Patent Description:
With the development of an information technology (IT), various types of electronic devices such as a smartphone or a tablet personal computer (PC) are being widely supplied. An electronic device may perform wireless communication with any other electronic device or a base station by using an antenna module.

Nowadays, as the network traffic of an electronic device sharply increases, a <NUM> communication technology capable of transmitting or receiving a large amount of information is being developed. The use of a signal in a frequency band (e.g., about <NUM> or higher) for a <NUM> mobile communication network makes it possible to shorten a wavelength of the signal in units of millimeters, and thus a bandwidth may be used more widely. This means that a large amount of information is transmitted or received.

There is a still need for a conventional communication technology using a signal in a frequency band lower than <NUM> communication technology. For example, in addition to an antenna module for <NUM> communication, the electronic device may include antennas for WiFi communication, Bluetooth communication, and <NUM> communication that use a frequency band of <NUM> or lower. In this specification, an antenna supporting the conventional communication technology may be referred to as a "legacy antenna".

<CIT> discloses a mobile terminal comprising: a terminal body; a first antenna device which is provided inside the terminal body and implements a resonant frequency of a first frequency band; and a second antenna device which is formed so as to be adjacent to the first antenna and implements a resonant frequency of a second frequency band, wherein the second antenna device is an antenna array formed by including a plurality of dielectrics operating as a radiator.

<CIT> discloses an electronic device capable of reducing radiation interference due to a metal component by arranging an auxiliary antenna radiator near the metal component. The electronic device comprises: a first antenna element including at least a part of a housing; the metal component adjacently arranged to the first antenna element inside the housing; a second antenna element adjacently arranged to the metal component; and a communication circuit feeding the first antenna element and the second antenna element. The communication circuit indirectly feeds the metal component through at least one of the first and second antenna elements. A signal of a designated frequency band can be transmitted and received through an electric path formed by the first antenna element, the second antenna element and the metal component.

<CIT> discloses an electronic device including an antenna element including at least a part of a housing of the electronic device and configured to resonate in a first frequency band, a conductive plate electrically connected to the antenna element, arranged in the housing, and configured to resonate in the first frequency band or a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, a filter circuit electrically connected to the conductive plate and including a pass band in the second frequency band, and a conductive member electrically connected to the conductive plate through the filter circuit and configured to resonate in the second frequency band.

<CIT> discloses a terminal body including an upper part and a lower part and an antenna apparatus installed in the lower part and the upper part of the main body in order to transmit and receive a wireless signal. The antenna apparatus of a mobile terminal comprises: a first member and a second member forming opened slots; an electricity supply unit forming an electric field within the slot when the antenna apparatus is connected to one end of one or more members in order to be resonated in a first frequency band; and an electricity supply extension unit extended from the electricity supply unit for the antenna apparatus to be resonated in a second frequency band.

<CIT> discloses a communication electric device and an antenna device. The antenna device includes an antenna unit used for transceiving wireless signals; and a first metal component and a second metal component arranged oppositely, wherein a radiation gap is arranged between the first metal component and the second metal component; and feed points of the antenna unit are arranged in the gap. The antenna device adopts the radiation gap between the first metal component and the second metal component as a radiation body of the antenna, so that the radiation efficiency of the antenna device is improved. The first metal component and the second metal component can be metal structures of the communication electric device and no external component structures are needed to add.

<CIT> discloses a cell phone including a cell phone cover body, an external WIFI antenna, a first flexible circuit board and an antenna plug, linked to each other through a first flexible circuit board between the antenna plug and the external WIFI antenna, wherein the cell phone includes a cell phone body, a second flexible circuit board and an antenna socket.

A <NUM> antenna may be implemented as an independent module including an antenna array supporting beamforming. The antenna array may include a plurality of antenna elements. To improve the performance of the <NUM> antenna, the <NUM> antenna may include an array antenna composed of more antenna elements, and thus the size of the <NUM> antenna module may increase. As the <NUM> antenna and various antennas (e.g., legacy antennas) are mounted in an electronic device, a space inside the electronic device may be insufficient.

Embodiments disclosed in this specification are intended to provide an electronic device capable of mounting a <NUM> antenna module and a legacy antenna in a limited internal space of the electronic device.

Viewed from a first aspect, there is provided an electronic device as defined in claim <NUM> of the appended claims.

Furthermore, according to an embodiment disclosed in this specification, an electronic device may include a housing that includes a first plate, a second plate facing away from the first plate, and a side member surrounding a space between the first plate and the second plate, a first PCB that is disposed in the housing, an antenna structure that is disposed in the housing and includes a second PCB including a first surface facing in a first direction, a second surface facing away from the first surface, and at least one conductive layer between the first surface and the second surface, and an antenna array paralleled to the first surface and formed on the first surface or in the second PCB, a first wireless communication circuit transmitting and/or receiving a first signal including a first frequency between <NUM> and <NUM> and electrically connected to one point of the at least one conductive layer providing an electrical length corresponding to the first frequency, and a second wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the antenna array and transmitting and/or receiving a second signal including a second frequency between <NUM> and <NUM>.

According to various embodiments disclosed in the specification, it is possible to implement a legacy antenna that operates a conductive layer included in a <NUM> antenna module as a radiator.

According to various embodiments disclosed in the specification, an electronic device may reduce a mounting space for the <NUM> antenna module and the legacy antenna.

Besides, a variety of effects directly or indirectly understood through the specification may be provided.

With regard to description of drawings, the same or similar components will be marked by the same or similar reference signs.

<FIG> is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device.

Referring to <FIG>, an electronic device <NUM> includes a side bezel structure <NUM>, a first support member <NUM> (e.g., a bracket), a front plate <NUM>, a display <NUM>, a printed circuit board (PCB) <NUM>, a battery <NUM>, a <NUM> antenna module <NUM>, a second support member <NUM> (e.g., a rear case), and a back plate <NUM>. In an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may not include a part (e.g., the first support member <NUM> or the second support member <NUM>) of the components illustrated in <FIG> or may further include any other component not illustrated in <FIG>.

