TWI879235B - Mobile device supporting wideband operation - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile device supporting wideband operations includes a first radiation element, a second radiation element, a third radiation element, a fourth radiation element, a dielectric substrate, and a loop metal element. The first radiation element is coupled to a ground voltage. The second radiation element has a feeding point. The second radiation element is coupled to a first connection point on the first radiation element. The third radiation element is coupled to the ground voltage. The third radiation element is adjacent to the second radiation element. The fourth radiation element is coupled to a second connection point on the third radiation element. An antenna structure is formed by the first radiation element, the second radiation element, the third radiation element, the fourth radiation element, and the dielectric substrate. The loop metal element is adjacent to the antenna structure. The loop metal element is floating.

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 first radiating portion coupled to a ground potential; a second radiating portion having a feed point, wherein the second radiating portion is coupled to a first connection point on the first radiating portion; a third radiating portion coupled to the ground potential, wherein the third radiating portion is adjacent to the second radiating portion; a fourth radiating portion coupled to the third radiating portion; a second connection point on the antenna structure; a dielectric substrate, wherein the first radiating portion, the second radiating portion, the third radiating portion, and the fourth radiating portion are all disposed on the dielectric substrate, and wherein the first radiating portion, the second radiating portion, the third radiating portion, the fourth radiating portion, and the dielectric substrate together form an antenna structure; and an annular metal portion adjacent to the antenna structure, wherein the annular metal portion is in a floating state.

In some embodiments, the first radiating portion is L-shaped, and the second radiating portion is rectangular.

In some embodiments, the first radiating portion includes a wider portion and a narrower portion, the narrower portion is coupled to the ground potential via the wider portion, and the first connection point is located on the wider portion.

In some embodiments, the third radiating portion is in a straight strip shape, the fourth radiating portion is in another straight strip shape, and the fourth radiating portion and the third radiating portion are substantially perpendicular to each other.

In some embodiments, a coupling gap is formed between the third radiating portion and the second radiating portion, and a width of the coupling gap is between 1 mm and 1.5 mm.

In some embodiments, a slot region is formed in the annular metal portion, the annular metal portion is in a larger rectangle, and the slot region is in a smaller rectangle.

In some embodiments, a sharp angle is formed between the annular metal portion and the antenna structure.

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 first radiation portion is approximately equal to 0.25 times the wavelength of the first frequency band, the length of the second radiation portion is approximately equal to 0.25 times the wavelength of the second frequency band, and the length of each of the third radiation portion and the fourth radiation portion is approximately equal to 0.25 times the wavelength of the third frequency band.

In some embodiments, the length of the annular metal portion is substantially equal to 1 times the wavelength of the first frequency band.

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 diagram showing an overall view of a mobile device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a partial view of a mobile device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another partial view of a mobile device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 together. For example, the mobile device 100 may be a smart phone, a tablet computer, or a notebook computer. In the embodiments of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the mobile device 100 includes a first radiation element 110, a second radiation element 120, a third radiation element 130, a fourth radiation element 140, a dielectric substrate 150, and a loop metal element 170, wherein the first radiation element 110, the second radiation element 120, the third radiation element 130, and the fourth radiation element 140 can all be made of metal materials, such as copper, silver, aluminum, iron, or alloys thereof. It should be understood that, although not shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, 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 first radiating portion 110 may be substantially in the shape of an L with different widths. Specifically, the first radiating portion 110 has a first end 111 and a second end 112, wherein the first end 111 of the first radiating portion 110 is coupled to a ground voltage VSS, and the second end 112 of the first radiating portion 110 is an open end. For example, the ground voltage VSS may be provided by a system ground plane of the mobile device 100 (not shown), but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the first radiating portion 110 includes a wider portion (Wide Portion) 114 adjacent to the first end 111 and a narrower portion (Narrow Portion) 115 adjacent to the second end 112, wherein the narrower portion 115 may be coupled to the ground potential VSS via the wider portion 114. It should be noted that the term "adjacent" or "adjacent" in this specification may refer to a distance between two corresponding elements being less than a predetermined distance (e.g., 10 mm or shorter), and may also include a situation where the two corresponding elements are in direct contact with each other (i.e., the aforementioned distance is shortened to 0). In some embodiments, the first radiation portion 110 may at least partially surround the second radiation portion 120 , the third radiation portion 130 , and the fourth radiation portion 140 .

The second radiating portion 120 may be substantially rectangular. Specifically, the second radiating portion 120 has a first end 121 and a second end 122, wherein the first end 121 of the second radiating portion 120 is coupled to a first connection point CP1 on the wider portion 114 of the first radiating portion 110, and the second end 122 of the second radiating portion 120 is an open end. For example, the second end 122 of the second radiating portion 120 and the second end 112 of the first radiating portion 110 may extend substantially in the same direction. In addition, a feeding point FP is located at the first end 121 of the second radiating portion 120, wherein 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.

