Method for data transmission using carrier aggregation, and electronic device therefor

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus and a method for data transmission using carrier aggregation (CA) in an electronic device. An operating method of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure includes: determining a frequency band based on information regarding at least one of a rank or a service, which is applied to frequency bands used for CA; performing impedance matching with reference to the frequency band; and transmitting data by using antennas for which the impedance matching has been performed. Other embodiments are possible.

PRIORITY

This application is a National Phase Entry of PCT International Application No. PCT/KR2018/012256, which was filed on Oct. 17, 2018, and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2017-0135174, which was filed on Oct. 18, 2017, the content of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus and a method for data transmission using carrier aggregation (CA) in an electronic device.

BACKGROUND ART

To satisfy the demand for wireless data traffic, which has increasingly been being used since commercialization of 4th generation (4G) communication systems, efforts to develop enhanced 5th generation (5G) communication systems or pre-5G communication system are ongoing. To achieve a high data transmission rate in the 5G system, various transmission methods are being discussed. For example, in a network environment supporting carrier aggregation (CA) and multi input multi output (MIMO), an electronic device may enhance data transmission performance by selecting and adjusting a frequency band for transmitting data.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

When an electronic device transmits data by using carrier aggregation (CA), a frequency band used in CA may include a primary carrier component (PCC) and at least one secondary carrier cell (SCC). In this case, if impedance only for a frequency domain corresponding to the PCC is adjusted, there may be a problem that a maximum amount of data cannot be transmitted since the MIMO environment of the SCC is not considered.

In addition, if impendence for a frequency domain is adjusted without considering a bandwidth of a frequency band used in CA and a priority of a service used by a user, a high throughput and a high bandwidth may not be guaranteed, and also, there may be a problem that impedance is not adaptively adjusted according to a service using state of the user.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus and a method for data transmission using CA in an electronic device.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an operating method of an electronic device includes: determining a frequency band based on information regarding at least one of a rank or a service, which is applied to frequency bands used for CA; performing impedance matching with reference to the frequency band; and transmitting data by using antennas for which the impedance matching has been performed.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes: a communication module; at least one processor; and a memory operatively connected with the processor, and, when being executed, the memory stores instructions that cause the at least one processor to: determine a frequency band based on information regarding at least one of a rank or a service, which is applied to frequency bands used for CA; perform impedance matching with reference to the frequency band; and transmit data by using antennas for which the impedance matching has been performed.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an operating method of an electronic device includes: identifying context information related to a signal of the electronic device; determining a frequency band based on the context information; performing impedance matching based on the frequency band; and transmitting the signal by using at least one antenna for which the impedance matching has been performed.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes: a plurality of antennas configured to transmit a signal; and a processor, and the processor is configured to: identify context information related to the signal of the electronic device; determine a frequency band based on the context information; perform impedance matching based on the frequency band; and transmit the signal by using at least one antenna for which the impedance matching has been performed.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer readable medium includes a plurality of instructions, and, when the plurality of instructions are executed by a processor, the instructions are set to cause the processor to: determine a frequency band based on information regarding at least one of a rank or a service, which is applied to frequency bands used for CA; perform impedance matching with reference to the frequency band; and transmit data by using antennas for which the impedance matching has been performed.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

The electronic device and a method of operating the same according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may use impedance matching in a network environment using carrier aggregation (CA). Therefore, downlink or uplink performance may be further improved.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited by the various embodiments of the present disclosure to a specific embodiment and it is intended that the present disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of the present disclosure provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. With respect to the descriptions of the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements.

The expression “configured to” used in various embodiments of the present disclosure may be interchangeably used with “suitable for,” “having the capacity to,” “designed to,” “adapted to,” “made to,” or “capable of” according to the situation, for example. The term “configured to” may not necessarily indicate “specifically designed to” in terms of hardware. Instead, the expression “a device configured to” in some situations may indicate that the device and another device or part are “capable of” For example, the expression “a processor configured to perform A, B, and C” may indicate a dedicated processor (for example, an embedded processor) for performing a corresponding operation or a general purpose processor (for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or application processor (AP)) for performing corresponding operations by executing at least one software program stored in a memory device.

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of a smartphone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a mobile phone, a video telephone, an electronic book reader, a desktop PC, a laptop PC, a netbook computer, a workstation, a server, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG-1 or MPEG-2) Audio Layer 3 (MP3) player, a mobile medical device, a camera, or a wearable device. The wearable device may include at least one of an accessory-type device (e.g., a watch, a ring, a bracelet, an anklet, a necklace, glasses, a contact lens, a head-mounted device (HMD)), a textile- or clothing-integrated-type device (e.g., an electronic apparel), a body-attached-type device (e.g., a skin pad or a tattoo), or a bio-implantable-type device (e.g., an implantable circuit).

