5G mm-wave mobile handset antenna system, measurements and evaluations

Nowadays, the large number of services provided by mobile phones drives the usage of the millimetre-wave (mm-wave) frequency range for the upcoming fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication system, in order to provide wider bandwidths that support high-throughput data transfer. However, the propagation environment becomes hostile at higher frequencies, due to larger path loss, so higher gain antenna arrays, that are able to achieve wide beam steering range, are proposed to be embedded in 5G mobile terminals. In order to assess the radio frequency (RF) performance of the mm-wave mobile handset antenna systems, new figures of merit are specified by the Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The RF requirements take into account multiple factors that affect the performance of the mm-wave antenna, such as the challenging electromagnetic environment inside the phone-housing and the high mobility. In addition, the blockage from the user limits the antenna coverage range. Since it is difficult for mm-wave signal to propagate through the human body, an accurate model of the user shadowing is required to be included in the mm-wave cellular network planning. In this chapter, the new metrics to evaluate the performance of mm-wave antenna systems are presented, and both traditional and novel approaches are used for the measurements of mm-wave mobile handsets mock-ups. The user blockage is investigated in different scenarios and a new model is drawn.