Antenna unit and antenna array

Abstract

The invention provides an antenna unit and an antenna array, belongs to the technical field of antennas, and aims to broaden the impedance bandwidth and the axial ratio bandwidth of the antenna unit, the antenna unit comprises: a feed structure comprising a metal element for feeding; the radiation structure is coupled with the feed structure and comprises a radiation patch, and the radiation patch comprises a target point; wherein the radiation patch comprises at least one circle of slit pattern surrounding the target point, the slit pattern comprises a plurality of slits, and the plurality of slits are arranged at intervals along the perimeter direction of the radiation patch; wherein in the normal direction of the radiation patch, the distance between the metal element and the radiation patch is larger than 0 mm and smaller than or equal to 0.01 mm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to an antenna unit and an antenna array. Background Art

[0002] With the development of modern communication technology, the requirements for miniaturization, integration, and low loss of microwave devices are becoming increasingly stringent. For example, in satellite communication systems, circularly polarized antennas are often used as transmit and receive antennas. Antennas in this field must meet performance requirements such as light weight, wide impedance bandwidth, and wide axial ratio bandwidth. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Based on the background technology, the present disclosure proposes an antenna unit and an antenna array.

[0004] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, an antenna unit is provided, comprising:

[0005] a feeding structure comprising a metal element for feeding power; and

[0006] a radiating structure coupled to the feed structure, comprising a radiating patch, the radiating patch comprising a target point;

[0007] The radiation patch includes at least one circle of slot patterns surrounding the target point, the slot pattern includes a plurality of slots, and the plurality of slots are arranged at intervals along the circumference direction of the radiation patch;

[0008] Wherein, in the normal direction of the radiation patch, the distance between the metal element and the radiation patch is greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 0.01 mm.

[0009] Exemplarily, in two adjacent slits of the slit pattern, the shape of one slit is obtained by rotating the shape of the other slit by a preset angle; wherein the preset angle is greater than 0 degrees and less than 360 degrees.

[0010] Exemplarily, the preset angle between every two adjacent slits in the slit pattern changes in any one of the following ways: linear change, trigonometric function change, and sinusoidal change.

[0011] Exemplarily, the plurality of slits in the slit pattern are rotationally symmetric about the target point.

[0012] Exemplarily, the metal element includes a plurality of coaxial probes, and the feeding structure further includes:

[0013] a first dielectric layer;

[0014] a ground layer, located on one side of the first dielectric layer;

[0015] The radiation structure further includes:

[0016] a second dielectric layer, located on a side of the ground layer facing away from the first dielectric layer, and the radiation patch is located on a side of the second dielectric layer facing away from the ground layer;

[0017] One end of the coaxial probe is connected to the first dielectric layer, and the other end is coupled to the radiation patch after passing through the ground layer. The phases of the signals fed into each two adjacent coaxial probes differ by 90 degrees.

[0018] Exemplarily, the orthographic projection of the radiation patch on the first dielectric layer is covered by the first dielectric layer, and is covered by the orthographic projection of the second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer;

[0019] The shape of the ground layer is consistent with the shape of the radiation patch, and the orthographic projection of the radiation patch on the first dielectric layer is covered by the orthographic projection of the ground layer on the first dielectric layer.

[0020] Exemplarily, the slot pattern comprises a plurality of circles, wherein in the planar direction of the radiation patch, the slots in one slot pattern are staggered with the slots in another slot pattern.

[0021] Exemplarily, a plurality of the slit patterns are included, and the slits included in different slit patterns are different in at least one of the following: shape, size, and number.

[0022] Exemplarily, different slit patterns include slits of the same number and shape, and the sizes of the slits included in different slit patterns are different.

[0023] Exemplarily, the shape of the slits in the slit pattern includes at least one of an arc-shaped strip, a straight-line strip, an English letter shape, an Arabic numeral shape, a regular polygon, and a flower shape.

[0024] Exemplarily, each of the slots in the slot pattern is conformal to an edge of the radiation patch adjacent to the slot.

[0025] Exemplarily, the plurality of slits in the slit pattern are distributed in any of the following shapes in the circumferential direction: circular distribution, elliptical distribution, triangular distribution, trapezoidal distribution, rectangular distribution, and polygonal distribution.

[0026] Exemplarily, a plurality of the slit patterns are included, wherein the spacing between every two adjacent slit patterns is the same.

[0027] Exemplarily, the slit pattern comprises a plurality of circles, and the distribution of the plurality of slits in the slit pattern in the circumferential direction is different.

[0028] The present disclosure also provides an antenna array, comprising a plurality of antenna units as described above;

[0029] Wherein, a plurality of the antenna units are arranged in an array.

[0030] Exemplarily, the operating frequency of the antenna array is 26.5 GHz to 40 GHz, and the spacing between the antenna units is 0.45 spatial wavelengths to 0.55 spatial wavelengths.

[0031] The antenna unit of the examples disclosed herein includes a feed structure and a radiating structure, wherein the radiating structure is coupled to the feed structure and the radiating structure includes a radiating patch. The radiating patch includes at least one slit pattern surrounding a target point, and the slit pattern includes multiple slits spaced along the circumference of the radiating patch. Because the radiating patch includes at least one slit pattern surrounding the target point, the slit pattern increases the impedance bandwidth of the antenna unit. Furthermore, the slits reduce the weight of the antenna unit, achieving the goal of a lightweight antenna unit.

