WO2023092305A1

WO2023092305A1 - Antenna unit, array, beam scanning method, communication apparatus, and storage medium

Info

Publication number: WO2023092305A1
Application number: PCT/CN2021/132574
Authority: WO
Inventors: 陈栋; 池连刚; 郭胜祥
Original assignee: 北京小米移动软件有限公司
Priority date: 2021-11-23
Filing date: 2021-11-23
Publication date: 2023-06-01

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an antenna unit (10), an antenna array, a beam scanning method, a communication apparatus (700), and a computer-readable storage medium. The antenna unit (10) comprises a microstrip patch antenna (1) and a phase shifter (2). The phase shifter (2) comprises: a microstrip line layer (21); a liquid crystal layer (22) arranged between the microstrip line layer (21) and the microstrip patch antenna (1); and a metal layer (23) arranged between the liquid crystal layer (22) and the microstrip patch antenna (1). A first through hole (231) and a second through hole (232) are formed in the metal layer (23), the microstrip patch antenna (1) is coupled to the output end of a first microstrip line (211) by means of the first through hole (231), and the microstrip patch antenna (1) is coupled to the output end of a second microstrip line (212) by means of the second through hole (232). According to the present disclosure, the antenna unit for changing a beam phase has a relatively simple structure, relatively low manufacturing cost and relatively light weight, can be made into a planar structure, is low in profile and easy to process, facilitates miniaturization, and is easy to carry and integrate.

Description

Antenna unit, array, beam scanning method, communication device and storage medium

technical field

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of communication, and in particular, to an antenna unit, an antenna array, a beam scanning method, a communication device, and a computer-readable storage medium.

Background technique

In Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), terminals can communicate with base stations through satellites. Among them, satellites mainly include high-orbit satellites and low-orbit satellites. High-orbit satellites are generally located at an altitude of 35,800 kilometers from the ground. Satellite will do.

However, since the orbit of high-orbit satellites is far away from the ground, the antenna gain required for communication is relatively high, usually above 30dB. The antennas used are generally parabolic antennas. Due to the high profile and large size, it is not easy to Integration, and the cost of launching high-orbit satellites is relatively high, and there are hidden dangers of confidentiality.

The low-orbit satellites can avoid the above problems to a large extent. Low-orbit satellites are generally located in the air from 200 kilometers to 2,000 kilometers from the ground. Appropriate effective isotropic radiated power (Effective Isotropic Radiated Power, EPIR) and G/T.

However, since low-orbit satellites are moving in their orbits, they cannot be stationary relative to the earth's orbit, which requires the terminal to continuously adjust the beam direction to align with the moving satellites to communicate well with the satellites.

Contents of the invention

In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure propose an antenna unit, an antenna array, a beam scanning method, a communication device, and a computer-readable storage medium to solve technical problems in related technologies.

According to the first aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, an antenna unit is proposed, including a microstrip patch antenna and a phase shifter; wherein, the phase shifter includes:

A microstrip line layer, wherein a first microstrip line and a second microstrip line are arranged, and the output end of the first microstrip line is perpendicular to the output end of the second microstrip line;

a liquid crystal layer disposed between the microstrip line layer and the microstrip patch antenna;

a metal layer disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the microstrip patch antenna;

A first through hole and a second through hole are arranged in the metal layer, the first through hole is perpendicular to the second through hole, the output end of the microstrip patch antenna and the first microstrip line Coupled through the first through hole, the output end of the microstrip patch antenna and the second microstrip line are coupled through the second through hole.

Optionally, the first through hole is strip-shaped, and the projection of the output end of the first microstrip line on the metal layer is perpendicular to the first through hole; and/or the second through hole The projection of the output end of the second microstrip line on the metal layer is perpendicular to the second through hole.

Optionally, the antenna unit further includes:

a substrate, wherein the microstrip line layer is disposed on the substrate;

A dielectric layer is arranged between the metal layer and the microstrip patch antenna.

Optionally, the first microstrip line and/or the second microstrip line are helical microstrip lines.

Optionally, the shape of the microstrip patch antenna is a square.

According to a second aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, an antenna array is provided, including the above-mentioned antenna unit.

Optionally, the antenna array further includes a power distribution network;

Wherein, the power distribution network includes an input terminal and a plurality of output terminals, the input terminal of the power distribution network is used to receive a radio frequency signal, and the output terminal of the power distribution network is used to transmit the radio frequency signal to the first One microstrip line and the input end of the second microstrip line.

Optionally, the power distribution network is located on the same layer as the microstrip patch antenna;

A third via hole is also provided in the metal layer, and the output terminal of the power distribution network is coupled with the input terminal of the first microstrip line through the third via hole; and/or

A fourth through hole is also provided in the metal layer, and the output end of the power distribution network is coupled with the input end of the second microstrip line through the fourth through hole.

Optionally, the third through hole is strip-shaped, and the projection of the output end of the power distribution network and the input end of the first microstrip line on the metal layer is perpendicular to the third through hole; and / or

The fourth through hole is strip-shaped, and projections of the output end of the power distribution network and the input end of the second microstrip line on the metal layer are perpendicular to the fourth through hole.

