Patent Grant
11437733
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0039942 filed on Apr. 1, 2020, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
The present disclosure relates to wireless communication, and more particularly, to a multi-band antenna device.
A wireless communication device such as a smartphone or a smart watch may communicate with any other device by using an antenna device. To increase the throughput of data, the antenna device may be used in communication using a radio frequency (RF) signal in a high frequency band. For example, the antenna device may transmit/receive a signal in a millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency band that is used in a wireless communication system such as a 5th generation (5G) communication system.
Meanwhile, as a size of a wireless communication device is limited and a space that the antenna device occupies is limited, an antenna providing the good performance of communication may be required even when other modules or circuits are placed adjacent to the antenna device. For example, an antenna device that includes radiators transmitting/receiving an RF signal in a multi-band may be required. In addition, an antenna device in which sizes of radiators are miniaturized and the placement of the radiators is optimized may be required.
It is an aspect to provide a multi-band antenna device that transmits/receives a radio frequency signal in a multi-band within a limited space.
According to an aspect of one or more exemplary embodiments, there is provided an antenna device comprising a first antenna configured to transmit/receive a first radio frequency (RF) signal in a first communication band, the first antenna including a first radiator having a size corresponding to the first communication band; and a second radiator having a shape symmetrical to a shape of the first radiator and having the size corresponding to the first communication band; a second antenna configured to transmit/receive a second RF signal in a second communication band, the second antenna including a third radiator having a shape identical to a shape of the first radiator and having a size corresponding to the second communication band; and a fourth radiator having a shape identical to that of the second radiator and having the size corresponding to the second communication band; a barrier including a penetration region, the barrier reflecting the first RF signal and the second RF signal; and a signal processing device, wherein a center frequency of the second communication band is higher than a center frequency of the first communication band, and wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are connected with the signal processing device through the penetration region of the barrier.
According to another aspect of one or more exemplary embodiments, there is provided an antenna device comprising a first antenna configured to transmit/receive a first radio frequency (RF) signal in a first communication band, the first antenna including a first radiator; a second antenna configured to transmit/receive a second RF signal in a second communication band; a barrier including a penetration region, the barrier reflecting the first RF signal and the second RF signal; and a signal processing device, wherein a center frequency of the second communication band is lower than a center frequency of the first communication band, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are connected with the signal processing device through the penetration region of the barrier, and wherein the first radiator includes a first shape extended from the penetration region of the barrier in a first direction perpendicular to the barrier; a second shape extended in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and having a size corresponding to the first communication band; and a third shape connecting the first shape to the second shape and extended in a third direction rotated from the first direction to the second direction by an acute angle.
According to yet another aspect of one or more exemplary embodiments, there is provided an antenna device comprising a barrier reflecting a radio frequency (RF) signal, the barrier including a penetration region; a first antenna adjacent to the penetration region of the barrier in a first direction perpendicular to the barrier, and configured to transmit/receive an RF signal in a first communication band; a second antenna adjacent to the penetration region of the barrier in the first direction, and configured to transmit/receive an RF signal in a second communication band; and a patch antenna spaced apart from the barrier in a direction facing away from the first direction and including at least one radiator of a plate shape configured to transmit/receive the RF signal in the first communication band or the second communication band; and a signal processing device, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are connected with the signal processing device through the penetration region of the barrier, wherein the patch antenna is placed to be spaced apart from the signal processing device in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first antenna includes a first radiator having a size corresponding to a first frequency of the first communication band; and a second radiator having a size corresponding to a second frequency of the first communication band, and wherein the second antenna includes a third radiator having a shape different from a shape of the first radiator and having a size corresponding to a third frequency of the second communication band; and a fourth radiator having a shape different from a shape of the second radiator and having a size corresponding to a fourth frequency of the second communication band.
According to yet another aspect of one or more exemplary embodiments, there is provided an antenna device comprising an antenna space including a first antenna configured to transmit/receive a first radio frequency (RF) signal in a first communication band and a second antenna configured to transmit/receive a second RF signal in a second communication band different from the first communication band; a barrier including a penetration region, the barrier disposed adjacent to the antenna space and reflecting the first RF signal and the second RF signal; a signal processing device disposed adjacent to the barrier, the signal processing device including a first RF circuit configured to process the first RF signal and a second RF circuit configured to process the second RF signal; and a feed space comprising a first feed layer and a second feed layer, the feed space being disposed adjacent to and stacked on the signal processing device and adjacent to the barrier, wherein a portion of a feed line connecting the first RF circuit to the first antenna passes through the first feed layer and the penetration region of the barrier, and a portion of a feed line connecting the second RF circuit to the second antenna passes through the second feed layer and the penetration region of the barrier.
