TWI879279B - Mobile device supporting wideband operation - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile device supporting wideband operations includes a ground element, a loop radiation element, a first radiation element, a second radiation element, and a dielectric substrate. The loop radiation element is coupled to the ground element. A slot region is formed inside the loop radiation element. The loop radiation element has a first inner edge and a second inner edge which are opposite to each other. The first radiation element has a feeding point. The first radiation element is coupled to the first inner edge of the loop radiation element. The second radiation element is adjacent to the first radiation element. The second radiation element is coupled to the second inner edge of the loop radiation element. The loop radiation element, the first radiation element, and the second radiation element are disposed on the dielectric substrate. An antenna structure is formed by the loop radiation element, the first radiation element, the second radiation element, and the dielectric substrate.

Description

Mobile devices that support broadband operation

The present invention relates to a mobile device, and more particularly to a mobile device capable of supporting broadband operation.

With the development of mobile communication technology, mobile devices have become increasingly popular in recent years, such as laptops, mobile phones, multimedia players and other hybrid portable electronic devices. In order to meet people's needs, mobile devices usually have wireless communication functions. Some cover long-distance wireless communication ranges, such as mobile phones using 2G, 3G, LTE (Long Term Evolution) systems and the 700MHz, 850 MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 1900MHz, 2100MHz, 2300MHz and 2500MHz frequency bands used for communication, while some cover short-distance wireless communication ranges, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth systems use 2.4GHz, 5.2GHz and 5.8GHz frequency bands for communication.

Antennas are essential components in the field of wireless communications. If the operational bandwidth of an antenna used to receive or transmit signals is too narrow, it will easily cause the communication quality of mobile devices to deteriorate. Therefore, how to design a small-sized, wide-bandwidth antenna structure is an important issue for designers.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a mobile device supporting broadband operation, comprising: a grounding element; an annular radiating portion coupled to the grounding element, wherein a slot area is formed in the annular radiating portion, and the annular radiating portion has a first inner edge and a second inner edge opposite to each other; a first radiating portion having a feed point, wherein the first radiating portion is coupled to the annular radiating portion. a first inner edge; a second radiating portion adjacent to the first radiating portion, wherein the second radiating portion is coupled to the second inner edge of the annular radiating portion; and a dielectric substrate, wherein the annular radiating portion, the first radiating portion, and the second radiating portion are all disposed on the dielectric substrate; wherein the annular radiating portion, the first radiating portion, the second radiating portion, and the dielectric substrate together form an antenna structure.

In some embodiments, the annular radiating portion is in the shape of a larger rectangle, and the slot region is in the shape of a smaller rectangle.

In some embodiments, the first radiating portion is in a serpentine shape, and the second radiating portion is in a straight strip shape.

In some embodiments, the first radiating portion includes a first portion and a second portion that are not parallel to each other, the first portion is coupled to the feeding point, and the second portion is coupled to the first inner edge of the annular radiating portion.

In some embodiments, the first portion of the first radiating portion and the first inner edge of the annular radiating portion are substantially parallel to each other.

In some embodiments, the second portion of the first radiating portion forms a sharp angle with the first inner edge of the annular radiating portion.

In some embodiments, a coupling gap is formed between the second radiating portion and the first radiating portion, and a width of the coupling gap is less than or equal to 1 mm.

In some embodiments, the antenna structure covers a first frequency band, a second frequency band, and a third frequency band, the first frequency band is between 2400 MHz and 2500 MHz, the second frequency band is between 5150 MHz and 5850 MHz, and the third frequency band is between 5925 and 7125 MHz.

In some embodiments, the length of the annular radiation portion is approximately equal to 0.5 times the wavelength of the first frequency band, the length of the first radiation portion is approximately equal to 0.5 times the wavelength of the second frequency band, and the length of the second radiation portion is approximately equal to 0.25 times the wavelength of the third frequency band.

In some embodiments, the mobile device further includes: a speaker element including a non-conductive shell; a keyboard frame made of a non-conductive material, wherein the antenna structure is disposed between the keyboard frame and the non-conductive shell of the speaker element; a base shell made of a metal material; a conductive foam, wherein the grounding element is coupled to the base shell via the conductive foam; and a battery element adjacent to the conductive foam; wherein the grounding element, the speaker element, the conductive foam, and the battery element are all disposed between the keyboard frame and the base shell.

