IP Library Granted Patent US 12,562,791
Granted Patent B2
US 12,562,791 · App. 18/120,072 · Granted Feb 24, 2026

Electronic device for operating antenna module and method for controlling same

Inventors: Junyoung Woo (Suwon-si, KR); Junsuk Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Minho Yang (Suwon-si, KR); Hyoungjoo Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Euichang Jung (Suwon-si, KR); Chaeman Lim (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H04B7/0604H04B1/0064H04B1/38H04B17/18
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,562,791
App. No.
18/120,072
Granted
Feb 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a device for activating a radio frequency (RF) module which is to be used efficiently in an electronic device that operates a plurality of RF modules (or antenna modules) in a wireless communication system, and to a method for controlling same. To this end, the electronic device checks the temperatures of the plurality of antenna modules using a first frequency band, and identifies candidate antenna modules in consideration of the temperatures of the plurality of antenna modules. The electronic device selects a serving antenna module from among the candidate antenna modules so that an available temperature state, in which the temperatures of the candidate antenna modules are lower than a threshold temperature, is maintained, and transmits and receives a signal using the first frequency band in the serving antenna module. The candidate antenna modules may include antenna modules which support communication performance of a threshold level or higher.

Claims (60)

1 . A method performed by an electronic device, the method comprising:

monitoring temperatures of a plurality of antenna modules supporting a first frequency band;

in case that a temperature of a first antenna module performing a communication among the plurality of antenna modules exceeds a specific temperature during monitoring the temperatures, identifying at least one antenna module having a temperature equal to or less than the specific temperature among the plurality of antenna modules;

identifying whether a difference between a reference signal received power (RSRP) value of the first antenna module and an RSRP value of the at least one antenna module exceeds a threshold;

in case that the difference exceeds the threshold:

transmitting uplink signals using an antenna supporting a second frequency band lower than the first frequency band; and

receiving downlink signals using the first antenna module supporting the first frequency band.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in case that an uplink traffic is larger than a downlink traffic, the uplink signals are transmitted through the antenna supporting the second frequency band.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in case that the at least one antenna module is not identified from the plurality of antenna modules:

terminating a communication using the plurality of antenna modules supporting the first frequency band, and

transmitting and receiving a signal of the second frequency band using the antenna.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in case that the at least one antenna module is not identified from the plurality of antenna modules, transmitting, to a base station, a request message for terminating transmission and reception of a signal of the first frequency band.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the request message includes first information indicating a bandwidth of the first frequency band and second information indicating a bandwidth of the second frequency band,

wherein a communication of the first frequency band is terminated based on the first information, and

wherein a communication of the second frequency band is performed based on the second information.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency band is in a range of 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz, and the second frequency band is in a range of one of 410 MHz to 6 GHz or 410 MHz to 7.125 GHz, and

wherein the second frequency band includes a long-term evolution (LTE) frequency band allocated for an LTE network and a new radio (NR) frequency band allocated for an NR network.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold is determined based on the RSRP value of the first antenna module and a data throughput.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying that each of a second antenna module and a third antenna module has a temperature equal to or less than the specific temperature;

in case that the electronic device supports a transmission of the uplink signals and a reception of the downlink signals by using different antenna modules:

transmitting the uplink signals by using the second antenna module, and

receiving the downlink signals by using the third antenna module.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

in case that the electronic device does not support the transmission of the uplink signals and the reception of the downlink signals by using different antenna modules:

transmitting the uplink signals and receiving the downlink signals by using the second antenna module or the third antenna module.

10 . An electronic device comprising:

a plurality of antenna modules supporting a first frequency band;

an antenna supporting a second frequency band lower than the first frequency band;

at least one processor comprising processor circuitry; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:

monitor temperatures of the plurality of antenna modules;

in case that a temperature of a first antenna module performing a communication among the plurality of antenna modules exceeds a specific temperature during monitoring the temperatures, identify at least one antenna module having a temperature equal to or less than the specific temperature among the plurality of antenna modules;

identify whether a difference between a reference signal received power (RSRP) value of the first antenna module and an RSRP value of the at least one antenna module exceeds a threshold;

in case that the difference exceeds the threshold:

transmit uplink signals using the antenna supporting the second frequency band lower than the first frequency band; and

receive downlink signals using the first antenna module supporting the first frequency band.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein, in case that an uplink traffic is larger than a downlink traffic, the uplink signals are transmitted through the antenna supporting the second frequency band.

12 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to:

in case that the at least one antenna module is not identified from the plurality of antenna modules:

terminate a communication using the plurality of antenna modules supporting the first frequency band, and

transmit and receive a signal in the second frequency band using the antenna.

13 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to:

in case that the at least one antenna module is not identified from the plurality of antenna modules, transmit, to a base station, a request message for terminating transmitting and receiving a signal of the first frequency band.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the request message includes first information indicating a bandwidth of the first frequency band and second information indicating a bandwidth of the second frequency band,

wherein a communication of the first frequency band is terminated based on the first information, and

wherein a communication of the second frequency band is performed based on the second information.

15 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the first frequency band includes 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz, and the second frequency band includes at least one of 410 MHz to 6 GHz or 410 MHz to 7.125 GHZ, and

wherein the second frequency band includes a long-term evolution (LTE) frequency band allocated for an LTE network and a new radio (NR) frequency band allocated for an NR network.

16 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the threshold is determined based on the RSRP value of the first antenna module and a data throughput.

17 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to:

identify that each of a second antenna module and a third antenna module has a temperature equal to or less than the specific temperature;

in case that the electronic device supports a transmission of the uplink signals and a reception of the downlink signals by using different antenna modules:

transmit the uplink signals by using the second antenna module, and

receive the downlink signals by using the third antenna module.

18 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to:

in case that the electronic device does not support the transmission of the uplink signals and the reception of the downlink signals by using different antenna modules:

transmit the uplink signals and receive the downlink signals by using the second antenna module or the third antenna module.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2023
From: WOO, JUNYOUNG; KIM, JUNSUK; YANG, MINHO; JUNG, EUICHANG; LIM, CHAEMAN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062946/0365 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2020-0117105 · Sep 11, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2021011547 · Aug 27, 2021
Related Publication 20230216557A1 · Jul 6, 2023
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