KR-20260067257-A - ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE TRANSMISSION POWER OF AN ANTENNA BASED ON THE DEGREE OF FOLDING OF THE ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR THE SAME

Abstract

In an electronic device and a method of operating the electronic device according to one embodiment, the electronic device may include a housing comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion that are foldable or movable relative to each other. The electronic device may include a plurality of antenna groups, comprising a first antenna group located in the first housing portion and a second antenna group located in the second housing portion. The electronic device may include at least one communication circuit electrically connected to the plurality of antenna groups. The electronic device may include at least one sensor. The electronic device may include at least one processor electrically connected to the at least one communication circuit and the at least one sensor. The electronic device may include a memory for storing instructions. The electronic device may allow the electronic device to establish a connection with an external device through the at least one communication circuit when the instructions are executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor. The instructions may allow the electronic device to check the state of the housing through the at least one sensor. Instructions may enable the electronic device to determine, based on the state of the housing, a correlation coefficient including the ratio in which the SAR value of at least one antenna included in a plurality of antenna groups is reflected in the SAR value of a first antenna group and the ratio in which the SAR value of at least one antenna included in the plurality of antenna groups is reflected in the SAR value of a second antenna group. Instructions may enable the electronic device to calculate the SAR value of each of at least one antenna included in the plurality of antenna groups based on the determined correlation coefficient, such that the first antenna group satisfies a first SAR criterion and the second antenna group satisfies a second SAR criterion. Instructions may enable the electronic device to transmit a signal to the external device with power allocated to at least one antenna included in the plurality of antenna groups in correspondence with the calculated SAR value.

Inventors

• 이주현
• 김진우
• 유형준
• 이영권
• 박용준
• 차재문

Assignees

• 삼성전자주식회사

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20241126

Priority Date

20241105

Claims (20)

