FDD antenna device that achieves spatial-polarization separation of beams using a quad-polarized antenna module array

Abstract

The present invention discloses an FDD antenna device that utilizes a quad-polarized antenna module array to achieve spatial-polarization separation of beams. The present invention provides an antenna device comprising a quad-polarized antenna module array, comprising a first radiating element group, a second radiating element group, a third radiating element group, and a fourth radiating element group; a filter unit comprising first, second, third, and fourth filters for filtering signals in the first, second, third, and fourth channels, respectively; and a phase setting module that sets the phase of the filtered signals to spatially separate the first and second beams radiated by the first and second radiating element groups and the third and fourth radiating element groups, respectively, such that the first and second beams have different polarization directions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a quad-polarized antenna module for frequency division multiplexing and an antenna device for spatially separating beam patterns using the same. Background Art

[0002] The contents described in this section are merely used to provide background information for the present invention and do not constitute prior art.

[0003] As a method of sharing transmission and reception signals using one transmission line or antenna, a frequency-division duplexing (FDD) method and a time-division duplexing (TDD) method are used.

[0004] Typically, FDD antennas utilize multiple paths to reduce fading and are designed as dual-polarization antenna modules to achieve polarization diversity. Furthermore, FDD antennas can be configured with multiple dual-polarization antenna modules, each of which can have multiple antenna elements (radiating element groups).

[0005] Figure 1 An example of an FDD dual-polarization antenna module array is shown in the figure. Figure 1 In the figure, each arrow represents a radiating element, and the direction of the arrow indicates the polarization direction of each radiating element. The radiating element groups included in the dual-polarization antenna module on the left (first antenna module) and the dual-polarization antenna module on the right (second antenna module) can be arranged at an angle of +45 degrees, while the other can be arranged at an angle of -45 degrees. In other words, the radiating element groups can have mutually orthogonal or perpendicular polarization directions.

[0006] The first antenna module of a 2T2R system uses duplexers (first and second duplexers) to separate the transmit and receive signals Tx1, Rx1, Tx2, and Rx2, respectively, to implement FDD. By further adding a second antenna module and third and fourth duplexers (not shown) that separate and process the transmit and receive signals from the second antenna module, it is possible to achieve 2T2R or higher levels of transmit and receive signal processing.

[0007] However, to ensure isolation between the first and second antenna modules and achieve optimal beamforming conditions, the first and second antenna modules must be placed at a predetermined center-to-center distance d (e.g., 0.5λ). Due to the limited space available, maintaining this predetermined center-to-center distance d (e.g., 0.5λ) makes it difficult to further accommodate the third and fourth duplexers required for the second antenna module.

[0008] If the size of the duplexer itself increases, the problem of insufficient space for adding the third and fourth duplexers will become more serious. Figure 2 As shown, in FDD, the transmit frequency band f2 (PCS Tx) and receive frequency band f1 (PCS Rx) used in personal communications service (PCS) communications can be very close to each other. In this case, to ensure the skirt characteristics of the duplexer w, a larger number of resonators must be included, which increases the size of the duplexer, further exacerbating the problem of insufficient space for additional duplexers.

[0009] In addition, if the diagram Figure 1 The beam-forming (beam-pattern) based on the dual-polarization antenna module matrix shown in Figure 3 The beam radiated by the first antenna module is represented by a dotted waveform, and the beam radiated by the second antenna module is represented by a two-point locked line.

[0010] based on Figure 3 As can be seen, the beam radiated from the dual-polarization antenna array has a wide beam shape. The wide beam shape has a limitation that the SNR (signal to noise ratio) will decrease depending on the surrounding environment, making it difficult to transmit the signal to a long distance.

[0011] In order to solve the above problem, the existing method couples (shares channels) the radiating elements in the dual-polarization antenna module array to perform spatial (sector) separation of the same frequency signals (signals of the same polarization). For example, the existing method divides the same frequency signal into three ( Figure 4 (a)) or 6 ( Figure 4 However, in the above method, since beams with the same polarization are arranged at adjacent positions, the correlation between the beams increases, which may cause a problem of reduced communication quality. Summary of the Invention

[0012] (1) Technical issues to be resolved

[0013] A main purpose of an embodiment of the present invention is to reduce the size of the antenna module itself by changing the structure of the antenna module, thereby ensuring sufficient space for arranging a duplexer or a filter.

[0014] In addition, the main purpose of another embodiment of the present invention is to provide an antenna device that spatially separates the beams radiated by the antenna module array and sets the polarization between adjacent beams to be different, thereby reducing the correlation between the beams and improving the communication quality.

[0015] (2) Technical solution

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an antenna device employing an FDD (frequency division duplexing) scheme for achieving spatial-polarization beam separation is provided. The antenna device includes: a quad-polarized antenna module array comprising a first radiating element group having the same polarization direction and sharing a first channel; a second radiating element group having a polarization direction orthogonal to the first radiating element group and sharing a second channel; a third radiating element group having a polarization direction difference of 45 degrees from the second radiating element group and sharing a third channel; and a fourth radiating element group having a polarization direction orthogonal to the third radiating element group and sharing a fourth channel; a filter unit comprising a first filter for filtering signals on the first channel; a second filter for filtering signals on the second channel; a third filter for filtering signals on the third channel; and a fourth filter for filtering signals on the fourth channel; and a phase setting module for setting the phases of the filtered signals to spatially separate a first beam radiated by the first and second radiating element groups and a second beam radiated by the third and fourth radiating element groups, wherein the first beam and the second beam have different polarization directions.

