Patent Application
20190131716
The present invention relates to the field of communications technologies, and in particular, to a terminal antenna and a terminal.
With rapid development of wireless communications technologies, a terminal has been playing an increasingly important role in people's daily work and life. A terminal antenna is a device, configured to receive or send a signal, in a terminal. In recent years, to increase terminal rigidness and for an aesthetical purpose, many terminal product manufacturers wish to add a metal housing to a terminal. However, after a metal housing is added, a signal inside a terminal cannot be effectively radiated by a terminal antenna, and the terminal antenna cannot effectively receive a signal sent by a base station either. Consequently, a metal housing cannot be added to a terminal.
In the prior art, to resolve the foregoing problem, in a terminal provided with a metal housing, generally, a slot is disposed in the metal housing of the terminal, and the metal housing provided with the slot is used as a part of a terminal antenna.
However, in the prior art, when the slot in the metal housing of the terminal is covered by a hand, a low-frequency signal or a high-frequency signal radiated by the terminal antenna is rapidly attenuated, thereby reducing efficiency of the terminal antenna.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a terminal antenna and a terminal, so as to resolve a prior-art problem of low efficiency of a terminal antenna caused because a low-frequency signal or a high-frequency signal radiated by the terminal antenna is rapidly attenuated when a slot in a metal housing of a terminal is covered by a hand.
According to a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a terminal antenna, where the terminal antenna includes a mainboard, a feedpoint disposed on the mainboard, a metal housing, an adjustable apparatus, and at least two adjustable ground points, where the mainboard is located on an inner side of the metal housing, the metal housing is electrically connected to the mainboard, and a slot is disposed in the metal housing; and the feedpoint and the at least two adjustable ground points each are disposed on a part of the mainboard facing the slot. In addition, the at least two adjustable ground points each are electrically connected to the mainboard by using the adjustable apparatus. In this case, the adjustable apparatus can be configured to control whether each adjustable ground point is grounded, so that signals with a same frequency can be radiated from a first end and a second end of the slot of the terminal antenna. This avoids a prior-art problem of low efficiency of a terminal antenna caused because a low-frequency signal or a high-frequency signal radiated by the terminal antenna is rapidly attenuated when a slot in a metal housing of a terminal is covered by a hand.
The feedpoint may be a metal sheet on the mainboard.
Further, based on the foregoing embodiment, the metal housing is electrically connected to the mainboard by using a capacitor.
It should be noted that the capacitor may be a capacitor component, or may be an equivalent capacitor formed between the metal housing and the mainboard.
Further, based on any one of the foregoing embodiments, the feedpoint is electrically connected to a matching circuit on the mainboard, and the matching circuit herein is configured to process a transmit signal generated by a transmitter of a terminal on which the terminal antenna is located, and provide the processed transmit signal to the feedpoint. In this case, the feedpoint receives the transmit signal with maximum power.
Optionally, when the at least two adjustable ground points are three adjustable ground points. A first adjustable ground point is located at one end of the slot, and a second adjustable ground point and a third adjustable ground point are located at the other end of the slot; and the second adjustable ground point is located between the first adjustable ground point and the third adjustable ground point.
Further, based on any one of the foregoing embodiments, the first adjustable ground point is electrically connected to a ground point on the mainboard by using a first switch circuit; the second adjustable ground point is electrically connected to a ground point on the mainboard by using a second switch circuit; and the third adjustable ground point is electrically connected to a ground point on the mainboard by using a third switch circuit. In this case, efficiency of controlling the first adjustable ground point, the second adjustable ground point, and the third adjustable ground point can be improved.
Optionally, the first switch circuit, the second switch circuit, and the third switch circuit each are an adjustable capacitor circuit, an adjustable inductor circuit, or a filter circuit.
It should be noted that the first switch circuit, the second switch circuit, and the third switch circuit may be any combination of the adjustable capacitor circuit, the adjustable inductor circuit, or the filter circuit.
Further, based on any of the foregoing embodiments, the feedpoint is located between the first adjustable ground point and the second adjustable ground point; or the feedpoint is located between the second adjustable ground point and the third adjustable ground point.
Optionally, that a slot is disposed in the metal housing is specifically:
two slots are disposed on two sides of the metal housing, respectively; or
a U-shape slot is disposed in the metal housing, and two ends of the U-shape slot extend to two sides of the metal housing; or
two slots are disposed at the bottom of the metal housing; or
a linear slot is disposed in the metal housing, and two ends of the linear slot extend to two sides of the metal housing.
It should be noted that a manner in which the slot in the metal housing of the terminal is disposed is not limited to the foregoing four manners.
