Patent Grant
10461425
This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201610977565.4 filed on Nov. 4, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
The subject matter herein generally relates to an antenna structure and a wireless communication device using the antenna structure.
Metal housings are widely used for wireless communication devices, such as mobile phones or personal digital assistants (PDAs). Antennas are also important components in wireless communication devices for receiving and transmitting wireless signals at different frequencies, such as wireless signals operated in a long term evolution (LTE) band. However, when the antenna is located in the metal housing, the antenna signals are often shielded by the metal housing. This can degrade the operation of the wireless communication device.
Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure.
Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented.
The term “substantially” is defined to be essentially conforming to the particular dimension, shape, or other feature that the term modifies, such that the component need not be exact. For example, “substantially cylindrical” means that the object resembles a cylinder, but can have one or more deviations from a true cylinder. The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series, and the like.
The present disclosure is described in relation to an antenna structure and a wireless communication device using same.
The wireless communication device 200 further includes a baseboard 21. The baseboard 21 can be made of a dielectric material, such as glass epoxy phenolic fiber (FR4). The baseboard 21 includes a first feed point 211, a second feed point 212, and a ground point 213. The first feed point 211 and the second feed point 212 are positioned on the baseboard 21 and are spaced apart from each other. The first feed point 211 and the second feed point 212 both feed current to the antenna structure 100. The ground point 213 is positioned on the baseboard 21 between the first feed point 211 and the second feed point 212. The ground point 213 is configured to ground the antenna structure 100.
The baseboard 21 further includes a keep-out-zone 215. The keep-out-zone 215 is positioned at a side of the baseboard 21. The purpose of the keep-out-zone 215 is to delineate an area on the baseboard 21 from which other electronic elements (such as a camera, a vibrator, a speaker, a battery, a charge coupled device, etc.) are excluded, to prevent the electronic element from interfering with the antenna structure 100. In this exemplary embodiment, the keep-out-zone 215 has dimensions of about 74*5 mm2.
The antenna structure 100 includes a metallic member 11, a feed portion 12, a ground portion 13, a first switching circuit 15, and a radiator 16.
The metallic member 11 can be decorative, for example, an external metallic frame of the wireless communication device 200. In this exemplary embodiment, the metallic member 11 is a frame structure and includes a first frame 111, a second frame 112, a third frame 113, and a fourth frame 114. The first frame 111 is spaced apart from and parallel to the fourth frame 114. The second frame 112 is spaced apart from and parallel to the third frame 113. The second frame 112 and the third frame 113 are connected to ends of the first frame 111 and ends of the fourth frame 114. The first frame 111, the second frame 112, the third frame 113, and the fourth frame 114 cooperatively surround the baseboard 21. The first frame 111 is positioned adjacent to the keep-out-zone 115.
The first frame 111 defines two slots, a first slot 116 and a second slot 117. A width of the first slot 116 is of about 0.8-2.0 mm. A width of the second slot 117 is of about 0.8-2.0 mm. In this exemplary embodiment, a width of the first slot 116 and a width of the second slot 117 are both 1.5 mm.
The metallic member 11 is divided into three portions by the first slot 116 and the second slot 117. The portion of the metallic member 11 between the first slot 116 and the second slot 117 forms a first combining portion 1111. The portion of the metallic member 11 positioned at a side of the second slot 117 and away from the first combining portion 1111 forms a second combining portion 1113. The portion of the metallic member 11 positioned at a side of the first slot 116 and away from the first combining portion 1111 forms a third combining portion 1115. In this exemplary embodiment, the second combining portion 1113 and the third combining portion 1115 are both electrically connected to a ground plane of the baseboard 21 through at least one ground point, to ground the antenna structure 100.
The feed portion 12 is positioned adjacent to the first slot 116. One end of the feed portion 12 is electrically connected to the first feed point 211 through an antenna separation filter (not shown). Another end of the feed portion 12 is electrically connected to the first combining portion 1111. When the first feed point 211 supplies current, the current flows to the first combining portion 1111 through the feed portion 12, and flows to the ground point 213 through the ground portion 13. Then the first combining portion 1111 acts as a first antenna A1 of the antenna structure 100 to activate a first mode for generating radiation signals in a first frequency band. In this exemplary embodiment, the first mode is a low frequency operation mode.
