Reconfigurable antennas and network equipment

Abstract

The present application provides a reconfigurable antenna, including a base plate, a vertically polarized high-density antenna and a controllable reflector. The controllable reflector is located between the base plate and the vertically polarized high-density antenna, and the projection of the controllable reflector on the base plate is at the center of the projection of the vertically polarized high-density antenna on the base plate. The controllable reflector includes a switch for putting the controllable reflector in an operating state or an off state. The reconfigurable antenna of the present application uses a switch to control the switching of the operating state of the controllable reflector, so that the controllable reflector can reflect a beam outward from the center of the vertically polarized high-density antenna in the operating state, thereby expanding the pitch angle of the vertically polarized high-density antenna and achieving the effect of expanding the signal coverage range. The present application also provides a network device including the reconfigurable antenna.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a reconfigurable antenna and a network device including the reconfigurable antenna. Background Art

[0002] A wireless local area network is usually composed of multiple wireless access points (APs) working at the same frequency. Based on different usage scenario requirements, the signal coverage range of a single wireless access point also needs to be matched and adjusted. When the distance between adjacent wireless access points is close, the signal coverage range of a single wireless access point needs to be smaller to avoid co-frequency interference. When the distance between adjacent wireless access points is far, the signal coverage range of a single wireless access point needs to be larger to avoid signal blind spots.

[0003] Wireless access points can use reconfigurable antennas to switch beams between different azimuth angles, but for beams at elevation angles, RF switches are often used to switch between two or more antennas, where each antenna has a different maximum gain direction. This adjustment method is accompanied by higher insertion loss, which reduces the overall performance of the antenna and increases the size of the antenna. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a reconfigurable antenna, which can realize beam switching function at the pitch angle with low insertion loss. The present application also relates to a network device including the reconfigurable antenna. The specific technical solution is as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a reconfigurable antenna, which includes a bottom plate, a vertically polarized high-density antenna, and a controllable reflector; wherein the controllable reflector is located between the bottom plate and the vertically polarized high-density antenna, and the projection of the controllable reflector on the bottom plate is at the center of the projection of the vertically polarized high-density antenna on the bottom plate; the controllable reflector includes a switch, and the switch is used to put the controllable reflector in an operating state or an off state.

[0006] The reconfigurable antenna of the present application reflects the signal of the vertically polarized high-density antenna through the bottom plate, which can improve the overall performance of the antenna. And by setting the controllable reflector between the bottom plate and the vertically polarized high-density antenna and located at the center of the vertically polarized high-density antenna, the beam of the vertically polarized high-density antenna can be reflected outward. When the switch of the controllable reflector is turned off, the controllable reflector is in a closed state. At this time, the pitch angle of the vertically polarized high-density antenna is narrower, and the signal coverage range is small, which can achieve high-density characteristics. When the switch of the controllable reflector is turned on, the controllable reflector is in a working state. At this time, because the controllable reflector reflects the beam outward, the pitch angle of the vertically polarized high-density antenna becomes wider, and the signal coverage range is also expanded accordingly. Compared with the form of switching the antenna with an RF switch, the reconfigurable antenna of the present application has smaller insertion loss in the process of adjusting the pitch angle, and the volume of the reconfigurable antenna is also controlled.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the controllable reflector includes a portion parallel to the polarization direction of the vertically polarized high-density antenna, and the distance D1 between the controllable reflector and the vertically polarized high-density antenna satisfies the condition: D1≤1 / 4λ, where λ is the wavelength corresponding to the working frequency band of the vertically polarized high-density antenna.

[0008] In this implementation, the portion of the controllable reflector that is parallel to the polarization direction of the vertically polarized high-density antenna can reflect more beams along the polarization direction. By setting the distance between the controllable reflector and the vertically polarized high-density antenna, the phase difference between the controllable reflector and the vertically polarized high-density antenna can be controlled, thereby improving the reflection efficiency of the controllable reflector.

[0009] In a possible implementation, along the polarization direction of the vertically polarized high-density antenna, the controllable reflector includes a first end close to the bottom plate, and the first end is electrically connected to the bottom plate.

[0010] In this implementation, the controllable reflector is electrically connected to the base plate, which extends the effective distance of the controllable reflector on the beam and further improves the reflection efficiency of the controllable reflector.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the controllable reflector further includes a second end opposite to the first end, and the switch is located close to the first end relative to the second end.

[0012] In this implementation, the switch is arranged near the bottom plate, which can reduce the influence of the controllable reflector on the beam when it is in the off state and improve the difference in reflection efficiency of the controllable reflector between the off state and the working state.

[0013] In a possible implementation manner, the length of the controllable reflector along the polarization direction of the vertically polarized high-density antenna is a first length L1, and the first length L1 satisfies the condition: 1 / 4λ≤L1≤λ.

[0014] In this implementation, the length of the controllable reflector is controlled to ensure the effective distance of the controllable reflector on the beam, thereby improving the reflection efficiency of the controllable reflector.

[0015] In a possible implementation, an inductor structure is further provided on the controllable reflector, and the inductor structure is connected in parallel with the switch to form a resonator with the switch, and the resonant frequency of the resonator is within the operating frequency band of the vertically polarized high-density antenna.

[0016] In this implementation, the setting of the inductor structure can form a resonator in the working frequency band of the switch, thereby forming a larger impedance when the switch is turned off, thereby improving the isolation of the switch in the off state.

[0017] In a possible implementation manner, the number of the controllable reflector is one; or the number of the controllable reflector is multiple, and the multiple controllable reflectors are evenly distributed around a circle.

