Antenna system and its wave direction estimation method, sensor and device

Abstract

The present invention relates to an antenna system and a method, sensor and device for estimating the direction of arrival thereof. The method comprises: the antenna system feeds and transmits radio signals through different feeding ports at different times, including feeding and transmitting radio signals through a single feeding port, and simultaneously feeding and transmitting radio signals through at least two feeding ports; wherein, by adjusting the amplitude and phase of the radio signals transmitted by each feeding port that is fed simultaneously, the radiation direction of the radio signal is consistent with the radiation direction when the first antenna unit is fed through a single feeding port; the antenna system receives a first radio signal reflected by a target object; and estimates and calculates the direction of arrival according to the first radio signal to obtain an angle of arrival. The present invention increases the phase center by setting a feeding switch instead of increasing the number of antennas, which can relatively save the area occupied by the antenna arrangement, and the increase in the phase center can improve the spatial resolution of the direction of arrival estimation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an antenna, in particular to an antenna system, and also to a method for estimating a direction of arrival of the antenna system, a packaged antenna (AiP), a sensor, a radio device, an equipment, and a radar system. Background Art

[0002] In communication and radar systems, Direction of Arrival estimation is an important task. A source has many possible propagation paths and arrival angles. If several transmitters are working at the same time, each source forms a potential multipath component at the receiver. Therefore, it is important for the receiving antenna to estimate these arrival angles in order to estimate which transmitter is working and the direction in which the transmitter is located. In theory, this estimation only requires two receiving array elements to determine the location of the radiation source, but in practice, due to angular resolution, multipath and noise limitations, more than two receiving array elements are usually required.

[0003] Increasing the number of receiving array elements can improve the spatial resolution of the DOA estimation. Increasing the number of receiving array elements usually means increasing the number of antennas, thus increasing the overall area occupied by the antenna system. Summary of the invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a method for estimating the direction of arrival of an antenna system, which can take into account both the antenna occupied area and the spatial resolution of the direction of arrival estimation.

[0005] A method for estimating a direction of arrival of an antenna system, the antenna system comprising a first antenna unit, the first antenna unit comprising at least two feeding ports, the method comprising: the antenna system is fed and transmits radio signals through different feeding ports at different times, including feeding and transmitting radio signals through a single feeding port, and simultaneously feeding and transmitting radio signals through at least two feeding ports; wherein, by adjusting the amplitude and phase of the radio signals transmitted by each simultaneously fed feeding port, the radiation direction of the radio signal is made consistent with the radiation direction when the first antenna unit is fed through a single feeding port; the antenna system receives a first radio signal reflected by a target object; and the direction of arrival is estimated and calculated according to the first radio signal to obtain an angle of arrival.

[0006] In the above-mentioned method for estimating the direction of arrival of the antenna system, the first antenna unit is fed and transmits radio signals at different feeding ports at different times, and different phase centers can be formed. The receiving antenna receives the first radio signal reflected by the target object, which is equivalent to forming a virtual antenna array by time division multiplexing. The antenna working modes with different phase centers form some rows (or columns) in the virtual antenna array, and the direction of arrival is estimated based on the radio signals with different phase centers. Therefore, one first antenna unit can form multiple different phase centers (according to the principle of permutation and combination, a first antenna unit with n feeding ports can form at most 2 n -1 phase center), the more phase centers there are, the more array elements there are in the virtual array, which is more beneficial to the angle resolution accuracy. Increasing the phase center by switching the feeding port instead of increasing the number of antennas can relatively save the area occupied by the antenna arrangement.

[0007] In one of the embodiments, in the step of simultaneously feeding and transmitting radio signals through at least two feeding ports, the feeding phase difference between each two of the simultaneously feeding ports is an integer multiple of 180 degrees.

[0008] In one embodiment, the step of estimating and calculating the direction of arrival according to the first radio signal to obtain the angle of arrival includes: calculating the angle of arrival according to the wavelength of the first radio signal, the spacing between adjacent receiving antennas of the antenna system, and the phase difference between adjacent receiving antennas of the antenna system.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first antenna unit includes a first feeding port and a second feeding port, and the steps of feeding the antenna system with different feeding ports at different times and transmitting radio signals include: the first antenna unit is fed and transmits radio signals through the first feeding port; the first antenna unit is fed and transmits radio signals through the second feeding port; the first antenna unit is fed and transmits radio signals through the first feeding port and the second feeding port together, and the feeding phase difference between the first feeding port and the second feeding port is 180 degrees.

