Antenna structure and antenna array structure

Abstract

An antenna structure includes a substrate, a plurality of reflectors, a ground plate, a radiator, a signal feed hole, and a plurality of vias. The substrate has opposite first and second sides and includes a liquid crystal polymer material. The reflectors are on the first side of the substrate and are arranged in an array. The ground plate is on the second side of the substrate and overlaps the reflectors in a direction normal to the substrate and defines an opening. The radiator is on the first side of the substrate and is physically separated from the reflectors. The signal feed hole couples the radiator and passes through the substrate to be exposed in the opening. The vias each couple one of the reflectors and collectively pass through the substrate to couple the ground plate. The antenna structure exhibits combined left and right handed characteristics, which increases the operational bandwidth. The antenna structure also increases the maximum antenna gain and increases the difference between the main lobe and side lobe gains, which increases the directivity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to antenna structures, and more particularly to antenna structures and antenna array structures with reflector arrays. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of communication technology, commercial mobile communication systems can now achieve high-speed data transmission, enabling network service providers to offer a wide variety of services, such as multimedia audio and video streaming, real-time traffic reports, navigation, and real-time network communication—all requiring massive data transmission volumes. From a hardware perspective, antenna design affects the transmission and reception performance of wireless signals. Therefore, designing an antenna structure with a wide bandwidth, good radiation performance, and high antenna gain has become a key objective for related industries. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides an antenna structure comprising a substrate, a plurality of reflectors, a ground plane, a first radiator, a signal feed aperture, and a plurality of first vias. The substrate has opposing first and second sides and comprises a liquid crystal polymer material. The reflectors are located on the first side of the substrate and arranged in an array. The ground plane is located on the second side of the substrate and overlaps with the reflectors in the normal direction of the substrate, defining an opening. The first radiator is located on the first side of the substrate and is physically separate from the reflectors. The signal feed aperture is coupled to the first radiator and passes through the substrate, exposed in the opening. The first vias are respectively coupled to the reflectors and together pass through the substrate to be coupled to the ground plane. The substrate has a planar portion, a first bendable portion, and a first protrusion. The reflectors are located in the planar portion, and the first radiator extends from the planar portion through the first bendable portion to the first protrusion.

[0004] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the radiation section of the first radiator is located in the first protrusion.

[0005] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the angle between the first protrusion and the flat portion is approximately 90 to 135 degrees.

[0006] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the signal feed hole is located between four reflectors arranged in two rows and two columns.

[0007] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the antenna structure further includes a second through-hole, which is coupled to the grounding section of the first radiator and passes through the substrate to be coupled to the ground plane.

[0008] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the radiation section of the first radiator is a straight strip, a rectangular plate, a rectangular frame, or a U-shaped frame.

[0009] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the antenna structure further includes a second radiator located on a second side of the substrate and coupled to a ground plane. The second radiator and the first radiator constitute a dipole antenna.

[0010] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, each of these grounding plates is a rectangular plate or a rectangular frame or a cross shape.

[0011] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the substrate further has a second bendable portion and a second protrusion, and the ground plane extends through the second bendable portion to the second protrusion.

[0012] The present invention also provides an antenna array structure comprising a substrate, a plurality of reflectors, a ground plane, a plurality of radiators, a plurality of signal feed holes, and a plurality of vias. The substrate has opposing first and second sides and comprises a liquid crystal polymer material. The reflectors are located on the first side of the substrate and arranged in an array. The ground plane is located on the second side of the substrate and overlaps with the reflectors in the normal direction of the substrate, defining a plurality of openings. The radiators are located on the first side of the substrate and are physically separated from the reflectors. The radiators are periodically arranged along the length of the substrate. The signal feed holes are respectively coupled to the radiators and pass through the substrate, respectively exposed in the openings. The vias are respectively coupled to the reflectors and together pass through the substrate to be coupled to the ground plane. The substrate has a planar portion, a bendable portion, and a protrusion, the reflectors being located in the planar portion, and the radiators extending from the planar portion through the bendable portion to the protrusion.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this invention are at least as follows: the reflector and ground plane constitute a metamaterial structure with a negative refractive index, exhibiting left-handed characteristics different from right-handed characteristics. Therefore, combined with a right-handed radiator, the overall antenna structure can exhibit composite left-handed characteristics, thereby increasing its operating bandwidth. Furthermore, this invention can further improve the maximum antenna gain and increase the gain difference between the main lobe and side lobes, thus further improving directivity. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To gain a more complete understanding of the embodiments and their advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0015] Figure 1A This is a perspective view of the antenna array structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 1B for Figure 1A A side view of the antenna array structure;