Optionally, the number of output ends of the power distribution network is less than or equal to the sum of the number of input ends of the first microstrip line and the number of input ends of the second microstrip line.

Optionally, an output end of each power distribution network is coupled to input ends of multiple first microstrip lines, and/or coupled to input ends of multiple second microstrip lines.

Optionally, the distance between the microstrip patch antennas in adjacent antenna units is 0.5λ0 to λ0, and λ0 is the vacuum wavelength corresponding to the working center frequency band of the microstrip patch antenna.

Optionally, the antenna array includes 4 rows by 4 columns of the antenna units.

According to the third aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a beam scanning method is proposed, which is applicable to the above-mentioned antenna array, and the method includes:

adjusting the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer by controlling the electrical signal on the metal layer and/or the electrical signal on the microstrip line in each of the antenna units;

Wherein, the electrical signal on the microstrip line is coupled to the microstrip patch antenna for radiation after being phase-shifted by the liquid crystal layer, and the phases of the signals radiated by the microstrip patch antennas in the multiple antenna units are superimposed After that, a beam is formed to be emitted towards the target direction.

According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication device is proposed, including: the above-mentioned antenna array, a processor, and a memory for storing computer programs; wherein, when the computer program is executed by the processor, the above-mentioned beam scan method.

According to a fifth aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps in the above-mentioned beam scanning method are realized.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the microstrip line, the liquid crystal layer, and the metal layer can constitute a phase shifter. By inputting a signal to the microstrip line, the output end of the microstrip line and the microstrip patch antenna pass through the first pass in the metal layer. Hole coupling, the microstrip patch antenna can further transmit the coupled signal.

In the process of coupling the signal on the microstrip line to the microstrip patch antenna, it will pass through the liquid crystal layer first, and the liquid crystal layer can change the phase of the signal, thereby functioning as a phase shifter.

In addition, under different dielectric constants, the amplitude of the phase change of the liquid crystal layer is different for the signal. By controlling the telecommunication signal on the metal layer, or by controlling the electrical signal on the microstrip line, or by controlling the electrical signal on the metal layer and the microstrip line, the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer can be changed, thereby changing the liquid crystal layer The dielectric constant, and then adjust the phase shifter to change the phase of the signal on the microstrip line. Accordingly, the phase of the transmitting beam of the microstrip patch antenna in the antenna unit can be controlled.

Since the structure of the antenna unit for changing the beam phase in this embodiment is relatively simple, the manufacturing cost is relatively low, the weight is small, and it can be made into a planar structure with a low profile, easy to process, small in size, easy to carry, and easy to integrate.

Further, multiple antenna units can be made into an antenna array as required, wherein the phases of the radio frequency signals transmitted by each antenna unit can be all the same, partly the same, or all different. On this basis, by adjusting the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer in each antenna unit, the electrical signal on the microstrip line in each antenna unit can be shifted to different degrees through the liquid crystal layer, and then coupled to the microstrip sticker. The patch antennas radiate, and the signals radiated by the microstrip patch antennas in the plurality of antenna units are phase-superposed to form beams that are transmitted toward the target direction, thereby realizing the control of the beam direction of the antenna array.

Due to the simple structure of the antenna unit, the structure of the antenna array composed of antenna units is also relatively simple, easy to reconfigure, and convenient to control the beam direction, so as to control the beam to align with the satellite in real time and ensure good signal quality for satellite communication.

Description of drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

Fig. 1A is a schematic diagram showing a layered structure of an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the antenna unit shown in Fig. 1A along the direction AA'.

Fig. 2A is a schematic diagram showing a layered structure of another antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2B is a schematic diagram showing radiation directions of an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2C is a schematic diagram of an axial ratio of left-handed circular polarization of an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a power distribution network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 is a schematic flowchart of a beam scanning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of an S parameter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for beam scanning according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed ways

The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by persons of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts belong to the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. As used in the examples of this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a" and "the" are also intended to include the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and/or" as used herein refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

It should be understood that although the embodiments of the present disclosure may use the terms first, second, third, etc. to describe various information, the information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure, first information may also be called second information, and similarly, second information may also be called first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at" or "when" or "in response to a determination."

For the purpose of brevity and ease of understanding, the terms used herein are "greater than" or "less than", "higher than" or "lower than" when representing a size relationship. But for those skilled in the art, it can be understood that the term "greater than" also covers the meaning of "greater than or equal to", and "less than" also covers the meaning of "less than or equal to"; the term "higher than" covers the meaning of "higher than or equal to". "The meaning of "below" also covers the meaning of "less than or equal to".

Fig. 1A is a schematic diagram of a layered structure of an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the antenna unit shown in Fig. 1A along the direction AA'. The antenna unit shown in this embodiment can be applied to a terminal, and the terminal includes but is not limited to a communication device such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wearable device, a sensor, and an Internet of Things device. The terminal can communicate with network-side equipment, and the network-side equipment includes but is not limited to network-side equipment in communication systems such as 4G, 5G, and 6G, such as base stations and core networks.