The above and other aspects will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Below, various embodiments may be described in detail and clearly to such an extent that an ordinary one in the art may easily implement the inventive concept. Below, for convenience of description, similar components are expressed by using the same or similar reference numerals. It is noted that various features illustrated in the accompanying drawings may be modified in scale for increasing clarity and for better understanding of the inventive concept, and components or elements may be illustrated as being enlarged or reduced in some cases for similar reasons.
For better understanding, first to third directions are defined as illustrated in
The antenna device 100 may include an endfire antenna space 110, the barrier 120, a patch antenna space 130, and a feed space 140. The feed space 140 of the antenna device 100 may be connected with a signal processing device 150. The endfire antenna space 110 may include a first endfire antenna 111 and a second endfire antenna 112. An endfire antenna may be an antenna in which a radiation pattern corresponding to the intensity of an RF signal is intensively formed in a single direction. Because the endfire antenna radiates electromagnetic waves corresponding to the RF signal in a specific direction, the endfire antenna may be an antenna that is appropriate for a low-power or small-size RF communication device.
The first endfire antenna 111 may be a dipole antenna configured to transmit/receive an RF signal in a first communication band. The first endfire antenna 111 may include a first radiator 111a and a second radiator 111b. The second endfire antenna 112 may be a dipole antenna configured to transmit/receive an RF signal in a second communication band. The second communication band may be different than the first communication band, and thus a size of the first endfire antenna 111 may be different from a size of the second endfire antenna 112. The second endfire antenna 112 may include a third radiator 112a and a fourth radiator 112b. Since the first and second endfire antennas 111 and 112 have different sizes, the first and second endfire antennas 111 and 112 may transmit/receive RF signals in different communication bands.
The first to fourth radiators 111a, 111b, 112a, and 112b may be radiators formed at different conductive layers. In detail, the endfire antenna space 110 may include the first to fourth radiators 111a, 111b, 112a, and 112b respectively formed at a first conductive layer L1, a second conductive layer L2, a third conductive layer L3, and a fourth conductive layer L4. The first to fourth conductive layers L1 to L4 may be stacked in a direction facing away from the third direction (i.e., in a direction opposite to the arrow indicating the 3rd direction in
The barrier 120 may be interposed between the endfire antenna space 110 and the patch antenna space 130. The barrier 120 may be a barrier of a metal material reflecting an RF signal such that a radiation pattern of the first and second endfire antennas 111 and 112 is formed in a direction facing away from the second direction. In some exemplary embodiments, the barrier 120 may be a barrier of a copper (Cu) material.
The barrier 120 may include at least one penetration region 121. The penetration region 121 may be a region through which a first feed line, a second feed line, a third feed line, and a fourth feed line that are respectively connected with the first to fourth radiators 111a, 111b, 112a, and 112b penetrate the barrier 120. A feed line may be a conductive line that connects the signal processing device 150 with a radiator (e.g., the first radiator 111a) transmitting/receiving an RF signal of an endfire antenna and transfers the RF signal.
The patch antenna space 130 may include a patch antenna 131 and a plurality of electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structures 132. The patch antenna 131 may include at least one plate-shaped radiator transmitting/receiving an RF signal. The plurality of EBG structures 132 are metal patterns regularly disposed on a substrate of a dielectric material, and may be structures that block an RF signal in a specific frequency band. In some exemplary embodiments, the patch antenna 131 may include at least one plate-shaped radiator transmitting/receiving an RF signal in the first communication band or the second communication band. In some embodiments, the patch antenna 131 may include two plate-shaped radiators, a first plate-shaped radiator transmitting/receiving an RF signal in the first communication band and a second plate-shaped radiator transmitting/receiving an RF signal in the second communication band.
The feed space 140 may be a space that feeds an RF signal to be transmitted or received through an antenna. For example, the first to fourth radiators 111a, 111b, 112a, and 112b may be connected with the signal processing device 150 through the first to fourth feed lines passing through the penetration region 121 and the feed space 140. The feed space 140 will be more fully described with reference to
The signal processing device 150 may be a module that processes an RF signal to be transmitted or received through an antenna. In some exemplary embodiments, the signal processing device 150 may be a module that is manufactured independently of the antenna device 100. For example, the signal processing device 150 may be a module that processes an RF signal in the first communication band to be transmitted or received through the first endfire antenna 111 and an RF signal in the second communication band to be transmitted or received through the second endfire antenna 112.
As described above, according to various embodiments, an antenna device that processes RF signals in a multi-band within a limited space may be provided. For example, an antenna device that supports a plurality of millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency bands used in a 5th generation (5G) wireless communication system may be provided. Table 1 below shows operating bands of the 5G wireless communication system, that is, a new radio (NR).
An up-link operating band, a down-link operating band, and a duplex mode for each band number of the NR will be described with reference to Table 1 above. In Table 1 above, a time division duplexing (TDD) scheme may denote a scheme to use the same frequency band for an up-link and a down-link and to transmit data at different time slots.
