An antenna structure, electronic device and wireless network system

Abstract

An antenna structure, an electronic device and a wireless network system, relate to the technical field of antennas. The antenna structure is characterized in that a medium plate and a metal bottom plate are spaced apart by a first preset distance; a first feeding port and a patch antenna array are located on a first surface of the medium plate, and a second feeding port is located on a second surface of the medium plate, the second surface being opposite to the first surface; the patch antenna array comprises four patch antennas, the four patch antennas being arranged in two rows and two columns, a feeding structure being included between the two patch antennas in each row, and a feeding structure being included between the two patch antennas in each column; the feeding structure between the two patch antennas in each column is connected to the first feeding port, so that the four patch antennas all generate polarization in a first direction; the feeding structure between the two patch antennas in each row is connected to the second feeding port, so that the four patch antennas all generate polarization in a second direction, the first direction being orthogonal to the second direction. The antenna structure has a simple structure and a high directional gain.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to an antenna structure, electronic device and wireless network system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, antennas can be classified into omnidirectional antennas and directional antennas according to their signal radiation direction. Omnidirectional antennas radiate uniformly in all directions, exhibiting no directionality. Directional antennas, compared to omnidirectional antennas, can radiate within a certain angular range, thus possessing higher gain in a specific direction.

[0003] In a typical application scenario, directional antennas can be used in routers. Utilizing the higher gain of directional antennas in a specific direction, they can overcome the signal attenuation problem caused by wall penetration. Common directional antenna designs include dipole antennas with reflectors, patch antennas, or electromagnetic dipole antennas. Among these, dipole antennas with reflectors are commonly used in base station antennas, and their gain is generally around 8dB, which is relatively low. Electromagnetic dipole antennas typically require multi-layer printed circuit boards (PCBs) or three-dimensional metal structures, resulting in high cost and difficult manufacturing. Compared to electromagnetic dipole antennas, patch antennas have a simpler structure, but current patch antennas have limited gain and lower practicality. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides an antenna structure, electronic device, and wireless network system that are simple in structure and have high directional gain.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides an antenna structure comprising a dielectric substrate, a metal substrate, a patch antenna array, a first feed port, a second feed port, and four feed structures. A first predetermined distance is spaced between the dielectric substrate and the metal substrate. The first feed port and the patch antenna array are located on a first surface of the dielectric substrate, and the second feed port is located on a second surface of the dielectric substrate, opposite to the first surface. The patch antenna array includes four patch antennas arranged in two rows and two columns. A feed structure is included between every two patch antennas in each row, and a feed structure is included between every two patch antennas in each column. The feed structure between the two patch antennas in each column is connected to the first feed port, so that all four patch antennas generate polarization in a first direction. The feed structure between the two patch antennas in each row is connected to the second feed port, so that all four patch antennas generate polarization in a second direction.

[0006] The solution provided in this application employs a patch antenna array to enhance gain. Furthermore, this antenna structure uses only two feed ports to excite four patch antennas, resulting in a simple feed circuit with low design complexity. In addition, the feed structure can be directly designed on the dielectric substrate where the patch antennas are located, allowing all feed circuits and patch antennas to be implemented on the same substrate, effectively reducing the complexity and cost of the antenna structure.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the first direction is orthogonal to the second direction.

[0008] At this point, the four patch antennas achieve orthogonal polarization, thus the antenna structure has good directivity.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the antenna structure also includes a metal base plate;

[0010] A first preset distance is placed between the dielectric substrate and the metal base plate. This first preset distance can be determined based on the bandwidth of the antenna structure during operation, and is not specifically limited in this application.

[0011] In one possible implementation, each of the four feed structures includes a connected dipole and a set of parallel feed lines. The parallel feed lines include a first feed line located on a first surface and a second feed line located on a second surface. The feed structure located between two patch antennas in each column includes a second feed line connected to the first surface via a corresponding through-structure. The feed structure located between two patch antennas in each row includes a first feed line connected to the second surface via a corresponding through-structure.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the through structure includes one or more through holes, each of which is filled or plated with a conductive medium.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the four power supply structures specifically include a first power supply structure, a second power supply structure, a third power supply structure, and a fourth power supply structure;

[0014] The first feed structure is located between two patch antennas in the first column, the second feed structure is located between two patch antennas in the first row, the third feed structure is located between two patch antennas in the second column, and the fourth feed structure is located between two patch antennas in the second row. The first feed line of the first feed structure is connected to the first feed line of the third feed structure. The second feed line of the first feed structure is connected to the first surface via a first through-structure, and the second feed line of the third feed structure is connected to the first surface via a third through-structure; the first through-structure and the third through-structure are connected on the first surface. The second feed line of the second feed structure is connected to the second feed line of the fourth feed structure. The first feed line of the second feed structure is connected to the second surface via a second through-structure, and the first feed line of the fourth feed structure is connected to the second surface via a fourth through-structure; the second through-structure and the fourth through-structure are connected on the second surface.

[0015] In one possible implementation, each feed structure dipole includes a first part and a second part. The first part is located on a first surface, with a first end connected to a first feed line, serving as a first input terminal of the dipole. The second end of the first part includes a first stub, which is spaced a second predetermined distance from the nearest patch antenna. The second part is located on a second surface, with a first end connected to a second feed line, serving as a second input terminal of the dipole. The second end of the second part includes a second stub, which is also spaced a second predetermined distance from the nearest patch antenna.

[0016] Adjusting the second preset distance adjusts the series capacitance between the patch antenna and the dipole. In practice, a shorter second preset distance results in a higher equivalent series capacitance.

[0017] Adjusting the width of the first and second stubs can also adjust the size of the series capacitance between the patch antenna and the dipole. In actual adjustment, the longer the width of the first and second stubs, the higher the equivalent series capacitance value.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the dipole input impedance is a first impedance value, which is the impedance between the first input terminal and the second input terminal. The impedance between the first feeder and the second feeder in each set of parallel feeders is the first impedance value, so as to achieve impedance matching.

[0019] In one possible implementation, each of the four feed structures includes a connected dipole and a set of parallel slot lines. The feed structure located between two patch antennas in each column includes parallel slot lines located on a first surface, while the feed structure located between two patch antennas in each row includes parallel slot lines located on a second surface.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the four feeding structures specifically include a first feeding structure, a second feeding structure, a third feeding structure, and a fourth feeding structure. The first feeding structure is located between two patch antennas in the first column, the second feeding structure is located between two patch antennas in the first row, the third feeding structure is located between two patch antennas in the second column, and the fourth feeding structure is located between two patch antennas in the second row. The first slot line of the first feeding structure is connected to the first slot line of the third feeding structure; the second slot line of the first feeding structure is connected to the second slot line of the third feeding structure; the first slot line of the second feeding structure is connected to the first slot line of the fourth feeding structure; and the second slot line of the second feeding structure is connected to the second slot line of the fourth feeding structure.

[0021] In one possible implementation, each feed structure's dipole includes a first portion and a second portion, both located on the same surface. A first end of the first portion is connected to a first slot line, serving as a first input terminal of the dipole. A second end of the first portion includes a first stub, which is spaced a second predetermined distance from the nearest patch antenna. A first end of the second portion is connected to a second slot line, serving as a second input terminal of the dipole. A second end of the second portion includes a second stub, which is also spaced a second predetermined distance from the nearest patch antenna.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the dipole's input impedance is a first impedance value, which is the impedance between the first and second input terminals. The impedance between the first and second slot lines in each set of parallel feed lines is also the first impedance value, to achieve impedance matching. In another possible implementation, the first and second stubs are T-shaped stubs; or triangular stubs; or semi-circular stubs.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the patch antenna array includes square patch antennas; or, the patch antenna array includes circular patch antennas; or, the patch antenna array includes rhomboid patch antennas.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the first and second surfaces of the dielectric substrate are square, and the side lengths of both the first and second surfaces are a first preset length. The distance between the geometric centers of two patch antennas located in the same column is a second preset length, and the distance between the geometric centers of two patch antennas located in the same row is also a second preset length; the second preset length is half of the first preset length.

