Patent Grant
10886611
The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to antenna systems and devices. More particularly, the subject matter disclosed herein relates to antenna configurations for mobile devices having multiple antennas.
The fifth generation mobile communications network, also known as 5G, is expected to provide significant improvements in data transmission rates, reliability, and delay, as compared to the current fourth generation (4G) communications network Long Term Evolution (LTE). Furthermore, new generation mobile phones are expected to eventually have antenna clearances of only about 5 mm. This could potentially put significant constraints on future mobile devices, possibly limiting the gain of antenna systems in the mobile devices due to the short space available for placing the antennas inside the mobile devices.
Therefore, there is a need for compact antennas that meet both the technical demands (higher data rates) of the 5G communications network and also fit within the confines of the 5 mm clearance available in most new generation mobile phones.
In accordance with this disclosure, devices, systems, and methods for producing a hybrid high gain antenna system at least at 28 GHz for, for example without limitation, 5G mobile devices are provided. The design of the present subject matter exploits hybrid high gain antennas, placed in the clearance of a mobile device and points the antennas in different directions, to cover a surface of approximately 180 degrees (180°). In one aspect, a mobile device is provided comprising: a first plurality of antennas in a first clearance space of the mobile device, wherein each antenna of the first plurality of antennas is oriented to provide a respective subset of antenna coverage for a first device surface over the first clearance space; wherein the first plurality of antennas is configured to collectively provide antenna coverage for the first device surface over the first clearance space of the mobile device; and wherein the first plurality of antennas is arranged in the first clearance space substantially symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal center line of the mobile device. At least some of the antenna systems and devices of the present disclosure are wideband, large coverage antennas with high-gain at all of the relevant frequencies of operation.
In another aspect, each antenna of the first plurality of antennas is configured, by virtue of having a respective beamwidth and orientation, to provide a subset of approximately 180° of antenna coverage for the first device surface over the first clearance space.
Some advantages offered by the subject matter disclosed herein include that every single antenna used in the present subject matter is independent from other antennas in the system and they are not part of an array. Thus, there is less of a constraint with regard to the distance each of the antennas can be spaced apart with respect to one another. Additionally, different types of antennas can be used, not just the Yagi-Uda design used hereinbelow for simulations. Finally, a significant advantage introduced by the present subject matter is the fact that there is no need for a phase shifter to steer the antenna beam and obtain a desired coverage.
Although some of the aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein have been stated hereinabove, and which are achieved in whole or in part by the presently disclosed subject matter, other aspects will become evident as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings as best described hereinbelow.
The features and advantages of the present subject matter will be more readily understood from the following detailed description which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that are given merely by way of explanatory and non-limiting example, and in which:
The present disclosure describes mobile devices and antenna systems for mobile devices for the upcoming 5G wireless communications networks. In some embodiments, the systems use hybrid high gain antennas, placed in the clearance of the mobile device and pointed in different directions (e.g., to cover a range of about 180°). In such an embodiment, each antenna positioned in the clearance of the mobile device is configured to cover a discrete subset of the entire approximately 180° beamwidth operating range. That is, there is an adequate number of antennas, with the same or different individual beam widths, and the antennas are spaced apart adequately to cover an aggregate angular range that is greater than the angular coverage of any one antenna, such as to cover a total beamwidth of 180°. In some embodiments, each antenna is configured to cover the same range, for example without limitation 45°. In such an embodiment, 4 discrete antennas would be required to cover the 180° operating range because every two antennas would cover 90°.
In some embodiments, each discrete antenna is configured to cover a different beamwidth range, for example without limitation, one or more antennas configured to cover 45° and one or more antennas configured to cover 30°. In some embodiments, when the operating range of each discrete antenna is 30°, then six antennas would be required since the six antenna's operating range combined would equal about 180°. Therefore, in some embodiments, each antenna can be configured with a 30° beamwidth, and each antenna can be configured to reach a gain in the range of between about 10 and 12 dBi. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the mobile device can comprise an odd number of antenna elements, wherein one of the antenna elements is mounted in the center of the clearance space and the remaining antenna elements are arranged symmetrically about the central antenna. The clearance of new generation mobile phones is only 5 mm high in some cases, a significant constraint, which can limit the gain of each component. The subject matter disclosed herein includes some possible solutions that attempt to address throughput and data rate needs of future 5G wireless networks given the 5 mm clearance constraints.
