WO2021082975A1

WO2021082975A1 - Lens structure, lens antenna, and electronic device

Info

Publication number: WO2021082975A1
Application number: PCT/CN2020/122022
Authority: WO
Inventors: 杨帆
Original assignee: Oppo广东移动通信有限公司
Priority date: 2019-10-31
Filing date: 2020-10-20
Publication date: 2021-05-06
Also published as: CN110752446B; CN110752446A

Abstract

A lens structure, comprising multiple medium layers (100) and at least one waveguide layer (200), wherein the waveguide layer (200) and the medium layers (100) are alternately stacked along a first direction; the waveguide layer (200) comprises at least one waveguide structure (300); when a plurality of waveguide structures (300) are comprised, the plurality of waveguide structures (300) are arranged in parallel and at intervals; each waveguide structure (300) comprises a first conductive sheet and at least one pair of second conductive sheets; each pair of the second conductive sheets are respectively provided on the axial two sides of the first conductive sheet; the first gradual change rule of the length of the second conductive sheets exists between the plurality of waveguide structures (300) located on the same axial line in the plurality of waveguide layers (200); the axial line is a straight line penetrating through any one waveguide layer (200) and parallel to the first direction; the length direction of the second conductive sheets is perpendicular to the axial direction of the first conductive sheet.

Description

Lens structure, lens antenna and electronic equipment

Cross-references to related applications

This application claims the priority of a Chinese patent application filed with the Chinese Patent Office, the application number is 2019110562120, and the invention title is "lens structure, lens antenna and electronic equipment" on October 31, 2019, the entire content of which is incorporated into this application by reference in.

Technical field

This application relates to the field of antenna technology, in particular to a lens structure, lens antenna and electronic equipment.

Background technique

The statements here only provide background information related to this application, and do not necessarily constitute existing exemplary technologies.

A lens antenna is an antenna composed of a lens and a feed source. Using the convergence characteristics of the lens, it can ensure that the electromagnetic waves emitted from the feed source are emitted in parallel through the lens, or it can ensure that the parallel incident electromagnetic waves are converged to the feed source after passing through the lens. Since electromagnetic waves generally need to pass through multiple dielectric layers when entering the lens, the introduction of the medium will cause the loss of electromagnetic waves, thereby reducing the efficiency of the lens antenna.

Summary of the invention

According to various embodiments of the present application, a lens structure, a lens antenna, and an electronic device are provided.

A lens structure, including:

Multi-layer dielectric layer;

At least one waveguide layer, the waveguide layer and the dielectric layer are alternately stacked in a first direction, and the waveguide layer includes:

At least one waveguide structure, when a plurality of the waveguide structures are included, the plurality of the waveguide structures are spaced apart and arranged in parallel; the waveguide structure includes a first conductive sheet and at least a pair of second conductive sheets, each pair of the second conductive sheet The conductive sheets are respectively arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet in the axial direction;

Among the multiple waveguide layers, the multiple waveguide structures on the same axis have a first gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet; the axis is parallel to any one of the waveguide layers. As for the straight line in the first direction, the length direction of the second conductive sheet is perpendicular to the axial direction of the first conductive sheet.

A lens structure, including:

Multi-layer dielectric layer;

At least three waveguide structures, a plurality of the waveguide structures are arranged in parallel and spaced apart; the waveguide structure includes a first conductive sheet and at least a pair of second conductive sheets, each pair of the second conductive sheet is respectively arranged on the first On both sides of the conductive sheet in the axial direction;

Wherein, there is a second gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet between the multiple waveguide structures of the same waveguide layer, and the length direction of the second conductive sheet is perpendicular to the axis of the first conductive sheet to.

A lens antenna, including:

Feed array; and

The above-mentioned lens structure is arranged in parallel with the feed source array.

An electronic device includes the above-mentioned lens antenna.

In the above-mentioned lens structure, an artificial surface plasmon waveguide can be generated by using a symmetrical second conductive sheet. By setting the gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet of the inter-layer or intra-layer waveguide structure, the refractive index distribution law is obtained to realize the beam Convergence function, and low dielectric loss during electromagnetic wave transmission along the waveguide, so in practical applications, a lens antenna with smaller loss, higher efficiency, and wider bandwidth can be realized. In addition, by alternately stacking dielectric layers and waveguide layers, the assembly and preparation of low-cost lenses can also be realized.

The above-mentioned lens antenna includes a feed array and a lens structure. Through the symmetrical structure of the second conductive sheet in the lens structure and the gradual change in length, a lens antenna with smaller loss, higher efficiency, larger bandwidth and lower cost can be realized; Multi-beam emission and beam scanning can be realized through the setting of the feeder array.

The above-mentioned electronic equipment includes the lens antenna described above. Because the lens antenna has smaller loss, higher efficiency, larger bandwidth and lower cost, and can realize multi-beam emission and beam scanning, the electronic device can achieve high efficiency, High-gain, low-cost beam scanning.

The details of one or more embodiments of the present application are set forth in the following drawings and description. Other features, purposes and advantages of this application will become apparent from the description, drawings and claims.

Description of the drawings

In order to more clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only These are some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a lens structure in an embodiment;

Fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a waveguide structure in an embodiment;

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a waveguide structure in another embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of multiple waveguide structures when the first gradual change rule is in an embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a plurality of waveguide structures when the second gradual change rule is in an embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of the lens structure in the first alternative embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of the lens structure in the second alternative embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a lens structure in optional embodiment three;

FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a lens structure in optional embodiment four;

10 is a schematic diagram of the lens structure in the fifth alternative embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a waveguide structure in another embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a schematic structural diagram of a waveguide structure in another embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a schematic structural diagram of a waveguide structure in another embodiment;

14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lens antenna in an embodiment;

15 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the feed array in an embodiment;

16 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lens antenna in another embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a schematic structural diagram of a lens antenna in another embodiment;

18 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device in an embodiment;

Figure 19 is a beam scanning pattern in an embodiment;

20 is a schematic diagram of a middle frame structure of an electronic device in an embodiment;

FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device in an embodiment.