Optionally, the adjustable apparatus is a switch, a variable capacitor, or a variable inductor. In this case, efficiency of controlling the adjustable ground points by the adjustable apparatus is improved.
According to a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a terminal, including the terminal antenna provided in any one of the embodiments of the present invention.
In the terminal antenna and the terminal that are provided in the embodiments of the present invention, the terminal antenna includes the mainboard, the feedpoint disposed on the mainboard, the metal housing, the adjustable apparatus, and the at least two adjustable ground points. The mainboard is located on an inner side of the metal housing, the metal housing is electrically connected to the mainboard, the slot is disposed in the metal housing, and the feedpoint and the at least two adjustable ground points each are disposed on a part of the mainboard facing the slot. In addition, the at least two adjustable ground points each are electrically connected to the mainboard by using the adjustable apparatus. In this case, the adjustable apparatus can be configured to control whether each adjustable ground point is grounded, so that signals with a same frequency can be radiated from a first end and a second end of the slot of the terminal antenna. This avoids a prior-art problem of low efficiency of a terminal antenna caused because a low-frequency signal or a high-frequency signal radiated by the terminal antenna is rapidly attenuated when a slot in a metal housing of a terminal is covered by a hand.
To describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or in the prior art more clearly, the following briefly describes the accompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments or the prior art. Apparently, the accompanying drawings in the following description show some embodiments of the present invention, and persons of ordinary skill in the art may still derive other drawings from these accompanying drawings without creative efforts.
Terminal manufacturers at home and abroad are focusing on metal and ultrathin terminals, but implementation of the metal and ultrathin terminals brings a great technical challenge to a design of a terminal antenna.
A terminal antenna provided in embodiments of the present invention can be applicable to a terminal with a metal housing.
A terminal with a metal housing in the embodiments of the present invention may be a wireless terminal, and the wireless terminal may be a device providing voice and/or data connectivity to a user, a handheld device with a wireless connection function, or another processing device connected to a wireless modem. The wireless terminal may communicate with one or more core networks by using a wireless access network (for example, RAN, Wireless Access Network). The wireless terminal may be a mobile terminal, such as a mobile telephone (or referred to as a “cellular” phone) or a computer with a mobile terminal, such as a portable, pocket-sized, hand-held, computer built-in, or in-vehicle mobile apparatus, which exchanges voice and/or data with the wireless access network. For example, the wireless terminal may be a device such as a personal communication service (PCS, Personal Communication Service) telephone, a cordless telephone set, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) telephone, a wireless local loop (WLL, Wireless Local Loop) station, or a personal digital assistant (PDA, Personal Digital Assistant). The wireless terminal may also be referred to as a system, a subscriber unit (Subscriber Unit), a subscriber station (Subscriber Station), a mobile station (Mobile Station), a mobile station (Mobile), a remote station (Remote Station), an access point (Access Point), a remote terminal (Remote Terminal), an access terminal (Access Terminal), a user terminal (User Terminal), a user agent (User Agent), a user device (User Device), or user equipment (User Equipment).
The terminal antenna in the embodiments of the present invention is intended to resolve a prior-art problem of low efficiency of a terminal antenna caused because a low-frequency signal or a high-frequency signal radiated by the terminal antenna is rapidly attenuated when a slot in a metal housing of a terminal is covered by a hand.
The following uses specific embodiments to describe in details a technical solution of the present invention and how the foregoing technical problem is resolved by using the technical solution of the present invention. The several following specific embodiments may be combined with each other, and details about a same or similar concept or a process may not be repeated in some embodiments.
The mainboard 2 is located on an inner side of the metal housing 1, the metal housing 1 is electrically connected to the mainboard 2, and a slot 4 is disposed in the metal housing 1.
In this embodiment, specifically, the metal housing 1 may be electrically connected to the mainboard by using a capacitor, and the capacitor may be a capacitor component, or may be an equivalent capacitor formed between the metal housing 1 and the mainboard 2.
In addition, slot disposing in the metal housing 1 is implemented in the following four specific manners, but no limitation is set thereto.
Still referring to
It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention merely provide several manners in which the slot is disposed in the metal housing of a terminal, but no limitation is set thereto.
In addition, the feedpoint 3 and the at least two adjustable ground points each are disposed on a part of the mainboard 2 facing the slot 4. The at least two adjustable ground points each are electrically connected to the mainboard 2 by using an adjustable apparatus, and the adjustable apparatus is configured to control whether each adjustable ground point is grounded.
