CN107221761B

CN107221761B - Intelligent antenna and wireless communication device

Info

Publication number: CN107221761B
Application number: CN201610166079.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 古光原; 黄俊哲; 詹长庚; 苏纪纲
Original assignee: Wistron Neweb Corp
Current assignee: Wistron Neweb Corp
Priority date: 2016-03-22
Filing date: 2016-03-22
Publication date: 2020-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 2036-03-22
Also published as: CN107221761A

Abstract

A smart antenna and a wireless communication device are provided. The intelligent antenna comprises a dipole antenna, a first reflecting unit, a first diode, a first radio frequency choking unit and a second radio frequency choking unit; the dipole antenna is provided with a first radiation part and a second radiation part, and the first radiation part is used for simultaneously feeding a radio frequency signal and a direct current voltage; the first reflection unit is provided with a first section and a second section which are arranged on a first side of the dipole antenna in parallel; the first diode is electrically connected between the first section and the second section, and the direct-current voltage is used for controlling the conducting state of the first diode; the first radio frequency choke unit is electrically connected between the first radiation part and the first section of the first reflection unit; the second RF choke unit is electrically connected between the second radiation portion and the second section of the first reflection unit. The invention can improve the flexibility of product design and use.

Description

Intelligent antenna and wireless communication device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an antenna and a wireless communication device having the same, and more particularly, to a smart antenna and a wireless communication device having the same.

Background

The antennas used in current network communication products are usually of an omnidirectional radiation pattern, such as dipole antennas (dipole antennas). However, when the product position is fixed, only fixed radiation characteristics can be provided for signal transmission and reception, and thus, a problem often occurs in that transmission speed is reduced due to poor signal transmission and reception across floors.

In conventional antenna designs, multiple fixed position antennas are used, and a switching element is used in conjunction with the circuit board of the wireless module (or the circuit board of the overall system) to control the overall radiation pattern. However, since the antenna is fixed in a fixed position in the product, the antenna itself needs to be designed more complicated or a more complicated switch is used to control the radiation pattern. Antenna designers are thus limited by product integrity considerations, and considerable design limitations are encountered in antenna design.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a smart antenna and a wireless communication device to solve the above problems.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present invention provide an intelligent antenna and a wireless communication device having the same, in which a driven switching element (diode) is moved from a circuit board of a wireless module to the antenna itself, and the switching element (diode) and the antenna are integrated, so that a radiation field pattern of a dipole antenna can be conveniently changed, thereby solving the problem of the conventional technology by using an overall antenna design with radiation direction selectivity.

The embodiment of the invention provides an intelligent antenna which comprises a dipole antenna, a first reflecting unit, a first diode, a first radio frequency choking unit and a second radio frequency choking unit. The dipole antenna is provided with a first radiation part and a second radiation part, wherein the first radiation part is used for simultaneously feeding a radio frequency signal and a direct current voltage. The first reflection unit is arranged on the first side of the dipole antenna in parallel. The first diode is electrically connected between the first section and the second section, and the direct current voltage is used for controlling the conducting state of the first diode. The first radio frequency choke unit is electrically connected between the first radiation part and the first section of the first reflection unit. The second radio frequency choke unit is electrically connected between the second radiation part and the second section of the first reflection unit.

An embodiment of the present invention further provides an intelligent antenna, including: a dipole antenna, which has a first radiation part and a second radiation part, wherein the first radiation part is used for simultaneously feeding a radio frequency signal and a direct current voltage; a first reflection unit having a first section and a second section disposed in parallel on a first side of the dipole antenna; the first diode is electrically connected between the first section and the second section, and the direct current voltage is used for controlling the conducting state of the first diode; a first RF choke unit electrically connected between the first radiation portion and the first section of the first reflection unit; and a second RF choke unit electrically connected between the second radiation portion and the second section of the first reflection unit.

