Electronic device having loop antenna

• US 10,236,942 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Woosup, Park, Jungsik, Choi, Sehwan
• Primary Examiner(s): West, Lewis G
• Application Number:
  US15/430,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20170237149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 60/02 Antennas also serving as components of clocks or watches, e.g. motor coils
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 60/10 inside cases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/00 Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns methods or arrangements for marking the record carrier in digital fashion G06K1/00; pattern recognition G06F18/00; arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding G06V10/00; character recognition, recognising digital ink or document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 : using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 : Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 : Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 : Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724

Abstract

An electronic device is provided that includes a housing having a first surface facing a first direction, and a second surface facing a second direction opposite to the first direction. The electronic device also includes a conductive pattern having a first conductive coil with an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction or the second direction. The electronic device additionally includes a communication circuit configured to cause the first conductive coil to generate a magnetic flux. The second surface includes a first region made of a conductive material and a second region made of a nonconductive material. When viewed from the second surface, the first conductive coil is disposed mostly under the first region. The first conductive coil is configured to include a first section disposed near or on the second region to cause the magnetic flux to pass through the second region.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing having a first surface facing a first direction, a second surface facing a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a side member enclosing at least a portion of a space between the first surface and the second surface;

a conductive pattern disposed in the housing and having a first conductive coil with an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction or the second direction;

a communication circuit disposedin the housing, electrically connected with the first conductive coil, and configured to cause the first conductive coil to generate a magnetic flux;

a display exposed through at least a portion of the first surface; and

a processor disposed in the housing and electrically connected with the communication circuit and the display,

wherein the second surface comprises a first region made of a conductive material and a second region made of a nonconductive material,

wherein the first region comprises one or more openings,

wherein the second region fills a first opening of the one or more openings,

wherein, when viewed from the second surface, the first conductive coil is disposed mostly under the first region, and

wherein the first conductive coil is configured to include a first section disposed near or on the second region to cause the magnetic flux to pass through the second region.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second surface further comprises a third region made of a nonconductive material, wherein the third region fills a second opening of the one or more openings, and wherein the first conductive coil is configured to include a second section disposed near or on the third region to cause the magnetic flux to pass through the third region.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein, when viewed from the second surface, the axis of the first conductive coil extends in a third direction from the first region to the second region.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first conductive coil is wound along the axis.

5. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein, when viewed from the second surface, the second region and the third region are at least partially enclosed by the first region.

6. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second region and the third region are arranged symmetrically with respect to a portion of the first region.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), and wherein the conductive pattern is mounted on the FPCB.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the FPCB comprises a first layer, a second layer, and a middle layer between the first layer and the second layer, wherein the first layer comprises a first plurality of first conductive lines constituting a part of the first conductive coil, wherein the second layer comprises a second plurality of second conductive lines constituting another part of the first conductive coil, and wherein the middle layer comprises a plurality of conductive vias to electrically connect the plurality of first conductive lines and the plurality of second conductive lines.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the FPCB further comprises a core to increase the magnetic force generated by the first conductive coil.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the conductive pattern further comprises a second conductive coil disposed in the housing and having an axis substantially perpendicular to the first direction or the second direction.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the first conductive coil and the second conductive coil are realized using an FPCB.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the FPCB includes a first layer, a second layer, a third layer, a fourth layer, and a fifth layer, wherein the first conductive coil is formed on the first layer and the fifth layer, and wherein the second conductive coil is formed on the second layer and the fourth layer.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein one coil among the first conductive coil and the second conductive coil is used for one of near field communication (NFC), magnetic secure transmission (MST), and wireless charging, and the other coil is used for another one of NFC, MST, and wireless charging.

14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the conductive region of the housing is electrically connected with the first conductive coil to form a current path.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the direction of a current flowing through the first conductive coil is perpendicular to the direction of signal lines arranged in the display.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a housing comprising a first surface facing a first direction, a second surface facing a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a side member enclosing at least a portion of a space between the first surface and the second surface;

a conductive pattern disposed in the housing, and having a first conductive coil with a first axis that is substantially parallel with the first direction or the second direction, and a second conductive coil with a second axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction or the second direction;

a communication circuit disposed in the housing, electrically connected with the first conductive coil and the second conductive coil, and configured to cause at least one of the first conductive coil and the second conductive coil to generate a magnetic flux;

a display exposed through at least a portion of the first surface; and

a processor disposed in the housing and electrically connected with the communication circuit and the display,

wherein, when viewed from the second surface, the first conductive coil encloses the second conductive coil, and

wherein, when viewed from the second surface, the second conductive coil is disposed mostly under the second surface.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the first conductive coil and the second conductive coil emit a magnetic field signal carrying magnetic secure transmission (MST) data.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein one of the first conductive coil and the second conductive coil emits a magnetic field signal carrying MST data, and another of the first conductive coil and the second conductive coil emits a magnetic field signal carrying near field communication (NFC) data.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the first conductive coil and the second conductive coil are realized using a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), and

wherein the FPCB comprises a first layer, a second layer, and a middle layer between the first layer and the second layer, wherein, when viewed from the second surface, the first conductive coil is disposed on the first layer so as to enclose the second conductive coil, wherein the first layer comprises a plurality of first conductive lines constituting a part of the second conductive coil, wherein the second layer comprises a plurality of second conductive lines constituting another part of the second conductive coil, and wherein the middle layer comprises a plurality of conductive vias to electrically connect the plurality of first conductive lines of the first layer and the plurality of second conductive lines of the second layer.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the middle layer comprises a first shield layer to prevent a first magnetic field signal of the first conductive coil from affecting a second magnetic field signal of the second conductive coil, and wherein the second layer comprises a second shield layer to prevent the second magnetic field signal from affecting the first magnetic field signal.