Directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna and its two-dimensional beam scanning array

Abstract

The present invention discloses a directional pattern reconfigurable phase bit antenna and a two-dimensional beam scanning array thereof, belonging to the field of communication technology. The directional pattern reconfigurable phase bit antenna comprises a miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface, a metal patch unit, a dielectric resonator, a phase 1 bit coupling feeding slot, a reflector radiation slot, a phase bit switching circuit, a reconfigurable reflector slot switching circuit, a feeding microstrip line, a switching DC bias circuit, a metal floor, a metal reflector plate and a nylon screw. The array elements in the two-dimensional scanning digital multi-beam array based on a one-dimensional linear array are composed of directional pattern reconfigurable phase bit antennas. The present invention solves the limitation that the existing one-dimensional linear array is difficult to realize two-dimensional multi-beam scanning of the linear array, the limitation that the traditional digital bit array uses a patch radiator resulting in a large size and difficulty in forming an array for wide-angle scanning, the disadvantage of the narrow bandwidth of the traditional digital bit array, and the design limitation that the traditional two-dimensional beam scanning array requires large-scale array elements and occupies a large space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of communication technology, and in particular relates to a directional pattern reconfigurable phase bit antenna and a two-dimensional beam scanning array thereof. Background Art

[0002] At present, as an important part of the new infrastructure, the 5G wireless communication system is being continuously deployed, which will accelerate the development of all walks of life and promote the improvement of people's quality of life. Unlike the traditional 2G / 3G / 4G wireless communication system, the 5G communication system provides higher transmission rate, lower latency, larger capacity and more stable wireless communication services. Therefore, at the base station end, the 5G system will adopt multi-beam antennas and large-scale MIMO antenna array architectures working in new frequency bands. However, traditional 2G / 3G / 4G base station antennas usually use fixed-beam omnidirectional antennas or dual-polarized linear arrays, so it is difficult to meet the needs of 5G systems for multi-beam dynamic coverage. As a novel type of multi-beam array, the digital multi-beam bit array not only has multiple switchable radiation beams or radiation patterns, but also has significant low-cost advantages. Unlike traditional multi-beam phased arrays, digital multi-beam bit arrays do not require expensive T / R components; unlike traditional digital phased arrays, digital multi-beam bit arrays do not require complex programmable beamforming networks, so digital multi-beam bit arrays have both miniaturization and low cost characteristics.

[0003] At present, digital multi-beam bit arrays can be roughly divided into linear digital bit arrays, planar two-dimensional digital bit arrays and leaky wave digital bit arrays. Linear digital bit arrays use phase 1-bit patch antennas as array units, which can only achieve one-dimensional beam switching, so there are problems with limited multi-beam coverage and radiation dead angles. At the same time, due to the bandwidth limitation of patch antennas, there are usually disadvantages of narrow antenna bandwidth; planar two-dimensional digital bit arrays use linear polarization phase 1-bit patch antennas for planar arrays. Although they can achieve two-dimensional multi-beam switching, they require multiple array elements and complex control circuits, so they have the disadvantages of high cost and complex structure; leaky wave digital bit arrays load 2-bit step phase shifters onto leaky wave radiation units to achieve multi-beam scanning at a fixed frequency, but multi-beams can still only be switched on one section (one-dimensional scanning), so there are the disadvantages of limited radiation capacity and large array size.

[0004] Through the above review and analysis of the prior art, among the current digital multi-beam bit arrays, there is no digital bit array that uses a one-dimensional linear array to achieve two-dimensional multi-beam switching. The current digital multi-beam bit arrays are difficult to achieve miniaturization, low cost, wide bandwidth, rich two-dimensional multi-beam switching and wide-area multi-beam coverage. Therefore, the existing digital multi-beam bit arrays are difficult to meet the needs of 5G base stations for low-cost two-dimensional multi-beam scanning. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a directional pattern reconfigurable phase bit antenna and a two-dimensional beam scanning array thereof, which solve the limitation that the existing one-dimensional linear array is difficult to realize linear array two-dimensional multi-beam scanning, the limitation that the traditional digital bit array uses patch radiators, resulting in large size and difficulty in forming an array to realize wide-angle scanning, the disadvantage of the traditional digital bit array with narrow bandwidth, and the design limitation that the traditional two-dimensional beam scanning array requires large-scale array elements and occupies a large space.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned invention object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a directional pattern reconfigurable phase bit antenna, including a miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface, a metal patch unit, a dielectric resonator, a phase 1 bit coupling feeding slot, a reflector radiation slot, a phase bit switching circuit, a reconfigurable reflector slot switching circuit, a feeding microstrip line, a switching DC bias circuit, a metal floor, a metal reflector and a nylon screw;

[0007] The miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface is composed of a metal patch unit and a dielectric resonator, wherein the metal patch unit is located on the dielectric resonator, and the dielectric resonator is fixed on the metal floor through the nylon screws. The phase 1 bit coupling feeding slot is etched in the middle of the metal floor and is distributed in parallel and symmetrically. The reflector radiation slot is etched in the metal floor and is distributed in parallel and symmetrically, and is close to the front and rear directions of the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface facing outward. The phase bit switching circuit is printed on the back of the metal floor and is located in the middle of the phase 1 bit coupling feeding slot. The reconfigurable reflector slot switching circuit is printed On the back side of the metal floor and on both sides of the reflector radiation slot, the feed microstrip line is printed on the back side of the metal floor, the switch DC bias circuit is printed on the back side of the metal floor and is connected to the phase bit switch circuit and the reconfigurable reflector slot switch circuit, the metal floor is installed on the bottom of the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface, the metal reflector is located below the metal floor and is supported and fixed to the metal floor by the nylon screws, the front and back sides of the metal reflector are short-circuited with the metal floor by metal bending parts, and the nylon screws are located around the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface and the metal floor.