In the description below, an N257 band using a frequency between 26.5 GHz and 29.5 GHz may be referred to as the “first communication band”, an N260 band using a frequency between 37.0 GHz and 40.0 GHz may be referred to as the “second communication band”, and a structure of an antenna device operating in a dual-band will be described as an example. For example, a center frequency of the first communication band may be 28 GHz. A center frequency of the second communication band may be 39 GHz. It is noted that this example is merely by way of illustration and other communication bands may be used in various other embodiments.
The endfire antenna space 110 may include a plurality of conductive layers L1 to L8 and a core layer CL. The core layer CL may be a layer that is used as the center of an antenna device in a manufacturing process. For example, the core layer CL may be disposed perpendicular to the barrier 120 and may be interposed between the first endfire antenna 111 and the second endfire antenna 112. A conductive layer may be a layer where a radiator is formed. An example is illustrated as the endfire antenna space 110 includes eight conductive layers L1 to L8, but exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the number of conductive layers may be more or fewer than that illustrated in
The first and second radiators 111a and 111b respectively formed at the first and second conductive layers L1 and L2 may transmit/receive an RF signal in the first communication band. An RF signal to be transmitted or received at the first radiator 111a may be transferred from or to the feed space 140 through first vias V1 and radiators 111c, 111d, 111e, and 111f. In this case, a via may be a component that connects conductive layers spaced from each other in the third direction and transfers an RF signal. The radiators 111c, 111d, and 111e may be radiators that are not associated with transmission/reception of an RF signal and are formed at conductive layers in the manufacturing process. The radiator 111f may operate as a circuit that transfers an RF signal to the feed space 140.
In some exemplary embodiments, at least a portion of a feed line that transfers an RF signal may be implemented with vias and radiators. For example, the first feed line may include the first vias V1 and the radiators 111c, 111d, 111e, and 111f.
For better understanding, the second radiator 111b is together illustrated in the cross-sectional view of
The third and fourth radiators 112a and 112b respectively formed at the third and fourth conductive layers L3 and L4 may transmit/receive an RF signal in the second communication band. An RF signal to be transmitted or received at the third radiator 112a may be transferred from or to the feed space 140 through second vias V2 and a radiator 112c. The radiator 112c may operate as a circuit that transfers an RF signal to the feed space 140.
For better understanding, the fourth radiator 112b is together illustrated in the cross-sectional view of
In some exemplary embodiments, the patch antenna included in the patch antenna space 130 may be an antenna that is in the shape of a plate and is formed at a conductive layer stacked above the core layer CL in the third direction. For example, the second conductive layer L2 may be extended in the second direction, such that a portion of the second conductive layer L2 may be placed within the patch antenna space 130 (not shown). A radiator of a plate shape corresponding to the patch antenna 130 may be formed of the portion of the second conductive layer L2 included in the patch antenna space 130.
According to some exemplary embodiments, locations of endfire antennas included in an antenna device operating in a dual-band may be provided. In detail, the first and second radiators 111a and 111b of the first endfire antenna may be placed to be spaced from the core layer CL in the third direction. The third and fourth radiators 112a and 112b of the second endfire antenna may be placed to be spaced from the core layer CL in the direction facing away from the third direction.
In some exemplary embodiments, the first and second endfire antennas may overlap each other in the third direction. For example, the first and second radiators 111a and 111b included in the first endfire antenna may be placed in the second region R2. The third and fourth radiators 112a and 112b included in the second endfire antenna may be placed in the fifth region R5.
In some exemplary embodiments, the first and second endfire antennas may be placed to be spaced from each other in the first direction. For example, in some exemplary embodiments, unlike the example illustrated in
Alternatively, in some exemplary embodiments, the first and second radiators 111a and 111b included in the first endfire antenna may be placed in the third region R3, and the third and fourth radiators 112a and 112b included in the second endfire antenna may be placed in the fourth region R4.
The first radiator 111a may include a first shape 111a-1 and a second shape 111a-2 that are connected continuously (or seamlessly). The first shape 111a-1 may be a shape in which a width in the second direction widens in a direction facing away from the first direction. The second shape 111a-2 may be a shape that is extended from the penetration region of the barrier, which the first feed line penetrates, in the direction facing away from the second direction and is connected with the first shape 111a-1. For example, as a distance from the second shape 111a-2 increases in the direction facing away from the first direction, a width of the first shape 111a-1 in the second direction is widening. In other words, the first shape 111a-1 may be a triangular shape in which a vertex of the triangle is connected to an end of the second shape 111a-2.
The second radiator 111b may include a first shape 111b-1 and a second shape 111b-2 that are connected continuously (or seamlessly). The first shape 111b-1 may be a shape in which a width in the second direction widens in the first direction. The second shape 111b-2 may be a shape that is extended from the penetration region of the barrier, which the second feed line penetrates, in the direction facing away from the second direction and is connected with the first shape 111b-1. For example, as a distance from the second shape 111b-2 increases in the first direction, a width of the first shape 111b-1 in the second direction is widening. In other words, the first shape 111b-1 may be a triangular shape in which a vertex of the triangle is connected to an end of the second shape 111b-2. Additionally, when viewed from the third direction, the first and second radiators 111a and 111b may have a combined shape similar to a bow-tie.