As illustrated in
For example, when the switching unit 151 is switched to connect with the switching element 153 having an inductance value of about 9 nH, the antenna structure 100 can work at a frequency band of LTE-A Band 8 (880-960 MHz). When the switching unit 151 is switched to connect with the switching element 153 having an inductance value of about 12 nH, the antenna structure 100 can work at a frequency band of LTE-A Band 5 (824-894 MHz). When the switching unit 151 is switched to connect with the switching element 153 having an inductance value of about 22 nH, the antenna structure 100 can work at a frequency band of LTE-A Band 17 (704-746 MHz).
In other exemplary embodiments, the switching elements 153 are not limited to being inductors, and can be capacitors or a combination of inductor and capacitor. A number of the switching elements 153 can also be adjustable.
As illustrated in
The radiating portion 163 is positioned at a plane parallel to a plane on which the baseboard 21 is positioned. The radiating portion 163 includes a first radiating section 166, a second radiating section 167, a third radiating section 168, and a fourth radiating section 169.
The first radiating section 166 is substantially rectangular. One end of the first radiating section 166 is perpendicularly connected to the feed section 161. Another end of the first radiating section 166 extends along a direction parallel to the first frame 111 towards the second frame 112. The extension continues until the first radiating section 166 is electrically connected to the second frame 112.
The second radiating section 167 is substantially rectangular. The second radiating section 167 is perpendicularly connected to a side of the first radiating section 166 adjacent to the first frame 111 and extends along a direction parallel to the second frame 112 and towards the first frame 111. The third radiating section 168 is substantially rectangular. The third radiating section 168 is perpendicularly connected to an end of the second radiating section 167 away from the first radiating section 166 and extends along a direction parallel to the first radiating section 166 towards the third frame 113.
The fourth radiating section 169 is substantially rectangular. One end of the fourth radiating section 169 is perpendicularly connected to one end of the third radiating section 168 away from the second radiating section 167. Another end of the fourth radiating section 169 extends along a direction parallel to the second radiating section 167 towards the first frame 111. The extension continues until the fourth radiating section 169 is electrically connected to one end of the first frame 111 adjacent to the second slot 117.
The ground section 165 is positioned at a plane perpendicular to the plane on which the baseboard 21 is positioned. One end of the ground section 165 is electrically connected to one end of the first radiating section 166 adjacent to the second frame 112. Another end of the ground section 165 is grounded through a matching circuit (not shown).
When the second feed point 212 supplies a current, the current flows to the radiating portion 163 through the feed section 161 and is grounded through the ground section 165, so that the second combining portion 1113 and the radiator 16 cooperatively form a second antenna A2 of the antenna structure 100 to activate a second mode for generating radiation signals in a second frequency band. In this exemplary embodiment, the second mode is a high frequency operation mode. The matching circuit is used to adjust and optimize an impedance of the antenna structure 100.
As illustrated in
In this exemplary embodiment, the first matching circuit 23 includes a first matching element 231 and a second matching element 233. One end of the first matching element 231 is electrically connected to the first feed point 211. Another end of the first matching element 231 is electrically connected to one end of the second matching element 233 and the feed portion 12. Another end of the second matching element 233 is grounded.
In this exemplary embodiment, the first matching element 231 is a capacitor having a capacitance value of about 1.5 pF. The second matching element 233 is an inductor having an inductance value of about 16 nH. In other exemplary embodiments, the first matching element 231 can be an inductor or a combination of inductor and capacitor. The second matching element 233 can be a capacitor or the combination.
As illustrated in
In this exemplary embodiment, the third matching element 251 is an inductor having an inductance value of about 8 nH. The fourth matching element 253 is a capacitor having a capacitance value of about 500 fF. In other exemplary embodiments, the third matching element 251 can be a capacitor or a combination of inductor and capacitor. The fourth matching element 253 can be an inductor or the combination.