[0010] In one embodiment, the step of estimating and calculating the direction of arrival according to the first radio signal to obtain the angle of arrival includes obtaining the elevation angle.

[0011] It is also necessary to provide an antenna system.

[0012] An antenna system comprises: a first antenna unit, comprising at least two feeding ports; a feeding control module, used to control which feeding ports the first antenna unit is currently fed through, the feeding control module being capable of controlling at least two feeding ports to feed simultaneously; and a radiation direction adjustment module, used to adjust the amplitude and phase of radio signals transmitted by each feeding port that is fed simultaneously, so that the radiation direction of the radio signal is consistent with the radiation direction when the first antenna unit is fed through a single feeding port.

[0013] The antenna system can control a single feeding port to feed and transmit a radio signal, and can control at least two feeding ports to feed and transmit a radio signal at the same time, so different phase centers can be formed when different feeding ports are fed, and when different feeding ports are fed in combination. By switching the feeding port to feed instead of increasing the number of antennas to increase the phase center, the area occupied by the antenna arrangement can be relatively saved.

[0014] In one of the embodiments, the radiation direction adjustment module is used to adjust the feeding phase difference between each of the feeding ports that feed simultaneously to an integer multiple of 180 degrees.

[0015] In one embodiment, the first antenna unit includes a first feeding port and a second feeding port, and the feeding control module is used to control the first antenna unit to feed through the first feeding port when the first antenna unit transmits a radio signal, control the first antenna unit to feed through the second feeding port when the first antenna unit transmits a radio signal, and control the first antenna unit to feed through the first feeding port and the second feeding port together when the first antenna unit transmits a radio signal; the radiation direction adjustment module is used to adjust the feeding phase difference between the first feeding port and the second feeding port to 180 degrees when the first feeding port and the second feeding port are fed together.

[0016] In one of the embodiments, the first feeding port and the second feeding port are symmetrical about the physical center of the first antenna unit.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first antenna unit further includes a plurality of patches and a transmission line connected to each of the patches, the first feeding port is arranged at the intersection of the transmission line and a patch, and the second feeding port is arranged at the intersection of the transmission line and another patch.

[0018] It is also necessary to provide a packaged antenna, comprising the antenna system as described in any of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0019] It is also necessary to provide a radio device, comprising: an antenna system as described in any of the aforementioned embodiments; and a signal processing module; wherein the signal processing module receives an echo signal through the antenna system and performs signal processing on the echo signal to achieve target detection and / or communication.

[0020] In one of the embodiments, the signal processing module is further used to estimate the direction of arrival according to the first radio signal to obtain the angle of arrival.

[0021] It is also necessary to provide a sensor comprising:

[0022] At least one transmitting antenna, each of which is provided with two feeding ports, and the transmitting antenna is used to transmit radio signals; at least two receiving antennas, used to receive echo signals formed when the radio signals are reflected by the target; and a signal processing module, used to perform signal processing on the echo signals to obtain the angle parameters of the target.

[0023] In one of the embodiments, at least one of the receiving antennas is provided with two feeding ports; wherein, in the same application scenario, each of the receiving antennas remains in a normally open state.

[0024] In one of the embodiments, when the two feeding ports on the same transmitting antenna are in an open state at the same time, the phase difference between the two feeding ports is n*180°, where n is a positive integer.

[0025] In one embodiment, the angle parameter includes an elevation angle and / or an azimuth angle.

[0026] In one of the embodiments, when two feeding ports on the same transmitting antenna are fed simultaneously, the radiation patterns of the transmitting antenna are superimposed in space.

[0027] In one embodiment, the radiation directions of the array antennas formed by connecting different feeding ports remain consistent.

[0028] It is also necessary to provide a device, comprising: a device body; and a radio device as described in any of the aforementioned embodiments, or a sensor as described in any of the aforementioned embodiments, arranged on the device body.