The third radiating portion 130 may be substantially in the shape of a straight strip. Specifically, the third radiating portion 130 has a first end 131 and a second end 132, wherein the first end 131 of the third radiating portion 130 is coupled to the ground potential VSS, and the second end 132 of the third radiating portion 130 is an open end and may extend toward the direction close to the narrow portion 115 of the first radiating portion 110. In some embodiments, the third radiating portion 130 is adjacent to the second end 122 of the second radiating portion 120, so that a coupling gap GC1 may be formed between the third radiating portion 130 and the second radiating portion 120.

The fourth radiating portion 140 may be substantially in another straight strip shape, which may be substantially perpendicular to the third radiating portion 130 and substantially parallel to the narrower portion 115 of the first radiating portion 110. In detail, the fourth radiating portion 140 has a first end 141 and a second end 142, wherein the first end 141 of the fourth radiating portion 140 is coupled to a second connection point CP2 on the third radiating portion 130, and the second end 142 of the fourth radiating portion 140 is an open end. For example, the second end 142 of the fourth radiating portion 140 and the second end 112 of the first radiating portion 110 may extend substantially in the same direction.

For example, the dielectric substrate 150 may be a FR4 (Flame Retardant 4) substrate, a printed circuit board (PCB), or a flexible printed circuit (FPC). The first radiating portion 110 , the second radiating portion 120 , the third radiating portion 130 , and the fourth radiating portion 140 may all be disposed on the same surface of the dielectric substrate 150 .

In a preferred embodiment, the first radiating portion 110, the second radiating portion 120, the third radiating portion 130, the fourth radiating portion 140, and the dielectric substrate 150 can together form an antenna structure 160 of the mobile device 100. It should be noted that since the antenna structure 160 is a planar antenna structure, the overall manufacturing cost can be further reduced.

The annular metal portion 170 is adjacent to the antenna structure 160, and a slot region 180 may be formed in the annular metal portion 170. It should be noted that the annular metal portion 170 is in a floating state, and is completely separated from the antenna structure 160. In some embodiments, the annular metal portion 170 may be roughly in the shape of a larger rectangle, and the slot region 180 may be roughly in the shape of a smaller rectangle, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, the antenna structure 160 of the mobile device 100 may cover a first frequency band, a second frequency band, and a third frequency band. For example, the first frequency band may be between 2400 MHz and 2500 MHz, the second frequency band may be between 5150 MHz and 5850 MHz, and the third frequency band may be between 5925 MHz and 7125 MHz. Therefore, the mobile device 100 may at least support the broadband operation of WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7.

In some embodiments, the operation principle of the antenna structure 160 of the mobile device 100 can be described as follows. The first radiating portion 110 can be excited to generate the aforementioned first frequency band. The second radiating portion 120 can be excited to generate the aforementioned second frequency band. The third radiating portion 130 and the fourth radiating portion 140 can both be excited to generate the aforementioned third frequency band. In addition, the unequal width design of the first radiating portion 110 can increase the bandwidth of the aforementioned first frequency band, and the widening design of the second radiating portion 120 can increase the bandwidth of the aforementioned second frequency band. According to actual measurement results, the annular metal portion 170 can induce a coupling effect with the antenna structure 160, thereby improving the radiation gain and specific absorption rate (SAR) of the antenna structure 160 at the same time.

In some embodiments, the dimensions of the components of the mobile device 100 may be as follows. The length L1 of the first radiating portion 110 may be substantially equal to 0.25 times the wavelength (λ/4) of the first frequency band of the antenna structure 160 of the mobile device 100. In the first radiating portion 110, the width W1 of the wider portion 114 thereof may be between 4 mm and 5 mm, and the width W2 of the narrower portion 115 thereof may be between 1 mm and 2 mm. The length L2 of the second radiating portion 120 may be substantially equal to 0.25 times the wavelength (λ/4) of the second frequency band of the antenna structure 160 of the mobile device 100. The length L3 of the third radiating portion 130 may be approximately equal to 0.25 times the wavelength (λ/4) of the third frequency band of the antenna structure 160 of the mobile device 100. The length L4 of the fourth radiating portion 140 may be approximately equal to 0.25 times the wavelength (λ/4) of the third frequency band of the antenna structure 160 of the mobile device 100. In addition, in the first radiating portion 110, the total length L5 of the width W1 of the wider portion 114 and the length of the narrower portion 115 may also be approximately equal to 0.5 times the wavelength (λ/2) of the second frequency band of the antenna structure 160 of the mobile device 100. The length L6 of the annular metal portion 170 may be approximately equal to 1 times the wavelength (1λ) of the first frequency band of the antenna structure 160 of the mobile device 100. The circumferential length L7 of the slot region 180 of the annular metal portion 170 may be approximately equal to 2 times the wavelength (2λ) of the second frequency band of the antenna structure 160 of the mobile device 100. The border-width WB of the annular metal portion 170 may be between 2 mm and 4 mm. The width of the coupling gap GC1 may be between 1 mm and 1.5 mm. The above size range is obtained based on multiple experimental results, which helps to optimize the radiation gain, specific absorption rate, operational bandwidth, and impedance matching of the antenna structure 160 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. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a mobile device 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is similar to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the mobile device 400 is a notebook computer, and further includes: a keyboard frame 410, a base housing 420, and a ground and sidewall element 430, wherein the keyboard frame 410 can be made of a metal material, and the base housing 420 can be made of a non-conductive material. It must be understood that the aforementioned keyboard frame 410 and base housing 420 can be respectively equivalent to the so-called "C part" and "D part" in the notebook computer field.

