Improved isolation between antennas

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to improvements in isolation between antennas, and provide an antenna, an antenna array including the antenna, and a communication device including the antenna array. The antenna includes an improved feed network. The feed network includes: a first port and a second port, both configured to send and / or receive signals; a first feed line and a second feed line, coupled in parallel between the first port and the second port and formed into a continuous conductive loop; and a first feed element and a second feed element and a third feed element and a fourth feed element, the first feed element and the second feed element being arranged to couple to a first node on the first feed line and coupled to a radiating element of the antenna, and the third feed element and the fourth feed element being arranged to couple to a second node on the second feed line and coupled to the radiating element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly, to an antenna, an antenna array including the antenna, and a communication device including the antenna array. Background Art

[0002] High isolation between antennas (in other words, target isolation above a predetermined threshold) will improve the anti-interference capability of the antenna, especially for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas in fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems. It is important in a multi-antenna environment that each antenna is not significantly electromagnetically and / or electrically coupled to another antenna and thereby affect the other antenna to degrade its performance. Currently, orthogonally polarized antenna elements (AEs) are used in most base transceiver stations (BTSs). Since the distance between two adjacent AEs in an antenna array is fixed, the isolation is changed only by rotating the antenna position. Therefore, two orthogonally polarized antennas minimize the isolation, and it is difficult to further improve the isolation by changing the position of the antennas with a constant distance.

[0003] As the number of AEs in 5G antenna arrays increases, achieving high isolation between AEs becomes a major challenge. On the other hand, higher isolation is always required to improve the performance of the entire system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Generally speaking, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide an antenna, an antenna array, and a communication device.

[0005] In a first aspect, an antenna is provided. The antenna includes: a radiating element; and a feed network coupled to the radiating element. The feed network includes: a first port and a second port, each configured to transmit and / or receive signals; a first feed line and a second feed line, coupled in parallel between the first port and the second port and forming a continuous conductive loop; and first and second feed elements, and third and fourth feed elements, wherein the first and second feed elements are each arranged to couple to a first node on the first feed line and to the radiating element, and the third and fourth feed elements are each arranged to couple to a second node on the second feed line and to the radiating element.

[0006] In a second aspect, an antenna array is provided, comprising a plurality of antennas according to the first aspect.

[0007] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising the antenna array according to the second aspect.

[0008] It should be understood that the invention summary is not intended to identify the key or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 a diagram showing measurements of isolation between antennas;

[0011] Figure 2 A diagram showing two types of isolation;

[0012] Figure 3 A diagram showing the mutual coupling of two orthogonally polarized antennas;

[0013] Figure 4A shows a perspective view of an antenna according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 4B shows an exploded perspective view of an antenna according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 5 shows a top view of a feed network of an antenna according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 6 A diagram showing the generation of a beam pattern for +45 degree polarization;

[0017] Figure 7 A diagram showing the generation of a beam pattern for -45 degree polarization;

[0018] Figure 8 A top view of the feeding network of a conventional solution is shown;

[0019] Figure 9A Diagram showing the beam pattern for +45 degree polarization;

[0020] Figure 9B A diagram showing a beam pattern for -45 degree polarization;

[0021] Figure 10 A diagram showing a comparison of isolation between antennas according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure and a conventional solution;

[0022] Figure 11A shows simulation results of isolation and return loss according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 11B shows simulation results in horizontal and vertical planes and ±45 degree polarization according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 12A diagram illustrating an antenna array according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0025] Figure 13 A diagram illustrating a communication device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0026] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The principles of the present invention will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to help those skilled in the art understand and implement the present invention, without implying any limitation on the scope of the present invention. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in a variety of ways except as described below.

[0028] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0029] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment must include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, it should be understood that, whether or not explicitly described, such feature, structure, or characteristic may be affected in conjunction with other embodiments within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0030] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element can be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element can be referred to as a first element without departing from the scope of the example embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0031] The terms used herein are used only to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the example embodiments. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well. It will be further understood that when used herein, the terms "comprise," "include," "have," "have," "includes," and / or "contain" specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0032] In this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0033] (a) only implemented in hardware circuits (e.g., only implemented in analog and / or digital circuits) and

[0034] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (where applicable):

[0035] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, and

[0036] (ii) any portion of a hardware processor with software (including a digital signal processor), software, and memory that work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and

[0037] (c) Hardware circuits and / or processors, such as a microprocessor or portion of a microprocessor, that require software (such as firmware) to operate, but the software may not be present when not required for operation.