[0018] In this implementation, when the number of controllable reflectors is one, the controllable reflector can be located at the center of the vertically polarized high-density antenna, and make the directional pattern distribution of the reconfigurable antenna of the present application more uniform; when the number of controllable reflectors is multiple, the multiple controllable reflectors are evenly distributed, which increases the range of action of the controllable reflector on the light beam and can further expand the pitch angle of the reconfigurable antenna.

[0019] In a possible implementation, when the controllable reflector is in the closed state, the maximum elevation gain angle of the reconfigurable antenna is 37.5 degrees; when the controllable reflector is in the working state, the maximum elevation gain angle of the reconfigurable antenna is 70 degrees.

[0020] In this implementation, when the maximum gain angle of the reconfigurable antenna is controlled to be 37.5 degrees, the reconfigurable antenna of the present application can operate in a high-density mode; when the maximum gain angle of the reconfigurable antenna is controlled to be 70 degrees, the reconfigurable antenna of the present application can operate in an omnidirectional mode or a directional mode.

[0021] In a possible implementation, when the vertically polarized high-density antenna is in a directional mode, the maximum gain of the reconfigurable antenna when the controllable reflector is in an operating state is increased by 1 dB to 2.5 dB compared to the maximum gain when the controllable reflector is in an off state.

[0022] In this implementation, the vertically polarized high-density antenna can also include a directional mode, thereby achieving a larger signal coverage range in a preset direction. In conjunction with the controllable reflector, the reconfigurable antenna of the present application can further increase its maximum gain in the directional mode to improve its antenna performance.

[0023] In a possible implementation, the vertically polarized high-density antenna includes N vibrators and a feeding portion, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to 3, each vibrator is connected to the feeding portion, and each vibrator is distributed in a circular pattern.

[0024] In this implementation, the radiation unit of the vertically polarized high-density antenna is formed by N oscillators distributed in a circle, and the signal is fed into each oscillator through the feeding part, so that the vertically polarized high-density antenna can form a low sidelobe characteristic in the polarization direction, thereby suppressing co-channel interference.

[0025] In a possible implementation, the vertically polarized high-density antenna is a dipole antenna, each dipole includes a pair of upper dipoles and a lower dipole, and the feeding part feeds each upper dipole and each lower dipole respectively.

[0026] In a possible implementation, the vertically polarized high-density antenna is a monopole antenna. The vertically polarized high-density antenna is also provided with a grounding portion, and the grounding portion is located between each oscillator and the bottom plate.

[0027] In the above two implementations, the vertically polarized high-density antennas have different structural forms, and both can achieve low sidelobe characteristics in the polarization direction.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the length direction of each oscillator points to the center of the vertically polarized high-density antenna, and the length of each oscillator in this direction satisfies the condition: 1 / 4λ≤L2≤3 / 4λ.

[0029] In this implementation, the length direction of each vibrator points to the center of the vertically polarized high-density antenna, which can make the directivity of the vertically polarized high-density antenna more uniform. The length restriction of each vibrator can improve the radiation efficiency of each vibrator.

[0030] In a possible implementation manner, the feeding portion is located at the center of each vibrator.

[0031] In this implementation, the location of the feeding portion can reduce the insertion loss of the vertically polarized high-density antenna.

[0032] In a possible implementation, the feeding unit includes a power divider, an impedance transformation line, and an ohmic transmission line.

[0033] In this implementation, the feeding part feeds the signal through the power divider, and feeds the signal into each vibrator through the impedance transformation line and the ohmic transmission line to realize the feeding function.

[0034] In a possible implementation, the vertically polarized high-density antenna further includes a circuit board, and each oscillator and the feeding part are arranged on the outer surface of the circuit board.

[0035] In a possible implementation, the vertically polarized high-density antenna is further provided with a plurality of azimuth reflectors, each of which is also distributed in a circle, with its length direction parallel to the polarization direction, and there is at most one azimuth reflector between two adjacent oscillators.

[0036] The setting of the azimuth reflector can make the radiation pattern of the vertically polarized high-density antenna relatively uniform, and improve the horizontal radiation capability of the vertically polarized high-density antenna.

[0037] In a possible implementation, each azimuth reflector is also provided with a switch.

[0038] In this implementation, the horizontal radiation angle of the vertically polarized high-density antenna can be adjusted by controlling the switch of the azimuth reflector, thereby enabling the vertically polarized high-density antenna to switch between a directional mode and an omnidirectional mode.

[0039] In a possible implementation, the switch on each azimuth reflector is located at its midpoint.

[0040] In this implementation, the switch position setting on the azimuth reflector can reduce the influence of the azimuth reflector on the beam when it is in the off state, and improve the difference in reflection efficiency of the azimuth reflector between the off state and the working state.

[0041] In a second aspect, the present application provides a network device, including a radio frequency circuit and a control circuit, and the reconfigurable antenna provided in the first aspect of the present application, the radio frequency circuit is electrically connected to the reconfigurable antenna, and the switch is controlled by the control circuit.