[0017] (3) Beneficial effects

[0018] As described above, according to the present invention, the channels of the radiating element group are coupled, and a filter is connected to each coupled channel, thereby solving the problem of insufficient space required for adding a duplexer.

[0019] Furthermore, according to the present invention, physically separate dual-polarization antenna modules are unified into one quad-polarization antenna module, thereby not only reducing the area but also facilitating manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and the like.

[0020] Furthermore, according to the present invention, since it is possible to radiate a narrow beam, the antenna gain can be improved, and the beams can be separated in various directions in space, thereby expanding the coverage range. The correlation between beams can be reduced by polarization separation of the beams, thereby further improving the communication quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 and Figure 2 This is a diagram for explaining a conventional dual-polarization antenna device.

[0022] Figure 3 and Figure 4 This is a diagram for explaining beams radiated by a conventional dual-polarization antenna device.

[0023] Figures 5 to 7 are diagrams for explaining various examples of a quad-polarization antenna module.

[0024] Figures 8 to 11 It is a diagram for explaining various examples of a quad-polarized antenna module array and a quad-polarized antenna module device.

[0025] Figure 12 FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining another example of a quad-polarized antenna module array.

[0026] Figures 13 to 15 is a diagram for explaining spatial-polarization separation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Below, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. When annotating the figures, even if the same technical features appear in different figures, the same reference numerals are used whenever possible. It should also be noted that throughout this specification, if a detailed description of a relevant known technical feature or function is deemed to obscure the subject matter of the present invention, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0028] In addition, when describing the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only used to distinguish the corresponding technical features from other technical features, and do not limit their nature, order or sequence, etc. Throughout the entire specification, if a technical feature "includes" or "has" another technical feature, unless otherwise specifically stated, it can be understood that the technical feature also includes the other technical feature, rather than being understood as excluding the other technical feature. Moreover, terms such as "… part" and "module" recorded in the specification refer to units that can perform at least one function, which can be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0029] This specification proposes 1) an antenna module that can improve space utilization, 2) an antenna module structure for ensuring space for additional filters, and 3) an antenna device that can achieve spatial-polarization separation of beams.

[0030] Example 1

[0031] In the first embodiment, a quadruple (quadruple) polarized wave antenna module 500 capable of improving space utilization is proposed.

[0032] like Figures 5 to 7 As shown, the quad-polarization antenna module 500 may include a first radiating element module 510 and a second radiating element module 520 .

[0033] The first radiating element module 510 may include two radiating elements 512 and 514 having mutually orthogonal or perpendicular polarization directions. The second radiating element module 520 may also include two radiating elements 522 and 524 having mutually orthogonal or perpendicular polarization directions.

[0034] "Orthogonal" or "perpendicular" encompasses situations where the polarization directions of the radiating elements differ by an exact 90-degree angle, as well as situations where the angle differs by 90±θ. θ can vary based on factors such as manufacturing tolerances within the antenna module, correlation with other antenna modules, and the need for beamforming direction adjustments.

[0035] Of the two radiating elements 512 and 514 included in the first radiating element module 510, one is referred to as the first radiating element 512 and the other is referred to as the second radiating element 514. The polarization direction of the second radiating element 514 may be set to be orthogonal or perpendicular to the polarization direction of the first radiating element 512.

[0036] Of the two radiating elements 522 and 524 included in the second radiating element module 520, one is referred to as a third radiating element 522 and the other is referred to as a fourth radiating element 524. The third radiating element 522 may be provided with a polarization direction difference of 45 degrees from the polarization direction of the first radiating element 512.

[0037] The polarization direction of the fourth radiating element 524 is set to be orthogonal or perpendicular to the polarization direction of the third radiating element 522. The second radiating element 514 has a polarization direction relationship that is orthogonal or perpendicular to the first radiating element 512, the first radiating element 512 has a polarization direction relationship of 45 degrees with the third radiating element 522 and the fourth radiating element 524, and the fourth radiating element 524 has a polarization direction relationship that is orthogonal or perpendicular to the third radiating element 522. Therefore, the fourth radiating element 524 can have a polarization direction relationship of 45 degrees with the first radiating element 512 and the second radiating element 514.

[0038] The term "45-degree polarization relationship" encompasses both cases where there is a precise 45-degree polarization difference between radiating elements and cases where there is a 45±θ polarization difference. θ can vary depending on factors such as tolerances in the antenna module manufacturing process, the degree of correlation with other antenna modules, and the need for beamforming direction adjustments.

[0039] Depending on the implementation, the polarization directions of the radiating elements 512, 514, 522, and 524 may have various configurations. For example, the first radiating element 512 and the second radiating element 514 may have polarization directions of +45 degrees and -45 degrees, respectively, and the third radiating element 522 and the fourth radiating element 524 may have polarization directions of vertical and horizontal, respectively. As another example, the first radiating element 512 and the second radiating element 514 may have polarization directions of vertical and horizontal, respectively, and the third radiating element 522 and the fourth radiating element 524 may have polarization directions of +45 degrees and -45 degrees, respectively.

