Beamforming antennas, sensors, and electronics

Abstract

The present application discloses a beamforming antenna, sensor, and electronic device. The beamforming antenna includes: a beamforming branch group, an array antenna branch group, and a first feeding structure connecting the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group. The beamforming branch group includes a first preset number of beamforming branches, and the array antenna branch group includes a second preset number of array antenna branches. The length of the beamforming branch is greater than the length of the array antenna branch. The length of the first feeding structure is determined based on a preset phase difference between the beamforming antenna group and the array antenna group. The first feeding structure affects the amplitude distribution and relative phase distribution of each current in the entire antenna structure, and thus affects the radiation pattern of the entire antenna structure.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 28, 2021, with application number 202111630762.6 and invention name “Beamforming Antenna, Sensor and Electronic Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to a beamforming antenna, a sensor, and an electronic device. Background Art

[0003] In recent years, millimeter-wave radar technology has matured. In the automotive sector, radar applications can be categorized into two main categories: corner radar and forward-facing radar. Corner radar is typically short-range, meeting the requirements of blind spot detection, lane change assistance, and front and rear traffic alerts; forward-facing radar, on the other hand, is primarily used for medium- and long-range radar applications such as autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. Beamforming is an antenna-based signal synthesis technique that achieves the desired array gain and beam coverage by achieving a specific antenna orientation. Therefore, antenna beamforming technology offers significant advantages in achieving specific beam coverage and detection at specific angles.

[0004] Existing corner radars are usually composed of traditional array antennas. The corner radars are installed at a certain angle (such as 30°, 45° or 60°) to the front / rear of the vehicle. Since the maximum radiation gain of traditional array antennas is directly above the antenna, the maximum detection range of the corner radar will be at a corresponding installation angle with the direction of vehicle travel.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a beamforming antenna so that the beam coverage range and the corresponding maximum detection distance of the beamforming antenna meet actual requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a beamforming antenna, a sensor, and an electronic device, so that the beam coverage range and the corresponding maximum detection distance of the beamforming antenna meet actual needs.

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a beamforming antenna, comprising: a beamforming branch group; an array antenna branch group; and a first feeding structure connecting the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group;

[0008] In which, the beamforming branch group includes a first preset number of beamforming branches; the array antenna branch group includes a second preset number of array antenna branches; the length of the beamforming branch is greater than the length of the array antenna branch; the length of the first feeding structure is determined based on a preset phase difference between the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group.

[0009] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the branch spacing between adjacent beamforming branches is determined based on maintaining current in the same direction at the feeding position of each beamforming branch.

[0010] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the phase deviation corresponding to the first feeding structure, the first preset number of the beamforming branches, and the second preset number of the array antenna branches are determined based on the synthetic current distribution required by the beamforming antenna; the synthetic current distribution is used to reflect the radiation angle range and radiation gain of the beamforming antenna.

[0011] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the beamforming branch group is arranged on the front side and / or the rear side of the array antenna branch group.

[0012] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the widths of the beamforming branches are the same or satisfy a Chebyshev distribution, and / or the widths of the array antenna branches are the same or satisfy a Chebyshev distribution.

[0013] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the beamforming antenna further includes a second feeding structure and a third feeding structure;

[0014] Among them, the second feeding structure is connected to one end of the first feeding structure, and is used to connect each of the beamforming branches and feed power to each of the beamforming branches; the third feeding structure is connected to the other end of the first feeding structure, and is used to connect each of the array antenna branches and feed power to each of the array antenna branches.

[0015] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the beamforming branches are staggered on both sides of the second feeding structure; and / or the array antenna branches are staggered on both sides of the third feeding structure.

[0016] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the length of the beamforming branch is determined based on the wavelength of the waveguide of the beamforming branch in the medium.

[0017] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the length of the array antenna branch is determined based on half the guided wave wavelength of the array antenna branch in the medium.