Detailed ways

In order to facilitate the understanding of the application, the application will be described in a more comprehensive manner with reference to the relevant drawings. The preferred embodiments of the application are shown in the accompanying drawings. However, this application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosure of this application more thorough and comprehensive.

It can be understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. used in this application can be used herein to describe various elements, but these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the first element from another element, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless specifically defined otherwise.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field of this application. The terminology used in the specification of the application herein is only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and is not intended to limit the application.

Refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic structural diagram of a lens structure in an embodiment.

In this embodiment, the lens structure 10 is applied to a lens antenna. According to specific application scenarios of the lens antenna, the lens structure 10 is provided with different refractive index distribution rules, so as to realize the function of converging electromagnetic waves. Optionally, the lens structure 10 can work in a microwave frequency band, and can be adapted to different frequency bands such as millimeter waves and terahertz waves through adjustment of structural parameters.

Among them, millimeter waves refer to electromagnetic waves with wavelengths on the order of millimeters, and their frequencies are approximately between 20 GHz and 300 GHz. 3GP has designated a list of frequency bands supported by 5G NR. The 5G NR spectrum range can reach 100 GHz. It has specified two frequency ranges: Frequency range 1 (FR1), which is the frequency band below 6 GHz, and Frequency range 2 (FR2), which is millimeter wave frequency band. Frequency range 1 frequency range: 450MHz-6.0GHz, of which the maximum channel bandwidth is 100MHz. The frequency range of Frequency range2 is 24.25GHz-52.6GHz, and the maximum channel bandwidth is 400MHz. Nearly 11GHz spectrum used for 5G mobile broadband includes: 3.85GHz licensed spectrum, for example: 28GHz (24.25-29.5GHz), 37GHz (37.0-38.6GHz), 39GHz (38.6-40GHz) and 14GHz unlicensed spectrum (57-71GHz) . The working frequency band of 5G communication system has three frequency bands: 28GHz, 39GHz and 60GHz.

Referring to Fig. 1, the lens structure 10 includes a multilayer dielectric layer 100 and a multilayer waveguide layer 200; the waveguide layer 200 and the dielectric layer 100 are alternately stacked in a first direction. Among them, the number of layers of the dielectric layer 100 and the waveguide layer 200 is not limited (Figure 1 takes the five-layer dielectric layer 100 and the four-layer waveguide layer 200 as an example). At the same time, the relative area between the dielectric layer 100 and the waveguide layer 200 is different. Limited, can be adjusted according to actual application.

Among them, the dielectric layer 100 is a non-conductive functional layer that can be used to support the fixed waveguide layer 200. By alternately stacking the dielectric layer 100 and the waveguide layer 200, the interval distribution of the multilayer waveguide layer 200 can be realized; at the same time, the dielectric layer 100 The lens structure 10 can be divided into multiple regions with non-continuous refractive index, so that the size of the waveguide layer 200 in the first direction only needs to be changed within a small range to achieve the convergence effect and realize the assembly and preparation of low-cost lenses. Optionally, when the thicknesses of the plurality of dielectric layers 100 in the direction of alternate stacking are equal, the plurality of waveguide layers 200 are distributed at equal intervals. Optionally, the material of the dielectric layer 100 is an electrically insulating material.

Among them, the waveguide layer 200 is a functional layer that can be used to transmit electromagnetic waves. The multiple waveguide layers 200 can emit incident electromagnetic waves in parallel, or converge parallel incident electromagnetic waves to a focal point, or diverge parallel incident electromagnetic waves. The waveguide layer 200 includes one or more waveguide structures 300. When there are multiple waveguide structures 300, the multiple waveguide structures 300 are spaced apart and arranged in parallel. Optionally, a plurality of waveguide structures 300 are arranged side by side at equal intervals. Optionally, the material of the waveguide layer 200 may be a conductive material, such as a metal material, an alloy material, a conductive silicone material, a graphite material, etc., and the material of the waveguide layer 200 may also be a material with a high dielectric constant.

Wherein, the waveguide structure 300 includes a first conductive sheet 301 and at least a pair of second conductive sheets 302, each pair of second conductive sheets 302 are respectively arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet 301 in the axial direction, and electromagnetic waves along the first conductive sheet 301的axial direction incident to the lens structure 10.

Optionally, referring to FIG. 2 for assistance, each pair of second conductive sheets 302 are axially and mirror-symmetrically arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet 301. Wherein, mirror symmetry means that each pair of second conductive sheets 302 is symmetrical with respect to the axis of the first conductive sheet 301. Optionally, referring to FIG. 3 for assistance, each pair of second conductive sheets 302 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet 301 for axial sliding movement. Among them, sliding symmetry means that the two second conductive sheets 302 originally symmetrical about the axis slide relative to each other for a certain distance along the axial direction of the first conductive sheet 301; the multiple waveguide structures 300 are independent of each other and have similar shapes.