The embodiment of the invention provides a wireless communication device, which comprises a T-shaped Bias circuit (Bias Tee), a direct current voltage supply unit, a dipole antenna, a coaxial cable, a first reflection unit, a first diode, a first radio frequency choke unit and a second radio frequency choke unit. The T-shaped bias circuit is provided with a first end, a second end and a third end, wherein the first end of the T-shaped bias circuit receives radio frequency signals, and the second end of the T-shaped bias circuit receives direct-current voltage. The direct current voltage supply unit is electrically connected with the second end of the T-shaped bias circuit and generates direct current voltage. The dipole antenna is provided with a first radiation part and a second radiation part, wherein the first radiation part is used for simultaneously feeding a radio frequency signal and a direct current voltage. The coaxial cable is provided with a feed-in end and a grounding end, the feed-in end is electrically connected between the third end of the T-shaped bias circuit and the first radiation part of the dipole antenna, and the grounding end is electrically connected between the second radiation part of the dipole antenna and a system ground. The first reflection unit is arranged on the first side of the dipole antenna in parallel. The first diode is electrically connected between the first section and the second section, and the direct current voltage is used for controlling the conducting state of the first diode. The first radio frequency choke unit is electrically connected between the first radiation part and the first section of the first reflection unit. The second radio frequency choke unit is electrically connected between the second radiation part and the second section of the first reflection unit.

An embodiment of the present invention further provides a wireless communication device, including: the T-shaped bias circuit is provided with a first end, a second end and a third end, wherein the first end of the T-shaped bias circuit receives a radio frequency signal, and the second end of the T-shaped bias circuit receives a direct current voltage; a DC voltage supply unit electrically connected to the second terminal of the T-shaped bias circuit for generating the DC voltage; a dipole antenna, which has a first radiation part and a second radiation part, wherein the first radiation part is used for simultaneously feeding a radio frequency signal and a direct current voltage; a coaxial cable having a feed end and a ground end, the feed end being electrically connected between the third end of the T-bias circuit and the first radiating portion of the dipole antenna, the ground end being electrically connected between the second radiating portion of the dipole antenna and a system ground; a first reflection unit having a first section and a second section, the first reflection unit being disposed in parallel on a first side of the dipole antenna; the first diode is electrically connected between the first section and the second section, and the direct current voltage is used for controlling the conducting state of the first diode; a first RF choke unit electrically connected between the first radiation portion and the first section of the first reflection unit; and a second RF choke unit electrically connected between the second radiation portion and the second section of the first reflection unit.

In summary, embodiments of the present invention provide a smart antenna and a wireless communication device having the same, in which a radiation pattern of a dipole antenna is easily changed by switching a diode on a reflection unit, and the radiation pattern is easily adjustable, so that the smart antenna of the embodiments of the present invention can be easily disposed at any desired (or possible) position of the wireless communication device, thereby improving flexibility of product design and use.

For a better understanding of the nature and technical content of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings, which are provided for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of a wireless communication device with a smart antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a smart antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the smart antenna of fig. 2 implemented on a microwave substrate.

Fig. 4 is a radiation pattern diagram of the diode of the reflection unit of the smart antenna of fig. 2 in a non-conductive state.

Fig. 5 is a radiation pattern diagram of the diode of the reflection unit of the smart antenna of fig. 2 in a conducting state.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a smart antenna according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a radiation pattern diagram of the smart antenna of fig. 6 in which the dc voltage supplied to the two reflection units is zero voltage.

Fig. 8 is a radiation field diagram of the smart antenna of fig. 6 in which the dc voltage supplied to the two reflecting units is a positive voltage, so that the first diode is not conducted and the second diode is conducted.

Fig. 9 is a radiation field diagram of the smart antenna of fig. 6 in which the dc voltage supplied to the two reflection units is a negative voltage, so that the first diode is turned on and the second diode is turned off.

Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of a smart antenna according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a circuit diagram of a decoder of the dc voltage supply unit of fig. 1.

