that it is in the RRC connection state.

[0270] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may be caused to check whether the frequency band of the RF signal corresponds to a set frequency band.

[0271] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may be caused to control the switch to be connected to the antenna through the second RF path based on confirming that the frequency band of the RF signal corresponds to the set frequency band and that the object exists within the first distance.

[0272] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may be caused to check whether a power back-off value exceeds a set value associated with the coupling feeding.

[0273] According to one embodiment, the instructions may cause the switch to be controlled to be connected to the antenna through the second RF path based on confirming that the power backoff value exceeds a set value associated with the coupling feeding when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor.

[0274] According to one embodiment, the power backoff value may be set based on an absorbed power density (APD) standard.

[0275] According to one embodiment, the sensing circuit may include a proximity sensor.

[0276] According to one embodiment, the sensing circuit can determine whether the object exists within the first distance based on a measurement value related to the return loss of the antenna tuner.

[0277] According to one embodiment, the sensing circuit includes a sensing pattern, and the sensing pattern may be positioned in close proximity to the antenna.

[0278] According to one embodiment, a method of operation of an electronic device (101), comprising a sensing circuit (531, 532), an antenna (521, 522) set to radiate a radio frequency (RF) signal, and a switch (510), may include an operation of determining whether an object exists within a first distance through the sensing circuit.

[0279] According to one embodiment, the method of operating the electronic device may include controlling a switch to be connected to an antenna via a first RF path using direct feeding, based on confirming that the object does not exist within the first distance.

[0280] According to one embodiment, the method of operating the electronic device may include controlling the switch to be connected to the antenna via a second RF path using coupling feeding, based on confirming that the object exists within the first distance.

[0281] According to one embodiment, a second feeding pad coupled to the antenna for the coupling feeding may be positioned further away from the sensing direction of the sensing circuit than a first feeding pad for the direct feeding.

[0282] According to one embodiment, the antenna may include a patch antenna.

[0283] According to one embodiment, the method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of checking whether the electronic device is in a radio resource control (RRC) connection state.

[0284] According to one embodiment, the method of operation of the electronic device may include, in the RRC connection state, an operation of checking whether the object exists within the first distance through the sensing circuit.

[0285] According to one embodiment, the method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of checking whether the frequency band of the RF signal corresponds to a set frequency band.

[0286] According to one embodiment, the method of operating the electronic device may include a method of controlling the switch to be connected to the antenna through the second RF path based on confirming that the frequency band of the RF signal corresponds to the set frequency band and that an object exists within the first distance.

[0287] According to one embodiment, the method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of checking whether the power backoff value exceeds a set value related to coupling feeding.

[0288] According to one embodiment, the method of operating the electronic device may include controlling the switch to be connected to the antenna through the second RF path based on confirming that the power backoff value exceeds a set value associated with the coupling feeding.

[0289] According to one embodiment, the power backoff value may be set based on an absorbed power density (APD) standard.

[0290] According to one embodiment, the sensing circuit may include a proximity sensor.

[0291] According to one embodiment, the sensing circuit can determine whether the object exists within the first distance based on a measurement value related to the return loss of the antenna tuner.

[0292] According to one embodiment, a storage medium for storing at least one instruction readable by a computer may be provided.

[0293] According to one embodiment, when the at least one instruction is executed individually or collectively by at least one processor (120) including the processing circuitry of the electronic device (101), the electronic device may be caused to perform at least one operation.

[0294] According to one embodiment, the at least one operation may include an operation to determine whether an object exists within a first distance by a sensing circuit (531, 532).

[0295] According to one embodiment, the at least one operation may include controlling a switch to be connected to an antenna (521, 522) via a first RF path using direct feeding, based on confirming that the object does not exist within the first distance.

[0296] According to one embodiment, the at least one operation may include controlling the switch to be connected to the antenna (521, 522) via a second RF path using coupling feeding, based on confirming that the object exists within the first distance.

[0297] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include at least one processor (120) including a communication circuit, an antenna configured to receive a transmission signal from the communication circuit through a first signal path or a second signal path, a sensing circuit configured to detect an external object, and a processing circuit, and a memory (130) that stores instructions and includes one or more storage media.

[0298] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may cause the electronic device to establish a communication connection with an external electronic device through the communication circuit.

[0299] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may be caused to determine whether the external object is detected through the sensing circuit in connection with the establishment of the communication connection.

[0300] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may cause the transmission signal to be transmitted to the antenna through the first signal path, which includes a first feeding portion utilizing a physical connection, based at least in part on confirming that the external object is not detected.

[0301] The physical connection may include a continuous conductive path. The physical connection may be formed by one or more conductive components that are conductively connected to form a continuous conductive path.

[0302] According to one embodiment, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may cause the transmission signal to be transmitted to the antenna through the second signal path, which includes a second feeding portion utilizing a coupled connection, based at least in part on confirming that the external object is detected. The coupled connection may include two or more components conductively connected to form a continuous conductive path. Inductive or capacitive coupling may exist between the two components of the coupled connection.