The side bezel structure <NUM> may be combined with the front plate <NUM> and the back plate <NUM> to form a housing of the electronic device <NUM>. The housing may form the exterior of the electronic device <NUM> and may protect components disposed in the electronic device <NUM> against an external environment (e.g., moisture or impact).

The housing may include a first surface, a second surface facing away from the first surface, and a side surface surrounding a space between the first surface and the second surface. For example, at least part of the front plate <NUM> may form the first surface of the housing. At least part of the back plate <NUM> may form the second surface of the housing. The side bezel structure <NUM> may form a side surface of the housing together with a portion of the front plate <NUM> and/or a portion of the back plate <NUM>. The side surface may be understood as a region that surrounds a space between a first surface on which the front plate <NUM> is disposed and a second surface on which the back plate <NUM> is disposed. The side surface (e.g., a side surface <NUM> of <FIG>) of the housing may include a first side region (e.g., a first side region <NUM>-<NUM> of <FIG>) extending in a first direction, a second side region (e.g., a second side region <NUM>-<NUM> of <FIG>) extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction from one end of the first side region, a third side region (e.g., a third side region <NUM>-<NUM> of <FIG>) extending in the first direction from one end of the second side region, and a fourth side region extending in the second direction from one end of the third side region. At least part of the side bezel structure <NUM> may include a conductive region. The conductive region may be supplied with a power to cause an electromagnetic resonance. The electronic device <NUM> may receive or transmit a signal in a specified frequency band by using the electromagnetic resonance. In an embodiment, the specified frequency band may be <NUM> or higher and <NUM> or lower.

The first support member <NUM> may be disposed within the electronic device <NUM> so as to be connected with the side bezel structure <NUM> or may be integrally formed with the side bezel structure <NUM>. The first support member <NUM> may support or fix electronic components disposed in the electronic device <NUM>, for example, the PCB <NUM>, electronic components disposed on the PCB <NUM>, or various kinds of modules (e.g., the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>) performing various functions in a direction of the front plate <NUM>.

The front plate <NUM> may be coupled to the side bezel structure <NUM> and the back plate <NUM> to form the housing. The front plate <NUM> may protect an internal component of the electronic device <NUM>, for example, the display <NUM> against impact coming from a front surface of the electronic device <NUM>. The front plate <NUM> may transmit a light generated from the display <NUM> or a light incident onto various kinds of sensors (e.g., an image sensor, an iris sensor, or a proximity sensor) disposed on the front surface of the electronic device <NUM>.

The display <NUM> may be disposed adjacent to one surface of the front plate <NUM>. The display <NUM> may be electrically connected with the PCB <NUM> to output content (e.g., a text, an image, a video, an icon, a widget, or a symbol) or to receive a touch input (e.g., a touch, a gesture, or a hovering) from the user.

Various electronic components, various elements, or various printed circuits of the electronic device <NUM> may be mounted on the PCB <NUM>. For example, an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), or an intermediate frequency integrated circuit (IFIC), or a communication circuit (e.g., a second wireless communication circuit of <FIG>) may be mounted on the PCB <NUM>.

The PCB <NUM> includes at least one or more ground regions. The ground region may be understood as a conductive region of a specified size or larger. The ground region is used as a ground for electronic components included in the PCB <NUM>, for example, for an operation of a communication circuit. In this specification, the PCB <NUM> may be referred to as a "first PCB", a "main PCB", a "main board", or a "printed board assembly (PBA)".

The battery <NUM> may convert chemical energy and electrical energy bidirectionally. For example, the battery <NUM> may convert chemical energy into electrical energy and may supply the converted electrical energy to the display <NUM> and various components or modules mounted on the PCB <NUM>. A power management module for managing the charging and discharging of the battery <NUM> may be included in the PCB <NUM>.

The <NUM> antenna module <NUM> is disposed adjacent to the PCB <NUM>. For example, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be physically connected with at least part of the PCB <NUM>. For another example, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> is disposed adjacent to the PCB <NUM>, and is electrically connected with electronic components disposed on the PCB <NUM>, for example, a communication module, a communication processor, or an application processor.

According to an embodiment, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may transmit and receive RF signals through a part of the housing that is disposed adjacent to the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>. For example, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be disposed adjacent to an inner side of the housing of the electronic device <NUM>. Hereinafter, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> disclosed in the specification may be disposed adjacent to a side surface (e.g., first to fourth side regions) of the housing. For example, when the housing is formed in the shape of a rectangle or substantially a rectangle as illustrated in <FIG>, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be disposed adjacent to each side surface of the housing. For another example, when the housing is formed in the shape of a circle, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be disposed to be spaced from the center of the circle as much as a specified distance toward the side surface.

According to an embodiment, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> includes the antenna array. The <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may include a first surface facing in a first direction and a second surface facing away from the first direction. For example, the antenna array may be formed on the first surface.

According to an embodiment, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be a module for communicating with a base station or another electronic device <NUM> by using a millimeter wave signal. In the disclosure, the millimeter wave signal may include, for example, a radio frequency (RF) signal having a frequency band ranging from <NUM> to <NUM>. In this specification, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be referred to as an "antenna structure" or a "communication device".

The second support member <NUM> may be interposed between the back plate <NUM> and the PCB <NUM>. Identically or similarly to the first support member <NUM>, the second support member <NUM> may support or fix the electronic components in the electronic device <NUM> in a direction of the back plate <NUM>.

The back plate <NUM> may be coupled to the side bezel structure <NUM> and the front plate <NUM> to form the housing. The back plate <NUM> may protect internal components of the electronic device <NUM> against impact coming from the back surface of the electronic device <NUM>.

