CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119, this application claims the benefit of earlier filing date and right of priority to International Application No. PCT/KR2020/003265, filed on Mar. 9, 2020, the contents of which are all hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device having a fifth-generation (5G) antenna. One particular implementation relates to an electronic device having an array antenna module operating a 5G mmWave band.

2. Description of the Related Art

Electronic devices may be divided into mobile/portable terminals and stationary terminals according to mobility. Also, the electronic device may be classified into handheld types and vehicle mount types according to whether or not a user can directly carry.

Functions of electronic devices are diversified. Examples of such functions include data and voice communications, capturing images and video via a camera, recording audio, playing music files via a speaker system, and displaying images and video on a display. Some mobile terminals include additional functionality which supports electronic game playing, while other terminals are configured as multimedia players. Specifically, in recent time, mobile terminals can receive broadcast and multicast signals to allow viewing of video or television programs

As it becomes multifunctional, an electronic device can be allowed to capture still images or moving images, play music or video files, play games, receive broadcast and the like, so as to be implemented as an integrated multimedia player.

Efforts are ongoing to support and increase the functionality of electronic devices. Such efforts include software and hardware improvements, as well as changes and improvements in the structural components.

In addition to those attempts, the electronic devices provide various services in recent years by virtue of commercialization of wireless communication systems using an LTE communication technology. In the future, it is expected that a wireless communication system using a 5G communication technology will be commercialized to provide various services. Meanwhile, some of LTE frequency bands may be allocated to provide 5G communication services.

In this regard, the electronic device may be configured to provide 5G communication services in various frequency bands. Recently, attempts have been made to provide 5G communication services using a Sub-6 band below a 6 GHz band. In the future, it is also expected to provide 5G communication services by using a millimeter wave (mmWave) band in addition to the Sub-6 band for faster data rate.

Meanwhile, antennas operating in a 5G mmWave band may be disposed on a side surface of the electronic device or inside the electronic device. In recent years, an electronic device such as a mobile terminal defines its external appearance using a metal frame made of a metal. When the appearance of the electronic device is defined by such metal frame, there is a problem that antenna performance of an antenna module in the 5G mmWave band may be deteriorated.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to solving the aforementioned problems and other drawbacks. Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic device having a plurality of antenna modules operating in a 5G mmWave band.

Still another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a structure for preventing interference with a metal frame in a plurality of antenna modules operating in a 5G mmWave band.

Still another aspect of the present disclosure is to improve antenna radiation characteristics in a plurality of antenna modules operating in a 5G mmWave band.

Still another aspect of the present disclosure is to improve antenna radiation characteristics in a plurality of antenna modules operating in a 5G mmWave band in a state where a metal rim for other antenna modules is disposed.

To achieve the above or other aspects, an electronic device having a 5G antenna according to one embodiment is provided. The electronic device may include a cover glass through which electromagnetic waves are transmitted, a case having a metal rim formed on side surfaces of the electronic device, and an antenna module configured to transmit or receive beamformed signals through a plurality of antenna elements. The antenna module may be configured to be coupled with a module bracket, with being tilted at a predetermined slant angle from a baseline of the electronic device, so as to radiate the beamformed signals through the cover glass.

In one embodiment, a part of a lower region of the antenna module may be disposed lower than the metal rim.

In one embodiment, the electronic device may further include a dielectric mold portion disposed between the metal rim and the cover glass. The predetermined slant angle may be determined in a manner that a beam coverage region by the antenna module is not blocked by the metal rim.

In one embodiment, the electronic device may further include a side key provided at the metal rim in a lengthwise direction of the antenna. The metal rim may include a lower metal rim disposed on a bottom of the side key and an upper metal rim disposed on a top of the side key.

In one embodiment, the dielectric mold portion may be formed inside the cover glass in a first region where the side key is not provided, so as to support a lower portion of the module bracket. The beam coverage area by the antenna module may be formed in a region of the dielectric mold portion and the cover glass, so as not to be blocked by the metal rim.

In one embodiment, the dielectric mold portion may be disposed on an upper portion of the upper metal rim to be located inside the cover glass in a second region where the side key is provided. The beam coverage area by the antenna module may be formed in a region of the dielectric mold portion and the cover glass, so as not to be blocked by the upper metal rim.