[0029] It is also necessary to provide a radar system, comprising: an antenna system as described in any of the aforementioned embodiments; and a processor; wherein the processor transmits and receives radio frequency signals through the antenna system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to better describe and illustrate the embodiments and / or examples of the inventions disclosed herein, reference may be made to one or more drawings. The additional details or examples used to describe the drawings should not be considered as limiting the scope of any of the disclosed inventions, the embodiments and / or examples currently described, and the best modes of these inventions currently understood.

[0031] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a method for estimating a direction of arrival of an antenna system in one embodiment;

[0032] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a first antenna unit in an embodiment;

[0033] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the relationship between antenna array elements and the angle of arrival;

[0034] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a first antenna unit in another embodiment;

[0035] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a first antenna unit in yet another embodiment;

[0036] Figure 6 It is an antenna layout of a 2T4R antenna system;

[0037] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 The antenna arrangement shown uses a virtual antenna array obtained using virtual antenna array technology;

[0038] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of a device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0040] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used herein in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0041] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on another element or there can also be a centered element. When an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to another element or there may be a centered element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are only for illustrative purposes. When an element or layer is referred to as "on...", "adjacent to...", "connected to" or "coupled to" other elements or layers, it can be directly on other elements or layers, adjacent to, connected to or coupled to other elements or layers, or there can be an intermediate element or layer. On the contrary, when an element is referred to as "directly on...", "directly adjacent to...", "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" other elements or layers, there is no intermediate element or layer. It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, first, second, third, etc. can be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or part from another element, component, region, layer or part. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the present invention, the first element, component, region, layer or part discussed below may be represented as a second element, component, region, layer or part.

[0042] When the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. The singular forms "a", "an" and "said / the" are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0043] The phase center of an antenna refers to the fact that after the electromagnetic waves radiated by the antenna leave the antenna at a certain distance, their equal phase plane will be approximately a sphere, and the center of the sphere is the equivalent phase center of the antenna. In the above description, the antenna is equivalent to a point source, and the position of this point source can be understood as the position of the antenna phase center. In actual engineering applications, the phase center of an antenna is not necessarily at the physical center of the antenna, and is affected by factors such as the shape of the antenna and the environment.

[0044] In exemplary communication systems and radar systems, the common method of controlling the phase center of an antenna is to adjust the position of the antenna as a whole to obtain the desired phase center spacing. Using this method to adjust the phase center places very high demands on the size and space of the antenna board. At the same time, since each antenna in the traditional method has only one phase center and cannot be adjusted, increasing the number of antennas is required to improve the spatial resolution.

[0045] The angular resolution of the array is limited by the aperture of the array, commonly known as the "Rayleigh limit". The larger the aperture, the better the spatial resolution at the angle. The virtual antenna array expansion technology is used to construct the signal or information at the virtual array element position, expand the array aperture, and improve the angular resolution.

[0046] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a method for estimating a direction of arrival of an antenna system in one embodiment, comprising:

[0047] S110, the antenna system feeds and transmits radio signals through different feeding ports at different times.

[0048] The present application also protects the proposed antenna system. The antenna system includes a first antenna unit and a feed control module, the first antenna unit includes at least two feed ports, the feed control module is used to control which feed ports the first antenna unit is currently fed through, and the feed control module can control at least two feed ports to feed simultaneously. Feeding and transmitting radio signals with different feed ports includes feeding and transmitting radio signals through a single feed port, and feeding and transmitting radio signals through at least two feed ports at the same time. Specifically, the feed control module controls which feed ports the first antenna unit is currently fed through, which can be achieved by the chip by controlling the opening and closing of the corresponding channels. When the feed control module controls the first antenna unit to feed simultaneously through at least two feed ports, the amplitude and phase of the radio signal emitted by each feed port that is fed simultaneously are adjusted, so that the radiation direction of the radio signal is consistent with the radiation direction when the feed control module controls the first antenna unit to feed through a single feed port.

[0049] Specifically, the feed control module can control each feed port of the first antenna unit to feed (and transmit radio signals) in different combinations. In one embodiment, step S110 can feed (and transmit radio signals) once through all possible feed port combinations, so that there are a total of 2 for the first antenna unit with n feed ports. n -1 feeding port combination. In other embodiments, step S110 may also perform feeding with only a part of the feeding port combinations, but at least one of these actual feeding combinations is to feed with at least two feeding ports (i.e., step S110 is not to feed and transmit radio signals with a single feeding port), so the feeding control module can control at least two feeding ports to feed simultaneously.