[0038] The definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" also includes an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuitry" also covers, for example, and if applicable to the particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit of a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or networking device.

[0039] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Internet of Things (IoT), etc. In addition, communication between terminal devices and network devices in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation communication protocol, including but not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR) communication protocols and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. In addition, the term "communication network" may also refer to a non-cellular communication network, such as, but not limited to, Bluetooth (BT), wireless local area network (WLAN), etc. Communication may include direct device-to-device communication, such as (a) base station node to base station node or (b) mobile device to mobile device, without any interaction between the mobile device (case a) or the base station (case b). Embodiments of the present invention are applicable to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will certainly be future types of communications technologies and systems that can implement the present invention.The scope of the present disclosure should not be considered limited to the above-described systems.

[0040] As used herein, the term "communication device" refers to a network device or a terminal device in a communication network. The term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services therefrom. Depending on the terminology and technology used, a network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), for example, a NodeB (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a NR next-generation NodeB (gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, a low-power node such as a femto, a pico, etc. The RAN split architecture includes a gNB CU (centralized unit, carrying RRC, SDAP, and PDCP) that controls multiple gNBDUs (distributed units, carrying RLC, MAC, and PHY).

[0041] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), mobile device, user station (SS), portable user station, mobile station (MS) or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablet computers, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, game terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated process chains), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. Although the functions described herein may be performed in fixed and / or wireless network nodes in various exemplary embodiments, in other exemplary embodiments, the functions may be implemented in a user equipment device (e.g., a cellular phone or tablet or laptop or desktop or mobile IoT device or fixed IoT device). For example, the user equipment device may be appropriately equipped with the corresponding capabilities described in conjunction with the fixed and / or wireless network nodes. The user equipment device may be a user device and / or a control device, such as a chipset or processor, which is configured to control the user device when installed in the user device. Examples of such functions include a bootstrapping server function and / or a home subscriber server, which, from the perspective of these functions / nodes, may be implemented in the user equipment device by providing the user equipment device with software configured to cause the user equipment device to execute.

[0042] The term "mobile device" refers to a device that is capable of being moved from point A to point B by any means worn by a user of the mobile device, such as, but not limited to: by being held in the hand, by being carried, by being carried in a vehicle (driving, flying, sailing / floating in liquid, etc.).

[0043] Furthermore, the term "communication equipment" may also refer to fixed or stationary electronic communication equipment, such as a base station node, which is a device that is fixed in place and does not move.

[0044] As mentioned above, high isolation between antennas can improve the anti-interference capability of the antennas. Figure 1Graph 100 illustrates the measurement of isolation between antennas. Isolation between antennas is a measure of how tightly coupled the antennas are. As shown, isolation S12 between antennas 102 and 103 can be measured using a vector network analyzer (VNA) 101 via port 1 of antenna 102 and port 2 of antenna 103. For example, isolation S12 can refer to the ratio of the signal power received at port 1 to the signal power transmitted at port 2. This is merely an example; any other suitable method can be used to measure isolation.

[0045] The primary factor affecting isolation is the mutual coupling between antennas 102 and 103. This also applies to the two AEs in an antenna array. For AEs on the same array, the desired isolation between them is as high as possible. The design goal is to achieve the highest possible isolation between antennas, which improves the antenna's interference immunity, particularly for 5G MIMO antennas. Therefore, the goal is to maximize antenna isolation, which can be more important than antenna gain in some antenna performance requirements.

[0046] Figure 2 Two types of isolation are shown in diagram 200. One type is isolation of two different polarizations, as shown in 201, and the other type is isolation of the same polarization, as shown in 202. Isolation of the same polarization depends primarily on the distance d between the two antennas, as shown in 202. Isolation between two orthogonally polarized antennas, as shown in 201, primarily involves mutual coupling between the antennas and between the feed networks. Figure 3 A diagram 300 is shown showing the mutual coupling between two orthogonally polarized antennas. As shown in the figure, reference numeral 301 represents the mutual coupling between the antennas, and reference numeral 302 represents the mutual coupling between the feed networks. The feed networks will be described later.