In some exemplary embodiments, the first and second radiators 111a and 111b may have a size corresponding to the first communication band. For example, the first shape 111a-1, in which a width in the second direction is a first length L1a and a width in the first direction is a second length L2a, may resonate with a signal in the first communication band. In some exemplary embodiments, the first shape 111b-1 may be a shape that is identical in size to the first shape 111a-1 and is symmetrical to the first shape 111a-1.
In some exemplary embodiments, an antenna device having a coupling characteristic in which a bandwidth of a specific communication band increases may be provided based on the shapes of the first and second radiators 111a and 111b. For example, since an RF signal is fed through the second shapes 111a-2 and 111b-2 that are respectively formed at conductive layers spaced apart from each other in the third direction and are extended in the second direction as much as a third length L3a, an antenna device having a coupling characteristic in which a bandwidth of the first communication band increases may be provided.
In some exemplary embodiments, the first and second radiators 111a and 111b may be spaced from each other in the first direction by a separation distance SD. For example, the second shape 111b-2 of the second radiator 111b may be spaced from the second shape 111a-2 of the first radiator 111a in the first direction by the separation distance SD. As such, the first shape 111a-1 of the first radiator 111a and the first shape 111b-1 of the second radiator 111b may partially overlap each other in the third direction. In this case, communication characteristics of the antenna device such as a bandwidth, a gain, and a center frequency may vary depending on the separation distance SD.
In some exemplary embodiments, the second endfire antenna 112 may include shapes similar to those of the first endfire antenna 111. Thus, repeated detailed description thereof is omitted for conciseness. For example, the third and fourth radiators of the second endfire antenna may include shapes that have a size corresponding to the second communication band and are similar to the first shapes 111a-1 and 111b-1. The shape included in the third radiator may be connected with the third feed line. The shape included in the fourth radiator may be connected with the fourth feed line.
As described above, according to various exemplary embodiments, the endfire antenna of a bow tie type, which includes the first radiator 111a where a width in the second direction widens in the direction facing away from the first direction and the second radiator 111b where a width in the second direction widens in the direction facing away from the second direction may be provided.
A solid line indicates the S-parameter according to a frequency band of the first endfire antenna 111. A broken line indicates the S-parameter according to a frequency band of the second endfire antenna 112.
According to various exemplary embodiments, the antenna device 100 may operate in a frequency band having the S-parameter of a threshold value or less. For example, the first endfire antenna 111 may have the S-parameter lower than −5 dB being the threshold value in a first communication band CB1 between 26.5 GHz and 29.5 GHz. As such, the first endfire antenna 111 may operate in the first communication band CB1.
For example, the second endfire antenna 112 may have the S-parameter lower than −5 dB being the threshold value in a second communication band CB2 between 37.0 GHz and 40.0 GHz. As such, the second endfire antenna 112 may operate in the second communication band CB2.
As described above, according to various exemplary embodiments, a multi-band antenna device transmitting/receiving an RF signal in the first communication band CB1 and the second communication band CB2 may be provided.
An endfire antenna space 210 may include first and second endfire antennas 211 and 212. The first endfire antenna 211 may include first and second radiators 211a and 211b. The second endfire antenna 212 may include third and fourth radiators 212a and 212b. In this case, the first to fourth radiators 211a, 211b, 212a, and 212b may have a different shape that is narrower in terms of a width in the second direction than the first to fourth radiators 111a, 111b, 112a, and 112b.
According to various exemplary embodiments, the first to fourth radiators 211a, 211b, 212a, and 212b may have a radiation characteristic similar to that of the first to fourth radiators 111a, 111b, 112a, and 112b. For example, the first radiator 111a of
As described above, according to various exemplary embodiments, the first and second endfire antennas 211 and 212 of a half bow tie type, which are smaller in size than the endfire antennas of the bow tie type illustrated in
Widths of the first to fourth radiators 211a, 211b, 212a, and 212b in the second direction may be narrower than the widths of the first to fourth radiators 111a, 111b, 112a, and 112b (refer to
The first radiator 211a may include a first shape 211a-1 and a second shape 211a-2 that are connected continuously (or seamlessly). The second shape 211a-2 may be similar to the second shape 111a-2 of
In some exemplary embodiments, the first shape 211a-1 may be narrower in a width in the second direction than the first shape 111a-1 of
In some exemplary embodiments, the second endfire antenna may include shapes similar to those of the first endfire antenna. For example, the third and fourth radiators of the second endfire antenna may include shapes that have a size corresponding to the second communication band but with a shapes that are similar to the first shapes 211a-1 and 211b-1.