[0303] According to one embodiment, the antenna may include a first patch and a second patch arranged side by side, having substantially the same size.

[0304] According to one embodiment, the first patch may be directly connected to a first conductive line that is part of the first signal path and may include a first connection point corresponding to the first feeding portion and a second connection point connected to the second feeding portion.

[0305] According to one embodiment, the second patch may be configured to receive at least a portion of the transmitted signal simultaneously with the first patch through a selected one of a third signal path configured substantially identically to the first signal path or a fourth signal path configured substantially identically to the second signal path.

[0306] According to one embodiment, when the first condition is satisfied, the first signal path and the third signal path may be selected together.

[0307] According to one embodiment, when the second condition is satisfied, the first signal path and the fourth signal path may be selected together.

[0308] According to one embodiment, the second feeding portion may include a first conductive pad disposed inside the substrate at a first distance from the antenna in a direction perpendicular to one surface of the substrate on which the antenna is disposed.

[0309] According to one embodiment, the first conductive pad may be directly connected to a second conductive line corresponding to at least a portion of the second signal path and indirectly connected to the antenna through a spatially coupled connection.

[0310] According to one embodiment, the second feeding portion may include a second conductive pad positioned so as to overlap with at least a portion of the first conductive pad, at a distance from the antenna in the vertical direction that is smaller than the first distance.

[0311] According to one embodiment, the first conductive pad and the second conductive pad are arranged to face each other at a designated interval for the coupling connection, and the first conductive pad may be indirectly connected to the antenna through the second conductive pad.

[0312] According to one embodiment, the second conductive pad may be directly connected to the antenna through a third conductive line having a width smaller than that of the second conductive pad.

[0313] According to one embodiment, the second signal path may be selected based further on receiving an instruction from the external electronic device to transmit the transmission signal using a specified maximum power value.

[0314] According to one embodiment, the transmission signal may be transmitted through a second signal path with a power offset value specified to the specified maximum power value applied based at least partially on the determination that the external object has been detected.

[0315] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may further include a switch circuit that switches according to one selected from the first signal path and the second signal path.

[0316] According to one embodiment, the method of operation of the electronic device (101) may include establishing a communication connection with an external electronic device through a communication circuit.

[0317] According to one embodiment, the method of operation of the electronic device may include an operation of determining whether an external object is detected through a sensing circuit in relation to the establishment of the communication connection.

[0318] According to one embodiment, the method of operation of the electronic device may include the operation of transmitting a transmission signal to an antenna through a first signal path including a first feeding portion utilizing a physical connection, based at least partially on confirming that the external object is not detected.

[0319] According to one embodiment, the method of operation of the electronic device may include the operation of transmitting the transmission signal to the antenna through a second signal path including a second feeding portion utilizing a coupled connection, based at least partially on confirming that the external object is detected.

[0320] According to one embodiment, a storage medium for storing at least one instruction readable by a computer may be provided.

[0321] According to one embodiment, when the at least one instruction is executed individually or collectively by at least one processor (120) including the processing circuitry of the electronic device (101), the electronic device may be caused to perform at least one operation.

[0322] According to one embodiment, the at least one operation may include establishing a communication connection with an external electronic device through a communication circuit of the electronic device.

[0323] According to one embodiment, the at least one operation may include an operation of determining whether an external object is detected through the sensing circuit of the electronic device in relation to the establishment of the communication connection.

[0324] According to one embodiment, the at least one operation may include transmitting a transmission signal to the antenna of the electronic device through a first signal path including a first feeding portion utilizing a physical connection, based at least partially on confirming that the external object is not detected.

[0325] According to one embodiment, the at least one operation may include transmitting the transmission signal to the antenna through a second signal path including a second feeding portion utilizing a coupled connection, based at least partially on confirming that the external object is detected.

[0326] It will be recognized that all of the embodiments described above and their technical features may be combined with one another in each and all combinations, provided that there is no potential conflict between the two embodiments or features. That is, each and all combinations of two or more of the embodiments described above are anticipated and included within this disclosure. One or more features from any embodiment may be incorporated into any other embodiment and may provide corresponding advantages or benefits.

[0327] The electronic device according to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may be a device of various forms. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a consumer electronics device. The electronic device according to the embodiments of this document is not limited to the devices described above.

[0328] The various embodiments of this document and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of said 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 said items unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases such as "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" may include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as “first,” “second,” or “first” or “second” may be used simply to distinguish a component from another component and do not limit the components in any other aspect (e.g., importance or order). Where any (e.g., first) component is referred to as “connected” to another (e.g., second) component, with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicationally,” it means that said component may be connected to said other component directly (e.g., via a wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0329] The term “module” as used in the 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, for example. A module may be a component formed integrally, or a minimum unit of said component or a part thereof 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).

[0330] Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., program (140)) comprising one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory (136) or external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., electronic device (101)) may call at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to be operated 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 that can be executed by an interpreter. The storage medium readable by the machine may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-temporary' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily.