In the specification, the description given with reference to <FIG> may be identically applied to components having the same reference numerals/marks as the components of the electronic device <NUM> described with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device, according to an embodiment;
Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> includes the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> (e.g., the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> of <FIG>) and a first printed circuit board (PCB) <NUM> (e.g., the PCB <NUM> of <FIG>). Hereinafter, the first printed circuit board <NUM> may be described as the first PCB <NUM>.

In an embodiment, the first PCB <NUM> includes a non-conductive region <NUM> and a conductive region <NUM>. The conductive region <NUM> functions as a ground region within the electronic device <NUM>. For example, it may be understood that the non-conductive region <NUM> is a region in which a metal member has been removed from the first PCB <NUM>.

In an embodiment, a first wireless communication circuit <NUM> and an inter frequency integrated circuit (IFIC) are disposed in the conductive region <NUM> of the first PCB <NUM>. For example, the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> may be referred to as a "communication circuit" for feeding a legacy antenna. The first wireless communication circuit <NUM> may transmit and receive an RF signal including a frequency band of <NUM> or less, using at least one conductive pattern or a conductive layer included in the electronic device <NUM> as a radiator. Hereinafter, the RF signal transmitted and received by the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> is described as a first RF signal.

The IFIC may process a signal in an intermediate frequency band of the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>. It may be understood that a second wireless communication circuit <NUM> and the IFIC are a communication circuit for <NUM> communication. In various embodiments, the communication processor for the IFIC may be implemented separately from communication processors of the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> and the second wireless communication circuit <NUM>.

In an embodiment, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> includes a PCB <NUM> (hereinafter, a second PCB <NUM>), a conductive layer <NUM>, an antenna array <NUM>, and the second wireless communication circuit <NUM>. For example, the second PCB <NUM> may be a main PCB included in the electronic device <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the antenna array <NUM> includes a plurality of antenna elements. In various embodiments, the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> generates an RF signal having at least one beam pattern by using the plurality of antenna elements included in the antenna array <NUM>. For example, the RF signal may include a millimeter wave signal including a signal in an ultra-high frequency band of, for example, <NUM> to <NUM>. Hereinafter, the RF signal transmitted and received by the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> is described as a second RF signal.

According to an embodiment, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> including the antenna array <NUM> may form a beam pattern having directivity in a specific direction. Accordingly, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may transmit and receive a second RF signal.

According to an embodiment, the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> may transmit and receive a second RF signal by changing a direction of a beam pattern of the antenna array <NUM>. For example, the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> may adjust the phase of the signal radiated from each of antenna elements. The beam pattern of the antenna array <NUM> may be changed based on a phase difference between signals radiated from each of the antenna elements included in the antenna array <NUM>.

In various embodiments, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may have directivity in a direction of a side surface (e.g., the side bezel structure <NUM> of <FIG>) of the housing, in a direction of a front surface (e.g., the front plate <NUM> of <FIG>) of the housing, or in a direction of a back surface (e.g., the back plate <NUM> of <FIG>) of the housing from the inside of the electronic device <NUM>, depending on a location where the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> is disposed.

According to an embodiment, the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> is electrically connected to each of a plurality of antenna elements included in the antenna array <NUM>. The second wireless communication circuit <NUM> may provide a specific amount of current to the antenna elements through a feeding line connected to the plurality of antenna elements included in the antenna array <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the conductive layer <NUM> operates as a ground region for the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>. The second wireless communication circuit <NUM> may be electrically connected to one point of the conductive layer <NUM>. In various embodiments, the conductive layer <NUM> may perform a shielding function on the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>. For example, it may be understood that the conductive layer <NUM> is a shield can or a shielding layer. For example, the conductive layer <NUM> may be disposed in a region corresponding to a region in which the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> on the second PCB <NUM> is disposed. The conductive layer <NUM> may perform a shielding function on the electrical signal inside the electronic device <NUM> with respect to the second wireless communication circuit <NUM>.

In an embodiment, at least part of the conductive layer <NUM> may operate as a radiator of a legacy antenna of the electronic device <NUM>. The first wireless communication circuit <NUM> is electrically connected to one point of the conductive layer <NUM>. It may be understood that the one point (hereinafter, a first point) is a feeding point for the legacy antenna. The first wireless communication circuit <NUM> may transmit and receive a first RF signal through an electrical path formed in at least part of the conductive layer <NUM> by feeding the first point of the conductive layer <NUM>. For example, the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> may be a communication circuit for WiFi communication, Bluetooth communication, or <NUM> communication.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> may further include a configuration not illustrated in <FIG>. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may further include at least one processor (e.g., a processor <NUM> of <FIG>) electrically connected to the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> and/or the second wireless communication circuit <NUM>. For example, the at least one processor may include an application processor and/or a communication processor. The at least one processor may control operations of the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> and/or the second wireless communication circuit <NUM>. It may be understood that the operations of the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> and the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> to be described later are operations of the at least one processor. Hereinafter, in the specification, the description given with reference to <FIG> may be identically applied to components having the same reference numerals/marks as the components of the electronic device <NUM> described with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> is an inner perspective view of an electronic device including a <NUM> antenna module, according to an embodiment. The arrangement structure of illustrated in <FIG> is shown as an example. The first PCB <NUM> and the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be arranged differently from <FIG>.

In an embodiment, the first PCB <NUM> includes the conductive region <NUM> and the non-conductive region <NUM>. In an embodiment, communication circuits including the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> and the IFIC are disposed in the conductive region <NUM>. At least part of the conductive region <NUM> may operate as a ground of a legacy antenna. For example, the conductive region <NUM> of the first PCB <NUM> may include a plurality of conductive layers. For example, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be disposed parallel to the first PCB <NUM>.

In an embodiment, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> includes the second PCB <NUM> and the antenna array <NUM>. The <NUM> antenna module <NUM> is disposed adjacent to the first PCB <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, for example, the antenna array <NUM> may be formed on one surface of the second PCB <NUM>. In another example, when the second PCB <NUM> has a stacked structure, the antenna array <NUM> may be formed on one or more layers included in the second PCB <NUM>.