The length direction of the second conductive sheet 302 is substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the first conductive sheet 301. When electromagnetic waves are incident on the lens structure 10 along the axial direction of the first conductive sheet 301, in the length direction of the second conductive sheet 302, the edge of each second conductive sheet 302 can produce artificial surface plasmon waveguides (subsequent abbreviations) Is a waveguide), multiple pairs of mirror-symmetric second conductive sheets 302 can produce mirror-symmetric waveguide pairs, and each waveguide structure is composed of multiple waveguides in a linear arrangement; multiple pairs of slip-symmetric second conductive sheets 302 can produce slip Symmetrical waveguide pairs, each waveguide structure consists of multiple waveguides arranged in a linear arrangement. Optionally, in each waveguide structure 300, a plurality of second conductive sheets 302 located on the same side of the first conductive sheet 301 are arranged in parallel with the same center distance p, and the plurality of second conductive sheets 302 have the same length h, so that In the waveguide structure 300, the edges in the length direction of each second conductive sheet 302 can generate the same waveguide. Wherein, the center distance p can be understood as the distance between the geometric centers of two adjacent second conductive sheets 302.

When the electromagnetic wave is incident on the lens structure along the axial direction, the electromagnetic wave can continue to propagate along the waveguide, and the propagation constant is larger than the free space, that is, the equivalent refractive index greater than 1 is realized, and the convergence function is realized. Since most of the energy of the electromagnetic wave is concentrated on the longitudinal edge of the second conductive sheet 302 of the waveguide structure 300, only a small amount enters the medium, so it is hardly affected by the medium loss, so in practical applications, a lens with smaller loss and higher efficiency can be realized antenna. Wherein, when each pair of second conductive sheets 302 slide symmetrically in the axial direction, the equivalent refractive index changes little with frequency, so a lens antenna with a larger bandwidth can be realized in practical applications.

In some embodiments, the plurality of waveguide structures 300 on the same axis in the plurality of waveguide layers 200 have a first gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302, and/or the plurality of waveguide structures of the waveguide layer 200 There is a second gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302 between 300. Wherein, the axis is a straight line passing through any waveguide layer 200 and parallel to the first direction.

When electromagnetic waves are incident on the lens structure 10 along the axial direction of the first conductive sheet 301, the lens structure 10 with the first gradual law can realize the convergence of the electromagnetic wave beam in the first direction, and the lens structure 10 with the second gradual law It can realize the converging effect of the electromagnetic wave beam in the second direction. Wherein, the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction and the axial direction of the first conductive sheet 301 at the same time, that is, parallel to the length direction of the second conductive sheet 302.

Specifically, please refer to FIG. 4 for assistance. The first gradual law is that the length of the second conductive sheet 302 decreases symmetrically from the center of the same axis to the waveguide structures 300 on both sides, that is, from the waveguide structure 300 at the center of the multiple waveguide layers 200 The waveguide structure 300 of the two layers decreases symmetrically (Figure 4 takes the slip-symmetric second conductive sheet 302 as an example, and only shows the schematic diagram of the waveguide structure 300 in each waveguide layer 200 at the same time on the axis A, the middle layer waveguide structure The length of the second conductive sheet 302 of 300 is marked as h3A, the two layers on one side are marked as h2A and h1A, and the two layers on the other side are marked as h4A and h5A respectively, h3A>h4A=h2A>h1A=h5A); see figure 5. The second gradual law is that the length of the second conductive sheet 302 decreases symmetrically from the center of the arrangement of the multiple waveguide structures 300 of the waveguide layer 200 to both sides, that is, from the waveguide structure 300 at the center of the layer to the waveguide structures 300 on both sides of the layer. Symmetrical decreasing (Figure 5 takes the slip-symmetric second conductive sheet 302 as an example, and only shows multiple waveguide structures 300 of a certain waveguide layer 200. The length of the paired second conductive sheet 302 at the center of the layer is marked as hC, One side of the layer center is labeled hB and hA, and the other side of the layer center is labeled hD and hE, hC>hB=hD>hA=hE). When the center distance between two adjacent second conductive sheets 302 of the plurality of waveguide structures 300 is the same, the greater the h, the greater the refractive index.

It should be noted that the decrease can be a linear gradual decrease or a non-linear gradual decrease. For example, a linear gradual decrease can be understood as a decrease according to the gradient of a geometric sequence or an arithmetic sequence or according to a specific rule.

Specifically, when the number of layers of the waveguide layer 200 is at least three, the plurality of waveguide structures 300 on the same axis in the plurality of waveguide layers 200 have a first gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302; and/ Or, when there are at least three waveguide structures 300 of the waveguide layer 200, there is a second gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302 between the plurality of waveguide structures 300 of the waveguide layer 200. When the number of layers of the waveguide layer 200 is one or two, the waveguide layer includes at least three waveguide structures 300, and the plurality of waveguide structures 300 of the waveguide layer 200 have a second gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302 between them.

Optionally, when the first direction of the waveguide layer 200 and the dielectric layer 100 is perpendicular to the polarization direction of the lens antenna in the actual application scenario, the multiple waveguide structures 300 are set as: There is a first gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302 between the plurality of waveguide structures 300; at this time, if the lengths of the second conductive sheets 302 of the plurality of waveguide structures 300 in the waveguide layer 200 are the same (see optional embodiment one) And optional embodiment 2), the lens structure 10 only realizes the electromagnetic wave convergence in the first direction; if there is a second gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302 between the multiple waveguide structures 300 in the same waveguide layer 200 (see Optional embodiment 3), the lens structure 10 can realize the electromagnetic wave convergence in the first direction and the second direction at the same time. specifically:

Alternative embodiment one: Please refer to FIG. 6 for assistance. FIG. 6 uses the sliding symmetrical arrangement of each pair of second conductive sheets 302, five waveguide layers 200 and each waveguide layer 200 has only one waveguide structure 300 as an example (in the nth The length of the second conductive sheet 302 of the waveguide structure 300 of the multi-layer waveguide layer 200 is marked as hn). At this time, there is a first gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302 between the five waveguide structures 300: h3>h4=h2 >h5=h1, that is, the value of h decreases from the waveguide structure 300 of the waveguide layer 200 at the center to the waveguide structure 300 of the two side layers, so that the refractive index of the lens structure 10 decreases from the middle layer to the two side layers, and the lens structure 10 realizes the first Convergence of electromagnetic waves in the direction (y direction in the figure).