[0025] Secondly, this application also provides an electronic device, which includes an antenna structure provided by one or more implementations, and a first radio frequency circuit, wherein the antenna structure is connected to the first radio frequency circuit.

[0026] This electronic device utilizes the antenna structure provided in the above implementation, which employs a dipole-coupled feeding method to excite four patch antennas. For a single polarization, exciting four patch antennas using traditional methods requires four ports, resulting in a 1-to-4 feed circuit. However, using the technical solution of this application, exciting four patch antennas for a single polarization requires only two feed structures, resulting in a 1-to-2 feed circuit, thus reducing the complexity of the feed circuit design. Furthermore, the dipole is connected to two parallel feed lines, which can be directly designed on the dielectric substrate where the patch antennas are located. This allows all feed circuits and patch antennas to be implemented on the same dielectric substrate, effectively reducing the complexity and cost of the antenna structure, thereby reducing the cost of the electronic device. In addition, the antenna structure is directional with high directional gain, high isolation between the two feed ports, and can cover a wide frequency range, such as the 5GHz and 6GHz bands of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. Therefore, it is highly practical and can reduce the number of antennas on electronic devices, thereby further reducing the cost of electronic devices.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the electronic device includes multiple antenna structures, at least two of which operate in different frequency bands.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the electronic device is a router.

[0029] Thirdly, this application also provides a wireless network system, which includes one or more electronic devices provided in the above embodiments.

[0030] The electronic devices in the wireless network system utilize the antenna structure provided in this application, which saves on the cost of the electronic devices and increases the gain of the electronic devices in a specific direction, thereby improving the signal quality and stability of the wireless network system.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the wireless network system further includes one or more second electronic devices, which include an omnidirectional antenna. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of a scenario provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 1B Scenario illustration provided for embodiments of this application Figure 2 ;

[0034] Figure 2A schematic diagram of an antenna structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the power supply structure provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0036] Figure 4 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 2 Enlarged view of region A in the middle;

[0037] Figure 5 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 2 Enlarged view of region B in the middle;

[0038] Figure 6A Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 5 Enlarged view of region C in the image;

[0039] Figure 6B Equivalent circuit diagram 1 provided for embodiments of this application;

[0040] Figure 7A This is a schematic diagram of the distribution of the patch antenna array provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0041] Figure 7B A schematic diagram of the front of the antenna structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 7C A schematic diagram of the back side of the antenna structure provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0043] Figure 8 A simulation diagram of the S-parameters of the antenna structure provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0044] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the electric field amplitude distribution of the antenna structure provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0045] Figure 10 Radiation pattern of the xz plane provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0046] Figure 11 Radiation pattern of the yz plane provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0047] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of another antenna structure provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0048] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of yet another antenna structure provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0049] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of another antenna structure provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0050] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of another antenna structure provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0051] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of another antenna structure provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0052] Figure 17 A schematic diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 18 A schematic diagram of another electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 19 A schematic diagram of yet another electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of a wireless network system provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0056] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solution of this application, the application scenario of the technical solution of this application will be described first below.

[0057] The solution provided in this application is applied to electronic devices equipped with antennas. This application does not specifically limit the type of electronic device; the electronic device can be a mobile phone, laptop computer, wearable electronic device (such as a smartwatch), tablet computer, augmented reality (AR) device, virtual reality (VR) device, router device, and in-vehicle device, etc. The following explanation uses a router as an example of an electronic device.

[0058] See Figure 1A This figure is a schematic diagram of a scenario provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0059] Figure 1A The router 10 uses an omnidirectional antenna located on the left side of the wall, while the terminal device 20 is located on the right side of the wall. Because the omnidirectional antenna radiates uniformly in all directions, its gain in a specific direction is not high. Therefore, after the signal attenuates through the wall, the signal received by the terminal device 20 on the right side of the wall is relatively weak.

[0060] Figure 1A The router 20 uses a directional antenna and is located on the right side of the wall, as is the terminal device 21. Because the omnidirectional antenna has higher gain in a specific direction, even if the signal attenuates after passing through the wall, the terminal device 20 on the right side of the wall can still receive a relatively strong signal.

[0061] See Figure 1BThis figure is a schematic diagram of a scenario provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 .

[0062] When router 11 and router 12 form a wireless network system, router 11 uses a directional antenna to send signals to router 12, while router 12 can use an omnidirectional antenna to communicate with surrounding terminal devices 20 and 21. Because the omnidirectional antenna has higher gain in a specific direction, the stability of the signal sent from router 11 to router 12 is ensured, and the placement of router 11 can be more flexible, even allowing for placement through walls.

[0063] Understandable Figure 1A and Figure 1B The router configuration described is merely one possible implementation and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution of this application.

[0064] In summary, using directional antennas in the above scenarios can significantly improve the user experience. Currently, directional antenna designs include dipole antennas with reflectors, patch antennas, or electromagnetic dipole antennas. Among these, dipole antennas with reflectors are commonly used in base station antennas, and their gain is generally around 8dB, which is relatively low. Electromagnetic dipole antennas typically require multi-layer PCBs or three-dimensional metal structures, resulting in high cost and difficult manufacturing. Compared to electromagnetic dipole antennas, patch antennas have a simpler structure, but current patch antennas have limited gain. Patch antenna arrays are needed to improve the gain, but patch antenna arrays require multiple feed ports to feed each patch antenna in phase at the same location to generate directional radiation. Therefore, additional feeding circuitry is required, making them less practical.

[0065] To address the above technical problems, this application provides an antenna structure, electronic device, and wireless network system. The antenna structure is simple in structure and has high directional gain, which will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0066] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in this application description are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated.

[0067] It is understood that the directional names such as "up", "down", "left", and "right" in the following embodiments of this application are only for ease of explanation and should be referred to the directions in the accompanying drawings, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solution of this application.

[0068] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the term "connection" shall be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it may be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium.

[0069] For ease of explanation, the radio frequency antenna in the following embodiments of this application is simply referred to as an antenna, and the printed circuit board (PBC) is simply referred to as a circuit board, which will not be described in detail below.

[0070] See Figure 2 The figure is a schematic diagram of an antenna structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0071] The antenna structure includes: a dielectric substrate 100, a metal base plate 200, a patch antenna array, a first feed port 50, a second feed port 60, and four feed structures.

[0072] The dielectric substrate 100 and the metal base plate 200 are spaced apart by a first preset distance h. The relative positions of the dielectric substrate and the metal base plate 200 are fixed, and the metal base plate 200 serves as the ground terminal of the antenna structure.

[0073] The patch antenna array includes patch antennas 01 to 04, with four patch antennas arranged in two rows and two columns. There is a feeding structure between the two patch antennas in each row and between the two patch antennas in each column.

[0074] The first feed port 50 and the patch antenna array are located on the first surface of the dielectric substrate 100, and the second feed port 60 is located on the second surface of the dielectric substrate, with the second surface opposite to the first surface.

[0075] Figure 2 The first surface shown is the upper surface of the dielectric plate 100, and the second surface is the lower surface of the dielectric plate 100, with the second surface facing the metal base plate 200.

[0076] The feeding structure located between the two patch antennas in each column is connected to the first feeding port 50 so that all four patch antennas generate polarization in a first direction, which corresponds to the x direction shown in the figure.

[0077] The feeding structure located between the two patch antennas in each row is connected to the second feeding port so that all four patch antennas generate polarization in a second direction, which corresponds to the y-direction shown in the figure. The first direction is orthogonal to the second direction.

[0078] Specifically, the first feeding structure is located between patch antennas 01 and 04 in the first column. The first feeding structure includes a first dipole 10, a first feed line 11, and a second feed line 12. The first feed line 11 and the second feed line 12 of the first feeding structure are connected to the first feeding port 50.

