CN115693113A

CN115693113A - Antenna array and communication device

Info

Publication number: CN115693113A
Application number: CN202110872540.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张晶; 王天祥; 唐明春
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-07-30
Filing date: 2021-07-30
Publication date: 2023-02-03
Also published as: WO2023005752A1

Abstract

The embodiment of the application discloses an antenna array and a communication device, which are used for improving the aperture efficiency of an antenna. The embodiment of the application comprises the following steps: the switches loaded among the plurality of radiation units with independent feed sources are controlled to be switched on and off to form an antenna array, one switching mode of one switch forms one combination of the radiation units in the antenna array, different switching modes of the plurality of switches correspond to different combinations of the radiation units, and each combination of the radiation units realizes one working frequency band.

Description

Antenna array and communication device

Technical Field

The embodiment of the application relates to the field of antennas, in particular to an antenna array and a communication device.

Background

With the development of high capacity, multiple channels and high throughput of mobile communication, the integration level of the antenna is continuously improved, and the arrangement of oscillators on the antenna array surface is increasingly crowded; especially, in the case of multi-band coexistence, the antenna unit arrangement of different bands faces two significant challenges.

Generally, in the same antenna system, different frequency band operation is realized by elements with different sizes. The low frequency band adopts a large-size oscillator, the high frequency band adopts a small-size oscillator, and the switching of the working frequency band is realized by adopting the on-off relation of one feed source and a plurality of oscillators.

However, when the antenna system works at a high frequency, the feed source is only required to be connected with a small part of the metal radiation patches, and other metal radiation patches stop working, so that the problem of low aperture area utilization rate cannot be solved, and resource waste is caused.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the application provides an antenna array and a communication device, which are used for improving the aperture efficiency of an antenna.

A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides an antenna array, including: the device comprises a plurality of radiation units and a plurality of switches, wherein each radiation unit is provided with an independent feed source which is used for providing excitation for the radiation units; the plurality of radiating units are connected through the plurality of switches, different on-off modes of the plurality of switches correspond to different combinations of the radiating units, and different combinations of the radiating units correspond to different working frequency bands.

In the first aspect, switches loaded among a plurality of radiation units each having an independent feed source are controlled to be turned on and off to form an antenna array, one switching mode of one switch forms one combination of the radiation units in the antenna array, different switching modes of the plurality of switches correspond to different combinations of the radiation units, each combination of the radiation units realizes a working frequency band, each radiation unit has an independent feed source, that is, each radiation unit in the combination of the radiation units participates in radiation, so that the gain of the working frequency band can be improved, and the aperture efficiency of the antenna can also be improved.

In one possible embodiment, the antenna array comprises a plurality of sub-arrays; when the working frequency bands of the sub-arrays are the same, the working frequency band of the antenna array is a single frequency band; when the working frequency ranges of the sub-arrays are different, the working frequency range of the antenna array is a wide frequency band.

In the possible implementation manner, the plurality of sub-arrays of the antenna array work in the same working frequency band through the on-off mode of the switch, so that the antenna can work in an enhanced single frequency band, the energy enhancement of a specific frequency band can be realized without other structures, signals of other frequency bands are inhibited, and the complexity of the antenna is reduced; the plurality of sub-arrays of the antenna array work in different working frequency bands in an on-off mode of the switch, the ultra-wide frequency bands of the plurality of working frequency bands can be covered by one antenna array, and compared with a system formed by overlapping a plurality of oscillators or a system formed by reconfigurable units, the size of the antenna is greatly reduced on one hand.

In one possible implementation, different feeding amplitudes of the multiple independent feeds in the antenna array correspond to different operating frequency bands of the antenna array.

In the possible implementation manner, the combinations of the radiation elements in different numbers and positions in the antenna array form different radiation apertures after the feed amplitude is adjusted, and due to the difference in electrical length, the working frequencies of the whole antenna are different, so that frequency reconfiguration is realized.

In one possible embodiment, the different phases of the multiple independent feeds in the antenna array correspond to different beam directions of the antenna array.

In the possible implementation manner, the radiation units are respectively given different phases, so that a certain phase difference exists between the radiation units, thereby realizing different beam directions when the directional diagrams of the whole antenna array are synthesized, and improving the scene use adaptability.

In one possible embodiment, different locations of the independent feeds in the antenna array that provide the excitation correspond to different polarizations of the antenna array.

In the above possible implementation, for the radiation elements connected together in the antenna array, different feeding positions of the antenna array, that is, different current distributions, may be caused according to different positions of excited radiation elements, so as to implement polarization reconfiguration.

In a possible implementation manner, the switches in the antenna array are in an off state, and the operating frequency band of the antenna array is adjusted by the relative position of the independent feed source and the radiation unit.

In the possible implementation manner, different working frequencies are caused by different positions of different radiation units in the whole antenna array, and the relative positions of the independent feed sources in the radiation units and the radiation units can be adjusted, that is, the working frequency range of the antenna array can be correspondingly adjusted, so that the feasibility of frequency reconstruction is improved.

In a possible implementation, the operating frequency band of the antenna array is adjusted by the relative positions of the independent feed sources and the radiation units, and the amplitude and phase selection in the antenna array.

In the possible implementation manner, the relative position of the independent feed source in the radiation unit and the radiation unit is adjusted, the working frequency band of the antenna array can be correspondingly adjusted, different working modes are realized, and then the unit feed amplitude of each independent feed source can be configured to excite different working modes, so that the antenna can work in different frequency bands.

In one possible embodiment, the shape of the radiating element comprises: one or more of a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, a trench, and an irregular pattern.

A second aspect of embodiments of the present application provides a communication device, which includes the antenna array of any one of the foregoing first aspect and first aspect.