In some various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device may be a home appliance. The smart home appliance may include at least one of, for example, a television (TV), a digital video/versatile disc (DVD) player, an audio, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a cleaner, an oven, a microwave oven, a washing machine, an air cleaner, a set-top box, a home automation control panel, a security control panel, a television (TV) box (e.g., Samsung HomeSync™, Apple TV™, or Google TV™), a game console (e.g., Xbox™ or PlayStation™), an electronic dictionary, an electronic key, a camcorder, or an electronic picture frame.

Another various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device may include at least one of various medical devices (e.g., various portable medical measurement devices (e.g., a blood glucose measuring device, a heart rate measuring device, a blood pressure measuring device, a body temperature measuring device, or the like), a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a computed tomography (CT), a scanner, an ultrasonic device, or the like), a navigation device, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), an event data recorder (EDR), a flight data recorder (FDR), a vehicle infotainment device, electronic equipment for vessels (e.g., a navigation system, a gyrocompass, or the like), avionics, a security device, a head unit for a vehicle, an industrial or home robot, an automatic teller machine (ATM), a point of sales (POS) device of a store, or an Internet of things (IoT) device (e.g., a light bulb, various sensors, an electric or gas meter, a sprinkler, a fire alarm, a thermostat, a streetlamp, a toaster, exercise equipment, a hot water tank, a heater, a boiler, or the like).

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device may include at least one of a part of furniture or a building/structure, an electronic board, an electronic signature receiving device, a projector, or a measuring instrument (e.g., a water meter, an electricity meter, a gas meter, a wave meter, or the like). An electronic device may be one or more combinations of the above-mentioned devices. An electronic device according to some various embodiments of the present disclosure may be a flexible device. An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned devices, and may include new electronic devices with the development of new technology. The term “user” used herein may refer to a person who uses an electronic device or may refer to a device (e.g., an artificial intelligence electronic device) that uses an electronic device.

The external device according to various embodiments of the application may include another electronic device configured to be the same as the electronic device or a vehicle control device for controlling the vehicle.

FIG. 1is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device101in a network environment100according to various embodiments;

The auxiliary processor123may control at least some of functions or states related to at least one component (e.g., the display device160, the sensor module176, or the communication module190) among the components of the electronic device101, instead of the main processor121while the main processor121is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor121while the main processor121is in an active state (e.g., executing an application). According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor123(e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as part of another component (e.g., the camera module180or the communication module190) functionally related to the auxiliary processor123. The memory130may store various data used by at least one component (e.g., the processor120or the sensor module176) of the electronic device101. The various data may include, for example, software (e.g., the program140) and input data or output data for a command related thereto. The memory130may include the volatile memory132or the non-volatile memory134.

The wireless communication module192may identify and authenticate the electronic device101in a communication network, such as the first network198or the second network199, using subscriber information (e.g., international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module196.

The antenna module197may include at least one antenna capable of transmitting and receiving signals or power with an external of the electronic device101. In such a case, at least one antenna appropriate for a communication scheme used in the communication network, such as the first network198or the second network199, may be selected, for example, by the communication module190(e.g., the wireless communication module192) from the plurality of antennas. The signal or the power may then be transmitted or received between the communication module190and the external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna. According to an embodiment, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other than the radiating element may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module197.

Recent wireless communication environments require 16 download categories having a speed of 1 Gbps. However, since this requirement may be difficult to satisfy by 4×4 MIMO having a single frequency band, various data transmission techniques may be considered. For example, to overcome the limitation of speed by the single frequency band, an electronic device may transmit data by using CA. In a related-art single frequency band environment, an electronic device may minimize an antenna imbalance or maximize a total isotropic sensitivity (TIS) by adjusting impedance of an antenna with reference to the single frequency band. In various embodiments, when data is transmitted using CA, an electronic device may minimize an antenna imbalance and maximize a TIS by adjusting antenna impedance with reference to a frequency band of a primary cell (Pcell) including a transmission frequency. In another embodiment, when CA including 4×4 MIMO cells is used, an electronic device may not adjust impedance of an antenna with reference to a frequency band of a Pcell, and may determine a frequency band by considering 4×4 MIMO or a bandwidth (BW), and then may increase a data throughput to the maximum by adjusting impedance of an antenna with reference to the determined frequency band. Various embodiments of the present disclosure propose technology by which an electronic device determines a frequency band, performs impedance matching with reference to the determined frequency band, and transmits data by using an impedance-matched antenna. In an embodiment, the electronic device may determine the frequency band based on a rank. In another embodiment, the electronic device may determine the frequency band based on an amount of resources. In still another embodiment, the electronic device may determine the frequency band based on a channel quality. In yet another embodiment, the electronic device may determine the frequency band based on a service type. In further embodiment, the above-described frequency band determination methods may be equally applied to data transmission using an uplink. In still further embodiment, the above-described frequency band determination methods may be continuously performed.