[0017] Figure 1C and Figure 1D They are respectively Figure 1AThe antenna array structure is shown in the first and second side plan views when its substrate is not bent.

[0018] Figure 1E for Figure 1A A partial first-side plan view of the antenna array structure;

[0019] Figure 2A and Figure 2B These are, respectively, a first side plan view and a second side plan view of the antenna structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2C for Figure 2A An enlarged plan view of the radiator shown;

[0021] Figure 2D for Figure 2A and Figure 2B A partial second-side plan view of the antenna structure;

[0022] Figure 3A and Figure 3B These are, respectively, a first side plan view and a second side plan view of the antenna structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3C and Figure 3D for Figure 3A and Figure 3B An example of a 3D view of an antenna structure after it has been bent;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a first side plan view of an antenna structure according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a first side plan view of an antenna structure according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6A and Figure 6B These are, respectively, a first side plan view and a second side plan view of the antenna structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7A and Figure 7B These are, respectively, a first side plan view and a second side plan view of the antenna structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8A and Figure 8B These are, respectively, a first side plan view and a second side plan view of the antenna structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 9 This is a first side plan view of an antenna structure according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 10This is a first side plan view of an antenna structure according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 11 This is a first side plan view of an antenna structure according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 12 The return loss simulation results are for the antenna array structure in this embodiment of the invention.

[0033] Figure 13 The antenna gain simulation results are for the embodiments and comparative examples of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The following describes embodiments of the present invention. However, it is understood that the embodiments provide many applicable concepts that can be implemented in a wide variety of specific contexts. The discussed and disclosed embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0035] The language used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the claims. Unless otherwise limited, the singular forms of "a" or "the" may also be used to denote the plural forms.

[0036] The following description and claims may use the term "coupled" and its derivatives. In certain embodiments, "coupled" may refer to two or more elements that are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other, or that are not in direct contact with each other.

[0037] It is understood that although terms such as "first," "second," "third," etc., may be used in this document to describe various components, these terms should not limit these components. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another.

[0038] The use of spatial relativity is intended to describe the different orientations of a component during use or operation, and is not limited to the orientation shown in the accompanying drawings. Components may also be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other directions), and the spatial relativity descriptions used herein can be interpreted in the same way.

[0039] In this invention, the substrate, an array of reflectors on the first side of the substrate, and a ground plane on the second side of the substrate constitute a metamaterial structure with a negative refractive index. This structure exhibits left-handed characteristics, unlike the right-handed characteristic. Therefore, combined with a right-handed radiator, the overall antenna structure displays a composite left-handed characteristic, thereby increasing its operating bandwidth. Furthermore, parasitic capacitance is generated between two adjacent reflectors, forming a parallel inductor-capacitor (LC) circuit with the inductive reflectors. At the resonant frequency, the array of reflectors has infinite impedance, thus reflecting electromagnetic waves emitted by the radiator back to the radiator, simultaneously achieving an effect similar to a notch filter, thereby altering the antenna pattern and further improving antenna gain and directivity. Simultaneously, the flexible substrate is bent, causing the radiator to bend at approximately 90–135 degrees, to further reduce the parasitic capacitance between the radiator and the ground plane, further increasing radiation efficiency and antenna gain in a size-constrained design.

