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Samsung · Antenna & radio · Filed Feb 13, 2026 · USPTO published Jun 25, 2026 · Jun 25 release

Samsung Patents an Antenna That Redirects Its Own Signal on the Fly

Most antennas point one way and stay there. Samsung is patenting a design that can flip its signal direction just by toggling a single element, no moving parts required.

By · Updated · 3 min read

Samsung Patent: Antenna That Switches Signal Direction, figure from US 2026/0180165 A1
Figure from the official USPTO publication.
Publication number
US 2026/0180165 A1(US20260180165A1)
Applicant
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Filed · Published
Feb 13, 2026 · Jun 25, 2026
Inventors
Sangbong SUNG, Jinu KIM, Yongsun SHIN, Houn BAEK
Status when we published
Waiting for an examiner
Document
20 claims
US classification
455/73
Parent application
Continuation of PCT/KR2024/007649 (filed Jun 4, 2024)(PCTKR2024007649)

What Samsung's direction-switching antenna actually does

Picture a flashlight that can instantly switch from shining forward to shining sideways, without you physically turning it. That's roughly what Samsung is trying to do with radio signals inside a device.

This patent describes an antenna made of three flat, tile-like pieces. Two of them handle the main job of sending and receiving signals. The third piece acts like a switch: when it's left alone, the antenna broadcasts in one direction; when a small grounding signal is applied to it, the whole radiation pattern shifts to a different direction.

The practical upside is that a device could pick the best signal direction for its surroundings, whether it's flat on a table, held in your hand, or tucked in a bag, without needing extra physical antennas or motors to rotate anything.

How the third element flips the radiation pattern

The system uses three patch-type antenna elements (flat, square or rectangular conductors printed on a substrate, similar to those inside most modern phones and routers). The first element receives the feed signal (the actual radio-frequency energy being transmitted), while the second element is held at ground (the electrical reference point, essentially zero volts).

The third element is the clever part. It floats electrically when no signal is applied, producing a first directional radiation pattern. When a ground signal is switched onto it, the element changes how it interacts with the electromagnetic field around the other two, steering the combined output into a second directional radiation pattern.

  • Two states, one hardware layout: no new physical antenna is needed for the second direction.
  • Switching is purely electronic, meaning it can happen in microseconds.
  • The third element acts as a parasitic radiator (an element that shapes the beam without being directly driven by the transmitter).

This approach is a compact take on a classic technique called a switched parasitic array, which has long been used in larger antenna systems but is tricky to shrink into consumer electronics.

What this means for phones and wireless devices

For everyday devices like phones, routers, or wearables, signal direction matters more than most people realize. An antenna that always radiates in a fixed direction can lose performance the moment you rotate the device or move near a reflective surface. A two-state switchable pattern means the device's radio software could test both orientations and stick with whichever gives a stronger, cleaner connection.

For Samsung specifically, this kind of design would be useful anywhere space is tight: think earbuds, smartwatches, or the increasingly thin phone bodies the company ships. Instead of cramming in two separate antennas pointing different directions, one compact assembly handles both jobs.

Source: US 2026/0180165 A1 at the USPTO (PDF). Full patent text and figures are in the official publication.

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