Optional Embodiment 2: Please refer to FIG. 7 for assistance. FIG. 7 takes the sliding symmetrical arrangement of each pair of second conductive sheets 302, five waveguide layers 200 and two waveguide structures 300 in each waveguide layer 200 as an example. At this time, There is a first gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302 between the plurality of waveguide structures 300 on the same axis in the five-layer waveguide layer 200, and the length of the second conductive sheet 302 of the two waveguide structures 300 in the waveguide layer 200 the same. Specifically: the gradual change in length is: h3A=h3B>h4A=h4B=h2A=h2B>h5A=h5B=h1A=h1B (wherein, the multiple waveguide structures 300 on the A axis are located in the A area of the waveguide layer 200, respectively. The length of the second conductive sheet 302 of the waveguide structure 300 in the A region of the nth waveguide layer 200 is marked as hnA; the multiple waveguide structures 300 on the B axis are respectively located in the B region of the waveguide layer 200 and are in the nth waveguide layer 200 The length of the second conductive sheet 302 of the waveguide structure 300 in the B area is marked as hnB), that is, the value of h decreases from the middle layer to the two side layers, so that the refractive index of the lens structure 10 decreases from the middle layer to the two side layers, and the lens structure 10 Achieve the convergence of electromagnetic waves in the first direction.

Alternative embodiment three: Please refer to FIG. 8 for assistance. FIG. 8 takes the sliding symmetrical arrangement of each pair of second conductive sheets 302, five waveguide layers 200 and three waveguide structures 300 in each waveguide layer 200 as an example. At this time, The plurality of waveguide structures 300 on the same axis in the five-layer waveguide layer 200 have a first gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302, and the plurality of waveguide structures 300 in the same waveguide layer 200 have a second conductive sheet between them The second gradual law of the length of 302. Specifically: five on the axis A of the different waveguide layer 200 (corresponding to the A region of the waveguide layer 200, and the length of the second conductive sheet 302 of the waveguide structure 300 in the A region of the nth waveguide layer 200 is marked as hnA) There is a first gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302 between the waveguide structures 300: h3A>h4A=h2A>h5A=h1A, in the axis B of the different waveguide layer 200 (corresponding to the area B of the waveguide layer 200, in the nth layer The length of the second conductive sheet 302 of the waveguide structure 300 in the region B of the waveguide layer 200 is marked as hnB) There is a first gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302 among the five waveguide structures 300: h3B>h4B=h2B >h5B=h1B, on the axis C of the different waveguide layer 200 (corresponding to the C area of the waveguide layer 200, the length of the second conductive sheet 302 of the waveguide structure 300 in the C area of the nth waveguide layer 200 is marked as hnC) There is a first gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302 between the five waveguide structures 300: h3C>h4C=h2C>h5C=h1C, and the length in each waveguide layer 200 presents a second gradual law: hA=hC <hB. Therefore, the refractive index of the lens structure 10 decreases from the middle layer to the two side layers, and decreases from the center position in the layer to the two sides. The lens structure 10 can realize the first direction and the second direction at the same time (that is, the x direction in the figure). Convergence of electromagnetic waves.

Optionally, when the first direction of the waveguide layer 200 and the dielectric layer 100 is parallel to the polarization direction of the lens antenna in the actual application scenario, the multiple waveguide structures 300 are set as: between the multiple waveguide structures 300 in the waveguide layer 200 There is a second gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302; at this time, if the lengths of the second conductive sheets 302 of the multiple waveguide structures 300 on the same axis in different waveguide layers 200 are the same (see optional embodiment 4) , The lens structure 10 only realizes the concentration of electromagnetic waves in the second direction; if there is a first gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302 between multiple waveguide structures 300 on the same axis in different waveguide layers 200 (see optional implementation Example 5), the lens structure 10 can simultaneously realize the electromagnetic wave convergence in the second direction and the first direction. specifically:

Optional embodiment four: please refer to FIG. 9 for assistance. FIG. 9 uses the sliding symmetrical arrangement of each pair of second conductive sheets 302, three waveguide layers 200 and five waveguide structures 300 in each waveguide layer 200 as an example. At this time, There is a second gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302 between the multiple waveguide structures 300 in the waveguide layer 200, and the multiple waveguide structures 300 on the same axis in different waveguide layers 200 have the same length. Specifically: the five waveguide structures 300 of the same waveguide layer 200 have a first gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302: hC>hB=hD>hA=hE, that is, the value of h is from the waveguide structure 300 at the center of the layer The waveguide structure 300 decreases toward both sides, so that the refractive index of the lens structure 10 decreases from the center of the layer toward both sides, and the lens structure 10 realizes the convergence of electromagnetic waves in the second direction.