[0079] The second feeding structure is located between patch antennas 01 and 02 in the first row. The second feeding structure includes a second dipole 20, a first feed line 21, and a second feed line 22. The first feed line 21 and the second feed line 22 of the second feeding structure are connected to the second feeding port 60.

[0080] The third feed structure is located between patch antennas 02 and 03 in the second column. The third feed structure includes a third dipole 30, a first feed line 31, and a second feed line 32. The first feed line 31 and the second feed line 32 of the third feed structure are connected to the first feed port 50.

[0081] The fourth feed structure is located between patch antennas 03 and 04 in the second row. The fourth feed structure includes a fourth dipole 40, a first feed line 41, and a second feed line 42. The first feed line 41 and the second feed line 42 of the fourth feed structure are connected to the second feed port 60.

[0082] The first and third feed structures are used to polarize the patch antenna in a first direction (01 to 04), which corresponds to the x-direction shown in the figure. The second and fourth feed structures are used to polarize the patch antenna in a second direction (01 to 04), which corresponds to the y-direction shown in the figure. The x-direction and y-direction shown in the figure are orthogonal.

[0083] The solution provided in this application employs a patch antenna array to enhance gain. Furthermore, this antenna structure uses only two feed ports, resulting in a simple feed circuit with low design complexity. In addition, the feed structure can be directly designed on the dielectric substrate where the patch antenna is located, allowing all feed circuits and the patch antenna to be implemented on the same substrate, effectively reducing the complexity and cost of the antenna structure.

[0084] The implementation method of the antenna structure is explained in detail below.

[0085] See also Figure 2 The antenna structure shown.

[0086] Figure 2 The antenna structure shown specifically includes a dielectric substrate 100, a metal base plate 200, a patch antenna array, a first feed structure, a second feed structure, a third feed structure, a fourth feed structure, a first feed port 50, and a second feed port 60.

[0087] The specific material of the dielectric substrate 100 is not limited in this embodiment and can be determined according to the actual situation.

[0088] In some embodiments, the dielectric substrate 100 may be an epoxy fiberglass board (epoxy board) with a flame retardant grade of FR-4, and the dielectric constant of the dielectric substrate is ε.r =4.4.

[0089] The thickness d of the dielectric substrate 100 can be determined according to the actual situation, and this application embodiment does not make a specific limitation on it.

[0090] The first preset distance h between the dielectric substrate 100 and the metal base plate 200 can be determined based on the bandwidth of the antenna structure during operation, and this embodiment does not specifically limit it.

[0091] The patch antenna array is located on the first surface of the dielectric substrate 100.

[0092] The patch antenna array includes patch antennas 01 to 04. These four patch antennas are arranged in a 2×2 pattern, that is, the patch antenna array includes two rows, each row includes two patch antennas, and the patch antenna array includes two columns, each column includes two patch antennas. Figure 2 The first row of the patch antenna array shown includes patch antenna 01 and patch antenna 02, the second row includes patch antenna 03 and patch antenna 04, the first column includes patch antenna 01 and patch antenna 04, and the second column includes patch antenna 02 and patch antenna 03.

[0093] The following explanation will first describe the implementation of the power supply structure. The first power supply structure will be used as an example for the following explanation. The implementation of other power supply structures is similar and will not be repeated here.

[0094] See Figure 3 The figure is a schematic diagram of the power supply structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0095] The first feed structure includes a first dipole 10, a first feed line 11, and a second feed line 12. The first dipole includes a first portion 101 and a second portion 102. The first portion 101 and the first feed line 11 are located on the first surface of the dielectric substrate 100, and the second portion 102 and the second feed line 12 are located on the second surface of the dielectric substrate 100. The input terminal of the first portion 101 is connected to the first feed line 11, and the end of the first portion 101 is connected to... Figure 2 The patch antennas 01 are spaced apart by a second preset distance. The input end of the second part 102 is connected to the second feed line 12, and the end of the second part 102 is connected to... Figure 2 The patch antennas 04 in the middle are spaced apart by a second preset distance.

[0096] The first feeder 11 and the second feeder 12 are a pair of parallel lines.

[0097] The input impedance of the first dipole 10 input terminal, that is, the impedance between the first part 101 and the second part 102.

[0098] The implementation of the antenna structure is explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0099] See also Figure 2 and Figure 4 .in, Figure 4 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 2 A magnified view of region A in the middle.

[0100] The first feeding structure includes a first dipole 10, a first feed line 11, and a second feed line 12. The first feed line 11 is located on the first surface of the dielectric substrate 100, with its first end connected to a first feed port 50 and its second end connected to a first portion of the first dipole 10. The second feed line 12 is located on the second surface of the dielectric substrate 100. The first end of the second feed line 12 is connected to the first surface of the dielectric substrate 100 via a first through-structure 13, and then connected to the first feed port 50 on the first surface. The first through-structure 13 includes one or more through holes filled or plated with a conductive dielectric. The number of through holes included in the first through-structure 13 is not specifically limited in this embodiment. Figure 4 The example is illustrated using the first through structure 13, which includes two through holes. The second end of the second feed line 12 is connected to the second part of the first dipole 10.

[0101] The second feeding structure includes a second dipole 20, a first feed line 21, and a second feed line 22. The first feed line 21 is located on the first surface of the dielectric substrate 100, and its first end is connected to the second surface of the dielectric substrate 100 via a second through-structure 23, and then connected to a second feeding port 60 on the second surface. The second through-structure 23 includes one or more through holes filled or plated with a conductive dielectric. This embodiment does not specifically limit the number of through holes included in the second through-structure 23. Figure 4 The example is illustrated using a second through structure 23 comprising two through holes. The second end of the first feed line 21 is connected to the first portion of the second dipole 20. The second feed line 22 is located on the second surface of the dielectric substrate 100, and the first end of the second feed line 22 is connected to the second feed port 60 on the second surface of the dielectric substrate 100. The second end of the second feed line 22 is connected to the second portion of the second dipole 20.

[0102] The third feed structure includes a third dipole 30, a first feed line 31, and a second feed line 32. The first feed line 31 is located on the first surface of the dielectric substrate 100, with its first end connected to a first feed port 50 and its second end connected to a first portion of the third dipole 30. The second feed line 32 is located on the second surface of the dielectric substrate 100. The first end of the second feed line 32 is connected to the first surface of the dielectric substrate 100 via a third through-structure 33, and then connected to the first feed port 50 on the first surface. The third through-structure 33 includes one or more through holes filled or plated with a conductive dielectric. The number of through holes in the third through-structure 33 is not specifically limited in this embodiment. Figure 4 The example is illustrated using the third through structure 33, which includes two through holes. The second end of the second feed line 32 is connected to the second part of the third dipole 30.

[0103] The fourth feed structure includes a fourth dipole 40, a first feed line 41, and a second feed line 42. The first feed line 41 is located on the first surface of the dielectric substrate 100, and its first end is connected to the second surface of the dielectric substrate 100 via a fourth through structure 43, and then connected to a second feed port 60 on the second surface. The fourth through structure 43 includes one or more through holes filled or plated with a conductive dielectric. This embodiment does not specifically limit the number of through holes included in the fourth through structure 43. Figure 4 The example is illustrated using the fourth through structure 43, which includes two through holes. The second end of the first feed line 41 is connected to the first part of the fourth dipole 40. The second feed line 42 is located on the second surface of the dielectric substrate 100, and the first end of the second feed line 42 is connected to the second feed port 60 on the second surface of the dielectric substrate 100. The second end of the second feed line 42 is connected to the second part of the fourth dipole 40.

[0104] That is, each feed structure includes two parallel feed lines, which connect to the same output port located at the geometric center of the patch antenna array. The two feed lines of the same polarization are located on different sides of the dielectric substrate, only near the geometric center of the array. One of the feed lines is connected to the other side of the dielectric substrate through a through structure, thus transforming the two feed lines from opposite sides to the same side. This design allows the two polarized feed ports to be designed on different sides of the dielectric substrate, avoiding positional conflicts between them.