[0331] According to one embodiment, the method according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided by being included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer 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 an application store (e.g., Play Store). TM It can be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created on a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0332] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., module or program) of the components described above may include a singular or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Generally or additionally, multiple components (e.g., module or program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as those performed by the corresponding component among the multiple components prior to integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by the module, program, or other components 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 an electronic device (101), Sensing circuit (531, 532); Antenna (521, 522) configured to radiate a radio frequency (RF) signal; Switch (510); Memory (130) for storing instructions and including one or more storage media; and It includes at least one processor (120) including a processing circuitry, and When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device: Check whether an object exists within a first distance through the above sensing circuit, and Based on confirming that the object does not exist within the first distance, the switch is controlled to be connected to the antenna via a first RF path using direct feeding, and An electronic device that causes the switch to be controlled to be connected to the antenna via a second RF path using coupling feeding, based on confirming that the object exists within the first distance.

2. In Paragraph 1, An electronic device in which a second feeding pad coupled to the antenna for the coupling feeding is positioned further away from the sensing direction of the sensing circuit than a first feeding pad for the direct feeding.

3. In Paragraph 1 or 2, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device: Check whether the above electronic device is in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state, and An electronic device that causes the sensing circuit to determine whether the object exists within the first distance in the above RRC connection state.

4. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 3, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device: Check whether the frequency band of the above RF signal corresponds to a set frequency band, and An electronic device that causes the switch to be controlled to be connected to the antenna through the second RF path based on confirming that the frequency band of the above RF signal corresponds to the above-set frequency band and that the object exists within the above-first distance.

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 4, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device: Check whether the power back-off value exceeds the set value related to the coupling feeding, and An electronic device that causes the switch to be controlled to be connected to the antenna through the second RF path based on confirming that the power backoff value exceeds a set value related to the coupling feeding.

6. In the electronic device (101), Communication circuit; An antenna configured to receive a transmission signal from the above communication circuit through a first signal path or a second signal path; A sensing circuit configured to detect external objects; At least one processor (120) including processing circuitry; and It includes a memory (130) that stores instructions and includes one or more storage media, and When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device: Establish a communication connection with an external electronic device through the above communication circuit, and In relation to the establishment of the above communication connection, checking whether the external object is detected through the above sensing circuit, and Based at least in part on confirming that the above external object is not detected, the transmission signal is transmitted to the antenna through the first signal path including a first feeding portion utilizing a physical connection, and An electronic device that causes the transmission signal to be transmitted to the antenna through the second signal path, which includes a second feeding portion utilizing a coupled connection, based at least in part on confirming that the above external object is detected.

7. In Paragraph 6, The above antenna comprises a first patch and a second patch arranged side by side having substantially the same size, and An electronic device comprising a first patch that is directly connected to a first conductive line that is part of the first signal path, and a first connection point corresponding to the first feeding portion and a second connection point connected to the second feeding portion.

8. In Paragraph 7, An electronic device configured such that the second patch is configured to receive at least a portion of the transmission signal simultaneously with the first patch through one selected from a third signal path configured substantially identically to the first signal path or a fourth signal path configured substantially identically to the second signal path.

9. In Paragraph 8, If the first condition is satisfied, the first signal path and the third signal path are selected together, and An electronic device in which the first signal path and the fourth signal path are selected together when the second condition is satisfied.

10. In Paragraph 6, The second feeding portion comprises a first conductive pad disposed inside the substrate at a first distance from the antenna in a direction perpendicular to one surface of the substrate on which the antenna is disposed, and An electronic device in which the first conductive pad is directly connected to a second conductive line corresponding to at least a portion of the second signal path and indirectly connected to the antenna through a spatially coupled connection.

11. In Paragraph 10, An electronic device comprising a second conductive pad positioned so as to overlap with at least a portion of the first conductive pad, at a distance from the antenna in the vertical direction that is smaller than the first distance, the second feeding portion.

12. In Paragraph 11, The first conductive pad and the second conductive pad are arranged to face each other, spaced apart by a designated interval for the coupling connection, and the first conductive pad is indirectly connected to the antenna through the second conductive pad, or An electronic device in which the second conductive pad is directly connected to the antenna through a third conductive line having a width smaller than that of the second conductive pad.

13. In Paragraph 6, The above second signal path is an electronic device selected based on receiving an instruction from the external electronic device to transmit the transmission signal using a specified maximum power value.

14. In Paragraph 13, An electronic device in which the above transmission signal is transmitted through a second signal path, with a power offset value specified to the above specified maximum power value applied, based at least in part on confirming that the above external object is detected.

15. In the method of operating the electronic device (101), The operation of establishing a communication connection with an external electronic device through a communication circuit (190); In relation to the establishment of the above communication connection, an operation to check whether an external object is detected through a sensing circuit; Based at least in part on confirming that the above external object is not detected, the operation of transmitting a transmission signal to an antenna through a first signal path including a first feeding portion utilizing a physical connection; and A method of operation of an electronic device comprising the operation of transmitting the transmission signal to the antenna through a second signal path including a second feeding portion utilizing a coupled connection, based at least in part on confirming that the above external object is detected.

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