[0040] Figure 1A This is a perspective view of an antenna array structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The antenna array structure 100 includes a substrate 110, multiple reflectors 120, a ground plane 130, and multiple radiators 140. The reflectors 120 and radiators 140 are located on a first side of the substrate 110, while the ground plane 130 is located on a second side of the substrate 110. The antenna array structure 100 is composed of multiple antenna elements 100A-100H arranged in an array along the length direction (i.e., the X-axis direction) of the substrate 110, and each antenna element 100A-100H corresponds to one radiator 140. The antenna array structure 100 can be configured for wireless transmission technologies such as multiple input multiple output (MIMO), single input single output (SISO), multiple input single output (MISO), and / or single input multiple output (SIMO).

[0041] Substrate 110 is a flexible, bendable substrate containing a liquid crystal polymer material. Furthermore, as... Figure 1BAs shown in the side view of the antenna array structure 100, the substrate 110 has a planar portion 110A, a bendable portion 110B, and a protrusion 110C, wherein the bendable portion 110B is located between the planar portion 110A and the protrusion 110C, and is the bendable region of the substrate 110. After the substrate 110 is bent, the width directions of the planar portion 110A and the protrusion 110C are the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction, respectively. In this invention, the X, Y, and Z-axis directions can be perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to each other, or they can be changed to have angles other than right angles according to design requirements. For example, after the substrate 110 is bent, the angle between the planar portion 110A and the protrusion 110C can be approximately 90 degrees to 135 degrees.

[0042] The reflector 120 and the ground plane 130 are both located on the planar portion 110A of the substrate 110 and overlap in the normal direction of the substrate 110. In this embodiment, the reflector 120 is a square patch and is arranged in a multi-row and multi-column array on the first side of the substrate 110. In other embodiments, the reflector 120 may also have other geometric shapes and arrangements. The ground plane 130 is a rectangular patch, and its size may be approximately the same as the size of the planar portion 110A. Each reflector 120 can be transmitted through a through-hole in the substrate 110. Figure 1A , 1B (Not shown) Electrically connected to ground plane 130. The materials of reflector 120 and ground plane 130 may be, for example, copper, silver, gold, platinum, nickel, tin, alloys of the above metals, and / or other suitable materials.

[0043] Each radiator 140 is flexible and extends from the planar portion 110A of the substrate 110 through the bendable portion 110B to the protrusion 110C. A plurality of radiators 140 are arranged periodically along the length of the substrate 110. The material of the radiators 140 may be, for example, copper, silver, gold, platinum, nickel, tin, alloys of the above metals, and / or other suitable materials.

[0044] Figure 1C and Figure 1D They are respectively Figure 1A The antenna array structure 100 is shown in a first side plan view and a second side plan view when its substrate 110 is not bent. In this embodiment, as shown... Figure 1C and Figure 1DAs shown, each antenna element 100A-100H has a corresponding 3×3 reflector 120, radiator 140, and signal feed point 150 connected to one end of the radiator 140. The signal feed hole 150 is a through-hole structure passing through the substrate 110, and the ground plane 130 has multiple openings 130A corresponding to the signal feed points 150, such that one end of the signal feed hole 150 located on the second side of the substrate 110 is exposed in the opening 130A to facilitate coupling to external terminals. Antenna elements 100A-100H have similar structures, and the reflector 120, radiator 140, and signal feed point 150 are arranged periodically along the length of the substrate 110.

[0045] It should be noted that adjacent antenna elements 100A-100H may share a reflector 120. For example... Figure 1E As shown in the partial first side plan view of the antenna array structure 100 in this embodiment, the three rightmost reflectors 120 in antenna element 100G also serve as the three leftmost reflectors 120 in antenna element 100H. It should be noted that although a portion of the radiator 140 in antenna element 100H is also located in the region of antenna element 100G, the radiator 140 of antenna element 100H does not simultaneously belong to antenna element 100G.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the protrusion 110C is formed by bending the substrate 110. However, in other embodiments, the substrate 110 may be modified to have only a planar portion 110A and a protrusion 110C. The protrusion 110C may also be formed by stacking or bonding the same or different materials on the edge of the planar portion 110A. Furthermore, the inner side of the protrusion 110C may have multiple reflectors and multiple radiators to further improve the gain performance of the antenna array structure 100.