Fig. 12 is a functional block diagram of a wireless communication device with a smart antenna according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the main component symbols:

1 Wireless communication device

100 system circuit board

11. 551, 552 … 55n intelligent antenna

12. 541, 542 … 54n T type bias circuit

13 DC voltage supply unit

131. 51 control unit

132. 531, 532 … 53n decoder

14 radio module

RF, RF1, RF2 … RFn radio frequency signals

DC. DC1 DC2 … DCn DC voltage

111. 311 dipole antenna

111a, 311a first radiation part

111b, 311b second radiation part

111c, 311c signal source

112. 312, 315 reflection unit

112a, 312a first section

112b, 312b second section

112c diode

113 first radio frequency choke unit

114 second rf choke unit

20 microwave substrate

4 coaxial cable

1131 first radio frequency choke assembly

1132 second radio frequency choke assembly

1141A third RF choke assembly

1142 fourth choke assembly

21. 22 conducting wire

f1, f2 feed points

Z, Y axle

313. 314, 316, 317 radio frequency choke unit

312c first diode

315c second diode

S1, S2 single-pole double-throw switch

Bit1-1, Bit1-2, Bit2-1, Bit2-2, parallel signals

Bitn-1、Bitn-2

+ Vdd positive voltage

Negative voltage at Vdd

0V ground

52 serial-to-parallel converter

315a third paragraph

315b paragraph four

data

clock

Detailed Description

(embodiments of Intelligent antenna and Wireless communication device having Intelligent antenna)

Referring to fig. 1, fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of a wireless communication device with a smart antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless communication device 1 has a system circuit board 100, and the wireless communication device 1 further includes a smart antenna 11, a T-bias circuit 12, a dc voltage supply unit 13, and a wireless module 14. In addition, depending on the main function and type of the wireless communication device 1, the wireless communication device 1 should also have other functional blocks or related circuits, which are not mentioned in the embodiment. For example, the wireless communication apparatus 1 may be a wireless router having a functional circuit or chip capable of complying with a network protocol and an algorithm to perform a routing function, but the present invention is not limited to the kind of the wireless communication apparatus 1.

In the embodiment, the T-bias circuit 12, the dc voltage supply unit 13 and the wireless module 14 are all disposed on the system circuit board 100 of the wireless communication device 1, the smart antenna 11 is independent from the system circuit board 100 of the wireless communication device 1, and the smart antenna 11 can be electrically connected to the T-bias circuit 12 through a coaxial cable (shown in fig. 3), so that the setting position of the smart antenna 11 is not limited by the system circuit board 100 itself.

The T-bias circuit 12 has a first end electrically connected to the wireless module 14, a second end electrically connected to the dc voltage supply unit 13, and a third end electrically connected to the smart antenna 11. The first terminal of the T-bias circuit 12 receives the RF signal RF from the wireless module 14, and blocks the DC voltage DC from the second terminal of the T-bias circuit 12 from being transmitted to the wireless module 14. The second terminal of the T-bias circuit 12 receives the DC voltage DC from the DC voltage supply unit 13, and blocks the RF signal RF from the first terminal of the T-bias circuit 12 from being transmitted to the DC voltage supply unit 13. The DC voltage supply unit 13 is electrically connected to the second end of the T-bias circuit 12 and generates a DC voltage DC.

The T-bias circuit 12 is a common three-port network, and its equivalent circuit is composed of an equivalent capacitor (C) and an equivalent inductor (L). The equivalent capacitor is connected to the first terminal of the T-bias circuit 12 for passing the RF signal RF and blocking the DC signal (DC voltage DC), and the equivalent inductor is connected to the second terminal of the T-bias circuit 12 for passing the DC signal (DC voltage DC) and blocking the ac signal (RF). However, the present invention is not limited to the implementation of the T-bias circuit 12, and the T-bias circuit 12 is a well-known technology that is easily known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail.

The dc voltage supply unit 13 can generate at least two dc voltages to control a driven element (driven element) of the smart antenna 11, so as to achieve the radiation pattern switching. The driven components of the smart antenna 11 will be described further below. The dc voltage generated by the dc voltage supply unit 13 will be described first. In one embodiment, the dc voltage supply unit 13 can generate two dc voltages, including a positive voltage + V (or a negative voltage-V) and a zero voltage (0V). In another embodiment, the dc voltage supply unit 13 can generate three dc voltages, including a positive voltage + V, a negative voltage, and a zero voltage (0V). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the dc voltage supply unit 13 may generate three or more dc voltages. In practical applications, the dc voltage supply unit 13 may include a control unit 131 and a decoder 132 as shown in fig. 1, for example, the decoder 132 outputs a specific dc voltage according to a control signal of the control unit 131, but the invention is not limited thereto. The radiation pattern of the smart antenna 11 will thus change based on the dc voltage supplied by the dc voltage supply unit 13, and the details of the embodiment of the smart antenna of the present embodiment will be further described below.