[0050] In order to meet the aforementioned requirement of "consistent radiation direction", in one embodiment, the feeding phase difference between each feeding port that feeds simultaneously is an integer multiple of 180 degrees. In one embodiment, for each feeding port combination that feeds and transmits a radio signal in step S110, the feeding phase difference between adjacent feeding ports when each feeding combination feeds is 180 degrees.

[0051] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first antenna unit in an embodiment, including a transmission line 22 and a plurality of patches (i.e., radiators) 24, and also including two feeding ports, namely, a first feeding port 21 and a second feeding port 23. In this embodiment, the first feeding port 21 is arranged at the intersection of the transmission line 22 and a patch 24, and the second feeding port 23 is arranged at the intersection of the transmission line 22 and another patch 24. The first feeding port 21 and the second feeding port 23 are symmetrical about the physical center of the first antenna unit. The feeding phase difference between the first feeding port 21 and the second feeding port 23 is 180 degrees (at this time, the antenna works in a differential feeding mode). Accordingly, the antenna system is time-division multiplexed, and step S110 includes: the first antenna unit is fed and transmits a radio signal through the first feeding port 21; the first antenna unit is fed and transmits a radio signal through the second feeding port 23; the first antenna unit is fed and transmits a radio signal through the first feeding port 21 and the second feeding port 23 together. Since the three working modes are fed through different feeding ports, the field intensity distribution in the three working modes is different, and the equivalent phase center is also different. The phase centers in the three working modes are respectively recorded as phase center 1, phase center 2, and phase center 3. Assuming that the distance between the first feeding port 21 and the second feeding port 23 is h, the distance between phase center 2 and phase center 1 is also h, and the distance between phase center 3 and phase center 1 is h / 2. Figure 2 In a corresponding embodiment, the first antenna unit can form three phase centers, and compared with feeding through a single feeding port, an additional phase center can be obtained.

[0052] In step S120 , the antenna system receives a first radio signal reflected by the target object.

[0053] As mentioned above, the antenna system includes a first antenna unit, which serves as a transmitting antenna; the antenna system may also include other antenna units as receiving antennas. The antenna unit serving as a receiving antenna receives electromagnetic waves reflected by the target object, which is recorded as a first radio signal.

[0054] Step S130 , performing direction of arrival estimation and calculation according to the first radio signal to obtain an angle of arrival.

[0055] In one embodiment, the angle of arrival may be calculated according to the wavelength of the first radio signal, the distance between adjacent receiving antennas of the antenna system, and the phase difference between adjacent receiving antennas of the antenna system.

[0056] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the relationship between antenna elements and the angle of arrival, which can be calculated according to the formula

[0057] α=arcsin[(λθ) / (2πd)] (1)

[0058] Calculate the arrival angle α of antenna 1. Where λ is the wavelength of the first radio signal, d is the distance between adjacent antennas, and θ is the phase difference between adjacent antennas.

[0059] The above-mentioned method for estimating the direction of arrival of the antenna system feeds and transmits radio signals with different feeding ports at different times (including controlling a single feeding port to feed and transmit radio signals through a feeding control module, and controlling at least two feeding ports to feed and transmit radio signals at the same time), and can receive the first radio signal reflected by the target object through the receiving antenna of a single feeding port. When feeding with different feeding ports in combination, a virtual antenna array can be formed by time division multiplexing. These antenna working modes with different phase centers form some rows (or columns) in the virtual antenna array. The more phase centers there are, the more array elements of the virtual antenna array are formed, which is more beneficial to the angle resolution accuracy. This virtual antenna array can not only solve the angle of the receiving antenna arrangement direction, but also solve the direction angles of different phase centers formed by the feeding combination of the feeding ports, which greatly improves the system's ability to resolve angles. According to the principle of permutations and combinations, a maximum of 2 can be formed for the first antenna unit of n feeding ports. n -1 phase center, and the increase of phase centers can improve the spatial resolution of the wave direction estimation. By setting a feed control module instead of increasing the number of antennas to increase the phase center, the area occupied by the antenna arrangement can be relatively saved. The requirements for the spatial arrangement of the antenna due to the solution of the wave angle are reduced, which greatly saves the area occupied by the antenna arrangement. It is particularly applicable when the antenna layout area is limited. For example, for packaged antennas (AiP), the size of the antenna layout area is very important. The cost per unit area of ​​the packaged antenna is much higher than that of the PCB board, so saving the area of ​​the antenna can also significantly save costs. Therefore, the wave direction estimation method of the above antenna system is particularly suitable for packaged antennas.