In an embodiment, the second PCB <NUM> includes a first portion <NUM> and a second portion <NUM> having a predetermined angle with the first portion <NUM>. The first portion <NUM> is disposed adjacent to the non-conductive region <NUM> of the first PCB <NUM>. At least part of the second portion <NUM> is disposed adjacent to the conductive region <NUM> of the first PCB <NUM>. For example, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may include a portion (e.g., the first portion <NUM>) disposed adjacent to the non-conductive region <NUM> of the first PCB <NUM> and a portion (e.g., the second portion <NUM>) disposed adjacent to the conductive region <NUM>.

In various embodiments, for example, the predetermined angle may vary depending on a shape of the housing of the electronic device <NUM>. For example, the first portion <NUM> and the second portion <NUM> may be disposed adjacent to a side surface (e.g., the side bezel structure <NUM> of <FIG>) of the housing of the electronic device <NUM>. For example, in the shape of a housing as illustrated in <FIG>, the first portion <NUM> and the second portion <NUM> may be disposed to have a substantially right angle. This is illustrated as an example in <FIG> and <FIG>.

In an embodiment, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> includes the conductive layer <NUM> (not illustrated). The first wireless communication circuit (e.g., the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> of <FIG>) is electrically connected to a first point 132a of the conductive layer <NUM> included in the first portion <NUM>. The first wireless communication circuit <NUM> is configured to transmit and receive a first RF signal, using at least part of the conductive region <NUM> of the first PCB <NUM> and the conductive layer <NUM>.

For example, it may be understood that a feed point for the legacy antenna is the first point 132a of the conductive layer <NUM> included in the first portion <NUM>. The conductive region <NUM> of the first PCB <NUM> may operate as a ground for the legacy antenna. At least part of the conductive layer <NUM> included in the first portion <NUM> may operate as a radiator of a legacy antenna. The first wireless communication circuit <NUM> may transmit and receive a first RF signal based on an electrical path formed by the first point 132a and a ground point 132b electrically connected to the conductive region <NUM>.

In an embodiment, the conductive layer (e.g., the conductive layer <NUM> of <FIG>) operates as a ground for the antenna array <NUM>. The conductive layer <NUM> is included in the second PCB <NUM>. For example, when the second PCB <NUM> has a stacked structure, the conductive layer <NUM> may include one or more layers included in the layer structure of the second PCB <NUM>.

In various embodiments, the conductive layer <NUM> may perform a shielding function on the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>. For example, the conductive layer <NUM> may be referred to as a shield can <NUM>. For example, the shield can <NUM> may be attached to one surface of the second PCB <NUM>. The shield can <NUM> may be disposed in a region corresponding to the second wireless communication circuit (e.g., the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> of <FIG>) of the second PCB <NUM> to perform a shielding function. In this case, the first wireless communication circuit (e.g., the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> of <FIG>) may be electrically connected to one point of the shield can <NUM> corresponding to the first portion <NUM> of the second PCB <NUM>. The first wireless communication circuit <NUM> may be configured to receive the first RF signal through an electrical path formed based on one point of the shield can <NUM> and one point electrically connected to the conductive region <NUM> of the first PCB <NUM>. At least part of the shield can <NUM> corresponding to the first portion <NUM> may operate as a radiator of a legacy antenna.

In various embodiments, the legacy antenna may operate as a planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) depending on a location of the first point 132a. It may be understood that <FIG> is a cross-sectional view of the structure illustrated in <FIG> in direction W-W'. Referring to <FIG>, the legacy antenna may operate as a PIFA having the conductive region <NUM> of the first PCB <NUM> as a ground plane and having at least part of the conductive layer <NUM> of the second PCB <NUM> as a patch plane.

For example, the first portion <NUM> of the second PCB <NUM> may include a first side 212a adjacent to the second portion <NUM>, a second side 212b extending in a direction perpendicular to the first side 212a from one end of the first side 212a, and a third side 212c extending in a direction parallel to the first side 212a from one end of the second side 212b. The first wireless communication circuit <NUM> may be electrically connected to the first point 132a adjacent to the first side 212a. The legacy antenna may operate as a PIFA as illustrated in <FIG>.

<FIG> and <FIG> illustrate one surface of a PCB disposed inside an electronic device according to an embodiment. For example, it may be understood that <FIG> and <FIG> are top views of the first PCB <NUM> and the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> and the first PCB <NUM> may be electrically and/or physically connected to each other. For example, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be physically coupled to the first PCB <NUM> or may be electrically connected to the first PCB <NUM> through a plurality of conducting wires.

According to an embodiment, the first PCB <NUM> includes the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> and an IFIC <NUM>. The IFIC <NUM> may convert a second RF signal received from the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> into a signal in an intermediate frequency band or may convert a signal in an intermediate frequency band into a second RF signal, and then may deliver the second RF signal to the second wireless communication circuit <NUM>. The IFIC <NUM> may deliver a communication signal to the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> such that the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> feeds the antenna array <NUM> to perform communication using millimeter wave signals.

According to an embodiment, the feeding of the IFIC <NUM> to the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> and the feeding of the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> to the legacy antenna may be made separately from each other. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the feeding to the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be made in a first direction <NUM>. The feeding to the legacy antenna may be made in a second direction <NUM>. For example, the feeding to the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be made through a first conducting wire <NUM>, and the feeding to the legacy antenna may be made through a second conducting wire <NUM>. The first conducting wire <NUM> may electrically connect the second wireless communication circuit (e.g., the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> of <FIG>) included in the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> to the IFIC <NUM>. In various embodiments, a matching circuit or at least one element (not illustrated) capable of finely adjusting a resonant frequency may be disposed on a path formed by the second conducting wire <NUM>. For example, the element may function as a tuning element. The resonance frequency of a legacy antenna may be adjusted by the element.