In one embodiment, the module bracket may be configured to be mounted on a slanted surface of a metal frame corresponding to the case.

in one embodiment, the case may be a middle case formed between a rear case of the electronic device and a front case corresponding to the cover glass. The metal frame corresponding to the middle case may include a hole reception portion integrally formed with the slanted surface. The hole reception portion may be coupled to a screw hole formed integrally with the module bracket through a screw for fixing the module bracket.

In one embodiment, the electronic device may further include a side key bracket having a hole formed therein to receive the side key, and configured to support the antenna module. The side key bracket may be formed of a dielectric, and a signal radiated through the antenna module may be radiated through the side key bracket and the cover glass.

In one embodiment, the module bracket may be provided with a lower end support portion formed on a lower end thereof and configured to support a lower portion of the antenna module. The side key bracket may be disposed on an upper portion of the lower end support portion and the antenna module and the side key bracket may partially overlap each other.

In one embodiment, the module bracket may be provided with an upper end support portion formed on an upper end thereof and configured to support an upper portion of the antenna module. One end of the upper end support portion may be configured not to cover a substrate of the antenna module to prevent blocking of the signal radiated through the antenna module.

In one embodiment, the antenna module may include a dielectric carrier disposed to be mounted on the module bracket, and at least one substrate disposed on an upper portion of the dielectric carrier. A plurality of antenna elements may be disposed at predetermined intervals on an upper or lower layer of a specific substrate of the at least one substrate of the antenna module.

In one embodiment, the plurality of antenna elements may be configured as arbitrary polygonal patch antennas or circular patch antennas in a rotated state by a predetermined angle. Beamforming may be performed by applying a phase-varied signal between the plurality of antenna elements within the antenna module.

In one embodiment, the electronic device may further include a first antenna module configured to radiate a first signal through another side surface of the electronic device. The antenna module may be a second antenna module configured to radiate a second signal through one side surface of the electronic device.

In one embodiment, the first antenna module may be disposed perpendicular to the baseline of the electronic device, and the second antenna module may be disposed to be tilted at a predetermined slant angle from the baseline of the electronic device. A lower end of the first antenna module may be disposed to be higher than an upper end of the metal rim, so that a signal radiated through the first antenna module is not blocked by the metal rim.

In one embodiment, the first antenna module may be disposed perpendicular to the baseline of the electronic device, and the second antenna module may be disposed to be tilted at a predetermined slant angle from the baseline of the electronic device. A part of a lower region of the first antenna module may be disposed to be lower than an upper end of the metal rim, and lower ends of antenna elements within the first antenna module are disposed to be higher than an upper end of the metal rim.

In one embodiment, the electronic device may further include a transceiver circuit operatively coupled with the first antenna module and the second antenna module, and configured to transmit or receive a first signal through the first antenna module and a second signal through the second antenna module. The electronic device may further include a baseband processor operatively coupled with the transceiver circuit, and configured to perform multiple input/output (MIMO) through the first signal and the second signal transmitted or received through the transceiver circuit.

In one embodiment, the electronic device may further include a third antenna module disposed with being spaced a predetermined distance apart from the first antenna module or the second antenna module and configured to radiate a third signal through a rear surface of the electronic device.

According to the present disclosure, a plurality of antenna modules operating in a 5G mmWave band can be disposed inside different side surfaces of an electronic device.

Further, the present disclosure can provide a structure capable of preventing interference with a metal frame by rotating a plurality of antenna modules operating in a 5G mmWave band at a predetermined angle.

In addition, according to the present disclosure, antenna radiation characteristics and CDF performance can be improved by way of rotating some of a plurality of antenna modules operating in a 5G mmWave band by a predetermined angle, and changing a shape of a metal frame.

In addition, according to the present disclosure, antenna radiation characteristics and CDF performance can be improved by way of rotating some of a plurality of antenna modules operating in a 5G mmWave band by a predetermined angle in a state where a metal rim for another antenna module is provided, and changing a shape of a metal frame.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, such as the preferred embodiment of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

