US-12627073-B2 - Antenna structure including phase shifter and electronic device including same

US12627073B2US 12627073 B2US12627073 B2US 12627073B2US-12627073-B2

Abstract

An antenna structure is provided. The antenna structure includes a PCB including a first surface and a second surface facing in an opposite direction to the first surface, a conductive patch disposed on the first surface or inside the PCB so as to be adjacent to the first surface rather than the second surface, a first via passing through at least a section of the PCB and connected to the conductive patch and a second via spaced apart from the first via and connected to the conductive patch, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) disposed on the second surface, and a phase shifter disposed on the second surface or the conductive patch and electrically connected to the RFIC, or disposed inside the RFIC, wherein the conductive patch may be connected to the RFIC through the first and may be connected to the phase shifter through the second via.

Inventors

Sumin YUN
Hosaeng KIM
Seongjin Park
Woomin JANG
Jehun JONG
Jaehoon JO
JINWOO JUNG
Jaebong CHUN

Assignees

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20231012
Priority Date: 20210412

Claims (11)

1 . An antenna structure comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB) including a first surface and a second surface facing a direction opposite to the first surface; a conductive patch disposed on the first surface or inside the PCB adjacent to the first surface; a first via penetrating through at least part of the PCB and is connected with the conductive patch; a second via spaced apart from the first via and is connected with the conductive patch; a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) which is disposed on the second surface; a phase shifter disposed on the conductive patch to be electrically connected with the RFIC; and a ground disposed in the PCB, wherein the conductive patch is connected with the RFIC through the first via, and is electrically connected with the phase shifter through the second via, wherein the phase shifter is electrically connected to the ground through the second via, and wherein the conductive patch includes an opening for connecting the second via to the phase shifter.
2 . The antenna structure of claim 1 , wherein the RFIC is configured to feed power to the conductive patch through the first via to transmit or receive a signal of a designated frequency band, and wherein the signal comprises a millimeter wave (mmWave) signal.
3 . The antenna structure of claim 2 , wherein the designated frequency band includes 24 gigahertz (GHz) to 43.5 GHz.
4 . The antenna structure of claim 2 , wherein the phase shifter includes at least one of a variable capacitor, an inductor, or an internal switch.
5 . The antenna structure of claim 4 , wherein the RFIC is further configured to adjust a phase of the signal by controlling at least one of the variable capacitor, the inductor, or the internal switch of the phase shifter.
6 . The antenna structure of claim 1 , further comprising: a connector disposed on the PCB, wherein the RFIC is configured to control the phase shifter based on a control signal received through the connector.
7 . The antenna structure of claim 1 , wherein the conductive patch is electrically connected with the first via at a first point and is connected with the second via at a second point spaced apart from the first point, and wherein a center of the conductive patch is positioned between the first point and the second point on a virtual axis connecting the first point and the second point.
8 . The antenna structure of claim 1 , further comprising: an antenna array disposed on the first surface and comprising a plurality of conductive patches.
9 . The antenna structure of claim 1 , wherein the second via is directly connected to the phase shifter.
10 . The antenna structure of claim 1 , wherein a first end of the phase shifter is connected to the conductive patch and a second end of the phase shifter is connected to the second via.
11 . An antenna structure comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB) including a first surface, a second surface facing a direction opposite to the first surface, and a ground disposed between the first surface and the second surface; a conductive patch disposed on the first surface or inside the PCB adjacent to the first surface; a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) disposed on the second surface; a phase shifter disposed on the conductive patch; a first via penetrating through at least part of the PCB in which a first end of the first via is electrically connected with the conductive patch and a second end of the first via is electrically connected with the RFIC; and a second via spaced apart and separate from the first via and electrically connected with the conductive patch, wherein the phase shifter is disposed at a center of the conductive patch, wherein the phase shifter is electrically connected to the ground through the second via, and wherein the conductive patch includes an opening for connecting the second via to the phase shifter.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application is a continuation application, claiming priority under § 365(c), of an International application No. PCT/KR2022/004885, filed on Apr. 5, 2022, which is based on and claims the benefit of a Korean patent application number 10-2021-0046995, filed on Apr. 12, 2021, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. BACKGROUND 1. Field The disclosure relates to an antenna structure including a phase shifter and an electronic device including the same. 2. Description of Related Art Efforts to develop 5th generation (5G) communication systems or pre-5G communication systems have been ongoing in order to meet the increasing demand for wireless data traffic since 4th generation (4G) communication systems were commercialized. The 5G communication system is considered to be implemented in a high frequency (mmWave) band (e.g., 20 GHz to about 300 GHz) to achieve a high data transmission rate. For the 5G communication systems, technologies for beamforming, massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, and/or large scale antenna are being discussed to mitigate a path loss of a radio wave and to increase a transmission distance of a radio wave in a high frequency band. In addition, a switch or tuners may be used in an electronic device to adjust a frequency of an antenna which supports 4G communication. As a method for adjusting a frequency of an antenna, an impedance tuning method for adjusting input impedance of an antenna, or an aperture tuning method for changing a current path of an antenna by controlling connection at a specific position may be used. The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the disclosure. SUMMARY Since a signal of a high frequency (e.g., about 20 GHz to 300 GHz) such as mmWave has a very short wavelength, the transmission line effect caused by a line length from an antenna to a switch or tuner may be great. Due to such a transmission line effect, the frequency of the antenna may be greatly changed or a tuning effect may be reduced. In order to reduce the transmission line effect, the length of the line connected from the antenna to the switch or tuner should be set to a specific distance. Due to the characteristics of an mmWave antenna module including a plurality of antenna radiators, such restrictions may increase complexity of design and arrangement of an antenna and an antenna module. Aspects of the disclosure are to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the disclosure is to provide an antenna structure that adjusts a frequency of a signal transmitted or received through an antenna by connecting an antenna radiator and a phase shifter disposed in the antenna structure. Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments. In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, an antenna structure is provided. The antenna structure includes a printed circuit board (PCB) which includes a first surface and a second surface facing in an opposite direction to the first surface, a conductive patch which is disposed on the first surface or inside the PCB adjacent to the first surface rather than the second surface, a first via which penetrates through at least part of the PCB and is connected with the conductive patch, a second via which is spaced apart from the first via and is connected with the conductive patch, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) which is disposed on the second surface, and a phase shifter which is disposed on the second surface or on the conductive patch to be electrically connected with the RFIC, or is disposed inside the RFIC, wherein the conductive patch is connected with the RFIC through the first via, and is connected with the phase shifter through the second via. In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes at least one processor which is disposed in the electronic device, and an antenna module which is electrically connected with the at least one processor, wherein the antenna module includes a printed circuit board (PCB) which includes a first surface and a second surface which is parallel to the first surface, an antenna which is disposed on the first surface, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) which is disposed on the second surface and is electrically connected with the antenna, a phase shifter which is electrically connected with the RFIC