KR20230162400A - Patch antenna with reflector - Google Patents

Abstract

A patch antenna is disclosed. This patch antenna includes a substrate including a reflector, an upper substrate laminated on an upper surface of the reflector, and a lower substrate laminated on a lower surface of the reflector; an upper single radiator formed on the upper substrate; a lower single radiator formed on the lower substrate; first and second upper signal lines formed on the upper substrate; a lower signal line formed on the lower substrate and connected to the lower single radiator; and an RF switch formed on the upper substrate, connected to the upper single radiator by the first upper signal line, and connected to the lower single radiator by the second upper signal line and the lower signal line. , the RF switch performs a switching operation to transmit an input signal to one radiator selected from the upper single radiator and the lower single radiator.

Description

Patch antenna with reflector {PATCH ANTENNA WITH REFLECTOR}

The present invention relates to a patch antenna, and more specifically, to a double-side patch array antenna that selectively provides high-gain double-sided radiation beam pattern characteristics.

A patch antenna is a type of antenna mainly used in wireless communication systems. It is used in the form of a phase array using a phase shifter for high-gain wireless communication (or wireless charging) characteristics. .

A conventional patch-type array antenna has a structure in which metal pieces (patches) such as squares, circles, ovals, and triangles are installed at regular intervals on a ground plane (wide metal plate) to form a high-gain beam pattern.

However, because the existing patch-type array antenna with a ground plane cannot form a beam pattern in the direction of the ground plane, the beam steering angle cannot exceed 180 degrees even if a reflector phase shifter is used.

Meanwhile, as wireless communication and wireless power transmission systems evolve, operating frequencies are increasing, and in addition, antennas with a wider range of beam steering angles and higher gain characteristics are required.

The purpose of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems is to apply a structure in which the radiating patch surfaces are located on both sides so as to share a reflector commonly used in two different single-sided patch-type array antennas, thereby reducing the beam of the conventional single-sided patch-type array antenna. The purpose is to provide a patch antenna for doubling the steering angle.

The above-mentioned objects and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention, and methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described in detail below along with the accompanying drawings.

A patch antenna according to one aspect of the present invention for achieving the above-described object includes a substrate including a reflector, an upper substrate laminated on the upper surface of the reflector, and a lower substrate laminated on the lower surface of the reflector; an upper single radiator formed on the upper substrate; a lower single radiator formed on the lower substrate; first and second upper signal lines formed on the upper substrate; a lower signal line formed on the lower substrate and connected to the lower single radiator; and an RF switch formed on the upper substrate, connected to the upper single radiator by the first upper signal line, and connected to the lower single radiator by the second upper signal line and the lower signal line. , the RF switch performs a switching operation to transmit an input signal to one radiator selected from the upper single radiator and the lower single radiator.

A patch array antenna according to another aspect of the present invention includes a substrate including a reflector, an upper substrate stacked on an upper surface of the reflector, and a lower substrate stacked on a lower surface of the reflector; a signal distributor formed on the upper substrate; a phase shifter formed on the upper substrate and shifting the phase of an input signal whose power is distributed by the signal distributor; an RF switch formed on the upper substrate and receiving the phase-shifted input signal; an upper radiator array formed on the upper substrate and connected to the RF switch by an upper signal line formed on the upper substrate; and a lower radiator array formed on the lower substrate and connected to the RF switch by a lower signal line formed on the lower substrate, wherein the RF switch is selected from the upper radiator array and the lower radiator array. A switching operation is performed to transmit the input signal to one radiator array.

According to the present invention, antenna manufacturing costs can be reduced by having two patch array antennas share one reflector.

Additionally, a patch array antenna with an RF switch and a signal via can form a beam pattern toward the bottom of the ground reflector by feeding a signal through the ground reflector.

In addition, by using an RF switch to selectively operate the radiation surface of the patch array antenna of the proposed structure, a beam steering angle twice as wide as that of a conventional single-sided patch array antenna can be obtained.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the three-dimensional structure of a single-sided single patch antenna and a single-sided patch array antenna according to the prior art to help understand the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the 3D beam radiation pattern and the 2D beam gain of the E-field of the single-sided patch array antenna structure shown in FIG. 1.
Figure 3 is a diagram showing the structure of a double-sided single patch antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a diagram showing the structure of a double-sided patch array antenna according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the 3D beam radiation pattern and the 2D beam gain of the E-field of the double-sided patch array antenna shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 shows the E-Field (field size of the electric plane, radiation pattern of the plane containing the electric field vector) and H-Field (field size of the magnetic plane, plane containing the magnetic field vector) of the double-sided patch array antenna shown in FIG. 4. This is a diagram showing the radiation pattern.