[0008] Furthermore, the dielectric resonator is a dielectric material with high dielectric constant and low loss.

[0009] Furthermore, the phase 1-bit coupling feeding slot includes two parallel and symmetrically distributed long slot-shaped coupling feeding slots.

[0010] Furthermore, the reflector radiation slots are two parallel and symmetrically distributed slots, and the two slots are arranged in the front and rear outer sides of the dielectric resonator respectively.

[0011] Furthermore, the phase bit switch circuit is a switch circuit with a single-pole double-throw function.

[0012] Furthermore, the reconfigurable reflector slot switch circuit is a switch circuit with a single-pole single-throw function.

[0013] Furthermore, the switch DC bias circuit is a state control circuit of a phase shift switch and a reflector switch.

[0014] Furthermore, the metal floor is a double-sided copper-clad dielectric substrate, and the metal reflector is a thin metal plate.

[0015] The present invention provides a two-dimensional beam scanning array, which comprises the directional pattern reconfigurable phase bit antenna and a plurality of antenna array elements; the plurality of antenna array elements are composed of the directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1 bit antenna as an array element.

[0016] Furthermore, each of the antenna array elements is arranged in a one-dimensional linear shape, and the antenna array elements are distributed in an array.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0018] (1) Based on broadband electromagnetic metasurface technology, 1-bit coupled self-phase shift design and pattern reconfiguration technology, the present invention uses a dielectric resonator loaded by an electromagnetic metasurface as a radiator, and proposes a novel pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit radiation structure based on an electromagnetic metasurface, which has the advantages of miniaturization, wide bandwidth, phase 1-bit self-phase shift and pattern reconfiguration. At the same time, the two-dimensional scanning digital multi-beam array based on a one-dimensional linear array provided by the present invention has the advantages of miniaturization, wide bandwidth, low cost, rich planar multi-beam scanning and flexible design freedom, and can meet the application requirements of intelligent low-cost multi-beam antennas.

[0019] (2) The digital bit array (two-dimensional scanning digital multi-beam array) of the present invention has added a reconfigurable radiation pattern and introduced a new beam scanning dimension. By combining the radiation pattern reconfigurable beam scanning dimension (E-plane scanning) and the digital bit phase scanning dimension (H-plane scanning), the problem of limited beam scanning of traditional linear arrays (traditional linear arrays can only perform one-dimensional beam scanning) is solved. The dual requirements of 5G multi-beam base stations for two-dimensional multi-beam scanning and low cost can be met. The present invention can perform different forms of array deployment and adjustment according to the application requirements of different 5G base station and IoT device antennas, thereby achieving a high degree of design freedom and solving the design limitations of the array requiring large-scale and regular deployment.

[0020] (3) The directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna based on the electromagnetic metasurface proposed in the present invention has the advantages of small size, wide bandwidth, high radiation performance and phase 1-bit directional pattern reconfigurable radiation, and is suitable for various low-cost wide-angle scanning phased arrays and digital bit array designs.

[0021] (4) The present invention adopts electromagnetic metasurface technology, which combines the traditional electromagnetic metasurface small patch unit and dielectric resonator to make the antenna miniaturized while still obtaining wide-bandwidth working characteristics. The present invention utilizes the uniform field distribution characteristics of the electromagnetic metasurface to construct a uniform radiation aperture, thereby achieving efficient utilization of the aperture.

[0022] (5) Based on the high-purity electric field distribution characteristics of the slot radiator, the present invention obtains two parallel and symmetrically distributed I-shaped coupling feeding slots and feeding microstrip lines on the antenna floor, thereby obtaining electric field components with two parallel directions and opposite phases, thereby realizing low-cost 1-bit phase switching (0° / 180°) and stable phase switching.

[0023] (7) The present invention is based on the quasi-Yagi directional radiation principle. By setting two parallel and symmetrically distributed U-shaped reflector radiation slots and a reconfigurable reflector slot switch circuit on a metal floor, the two U-shaped reflector radiation slots are switched on and off respectively, thereby achieving compact reconfigurable directional patterns and having the characteristics of miniaturization and multi-beam.

[0024] (8) The digital multi-beam bit array in the present invention realizes two-dimensional multi-beam scanning of a one-dimensional linear array, and is suitable for low-cost reconfigurable / phased array and low-cost multi-beam base station applications. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 3D view of the phase-reconstructable 1-bit antenna based on the metasurface radiation pattern in the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 These are three-view images of the directional pattern-reconstructable phase 1-bit antenna based on the metasurface in the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a 1-bit antenna bandwidth diagram based on the directional pattern of the metasurface in the present invention that can reconstruct the phase.

[0028] Figure 4 This is the radiation performance diagram of the 1-bit antenna with reconstructible phase based on the metasurface pattern in the present invention.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a 3D view of the two-dimensional scanning digital multi-beam array based on the one-dimensional linear array in the present invention.