[0040] To implement FDD, each of the radiating element groups 512, 514, 522, and 524 can be used to transmit or receive signals. For example, of the first radiating element 512 and the second radiating element 514, one (the first radiating element) can be connected to the transmission line Tx1 for transmission, while the other (the second radiating element) can be connected to the reception line Rx2 for reception. Furthermore, of the third radiating element 522 and the fourth radiating element 524, one (the third radiating element) can be connected to the transmission line Tx2 for transmission, while the other (the fourth radiating element) can be connected to the reception line Rx1 for reception.

[0041] The following describes an embodiment that can improve the area utilization of the quad-polarized antenna module 500. In the following embodiment, it is assumed that the first radiating element 512 and the third radiating element 522 are used for transmitting signals, while the second radiating element 514 and the fourth radiating element 524 are used for receiving signals.

[0042] Example 1-1

[0043] Embodiment 1-1 is an embodiment in which the first radiating element 512 and the second radiating element 514 are arranged around the second radiating element module 520 .

[0044] like Figure 5 As shown, the first radiating element 512 can be arranged on the upper side (upper side periphery, Figure 5 (a) and Figure 5 (b)), or arranged on the lower side (lower side periphery, ( Figure 5 (c) and Figure 5(d) The first radiating element 512 disposed on the upper side or the lower side of the second radiating element module 520 may have a polarization direction difference of ±45 degrees from the third radiating element 522 and the fourth radiating element 524 .

[0045] The second radiating element 514 is arranged on the left side (left side periphery, Figure 5 (a) and Figure 5 (c)), or arranged on the right side of the second radiation element module 520 (right side periphery, Figure 5 (b) and Figure 5 (d)). The second radiating element 514 arranged on the left or right side of the second radiating element module 520 may have a polarization direction difference that is orthogonal or perpendicular to the first radiating element 512, and may have a polarization direction difference of ±45 degrees with the third radiating element 522 and the fourth radiating element 524.

[0046] Example 1-2

[0047] Embodiment 1-2 is an embodiment in which the third radiating element 522 and the fourth radiating element 524 are arranged around the first radiating element module 510 .

[0048] like Figure 6 As shown, the third radiating element 522 can be arranged on the upper left side (the upper left periphery, Figure 6 (a) and Figure 6 (b)), or arranged on the lower right side of the first radiation element module 510 (lower right side periphery, ( Figure 6 (c) and Figure 6 (d) The third radiating element 522 disposed on the upper side or the lower side of the first radiating element module 510 may have a polarization direction difference of ±45 degrees from the first radiating element 512 and the second radiating element 514 .

[0049] The fourth radiating element 524 is arranged on the lower left side (the periphery of the lower left side, Figure 6 (a) and Figure 6 (c)), or arranged on the upper right side of the first radiation element module 510 (the upper right side periphery, Figure 6 (b) and Figure 6 (d)). The fourth radiating element 524 disposed on the lower left side or the upper right side of the first radiating element module 510 may have a polarization direction difference that is orthogonal or perpendicular to the third radiating element 522, and may have a polarization direction difference of ±45 degrees with the first radiating element 512 and the second radiating element 514.

[0050] As shown in Embodiments 1-1 and 1-2, the quad-polarized antenna module 500 of the present invention can be configured as follows: in the area occupied by the second radiating element module 520 ( Figure 5 The first radiating element 512 and the second radiating element 514 are arranged in the solid line box ( ), or in the area occupied by the first radiating element module 510 ( Figure 6 The third radiating element 522 and the fourth radiating element 524 are arranged in the solid line box).

[0051] Therefore, compared to the existing method of physically separating the two radiating element modules, Embodiments 1-1 and 1-2 can further improve the area utilization. In addition, the improved area utilization can bring convenience to manufacturing, installation, operation and maintenance.

[0052] In embodiment 1-1, the third radiating element 522 and the fourth radiating element 524 can be arranged in various configurations. For example, the third radiating element 522 and the fourth radiating element 524 can be arranged to intersect each other. In addition, the third radiating element 522 and the fourth radiating element 524 can be arranged to intersect each other at their respective centers. In this case, the area occupied by the second radiating element module 520 ( Figure 5 The area of the solid line box) is minimized, thereby further improving the area utilization.

[0053] In Embodiments 1-2, the first radiating element 512 and the second radiating element 514 can be arranged in various configurations. For example, the first radiating element 512 and the second radiating element 514 can be arranged to intersect each other. In addition, the first radiating element 512 and the second radiating element 514 can be arranged to intersect each other at their respective centers. In this case, the area occupied by the first radiating element module 510 ( Figure 6 The area of the solid line box) is minimized, thereby further improving the area utilization.

[0054] Examples 1-3

[0055] Embodiments 1-3 are embodiments in which the first radiating element 512 and the second radiating element 514 are arranged to cross each other, and the third radiating element 522 and the fourth radiating element 524 are also arranged to cross each other.

[0056] like Figure 7 As shown, the first radiating element 512 and the second radiating element 514 may be arranged to intersect with each other. The location or point where the first radiating element 512 and the second radiating element 514 intersect with each other is referred to as a 'first intersection point 710'.

[0057] like Figure 7As shown, the third radiating element 522 and the fourth radiating element 524 may be arranged to intersect with each other. The position or point where the third radiating element 522 and the fourth radiating element 524 intersect with each other is referred to as a 'second intersection point 720'.