[0060] In one embodiment, obtaining the angle of arrival in step S130 includes solving the pitch angle.

[0061] Figure 2 FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the first antenna unit in an embodiment. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first antenna unit in another embodiment. Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the first antenna unit includes a transmission line 32 and a plurality of patches (i.e., radiators) 34, and also includes two feeding ports, namely, a first feeding port 31 and a second feeding port 33. In this embodiment, the first feeding port 31 is arranged at the middle of the intersection of the transmission line 32 and a patch 24, and the second feeding port 33 is arranged at the middle of the intersection of the transmission line 32 and another patch 24. The first feeding port 31 and the second feeding port 33 are symmetrical about the physical center of the first antenna unit. The feeding phase difference between the first feeding port 31 and the second feeding port 33 is 180 degrees.

[0062] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first antenna unit in another embodiment. In this embodiment, the first antenna unit includes a transmission line 10, and the transmission line 10 includes a first line segment group and a second line segment group. The first line segment group includes one or more line segments 12 with a length of the first wavelength, and the second line segment group includes one or more line segments 14 with a length of the first wavelength. The first wavelength is λg / 2, which is the half wavelength corresponding to the electromagnetic wave when it is transmitted on the surface of the medium. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the line segments 12 of the first line segment group are the line segments of the transmission line 10 in the Y-axis direction, and the line segments 14 of the second line segment group are the line segments of the transmission line 10 in the X-axis direction. The line segments 12 of the first line segment group and the line segments 14 of the second line segment group in the transmission line 10 are arranged alternately, and the line segments 12 are perpendicular to the adjacent line segments 14. Each line segment 12 is equivalent to a radiation sheet, and each line segment 14 is equivalent to a feeder. When the electromagnetic field is transmitted on the transmission line 10, there is a phenomenon that the current direction will be reversed every time it passes through the first wavelength (i.e., 180° electrical length). The currents on each line segment 12 are in the same direction, and the radiation of these currents in the far field is superimposed on each other, which plays a radiation role; the currents on the adjacent line segments 14 are in opposite directions, and the radiation in the far field cancels each other, which plays a transmission role. Therefore, the above antenna unit has higher radiation efficiency and gain than the general series-fed antenna. And the antenna unit is in the form of a transmission line, with a simple structure and easy design. The beam shape of the antenna unit has good consistency in a wide frequency band. The radiation gain of the antenna is relatively stable, with a wide 3dB gain bandwidth (i.e., the bandwidth corresponding to the 3dB drop in the radiation gain of the antenna as the frequency decreases), and the antenna has good cross-polarization and sidelobe performance.

[0063] exist Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the first antenna unit further includes two feeding ports, namely a first feeding port 31 and a second feeding port 33. Figure 5In the illustrated embodiment, the first feed port 11 is disposed at the intersection of the line segment 12 and the line segment 14, and the second feed port 13 is disposed at the intersection of the line segment 12 and the line segment 14. The first feed port 11 and the second feed port 13 are symmetrical about the physical center of the first antenna unit. The feeding phase difference between the first feed port 11 and the second feed port 13 is 180 degrees. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, a microstrip patch 20 is provided between two adjacent segments 14 of the second segment group. In one embodiment, the spacing between the microstrip patch 20 and the adjacent segments 14 and 12 is greater than the minimum processing accuracy range of the transmission line 10, or greater than the critical dimension (CD) of the processing technology of the transmission line 10. Since the microstrip patch 20 is very close to the segments 12 and 14, part of the energy will be fed into the microstrip patch 20 by coupling, so that the microstrip patch 20 also participates in the radiation. In the process of antenna design, the power distribution ratio between each antenna unit in the antenna array can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the microstrip patch 20 and the segments 12 and / or 14, and adjusting the width of the microstrip patch 20 itself. In addition, since the microstrip patch 20 obtains energy from the transmission line 10 by coupling, by slightly adjusting the size of the microstrip patch 20 so that it resonates outside the resonant frequency band of the transmission line 10, an additional resonance point can be obtained, thereby expanding the working bandwidth of the antenna unit. In one embodiment, the dimension of the microstrip patch 20 in the extension direction of the line segment 12 may approach the first wavelength.