[0042] The technical effect obtained by the above-mentioned second aspect is similar to the technical effect obtained by the corresponding technical means in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Figure 1 This is an application scenario diagram of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a plurality of network devices array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a reconfigurable antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a planar layout of a reconfigurable antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 6aand Figure 6b It is a schematic diagram of the simulation results of the elevation angle of a reconfigurable antenna in different working modes provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 6c This is a schematic diagram of the signal coverage of a reconfigurable antenna in different working modes provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the side structure of a reconfigurable antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of another reconfigurable antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the side structure of a single controllable reflector in another reconfigurable antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Fig.10 It is a structural schematic diagram of a vertically polarized high-density antenna in a reconfigurable antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Fig.11 It is a structural schematic diagram of a vertically polarized high-density antenna as a dipole antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Fig.12 It is a plan view of the upper part of a vertically polarized high-density antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application when it is a dipole antenna;

[0056] Fig.13 It is a plan schematic diagram of the lower half of a vertically polarized high-density antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application when the antenna is a dipole antenna;

[0057] Fig.14 It is a plan view of the upper part of another vertically polarized high-density antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application when it is a dipole antenna;

[0058] Fig.15 It is a structural schematic diagram of a vertically polarized high-density antenna as a monopole antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Fig.16 It is a plan schematic diagram of the upper part of a vertically polarized high-density antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application when it is a monopole antenna;

[0060] Fig.17 is a structural schematic diagram of another reconfigurable antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] Fig.18 is a schematic diagram of the side structure of a reconfigurable antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] Fig.19 It is a schematic diagram of a planar structure of a reconfigurable antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] Fig. 20 It is a schematic diagram of horizontal simulation results of a vertically polarized high-density antenna in a reconfigurable antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application when the antenna is in different working modes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] Figure 1 This is a diagram of the network device application scenario provided by the embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown in , the scenario includes a controller 101, an access point (AP) 102, and multiple terminals 103. The controller 101 can manage and configure the access point 102 and forward user data. The access point 102 is used to provide wireless access services for multiple connected terminals 103. The network device provided in this application can be a base station, a router, a switch, etc., which works as an access point 102. Multiple terminals 103 can be products such as mobile phones, computers, smart home appliances, etc. In addition, Figure 1 Only three terminals are used as an example for illustration, which does not constitute a limitation on the number of terminals in the application scenario provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0065] Figure 2 This is an application scenario diagram of multiple network device deployment provided by the present application. The controller 101 can be used to centrally manage and configure multiple access points 102 and forward user data. Multiple access points 102 are generally set at a height of 3-5 meters (m). The radius of the coverage area can be set within 10m, between 10m-20m, or even above 20m based on different usage requirements.

[0066] The requirements of the usage scenario usually include the consideration of communication capacity and the number of channels. When the number of users per unit area is usually large, in order to ensure the communication capacity, the access point 102 can be set to adopt a large-angle omnidirectional mode (for example, the coverage radius of the access point 102 is between 10m-20m) for signal coverage; but the number of channels of a single access point 102 is limited, in this case, the spacing between the access points 102 can be set to be further reduced, and a small-angle high-density mode (for example, the coverage radius of the access point 102 is within 10m) can be used for signal coverage; and for the scenario where the number of users per unit area is small and the cell area is large, the spacing between the access points 102 can also be set to be large, and a super-large-angle directional mode (for example, the coverage radius of the access point 102 is more than 20m) can be used for signal coverage.

[0067] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application. For example, Figure 1 and Figure 2 The access point 102 can be Figure 3 See the network devices shown in Figure 3 The network device includes a baseband circuit 201, a radio frequency circuit 202, a control circuit 203 and a reconfigurable antenna 205.

[0068] The baseband circuit 201 is used to process received wireless signals or wireless signals to be sent.

[0069] The reconfigurable antenna 205 is the reconfigurable antenna provided in the present application. The reconfigurable antenna 205 includes a vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 and a switch 13. The introduction of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 and the switch 13 can refer to the related description of the subsequent embodiments.

[0070] The radio frequency circuit 202 is connected between the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 of the reconfigurable antenna 205 and the baseband circuit 201 , and is used to cooperate with the reconfigurable antenna 205 to realize the transmission and reception of wireless signals.

[0071] The control circuit 203 is electrically connected to the switch 13 of the reconfigurable antenna 205, and is used to control the working mode of the reconfigurable antenna 205, so that the radiation angle of the reconfigurable antenna 205 can be switched, thereby changing the signal coverage range to meet the needs of different usage scenarios. The control circuit 203 can be implemented in the form of a complex programmable logic device (CPLD) or a general-purpose input / output (GPIO).

[0072] Next, the reconfigurable antenna 205 provided in the embodiment of the present application is introduced.

[0073] Figure 4 2 is a schematic diagram of a reconfigurable antenna 205 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4As shown in , the reconfigurable antenna 205 may include a base plate 30, a vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 and a controllable reflector 10. The vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 is used as the radiation body of the reconfigurable antenna 205 to radiate to opposite sides along its polarization direction. The base plate 30 is conductive and is arranged along the polarization direction of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, and the base plate 30 and the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 are spaced from each other. The base plate 30 can reflect the signal beam emitted by the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, and the signal beam emitted by the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 toward one side is reflected, merged with the signal beam on the other side, and then propagated toward the same side of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20. Usually, the direction of the same side is the direction in which the network device propagates downward. That is, the signal beam emitted by the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 is reflected by the base plate 30 and propagates toward the same side along its polarization direction, thereby achieving the effect of improving signal strength and achieving high density.

[0074] It can be understood that the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 is a linearly polarized antenna, and its polarization direction is a linear direction. And because the bottom plate 30 is arranged at intervals on one side along its polarization direction, its pitch angle is small, and the azimuth coverage area is relatively small, achieving the effect of vertical polarization. In the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application, the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 can realize the high-density mode of the reconfigurable antenna 205, and achieve a large-capacity communication effect in a small range.