[0030] Figure 6It is a three-view diagram of the two-dimensional scanning digital multi-beam array based on the one-dimensional linear array in the present invention.

[0031] Figure 7 This is a bandwidth diagram of the two-dimensional scanning digital multi-beam array based on the one-dimensional linear array in the present invention.

[0032] Figure 8 It is the H-plane multi-beam scanning of the two-dimensional scanning digital multi-beam array based on the one-dimensional linear array in the present invention.

[0033] Fig. 9 It is the E-plane multi-beam scanning of the two-dimensional scanning digital multi-beam array based on the one-dimensional linear array in the present invention.

[0034] Among them, 1-miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface, 2-metal patch unit, 3-dielectric resonator, 4-phase 1-bit coupled feeding slot, 5-reflector radiation slot, 6-phase bit switching circuit, 7-reconfigurable reflector slot switching circuit, 8-feeding microstrip line, 9-switch DC bias circuit, 10-metal floor, 11-metal reflector, 12-nylon screw, 13-antenna array element. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The specific implementation modes of the present invention are described below so that those skilled in the art can understand the present invention. However, it should be clear that the present invention is not limited to the scope of the specific implementation modes. For those of ordinary skill in the art, as long as various changes are within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined and determined by the attached claims, these changes are obvious, and all inventions and creations utilizing the concept of the present invention are protected.

[0036] In order to solve the limitation that the existing one-dimensional linear array is difficult to realize the two-dimensional multi-beam scanning of the linear array, the present invention proposes a new type of directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit radiation structure based on electromagnetic metasurface, and provides two embodiments of the directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna based on electromagnetic metasurface and the two-dimensional scanning digital multi-beam array based on one-dimensional linear array. The present invention realizes two-dimensional beam scanning of a one-dimensional linear array, solves the limitation that the traditional linear array is difficult to realize the two-dimensional multi-beam scanning of the linear array, and is difficult to provide planar multi-beam coverage; the antenna of the present invention realizes a miniaturized design, solves the problem that the traditional digital bit array uses patches and is large in size and difficult to form an array; the antenna of the present invention realizes a wide working bandwidth, solves the disadvantage of the narrow bandwidth of the traditional digital bit array; the antenna of the present invention realizes low-cost and miniaturized phase 1-bit switching without using a phase shifter; the digital bit array of the present invention adds a reconfigurable directional pattern, introduces a new beam scanning dimension, solves the limitation that the traditional linear array can only scan one-dimensional beams, and can meet the dual requirements of 5G multi-beam base stations for two-dimensional multi-beam scanning and low cost. In addition, the present invention provides two embodiments, namely, a directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna based on an electromagnetic metasurface and a two-dimensional scanning digital multi-beam array based on a one-dimensional linear array. Different forms of array deployment and adjustment can be performed according to the application requirements of different 5G base stations and IoT device antennas, thereby achieving a high degree of design freedom and solving the design limitations of the array that require large-scale and regular deployment.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] like Figure 1-Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a directional pattern reconfigurable phase bit antenna, including a miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface 1, a metal patch unit 2, a dielectric resonator 3, a phase 1 bit coupling feeding slot 4, a reflector radiation slot 5, a phase bit switching circuit 6, a reconfigurable reflector slot switching circuit 7, a feeding microstrip line 8, a switching DC bias circuit 9, a metal floor 10, a metal reflector plate 11 and a nylon screw 12;

[0039] The miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface 1 is composed of a metal patch unit 2 and a dielectric resonator 3, wherein the metal patch unit 2 on the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface 1 is a small periodic metal patch attached to the upper surface of the dielectric resonator 3, the dielectric resonator 3 is a dielectric material with a high dielectric constant and low loss, the dielectric resonator 3 is fixed on the metal floor 10 through the nylon screw 12, the phase 1 bit coupling feeding slot 4 is etched in the middle position of the metal floor 10, and is parallel and symmetrically distributed, and the phase 1 bit coupling feeding slot 4 includes two parallel and symmetrically distributed I-shaped coupling feeding slots The reflector radiation slot 5 is etched on the metal floor 10, distributed in parallel and symmetrically, and close to the front and rear two outward directions (two short side directions) of the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface 1. The reflector radiation slot 5 includes two U-shaped radiation slots distributed in parallel and symmetrically. The phase bit switch circuit 6 is printed on the back of the metal floor 10 and is located in the middle of the phase 1 bit coupling feeding slot 4. The phase bit switch circuit 6 is a switch circuit with a single-pole double-throw function, which is composed of a single-pole double-throw switch (a radio frequency switch chip or a PIN diode combination) and a microstrip line, and is a feed The reconfigurable reflector slot switch circuit 7 is a switch circuit with a single-pole single-throw function, which is composed of a single-pole single-throw switch (PIN diode or RF switch chip) and a microstrip line. The feed microstrip line 8 is a 50ohm microstrip line, which is printed on the back of the metal floor 10. The switch DC bias circuit 9 is printed on the back of the metal floor 10 and connected to the phase bit switch circuit 6 and the reconfigurable reflector slot switch circuit. The circuit 7 is connected, the switch DC bias circuit 9 is a DC bias circuit of the phase shift switch and the reflector switch, the metal floor 10 is a double-sided copper-clad dielectric substrate, installed at the bottom of the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface 1, the metal reflector 1 is a thin metal plate, 1 is located below the metal floor 10, and is supported and fixed to the metal floor 10 by the nylon screws 12, the front and back faces of the metal reflector 11 are short-circuited with the metal floor 10 through the metal bending part, and the nylon screws 12 are standard nylon screws, which are located around the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface 1 and the metal floor 10.