[0032] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present disclosure. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present disclosure, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present disclosure are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure or related technologies, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or related technologies. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without inventive efforts. It should be noted that the scales in the drawings are for illustration only and do not represent the actual scale.

[0034] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of an antenna unit in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0035] Figure 2 A schematic top view of an antenna unit in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0036] Figure 3 FIG2 shows a schematic top view of another radiation patch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 4 FIG2 shows a schematic top view of another radiation patch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of another antenna unit in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 6 Shown Figure 1 A schematic top plan view of the antenna unit shown;

[0040] Figure 7-11 Schematic diagrams of top views of five types of radiation patches are shown respectively;

[0041] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the antenna unit A in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0042] Figure 13 Shown Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the top view of the radiation patch;

[0043] Figure 14 shows a gain curve of the antenna unit in Example A of the embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] Figure 15 The S of the antenna unit in Example A of the embodiment of the present disclosure and the antenna unit in the related art are shown. 11 curve chart;

[0045] Figure 16 An axial ratio bandwidth diagram of the antenna unit in Example A of the embodiment of the present disclosure and an antenna unit in the related art is shown;

[0046] Figure 17 A schematic structural diagram of a radiation patch in Example C of an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0047] Figure 18 A schematic diagram of the top view of the antenna array in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0048] Figure 19 A schematic diagram of a gain curve of the antenna array in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] To make the above-mentioned purposes, features, and advantages of the present disclosure more clearly understood, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present disclosure without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0050] With the widespread adoption and rapid development of satellite communications, higher requirements have been placed on antenna design within these systems. Circularly polarized antennas are commonly used as transmit and receive antennas in satellite communications systems. They require low profile, light weight, wide impedance bandwidth, and wide axial ratio bandwidth. Microstrip patches are often used as radiating structures in these antennas. While microstrip patch antennas offer advantages such as low profile, small size, light weight, and low cost, they suffer from relatively narrow bandwidth. In practice, the wide impedance bandwidth and wide axial ratio bandwidth of microstrip patch antennas are crucial to antenna performance.

[0051] In light of this, the present disclosure proposes an antenna unit with a wide impedance bandwidth and wide axial ratio bandwidth. Specifically, a slot pattern is added to the radiating patch of this antenna unit, which widens the impedance bandwidth and axial ratio bandwidth through slot coupling. Compared to traditional microstrip antennas, this antenna unit's impedance bandwidth and axial ratio bandwidth are expanded without increasing structural complexity. For example, in satellite communication systems, an impedance bandwidth of 14.58 to 33.86 GHz can be achieved, with a relative bandwidth ratio of approximately 79.6%.

[0052] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the antenna unit, Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the top view of the antenna unit is shown in FIG. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the antenna unit includes a feeding structure 100 and a radiation structure 200 .

[0053] The feeding structure includes a metal element 15 for feeding, the metal element 15 is coupled with the radiation structure, and the radiation structure includes a radiation patch 22 .

[0054] The radiation patch 22 includes a target point and at least one circle of slot patterns 23 surrounding the target point. The slot pattern includes a plurality of slots 231 , and the plurality of slots are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the radiation patch.

[0055] In the normal direction of the radiation patch, the distance between the metal element and the radiation patch is greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 0.01 mm.

[0056] In this embodiment, the coupling method between the feeding structure and the radiating structure can be feeding through a coupling gap, so that the feeding structure can feed the signal into the radiating structure through the coupling gap. The gap refers to the distance between the metal element and the radiating patch. Figure 1 As shown, the feeding structure includes:

[0057] a first dielectric layer 12;

[0058] A ground layer 13 is located on one side of the first dielectric layer;

[0059] Metal element 15;

[0060] Accordingly, the radiating structure includes:

[0061] The second dielectric layer 21 is located on a side of the ground layer away from the first dielectric layer, and the radiation patch is located on a side of the second dielectric layer away from the ground layer;

[0062] One end of the metal element is connected to the first dielectric layer, and the other end can pass through the ground layer and then be coupled to the radiation patch.

[0063] The first and second dielectric layers can be made of resin substrates with low dielectric loss tangents, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), low-loss Rogers-type sheets, high-dielectric-constant ceramic sheets, rigid materials with low microwave loss, such as quartz and glass, and other dielectrics with adjustable dielectric constants, such as graphene. The metal ground layer can be made of low-resistance, low-loss metals such as copper, gold, silver, and aluminum. Metal ground layers can generally be directly fabricated using processes such as magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation, and electroplating.

[0064] The first and second dielectric layers may have the same shape, such as circular, rectangular, or triangular, and the shape of the radiating patch may be the same as or different from the shapes of the first and second dielectric layers. For example, the first and second dielectric layers, the metal ground layer, and the radiating patch may all be circular. For another example, the first and second dielectric layers may all be square, while the metal ground layer and the radiating patch may be circular.

[0065] The antenna unit of this embodiment can operate in the Ka band, which is part of the microwave band of the electromagnetic spectrum with a frequency range of 26.5 GHz to 40 GHz. This band is called the 30 / 20 GHz band and is commonly used for satellite communications. Specifically, when the first dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer, the metal ground layer, and the radiation patch are all circular, the entire plane of the antenna unit can be a circular structure with a radius of 2 mm, which is only 0.173λ0 (λ0 is the spatial wavelength of the center frequency point), and the effective area size of the antenna unit is approximately 12.56 mm. 3 ,Right now This enables a miniaturized design of the antenna unit.