In this case, the S-parameter may indicate a ratio of a voltage magnitude of an output port to a voltage magnitude of an input port. That port conditions are different may mean to differently set a radiator of an endfire antenna connected with an input port and a radiator of an endfire antenna connected with an output port.
In this case, the CA may mean that different frequency bands are aggregated and used. For example, in the case of applying the CA, the first endfire antenna 211 corresponding to the first communication band CB1 and the second endfire antenna 212 corresponding to the second communication band CB2 may operate at the same time.
For example, in the case wherein the CA is not applied, the first endfire antenna 211 corresponding to the first communication band CB1 and the second endfire antenna 212 corresponding to the second communication band CB2 may operate one by one (i.e., the communication using the first communication band and the communication using the second communication band may be performed separately from each other and thus not at the same time).
An S-parameter waveform of antennas having the S-parameter of the threshold value (e.g., −5 dB) in the first communication band CB1 is illustrated in
Referring to
Referring to
For example, the radiation pattern in the second communication band CB2 associated with the antenna device 200 may be maximized at −116 degrees. Through the fine tuning, an angle at which the radiation pattern in the second communication band CB2 is maximized may be changed from −116 degrees to −90 degrees. As illustrated in
Referring to
According to various exemplary embodiments, an endfire antenna space of the 4-bay antenna device may have a width Lw1 in the second direction. Adjacent endfire antennas included in the endfire antenna space may be spaced apart from each other in the first direction by a width Lw2. A patch antenna space of the 4-bay antenna device may have the width Lw2 in the second direction and a width Lw3 in the first direction. For example, the width Lw1 may be about 2 mm, the width Lw2 may be about 5 mm, and the width Lw3 may be about 20 mm.
In some exemplary embodiments, an antenna device may operate in a frequency band having the S-parameter of the threshold value or less. For example, referring to
In some exemplary embodiments, an antenna device may operate in a frequency band having the S-parameter of the threshold value or less. For example, referring to
An endfire antenna space 310 may include first and second endfire antennas 311 and 312. The first endfire antenna 311 may be a dipole antenna configured to transmit/receive an RF signal in the first communication band. The first endfire antenna 311 may include first and second radiators 311a and 311b. The first radiator 311a may include radiators formed at the third and fourth conductive layers L3 and L4 and a via connecting the radiators. The second radiator 311b may be a radiator formed at the fourth conductive layer L4.
The second endfire antenna 312 may be a dipole antenna configured to transmit/receive an RF signal in the second communication band. The second endfire antenna 312 may include third and fourth radiators 312a and 312b. The third radiator 312a may be a radiator formed at the first conductive layer L1. The fourth radiator 312b may include radiators formed at the first and second conductive layers L1 and L2 and a via connecting the radiators.
According to various exemplary embodiments, a dipole antenna in which radiators transmitting/receiving an RF signal are formed may be provided at the same conductive layer. For example, the first endfire antenna 311 may transmit/receive an RF signal in the first communication band CB1 through a pair of shapes that are respectively included in the first and second radiators 311a and 311b and are extended in the first direction at the fourth conductive layer L4. The second endfire antenna 312 may transmit/receive an RF signal in the second communication band CB2 through a pair of shapes that are respectively included in the third and fourth radiators 312a and 312b and are extended in the first direction at the first conductive layer L1.
As described above, according to various exemplary embodiments, since the radiators 311a, 311b, 312a, and 312b transmit/receive RF signals in the first and second communication bands CB1 and CB2 through the shapes extended in the first direction with a given width, there may be provided the endfire antennas 311 and 312 of a strip type, which are implemented with a reduced size.
The first radiator 311a may include a radiator of the third conductive layer L3 and a radiator of the fourth conductive layer L4. For example, the first radiator 311a may include a first shape 311a-1, a second shape 311a-2, and a third shape 311a-3 that are connected continuously (or seamlessly). A radiator corresponding to the first shape 311a-1 may be included in the fourth conductive layer L4. A radiator corresponding to the second and third shapes 311a-2 and 311a-3 that are connected may be included in the third conductive layer L3. The radiator corresponding to the first shape 311a-1 and the radiator corresponding to the second and third shapes 311a-2 and 311a-3 that are connected may be connected through a first via V1. The shape of the first radiator 311a will be more fully described with reference to
The second radiator 311b may be formed at the fourth conductive layer L4. For better understanding, the second radiator 311b is together illustrated in the cross-sectional view of
The third radiator 312a may be formed at the first conductive layer L1. The third radiator 312a may be connected with the feed space 340 through second vias V2 and radiators 312c to 312f.
The fourth radiator 312b may include a radiator of the first conductive layer L1 and a radiator of the second conductive layer L2, which are connected through a second via V2. For better understanding, the fourth radiator 312b is together illustrated in the cross-sectional view of
Each of the first and third radiators 311a and 312a may include a shape extended in the direction facing away from the second direction, a shape extended in a direction in which a slope is formed at a first angle ANG1, and a shape extended in the direction facing away from the first direction. In this case, the first angle ANG1 may be an acute angle. The first radiator 311a may further include a via extended in the third direction.