[0075] The controllable reflector 10 is located between the bottom plate 30 and the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20. Figure 4 In the schematic diagram, the number of controllable reflectors 10 is one, and the length direction of the one controllable reflector 10 is also arranged along the polarization direction of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, that is, the controllable reflector 10 is arranged as a whole parallel to the polarization direction of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20. The controllable reflector 10 includes a switch 13, and the switch 13 is used to switch the controllable reflector 10 between the off state and the working state. It can be understood that the control circuit 203 mentioned above controls the working mode of the reconfigurable antenna 205, that is, it can be achieved by electrically connecting and controlling the control circuit 203 and the switch 13.

[0076] Please see Figure 5 .exist Figure 5In the diagram, the projection 20' of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 along its polarization direction on the base plate 30 is in the shape of a circular ring (without considering that the feeding network is located at the phase center), which has an inner circle and an outer circle. The projection of the controllable reflector 10 on the base plate 30 along the polarization direction is located at the center of the circular ring-shaped projection 20'. In some embodiments, the controllable reflector 10 may also be appropriately offset relative to the center of the circular ring shape, but at this time the reflector 10 is still located within the inner circle of the circular ring-shaped projection 20'. In other embodiments, the projection 20' of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 along its polarization direction on the base plate 30 may also be in the shape of an elliptical ring, or roughly in the shape of a "U" character, or any other hollow shape. At this time, the controllable reflector 10 may be located at the center of the hollow shape, or offset relative to the center position, and remain within the inner circle of the hollow shape.

[0077] Under the action of the switch 13, the controllable reflector 10 can be switched between the off state and the working state. When the switch 13 is off, the controllable reflector 10 is in the off state, at which time the controllable reflector 10 will not affect the beam forming of the reconfigurable antenna 205, and the signal coverage range of the reconfigurable antenna 205 is the coverage range of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20. As mentioned above, the coverage range of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 is relatively small, and at this time the working state of the reconfigurable antenna 205 is in the high-density mode.

[0078] When the switch 13 is turned on, the controllable reflector 10 is in working state. At this time, the controllable reflector 10 will reflect the beam emitted by the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20. Specifically, because the controllable reflector 10 is located at the center of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, it can reflect the signal beam emitted by the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 outward in a direction parallel to the bottom plate 30. That is, in the horizontal direction of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, the reflection effect of the controllable reflector 10 located at the center position on the signal beam increases the pitch angle of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, thereby expanding the coverage range of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, that is, expanding the effective radius of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20. At this time, the working state of the reconfigurable antenna 205 can be the aforementioned omnidirectional mode or directional mode, which is specifically determined based on the shape of the directional pattern of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20.

[0079] Figure 6a and Figure 6b The elevation angle simulation results of the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application when the controllable reflector 10 is in different states are respectively illustrated. Figure 6aIt is the simulation result when the controllable reflector 10 is in the closed state. It can be seen that under the action of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, the maximum gain angle of the pitch angle of the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application is 37.5 degrees, that is, when the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application works in the high-density mode, its pitch angle is approximately 75 degrees; Figure 6b It is a simulation result when the controllable reflector 10 is in working state. It can be seen that under the action of the controllable reflector 10, the maximum gain angle of the pitch angle of the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application is extended to 70 degrees, that is, when the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application works in omnidirectional mode or directional mode, its pitch angle is approximately 140 degrees.

[0080] Combination Figure 6c In a possible implementation, when the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 in the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application works in the high-density mode, its signal coverage range is as follows: Figure 6c The dotted line in the figure indicates that signal coverage can be achieved within a radius of 5 m; and when the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 in the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application works in an omnidirectional mode, its signal coverage range is as follows Figure 6c The straight line in the figure indicates that signal coverage can be achieved within a radius of 10m.

[0081] It can be seen that the pitch angle of the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application can be adjusted over a wide range under the action of the controllable reflector 10. Compared with the pitch angle adjustment method of using multiple antennas combined and switched by the RF switch, the insertion loss of the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application is smaller, which improves the working efficiency of the antenna. At the same time, the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application only needs to set the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 to achieve a wide range of pitch angle adjustment. Compared with the structure of multiple antennas combined by RF, the overall volume of the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application is smaller, which is also conducive to the miniaturization and cost control of the network equipment of the present application.

[0082] See also Figure 7 A side view of an embodiment of the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application is shown. In this embodiment, the controllable reflector 10 is in the shape of an elongated strip, which is located at the center of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, and the length direction of the controllable reflector 10 is arranged parallel to the polarization direction of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20. Because the signal beam emitted by the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 also propagates roughly parallel to its polarization direction, the controllable reflector 10 is arranged parallel to the polarization direction to achieve reflection of more beams. When the controllable reflector 10 is arranged at the center of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, the reflection effect of the controllable reflector 10 on the signal beam 360 degrees in the horizontal direction can be made consistent, so that the directional pattern distribution of the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application is more uniform.

[0083] In one embodiment, the controllable reflector 10 is further configured to have a first length L1 along the polarization direction, and the first length L1 satisfies the condition: 1 / 4λ≤L1≤λ, thereby ensuring the reflection distance of the controllable reflector 10 for the signal beam and improving the reflection efficiency of the controllable reflector 10.