[0066] In this example, the metal element can be a probe. Specifically, the metal element can be fed with the radiating patch using a contact + coupling method. Specifically, there is a very small gap between the metal element and the radiating patch. The spacing of the gap in the normal direction of the radiating patch is greater than 0mm and less than or equal to 0.01mm. For example, it can be 0.01mm or 0.005mm. Therefore, the small spacing can form a capacitive effect between the metal element and the radiating patch, offsetting the inductance caused by the metal element, thereby widening the operating bandwidth. In addition, the small spacing has the low-loss advantage of contact feeding.

[0067] The antenna unit may be a circularly polarized antenna unit, whereby the metal element in the feeding structure may feed phase-orthogonal signals to the radiating structure.

[0068] In order to broaden the impedance bandwidth of the antenna unit, the radiating patch in this example may include at least one circle of slot patterns 23, the slot pattern including a plurality of slots 231 spaced apart along the circumference of the radiating patch, and the plurality of slots surrounding a target point of the radiating patch. The target point may refer to the geometric center point in the planar direction of the radiating patch, or may be a point on the radiating patch excluding the edge region, and the circumference direction refers to the edge direction of the radiating patch. For example, if the radiating patch is a circular patch, the target point is the center of the circle, the circumference direction is the circular direction of the circular patch, and the circle of slot patterns can be viewed as a shape enclosed by multiple slots that resembles a circular ring; for another example, if the radiating patch is a square patch, the target point is the intersection of the two diagonals of the square, and the circle of slot patterns can be viewed as a shape enclosed by multiple slots that resembles an inscribed circle or an inscribed rectangle.

[0069] The material of the radiation patch can be a low-resistance, low-loss metal such as copper, gold, silver, or aluminum, and can generally be directly prepared using processing techniques such as magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation, and electroplating. The slit pattern on the radiation patch can be formed by etching a hollow slit on the patch after forming a full-surface metal patch; or, it can be formed during the process of forming the radiation patch using a mask plate with a slit pattern. When using the mask plate, the hollowed-out area of ​​the mask plate is used to form the metal area of ​​the radiation patch, and the non-hollowed-out area of ​​the mask plate can form the slit pattern on the radiation patch.

[0070] It should be noted that the slot pattern on the radiation patch refers to hollow slots. The shapes and sizes of the multiple slots included in the same circle of slots can be the same, thereby reducing the difficulty of manufacturing.

[0071] In this embodiment, the shape of the radiation patch can be, but is not limited to, a rectangle, a circle, a square, a triangle, a trapezoid, and a polygon. Furthermore, the shape of the radiation patch can be a symmetrical figure.

[0072] The radiation patch may include a circle of slot patterns 23, or multiple circles of slot patterns 23, each circle of slot patterns surrounds the target point of the radiation patch, such as Figure 2 As shown, the radiation patch is a circular patch, including a circle of slot patterns, a plurality of slots 231 on the circle of slot patterns all surround the center of the circle, and the plurality of slots are spaced apart in the circumference direction of the radiation patch.

[0073] The plurality of slots may be arranged at equal intervals or at unequal intervals along the circumference of the radiation patch, and the number of slots may be unlimited; the shape of the slots may be the same as or different from the shape of the radiation patch.

[0074] In this example, the antenna unit features a slot pattern on the radiating patch that surrounds the target point of the radiating patch. This reduces the weight of the radiating patch, thereby reducing the overall weight of the antenna unit. Furthermore, the slots within the slot pattern increase the current path, miniaturizing the antenna while broadening the impedance bandwidth of the antenna unit. Furthermore, the spacing between the metal element and the radiating patch is 0.01 mm or less, which broadens the antenna's operating bandwidth, allowing it to operate over a wider frequency range. This broadens the frequency coverage while maintaining the antenna unit's miniaturization.

[0075] First, the feeding structure in the above embodiment is exemplarily described.

[0076] In one example, the feeding structure and the radiating patch can be fed via a coaxial probe, and in order to achieve circular polarization of the antenna unit, multiple coaxial probes can be used for feeding. In this example, the coaxial probe is a metal element.

[0077] Continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown, the feeding structure includes:

[0078] a first dielectric layer 12;

[0079] A ground layer 13 is located on one side of the first dielectric layer;

[0080] The metal element includes a plurality of coaxial probes 15;

[0081] Accordingly, the radiating structure includes:

[0082] The second dielectric layer 21 is located on a side of the ground layer away from the first dielectric layer, and the radiation patch is located on a side of the second dielectric layer away from the ground layer;

[0083] One end of the coaxial probe is connected to the first dielectric layer, and the other end is coupled to the radiation patch after passing through the ground layer. The phase difference between the signals fed by each two adjacent coaxial probes is 90 degrees.

[0084] In this example, the ground layer, the first dielectric layer, and the second dielectric layer can refer to the description of the metal ground layer, the first dielectric layer, and the second dielectric layer. Specifically, the coaxial probe can be fed with the radiating patch, and the orthographic projection of the coaxial probe on the first dielectric layer does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the slot in the radiating patch on the first dielectric layer. In other words, the coaxial probe is fed in contact with the metal area of ​​the radiating patch and coupled to the metal area.