[0064] Figure 6 The antenna layout of the 2T4R (2 transmit 4 receive) antenna system is shown in FIG. 1 . The first antenna unit includes TX1 and TX2, and also includes a first feed port 61 and a second feed port 63. The structure of the first antenna unit can be the same as Figure 2 The embodiment shown is consistent, so the structure of the first antenna unit is not repeated. The antenna system also includes four receiving antennas, namely RX1, RX2, RX3, and RX4. Applying virtual antenna array technology In this antenna system, there can be three equally spaced array elements for solving the pitch angle, and four equally spaced array elements for solving the azimuth angle, such as Figure 7 As shown. Figure 7 In the figure, the three rows of array elements of the virtual antenna array correspond to working mode 1 in which the first antenna unit is fed through the first feeding port 61, working mode 2 in which the first antenna unit is fed through the second feeding port 63, and working mode 3 in which the first antenna unit is fed through both the first feeding port 61 and the second feeding port 63.

[0065] In one embodiment, the first antenna unit may be an antenna unit of a radar antenna. In other embodiments, the antenna unit may also be extended to fields such as wireless communications (e.g., 5G mobile communications), the Internet of Things, human body security imaging, vehicle assistance / automatic driving, and anti-collision detection.

[0066] The present application also provides a sensor, comprising:

[0067] At least one transmitting antenna, each of which is provided with two feeding ports, and the transmitting antenna is used to transmit radio signals;

[0068] at least two receiving antennas, for receiving echo signals formed when the radio signal is reflected by a target; and

[0069] The signal processing module is used to perform signal processing on the echo signal to obtain the angle parameter of the target.

[0070] In one of the embodiments, at least one of the receiving antennas is provided with two feeding ports; wherein, in the same application scenario, each of the receiving antennas remains in a normally open state.

[0071] In one of the embodiments, when the two feeding ports on the same transmitting antenna are in an open state at the same time, the phase difference between the two feeding ports is n*180°, where n is a positive integer.

[0072] In one embodiment, the angle parameters acquired by the signal processing module include a pitch angle and / or an azimuth angle.

[0073] In one of the embodiments, when two feeding ports on the same transmitting antenna are fed simultaneously, the radiation patterns of the transmitting antenna are superimposed in space.

[0074] In one embodiment, the radiation directions of the array antennas formed by connecting different feeding ports remain consistent.

[0075] Based on the same inventive concept, the present application also provides a radar system, which may include a processor and an antenna system as described in any of the aforementioned embodiments. The processor transmits and receives radio frequency signals through the antenna system to output communication data, auxiliary driving data, security imaging data and / or human vital characteristics parameter data. In one embodiment, the processor may be a radar chip or a radar bare chip. Specifically, when the processor is a radar bare chip, the antenna system can be integrated on the radar bare chip, thereby reducing the overall size of the system; or, when the processor is a radar bare chip, the antenna system can be integrated in or on the packaging structure of the radar chip, which can also reduce the overall size of the system.

[0076] It should be understood that although Figure 1 The steps in the flowchart are shown in sequence as indicated by the arrows, but these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless otherwise specified in this document, there is no strict order restriction for the execution of these steps, and these steps can be executed in other orders. Moreover, Figure 1 At least a part of the steps in may include multiple steps or multiple stages, and these steps or stages are not necessarily performed at the same time, but can be performed at different times, and the execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed in turn or alternately with other steps or at least a part of the steps or stages in other steps. In the description of this specification, the description of reference terms "some embodiments", "other embodiments", "ideal embodiments" and the like means that the specific features, structures, materials or features described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic description of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0077] The present application also provides an integrated circuit, including a digital circuit, a digital function module and an operation control device, wherein the operation control device is used to execute the steps of the wave arrival direction estimation method of the antenna system described in any of the aforementioned embodiments, and the digital function module is respectively communicated with the digital circuit and the operation control device; wherein the digital function module is used to detect whether the digital circuit is abnormal, and the operation control device is used to control the operation of the digital function module.