The technical effects brought by the communication device of the second aspect can be referred to the technical effects brought by the first aspect, and are not described herein again.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram of a wireless coverage architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an antenna array structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a simulation result of a single radiation unit provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 4 is an 8 × 8 array working architecture provided in the embodiment of the present application;

fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of an 8 × 8 array in which PIN tubes provided in the embodiment of the present application are all connected;

fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating simulation of complete conduction of the PIN tube according to the embodiment of the present application;

fig. 7 is a schematic view of an equivalent 2x 2 array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 8 is a schematic simulation diagram of an equivalent 2x 2 array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 9 is a schematic diagram comparing E-plane, H-plane, and three-dimensional patterns and reflection coefficients | S11| of 4 × 4 sub-arrays and equivalent 2 × 2 arrays provided in the embodiments of the present application;

fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of an equivalent 4 x 4 array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of an equivalent 4 x 4 array simulation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 12 is a schematic beam direction diagram of a 2x 2 array and an equivalent 4 x 4 array provided in the embodiment of the present application;

fig. 13 is a schematic diagram of an 8 x 8 array of PIN tubes with complete cutoff provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 14 is a schematic diagram of an 8 × 8 array simulation of complete cutoff of a PIN tube according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 15 is a schematic diagram of an enhanced single-band antenna array according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 16 is a schematic diagram of an ultra-wideband antenna array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 17 is a schematic diagram of the connection of the number and positions of different radiation units provided in the embodiment of the present application;

fig. 18 is a schematic diagram of a frequency reconfiguration provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating a reconfigurable directional diagram according to an embodiment of the application;

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of polarization reconfiguration provided by an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 21 is a schematic diagram of an antenna array based on symmetric arrangement of array centers according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 22 is a graph illustrating the relationship between the frequency and the reflection coefficient for different operation modes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 23 is a schematic diagram illustrating simulation of an antenna array based on symmetric arrangement of array centers according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 24 is a schematic view of a pattern of a radiation unit provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 25 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and it is to be understood that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments of the present application. As can be known to those skilled in the art, with the development of technology and the emergence of new scenes, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

The terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and in the claims of the present application and in the above-described drawings are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It will be appreciated that the data so used may be interchanged under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprises," "comprising," and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of steps or elements is not necessarily limited to those steps or elements expressly listed, but may include other steps or elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

The word "exemplary" is used exclusively herein to mean "serving as an example, embodiment, or illustration. Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

The tables in the present application can be split and merged, but are not limited thereto, and only one example is given here.

Furthermore, in the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a better understanding of the present application. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present application may be practiced without some of these specific details. In some instances, methods, means, elements and circuits that are well known to those skilled in the art have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present application.

The following explains key terms used in the embodiments of the present application.

Spatial multiplexing is to use multiple antennas at the receiving end and the transmitting end, to make full use of multipath components in spatial propagation, and to use multiple data channels (MIMO subchannels) to transmit signals on the same frequency band, so that the capacity increases linearly with the increase of the number of antennas. This increase in channel capacity does not require additional bandwidth to be occupied nor additional transmit power to be consumed, and is therefore a very effective means of increasing system and channel capacity.

Space diversity, the basic principle is that multiple copies carrying the same information are received over multiple channels (time, frequency, or space), and because the transmission characteristics of the multiple channels are different, the fading of the multiple copies of the signal will not be the same. The receiver can correctly recover the original transmitted signal by using the information contained in the multiple copies.

Large-scale Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) wireless spectrum resources become more and more scarce along with development of wireless communication and increase of wireless devices, and improving spectrum utilization and energy efficiency on limited frequency resources gradually becomes a trend of development of wireless communication. The MIMO technology transmits wireless data streams through a plurality of spatial channels brought by multi-antenna configuration, so that the space becomes a resource capable of improving performance, and the data transmission rate of a system can be increased in multiples under limited bandwidth; the multi-antenna is utilized to realize the functions of space division multiplexing, beam forming, space diversity and the like, the capacity of a channel can be improved, the reliability of the channel is increased, and the performance of a wireless communication system is improved. The geometrical size and the wavelength of the MIMO antenna element structure are in the same order of magnitude, and the size, the weight and the power consumption of an MIMO antenna system are greatly limited due to the practical requirements of a base station and a terminal framework of mobile communication. The 5G-oriented spectrum selection is likely to adopt the millimeter wave technology, so that the size of the sub-antenna is limited in the millimeter range, and a large-scale MIMO antenna system provides a technical support foundation for a 5G system in terms of geometric dimension, transmission power and the like. The large-scale MIMO increases the number of antennas to dozens or even hundreds, can provide larger diversity gain and multiplexing gain, and obviously improves the channel capacity and the spectral efficiency. Theoretical studies and preliminary performance evaluation show that under the condition that the number of base station antennas is close to infinity, the channel vectors are gradually close to orthogonality, the transmitting power of the terminal becomes very small, and noise and irrelevant intercell interference tend to disappear. In further research at home and abroad, the large-scale MIMO has the potential of becoming a 5G core technology.

The reconfigurable antenna still has the basic structure of the traditional antenna, and can change the structure of an antenna radiator by loading radio frequency electronic devices or using a mechanical method and the like, thereby greatly expanding the resonance characteristic and the radiation characteristic of the antenna. The reconfigurable antenna not only can meet the requirements of the current wireless communication system on channels and speed, but also can reduce the number and cost of the antennas to a great extent, thereby having very important value in practical application. The reconfigurable antenna not only solves the difficult problems faced by multiple antennas, but also solves the restriction of the traditional antenna on the performance of the whole communication equipment. Therefore, the reconfigurable antenna is a leading issue in the field of antennas at present, and is also a direction of antenna development in the future. Generally, reconfigurable antennas are mainly classified into three major categories, i.e., frequency reconfigurable antennas, polarization reconfigurable antennas, and pattern reconfigurable antennas.