[0085] In this example, the coaxial probe is close to one end of the radiating patch and has a spacing distance between it and the radiating patch, which can be 0.01 mm. In this way, the coaxial probe and the radiating patch are not in direct contact, but the spacing distance between the two is small, so that there is a small gap between the radiating patch and the coaxial probe. The gap can constitute a capacitive effect, which can offset the inductive effect brought by the coaxial probe, thereby greatly improving the working bandwidth of the antenna unit.

[0086] Since the phases of the signals fed by each two adjacent coaxial probes differ by 90 degrees, in one implementation, the line connecting the point where the coaxial probe contacts the radiation patch and the target point of the radiation patch can be perpendicular, referring to Figure 6 As shown, it shows Figure 1 The top plan view of the antenna unit is shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the radiation patch is a circular patch, and the center of the circular patch is orthogonal to the line connecting the feeding points of two adjacent coaxial probes on the radiation patch, thereby allowing the antenna unit to radiate circularly polarized waves.

[0087] In this example, the number of coaxial probes can be two or four. In some examples, the number of coaxial probes can be more. When more coaxial probes are included, multiple coaxial probes contact the radiation patch to form multiple feeding points. The multiple feeding points can be symmetrically distributed with the target point of the radiation patch as the center.

[0088] Using this example, the antenna unit can radiate right-hand circularly polarized waves, left-hand circularly polarized waves, or elliptically polarized waves, depending on the phase difference between the signals fed by adjacent coaxial probes. For example, a 90-degree clockwise difference in the feeding phases will radiate right-hand circularly polarized waves, while a 90-degree counterclockwise difference will radiate left-hand circularly polarized waves.

[0089] In a further example, an orthographic projection of the radiation patch on the first dielectric layer is covered by the first dielectric layer, and is covered by an orthographic projection of the second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer;

[0090] The shape of the ground layer is consistent with that of the radiation patch, and the orthographic projection of the radiation patch on the first dielectric layer is covered by the orthographic projection of the ground layer on the first dielectric layer.

[0091] In this example, the ground layer is located between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer. The first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer are of the same shape and size. The ground layer and the radiation patch are of the same shape but of different sizes. The ground layer can cover the radiation patch.

[0092] Specifically, the difference between the radius of the first dielectric layer and the radius of the radiation patch may be 2 mm to 3 mm, thereby avoiding energy loss caused by the size of the dielectric layer and reducing the loss of the antenna unit.

[0093] In some examples, the size and shape of the ground layer may be the same as the shape and size of the first dielectric layer, that is, the ground layer and the first dielectric layer are of the same size.

[0094] In another example, the feeding structure can also be coupled and fed with the radiating structure, that is, the metal element does not need to be spaced about 0.01 mm from the radiating patch. In this example, the feeding structure and the radiating structure can also be coupled and fed through microstrip feeding, CPW (coplanar waveguide) feeding, etc.

[0095] Reference Figure 5 , which shows schematic cross-sectional structures of antenna units in some other examples, such as Figure 5 As shown, Figure 1 The difference between the antenna unit shown is that coupling feeding is performed between the feeding structure and the radiating structure. The feeding structure may include a first dielectric layer 12, a feed line 11 located on one side of the first dielectric layer, and a metal ground layer 13 located on the side of the first dielectric layer away from the feed line. A coupling slot 14 is provided on the metal ground layer 13, and the orthographic projection of the coupling slot on the first dielectric layer 12 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the feed line 11 on the first dielectric layer 12.

[0096] The radiating structure may include a second dielectric layer 21, which may be located on the side of the metal ground layer 13 facing away from the first dielectric layer 12. The radiating patch 22 may be located on the side of the second dielectric layer 21 facing away from the metal ground layer. Specifically, the orthographic projection of the radiating patch on the first dielectric layer overlaps with the orthographic projection of the coupling slot on the first dielectric layer, and the orthographic projection of the radiating patch on the first dielectric layer may be located within the orthographic projection of the metal ground layer on the first dielectric layer. With this feeding structure, the feed line couples a signal into the radiating patch through the coupling slot, and the signal is then radiated out through the radiating patch.

[0097] Specifically, in order to achieve circular polarization, two coupling slots can be included, and the shapes of the two coupling slots are orthogonal, such as two H-shaped coupling slots, and the two H-shaped coupling slots are orthogonal; and two feed lines corresponding to the two coupling slots are included, so that the phases of the signals fed into the two coupling slots by the feed lines are orthogonal, such as a 90-degree difference, so that the radiation patch can radiate circularly polarized waves outward.

[0098] The antenna unit in this example still has a radiation patch including a multi-circle slot pattern, and still has the function of widening the impedance bandwidth and the axial ratio bandwidth.

[0099] The radiation patch of this embodiment is exemplarily described below.

[0100] In some examples, for each circle of slot patterns, multiple slots can be loaded on the radiation patch in a rotation around the target point, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, in two adjacent slits of the slit pattern, the shape of one slit is obtained by rotating the shape of the other slit by a preset angle; wherein the preset angle is greater than 0 degrees and less than 360 degrees.

[0101] In this example, the preset rotation angles between each two adjacent gaps can be consistent, such as Figure 2 As shown, the difference between each two adjacent gaps is 60 degrees; or, the preset rotation angles between each two adjacent gaps may be inconsistent.