Optional Embodiment 5: Please refer to FIG. 10 for assistance. FIG. 10 uses the sliding symmetrical arrangement of each pair of second conductive sheets 302, three waveguide layers 200 and five waveguide structures 300 in each waveguide layer 200 as an example. At this time, There is a second gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302 between the plurality of waveguide structures 300 in the waveguide layer 200, and the second conductive sheet 302 is arranged between the plurality of waveguide structures 300 on the same axis in different waveguide layers 200. The first gradual law of length. Specifically: the five waveguide structures 300 of the same waveguide layer 200 have a first gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302: hC>hB=hD>hA=hE, that is, the value of h is from the waveguide structure 300 at the center of the layer The waveguide structure 300 decreases towards both sides, and there is a first gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet 302 between the three waveguide structures 300 in the A region of the different waveguide layers 200: h2A>h1A=h3A, in different waveguide layers There is a first gradual law of length between the three waveguide structures 300 in the B area in 200: h2B>h1B=h3B, and the three waveguide structures 300 in the C area in different waveguide layers 200 have the length of the second conductive sheet 302 between them. The first law of gradual change: h2C>h1C=h3C. Therefore, the equivalent refractive index of the lens structure 10 decreases from the center of the layer to the positions on both sides, and at the same time, decreases from the middle layer to the two side layers, and the lens structure 10 realizes the convergence of electromagnetic waves in the second direction and the first direction.

Further, referring to FIG. 11, the first conductive sheet 301 is provided with a first connection area 301A and a second connection area 301B in the axial direction, and the second conductive sheet 302 is arranged on the second connection area 301B, wherein the second connection area 301B It can be the incident area of the waveguide structure 300 or the exit area of the waveguide structure 300. The waveguide structure 300 further includes at least one pair of matching sections 303 (FIG. 11 takes two pairs of matching sections 303 as an example).

At least one pair of matching sections 303 are arranged on the first connection area 301A, each pair of matching sections 303 are respectively arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet 301, and the length direction of the matching section 303 is parallel to the length direction of the second conductive sheet 302 In the length direction, the length of the matching section 303 of the same waveguide structure 300 is less than the length of the second conductive sheet 302.

Wherein, the structure of the matching section 303 is similar to the structure of the second conductive sheet 302. Optionally, each pair of matching sections 303 is arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet 301 axially and mirror-symmetrically; optionally, each pair of matching sections The 303 axial sliding movement is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet 301. The matching section 303 has conductivity. Optionally, the material of the matching section 303 is the same as the material of the second conductive sheet 302.

Since the length of the matching section 303 is less than the length of the second conductive sheet 302, when electromagnetic waves enter the matching section 303 through the second conductive sheet 302, the refractive index gradually decreases; when the first connection region 301A is the incident region of the waveguide structure 300, the matching section 303 can realize the impedance matching between the electromagnetic wave entrance area and free space of the lens structure 10, and reduce the energy loss of electromagnetic waves; when the first connection area 301A is the exit area of the waveguide structure 300, the matching section 303 can realize the electromagnetic wave exit area and the electromagnetic wave exit area of the lens structure 10 respectively. Impedance matching between free spaces reduces the energy loss of electromagnetic waves, thereby increasing the transmission distance of electromagnetic waves and improving the efficiency of the lens antenna.

Optionally, referring to FIG. 12, the first conductive sheet 301 is further provided with a third connection area 301C in the axial direction, and the first connection area 301A, the second connection area 301B, and the third connection area 301C are arranged along the axial direction; the waveguide The structure 300 includes a plurality of pairs of matching sections 303, which are respectively disposed in the first connection region 301A and the third connection region 301C, that is, the plurality of pairs of matching sections 303 are respectively located in the entrance area and the exit area of the lens structure 10. There is a third gradual change rule between the pairs of matching segments 303, and the third gradual rule is that the lengths of the multiple pairs of matching segments 303 extend from the side of the first connection area 301A of the first conductive sheet 301 close to the second connection area 301B to the first connection The side of the area 301A away from the second connection area 301B decreases gradually, and/or from the side of the third connection area 301C of the first conductive sheet 301 close to the second connection area 301B to the third connection area 301C away from the second connection area 301B Decrease on one side. The number of pairs of matching segments in the first connection area 301A and the third connection area 301C may be the same or different. In FIG. 13, two pairs of matching sections 303 are provided in each connection area of each waveguide structure 300, and each pair of second conductive sheets 302 and each pair of matching sections 303 are slidingly symmetrically arranged as an example, and the lengths of the matching sections 303 are respectively h1 And h2, h1 and h2 are gradually reduced relative to h (h is the length of the second conductive sheet 302), that is, h>h1>h2, p (p is the distance between the geometric centers of two adjacent matching segments 303) constant.

Since the lengths of the multiple pairs of matching sections 303 decrease from the side of the first connection area 301A of the first conductive sheet 301 close to the second connection area 301B to the side of the first connection area 301A away from the second connection area 301B, and/or from The side of the third connection area 301C of the first conductive sheet 301 close to the second connection area 301B decreases toward the side of the third connection area 301C away from the second connection area 301B, which can gradually reduce the refractive index at both ends of the waveguide and further reduce the lens structure The impedance mismatch between 10 and free space can more effectively reduce the energy loss of electromagnetic waves, and more effectively improve the efficiency of the lens antenna.

Optionally, the distance between two adjacent second conductive sheets 302 on the waveguide structure is equal to the distance between two adjacent matching sections 303, so that the impedance matching is more evenly distributed in space.

The lens structure provided by this embodiment uses multiple pairs of symmetrical second conductive plates to produce artificial surface plasmon waveguides. By setting the gradual law of the length of the waveguide structure between layers or within layers, different refractive index distributions can be obtained to realize beams. Convergence function, and low dielectric loss during electromagnetic wave transmission along the waveguide, so in practical applications, a lens antenna with smaller loss, higher efficiency, and wider bandwidth can be realized. Furthermore, by arranging multiple pairs of matching sections at both ends of each waveguide structure, the impedance mismatch between the lens structure and the free space can be reduced, the energy loss of electromagnetic waves can be reduced more effectively, and the efficiency of the lens antenna in practical applications can be improved. In addition, by alternately stacking dielectric layers and waveguide layers, the assembly and preparation of low-cost lenses can also be realized.