[0105] In some embodiments, the first end of the first feed line 11 of the first feed structure and the first end of the first feed line 31 of the third feed structure can be connected on the first surface, and the length of the connecting line between them is l1. The first feed port is connected to the connecting line, which is equivalent to simultaneously connecting the first feed line 11 of the first feed structure and the first feed line 31 of the third feed structure. The first end of the second feed line 22 of the second feed structure and the first end of the second feed line 42 of the fourth feed structure can be connected on the second surface, and the length of the connecting line can be l1. The first through structure 13 can be connected to the third through structure 33 on the first surface, and the length of the connecting line can be l1. The second through structure 23 can be connected to the fourth through structure 43 on the second surface, and the length of the connecting line can be l1.

[0106] When the above implementation is adopted, the first feed line 11 of the first feed structure and the first feed line 21 of the second feed structure feed the patch antenna 01, that is, excite the patch antenna 01; the second feed line 22 of the second feed structure and the first feed line 31 of the third feed structure feed the patch antenna 02; the second feed line 32 of the third feed structure and the second feed line 42 of the fourth feed structure feed the patch antenna 03; and the first feed line 41 of the fourth feed structure and the second feed line 12 of the first feed structure feed the fourth patch antenna 04.

[0107] In the solution provided in this application embodiment, four patch antennas are excited using dipole coupling feeding. Furthermore, in-phase dipole feeding is achieved, ensuring consistent polarization across the four patch antennas based on their relative positions. For a single polarization, traditional excitation methods require four ports, resulting in a 1-to-4 feed circuit. However, using the technical solution of this application embodiment, only two dipoles are needed for a single polarization, resulting in a 1-to-2 feed circuit. This dipole feeding method significantly reduces the complexity of the feed circuit design. Moreover, the dipoles are connected to two parallel feed lines, which can be directly designed on the dielectric substrate where the patch antennas are located. This allows all feed circuits and patch antennas to be implemented on the same dielectric substrate, effectively reducing the complexity and cost of the antenna structure.

[0108] The following section will explain the specific implementation method.

[0109] See also Figure 5 , Figure 6A and Figure 6B .in, Figure 5 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 2 Enlarged view of region B in the middle; Figure 6A Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 5 Enlarged view of region C in the image; Figure 6B Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 6A The corresponding equivalent circuit diagram is shown in Figure 1.

[0110] The third dipole will be selected for specific explanation below. The specific implementation of other dipoles is similar, and will not be described in detail in the embodiments of this application.

[0111] In the solution provided in this application embodiment, the dipole used is a T-type dipole, that is, all four patch antennas are coupled and fed by T-type dipoles, and the T-type dipoles play the role of adjustment and matching.

[0112] Specifically, Figure 5 The T-shaped dipole in the image has a certain distance between its end and the patch antenna, which is the second preset distance, denoted as g2. The capacitance generated by g2 can be equivalent to... Figure 6B The series capacitor C2 can be adjusted by changing the value of g2 according to actual needs. In practice, the shorter g2 is, the higher the equivalent series capacitor C2's capacitance. Alternatively, the equivalent series capacitor C2 can also be adjusted by changing the T-stub length l4; in practice, the longer l4 is, the higher the equivalent series capacitor C2's capacitance.

[0113] Figure 5 The dipole length of a T-type dipole is l3, and the inductance of the T-type dipole can be equivalent to... Figure 6B The series inductance L2 in the figure can be adjusted by changing the dipole length l3, which increases the equivalent inductance L2. In practice, the larger l3 is, the larger the equivalent inductance L2 is.

[0114] In other words, by adjusting the three parameters of spacing g2, T-stub length l4, and dipole length l3, the equivalent capacitance and inductance of the dipole can be adjusted, thereby achieving impedance matching.

[0115] Figure 5 The patch antenna 02 or 03 in the image can be equivalent to... Figure 6B The equivalent electron R1, equivalent inductance L1, and equivalent capacitance C1 are connected in parallel.

[0116] Furthermore, the impedance between the two parallel feed lines can be adjusted by adjusting the width w1 of the two parallel feed lines.

[0117] The following example illustrates the principle of impedance matching.

[0118] The explanation will be based on the example of adjusting the input impedance at the dipole input terminal to the first impedance value.

[0119] At this point, the characteristic impedance between the first feeder and the second feeder in each feed structure is the first impedance value.

[0120] At the geometric center of the patch antenna array, a through-structure is used to transform the two feed lines from opposite planes to the same plane. The two sets of parallel twin lines with the same polarization are connected in parallel, so that the equivalent input impedance is half of the first impedance value, that is, the input impedance of the feed port is half of the first impedance value.

[0121] Figure 6B The equivalent circuit of the first part of the dipole of the third feed structure is shown when it excites the patch antenna 02, at which time the input impedance Z in the figure is half of the first impedance value.

[0122] For example, see Figure 2 The two parallel feed lines of the first feed structure are connected in parallel with the two parallel feed lines of the third feed structure. Since the characteristic impedance values ​​between the parallel feed lines are both the first impedance value, the equivalent impedance value after parallel connection is half of the first impedance value. Similarly, when the two parallel feed lines of the second feed structure are connected in parallel with the two parallel feed lines of the fourth feed structure, the equivalent impedance value is half of the first impedance value. At this time, for the first feed port 50 of the first surface and the second feed port 60 of the second surface, the input impedance of the port is half of the first impedance value, thereby achieving impedance matching.

[0123] The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific value of the first impedance. For example, when the first impedance is 100Ω, the characteristic impedance between the two parallel feeders is 100Ω, and the input impedance of the ports is 50Ω. Figure 6B The input impedance Z of the feed port is 50Ω.

[0124] See Figure 7A The figure is a schematic diagram of the distribution of the patch antenna array provided in the embodiment of this application.

[0125] For ease of explanation, Figure 7A The antenna structure is divided into four identical square regions: Region I, Region II, Region III, and Region IV. Each patch antenna is located at the center of a square region. The first and second surfaces of the dielectric substrate are squares of equal area with a side length of a first preset length l. g At this point, the length between the geometric centers of two patch antennas in the same row or column is the second preset length l. dis , l dis For l g / 2.

[0126] Each patch antenna is arranged according to Figure 7A When arranged as shown, the side length l of the antenna structure is increased. gWhile this increases antenna gain, the achievable gain is limited due to the fixed number of elements (4), potentially leading to a decrease in aperture efficiency. In practical applications, λ0 represents the antenna's operating wavelength, and both antenna gain and aperture efficiency need to be considered to determine the appropriate wavelength. g The specific proportional relationship between λ and 0.

[0127] The beneficial effects of the technical solution in this application will be analyzed and explained below with specific examples.

[0128] Let λ0 represent the operating wavelength of the antenna. Research and experiments have shown that at l g When the gain is between 1.0λ0 and 1.4λ0, the antenna can achieve high gain and aperture efficiency.

[0129] In practical applications, to minimize the size of the antenna structure, l g The value of can be a small value within a reasonable range, for example, l g A value of 1.12λ0 can be selected. Under the condition of satisfying the above antenna size selection range, the aperture efficiency is less affected by the relative position of the patch antenna. Figure 7A The 2×2 arrangement, even if l dis ≠l g / 2, and the surface efficiency is also relatively high.

[0130] See also Figure 7B and Figure 7C .in, Figure 7B A schematic diagram of the front of the antenna structure provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 7C This is a schematic diagram of the back side of the antenna structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0131] Taking the operating wavelength λ0 = 50mm of the antenna structure as an example, the specifications of the front (top) and back (bot) surfaces of the antenna structure are simulated using the specific parameter values ​​in Table 1 below.