Referring to curves S41-S43, when the first switching circuit 15 switches to different switching elements 153, the antenna structure 100 can work at different low frequency bands, for example, a frequency band of LTE-A Band 8 (880-960 MHz, GSM900), a frequency band of LTE-A Band 5 (824-894 MHz, GSM850), and a frequency band of LTE-A Band 17 (704-746 MHz, BTE band 17). Additionally, the antenna structure 100 can work at a high frequency band, for example, GSM1800/1900, UMTS 2100, LTE-A Band 7, which can also satisfy a design of the antenna.
In viewing curves S51-S53, through switching the first switching circuit 15, the antenna structure 100 can completely cover a system bandwidth required by multiple communication systems, such as GSM/WCDMA/LTE, and satisfy a design of the antenna. The antenna structure 100 also has a good radiating efficiency, for example, a radiating efficiency of the antenna structure 100 is above 45%.
As described above, the antenna structure 100 supplies current to the first combining portion 1111 through the first feed point 211 and forms the first antenna A1 to generate a multi-band operation bandwidth. The antenna structure 100 further includes the first switching circuit 15, through switching the first switching circuit 15, the antenna structure 100 can work at GSM/WCDMA/LTE systems. The antenna structure 100 includes the second antenna A2, satisfying a need of carrier aggregation (CA) technology of LTE-Advanced, for example, LTE-A Band 3 frequency band and LTE-A Band 7 frequency band, and/or LTE-A Band 20 frequency band and LTE-A Band 7 frequency band. That is, the wireless communication device 200 can use the first antenna A1 and the second antenna A2 to receive and/or transmit wireless signals at multiple frequency bands simultaneously and utilize the CA technology.
In other exemplary embodiments, the ground section 165 of the second antenna A2 can be grounded through a second switching circuit (not shown). The detail circuit and working principle of the second switching circuit are in accord with the first switching circuit 15 in
In this exemplary embodiment, the first antenna A1 is a main antenna. The third antenna A3 is a diversity antenna.
Curve S85 illustrates an isolation between the first antenna A1 and the third antenna A3 of the antenna structure 300. Curve S86 illustrates an isolation between the third antenna A3 and the fourth antenna A4 of the antenna structure 300. Curve S87 illustrates an isolation between the second antenna A2 and the third antenna A3 of the antenna structure 300. Curve S95 illustrates an isolation between the first antenna A1 and the second antenna A2 of the antenna structure 300. Curve S96 illustrates an isolation between the first antenna A1 and the fourth antenna A4 of the antenna structure 300. Curve S105 illustrates an isolation between the second antenna A2 and the fourth antenna A4 of the antenna structure 300. When the wireless communication device 400 uses CA technology to receive and/or transmit wireless signals at two different frequency bands simultaneously (for example, frequency bands of LTE Band 5 and LTE Band 7), isolations between two different antennas are all below −10 dB, which satisfy a design of the antenna.
In other exemplary embodiments, the third antenna A3 can be a diversity antenna and the fourth antenna A4 can be a GPS antenna. The wireless communication device 400 can further include an additional duplexer to achieve a separation of signals.
The antenna structure 100/300 defines two slots on the metallic member 11 to divide the metallic member 11 into three combining portions. One of the three combining portions forms the first antenna A1 of the antenna structure 100/300 to generate multiple frequency bands. The antenna structure 100/300 further includes the first switching circuit 15, then the frequencies at the low frequency band can be adjustable to cover GSM/WCDMA/LTE systems. In addition, another of the three combining portions forms the second antenna A2 of the antenna structure 100/300 to meet a demand for LTE CA technology.
The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Many details are often found in the art such as the other features of the antenna structure and the wireless communication device. Therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure, up to and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 1 0977565 | Nov 2016 | CN | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20110275333 | Kim et al. | Nov 2011 | A1 |
| 20130257659 | Darnell | Oct 2013 | A1 |
| 20140111381 | Lin | Apr 2014 | A1 |
| 20150188212 | Tseng | Jul 2015 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 103390793 | Nov 2013 | CN |
| 105390801 | Mar 2016 | CN |
| 105958201 | Sep 2016 | CN |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180131092 A1 | May 2018 | US |