[0102] Reference Figure 3 As shown, a schematic diagram of the top view of another radiation patch is shown, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, a circular slot pattern comprises multiple slots, wherein adjacent slots are rotated by a preset angle. The preset rotation angles between each adjacent slot may not be completely consistent. For example, the angle between a slot on the left and an adjacent slot is α, and the angle between the slot and another adjacent slot is β, where α is not equal to β. Although the angles between adjacent slots are unequal, the angle between the slots allows the multiple slots to be rotated and loaded into the radiating patch, resulting in a certain rotational distribution of the slots. This increases the degree of circular polarization of the antenna unit and optimizes the axial ratio bandwidth of the circular polarization.

[0103] In a further implementation of this example, the angles between each two adjacent slots are consistent, that is, one of each two adjacent slots is obtained by rotating the other slot by a preset angle, thereby making the multiple slots rotationally symmetrical about the target point of the radiation patch.

[0104] Specifically, in this implementation, the multiple slits in the slit pattern have the same shape and size, thereby making the multiple slits rotationally symmetric about the target point.

[0105] In this example, the angle between each two gaps is related to the number of gaps. Figure 2 As shown, the multiple slots in the slot pattern are rotationally symmetric with respect to the target point of the radiation patch, as shown in Figure 2 There are 6 gaps in the image, and the angle between each two gaps is 60 degrees, that is, in each two gaps, one gap is obtained by rotating the other gap by 60 degrees. Figure 4 As shown, a schematic diagram of the top view of another radiation patch is shown, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown, it includes 4 gaps, and the angle between each two adjacent gaps is 90 degrees.

[0106] In a further implementation of this example, the change in the angle between each two adjacent gaps may have a certain regularity. For example, the preset angle between each two adjacent gaps in the gap pattern may change in any of the following ways: linear change, trigonometric function change, or sinusoidal change.

[0107] The linear change may mean that the preset angle between each two adjacent gaps in the clockwise direction of the gap pattern increases or decreases in sequence.

[0108] The trigonometric function change may mean that in the clockwise direction of the circle of gap patterns, the preset angle between each two adjacent gaps first increases and then decreases in sequence, so that the preset angle changes in a trigonometric function.

[0109] The sinusoidal change may mean that in the clockwise direction of the circle of gap patterns, the preset angles between each two adjacent gaps intersect in increasing and decreasing order, so that the preset angles change in a sinusoidal function.

[0110] It should be noted that, in the case of a multi-circle slot pattern, the change in the preset angles between the slots in one circle of slot patterns may be different from or the same as the change in the preset angles between the slots in another circle of slot patterns. For example, the preset angles between the slots in one circle of slot patterns may vary linearly, while the preset angles between the slots in another circle of slot patterns may vary trigonometrically.

[0111] In combination with the above example, when the antenna unit has multiple coaxial probes to radiate circularly polarized waves, the multiple slots in the slot pattern on the radiation patch can be rotationally symmetric about the target point, thereby increasing the degree of circular polarization.

[0112] Next, the design structure of the slit pattern is described in detail.

[0113] In conjunction with the above examples, the radiating patch may include a single ring of slot patterns, or multiple rings of slot patterns. In the case of multiple rings of slot patterns, the number of slots included in each ring of slot patterns may be the same or different, and the shapes of the slots included may be the same or different. Specifically, the size, shape, and number of the slots in adjacent slot patterns may all be the same, or the size, shape, and number of the slots in adjacent slot patterns may not be completely the same. Specifically, regardless of whether the number of slots included in each ring of slot patterns is the same or different, and whether their shapes are the same or different, the slots in two adjacent slot patterns may be staggered on the radiating patch.

[0114] Reference Figure 7 As shown, a schematic diagram of the top view of another radiation patch is shown, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, multiple circles of slot patterns may be included, each circle of slot patterns including multiple slots spaced apart around a target point of the radiating patch. The multiple slots in one circle of slot patterns may be staggered with the multiple slots in another circle of slot patterns. Specifically, assuming that the radiating patch is viewed from a vertical plane, the orthographic projection of the slots in one circle of slot patterns on the vertical plane may partially overlap or not overlap with the orthographic projection of the slots in another circle of slot patterns on the vertical plane.

[0115] For example, Figure 7 As shown, there are two circles of slot patterns, the shape, size and number of the slots in the two circles of slot patterns are consistent, but the multiple slots on one circle of slot pattern are staggered with the multiple slots on the other circle of slot pattern, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, the multiple slits on the inner slit pattern 23b can be located in the gap area between the multiple slits on the outer slit pattern 23a. Specifically, the orthographic projection of the slits on the inner slit pattern 23b on the vertical plane of the radiation patch can not overlap with the orthographic projection of the slits on the outer slit pattern 23a on the vertical plane of the radiation patch.

[0116] In some other examples, the slits in adjacent slit patterns may differ in at least one of size, shape, and number. Specifically, among the slit patterns, the slits included in different slit patterns differ in at least one of shape, size, and number.

[0117] In Example 1, among multiple slot patterns, different slot patterns may include different numbers of slots, but the slot shapes and sizes may be the same. Furthermore, in Example 1, the inner slot pattern 23b may include fewer slots, while the outer slot pattern 23a may include more slots. For example, in two adjacent radiation patterns, the slot pattern closer to the target point of the radiation patch may include a first number of slots, while the slot pattern farther from the target point may include a second number of slots; the first number is greater than the second number.

[0118] Reference Figure 8 As shown, a schematic diagram of the top view of another radiation patch is shown, as shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown, the radiating patch is a rectangular patch with two circles of slot patterns. The slots in the two circles are of the same shape and size, but different in number. The outer circle of the slot pattern includes a larger number of slot patterns, while the inner circle of the slot pattern includes a smaller number of slot patterns.

