A fully polarized reconfigurable phased array antenna with large-angle scanning

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fully polarized reconfigurable large-angle scanning phased array antenna, which is composed of a number of periodically arranged antenna elements, each of which is composed of a double-layer hybrid microstrip antenna and a metal base that are detachably connected; the double-layer hybrid microstrip antenna includes a metamaterial panel and a dual-polarized antenna body, the top surface of the metamaterial panel is provided with grid patterns of different sizes, the bottom surface of the metamaterial panel is in contact with the top surface of the dual-polarized antenna body, and the bottom surface of the dual-polarized antenna body is in contact with the top surface of the metal base; two antenna connectors are provided on the metal base, each antenna connector is inserted into the metal base and is mechanically and electrically connected to the dual-polarized antenna body. The phased array antenna has a simple antenna structure and a low antenna profile, and through effective means, flexible reconstruction of the full polarization mode, expansion of the working bandwidth, and large-angle scanning performance are guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of wireless communications, and in particular to a fully polarized reconfigurable large-angle scanning phased array antenna. Background Art

[0002] Polarization reconfigurable antennas use one antenna to replace multiple antennas to achieve flexible and agile changes in the polarization of electromagnetic waves radiated by the antenna. Compared with the combination of multiple antennas, polarization reconfigurable antennas are small, low-cost, and intelligent, and have great application prospects in wireless communications, radar and other fields. Among them, the fully polarized reconfigurable antenna can achieve linear polarization in any direction and left / right circular polarization radiation, which greatly improves the flexibility and anti-interference ability of the overall communication system, and has become a research hotspot in recent years. Traditional fully polarized reconfigurable antennas mostly adopt the form of dual-polarized waveguide antennas and dual-polarized upright microstrip oscillators, which often bring higher antenna profiles. At the same time, due to the problem of dual-polarization isolation, the performance of fully polarized phased array antennas under large-angle scanning will be significantly affected. For the high isolation design achieved by special structures such as bridges, it will greatly increase the complexity and difficulty of antenna product design and processing, and its actual engineering application is greatly limited.

[0003] In order to meet actual engineering needs, there is an urgent need to propose a new fully polarized reconfigurable large-angle scanning phased array antenna design with a relatively simple structure and excellent antenna performance. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a new fully polarized reconfigurable antenna element design for engineering needs, thereby realizing a phased array antenna design with simple structure and excellent antenna performance. The phased array antenna proposed in the present invention has the advantages of simple structure, small size, and low profile. Moreover, the phased array antenna adopts a design of expanding the working bandwidth and mutual coupling suppression, which can meet the application requirements of phased array antennas under large-angle scanning.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a polarization reconfigurable large-angle scanning phased array antenna, which is composed of a number of periodically arranged antenna elements, each of which is composed of a double-layer hybrid microstrip antenna and a metal base that are detachably connected;

[0006] Among them, the double-layer hybrid microstrip antenna includes: a detachably connected metamaterial panel and a dual-polarization antenna body, the top surface of the metamaterial panel is provided with a grid pattern of different sizes, the bottom surface of the metamaterial panel is in contact with the top surface of the dual-polarization antenna body, and the bottom surface of the dual-polarization antenna body is in contact with the top surface of the metal base; two antenna connectors are provided on the metal base, each antenna connector is penetrated through the metal base and is mechanically and electrically connected to the dual-polarization antenna body.

[0007] Preferably, two L-shaped copper-clad patterns are arranged on the top surface of the dual-polarized antenna body, which are mirror-symmetrical along one of the diagonals, and a feed metallized via and a bandwidth expansion metallized via are provided on the long side of each L-shaped copper-clad pattern. Preferably, a plurality of isolation-enhanced metallized vias are provided on the top surface of the dual-polarized antenna body along the diagonal to separate the two L-shaped copper-clad patterns. Preferably, the edge of the dual-polarized antenna body is treated with metal edging or metal side sealing.

[0008] Preferably, a plurality of decoupling metallized vias are provided around the edge of the dual-polarized antenna body.

[0009] Preferably, two feed threaded holes are provided on the metal base, the center position of each feed threaded hole matches the center position of the corresponding feed metallized through-hole on the dual-polarized antenna body, the two antenna connectors are respectively threadedly connected to the two feed threaded holes, and the top of each antenna connector passes through the feed metallized through-hole and is mechanically and electrically connected to the L-shaped copper clad pattern.

[0010] Preferably, the top surface of the metamaterial panel is provided with two rectangular grid patterns of different sizes, and the size of the grid pattern located on the outer side of the metamaterial panel is larger than the size of the grid pattern on the inner side.

[0011] Preferably, the number of the large-size grid patterns is 12, and the number of the small-size grid patterns is 16.