[0047] Figure 2A and Figure 2B These are, respectively, a first side plan view and a second side plan view of the antenna structure 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The antenna structure 200 can be... Figure 1A The structure of any antenna element 100A-100H in the antenna array structure 100. For example... Figure 2A and Figure 2BAs shown, the antenna structure 200 includes a substrate 210, a plurality of reflectors 220, a ground plane 230, a radiator 240, a signal feed hole 250, a plurality of first through holes 260 and second through holes 270. The substrate 210 has a planar portion 210A, a bendable portion 210B and a protrusion 210C. The reflectors 220 are located on a first side of the substrate 210 and are in the planar portion 210A. The ground plane 230 is located on a second side of the substrate 210 and is in the planar portion 210A. The radiator 240 is located on a first side of the substrate 210 and extends from the planar portion 210A through the bendable portion 210B to the protrusion 210C. The signal feed hole 250, the first through holes 260 and the second through holes 270 are through-hole structures that pass through the substrate 210 and are in the planar portion 210A. The substrate 210, multiple reflectors 220, ground plane 230, radiator 240, and signal feed port 250 can respectively correspond to Figures 1A to 1D The antenna array structure 100 includes a substrate 110, multiple reflectors 120, a ground plane 130, a radiator 140, and a signal feed hole 150 in any antenna element 100A-100H.

[0048] Figure 2A The radiator 240 shown is an inverted-F type antenna, which is physically separated from the reflector 220 and has a radiating branch, a signal feed branch, and a ground branch. The radiating branch is located in the protrusion 210C. One end of the signal feed branch and the ground branch are coupled to the radiating branch, the other end of the signal feed branch is coupled to the signal feed aperture 250, and the other end of the ground branch is coupled to the second through-hole 270. Figure 2A As shown, the signal feed branch of the radiator 240 is continuously bent, while the ground branch of the radiator 240 is straight. The signal feed hole 250 passes through the substrate 210 and is exposed on the second side of the substrate 210 by an opening 230A defined by the ground plane 230, while the second via 270 passes through the substrate 210 and is electrically connected to the ground plane 230. Furthermore, each first via 260 passes through the substrate 210 and is electrically connected to the ground plane 230 and the corresponding reflector 220. Similar to the reflector 220, the first vias 260 are also arranged in an array of three rows and three columns.

[0049] like Figure 2A As shown, in the normal direction of the substrate 210, the signal feed hole 250 is located between the upper right side, the middle of the right side, the middle of the top, and the center of the reflector 220. The first through hole 260 is located at the center of the reflector 220, and the second through hole 270 is located between the upper left side and the middle of the top of the reflector 220. However, the positions of the signal feed hole 250, the first through hole 260, and the second through hole 270 can be changed according to the number and size of the reflectors 220 and / or the size and pattern of the radiator 240, and are not fixed. Figure 2A and Figure 2B The indicated positions are the only limits.

[0050] Figure 2C for Figure 2A An enlarged plan view of the radiator 240 shown. (See attached image.) Figure 2C As shown, the radial branch has a single straight segment with a length L1. 240 and width W1 240 The signal feed branch has three straight segments, each with a length L2. 240 L3 240 L4 240 and width W2 240 W3 240 W4 240 The grounding branch has a single straight section with a length of L5. 240 and width W5 240 .also, Figure 2D This is a partial second side plan view of antenna structure 200. (See attached image.) Figure 2D As shown, the defined width of the ground plane 230 is W. 230A A square opening 230A, and a signal feed hole 250 is located in the square opening 230A and has a length of L. 250 A square planar pattern.

[0051] Figure 3A and Figure 3B These are, respectively, a first side plan view and a second side plan view of the antenna structure 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3A and Figure 3B The antenna structure 300 shown includes a substrate 310, a plurality of reflectors 320, a ground plane 330, a radiator 340, a signal feed hole 350, a plurality of first vias 360 and second vias 370, wherein the reflectors 320 and the radiators 340 are located on a first side of the substrate 310, the ground plane 330 is located on a second side of the substrate 310, and the signal feed hole 350 passes through the substrate 310 and is exposed by an opening 330A defined by the ground plane 330.

