Patent Description:
With the development of full screens, also referred to as edge-to-edge or bezel-less displays, a clearance area of a bottom of an electronic device such as a mobile phone is gradually reduced, which leads to a reduction in radiation efficiency of an antenna unit. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the clearance area of the antenna unit without affecting the full screen. At present, a metal casing of a charging interface is connected with a grounding metal of a circuit board, which affects the clearance area of the antenna unit arranged close to the charging interface and is not conducive to improving the antenna performance of the antenna unit. <CIT> discloses an electrical connector assembly with antenna function comprising: an electrical connector comprising a metal shell; a metal patch connecting to the metal shell and comprising a radiating element and a connecting element; an insulating support element locating between the radiating element and the metal shell; the radiating element locating on top of the metal shell; the connecting element connecting to the metal shell that serve as a grounding element; the radiating element, the connecting element, and the metal shell forming an antenna that serves as a medium for transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals. <CIT> discloses a mobile terminal which includes a metal frame including a base portion and an edge portion formed along the outer edge of the base portion, first and second cases bonded to the front and back sides of the metal frame so as to expose the edge portion to the outside, first and second waterproof layers formed between the cases and the metal frame, conductive members that operate a radiator for antennas, together with the edge portion, and are formed on one side of the second case, and feeding portions for feeding the conductive members, the feeding portions being disposed in an enclosed space formed by the waterproof layers.

The present disclosure provides an improved electronic device.

A first aspect of the present disclosure provides an electronic device according to claim <NUM>, and the electronic device inter alia includes: a housing provided with an external interface; a circuit board arranged in the housing and including a grounding metal; a charging interface arranged in the housing and in communication with the external interface, the charging interface including: a metal casing, the metal casing being provided with a plurality of grounding solder pads, the grounding solder pads being arranged to be separated from the grounding metal; and an antenna unit being coupled with the charging interface, wherein the metal casing is not grounded.

Optionally, the circuit board includes a blank area adjacent to the grounding metal, and the charging interface is fixed to the blank area.

Optionally, there is a gap between the grounding solder pad and the grounding metal, and the charging interface is fixed to the blank area.

Optionally, there is a gap between the grounding solder pad and the grounding metal in a direction of the board surface of the circuit board.

Optionally, the blank area includes a non-metallic substrate, and the non-metallic substrate is fixedly connected with the grounding solder pad.

Optionally, the circuit board further includes: a filter unit, a first end of the filter unit is connected with one grounding solder pad, and a second end of the filter unit is grounded.

Optionally, the filter unit includes an inductor and a capacitor, a first end of the inductor is connected to the grounding solder pad, a second end of the inductor is connected to the capacitor, and the capacitor is grounded.

Optionally, the circuit board also includes: an antistatic unit, a first end of the antistatic unit is connected between the filter unit and the grounding solder pad, and a second end of the antistatic unit is grounded.

Optionally, the antistatic unit includes a bidirectional transient diode.

Optionally, the grounding solder pad is provided at a corner of the metal casing away from the external interface, and one grounding solder pad away from the external interface and located at the corner of the metal casing is connected with the filter unit.

Optionally, the charging interface further includes a plurality of pins and an insulating member carrying the plurality of pins, the metal casing is fitted over the insulating member, the metal casing is separated from the plurality of pins by the insulating member, and the plurality of pins includes a grounding pin electrically connected with the circuit board; and/or the antenna unit includes a first portion formed by at least a part of the housing.

The beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions provided in embodiments of the present disclosure include as follows:.

the grounding solder pad of the metal casing of the charging interface is arranged to be separated from the grounding metal of the circuit board, that is, the grounding solder pad of the metal casing is not grounded, compared with a solution of connecting the grounding solder pad of the metal casing and the grounding metal, it is equal to increasing the clearance area of the antenna unit occupied by the charging interface. Further, the charging interface is also coupled with the antenna unit, such that the metal casing of the charging interface may serve as the antenna radiator, which is conducive to improving the antenna performance of the antenna unit.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in details herein, and the examples thereof are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the description below concerns the drawings, same numbers in different drawings represent same or similar elements unless indicated otherwise. In the following exemplary embodiments, the embodiments illustrated do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