In some embodiments, the mobile device 100 includes a first set of antennas, first antenna 112, second antenna 114, and third antenna 116, mounted in the left-half side of the clearance space 102. In some embodiments, the mobile device 100 also includes a second set of antennas, fourth antenna 116′, fifth antenna 114′, and sixth antenna 112′, mounted in the right-half side of the clearance space 102. The first antenna 112, second antenna 114, and third antenna 116 are mounted in order from the left longitudinal side 104 to a longitudinal center line 110 of the mobile device 100, and the fourth antenna 116′, fifth antenna 114′, and sixth antenna 112′ are mounted in the same order from the right longitudinal side 106 to the longitudinal center line 110. As a result, the first set of antennas including first antenna 112, second antenna 114, and third antenna 116, and the second sets of antennas including fourth antenna 116′, fifth antenna 114′, and sixth antenna 112′ are arranged substantially symmetrically about the longitudinal center line. Although the illustrated embodiment includes three antenna elements on each half of the clearance space, those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that different numbers of antenna can be used to achieve a distribution of the antenna coverage. For example, a greater number of elements can be used in some embodiments, with each antenna providing a comparatively narrower beam than the configuration discussed above. Such use of additional antenna elements can be used to achieve a higher gain.
In general, first antenna 112, second antenna 114, and third antenna 116 are three different antennas, and the antennas can be placed as appropriate for the design of the mobile device 100. Typically, first antenna 112, from the first set of antennas, has the same beamwidth as sixth antenna 112′, from the second set of antennas, and an opposite orientation. Similarly, second antenna 114, from the first set of antennas, has the same beamwidth as fifth antenna 114′, from the second set of antennas, and an opposite orientation. Finally, third antenna 116, from the first set of antennas, has the same beamwidth as fourth antenna 116′, from the second set of antennas, and an opposite orientation. The first and second sets of antennas are configured to collectively provide antenna coverage for the device surface 108 over the clearance space 102 of the mobile device 100 (e.g., over a range of about 180°).
In some embodiments, to achieve such collective antenna coverage over the clearance space 102, the plurality of antennas can be positioned and/or oriented at different angles so that each antenna provides high-gain coverage over a different portion of the total coverage area. Or in other words, the plurality of antennas can be positioned and/or oriented at different angles so that each antenna provides a subset of 90° of antenna coverage for the device surface 108 over the second half of the clearance space 102 of the mobile device 100. In some embodiments, for example without limitation, each antenna can have a 30° beamwidth and high gain at desired frequencies for 5G operation (e.g., at about 28 GHz). For example and without limitation, in some embodiments, the first antenna 112 is configured to scan between about 0° and 30°, second antenna 114 is configured to scan between about 30° and 60°, third antenna 116 is configured to scan between about 60° and 90°. Furthermore, fourth antenna 116′ is configured to scan between about 60° and 90° as well, but in the opposite direction as third antenna 116. Fifth antenna 114′ is configured to scan between about 30° and 60° as well, but in the opposite direction as second antenna 114. Finally, sixth antenna 112′ is configured to scan between about 0° and 30° as well, but in the opposite direction of first antenna 112. In combination, first antenna 112, second antenna 114, third antenna 116, fourth antenna 116′, fifth antenna 114′, and sixth antenna 112′ collectively are capable of scanning the device surface 108 of about 180°. Compared to some conventional antenna systems, the antenna system of the mobile device 100 can provide a series of advantages. For example, different antennas can be used, even if in the simulated design Yagi-Uda antennas with different inclination have been exploited. In addition, in some embodiments, there is no need for a phase shifter to steer the beam to obtain the coverage.