In order to make the purpose, features and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, specific embodiments of the present invention are specifically listed below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Certain terms are used in the specification and patent application to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art should understand that hardware manufacturers may use different terms to refer to the same component. This specification and patent application do not use differences in names as a way to distinguish components, but use differences in the functions of components as the criterion for distinction. The words "include" and "including" mentioned throughout the specification and patent application are open terms and should be interpreted as "including but not limited to". The word "substantially" means that within an acceptable error range, those skilled in the art can solve the technical problem within a certain error range and achieve the basic technical effect. In addition, the word "coupled" in this specification includes any direct and indirect electrical connection means. Therefore, if a first device is described herein as being coupled to a second device, it means that the first device may be directly electrically connected to the second device, or may be indirectly electrically connected to the second device via other devices or connection means.

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different features of the present invention. The following disclosure describes specific examples of various components and their arrangements to simplify the description. Of course, these specific examples are not intended to be limiting. For example, if the present disclosure describes a first feature formed on or above a second feature, it means that it may include an embodiment in which the first feature and the second feature are in direct contact, and may also include an embodiment in which an additional feature is formed between the first feature and the second feature, so that the first feature and the second feature may not be in direct contact. In addition, the same reference symbols and/or marks may be reused in different examples of the following disclosure. These repetitions are for the purpose of simplification and clarity, and are not intended to limit the specific relationship between the different embodiments and/or structures discussed.

In addition, spatially related terms such as "below," "below," "lower," "above," "higher," and similar terms are used to facilitate description of the relationship between one element or feature and another element or features in the diagram. In addition to the orientation shown in the drawings, these spatially related terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation. The device may be rotated to different orientations (rotated 90 degrees or other orientations), and the spatially related terms used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

FIG. 1 is a top view of a mobile device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, the mobile device 100 may be a smart phone, a tablet computer, or a notebook computer. In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the mobile device 100 includes: a ground element 110, a loop radiation element 120, a first radiation element 140, a second radiation element 150, and a dielectric substrate 160, wherein the ground element 110, the loop radiation element 120, the first radiation element 140, and the second radiation element 150 may all be made of metal materials, such as copper, silver, aluminum, iron, or alloys thereof. It should be understood that, although not shown in FIG. 1 , the mobile device 100 may further include other components, such as a processor, a touch control panel, a power supply module, or (and) a housing.

The grounding element 110 may be implemented by a ground copper foil, which may be used to provide a ground voltage. In some embodiments, the grounding element 110 may be further coupled to a system ground plane (not shown) of the mobile device 100 .

The annular radiating portion 120 is coupled to the grounding element 110, wherein a slot region 130 may be formed in the annular radiating portion 120. Specifically, the annular radiating portion 120 has a first inner edge 121, a second inner edge 122, and a third inner edge 123, wherein the first inner edge 121 and the second inner edge 122 are opposite to each other, and the third inner edge 123 is between the first inner edge 121 and the second inner edge 122. In addition, the first inner edge 121 and the second inner edge 122 of the annular radiating portion 120 may also be substantially parallel to each other. In some embodiments, the annular radiating portion 120 may be substantially in the shape of a larger rectangle, and the slot region 130 thereof may be substantially in the shape of a smaller rectangle, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The first radiating portion 140 may be substantially in a meandering shape, such as an L-shape or a Z-shape. Specifically, the first radiating portion 140 has a first end 141 and a second end 142, wherein a feeding point FP is located at the first end 141 of the first radiating portion 140. The feeding point FP may be further coupled to a signal source 190. For example, the signal source 190 may be a radio frequency (RF) module, and the feeding point FP may be substantially located at the center of the slot region 130 of the annular radiating portion 120. In some embodiments, the first radiating portion 140 includes a first portion 144 adjacent to the first end 141 and a second portion 145 adjacent to the second end 142, wherein the first portion 144 is further coupled to the feed point FP, and the second portion 145 (or the second end 142) is further coupled to the first inner edge 121 of the annular radiating portion 120. The first portion 144 and the second portion 145 of the first radiating portion 140 are not parallel to each other. However, the first portion 144 of the first radiating portion 140 may be substantially parallel to the first inner edge 121 of the annular radiating portion 120. In addition, the second portion 145 of the first radiating portion 140 may form an acute angle θ with the first inner edge 121 of the annular radiating portion 120. It should be noted that the term "adjacent" or "adjacent" in this specification may refer to a situation where the distance between two corresponding elements is less than a predetermined distance (e.g., 10 mm or shorter), and may also include a situation where two corresponding elements are in direct contact with each other (i.e., the aforementioned distance is shortened to 0).