FIG. 2Ais a block diagram illustrating an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the electronic device may include an entirety or a part of the electronic device101illustrated inFIG. 1.

Referring toFIG. 2A, the electronic device101may include one or more processors120(for example, an AP), a memory130, and a communication module190. In various embodiments, the processor120may include a band determination unit210and an impedance matching unit220. However, this should not be considered as limiting, and some of the elements may be omitted. According to an embodiment, the band determination unit210and the impedance matching unit220may be configured as modules configured as separate hardware or software installed outside the processor120.

The band determination unit210may determine a frequency band necessary for performing impedance matching of an antenna. The impedance matching may be an operation of adjusting a reflection coefficient to minimize or reduce a reflection loss on a transmission line when connecting to a circuit between a signal source and a load to transmit data. For example, the reflection coefficient of voltage wave on the transmission line may indicate an amplitude ratio of voltage wave on a boundary having different impedance characteristics. As the reflection coefficient decreases, it may be determined that impedance matching is achieved, and, when the reflection coefficient is 0, there is no wave reflected on the transmission line, and thus it may be determined that impedance matching is completed. In various embodiments, impedance matching may be performed by using a pre-defined table. For example, the processor120may determine a frequency band to perform impedance matching, and may identify an impedance value corresponding to the determined frequency band and an impedance matching code (for example, an antenna impedance tuner (AIT) code) corresponding to the corresponding impedance, through the pre-defined table. The processor120may transmit the identified impedance matching code to the communication module190, and the communication module190may perform impedance matching according to the impedance matching code. According to various embodiments, the pre-defined table for performing impedance matching may be stored in the memory130. In various embodiments, the impedance matching unit220may apply a control signal for performing impedance matching to the communication module190. The communication module190which receives the control signal may perform impedance matching of an antenna by using an impedance matching device. In various embodiments, the memory130may include a nonvolatile memory134, and the nonvolatile memory134may store threshold information regarding a reference signal received poser (RSRP), a signal to interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), an SNR, a modulation method, a bandwidth, a channel quality according a rank, or etc. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and information stored in the nonvolatile memory134may be changed according to implementation.

In various embodiments, the band determination unit210included in the processor120may determine a frequency band, and the impedance matching unit220may generate a control signal for performing impedance matching with reference to the determined frequency band, and may transmit the generated control signal to the communication module190. The communication module190which receives the control signal may perform impedance matching of the antenna by using the impedance matching device.

FIG. 2Bis a block diagram of a communication module according various embodiments of the present disclosure. For example,FIG. 2Billustrates a detailed configuration of the communication module190ofFIG. 2A.

Referring toFIG. 2B, the communication module190may include one or more of an RF modem230, a first RF front end240-1, a second RF front end240-2, a first impedance matching circuit250-1, and a second impedance matching circuit250-2. One or more RF front ends and one or more impedance matching circuits may exist, andFIG. 2Bdoes not limit the features of the present disclosure.

In various embodiments, the second impedance matching circuit250-2may include a switch252, a first electronic element254-1, a second electronic element254-2, a third electronic element254-3, and a fourth electronic element254-4. One or more switches and one or more electronic elements may exist in the impedance matching circuit, andFIG. 2Bdoes not limit the features of the present disclosure.

In various embodiments, the first impedance matching circuit250-1may be connected to a line connecting the first RF front end240-1and an antenna with each other, and the second impedance matching circuit250-2may be connected to a line connecting the second RF front end240-2and an antenna with each other. In various embodiments, the first electronic element254-1, the second electronic element254-2, the third electronic element254-3, and the fourth electronic element254-4, which are included in the second impedance matching circuit250-2, may be configured by an inductor, a capacitor or a combination thereof.

In an embodiment, the communication module190may receive a control signal for performing impedance matching from the impedance matching unit220. The second impedance matching circuit250-2which receives the control signal may adjust a location of the switch252to connect any one of the first electronic element254-1, the second electronic element254-2, the third electronic element254-3, and the fourth electronic element254-4with the antenna. Through this operation, the second impedance matching circuit250-2may perform impedance matching. In various embodiments, the first impedance matching circuit250-1and the second impedance matching circuit250-2may operate simultaneously or in sequence.