In some embodiments, the mobile device 100 comprises a feeding network (not shown) for the antennas. In some embodiments, the feeding network comprises a power supply and a switch 120. These elements make the structure more reliable and less lossy. Furthermore, as discussed hereinabove, the antenna system does not require phase shifters to steer the beam and obtain the coverage, but by simply switching the feeding to one of the elements, first antenna 112, second antenna 114, third antenna 116, fourth antenna 116′, fifth antenna 114′, and sixth antenna 112′, it is possible to scan the desired areas. The absence of phase shifters to scan the beam overcomes the dependence of the frequency to the phase, allowing the desired coverage in the whole bandwidth, without any additional components.
Furthermore, in some embodiments, every single antenna is substantially independent from the other antennas (i.e., substantially zero coupling between antenna elements) and they are not part of an array. In such embodiments, there is less of a constraint about the distance between two adjacent elements. That being said, the disclosed antenna systems are still operable in embodiments in which the design of the individual antennas and the spacing/arrangement of the antennas affects the mutual coupling of the antennas. Mutual coupling is typically undesirable because radiating energy that should be radiated outward or away from the radiating antenna is absorbed by a nearby antenna. Similarly, energy that could be absorbed by one antenna is actually absorbed by another nearby antenna. Therefore, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, it is ideal to design the spacing of the antennas such that mutual coupling is managed properly.
To illustrate a possible design, consider the example simulated antenna system 200 illustrated in
In the configuration illustrated in
The design is characterized by the absence of any constraint in the distance between adjacent elements, which allows the antennas to be placed in such a way that ensures low mutual coupling and reduces the spurious lobes that affect the radiation patterns.
In some embodiments, for example without limitation, as illustrated in
In order to cover a surface of 180°, in some embodiments, first antenna 112 has an inclination of 15°, second antenna 114 has an inclination of 45°, third antenna 116 has an inclination of 75°, fourth antenna 116′ has an inclination of 75° in the opposite direction as the inclination of the third antenna 116, fifth antenna 114′ has an inclination of 45° in the opposite direction as the inclination of the second antenna 114, and the sixth antenna 112′ has an inclination of 15° in the opposite direction as the inclination of the first antenna 112.
In the first stage of the design for the embodiment described in
In this example simulated antenna system 200 the six antennas (three on each side of the substrate 216) are adapted in the interval between about 26 GHz and 30 GHz. As seen in
In some embodiments, the example simulated antenna system 200 can have a reduced clearance of about 5 mm instead of 10 mm. This would make the example simulated antenna system 200 fit better inside of a 5G mobile device in the future. Moreover, embodiments of mobile devices comprising a reduced clearance of about 5 mm and an antenna system consistent with the present subject matter disclosed hereinabove is within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein.
Furthermore, in some embodiments without limitation, the thickness of the substrate 216 can be increased in order to reduce the beamwidth and increase the gain of the simulated antenna system 200. Moreover, isolation can be introduced between the antennas for reducing the mutual coupling, for example without limitation, a metal strip can be inserted between two antennas.
In some embodiments, for example and without limitation, the first set of antennas is mounted in an order from a first longitudinal surface of the mobile device 100 to a longitudinal center line of the mobile device 100. The second set of antennas are mounted in the same order from a second longitudinal surface, opposite the first longitudinal surface, to the longitudinal center line, such that the second set of antennas is arranged substantially symmetrically to the first set of antennas.
In some embodiments, to achieve the desired coverage, the seventh antenna 602 and the eleventh antenna 602′ have a 15° inclination pointing to the left and right side of the area respectively. In some embodiments, the eighth antenna 604 and the tenth antenna 604′ have a 55° inclination, covering the upper left and upper right part of the area, respectively. Finally, in some embodiments, the ninth antenna 606 has an inclination of 90°, which allows it to scan the top of the area. In some embodiments, the truncated ground plane acts as a reflector to maximize the antenna gain. In some embodiments, two symmetric extended stubs 608 can be added in order to direct the beams of the antennas better. Additionally, in some embodiments, directors 610 can be added to the antenna system, printed on both sides of the substrate in order to maximize the beam directivity. In some embodiments, the directors 610 can be ladder-like directors configured to enhance the gain of the antennas and the bandwidth. In some embodiments, the directors 610 are formed from extensions of the ground plane. The directors 610 modify the near field to improve the directivity and gain of each directional antenna. They also reduce the coupling between adjacent antenna elements and thus improve the isolation between elements. This further improves gain and reduces parasitic resonance effects. In some embodiments, the eighth antenna 604, and ninth antenna 606, and the tenth antenna 604′ present a bowtie driver that is configured to improve the bandwidth. The driving dipoles are printed symmetrically on both faces of the substrate. In particular, a half dipole, placed in the bottom of the mobile device, is grounded in the antenna ground plane and a half dipole on top is connected to a microstrip line fed by an mmpx connected (not shown).