[0119] In another example 2, among multiple slit patterns, the shapes of the slits included in different slit patterns may be different, but the number and size of the slits may be the same. For example, the slit pattern of the inner circle includes cross-shaped slits, while the slit pattern of the outer circle may include strip-shaped slits.

[0120] In yet another example 3, among a plurality of slit patterns, the number and shape of slits included in different slit patterns may be the same, but the sizes of the slits are the same.

[0121] Specifically, in Example 3, referring to Figure 9 As shown, a schematic top view of another radiation patch is shown, as shown in FIG. Figure 9 As shown, the radiation patch is a square patch, including two circles of slot patterns. The slot pattern of the outer circle and the slot pattern of the inner circle both include 8 cross-shaped slots (same shape and number), wherein the cross-shaped slots in the slot pattern of the inner circle are different in size from the cross-shaped slots in the outer circle, so that more circles of slot patterns can be arranged on a limited radiation patch.

[0122] Furthermore, in this Example 3, in two adjacent slot patterns, the slot in the slot pattern close to the target point of the radiation patch has a first size, and the slot in the slot pattern far from the target point has a second size; wherein the first size is smaller than the second size.

[0123] Continue to refer Figure 9 As shown, the number and shape of the slot patterns of the outer and inner rings are the same, both are cross-shaped slots, but the size of the slots on the inner ring slot pattern 23b is smaller than the size of the slots on the outer ring slot pattern 23a.

[0124] For example, referring to Figure 10 As shown, a schematic diagram of the top view of another radiation patch is shown, as shown in FIG. Figure 10 As shown, the radiation patch is a rectangular patch, including two circles of slot patterns, both of which include four strip slots, wherein the size of the strip slots on the inner circle slot pattern 23b is smaller than the size of the strip slots on the outer circle slot pattern 23a.

[0125] It should be noted that, when the slots included in different slot patterns among multiple slot patterns are different in at least one of shape, size and number, the multiple slots in each circle of slot patterns can be rotationally symmetric with respect to the target point of the radiation patch.

[0126] In some examples, the shape of the slits in the slit pattern may include at least one of an arc strip, a straight strip, an English letter shape, an Arabic numeral shape, a regular polygon, and a flower shape.

[0127] For example, continue to refer to Figure 2 , which shows the case where the gap pattern is an arc strip, refer to Figure 10 , which shows the case where the gap pattern is a straight strip. Figure 7 The example shown is a cross-shaped gap pattern. Figure 11 As shown, a schematic diagram of the top view of another radiation patch is shown, as shown in FIG. Figure 11 As shown, it includes a circle of slot patterns, which include four H-shaped slots. The four H-shaped slots are rotationally symmetrical with respect to the target point of the radiation patch.

[0128] It should be noted that the slits in the slit pattern are not limited to the above shapes and can actually be other shapes.

[0129] In some other examples, the overall shape of the slit pattern may conform to the shape of the edge of the radiation patch. For example, if the radiation patch is circular, then the plurality of slits may enclose a circle, such as Figure 2 As shown; for another example, if the radiation patch is rectangular, then multiple gaps enclose a rectangle, such as Figure 10 As shown; for another example, assuming that the radiation patch is butterfly-shaped, multiple gaps can also be enclosed into a butterfly shape.

[0130] In still other examples of this example, the shape of each slot in the slot pattern may be conformal to an edge of the radiation patch adjacent to the slot.

[0131] The conformal shape may mean that the overall shape of the gap may be similar to the shape of the edge of the radiation patch close to the gap, such as the edge of the gap may be substantially parallel to the edge of the radiation patch close to the gap. Figure 2If the radiation patch is a circular patch, the edge of each slot can have approximately the same arc as the edge of the circular patch close to the slot, and the two are approximately parallel. Figure 10 As shown, the radiation patch is a rectangular patch, and the edge of each slot can be parallel to the edge of the rectangular patch close to the slot.

[0132] With this exemplary configuration, since each slot can conform to the edge of the radiation patch, the structure of the radiation patch can be optimized and the impedance bandwidth can be better improved.

[0133] In some further examples, the plurality of slits in the slit pattern are distributed in any of the following shapes in the circumferential direction: circular distribution, elliptical distribution, triangular distribution, trapezoidal distribution, rectangular distribution, and polygonal distribution.

[0134] In this example, the multiple slits in the slit pattern need not only enclose the target point of the radiation patch, but also can form a pattern in the form of a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, a trapezoid, a rectangle, or a polygon. Figure 2 As shown, multiple gaps are distributed in a circular pattern; Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the plurality of slits are distributed in a rectangular shape, wherein triangular and trapezoidal distributions are not shown.

[0135] In another embodiment of this example, a plurality of circles of slot patterns may be included, and the distribution of the plurality of slots included in each circle of slot patterns in the plurality of circles of slot patterns is consistent; for example, referring to Figure 9 As shown, the multiple gaps in the gap pattern of the outer circle are distributed in a circular shape, and the multiple gaps in the gap pattern of the inner circle are also distributed in a circular shape.