Since the present invention can make various changes and have various embodiments, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

The present invention is a design technique for a double-sided single patch antenna and a double-sided patch array antenna that share a ground reflector and have a symmetrical beam direction around the reflector.

The double-sided single patch antenna and the double-sided patch array antenna according to the present invention share a single ground reflector and utilize a phase shifter and an RF switch to maintain the same high gain characteristics as compared to the conventional single-sided patch array antenna. The ship can have a beam steering angle.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the structures of a single-sided single patch antenna and a single-sided patch array antenna according to the prior art will be described to aid understanding of the present invention, and then the present invention. A double-sided single patch antenna and a double-sided patch array antenna according to an embodiment will be described in detail.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the three-dimensional structure of a single-sided single patch antenna and a single-sided patch array antenna according to the prior art to help understand the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, (A) shows the structure of a single-sided single patch antenna according to the prior art, and (B) shows the structure of a single-sided patch array antenna according to the prior art.

As shown in (A), the single-sided single patch antenna consists of a substrate 11, a single patch 12, and a ground reflector 20. The substrate 11 may be made of a dielectric. The single patch 12 is formed (patterned or mounted) on the upper surface of the substrate 11, and the ground reflector 20 is formed on the lower surface of the substrate 11. The single patch 12 is connected to the signal line 5 for signal feeding and may be formed as a single radiator in a square shape.

As shown in (B), the single-sided patch array antenna includes a substrate 11, a power divider 13, a plurality of phase shifters 14, a patch array 15, and a ground reflector. It consists of (20).

The signal distributor 13, a plurality of phase shifters 14, and the patch array 15 are formed (patterned or mounted) on the upper surface of the substrate 11 and arranged, and the ground reflector 20 is formed on the substrate 11. It is formed on the lower surface of

The patch array 15 is composed of a plurality of radiators arranged in a matrix form, and in FIG. 1, 4×3 radiators are shown. Therefore, the single-sided patch array antenna shown in (B) can be used as a series fed 4x3 patch array antenna.

In the case of the single-sided patch array antenna shown in (B), the patch array 15, phase shifters 14, and signal (power) distributor 13 are utilized to increase beam gain and simultaneously have beam steering characteristics. Can be used as an antenna.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the 3D beam radiation pattern and the 2D beam gain of the E-field of the single-sided patch array antenna structure shown in FIG. 1.

Since the single-sided single patch antenna (A) and the single-sided patch array antenna (B) shown in FIG. 1 cannot have a radiation pattern in the lower direction of the ground reflector 20 as shown in FIG. 2, they are radiated in the lower direction. There is a limitation that wireless signals and wireless power cannot be transmitted and received, and the beam steering angle cannot exceed 180 degrees.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing the structure of a double-sided single patch antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a structure of a double-sided single patch antenna viewed from above, and (B) is a structure of a double-sided single patch antenna viewed from below. .

Referring to Figure 3, a double-sided single patch antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate 100, an RF switch 121, a first upper signal line 123, a second upper signal line 125, and an upper single radiator. It may be configured to include (127), a signal via (V), a lower signal line (131), and a lower single radiator (133).

The substrate 100 includes a ground reflector 110, an upper substrate 120, and a lower substrate 130.

The ground reflector 110 is a conductive ground plane, and an upper substrate 120 is laminated on its upper surface and a lower substrate 130 is laminated on its lower surface.

The RF switch 121, the first upper signal line 123, the second upper signal line 125, and the upper single radiator 127 may be formed (patterned or mounted) on the upper substrate 120.

The RF switch 121 and the upper single radiator 127 may be electrically connected by a first upper signal line 123, and the lower signal line 131 and the lower single radiator 133 are on the lower substrate 130. It can be formed (patterned or mounted).

The RF switch 121 formed (mounted) on the upper substrate 120 and the lower single radiator 133 formed (patterned) on the lower substrate 130 are signal vias that penetrate the substrate 100 in the vertical direction. V) and the lower signal line 131 formed on the lower substrate 130 may be electrically connected to each other.

Specifically, as shown in (A), the RF switch 121 and the upper part of the signal via (V) are electrically connected by a second upper signal line 125 that is shorter than the first upper signal line 123. , As shown in (B), the lower single radiator 133 formed (patterned) on the lower part of the signal via (V) and the lower substrate 130 is connected to the lower signal line 131 formed on the lower substrate 130. ) can be electrically connected.

Therefore, both the upper single radiator 127 formed on the upper substrate 120 and the lower single radiator 133 formed on the lower substrate 130 are electrically connected to the RF switch 121 formed on the upper substrate 120. You can.