The aforementioned antenna structure 160 can be disposed in a space defined by the keyboard frame 410, the base housing 420, and the ground and sidewall components 430. The aforementioned annular metal portion 170 can be integrated with the base housing 420. For example, the annular metal portion 170 can be attached to the inner side or the outer side of the base housing 420. It should be noted that an acute angle θ can be formed between the annular metal portion 170 and the antenna structure 160. In some embodiments, the sharp angle θ may be between 10 degrees and 60 degrees (eg, about 30 degrees, about 40 degrees, or about 50 degrees), and an average distance D1 between the annular metal portion 170 and the antenna structure 160 may be between 2 mm and 3 mm to optimize the coupling effect between them.

According to actual measurement results, after using the annular metal portion 170, the specific absorption rate of the antenna structure 160 in the aforementioned first frequency band can be reduced by about 50%, and the specific absorption rate of the antenna structure 160 in the aforementioned second frequency band can be reduced by about 70%, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The remaining features of the mobile device 400 in FIG. 4 are similar to the mobile devices 100 in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, so both embodiments can achieve similar operating effects.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the radiation gain of the antenna structure 160 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). As shown in FIG. 5 , a first curve CC1 represents the radiation characteristics of the antenna structure 160 before the annular metal portion 170 is used, and a second curve CC2 represents the radiation characteristics of the antenna structure 160 after the annular metal portion 170 is used. According to the comparison results of FIG. 5 , the addition of the annular metal portion 170 can increase the radiation gain of the antenna structure 160 by about 1 dBi in the aforementioned first frequency band and the second frequency band, 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 1-5. The present invention may include only one or more features of any one or more embodiments of Figures 1-5. 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.

100,400: mobile device 110: first radiation part 111: first end of first radiation part 112: second end of first radiation part 114: wider portion of first radiation part 115: narrower portion of first radiation part 120: second radiation part 121: first end of second radiation part 122: second end of second radiation part 130: third radiation part 131: first end of third radiation part 132: second end of third radiation part 140: fourth radiation part 141: first end of fourth radiation part 142: second end of fourth radiation part 150: dielectric substrate 160: antenna structure 170: Ring metal part 180: Slot area 190: Signal source 410: Keyboard frame 420: Base shell 430: Ground and side wall components CC1: First curve CC2: Second curve CP1: First connection point CP2: Second connection point D1: Distance FP: Feed point GC1: Coupling gap L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L7: Length W1, W2: Width WB: Side width VSS: Ground potential θ: Sharp angle

FIG. 1 is an overall view of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view of a part of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view of another part of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 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: First Radiation Division

120: Second Radiation Division

130: The Third Radiation Division

140: The Fourth Radiation Division

150: Dielectric substrate

160: Antenna structure

170: Ring metal part

190:Signal source

FP: Feed Point

VSS: ground potential

Claims (9)

A mobile device supporting broadband operation, comprising: a first radiating portion coupled to a ground potential; a second radiating portion having a feed point, wherein the second radiating portion is coupled to a first connection point on the first radiating portion; a third radiating portion coupled to the ground potential, wherein the third radiating portion is adjacent to the second radiating portion; a fourth radiating portion coupled to a second connection point on the third radiating portion; A dielectric substrate, wherein the first radiating portion, the second radiating portion, the third radiating portion, and the fourth radiating portion are all disposed on the dielectric substrate, and wherein the first radiating portion, the second radiating portion, the third radiating portion, the fourth radiating portion, and the dielectric substrate together form an antenna structure; and an annular metal portion adjacent to the antenna structure, wherein the annular metal portion is in a floating state; wherein the first radiating portion includes a wider portion and a narrower portion, the narrower portion is coupled to the ground potential via the wider portion, and the first connection point is located on the wider portion. A mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein the first radiating portion is L-shaped and the second radiating portion is rectangular. A mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein the third radiating portion is in the shape of a straight strip, the fourth radiating portion is in the shape of another straight strip, and the fourth radiating portion is substantially perpendicular to the third radiating portion. A mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein a coupling gap is formed between the third radiating portion and the second radiating portion, and the width of the coupling gap is between 1 mm and 1.5 mm. In the mobile device as described in claim 1, a slot area is formed in the annular metal part, the annular metal part is a larger rectangle, and the slot area is a smaller rectangle. A mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein a sharp angle is formed between the annular metal portion and the antenna structure. A mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein 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. A mobile device as described in claim 7, wherein the length of the first radiation portion is approximately equal to 0.25 times the wavelength of the first frequency band, the length of the second radiation portion is approximately equal to 0.25 times the wavelength of the second frequency band, and the length of each of the third radiation portion and the fourth radiation portion is approximately equal to 0.25 times the wavelength of the third frequency band. A mobile device as described in claim 7, wherein the length of the annular metal portion is approximately equal to 1 times the wavelength of the first frequency band.

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