[0084] In this embodiment, the controllable reflector 10 includes a first end 11 and a second end 12 opposite to each other along its length direction, wherein the first end 11 is located near the bottom plate 30, and the second end 12 is located near the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20. The second end 12 of the controllable reflector 10 is spaced apart from the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, and there is a first spacing distance D1 between the two, and the first spacing distance D1 also satisfies the condition: D1≤1 / 4λ, wherein λ is the wavelength corresponding to the working frequency band of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20. Thus, a phase difference can be formed between the controllable reflector 10 and the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, thereby improving the reflection efficiency of the controllable reflector 10.

[0085] On the side of the first end 11, the first end 11 is fixedly contacted with the bottom plate 30, that is, the first end 11 is electrically connected to the bottom plate 30. At this time, the bottom plate 30 serves as the reflection surface of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, and the electrical connection between the bottom plate 30 and the controllable reflector 10 extends the effective distance of the controllable reflector 10 for the signal beam, and can further improve the reflection efficiency of the controllable reflector 10 for the signal beam, thereby expanding the pitch angle of the reconfigurable antenna 205.

[0086] The switch 13 is located between the first end 11 and the second end 12, and compared with the second end 12, the switch 13 is located closer to the first end 11, that is, the switch 13 is located on the side close to the bottom plate 30, so as to reduce the impact of the controllable reflector 10 on the signal beam when it is in the off state, and provide a greater difference in reflective efficiency between the controllable reflector 10 in the working state and in the off state, thereby providing a greater pitch angle change for the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application.

[0087] exist Figure 7 In the embodiment of the invention, an inductor structure 14 is further provided on the controllable reflector 10. The inductor structure 14 is connected in parallel with the switch 13 and forms a resonator with the switch 13. The resonant frequency of the resonator is within the operating frequency band of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20. The resonator can form a larger impedance when the switch 13 is closed, thereby improving its isolation when the switch 13 is in the closed state.

[0088] See also Figure 8 The structure of another embodiment of the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application is shown. In this embodiment, the number of controllable reflectors 10 is four, and the four controllable reflectors 10 are evenly distributed along the circumference and are respectively offset relative to the center of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20. Fig. 9 Each controllable reflector 10 includes a first section 151 and a second section 152 arranged parallel to the polarization direction, and a connecting section 153 connected between the first section 151 and the second section 152 .

[0089] In this embodiment, the provision of multiple controllable reflectors 10 increases the range of action of the controllable reflector 10 on the signal beam, and can further expand the elevation angle of the reconfigurable antenna 205. The provision of the first section 151 and the second section 152 also ensures the action distance between the controllable reflector 10 and the signal beam, and improves the reflection efficiency of the controllable reflector 10.

[0090] Fig.10 A possible structure of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 of the present application is shown. Fig.10 In the schematic diagram, the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 includes N vibrators 21, a feeder 22 and a circuit board 23. The circuit board 23 may be a printed circuit board (PCB). The number N of the vibrators 21 is an integer greater than or equal to 3. Fig.10 In the example, N is 8, but it does not constitute a limitation on the number of vibrators 21 in the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20. The N vibrators 21 and the feeding part 22 are all located on the circuit board 23, and the N vibrators 21 are all connected to the feeding part 22.

[0091] like Fig.10 As shown, N vibrators 21 can be distributed and arranged on a circle with the antenna phase center as the center. Optionally, the vibrators 21 can be arranged at equal intervals on the circle. That is, the angle between the line connecting each two adjacent vibrators 21 and the antenna phase center will be 360 / N degrees. A single vibrator 21 can be constructed as a long rectangular strip, and the length direction of the vibrator 21 can point to the center of the ring shape. In one embodiment, the length of a single vibrator 21 in this direction satisfies the condition: 1 / 4λ≤L2≤3 / 4λ (see Fig.12 ). The length direction of each vibrator 21 points to the center of the vertical polarization high-density antenna, which can make the directional pattern distribution of the vertical polarization high-density antenna more uniform. The length restriction of each vibrator 21 can improve the radiation efficiency of each vibrator 21.

[0092] As mentioned above, the N vibrators 21 can also be combined to form an elliptical or rectangular ring. The feeding part 22 is located inside the ring formed by the vibrators 21, so that the insertion loss from the feeding part 22 to each vibrator 21 is smaller. When the number N of vibrators 21 is an even number, there can be multiple vibrator pairs in the N vibrators 21, and the two vibrators 21 in each vibrator pair are centrally symmetrical with respect to the phase center of the antenna. For example, when N is 8, the angle between each adjacent two vibrators 21 and the line connecting the phase center of the antenna is 45 degrees. Among them, the 8 vibrators 21 can be divided into 4 vibrator pairs, and the two vibrators 21 in each vibrator pair are centrally symmetrical with respect to the phase center of the antenna. Of course, the vibrators 21 can also be arranged at unequal intervals. For example, assuming that the angle between the line connecting two adjacent vibrators 21 connected to the two ends of the same transmission line in the feeding part 22 and the antenna phase center is a first angle, and the angle between the line connecting two adjacent vibrators 21 connected to different transmission lines and the antenna phase center is a second angle, the first angle and the second angle may be different.

[0093] In addition, the N vibrators 21 and the feeding part 22 can be printed on the board surface of the circuit board 23. Based on the difference of the feeding part 22 and the difference of the N vibrators 21, the feeding part 22 and the N vibrators 21 may be located on the upper board surface 231 of the circuit board 23, or on the lower board surface 232 of the circuit board 23, or on both the upper board surface 231 and the lower panel 52.

[0094] It is understandable that the N vibrators 21 and the correspondingly connected feeding parts 22 can be located on the same outer surface of the circuit board 23. In other embodiments, the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 can also adopt a sheet metal structure antenna form, in which case each vibrator 21 is a metal structure with a certain rigidity, and the circuit board 23 can be omitted in this form.