For example, the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> may be fed through a conductive layer (e.g., the conductive layer <NUM> in <FIG>) or the first point 132a of a shield can (e.g., the shield can <NUM> in <FIG>) via the second conducting wire <NUM>. The second point 132b of the conductive layer <NUM> may be electrically connected to the conductive region <NUM> of the first PCB <NUM>. For example, it may be understood that the second point 132b is a ground point of a legacy antenna. The first wireless communication circuit <NUM> may transmit and receive a first RF signal through an electrical path formed by the first point 132a and the second point 132b.

In various embodiments, a shape of the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be implemented variously. Referring to <FIG>, a shape of the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> according to various embodiments is illustrated.

In various embodiments, a part of the conductive layer included in the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> operates as a ground region (e.g., the ground layer included in the second PCB <NUM>).

For another example, at least part of a conductive layer included in the first PCB <NUM> may be extended, and a conductive region <NUM> of the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be connected electrically.

In various embodiments, it may be understood that the conductive region <NUM> is a ground part for the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>. For example, the second point 132b of the conductive region <NUM> may be electrically connected with the conductive region <NUM> of the first PCB <NUM>. For example, it may be understood that the second point 132b is a ground point of a legacy antenna.

In various embodiments, it may be understood that the conductive region <NUM> is a connection part between the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> and the first PCB <NUM>. For example, the connection part may include a c-clip, a spring, a pogo pin, or a metal member (e.g., a metal bracket or metal housing) electrically connected to the conductive region <NUM> (e.g., a ground region of the first PCB <NUM>) of the first PCB <NUM>.

For example, a signal line (e.g., the first conducting wire <NUM> in <FIG>) connecting the IFIC <NUM> to the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be included in the connection part. In this case, the connection part may include a conductive layer included in at least part of the first PCB <NUM> or the second PCB <NUM>.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating a radiation simulation result of a legacy antenna according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, for example, a graph illustrates a radiation simulation result for a legacy antenna using a part of the conductive layer <NUM> of the <NUM> antenna illustrated in <FIG>. Referring to a graph, it may be seen that resonance is formed around <NUM>. It may be seen that a legacy antenna capable of transmitting and receiving a signal in a frequency band of <NUM> or less is implemented by using a part of the conductive layer <NUM> (e.g., a ground region or a shield can) of the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>.

<FIG> is an inner perspective view of an electronic device including a <NUM> antenna module, according to an embodiment. The description in <FIG> the same as the description given with reference to <FIG> and <FIG> will be omitted to avoid redundancy.

In various embodiments, the legacy antenna may have a loop structure depending on a location of the first point 132a that is a feed point. Referring to <FIG>, the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> may be electrically connected to the first point 132a adjacent to the third side 212c of the first portion <NUM>. The feed to the conductive layer <NUM> included in the first portion <NUM> of the second PCB <NUM> may be made in the direction <NUM> illustrated. Accordingly, a part of regions included in the second portion <NUM>, which is a portion overlapping the conductive region <NUM>, in the conductive layer <NUM> of the second PCB <NUM> may be implemented as an end part of a loop antenna. The legacy antenna may have a loop structure. As compared to the PIFA-type legacy antenna in <FIG>, the legacy antenna of <FIG> may transmit and receive a signal in a low frequency band.

<FIG> is a cross-sectional view of a <NUM> antenna module according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, an example of a structure of the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> is illustrated. The <NUM> antenna module <NUM> includes the second PCB <NUM> and the second wireless communication circuit <NUM>. According to various embodiments, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may further include the shield can <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG>.

According to an embodiment, a layer structure 410b may include a plurality of layers. For example, the layer structure 410b may include at least one layer including a conductive patch <NUM> or at least one layer including a coupling conductive patch <NUM>. For another example, the layer structure 410b may include at least one layer including at least one conductive layer <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> may be arranged on one surface of the second PCB <NUM>. The antenna element <NUM> (or a conductive patch) included in the antenna array <NUM> may be included in the layer structure 410b.

According to an embodiment, the second PCB <NUM> of the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may have the layer structure 410b. The layer structure 410b may include a plurality of layers. For example, the layer structure 410b may include at least one layer including the conductive patch <NUM> or at least one layer including the coupling conductive patch <NUM>. For another example, the layer structure 410b may include at least one conductive layer <NUM> including at least one conductive region.

According to an embodiment, the conductive patch <NUM> may be a conductive material that is supplied with a power from the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> to cause an electromagnetic resonance. The coupling conductive patch <NUM> that is a conductive material may guide a direction of an electromagnetic signal radiated from the conductive patch <NUM> supplied with the power.

According to an embodiment, the feeding to the conductive patch <NUM> may be made through vias <NUM> formed inside the layer structure 410b. For example, it may be understood that the vias <NUM> are formed in a part of the layer structure 410b and are passages through layers, respectively. For example, the conductive patch <NUM> and the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> may be electrically connected to each other through the vias <NUM> and a feed path 414b including at least one conductive layer <NUM>. The conductive patch <NUM> may be supplied with a power through the feed path 414b. When the conductive patch <NUM> may be supplied with a power by the second wireless communication circuit <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may perform communication using a millimeter wave signal.

According to an embodiment, the at least one conductive layer <NUM> may operate as a ground for the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> and the conductive patch <NUM>. At least one of the conductive layer <NUM> may be supplied with a power by a first wireless communication circuit (e.g., the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> of <FIG>) disposed on the first PCB (e.g., the first PCB <NUM> of <FIG>), and may operate as a radiator for transmitting or receiving a first RF signal with respect to the first wireless communication circuit <NUM>.

<FIG> is an inner perspective view of an electronic device including a <NUM> antenna module and a conductive member according to an embodiment.