[0047] It is well known that two orthogonally polarized antennas have the least coupling. Therefore, orthogonally polarized AEs are typically used in BTS. However, it is difficult to obtain an increase in isolation by changing the position of the antennas with a constant distance. In current 5G antenna arrays, the number of AEs is as high as 192 in one embodiment, but there can be more in some embodiments. For millimeter wave products, there may be 256 AEs. As the number of AEs increases, the isolation will become worse, so the problem of achieving sufficiently high isolation (above a predetermined threshold) becomes more difficult as the number of AEs increases. On the other hand, higher isolation is always needed to improve the performance of the entire system.

[0048] To at least partially address the aforementioned and other potential issues, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide an antenna with an improved feed network. The improved feed network includes: a first port and a second port, each configured to transmit and / or receive signals; and a first feed line and a second feed line coupled in parallel between the first port and the second port, forming a continuous conductive loop. This continuous conductive loop design achieves high isolation between the first port and the second port.

[0049] The improved feed network further includes a first feed, a second feed, and a third feed and a fourth feed. The first feed and the second feed are each arranged to be coupled to a first node on the first feed line and to the radiating element of the antenna, and the third feed and the fourth feed are each arranged to be coupled to a second node on the second feed line and to the radiating element. In this way, the first feed, the second feed, the third feed, and the fourth feed are fed simultaneously, and the beam patterns of the two polarizations are advantageously maintained very consistent while providing high isolation above a predetermined threshold.

[0050] The following will refer to Figures 4A to 7 The principles and implementations of the present disclosure are described in detail. Figure 4A A perspective view of an antenna 400 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4B FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an antenna 400 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. For illustration, the antenna 400 is described by taking a patch antenna as an example.

[0051] Antenna 400 may include a substrate layer 401, a ground plane 402 formed on substrate layer 401, a feed network 403 formed on ground plane 402, and a radiating element 404 formed on top of substrate layer 401 and electrically coupled to feed network 403. Ground plane 401 may form the entire "ground plane" of a device including antenna 400. Alternatively, ground plane 401 may form only a portion of the entire ground plane of the device. Radiating element 404 is configured to radiate when driven or fed, such that the radiating element is only operable when a radio frequency (RF) circuit (e.g., a transmitter) transmits an RF signal via the radiating element and / or receives an electromagnetic signal from the ether through the radiating element and couples to an RF circuit (e.g., a receiver).

[0052] It should be noted that Figure 4AThe number of substrate layers, ground planes, radiating elements, and feed networks in the figure is given for illustrative purposes and does not imply any limitation of the present disclosure. Antenna 400 may include any suitable number of substrate layers and / or ground planes and / or radiating elements and / or feed networks suitable for implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, the arrangement of substrate layers, ground planes, radiating elements, and feed networks is not limited to the arrangement shown, and any other suitable arrangement is also feasible. In addition, antenna 400 may include additional components not shown and / or some components shown may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0053] In some embodiments, ground plane 401 can be formed from a metal plate having a first size, and radiating element 404 can be formed from a metal plate having a second size smaller than the first size. Of course, radiating element 404 can also be formed from a metal plate having a size greater than or equal to the first size, and the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. In some embodiments, radiating element 404 can be a printed conductive layer (PCB) or a conductive layer formed on or provided by a plastic substrate, such as laser direct structuring (LDS) or a molded interconnect device (MID). For example, radiating element 404 can be a printed circuit board. In some embodiments, substrate layer 401 can be a dielectric. Alternatively, substrate layer 401 can be a PCB.

[0054] It should be noted that the patch antenna described above is provided as an example only, and the feed network according to the present disclosure can be applied to any other suitable antenna type. For example, the feed network according to the present disclosure can be applied to one or more of the following antenna types, but is not limited to these antenna types: patch antennas, dipole antennas, slot antennas, and all their variants, such as dielectric resonant antennas and folded dipole antennas. The feed network will be described in detail below.