[0052] Figure 3A and Figure 3B Antenna structure 300 and Figure 2A and Figure 2B The difference in antenna structure 200 is that, in addition to the planar portion 310A, the first bendable portion 310B, and the first protrusion 310C, which are respectively similar to the planar portion 210A, the bendable portion 210B, and the protrusion 210C of antenna structure 200, the substrate 310 also has a second bendable portion 310D and a second protrusion 310E extending to the left, and a third bendable portion 310F and a third protrusion 310G extending to the right. For example... Figure 3A and Figure 3BAs shown, the second protrusion 310E and the third protrusion 310G also have a plurality of reflectors 320, and the ground plane 330 extends from the planar portion 310A through the second bendable portion 310D and the third bendable portion 310F to the second protrusion 310E and the third protrusion 310G, respectively. Furthermore, the second protrusion 310E and / or the third protrusion 310G may have radiators. In some embodiments, the substrate 310 may have only the second bendable portion 310D and the second protrusion 310E without the third bendable portion 310F and the third protrusion 310G, or it may have the third bendable portion 310F and the third protrusion 310G without the second bendable portion 310D and the second protrusion 310E. In other embodiments, each of the four sides of the planar portion 310A has a protrusion, and each protrusion may have a reflector and / or a radiator.

[0053] Figure 3C and Figure 3D Examples of 3D views of an antenna structure after being bent 300 degrees from different perspectives. Similar to... Figure 1A The antenna array structure 100, after the substrate 310 is bent, has an angle between the planar portion 310A and the first protrusion 310C, the second protrusion 310E and / or the third protrusion 310G that can be approximately 90 degrees to 135 degrees.

[0054] The planar portion 310A, the first bendable portion 310B and the first protrusion 310C of the substrate 310, the reflector 320, the ground plane 330, the radiator 340, the signal feed hole 350, the first through hole 360 ​​and the second through hole 370 respectively correspond to Figure 2A and Figure 2B The planar portion 210A, bendable portion 210B, protrusion portion 210C, reflector 220, ground plane 230, radiator 240, signal feed hole 250, first through hole 260 and second through hole 270 of the substrate 210 shown can be described with reference to the description of the antenna structure 200.

[0055] Figure 4 This is a first side plan view of an antenna structure 400 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 The antenna structure 400 shown includes a substrate 410, a plurality of reflectors 420, a ground plane 430, a radiator 440, and a signal feed aperture 450. The reflectors 420 and radiators 440 are located on a first side of the substrate 410, the ground plane 430 is located on a second side of the substrate 410, and the signal feed aperture 450 is coupled to the ground plane 430, passes through the substrate 410, and has an opening defined by the ground plane 430. Figure 4 (Not shown) Exposed. Figure 4 Antenna structure 400 and Figure 2A and Figure 2BThe difference in antenna structure 200 is that the radiator 440 has a radiating branch and a signal feed branch, but no ground branch. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the radiation branch and signal feed branch of the radiator 440 are a rectangular plate and a straight bar, respectively. Similar to... Figure 2A As shown, after bending the substrate 410, the radiating branch is located at the protrusion of the substrate 410, while the signal feed branch extends from the flat portion of the substrate 410 through the bendable portion to the protrusion. The substrate 410, reflector 420, ground plane 430, and signal feed hole 450 are similar to the substrate 210, reflector 220, ground plane 230, and signal feed hole 250 of the antenna structure 200, respectively, so their related descriptions can be found in the description of the antenna structure 200 described above.