Refer to FIG. 14, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lens antenna 1 in an embodiment.

In this embodiment, the lens antenna 1 includes the lens structure 10 and the feed array 20 as described in the above embodiment.

For the lens structure 10, please refer to the related description of the above-mentioned embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

Wherein, the feed source array 20 and the lens structure 10 are arranged in parallel. The feed array 20 includes a plurality of feed units. Optionally, please refer to FIG. 15 (taking 5 feed units as an example in the figure). The plurality of feed units 20a are arranged in a linear fashion, and the center of the linear arrangement is located at the focal point of the lens structure 10, so that the feed array 20 Multi-beam emission can be realized; by feeding different feed units of the feed array 20, different beam directions can be obtained, thereby realizing beam scanning, which is suitable for the application of millimeter wave lens antennas. It can be understood that the feed array 20 in this embodiment may be an array of radiating elements arranged on a millimeter-wave integrated module, and the feed unit 20a may be a radiating element of various forms, for example, rectangular, ring-shaped, cross-shaped, etc. Different forms of radiation patches.

The lens antenna provided by this embodiment includes a feed array and a lens structure. Through the symmetrical structure of the second conductive sheet in the lens structure and the gradual change in length, it is possible to achieve smaller loss, higher efficiency, larger bandwidth, and higher cost. Low lens antenna; multi-beam emission and beam scanning can be realized through the setting of the feeder array.

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 17, 16 and FIG. 17 are schematic diagrams of the structure of the lens antenna 1 in another embodiment.

In this embodiment, the lens antenna 1 includes the lens structure 10 and the feed array 20 as described in the above embodiment, the first metal plate 30 and the second metal plate 40 arranged at an interval 20 from the first metal plate. The lens structure 10 and the feed array 20 are respectively arranged between the first metal plate 30 and the second metal plate 40.

For the lens structure 10 and the feed array 20, please refer to the relevant description of the above-mentioned embodiment, which will not be repeated here. Moreover, according to the above-mentioned embodiment, the lens structure 10 can be applied to application scenarios with different polarization directions through different settings of the waveguide layer 200 and the dielectric layer 100 in the first direction.

Optionally, please refer to FIG. 16, the first directions of the waveguide layer 200 and the dielectric layer 100 are parallel to the first metal plate 30 and the second metal plate 40 respectively (with the waveguide layer 200 as a waveguide structure 300 and each pair of second As an example, the conductive sheet 302 is set to slide symmetrically, and the first direction in the drawing is perpendicular to the surface of the paper), so that the lens structure 10 can be suitable for vertical polarization application scenarios, and the polarization directions of the lens antenna 1 are respectively perpendicular to the first metal plate 30 And a second metal plate 40.

Optionally, please refer to FIG. 17, the first direction of the waveguide layer 200 and the dielectric layer 100 are perpendicular to the first metal plate 30 and the second metal plate 40 respectively (the first direction in the drawing is parallel to the paper surface), so that the lens structure 10 can be applied to horizontal polarization application scenarios, and the polarization direction of the lens antenna 1 is parallel to the first metal plate 30 and the second metal plate 40, respectively.

Among them, both the first metal plate 30 and the second metal plate 40 can be used to reflect internal electromagnetic waves and shield external interference. Placing the lens structure 10 and the feed array 20 between the first metal plate 30 and the second metal plate 40 can reduce the leakage of electromagnetic waves radiated by the feed, thereby improving the efficiency of the lens antenna 1 and the structural strength of the lens antenna 1 . Optionally, the first flat metal plate 30 and the second flat metal plate 40 are made of super-hard aluminum plates, of course, they can also be made of other metal materials such as stainless steel.

The lens antenna provided by this embodiment includes a first metal plate, a second metal plate, a feed array, and a lens structure. On the one hand, through the symmetrical structure of the second conductive plate in the lens structure and the gradual change in length, the loss can be increased. A lens antenna with smaller, higher efficiency, wider bandwidth and lower cost; on the other hand, the arrangement of the first metal plate and the second metal plate can reduce the leakage of electromagnetic waves radiated by the feed source, thereby improving the antenna efficiency and the antenna at the same time In addition, through the setting of the feeder array, multi-beam emission and beam scanning can be realized.

The present application also provides an electronic device 2. The electronic device 2 includes the lens antenna 1 as in the above-mentioned embodiment. Because the lens antenna 1 has smaller loss, higher efficiency, larger bandwidth and lower cost, and can realize multi-beam Outgoing and beam scanning, so the electronic device 2 can achieve high efficiency, high gain, low cost beam scanning, which can be suitable for the transmission and reception of 5G communication millimeter wave signals. At the same time, the lens antenna 1 has a short focal length, a small size, and is easy to integrate in electronics. In the device 2, the space occupied by the lens antenna 1 in the electronic device 2 can be reduced at the same time.

Optionally, referring to FIG. 16, the electronic device 2 further includes a detection module 160, a switch module 161 and a control module 162.

The detection module 160 is used to obtain the beam signal strength of the electromagnetic wave radiated by the lens antenna 1 when the feed unit 20a is in the working state, and can also be used to detect and obtain the electromagnetic wave power and the electromagnetic wave absorption ratio of the lens antenna 1 when the feed unit 20a is in the working state. Or specific absorption rate (Specific Absorption Rate, SAR) and other parameters.

