Antenna Design for Metal-Frame Mobile Phones

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Solution Overview

Problem

In metal-frame mobile phones, especially 4G devices, it is challenging to effectively radiate and receive electromagnetic waves due to the metal frame, leading to reduced antenna efficiency and the need for additional components like tunable switch modules and antenna branch elements, which occupy space and increase design complexity and cost.

Innovation Solution

An antenna design incorporating a mainboard PCB, a metal frame, antenna radiation elements, feeding branch elements, matching circuits, and a grounding element, arranged in a symmetric U-shaped structure with gaps, allowing for broadband coverage without additional tuning switches, thereby reducing space occupation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If metal frame is used for mobile phone structure, then appearance quality and texture are improved, but antenna radiation efficiency is reduced and space for antenna design is compressed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveappearance qualityVSAvoidantenna radiation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The antenna system is segmented into multiple independent radiation elements (first antenna radiation element and second antenna radiation element) that can be separately designed and optimized for different frequency bands, allowing effective operation within the metal frame structure without requiring a single large antenna space

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The antenna radiation elements are nested within the metal frame structure, with the first and second antenna radiation elements positioned in different clearance areas (first clearance area and second clearance area) within the same device housing, enabling multi-band coverage without increasing overall device volume

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Adaptability or versatility

If additional tunable switch module, antenna branch element and electrical connecting member are introduced to achieve broadband coverage, then LTE band coverage is improved, but device space occupation and design complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveLTE band coverageVSAvoiddesign complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The first and second antenna radiation elements are designed to serve multiple LTE frequency bands simultaneously through their specific geometric configurations and feeding structures, eliminating the need for tunable switch modules that would be required to make a single antenna element cover all bands

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The feeding structures (first feeding structure and second feeding structure) are merged with the antenna radiation elements themselves, integrating the feeding function directly into the radiation elements rather than using separate electrical connecting members and branch elements, thereby simplifying the overall antenna system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution enables efficient broadband coverage of LTE bands (698-960MHz and 1710-2690MHz) with improved frequency isolation and reduced antenna volume, simplifying design and reducing costs by eliminating the need for additional components.

Implementation Method 1

it is difficult for an electromagnetic wave to be effectively radiated and received

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic radiation: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

efficient broadband coverage of LTE bands (698-960MHz and 1710-2690MHz) with improved frequency isolation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectResonance: Resonance

Data Source

PatentEP3300170B1Antenna and user equipment
Publication Date: 2019.10.30 ZTE CORP
  • EP3300170B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3300170B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3300170B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present invention provides an antenna and a user equipment. The antenna includes a mainboard Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 1, a metal frame 2, an antenna radiation element 3, a first feeding branch element 31, a second feeding branch element 32, a grounding element 4, a feeding point 7, and a clearance area 8. The mainboard PCB 1 is connected to the metal frame 2 via the grounding element 4; the antenna radiation element 3 is arranged in the clearance area 8 located at an upper side of the mainboard PCB 1; the metal frame 2 and the antenna radiation element 3 are arranged on a perimeter of a user equipment to form a frame of the user equipment, and a first gap 21 and a second gap 22 are provided between the metal frame 2 and the antenna radiation element 3; and the feeding point 7 is connected to the antenna radiation element 3 via the first feeding branch element 31 and the second feeding branch element 32, separately. The present invention solves a problem that an antenna occupies a large space, thereby reducing volume occupied by the antenna.