Frequency reconfiguration has attracted increasing attention as an important member of reconfigurable antennas, especially today with ever increasing demand for portable wireless devices. The frequency reconfigurable antenna can be flexibly and adjustably operated according to requirements under the condition that the radiation characteristic of the antenna is basically kept unchanged. According to the published papers and related research reports on frequency reconfigurable antennas, the method for implementing frequency reconfiguration mainly includes loading radio frequency switch devices (diodes, PIN tubes, etc.) or micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) switches, and switching between on and off states, so as to change the structure of the antenna and implement the movement of the resonant frequency. Theta denotes the pitch angle.

Referring to fig. 1, as shown in a radio coverage architecture diagram provided in an embodiment of the present application, a base station has a main function of providing radio coverage, where the base station may also be referred to as a network device, and implements radio signal transmission between a wired communication network and a wireless terminal. As shown in fig. 1, the flow of forward signal transmission is basically as follows: 1. control signaling, voice calls or data traffic information on the core network side is sent to the base stations via the transport network (in 2G, 3G networks, signals are first transmitted to the base station controller and then to the base stations). 2. The signal is processed by baseband and radio frequency at the base station side, and then is sent to the antenna through the radio frequency feeder for transmission. 3. The terminal receives radio waves transmitted by the antenna through a wireless channel and then demodulates signals belonging to the terminal. The reverse signaling flow is in the opposite direction to the forward flow, but the principle is similar. Each base station may contain one or more sectors depending on the antenna situation connected. The coverage area of a base station sector may reach several hundred to several tens of kilometers. However, in areas with dense users, the coverage area is usually controlled to avoid interference to neighboring base stations. The number of the network devices may be one or more, the number of the terminal devices may be one or more, and the types and the numbers of the network devices and the terminal devices are not limited in this embodiment.

The antenna array and the corresponding communication device thereof provided by the embodiment of the application can be applied to various communication systems, such as a satellite communication system, an internet of things (IoT), a narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) system, a global system for mobile communications (GSM) system, an enhanced data rate for GSM evolution (EDGE) system, a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, a code division multiple access (CDMA 2000) system, a time division-synchronous code division multiple access (TD-sync-division multiple access, TD-SCDMA), long Term Evolution (LTE), fifth generation (5G) communication systems, such as 5G New Radio (NR), and enhanced mobile bandwidth for three major application scenarios (eMBB) of 5G mobile communication systems, ultra-reliable low latency communication (urlcl) and mass machine type communication (mtc), device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication systems, car networking communication systems, or other or future communication systems, which are not specifically limited in this embodiment.

The terminal device includes a device for providing voice and/or data connectivity to a user, and specifically includes a device for providing voice to a user, or includes a device for providing data connectivity to a user, or includes a device for providing voice and data connectivity to a user. For example, may include a handheld device having wireless connection capability, or a processing device connected to a wireless modem. The terminal device may communicate with a core network via a Radio Access Network (RAN), exchange voice or data with the RAN, or interact with the RAN. The terminal device may include a User Equipment (UE), a wireless terminal device, a mobile terminal device, a device-to-device communication (D2D) terminal device, a vehicle-to-all (V2X) terminal device, a machine-to-machine/machine-type communication (M2M/MTC) terminal device, an internet of things (IoT) terminal device, a light terminal device (light UE), a subscriber unit (subscriber unit), a subscriber station (subscriber station), a mobile station (mobile station), a remote station (remote station), an access point (access point, AP), a remote terminal (remote), an access terminal (access terminal), a user terminal (user agent), a user agent (user), or user equipment. For example, mobile telephones (otherwise known as "cellular" telephones), computers with mobile terminal equipment, portable, pocket, hand-held, computer-included mobile devices, and the like may be included. For example, personal Communication Service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and the like. Also included are constrained devices, such as devices that consume less power, or devices that have limited storage capabilities, or devices that have limited computing capabilities, etc. Examples of information sensing devices include bar codes, radio Frequency Identification (RFID), sensors, global Positioning Systems (GPS), laser scanners, and the like.

By way of example and not limitation, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device may also be a wearable device. Wearable equipment can also be called wearable smart device or intelligent wearable equipment etc. is the general term of using wearable technique to carry out intelligent design, develop the equipment that can dress to daily wearing, like glasses, gloves, wrist-watch, dress and shoes etc.. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the clothing or accessories of the user. The wearable device is not only a hardware device, but also realizes powerful functions through software support, data interaction and cloud interaction. The generalized wearable smart device includes full functionality, large size, and can implement full or partial functionality without relying on a smart phone, such as: smart watches or smart glasses and the like, and only focus on a certain type of application functions, and need to be used in cooperation with other devices such as smart phones, such as various smart bracelets, smart helmets, smart jewelry and the like for monitoring physical signs.

The various terminal devices described above, if located on a vehicle (e.g. placed in or mounted in a vehicle), may be considered to be vehicle-mounted terminal devices, also referred to as on-board units (OBUs), for example.

In this embodiment, the terminal device may further include a relay (relay). Or, it is understood that any device capable of data communication with a base station may be considered a terminal device.

In the embodiment of the present application, the apparatus for implementing the function of the terminal device may be the terminal device, or may be an apparatus capable of supporting the terminal device to implement the function, for example, a chip system, and the apparatus may be installed in the terminal device. In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system may be composed of a chip, and may also include a chip and other discrete devices. In the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application, a device for implementing a function of a terminal is taken as an example of a terminal device, and the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application is described.