[0058] The area occupied by the quad-polarized antenna module 500 ( Figure 7 The solid line box (shown in FIG. 5 ) can be determined based on the distance between the first intersection 710 and the second intersection 720. As the distance between the first intersection 710 and the second intersection 720 increases, the area occupied by the quad-polarized antenna module 500 increases, and as the distance between the first intersection 710 and the second intersection 720 decreases, the area occupied by the quad-polarized antenna module 500 decreases.

[0059] Compared to the existing method (two radiating element modules are arranged physically separately), in order to further improve area utilization, the distance between the first intersection point 710 and the second intersection point 720 is preferably less than or equal to the length of one radiating element.

[0060] If the distance between the first intersection point 710 and the second intersection point 720 is less than or equal to the length of a radiating element, the distance between the first intersection point 710 and the second intersection point 720 can be set to various forms based on the designer's intention or the arrangement relationship between other antenna modules in the antenna module array, etc.

[0061] To maximize area utilization, the first intersection point 710 and the second intersection point 720 may be located at the same position. That is, the first radiating element 512 and the second radiating element 514 may be arranged so that their centers intersect (the first intersection point), and the third radiating element 522 and the fourth radiating element 524 may also be arranged so that their centers intersect (the second intersection point). If the first intersection point 710 and the second intersection point 720 are located at the same position, the area utilization can be maximized.

[0062] Example 2

[0063] Embodiment 2 proposes an antenna device that can ensure sufficient space for adding filters and achieve spatial-polarization separation.

[0064] As previously mentioned, existing dual-polarization antenna module arrays radiate wide beams with low antenna gain, making it difficult to transmit signals over long distances. Arranging the antenna modules in an array and coupling the channels of the radiating elements can create narrower beams, enabling longer-range signal transmission. However, this approach may lead to the following issues:

[0065] 1) To ensure isolation between antenna modules and achieve optimal beamforming conditions, the antenna modules need to be arranged with a predetermined center-to-center distance. However, it is difficult to ensure sufficient space for arranging a duplexer connected to the antenna modules.

[0066] 2) Increased size – To derive a narrow beam shape, multiple radiating elements or multiple antenna modules need to be arranged, which increases the size of the antenna and reduces area utilization.

[0067] 3) Overlap between adjacent beams increases the correlation between the polarizations of the beams, resulting in a decrease in communication quality.

[0068] This specification aims to provide a new antenna device that can solve all the problems existing in the existing antenna devices as mentioned above.

[0069] like Figure 8 As shown, the antenna device according to the present invention may include a quad-polarization antenna module array 800 , a filter unit 870 and a phase setting module 880 .

[0070] The quad-polarized antenna module array 800 radiates multiple beams using its own radiating elements. The beams radiated by the quad-polarized antenna module array 800 may have a narrow beam shape, and two adjacent beams in the beam may have different polarization directions.

[0071] The quad-polarized antenna module array 800 may include multiple quad-polarized antenna modules. In this specification, it is assumed that the quad-polarized antenna module array 800 includes two quad-polarized antenna modules, one of which is referred to as a first quad-polarized antenna module 810 and the other as a second quad-polarized antenna module 820.

[0072] To ensure isolation between the first quad-polarized antenna module 810 and the second quad-polarized antenna module 820 and achieve optimal beamforming conditions, the first quad-polarized antenna module 810 and the second quad-polarized antenna module 820 may be arranged with a preset center-to-center distance d (eg, 0.5λ).

[0073] The first quad-polarization antenna module 810 may include first to fourth radiating elements 832 , 842 , 852 , and 862 .

[0074] The second radiating element 842 has a polarization direction perpendicular to that of the first radiating element 832. The third radiating element 852 has a polarization direction difference of 45 degrees from the first radiating element 832 and the second radiating element 842. The fourth radiating element 862 may have a polarization direction perpendicular to that of the third radiating element 852. Since the third radiating element 852 and the fourth radiating element 862 have polarization directions perpendicular to each other, the fourth radiating element 862, like the third radiating element 852, also has a polarization direction difference of 45 degrees from the first radiating element 832 and the second radiating element 842.

[0075] The second quad-polarization antenna module 820 may include fifth to eighth radiating elements 834 , 844 , 854 , and 864 .

[0076] The fifth radiating element 834 may have the same polarization direction as the first radiating element 832 , the sixth radiating element 844 may have the same polarization direction as the second radiating element 842 , the seventh radiating element 854 may have the same polarization direction as the third radiating element 852 , and the eighth radiating element 864 may have the same polarization direction as the fourth radiating element 862 .

[0077] Therefore, the sixth radiating element 844 has a polarization direction perpendicular to the fifth radiating element 834, the seventh radiating element 854 has a polarization direction difference of 45 degrees from the fifth radiating element 834 and the sixth radiating element 844, and the eighth radiating element 864 may have a polarization direction perpendicular to the seventh radiating element 854. The seventh radiating element 854 and the eighth radiating element 864 have polarization directions perpendicular to each other, and the eighth radiating element 864, like the seventh radiating element 854, also has a polarization direction difference of 45 degrees from the fifth radiating element 834 and the sixth radiating element 844.