FIG. 2Cis a block diagram260of the wireless communication module192, the power management module188, and the antenna module197of the electronic device101according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring toFIG. 2C, the wireless communication module192may include an MST communication module270or an NFC communication module280, and the power management module188may include a wireless charging module290. In this case, the antenna module197may separately include a plurality of antennas including an MST antenna297-1connected with the MST communication module270, an NFC antenna297-3connected with the NFC communication module280, and a wireless charging antenna297-5connected with the wireless charging module290. For convenience of explanation, the same elements as those ofFIG. 1will not be described or will be briefly described.

The MST communication module270may receive a signal (for example, a signal including control information or payment information) from the processor120, may generate a magnetic signal corresponding to the received signal, and then may transmit the magnetic signal to the outside of the electronic device101(for example, a POS device) through the MST antenna297-1. According to an embodiment, the MST communication module270may include a switching module (not shown) including one or more switches connected to the MST antenna297-1, and may control the switching module to change a direction of a voltage or a current supplied to the MST antenna297-1. The switching module may change a direction of the magnetic signal (for example, a magnetic field) which is transmitted through the MST antenna297-1and delivered to the outside of the electronic device101through short-range wireless communication198. The magnetic signal transmitted with the direction being changed may have a similar form to that of a magnetic field generated by swiping a magnetic card by a card reader device of the electronic device101, and may cause a similar effect to that of the magnetic field. According to an embodiment, payment information and a control signal received in the electronic device101in the form of the magnetic signal may be transmitted to a payment server (for example, the server108) via the network199, for example.

The NFC communication module280may obtain a signal (for example, a signal including control information or payment information) from the processor120, and may transmit the obtained signal to the outside of the electronic device101through the NFC antenna297-3. According to an embodiment, the NFC module280may receive a signal (for example, a signal including control information or payment information) transmitted from the outside of the electronic device101through the NFC antenna297-3.

The wireless charging module290may wirelessly transmit power to the outside of the electronic device101(for example, a mobile phone or a wearable device) through the wireless charging antenna297-5, or may wirelessly receive power from the outside of electronic device101(for example, a wireless charging device). The wireless charging module290may support various wireless charging methods including a magnetic resonance method or a magnetic induction method.

According to an embodiment, some of the MST antenna297-1, the NFC antenna297-3, or the wireless charging antenna297-5may share at least part of an emitter with one another. For example, an emitter of the MST antenna297-1may be used as an emitter of the NFC antenna297-3or the wireless charging antenna297-5, and vice versa. When the MST antenna297-1, the NFC antenna297-3, or the wireless charging antenna297-5share at least part of the emitter with one another, the antenna module197may include a switching circuit (not shown) to selectively connect or disconnect (for example, open) at least part of the antennas297-1,297-3, or297-5under control of the wireless communication module192(for example, the MST communication module270or the NFC communication module280) or the power management module (for example, the wireless charging module290). For example, when the electronic device101uses a wireless charging function, the NFC communication module280or the wireless charging module290may control the switching circuit to disconnect at least part of the emitter shared by the NFC antenna297-3and the wireless charging antenna297-5from the NFC antenna297-2temporarily, and to connect the at least part of the emitter only to the wireless charging antenna297-5.

According to an embodiment, at least some function of the MST communication module270, the NFC communication module280, or the wireless charging module290may be controlled by an external processor (for example, the processor120). According to an embodiment, a designated function (or a payment function) of the MST communication module270or the NFC communication module280may be performed in a trusted execution environment (TEE). The TEE according to various embodiments refers to an execution environment in which at least some designated area of the memory130is allocated to perform a function requiring security of a relatively high level (for example, a function related to financial transactions or personal information), and an access to the designated area is restrictively allowed according to an accessing entity or an executed application.

In various embodiments, an electronic device comprising: a communication module; at least one processor; and a memory operatively connected with the processor, wherein, when being executed, the memory stores instructions that cause the at least one processor to: determine a frequency band based on information regarding at least one of a rank or a service, which is applied to frequency bands used for CA; perform impedance matching with reference to the frequency band; and transmit data by using antennas for which the impedance matching has been performed.

In various embodiments, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to determine at least one frequency band having a maximum rank as a reference band for the impedance matching.

In various embodiments, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to determine a frequency band having a widest bandwidth from among frequency bands having a maximum rank as a reference band for the impedance matching.

In various embodiments, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to identify an amount of resources of each frequency band, and to select a reference band for the impedance matching according to the amount of resources.

In various embodiments, wherein the amount of resources is in proportion to a product of a bandwidth and a rank of a frequency band.