Network devices, including, for example, access Network (AN) devices, such as base stations (e.g., access points), may refer to devices in AN access network that communicate with wireless terminal devices over one or more cells over AN air interface, or, for example, a network device in vehicle-to-all (V2X) technology is a Road Side Unit (RSU). The base station may be configured to interconvert received air frames and IP packets as a router between the terminal device and the rest of the access network, which may include an IP network. The RSU may be a fixed infrastructure entity supporting V2X applications and may exchange messages with other entities supporting V2X applications. The network device may also coordinate attribute management for the air interface. For example, the network device may include an evolved Node B (NodeB or eNB or e-NodeB) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system or an advanced long term evolution (LTE-a) system, or may also include a next generation Node B (gNB) in a fifth generation mobile communication technology (the 5 g) NR system (also referred to as NR system) or may also include a Centralized Unit (CU) and a Distributed Unit (DU) in a Cloud access network (Cloud RAN) system, or may be a device carrying a function of the network device in a future communication system, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited.

The network device may also include a core network device. The core network device includes, for example, an access and mobility management function (AMF) or a User Plane Function (UPF).

The network Device may also be a Device to Device (D2D) communication, machine to Machine (M2M) communication, a vehicle networking, or an apparatus carrying network Device functions in a satellite communication system.

It should be noted that, the above only lists some ways of communication between network elements, and other network elements may also communicate through some connection ways, which is not described herein again in this embodiment of the present application.

The system architecture and the service scenario described in the embodiment of the present application are for more clearly explaining the technical solution in the embodiment of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application. As can be known to those skilled in the art, with the evolution of network architecture and the appearance of new service scenarios, the technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present application is also applicable to similar technical problems.

At present, 5G construction of outdoor macro base stations is still in fire and heat, but the requirements of indoor coverage and outdoor deep coverage both provide two requirements of blind compensation and heat absorption for small base stations, and no matter indoor small stations or outdoor macro stations, development in the future faces the challenge of miniaturization, so that the size, weight and power consumption of antenna equipment are required to be extremely simple and extremely small. Meanwhile, it is also an important measure for miniaturizing the base station to meet the working requirements of more frequency bands by using a small amount of base stations, so that a reconfigurable base station with multiple frequencies and multiple systems coexisting is a great trend for the development of the base station in the future.

Currently, pixel Antenna (Pixel Antenna): the reconfigurable (frequency, polarization and directional diagram) of a single antenna can be realized by switching and selecting different paths through the switch of the pixel layer (metal radiation patch), the pixel antenna comprises a plurality of metal radiation patches, a plurality of switches and a feed source, when the pixel antenna works at high frequency, the feed source is only required to be connected with a small part of metal radiation patches, other metal radiation patches stop working, the problem of low aperture area utilization rate cannot be solved, and the resource waste is caused.

To solve the above problem, embodiments of the present application provide an antenna array, which is as follows.

The antenna array of the embodiment of the application can be applied to an outdoor macro station and an indoor small station. Due to the increasing frequency bands of wireless communication, more and more frequency bands need to be integrated into one system, and the antenna therein as a conversion device of electromagnetic waves and guided waves is one of the indispensable key components in the wireless communication system. This in turn requires that the antenna be able to cover more and more frequency bands. Miniaturization is a challenge that must be faced for future developments for base station antennas. No matter an outdoor macro station or an indoor small station, the antenna is required to be miniaturized, light in weight and low in power consumption, so that the antenna is not only energy-saving, but also is more beneficial to later maintenance and can be developed more continuously.

Referring to fig. 2, as shown in fig. 2, a schematic structural diagram of an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present application is shown, where the antenna array includes a plurality of radiation units and a plurality of switches, each radiation unit is provided with an independent feed source, and the independent feed source is used to provide excitation for the radiation unit; the plurality of radiating units are connected through the plurality of switches, different on-off modes of the plurality of switches correspond to different combinations of the radiating units, and different combinations of the radiating units correspond to different working frequency bands.

Specifically, the switch can be a PIN tube or an MEMS switch, and the PIN tube is taken as an example in the embodiment of the present application, the radiation unit is a metal patch, and has an independent feed source, and the substrate bearing the radiation unit can adopt Rogers RO4003, and has a thickness of 0.8mm, a dielectric constant of 3.55, and a size of the radiation unit is 4.4mm. The simulation result of the single radiating element is shown in fig. 3, the fundamental resonance point f0=15.15GHz of the antenna, and the directional pattern is broadside (forward radiation). The radiation unit works at high frequency of 15.15GHz, the physical size of the radiation unit is small, and array miniaturization is facilitated during array formation.

As shown in fig. 2, the radiation units are grouped into an 8 × 8 array (8 × 8 array is an exemplary array), the radiation units are connected through PIN tubes, and each radiation unit has a separate feed source. The working mode of the array is as follows: 1) The switch is turned on. The patch unit is electrically connected and is equivalent to a large-size patch unit, the electrical size of the radiation unit is similar to the low-frequency wavelength, and the radiation unit can work in a low-frequency band. 2) The switch is turned off. The units are not connected, the electric size of the radiation unit is small, and the radiation unit can work in a high-frequency band. 3) The corresponding amplitude and phase are selected for the feed source of each unit, and reconfigurable functions such as frequency, polarization, directional diagrams and the like can be realized. The combination of the radiation units may be a combination divided into 16 arrays by 2 in 8 arrays by 8, or a combination divided into 4 arrays by 4 in 8 arrays by 8, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

The 8 x 8 array architecture is shown in fig. 4, with PIN-tube on-off control circuitry routed underneath the front. The on-off of the PIN tube is controlled by a control unit/device such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) through the change of the magnitude of direct current bias voltage, a radio frequency choke coil is used for protecting a circuit from being burnt out, and an LED indicator light is used for observing whether the circuit is conducted. As shown in Table 1, when the direct current bias voltage is 1.33-1.45V, the PIN tube is in a conducting state; the PIN tube is cut off when the direct current bias voltage is less than 1.33V.

