Patent Description:
When configuring a general antenna, the length should be designed to be <NUM>/<NUM> of the wavelength. For example, for the <NUM> frequency, the line length of an antenna needs to have approximately <NUM> considering the wavelength. In addition, a certain distance from the ground (GND) is also required. In the case of a small antenna required for a small communication module for a near field communication, the antenna should also be configured to have a small size according to the miniaturization.

Conventional products adjust the line length with a PCB pattern, apply a chassis-type antenna with a large size, or use a chip antenna. Each of these has a problem that it is not suitable for miniaturization, and in particular, in the case of a chip antenna, there is a disadvantage in terms of cost.

Examples of antennas are disclosed in documents <CIT> Al, <CIT> Al and <CIT>.

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a cover-type antenna including a capacitance auxiliary pattern specifically.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

In order to solve the above technical problem, the invention relates to an antenna according to claim <NUM>.

Optional features are laid down in the dependent claims.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, by designing a commonly used shield can portion as an antenna, it is possible to reduce the area for a separate antenna design, miniaturize it, and reduce costs. In addition, it is possible to optimize the antenna through the capacitance patterning signal line to maximize the radiation effect and fine tuning in the resonance point design. Furthermore, it is possible to insert an additional auxiliary pattern into an application board using an additional module, so that it becomes a structure in which fine tuning can be performed even in various stacking and dielectric constant environments of various types of application PCBs.

Through this, it is possible to implement an ultra-small chassis antenna integrated module, increase efficiency with additional auxiliary patterns for antenna length and performance, and easily debug and supplement the resonance point that is changed by the environment of various applications, that is, equipment, metal, body, PCB stacking, dielectric constant, and the like.

Effects according to the invention are not limited by the contents exemplified above, and more various effects are included in the present specification.

However, the technical idea of the present invention is not limited to some embodiments to be described, but may be implemented in various forms, and within the scope of the present invention, one or more of the constituent elements may be selectively combined or substituted between embodiments.

In addition, the terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the embodiments of the present invention, unless explicitly defined and described, can be interpreted as a meaning that can be generally understood by a person skilled in the art, and commonly used terms such as terms defined in the dictionary may be interpreted in consideration of the meaning of the context of the related technology.

In addition, terms used in the present specification are for describing embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

In the present specification, the singular form may include the plural form unless specifically stated in the phrase, and when described as "at least one (or more than one) of A and B and C", it may include one or more of all combinations that can be combined with A, B, and C.

In addition, in describing the components of the embodiment of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are merely intended to distinguish the components from other components, and the terms do not limit the nature, order or sequence of the components.

And, when a component is described as being 'connected', 'coupled' or 'interconnected' to another component, the component is not only directly connected, coupled or interconnected to the other component, but may also include cases of being 'connected', 'coupled', or 'interconnected' due that another component between that other components.

In addition, when described as being formed or arranged in "on (above)" or "below (under)" of each component, "on (above)" or "below (under)" means that it includes not only the case where the two components are directly in contact with, but also the case where one or more other components are formed or arranged between the two components. In addition, when expressed as "on (above)" or "below (under)", the meaning of not only an upward direction but also a downward direction based on one component may be included.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention.

An antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first radiation part <NUM> and a second radiation part <NUM>.

The first radiation part <NUM> is formed in the form of a cover on the first surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM>.

More specifically, the first radiation part <NUM> is formed in a shape covering the printed circuit board <NUM> at an upper portion of the printed circuit board <NUM> and radiates a signal to the outside. Here, the printed circuit board <NUM> may be a system in package (SIP) communication module, and may be a near field wireless communication module such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and Wi-Fi. In addition, it is natural that various communication modules may be used. As a module for performing a near field wireless communication, it may be a small communication module. The first radiation part <NUM> serves as a shield cover protecting the printed circuit board <NUM> and emitting a signal at the same time. To this end, the first radiation part <NUM> may be formed of a metal. By being formed of metal, it is possible to protect the printed circuit board <NUM> and radiate a signal at the same time.

The first radiation part <NUM> is spaced apart from the first surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM> at a predetermined distance to be formed in the shape of a cover to cover the first surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM>. The first radiation part <NUM> may include a feed part <NUM> receiving a signal from the printed circuit board <NUM> for radiation of a signal and a ground part <NUM> being connected to the ground of the printed circuit board <NUM>. As a current is applied through the feed part <NUM>, a signal is inputted, and the current applied to the ground part <NUM> exits, but as shown in <FIG>,the signal is radiated through the first radiation part <NUM> formed in a meander shape or the like.