Referring to fig. 1 and fig. 2, fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an intelligent antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention. The smart antenna includes a dipole antenna 111, at least one reflection unit 112, at least one diode 112c, a first rf choke unit 113 and a second rf choke unit 114. The dipole antenna 111 has a first radiation portion 111a and a second radiation portion 111 b. The dipole antenna 111 is typically implemented as a half-wavelength dipole antenna. The reflection unit 112 has a first segment 112a and a second segment 112b, and a diode 112c is disposed between the first segment 112a and the second segment 112b, so that the reflection unit 112 can be regarded as a driven component for the DC voltage supply unit 13 because the diode 112c is controlled by the DC voltage DC. In fig. 2, the reflection unit 112 is disposed in parallel on one side of the dipole antenna 111, for example, the right side in fig. 2. In the preferred embodiment, the distance between the reflection unit 112 and the dipole 111 is between one-eighth (0.125 λ) and one-quarter (0.25 λ) of the wavelength corresponding to the operation frequency of the dipole 11, but the invention is not limited thereto.

The first radiating portion 111a of the dipole antenna 111 has a first feeding point (for example, a connection signal end), and the second radiating portion 111b has a second feeding point (for example, a grounding point), and in fig. 2, the signal source 111c is connected to the first feeding point and the second feeding point to indicate an electrical connection manner of signal transmission. The diode 112c is electrically connected between the first segment 112a and the second segment 112b, and the direct current voltage DC is used for controlling the conduction state of the diode 112 c. The first rf choke unit 113 is electrically connected between the first radiation portion 111a and the first section 112a of the reflection unit 112. The second rf choke unit 114 is electrically connected between the second radiation portion 111b and the second section 112b of the reflection unit 112.

The first radiation portion 111a of the dipole antenna 111 is used for simultaneously feeding the RF signal RF and the DC voltage DC. The radio frequency signal RF is used to excite the antenna to produce radiation. The DC voltage DC is used to control the conduction state of the diode 112 c. When the DC voltage DC is fed through the first feeding point and the second feeding point of the dipole antenna 111, assuming that the first feeding point is a signal end, the DC voltage DC is transmitted to the diode 112c (e.g. the anode of the diode 112c in fig. 2) through the first radiation portion 111a, the first rf choke unit 113 and the first section 112a of the reflection unit 112, and then returns to the signal source 111c connected to the second feeding point (through the cathode of the diode 112c in fig. 2) through the second section 112b of the reflection unit 112, the second rf choke unit 114 and the second radiation portion 111b to generate a loop. The DC voltage DC generates a cross voltage at the first rf choke unit 113, the second rf choke unit 114 and the diode 112c, and the magnitude of the DC voltage DC is determined appropriately, so that sufficient cross voltage (i.e. greater than the positive voltage of the diode 112 c) is generated at two ends of the diode 112c to enable the diode 112c to be conducted, so that the first segment 112a and the second segment 112b of the reflection unit 112 are conducted with each other. The DC voltage DC that can turn on the diode 112c is, for example, 3V, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The direct voltage DC may be provided, for example, by an operating voltage within the wireless communication device 1, but the invention is not so limited. In contrast, when the DC voltage DC is zero voltage or insufficient to make the diode 112c conduct, the first section 112a and the second section 112b of the reflection unit 112 are not conducted with each other.

In a preferred embodiment, when the diode 112c is controlled by the DC voltage DC to be turned on, the sum of the lengths of the first section 112a, the diode 112c and the second section 112b of the reflection unit 112 is at least one half of the wavelength corresponding to the operating frequency of the dipole antenna 111. However, the present invention does not limit the total length of the reflecting unit 112.

The first RF choke unit 113 and the second RF choke unit 114 allow the DC voltage DC to pass through, but do not allow the current generated by the RF signal RF to be transmitted from the first radiation portion 111a and the second radiation portion 111b of the dipole antenna 111 to the reflection unit 112 through the first RF choke unit 113 and the second RF choke unit 114. The first rf choke unit 113 and the second rf choke unit 114 may each include at least one rf choke component, such as an inductor, but the invention is not limited thereto. The number of inductors shown in fig. 2 is for illustration purposes only and is not intended to limit the present invention.