In various embodiments, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to identify a frequency band providing a maximum gain, based on a channel quality and a rank in the respective frequency bands, and to select the identified frequency band as a reference band for the impedance matching.

In various embodiments, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to identify services provided through the respective frequency bands, and to determine a reference band for the impedance matching according to priorities of the services.

In various embodiments, wherein the priority is defined as being the highest for voice over LTE.

In various embodiments, the electronic device of claim1, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to: determine whether CA is used; determine whether voice over LTE is used according to whether the CA is used; compare a rank of a frequency band of a Scell and a rank of a frequency band of a Pcell according to whether the voice over LTE is used; when the rank of the frequency band of the Scell is higher than the rank of the frequency band of the Pcell, measure a channel quality; when the measured channel quality is greater than or equal to a threshold, select the frequency band of the Scell, and, when the channel quality is smaller than the threshold, select the frequency band of the Pcell; and perform impedance matching with reference to the selected frequency band.

In various embodiments, an electronic device comprising: a plurality of antennas configured to transmit a signal; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: identify context information related to the signal of the electronic device; determine a frequency band based on the context information; perform impedance matching based on the frequency band; and transmit the signal by using at least one antenna for which the impedance matching has been performed.

In various embodiments, wherein the context information comprises at least one of a channel quality, a propagation environment between a base station and the electronic device, a rank, a layer, a codeword, an MCS, and an amount of resources.

FIG. 3is a flowchart of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following description, the electronic device may include an entirety or a part (for example, the processor120) of the electronic device101.

Referring toFIG. 3, in operation301, the processor120may determine a frequency band.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device may determine the frequency band by using a signal (radio wave) to be transmitted to the outside of the electronic device and a variety of context information related to the electronic device. The context information may include a rank. For example, the processor120may determine the frequency band based on the rank. The rank refers to the number of independent channels having a correlation less than or equal to a threshold in a channel environment using MIMO. For example, the rank of a frequency band supporting 4×4 MIMO may be 4, and the rank of a frequency band supporting 2×2 MIMO may be 2. In another example, when there are a first frequency band supporting 4×4 MIMO and a second frequency band supporting 2×2 MIMO, the processor120may identify the first frequency band as a frequency band having the maximum rank. In another example, the processor120may determine the frequency band based on an amount of resources. In an embodiment, the amount of resources may be a product of a rank and a bandwidth. For example, the amount of resources may be determined by a product of a rank and a bandwidth, by considering a rank, a layer, a codeword, and a modulation coding scheme (MCS) which are attributable to a propagation environment between a base station and an electronic device. In an embodiment, a transport block size (TBS) may be determined based on the rank and the amount of resources. In still another example, the processor120may determine the frequency band based on a channel quality (for example, a signal to noise ratio (SNR), a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), a carrier to interference plus noise ratio (CINR), or etc.) In yet another example, the processor120may determine the frequency band based on a service type. In an embodiment, the service type may include voice over LTE, real-time streaming, web browsing, file forwarding, or etc.

In operation303, the processor120may perform impedance matching with reference to the determined frequency band. For example, the processor120may perform impedance matching with reference to the determined frequency band to enhance performance in the determined frequency band. For example, the above-described performance may include maximization of data transmission traffic or enhancement of a quality of experience of a user. When impedance matching is performed, the processor120may transmit a control signal to the communication module190. The communication module190may receive the control signal, and may perform impedance matching by using an impedance matching circuit.

In operation305, the processor120may transmit data by using impedance-matched antennas. For example, the processor120may transmit data by using impedance-matched antennas in a MIMO environment using a plurality of antennas. The processor120may transmit data in the determined frequency band through impedance-matched antennas. In various embodiments, the processor120may maximize uplink or downlink performance by performing impedance matching for the antennas with reference to the determined frequency band.

FIG. 4is a flowchart for determining a frequency band based on a rank according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The following description is related to operation301inFIG. 3of determining the frequency band.

Referring toFIG. 4, in operation401, the processor120may identify a frequency band having the maximum rank. In various embodiments, the rank refers to the number of independent channels having a correlation less than or equal to a threshold in a channel environment using MIMO. For example, the rank of a frequency band supporting 4×4 MIMO may be 4, and the rank of a frequency band supporting 2×2 MIMO may be 2. In another example, when there are a first frequency band supporting 4×4 MIMO and a second frequency band supporting 2×2 MIMO, the processor120may identify the first frequency band as a frequency band having the maximum rank.