In various embodiments, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be disposed adjacent to a side surface (e.g., the side bezel structure <NUM> of <FIG>) of the housing of the electronic device <NUM>. For example, in <FIG>, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may be disposed parallel to the side surface and may be disposed perpendicular to the first PCB <NUM>. In this case, the antenna array <NUM> of the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> may mainly form a beam pattern in a direction of a side surface of the electronic device <NUM>.

In various embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> may include conductive members <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> electrically connected to the conductive layer <NUM> included in the second PCB <NUM>. The first wireless communication circuit (e.g., the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> of <FIG>) of a legacy antenna may be configured to transmit and receive a first RF signal through an electrical path formed by at least part of the conductive layer <NUM> and the conductive members <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM>.

It may be understood that the conductive members <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> are tuning elements for the legacy antenna. The shape (e.g., a size) of the conductive members <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> may be changed to form an electrical length according to a target frequency of the RF signal to be transmitted and received through the legacy antenna. For example, the conductive members <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> may be referred to as a "conductive connection member" such as a c-clip. The conductive members <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> may be referred to as a conductive pattern formed to be suitable for the target frequency.

<FIG> is an inner perspective view of an electronic device including a <NUM> antenna module including a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) according to an embodiment. <FIG> is a cross-sectional view of a <NUM> antenna module including a FPCB according to an embodiment. Hereinafter, a <NUM> antenna module <NUM>-<NUM> according to another embodiment will be described with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>. Hereinafter, a description the same as a description given with reference to <FIG>, and <FIG> may be omitted to avoid redundancy. For example, the description associated with components having the same reference numerals will be omitted to avoid redundancy.

In various embodiments, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>-<NUM> (e.g., the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> of <FIG>) may include two PCBs <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> and a flexible circuit board (hereinafter, referred to as a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB)) <NUM> interposed between the PCBs <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM>. For example, the FPCB <NUM> may be physically coupled to one side of the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> and may be physically coupled to one side of the second sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM>. The first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> may be disposed adjacent to the non-conductive region <NUM> of the first PCB <NUM>. The second sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> may be disposed adjacent to the conductive region <NUM> of the first PCB <NUM>. An antenna array <NUM>-<NUM> may be disposed on the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM>. An antenna array <NUM>-<NUM> may be disposed on the second sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM>. The antenna arrays <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> may correspond to the antenna array <NUM> of <FIG>.

In an embodiment, one point of a conductive layer (e.g., the conductive layer <NUM> included in the first portion <NUM> of <FIG>) included in the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> may be electrically connected to the first wireless communication circuit (e.g., the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> of <FIG>). For example, at least part of the conductive layer included in the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> may operate as a radiator of a legacy antenna.

In various embodiments, at least part of the conductive layer included in the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>-<NUM> may operate as a radiator of a legacy antenna. For example, at least part of the conductive layer included in the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> and at least part of the conductive layer included in the second sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> may operate as radiators of a legacy antenna.

Referring to <FIG>, it is illustrated that a cross-sectional view of the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>-<NUM> (e.g., the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> of <FIG>) includes the FPCB <NUM>. For example, it may be understood that the cross-sectional view of <FIG> is a cross-sectional view of the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>-<NUM> that is viewed based on line w-w' of <FIG>.

The first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM>, the second sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM>, and the FPCB <NUM> may have a layer structure. For example, the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>-<NUM> may include a first layer structure 410c_1 of the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> disposed in a first region <NUM>, a second layer structure 410c_2 of the second sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> disposed in a second region <NUM>, and a third layer structure 410c_3 of the FPCB <NUM> disposed in a third region <NUM>. For example, the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> may be disposed on one surface of the second sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> may include the antenna array <NUM>-<NUM> (e.g., the antenna array <NUM> of <FIG>) including conductive patches <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> and a part of the at least one conductive layer <NUM>. The second sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> may include the antenna array <NUM>-<NUM> including conductive patches <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> and the remaining part of the at least one conductive layer <NUM>.

The FPCB <NUM> may include a conducting wire that electrically connects the antenna array <NUM> to the second wireless communication circuit <NUM>. The FPCB <NUM> may include a conducting wire that electrically connects a part of the conductive layer <NUM> included in the first sub PCB and the remaining part of the conductive layer <NUM> included in the second sub PCB. The conductive patch <NUM> may be supplied with a power by the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> through the conducting wires of the FPCB <NUM>. For example, a feed path 414c for the conductive patch <NUM> may be connected to a feed point of the conductive patch <NUM> from the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> through the second sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM>, the FPCB <NUM>, and the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM>.

<FIG> is an inner perspective view of an electronic device, according to various embodiments. <FIG> is a three-dimensional view of a <NUM> antenna module according to various embodiments.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> and the second sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> of the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>-<NUM> according to various embodiments may be disposed perpendicular to the first PCB <NUM>. It may be understood that the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> and the second sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> illustrated in <FIG> are disposed parallel to the first PCB <NUM>. For example, the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> and the second sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> may have a necessary arrangement depending on the directivity of an RF signal to be transmitted and received through the <NUM> antenna module <NUM>-<NUM>.

In an embodiment, a housing <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM> may include a first surface, a second surface facing away from the first surface, and the side surface <NUM> (e.g., the side bezel structure <NUM> of <FIG>) surrounding a space between the first surface and the second surface. The side surface <NUM> may include the first side region <NUM>-<NUM> extending in a first direction, the second side region <NUM>-<NUM> extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction from one end of the first side region <NUM>-<NUM>, and the third side region <NUM>-<NUM> extending in the second direction from the other end of the first side region <NUM>-<NUM>.

For example, the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> may correspond to the first side region <NUM>-<NUM>. The second sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> may correspond to the second side region <NUM>-<NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, it is illustrated that the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> is disposed parallel to the first side region <NUM>-<NUM> and disposed perpendicular to the first PCB <NUM>. It is illustrated that the second sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> is disposed parallel to the second side region <NUM>-<NUM> and disposed perpendicular to the first PCB <NUM>. The FPCB <NUM> may be interposed between the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> and the second sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM>. For example, the FPCB <NUM> may be disposed in a curved manner so as to correspond to a corner between the first side region <NUM>-<NUM> and the second side region <NUM>-<NUM>.