[0078] Among the radiating elements included in the quad-polarized antenna module array 800, channels of radiating elements with the same polarization direction can be coupled to each other. For example, the first radiating element 832 and the fifth radiating element 834 can be coupled to share the first channel TRx1, and the second radiating element 842 and the sixth radiating element 844 can be coupled to share the second channel TRx2. Furthermore, the third radiating element 852 and the seventh radiating element 854 can be coupled to share the third channel TRx3, and the fourth radiating element 862 and the eighth radiating element 864 can be coupled to share the fourth channel TRx4. The beam radiated by the radiating elements with coupled channels can have a narrow beam shape.

[0079] The first radiating element 832 and the fifth radiating element 834 coupled via the first channel Tx1 may be referred to as a 'first radiating element group or a first radiating element pair 830', and the second radiating element 842 and the sixth radiating element 844 coupled via the second channel Rx2 may be referred to as a 'second radiating element group or a second radiating element pair 840'. Furthermore, the third radiating element 852 and the seventh radiating element 854 coupled via the third channel Tx2 may be referred to as a 'third radiating element group or a third radiating element pair 850', and the fourth radiating element 862 and the eighth radiating element 864 coupled via the fourth channel Rx1 may be referred to as a 'fourth radiating element group or a fourth radiating element pair 860'.

[0080] The beam emitted by the radiating element may have the polarization direction of the radiating element from which it is emitted (the polarization direction set on the radiating element from which it is emitted). For example, the beam emitted by the first radiating element group 830 may have a horizontal polarization direction, and the beam emitted by the second radiating element group 840 may have a vertical polarization direction. Furthermore, the beam emitted by the third radiating element group 850 may have a polarization direction of -45 degrees, and the beam emitted by the fourth radiating element group 860 may have a polarization direction of -45 degrees. The beam with a polarization direction of ±45 degrees may be referred to as the first beam, and the beam with a vertical polarization direction and the beam with a horizontal polarization direction may be referred to as the second beam (V / H).

[0081] The filter unit 870 may filter the signals passing through each channel Tx1, Tx2, Rx1, and Rx2 in a predetermined frequency band. The filter unit 870 may include a first filter 872, a second filter 874, a third filter 876, and a fourth filter 878. The filter unit 870 will be described in detail later.

[0082] In order to spatially separate the beams radiated by the quad-polarized antenna module array 800, the phase setting module 880 may set the phases of the filtered signals to be different from each other. The phase setting module 880 may be implemented using a phase shifter or the like.

[0083] For example, the phase setting module 880 can set the phases of the signal traveling through the first channel Tx1 and the second channel Rx2 to be different from the phases of the signal traveling through the third channel Tx2 and the fourth channel Rx1. The signal traveling through the first channel Tx1 and the second channel Rx2 is radiated as a first beam via the first radiating element group 830 and the second radiating element group 840, while the signal traveling through the third channel Tx2 and the fourth channel Rx1 is radiated as a second beam via the third radiating element group 850 and the fourth radiating element group 860. As a result, the first beam and the second beam can be radiated with spatially different phases.

[0084] At this time, since the beam radiated by the quad-polarized antenna module array 800 is radiated in a state having the polarization direction of the radiating element that radiates it, two spatially adjacent beams have mutually different polarizations.

[0085] Example 2-1: Ensuring Sufficient Space

[0086] Example 2-1 is an example of a structure or configuration of the filter unit 870 that can ensure a layout space.

[0087] The filter section 870 may include a first filter 872 , a second filter 874 , a third filter 876 , and a fourth filter 878 .

[0088] The first filter 872 may filter signals transmitted through the first channel Tx1 using a preset frequency band. The frequency band preset in the first filter 872 may be the frequency band of signals radiated by the first radiating element group 830. The second filter 874 may filter signals transmitted through the second channel Rx2 using a preset frequency band. The frequency band preset in the second filter 874 may be the frequency band of signals radiated by the second radiating element group 840.

[0089] The third filter 876 may filter signals transmitted through the third channel Tx2 using a predetermined frequency band. The predetermined frequency band in the third filter 876 may be the frequency band of signals transmitted through the third radiating element group 850. The fourth filter 878 may filter signals transmitted through the fourth channel Rx1 using a predetermined frequency band. The predetermined frequency band in the fourth filter 878 may be the frequency band of signals transmitted through the fourth radiating element group 860.

[0090] As mentioned above, the existing antenna device is configured to connect each channel to a duplexer, and the duplexer is used to separate the transmit signal and the receive signal, thereby realizing the FDD method. Figures 8 to 11 As shown, the antenna device of the present invention is configured to divide channels into signal transmission channels and signal reception channels, and each channel is connected to a filter, which filters the transmission signal or the reception signal, thereby realizing the FDD method.

[0091] The filters used in the antenna device of the present invention are smaller than the duplexers used in conventional antenna devices. Therefore, the antenna device of the present invention can provide ample space for additional filters. In other words, the antenna device of the present invention can accommodate a sufficient number of filters without increasing the area required for arranging the quad-polarized antenna module array 800.

[0092] Example 2-2: Improving Area Utilization (Reducing Antenna Size)

[0093] Embodiment 2-2 is an embodiment of an efficient arrangement structure of radiating element groups that improves area utilization by reducing the size of the quad-polarized antenna module array 800. The efficient arrangement structure of the radiating element groups can be applied to the arrangement structure of the quad-polarized antenna modules described in Embodiment 1.