[0040] In this embodiment, Figure 1 and 2 As shown, Figure 2 middle, Figure 2 (a) is a top view, Figure 2 (b) is a side view, Figure 2(c) is a front view. In the embodiment of the electromagnetic metasurface-based reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna, a new electromagnetic metasurface pattern reconfigurable radiation structure is proposed based on the electromagnetic metasurface and pattern reconfiguration technology, and is used as the radiator of the phase 1-bit antenna to realize the reception and transmission of radio frequency signals. The metal patch unit 2 on the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface 1 is composed of small-sized metal patch units 2, which are placed on the metal floor 10 and used as the radiator of the broadband antenna. Multiple periodic patch small units excite a uniform surface electric field, obtain a uniform radiation aperture, and achieve efficient radiation. The dielectric resonator 3 is composed of a dielectric material with a high dielectric constant and a low loss, and is used for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals. At the same time, due to its high dielectric constant, the miniaturized design of the antenna is realized; the phase 1-bit coupled feeding slot 4 is composed of two I-shaped slots on the metal floor 10. Since the two I-shaped slots are parallel and symmetrically distributed, and the feeding excitation is introduced by a microstrip line passing through the middle, it is used for 1-bit phase excitation, that is, by setting two symmetrical slots on the metal floor, when the forward I-shaped slot is selected, the feeding phase is 0°, and when the backward I-shaped slot excitation is selected, the feeding phase is 180°, that is, the selection of 0° or 180° feeding phase is realized, and the phase 1-bit switching is realized; the reflector radiation slot 5 is used to realize the reflection of the antenna radiation wave, and is composed of two U-shaped radiation slots that are parallel and symmetrically distributed. Two forward and backward radiation slots are set on the metal floor 10 to form a quasi-Yagi directional radiation. The radiation characteristic is that when the forward reflector radiation slot 5 is selected, a backward reflection of the radiation wave is formed, that is, a backward deflected beam. When the backward reflector radiation slot 5 is selected, a forward reflection of the radiation wave is formed, that is, a forward deflected beam. By selecting the two reflector radiation slots 5, a deflected radiation beam is realized, that is, a multi-beam switching scanning of the antenna radiation pattern on the E plane is realized; the phase bit switching circuit 6 is composed of a switch with a single-pole double-throw function, which is used for selecting two phase 1-bit coupled feeding slots. When the single-pole double-throw switch is switched to the forward direction, the I-shaped excitation slot in the forward direction is selected, and a feeding excitation with a phase of 0° is realized. When the single-pole double-throw switch is switched to the backward direction, the I-shaped excitation slot in the backward direction is selected, and a feeding excitation with a phase of 180° is realized, that is, through the action of the single-pole double-throw switch, a 1-bit phase switching of 0° / 180° is realized;The reconfigurable reflector slot switch circuit 7 is arranged on the lower surface of the U-shaped reflector radiation slot 5, and is composed of two single-pole single-throw switches (PIN diodes or radio frequency switch chips) and a microstrip line circuit. It is distributed in a one-to-one correspondence with the two U-shaped reflector radiation slots 5, and is used for switching control of the two reflector radiation slots. When the single-pole single-throw switch of the switch circuit 7 corresponding to the forward U-shaped reflector radiation slot is disconnected, and the single-pole single-throw switch of the switch circuit 7 corresponding to the backward U-shaped radiation slot is closed, the forward U-shaped radiation slot is excited and selected, and the radiation wave is reflected backward to achieve a deflected beam backward. When the single-pole single-throw switch of the forward U-shaped radiation slot is closed, and the single-pole single-throw switch of the backward U-shaped radiation slot is disconnected, the backward U-shaped radiation slot is excited and selected, and the radiation wave is reflected backward to achieve a deflected beam backward, that is, the E-plane of the radiation diagram is reconfigurable; the feeding microstrip line 8 is made of a metal floor. 10 is composed of a microstrip line on the back side, which is used to excite the phase 1 bit coupling feeding slot, realize the signal input and output of the antenna radiator and realize the excitation and radiation of the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface; the switch DC bias circuit 9 is composed of a DC control line, which is used to control the state of the phase bit switch and the reconfigurable slot switch, that is, to control the closed and open states of the switch, and realize the control of the closed / off states of the phase bit switch and the directional pattern reconfigurable switch; the metal floor 10 is composed of a double-sided copper-clad dielectric substrate, which is used as the reference ground for antenna radiation, and realizes the directional radiation of the reference ground and the antenna; the metal reflector 11 is composed of a thin layer of metal plate, which is used to reflect the backward radiation of the metal floor, reduce the backward radiation, and realize the reflection and suppression of the antenna backward wave; the nylon screw 12 is used to fix the electromagnetic metasurface and the metal reflection cavity, and is composed of standard metric insulating material screws to realize the support and fixation of the antenna structure. ;