[0095] The vibrator 21 in the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 of the present application can be a dipole vibrator or a monopole vibrator, and the corresponding vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 is a dipole antenna or a monopole antenna. According to the different shapes of the vibrator 21, the setting of the feeding unit 20 is also different. Fig.11 The vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 is a dipole antenna structure. In this structure, the oscillator 21 includes an upper oscillator 211 and a lower oscillator 212 , wherein the upper oscillator 211 is located on an upper surface 231 of a circuit board 23 , and the lower oscillator 212 is located on a lower surface 232 of the circuit board 23 .

[0096] The feeding part 22 is formed as a double-sided parallel microstrip line power division network, which includes a part located on the upper plate surface 231 for feeding each upper oscillator 211; and a part located on the lower plate surface 232 for feeding each lower oscillator 212. Fig.12 and Fig.13The plane diagram of the upper plate surface 231 and the lower plate surface 232 in this embodiment is shown. The feeding part 22 is a double-sided parallel microstrip line power division network, and the upper and lower parts thereof have the same shape. The shapes of the upper oscillator 211 and the lower oscillator 212 can also be the same. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the shapes of the upper oscillator 211 and the lower oscillator 212 can also be different, or the upper oscillator 211 and the lower oscillator 212 can also be distributed in a mirror image relative to the feeding part 22.

[0097] Fig.12 and Fig.13 The structure of the feeding unit 22 of the present application is shown in Figure 2. The feeding unit 22 may include a first power divider 221, a plurality of ohmic transmission lines 222, a plurality of impedance transformation lines 223, and a second power divider 224. The second power divider 224 may be a one-to-two power divider, and the first power divider 221 may be selected according to the number of the vibrators 21. For example, in Fig.12 In the example, the number of dipoles is 8, and when the second power divider 224 is a one-to-two power divider, the first power divider 221 can be a one-to-four power divider. Thus, starting from the feeding point of the feeding part 22, 8 feeding lines can be drawn through the first power divider 221 and the second power divider 224, so as to feed the 8 dipoles 21 respectively. Among them, the first power divider 221 of the feeding part 22 can be located at the phase center of the antenna.

[0098] For example, Fig.12 As shown, the four output ends of the first power divider 221 can be connected to four impedance transformation lines 223, and the other end of each impedance transformation line 223 is connected to one end of an ohmic transmission line 222, and the impedance matching between the ohmic transmission line 222 and the first power divider 221 can be achieved through the impedance transformation line 223. A second power divider 224 is connected to the other end of each ohmic transmission line 222. Two output ends of the second power divider 224 are respectively connected to an upper oscillator 211. In this way, after the first power divider 221 divides one current of the input feeding part 22 into four currents, the four currents can be output through four output terminals. The four currents are respectively transmitted to the four second power dividers 224 through four impedance transformation lines 223 and four ohmic transmission lines 222 connected to the four impedance transformation lines 223. Each second power divider 224 can divide the received current into two paths, and output the two currents to two adjacent upper oscillators 211 respectively, thereby realizing the feeding of the two adjacent upper oscillators 211.

[0099] In one embodiment, the impedance transformation line 223 may be a quarter-wavelength impedance transformation line, and the ohmic transmission line 222 may be a 50-ohm microstrip line. Fig.13 At the lower panel 52 shown, the structure of the feeder 22 is also similar to Fig.12The upper panel 51 shown has a similar structure and transmits current to each lower oscillator 22 respectively, which will not be described in detail in this application.

[0100] Figure 11-13 Only N is 8 as an example for explanation, and for other cases where N is an even number, the above examples can be referred to. The difference is that when N is a different even number, the first power divider 221 included in the feeding part 22 will be different, and the number of impedance transformation lines 223 and ohmic transmission lines 222 included in the feeding part 22 will also be different. For example, when N is 6, the first power divider in the upper panel network and the lower panel network can be a one-to-three power divider, and accordingly, the first power divider can be connected to three impedance transformation lines 223, and the three impedance transformation lines 223 are connected to three ohmic transmission lines 222, and each ohmic transmission line 222 is connected to a one-to-two second power divider 224, and each second power divider 224 can be connected to two upper oscillators 211 or lower oscillators 212.

[0101] It can be understood that when N is an odd number, see Fig.14 The feeding part 22 located on the upper surface 231 of the circuit board 23 may include a first power divider 221, a plurality of impedance transformation lines 223 and a plurality of ohmic transmission lines 222. Fig.14 As shown, taking N as 5 as an example, the first power divider 221 can be a one-to-five power divider, and the first power divider 221 can be connected to five impedance transformation lines 223, and the other end of each impedance transformation line 223 is connected to an ohmic transmission line 222, and the end of each ohmic transmission line 222 can be connected to an upper oscillator 211 ( Fig.14 Correspondingly, the feeding part 22 located on the lower surface 232 of the circuit board 23 has the same structure as the upper surface 231 , and each lower oscillator 212 is also connected to one end of an ohmic transmission line 222 in the lower surface 232 .

[0102] For example, Fig.14 A structure in which the vibrator 21 is L-shaped is also shown. Fig.14 As shown, the L-shaped dipole 21 has a radial portion 21a and a non-radial portion 21b, wherein the radial portion 21a points to the phase center of the antenna and the non-radial portion 21b can be arranged substantially perpendicular to the radial portion 21a. Fig.14 This is only one possible implementation of the vibrator 21 given in the embodiment of the present application. In other possible implementations, the vibrator 21 may also be in other shapes, such as a trapezoid, a bending structure, a T-shape, a Y-shape, or any other form.