In this embodiment, specifically, the feedpoint 3 is electrically connected to a feeding circuit (not shown in the figure) on the mainboard 2, and an adjustable ground point is electrically connected to a ground point on the mainboard 2 by using the adjustable apparatus. The feeding circuit herein is configured to process a transmit signal generated by a transmitter of a terminal on which the terminal antenna is located, and provide the processed transmit signal to the feedpoint 3. The feeding circuit may be a matching circuit. In this case, the feedpoint 3 receives the transmit signal with maximum power.
In addition, the adjustable apparatus may be a switch, a variable capacitor, or a variable inductor.
It should be noted that the adjustable apparatus may be a mechanical switch, or a component that is formed by a variable capacitor/variable inductor and that has a switch function, but no limitation is set thereto.
In this embodiment, for example, if the adjustable apparatus is a switch, when the switch is turned off, the adjustable ground point connected to the adjustable apparatus is grounded; if the adjustable apparatus is a variable capacitor, when a capacitance value of the variable capacitor is greater than a preset threshold, the adjustable ground point connected to the adjustable apparatus is grounded; or if the adjustable apparatus is a variable inductor, when an inductance value of the variable inductor is less than a preset threshold, the adjustable ground point connected to the adjustable apparatus is grounded.
In this embodiment, the terminal antenna includes the mainboard, the feedpoint disposed on the mainboard, the metal housing, the adjustable apparatus, and the at least two adjustable ground points. The mainboard is located on an inner side of the metal housing, the metal housing is electrically connected to the mainboard, the slot is disposed in the metal housing, and the feedpoint and the at least two adjustable ground points each are disposed on a part of the mainboard facing the slot. In addition, the at least two adjustable ground points each are electrically connected to the mainboard by using the adjustable apparatus. In this case, the adjustable apparatus can be configured to control whether each adjustable ground point is grounded, so that signals with a same frequency can be radiated from a first end and a second end of the slot of the terminal antenna. This avoids a prior-art problem of low efficiency of a terminal antenna caused because a low-frequency signal or a high-frequency signal radiated by the terminal antenna is rapidly attenuated when a slot in a metal housing of a terminal is covered by a hand.
Still referring to
The second adjustable ground point 6 is located between the first adjustable ground point 5 and the third adjustable ground point 7.
In this embodiment, whether the first adjustable ground point, the second adjustable ground point, and the third adjustable ground point are grounded can be controlled, so that signals with a same frequency can be radiated from a first end and a second end of the slot of the terminal antenna.
But no limitation is set to the foregoing embodiment, a quantity of adjustable ground points and a position of an adjustable ground point can be flexibly adjusted according to a specific situation of the terminal, and a main purpose is to make signals with a same frequency radiated from the first end of the slot and the second end of the slot of the terminal antenna.
In addition, in a possible implementation implemented in the present invention, the first adjustable ground point 5 is electrically connected to a ground point on the mainboard by using a first switch circuit (not shown in the figure).
The second adjustable ground point 6 is electrically connected to a ground point on the mainboard 2 by using a second switch circuit (not shown in the figure).
The third adjustable ground point 7 is electrically connected to a ground point on the mainboard 2 by using a third switch circuit (not shown in the figure).
The feedpoint 3 is located between the first adjustable ground point 5 and the second adjustable ground point 6, or the feedpoint 3 is located between the second adjustable ground point 6 and the third adjustable ground point 7.
Specifically, the first switch circuit, the second switch circuit, and the third switch circuit each are an adjustable capacitor circuit, an adjustable inductor circuit, or a filter circuit.
It should be noted that the filter circuit may be formed by serially connecting an inductor and a capacitor. According to a filter circuit principle, it can be learned that a low-pass filter, a band-pass filter, and a high-pass filter may be formed by setting different inductance values and capacitance values. For example, when the terminal antenna operates in a low-frequency state, a first switch needs to control the first ground point to be disconnected. In this case, the first switch can be implemented by using the high-pass filter.
In this embodiment, the first adjustable ground point is electrically connected to a ground point on the mainboard by using the first switch circuit; the second adjustable ground point is electrically connected to a ground point on the mainboard by using the second switch circuit; and third adjustable ground point is electrically connected to a ground point on the mainboard by using the third switch circuit. The first switch circuit, the second switch circuit, and the third switch circuit each are an adjustable capacitor circuit, an adjustable inductor circuit, or a filter circuit. In this case, efficiency of controlling the first adjustable ground point, the second adjustable ground point, and the third adjustable ground point can be improved.
During specific usage, whether the first adjustable ground point 5, the second adjustable ground point 6, and the third adjustable ground point 7 are grounded are respectively controlled by adjusting statuses of the first switch circuit, the second switch circuit, and the third switch circuit, so that the terminal antenna operates in different statuses, and there are three different operating statuses for the terminal antenna: a low-frequency state, an intermediate-frequency state, and a high-frequency state.