[0056] Figure 5 This is a first side plan view of the antenna structure 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 The antenna structure 500 shown includes a substrate 510, a plurality of reflectors 520, a ground plane 530, a radiator 540, and a signal feed aperture 550. The reflectors 520 and radiators 540 are located on a first side of the substrate 510, the ground plane 530 is located on a second side of the substrate 510, and the signal feed aperture 550 is coupled to the ground plane 530 and passes through the substrate 510, with an opening defined by the ground plane 530. Figure 5 (Not shown) Exposed. Figure 5 Antenna structure 500 and Figure 2A The difference between the antenna structure 200 in Figure 2B and the radiator 540 is that the radiator 540 has a radiating branch and a signal feed branch, but no grounding branch. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the radiation branch and signal feed branch of the radiator 540 are a rectangular frame and a straight bar, respectively. Similar to... Figure 2A As shown, after bending the substrate 510, the radiating branch is located at the protrusion of the substrate 510, while the signal feed branch extends from the flat portion of the substrate 510 through the bendable portion to the protrusion. The substrate 510, reflector 520, ground plane 530, and signal feed hole 550 are similar to the substrate 210, reflector 220, ground plane 230, and signal feed hole 250 of the antenna structure 200, respectively, so their related descriptions can be found in the description of the antenna structure 200 described above.

[0057] Figure 6A and Figure 6B These are, respectively, a first side plan view and a second side plan view of the antenna structure 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6A and Figure 6BThe antenna structure 600 shown includes a substrate 610, a plurality of reflectors 620, a ground plane 630, a radiator 640, and a signal feed hole 650, wherein the reflectors 620 and the radiator 640 are located on a first side of the substrate 610, the ground plane 630 is located on a second side of the substrate 610, and the signal feed hole 650 is coupled to the ground plane 630 and passes through the substrate 610 and is exposed by an opening 630A defined by the ground plane 630. Figure 6A and Figure 6B Antenna structure 600 and Figure 2A and Figure 2B The difference in antenna structure 200 lies in that the radiating branch of radiator 640 is a U-shaped frame, and the width of the protrusion of substrate 610 is correspondingly increased. The planar portion and bendable portion of substrate 610 and the signal feed branch and ground branch of radiator 640 respectively correspond to... Figure 2A The planar portion 210A and the bendable portion 210B of the substrate 210 shown, as well as the signal feed branch and ground branch of the radiator 240, and the reflector 620, the ground plane 630 and the signal feed hole 650 are similar to the reflector 220, the ground plane 230 and the signal feed hole 250 of the antenna structure 200, respectively. Therefore, the relevant descriptions can be referred to the description of the antenna structure 200 mentioned above.

[0058] Figure 7A and Figure 7B These are, respectively, a first side plan view and a second side plan view of the antenna structure 700 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7A and Figure 7B The antenna structure 700 shown includes a substrate 710, a plurality of reflectors 720, a ground plane 730, radiators 740A and 740B, and a signal feed hole 750, wherein the reflectors 720 and radiators 740A are located on a first side of the substrate 710, the ground plane 730 and radiators 740B are located on a second side of the substrate 710, and the signal feed hole 750 is coupled to the ground plane 730 and passes through the substrate 710 and is exposed by an opening 730A defined by the ground plane 730. Figure 7A and Figure 7B Antenna structure 700 and Figure 2A and Figure 2B The difference in antenna structure 200 is that radiators 740A and 740B constitute a dipole antenna, wherein radiator 740A is coupled to an external terminal via signal feed hole 750, and radiator 740B is coupled to ground plane 730. The substrate 710, reflector 720, ground plane 730 and signal feed hole 750 are similar to the substrate 210, reflector 220, ground plane 230 and signal feed hole 250 of antenna structure 200, respectively, so their related descriptions can be referred to the description of antenna structure 200 above.