TABLE 1

PIN pipe	Conduction (open)	Cut-off (off)
			Voltage (V)	1.33-1.45	0

For different combinations of radiation units, the corresponding antenna array working frequency bands are different.

For the target frequency band of 1.8GHz, all PIN tubes between all the radiating elements are conducted as shown in fig. 5, that is, the entire 8 × 8 antenna array is regarded as one radiating element, the independent feed source of one of the radiating elements is excited, and the simulation result is shown in fig. 6. When the PIN tubes are all on, the 8-by-8 array operates at f1=1.72GHz, and the pattern is broadside, i.e. forward radiation. Thus, an 8 x 8 array of individual radiating elements operating at 15.15GHz may operate at 1.72GHz.

For the target frequency band 3.3-3.8GHz, the PIN tuning schematic diagram is shown in FIG. 7, the PIN tubes in the 4 th column and the 4 th row are placed in an off state, the rest PIN tubes are conducted, that is, the whole 8X 8 antenna array is regarded as a simplified equivalent 2X 2 antenna array, the broken circle of FIG. 7 shows, the PIN tubes in the sub-arrays are all conducted, the independent feed source of one radiation unit in each 4X 4 sub-array is excited, the sweep setting (setup 1: sweep) selects dB (3, 3), dB (7, 7), dB (17, 17) and dB (21, 21) for the reflection coefficient | S11|, and the simulation result is shown in FIG. 8. The entire 8 x 8 array operates at 3-3.4GHz with the pattern being broadside, i.e. forward radiation. That is, a single radiating element working at 15.15GHz can realize the operation in the frequency band of 3-3.4GHz by controlling the connection and disconnection of PIN pipes among the radiating elements.

In this PIN-on/off case, the performance of the simplified equivalent 2x 2 array and radiating element were compared to investigate the effect of coupling between the 4 x 4 subarrays on the antenna performance. Comparing the three-dimensional patterns of the 4 x 4 sub-array and the equivalent 2x 2 array and the reflection coefficient | S11| in fig. 9, it was found that the resonant frequencies of the 4 x 4 sub-array and the equivalent 2x 2 array are consistent and good forward radiation can be maintained. Since the 4 × 4 sub-array is a patch antenna, it can only resonate in a specific mode (fundamental mode TM 01), and even if the array element spacing is narrow in the array, the resonant operating frequency of the array is not affected.

For the target frequency band 6.4-7.1GHz, the PIN tuning schematic diagram is shown in fig. 10, the PIN tubes in the 2 nd, 4 th and 6 th columns and the 2 nd, 4 th and 6 th rows are set to be in a cut-off state, the rest PIN tubes are conducted, the whole 8 x 8 array is divided into 16 2x 2 sub-arrays which can be regarded as a simplified equivalent 4 x 4 array as shown by a dotted circle in fig. 10, an independent feed source in the 2x 2 sub-arrays is excited, the simulation result is shown in fig. 11, the antenna works at 6.1-6.9GHz, and the directional diagram can keep good forward radiation. Therefore, the single radiating unit working at 15.15GHz can realize the working frequency band at 6.1-6.9GHz through the array and PIN tube tuning.

Similarly, the antenna performance in this PIN-tube on-off configuration was compared to the radiating element, as shown in fig. 12. The 2x 2 sub-array was found to be identical to the equivalent 4 x 4 array in operating frequency and the pattern was maintained to radiate forward. It is further verified that the antenna array can only resonate in a specific mode, and even under the condition that the spacing between the array elements is narrow, the coupling between the 2x 2 sub-arrays does not influence the working frequency of the array resonance.

For the target frequency band of 10-10.5ghz, the PIN tuning diagram is shown in fig. 13, and the PIN tubes between all the radiating elements are completely cut off, that is, the entire 8 × 8 antenna array can be regarded as a super-surface antenna. And exciting each independent feed source, and simulating to obtain a result shown in fig. 14, wherein when the PIN tubes in the 8 × 8 array are all cut off, the antenna operates at f4=9-13GHz, and the directional diagram tends to radiate in the forward direction. The antenna unit working at 15.15GHz is formed into an 8-8 array, and when PIN tubes among the units are completely cut off, the antenna unit can work at 10-10.5GHz.

In the embodiment of the present application, each combination of radiation units may also include small arrays with different specifications at the same time, which is not limited in the present application.

Through on-off control of the PIN loaded between the radiation units with the independent feed sources, the antenna can work in different frequency bands under different combinations, and therefore the effect that the working frequency bands can be flexibly configured is achieved. And in combination, the radiation pattern can maintain forward radiation regardless of whether the entire 8 x 8 array is equivalently divided into a 2x 2 array or a 4 x 4 array, the resonant frequency of the radiating elements and the resonant frequency of the array are the same. Even under the condition of narrow array element spacing, the antenna array can only resonate in a specific mode, and the coupling among the radiation units does not influence the working frequency of array resonance. And all the radiation units are used, so that the problem that the utilization rate of a high-frequency working aperture is extremely low due to large low-frequency size of a reconfigurable antenna array formed by reconfigurable antenna units in the prior art is solved, multi-scene application is realized, the aperture efficiency of the antenna is obviously improved, and no resource waste exists during high-frequency working.