As described above with reference to <FIG>, the conductive layer <NUM> included in the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> may be supplied with a power by the first wireless communication circuit <NUM> (the direction <NUM>). At least part of the conductive layer <NUM> included in the first sub PCB <NUM>-<NUM> may operate as a radiator of a legacy antenna.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device <NUM> in a network environment <NUM>.

The electronic device <NUM> may communicate with the electronic device <NUM> via the server <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may include a processor <NUM>, memory <NUM>, an input device <NUM>, a sound output device <NUM>, a display device <NUM>, an audio module <NUM>, a sensor module <NUM>, an interface <NUM>, a haptic module <NUM>, a camera module <NUM>, a power management module <NUM>, a battery <NUM>, a communication module <NUM>, a subscriber identification module(SIM) <NUM>, or an antenna module <NUM>. At least one (e.g., the display device <NUM> or the camera module <NUM>) of the components may be omitted from the electronic device <NUM>, or one or more other components may be added in the electronic device <NUM>. Some of the components may be implemented as single integrated circuitry.

The receiver may be implemented as separate from, or as part of the speaker.

The connecting terminal <NUM> may include, for example, a HDMI connector, a USB connector, a SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

The communication module <NUM> may include a wireless communication module <NUM> (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module <NUM> (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication (PLC) module). A corresponding one of these communication modules may communicate with the external electronic device via the first network <NUM> (e.g., a short-range communication network, such as Bluetooth ™, wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or the second network <NUM> (e.g., a long-range communication network, such as a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., LAN or wide area network (WAN)).

The antenna module <NUM> may include an antenna including a radiating element composed of a conductive material or a conductive pattern formed in or on a substrate (e.g., PCB). The antenna module <NUM> may include a plurality of antennas. Another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other than the radiating element may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module <NUM>.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example of an electronic device supporting <NUM> communication.

Referring to <FIG>, an electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG> or the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) may include a housing <NUM>, a processor <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM> of <FIG>), a communication module <NUM> (e.g., the communication module <NUM> of <FIG>), a first communication device <NUM>, a second communication device <NUM>, a third communication device <NUM>, a fourth communication device <NUM>, a first conductive line <NUM>, a second conductive line <NUM>, a third conductive line <NUM>, or a fourth conductive line <NUM>. The first communication device <NUM>, the second communication device <NUM>, the third communication device <NUM>, and the fourth communication device <NUM> may correspond to the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> of <FIG>.

The housing <NUM> may protect any other components of the electronic device <NUM>. The housing <NUM> may include, for example, a front plate, a back plate facing away from the front plate, and a side member (or a metal frame) surrounding a space between the front plate and the back plate. The side member may be attached to the back plate or may be integrally formed with the back plate.

The electronic device <NUM> may include at least one communication device. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may include at least one of the first communication device <NUM>, the second communication device <NUM>, the third communication device <NUM>, or the fourth communication device <NUM>.

The first communication device <NUM>, the second communication device <NUM>, the third communication device <NUM>, or the fourth communication device <NUM> may be positioned within the housing <NUM>. When viewed from above the back plate of the electronic device, the first communication device <NUM> may be positioned at a left top end of the electronic device <NUM>; the second communication device <NUM> may be positioned at a right top end of the electronic device <NUM>; the third communication device <NUM> may be positioned at a left bottom end of the electronic device <NUM>; and the fourth communication device <NUM> may be positioned at a right bottom end of the electronic device <NUM>.

The processor <NUM> may include one or more of a central processing unit, an application processor, a graphic processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor of a camera, or a baseband processor (or a communication processor (CP)). The processor <NUM> may be implemented with a system on chip (SoC) or a system in package (SiP).

The communication module <NUM> may be electrically connected with at least one communication device by using at least one conductive line. For example, the communication module <NUM> may be electrically connected with the first communication device <NUM>, the second communication device <NUM>, the third communication device <NUM>, or the fourth communication device <NUM> by using the first conductive line <NUM>, the second conductive line <NUM>, the third conductive line <NUM>, or the fourth conductive line <NUM>, respectively. The communication module <NUM> may include, for example, a baseband processor or at least one communication circuit (e.g., an IFIC or an RFIC). The communication module <NUM> may include, for example, a baseband processor independent of the processor <NUM> (e.g., an application processor (AP)). The first conductive line <NUM>, the second conductive line <NUM>, the third conductive line <NUM>, or the fourth conductive line <NUM> may include, for example, a coaxial cable or a FPCB.

The communication module <NUM> may include a first baseband processor (BP) (not illustrated) or a second BP (not illustrated). The electronic device <NUM> may further include one or more interfaces for supporting inter-chip communication between the first BP (or the second BP) and the processor <NUM>. The processor <NUM> and the first BP or the second BP may transmit/receive data, using the inter-chip interface (e.g., an inter processor communication channel).

The first BP or the second BP may provide an interface for performing communication with any other entities. The first BP may support, for example, wireless communication with regard to a first network (not illustrated). The second BP may support, for example, wireless communication with regard to a second network (not illustrated).

The first BP or the second BP may form one module with the processor <NUM>. For example, the first BP or the second BP may be integrally formed with the processor <NUM>. For another example, the first BP or the second BP may be disposed in one chip or may be implemented in the form of an independent chip. The processor <NUM> and at least one baseband processor (e.g., the first BP) may be integrally formed within one chip (e.g., an SoC), and another baseband processor (e.g., the second BP) may be implemented in the form of an independent chip.

