IP Library Granted Patent US 12,261,364
Granted Patent B2
US 12,261,364 · App. 18/179,430 · Granted Mar 25, 2025

Antenna module, metamaterial structure and electronic device

Inventors: Wei-Jin Chen (Hsinchu, TW); Tsun-Che Huang (Hsinchu, TW); Jia-Hung Su (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: WISTRON NEWEB CORPORATION
H01Q15/0086H01Q9/0464
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,261,364
App. No.
18/179,430
Granted
Mar 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An antenna module, a metamaterial structure and an electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes a housing, a glass material layer and an antenna module. The antenna module includes a substrate, at least one radiating element and a metamaterial structure. The metamaterial structure includes a metamaterial substrate, a plurality of first metal conductors, and a plurality of second metal conductors. The first metal conductors are disposed on the first surface of the metamaterial substrate and are spaced apart at intervals from each other, and the second metal conductors are disposed on the second surface of the metamaterial substrate and are spaced apart at intervals from each other. The first metal conductors respectively correspond to the second metal conductors. Shapes of the first metal conductors are different from shapes of the second metal conductors.

Claims (31)

1. An antenna module, comprising:

a substrate;

at least one radiating element disposed on the substrate; and

a metamaterial structure disposed on the substrate, wherein the metamaterial structure and the at least one radiating element are located on a same side of the substrate, and the metamaterial structure includes:

a metamaterial substrate having a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other, wherein the second surface faces the at least one radiating element; and

a plurality of first metal conductors and a plurality of second metal conductors, wherein the first metal conductors are disposed on the first surface and spaced apart at intervals from each other, the second metal conductors are disposed on the second surface and spaced apart at intervals from each other, the first metal conductors respectively correspond to the second metal conductors, and shapes of the first metal conductors are different from shapes of the second metal conductors.

2. The antenna module according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one radiating element directly contacts the second surface.

3. The antenna module according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one radiating element and the second surface are spaced apart from each other by an air gap.

4. The antenna module according to claim 3 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined thickness, and a width of the air gap is less than twice the predetermined thickness.

5. The antenna module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first metal conductors is formed to have a cross-shaped structure, and each of the second metal conductors is formed to have two ring structures that are concentric and not in contact with each other.

6. The antenna module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first metal conductors is formed to have a cross-shaped structure, and each of the second metal conductors is formed to have a square structure.

7. The antenna module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first metal conductors and a corresponding one of the second metal conductors are not in contact with each other, and an area of each of the first metal conductors is less than an area of a corresponding one of the second metal conductors.

8. The antenna module according to claim 1 , wherein a projection point from a geometric center of each of the first metal conductors being orthogonally projected onto the second surface overlaps with a projection point from a geometric center of a corresponding one of the second metal conductors being orthogonally projected onto the second surface.

9. The antenna module according to claim 8 , wherein the metamaterial structure includes a plurality of unit cells, each of the unit cells includes one of the first metal conductors and the corresponding one of the second metal conductors, a boundary of each of the unit cells and the geometric center of the corresponding one of the second metal conductors are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and two geometric centers of two adjacent ones of the second metal conductors are spaced apart from each other by a spacing; wherein, when the spacing has a minimum value, the two boundaries of the two adjacent unit cells overlap with each other, and the predetermined distance is equal to half of the spacing.

10. The antenna module according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one radiating element is used for generating an operating frequency, the predetermined distance is less than ⅙ of a wavelength of the operating frequency, and a boundary length of each of the unit cells is less than ⅓ of the wavelength of the operating frequency.

11. A metamaterial structure being suitable for an antenna module, the antenna module being used for providing an operating frequency, the metamaterial structure comprising:

a metamaterial substrate having a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other; and

a plurality of first metal conductors and a plurality of second metal conductors, wherein the first metal conductors are disposed on the first surface and spaced apart at intervals from each other, the second metal conductors are disposed on the second surface and spaced apart at intervals from each other, the first metal conductors respectively correspond to the second metal conductors, and shapes of the first metal conductors are different from shapes of the second metal conductors.

12. The metamaterial structure according to claim 11 , wherein each of the first metal conductors is formed to have a cross-shaped structure, and each of the second metal conductors is formed to have two ring structures that are concentric and not in contact with each other.

13. The metamaterial structure according to claim 11 , wherein each of the first metal conductors and a corresponding one of the second metal conductors are spaced apart from each other, and an area of each of the first metal conductors is less than an area of a corresponding one of the second metal conductors.

14. The metamaterial structure according to claim 11 , wherein the metamaterial structure includes a plurality of unit cells, each of the unit cells includes one of the first metal conductors and a corresponding one of the second metal conductors, a boundary of each of the unit cells and the geometric center of a corresponding one of the second metal conductors are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and two geometric centers of two adjacent ones of the second metal conductors are spaced apart from each other by a spacing; wherein, when the spacing has a minimum value, the two boundaries of the two adjacent unit cells overlap with each other, and the predetermined distance is equal to half of the spacing.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a glass material layer disposed at the housing; and

an antenna module disposed in the housing, wherein the antenna module includes:

a substrate;

at least one radiating element disposed on the substrate; and

a metamaterial structure disposed on the substrate, wherein the metamaterial structure and the at least one radiating element is located on a same side of the substrate, and the metamaterial structure includes a metamaterial substrate, a plurality of first metal conductors, and a plurality of second metal conductors, the metamaterial substrate has a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other, the second surface faces the at least one radiating element, the first metal conductors are disposed on the first surface and spaced apart at intervals from each other, the first metal conductors contact the glass material layer, the second metal conductors are disposed on the second surface and spaced apart at intervals from each other, the first metal conductors respectively correspond to the second metal conductors, and shapes of the first metal conductors are different from shapes of the second metal conductors.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one radiating element and the second surface are spaced apart from each other by an air gap, the first surface and the second surface are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined thickness, and a width of the air gap is less than twice the predetermined thickness.

17. The electronic device according to claim 15 , wherein each of the first metal conductors is formed to have a cross-shaped structure, and each of the second metal conductors is formed to have two ring structures that are concentric and not in contact with each other.

18. The electronic device according to claim 15 , wherein each of the first metal conductors and a corresponding one of the second metal conductors are spaced apart from each other, and an area of each of the first metal conductors is less than an area of a corresponding one of the second metal conductors.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 29, 2025
From: WISTRON NEWEB CORPORATION
To: WNC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 072255/0226 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 7, 2023
From: CHEN, WEI-JIN; HUANG, TSUN-CHE; SU, JIA-HUNG
To: WISTRON NEWEB CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062899/0980 →
Priority Claims (1)
TW 111129678 · Aug 8, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240047889A1 · Feb 8, 2024
References Cited (2)
CN 114498057A · 2022 [cited by applicant]
TW 201320467A1 · 2013 [cited by applicant]