The terms used in the present disclosure are merely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, which are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Unless defined otherwise, the technical or scientific terminologies used in the present disclosure shall be the general meaning understood by those skilled in the related art of the present disclosure. Terms such as "first", "second" and the like used in the descriptions and claims of the present disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, terms such as "one" or "a" do not refer to quantity limitation, but to indicate the existence of at least one. Unless specified otherwise, terms such as "comprise" or "comprising" and the like mean that the elements or objects presented before "comprise" or "comprising" contain the elements or objects presented after "comprise" or "comprising" and their equivalents, which do not exclude other elements or objects. The terms "mounted," "connected," and the like are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections, may also be electrical connections, no matter direct or indirect.

As used in the descriptions and the appended claims of the present disclosure, "a", "said" and "the" in singular forms mean including plural forms, unless clearly indicated in the context otherwise. It should also be understood that, the term "and/or" used herein represents and contains any and all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

In some embodiments, the electronic device includes a middle frame, a charging interface, a circuit board, and an antenna unit. The charging interface includes a metal casing, a plurality of pins and a plastic body carrying the plurality of pins. The metal casing is fitted over the plastic body and the plurality of pins, and the plastic body separates the metal casing and the plurality of pins. The metal casing is provided with a plurality of grounding solder pads connected with a grounding metal of the circuit board, and the plurality of pins are electrically connected with the circuit board. The middle frame is provided with an external interface in communication with the charging interface. The antenna unit may be arranged on the middle frame and close to the charging interface. Since the grounding solder pad of the metal casing is connected with the grounding metal of the circuit board, which is equivalent to the metal casing being the grounding metal, such that an area where the charging interface is located is not the clearance area, resulting in a relatively small clearance area of the antenna unit, which is not conducive to the radiation efficiency of the antenna unit.

In order to solve the above problems, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electronic device, which is described in detail below in combination with the drawings:.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device includes, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, an iPad, a digital broadcasting terminal, a message receiving and sending device, a game console, a medical facility, a fitness facility, a personal digital assistant, an intelligent wearable device, an intelligent television, a sweeping robot, and a smart speaker, etc..

<FIG> illustrates a schematic view of a three-dimensional structure of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. <FIG> illustrates a partial schematic view of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device includes a housing <NUM>, a circuit board <NUM>, a charging interface <NUM>, and an antenna unit <NUM>.

The housing <NUM> is provided with an external interface <NUM>. Exemplarily, the housing <NUM> includes a first frame <NUM> and a second frame <NUM> opposite to the first frame <NUM>, and the external interface <NUM> is arranged on the first frame <NUM>. The first frame <NUM> and the second frame <NUM> are two opposite parts of the frame of the housing <NUM>, the structures of which are not specifically limited. Exemplarily, the housing <NUM> presents a rectangular structure, a square structure, or other regular and irregular structures. Exemplarily, the housing <NUM> includes the middle frame including the first frame <NUM> and the second frame <NUM> opposite to the first frame <NUM>.

The circuit board <NUM> is arranged in the housing <NUM> and includes a grounding metal <NUM>. The circuit board <NUM> may be connected with various function modules in the electronic device to supply power for the function modules. Exemplarily, the circuit board <NUM> includes a radio frequency circuit board connected with the antenna unit <NUM> to control operation of the antenna unit <NUM>.

The charging interface <NUM> is arranged in the housing <NUM> and in communication with the external interface <NUM>. The charging interface <NUM> includes: a metal casing <NUM>, the metal casing <NUM> includes a plurality of grounding solder pads <NUM>, and the grounding solder pads <NUM> are arranged to be separated from the grounding metal <NUM>. The antenna unit <NUM> is coupled with the charging interface <NUM>. It can be understood that the antenna unit <NUM> is arranged close to the charging interface <NUM>, that is, the antenna unit <NUM> is arranged close to the charging interface <NUM> relative to the second frame <NUM>, such that the antenna unit <NUM> and the charging interface <NUM> form a coupling relationship.