The second radiating portion 150 may be substantially in the shape of a straight strip. Specifically, the second radiating portion 150 has a first end 151 and a second end 152, wherein the first end 151 of the second radiating portion 150 is coupled to the second inner edge 122 of the annular radiating portion 120, and the second end 152 of the second radiating portion 150 is an open end and may extend toward the first inner edge 121 of the annular radiating portion 120. In some embodiments, the second end 152 of the second radiating portion 150 is adjacent to the first end 141 of the first radiating portion 140, so that a coupling gap GC1 may be formed between the second radiating portion 150 and the first radiating portion 140. In addition, the second radiating portion 150 may be substantially perpendicular to the first portion 144 of the first radiating portion 140 .

For example, the dielectric substrate 160 may be a FR4 (Flame Retardant 4) substrate, a printed circuit board (PCB), or a flexible printed circuit (FPC). The annular radiating portion 120, the first radiating portion 140, and the second radiating portion 150 may all be disposed on the same surface of the dielectric substrate 160. In some embodiments, the grounding element 110 may also be partially disposed on the dielectric substrate 160, but is not limited thereto.

In a preferred embodiment, the annular radiating portion 120, the first radiating portion 140, the second radiating portion 150, and the dielectric substrate 160 can together form an antenna structure 170 of the mobile device 100. It should be noted that since the aforementioned antenna structure 170 is a planar antenna structure, its overall manufacturing cost can be further reduced.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the return loss of the antenna structure 170 of the mobile device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the horizontal axis represents the operating frequency (MHz) and the vertical axis represents the return loss (dB). According to the measurement results of FIG. 2, the antenna structure 170 of the mobile device 100 can cover a first frequency band FB1, a second frequency band FB2, and a third frequency band FB3. For example, the first frequency band FB1 can be between 2400MHz and 2500MHz, the second frequency band FB2 can be between 5150MHz and 5850MHz, and the third frequency band FB3 can be between 5925MHz and 7125MHz. Therefore, the mobile device 100 will at least be able to support broadband operations of WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7.

In some embodiments, the operation principle of the antenna structure 170 of the mobile device 100 can be described as follows. The annular radiating portion 120 can excite and generate the aforementioned first frequency band FB1. The first radiating portion 140 can excite and generate the aforementioned second frequency band FB2. The second radiating portion 150 can excite and generate the aforementioned third frequency band FB3. In addition, the higher-order resonant mode (Higher-Order Resonant Mode) of the annular radiating portion 120 can also contribute to the aforementioned second frequency band FB2 and third frequency band FB3. According to actual measurement results, if the feed point FP is designed to be at the exact center of the slot area 130 of the annular radiating portion 120 , the impedance matching of the aforementioned first frequency band FB1 can be fine-tuned, thereby increasing the operational bandwidth of the antenna structure 170 .