[0055] Figure 5 FIG4 shows a top view of a feed network 500 for an antenna according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For convenience, it will be described in conjunction with FIG4. Figure 5 As shown, feed network 500 includes a first port 501 and a second port 502. In some embodiments, each of first port 501 and second port 502 can be configured to transmit and receive signals. For example, each of first port 501 and second port 502 can transmit a signal to be transmitted to radiating element 404. Alternatively or additionally, each of first port 501 and second port 502 can transmit a signal received from radiating element 404 to a signal processing module for subsequent use.

[0056] like Figure 5 As shown, first feed line 503 and second feed line 504 are coupled in parallel between first port 501 and second port 502, forming a continuous conductive loop. During operation of antenna 400, due to the continuous conductive loop, a portion of the signal from first port 501 to second port 502 via first feed line 503 and a portion of the signal from first port 501 to second port 502 via second feed line 504 are canceled at second port 502. This improves isolation between first port 501 and second port 502. In some embodiments, a portion of the signal from second port 502 to first port 501 via first feed line 503 and a portion of the signal from second port 502 to first port 501 via second feed line 504 may also be canceled at first port 501. In this case, first port 501 and second port 502 are decoupled, and isolation between first port 501 and second port 502 can be further improved.

[0057] The feed network 500 also includes four feed elements 507-510. The feed elements here may refer to antenna feed points. For convenience, these four feed elements are also referred to as the first feed element 507, the second feed element 509, the third feed element 510 and the fourth feed element 508. Figure 5 As shown. Four feeds 507-510 are used to electrically couple to radiating element 404 and to separate radiating element 404 from feed network 500. These feeds can be any suitable form of conductor and can have different forms. The number of feeds is not limited to four; any other suitable number is also possible.

[0058] Each of the first feed 507 and the second feed 509 has one end coupled to the first node 505 on the first feed line 503 and the other end coupled to the radiating element 404. Each of the third feed 510 and the fourth feed 508 has one end coupled to the second node 506 on the second feed line 504 and the other end coupled to the radiating element 404. In this way, the four feeds 507-510 are coupled simultaneously and used to generate a beam pattern.

[0059] In some embodiments, the first portion 511 of the first feeder 503 extending from the first port 501 to the first node 505, the second portion 514 of the first feeder 503 extending from the first node 505 to the second port 502, the first portion 512 of the second feeder 504 extending from the first port 501 to the second node 506, and the second portion 513 of the second feeder 504 extending from the second node 506 to the second port 502 can be arranged in electrical length to achieve the above-mentioned signal cancellation. In this article, electrical length is associated with the wavelength of the transmitted signal. For example, electrical length can refer to the ratio of the physical length of the microstrip transmission line to the length of the transmitted electromagnetic wave (i.e., the wavelength of the transmitted signal).

[0060] In some embodiments, the above-described cancellation can be achieved when each of the first portion 511 of the first feeder 503, the first portion 512 of the second feeder 504, and the second portion 513 of the second feeder 504 has a first electrical length, and when the second portion 514 of the first feeder 503 has a second electrical length that is three times the first electrical length. For example, the first electrical length can be λ / 4, and the second electrical length can be ¾λ, where λ represents the wavelength of the transmitted signal. It should be noted that this is merely an example, and any other suitable method for achieving the above-described signal cancellation is also feasible.

[0061] In some alternative or additional embodiments, the four feeds 507-510 may be arranged about the central axis (perpendicular to the center axis) of the radiating element 404. Figure 5 The beam patterns are symmetrical and not shown in the drawing. Therefore, a symmetrical beam pattern can be generated while providing high isolation.