[0041] In this embodiment, the miniaturized broadband electromagnetic metasurface reconfigurable phase 1-bit structure proposed by the present invention and the directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna based on the structure achieve miniaturization, wide bandwidth, directional pattern reconfiguration and flexible phase 1-bit switching, and the antenna performance is as follows: Figure 3 and 4 shown. Figure 3 The bandwidth performance of the 1-bit antenna with reconfigurable phase pattern is achieved. The -10dB impedance bandwidth of the antenna is 3.30-3.80GHz, covering the new 5G frequency band and meeting the working frequency band requirements of 4G / 5G communication systems and Internet of Things systems. Figure 4 is the radiation pattern performance of the 1-bit antenna with reconfigurable phase pattern, where Figure 4 (a) is state 1, Figure 4 (a) When the single-pole single-throw switch at the forward U-shaped radiation slot is disconnected and the single-pole single-throw switch at the backward U-shaped radiation slot is closed, the radiation pattern of the antenna is deflected backward; Figure 4 (b) is state 2, Figure 4(b) When the single-pole single-throw switches at the forward and backward U-shaped radiation slots are closed, the radiation pattern of the antenna is in an undeflected state, that is, a side-firing pattern; Figure 4 (c) is state 3, Figure 4 (c) When the single-pole single-throw switch at the forward U-shaped radiation slot is closed and the single-pole single-throw switch at the backward U-shaped radiation slot is open, the radiation pattern of the antenna is in a forward deflection state. By switching between three different radiation pattern states, the pattern can be reconfigured. By controlling the two single-pole single-throw switches at the radiation slots of the two reflectors, the three beams can be reconfigured in the E plane of the antenna, that is, multi-beam switching scanning. Embodiment 1 of the present invention realizes miniaturization, wide bandwidth and reconfigurable pattern phase 1-bit switching, which can be applied to various types of digital multi-beam bit arrays.

[0042] The present invention proposes a novel electromagnetic metasurface pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit radiation structure, which combines pattern reconfiguration technology and digital phase bit antenna for the first time, realizes phase 1-bit switching in different radiation modes, and can be applied to different multi-beam array applications. In antenna design, the present invention proposes a novel miniaturized broadband pattern reconfigurable antenna based on electromagnetic metasurface, which utilizes U-shaped reconfigurable reflector radiation slot loaded by dielectric resonator to realize pattern reconfiguration in compact size (miniaturized pattern reconfigurable design), which can also be migrated to wide-angle scanning array and multi-beam reconfigurable array design.

[0043] Example 2

[0044] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the present invention provides a two-dimensional beam scanning array based on a one-dimensional linear array, including the directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna described in Example 1 and a plurality of antenna array elements 13; the plurality of antenna array elements 13 are composed of the directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna as an array element, and each of the antenna array elements 13 is arranged linearly and equidistantly.

[0045] In this embodiment, four antenna array elements (C1-C4) are taken as an example for description.

[0046] In this embodiment, the present invention provides a one-dimensional linear array based on two-dimensional scanning digital multi-beam array, including a miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface 1, a metal patch unit 2, a dielectric resonator 3, a phase 1 bit coupling feeding slot 4, a reflector radiation slot 5, a phase bit switching circuit 6, a reconfigurable reflector slot switching circuit 7, a feeding microstrip line 8, a switching DC bias circuit 9, a metal floor 10, a metal reflector plate 11, a nylon screw 12 and four antenna elements (C1-C4) 13 on the array.

[0047] The miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface 1 is composed of a metal patch unit 2 and a dielectric resonator 3, wherein the metal patch unit 2 on the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface 1 is a small periodic metal patch attached to the upper surface of the dielectric resonator 3, the dielectric resonator 3 is a dielectric material with a high dielectric constant and low loss, the dielectric resonator 3 is fixed on the metal floor 10 through the nylon screw 12, the phase 1 bit coupling feeding slot 4 is etched in the middle position of the metal floor 10, and is parallel and symmetrically distributed, and the phase 1 bit coupling feeding slot 4 includes two parallel and symmetrically distributed I-shaped coupling feeding slots The reflector radiation slot 5 is etched on the metal floor 10, distributed in parallel and symmetrically, and close to the front and rear two outward directions (two short side directions) of the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface 1. The reflector radiation slot 5 includes two U-shaped radiation slots distributed in parallel and symmetrically. The phase bit switch circuit 6 is printed on the back of the metal floor 10 and is located in the middle of the phase 1 bit coupling feeding slot 4. The phase bit switch circuit 6 is a switch circuit with a single-pole double-throw function, which is composed of a single-pole double-throw switch (a radio frequency switch chip or a PIN diode combination) and a microstrip line, and is a feed The reconfigurable reflector slot switch circuit 7 is a switch circuit with a single-pole single-throw function, which is composed of a single-pole single-throw switch (PIN diode or RF switch chip) and a microstrip line. The feed microstrip line 8 is a 50ohm microstrip line, which is printed on the back of the metal floor 10. The switch DC bias circuit 9 is printed on the back of the metal floor 10 and connected to the phase bit switch circuit 6 and the reconfigurable reflector slot switch circuit. The circuit 7 is connected, the switch DC bias circuit 9 is a DC bias circuit for the phase shift switch and the reflector switch, the metal floor 10 is a double-sided copper-clad dielectric substrate, installed at the bottom of the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface 1, the metal reflector 1 is a thin metal plate, 1 is located below the metal floor 10, and is supported and fixed to the metal floor 10 by the nylon screws 12, the front and back of the metal reflector 11 are short-circuited with the metal floor 10 by the metal bending part, and the nylon screws 12 are standard nylon screws, which are located around the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface 1 and the metal floor 10. The antenna elements 13 on the array are four antennas with a reconfigurable phase of 1 bit based on the electromagnetic metasurface's directional pattern. The four elements are arranged in a straight line (one-dimensional linear array), and the antenna elements 13 are arranged in a distributed manner according to the array synthesis.