In addition, the smart antenna may further include a coaxial cable 4 (shown in fig. 3) electrically connected between the third terminal of the T-bias circuit 12 and the dipole antenna 111, so that the coaxial cable 4 may serve as a signal source 111a of the dipole antenna 111, and the T-bias circuit 12 may feed the RF signal RF and the DC voltage DC to the dipole antenna 111. The feeding mode of the coaxial cable 4 can be used for easily changing the arrangement position of the intelligent antenna 11, and the use flexibility of the intelligent antenna is increased.

Referring to fig. 2 and fig. 3, fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the smart antenna of fig. 2 implemented on a microwave substrate. In the embodiment of fig. 3, the first radiation portion 111a and the second radiation portion 111b of the dipole antenna 111, and the first end 112a and the second end 112b of the reflection unit 112 can be fabricated on the microwave substrate 20 by using etching technology, and the microwave substrate 20 is, for example, a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), but the invention is not limited thereto. The coaxial cable 4 has a feeding end and a grounding end, the feeding end is electrically connected to the feeding point f1 of the first radiation portion 111a, and the grounding end is electrically connected to the feeding point f2 of the second radiation portion 111 b. On the other hand, the coaxial cable 4 is also electrically connected to the T-bias 12 circuit, such that the feeding end of the coaxial cable 4 is electrically connected between the third end of the T-bias 12 and the first radiation portion 111a of the dipole antenna 111, and the ground end of the coaxial cable 4 is electrically connected between the second radiation portion 111b of the dipole antenna 111 and the system ground, which is the ground of the wireless communication device 1 (i.e. the ground of the system circuit board provided with the T-bias 12, the dc voltage supply unit 13 and the wireless module 14 of fig. 1).

The first rf choke unit 113, the second rf choke unit 114 and the diode 112c may be Surface Mount Devices (SMDs) and connected to the conductive contact terminals of the microwave substrate 20 by using a surface mount process, but the invention is not limited thereto. With continued reference to fig. 3, the first rf choke unit 113 includes a first rf choke component 1131 and a second rf choke component 1132 connected in series with each other. The first rf choke 1131 and the second rf choke 1132 may be directly connected by a wire 21, and the wire 21 may be fabricated on the microwave substrate 20 by etching technology. The first rf choke 1131 is directly connected to the first radiating portion 111a, and the second rf choke 1132 is directly connected to the first section 112a of the reflecting unit 112. In one embodiment, the first rf choke 1131 is preferably disposed near the edge of the first radiating portion 111a, and the second rf choke 1132 is preferably disposed near the edge of the first end 112a of the reflecting unit 112. The second rf choke unit 114 includes a third rf choke component 1141 and a fourth rf choke component 1142 connected in series. The third rf choke 1141 and the fourth rf choke 1142 can be directly connected by a wire 22, and the wire 22 can be formed on the microwave substrate 20 by etching. The third rf choke 1141 is directly connected to the second radiating portion 111b, and the fourth rf choke 1142 is directly connected to the second section 112b of the reflecting unit 112. In an embodiment, the third rf choke element 1141 is preferably disposed close to the edge of the second radiation portion 111b, and the fourth rf choke element 1142 is preferably disposed close to the edge of the second section 112b of the reflection unit 112, but the invention is not limited thereto.

Next, referring to fig. 2 and fig. 4, fig. 4 is a radiation field diagram of the smart antenna of fig. 2 when the diode of the reflection unit is in a non-conductive state. When the DC voltage DC is zero voltage, the diode 112c is non-conductive. The dipole 111 is a half-wavelength dipole having a radiation pattern in the X-Y plane that is approximately omnidirectional at frequencies ranging from 5150MHz, 5450MHz, and 5850 MHz. Referring to fig. 5, fig. 5 is a radiation field diagram of the smart antenna of fig. 2 when the diode of the reflection unit is in a conducting state. When the DC voltage DC is a positive voltage (e.g., +3V) and the voltage is large enough to turn on the diode 112c, the angle 0 degrees is + X direction and the angle 90 degrees is + Y direction in the angular representation of fig. 5, the radiation pattern on the X-Y plane is changed to be radiated toward the left (the negative Y direction is minus 90 degrees) as seen from fig. 5. In another embodiment, the reflection unit 112 of fig. 2 can be disposed on the left side of the dipole antenna 111 instead according to the above design concept, so that the radiation pattern switching effect is opposite.