[0062] In some alternative or additional embodiments, the four feeds 507-510 can be arranged to produce a beam pattern with a +45 degree polarization or a -45 degree polarization. In this way, two orthogonally polarized antennas can be implemented while providing high isolation. In some embodiments, the first feed 507 and the second feed 509 can be arranged to be horizontally symmetrical about the central axis of the radiating element 404, and the third feed 510 and the fourth feed 508 can be arranged to be vertically symmetrical about the central axis. In some embodiments, the first feed 507 and the second feed 509 can be arranged to have a phase difference of 180 degrees with respect to the transmitted signal, and the third feed 510 and the fourth feed 508 can be arranged to have a phase difference of 180 degrees with respect to the transmitted signal. In this way, the first vector field generated by the first feed 507 and the second feed 509 and the second vector field generated by the third feed 510 and the fourth feed 508 can be superimposed into a beam pattern with a +45 degree polarization or a -45 degree polarization. Referring to Figure 6 and Figure 7 Describe the details.

[0063] Figure 6 A diagram 600 is shown that produces a beam pattern of +45 degrees polarization. For convenience, reference will be made to Figure 5 It is described. In this embodiment, a signal is to be transmitted from the first port 501. A portion of the signal from the first port 501 reaches the first node 505 through λ / 4, and then reaches the first feed 507 and the second feed 509 with a phase difference of 180 degrees (for example, 0 degrees at the first feed 507 and 180 degrees at the second feed 509). In this case, the vector field 601 (horizontal field) is generated by the first feed 507 and the second feed 509, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 shown.

[0064] Therefore, another portion of the signal from the first port 501 reaches the second node 506 through λ / 4, and then reaches the third feed 510 and the fourth feed 508 with a phase difference of 180 degrees (for example, 0 degrees at the third feed 510 and 180 degrees at the fourth feed 508). In this case, Figure 6 As shown, the vector field 602 (vertical field) is generated by the third feed 510 and the fourth feed 508. As a result, the vector fields 601 and 602 are superimposed to form a +45 degree far field 603, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 shown.

[0065] In this embodiment, it is assumed that there is a portion of the signal leaking from the first port 501 to the second port 502, that is, there is a signal portion 1 transmitted from the first node 505 to the second port 502, and there is a signal portion 2 transmitted from the second node 506 to the second port 502. Since the electrical lengths of the signal portion 1 and the signal portion 2 are the same, the signal portion 1 and the signal portion 2 will be canceled out at the second port 502. In other words, no signal portion leaks from the first port 501 to the second port 502. Therefore, the first port 501 and the second port 502 are decoupled.

[0066] Figure 7 A diagram 700 is shown that produces a beam pattern of -45 degrees polarization. For convenience, reference will be made to Figure 5 In this embodiment, a signal is transmitted from the second port 502. A portion of the signal from the second port 502 reaches the first node 505 through 3λ / 4, and then reaches the first feed 507 and the second feed 509 with a phase difference of 180 degrees (for example, 180 degrees at the first feed 507 and 360 degrees (i.e., 0 degrees) at the second feed 509). In this case, a vector field 701 (horizontal field) is generated by the first feed 507 and the second feed 509, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 shown.

[0067] Therefore, another portion of the signal from the second port 502 reaches the second node 506 through λ / 4 and then reaches the third feed 510 and the fourth feed 508 with a phase difference of 180 degrees (e.g., 0 degrees at the third feed 510 and 180 degrees at the fourth feed 508). In this case, a vector field 702 (vertical field) is generated by the third feed 510 and the fourth feed 508, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As a result, vector fields 701 and 702 are superimposed to form a -45 degree far field 703, as shown in Figure 7 shown.

[0068] In this embodiment, it is assumed that there is a signal portion leaking from the second port 502 to the first port 501, that is, there is a signal portion 1 transmitted from the first node 505 to the first port 501 and a signal portion 2 transmitted from the second node 506 to the first port 501. Since the electrical lengths of the signal portion 1 and the signal portion 2 are the same, the signal portion 1 and the signal portion 2 will be canceled out at the first port 501. In other words, no signal portion leaks from the second port 502 to the first port 501. Therefore, the first port 501 and the second port 502 are decoupled, and the isolation between the first port 501 and the second port 502 is effectively improved.