[0132] Table 1: Specific dimensions of the antenna structure (unit: mm)

[0133] parameter l g ]] ​ ​ [l2] [l3] ​ d Parameter value 56 12 3 10.5 4 6.4 0.6 parameter h w1 w2 w3 [cdta] [cl] [ g2 ] Parameter value 7 0.5 0.5 1 8 0.5 2.5

[0134] See Figure 8 The figure is a simulation diagram of the S-parameters of the antenna structure provided in the embodiment of this application.

[0135] S-parameters (Scattering-parameters) are network parameters based on the relationship between incident and reflected waves. They are suitable for microwave circuit analysis and describe the circuit network using the reflected signals at the device ports and the signals transmitted from one port to another.

[0136] S11 represents the reflection coefficient of port 1 when port 2 is matched;

[0137] S22 represents the reflection coefficient of port 2 when port 1 is matched;

[0138] S12 represents the reverse transmission coefficient from port 2 to port 1 when port 1 is matched;

[0139] S21 represents the forward transmission coefficient from port 1 to port 2 when port 2 is matched;

[0140] For a symmetric network, we have: S11 = S22.

[0141] S11 can be used to represent the gain, and S21 can be used to represent the isolation between two ports.

[0142] With the adoption of the Wi-Fi 6E standard, compared to previous protocols, the new protocol offers advantages such as high bandwidth, high concurrency, and low latency. Furthermore, the addition of the 6GHz band effectively alleviates the spectrum shortage in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. In terms of spectrum, the 5GHz (e.g., 5.15GHz to 5.825GHz) and 6GHz (e.g., 5.925GHz to 7.125GHz) bands are very close. If antennas can cover both bands simultaneously, the number of antennas in electronic devices can be effectively reduced.

[0143] And see Figure 8 It can be observed that when the matching target is a reflection coefficient of less than -10dB, the matching bandwidth range of the antenna structure provided in this application embodiment is approximately 4.90GHz to 7.43GHz, covering the 5GHz and 6GHz bands of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. Due to symmetry, curve S22 is the same as S11. Therefore, the antenna structure provided in this application is highly practical and can effectively reduce the number of antennas in electronic devices. The smaller the reflection coefficient, the more energy enters the antenna.

[0144] On the other hand, since the polarization directions of the antenna structure are orthogonal, the isolation between the first feed port and the second feed port is greater than 40dB within the matching bandwidth. That is, the degree of mutual interference between the two feed ports of the antenna structure is low, and the performance of the antenna structure is better.

[0145] See Figure 9 The figure is a schematic diagram of the electric field amplitude distribution of the antenna structure provided in the embodiment of this application.

[0146] from Figure 9 As can be seen, each patch antenna in the patch antenna array operates close to the TM range. 10 The mode is such that the synthesized beam points in the +Z direction and the polarization directions are orthogonal.

[0147] TM10 refers to electromagnetic waves in a standard rectangular waveguide that have an electric field component but no magnetic field component along the propagation direction. 1 indicates that the electromagnetic field has a half-wave variation along the wide side of the rectangular waveguide, and 0 indicates that it is uniformly distributed along the narrow side.

[0148] See also Figure 10 and Figure 11 .in, Figure 10 Radiation pattern of the xz plane provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0149] Figure 11 The radiation pattern of the yz plane provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0150] To facilitate differentiation of the lines, the radiation pattern uses triangles to represent the curves at the operating frequency of 5.2 GHz, squares to represent the curves at the operating frequency of 6.0 GHz, and circles to represent the curves at the operating frequency of 7.0 GHz. As can be seen from the figure, the maximum gain exceeds 10 dB within each matched bandwidth, and the synthesized beam points in the +Z direction.

[0151] The above embodiments use a square patch antenna as an example for illustration. In practical applications, the patch antenna can also be other shapes, as detailed below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0152] See Figure 12 This figure is a schematic diagram of another antenna structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0153] The patch antennas 01 to 04 in the figure are rhomboid patch antennas.

[0154] The first feeding structure is located between patch antennas 01 and 04 in the first column. The first feeding structure includes a first dipole 10, a first feed line 11, and a second feed line 12. The first feed line 11 and the second feed line 12 of the first feeding structure are connected to the first feeding port 50. In the figure, reference numerals 11 (12) indicate that the first feed line 11 and the second feed line 12 are parallel and located on different surfaces of the dielectric substrate, and their positions overlap in the top view of the dielectric substrate.

[0155] The reference numerals 50 (60) in the figure indicate that the first power supply port 50 and the second power supply port 60 are located on different surfaces of the dielectric substrate. That is, the first power supply port 50 is located on the upper surface of the dielectric substrate, and the second power supply port 60 is located on the lower surface of the dielectric substrate, and their positions overlap in the top view of the dielectric substrate.

[0156] The second feed structure is located between patch antennas 01 and 02 in the first row. The second feed structure includes a second dipole 20, a first feed line 21, and a second feed line 22. The first feed line 21 and the second feed line 22 of the second feed structure are connected to the second feed port 60. The reference numerals 21 (22) in the figure indicate that the first feed line 21 and the second feed line 22 are parallel and located on different surfaces of the dielectric substrate, and their positions overlap in the top view of the dielectric substrate.

[0157] The third feed structure is located between patch antennas 02 and 03 in the second column. The third feed structure includes a third dipole 30, a first feed line 31, and a second feed line 32. The first feed line 31 and the second feed line 32 of the third feed structure are connected to the first feed port 50. The reference numerals 31 (32) in the figure indicate that the first feed line 31 and the second feed line 32 are parallel and located on different surfaces of the dielectric substrate, and their positions overlap in the top view of the dielectric substrate.

[0158] The fourth feed structure is located between patch antennas 03 and 04 in the second row. The fourth feed structure includes a fourth dipole 40, a first feed line 41, and a second feed line 42. The first feed line 41 and the second feed line 42 of the fourth feed structure are connected to the second feed port 60. The reference numerals 41 (42) in the figure indicate that the first feed line 41 and the second feed line 42 are parallel and located on different surfaces of the dielectric substrate, and their positions overlap in the top view of the dielectric substrate.

[0159] The implementation methods of the above power supply structures are the same as those mentioned above. Figures 3 to 6B Similar to the descriptions in the text, they will not be repeated here.

[0160] See Figure 13 This figure is a schematic diagram of another antenna structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0161] The patch antennas 01 to 04 in the figure are circular patch antennas.

[0162] The first feeding structure is located between patch antennas 01 and 04 in the first column. The first feeding structure includes a first dipole 10, a first feed line 11, and a second feed line 12. The first feed line 11 and the second feed line 12 of the first feeding structure are connected to the first feeding port 50. In the figure, reference numerals 11 (12) indicate that the first feed line 11 and the second feed line 12 are parallel and located on different surfaces of the dielectric substrate, and their positions overlap in the top view of the dielectric substrate.

[0163] The reference numerals 50 (60) in the figure indicate that the first power supply port 50 and the second power supply port 60 are located on different surfaces of the dielectric substrate. That is, the first power supply port 50 is located on the upper surface of the dielectric substrate, and the second power supply port 60 is located on the lower surface of the dielectric substrate, and their positions overlap in the top view of the dielectric substrate.

[0164] The second feed structure is located between patch antennas 01 and 02 in the first row. The second feed structure includes a second dipole 20, a first feed line 21, and a second feed line 22. The first feed line 21 and the second feed line 22 of the second feed structure are connected to the second feed port 60. The reference numerals 21 (22) in the figure indicate that the first feed line 21 and the second feed line 22 are parallel and located on different surfaces of the dielectric substrate, and their positions overlap in the top view of the dielectric substrate.

[0165] The third feed structure is located between patch antennas 02 and 03 in the second column. The third feed structure includes a third dipole 30, a first feed line 31, and a second feed line 32. The first feed line 31 and the second feed line 32 of the third feed structure are connected to the first feed port 50. The reference numerals 31 (32) in the figure indicate that the first feed line 31 and the second feed line 32 are parallel and located on different surfaces of the dielectric substrate, and their positions overlap in the top view of the dielectric substrate.