Exemplarily, the first frame <NUM> is a bottom frame of the electronic device, and the second frame <NUM> is a top frame of the electronic device. The terms "bottom" and "top" are based on a direction of the electronic device when a user uses it. In this case, the charging interface <NUM> is disposed at the bottom of the electronic device, and the antenna unit <NUM> is disposed at the bottom of the electronic device. Exemplarily, when the housing <NUM> is made of metal material, the antenna unit <NUM> includes a first portion <NUM> formed by at least a part of the housing <NUM>. For example, the first portion <NUM> is formed by at least a part of the first frame <NUM>. In this way, it is more conducive to reducing the space occupied by the antenna unit <NUM> and achieving the full screen of the electronic device. The antenna unit <NUM> may also include a second portion <NUM> disposed close to the charging interface <NUM>, and at least a part of the second portion <NUM> may be parallel to the first frame <NUM>.

Based on the above, the grounding solder pad <NUM> of the metal casing <NUM> of the charging interface <NUM> is arranged to be separated from the grounding metal <NUM> of the circuit board <NUM>, compared with a solution of connecting the grounding solder pad <NUM> of the metal casing <NUM> and the grounding metal <NUM>, the metal casing <NUM> is not grounded and does not occupy the clearance area of the antenna unit <NUM>, which is equal to increasing the clearance area of the antenna unit <NUM> occupied by the charging interface <NUM> in the related art. Further, the charging interface <NUM> is also coupled with the antenna unit <NUM>, such that the metal casing <NUM> of the charging interface <NUM> may serve as the antenna radiator of the antenna unit <NUM>, which is conducive to improving the antenna performance of the antenna unit <NUM>.

In some embodiments, continuing to refer to <FIG>, the circuit board <NUM> includes a blank area <NUM> adjacent to the grounding metal <NUM>, and the charging interface <NUM> is fixed to the blank area <NUM>. Exemplarily, the blank area <NUM> may be formed by cutting a hole in the circuit board <NUM>. Exemplarily, the blank area <NUM> may be formed by a non-metallic material. For example, the blank area <NUM> includes a non-metallic substrate fixedly connected with the grounding solder pad <NUM>. The non-metallic substrate may be a board substrate of the circuit board <NUM> after the metal material is removed. Exemplarily, the material of the non-metallic substrate may be PBT (polybutylene terephthalate). The charging interface <NUM> is supported by the non-metallic substrate, and the non-metallic substrate is fixedly connected with the grounding solder pad <NUM> to stably fix the charging interface <NUM>.

In some embodiments, continuing to refer to <FIG>, there is a gap between the grounding solder pad <NUM> and the grounding metal <NUM> in a direction of the board surface of the circuit board <NUM>. As such, the separation between the grounding solder pad <NUM> and the grounding metal <NUM> may be ensured, such that the metal casing <NUM> of the charging interface <NUM> does not occupy the clearance area of the antenna unit <NUM>, which is conducive to improving the radiation efficiency of the antenna unit <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a schematic view of a charging interface <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and <FIG> illustrates a schematic view of a relative position between the charging interface <NUM> and the circuit board <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, referring to <FIG>, the charging interface <NUM> also includes a plurality of pins <NUM> and an insulating member <NUM> carrying the plurality of pins <NUM>, the metal casing <NUM> is fitted over the insulating member <NUM>, the metal casing <NUM> is separated from the plurality of pins <NUM> by the insulating member <NUM>, and the plurality of pins <NUM> includes a grounding pin <NUM> electrically connected with the circuit board <NUM>. The plurality of pins <NUM> are separated from the metal casing <NUM> by the insulating member <NUM>, and connected with the circuit board <NUM> by the grounding pin <NUM>, such that the metal casing <NUM> does not affect the transmission operation of the plurality of pins <NUM>.