When the terminal antenna needs to use a low frequency to transmit data, the terminal antenna needs to operate in the low-frequency state. In this case, the terminal antenna adjusts the statuses of the first switch circuit, the second switch circuit, and the third switch circuit to respectively control the first adjustable ground point 5 to be disconnected, the second adjustable ground point 6 to be grounded, and the third adjustable ground point 7 to be disconnected.
The following describes, according to a current distribution diagram when the terminal antenna is in the low-frequency state, an operating principle of the terminal antenna in the low-frequency state in details.
It should be noted that when the terminal antenna is in the low-frequency state, energy of the first resonance 101 is the highest, and energy of the second resonance 102, the third resonance 103, and the fourth resonance 104 is relatively low. Therefore, the terminal antenna in the low-frequency state operates in the first resonance 101. Because the low-frequency resonance is generated only at the first end 40 of the slot, when the terminal antenna is used by a left hand or a right hand, efficiency of the antenna is still rapidly reduced.
A simulation result of this embodiment of the present invention proves that efficiency of the terminal antenna when the terminal antenna is in a free space state is higher than efficiency of the antenna when the terminal antenna is used by a left hand or a right hand. When the terminal antenna is used by a right hand and the antenna operates on a low frequency band, efficiency of the antenna is the lowest and a reflection coefficient of the antenna is the largest.
When the terminal antenna needs to use an intermediate frequency to transmit data, the terminal antenna needs to operate in an intermediate-frequency state. In this case, the terminal antenna adjusts the statuses of the first switch circuit, the second switch circuit, and the third switch circuit to respectively control the first adjustable ground point 5 to be grounded, the second adjustable ground point 6 to be grounded, and the third adjustable ground point 7 to be disconnected.
The following describes, according to a current distribution diagram when the terminal antenna is in the intermediate-frequency state, an operating principle of the terminal antenna in the intermediate-frequency state in details.
It should be noted that, when the terminal antenna is in the intermediate-frequency state, the fifth resonance 201 and the seventh resonance 203 generate resonance of a frequency band from 1710 MHz to 2170 MHz by means of excitation, the fifth resonance 201 is formed at the first adjustable ground point 5 and the first end 40 of the slot, and the seventh resonance 203 is formed from the feedpoint 3 to the second end 41 of the slot. Therefore, when the terminal antenna is used by a left hand or a right hand, efficiency of operating on an intermediate frequency band by the terminal antenna is not rapidly reduced, and the terminal antenna still operates normally.
A simulation result of this embodiment of the present invention proves that efficiency of the terminal antenna when the terminal antenna is in a free space state is higher than efficiency of the antenna when the terminal antenna is used by a left hand or a right hand. When the terminal antenna is used by a right hand or a left hand and the antenna operates on the intermediate frequency band, efficiency of the antenna is close to a reflection coefficient.
When the terminal antenna needs to use a high frequency to transmit data, the terminal antenna needs to operate in an intermediate-frequency state. In this case, the terminal antenna adjusts the statuses of the first switch circuit, the second switch circuit, and the third switch circuit to respectively control the first adjustable ground point 5 to be disconnected, the second adjustable ground point 6 to be grounded, and the third adjustable ground point 7 to be grounded.
The following describes, according to a current distribution diagram when the terminal antenna is in a high-frequency state, an operating principle of the terminal antenna in the high-frequency state in details.
It should be noted that when the terminal antenna is in the high-frequency state, the tenth resonance 302 and the eleventh resonance 303 generate resonance with a frequency band from 2.5 GHz to 2.7 GHz by means of excitation, the tenth resonance 302 is formed at the feedpoint 3 and the first end 40 of the slot, and the eleventh resonance 303 is formed at the feedpoint 3 and the second end 41 of the slot. Therefore, when the terminal antenna is used by a left hand or a right hand, efficiency of the terminal antenna on a high frequency band is not rapidly reduced, and the terminal antenna can still operate normally.
A simulation result of this embodiment of the present invention proves that efficiency of the terminal antenna when the terminal antenna is in a free space state is higher than efficiency of the antenna when the terminal antenna is used by a left hand or a right hand. When the terminal antenna is used by a right hand or a left hand, efficiency of the antenna is close to a reflection coefficient.
An embodiment of the present invention further provides a terminal, including the terminal antenna provided in any one of the embodiments of the present invention.
Finally, it should be noted that the foregoing embodiments are merely intended for describing the technical solutions of the present invention, but not for limiting the present invention. Although the present invention is described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, persons of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they may still make modifications to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent replacements to some or all technical features thereof. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CN2016/078499 | 4/5/2016 | WO | 00 |