As shown in Figure 1A and Figure 1B, the antenna unit includes a microstrip patch antenna 1 and a phase shifter 2;

Wherein, the phase shifter 2 includes:

A microstrip line layer 21, wherein a first microstrip line 211 and a second microstrip line 212 are arranged, and the output end of the first microstrip line 211 is perpendicular to the output end of the second microstrip line 212;

The liquid crystal layer 22 is arranged between the microstrip line 21 and the microstrip patch antenna 1;

A metal layer 23 is disposed between the liquid crystal layer 22 and the microstrip patch antenna 1; wherein, the material of the metal layer includes but not limited to metal copper;

The metal layer 23 is provided with a first through hole 231 and a second through hole 232, the first through hole 231 is perpendicular to the second through hole 232, the microstrip patch antenna 1 and the first The output end of the microstrip line 211 is coupled through the first through hole 231 , and the output end of the microstrip patch antenna 1 and the second microstrip line 212 are coupled through the second through hole 232 . Wherein, the shape of the through hole can be set as required, for example, it can be a rectangular through hole as shown in the figure, or it can be set in other shapes as required, such as an oval through hole, a rhombus through hole.

In an embodiment, the terminal may be a terminal in a non-terrestrial network, and may communicate with a satellite in the non-terrestrial network through a beam. At present, when the terminal communicates with the satellite, in order to align the transmitting beam with the satellite, the antenna of the transmitting beam in the terminal is mainly set by phased array technology or Micro Electromechanical System (MEMS), but the antenna structure based on these technologies is relatively Complex, high cost, and large loss.

In one embodiment, the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer is variable, for example, by adjusting the electrical signal (such as voltage) on both sides of the liquid crystal layer, it can be to change the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal, such as the range of the dielectric constant 2.4 to 3.2.

In one embodiment, the microstrip line layer, the liquid crystal layer and the metal layer can constitute a phase shifter, and by inputting signals (such as radio frequency signals) to the first microstrip line and the second microstrip line in the microstrip line layer, the second The output end of a microstrip line is coupled with the microstrip patch antenna through the first through hole in the metal layer, and the output end of the second microstrip line is coupled with the microstrip patch antenna through the second through hole in the metal layer. The patch antenna can further transmit the coupled signal, for example, in beam mode.

Based on the structure shown in this embodiment, since the first through hole is perpendicular to the second through hole, there is a 90° phase difference between the signals on the two microstrip lines coupled to the microstrip patch antenna, and then a circular pole can be obtained after superposition polarization, and the polarization can be reconfigured, such as left-handed circular polarization or right-handed circular polarization, in order to achieve duplex polarization isolation for sending and receiving. Other polarized waves, such as linearly polarized waves, can also be emitted by adjusting the structure (for example, adjusting the structure of the microstrip line and the metal layer) as required. Wherein, the structure of the microstrip patch antenna may be a metasurface patch.

When the signals on the two microstrip lines are coupled to the microstrip patch antenna, they will pass through the liquid crystal layer first, and the liquid crystal layer can change the phase of the signal, thereby functioning as a phase shifter.

In addition, under different dielectric constants, the amplitude of the phase change of the liquid crystal layer is different for the signal. It can control the telecommunication signal on the metal layer, such as transmitting the voltage signal to the metal layer through the flexible circuit board (Flexible Printed Circuit, FPC), or by controlling the electrical signal on the microstrip line layer, or by controlling the metal layer and the electrical signal of the microstrip line layer to change the voltage difference on both sides of the liquid crystal layer, thereby changing the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer, thereby changing the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer, and then adjusting the phase shifter for the signal on the microstrip line degree of phase change. Accordingly, the phase of the transmitting beam of the microstrip patch antenna in the antenna unit can be controlled, and the structure of the basic embodiment can realize high-precision phase shifting of 360° full phase.

Further, multiple antenna units can be made into an antenna array as required, wherein the phases of the radio frequency signals transmitted by each antenna unit can be all the same, partly the same, or all different. On this basis, by adjusting the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer in each antenna unit, the electrical signal on the microstrip line layer in each antenna unit can be shifted to different degrees through the liquid crystal layer, and then coupled to the microstrip The patch antenna radiates, and the signals radiated by the microstrip patch antennas in the plurality of antenna units are phase-superimposed to form a beam that is transmitted toward the target direction, thereby realizing the control of the beam direction of the antenna array.

In one embodiment, the antenna unit further includes:

A substrate 24, wherein the microstrip line layer is disposed on the substrate;

The dielectric layer 25 is arranged between the metal layer and the microstrip patch antenna.

In one embodiment, the microstrip line layer can be formed on the substrate, and then a liquid crystal layer can be arranged on the microstrip line layer, then a metal layer is formed on the liquid crystal layer, and a dielectric layer is arranged on the metal layer, and finally A microstrip patch antenna is formed on the dielectric layer, the microstrip patch antenna can be a square, and the side length is 0.5λ ₀ to λ ₀ , and λ ₀ is the vacuum wavelength corresponding to the working center frequency band of the microstrip patch antenna. The insulation between the layer and the microstrip patch antenna.

In one embodiment, the substrate and the dielectric layer may be glass, such as glass of type BF33, so as to provide good support for each layer structure in the antenna unit.