[0012] Preferably, through holes are provided at the four corners of the metamaterial panel and the dual-polarized antenna body, and threaded holes are provided at the four corners of the metal base. Bolts pass through the through holes and the threaded holes in sequence to detachably connect the metal base with the metamaterial panel and the dual-polarized antenna body.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0014] 1. The antenna adopts a double-layer mixed pressure planar structure to ensure the low-profile design of the fully polarized phased array antenna;

[0015] 2. By reasonably configuring the excitation amplitude and excitation phase of the two ports of the antenna array element, electromagnetic field radiation of arbitrary polarization (vertical / horizontal linear polarization, left / right circular polarization) can be achieved;

[0016] 3. The design of non-uniform metamaterial panels increases the ability to adjust and optimize the antenna's active performance at different scanning angles, ultimately ensuring the antenna's performance at large-angle scanning;

[0017] 4. A very simple structure of element decoupling and polarization isolation is adopted, which reduces the structural complexity and processing difficulty while ensuring the antenna performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an antenna array of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 The overall schematic diagram of the antenna array element of the present invention is

[0020] Figure 3 An exploded diagram of the 3D structure of the antenna array element of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the antenna array element metamaterial cover of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the antenna element antenna body of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the metal base of the invented antenna array element. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following is a further detailed description of a fully polarized reconfigurable large-angle scanning phased array antenna proposed by the present invention in combination with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. According to the following description, the advantages and features of the present invention will be clearer. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, which are only used to conveniently and clearly assist in explaining the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention. In order to make the purposes, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, please refer to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in the drawings of this specification are only used to match the contents disclosed in the specification for people familiar with this technology to understand and read, and are not used to limit the limiting conditions for the implementation of the present invention, so they have no technical substantive significance. Any structural modification, change in proportional relationship or adjustment of size, without affecting the effects and purposes that can be achieved by the present invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed by the present invention.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, the fully polarized reconfigurable large-angle scanning phased array antenna provided by the present invention is composed of 100 antenna elements 10 arranged in a 10×10 specification, and each antenna element 10 is composed of a double-layer hybrid microstrip antenna 1 and a metal base 2 that are detachably connected. In other preferred embodiments of the present invention, different numbers of antenna elements 10 can be arranged and combined according to specific phased array antenna gain indicators.

[0026] like Figures 2 to 4As shown, the double-layer hybrid microstrip antenna 1 includes a metamaterial panel 11 and a dual-polarization antenna body 12. The top surface of the metamaterial panel 11 is provided with grid patterns 13 of different sizes. These grid patterns 13 are square, and 12 rectangular grid patterns 112 of larger sizes are provided around the edge of the metamaterial panel 11, and 16 rectangular grid patterns 113 of smaller sizes are provided inside these large-sized grid patterns 112. The metamaterial panel 11 can realize the balanced adjustment of the active characteristics of the antenna array element at different scanning angles by adopting a metamaterial grid pattern of non-uniform size, thereby ensuring the performance of the phased array antenna under large-angle scanning. The bottom surface of the metamaterial panel 11 contacts the top surface of the dual-polarization antenna body 12, and the bottom surface of the dual-polarization antenna body 12 contacts the top surface of the metal base 2. Two antenna connectors are provided on the metal base 2.

[0027] like Figure 3 As shown, in this example, the cross-sections of the metamaterial panel 11, the dual-polarized antenna body 12, and the metal base 2 are all squares of equal size. Two feeding threaded holes 22 are provided on the metal base. Each antenna connector is threadedly connected to the feeding threaded hole 22. The top of the antenna connector passes through the feeding threaded hole 22 and the dual-polarized antenna body 12 above, and is mechanically connected to the metal pattern provided on the top of the dual-polarized antenna body 12 and electrically connected to the metal pattern.

[0028] Specifically, Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, two mirror-symmetrical L-shaped copper-clad patterns 123 are arranged on both sides of one of the diagonals of the dual-polarized antenna body 12, and a feed metallized via 124 and a bandwidth expansion metallized via 125 are provided on the long side of each L-shaped copper-clad pattern 123. The top of each antenna connector passes through the feed metallized via 124 and is welded to the L-shaped copper-clad pattern 123, so as to realize the feed excitation for the phased array antenna. Furthermore, under the premise of ensuring that the long sides of the two L-shaped copper-clad patterns 123 are mutually orthogonal and the short sides are mutually orthogonal, the overall orientation of the two L-shaped copper-clad patterns 123 can be rotated; and the widths of the long and short sides of the L-shaped copper-clad patterns 123 can be different. Specifically, through holes 111 are provided at the four corners of the metamaterial panel 11, through holes 121 are provided at the four corresponding corners of the dual-polarized antenna body 12, and threaded holes 21 are provided at the four corresponding corners of the metal base 2. Bolts pass through the through holes 111, 121 and the threaded holes 21 in sequence to connect the metal base 2 with the metamaterial panel 11 and the dual-polarized antenna body 12 as a whole. Figure 6As shown, the center position of each of the feed threaded holes 22 is aligned with the center position of the corresponding feed metallized through hole 124 , and each antenna connector is tightly fixed in the metal base 2 through the feed threaded hole 22 .