[0103] For example, Fig.15 FIG. 2 shows a structure in which the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 is a monopole antenna. Fig.15As shown in the figure, the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 includes eight oscillators 21, a feeder 22, a grounding portion 24 and a circuit board 23. Among them, the eight oscillators 21 are all located on the upper surface 231 of the circuit board 23, and the feeder 22 is also located on the upper surface 231. The grounding portion 24 is located on the lower surface 232 of the circuit board 23. In the illustrated embodiment, the grounding portion 24 is circular.

[0104] Please combine Fig.16 In this embodiment, the feeding unit 22 may also include a first power divider 221, a plurality of ohmic transmission lines 222, a plurality of impedance transformation lines 223, and a second power divider 224. Fig.12 The structure shown is similar to that shown in FIG. 1 , and the second power divider 224 is connected to each vibrator 21. For the specific configuration of the feeding unit 22 and the vibrator 21, please refer to FIG. Figure 12-14 The relevant description of the invention is not repeated in this application. The grounding portion 24 is formed as an inner conductor of the monopole antenna to improve the radiation efficiency of each vibrator 21. In one embodiment, the grounding portion 24 is also located at the center of the projection 20' of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, and is flush with the projection of each vibrator 21 or with a gap.

[0105] In each embodiment of the present application, when multiple vibrators 21 are arranged in a circle, the closest distance D2 between each vibrator 21 and the phase center of the antenna can be adjusted, and then adjusted to the direction angle of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, that is, it can be adjusted to the horizontal coverage range of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20. Exemplarily, the distance D2 between a single vibrator 21 and the phase center of the antenna satisfies the condition: 1 / 8λ≤D2≤1 / 2λ.

[0106] See also Fig.17 Embodiment. The vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 of the present application may also be provided with a plurality of azimuth reflectors 25. The plurality of azimuth reflectors 25 are also distributed in a circle, and at most one azimuth reflector 25 is provided between two adjacent vibrators 21. The length direction of the azimuth reflector 25 passes through the plane where the plurality of vibrators 21 are located, that is, the azimuth reflector 25 may be provided parallel to the polarization direction of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20. Please refer to Fig.18 The azimuth reflector 25 includes a first reflection section 251 and a second reflection section 252 along its length direction. The first reflection section 251 is located at the side of the vibrator 21 away from the bottom plate 30, and the second reflection section 252 is located between the vibrator 21 and the bottom plate 30.

[0107] Please combine Fig.19 Understand together. Fig.19In the schematic diagram, the number of azimuth reflectors 25 is 4, and the 4 azimuth reflectors 25 are also evenly distributed in a circle, and each azimuth reflector 25 is located between two adjacent vibrators 21. The 4 azimuth reflectors 25 are paired, and each pair of azimuth reflectors 25 is symmetrically distributed relative to the antenna phase center. The azimuth reflectors 25 can reflect the signal beam in the horizontal direction of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20, and the azimuth reflectors 25 arranged at intervals can make the radiation pattern of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 relatively uniform, thereby improving the 360-degree radiation capability of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 in the horizontal direction.

[0108] In one embodiment, the distance D3 between a single azimuth reflector 25 and the phase center of the antenna is greater than or equal to the distance D2 between the vibrator 21 and the phase center of the antenna, and less than or equal to the farthest distance between the vibrator 21 and the phase center of the antenna. That is, D3 satisfies the condition: D2≤D3≤(D2+L2). It can also be described as that the projection of the azimuth reflector 25 on the bottom plate 30 is located within the annular area enclosed by the vibrator 21. Thus, the azimuth reflector 25 can reflect the signal beam of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 in the horizontal direction, and at the same time control the horizontal coverage range of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 to be relatively small.

[0109] Please look back Fig.18 , for the azimuth reflector 25, it itself has a length L3 along the polarization direction. In one embodiment, the length L3 of the azimuth reflector 25 is also controlled to meet the condition: 1 / 5λ≤L3≤λ, so as to ensure the effective distance of the azimuth reflector 25 on the signal beam. On the other hand, on the side of the azimuth reflector 25 close to the bottom plate 30, that is, on the side of the second reflection section 252 of the azimuth reflector 25, the azimuth reflector 25 is also spaced apart from the bottom plate 30, and the spacing distance D4 can be set to meet the condition: D4≤1 / 4λ. The spacing between the azimuth reflector 25 and the bottom plate 30 can avoid the effective distance of the azimuth reflector 25 being too long, resulting in an excessively large horizontal coverage range of the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20. It can be understood that for an embodiment in which the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 includes a circuit board 23, the azimuth reflector 25 can be fixed on the circuit board 23 and spaced apart from the bottom plate 30. When the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 is a sheet metal structure and does not include the circuit board 23 , the azimuth reflector 25 can also be fixed on the bottom plate 30 , and the azimuth reflector 25 and the bottom plate 30 need to be insulated from each other.