The RF switch 121 may be configured to perform a switching operation to transmit an input signal to any one radiator selected from the upper single radiator 127 and the lower single radiator 133. To perform this switching operation, RF The switch 121 may be implemented as a semiconductor chip with at least one semiconductor switch circuit embedded therein.

According to an embodiment of the double-sided single patch antenna of the present invention, the ground reflector 110 is disposed inside the substrate 100, so that the upper and lower single radiators 127 and 133 share the ground reflector 110. It is designed to have, and the RF switch 121 can be used to selectively transmit and receive an input signal through one of the upper single radiator 127 and the lower single radiator 133. By doing this, since the beam steering angle can be formed not only in the upper direction but also in the lower direction of the ground reflector 110, the beam steering angle of the conventional single-sided single patch antenna can be doubled.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the structure of a double-sided patch array antenna according to another embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a structure of a double-sided patch array antenna viewed from above, and (B) is a structure of a double-sided patch array antenna viewed from below. .

Referring to FIG. 4, the structure of the substrate 200 is the same as that of the substrate 100 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, and includes a ground reflector 210, an upper substrate 220, and a lower substrate 230. It can be configured to include:

On the upper substrate 220, a signal feeder 221, a signal distributor 223, a plurality of phase shifters (PS1, PS2, PS3), an RF switch 225, and a plurality of upper signal line pairs (227 and 229) and a plurality of upper radiators (P1a to P1d, P2a to P2d, and P1a to P3d) are formed (mounted or patterned), and a plurality of lower signal lines 231 and a plurality of lower radiators are formed on the lower substrate 230. (P1a'~P1d', P2a'~P2d', and P3a'~P3d') are formed (patterned).

The signal feeder 221 transmits the input signal to the signal distributor 223.

The signal distributor 223 distributes the input signal to the intended power level and transmits the divided input signal to the RF switch 225 through different signal lines (A, B, and C). At this time, phase shifters (PS1, PS2, PS3) are disposed on each signal line, and each phase shifter shifts the distributed input signals to different phases and transmits them to the RF switch 225.

The RF switch 225 includes a plurality of upper radiators (P1a~P1d, P2a~P2d, and P1a~P3d) formed on the upper substrate 220 and a plurality of lower radiators (P1a'~) formed on the lower substrate 230. It can be electrically connected to P1d', P2a'~P2d', and P3a'~P3d').

A plurality of upper radiators (P1a to P1d, P2a to P2d and P1a to P3d) are, for example, a first upper radiator group (P1a to P1d), a second upper radiator group (P2a to P2d) and a third upper radiator group. It can be divided into groups (P3a to P3d), and each group can be configured to include four radiators connected in series as shown in FIG. 4.

Likewise, the plurality of lower radiators (P1a'~P1d', P2a'~P2d', and P3a'~P3d' formed on the lower substrate 230) are also a first lower radiator group (P1a'~P1d'), a second lower radiator group (P1a'~P1d'), It can be divided into a lower radiator group (P2a' to P2d') and a third lower radiator group (P3a' to P3d'), and each group can be configured to include four radiators connected in series.

The RF switch 225 includes a plurality of upper signal line pairs 227 and 229 formed on the upper substrate 220, a plurality of lower signal lines 231 formed on the lower substrate 230, and the substrate 200. A plurality of upper radiators (P1a to P1d, P2a to P2d and P1a to P3d) formed on the upper substrate 220 and a plurality of upper radiators (P1a to P1d, P2a to P2d and P1a to P3d) formed on the lower substrate 230 by a plurality of signal vias (V) penetrating. It is electrically connected to the lower radiators (P1a'~P1d', P2a'~P2d', and P3a'~P3d').

Based on this connection structure, the RF switch 225 transmits input signals shifted to different phases through the phase shifters (PS1, PS2, PS3) to a plurality of upper radiators (P1a ~ P1d, P2a ~ P2d, and P1a ~ A switching operation may be performed to transmit to P3d) or a plurality of lower radiators (P1a'~P1d', P2a'~P2d', and P3a'~P3d').

Each upper signal line pair 227 and 229 includes a first upper signal line 227 and a second upper signal line 229 that is shorter than the first upper signal line 227 .

The RF switch 225, for example, transmits the input signal phase-shifted by the phase shifter PS3 to the third upper radiator group (P3a, P3b, P3c, and P3d) through the first upper signal line 227. Transmitted or transmitted to the third lower upper radiator group (P3a', P3b', P3c', and P3d') through the second upper signal line 229, signal via (V), and lower signal line 231. The method by which the RF switch 225 selectively transmits phase-shifted signals to different upper/lower radiator groups can also be explained in the same way.