In operation403, the processor120may determine whether two or more frequency bands are identified. For example, in a 4-CA environment supporting four carrier components (CCs), a first frequency band may support 4×4 MIMO, a second frequency band may support 4×4 MIMO, a third frequency band may support 4×2 MIMO, and a fourth frequency band may support 2×2 MIMO. In various embodiments, the frequency band and the CC may have the same technical meaning. In this case, the first frequency band and the second frequency band may be identified as the frequency band having the maximum rank. When two or more frequency bands are not identified, the processor120may select the identified frequency band in operation405. When two or more frequency bands are identified, the processor120may select a frequency band having the widest bandwidth from among the identified frequency bands in operation407. Through the above-described operations, the processor120may determine the frequency band which is a reference for performing impedance matching by using the rank.

FIG. 5is a flowchart for determining a frequency band based on an amount of resources according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The following description is related to operation301inFIG. 3of determining the frequency band.

Referring toFIG. 5, in operation501, the processor120may identify an amount of resources for each frequency band. In various embodiments, the amount of resources may be a product of a rank of a frequency band and a bandwidth. For example, when a bandwidth of a frequency band supporting 4×4 MIMO is 10 MHz, the amount of resources of the frequency band is 40.

In operation503, the processor120may select a frequency band according to the amount of resources. For example, in a 4-CA environment supporting four CCs, a bandwidth of a first frequency band supporting 2×2 MIMO may be 10 MHz, a band width of a second frequency band supporting 2×2 MIMO may be 10 MHz, a band width of a third frequency band supporting 4×4 MIMO may be 20 MHz, and a band width of a fourth frequency band supporting 4×2 MIMO may be 20 MHz. In this case, the processor120may identify the third frequency band as a frequency band having the maximum amount of resources, and may select the third frequency band. In various embodiments, when there are a plurality of frequency bands having the same amount of resources, the processor120may select one frequency band from the plurality of frequency bands according to a predetermined condition. For example, the predetermined condition may be identifiers (IDs) of the frequency bands and the presence/absence of a frequency band of a Pcell.

FIG. 6is a flowchart for determining a frequency band by using an SNR according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The following description is related to operation301inFIG. 3of determining the frequency band. In the following description, the SNR is an example of a channel quality, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The operations which will be described below may be performed on the assumption that the amount of resources is theoretically the same for every rank of the frequency bands. For example, when a bandwidth of a first frequency band supporting 4×4 MIMO is 10 MHz, and a bandwidth of a second frequency band supporting 2×2 MIMO is 20 MHz, the first frequency band and the second frequency band have the same amount of resources, 40.

Referring toFIG. 6, in operation601, the processor120may measure an SNR for each band. For example, the processor120may measure an SNR of a signal transmitted through the first frequency band supporting 4×4 MIMO and the second frequency band supporting 2×2 MIMO. The target to be measured by the processor120is not limited to the SNR.

In operation603, the processor120may identify a rank having the maximum gain according to the SNR. In various embodiments, gains of 4×4 MIMO and 2×2 MIMO according to SNRs are shown in table 1 presented below:

Referring to table 1, gains of 4×4 MIMO and 2×2 MIMO and gains and losses of 4×4 MIMO compared with 2×2 MIMO may vary according to SNRs. For example, when the SNR is 22, the gain of 4×4 MIMO may be lower than the gain of 2×2 MIMO, and the processor120may identify 2×2 MIMO as a rank having the maximum gain. In another example, when the SNR is 28, the gain of 4×4 MIMO may be higher than the gain of 2×2 MIMO, and the processor120may identify 4×4 MIMO as a rank having the maximum gain. In an embodiment having data as shown in table 1, the SNR value of 27 may be a threshold. When the SNR is smaller than 27, 2×2 MIMO may be the rank having the maximum gain, and, when the SNR is larger than or equal to 27, 4×4 MIMO may be the rank having the maximum gain. Data indicating values of gains of each rank according to SNRs as shown in table 1 may be stored in the nonvolatile memory134included in the memory130of the electronic device101.

In operation605, the processor120may select a frequency bank of the identified rank. For example, when 4×4 MIMO is identified as the rank having the maximum gain, the processor120may select a frequency band supporting 4×4 MIMO. Through the above-described operations, the processor120may determine the frequency band which is a reference for performing impedance matching by using the SNR.

FIG. 7is a flowchart for determining a frequency band based on a service type according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The following description is related to operation301inFIG. 3of determining the frequency band.

Referring toFIG. 7, in operation701, the processor120may identify a service for each band. For example, the processor120may identify services (for example, voice over LTE, real-time streaming, web browsing, file forwarding, or etc.) provided in each frequency band.