In one embodiment, the microstrip patch antenna can be formed on the upper surface of the dielectric layer by micro-nano processing technology, and then the metal layer can be formed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer, and the microstrip line layer can be formed on the substrate, and then the The liquid crystal orientation material is passed between the microstrip line layer and the metal layer, and the liquid crystal is poured into the space between the microstrip line layer and the metal layer, and finally glued and packaged to form an antenna unit. The microstrip line layer and the microstrip patch antenna can share a metal layer as ground.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A , the first microstrip line 211 and the second microstrip line 212 are helical microstrip lines, for example, they can be arranged as a rectangular spiral as shown in the figure, or they can be set as required. round spiral.

According to this, setting the microstrip line can increase the length of the microstrip line as much as possible in a limited area. On the one hand, it is beneficial for the microstrip line to provide appropriate voltage control on one side of the liquid crystal layer to adjust the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer. On the other hand, It is beneficial to ensure the signal quality at the output end of the microstrip line.

In one embodiment, the first through hole 231 is strip-shaped, and the projection of the output end 2111 of the first microstrip line 211 on the metal layer is perpendicular to the first through hole 231; and/or The second through hole 232 is strip-shaped, and the projection of the output end 2121 of the second microstrip line 212 on the metal layer is perpendicular to the second through hole 232 . Accordingly, it is beneficial to ensure that the output end of the first microstrip line is well coupled to the patch antenna through the first through hole, and to ensure that the output end of the second microstrip line is well coupled to the patch antenna through the second through hole .

It should be noted that the output end of the microstrip line is not a point, but a microstrip line within a range at the end of the microstrip line; similarly, the input end of the microstrip line is not a point, but the starting point of the microstrip line A range of microstrip lines.

In one embodiment, the shape of the microstrip patch antenna is square. According to this, the E plane and the H plane of the pattern can be made symmetrical, ensuring that the transmitted signal has good signal quality. Wherein, the size of the microstrip patch antenna can be set as required, for example, the side length of the microstrip patch antenna is 0.5λ ₀ , and λ ₀ is the vacuum wavelength corresponding to the working center frequency band of the microstrip patch antenna.

Fig. 2B is a schematic diagram showing radiation directions of an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2C is a schematic diagram of an axial ratio of left-handed circular polarization of an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in Figure 2B, based on the structure of this embodiment, the difference in the maximum value of the relative field strength of the E-plane and H-plane radiation fields radiated by the antenna unit is within the range of 3dB, so the circularly polarized antenna formed has a good use effect .

As shown in Figure 2C, based on the structure of this embodiment, the circularly polarized wave radiated by the antenna unit is, for example, left-handed circularly polarized, and the axial ratio in a large range can be kept below 3dB, so it has a good radiation effect .

As shown in Figure 3, the antenna array can include a plurality of antenna units 10 in the above-mentioned embodiments, for example, the antenna array can be in a matrix shape as shown in Figure 3, for example, it includes 16 antenna units 10 of 4 by 4, that is, the antenna The array includes 4 rows by 4 columns of antenna elements. Of course, arrays of other shapes can also be set as required, such as 8 by 8, 3 by 3, and only two antenna units 10 are needed at least.

In one embodiment, the antenna array further includes a power distribution network;

Wherein, the power distribution network may include an input terminal and multiple output terminals, the input terminal of the power distribution network may receive the radio frequency signal sent by the signal generator, and then transmit it to the output terminal of the power distribution network, and then the output terminal of the power distribution network may be The signal is further transmitted to the input end of each microstrip line, for example, the input end of the microstrip line may be transmitted through direct connection, or the input end of the microstrip line may be transmitted through coupling.

In one embodiment, the power distribution network is located on the same layer as the microstrip patch antenna;

A third via hole is also provided in the metal layer, and the output end of the power distribution network is coupled with the input end of the first microstrip line through the third via hole; and/or in the metal layer A fourth through hole is also provided in the middle, and the output end of the power distribution network is coupled with the input end of the second microstrip line through the fourth through hole.

That is, the signal on the power distribution network can be coupled to the input end of the first microstrip line through the output end of the power distribution network via the third via, so that the first microstrip line can transmit the corresponding signal; the signal on the power distribution network The output end of the power distribution network may be coupled to the input end of the second microstrip line through the fourth via hole, so that the second microstrip line can transmit corresponding signals. Wherein, the signal transmission line in the power distribution network may be formed by using a microstrip line.

In one embodiment, the third through hole is strip-shaped, and the projection of the output end of the power distribution network and the input end of the first microstrip line on the metal layer is the same as that of the third through hole vertical; and/or the fourth through hole is strip-shaped, and the projection of the output end of the power distribution network and the input end of the second microstrip line on the metal layer is perpendicular to the fourth through hole . Accordingly, it is beneficial to ensure good coupling between the output end of the power distribution network and the input end of each microstrip line.

In one embodiment, the number of output ends of the power distribution network is less than or equal to the sum of the number of input ends of the first microstrip line and the number of input ends of the second microstrip line. In one embodiment, the output end of each said power distribution network is coupled to the input ends of a plurality of said microstrip lines.