[0166] The fourth feed structure is located between patch antennas 03 and 04 in the second row. The fourth feed structure includes a fourth dipole 40, a first feed line 41, and a second feed line 42. The first feed line 41 and the second feed line 42 of the fourth feed structure are connected to the second feed port 60. The reference numerals 41 (42) in the figure indicate that the first feed line 41 and the second feed line 42 are parallel and located on different surfaces of the dielectric substrate, and their positions overlap in the top view of the dielectric substrate.

[0167] The implementation methods of each power supply structure are the same as those mentioned above. Figures 3 to 6B Similar to the descriptions in the text, they will not be repeated here.

[0168] In addition, dipoles of other shapes can also be used, as explained in detail below with reference to the attached diagram.

[0169] See Figure 14 This figure is a schematic diagram of another antenna structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0170] Figure 14 The patch antennas 01 to 04 are square patch antennas, which are used as examples.

[0171] The first feeding structure is located between patch antennas 01 and 04 in the first column. The first feeding structure includes a first dipole 10, a first feed line 11, and a second feed line 12. The first feed line 11 and the second feed line 12 of the first feeding structure are connected to the first feeding port 50. In the figure, reference numerals 11 (12) indicate that the first feed line 11 and the second feed line 12 are parallel and located on different surfaces of the dielectric substrate, and their positions overlap in the top view of the dielectric substrate.

[0172] The reference numerals 50 (60) in the figure indicate that the first power supply port 50 and the second power supply port 60 are located on different surfaces of the dielectric substrate. That is, the first power supply port 50 is located on the upper surface of the dielectric substrate, and the second power supply port 60 is located on the lower surface of the dielectric substrate, and their positions overlap in the top view of the dielectric substrate.

[0173] The second feed structure is located between patch antennas 01 and 02 in the first row. The second feed structure includes a second dipole 20, a first feed line 21, and a second feed line 22. The first feed line 21 and the second feed line 22 of the second feed structure are connected to the second feed port 60. The reference numerals 21 (22) in the figure indicate that the first feed line 21 and the second feed line 22 are parallel and located on different surfaces of the dielectric substrate, and their positions overlap in the top view of the dielectric substrate.

[0174] The third feed structure is located between patch antennas 02 and 03 in the second column. The third feed structure includes a third dipole 30, a first feed line 31, and a second feed line 32. The first feed line 31 and the second feed line 32 of the third feed structure are connected to the first feed port 50. The reference numerals 31 (32) in the figure indicate that the first feed line 31 and the second feed line 32 are parallel and located on different surfaces of the dielectric substrate, and their positions overlap in the top view of the dielectric substrate.

[0175] The fourth feed structure is located between patch antennas 03 and 04 in the second row. The fourth feed structure includes a fourth dipole 40, a first feed line 41, and a second feed line 42. The first feed line 41 and the second feed line 42 of the fourth feed structure are connected to the second feed port 60. The reference numerals 41 (42) in the figure indicate that the first feed line 41 and the second feed line 42 are parallel and located on different surfaces of the dielectric substrate, and their positions overlap in the top view of the dielectric substrate.

[0176] The first dipole 10, the second dipole 20, the third dipole 30, and the fourth dipole 40 in the diagram are bowtie dipoles. That is, the first and second parts of each dipole have triangular branches.

[0177] Understandably, when using a bowtie dipole, a patch antenna can also be used. Figure 12 The diamond patch antenna shown is Figure 13 The circular patch antenna shown.

[0178] See Figure 15 This figure is a schematic diagram of another antenna structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0179] Figure 15 and Figure 14 The difference is that, Figure 15The first dipole 10, the second dipole 20, the third dipole 30, and the fourth dipole 40 are circular dipoles. That is, the stubs of the first and second parts of each dipole are semi-circular stubs. It is understandable that when using a bowtie dipole, a patch antenna can also be used. Figure 12 The diamond patch antenna shown is Figure 13 The circular patch antenna shown.

[0180] In some embodiments, when the above antenna structure is applied to an electronic device, the first feed interface and the second feed interface are connected to the radio frequency circuit of the electronic device via cables.

[0181] In summary, the solution provided in this application uses T-type dipoles for in-phase feeding to ensure that the four patch antennas have consistent polarization and that the polarizations of each patch antenna are orthogonal. For a single polarization, traditional excitation methods require four ports to excite the four patch antennas, resulting in a 1-to-4 feed circuit. However, using the technical solution of this application, only two dipoles are needed to excite the four patch antennas for a single polarization, resulting in a 1-to-2 feed circuit. This dipole feeding method reduces the complexity of the feed circuit design. The dipoles are connected to two parallel feed lines, which can be directly designed on the dielectric substrate where the patch antennas are located. This allows all feed circuits and patch antennas to be implemented on the same dielectric substrate, reducing the complexity of the feed circuit, which in turn reduces the complexity of the antenna structure and its cost. In addition, the antenna structure is directional with high directional gain, high isolation between the two feed ports, and can cover a wide frequency range, such as simultaneously covering the 5GHz and 6GHz bands of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, thus making it highly practical.

[0182] It is understood that the antenna structure described above covering the 5GHz and 6GHz bands of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E is only an example. In practical applications, the antenna structure can also be designed to be used in other frequency bands. In some embodiments, the thickness of the dielectric substrate of the antenna structure can be determined according to the operating frequency band, and other design parameters of the antenna structure can be adjusted accordingly.

[0183] In practical applications, when the thickness d of the dielectric substrate 100 is low, the feed line may not adopt the parallel double-line implementation method described in the above embodiments, but instead adopt the slotted line feeding method. In this implementation method, the dipole and feed line included in the same feeding structure are located on the same surface of the dielectric substrate and connected to the same feeding interface. The following is a detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0184] See Figure 16This figure is a schematic diagram of another antenna structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0185] Figure 2 The antenna structure shown includes a dielectric substrate 100, a patch antenna array, a first feed structure, a second feed structure, a third feed structure, a fourth feed structure, a first feed port 50, and a second feed port 60.

[0186] The patch antenna array is located on the first surface of the dielectric substrate 100.

[0187] The first and third power supply structures are located on the first surface of the dielectric substrate 100, and the second and fourth power supply structures are located on the second surface of the dielectric substrate 100.

[0188] The first power supply structure includes a first dipole 10, a first slot line 11, and a second slot line 12. The first end of the first slot line 11 is connected to a first power supply port 50, and the second end of the first slot line 11 is connected to a first portion of the first dipole 10. The first end of the second slot line 12 is connected to the first power supply port 50, and the second end of the second slot line 12 is connected to a second portion of the first dipole 10.

[0189] The second power supply structure includes a second dipole 20, a first slot line 21, and a second slot line 22. The first end of the first slot line 21 is connected to the second power supply port 60, and the second end of the first slot line 21 is connected to the first part of the second dipole 20. The first end of the second slot line 22 is connected to the second power supply port 60, and the second end of the second slot line 22 is connected to the second part of the second dipole 20.

[0190] The third feeding structure includes a third dipole 30, a first slot line 31, and a second slot line 32. The first end of the first slot line 31 is connected to the first feeding port 50, and the second end of the first slot line 31 is connected to the first part of the third dipole 30. The first end of the second slot line 32 is connected to the first feeding port 50, and the second end of the second slot line 32 is connected to the second part of the third dipole 30.

[0191] The fourth feed structure includes a fourth dipole 10, a first slot line 41, and a second slot line 42. The first end of the first slot line 41 is connected to the second feed port 60, and the second end of the first slot line 41 is connected to the first part of the fourth dipole 40. The first end of the second slot line 42 is connected to the second feed port 60, and the second end of the second slot line 42 is connected to the second part of the fourth dipole 40.