Based on the design concept of the embodiment of fig. 2, the embodiment of adding two reflection units can be seen in fig. 6, and the antenna of fig. 6 has more reflection units 315, second diodes 315c and rf

choke units

316 and 317 on the left side than that of fig. 2. In detail, the smart antenna of fig. 6 includes a dipole antenna 311, a reflection unit 312, a reflection unit 315, a first diode 312c, a second diode 315c, and rf

choke units

313, 314, 316, 317. The reflection unit 312 and the reflection unit 315 are respectively disposed on the first side and the second side of the dipole antenna 311. As shown in fig. 6, the reflection unit 312 is disposed at the right side of the dipole antenna 311, and the reflection unit 315 is disposed at the left side of the dipole antenna 311, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The relationship between the first side where the reflection unit 312 is located and the second side where the reflection unit 315 is located may be set in a stereoscopic space, and the first side and the second side are not necessarily on the same plane.

The dipole antenna 311 has a first radiation portion 311a and a second radiation portion 311 b. An anode of the first diode 312c is connected to one end of the first section 312a of the reflection unit 312, and a cathode of the first diode 312c is connected to one end of the second section 312a of the reflection unit 312. The rf choke unit 313 is electrically connected between the first radiation portion 311a and the first section 312a of the reflection unit 312, and the rf choke unit 314 is electrically connected between the second radiation portion 311b and the second section 312b of the reflection unit 312. The reflection unit 315 has a third segment 315a and a fourth segment 315b, a cathode of the second diode 315c is connected to one end of the third segment 315a of the reflection unit 315, and an anode of the second diode 315c is connected to one end of the fourth segment 315b of the reflection unit 315. The rf choke unit 316 is electrically connected between the first radiating portion 311a and the third segment 315a of the reflection unit 315, and the rf choke unit 317 is electrically connected between the second radiating portion 311b and the fourth segment 315b of the reflection unit 315. In a preferred embodiment, the distance between the

reflection units

312 and 315 and the dipole antenna 311 is between one-eighth (0.125 λ) and one-quarter (0.25 λ) of the wavelength corresponding to the operating frequency of the dipole antenna 311, and the total length of the reflection units 312 and 315 (when the diodes thereof are turned on) is at least one-half of the wavelength corresponding to the operating frequency of the dipole antenna 311, but the invention is not limited thereto.

When the DC voltage DC is zero, the first diode 312c and the second diode 315c are not conductive, and the radiation pattern of the smart antenna of fig. 6 is approximately omnidirectional radiation in the X-Y plane, as shown in fig. 7. When the DC voltage DC is positive and the first diode 312c is turned on (at this time, the second diode 315c is not turned on), the radiation pattern in the X-Y plane is changed to radiation toward the left (negative Y direction), referring to fig. 8. When the DC voltage DC is a negative voltage and the second diode 315c is turned on (the first diode 312c is not turned on), the radiation pattern in the X-Y plane is changed to radiate to the right (positive Y direction), referring to fig. 9. According to the above design concept, in another embodiment, the first diode 312c of the reflection unit 312 and the second diode 315c of the reflection unit 315 of fig. 6 can be exchanged, so that the radiation pattern switching effect is opposite.

Furthermore, the shape of the dipole antenna used in the embodiment of the present invention is not limited, for example, the two radiation portions of the dipole antenna may be trapezoidal, as shown in fig. 10, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The two radiating portions of the dipole antenna may also each have at least one bend, or have other shapes.