The first radiation part <NUM> may include one or more support parts <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> that are soldered on the printed circuit board <NUM> to support the first radiation part <NUM> in order to maintain the shape of the cover. The support part <NUM> among the support parts <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> is connected to the second radiation part <NUM>, which will be described later, the other support parts <NUM> and <NUM> are connected to the printed circuit board <NUM> by soldering, and may be formed to be insulated without being connected to a ground or other components.

The first radiation part <NUM> is formed in the form of a cover of the printed circuit board <NUM> so that it can simultaneously perform the role of the cover of the printed circuit board and the role of radiation, through this, since it does not require a structure for separate radiation for signal radiation it is advantageous for miniaturization. In addition, when forming a radiation part, there is a spatial constraint that other components must not be disposed within a predetermined interval so that the other components do not affect radiation, and by implementing the radiation part in the form of a cover of the printed circuit board <NUM>, the spatial constraint can be reduced, thereby possibly increasing the degree of freedom in design.

The second radiation part <NUM> is extended from one end <NUM> of the first radiation part <NUM> to the second surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM> through the printed circuit board <NUM>.

More specifically, the second radiation part <NUM> is being extended from the first radiation part <NUM>, and formed by penetrating the printed circuit board <NUM> and being extended to the second surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM>. The second radiation part <NUM> may be formed by being extended from one support part <NUM> among the support parts <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> of the first radiation part <NUM> described above.

The second radiation part <NUM> may include a penetrating part <NUM> penetrating through the printed circuit board <NUM> and a radiation pattern <NUM> formed on the second surface of the printed circuit board <NUM>. The second radiation part <NUM> is electrically connected to the first radiation part <NUM>, and the current applied to the first radiation part <NUM> also flows to the second radiation part <NUM>, thereby performing the role of emitting a signal. Through this, radiation is accomplished in both the first radiation part <NUM> and the second radiation part <NUM>. The first radiation part <NUM> is formed on the first surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM>, and the second radiation part <NUM> is formed on the second surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM>, thereby accomplishing bidirectional radiation of the first radiation part <NUM> and the second radiation part <NUM>. Through the bidirectional radiation, radiation efficiency can be increased, and the directivity of radiation can be increased, so that radiation efficiency can be increased even in an environment where radiation space is restricted.

The first radiation part <NUM> is formed in the form of a cover of the printed circuit board <NUM>, and the length of the radiation part that can be implemented as the first radiation part <NUM> is limited according to the size of the printed circuit board <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, even when a pattern is formed in a meander shape, the total length of the radiation part is limited according to the area constraint. The second radiation part <NUM> is connected to the first radiation part <NUM> and being extended penetrating through the printed circuit board <NUM>, thereby extending the total length of the radiation part and possibly resolving the length constraint. The second radiation part <NUM> is implemented as the length of the penetrating part <NUM> penetrating the printed circuit board <NUM>, that is, the thickness of the printed circuit board <NUM> and the length of the radiation pattern <NUM> being formed on the second surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM> so that he length of the entire radiation part may be secured as much as the length of the second radiation part <NUM>. The frequency of the radiation signal may vary according to the length of the radiation pattern <NUM>. The frequency of the radiation signal is affected by the total length of the radiation part. The length of the first radiation part <NUM> is difficult to adjust due to spatial constraints and the radiation pattern <NUM> is easy to adjust in length, so the length of the radiation pattern <NUM> whose length can be adjusted according to the design and according to the frequency of the signal to be radiated can be adjusted.

In addition, the radiation pattern <NUM> is formed on the second surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM>, and may be formed to be spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the first surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM> or the ground pattern <NUM> being formed inside the printed circuit board <NUM>. Since the radiation pattern <NUM> is formed to be spaced apart from the ground pattern <NUM> by a predetermined distance, the radiation pattern <NUM> and the ground pattern <NUM> may form a capacitance coupling. The frequency of the radiation signal varies depending on the resonance point of the radiation part, and the resonance point of the radiation part is affected by the inductance component and the capacitance component formed in the radiation part. The radiation pattern <NUM> forms a capacitance coupling with the ground pattern <NUM> so that the resonance point can be adjusted. Since the capacitance is affected by the distance and area of the two patterns, the frequency of the radiation signal may vary according to the distance between the radiation pattern <NUM> and the ground pattern <NUM>.