In operation703, the processor120may determine a frequency band according to a service priority. The service priority may be differently defined according to various embodiments. According to an embodiment, a highest priority may be assigned to the voice over LTE service. Since the voice over LTE has the highest service priority, both transmission performance and reception performance may be importantly considered. The processor120may determine a frequency band used by the voice over LTE having the highest service priority as a reference frequency band for impedance matching, regardless of a rank or an amount of resources. In another embodiment, the highest priority may be assigned to the real-time streaming service. Through the above-described operations, the processor120may determine the reference frequency band for impedance matching by using the service type.

FIG. 8is a flowchart for determining a frequency band and performing impedance matching according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The following description is related to operation301inFIG. 3of determining the frequency band and operation303of impedance-matching with reference to the frequency band determined in operation301.

Referring toFIG. 8, the processor120may determine whether the electronic device101uses CA in operation801. When the electronic device101does not use CA, the processor120may perform impedance matching with reference to a frequency band of a Pcell in operation813. When the electronic device101uses CA, the processor120may perform operation803.

In operation803, the processor120may determine whether the electronic device101uses voice over LTE. In various embodiments, operation803is not limited to the voice over LTE, and may be replaced with an operation of identifying various service types having a high priority. When the electronic device101does not use voice over LTE, the processor120may perform impedance matching with reference to the frequency band of the Pcell in operation813. When the electronic device uses voice over LTE, the processor120may perform operation805.

In operation805, the processor120may determine whether the rank of a frequency band of an Scell is higher than the rank of the frequency band of the Pcell. For example, when the rank of the frequency band of the Pcell is 2×2 MIMO, and the rank of the frequency band of the Scell is 4×4 MIMO, the rank of the frequency band of the Scell may be higher than the rank of the frequency band of the Pcell. When the rank of the frequency band of the Scell is not higher than the rank of the frequency band of the Pcell, the processor120may perform impedance matching with reference to the frequency band of the Pcell in operation813. When the rank of the frequency band of the Scell is higher than or equal to the rank of the frequency band of the Pcell, the processor120may perform operation807.

In operation807, the processor120may determine whether an SNR is greater than or equal to a threshold. For example, in a wireless communication environment including a first frequency band supporting 4×4 MIMO, and a second frequency band supporting 2×2 MIMO, the threshold of the SNR may be 27. When the SNR is smaller than 27, 2×2 MIMO may be the rank having the maximum gain, and, when the SNR is greater than or equal to 27, 4×4 MIMO may be the rank having the maximum gain. When the SNR is smaller than the threshold, the processor120may perform impedance matching with reference to the frequency band of the Pcell in operation813. When the SNR is greater than or equal to the threshold, the processor120may perform operation809.

In operation809, the processor120may determine whether to perform impedance matching with reference to the frequency band of the Scell. When impedance matching is not performed with reference to the frequency band of the Scell, the processor120may perform impedance matching with reference to the frequency band of the Pcell in operation813. For example, when the frequency band of the Pcell supports 4×4 MIMO and the frequency band of the Scell support 4×4 MIMO, the processor120may perform impedance matching with reference to the frequency band of the Pcell. When impedance matching is performed with reference to the frequency band of the Scell, the processor120may perform operation811.

In operation811, the processor120may perform impedance matching with reference to the frequency band of the Scell. For example, when the frequency band of the Pcell supports 2×2 MIMO and the frequency band of at least one Scell supports 4×4 MIMO, the processor120may perform impedance matching with reference to the frequency band of the Scell.

FIG. 9is a flowchart of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following description, the electronic device may include an entirety or a part (for example, the processor120) of the electronic device101ofFIG. 1.

Referring toFIG. 9, in operation901, the processor120may identify context information related to a signal of the electronic device101. For example, the context information may include a channel quality, a propagation environment between a base station and the electronic device101, a rank, a layer, a codeword, an MCS, and an amount of resources.

In operation903, the processor120may determine a frequency band based on the context information. In an embodiment, the processor120may determine the frequency band based on a rank. In another embodiment, the processor120may determine the frequency band based on an amount of resources. In still another embodiment, the processor120may determine the frequency band based on a channel quality. In yet another embodiment, the processor120may determine the frequency band based on a service type. In further embodiment, the above-described frequency band determination methods may be equally applied to data transmission using an uplink. In still further embodiment, the above-described frequency band determination methods may be continuously performed.

In operation905, the processor120may perform impedance matching based on the frequency band. For example, the processor120may perform impedance matching with reference to the determined frequency band to enhance performance in the determined frequency band. For example, the above-described performance may include maximization of data transmission traffic or enhancement of a quality of experience of a user. When impedance matching is performed, the processor120may transmit a control signal to the communication module190. The communication module190may receive the control signal and may perform impedance matching by using an impedance matching circuit.