[0048] In this embodiment, the antenna has a miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface 1, which is composed of a metal patch unit 2 and a dielectric resonator 3 of the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface 1, and is the radiator of the antenna to realize the reception and transmission of radio frequency signals; the metal patch unit 2 on the metasurface is composed of a small-sized metal patch unit, and a plurality of periodic patch small units excite a uniform surface electric field, obtain a uniform radiation aperture, and realize efficient radiation; the dielectric resonator 3 is composed of a dielectric material with a high dielectric constant and a low loss, and is used for the radiation of electromagnetic signals. At the same time, due to its high dielectric constant, it realizes The miniaturized design of the antenna is realized; the phase 1-bit coupled feeding slot 4 is composed of two I-shaped slots on the metal floor 10. Since the two I-shaped slots are parallel and symmetrically distributed, and the feeding excitation is introduced from the middle by a microstrip line, it is used for 1-bit phase excitation, that is, by setting two symmetrical slots on the metal floor, when the forward I-shaped slot is selected, the feeding phase is 0°, and when the backward I-shaped slot excitation is selected, the feeding phase is 180°, that is, the selection of 0° or 180° feeding phase is realized, and the phase 1-bit switching is realized; the reflector radiation slot 5 , used to realize the reflection of the antenna radiation wave, composed of two parallel and symmetrically distributed U-shaped radiation slots, two radiation slots facing forward and backward are set on the metal floor 10, forming a quasi-Yagi directional radiation characteristic, when the forward reflector radiation slot 5 is selected, a backward reflection of the radiation wave is formed at this time, that is, a backward deflected beam, when the backward reflector radiation slot 5 is selected, a forward reflection of the radiation wave is formed at this time, that is, a forward deflected beam, by selecting the two reflector radiation slots 5, a deflected radiation beam is realized, that is, the antenna radiation direction is realized The three-beam switching scanning of the direction diagram on the E plane; the phase bit switch circuit 6, which is composed of a switch with a single-pole double-throw function, is used to select the two-phase 1-bit coupled feeding slots. When the single-pole double-throw switch is switched to the forward direction, the I-shaped excitation slot in the forward direction is selected, and the feeding excitation of the 0° phase is realized. When the single-pole double-throw switch is switched to the backward direction, the I-shaped excitation slot in the backward direction is selected, and the feeding excitation of the 180° phase is realized. That is, through the action of the single-pole double-throw switch, the 0° / 180° 1-bit phase switching is realized;The reconfigurable reflector slot switch circuit 7 is arranged on the lower surface of the U-shaped reflector radiation slot 5, and is composed of two single-pole single-throw switches (PIN diodes or radio frequency switch chips) and a microstrip line circuit. It is distributed in a one-to-one correspondence with the two U-shaped reflector radiation slots 5, and is used for switching control of the two reflector radiation slots. When the single-pole single-throw switch of the switch circuit 7 corresponding to the forward U-shaped reflector radiation slot is disconnected, and the single-pole single-throw switch of the switch circuit 7 corresponding to the backward U-shaped radiation slot is closed, the forward U-shaped radiation slot is excited and selected, and the radiation wave is reflected backward to achieve a deflected beam backward. When the single-pole single-throw switch of the forward U-shaped radiation slot is closed and the single-pole single-throw switch of the backward U-shaped radiation slot is disconnected, the backward U-shaped radiation slot is excited and selected, and the radiation wave is reflected backward to achieve a deflected beam backward, that is, the E-plane of the radiation pattern is reconfigurable; the feeding microstrip line 8 is made of metal ground The microstrip line on the back of the board 10 is used to excite the phase 1 bit coupling feeding slot, realize the signal input and output of the antenna radiator and realize the excitation and radiation of the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface; the switch DC bias circuit 9 is composed of a DC control line and is used to control the state of the phase bit switch and the reconfigurable slot switch, that is, to control the closed and open states of the switch, thereby realizing the control of the closed / off states of the phase bit switch and the directional pattern reconfigurable switch; the metal floor 10 is composed of a double-sided copper-clad plate and is used as a reference ground for antenna radiation, thereby realizing the directional radiation of the reference ground and the antenna; the metal reflector 11 is composed of a thin layer of metal plate and is used to reflect the backward radiation of the metal floor, reduce the backward radiation, and realize the reflection and suppression of the backward leakage wave of the antenna; the nylon screw 12 is used to fix the electromagnetic metasurface and the metal reflection cavity, and is composed of a metric insulating nylon screw to realize the support and fixation of the antenna structure. The antenna array element 13 on the array is composed of four 1-bit antennas with reconfigurable phase patterns based on electromagnetic metasurfaces as array elements. When the U-shaped reflector radiation slot switch (reconfigurable pattern switch) of each array element is controlled, the array realizes reconfigurable multi-beam scanning of the E-plane pattern; when the I-shaped coupling feed slot switch (1-bit phase switch) of each array element is controlled, the array realizes digital bit multi-beam scanning of the H-plane; when the reconfigurable pattern switch and the 1-bit phase switch are regulated at the same time, the example realizes two-dimensional multi-beam scanning switching, that is, two-dimensional multi-beam scanning and multi-beam blind coverage based on a one-dimensional linear array. In particular, the use of a reconfigurable 1-bit phase antenna with a pattern as an array element of a digital bit array can realize two-dimensional multi-beam scanning switching at a low cost (no T / R or digital multi-beam forming network is required, and the array size is reduced in dimension and compressed), meeting the requirements of a planar multi-beam 5G base station for two-dimensional multi-beam scanning coverage, low cost and small size. ;