[0078] Specifically, in an integrated circuit, it includes digital circuits, digital function modules and operation control devices. Various types of digital circuits are the basic components of the integrated circuit. Different digital circuits can realize different functions of the integrated circuit. The digital function modules are used to detect whether each digital circuit is working normally. The operation control device can perform unified configuration management on the digital function modules. The digital controller in the operation control device can send a control signal for function detection to the digital function module through the digital control interface. The configuration module stores configuration information and status information, and the configuration information can be obtained from the outside. The state machine is used to control the workflow of the integrated circuit. The state machine can read the configuration information stored in the configuration module, and generate corresponding control signals for controlling the digital controller to output to the digital function module, so as to realize the control of the digital function module to detect each digital circuit.

[0079] The above integrated circuit adopts a unified digital controller to connect with the digital function module of the system on chip through a digital control interface, and then realizes unified configuration management of the operating status of the digital function module in the system on chip through the configuration module and the state machine, thereby improving the operation control efficiency of the system on chip in the integrated circuit.

[0080] Optionally, in one embodiment, the integrated circuit may be a millimeter wave radar chip. The type of digital function module in the integrated circuit may be determined according to actual needs. For example, in a millimeter wave radar chip, the digital function module may be a power detector, etc., which may be used to detect whether the voltage value of the antenna power amplifier is abnormal, and the operation control device may control the power detector to work.

[0081] In one embodiment, the present application also provides a radio device, comprising: the antenna system described in any of the aforementioned embodiments; and a signal processing module; wherein the signal processing module receives an echo signal through the antenna system, and performs signal processing on the echo signal to achieve target detection and / or communication.

[0082] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 As shown, the present application also provides a device 40, which may include a device body 401 and a radio device 402 disposed on the device body 401 (including but not limited to the radio device 402 being outside the device body 401, inside the device body 401, or a portion of the radio device 402 being disposed inside the device body 401 and a portion being disposed outside the device body 401). The radio device 402 may realize functions such as target detection and communication by transmitting and receiving signals.

[0083] In an optional embodiment, the device body 401 may be intelligent transportation equipment (such as cars, bicycles, motorcycles, ships, subways, trains, etc.), security equipment (such as cameras), intelligent wearable devices (such as bracelets, glasses, etc.), smart home devices (such as TVs, air conditioners, smart lights, etc.), various communication devices (such as mobile phones, tablets, etc.), as well as gates, intelligent traffic lights, intelligent signs, traffic cameras and various industrial manipulators (or robots). The radio device 402 may be the radio device described in any embodiment of the present invention. The structure and working principle of the radio device 402 have been described in detail in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0084] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0085] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A method for estimating a direction of arrival of an antenna system, characterized in that: The antenna system comprises a first antenna unit, the first antenna unit comprises at least two feed ports, and the method comprises: The antenna system feeds and transmits radio signals through different feeding ports at different times, including feeding and transmitting radio signals through a single feeding port, and simultaneously feeding and transmitting radio signals through at least two feeding ports; wherein, by adjusting the amplitude and phase of the radio signals transmitted by each feeding port that is fed simultaneously, the radiation direction of the radio signal is consistent with the radiation direction when the first antenna unit is fed through a single feeding port; The antenna system receives a first radio signal reflected by a target object; The direction of arrival is estimated and calculated according to the first radio signal to obtain the angle of arrival.

2. The method for estimating the direction of arrival of an antenna system according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the step of simultaneously feeding and transmitting radio signals through at least two feeding ports, the feeding phase difference between each of the simultaneously feeding ports is an integer multiple of 180 degrees.

3. The method for estimating the direction of arrival of an antenna system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of estimating and calculating the direction of arrival according to the first radio signal to obtain the angle of arrival includes: calculating the angle of arrival according to the wavelength of the first radio signal, the spacing between adjacent receiving antennas of the antenna system, and the phase difference between adjacent receiving antennas of the antenna system.