[0136] Alternatively, in some other embodiments, multiple circles of slot patterns are included, and the distribution of the multiple slots in the multiple circles of slot patterns in the circumferential direction is different. That is, there are at least two circles of slot patterns in the multiple circles of slot patterns, and the distribution of the multiple slots in the two circles of slot patterns is different. For example, referring to Figure 8 As shown, the multiple slots in the outer ring slot pattern are distributed in a circular manner, and the multiple slots in the inner ring slot pattern are distributed in a rectangular manner. Alternatively, in another example, the multiple slots in the outer ring slot pattern are distributed in a rectangular manner, and the multiple slots in the inner ring slot pattern are distributed in a circular manner.

[0137] Specifically, in another example of this embodiment, the distribution shape of the multiple slots in the outermost slot pattern can be the same as the shape of the radiating patch. For example, if the radiating patch is circular, the multiple slots in the outermost slot pattern can be distributed in a circular pattern. Meanwhile, the distribution shape of the multiple slots in the inner slot pattern can be different from the shape of the radiating patch. For example, if the radiating patch is circular, the multiple slots in the inner slot pattern can be distributed in a rectangular pattern. Thus, the arrangement and distribution of the slots can be adapted to the shape of the radiating patch.

[0138] In some other examples, when multiple circles of slot patterns are included, the spacing between the slot patterns can be the same. For example, when three circles of slot patterns are included, the spacing between two adjacent circles of slot patterns can be consistent, thereby allowing multiple circles of slot patterns to be evenly spaced in the radiation patch.

[0139] The antenna unit of the present disclosure is exemplarily described below with reference to several examples:

[0140] Example A, given an antenna unit A:

[0141] Reference Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the antenna unit A, Figure 13 Shown Figure 12 The top view of the radiation patch is shown in the figure. Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, it includes a feeding structure and a radiating structure; wherein the feeding structure includes the following structures:

[0142] The first dielectric layer is circular;

[0143] The metal ground layer is circular and is located on a side of the first dielectric layer close to the radiation structure. The area of ​​the metal ground layer is smaller than that of the first dielectric layer.

[0144] Four coaxial probes pass through the first dielectric layer and the metal ground layer and are coupled to the radiating patch in the radiating structure for feeding. There is a gap between each coaxial probe and the radiating patch, and the size of the gap in the normal direction of the radiating patch is 0.01 mm.

[0145] The coupling positions of two adjacent coaxial probes on the radiation patch are orthogonal to the line connecting the center points of the radiation patch, and the phases of the electrical signals fed into the radiation patch by each two adjacent coaxial probes differ by 90 degrees, so that the antenna unit can radiate circularly polarized waves.

[0146] The radiation structure includes:

[0147] The second dielectric layer is circular and may have the same size as the first dielectric layer;

[0148] The radiation patch is located on the side of the second dielectric layer away from the metal ground layer. It is a circular patch and includes two circles of slot patterns. The multiple slots included in each circle of slot patterns are spaced around the center of the radiation patch. Among them, the slot pattern located in the outer circle includes 6 arc-shaped strip slots, the angle between each adjacent two slots is 60 degrees, and the 6 slots are rotationally symmetric about the center of the circle; the slot pattern located in the inner circle includes 4 arc-shaped strip slots, the angle between each adjacent two slots is 90 degrees, and thus, the 6 slots are rotationally symmetric about the center of the circle.

[0149] The antenna unit in Example A can operate in the Ka band and has a higher gain in the Ka band. The gain curve can be found in Figure 14 As shown in the figure, the gain is greater than 5dB at 14.58~33.86GHz, and the gain curve increases with the increase of frequency, which has the advantage of high gain.

[0150] The antenna unit in Example A and the antenna unit in the related art are simulated respectively, and the S 11 The curve can be referred to Figure 15 As shown, from Figure 15 It can be clearly seen that the impedance bandwidth of the radiating patch is greatly improved after the slot is loaded, achieving excellent performance of S11 less than -10dB in the range of 14.58 to 33.86GHz, and the relative bandwidth ratio reaches about 79.6%.

[0151] The antenna unit in Example A and the antenna unit in the related art are simulated on the axial ratio bandwidth respectively, and the S 11 The curve can be referred to Figure 16 As shown, from Figure 16 It can be seen that the antenna unit in the related art does not change other conditions such as the dielectric substrate and ground layer, and the shape of its radiating patch is the same as that of the radiating patch in Example A. The radiating patch of the antenna unit in the related art does not have a slot pattern. It can be seen that compared to the axial ratio bandwidth without slot loading, the axial ratio bandwidth of the antenna unit in Example A is significantly improved from 19 to 24 GHz, reducing the protrusion before the slot loading by approximately 1 dB, resulting in a relatively flat axial ratio across the entire operating frequency band, consistently less than 1 dB.

[0152] Example B, given an antenna unit B:

[0153] refer to Figure 8 As shown, unlike the antenna unit in Example A, the radiating patch is square.

[0154] Example C, given an antenna unit C:

[0155] refer to Figure 17As shown, a structural schematic diagram of the radiation patch in Example C is shown. Unlike the antenna unit in Example A, the radiation patch is square, the slot is cross-shaped, and the number of multiple cross-shaped slots in the outer circle exceeds the number of cross-shaped slots in the inner circle; and the angle between the slots in the slot pattern is 0 degrees.

[0156] Example D, given an antenna unit D:

[0157] refer to Figure 11 As shown, unlike the antenna unit in Example A, the radiation patch is square and the slot is H-shaped, including a circle of slot patterns, which includes four H-shaped slots, and the four H-shaped slots are rotationally symmetric about the center of the radiation patch.