In some embodiments, the dimensions of the components of the mobile device 100 may be as follows. The length L1 of the annular radiating portion 120 may be approximately equal to 0.5 times the wavelength (λ/2) of the first frequency band FB1 of the antenna structure 170 of the mobile device 100. Alternatively, the length L1 of the annular radiating portion 120 may be approximately equal to 1 times the wavelength (1λ) of the second frequency band FB2 of the antenna structure 170 of the mobile device 100. Alternatively, the length L1 of the annular radiating portion 120 may be approximately equal to 1.5 times the wavelength (3λ/2) of the third frequency band FB3 of the antenna structure 170 of the mobile device 100. The width W1 of the annular radiating portion 120 may be between 8 mm and 10 mm. The border width WB of the annular radiating portion 120 may be between 2 mm and 3 mm. The length L2 of the first radiating portion 140 may be approximately equal to 0.5 times the wavelength (λ/2) of the second frequency band FB2 of the antenna structure 170 of the mobile device 100. The width W2 of the first radiating portion 140 may be between 1 mm and 2 mm. The length L3 of the second radiating portion 150 may be approximately equal to 0.25 times the wavelength (λ/4) of the third frequency band FB3 of the antenna structure 170 of the mobile device 100. The width W3 of the second radiating portion 150 may be between 3 mm and 4 mm. The sharp angle θ may be between 30 degrees and 80 degrees, for example, about 60 degrees, about 70 degrees, or about 75 degrees. The distance D1 between the third inner edge 123 of the annular radiating portion 120 and the second radiating portion 150 may be less than 0.5 times the wavelength (λ/2) of the second frequency band FB2 of the antenna structure 170 of the mobile device 100. The width of the coupling gap GC1 may be less than or equal to 1 mm. The above size range is obtained based on multiple experimental results, which helps to optimize the operating bandwidth and impedance matching of the antenna structure 170 of the mobile device 100.

The following will introduce different configurations and detailed structural features of the mobile device 100. It must be understood that these drawings and descriptions are only examples and are not intended to limit the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a mobile device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 1. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the mobile device 300 is a notebook computer, and further includes: a speaker element 310, a keyboard frame 320, a base housing 330, a conductive gasket 340, and a battery element 350, wherein the keyboard frame 320 can be made of a non-conductive material, and the base housing 330 can be made of a metal material. It should be understood that the aforementioned keyboard frame 320 and base housing 330 are respectively equivalent to the so-called "C-part" and "D-part" in the field of notebook computers.

The speaker element 310 includes a non-conductive housing 315, wherein the aforementioned antenna structure 170 may be disposed between the keyboard frame 320 and the non-conductive housing 315 of the speaker element 310. The aforementioned ground element 110 may be further coupled to the base housing 330 via the conductive foam 340, wherein the battery element 350 may be disposed adjacent to the conductive foam 340. It should be noted that the ground element 110, the antenna structure 170, the speaker element 310, the conductive foam 340, and the battery element 350 may all be disposed between the keyboard frame 320 and the base housing 330 of the mobile device 300.

According to actual measurement results, since the antenna structure 170 is properly integrated with the speaker element 310, the mobile device 300 can not only maintain good communication quality, but also significantly reduce the size of the overall antenna. On the other hand, if an arrow 360 above the keyboard frame 320 is used as a detection direction, the specific absorption rate (SAR) detected by the mobile device 300 will be more easily in compliance with legal regulations. Compared with the traditional design, the specific absorption rate of the antenna structure 170 in the aforementioned second frequency band FB2 can be reduced by about 50%, and the specific absorption rate of the antenna structure 170 in the aforementioned third frequency band FB3 can be reduced by about 30%, but it is not limited thereto. The remaining features of the mobile device 300 in FIG. 3 are similar to those of the mobile device 100 in FIG. 1 , so both embodiments can achieve similar operating effects.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the radiation gain of the antenna structure 170 of the mobile device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the horizontal axis represents the operating frequency (MHz) and the vertical axis represents the radiation gain (dBi). According to the measurement results of FIG. 4, the radiation efficiency of the antenna structure 170 of the mobile device 300 in the aforementioned first frequency band FB1 and second frequency band FB2 can reach about -4dBi, which can meet the actual application requirements of general mobile communication devices.

The present invention proposes a novel mobile device and antenna structure thereof. Compared with the traditional design, the present invention has at least the advantages of small size, wide bandwidth, high radiation efficiency, low manufacturing cost, and improved specific absorption rate, so it is very suitable for application in various devices.

It is worth noting that the above-mentioned component size, component shape, and frequency range are not limiting conditions of the present invention. Antenna designers can adjust these settings according to different needs. The mobile device of the present invention is not limited to the states shown in Figures 1-4. The present invention may include only one or more features of any one or more embodiments of Figures 1-4. In other words, not all the features shown in the diagrams need to be implemented in the mobile device of the present invention at the same time.

Ordinal numbers in this specification and the scope of the patent application, such as "first", "second", "third", etc., have no sequential relationship with each other, and are only used to mark and distinguish two different components with the same name.