[0049] In this embodiment, Figure 5 and 6 As shown, Figure 6 middle, Figure 6 (a) is a top view, Figure 6 (b) is a side view, Figure 6 (c) is a front view. In the embodiment of the two-dimensional scanning digital multi-beam array based on a one-dimensional linear array, based on Example 1, a directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna based on an electromagnetic metasurface is used as an array element of the array, and multiple 1-bit antennas are arranged in a linear array form (one-dimensional array), and the array spacing is set to 0.5λ0 (λ0 is the free space wavelength at the center frequency of the antenna) to realize two-dimensional multi-beam switching scanning, that is, a one-dimensional array performs two-dimensional planar multi-beam scanning. In this embodiment, taking into account the requirements of 5G multi-beam base stations for multi-beam scanning, antenna space size and low cost, this example sets the number of array elements to 4. Compared with traditional phased arrays, the digital multi-beam bit array does not require T / R components or digital beamforming networks, which effectively reduces the cost of the array. Compared with existing digital bit arrays, the digital multi-beam bit array, by introducing directional pattern reconfigurable technology, realizes a two-dimensional multi-beam scanning array based on a one-dimensional linear array for the first time, that is, multi-beam scanning is realized by directional pattern reconfigurable technology on the E surface of the array, and phase scanning multi-beam switching is realized by phase bit form on the H surface.

[0050] In this embodiment, Figure 7 and Figure 8 The impedance bandwidth and beam scanning performance of the digital multi-beam bit array. Figure 7 is the S parameter performance of this embodiment, where Figure 7 (a) is the reflection coefficient of each array element in this embodiment, Figure 7 (b) is the port isolation between the array elements of this embodiment. The -10dB impedance bandwidth of each array element covers the new 5G frequency bands such as 3.30-3.80GHz. In the entire passband, the isolation between the ports of each array element is less than -18dB, which has good bandwidth and impedance matching performance. At the same time, high isolation brings good scanning characteristics and radiation efficiency. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 is the two-dimensional multi-beam switching scanning performance of this embodiment. Figure 8 is the H-plane multi-beam bit switching, Fig. 9 It is E-plane multi-beam reconfigurable scanning. Figure 8 is the H-plane multi-beam scanning performance of the proposed array, where Figure 8 (a) When the feeding phases of the four array elements of the array are set to the same phase (i.e., 0000 state), the radiation pattern of the array is the side-beam form with maximum gain; Figure 8 (b) When the feeding phase of the first and second elements of the array is set to 0°, and the feeding phase of the third and fourth elements is set to 180° (i.e., 0011 state), the radiation pattern at this time is a two-lobe radiation form of the H plane; Figure 8(c) When the feeding phase of the first and fourth elements of the array is set to 0°, and the feeding phase of the second and third elements is set to 180° (i.e., 0110 state), the radiation pattern at this time is an H-plane beam, and the lobe is further deflected and tilted to cover both sides; Figure 8 (d) is when the feeding phase of the first and third elements of the array is set to 0°, and the feeding phase of the second and fourth elements is set to 180° (i.e., 0101 state). At this time, the radiation pattern is a beam of two lobes on the H plane, and the lobes are deflected and tilted to cover at a larger angle to both sides. By controlling the feeding phase of the four elements, the array can be operated in four states of 0000, 0011, 0110 and 0101, realizing multi-beam phase bit switching on the H plane. Fig. 9 is the E-plane multi-beam scanning performance of the proposed array, Fig. 9 middle, Fig. 9 (a) is state 1 Fig. 9 (b) is state 2 Fig. 9 (c) is state 3, where Fig. 9 (a) When the single-pole single-throw switch at the radiation slot of the forward U-shaped reflector of each array element is closed and the single-pole single-throw switch at the radiation slot of the rearward U-shaped reflector is opened, the radiation pattern of the array at this time is tilted and radiated forward on the E plane; Fig. 9 (b) The single-pole single-throw switches at the two U-shaped reflector radiation slots in the forward and backward directions of each array element are closed, and the array's radiation pattern at this time is in the form of maximum gain side-beam in the E plane; Fig. 9 (c) When the single-pole single-throw switch at the radiation slot of the forward U-shaped reflector of each array element is disconnected and the single-pole single-throw switch at the radiation slot of the rearward U-shaped reflector is closed, the array's radiation pattern at this time is deflected and tilted to radiate backward on the E-plane. By controlling the state of the single-pole single-throw switch at the radiation slot of the U-shaped reflector of each array element, the array's radiation pattern can be operated in three different radiation pointing states to achieve multi-beam switching on the E-plane. Furthermore, by combining the phase bit control of the array element and the reconfigurable control of the radiation pattern of the array element, that is, superimposing the H-plane phase bit scanning and the E-plane reconfigurable scanning, two-dimensional multi-beam scanning of the one-dimensional linear array is achieved. Different from the traditional phased array, this example uses 1-bit phase switching of four array elements to achieve multi-beam switching in the form of blind spot filling with different deflection angles on the H-plane. Different from the existing one-dimensional digital bit array and planar digital bit array, this embodiment adopts a phase 1-bit antenna with reconfigurable E-plane pattern as an array element, and synchronously controls the reconfigurable switch states of four array elements, thereby realizing multi-beam scanning of the array E-plane, which is suitable for the application of miniaturized low-cost planar multi-beam base stations. Embodiment 2 of the present invention realizes the miniaturization and low-cost (linear array vs. planar array) of dimensionality reduction compression, and a wide-bandwidth planar two-dimensional multi-beam scanning design, which can be suitable for the application of planar multi-beam base stations.

