US 11,444,706 B2Granted

Antenna module including communication module capable of determining abnormality of transmission or reception path

AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

InventorsDongil Yang, Seonjun Kim, Jonghyun Park, Doohwan Lee, Jongin Lee

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Abstract

Disclosed is an antenna module, which include a first antenna element, a second antenna element, and a communication module that includes a first transmit path and a first receive path connected with the first antenna element, a second transmit path and a second receive path connected with the second antenna element, and a detection circuit connected with at least a part of the second receive path. The communication module may output a specified signal by using the first transmit path and the first antenna element based at least on obtaining a request for identifying a state of the antenna module from an external device, may obtain the output specified signal by using the second receive path and the second antenna element, may identify an intensity of the obtained specified signal by using the detection circuit, and may determine whether the antenna module is abnormal, based at least on the intensity of the obtained specified signal. Moreover, various embodiment found through the present disclosure are possible.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An antenna module comprising:

a first antenna element;
a second antenna element;
and
a communication module including a first transmit path and a first receive path connected with the first antenna element, a second transmit path and a second receive path connected with the second antenna element, and a detection circuit connected with at least a part of the second receive path, wherein the communication module is configured to:
output a specified signal by using the first transmit path and the first antenna element based at least on obtaining a request for identifying a state of the antenna module from an external device;
obtain, by using the second receive path and the second antenna element, the specified signal that is output through the first transmit path and the first antenna element;
identify, by using the detection circuit, an intensity of the specified signal that is obtained through the second transmit path and the second antenna element;
generate a digital value for at least one of the first antenna element and the second antenna element, based at least on the intensity of the obtained specified signal;
compare the digital value with a reference value associated with at least one of the first antenna element and the second antenna element;
and
determine whether the antenna module is abnormal, based at least on the comparison result,
wherein the communication module is further configured to:
when determines that the antenna module is abnormal, additionally output the specified signal by using the first transmit path and the first antenna element after adjusting a gain of at least one of the first antenna element and the second antenna element;
re-generate the digital value for at least one of the first antenna element and the second antenna element, based at least on an intensity of the specified signal that is additionally obtained through the second transmit path and the second antenna element;
and
re-determine whether the antenna module is abnormal, based on the re-generated digital value and the reference value associated with at least one of the first antenna element and the second antenna element.

13 more elements

An electronic device comprising:

an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements;
a first communication circuit configured to transmit/receive a signal in a frequency band of 20 GHz or higher by using the antenna array, the first communication circuit including:
at least one receive path of a signal associated with the antenna array;
and
an amplitude modulation (AM) receiver electrically connected with the at least one receive path and configured to receive the signal;
at least one processor operatively connected with the first communication circuit;
and
a non-volatile memory configured to store a plurality of reference values associated with the plurality of antenna elements,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
obtain signal information about at least one antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements from the AM receiver;
and
compare a digital value converted from the signal information and a reference value associated with the at least one antenna element from among the plurality of reference values stored in the non-volatile memory;
determine whether the signal received through AM receiver is abnormal based at least on the comparison result;
when the at least one processor determines that the AM receiver is abnormal, adjust a gain of at least one of the at least one antenna element;
re-obtain signal information about the at least one antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements from the AM receiver;
and
re-determine whether the signal being received through AM receiver is abnormal, based on the re-obtained signal information and the reference value associated with the at least one antenna element.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/285,943Filed 22 Oct 2019
Priority: KR 10-2018-012737824 Oct 2018
Published: US 2021/0384991 A19 Dec 2021
Granted: 13 Sep 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

H04B 17/17
Performance testing: detection of non-compliance or faulty performance, e.g. response deviations
H04B 17/295
Performance testing: detection of non-compliance or faulty performance, e.g. response deviations
H04B 17/14
For calibration: of the whole transmission and reception path, e.g. self-test loop-back
H04B
Transmission

Family

US 2021/0384991 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Dec 2021
US 11,444,706 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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