1. In electronic devices, A housing comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion that are foldable or movable relative to each other; A plurality of antenna groups including a first antenna group located in the first housing portion and a second antenna group located in the second housing portion; At least one communication circuit electrically connected to the above plurality of antenna groups; At least one sensor; At least one processor electrically connected to the above at least one communication circuit and the above at least one sensor; and The electronic device includes a memory for storing instructions, wherein the instructions are executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor: Through the above at least one communication circuit, a connection with an external device is established, and Through the above at least one sensor, the state of the housing is checked, and A correlation coefficient including the ratio in which the SAR value of at least one antenna included in a plurality of antenna groups is reflected in the SAR value of a first antenna group and the ratio in which the SAR value of at least one antenna included in a plurality of antenna groups is reflected in the SAR value of a second antenna group is determined based on the state of the housing, and Based on the correlation coefficient confirmed above, the SAR value of each of at least one antenna included in a plurality of antenna groups is calculated such that the first antenna group satisfies the first SAR criterion and the second antenna group satisfies the second SAR criterion, and An electronic device that transmits a signal to the external device with power allocated to at least one antenna included in the plurality of antenna groups based on the calculated SAR value.
2. In claim 1, the state of the housing is, An open state in which the ratio in which the SAR value of at least one antenna included in the second antenna group is reflected in the SAR value of the first antenna group and the ratio in which the SAR value of at least one antenna included in the first antenna group is reflected in the SAR value of the second antenna group are each set to 0, A closed state in which the ratio in which the SAR value of at least one antenna included in the second antenna group is reflected in the SAR value of the first antenna group and the ratio in which the SAR value of at least one antenna included in the first antenna group is reflected in the SAR value of the second antenna group are each set to 1 and/or An electronic device comprising at least one intermediate state in which the ratio in which the SAR value of at least one antenna included in the second antenna group is reflected in the SAR value of the first antenna group and the ratio in which the SAR value of at least one antenna included in the first antenna group is reflected in the SAR value of the second antenna group are each set to a number between 0 and 1.
3. In paragraphs 1 and 2, the state of the housing is, An electronic device in which the ratio in which the SAR value of at least one antenna included in the first antenna groups is reflected in the SAR value of the first antenna group and the ratio in which the SAR value of at least one antenna included in the second antenna groups is reflected in the SAR value of the second antenna group are each set to 1.
4. In paragraphs 1 through 3, An electronic device, wherein at least one of the correlation coefficients corresponding to at least one intermediate state is determined based on the degree of folding of the housing, the degree of movement of the housing, or the distance between the first antenna group and the second antenna group.
5. In any one of claims 1 to 4, An electronic device in which, when the housing is in the open state, the SAR to peak location separation ratio (SPLSR) for the first antenna group and the second antenna group is 0.04 or less.
6. In any one of claims 1 to 5, An electronic device in which, when the housing is in the closed state or at least one intermediate state, the SPLSR for the first antenna group and the second antenna group is greater than 0.04.
7. In any one of claims 1 to 6, An electronic device in which at least one of the first SAR criterion or the second SAR criterion is a criterion in which the time-averaged electromagnetic wave absorption rate (Time-Averaged SAR; TAS) value during a specified time is less than or equal to the maximum allowable SAR value.
8. In any one of claims 1 to 7, The above first SAR standard and the above second SAR standard are substantially the same electronic device.
9. In any one of claims 1 to 8, The above first SAR standard and the above second SAR standard are electronic devices, each having a maximum allowable SAR value of 1.6 W/kg.
10. In any one of claims 1 to 9, An electronic device comprising a hinge module rotatably connected to the first housing portion and the second housing portion.
11. In any one of claims 1 to 10, The above housing includes a third housing located between the first housing portion and the second housing portion, and The electronic device comprises a first hinge module rotatably connected to the first housing portion and the third housing portion, and a second hinge module rotatably connected to the second housing portion and the third housing portion.
12. In any one of claims 1 to 11, At least a portion of the first conductive portion forming the exterior of the first housing portion is configured to operate as at least a portion of at least one antenna included in the first antenna group, and An electronic device in which at least a portion of the second conductive portion forming the exterior of the second housing portion is configured to operate as at least a portion of at least one antenna included in the second antenna group.
13. In any one of claims 1 to 12, An electronic device in which, when the housing is in a completely folded state and viewed in a direction perpendicular to the first housing portion, at least one antenna included in the first antenna group and at least one antenna included in the second antenna group are at least partially overlapping each other.
14. In any one of claims 1 to 13, The above-mentioned first antenna group includes a first antenna and a second antenna, and The above second antenna group includes a third antenna and a fourth antenna, and At least a portion of the first conductive portion forming the exterior of the first housing portion is configured to operate as at least a portion of the first antenna, and At least a portion of the second conductive portion forming the exterior of the first housing portion is configured to operate as at least a portion of the second antenna, and At least a portion of the third conductive portion forming the exterior of the second housing portion is configured to operate as at least a portion of the third antenna, and An electronic device in which at least a portion of the fourth conductive portion forming the exterior of the second housing portion is configured to operate as at least a portion of the fourth antenna.
15. In any one of claims 1 to 14, The housing comprises a first non-conductive portion located between the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion, and a second non-conductive portion located between the third conductive portion and the fourth conductive portion. An electronic device in which, when the housing is in a fully folded state and viewed in a direction perpendicular to the first housing portion, the first non-conductive portion and the second non-conductive portion overlap at least partially with each other.
16. In electronic devices, A housing comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion that are foldable or movable relative to each other; A plurality of antenna groups including a first antenna group located in the first housing portion and a second antenna group located in the second housing portion; At least one communication circuit electrically connected to the above plurality of antenna groups; At least one sensor; At least one processor electrically connected to the above at least one communication circuit and the above at least one sensor; and The electronic device includes a memory for storing instructions, wherein the instructions are executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor: Through the above at least one communication circuit, a connection with an external device is established, and By checking the changed state of the housing through the above at least one sensor, and When the housing is in an open state, a signal is transmitted to the external device with power allocated to the first antenna group and the second antenna group based on the first SAR usage by the first antenna group satisfying the first specific absorption rate (SAR) standard and the second SAR usage by the second antenna group satisfying the second SAR standard. When the housing is in a closed state, a signal is transmitted to the external device with power allocated to the first antenna group and the second antenna group based on the sum of the total third SAR usage by the first antenna group satisfying the first SAR criterion and the second SAR criterion and the total fourth SAR usage by the second antenna group, and An electronic device that transmits a signal to the external device with power allocated to the first antenna group and the second antenna group based on the sum of the total of the fifth SAR usage by the first antenna group satisfying the first SAR criterion and the part of the sixth SAR usage by the second antenna group, and the sum of the part of the fifth SAR usage satisfying the second SAR criterion and the total of the sixth SAR usage, when the housing is in an intermediate state between the open state and the closed state.
17. When the above instructions are executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device: An electronic device that calculates the first SAR usage and the second SAR usage based on setting the correlation coefficient between at least one antenna included in the first antenna group and at least one antenna included in the second antenna group to 0 when the housing is in the open state.
18. When the above instructions are executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device: An electronic device that calculates the third SAR usage and the fourth SAR usage based on setting the correlation coefficient between at least one antenna included in the first antenna group and at least one antenna included in the second antenna group to 1 when the housing is in the closed state.
19. An electronic device that calculates the fifth SAR usage and the sixth SAR usage based on setting the correlation coefficient between at least one antenna included in the first antenna group and at least one antenna included in the second antenna group to a number between 0 and 1 when the housing is in the intermediate state.
20. In any one of claims 16 to 19, When the housing is in the open state, the SPLSR for the first antenna group and the second antenna group is less than 0.04, and An electronic device in which, when the housing is in the closed state or intermediate state, the SPLSR for the first antenna group and the second antenna group is greater than 0.04.

