Patent Publication Number: US-9853350-B2

Title: Antenna module and wireless communication device using same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201510761916.3 filed on Nov. 11, 2015, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     FIELD 
     The subject matter herein generally relates to an antenna module and a wireless communication device using same. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Antennas are important elements of wireless communication devices, such as mobile phones or personal digital assistants. To communicate in multi-band communication systems, a bandwidth of an antenna in the wireless communication device needs to be wide enough to cover frequency bands of multiple bands. In addition, because of the miniaturization of the wireless communication device, space available for the antenna is reduced and limited. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of an embodiment of a wireless communication device employing an antenna module. 
         FIG. 2  is an assembled, isometric view of the wireless communication device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a scattering parameter graph of a first antenna unit of the antenna module of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a scattering parameter graph of a second antenna unit of the antenna module of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure. 
     Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented. 
     The term “substantially” is defined to be essentially conforming to the particular dimension, shape, or other feature that the term modifies, such that the component need not be exact. For example, substantially cylindrical means that the object resembles a cylinder, but can have one or more deviations from a true cylinder. The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series and the like. 
     The present disclosure is described in relation to an antenna module and a wireless communication device using same. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of a wireless communication device  200  employing an antenna module  100 . The wireless communication device  200  can be a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant, for example. The antenna module  100  is configured to receive/send wireless signals. 
     The wireless communication device  200  further includes a baseboard  21  and at least one electronic element  23 . In at least one embodiment, the baseboard  21  can be a printed circuit board (PCB) of the wireless communication device  200 . One end of the baseboard  21  defines a keep-out-zone  211 . The keep-out-zone  211  has a width of about 7 mm. The purpose of the keep-out-zone  211  is to delineate an area on the PCB in which other electronic elements (such as a camera, a vibrator, a speaker, etc.) cannot be placed. The baseboard  21  further includes a first feed point  213  and a second feed point  215 . The first feed point  213  is positioned in the keep-out-zone  211 . The second feed point  215  is positioned on one end of the baseboard  21  away from the keep-out-zone  211  and is spaced from the first feed point  213 . 
     In at least one embodiment, the wireless communication device  200  includes three electronic elements  23 , for example, a first, second, and third electronic element  231 ,  232 ,  233 . The first and second electronic elements  231 ,  232  can be a speaker and a universal serial bus (USB) interface module, respectively. The first and second electronic elements  231 ,  232  are positioned at one end of the baseboard  21  and are spaced from each other. The first and second electronic elements  231 ,  232  are positioned between the first feed point  213  and the second feed point  215 . The third electronic element  233  can be a battery. The third electronic element  233  is positioned at a middle of the baseboard  21  and is configured to supply power to the wireless communication device  200 . The first, second, and third electronic elements  231 ,  232 ,  233 , and the first feed point  213  are positioned around the keep-out-area  211 . 
     The antenna module  100  includes a holder  11 , a first feed portion  13 , a second feed portion  15 , a first antenna unit  17 , and a second antenna unit  19 . 
     The holder  11  corresponds to the baseboard  21  in shape and structure. The holder  11  is covered on the baseboard  21  and is configured to support the first antenna unit  17  and the second antenna unit  19 . The holder  11  includes a top surface  111 , an end surface  113 , and a side surface  115 . The end surface  113  is positioned adjacent to the side surface  115 . The end surface  113  and the side surface  115  are both perpendicularly connected to the top surface  111 . 
     The first feed portion  13  is positioned on the top surface  111 . The first feed portion  13  is electrically connected to the first antenna unit  17  and is further electrically connected to the first feed point  213  of the baseboard  21  through a connecting structure, for example, feeder, probe, shrapnel, or the like, for feeding current to the first antenna unit  17 . 
     The second feed portion  15  is substantially a sheet. The second feed portion  15  is positioned on the top surface  111  and is spaced from the first feed portion  13 . The second feed portion  15  is electrically connected to the second antenna unit  19  and is further electrically connected to the second feed point  215  of the baseboard  21  through a connecting structure, for example, feeder, probe, shrapnel, or the like, for feeding current to the second antenna unit  19 . 
     The first antenna unit  17  is positioned on the top surface  111  and the end surface  113 . The first antenna unit  17  includes a connecting portion  171  (labeled in  FIG. 2 ), a first radiating portion  173 , and a second radiating portion  175 . The connecting portion  171  is a meander sheet. One end of the connecting portion  171  is electrically connected to the first feed portion  13 . Another end of the connecting portion  171  extends along a direction parallel to the end surface  113  and away from the side surface  115  and further bends and extends along a direction parallel to the side surface  115  and towards the end surface  113 . 
     The first radiating portion  173  and the second radiating portion  175  are both electrically connected to one end of the connecting portion  171  away from the first feed portion  13  and extend along opposite directions. In detail, the first radiating portion  173  is substantially a meander sheet and includes a first meander section  1731 , a second meander section  1733 , a third meander section  1735 , and a fourth meander section  1377  connected in that order. The first meander section  1731  is substantially an L-shaped sheet and is positioned on the top surface  111 . One end of the first meander section  1731  is perpendicularly connected to one end of the connecting portion  171  away from the first feed portion  13 . Another end of the first meander section  1731  extends along a direction parallel to the end surface  113  and towards the side surface  115  and further extends along a direction parallel to the side surface  115  and towards the end surface  113 . 
     The second meander section  1733  is positioned on the end surface  113 . The second meander section  1733  is substantially a U-shaped sheet. One end of the second meander section  1733  is perpendicularly connected to the first meander section  1731  and another end of the second meander section  1733  is perpendicularly connected to the third meander section  1735 . 