In operation907, the processor120may transmit a signal by using at least one impedance-matched antenna. For example, in a MIMO environment using a plurality of antennas, the processor120may transmit a signal by using at least one impedance-matched antenna. The processor120may transmit a signal in the determined band through the at least one impedance-matched antenna. In various embodiments, the processor120may maximize downlink or uplink performance by performing impedance matching for the antenna with reference to the determined frequency band.

In various embodiments, an operating method of an electronic device, the operating method comprising: determining a frequency band based on information regarding at least one of a rank or a service, which is applied to frequency bands used for CA; performing impedance matching with reference to the frequency band; and transmitting data by using antennas for which the impedance matching has been performed.

In various embodiments, wherein determining the frequency band comprises determining at least one frequency band having a maximum rank as a reference band for the impedance matching.

In various embodiments, wherein determining the frequency band comprises determining a frequency band having a widest bandwidth from among frequency bands having a maximum rank as a reference band for the impedance matching.

In various embodiments, wherein determining the frequency band comprises identifying an amount of resources of each frequency band, and selecting a reference band for the impedance matching according to the amount of resources, wherein the amount of resources is in proportion to a product of a bandwidth and a rank of a frequency band.

In various embodiments, wherein determining the frequency band comprises: identifying a frequency band providing a maximum gain, based on a channel quality and a rank in the respective frequency bands; and selecting the identified frequency band as a reference band for the impedance matching.

In various embodiments, wherein determining the frequency band comprises: identifying services provided through the respective frequency bands; and determining a reference band for the impedance matching according to priorities of the services.

In various embodiments, wherein the priority is defined as being the highest for voice.

In various embodiments, wherein determining the frequency band comprises: determining whether CA is used; determining whether voice over LTE is used according to whether the CA is used; comparing a rank of a frequency band of a Scell and a rank of a frequency band of a Pcell according to whether the voice over LTE is used; when the rank of the frequency band of the Scell is higher than the rank of the frequency band of the Pcell, measuring a channel quality; and when the measured channel quality is greater than or equal to a threshold, selecting the frequency band of the Scell, and, when the channel quality is smaller than the threshold, selecting the frequency band of the Pcell, wherein performing the impedance matching comprises performing impedance matching with reference to the selected frequency band.

In various embodiments, the operation method of the electronic device includes: checking context information related to the signal of the electronic device, determining a frequency band based on the context information, performing impedance matching based on the frequency band, and the impedance may include the step of majoring in the signal using at least one antenna that has been matched.

In various embodiments, the context information may include at least one of a channel quality, a radio wave environment between a base station and the electronic device, a rank, a layer, a codeword, a modulation coding scheme (MCS), and a resource amount.

As described above, the electronic device and the operating method thereof according to various embodiments may determine a frequency band by considering a rank, an amount of resources, an SNR, and a service type, and may maximize downlink or uplink performance by performing impedance matching for an antenna with reference to the determined frequency band.

The term “module” used herein may include a unit including hardware, software, or firmware, and, for example, may be interchangeably used with the terms “logic,” “logical block,” “component” or “circuit”. The “module” may be an integrally configured component or a minimum unit for performing one or more functions or a part thereof. The “module” may be implemented mechanically or electronically. For example, the “module” may include an application-specific IC (ASIC) chip, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and a programmable-logic device for performing some operations, which are known or will be developed.

At least part of a device (for example, modules or functions thereof) or a method (for example, operations) according to various embodiments, for example, may be implemented by instructions stored in a computer-readable storage media (for example, the memory130) in the form of a programmable module. When the instruction is executed by a processor (for example, the processor120), the processor may perform a function corresponding to the instruction. A computer-readable recording medium may include a hard disk, a floppy disk, a magnetic media (for example, a magnetic tape), an optical recording media (for example, compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM) and a digital versatile disc (DVD), a magneto-optical media (for example, a floptical disk)), an internal memory, or the like. Also, an instruction may include a code generated by a compiler or a code executable by an interpreter. A module or a program module according to various embodiments may include at least one of the above-described elements, or a portion of the above-described elements may be omitted, or additional other elements may be further included.

Operations performed by a module, a program module, or other elements according to various embodiments may be executed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or in a heuristic method. Also, at least part of operations may be executed in different sequences, omitted, or other operations may be added.

The present disclosure has been described with reference to various example embodiments thereof. It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that the present disclosure can be implemented in modified forms without departing from the essential characteristics of the present disclosure. Therefore, disclosed embodiments should be considered from a descriptive perspective, not from a limited perspective. The scope of the present disclosure is defined not by the detailed description but by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope should be understood as being included in the present disclosure.