4. The method for estimating the direction of arrival of an antenna system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first antenna unit includes a first feeding port and a second feeding port, and the steps of feeding and transmitting radio signals through different feeding ports at different times of the antenna system include: The first antenna unit is fed through a first feeding port and transmits a radio signal; The first antenna unit is fed through a second feeding port and transmits a radio signal; The first antenna unit is fed through the first feeding port and the second feeding port together and transmits a radio signal, and a feeding phase difference between the first feeding port and the second feeding port is 180 degrees.

5. The method for estimating the direction of arrival of an antenna system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of estimating and calculating the direction of arrival according to the first radio signal to obtain the angle of arrival includes obtaining the elevation angle.

6. An antenna system, characterized in that: include: A first antenna unit including at least two feeding ports; A feeding control module, used to control which feeding ports the first antenna unit is currently fed through, and the feeding control module can control at least two feeding ports to feed simultaneously; The radiation direction adjustment module is used to adjust the amplitude and phase of the radio signals transmitted by each feeding port that is fed simultaneously, so that the radiation direction of the radio signal is consistent with the radiation direction when the first antenna unit is fed through a single feeding port.

7. The antenna system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The radiation direction adjustment module is used to adjust the feeding phase difference between each feeding port that feeds simultaneously to an integer multiple of 180 degrees.

8. The antenna system according to claim 6, characterized in that The first antenna unit includes a first feeding port and a second feeding port, and the feeding control module is used to control the first antenna unit to feed through the first feeding port when the first antenna unit transmits a radio signal, control the first antenna unit to feed through the second feeding port when the first antenna unit transmits a radio signal, and control the first antenna unit to feed through the first feeding port and the second feeding port together when the first antenna unit transmits a radio signal; the radiation direction adjustment module is used to adjust the feeding phase difference between the first feeding port and the second feeding port to 180 degrees when the first feeding port and the second feeding port are fed together.

9. The antenna system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first feeding port and the second feeding port are symmetrical about the physical center of the first antenna unit.

10. The antenna system according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The first antenna unit also includes a plurality of patches and a transmission line connected to each of the patches. The first feeding port is arranged at the intersection of the transmission line and a patch, and the second feeding port is arranged at the intersection of the transmission line and another patch.

11. A packaged antenna, characterized in that: Comprising the antenna system as claimed in any one of claims 6-10.

12. A radio device, characterized in that: include: The antenna system according to any one of claims 6 to 10; as well as Signal processing module; The signal processing module receives the echo signal through the antenna system, and performs signal processing on the echo signal to achieve target detection and / or communication.

13. The radio device according to claim 12, characterized in that The signal processing module is further used to estimate the direction of arrival according to the echo signal to obtain the angle of arrival.

14. A sensor, characterized in that: include: At least one transmitting antenna, each of which is provided with two feeding ports, and the transmitting antenna is used to transmit radio signals; A feeding control module, used to control which feeding ports the transmitting antenna is currently fed through, and the feeding control module can control at least two feeding ports to feed simultaneously; A radiation direction adjustment module, used to adjust the amplitude and phase of the radio signals transmitted by each feeding port that is fed simultaneously, so that the radiation direction of the radio signal is consistent with the radiation direction when the transmitting antenna is fed through a single feeding port; at least two receiving antennas, used to receive echo signals formed by the radio signal being reflected by a target; as well as The signal processing module is used to perform signal processing on the echo signal to obtain the angle parameter of the target.

15. The sensor according to claim 14, characterized in that At least one of the receiving antennas is provided with two feeding ports; Wherein, in the same application scenario, each receiving antenna remains in a normally open state.

16. The sensor according to claim 14, characterized in that When the two feeding ports on the same transmitting antenna are in an open state at the same time, the phase difference between the two feeding ports is n*180°, where n is a positive integer.

17. The sensor according to claim 14, characterized in that The angle parameters include an elevation angle and / or an azimuth angle.

18. The sensor according to any one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that The radiation directions of the array antennas formed by connecting different feeding ports are consistent; and / or When two feeding ports on the same transmitting antenna are fed simultaneously, the radiation patterns of the transmitting antenna are superimposed in space.

19. A device, characterized in that include: Equipment body; as well as A radio device as claimed in claim 12 or 13, or a sensor as claimed in any one of claims 14-18, arranged on the device body.

20. A radar system, characterized in that: include: The antenna system according to any one of claims 6 to 10; as well as processor; The processor transmits and receives radio frequency signals through the antenna system.

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