An output end of the power distribution network can transmit signals to the input end of a microstrip line, and can also transmit signals to the input ends of multiple microstrip lines. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the power distribution network can be set With 32 output terminals, then one output terminal of the power distribution network transmits signals to the input terminal of a microstrip line, and the power distribution network can also be set to have 8 output terminals, then one output terminal of the power distribution network transmits signals to two antenna units The input end of the microstrip line transmits signals, that is, an output end of the power distribution network transmits signals to the input ends of the two first microstrip lines and the input ends of the two second microstrip lines.

The following embodiments are mainly exemplified under the condition that the power distribution network has 8 output terminals.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, on the basis of the antenna array shown in FIG. The input ends of the microstrip lines in the 2 antenna units are coupled, so that the power distribution network can transmit signals to the microstrip lines of the 16 antenna units.

It should be noted that the structure of the power distribution network is not limited to the situation described in the foregoing embodiments, and may be specifically adjusted according to needs, for example, adjusted according to the structure of the antenna array.

In one embodiment, the signal transmission lines in the power distribution network are designed based on impedance matching of at least one section of 1/4 wavelength. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the power distribution network is a T-shaped network, that is, the signal transmission line drawn from one node will be divided into two signal transmission lines, and so on until the required number of output terminals is obtained. Wherein, the signal transmission line in the power distribution network may be formed by using a microstrip line.

In this case, for example, the impedance of each microstrip line in the power distribution network can be different, for example, the impedance of the AB section is 50 ohms, the impedance of the CD section is 100 ohms, and the impedance of the EF section is 50 ohms. In order to make the power distribution For impedance matching between microstrip lines with different impedances in the network, two methods may be adopted in this embodiment.

One way is to set a gap at the intersection of microstrip lines with different impedances in the power distribution network, for example, at the intersection of the AB segment and the CD segment, the gap can be set, for example, as shown in Figure 4, the AB segment and the CD segment intersect at the CD segment, then the notch 43 can be set at the midpoint of the CD segment, which can achieve impedance matching to a certain extent.

Another way is to set matching impedance at the intersection of microstrip lines with different impedances in the power distribution network. For example, in the BC segment and the EF segment, a matching impedance 44 can be set, and the impedance value of the matching impedance 44 can be based on the impedance of the CD segment and The impedance of the EF section is calculated. For example, the impedance of the CD section is 100 ohms, and the impedance of the EF section is 50 ohms. Then the impedance of the EF section is the square root of 50 ohms × 100 ohms, which is approximately equal to 70.7 ohms.

It should be noted that, in the power distribution network, impedance matching may be implemented in any one of the above methods, or a combination of the two methods may be used to achieve impedance matching, which may be specifically set as required.

Through the impedance matching design, the energy loss of the power distribution network in the process of transmitting signals can be reduced to ensure relatively high transmission efficiency.

In one embodiment, the distance between the microstrip patch antennas in adjacent antenna units is 0.5λ ₀ to λ ₀ , where λ ₀ is the vacuum wavelength corresponding to the working center frequency band of the microstrip patch antenna.

In the antenna array, due to the existence of multiple antenna units, the beam formed by the phase superposition of the signals radiated by the microstrip patch antennas of multiple antenna units will be affected by the distance between the microstrip patch antennas. For example, take two adjacent microstrip patch antennas as an example, the larger the distance between the microstrip patch antennas, the larger the side lobe of the beam, the smaller the distance between the microstrip patch antennas, the The greater the coupling effect, in order to compromise between the coupling strength and the size of the side lobe, this embodiment sets the distance between the microstrip patch antennas in adjacent antenna units to be 0.5λ ₀ to λ ₀ to avoid excessive side lobes. Large or too coupled.

Fig. 5 is a schematic flowchart of a beam scanning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The beam scanning method described in this embodiment can be applied to the antenna array described in any of the above embodiments, and can be used to control the antenna array, and the antenna array can be applied to a terminal, and the terminal can control the The antenna array realizes beam scanning and communicates with communication devices moving in the air, such as satellites in non-terrestrial networks.

As shown in Figure 5, the beam scanning method includes the following steps:

In step S501, adjusting the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer by controlling the electrical signal on the metal layer and/or the electrical signal on the microstrip line layer in each of the antenna units;

Wherein, the electrical signal on the microstrip line layer is coupled to the microstrip patch antenna for radiation after being phase-shifted by the liquid crystal layer, and the phase of the signal radiated by the microstrip patch antenna in the plurality of antenna units is After superimposition, a beam is formed which is emitted towards the target direction.

In one embodiment, the electrical signal of the metal layer in the antenna unit can be controlled, or the electrical signal on the microstrip line in the antenna unit can be controlled, and the electrical signal on the metal layer and the microstrip line in the antenna unit can also be controlled to change the liquid crystal The voltage difference on both sides of the layer changes the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer located between the metal layer and the microstrip line, thereby achieving the purpose of controlling the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer.

Because the output end of the microstrip line in the antenna unit is coupled with the microstrip patch antenna through the first through hole on the metal layer, and the signal transmitted by the output end of the microstrip line needs to go through the process of coupling to the microstrip patch antenna. The liquid crystal layer, the liquid crystal layer can change the phase of the signal to produce a phase shift effect, and the liquid crystal layer with different dielectric constants can produce different phase shift effects, so by controlling the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer, the coupling to the micro The phase of the signal with the patch antenna, that is, controlling the phase of the signal radiated by the microstrip patch antenna.