[0192] In some embodiments, the first end of the first slot line 11 of the first power supply structure and the first end of the first slot line 31 of the third power supply structure can be connected on a first surface; the first end of the second slot line 12 of the first power supply structure and the first end of the second slot line 32 of the third power supply structure can be connected on a first surface; the first end of the first slot line 21 of the second power supply structure and the first end of the first slot line 41 of the fourth power supply structure can be connected on a second surface; and the first end of the second slot line 22 of the second power supply structure and the first end of the second slot line 42 of the fourth power supply structure can be connected on a second surface.

[0193] When the above implementation is adopted, the first slot line 11 of the first feeding structure and the first slot line 21 of the second feeding structure feed the patch antenna 01, that is, excite the patch antenna 01; the second slot line 22 of the second feeding structure and the first slot line 31 of the third feeding structure feed the patch antenna 02; the second slot line 32 of the third feeding structure and the second slot line 42 of the fourth feeding structure feed the patch antenna 03; the first slot line 41 of the fourth feeding structure and the second slot line 12 of the first feeding structure feed the fourth patch antenna 04.

[0194] The above slot lines are slot lines. When using slot line feeding, the patch antenna can also be the rhomboid patch antenna or circular patch antenna shown in the above embodiments, and the dipole can also be the bowtie dipole or circular dipole shown in the above embodiments.

[0195] The solution provided in this application adopts a slotted wire feeding method. Compared with the traditional feeding method, only two dipoles are needed to excite four patch antennas for a single polarization, reducing the complexity of the feeding circuit design. The two parallel slotted wires can be directly designed on the dielectric substrate where the patch antenna is located, so that all the feeding circuits and patch antennas can be implemented on the same dielectric substrate, which can effectively reduce the complexity and cost of the antenna structure.

[0196] Based on the antenna structure provided in the above embodiments, this application also provides an electronic device that applies the antenna structure, which will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0197] See Figure 17 This figure is a schematic diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0198] The electronic device 170 includes one or more antenna structures provided in the embodiments of this application, and also includes a radio frequency circuit 171. Figure 17 The electronic device 170 includes two antenna structures, namely the first antenna structure 172 and the second antenna structure 173, which will be used as an example for explanation.

[0199] The first antenna structure 172 and the second antenna structure 173 in the figure are connected to the same radio frequency circuit 171.

[0200] The radio frequency circuit 171 is used to filter, amplify, and otherwise process the electromagnetic waves received by the first antenna structure 172 and the second antenna structure 173, and transmit them to the modem processor for demodulation. It can also amplify the signal modulated by the modem processor and convert it into electromagnetic waves for radiation via the first antenna structure 172 and the second antenna structure 173. In some embodiments, the modem processor may include a modulator and a demodulator. The modulator is used to modulate the low-frequency baseband signal to be transmitted into a mid-to-high frequency signal. The demodulator is used to demodulate the received electromagnetic wave signal into a low-frequency baseband signal.

[0201] The frequency bands that each antenna structure can cover may be the same or different, and this application does not specifically limit this. For example, the frequency band that the first antenna structure 172 can cover is the first frequency band, and the frequency band that the second antenna structure 173 can cover is the second frequency band. The first frequency band and the second frequency band can be the same or different. When the first frequency band and the second frequency band are different, there may be some overlap between the first frequency band and the second frequency band, or the first frequency band and the second frequency band may not overlap at all.

[0202] For a detailed description of the antenna structure, please refer to the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0203] See Figure 18 This figure is a schematic diagram of another electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0204] Figure 18 The electronic devices shown are Figure 17 The difference is that the electronic device includes two radio frequency circuits, namely the first radio frequency circuit 171a and the second radio frequency circuit 171b.

[0205] The first radio frequency circuit 171a is connected to the first antenna structure 172, and the second radio frequency circuit 171b is connected to the second antenna structure 173.

[0206] At this time, the frequency bands that the first antenna structure 172 and the second antenna structure 173 can cover are different.

[0207] The first radio frequency circuit 171a and the second radio frequency circuit 171b described above can be set on different circuit boards or on the same circuit board. This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0208] See Figure 19 This figure is a schematic diagram of another electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0209] The electronic device includes a first antenna structure 172, a second antenna structure 173, a third antenna structure 174, a first radio frequency circuit 171a, and a second radio frequency circuit 171b.

[0210] The first radio frequency circuit 171a is connected to the first antenna structure 172 and the second antenna structure 173.

[0211] The second radio frequency circuit 171b is connected to the third antenna structure 174.

[0212] The first antenna structure 172 and the second antenna structure 173 adopt the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application to realize the function of a directional antenna.

[0213] The third antenna structure 174 is used to realize the function of an omnidirectional antenna. The specific implementation of the third antenna structure 174 is not limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0214] The frequency band covered by the third antenna structure 174 may be the same as or different from that of the first antenna structure 172. The frequency band covered by the third antenna structure 174 may be the same as or different from that of the second antenna structure 173.

[0215] This application does not specifically limit the type of electronic device; the electronic device can be a mobile phone, laptop, wearable electronic device (such as a smartwatch), tablet computer, AR device, VR device, router, and in-vehicle equipment, etc. In a typical application scenario, the electronic device is a router.

[0216] When using the antenna structure provided in the embodiments of this application, the frequency band range that the antenna structure can cover can be changed by changing the first preset distance between the dielectric substrate and the metal ground plane of the antenna structure.

[0217] In summary, this electronic device utilizes the antenna structure provided in the above embodiments. The antenna structure employs a dipole-coupled feeding method to excite four patch antennas. Furthermore, it achieves in-phase dipole feeding, ensuring consistent polarization across the four patch antennas based on their relative positions. For a single polarization, traditional excitation methods require four ports to excite the four patch antennas, resulting in a 1-to-4 feed circuit. However, using the technical solution of this application, only two feed structures are needed for a single polarization to excite the four patch antennas, resulting in a 1-to-2 feed circuit, thus reducing the complexity of the feed circuit design. Moreover, the dipoles are connected to two parallel feed lines, which can be directly designed on the dielectric substrate where the patch antennas are located. This allows all feed circuits and patch antennas to be implemented on the same dielectric substrate, effectively reducing the complexity and cost of the antenna structure, thereby lowering the cost of the electronic device.

[0218] In addition, the antenna structure is directional with high directional gain, high isolation between the two feed ports, and can cover a wide frequency range, such as the 5GHz and 6GHz bands of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. Therefore, it is highly practical and can reduce the number of antennas on electronic devices, thereby further reducing the hardware cost of electronic devices.

[0219] Based on the antenna structure and electronic equipment provided in the above embodiments, this application also provides a wireless network system, which will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0220] See Figure 20 This figure is a schematic diagram of a wireless network system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0221] The wireless network system 300 includes multiple electronic devices, and at least one of the multiple electronic devices applies the antenna structure provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0222] The wireless network system 300 shown in the figure includes a first electronic device 170 and a second electronic device 301.

[0223] The first electronic device 170 includes one or more antenna structures provided in the embodiments of this application, and also includes radio frequency circuitry. The first electronic device 170 has a high directional gain and is used for data transmission with the second electronic device 301 along a specific direction. In a typical implementation, the first electronic device 170 is a directional router.

[0224] For details regarding the first electronic device 170 and the specific implementation of the antenna structure included in the first electronic device 170, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0225] The second electronic device 301 uses an omnidirectional antenna. In a typical implementation, the second electronic device 201 is an omnidirectional router.

[0226] It is understood that the above wireless network system 300 is only an illustrative example. In actual applications, when building the wireless network system 300 according to specific environmental conditions, the number of the first electronic device 170 and the second electronic device 301 can be further increased, and the second electronic device 301 can also transmit data with multiple first electronic devices 170 at the same time.

[0227] In summary, the electronic devices in the above wireless network systems utilize the antenna structure provided in this application, which saves on the cost of electronic devices and increases the gain of electronic devices in a specific direction, thereby improving the signal quality and stability of the wireless network system.