[0051] The array antenna in the present invention uses a directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna based on an electromagnetic metasurface as an array element, and realizes two-dimensional planar digital multi-beam scanning based on a one-dimensional linear array for the first time, meeting the application requirements of miniaturized, low-cost and planar multi-beam base stations and smart IoT devices. The digital multi-beam bit array proposed in the present invention, without using T / R components and digital multi-beam forming network feeding, only realizes low-cost two-dimensional planar multi-beam scanning in the form of a one-dimensional linear array by controlling the directional pattern reconfigurable switch and phase bit switch of the array element, meeting the requirements for large-scale deployment of 5G base stations and smart IoT systems.

[0052] The present invention proposes the above two embodiments, namely, a directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna and a digital multi-beam bit array based on a one-dimensional linear array for two-dimensional scanning, which can flexibly adjust the frequency, polarization form, quantity and antenna material / form changes according to different application scenarios, so as to meet the application requirements of different wireless communication systems. The array antenna in this embodiment is only a verification embodiment for planar two-dimensional multi-beam 5G base station applications, including but not limited to the number of arrays (greater than or equal to two array elements), array form (linear array, circular array, conformal array, planar array and sparse / sparse array), and directional pattern reconfigurable switch and phase bit switch control form (switch type can be PIN diode, RF switch chip and MEMS switch, etc.) scheme adjustment.

Claims

1. A 1-bit antenna with reconfigurable phase pattern, characterized in that: It includes a miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface (1), a metal patch unit (2), a dielectric resonator (3), a phase 1-bit coupling feeding slot (4), a reflector radiation slot (5), a phase bit switching circuit (6), a reconfigurable reflector slot switching circuit (7), a feeding microstrip line (8), a switching DC bias circuit (9), a metal floor (10), a metal reflector (11), and a nylon screw (12); The miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface (1) is composed of a metal patch unit (2) and a dielectric resonator (3), wherein the metal patch unit (2) is located on the dielectric resonator (3), and the dielectric resonator (3) is fixed to the metal floor (10) through the nylon screw (12), the phase 1-bit coupling feeding slot (4) is etched in the middle of the metal floor (10) and is distributed in parallel and symmetrically, the reflector radiation slot (5) is etched in the metal floor (10) and is distributed in parallel and symmetrically, and is close to the front and rear outward directions of the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface (1), the phase bit switching circuit (6) is printed on the back of the metal floor (10) and is located in the middle of the phase 1-bit coupling feeding slot (4), and the reconfigurable reflector slot switching circuit (7) is printed on the back of the metal floor (10) and is located at the reflector radiation slot (5). The invention relates to a miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface (1) and a metal reflector (11). The metal reflector (11) is provided on both sides of the slot (5), the feed microstrip line (8) is printed on the back of the metal floor (10), the switch DC bias circuit (9) is printed on the back of the metal floor (10) and is connected to the phase bit switch circuit (6) and the reconfigurable reflector slot switch circuit (7), the metal floor (10) is installed at the bottom of the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface (1), the metal reflector (11) is located below the metal floor (10) and is supported and fixed to the metal floor (10) by the nylon screws (12), the front and back surfaces of the metal reflector (11) are short-circuited with the metal floor (10) by metal bending parts, and the nylon screws (12) are located around the miniaturized electromagnetic metasurface (1) and the metal floor (10); the metal floor (10) is a double-sided copper-clad dielectric substrate, and the metal reflector (11) is a thin metal plate.

2. The directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dielectric resonator (3) is a dielectric material with a high dielectric constant and low loss.

3. The directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The phase 1 bit coupling feeding slot (4) comprises two parallel and symmetrically distributed long slot-shaped coupling feeding slots.

4. The directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reflector radiation slots (5) are two slot-shaped radiation slots that are parallel and symmetrically distributed, and the two slot-shaped radiation slots are arranged in the front and rear outer sides of the dielectric resonator (3) respectively.

5. The directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The phase bit switch circuit (6) is a switch circuit with a single-pole double-throw function.

6. The directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reconfigurable reflector slot switch circuit (7) is a switch circuit with a single-pole single-throw function.

7. The directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The switch DC bias circuit (9) is a state control circuit for a phase shift switch and a reflector switch.

8. A two-dimensional beam scanning array, characterized in that: The two-dimensional beam scanning array comprises a plurality of antenna array elements (13); the plurality of antenna array elements (13) are composed of the directional pattern reconfigurable phase 1-bit antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 7 as array elements.

9. The two-dimensional beam scanning array according to claim 8, characterized in that: Each of the antenna array elements (13) is arranged in a one-dimensional linear shape, and the antenna array elements (13) are arranged and distributed according to an array.

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