Furthermore, for multiple antenna units in the antenna array, the phase of the signal radiated by the microstrip patch antenna in each antenna unit can be controlled as required, and the phases of the signals radiated by the microstrip patch antenna in multiple antenna units are superimposed , can form a beam that is emitted toward the target direction, and by controlling the phase of the signal radiated by the microstrip patch antenna in multiple antenna units, the target direction can be adjusted, for example, the target direction is aligned with the satellite, so as to be compatible with the non-terrestrial network Satellite Communications.

Since the structure of the antenna array for changing the beam phase in this embodiment is relatively simple, the manufacturing cost is relatively low, the weight is small, and it can be made into a planar structure with a low profile, easy to process, small in size, easy to carry, and easy to integrate , it is convenient to set the antenna array in the terminal to realize beam scanning.

In one embodiment, taking the single antenna unit in the above embodiment as an example, for example, the operating frequency is 20 GHz, the relationship between the S parameter (such as S11) and the operating frequency is shown in Figure 6, between 19.4 GHz and 20.6 GHz Within the range, the S parameter is kept below -10dB, that is, the antenna array of this embodiment is adopted, and the antenna transmission efficiency is good.

According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the direction of the beam emitted by the antenna array is controlled, the elevation angle of the beam can be varied in the range of -30° to +30°, and the difference in the relative field strength maximum value in the radiation pattern within this angle range In the range of 3dB, that is, the antenna array has a good use effect in this angular orientation.

Embodiments of the present disclosure also propose a communication device, such as the terminal in the above embodiments, including the antenna array described in any of the above embodiments, a processor, and a memory for storing computer programs; wherein, when the computer When the program is executed by the processor, the beam scanning method described in any of the above embodiments is implemented.

Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps in the beam scanning method described in any of the above-mentioned embodiments are implemented.

Fig. 7 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 700 for beam scanning according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the apparatus 700 may be a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcast terminal, a messaging device, a game console, a tablet device, a medical device, a fitness device, a personal digital assistant, and the like.

7, device 700 may include one or more of the following components: processing component 702, memory 704, power supply component 706, multimedia component 708, audio component 710, input/output (I/O) interface 712, sensor component 714 and Communication component 716 .

The processing component 702 generally controls the overall operations of the device 700, such as those associated with display, telephone calls, data communications, camera operations, and recording operations. The processing component 702 may include one or more processors 720 to execute instructions to complete all or part of the steps of the above method. Additionally, processing component 702 may include one or more modules that facilitate interaction between processing component 702 and other components. For example, processing component 702 may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between multimedia component 708 and processing component 702 .

The memory 704 is configured to store various types of data to support operations at the device 700 . Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on device 700, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, videos, and the like. The memory 704 may be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM), Read Only Memory (ROM), Magnetic Memory, Flash Memory, Magnetic or Optical Disk.

The power supply component 706 provides power to various components of the device 700 . Power components 706 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power for device 700 .

The multimedia component 708 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the device 700 and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touch screen to receive input signals from a user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, swipes, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensor may not only sense a boundary of a touch or swipe action, but also detect duration and pressure associated with the touch or swipe action. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 708 includes a front camera and/or a rear camera. When the device 700 is in an operation mode, such as a shooting mode or a video mode, the front camera and/or the rear camera can receive external multimedia data. Each front camera and rear camera can be a fixed optical lens system or have focal length and optical zoom capability.

The audio component 710 is configured to output and/or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 710 includes a microphone (MIC), which is configured to receive external audio signals when the device 700 is in operation modes, such as call mode, recording mode and voice recognition mode. Received audio signals may be further stored in memory 704 or sent via communication component 716 . In some embodiments, the audio component 710 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

The I/O interface 712 provides an interface between the processing component 702 and a peripheral interface module. The peripheral interface module may be a keyboard, a click wheel, a button, and the like. These buttons may include, but are not limited to: a home button, volume buttons, start button, and lock button.

Sensor assembly 714 includes one or more sensors for providing various aspects of status assessment for device 700 . For example, the sensor component 714 can detect the open/closed state of the device 700, the relative positioning of components, such as the display and keypad of the device 700, and the sensor component 714 can also detect a change in the position of the device 700 or a component of the device 700 , the presence or absence of user contact with the device 700 , the device 700 orientation or acceleration/deceleration and the temperature change of the device 700 . Sensor assembly 714 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects in the absence of any physical contact. Sensor assembly 714 may also include an optical sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor component 714 may also include an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor or a temperature sensor.

The communication component 716 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the apparatus 700 and other devices. The device 700 can access wireless networks based on communication standards, such as WiFi, 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, 5G NR or combinations thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 716 receives broadcast signals or broadcast related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 716 also includes a near field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module may be implemented based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, Infrared Data Association (IrDA) technology, Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies.

In an exemplary embodiment, apparatus 700 may be programmed by one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable A gate array (FPGA), controller, microcontroller, microprocessor or other electronic component implementation for performing the methods described above.

In an exemplary embodiment, there is also provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions, such as the memory 704 including instructions, which can be executed by the processor 720 of the device 700 to implement the above method. For example, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium may be ROM, random access memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, and the like.