In some embodiments, the second example simulated antenna system 600 has the following dimensions: a fifth distance 626 of about 15 mm, a sixth distance 628 of about 10.6 mm, a seventh distance 620 of about 3.2 mm, an eighth distance 622 of about 2.6 mm, a ninth distance 624 of about 4 mm, a tenth distance 634 of about 1.6 mm, an eleventh distance 636 of about 2.5 mm, a twelfth distance 638 of about 2 mm, a thirteenth distance 650 of about 1.4 mm, a fourteenth distance 652 of about 2.5 mm, a fifteenth distance 654 of about 6 mm, a sixteenth distance 618 of about 3.8 mm, a seventeenth distance 616 of about 1.8 mm, an eighteenth distance 612 of about 3.08 mm, a nineteenth distance 614 of about 0.92 mm, a twentieth distance 664 of about 1.3 mm, a twenty-first distance 660 of about 1.2 mm, a twenty-second distance 632 of about 4.3 mm, a twenty-third distance 630 of about 1.9 mm, a twenty-fourth distance 656 of about 1.4 mm, a twenty-fifth distance 672 of about 1.7 mm, a twenty-sixth distance 648 of about 5 mm, a twenty-seventh distance 644 of about 1.8 mm, a twenty-eighth distance 676 of about 2.44 mm, a twenty-ninth distance 640 of about 0.1 mm, a thirtieth distance 642 of about 1.1 mm, and a thirty-first distance 674 of about 1.1 mm. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the second example simulated antenna system 600 has the following dimensions: first width 662 of about 0.4 mm, a second width 670 of about 0.4 mm, a third width 666 of about 1 mm, a fourth width 668 of about 1.2 mm, a fifth width 658 of about 1.2 mm, and a sixth width 646 of about 1.2 mm. The above dimensions are for non-limiting, example purposes only, disclosed herein to provide better context for the second example simulated antenna system 600. A hybrid high gain antenna system according to the present disclosure could feasibly be comprised of any suitable substrate or device with suitable dimensions.
In an alternative configuration, rather than the antenna elements being arranged in a substantially linear configuration to provide 180° of antenna coverage from an end of the mobile device 100, similar principles can be applied to groups of antenna elements at different positions on the mobile device 100. For example, in some embodiments, a first plurality of antennas can be mounted along a first edge of the mobile device 100 approaching a corner of the mobile device 100, and a second plurality of antennas can be mounted along a second edge of the mobile device 100 approaching the same corner. In this arrangement, each antenna element provides a respective subset of antenna coverage for the mobile device 100 about the corner. In some embodiments, such an arrangement can be configured to provide 90° of antenna coverage at each corner. In some embodiments, antenna systems like those described herein above can be arranged, for example without limitation, symmetrically or non-symmetrically in a first clearance space under a first surface of a first end of a mobile device 100 and/or in a second clearance space under a second surface of a second end of the mobile device 100.
In any configuration, in some embodiments, multiple element antenna systems can be positioned about the edges of a mobile device 100. For example and without limitation, four hybrid antenna systems can be utilized, with one antenna system positioned on each edge or each corner of the mobile device 100, and the coverage area of each antenna system can be designed to at least partially overlap with the coverage of adjacent antenna system. In this way, the present systems can be useful for multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) applications and/or for combatting user effects.
The present subject matter can be embodied in other forms without departure from the spirit and essential characteristics thereof. The embodiments described therefore are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Although the present subject matter has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments that are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are also within the scope of the present subject matter.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/614,092, filed on Jan. 5, 2018, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
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