The ground pattern <NUM> may be formed on or inside the first surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM>. Here, the ground pattern <NUM> may be a pattern connected to a ground being formed to correspond to the radiation pattern <NUM>. It is natural that the ground pattern <NUM> may be formed to correspond to the shape of the radiation pattern <NUM> or may be formed in the form of a wide plate, and may be formed in various other forms.

When the ground pattern <NUM> is formed on the first surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM>, the printed circuit board <NUM> may be formed to have a predetermined thickness, and since the radiation pattern <NUM> is formed on the second surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM>, the radiation pattern <NUM> and the ground pattern <NUM> may be formed to be spaced apart as much as the thickness of the printed circuit board <NUM>. That is, the frequency of the radiation signal may vary according to the thickness of the printed circuit board <NUM>.

The ground pattern <NUM> may be formed inside the printed circuit board <NUM> not on the first surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM>. At this time, the printed circuit board <NUM> includes a plurality of layers, and the ground pattern may be formed on one layer among the plurality of layers. The printed circuit board <NUM> may be formed by stacking a plurality of printed circuit boards comprising a plurality of layers not a single printed circuit board and the ground pattern <NUM> may be formed on one layer among the plurality of layers. When the ground pattern <NUM> is formed on the uppermost layer of the printed circuit board <NUM>, since the uppermost layer of the printed circuit board <NUM> corresponds to the first surface of the printed circuit board <NUM>, and printed, it can be said that the ground pattern <NUM> is formed on the first surface <NUM> of the circuit board <NUM>.

When the printed circuit board <NUM> is formed of a plurality of layers, a ground may not be formed between the radiation pattern <NUM> and the ground pattern <NUM>. The radiation pattern <NUM> and the ground pattern <NUM> are spaced apart from each other and capacitance coupled, and since the capacitance coupling of the radiation pattern <NUM> and the ground pattern <NUM> is affected when a ground is formed between the radiation pattern <NUM> and the ground pattern <NUM>, a ground may not be formed in the corresponding region in the layer positioned between the radiation pattern <NUM> and the ground pattern <NUM> in order to increase the accuracy in designing the resonance point and the radiation efficiency. A corresponding space may be left open without forming other components such as signal lines other than the ground. For example, as shown in <FIG>, the printed circuit board <NUM> is formed in four layers, the radiation pattern <NUM> is formed on the second surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM>, and the ground may not be formed in the corresponding regions of the second and third layers when the ground pattern <NUM> is formed on the first surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM>, that is, the fourth layer.

As described above, the first radiation part <NUM> being formed and the second radiation part <NUM> being extended from the first radiation part <NUM> may be expressed as an equivalent circuit, as shown in <FIG>. The entire radiation part is connected to the feed part <NUM> and the ground part <NUM>. When only the first radiation part <NUM> is formed, there is a limit of a length that can be physically implemented in the total length L1 of the first radiation part <NUM>. For example, if the length required for L1 is <NUM> for signal radiation, even if it is designed in a meander shape within the <NUM> x <NUM> module space, which is the area of the cover of the printed circuit board <NUM>, only a length of about <NUM>, which is half the length, can be implemented, therefore it is difficult to realize the desired frequency of the radiation signal. However, the length of L1 can be extended to implement the desired frequency of the radiation signal by connecting the second radiation part <NUM>, and also, it is possible to design a resonance point due to the capacitance component along with the extension of the length of the radiation part by including the radiation pattern <NUM> which is capacitance coupled with the ground pattern <NUM>, and an improvement in radiation efficiency performance can be expected.

As described above, one or more support parts <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> are formed in the first radiation part <NUM>, and when a ground is formed at a lower portion of the support parts <NUM> and <NUM> that are not connected to the second radiation part <NUM>, capacitance coupling may be accomplished by the support parts <NUM> and <NUM> and the ground at the lower portion thereof. It is possible to adjust the resonance point by using the capacitance coupling made by the support parts <NUM> and <NUM>, or, conversely, the resonance point control using capacitance coupling may be implemented in the radiation pattern <NUM>, and the influence of the capacitance coupling may be minimized in the support parts <NUM> and <NUM>. To this end, a ground may not be formed between the lower portions of the support parts <NUM> and <NUM> and the second surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM>. By not forming a ground between the lower portion of the support parts <NUM> and <NUM> and the second surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM>, it is possible to fix the capacitance coupling generated by the support parts <NUM> and <NUM>, and it may be easy to adjust the resonance point using the radiation pattern <NUM>.