     The third meander section  1735  is substantially U-shaped and is positioned on the top surface  111 . One end of the third meander section  1735  is perpendicularly connected to one end of the second meander section  1733  away from the first meander section  1731 . Another end of the third meander section  1735  extends along a direction parallel to the side surface  115  and away from the end surface  113 , then extends along a direction parallel to the end surface  113  and towards the side surface  115 , and further extends along a direction parallel to the side surface  115  and towards the end surface  113 . 
     The fourth meander section  1737  is substantially a rectangular sheet. The fourth meander section  1737  is positioned on the end surface  113  and is perpendicularly connected to one end of the third meander section  1735  away from the second meander section  1733 . 
     The second radiating portion  175  is substantially a meander sheet and includes a first radiating section  1751 , a second radiating section  1753 , and a third radiating section  1755  connected in that order. The first radiating section  1751  is substantially an L-shaped sheet and is positioned on the top surface  111 . One end of the first radiating section  1751  is perpendicularly connected to a junction between the connecting portion  171  and the first meander section  1731 . Another end of the first radiating section  1751  extends along a direction parallel to the end surface  113  and away from the side surface  115  and further extends along a direction parallel to the side surface  115  and towards the end surface  113 . 
     The second radiating section  1753  is positioned on the end surface  113 . The second radiating section  1753  is substantially a U-shaped sheet. One end of the second radiating section  1753  is perpendicularly connected to the first radiating section  1751  and another end of the second radiating section  1753  is perpendicularly connected to the third radiating section  1755 . 
     The third radiating section  1755  is substantially arc-shaped and is positioned on the top surface  111 . The third radiating section  1755  is electrically connected to one end of the second radiating section  1753 , extends away from the first radiating section  1751  and along a peripheral edge of the top surface  111 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates that the second antenna unit  19  is positioned on the top surface  111  and the side surface  115 . The second antenna unit  19  is spaced from the first antenna unit  17 . The second antenna unit  19  includes a first resonating portion  191  and a second resonating portion  193 . 
     The first resonating portion  191  includes a first resonating section  1911  and a second resonating section  1913 . The first resonating section  1911  is positioned on the side surface  115  and is substantially a U-shaped sheet. One end of the resonating section  1911  is perpendicularly connected to the second feed portion  15 . Another end of the resonating section  1911  is perpendicularly connected to the second resonating section  1913 . 
     The second resonating section  1913  is substantially a rectangular sheet and is positioned on the top surface  111 . One end of the second resonating section  1913  is electrically connected to one end of the first resonating section  1911  away from the second feed portion  15 . Another end of the second resonating section  1913  extends along a direction parallel to the side surface  115  and away from the end surface  113 . 
     The second resonating portion  193  is substantially arc-shaped and is positioned on the top surface  111 . The second resonating portion  193  is electrically connected to a junction between the second feed portion  15  and the first resonating section  1911  and extends towards the first antenna unit  17 . 
     When the wireless communication device  200  is operated, current enters the first antenna unit  17  through the first feed point  213  and the first feed portion  13  to activate corresponding resonating modes, thus the wireless communication device  200  can work at frequency bands of about GSM850/EGSM900 (824˜960 MHz) and DCS1800/PCS1900/UMTS2100 (1710˜2170 MHz). In addition, the current enters the second antenna unit  19  through the second feed point  215  and the second feed portion  15  to activate corresponding resonating modes, thus the wireless communication device  200  can further work at frequency bands of about LTE band17 (704-746 MHz) and LTE band7 (2300-2690 MHz). That is, the antenna module  100  of the wireless communication device  200  can work at common wireless communication systems, such as LTE band17 (704-746 MHz), GSM850 (824-894 MHz), EGSM900 (880-960 MHz), LTE band7 (2300-2690 MHz), and DCS1800/PCS1900/UMTS2100 (1710-2170 MHz). 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a scattering parameter graph of the first antenna unit  17  of the antenna module  100 .  FIG. 4  illustrates a scattering parameter graph of the second antenna unit  19  of the antenna module  100 . It can be derived from  FIGS. 3 and 4  that the wireless communication device  200  can be utilized in common wireless communication systems, such as LTE band17 (704-746 MHz), GSM850 (824-894 MHz), EGSM900 (880-960 MHz), LTE band7 (2300-2690 MHz), and DCS1800/PCS1900/UMTS2100 (1710-2170 MHz), with exceptional communication quality. 
     Table 1 shows that when the antenna module  100  is utilized in common wireless communication systems, such as LTE band17 (704-746 MHz), GSM850 (824-894 MHz), EGSM900 (880-960 MHz), LTE band7 (2300-2690 MHz), and DCS1800/PCS1900/UMTS2100 (1710-2170 MHz), a gain efficiency ratio of the antenna module  100  satisfies radiation requirements. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                 a gain efficiency ratio of the antenna module 
               
               
                 at different working frequencies 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Gain efficiency ratio 
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Working frequencies 
                 Transmit (Tx) 
                 Receive (Rx) 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 LTE 700 (US frequency band) 
                 −3.34 
                 −3.87 
               
               
                   
                 LTE 700 (EU frequency band) 
                 −3.65 
                 −3.58 
               
               
                   
                 LTE 2300 
                 −3.45 
                 −3.45 
               
               
                   
                 LTE 2500 
                 −4.17 
                 −4.17 
               
               
                   
                 GSM850 
                 −4.4 
                 −4.29 
               
               
                   
                 EGSM900 
                 −3.88 
                 −4.62 
               
               
                   
                 DCS1800 
                 −3.16 
                 −2.86 
               
               
                   
                 PCS1900 
                 −3.97 
                 −3.08 
               
               
                   
                 UMTS2100 
                 −3.3 
                 −4.11 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Many details are often found in the art such as the other features of the antenna module and the wireless communication device. Therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure up to, and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.