The antenna unit designed in the present invention utilizes the unique high-frequency electromagnetic response of liquid crystals to change the phase shifter of the liquid crystal by changing the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal, and then changes the overall beam synthesis. The antenna unit includes a metasurface antenna unit patch , the upper glass dielectric substrate, the metal ground, the phase shifter and the lower glass dielectric substrate, through micro-nano processing technology, the radiation patch is etched on the upper surface of the upper glass dielectric substrate, and the metal ground is etched on the lower surface of the upper glass dielectric substrate , the phase shifter is etched on the upper surface of the lower glass dielectric substrate; the liquid crystal alignment material is spin-coated between the metal ground and the phase shifter, the liquid crystal is poured into it, and finally glued and packaged. There are via holes on the metal ground, and the electromagnetic signal of the phase shifter is coupled to the radiation patch of the antenna unit through the via holes on the metal ground to ensure the mutual isolation between DC and RF signals; each antenna radiation patch and phase shifter share a metal land.

As shown in Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B, this embodiment takes the antenna unit working at 20GHz as an example for illustration, the microstrip patch antenna 1 is etched on the upper surface of the upper glass dielectric substrate, and the phase shifter passes through the metal ground (that is, The rectangular via hole on the metal layer) and the radiation patch (that is, the microstrip patch antenna 1) are coupled and fed to adjust the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal material, so that the phase shifter attached to the upper surface of the lower glass dielectric substrate provides full Phase 360° high-precision change value. The metal ground (shared by the phase shifter and the radiation patch) is etched on the lower surface of the upper glass dielectric substrate. The electromagnetic signal is excited by the waveport of the software and fed into the phase-shifting helical structure. After reaching the end point, the electromagnetic guided wave transmitted in the phase shifter is shift-coupled to the patch antenna unit through the opening gap and radiated out.

In this embodiment, the model of the glass dielectric substrate is BF33, which provides etching positions for the radiation patch and the metal ground, and all metal materials are metallic copper materials. The radiation patch adopts a wavelength square patch with a size of _0.5λ0 . λ ₀ is the vacuum wavelength of the working center frequency band. The dielectric constant of liquid crystal varies from 2.4 to 3.2. The phase shifter adopts a helical wire structure.

In order to verify the feasibility of an integrated millimeter-wave circularly polarized antenna unit based on liquid crystal phase-shifting radiation integration designed in the present invention, a numerical simulation CST software is used to simulate. In the working frequency band of 20GHz, S11 is below -10dB, meeting the design and use requirements. Based on the axial ratio of the left-handed circular polarization of the antenna unit, it can be seen that the working beam width is less than 3dB. The simulation results further verify the feasibility and correctness of the integrated millimeter-wave circularly polarized antenna unit based on liquid crystal phase-shifting radiation.

The present invention is an integrated millimeter-wave circularly polarized antenna unit structure based on liquid crystal phase-shifting radiation integration. The antenna unit structure integrates a millimeter-wave liquid crystal phase shifter and a radiation patch, and is composed of a six-layer unit structure, from top to bottom The bottom is the radiation patch, the upper glass dielectric substrate, the metal ground, the liquid crystal, the phase shifter, and the lower glass dielectric substrate. The electromagnetic wave signal passes through the two phase shifters etched on the upper surface of the lower glass dielectric substrate to achieve a 90° phase difference between the two channels, and each channel can achieve a high-precision 0-360° phase change, and then through the pair The opening of the metal ground is coupled to the radiation patch etched on the upper surface of the upper glass dielectric substrate to radiate circularly polarized electromagnetic waves. The antenna unit has the characteristics of ultra-low profile, low cost, high integration, full phase coverage, easy processing, integrated radiation phase shifting, and high-precision real-time beam tracking.

As shown in Figure 1A, Figure 1B, Figure 2A, Figure 2B, Figure 2C, Figure 3, Figure 4, Figure 5, and Figure 6:

(a) The antenna unit of the present disclosure consists of a six-layer unit structure, from top to bottom, it is a radiation patch, an upper glass dielectric substrate, a metal ground, a liquid crystal, a phase shifter, and a lower glass dielectric substrate. The electromagnetic wave signal passes through the two phase shifters etched on the upper surface of the lower glass dielectric substrate to achieve a 90° phase difference between the two channels, and each channel can achieve a high-precision 0-360° phase change, and then through the pair The opening of the metal ground is coupled to the radiation patch etched on the upper surface of the upper glass dielectric substrate to radiate circularly polarized electromagnetic waves.

(b) The size of the radiation patch of the antenna unit is a square patch structure with a size of 0.5λ ₀ , where λ ₀ is the vacuum wavelength of the working center frequency band.

(c) The variation range of the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal material with the control of the bias voltage is 2.4 to 3.2, so that the phase shifter produces a relatively high-precision full-phase 360° change.

(d) Reconfigurable polarization is realized by two orthogonal millimeter-wave electromagnetic wave phases with a phase difference of 90°, that is, left-handed circular polarization or right-handed circular polarization, to achieve duplex polarization isolation for sending and receiving.

(e) The phase shifter adopts a helical structure, which reduces the occupied area and realizes arbitrary switching between left and right circular polarization.