The first network (not illustrated) or the second network (not illustrated) may correspond to the network <NUM> of <FIG>. The first network (not illustrated) and the second network (not illustrated) may include a 4th generation (<NUM>) network and a 5th generation (<NUM>) network, respectively. The <NUM> network may support, for example, a long term evolution (LTE) protocol defined in the 3GPP. The <NUM> network may support, for example, a new radio (NR) protocol defined in the 3GPP.

<FIG> is a block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, a communication device <NUM> (e.g., the <NUM> antenna module <NUM> of <FIG>, the first communication device <NUM>, the second communication device <NUM>, the third communication device <NUM>, or the fourth communication device <NUM> of <FIG>) includes a communication circuit <NUM> (e.g., RFIC) (e.g., the second wireless communication circuit <NUM> of <FIG>), a PCB <NUM> (e.g., the second PCB <NUM> of <FIG>), a first antenna array <NUM>, or a second antenna array <NUM>. For example, the communication device <NUM> may be referred to as the "<NUM> antenna module <NUM>" of <FIG> or the "<NUM> antenna module <NUM>-<NUM>" of <FIG>. For example, the first antenna array <NUM> and the second antenna array <NUM> may be referred to as the "antenna array" <NUM> of <FIG>.

According to an embodiment, the communication circuit <NUM>, the first antenna array <NUM>, or the second antenna array <NUM> are disposed on the PCB <NUM>. For example, the first antenna array <NUM> or the second antenna array <NUM> may be disposed on a first surface of the PCB <NUM>, and the communication circuit <NUM> may be disposed on a second surface of the PCB <NUM>. The PCB <NUM> may include a connector (e.g., a coaxial cable connector or a board-to-board (B-to-B) connector) for electrical connection with any other PCB (e.g., a PCB on which the communication module <NUM> of <FIG> is disposed), using a transmission line (e.g., the first conductive line <NUM> of <FIG> or a coaxial cable). For example, the PCB <NUM> may be connected to the PCB, on which the communication module <NUM> is disposed, using the coaxial cable connector, and the coaxial cable may be used to transfer a receive/transmit IF signal or an RF signal. For another example, a power or any other control signal may be delivered through the B-to-B connector.

According to an embodiment, the first antenna array <NUM> or the second antenna array <NUM> may include a plurality of antenna elements. The antenna elements may include a patch antenna, a loop antenna, or a dipole antenna. For example, an antenna element included in the first antenna array <NUM> may be a patch antenna for forming a beam toward the back plate of the electronic device <NUM>. For another example, an antenna element included in the second antenna array <NUM> may be a dipole antenna or a loop antenna to form a beam toward the side member of the electronic device <NUM>.

The communication circuit <NUM> may support at least part (e.g., <NUM> to <NUM> or <NUM> to <NUM>) of a band ranging from <NUM> to <NUM>. The communication circuit <NUM> may up-convert or down-convert a frequency. For example, the communication circuit <NUM> included in the communication device <NUM> (e.g., the first communication device <NUM> of <FIG>) may up-convert an IF signal received from a communication module (e.g., the communication module <NUM> of <FIG>) through a conductive line (e.g., the first conductive line <NUM> of <FIG>) into an RF signal. For another example, the communication circuit <NUM> included in the communication device <NUM> (e.g., the first communication device <NUM> of <FIG>) may down-convert an RF signal (e.g., a millimeter wave signal) received through the first antenna array <NUM> or the second antenna array <NUM> into an IF signal and may transmit the IF signal to a communication module by using a conductive line.

According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the performance of a <NUM> antenna module and the performance of an antenna supporting a conventional communication technology may be maintained at a specified level or higher, in a limited mounting space. Also, an electronic device may be further miniaturized by using a mounting space efficiently. This may allow a user to make use of an electronic device that has a smaller size and more improved performance. As used herein, each of such phrases as "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" may include any one of, or all possible combinations of the items enumerated together in a corresponding one of the phrases. As used herein, such terms as "1st" and "2nd", or "first" and "second" may be used to simply distinguish a corresponding component from another, and does not limit the components in other aspect (e.g., importance or order). It is to be understood that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to, with or without the term "operatively" or "communicatively", as "coupled with", "coupled to", "connected with", or "connected to" another element (e.g., a second element), it means that the element may be coupled with the other element directly (e.g., wiredly), wirelessly, or via a third element.

For example, the module may be implemented in a form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various features as set forth herein may be implemented as software (e.g., the program <NUM>) including one or more instructions that are stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory <NUM> or external memory <NUM>) that is readable by a machine (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>).

Various features of the disclosure may be included and provided in a computer program product.

Claim 1:
An electronic device (<NUM>) comprising:
a first printed circuit board, PCB, (<NUM>) including a non-conductive region (<NUM>) and a conductive region (<NUM>) operating as a ground;
a first wireless communication circuit (<NUM>) disposed on the first PCB (<NUM>); and
a 5th generation, <NUM>, antenna module (<NUM>) disposed adjacent to the first PCB (<NUM>),
wherein the <NUM> antenna module (<NUM>) includes:
at least one second PCB (<NUM>) including an antenna array (<NUM>) and a conductive layer (<NUM>) operating as a ground of the antenna array (<NUM>); and
a second wireless communication circuit (<NUM>) electrically connected to the antenna array (<NUM>),
wherein the second PCB (<NUM>) includes a first portion (<NUM>) and a second portion (<NUM>) having a predetermined angle with the first portion (<NUM>), wherein the first portion (<NUM>) is disposed adjacent to the non-conductive region (<NUM>) and at least part of the second portion (<NUM>) is disposed adjacent to the conductive region (<NUM>),
wherein the first wireless communication circuit (<NUM>) is electrically connected to a first point (132a) of the conductive layer (<NUM>) included in the first portion (<NUM>) and configured to transmit or receive a first RF signal in a first frequency band by using the conductive region (<NUM>) and at least part of the conductive layer (<NUM>), and
wherein the second wireless communication circuit (<NUM>) is configured to transmit or receive a second RF signal in a second frequency band by using the antenna array (<NUM>).