[0069] Back to Figure 5 In some embodiments, the first feed 507 may be coupled to the first node 505 via a third feed line 515, and the third feed 510 may be coupled to the second node 506 via a fourth feed line 516, the fourth feed line 516 having the same electrical length as the third feed line 515. In some alternative or additional embodiments, the second feed 509 is coupled to the first node 505 via a fifth feed line 517, and the fourth feed 508 is coupled to the second node 506 via a sixth feed line 518, the sixth feed line 518 having the same electrical length as the fifth feed line 517. In this way, the superimposed far-field radiation pattern generated by the four feeds 507-510 may form a beam pattern having a +45 degree polarization or a -45 degree polarization, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 and Figure 7 shown.

[0070] In some alternative or additional embodiments, the third feeder 515 and the fifth feeder 517 have a first common portion, and the fourth feeder 516 and the sixth feeder 518 have a second common portion, such as Figure 5 As shown. The first common part has the same electrical length as the second common part. In this way, a more compact antenna structure can be achieved. It should be noted that Figure 5 The shown arrangement of microstrips for the feed lines is merely an example; any other suitable arrangement is also possible.

[0071] refer to Figures 8 to 11BThe following description is given, and Figures 8 to 11B The figure shows a comparison between the feeding networks of the antenna of the present invention and the conventional antenna, as well as the advantages of the antenna of the present invention over the conventional antenna in terms of isolation. Figure 8 A top view of a conventional feed network 800 is shown. Figure 9A Diagram 901 shows a beam pattern for +45 degree polarization, while Figure 9B Diagram 902 shows a beam pattern for -45 degree polarization.

[0072] like Figure 8 As shown, feed network 800 includes a first port 802 and a second port 803. Each of feeds 804 and 805 (denoted as feed point 1 and feed point 2) is connected to first port 802, and each of feeds 806 and 807 (denoted as feed point 3 and feed point 4) is connected to second port 803. During operation, feeds 804 and 805 have a phase difference of 180 degrees, and feeds 806 and 807 have a phase difference of 180 degrees. The four feeds 804-807 are arranged symmetrically about the central axis of radiating element 801.

[0073] The signal from port 802 reaches only feeds 804 and 805 and not feeds 806 and 807. In this case, a beam pattern having a polarization of +45 degrees can be generated by feeds 804 and 805, as shown in FIG. Figure 9A As shown. The signal from port 803 reaches only feeds 806 and 807 but not feeds 804 and 805. In this case, a beam pattern with -45 degree polarization can be generated by feeds 806 and 807, as shown in FIG. Figure 9B shown.

[0074] use Figure 5 As shown and according to the feeding network 500 of the present disclosure, it is also possible to generate Figure 9A and 9B The beam pattern shown has ±45 degree polarization. Compared to the feed network 800, the feed network 500 according to the present disclosure can advantageously increase the isolation between the two ports. Figure 10 A graph 1000 comparing isolation between antennas according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure with conventional solutions is shown.

[0075] like Figure 10As shown, curve 1001 represents the isolation between first port 501 and second port 502 according to the present disclosure, and curve 1002 represents the isolation between first port 802 and second port 803 according to a conventional solution. Curves 1001 and 1002 were measured in a bandwidth from 2.1 GHz to 3.1 GHz. As can be seen from curves 1001 and 1002, when using feed network 500, there is an isolation increase of at least 10 dB across an antenna bandwidth from 2.5 to 2.7 GHz (a bandwidth of 200 MHz). It should be noted that this is merely an example for illustration, and this application does not impose any limitations on the antenna bandwidth.

[0076] Furthermore, compared to the feeding network 800 , the feeding network 500 according to the present disclosure has no loss of gain, no increase in line loss, no increase in volume and weight, and no increase in cost. Figure 11A Simulation results 1110 in terms of isolation and return loss according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. Figure 11B Simulation results 1120 are shown in the horizontal and vertical planes and ±45 degree polarization according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0077] like Figure 11A As shown, curve 1111 represents the input return loss (S1, 1), curve 1112 represents the gain (S2, 1), curve 1113 represents the isolation (S1, 2), and curve 1114 represents the output return loss (S2, 2). It can be seen that from 2.5 GHz to 2.7 GHz, the isolation remains stable at -25 dB ± 2. Furthermore, the return loss is less than -10 dB.