[0094] For example, Figure 8 As shown, the first radiating element group 830 may be arranged above the third radiating element group 850 and the fourth radiating element group 860, and the second radiating element group 840 may be arranged to the right or left of the third radiating element group 850 and the fourth radiating element group 860. As another example, the first radiating element group 830 may be arranged below the third radiating element group 850 and the fourth radiating element group 860, and the second radiating element group 840 may be arranged to the right or left of the third radiating element group 850 and the fourth radiating element group 860.

[0095] As another example, Figure 10 As shown, the third radiating element group 850 may be arranged on the upper left side of the first radiating element group 830 and the second radiating element group 840, and the fourth radiating element group 860 may be arranged on the upper right side or the lower left side of the first radiating element group 830 and the second radiating element group 840. As another example, the third radiating element group 850 may be arranged below the first radiating element group 830 and the second radiating element group 840, and the fourth radiating element group 860 may be arranged on the right side or the left side of the first radiating element group 830 and the second radiating element group 840.

[0096] As another example, Figure 11 As shown, each of the first radiating element group 830 and each of the second radiating element group 840 are arranged to intersect with each other, and each of the third radiating element group 850 and each of the fourth radiating element group 860 can be arranged to intersect with each other. The location or point where the first radiating element group 830 and the second radiating element group 840 intersect with each other can be referred to as a first intersection point 1110, and the location or point where the third radiating element group 850 and the fourth radiating element group 860 intersect with each other can be referred to as a second intersection point 1120.

[0097] As in Embodiments 1-3, when the distance between the first intersection 1110 and the second intersection 1120 is minimized, the area occupied by the first quad-polarized antenna module 810 and the second quad-polarized antenna module 820 is maximized. Therefore, to maximize area utilization, the first intersection 1110 and the second intersection 1120 can be located at the same location.

[0098] In addition, the first quad-polarized antenna module 810 and the second quad-polarized antenna module 820 can be arranged at different positions. For example, the quad-polarized antenna modules 810 and 820 can be arranged horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

[0099] When the quad-polarized antenna modules 810 and 820 are arranged horizontally, the first quad-polarized antenna module 810 can be arranged on the left and the second quad-polarized antenna module 820 can be arranged on the right, or the first quad-polarized antenna module 810 can be arranged on the right and the second quad-polarized antenna module 820 can be arranged on the left.

[0100] When the quad-polarized antenna modules 810 and 820 are arranged vertically, the first quad-polarized antenna module 810 can be arranged at the top and the second quad-polarized antenna module 820 at the bottom, or the first quad-polarized antenna module 810 can be arranged at the bottom and the second quad-polarized antenna module 820 at the top. In this case, the vertically arranged radiating element groups 830, 840, 850, and 860 can be arranged at different positions, symmetrical positions, or opposite positions relative to the vertical direction.

[0101] For example, Figure 9 As shown, if the first quad-polarized antenna module 810 is arranged on the upper side and the second quad-polarized antenna module 820 is arranged on the lower side, the second radiating element 842 included in the first quad-polarized antenna module 810 and the sixth radiating element 844 included in the second quad-polarized antenna module 820 in the second radiating element group 840 are arranged in the vertical direction.

[0102] In this case, the second radiating element 842 and the sixth radiating element 844 may be arranged at different positions (opposite positions) relative to the vertical direction. That is, the second radiating element 842 may be arranged to the left of the third radiating element 852 and the fourth radiating element 862 and the sixth radiating element 844 may be arranged to the right of the seventh radiating element 854 and the eighth radiating element 864, or the second radiating element 842 may be arranged to the right of the third radiating element 852 and the fourth radiating element 862 and the sixth radiating element 844 may be arranged to the left of the seventh radiating element 854 and the eighth radiating element 864.

[0103] The radiating elements arranged in the vertical direction are arranged at positions different from each other with respect to the vertical direction in order to form a narrow beam with sufficient gain (a narrow beam with a predetermined radiation angle).

[0104] The beam gain depends on the horizontal length of the radiating element. Since the first radiating element 832 and the fifth radiating element 834 are arranged horizontally, they can radiate a narrow beam with sufficient gain. However, since the second radiating element 842 and the sixth radiating element 844 are arranged vertically, their horizontal length is very short, making it difficult to radiate a narrow beam with sufficient gain.

[0105] Therefore, if the second radiating element 842 and the sixth radiating element 844 are arranged at mutually symmetrical positions and the distance difference between the second radiating element 842 and the sixth radiating element 844 is used as the horizontal length of the radiating element, a narrow beam with sufficient gain can be formed.

[0106] Example 2-3: Improving Correlation Between Beams (Spatial-Polarization Separation)

[0107] In order to improve the correlation between beams, Example 2-3 is a method of spatially separating beams and then radiating them (spatial separation), and setting the polarizations of adjacent beams in the spatially separated beams to be different (polarization separation).

[0108] To spatially separate the beams, the phase setting module 880 may set the phase or angle of the input signal. For example, the phase setting module 880 may set the phase of the signal input through Tx1 and Rx2 and the phase of the signal input through Tx2 and Rx1 to be different from each other in the input signal (filtered signal).

[0109] Signals set at different phases are radiated through the radiating element groups 830 , 840 , 850 , and 860 . In this case, the signals can be radiated in a beam form having the polarization direction set on each of the radiating element groups 830 , 840 , 850 , and 860 .