[0158] Based on the same inventive concept, an antenna array is also provided, referring to Figure 18 As shown, the antenna unit in the above example A is used as an example to illustrate a schematic diagram of the top view structure of the antenna array 300, as shown in FIG. Figure 18 As shown, it includes multiple antenna units, and the multiple antenna units are arranged in an array.

[0159] The plurality of antenna units may be arranged in a rectangular array, such as in multiple rows and columns.

[0160] like Figure 18 As shown, the antenna units are arranged in an 8*8 array in a rectangular array.

[0161] In some examples, the operating frequency of the antenna array is 26.5 GHz to 40 GHz, and the spacing between antenna elements is 0.45 to 0.55 spatial wavelengths. In this example, the spacing between multiple antenna elements can be maintained at approximately 0.5 spatial wavelengths.

[0162] Using this antenna array can improve the gain of the antenna array, refer to Figure 19 , Figure 19 The curve of 8*8 array gain changing with frequency is shown in FIG. Figure 19 As shown, the antenna array achieves a gain greater than 20dB at 14.58-33.86GHz, the gain change curve gradually increases with frequency, and the highest gain reaches about 24dB at the center frequency of 25GHz, showing high gain performance.

[0163] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0164] Finally, it should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, etc., are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, commodity, or device that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, commodity, or device. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, commodity, or device that includes the element.

[0165] The above is a detailed introduction to an antenna unit and an antenna array provided by the present disclosure. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present disclosure. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and core idea of ​​the present disclosure. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of ​​the present disclosure, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure.

[0166] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure being indicated by the following claims.

[0167] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

[0168] References herein to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or "one or more embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Furthermore, please note that instances of the phrase "in one embodiment" do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.

[0169] In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are described. However, it is understood that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0170] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The present disclosure may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a unit claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third etc. does not indicate any order. These words may be interpreted as names.

[0171] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, rather than to limit them. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An antenna unit, characterized in that: include: A feeding structure including a metal element for feeding power; as well as a radiating structure coupled to the feed structure, comprising a radiating patch, the radiating patch comprising a target point; The radiation patch includes at least one circle of slot patterns surrounding the target point, the slot pattern includes a plurality of slots, and the plurality of slots are arranged at intervals along the circumference direction of the radiation patch; Wherein, in the normal direction of the radiation patch, the distance between the metal element and the radiation patch is greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 0.01 mm.

2. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: In two adjacent slits of the slit pattern, the shape of one slit is obtained by rotating the shape of the other slit by a preset angle; wherein the preset angle is greater than 0 degrees and less than 360 degrees.

3. The antenna unit according to claim 2, wherein: The preset angle between every two adjacent slits in the slit pattern changes in any one of the following ways: linear change, trigonometric function change, and sinusoidal change.

4. The antenna unit according to claim 2, wherein: The plurality of slits in the slit pattern are rotationally symmetric around the target point.

5. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The metal element includes a plurality of coaxial probes, and the feeding structure further includes: a first dielectric layer; a ground layer, located on one side of the first dielectric layer; The radiation structure further includes: a second dielectric layer, located on a side of the ground layer facing away from the first dielectric layer, and the radiation patch is located on a side of the second dielectric layer facing away from the ground layer; One end of the coaxial probe is connected to the first dielectric layer, and the other end is coupled to the radiation patch after passing through the ground layer. The phases of the signals fed into each two adjacent coaxial probes differ by 90 degrees.

6. The antenna unit according to claim 5, characterized in that The orthographic projection of the radiation patch on the first dielectric layer is covered by the first dielectric layer, and is also covered by the orthographic projection of the second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer; The shape of the ground layer is consistent with the shape of the radiation patch, and the orthographic projection of the radiation patch on the first dielectric layer is covered by the orthographic projection of the ground layer on the first dielectric layer.

7. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: It comprises a plurality of circles of the slot pattern; wherein, in the plane direction of the radiation patch, the slots in one slot pattern are staggered with the slots in another slot pattern.

8. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: A plurality of the slit patterns are included, and the slits included in different slit patterns are different in at least one of the following: shape, size, and number.

9. The antenna unit according to claim 7, wherein: Different slit patterns include slits of the same number and shape, and the sizes of the slits included in different slit patterns are different.

10. The antenna unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The shape of the slits in the slit pattern includes at least one of an arc strip, a straight strip, an English letter shape, an Arabic numeral shape, a regular polygon, and a flower shape.

11. The antenna unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: Each of the slots in the slot pattern is conformal to an edge of the radiation patch adjacent to the slot.

12. The antenna unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The plurality of slits in the slit pattern are distributed in any one of the following shapes in the circumferential direction: a circular distribution, an elliptical distribution, a triangular distribution, a trapezoidal distribution, a rectangular distribution, and a polygonal distribution.

13. The antenna unit according to claim 12, wherein: It comprises multiple circles of the slot pattern, wherein the multiple slots in the multiple circles of the slot pattern are distributed in different ways in the circumferential direction.

14. An antenna array, characterized in that: comprising a plurality of antenna units according to any one of claims 1 to 13; Wherein, a plurality of the antenna units are arranged in an array.

15. The antenna array according to claim 14, characterized in that The operating frequency of the antenna array is 26.5 GHz to 40 GHz, and the spacing between the antenna units is 0.45 spatial wavelengths to 0.55 spatial wavelengths.

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