[0059] Figure 8A and Figure 8BThese are, respectively, a first side plan view and a second side plan view of the antenna structure 800 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8A and Figure 8B The antenna structure 800 shown includes a substrate 810, a plurality of reflectors 820, a ground plane 830, a radiator 840, and a signal feed hole 850, wherein the reflectors 820 and the radiator 840 are located on a first side of the substrate 810, the ground plane 830 is located on a second side of the substrate 810, and the signal feed hole 850 is coupled to the ground plane 830 and passes through the substrate 810 and is exposed by an opening 830A defined by the ground plane 830. Figure 8A and Figure 8B Antenna structure 800 and Figure 2A and Figure 2B The difference between the antenna structure 200 and the antenna structure 200 is that the radiator 840 has a radiating branch and a signal feed branch but no ground branch, and the radiating branch and the signal feed branch form a straight strip. Furthermore, the ground plane 830 extends from the planar portion through the bendable portion to the protrusion portion, and a slot 830B is defined therein. The slot 830B may be located in the bendable portion and / or the protrusion portion of the substrate 810, and overlaps with the radiator 840 in the normal direction of the substrate 810. The substrate 810, the reflector 820, and the signal feed hole 850 are similar to the substrate 210, the reflector 220, and the signal feed hole 250 of the antenna structure 200, respectively; therefore, their related descriptions can be found in the description of the antenna structure 200 described above.

[0060] Figure 9 This is a first side plan view of the antenna structure 900 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 The antenna structure 900 shown includes a substrate 910, a plurality of reflectors 920, a ground plane 930, a radiator 940, and a signal feed aperture 950. The reflectors 920 and radiators 940 are located on a first side of the substrate 910, the ground plane 930 is located on a second side of the substrate 910, and the signal feed aperture 950 is coupled to the ground plane 930, passes through the substrate 910, and has an opening defined by the ground plane 930. Figure 9 (Not shown) Exposed. Figure 9 Antenna structure 900 and Figure 2A The difference between the antenna structure 200 in Figure 2B and the antenna structure 200 is that, as Figure 9 As shown, each reflector 920 is cross-shaped. The substrate 910, ground plane 930, radiator 940 and signal feed hole 950 are similar to the substrate 210, ground plane 230, radiator 240 and signal feed hole 250 of the antenna structure 200, respectively. Therefore, their related descriptions can be referred to the description of the antenna structure 200 above.

[0061] Figure 10 This is a first side plan view of the antenna structure 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10The antenna structure 1000 shown includes a substrate 1010, a plurality of reflectors 1020, a ground plane 1030, a radiator 1040, and a signal feed aperture 1050. The reflectors 1020 and radiators 1040 are located on a first side of the substrate 1010, the ground plane 1030 is located on a second side of the substrate 1010, and the signal feed aperture 1050 is coupled to the ground plane 1030, passes through the substrate 1010, and has an opening defined by the ground plane 1030. Figure 10 (Not shown) Exposed. Figure 10 Antenna structure 1000 and Figure 2A and Figure 2B The difference in antenna structure 200 is that, for example Figure 10 As shown, each reflector 1020 is a circular plate. The substrate 1010, ground plane 1030, radiator 1040 and signal feed hole 1050 are similar to the substrate 210, ground plane 230, radiator 240 and signal feed hole 250 of the antenna structure 200, respectively. Therefore, their related descriptions can be referred to the description of the antenna structure 200 above.

[0062] Figure 11 This is a first side plan view of the antenna structure 1100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 The antenna structure 1100 shown includes a substrate 1110, a plurality of reflectors 1120, a ground plane 1130, a radiator 1140, and a signal feed aperture 1150, wherein the reflectors 1120 and the radiator 1140 are located on a first side of the substrate 1110, the ground plane 1130 is located on a second side of the substrate 1110, and the signal feed aperture 1150 is coupled to the ground plane 1130 and passes through the substrate 1110 and has an opening defined by the ground plane 1130. Figure 11 (Not shown) Exposed. Figure 11 Antenna structure 1100 and Figure 2A and Figure 2B The difference in antenna structure 200 is that, for example Figure 11 As shown, each reflector 1120 is a rectangular frame. The substrate 1110, ground plane 1130, radiator 1140 and signal feed hole 1150 are similar to the substrate 210, ground plane 230, radiator 240 and signal feed hole 250 of the antenna structure 200, respectively. Therefore, their related descriptions can be referred to the description of the antenna structure 200 above.