Each of the second and fourth radiators 311b and 312b may include a shape extended in the direction facing away from the second direction, a shape extended in a direction in which a slope is formed at a second angle ANG2, and a shape extended in the first direction. In this case, the second angle ANG2 may be the acute angle. In other words, in some exemplary embodiments, the first angle ANG1 may be the same as the second angle ANG2. The fourth radiator 312b may further include a via extended in the third direction.
In some exemplary embodiments, the first angle ANG1 and the second angle ANG2 may be symmetrical with respect to an axis parallel to the second direction. For example, the first angle ANG1 may be identical in magnitude with the second angle ANG2.
The first radiator of the first endfire antenna 311 may include the first to third shapes 311a-1, 311a-2, and 311a-3 that are connected continuously (or seamlessly). The first shape 311a-1 may be a shape extended in the first direction. The second shape 311a-2 may be a shape that is connected with the first shape 311a-1 through a via extended in the third direction and is extended in a direction rotated from the first direction to the second direction as much as the acute angle. The third shape 311a-3 may be a shape that is connected with the second shape 311a-2 and is extended in the second direction. The third shape 311a-3 may be connected with the first feed line.
The second radiator of the first endfire antenna 311 may include first to third shapes 311b-1, 311b-2, and 311b-3 that are connected continuously (or seamlessly). The first shape 311b-1 may be a shape extended in the first direction. The second shape 311b-2 may be a shape that is connected with the first shape 311b-1 and is extended in a direction rotated from the direction facing away from the first direction to the second direction as much as the acute angle. The third shape 311b-3 may be a shape that is connected with the second shape 311b-2 and is extended in the second direction. The third shape 311b-3 may be connected with the second feed line.
In some exemplary embodiments, the first endfire antenna 311 may include a pair of radiators that are formed at the same conductive layer and have a size corresponding to the first communication band. For example, a radiator including the first shape 311a-1 and a radiator including the first shape 311b-1 may be formed at the same conductive layer.
A plan view of the first endfire antenna 311 of
The third radiator of the second endfire antenna 312 may include first to third shapes 312a-1, 312a-2, and 312a-3 that are connected continuously (or seamlessly). The first shape 312a-1 may be a shape extended in the first direction. The second shape 312a-2 may be a shape that is connected with the first shape 312a-1 and is extended in a direction rotated from the first direction to the second direction by the acute angle. The third shape 312a-3 may be a shape that is connected with the second shape 312a-2 and is extended in the second direction. The third shape 312a-3 may be connected with the third feed line.
The fourth radiator of the second endfire antenna 312 may include first to third shapes 312b-1, 312b-2, and 312b-3 that are connected continuously (or seamlessly). The first shape 312b-1 may be a shape extended in the first direction. The second shape 312b-2 may be a shape that is connected with the first shape 312b-1 through a via extended in the third direction and is extended in a direction rotated from the first direction to the second direction by the acute angle. The third shape 312b-3 may be a shape that is connected with the second shape 312b-2 and is extended in the second direction. The third shape 312b-3 may be connected with the fourth feed line.
In some exemplary embodiments, the second endfire antenna 312 may include a pair of radiators that are formed at the same conductive layer and have a size corresponding to the second communication band. For example, a radiator including the first shape 312a-1 and a radiator including the first shape 312b-1 may be formed at the same conductive layer.
A plan view of the second endfire antenna 312 of
Referring to
In some exemplary embodiments, an antenna device may operate in a frequency band having the S-parameter of the threshold value or less. For example, referring to
In some exemplary embodiments, an antenna device may operate in a frequency band having the S-parameter of the threshold value or less. For example, referring to
An endfire antenna space 410 may include first and second endfire antennas 411 and 412. The first endfire antenna 411 may be a dipole antenna configured to transmit/receive an RF signal in the first communication band. The first endfire antenna 411 may include first and second radiators 411a and 411b respectively formed at the third and fourth conductive layers L3 and L4.
The second endfire antenna 412 may be a dipole antenna configured to transmit/receive an RF signal in the second communication band. The second endfire antenna 412 may include third and fourth radiators 412a and 412b respectively formed at the first and second conductive layers L1 and L2.
In some exemplary embodiments, an endfire antenna may be a dipole antenna including a pair of radiators that are different in size and are symmetrical in shape. For example, a shape of the first radiator 411a may be similar to a shape of the second radiator 411b. The first radiator 411a may be smaller in size than the second radiator 411b. A shape of the third radiator 412a may be similar to a shape of the fourth radiator 412b. The third radiator 412a may be larger in size than the fourth radiator 412b.