(f) The model of the upper glass dielectric substrate and the lower glass dielectric substrate is BF33, which provide attachment support for other layers and encapsulate the liquid crystal material.

(g) In the working design millimeter wave frequency band, after the electromagnetic wave passes through the input and output of the phase shifter, it will be controlled by the liquid crystal with the bias DC voltage to generate any high-precision phase difference within 0~360°, and it will be coupled to the radiation sticker through the opening In the chip, it provides the necessary conditions for the radiation beam scanning.

Other embodiments of the disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure disclosed herein. The present disclosure is intended to cover any modification, use or adaptation of the present disclosure. These modifications, uses or adaptations follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or conventional technical means in the technical field not disclosed in the present disclosure. . The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise constructions which have been described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

It should be noted that in this article, relational terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply that there is a relationship between these entities or operations. There is no such actual relationship or order between them. The term "comprises", "comprises" or any other variation thereof is intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion such that a process, method, article or apparatus comprising a set of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed elements, or also elements inherent in such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or apparatus comprising said element.

The methods and devices provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above in detail. In this paper, specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present disclosure. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only used to help understand the methods and methods of the present disclosure. core idea; at the same time, for those of ordinary skill in the art, according to the idea of the present disclosure, there will be changes in the specific implementation and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present disclosure .

Claims

An antenna unit, characterized in that it includes a microstrip patch antenna and a phase shifter;

Wherein, the phase shifter includes:

A microstrip line layer, wherein a first microstrip line and a second microstrip line are arranged, and the output end of the first microstrip line is perpendicular to the output end of the second microstrip line;

a liquid crystal layer disposed between the microstrip line layer and the microstrip patch antenna;

a metal layer disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the microstrip patch antenna;

A first through hole and a second through hole are arranged in the metal layer, the first through hole is perpendicular to the second through hole, the output end of the microstrip patch antenna and the first microstrip line Coupled through the first through hole, the output end of the microstrip patch antenna and the second microstrip line are coupled through the second through hole.
The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the first through hole is strip-shaped, and the projection of the output end of the first microstrip line on the metal layer is perpendicular to the first through hole ;

and / or

The second through hole is strip-shaped, and the projection of the output end of the second microstrip line on the metal layer is perpendicular to the second through hole.
The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the antenna unit further comprises:

a substrate, wherein the microstrip line layer is disposed on the substrate;

A dielectric layer is arranged between the metal layer and the microstrip patch antenna.
The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the first microstrip line and/or the second microstrip line is a helical microstrip line.
The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the microstrip patch antenna is a square.
An antenna array, characterized by comprising a plurality of antenna units according to any one of claims 1-5.
The antenna array according to claim 6, further comprising a power distribution network;

Wherein, the power distribution network includes an input terminal and a plurality of output terminals, the input terminal of the power distribution network is used to receive a radio frequency signal, and the output terminal of the power distribution network is used to transmit the radio frequency signal to the first One microstrip line and the input end of the second microstrip line.
The antenna array according to claim 7, wherein the power distribution network and the microstrip patch antenna are located on the same layer;

A third through hole is also provided in the metal layer, and the output end of the power distribution network is coupled with the input end of the first microstrip line through the third through hole;

and / or

A fourth through hole is also provided in the metal layer, and the output end of the power distribution network is coupled with the input end of the second microstrip line through the fourth through hole.
The antenna array according to claim 8, wherein the third through hole is strip-shaped, and the output end of the power distribution network and the input end of the first microstrip line are on the metal layer The projection is perpendicular to the third through hole;

and / or

The fourth through hole is strip-shaped, and projections of the output end of the power distribution network and the input end of the second microstrip line on the metal layer are perpendicular to the fourth through hole.
The antenna array according to claim 9, wherein the number of output ends of the power distribution network is less than or equal to the difference between the number of input ends of the first microstrip line and the number of input ends of the second microstrip line and.
The antenna array according to claim 10, wherein the output end of each said power distribution network is coupled to the input ends of a plurality of said first microstrip lines, and/or is coupled to a plurality of said second microstrip lines. The input end of the strip line is coupled.
The antenna array according to any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the distance between the microstrip patch antennas in adjacent antenna units is 0.5λ 0 to λ 0 , and λ 0 is the microstrip patch The vacuum wavelength corresponding to the central frequency band of the antenna.
The antenna array according to any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the antenna array comprises 4 rows by 4 columns of the antenna elements.
A beam scanning method, characterized in that it is applicable to the antenna array described in any one of claims 6 to 13, comprising:

adjusting the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer by controlling the electrical signal on the metal layer and/or the electrical signal on the microstrip line layer in each of the antenna units;

Wherein, the electrical signal on the microstrip line layer is coupled to the microstrip patch antenna for radiation after being phase-shifted by the liquid crystal layer, and the phase of the signal radiated by the microstrip patch antenna in the plurality of antenna units is After superimposition, a beam is formed which is emitted towards the target direction.
A communication device, characterized by comprising:

An antenna array as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 13, and a processor and memory for storing computer programs;

Wherein, when the computer program is executed by the processor, the beam scanning method according to claim 14 is realized.
A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps in the beam scanning method according to claim 14 are realized.