[0029] Among them, the bandwidth expansion metallized via 125 penetrating the dual-polarized antenna body 12 is arranged on the long side of each of the L-shaped copper-clad patterns 123, and together with the feed metallized via 124 and the L-shaped copper-clad pattern 123, constitutes a conductor form of an equivalent inverted F structure, thereby utilizing the inverted F antenna working system to effectively expand the working bandwidth of the antenna; the short side of the L-shaped copper-clad pattern 123 is used to increase the structural adjustability of the antenna, thereby improving the adjustment ability of the antenna impedance matching. Furthermore, a plurality of isolation enhancement metallized vias 129 are provided on the dual-polarized antenna body 12 along the mirror-symmetrical diagonal lines of the two L-shaped copper-clad patterns 123, and these isolation enhancement metallized vias 129 are used to change the electric field distribution between the two L-shaped copper-clad patterns 123, thereby improving the isolation between the two polarizations of the phased array antenna. In this embodiment, the number of isolation-enhanced metallized vias 129 may be four. On the premise of ensuring the general layout area, the positions of the isolation-enhanced metallized vias 129 may be adjusted, that is, they may be located on the diagonal line of the dual-polarized antenna body 12 without being strictly collinear.

[0030] In this example, the edge of the dual-polarized antenna body 12 may be treated with metal edging or metal side sealing, and further, a plurality of decoupling metalized vias 122 may be provided around the edge of the dual-polarized antenna body 12. These decoupling metalized vias 122 are optional structures, that is, when the dual-polarized antenna body 12 is treated with metal edging, metal side sealing, etc., the decoupling metalized vias 122 may no longer be provided.

[0031] In summary, the novel fully polarized reconfigurable wide-angle scanning phased array antenna has the advantages of a simple antenna structure and a low antenna profile, and effectively ensures flexible reconstruction of the full polarization mode, expansion of the working bandwidth, and wide-angle scanning performance. The above characteristics solve the problems of complex structure, high profile, and severe deterioration of wide-angle scanning performance in traditional fully polarized reconfigurable phased array antennas, and provide strong guarantees for applications such as intelligent communication systems and anti-interference navigation systems. According to the scaling principle of antenna design, the design concept and implementation scheme of the present invention can be extended to the design of fully polarized reconfigurable wide-angle scanning phased array antennas with the same characteristics in any frequency band.

[0032] Although the content of the present invention has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, it should be appreciated that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. After reading the above content, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and substitutions of the present invention will occur. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be limited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A fully polarized reconfigurable large-angle scanning phased array antenna, characterized in that: It is composed of a number of periodically arranged antenna array elements, each of which is composed of a double-layer hybrid microstrip antenna and a detachable metal base; The double-layer hybrid microstrip antenna comprises: a detachably connected metamaterial panel and a dual-polarized antenna body, the top surface of the metamaterial panel is provided with grid patterns of different sizes, the bottom surface of the metamaterial panel contacts the top surface of the dual-polarized antenna body, and the bottom surface of the dual-polarized antenna body contacts the top surface of the metal base; Two antenna connectors are arranged on the metal base, each antenna connector is inserted into the metal base and is mechanically and electrically connected to the dual-polarized antenna body; The top surface of the dual-polarized antenna body is provided with two L-shaped copper-clad patterns that are mirror-symmetrical along one of the diagonals, each of the long sides of the L-shaped copper-clad patterns is provided with a feed metallized via hole and a bandwidth expansion metallized via hole, and each antenna connector is inserted into the corresponding feed metallized via hole to be mechanically and electrically connected to the L-shaped copper-clad pattern; On the top surface of the dual-polarized antenna body, a plurality of isolation-enhanced metallized vias are provided along the diagonal line to separate the two L-shaped copper-clad patterns; The long sides of the two L-shaped copper-clad patterns are orthogonal to each other, and the short sides are also orthogonal to each other.

2. The fully polarized reconfigurable large-angle scanning phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The edge of the dual-polarized antenna body is processed by metal edging or metal side sealing.

3. The fully polarized reconfigurable large-angle scanning phased array antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that: A plurality of decoupling metallized vias are provided around the edge of the dual-polarized antenna body.

4. The fully polarized reconfigurable large-angle scanning phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two feed threaded holes are provided on the metal base, the center position of each feed threaded hole matches the center position of the corresponding feed metallized through hole on the dual-polarized antenna body, the two antenna connectors are respectively threadedly connected to the two feed threaded holes, and the top of each antenna connector passes through the feed metallized through hole and is mechanically and electrically connected to the L-shaped copper clad pattern.

5. The fully polarized reconfigurable large-angle scanning phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top surface of the metamaterial panel is provided with two rectangular grid patterns of different sizes, and the size of the grid pattern located on the outer side of the metamaterial panel is larger than the size of the grid pattern on the inner side.

6. The fully polarized reconfigurable large-angle scanning phased array antenna according to claim 5, characterized in that: The number of large-size grille patterns is 12, and the number of small-size grille patterns is 16.

7. The fully polarized reconfigurable large-angle scanning phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metamaterial panel and the dual-polarized antenna body are provided with through holes at four corners, and the metal base is provided with threaded holes at four corners. Bolts pass through the through holes and the threaded holes in sequence to detachably connect the metal base with the metamaterial panel and the dual-polarized antenna body.

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