The antenna array of the embodiment of the present application may also be an n × n large array formed by using 8 × 8 arrays as sub-arrays. Taking a2 × 2 large array as an example, when the working frequency bands of the sub-arrays are the same, the working frequency band of the antenna array is a single frequency band, the single frequency band is an enhanced single frequency band, as shown in fig. 15, the on-off conditions of the PIN tubes in the 8 × 8 sub-array are consistent within the 3.3-3.8GHz band, that is, the PIN tubes in the fourth row and the fourth row are set to be in a cut-off state, the rest PIN tubes are conducted, and the whole 8 × 8 sub-array is regarded as a simplified equivalent 2 × 2 antenna array as shown by a dashed circle in the figure. As shown in fig. 15, in the 2 × 2 large array, each 8 × 8 sub-array operates in the 3.3-3.8GHz band, and in this case, the 2 × 2 large array also operates in the 3.3-3.8GHz band, and the energy of four elements operating in the same frequency band is superposed, and the gain of the antenna in this frequency band is much higher than that of a single antenna operating in this frequency band. Thus, the cells operating in a single frequency band are organized into an array, the gain of that band is enhanced, and signals in other bands are suppressed.

Furthermore, when the working frequency bands of the subarrays are different, the working frequency band of the antenna array is a wide frequency band which is an ultra-wide frequency band, the on-off of the PIN tubes between the 8 × 8 subarray units in the 2 × 2 macroarray is controlled, and the 8 × 8 subarrays can work in different frequency band ranges of f1=1.8GHz, f2=3.3-3.8GHz, f3=6.4-7.1GHz and f4=10-10.5GHz respectively, so that the 2 × 2 macroarray can cover the four frequency bands. A schematic tuning diagram of the PIN tubes in the 8 × 8 sub-arrays is shown in fig. 16, the PIN tubes between all patch units in the upper left 8 × 8 sub-arrays are all conducted, at this time, the whole 8 × 8 antenna array works at 1.8GHz, the PIN tubes in the sub-arrays in the 2 × 2 arrays are further divided into 2 × 2 antenna arrays as shown by dotted circles in the lower left 8 × 8 sub-arrays, and at this time, the whole 8 × 8 antenna array works at 3.3 to 3.8GHz; dividing the upper 8 × 8 sub-arrays into 4 × 4 arrays as shown by a dotted circle, and conducting PIN tubes among units in the dotted circle, wherein the whole 8 × 8 antenna array works at 6.4-7.1GHz; all PIN tubes in the lower right 8 x 8 subarray are placed in the off state, and the whole 8 x 8 array antenna operates at 10-10.5GHz. Therefore, four 8 × 8 sub-arrays respectively work in the frequency bands of f1/f2/f3/f4, and the whole 2 × 2 large array can realize a multi-frequency-in-one antenna array (ultra wide band antenna array) covering multiple frequency bands, as shown in fig. 16. In addition, the working frequency bands of the 8 × 8 sub-arrays can be realized according to different PIN tube combinations, and then, any frequency band combination can be realized by the 2 × 2 arrays. Similarly, any 8 x 8 sub-array in the 2x 2 large array can work in any frequency band of f1/f2/f3/f4 according to the PIN tube configuration mode. If the required frequency band is 6.4-7.1GHz, the state of the PIN tube in each 8X 8 array is controlled to be divided into the arrays shown in the figure 4X 4; if the required frequency band is 1.8-7.1GHz, all PIN tubes in an 8 x 8 array are conducted to enable the PIN tubes to work at f1, the state of the PIN tubes is controlled to be divided into arrays of FIG. 2x 2 to enable the PIN tubes to work at f2, and the PIN tubes in an 8 x 8 array are controlled to be divided into arrays of 4 x 4 to enable the PIN tubes to work at f3, so that the whole 1-8-7.1GHz can be covered. Similarly, the required working frequency ranges are different, and the working frequency ranges can be controlled by changing the on-off of PIN tubes in the subarrays so as to meet the required frequency ranges. In conclusion, through reasonable control of the on-off of the PIN tube, any frequency bands can be combined according to the scene requirements, and the deployment flexibility is greatly improved.

Taking a2 × 2 large array formed by 8 × 8 sub-arrays as an example of an antenna array, tuning PIN tubes in the sub-arrays enables each sub-array to work in the same working frequency band or different working frequency bands. On one hand, for the 2x 2 large array, each sub-array works in the same frequency band, so that the whole large array can realize the work of the frequency band, the work performance of the frequency band is improved, and signals of other frequency bands are inhibited (with similar out-of-band filtering inhibiting function). On the other hand, the 2 × 2 large array formed by the sub-arrays working at different frequency bands can cover all the frequency bands of the sub-array working, so that one array can cover a plurality of working frequency bands, the working performance of the ultra-wideband antenna array can be realized, the working frequency bands can be regulated and controlled according to requirements, and the flexible configuration of the working frequency bands is realized.

In addition, the antenna performance in a specific frequency band is improved and the gain is improved only by tuning the on-off of the PIN tube in the subarray, and signals of other frequency bands can be suppressed. Compared with the existing antenna design, the complexity of the antenna design is greatly simplified, meanwhile, the energy enhancement of a specific frequency band can be realized without other structures, signals of other frequency bands are inhibited, and the miniaturization of the antenna is a great improvement. In addition, only through PIN pipe tuning, can realize that an antenna array covers a plurality of working frequency channels, compare in the system that a plurality of oscillators superpose or the system that the reconfigurable unit constitutes, greatly reduced the size of antenna on the one hand, avoided the shortcoming that the low frequency operation needs very big antenna size, on the other hand, improved the bore efficiency of antenna on the one hand remarkably, can not have the waste of resource to the high frequency operation.