[0110] For example, a signal input through Tx1 may be radiated as a beam having a horizontal polarization direction based on the first radiating element 832 and the fifth radiating element 834, and a signal input through TRx2 may be radiated as a beam having a vertical polarization direction (a second beam) based on the second radiating element 842 and the sixth radiating element 844. Furthermore, a signal input through Tx2 may be radiated as a beam having a −45-degree polarization direction based on the third radiating element 852 and the seventh radiating element 854, and a signal input through TR1 may be radiated as a beam having a +45-degree polarization direction (a first beam) based on the fourth radiating element 862 and the eighth radiating element 864.

[0111] Horizontal spatial-polarization separation

[0112] The phase setting module 880 can set the phases of the input signals to be different from each other in the horizontal direction. If the phases of the signals are set to be different from each other in the horizontal direction, the beams radiated by the quad-polarized antenna module array 800 can be spatially separated in the horizontal direction.

[0113] Figure 13 The figure shows an example of horizontal spatial-polarization separation of beams. The beam with ±45 degree polarization direction represents the first beam, and the beam with V / H polarization direction represents the second beam. Figure 13 It can be seen that in the antenna device according to the present invention, beams (the first beam and the second beam) having different polarizations or polarization directions are transmitted after being spatially separated in the horizontal direction.

[0114] Figure 14 The figure shows the comparison results of the spatial-polarization separated beams of the antenna device based on the present invention and the beams of the conventional antenna device.

[0115] Figure 14 In the figure, the dotted waveform shows the beam based on the existing antenna device, the area without a pattern in the solid waveform represents the first beam (±45 degrees) of the antenna device based on the present invention, and the waveform marked with a pattern represents the second beam (V / H) of the antenna device based on the present invention.

[0116] pass Figure 14 As can be seen, the antenna device of the present invention can achieve spatial-polarization separation of the beam in the horizontal direction, thereby further improving antenna gain compared to existing methods. Furthermore, the antenna device of the present invention can achieve increased coverage due to the separation of sectors (space).

[0117] Furthermore, it can be seen that although there is an overlapping area between the beams radiated by the antenna device according to the present invention, the polarizations between the beams are different from each other (polarization separation), and thus the correlation problem between the signals can be solved. Figure 15 The diagram further illustrates the effect of polarization-based separation in detail.

[0118] With the direction of travel from left to right as the reference, the first beam has a polarization of ±45 degrees, while the second beam has a polarization of V / H. Therefore, the correlation between the two beams is sufficiently small. This characteristic also holds true between the second and third beams, and between the third and fourth beams.

[0119] Although both the first and third beams have ±45-degree polarization directions, the correlation between the two beams is sufficiently small due to their spatial separation. This characteristic also holds true between the second and fourth beams.

[0120] As described above, the antenna apparatus of the present invention sets polarizations between spatially adjacent narrow beams to be different from each other, thereby improving the correlation between polarizations and achieving polarization reuse, thereby fully reusing polarization efficiency.

[0121] Example 3

[0122] Embodiment 3 is a method for further reducing the size of the filter by arranging antenna modules in different areas within the antenna module matrix, so that the filter can be arranged in a relatively narrow space.

[0123] like Figure 12 As shown, the antenna module matrix may be configured to include first radiating element modules 1212, 1222, 1232, and 1242, which are equivalent to dual-polarization antenna modules, and second radiating element modules 1214, 1224, 1234, and 1244. The first radiating element modules 1212, 1222, 1232, and 1242 may have polarization directions of V / H or ±45 degrees, and the second radiating element modules 1214, 1224, 1234, and 1244 may have polarization directions of ±45 degrees or V / H.

[0124] The first radiating element modules 1212, 1222, 1232, and 1242 and the second radiating element modules 1214, 1224, 1234, and 1244 may be arranged with a predetermined center-to-center distance d (e.g., 0.5λ). The center-to-center distance d corresponds to a distance for ensuring isolation between the first radiating element modules 1212, 1222, 1232, and 1242 and the second radiating element modules 1214, 1224, 1234, and 1244 and achieving optimal beamforming conditions.

[0125] like Figure 12 As shown, the first radiating element modules 1212, 1222, 1232, and 1242 and the second radiating element modules 1214, 1224, 1234, and 1244 may be arranged to interleave. Reference numerals 1216, 1218, 1226, 1228, 1236, 1238, 1246, and 1248 indicate spaces or areas created when the first radiating element modules 1212, 1222, 1232, and 1242 and the second radiating element modules 1214, 1224, 1234, and 1244 are arranged to interleave.

[0126] For example, the first radiating element module 1212 and the second radiating element module 1214 are arranged diagonally to each other, the first radiating element module 1222 and the second radiating element module 1224 are also arranged diagonally to each other, the first radiating element module 1232 and the second radiating element module 1234 are also arranged diagonally to each other, and the first radiating element module 1242 and the second radiating element module 1244 are also arranged diagonally to each other. Thus, the first radiating element modules 1212, 1222, 1232, and 1242 and the second radiating element modules 1214, 1224, 1234, and 1244 can be arranged in a cross-arrangement.

[0127] As described above, by arranging the first radiating element modules 1212, 1222, 1232, and 1242 and the second radiating element modules 1214, 1224, 1234, and 1244 in a cross pattern, higher isolation can be achieved between the ±45-degree dual-polarization antenna and the V / H dual-polarization antenna. Ensuring high isolation not only reduces the burden on the filter but also allows for a relatively smaller filter size, allowing the filter to be placed in a narrower space.