[0078] like Figure 11B As shown, curve 1121 represents the 1D result of the far-field radiation pattern with a horizontal plane and +45-degree polarization, curve 1122 represents the 1D result of the far-field radiation pattern with a vertical plane and +45-degree polarization, curve 1123 represents the 1D result of the far-field radiation pattern with a horizontal plane and -45-degree polarization, and curve 1124 represents the 1D result of the far-field radiation pattern with a vertical plane and -45-degree polarization. It can be seen that the beam patterns with ±45-degree polarization show high consistency in both the horizontal and vertical planes.

[0079] Thus far, antennas according to some embodiments of the present disclosure have been described. Using a continuous conductive loop in the antenna's feed network improves isolation between two ports (compared to conventional feed networks). Using four feeds operating together, two vector fields are superimposed to produce a beam pattern with either +45-degree or -45-degree polarization. Furthermore, there is no loss of gain, no increase in line loss, and no increase in size or weight. Furthermore, there is no increase in cost.

[0080] Accordingly, an embodiment of the present disclosure also provides an antenna array. Figure 12 FIG4 shows a diagram of an antenna array 1200 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5 As shown, antenna array 1200 includes multiple AEs 1201. AEs 1201 are formed by antennas 400. The number of AEs 1201 is not limited to the number shown and can be any suitable number. In addition, antenna array 1200 can include additional components not shown and / or can omit some of the components shown, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0081] An embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a communication device. Figure 13 A diagram of a communication device 1300 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The communication device 1300 may be implemented at or as at least a portion of a network device or a terminal device.

[0082] As shown, communications device 1300 includes a processor 1310, a memory 1320 coupled to processor 1310, a suitable transmitter (TX) and / or receiver (RX) 1340 coupled to processor 1310, and a communications interface coupled to TX / RX 1340. Memory 1320 stores at least a portion of a program 1330. TX / RX 1340 is configured for bidirectional communication. TX / RX 1340 has at least one antenna 400 or antenna array 1200 to facilitate communication, although in practice, access nodes described herein may have several. The communications interface may represent any interface required for communication with other network elements, such as an X2 interface for bidirectional communication between eNBs, an S1 interface for communication between a Mobility Management Entity (MME) / Serving Gateway (S-GW) and an eNB, a Un interface for communication between an eNB and a relay node (RN), or a Uu interface for communication between an eNB and a terminal device.

[0083] Assume that program 1330 includes program instructions that, when executed by the associated processor 1310, enable device 1300 to operate in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments herein may be implemented by computer software executable by processor 1310 of device 1300, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. Processor 1310 may be configured to implement various embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, the combination of processor 1310 and memory 1320 may form a processing component 1350 suitable for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0084] Memory 1320 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as, by way of non-limiting example, non-transitory computer-readable storage media, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. Although only one memory 1320 is shown in device 1300, there may be several physically distinct memory modules in device 1300. Processor 1310 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and may include, by way of non-limiting example, one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 1300 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-slave to a clock that synchronizes a master processor.

[0085] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software, which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representation, it will be understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or a controller or other computing device, or some combination thereof, as non-limiting examples.

[0086] As an example, embodiments of the present disclosure may be described in the context of machine-executable instructions included in program modules that are executed in devices, such as on target physical or virtual processors. Typically, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, and the like that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data structures. In various embodiments, the functionality of program modules may be merged or split between the program modules described herein. Machine-executable instructions for program modules may be executed locally or within distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules may be located in local and remote storage media.

[0087] The program code for executing the method of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device so that the program code, when executed by the processor or controller, implements the functions / operations specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram. As a stand-alone software package, the program code can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0088] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier, such as an apparatus, device, or processor that can perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, and the like. Examples of signals may include electrical, optical, wireless, acoustic, or other forms of signal broadcast, such as carrier waves, infrared signals, and the like.

[0089] A computer-readable medium can be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A computer-readable medium can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable medium can include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media would include: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0090] In addition, although the operation of the present method is described in a particular order in the accompanying drawings, it does not require or imply that these operations must be performed according to this particular order in order to achieve the desired result, or can only be performed by performing all the operations shown. On the contrary, the execution order of the steps described in the flow chart can be changed. Alternatively or additionally, some steps can be omitted, multiple steps can be merged into one step, or a step can be divided into multiple steps for execution. It should be understood that the features and functions of two or more devices according to the present disclosure can be combined in a single implementation. On the contrary, the various features and functions described in the context of a single implementation can also be realized in multiple devices.