In the embodiment of the present application, a 3 × 3 array composed of radiation units is taken as an example, each radiation unit has its own independent feed source, different feed amplitudes of multiple independent feed sources in an antenna array correspond to different working frequency bands of the antenna array, and the connection of the radiation units may be random connection, for example, as shown in fig. 17, the number and positions of different radiation units in one array have different radiation characteristics, and the antenna array is suitable for multiple different scenes. Further, under the condition of connection of different switches, the reasonable amplitude-phase selection is carried out on the feed source of the radiation unit, and multiple functions of reconfigurable frequency, directional diagram and polarization can be realized. Different numbers of antenna subunits at different positions are selected for excitation to form different radiation apertures, and due to different electrical lengths, the working frequencies of the whole antenna are different, so that frequency reconfiguration is realized. As shown in fig. 18, the feeding amplitudes of the elements in the dashed line frame are controlled to operate at the f1 and f2 frequencies, respectively, so as to realize the frequency reconfigurable function. Specifically, the f1 and f2 frequencies may also be in the same 3 × 3 array, which is not limited in this embodiment. The embodiments of the present application can also randomly combine all the radiations for electrical connection to form an antenna with a larger electrical length to obtain a wider reconfigurable frequency range.

Optionally, different phases of the multiple independent feeds in the antenna array correspond to different beam directions of the antenna array. According to the antenna array and the method, the radiation units are respectively given different phases, so that a certain phase difference exists between the radiation units, and different beam directions can be realized when the directional diagrams of the whole antenna array are synthesized. This situation can achieve different beam pointing by randomly configuring the phase distribution. As shown in fig. 19, the feeding phases of each radiation element are respectively phi 1 to phi 9, and then the feeding phases of the radiation elements are changed into phi 1 'to phi 9', wherein the feeding phases are given by the phase shifters, and there is a phase difference between the phases of the front and back feeding, so that the directions of the radiation pattern beams of the two radiation elements can be changed, and thus the reconstruction of the pattern can be realized. Specifically, the radiation direction may also be an arc, and the like, which is not limited in this application.

Optionally, different positions of the independent feeds in the antenna array for providing excitation correspond to different polarization modes of the antenna array. For the connected radiating elements, the feeding positions of the antenna array can be different according to the positions of the excited radiating elements, such as horizontal polarization or vertical polarization, that is, current distribution shown by an arrow is realized, so that polarization reconfiguration is realized. As shown in fig. 20, the polarization mode of the antenna at the feeding position shown in the left subgraph is "vertical polarization", and the polarization mode of the antenna at the feeding position shown in the right subgraph is "horizontal polarization", so that the polarization reconfiguration can be realized by controlling the amplitude of the unit. Specifically, the polarization mode of the antenna may also be "circular polarization" or "elliptical polarization", and the like, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

According to the embodiment of the application, under different PIN tube mode combinations, the amplitude and the phase of feed of the radiation unit can be reasonably configured, so that the functions of reconfigurable frequency, polarization, directional diagram and the like are realized. Firstly, the PIN tube switching between the radiation units equivalently divides the antenna array into sub-arrays working at different frequencies, when the sub-array with the resonant frequency at f1 works, all the radiation units of the sub-array are excited, and other radiation units are not excited, and similarly, all the radiation units are excited by the sub-array working at f2 correspondingly, and the other radiation units are not excited. That is to say, through PIN pipe tuning can divide the array of different operating frequencies, the switching of operating frequency can be realized to the corresponding feed amplitude of the radiating element in the selection array. And secondly, different radiation modes can be configured through PIN tube tuning, and the beam pointing of an array directional diagram can be adjusted and controlled by selecting the feed phase of the radiation unit, so that the switching of the array directional diagram is realized. Finally, the combined mode of the PIN tube switch can determine the radiation unit, the selection of the feed amplitude of the unit can realize the transformation of the array feed position, and the reconstruction of the array polarization mode can be realized.

Optionally, when the switches in the antenna array are all in an off state, the operating frequency band of the antenna array may also be adjusted by the relative position of the independent feed source and the radiation unit. Specifically, the switches can be in an off state, that is, all PIN tubes are off or not connected with PIN tubes, different working frequencies are caused by different positions of different radiating elements in the whole antenna array, and the relative positions of the independent feed sources in the radiating elements and the radiating elements can be adjusted, that is, the working frequency band of the antenna array can be adjusted correspondingly. Taking a 4 × 4 patch antenna array as an example, the relative positions of the independent feed sources in the radiation units may be rotationally and symmetrically arranged based on the central point of the array, or may be arranged based on the diagonal line of the array or other arrangement manners, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application, and the embodiment of the present application takes a configuration based on the central symmetry of the array as an example, and 16 ports of the array may form 3 working modes rotationally and symmetrically about the central point, as shown in fig. 21, excitation P2, P3, P5, P8, P9, P12, P14, and P15 are working mode 1; excitation P6, P7, P10 and P11 are working modes 2; the excitation P1, P4, P13, and P16 are working modes 3, and when the corresponding radiation units are re-excited, corresponding working modes can be formed, and the different working modes correspond to different working frequency bands, as shown in fig. 22, a schematic relationship diagram between frequencies of the different working modes and a reflection coefficient | S11|, where a thick solid line represents a schematic relationship diagram of the working mode 1, a thin solid line represents a schematic relationship diagram of the working mode 2, and a dotted line represents a schematic relationship diagram of the working mode 3.