Referring to fig. 1 again, when the smart antenna according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied to a wireless communication device, the dc voltage supply unit 13 is used to control the radiation pattern switching of the smart antenna 11, the conduction of the diode of each reflection unit is determined by one dc voltage, and when two reflection units (as in the design of fig. 6) are used, two dc voltages may be required to determine the respective conduction of the two diodes. Referring to fig. 11, fig. 11 is a circuit diagram of the decoder 132 of the dc voltage supply unit 13 of fig. 1, and the decoder 132 of fig. 11 can be applied to the design of the smart antenna having two reflection units of fig. 6, for example, but the invention is not limited thereto. The decoder 13 of fig. 1 includes two single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switches S1, S2, and the control unit 131 of fig. 1 generates control signals, such as parallel (i.e., parallel) signals Bit1-1, Bit1-2 to control the single-pole double-throw switches S1, S2, respectively. The SPDT S1 receives two non-zero DC voltages, a positive voltage + Vdd and a negative voltage-Vdd, and the SPDT S1 is controlled by the parallel signal Bit1-1 to determine whether to output the positive voltage + Vdd or the negative voltage-Vdd to the SPDT S2. The SPDT S2 receives a DC voltage (+ Vdd or-Vdd) from the SPDT S1 and a zero voltage (ground, 0V), and the SPDT S2 determines whether to output the zero voltage or the DC voltage (+ Vdd or-Vdd) from the SPDT S1 to the T-type bias circuit 12 by controlling the parallel signal Bit 1-2.

Further, the embodiment of the wireless communication device in fig. 1 using one smart antenna can be extended to the embodiment using multiple (two or more) smart antennas, and referring to fig. 12, multiple direct current voltages (DC1 and DC2 … DCn) are provided to control the radiation pattern switching of the multiple

smart antennas

551 and 552 … n, so as to adjust the overall radiation pattern of the whole smart antenna system. As shown in fig. 12, based on the design concept of fig. 1, the dc voltage supply unit is implemented with a control unit 51, a serial-to-parallel converter 52, and a plurality of

decoders

531, 532 … 53 n. The control unit 51 is electrically connected to the serial-to-parallel converter 52, and transmits a serial control signal (including data and clock) to the serial-to-parallel converter 52. The serial-to-parallel converter 52 is electrically connected to the

decoders

531, 532 … n, and converts the serial control signal into a parallel control signal to control the

decoders

531, 532 … n, respectively. The

decoders

531, 532 … 53n are electrically connected to the T-

bias circuits

541, 542 … 54n, respectively, to output corresponding DC voltages DC1, DC2 … DCn. The T-bias circuit 541 transmits the RF signal RF1 and the DC voltage DC1 to the smart antenna 551. The T-bias circuit 542 delivers the RF signal RF2 and DC voltage DC2 to the smart antenna 552. By analogy, the T-bias circuit 54n transmits the rf signal RFn and the dc voltage DCn to the smart antenna 55 n. The radiation pattern of each of the

smart antennas

551, 552 … 55n can be controlled by the corresponding DC voltage DC1, DC2 … DCn, thereby facilitating the control of the overall radiation pattern.

In summary, the smart antenna and the wireless communication device having the smart antenna provided in the embodiments of the present invention can use the T-shaped bias circuit to combine the dc voltage and the rf signal, and use the voltage-controlled diode to adjust the electrical length of the reflective unit to form a reflector, so as to implement the smart antenna. The intelligent antenna design of the embodiment of the invention can control the radiation direction of the antenna, is easy to implement, and has low cost and small volume. The effect of the wireless communication device product applying the intelligent antenna of the embodiment of the invention is more than the configuration of the antenna in different radiation directions compared with the known product, and the gain can be enhanced by more than 2 dB. Moreover, the switching component (diode) is integrated with the antenna, and the feeder of the coaxial cable is used in cooperation, so that the intelligent antenna can be easily arranged at any required (or possible) position of the wireless communication device, and the flexibility of product design and use is improved.

The above description is only an example of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A smart antenna, comprising:

a dipole antenna, which has a first radiation part and a second radiation part, wherein the first radiation part is used for simultaneously feeding a radio frequency signal and a direct current voltage;

a first reflection unit having a first section and a second section disposed in parallel on a first side of the dipole antenna;

the first diode is electrically connected between the first section and the second section, and the direct current voltage is used for controlling the conducting state of the first diode;

a first RF choke unit electrically connected between the first radiation portion and the first section of the first reflection unit;

a second RF choke unit electrically connected between the second radiation portion and the second section of the first reflection unit; and

a coaxial cable having a feed end and a grounding end, the feed end being electrically connected to the first radiating portion, the grounding end being electrically connected to the second radiating portion, wherein the coaxial cable simultaneously feeds the radio frequency signal and the dc voltage to the first radiating portion of the dipole antenna.