Description

ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE TRANSMISSION POWER OF AN ANTENNA BASED ON THE DEGREE OF FOLDING OF THE ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR THE SAME The present disclosure relates to an electronic device and a method of operating the electronic device, and to a technique for determining the transmission power of an antenna according to the degree of folding of the electronic device and the electronic device. Electronic devices may be required to comply with regulations regarding the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) (unit: W/kg (watts per kilogram)), which represents the energy absorption by human tissue per unit mass. For example, electronic devices may be required to limit transmission power to comply with SAR-related regulations. SAR-related regulations may include criteria where the SAR value measured during a defined time interval, known as a SAR window, is less than the maximum allowable SAR value. The maximum allowable SAR value may refer to a value set by domestic or international regulatory bodies. Electronic devices may comply with SAR-related regulations even if the SAR value during a specific instantaneous SAR window exceeds the maximum allowable SAR value. Domestic or international regulatory bodies recognize compliance with SAR-related regulations if the time-averaged SAR (TAS) value during the SAR measurement cycle does not exceed the maximum allowable SAR value. The TAS value may refer to the average value of the electronic device's SAR values during the SAR measurement cycle. The SAR measurement cycle may refer to the time interval for calculating the time-averaged SAR value as prescribed by domestic or international regulatory agencies. The information described above may be provided as related art for the purpose of aiding understanding of this document. None of the foregoing is to be claimed as prior art related to this document, nor is it to be used to determine prior art. The electronic device can set the state of the housing, which is not in an open state, to a closed state. When the electronic device is in a closed state, the transmit power of the antenna can be limited so that the sum of the SAR values of the antennas included in a plurality of antenna groups satisfies the SAR criteria. As the SAR values of the antennas are limited, the transmit power used by the antennas may decrease. The electronic device may experience problems with the communication connection due to a lack of signal transmit power. The technical problems to be solved in this document are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention belongs from the description below. An electronic device according to one embodiment may include a housing comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion that are foldable or movable relative to each other. The electronic device may include a plurality of antenna groups, including a first antenna group located in the first housing portion and a second antenna group located in the second housing portion. The electronic device may include at least one communication circuit electrically connected to the plurality of antenna groups. The electronic device may include at least one sensor. The electronic device may include at least one processor electrically connected to the at least one communication circuit and the at least one sensor. The electronic device may include a memory for storing instructions. When the instructions are executed individually and/or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device may establish a connection with an external device through the at least one communication circuit. The instructions may enable the electronic device to check the state of the housing through the at least one sensor. Instructions may cause the electronic device to determine, based on the state of the housing, a correlation coefficient including the ratio in which the SAR value of at least one antenna included in a plurality of antenna groups is reflected in the SAR value of a first antenna group and the ratio in which the SAR value of at least one antenna included in the plurality of antenna groups is reflected in the SAR value of a second antenna group. Instructions may cause the electronic device to calculate the SAR value of each of at least one antenna included in the plurality of antenna groups based on the determined correlation coefficient, such that the first antenna group satisfies a first SAR criterion and the second antenna group satisfies a second SAR criterion. Instructions may cause the electronic device to transmit a signal to the external device with power allocated to at least one antenna included in the plurality of antenna groups in correspondence with the calculated SAR value. An electronic device according to one embodiment may include a housing comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion that are folda