When the printed circuit board <NUM> is formed of a plurality of layers, for example, when it is formed of four layers, each layer may be implemented as shown in <FIG>. As shown in <FIG>, components necessary for the communication module may be formed on the first surface <NUM>, that is, the fourth layer of the printed circuit board <NUM> on which the first radiation part <NUM> is formed. In addition, a feed terminal <NUM> being connected to the first radiation part <NUM> and the feed part <NUM> and a ground terminal <NUM> being connected to the ground part <NUM> are formed; regions <NUM> and <NUM> to which the support parts <NUM> and <NUM> are soldered are formed; and a region <NUM> to which the first radiation part <NUM> and the second radiation part <NUM> are connected may be formed. In the third and second layers, as shown in <FIG>, through holes penetrating the layers may be formed. As shown in <FIG>, on the second surface <NUM> of the first layer, that is, the printed circuit board <NUM>, the components necessary for the communication module are formed; and a penetrating part <NUM> and a radiation pattern <NUM> of the second radiation part <NUM> may be formed. The radiation pattern <NUM> may be capacitance coupled with the ground pattern <NUM> being formed in the third layer, as shown in <FIG>, and a ground may not be formed on the second layer between the first and third layers as shown in <FIG>.

The antenna formed as described above may be mounted on the application board <NUM> as shown in <FIG> and operate as a communication module. At this time, the second radiation part <NUM> may include a connection part being connected to the radiation parts <NUM> and <NUM> of another board <NUM> on which the antenna is mounted. The second radiation part <NUM> does not end the total length of the radiation part in its radiation pattern <NUM>, and may form a connection part that can be connected to the radiation parts <NUM> and <NUM> being formed on the corresponding board <NUM> so that the total length of the radiation part can be extended in another board <NUM> on which the antenna is mounted. When the antenna is mounted on the application board <NUM>, the radiation characteristics of the antenna may be affected according to the characteristics of the application board <NUM>. Accordingly, a connection part may be provided so that the radiation characteristics can be finely adjusted according to the characteristics of the application board <NUM>.

The radiation parts <NUM> and <NUM> of the application board may be connected to the second radiation part <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. The radiation part of the application board may include a penetrating part <NUM> and a radiation pattern <NUM> penetrating the application board. The radiation pattern <NUM> of the application board may be capacitance coupled to the ground pattern <NUM>, and radiation characteristics may be adjusted according to the shape of the radiation pattern <NUM> of the application board.

The shape of the printed circuit board of the antenna connected up to the radiation part of the application may be implemented as shown in <FIG>. The first radiation part <NUM> is connected to the second radiation part <NUM> penetrating through the first surface <NUM> of the printed circuit board <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, and the radiation pattern <NUM> of the second radiation part <NUM> is formed on the second surface of the printed circuit board <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. The radiation part of the application board is connected to the radiation pattern of the second radiation part <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, and the radiation part of the application board penetrates through the application board and a radiation pattern may be formed on the other surface as shown in <FIG>. Through this, it may be easy to adjust the radiation characteristics.

When the antenna is mounted on the application board, since the application board is positioned in the radiation direction of the second radiation part <NUM>, the radiation of the second radiation part <NUM> may be affected by the configuration of the application board. Accordingly, in order to increase the radiation efficiency of the second radiation part <NUM>, a ground may not be formed in a radiation direction of the radiation pattern in another board on which the antenna is mounted.

Claim 1:
An antenna comprising:
a printed circuit board (<NUM>),
a first radiation part (<NUM>) formed in a cover shape on a first surface of the printed circuit board (<NUM>),
wherein the first radiation part (<NUM>) is spaced apart from the first surface (<NUM>) of the printed circuit board (<NUM>) at a predetermined distance to be formed in the shape of a cover to cover the first surface (<NUM>) of the printed circuit board (<NUM>),
wherein the antenna further comprises a second radiation part (<NUM>) penetrating the printed circuit board (<NUM>) from one end of the first radiation part (<NUM>) and extending onto a second surface of the printed circuit board (<NUM>),
wherein the second radiation part (<NUM>) comprises a radiation pattern (<NUM>) on the second surface of the printed circuit board (<NUM>), and
wherein the radiation pattern (<NUM>) is spaced apart as much as a predetermined distance from the first surface of the printed circuit board (<NUM>) or a ground pattern (<NUM>) formed inside the printed circuit board (<NUM>).