[0063] Figure 12 The return loss S of the antenna array structure 100 in this embodiment of the invention 11 Simulation results show that the structure of each antenna element 100A-100H has the following characteristics: Figures 2A to 2D The antenna structure 200 is shown. In this embodiment, the width W of the bendable portion 210B is... 210B Between 0.5mm and 2.5mm, the length L of each reflector 220 is... 220The length L1 of each segment of the radiator 240 is between 1.5mm and 3.5mm. 240 L2 240 L3 240 L4 240 L5 240 The widths of each segment of the radiator 240 are 2mm–3.5mm, 0.5mm–1.5mm, 0.3mm–1.5mm, 1.8mm–3.8mm, and 0.5mm–1.5mm, respectively, and the widths of each segment are W1. 240 W2 240 W3 240 W4 240 W5 240 The width W of the opening 230A ranges from 0.05mm to 3.5mm. 230A The diameter is 0.2mm to 0.6mm, and the planar length L of the signal feed hole 250 is... 250 The range is 0.05mm to 0.25mm. As shown in Figure 12, the operating frequency band of the antenna array structure 100 (return loss S) is... 11 The frequency band less than -10dB is 76.31GHz to 83.17GHz, and it can be seen from this that the embodiments of the present invention have the effect of increasing bandwidth.

[0064] Figure 13 The following are the simulated antenna gain results for the antenna array structure 100 of this embodiment and a comparative example, wherein the comparative example is an antenna array structure without a reflector array. Figure 13 As can be seen, compared with the antenna array structure of the comparative example, the antenna array structure 100 of the present invention can further improve the maximum antenna gain and increase the gain difference between the main lobe and the side lobe, that is, further improve the directivity.

[0065] Although the present invention has been disclosed above by way of embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the claims.

Claims

1. An antenna structure, characterized in that, Include: A substrate having opposing first and second sides, the substrate comprising a liquid crystal polymer material; A plurality of reflective plates are located on the first side of the substrate, and these reflective plates are arranged in an array; A ground plane is located on the second side of the substrate, the ground plane overlaps with the reflectors in the normal direction of the substrate, and the ground plane defines an opening; The first radiator is located on the first side of the substrate and is separate from the reflector bodies; A signal feed hole, coupled to the first radiator and exposed in the opening through the substrate; and A plurality of first through holes are respectively coupled to the reflectors and together pass through the substrate to be coupled to the ground plane; The substrate has a planar portion, a first bendable portion, and a first protrusion. The reflectors are located in the planar portion, and the first radiator extends from the planar portion through the first bendable portion to the first protrusion.

2. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radiation section of the first radiator is located in the first protrusion.

3. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The angle between the first protrusion and the flat surface is approximately 90 to 135 degrees.

4. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signal feed hole is located between four reflectors arranged in two rows and two columns.

5. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The second via is coupled to the grounding section of the first radiator and passes through the substrate to be coupled to the grounding plate.

6. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radiation section of the first radiator is a straight strip, a rectangular plate, a rectangular frame, or a U-shaped frame.

7. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a second radiator located on a second side of the substrate and coupled to the ground plane, the second radiator and the first radiator forming a dipole antenna.

8. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of these grounding plates is a rectangular plate, a rectangular frame, or a cross shape.

9. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate also has a second bendable portion and a second protrusion, and the ground plate extends through the second bendable portion to the second protrusion.

10. An antenna array structure, characterized in that, Include: A substrate having opposing first and second sides, the substrate comprising a liquid crystal polymer material; A plurality of reflective plates are located on the first side of the substrate, and these reflective plates are arranged in an array; A ground plane is located on the second side of the substrate, the ground plane overlaps with the reflectors in the normal direction of the substrate, and the ground plane defines a plurality of openings; A plurality of radiators are located on a first side of the substrate and are separated from the reflector bodies, and the radiators are arranged periodically along the length of the substrate; A plurality of signal feed holes are respectively coupled to the radiators and pass through the substrate and are respectively exposed in the openings; and A plurality of through holes are respectively coupled to the reflectors and together pass through the substrate to be coupled to the ground plane; The substrate has a planar portion, a bendable portion, and a protrusion. The reflectors are located in the planar portion, and the radiators extend from the planar portion through the bendable portion to the protrusion.

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