In the case of the double-sided patch array antenna according to another embodiment of the present invention, the upper and lower radiator arrays are designed on the upper and lower substrates, respectively, and each radiator array shares the ground reflector 210 inside the substrate. .

In addition, the input signal applied through the signal feeder 221 of the upper board is adjusted to the intended phase and size through a signal divider (223 or power divider) and a phase shifter (PS1 to PS3). It is distributed as a signal with And, depending on the switching operation of the RF switch 225, the final output signal can be transmitted and received by selectively selecting either the upper radiator array or the lower radiator array.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the 3D beam radiation pattern and the 2D beam gain of the E-field of the double-sided patch array antenna shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 5, as described above, a signal can be selectively supplied to the upper radiator array and the lower radiator array by utilizing the RF switch (225 in FIG. 4), and as a result, the ground reflector (210 in FIG. 4) is used as the center. It is possible to radiate a beam in the vertical direction. This means that it has a beam steering angle that is twice as wide as the beam radiation pattern of the prior art (FIG. 2), and that it has a beam vector with a difference of 180 degrees.

FIG. 6 shows the E-Field (field size of the electric plane, radiation pattern of the plane containing the electric field vector) and H-Field (field size of the magnetic plane, plane containing the magnetic field vector) of the double-sided patch array antenna shown in FIG. 4. This is a diagram showing the radiation pattern.

Referring to FIG. 6, the upper or lower radiator array is individually selected through the RF switch (225 in FIG. 4), and the phase difference of the phase shifter is typically divided into three cases to simulate the result.

It can be confirmed that each phase difference has a different maximum radiation direction (beam steering) (see H-Field radiation pattern), and the beam can be selectively steered in both the up and down directions centered on the ground reflector (210 in Figure 4). can confirm.

As described above, although the embodiments have been described with limited examples and drawings, various modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art from the above description. For example, the upper and lower radiator antennas that share a metal ground plane as a reflector may have different shapes, such as a Vivaldi antenna or a dipole antenna. The described techniques are performed in a different order than the described method, and/or components of the described system, structure, device, circuit, etc. are combined or combined in a different form than the described method, or are used with other components or equivalents. Appropriate results can be achieved even if replaced or substituted by .

Claims (8)

A substrate including a reflector, an upper substrate stacked on an upper surface of the reflector, and a lower substrate stacked on a lower surface of the reflector;
an upper single radiator formed on the upper substrate;
a lower single radiator formed on the lower substrate;
first and second upper signal lines formed on the upper substrate;
a lower signal line formed on the lower substrate and connected to the lower single radiator; and
an RF switch formed on the upper substrate, connected to the upper single radiator by the first upper signal line, and connected to the lower single radiator by the second upper signal line and the lower signal line,
The RF switch is,
A patch antenna, characterized in that performing a switching operation to transmit an input signal to one of the upper single radiator and the lower single radiator. In paragraph 1:
The second upper signal line and the lower signal line are,
A patch antenna connected by a signal via penetrating the substrate. In paragraph 1:
The upper single radiator and the lower single radiator,
A patch antenna, characterized in that it shares the reflector disposed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate. In paragraph 1:
The RF switch is,
As an input signal is transmitted to one of the upper single radiator and the lower single radiator, a beam steering angle is formed in the upper or lower direction of the reflector. A substrate including a reflector, an upper substrate stacked on an upper surface of the reflector, and a lower substrate stacked on a lower surface of the reflector;
a signal distributor formed on the upper substrate;
a phase shifter formed on the upper substrate and shifting the phase of an input signal whose power is distributed by the signal distributor;
an RF switch formed on the upper substrate and receiving the phase-shifted input signal;
an upper radiator array formed on the upper substrate and connected to the RF switch by an upper signal line formed on the upper substrate; and
A lower radiator array formed on the lower substrate and connected to the RF switch by a lower signal line formed on the lower substrate,
The RF switch is,
A patch array antenna, characterized in that performing a switching operation to transmit an input signal to one of the upper radiator array and the lower radiator array. In paragraph 5,
A patch array antenna further comprising a signal via that penetrates the substrate and connects the RF switch and the lower signal line. In paragraph 5,
The upper radiator array and the lower radiator array are:
A patch array antenna, characterized in that the reflector disposed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate is shared. In paragraph 5,
The RF switch is,
As the phase-shifted input signal is transmitted to one of the upper radiator array and the lower radiator array, a beam steering angle is formed in the upper or lower direction of the reflector. Patch array antenna.