The switch module 161 is connected to the switch module 161 and is used to select a connection path with any one of the feed units 20a. Optionally, the switch module 161 may include an input terminal and multiple output terminals, the input terminal is connected to the control module 162, and the multiple output terminals are respectively connected to the multiple feed units 20a in a one-to-one correspondence. The switch module 161 may be used to receive a switching instruction issued by the control module 162 to control the on and off of each switch in the switch module 161, so as to control the conduction and connection between the switch module 161 and any feed unit 20a. Put any one of the feed units 20a in an operating (conducting) state.

The control module 162 is respectively connected to the detection module 160 and the switch module 161, and controls the switch module 161 according to the beam signal strength to make the feed unit 20a corresponding to the strongest beam signal strength work.

Therefore, through the detection module 160, the switch module 161, and the control module 162, any one of the feed units 20a can be operated to obtain different beam directions, thereby achieving beam scanning, which can be applied to the application of millimeter wave lens antennas; and, beam scanning The process does not require a shifter and attenuator, which greatly reduces the cost.

Taking the feeder array 20 including five feeder units as an example, the detection module 160 can correspondingly obtain five beam signal strengths, and filter out the strongest beam signal strength from them, and compare the strongest beam signal strength to the feed source The unit 20a serves as the target feed unit, and the switching instruction issued by the control module 162 controls the conduction connection between the switch module 161 and the target feed unit, so that the target feed unit is in a working (conducting) state. The simulation obtains the beam scanning pattern as shown in FIG. 19. According to the simulation results, it can be seen that the mobile phone can realize the 6G millimeter wave high-efficiency, high-gain, and low-cost beam scanning of the mobile phone through the arrangement of the two lens antennas 1.

Optionally, the electronic device 2 includes multiple lens antennas 1, and the multiple lens antennas 1 are distributed on different sides of the middle frame of the electronic device 2. Optionally, please refer to FIG. 20 for assistance. The middle frame of the electronic device 2 includes a first side 181 and a third side 183 arranged opposite to each other, and a second side 182 and a fourth side 184 arranged opposite to each other. The two sides 182 are connected to one end of the first side 181 and the third side 183, and the fourth side 184 is connected to the other end of the first side 181 and the third side 183. At least two sides of the first side 181, the second side 182, the third side 183, and the fourth side 184 are respectively provided with a lens antenna 1.

Take the electronic device 2 including two lens antennas 1 as an example. Optionally, please refer to FIG. 21 for assistance. The two lens antennas 1 are arranged on the two long sides of the mobile phone (for example, the first side 181 and the third side 183). ) To cover the space on both sides of the phone.

It should be noted that the electronic device 2 in the foregoing embodiment includes, but is not limited to, any products and components that have antenna transceiver functions, such as mobile phones, tablet computers, displays, smart watches, and so on. The division of the units in the above electronic device 2 is only for illustration. In other embodiments, the electronic device 2 can be divided into different modules as needed to complete all or part of the functions of the above electronic device 2.

The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, all possible combinations of the various technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are not described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, All should be considered as the scope of this specification.

The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation manners of the present application, and their description is relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be understood as a limitation on the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of this application, several modifications and improvements can be made, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the patent of this application shall be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

A lens structure, including:

Multi-layer dielectric layer;

At least one waveguide layer, the waveguide layer and the dielectric layer are alternately stacked in a first direction, and the waveguide layer includes:

At least one waveguide structure, when a plurality of the waveguide structures are included, the plurality of the waveguide structures are spaced apart and arranged in parallel; the waveguide structure includes a first conductive sheet and at least a pair of second conductive sheets, each pair of the second conductive sheet The conductive sheets are respectively arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet in the axial direction;

Among the multiple waveguide layers, the multiple waveguide structures on the same axis have a first gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet; the axis is parallel to any one of the waveguide layers. As for the straight line in the first direction, the length direction of the second conductive sheet is perpendicular to the axial direction of the first conductive sheet.
The lens structure according to claim 1, wherein the first gradual law is that the length decreases symmetrically from the center position of the axis toward the waveguide structure on both sides;

Wherein, the number of the waveguide layer is at least three.
The lens structure according to claim 1, wherein each pair of the second conductive sheet is axially and mirror-symmetrically arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet.
The lens structure according to claim 1, wherein each pair of the second conductive sheets are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet for axial sliding movement.
The lens structure according to claim 1, wherein, in the waveguide structure, a plurality of the second conductive sheets on the same side of the first conductive sheet are arranged at equal intervals and in parallel, and a plurality of the first conductive sheets are arranged in parallel. The two conductive pieces have the same length.
The lens structure according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the waveguide structures in the waveguide layer are arranged at equal intervals.
The lens structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lengths of a plurality of the waveguide structures in the waveguide layer are the same.
The lens structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when there are at least three waveguide structures in the waveguide layer, there is a second waveguide structure between the plurality of waveguide structures in the waveguide layer. The law of gradual change.
8. The lens structure according to claim 8, wherein the second gradual law is that the length decreases symmetrically from the center of the arrangement of the plurality of waveguide structures of the waveguide layer to both sides.
8. The lens structure according to claim 8, wherein the first conductive sheet is provided with a first connection area and a second connection area in the axial direction, and the second conductive sheet is disposed on the second connection area , The waveguide structure further includes:

At least one pair of matching sections are arranged on the first connection area, each pair of the matching sections are respectively arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet, and the length direction of the matching section is parallel to the second conductive sheet. The length of the film;

In the length direction, the length of the matching section of the same waveguide structure is smaller than the length of the second conductive sheet.
The lens structure according to claim 10, wherein each pair of the matching segments are axially and symmetrically arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet.
10. The lens structure according to claim 10, wherein each pair of the matching segments are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet for axial sliding movement.
The lens structure according to claim 10, wherein the first conductive sheet is further provided with a third connection area in the axial direction, the first connection area, the second connection area and the third connection area The regions are arranged along the axial direction; the waveguide structure includes:

The multiple pairs of matching segments are respectively arranged in the first connection area and the third connection area, and there is a third gradual change law between the multiple pairs of matching segments.
The lens structure according to claim 13, wherein the third gradual change law is that the lengths of the multiple pairs of the matching segments extend from the side of the first connection area close to the second connection area to the first connection area. The side of a connecting area away from the second connecting area decreases gradually.
The lens structure according to claim 13, wherein the third gradual law is that the lengths of multiple pairs of the matching segments extend from the side of the third connection area close to the second connection area to the first connection area. The side of the third connection area away from the second connection area decreases gradually.
The lens structure according to claim 13, wherein the third gradual change law is that the lengths of the multiple pairs of the matching segments extend from the side of the first connection area close to the second connection area to the first connection area. The side of a connection area away from the second connection area decreases gradually, and from the side of the third connection area close to the second connection area to the side of the third connection area away from the second connection area Decreasing.
10. The lens structure according to claim 10, wherein the distance between two adjacent second conductive sheets on the waveguide structure is equal to the distance between two adjacent matching sections.
A lens structure, including:

Multi-layer dielectric layer;

At least one waveguide layer, the waveguide layer and the dielectric layer are alternately stacked in a first direction, and the waveguide layer includes:

At least three waveguide structures, a plurality of the waveguide structures are arranged in parallel and spaced apart; the waveguide structure includes a first conductive sheet and at least a pair of second conductive sheets, each pair of the second conductive sheet is respectively arranged on the first On both sides of the conductive sheet in the axial direction;

Wherein, there is a second gradual law of the length of the second conductive sheet between the multiple waveguide structures of the same waveguide layer, and the length direction of the second conductive sheet is perpendicular to the axis of the first conductive sheet to.
The lens structure according to claim 18, wherein the second gradual law is that the length decreases symmetrically from the center of the arrangement of the plurality of waveguide structures of the waveguide layer to both sides.
The lens structure according to claim 18, wherein the lengths of the plurality of the waveguide structures on the same axis among the plurality of the waveguide layers are the same, and the axis passes through any of the waveguide layers and A straight line parallel to the first direction.
The lens structure according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein the first conductive sheet is provided with a first connection area and a second connection area in the axial direction, and the second conductive sheet is provided on the On the second connection area, the waveguide structure further includes:

At least one pair of matching sections are arranged on the first connection area, each pair of the matching sections are respectively arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet, and the length direction of the matching section is parallel to the second conductive sheet. The length of the film;

In the length direction, the length of the matching section of the same waveguide structure is smaller than the length of the second conductive sheet.
The lens structure according to claim 21, wherein each pair of the matching segments are axially and mirror-symmetrically arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet.
22. The lens structure according to claim 21, wherein each pair of the matching segments are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the first conductive sheet for axial sliding movement.
22. The lens structure of claim 21, wherein the first conductive sheet is further provided with a third connection area in the axial direction, the first connection area, the second connection area and the third connection area. The regions are arranged along the axial direction; the waveguide structure includes:

The multiple pairs of matching segments are respectively arranged in the first connection area and the third connection area, and there is a third gradual change law between the multiple pairs of matching segments.
The lens structure according to claim 24, wherein the third gradual law is that the lengths of multiple pairs of the matching segments extend from the side of the first connection area close to the second connection area to the first connection area. The side of a connecting area away from the second connecting area decreases gradually.
The lens structure according to claim 24, wherein the third gradual change rule is that the lengths of multiple pairs of the matching segments extend from the side of the third connection area close to the second connection area to the first connection area. The side of the third connection area away from the second connection area decreases gradually.
The lens structure according to claim 24, wherein the third gradual law is that the lengths of multiple pairs of the matching segments extend from the side of the first connection area close to the second connection area to the first connection area. The side of a connection area away from the second connection area decreases gradually, and from the side of the third connection area close to the second connection area to the side of the third connection area away from the second connection area Decreasing.
22. The lens structure according to claim 21, wherein, on the waveguide structure, a distance between two adjacent second conductive sheets is equal to a distance between two adjacent matching sections.
A lens antenna, characterized in that it comprises:

Feed array; and

The lens structure according to any one of claims 1-28 arranged in parallel with the feed source array.
The lens antenna according to claim 29, further comprising:

First metal plate

A second metal plate arranged parallel to and spaced apart from the first metal plate;

Wherein, the lens structure and the feed source array are respectively arranged between the first metal plate and the second metal plate.
The lens antenna according to claim 30, wherein the first direction is parallel to the first metal plate and the second metal plate, respectively.
The lens antenna according to claim 31, wherein the polarization direction of the lens antenna is perpendicular to the first metal plate and the second metal plate, respectively.
The lens antenna according to claim 30, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the first metal plate and the second metal plate, respectively.
The lens antenna according to claim 33, wherein the polarization direction of the lens antenna is parallel to the first metal flat plate and the second metal flat plate, respectively.
An electronic device, characterized by comprising the lens antenna according to any one of claims 29-34.
The electronic device according to claim 35, wherein the feed source array comprises a plurality of feed source units, and the electronic device further comprises:

A detection module, configured to obtain the beam signal strength of the lens antenna when the feed unit is in a working state;

A switch module, connected to the feed array, and used to select a connection path with any one of the feed units;

The control module is respectively connected with the detection module and the switch module, and is used to control the switch module according to the beam signal strength so that the feed unit corresponding to the strongest beam signal strength is in the working state.