Exemplarily, the charging interface <NUM> includes a mini USB interface, a micro USB interface, a Dock interface, a Lightning interface or a Type-C interface. Exemplarily, the insulating member <NUM> is a plastic member, and the plastic member wraps the middle parts of the plurality of pins <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a partial circuit diagram of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to <FIG>, the plurality of pins <NUM> include: pin VBUS1, pin VBUS2, pin CC1, pin CC2, pin Dp1, pin Dp2, pin Dn1, pin Dn2, pin SBU1, pin SBU2, pin GND1 and pin GND5. Pin GND1 and pin GND5 are grounding pins <NUM>. Pin VBUS1 and pin VBUS2 are connected with a power supply end USB_VBUS_CONN, a capacitor and a transient diode are connected in parallel between the power supply end USB_VBUS_CONN and pin VBUS1 to function of filtering.

<FIG> illustrates a schematic view of a distribution of a circuit board <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to <FIG>, pin GND1 is connected to a first position <NUM> in <FIG>, pin GND5 is connected to a second position <NUM> in <FIG>, and other pins <NUM> are connected to a third position <NUM> in <FIG>.

Continuing to refer to <FIG> and <FIG>, the metal casing <NUM> includes six grounding solder pads <NUM>, namely grounding solder pad GND2, grounding solder pad GND3, grounding solder pad GND4, grounding solder pad GND6, grounding solder pad GND7 and grounding solder pad GND8, respectively. Each of the grounding solder pad GND2, grounding solder pad GND3, grounding solder pad GND4, grounding solder pad GND6, grounding solder pad GND7 and grounding solder pad GND8 is not connected to the grounding metal <NUM>. The grounding solder pad GND2 is connected to a fourth position <NUM> in <FIG>, the grounding solder pad GND3 is connected to a fifth position <NUM> in <FIG>, the grounding solder pad GND4 is connected to a sixth position <NUM> in <FIG>, the grounding solder pad GND6 is connected to a seventh position <NUM> in <FIG>, the grounding solder pad GND7 is connected to an eighth position <NUM> in <FIG>, and the grounding solder pad GND8 is connected to a ninth position <NUM> in <FIG>. The fourth position <NUM>, the fifth position <NUM>, the sixth position <NUM>, the seventh position <NUM>, the eighth position <NUM> and the ninth position <NUM> are all non-metallic materials, and the first position <NUM>, the second position <NUM> and the third position <NUM> are all metallic materials.

As mentioned above, since the metal casing <NUM> of the charging interface <NUM> may directly serve as the antenna radiator coupled with the antenna unit <NUM>, when the charging interface <NUM> transmits data or current, noise wave will inevitably appear and affect the radiation performance of the antenna unit <NUM>. In order to solve this problem, in some embodiments, referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the circuit board <NUM> also includes: a filter unit <NUM>, a first end of the filter unit <NUM> is connected with one grounding solder pad <NUM>, and a second end is grounded. Exemplarily, in <FIG>, the filter unit <NUM> is connected to the grounding solder pad GND3. The noise wave generated by the charging interface <NUM> is filtered by the filtering unit <NUM> to avoid affecting the operation of the antenna unit <NUM>, so as to improve the antenna performance of the antenna unit <NUM>. Exemplarily, the filter unit <NUM> includes an inductor L1 and a capacitor C1, a first end of the inductor L1 is connected to the grounding solder pad <NUM>, a second end is connected to the capacitor C1, and the capacitor C1 is grounded. In this way, a LC filter circuit is formed by the combination of the inductor L1 and the capacitor C1, and the filter function is achieved by the combination of the inductor L1 and the capacitor C1, so as to prevent the noise wave from interfering with the antenna performance of the antenna unit <NUM>.

Since the metal casing <NUM> is not grounded, it is easy to generate electrostatic interference and then affect the antenna performance of the antenna unit <NUM>. In some embodiments, referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the circuit board <NUM> also includes: an antistatic unit <NUM>, a first end of the antistatic unit <NUM> is connected between the filter unit <NUM> and the grounding solder pad <NUM>, and a second end is grounded. The antistatic unit <NUM> may play an antistatic role to prevent static electricity from interfering with the antenna performance of the antenna unit <NUM>. In addition, the antistatic unit <NUM> and the filter unit <NUM> are connected to one grounding solder pad <NUM> to ensure that all grounding solder pads <NUM> are not grounded. It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, due to a relatively large impedance of the filter unit <NUM> and the antistatic unit <NUM>, the filter unit <NUM> and the antistatic unit <NUM> may be considered in an open circuit state when the high frequency signal is received, and thus, the grounding solder pad <NUM> connected with the filter unit <NUM> and the antistatic unit <NUM> is considered to be not grounded.