[0128] A quad-polarized antenna module can be formed by combining any one of the first radiating element modules 1212, 1222, 1232, and 1242 with any one of the second radiating element modules 1214, 1224, 1234, and 1244. For example, combining 1212 and 1214 forms quad-polarized antenna module 1210, combining 1222 and 1224 forms quad-polarized antenna module 1220, combining 1232 and 1234 forms quad-polarized antenna module 1230, and combining 1242 and 1244 forms quad-polarized antenna module 1240.

[0129] In addition, the antenna device of the present invention can also be configured to combine the quad-polarized antenna modules 1210, 1220, 1230 and 1240 to radiate the narrow beam described in Example 2. Furthermore, the antenna device of the present invention sets different phases for the signal moving through the channel through the phase setting module 880. In this case, the following can be achieved: Figures 13 to 15 The spatial-polarization separation described in .

[0130] The above description is only used to illustrate the technical concept of this embodiment. For those skilled in the art with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which this embodiment belongs, various modifications and variations can be made without exceeding the essential features of this embodiment. Therefore, this embodiment is not used to limit the technical concept of this embodiment but is used for illustration. The scope of the technical concept of this embodiment is not limited by the embodiment. The scope of protection of this embodiment should be interpreted based on the following claims, and all technical concepts within the scope equivalent to them should be interpreted as belonging to the scope of rights of this embodiment.

[0131] Description of Reference Numerals

[0132] 800: Quad-polarized antenna module array

[0133] 500, 1210, 1220, 1230, 1240: Quad-polarized antenna modules

[0134] 810: first quad-polarized antenna module 820: second quad-polarized antenna module

[0135] 510, 1212, 1222, 1232, 1242: first radiating element module

[0136] 520, 1214, 1224, 1234, 1244: second radiating element module

[0137] 830: first radiating element group 840: second radiating element group

[0138] 850: third radiating element group 860: fourth radiating element group

[0139] 512, 832: first radiating element 514, 842: second radiating element

[0140] 522, 852: third radiating element 524, 862: fourth radiating element

[0141] 834: fifth radiating element 844: sixth radiating element

[0142] 854: seventh radiating element 864: eighth radiating element

[0143] 710, 1110: first intersection 720, 1120: second intersection

[0144] 870: Filter unit 872: First filter

[0145] 874: Second filter 876: Third filter

[0146] 878: Fourth filter Tx1: First channel

[0147] Rx2: second channel Tx2: third channel

[0148] Rx1: the fourth channel

[0149] 1216, 1218, 1226, 1228, 1236, 1238, 1246, 1248: Space

[0150] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0151] This application claims priority to patent application No. 10-2020-0006676 filed in South Korea on January 17, 2020, and patent application No. 10-2020-0051182 filed in South Korea on April 28, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. An antenna device employing frequency division multiplexing to achieve spatial-polarization separation of beams, comprising: A quad-polarized antenna module array includes a first radiating element group having the same polarization direction and sharing a first channel, a second radiating element group having a polarization direction orthogonal to the first radiating element group and sharing a second channel, a third radiating element group having a polarization direction difference of 45 degrees from the second radiating element group and sharing a third channel, and a fourth radiating element group having a polarization direction orthogonal to the third radiating element group and sharing a fourth channel; a filter unit comprising a first filter for filtering the signal of the first channel, a second filter for filtering the signal of the second channel, a third filter for filtering the signal of the third channel, and a fourth filter for filtering the signal of the fourth channel; as well as a phase setting module configured to set the phase of the filtered signal so that a first beam emitted by the first and second groups of radiating elements and a second beam emitted by the third and fourth groups of radiating elements are spatially separated; The first beam and the second beam have mutually different polarization directions.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein The phase setting module sets the phase of the filtered signal in a horizontal direction so that the first beam and the second beam are spatially separated in a horizontal direction.

3. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein The first radiation element group is arranged above or below the third radiation element group and the fourth radiation element group, and the second radiation element group is arranged on the right or left side of the third radiation element group and the fourth radiation element group. The antenna device according to claim 3 , wherein: The quad-polarized antenna module array includes: a first quad-polarized antenna module, which includes any one of the first radiating element groups, any one of the second radiating element groups, any one of the third radiating element groups, and any one of the fourth radiating element groups; and a second quad-polarized antenna module, arranged on an upper side or a lower side of the first quad-polarized antenna module, and comprising another one of the first radiating element groups, another one of the second radiating element groups, another one of the third radiating element groups, and another one of the fourth radiating element groups; The second radiating element included in the second quad-polarization antenna module is arranged at a position opposite to a position at which the second radiating element included in the first quad-polarization antenna module is arranged within the first quad-polarization antenna module.

5. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein The third radiation element group is arranged on the lower left side or the upper right side of the first radiation element group and the second radiation element group. The fourth radiating element group is arranged on the lower right side or the upper left side of the first radiating element group and the second radiating element group. The antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein: Each of the first radiating element groups is arranged to intersect each of the second radiating element groups with the first intersection as a reference, and each of the third radiating element groups is arranged to intersect each of the fourth radiating element groups with the second intersection as a reference.

7. The antenna device according to claim 6, wherein: The first intersection point and the second intersection point are located at the same position.

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