2. The smart antenna as recited in claim 1, further comprising a second reflective element and a second diode, wherein the first reflective element is disposed in parallel on the first side of the dipole antenna, an anode of the first diode is electrically connected to one end of the first segment of the first reflective element, a cathode of the first diode is electrically connected to one end of the second segment of the first reflective element, the second reflective element is disposed in parallel on a second side of the dipole antenna, the second reflective element has a third segment and a fourth segment, a cathode of the second diode is electrically connected to one end of the third segment of the second reflective element, and an anode of the second diode is electrically connected to one end of the fourth segment of the second reflective element.

3. A smart antenna according to claim 1, wherein the first rf choke unit includes a first rf choke element and a second rf choke element connected in series with each other, the first rf choke element being directly connected to the first radiating portion, the second rf choke element being directly connected to the first section of the first reflecting unit; the second RF choke unit includes a third RF choke element and a fourth RF choke element connected in series, the third RF choke element is directly connected to the second radiation portion, and the fourth RF choke element is directly connected to the second section of the first reflection unit.

4. The smart antenna as recited in claim 1, wherein when the first diode is turned on by the dc voltage, a sum of lengths of the first segment, the first diode and the second segment of the first reflective element is at least one-half of a wavelength corresponding to an operating frequency of the dipole antenna.

5. The smart antenna of claim 1, wherein the first reflective element is spaced apart from the dipole antenna by a distance between one-eighth and one-quarter of a wavelength corresponding to an operating frequency of the dipole antenna.

6. A wireless communication apparatus, comprising:

the T-shaped bias circuit is provided with a first end, a second end and a third end, wherein the first end of the T-shaped bias circuit receives a radio frequency signal, and the second end of the T-shaped bias circuit receives a direct current voltage;

a DC voltage supply unit electrically connected to the second terminal of the T-shaped bias circuit for generating the DC voltage;

a coaxial cable having a feeding end and a grounding end, the feeding end being electrically connected between the third end of the T-type bias circuit and the first radiating portion of the dipole antenna, the grounding end being electrically connected between the second radiating portion of the dipole antenna and a system ground, wherein the coaxial cable simultaneously feeds the radio frequency signal and the dc voltage to the first radiating portion of the dipole antenna;

a first RF choke unit electrically connected between the first radiation portion and the first section of the first reflection unit; and

a second RF choke unit electrically connected between the second radiation portion and the second section of the first reflection unit.

7. The wireless communication device as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a second reflecting unit, wherein the first reflecting unit is disposed in parallel on the first side of the dipole antenna, an anode of the first diode is electrically connected to one end of the first segment of the first reflecting unit, a cathode of the first diode is electrically connected to one end of the second segment of the first reflecting unit, wherein the second reflecting unit is disposed in parallel on a second side of the dipole antenna, the second reflecting unit has a third segment and a fourth segment, a cathode of the second diode is electrically connected to one end of the third segment of the second reflecting unit, and an anode of the second diode is electrically connected to one end of the fourth segment of the second reflecting unit.

8. The wireless communication device according to claim 6, wherein the first RF choke unit comprises a first RF choke element and a second RF choke element connected in series with each other, the first RF choke element being directly connected to the first radiating portion, the second RF choke element being directly connected to the first section of the first reflecting unit; the second RF choke unit includes a third RF choke element and a fourth RF choke element connected in series, the third RF choke element is directly connected to the second radiation portion, and the fourth RF choke element is directly connected to the second section of the first reflection unit.

9. The wireless communication device as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the first diode is turned on by the DC voltage, the sum of the lengths of the first section, the first diode and the second section of the first reflection unit is at least one half of the wavelength corresponding to the operating frequency of the dipole antenna.

10. The wireless communication device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first reflective element is spaced apart from the dipole antenna by a distance between one-eighth and one-quarter of a wavelength corresponding to an operating frequency of the dipole antenna.