Exemplarily, the antistatic unit <NUM> includes a bidirectional transient diode. The bidirectional transient diode may absorb an instantaneous high-power pulse in both positive and negative directions, and suppress a voltage to a preset level, such that the charging interface <NUM> may pass a maximum allowable pulse, so as to effectively protect the charging interface <NUM> and avoid the static electricity generated by it from interfering with the antenna performance of the antenna unit <NUM>.

In some embodiments, referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the grounding solder pad <NUM> is provided at a corner of the metal casing <NUM> away from the external interface <NUM>, and one grounding solder pad <NUM> away from the external interface <NUM> and located at the corner of the metal casing <NUM> is connected with the filter unit <NUM>. Exemplarily, the grounding solder pad <NUM> away from the external interface <NUM> and located at the corner of the metal casing <NUM> is the grounding solder pad GND3, which is connected with the filtering unit <NUM> and the antistatic unit <NUM>. In this way, it is convenient to arrange the filter unit <NUM> and the antistatic unit <NUM> on the circuit board <NUM>.

<FIG> is a curve graph showing a relationship between frequency and radiation efficiency of an antenna unit <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Curve No. <NUM> represents: a corresponding relationship curve when the grounding solder pad <NUM> of the metal casing <NUM> is separated from the grounding metal <NUM> of the circuit board <NUM>, and one grounding solder pad <NUM> is connected with the antistatic unit <NUM> and the filtering unit <NUM>. Curve No. <NUM> represents: a corresponding relationship curve when the grounding solder pad of metal casing and the grounding metal of circuit board are connected in the related art. It can be seen from <FIG> that, the radiation efficiency of the antenna unit <NUM> of the electronic device provided in the present disclosure is higher than that of the antenna unit of the electronic device in the related art within a frequency range of about <NUM> to <NUM>. It can thus be known that, the antenna performance of the electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure in a low frequency band is better than the antenna performance of the electronic device provided in the related art.

To sum up, in the electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, the grounding solder pad <NUM> of the metal casing <NUM> of the charging interface <NUM> is arranged to be separated from the grounding metal <NUM> of the circuit board <NUM>, compared with a solution of connecting the grounding solder pad <NUM> of the metal casing <NUM> and the grounding metal <NUM>, the metal casing <NUM> is not grounded and does not occupy the clearance area of the antenna unit <NUM>, which is equal to increasing the clearance area occupied by the charging interface <NUM> in the related art, and further the metal casing <NUM> of the charging interface <NUM> is coupled with the antenna unit <NUM> to act as the antenna radiator, so as to be conducive to improving the antenna performance of the antenna unit <NUM>. By connecting one grounding solder pad <NUM> with the filtering unit <NUM> and the antistatic unit <NUM>, the filtering unit <NUM> filters out the interferential noise wave, and the antistatic unit <NUM> eliminates the static electricity, so as to ensure the antenna performance of the antenna unit <NUM>.

Claim 1:
An electronic device comprising:
a housing (<NUM>) provided with an external interface (<NUM>);
a circuit board (<NUM>) arranged in the housing (<NUM>) and comprising a grounding metal (<NUM>);
a charging interface (<NUM>) arranged in the housing (<NUM>) and in communication with the external interface (<NUM>), the charging interface (<NUM>) comprising a metal casing (<NUM>), the metal casing (<NUM>) being provided with a plurality of grounding solder pads (<NUM>), the grounding solder pads (<NUM>) being arranged to be separated from the grounding metal (<NUM>); and
an antenna unit (<NUM>) being coupled with the charging interface (<NUM>),
characterized in that
the metal casing (<NUM>) is not grounded.