[0110] exist Fig.18In the schematic diagram, an azimuth switch 253 is also provided on the azimuth reflector 25. The azimuth switch 253 can also be used to switch the azimuth reflector 25 between the off state and the working state. It can be understood that the control circuit 203 mentioned above controls the working mode of the reconfigurable antenna 205, and can also include the control circuit 203 controls the azimuth switch 253. Specifically, when the azimuth switches 253 on each reflector 25 are in the working state, the vertical polarization high-density antenna 20 can be in the omnidirectional mode, at which time its coverage range based on the antenna phase center in the horizontal direction of 360 degrees tends to be consistent; and as mentioned above, when the distance between the access points 102 is large, the reconfigurable antenna 205 can also adopt a directional mode with a super-large angle to achieve signal coverage. At this time, only the azimuth switches 253 in two adjacent azimuth reflectors 25 can be controlled to be in the working state, and the remaining azimuth switches 253 are in the off state, so that the vertical polarization high-density antenna 20 is in the directional mode.

[0111] See also Fig. 20 As shown in FIG. 1 , when the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 is in omnidirectional mode ( Fig. 20 (shown by solid lines in the figure), its 360-degree coverage is relatively uniform. When the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 is in directional mode, as shown by the dotted line in the figure, the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 achieves a 2-dB gain improvement in the direction of 315 degrees, and has a wider signal coverage in this direction. Based on the different positions of the two adjacent azimuth switches 253, the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 of the present application can also achieve a wider directional coverage effect in the direction of 45 degrees, 135 degrees or 225 degrees. It can be understood that in conjunction with the working state control of the controllable reflector 10 in the reconfigurable antenna 205, the pitch angle of the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application in the directional mode can also be adjusted accordingly, and a gain of 1 dB-2.5 dB can be achieved at the preset angle to obtain a larger signal coverage in the directional mode.

[0112] Can watch back Figure 6c In this implementation, when the vertically polarized high-density antenna 20 is in a directional mode, as shown in FIG. Figure 6c The dotted line in the figure indicates that the signal coverage range can be expanded to within a radius of 15m. It can be understood that the coverage range of the directional mode can also be adjusted based on the scene requirements, and the maximum coverage range of the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application may exceed the radius of 15m, or be smaller than the radius of 15m.

[0113] It needs to be pointed out that Fig. 20The illustration is based on an embodiment in which the number of azimuth reflectors 25 is 4, and the 4 azimuth reflectors 25 are evenly distributed along the circumference. In other embodiments, the 4 azimuth reflectors 25 can also be arranged in a non-uniform distribution, and the corresponding directional coverage angles are also adjusted accordingly. Alternatively, the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application can also be set with other numbers of azimuth reflectors 25 based on usage requirements, and the working states of different azimuth reflectors 25 can be coordinated to achieve directional coverage effects of different numbers and angles.

[0114] exist Fig.18 In the illustration, along the polarization direction of the vertically polarized antenna 20, the azimuth switch 253 can also be located at the midpoint of the azimuth reflector 25. The position setting of the azimuth switch 253 can control the difference in the horizontal radiation pattern of the azimuth reflector 25 between the off state and the working state, that is, when the azimuth switch 253 is set at the midpoint position of the azimuth reflector 25, the horizontal coverage range of the reconfigurable antenna 205 of the present application when the azimuth reflector 25 is in the off state is more different from the horizontal coverage range of the azimuth reflector 25 in the working state, that is, the coverage range of the reconfigurable antenna 205 in different working modes varies more to adapt to more different usage scenario requirements.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable antenna, characterized in that: It includes a base plate, a vertically polarized high-density antenna and a controllable reflector; Wherein, the controllable reflector is located between the bottom plate and the vertically polarized high-density antenna, and the projection of the controllable reflector on the bottom plate is at the center of the projection of the vertically polarized high-density antenna on the bottom plate; The controllable reflector includes a switch, which is used to put the controllable reflector into an operating state or a closed state. The controllable reflector is used to adjust the elevation angle of the vertically polarized high-density antenna. Along the polarization direction of the vertically polarized high-density antenna, the controllable reflector includes a first end close to the base plate, and the first end is electrically connected to the base plate.

2. The reconfigurable antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controllable reflector includes a portion parallel to the polarization direction of the vertically polarized high-density antenna, and a distance D1 between the controllable reflector and the vertically polarized high-density antenna satisfies the condition: D1≤1 / 4λ, where λ is the wavelength corresponding to the working frequency band of the vertically polarized high-density antenna.

3. The reconfigurable antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controllable reflector also includes a second end opposite the first end, and the switch is located proximate to the first end relative to the second end.

4. The reconfigurable antenna according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The length of the controllable reflector along the polarization direction of the vertically polarized high-density antenna is a first length L1, and the first length L1 satisfies the condition: 1 / 4λ≤L1≤λ.

5. The reconfigurable antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The controllable reflector is also provided with an inductor structure, which is connected in parallel with the switch and is used to form a resonator with the switch. The resonant frequency of the resonator is within the working frequency band of the vertically polarized high-density antenna.

6. The reconfigurable antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The number of the controllable reflector is one; or There are multiple controllable reflectors, and the multiple controllable reflectors are evenly distributed.

7. The reconfigurable antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: When the controllable reflector is in the closed state, the maximum elevation gain angle of the reconfigurable antenna is 37.5 degrees; When the controllable reflector is in working state, the maximum elevation gain angle of the reconfigurable antenna is 70 degrees.

8. The reconfigurable antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: When the vertically polarized high-density antenna is in a directional mode, the maximum gain of the reconfigurable antenna when the controllable reflector is in an operating state is increased by 1 dB to 2.5 dB compared with the maximum gain when the controllable reflector is in an off state.

9. A network device, characterized in that: It comprises a radio frequency circuit and a control circuit, and a reconfigurable antenna as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the radio frequency circuit is electrically connected to the reconfigurable antenna, and the switch is controlled by the control circuit.

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