Although the present invention is disclosed as above with the preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art can make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the scope defined by the attached patent application.

100,300: mobile device 110: grounding element 120: annular radiating portion 121: first inner edge of the annular radiating portion 122: second inner edge of the annular radiating portion 123: third inner edge of the annular radiating portion 130: slot area 140: first radiating portion 141: first end of the first radiating portion 142: second end of the first radiating portion 144: first portion of the first radiating portion 145: second portion of the first radiating portion 150: second radiating portion 151: first end of the second radiating portion 152: second end of the second radiating portion 160: dielectric substrate 170: antenna structure 190: signal source 310: speaker element 315: non-conductive housing 320: keyboard frame 330: base housing 340: conductive foam 350: battery element 360: arrow D1: spacing FB1: first frequency band FB2: second frequency band FB3: third frequency band FP: feed point GC1: coupling gap L1, L2, L3: length W1, W2, W3: width WB: side width θ: sharp angle

FIG. 1 is a top view of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a return loss diagram of an antenna structure of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a radiation gain diagram of an antenna structure of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

100: Mobile devices

110: Grounding element

120: Annular radiation section

121: The first inner edge of the annular radiation section

122: The second inner edge of the annular radiation

123: The third inner edge of the annular radiation

130: Slot area

140: First Radiation Division

141: The first end of the first radiation section

142: The second end of the first radiation section

144: The first part of the first radiation section

145: The second part of the first radiation section

150: Second Radiation Division

151: The first end of the second radiation section

152: The second end of the second radiation section

160: Dielectric substrate

170: Antenna structure

190:Signal source

D1: Spacing

FP: Feed Point

GC1: coupling gap

L1, L2, L3: Length

W1,W2,W3:Width

WB:Border width

θ: sharp angle

Claims (8)

A mobile device supporting broadband operation, comprising: a grounding element; an annular radiating portion coupled to the grounding element, wherein a slot area is formed in the annular radiating portion, and the annular radiating portion has a first inner edge and a second inner edge opposite to each other; a first radiating portion having a feed point, wherein the first radiating portion is coupled to the first inner edge of the annular radiating portion; a second radiating portion adjacent to the first radiating portion, wherein the second radiating portion is coupled to the second inner edge of the annular radiating portion; and a dielectric substrate, wherein the annular radiating portion, the first radiating portion, and the second radiating portion are all disposed on the dielectric substrate; The annular radiation part, the first radiation part, the second radiation part, and the dielectric substrate together form an antenna structure; The antenna structure covers a first frequency band, a second frequency band, and a third frequency band, the first frequency band is between 2400MHz and 2500MHz, the second frequency band is between 5150MHz and 5850MHz, and the third frequency band is between 5925 and 7125MHz; The length of the annular radiation part is approximately equal to 0.5 times the wavelength of the first frequency band, the length of the first radiation part is approximately equal to 0.5 times the wavelength of the second frequency band, and the length of the second radiation part is approximately equal to 0.25 times the wavelength of the third frequency band. A mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein the annular radiation portion is in the shape of a larger rectangle, and the slot area is in the shape of a smaller rectangle. A mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein the first radiating portion is in a serpentine shape, and the second radiating portion is in a straight strip shape. A mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein the first radiating portion includes a first part and a second part that are not parallel to each other, the first part is coupled to the feed point, and the second part is coupled to the first inner edge of the annular radiating portion. The mobile device as described in claim 4, wherein the first portion of the first radiation portion is substantially parallel to the first inner edge of the annular radiation portion. A mobile device as described in claim 4, wherein the second portion of the first radiating portion forms a sharp angle with the first inner edge of the annular radiating portion. A mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein a coupling gap is formed between the second radiating portion and the first radiating portion, and the width of the coupling gap is less than or equal to 1 mm. The mobile device as described in claim 1 further includes: a speaker element including a non-conductive housing; a keyboard frame made of a non-conductive material, wherein the antenna structure is disposed between the keyboard frame and the non-conductive housing of the speaker element; a base housing made of a metal material; a conductive foam, wherein the grounding element is coupled to the base housing via the conductive foam; and a battery element adjacent to the conductive foam; wherein the grounding element, the speaker element, the conductive foam, and the battery element are all disposed between the keyboard frame and the base housing.

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