Optionally, the working frequency band of the antenna array may be adjusted by combining amplitude and phase selection in the antenna array, in addition to adjusting the relative position between the independent feed source and the radiation unit. Specifically, the relative positions of the independent feed sources and the radiation units in the radiation units are adjusted, the working frequency bands of the antenna array can be correspondingly adjusted, different working modes are realized, and then the unit feed amplitude of each independent feed source can be configured to excite different working modes, so that the antenna works in different frequency bands. Applying a distribution of amplitude and phase other than 0 to the individual feeds of the corresponding radiating elements can achieve the desired gain enhancement effect (i.e., frequency selectivity of the reflection coefficient) for a particular frequency band. When the antenna operates in the mode 1, the amplitude and phase distribution of the corresponding radiating elements are shown in table 2, the phases of the radiating

elements

3,9, 12, and 15 are set to 180 degrees (deg), and the other radiating elements are set to 0deg, at this time, the antenna operates in the mode 1, and the antenna can achieve good forward radiation in this operating frequency band, and a simulation diagram is shown in fig. 23.

TABLE 2

Radiation unit	Amplitude (W)	Phase (deg)	Radiation unit	Amplitude (W)	Phase (deg)
						P1	0	0	P9	1	180
P2	1	0	P10	0	0
						P3	1	180	P11	0	0
P4	0	0	P12	1	180
						P5	1	0	P13	0	0
P6	0	0	P14	1	0
						P7	0	0	P15	1	180
P8	1	0	P16	0	0

The embodiment of the application takes a 4 x 4 array composed of independent feed sources as an example, the feed positions of the array are arranged in a central point rotational symmetry mode, the amplitude of the antenna unit feed is configured according to the difference of the positions of the array, so that different modes of the antenna are excited, the gain of the antenna can achieve an enhanced effect in a specific frequency band, and the antenna can radiate towards the positive direction in a working frequency band range by further selecting the phase of the feed. That is, the desired effect of gain enhancement (i.e., frequency selectivity of the reflection coefficient) for a specific frequency band can be obtained by applying an amplitude and phase distribution other than 0 to the corresponding feed port. Therefore, in a larger-scale array, partial array element switches are selected to be switched off, partial array element switches are switched on, and feeding amplitude and phase distribution which are not 0 are applied to the radiating elements, so that the reconstruction capability is richer and more flexible.

Different working modes of the units at different positions in the array are utilized, and the unit feed amplitude of each independent feed source is configured to excite different working modes, so that the switching of the working frequency bands of the antenna is realized. On one hand, the antenna size can be kept unchanged while the antenna working frequency is switched, and the frequency range which can be covered is relatively wide; on the other hand, the aperture utilization rate can be maximized, and resources are reasonably utilized.

Optionally, the shape of the radiation unit of the embodiment of the present application includes: one or more of a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, a trench, and an irregular pattern. Different shapes of the radiating elements are selected according to the application scenarios of different points. As shown in fig. 24, the pattern of the radiation unit includes patches of rectangular, circular, oval, hexagonal, octagonal, decagonal, cross, slotted, irregular, etc., the irregular pattern is not shown, and the pattern of the patches is not limited to the illustrated examples. The patches in different patterns have different radiation characteristics, and when the arrays are formed, the patches in different forms can be selected according to different application scenes. The array may be composed of a single pattern of patches or may be composed of two or more different patches. The various choices of the patch styles and the flexibility of the combination of different styles and patches increase the design freedom of the scheme and expand the application scene of the scheme.

The embodiment of the application can also be applied to other arrays, such as a tightly coupled array, and the like, and good frequency selection in a single frequency, double frequency and even wide frequency band is realized by reasonably configuring the feeding amplitude and phase of the antenna unit, and the beam forming can be controlled.

Referring to fig. 25, as shown in fig. 25, a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an antenna array, where the antenna array may be any one of the antenna arrays in fig. 5, fig. 7, fig. 10, fig. 13, fig. 15, fig. 16, fig. 18, fig. 19, and fig. 20.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, and not to limit the same; while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that: the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some or all of the technical features may be equivalently replaced; and these modifications or substitutions do not depart from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. An antenna array, comprising:

the device comprises a plurality of radiation units and a plurality of switches, wherein each radiation unit is provided with an independent feed source which is used for providing excitation for the radiation units;

the plurality of radiation units are connected through the plurality of switches, different on-off modes of the plurality of switches correspond to different combinations of the radiation units, and the different combinations of the radiation units correspond to different working frequency bands.

2. An antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the antenna array comprises a plurality of sub-arrays;

when the working frequency bands of the sub-arrays are the same, the working frequency band of the antenna array is a single frequency band;

when the working frequency ranges of the sub-arrays are different, the working frequency range of the antenna array is a wide frequency band.

3. An antenna array according to any of claims 1-2 wherein the different feed amplitudes of the multiple independent feeds in the antenna array correspond to different operating frequency bands of the antenna array.

4. An antenna array according to any of claims 1-3 wherein different phases of the plurality of independent feeds in the antenna array correspond to different beam orientations of the antenna array.

5. An antenna array according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein different locations of the independent feeds providing excitation in the antenna array correspond to different polarizations of the antenna array.

6. An antenna array according to any of claims 1-5, wherein the switches in the antenna array are off, and the operating frequency band of the antenna array is adjusted by the relative positions of the independent feed sources and the radiating elements.

7. An antenna array according to claim 6, wherein the operating frequency band of the antenna array is adjusted by the relative positions of the independent feeds and the radiating elements, and the amplitude and phase selection in the antenna array.

8. An antenna array according to any of claims 1-7, wherein the shape of the radiating elements comprises: one or more of a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, a trench, and an irregular pattern.

9. A communication device, characterized in that the communication device comprises an antenna array according to any of claims 1-8.