Antenna module placement and housing for reduced power density exposure

• US 10,749,248 B1
• Filed: 09/23/2019
• Issued: 08/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Malik, Rahul, Tassoudji, Mohammad Ali, Jenwatanavet, Jatupum, Park, Jong Hyeon
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US16/579,522
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 455522
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/245 with means for shaping the antenna pattern, e.g. in order to protect user against rf exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/526 Electromagnetic shields
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3838 Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. In some systems, a user equipment (UE) may use transmissions causing power density exposure (PDE) to nearby users. To reduce the PDE of an antenna module (e.g., below a maximum PDE threshold), the UE may implement a shielding strip around the antenna module. For example, the antenna module may include a substrate having a first surface and a set of antenna elements on the first surface. The shielding strip may enclose the set of antenna elements of the antenna module and extend away from the first surface above the antenna elements. The shielding strip may reduce PDE outside a field of view of the antenna module. Additionally, in some cases, the placement of the antenna module in the UE and the materials used for constructing the UE may further reduce PDE.

Claims

1. An antenna module, comprising:

a substrate having a first surface;

a plurality of antenna elements on the first surface; and

a shielding strip enclosing the plurality of antenna elements and extending away from the first surface of the substrate, wherein an upper edge of the shielding strip is above the plurality of antenna elements.

2. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein a lower edge of the shielding strip is at or above the first surface of the substrate.

3. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a printed circuit board (PCB), the plurality of antenna elements are on the PCB, and the shielding strip is external to the PCB.

4. The antenna module of claim 3, wherein the PCB further comprises:

a plating member enclosing each antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements, wherein the plating member is on the PCB.

5. The antenna module of claim 3, wherein the shielding strip is at or above a perimeter of the PCB.

6. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein the upper edge of the shielding strip is configured to be flush with a housing of a user equipment (UE).

7. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein a height of the shielding strip from the first surface of the substrate is based at least in part on a predetermined power density exposure threshold, or a field of view for the plurality of antenna elements, or a field of view for a sensor, or a combination thereof.

8. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein the shielding strip is electrically coupled to a ground plane of the antenna module.

9. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein the shielding strip is electrically isolated from a ground plane of the antenna module.

10. The antenna module of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more electrical components mounted on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface of the substrate.

11. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antenna elements comprises at least a plurality of patch antennas, or a plurality of slot antennas, or a plurality of dipole antennas, or a combination thereof forming an antenna array.

12. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

a housing having an exterior surface;

an antenna module mounted within the housing, wherein the antenna module comprises a plurality of antenna elements on a first surface of a substrate; and

a shielding strip enclosing the plurality of antenna elements and extending away from the first surface of the substrate, wherein an upper edge of the shielding strip is above the plurality of antenna elements.

13. The UE of claim 12, wherein the first surface of the substrate is recessed from the exterior surface of the housing from a radiating direction of the antenna module.

14. The UE of claim 12, wherein a lower edge of the shielding strip is at or above the first surface of the substrate.

15. The UE of claim 12, wherein the antenna module comprises the shielding strip, or the housing comprises the shielding strip, or the housing comprises a part of the shielding strip.

16. The UE of claim 12, wherein the exterior surface of the housing comprises a screen oriented on a first side of the antenna module and a back surface oriented on a second side of the antenna module opposite the screen, the back surface comprising a first conductive surface.

17. The UE of claim 16, further comprising:

a second conductive surface oriented on the first side of the antenna module opposite the back surface, wherein the screen comprises the second conductive surface or the second conductive surface is mounted to a back of the screen.

18. The UE of claim 12, wherein a height of the shielding strip from the first surface of the substrate is based at least in part on a predetermined power density exposure threshold, or a field of view for the plurality of antenna elements, or a combination thereof.

19. The UE of claim 12, further comprising:

a sensor to measure power density exposure, wherein a height of the shielding strip from the first surface of the substrate is based at least in part on a field of view for the sensor.

20. The UE of claim 12, wherein the shielding strip is electrically coupled to a ground plane of the antenna module.

21. The UE of claim 12, wherein the shielding strip is electrically isolated from a ground plane of the antenna module.

22. The UE of claim 12, wherein the plurality of antenna elements comprises a plurality of patch antennas forming an antenna array.

23. The UE of claim 12, wherein the upper edge of the shielding strip is at or below the exterior surface of the housing in a radiating direction of the antenna module.

24. An apparatus for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

an antenna module comprising a substrate having a first surface and a plurality of antenna elements on the first surface;

a shielding strip enclosing the plurality of antenna elements and extending away from the first surface;

a processor;

memory coupled with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory and operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to;

determine a transmit power for a communication beam of the UE based at least in part on a power density exposure threshold for the communication beam and the shielding strip enclosing the plurality of antenna elements; and

transmit, using the communication beam and according to the determined transmit power, an uplink signal using the antenna module.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:

identify a maximum transmit power for the communication beam based at least in part on the power density exposure threshold for the communication beam and the shielding strip enclosing the plurality of antenna elements, wherein the transmit power is determined based at least in part on the identified maximum transmit power.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:

identify one or more candidate communication beams of the UE;

determine a respective power density exposure characteristic for each of the one or more candidate communication beams; and

select the communication beam from the one or more candidate communication beams, wherein the communication beam comprises a first power density exposure characteristic, determining the transmit power for the communication beam is based at least in part on the first power density exposure characteristic, and selecting the communication beam is based at least in part on at least an uplink grant for the UE, or a power level of the UE, or a projected power density exposure of the communication beam, or the first power density exposure characteristic, or a combination thereof.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

a detector, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to;

detect a level of power density exposure of the communication beam, wherein selecting the communication beam is based at least in part on the detected level of power density exposure.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the antenna module comprises the shielding strip.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

a second antenna module comprising a second substrate having a second surface and a second plurality of antenna elements on the second surface; and

a second shielding strip enclosing the second plurality of antenna elements and extending away from the second surface, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to;

determine a second transmit power for a second communication beam of the UE based at least in part on a second power density exposure threshold for the second communication beam and the second shielding strip enclosing the second plurality of antenna elements; and

transmit a second uplink signal using the second antenna module and the second communication beam based at least in part on the determined second transmit power.

30. A method for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

determining a transmit power for a communication beam of the UE based at least in part on a power density exposure threshold for the communication beam and a shielding strip enclosing a plurality of antenna elements on a first surface of an antenna module of the UE, the shielding strip enclosing the plurality of antenna elements above the first surface; and

transmitting, using the communication beam and according to the determined transmit power, an uplink signal using the antenna module.