[0091] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to various embodiments, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the disclosed example embodiments, and the present disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An antenna (400), comprising: Radiating element (404); as well as A feed network (500) coupled to the radiating element (404), the feed network (500) comprising: A first port (501) and a second port (502), each configured to transmit and / or receive signals; A first feed line (503) and a second feed line (504) are coupled in parallel between the first port (501) and the second port (502) and are formed into a continuous conductive loop; and a first feed (507) and a second feed (509) and a third feed (510) and a fourth feed (508), wherein the first feed (507) and the second feed (509) are arranged to be coupled to a first node (505) on the first feed line (503) and to the radiating element (404), and the third feed (510) and the fourth feed (508) are arranged to be coupled to a second node (506) on the second feed line (504) and to the radiating element (404), wherein each of a first portion of the first feeder (503) extending from the first port (501) to the first node (505), a first portion of the second feeder (504) extending from the first port (501) to the second node (506), and a second portion of the second feeder (504) extending from the second node (506) to the second port (502) has a first electrical length, and a second portion of the first feeder (503) extending from the first node (505) to the second port (502) has a second electrical length equal to three times the first electrical length.

2. The antenna (400) according to claim 1, wherein the feed network (500) is configured such that when a signal is transmitted from the first port (501), a first portion of the signal from the first port (501) is transmitted to the second port (502) via the first feeder (503), and a second portion of the signal from the first port (501) is transmitted to the second port (502) via the second feeder (504), the first portion and the second portion of the signal being canceled at the second port (502), and When a signal is transmitted from the second port (502), a first portion of the signal from the second port (502) is transmitted to the first port (501) via the first feeder (503), and a second portion of the signal from the second port (502) is transmitted to the first port (501) via the second feeder (504), and the first portion and the second portion of the signal are canceled out at the first port (501).

3. The antenna (400) of claim 1, wherein the first electrical length is one quarter of a wavelength of the signal and the second electrical length is three quarters of the wavelength.

4. The antenna (400) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first feed (507), the second feed (509), the third feed (510) and the fourth feed (508) are arranged symmetrically about a central axis of the radiating element (404).

5. The antenna (400) according to claim 4, wherein the first feed (507), the second feed (509), the third feed (510) and the fourth feed (508) are arranged so that the first vector field generated by the first feed (507) and the second feed (509) and the second vector field generated by the third feed (510) and the fourth feed (508) are superimposed into a beam pattern having a +45 degree polarization or a -45 degree polarization.

6. The antenna (400) according to claim 5, wherein the first feed (507) and the second feed (509) are arranged to be horizontally symmetrical about the central axis of the radiating element (404), and the third feed (510) and the fourth feed (508) are arranged to be vertically symmetrical about the central axis.

7. The antenna (400) according to claim 5, wherein the first feed (507) and the second feed (509) are arranged to have a phase difference of 180 degrees relative to the signal, and the third feed (510) and the fourth feed (508) are arranged to have a phase difference of 180 degrees relative to the signal.

8. The antenna (400) of claim 5, wherein the first feed (507) is coupled to the first node (505) via a third feed line (515), and the third feed (510) is coupled to the second node (506) via a fourth feed line (516), the third feed line (515) and the fourth feed line (516) having the same electrical length, and The second feeder (509) is coupled to the first node (505) via a fifth feeder (517), and the fourth feeder (508) is coupled to the second node (506) via a sixth feeder (518), and the fifth feeder (517) and the sixth feeder (518) have the same electrical length.

9. The antenna (400) of claim 8, wherein the third feed line (515) and the fifth feed line (517) have a first common portion, and the fourth feed line (516) and the sixth feed line (518) have a second common portion, and The first common portion and the second common portion have the same electrical length.

10. An antenna array (1200), comprising: A plurality of antennas (400) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A communication device (1300) comprising the antenna array (1200) according to claim 10.

Images