In some exemplary embodiments, the first endfire antenna 411 and the second endfire antenna 412 may be different in a radiator shape. For example, the first radiator 411a of the first endfire antenna 411 may include a shape extended in the direction facing away from the second direction, a shape extended in the direction facing away from the first direction, and a shape extended in the second direction. The third radiator 412a of the second endfire antenna 412 may include a shape extended in the direction facing away from the second direction and a shape in which a width in the second direction widens in the direction facing away from the first direction.
A barrier 420 may be interposed between the endfire antenna space 410 and the patch antenna space 430. The barrier 420 may include a first penetration region 421 and a second penetration region 422. The first penetration region 421 may be a region of the barrier 420, through which the first and feed lines connected with the first and second radiators 411a and 411b pass. The second penetration region 422 may be a region of the barrier 420, through which the third and fourth feed lines connected with the third and fourth radiators 412a and 412b pass. That is, unlike the penetration region 121 illustrated in
As described above, according to various exemplary embodiments, the first and second endfire antennas 411 and 412 of a differential type in which a shape of the first and second radiators 411a and 411b and a shape of the third and fourth radiators 412a and 412b are different may be provided.
The first radiator 411a may include a first shape 411a-1, a second shape 411a-2, and a third shape 411a-3 that are connected continuously (or seamlessly). The first shape 411a-1 may be a shape that is extended in the second direction with a first width Wa. The second shape 411a-2 may be a shape that is connected with the first shape 411a-1 and is extended in the first direction. The third shape 411a-3 may be a shape that is connected with the second shape 411a-2 and is extended in the second direction. The third shape 411a-3 may be connected with the first feed line.
The second radiator 411b may include a first shape 411b-1, a second shape 411b-2, and a third shape 411b-3 that are connected continuously (or seamlessly). The first shape 411b-1 may be a shape that is extended in the second direction with a second width Wb. The second shape 411b-2 may be a shape that is connected with the first shape 411b-1 and is extended in the direction facing away from the first direction. The third shape 411b-3 may be a shape that is connected with the second shape 411b-2 and is extended in the second direction. The third shape 411b-3 may be connected with the second feed line.
In some exemplary embodiments, the first and second radiators 411a and 411b may have sizes corresponding to first and second frequencies included in the first communication band. For example, the first communication band may include the first and second frequencies. The first and second shapes 411a-1 and 411a-2 that are connected may resonate with a signal of the first frequency. The first and second shapes 411b-1 and 411b-2 that are connected may resonate with a signal of the second frequency. In this case, the first width Wa and the second width Wb may be different. Lengths L1a and L2a may be different from lengths L1b and L2b, respectively.
The third radiator 412a may include a first shape 412a-1 and a second shape 412a-2 that are connected continuously (or seamlessly). The first shape 412a-1 may be a shape in which a width in the second direction widens in the direction facing away from the first direction. The second shape 412a-2 may be a shape that is connected with the first shape 412a-1 and is extended in the second direction. The second shape 412a-2 may be connected with the third feed line.
The fourth radiator 412b may include a first shape 412b-1 and a second shape 412b-2 that are connected continuously (or seamlessly). The first shape 412b-1 may be a shape in which a width in the second direction widens in the first direction. The second shape 412b-2 may be a shape that is connected with the first shape 412b-1 and is extended in the second direction. The second shape 412b-2 may be connected with the fourth feed line.
In some exemplary embodiments, the third and fourth radiators 412a and 412b may have sizes corresponding to third and fourth frequencies included in the second communication band. For example, the second communication band may include the third and fourth frequencies. The first shape 412a-1 may resonate with a signal of the third frequency. The first shape 412b-1 may resonate with a signal of the fourth frequency. In this case, the lengths L1a and L2a may be different from the lengths L1b and L2b, respectively.
In some exemplary embodiments, an antenna device may operate in a frequency band having the S-parameter of the threshold value or less. For example, referring to
In some exemplary embodiments, an antenna device may operate in a frequency band having the S-parameter of the threshold value or less. For example, referring to
Adjacent endfire antennas having similar shapes may be spaced from each other in the first direction by a width Lw2. For example, the first endfire antenna of the antenna device 400a may be spaced from the first endfire antenna of the antenna device 400b in the first direction by the width Lw2. The second endfire antenna of the antenna device 400b may be spaced from the second endfire antenna of the antenna device 400c in the first direction by the width Lw2. For example, the width Lw2 may be about 5 mm.
A radiation pattern in the first communication band CB1 associated with the 4-bay antenna device of
A radiation pattern in the second communication band CB2 associated with the 4-bay antenna device of
A radiation pattern in the second communication band CB2 associated with the 4-bay antenna device of
Each of the plurality of antenna devices 500a to 500d may include first and second endfire antennas. The first endfire antenna may include a pair of radiators that transmit/receive an RF signal in the first communication band. The second endfire antenna may include a pair of radiators that transmit/receive an RF signal in the second communication band.