[0228] It should be understood that in this application, "at least one (item)" means one or more, and "more than" means two or more. "And / or" is used to describe the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent three cases: only A exists, only B exists, and both A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one (item) of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one (item) of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0229] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. An antenna structure, characterized in that, The antenna structure includes: a dielectric substrate, a patch antenna array, a first feed port, a second feed port, and four feed structures; The first feed port and the patch antenna array are located on the first surface of the dielectric substrate, and the second feed port is located on the second surface of the dielectric substrate, with the second surface opposite to the first surface; The patch antenna array includes four patch antennas, which are arranged in two rows and two columns. A feeding structure is included between two patch antennas in each row, and a feeding structure is included between two patch antennas in each column. A feeding structure located between the two patch antennas in each column is connected to the first feeding port so that all four patch antennas generate polarization in the first direction; A feeding structure located between the two patch antennas in each row is connected to the second feeding port so that all four patch antennas generate polarization in the second direction; Each of the four feeding structures includes a connected dipole and a set of parallel feed lines. Each of the dipoles is configured to excite two of the four patch antennas; The parallel feed line includes a first feed line located on the first surface and a second feed line located on the second surface; The feeding structure located between the two patch antennas in each column includes a second feed line connected to the first surface via a corresponding through structure; The feeding structure located between the two patch antennas in each row includes a first feed line connected to the second surface via a corresponding through structure.

2. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first direction is orthogonal to the second direction.

3. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The antenna structure also includes a metal base plate; The medium plate and the metal base plate are spaced apart by a first preset distance.

4. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The through structure includes one or more through holes, each of which is filled or plated with a conductive medium.

5. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The four power supply structures specifically include a first power supply structure, a second power supply structure, a third power supply structure, and a fourth power supply structure; The first feeding structure is located between the two patch antennas in the first column, the second feeding structure is located between the two patch antennas in the first row, the third feeding structure is located between the two patch antennas in the second column, and the fourth feeding structure is located between the two patch antennas in the second row. The first feed line of the first power supply structure is connected to the first feed line of the third power supply structure; The second feed line of the first power feeding structure is connected to the first surface through the first through structure; The second feed line of the third feed structure is connected to the first surface through the third through structure, and the first through structure and the third through structure are connected on the first surface. The second feed line of the second feed structure is connected to the second feed line of the fourth feed structure; The first feed line of the second power supply structure is connected to the second surface through the second through structure; The first feed line of the fourth feed structure is connected to the second surface through the fourth through structure, and the second through structure and the fourth through structure are connected on the second surface.

6. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each dipole of the feed structure comprises: a first part and a second part; The first part is located on the first surface, the first end of the first part is connected to the first feed line, the first end of the first part is the first input end of the dipole, the second end of the first part includes a first stub, and the first stub is spaced a second preset distance from the nearest patch antenna. The second part is located on the second surface, the first end of the second part is connected to the second feed line, the first end of the second part is the second input end of the dipole, the second end of the second part includes a second stub, and the second stub is spaced from the nearest patch antenna by the second preset distance.

7. The antenna structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, The dipole input impedance is a first impedance value, and the dipole input impedance is the impedance between the first input terminal and the second input terminal; The impedance between the first feeder and the second feeder in each group of parallel feeders is the first impedance value.

8. The antenna structure according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first branch and the second branch are T-shaped branches; or the first branch and the second branch are triangular branches; or the first branch and the second branch are semi-circular branches.

9. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The patch antenna array includes square patch antennas; or, the patch antenna array includes circular patch antennas; or, the patch antenna array includes rhomboid patch antennas.

10. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first and second surfaces of the dielectric substrate are square, and the side lengths of the first and second surfaces are both a first preset length. The distance between the geometric centers of two patch antennas located in the same column is a second preset length, and the distance between the geometric centers of two patch antennas located in the same row is also the second preset length; The second preset length is half of the first preset length.

11. An antenna structure, characterized in that, The antenna structure includes: a dielectric substrate, a patch antenna array, a first feed port, a second feed port, and four feed structures; The first feed port and the patch antenna array are located on the first surface of the dielectric substrate, and the second feed port is located on the second surface of the dielectric substrate, with the second surface opposite to the first surface; The patch antenna array includes four patch antennas, which are arranged in two rows and two columns. A feeding structure is included between two patch antennas in each row, and a feeding structure is included between two patch antennas in each column. A feeding structure located between the two patch antennas in each column is connected to the first feeding port so that all four patch antennas generate polarization in the first direction; A feeding structure located between the two patch antennas in each row is connected to the second feeding port so that all four patch antennas generate polarization in the second direction; Each of the four feeding structures includes a connected dipole and a set of parallel slot lines. Each of the dipoles is configured to excite two of the four patch antennas; The feeding structure located between the two patch antennas in each column includes parallel slots located on the first surface; The feeding structure located between the two patch antennas in each row includes parallel slots located on the second surface.

12. The antenna structure according to claim 11, characterized in that, The four power supply structures specifically include a first power supply structure, a second power supply structure, a third power supply structure, and a fourth power supply structure; The first feeding structure is located between the two patch antennas in the first column, the second feeding structure is located between the two patch antennas in the first row, the third feeding structure is located between the two patch antennas in the second column, and the fourth feeding structure is located between the two patch antennas in the second row. The first slot line of the first power supply structure is connected to the first slot line of the third power supply structure; The second slot line of the first power supply structure is connected to the second slot line of the third power supply structure; The first slot line of the second power supply structure is connected to the first slot line of the fourth power supply structure; The second slot line of the second power supply structure is connected to the second slot line of the fourth power supply structure.

13. The antenna structure according to claim 12, characterized in that, Each dipole of the feed structure includes: a first portion and a second portion; the first portion and the second portion are located on the same surface; The first end of the first part is connected to the first slot line, and the first end of the first part is the first input end of the dipole. The second end of the first part includes a first stub, and the first stub is spaced apart from the nearest patch antenna by a second preset distance. The first end of the second part is connected to the second slot line, the first end of the second part is the second input end of the dipole, the second end of the second part includes a second stub, and the second stub is spaced from the nearest patch antenna by the second preset distance.

14. The antenna structure according to claim 13, characterized in that, The input impedance of the dipole is a first impedance value, and the input impedance of the dipole is the impedance between the first input terminal and the second input terminal; The impedance between the first slot and the second slot in each group of parallel slots is the first impedance value.

15. The antenna structure according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The first branch and the second branch are T-shaped branches; or the first branch and the second branch are triangular branches; or the first branch and the second branch are semi-circular branches.

16. The antenna structure according to claim 11, characterized in that, The patch antenna array includes square patch antennas; or, the patch antenna array includes circular patch antennas; or, the patch antenna array includes rhomboid patch antennas.

17. The antenna structure according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first and second surfaces of the dielectric substrate are square, and the side lengths of the first and second surfaces are both a first preset length. The distance between the geometric centers of two patch antennas located in the same column is a second preset length, and the distance between the geometric centers of two patch antennas located in the same row is also the second preset length; The second preset length is half of the first preset length.

18. An electronic device, characterized in that, The electronic device includes one or more antenna structures according to any one of claims 1 to 10 or any one of claims 11 to 17, and further includes a first radio frequency circuit; The antenna structure is connected to the first radio frequency circuit.

19. The electronic device according to claim 18, characterized in that, The electronic device includes a plurality of antenna structures, and at least two of the antenna structures operate in different frequency bands.

20. The electronic device according to any one of claims 18 or 19, characterized in that, The electronic device is a router.

21. A wireless network system, characterized in that, The wireless network system includes one or more electronic devices as described in any one of claims 18 to 19.

22. The wireless network system according to claim 21, characterized in that, The wireless network system also includes one or more second electronic devices, the second electronic devices including omnidirectional antennas.

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