The 4-bay antenna device may further include a first RF circuit 551 and a second RF circuit 552. The first RF circuit 551 may be connected with the first endfire antennas through feed lines. The first RF circuit 551 may be a circuit configured to process RF signals in the first communication band to be transmitted or received through the first endfire antennas.
The second RF circuit 552 may be connected with the second endfire antennas through feed lines. The second RF circuit 552 may be a circuit configured to process RF signals in the second communication band to be transmitted or received through the second endfire antennas.
As illustrated in
According to various exemplary embodiments, there may be provided a way to place feed lines such that feed lines for connection with the first RF circuit 551 and feed lines for connection with the second RF circuit 552 are formed at different conductive layers.
For example, the feed lines (marked by a solid line) for connection with the first RF circuit 551 may be formed at a first feed layer. The feed lines (marked by a broken line) for connection with the second RF circuit 552 may be formed at a second feed layer. As such, the feed lines for connection with the first RF circuit 551 and the feed lines for connection with the second RF circuit 552 may be placed to overlap each other in the third direction. This will be more fully described with reference to
The antenna device 500a may include the core layer CL, a patch antenna space 530, and a feed space 540. The feed space 540 of the antenna device 500a may be connected with a signal processing device 550. The patch antenna space 530 may be placed above the core layer CL in the third direction. The feed space 540 and the signal processing device 550 may be placed below the core layer CL in the third direction, as illustrated in
The feed space 540 may include a first feed layer FL1, a second feed layer FL2, and a plurality of ground layers GND. In this case, a feed layer may be a conductive layer where a radiator constituting at least a portion of a feed line is formed. In some exemplary embodiments, the ground layer GND, the first feed layer FL1, the ground layer GND, and the second feed layer FL2 may be stacked in the third direction.
According to various exemplary embodiments, a feed layer through which a feed line for connection with the first RF circuit 551 passes may be different from a feed layer through which a feed line for connection with the second RF circuit 552 passes. For example, the first and second feed lines connected with first and second radiators 511a and 511b of the first endfire antenna may pass through the first feed layer FL1 and may be connected with the first RF circuit 551. The third and fourth feed lines connected with third and fourth radiators 512a and 512b of the second endfire antenna may pass through the second feed layer FL2 and may be connected with the second RF circuit 552.
The processor 1100 may control overall operations of the electronic system 1000. The processor 1100 may control or manage operations of the components of the electronic system 1000. The processor 1100 may process various operations for the purpose of operating the electronic system 1000. In some exemplary embodiments, the processor 1100 may be an application processor (AP), or the like.
The memory 1200 may store data to be used for an operation of the electronic system 1000. For example, the memory 1200 may be used as a buffer memory, a cache memory, or a working memory of the electronic system 1000. For example, the memory 1200 may include a volatile memory such as a static random access memory (SRAM), a dynamic RAM (DRAM), or a synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), or a nonvolatile memory such as a phase-change RAM (PRAM), a magneto-resistive RAM (MRAM), a resistive RAM (ReRAM), or a ferroelectric RAM (FRAM), or the like.
The storage device 1300 may be used as a high-capacity storage medium of the electronic system 1000. The storage device 1300 may include at least one of various nonvolatile memories such as a flash memory, a PRAM, an MRAM, a ReRAM, or a FRAM, or the like. In some exemplary embodiments, the storage device 1300 may be embedded in the electronic system 1000 or may be removable from the electronic system 1000.
The display 1400 may be configured to output a variety of information under control of the processor 1100. The audio device 1500 includes an audio signal processor 1510, a microphone 1520, and a speaker 1530. The audio device 1500 may process an audio signal through an audio signal processor 1510. The audio device 1500 may receive an audio signal through the microphone 1520 or may output an audio signal through the speaker 1530.
The camera device 1600 may include a lens 1610 and an image device 1620. The camera device 1600 may receive a light corresponding to a subject through the lens 1610. The image device 1620 may generate image information about the subject based on the light received through the lens 1610.
The antenna device 1700 may include a first endfire antenna 1711, a second endfire antenna 1712, a signal processing device 1750, and a network device 1760. The network device 1760 may process an RF signal to be transmitted or received to or from an external device or system, in compliance with at least one of various wireless communication protocols: long term evolution (LTE), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMax), global system for mobile communication (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), or radio frequency identification (RFID), or the like. In some exemplary embodiments, the antenna device 1700 may include at least a part of components of an antenna device operating in a multi-band described with reference to
In some exemplary embodiments, at least a part of the components of the electronic system 1000 described with reference to
According to various exemplary embodiments, a multi-band antenna device that transmits/receives radio frequency signals in a multi-band within a limited space is provided.
Also, an antenna device in which the intensity of a signal is secured in a specific communication band, a radiation pattern is focused in a specific direction, and a chip size is reduced is provided.
While various exemplary embodiments have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the following claims.
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