[0018] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present application further provide a sensor, comprising: a beamforming antenna as described in any one of the first aspects; and a signal transceiver connected to the beamforming antenna, configured to drive the beamforming antenna to transmit a detection signal wave and receive an echo signal wave generated by reflection and / or scattering of the detection signal wave by a target;

[0019] The signal transceiver device is further configured to process an echo electrical signal generated by the beamforming antenna after inducing the echo signal wave, so as to output a baseband digital signal obtained by processing the echo electrical signal.

[0020] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides an electronic device, comprising: the sensor as described in the second aspect; a processor connected to the sensor; and a memory connected to the processor.

[0021] The embodiment of the present application provides a beamforming antenna, comprising: a beamforming branch group; an array antenna branch group; and a first feeding structure connecting the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group; wherein the beamforming branch group includes a first preset number of beamforming branches; the array antenna branch group includes a second preset number of array antenna branches; the length of the beamforming branch is greater than the length of the array antenna branch; the length of the first feeding structure is determined based on the preset phase difference between the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group. In the above technical solution, the beamforming branch group, the array antenna branch group and the first feeding structure connecting the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group can constitute a beamforming antenna, and the length of the first feeding structure is determined based on the required phase difference between the beamforming antenna group and the array antenna group. And it affects the amplitude distribution and relative phase distribution of each current in the entire antenna structure, that is, it affects the radiation pattern of the entire antenna structure.

[0022] These and other aspects of the present application will become more readily apparent from the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of an array antenna;

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The directional pattern of the array antenna shown;

[0025] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of an antenna provided with a power division module;

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Directional pattern of the antenna shown;

[0027] Figure 5a is the current distribution diagram of the beamforming branch group, Figure 5b is the current distribution diagram of the branch group of the array antenna;

[0028] Figure 6a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a beamforming antenna provided in this application. Figure 6b This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another beamforming antenna provided in this application. Figure 6c A schematic structural diagram of another beamforming antenna provided in this application;

[0029] Figure 7 A current distribution diagram of each beamforming branch and each array antenna branch in a beamforming antenna provided in this application;

[0030] Figure 8 This is an equivalent radiation current distribution diagram of a beamforming antenna provided in this application;

[0031] Figure 9 The directional pattern of a beamforming antenna provided in this application;

[0032] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure of a sensor provided in this application;

[0033] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are intended only to illustrate the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings only illustrate portions of the present application, not all of the structures.

[0035] The term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone.

[0036] The terms "first" and "second" and the like in the specification and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, or to distinguish different processing of the same object, rather than to describe a specific order of objects.

[0037] Furthermore, the terms "including," "having," and any variations thereof, as used in the description of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units but may optionally include other steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to the process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0038] What should be mentioned before discussing exemplary embodiments in more detail is that some exemplary embodiments are described as processing or the method that flow chart describes.Although flow chart describes each operation (or step) as the processing of sequence, many operations therein can be implemented in parallel, concurrently or simultaneously.In addition, the order of each operation can be rearranged.Described processing can be terminated when its operation is completed, but can also have the additional step that is not included in the accompanying drawings.Described processing can correspond to method, function, procedure, subroutine, subprogram etc.In addition, when not conflicting, the embodiment in the application and the feature in the embodiment can be combined with each other.

[0039] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0040] In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, “plurality” means two or more.

[0041] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an array antenna is shown in FIG. Figure 2 for Figure 1 The directional pattern of the array antenna is shown as Figure 2 As shown, the horizontal axis represents the angle and the vertical axis represents the antenna gain. Figure 1 The maximum radiation gain of the array antenna shown is directly above the antenna. Installing the antenna at a 45° angle on either side of the vehicle increases the maximum detection range to a 45° angle with the vehicle's direction of travel. To better implement blind spot detection and lane change assistance, the antenna's maximum detection range must be in front of, behind, and on both sides of the vehicle. This requires specialized antenna design. Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of an antenna equipped with a power splitter module. Figure 4 for Figure 3 The directional pattern of the transmitting antenna is shown as Figure 4 As shown, the horizontal axis represents the angle and the vertical axis represents the antenna gain. In order to maximize the gain of the front, rear and both sides of the vehicle, that is, the antenna pattern corresponding to the ±45° radiation gain is the largest, the following can be used: Figure 1 The transmitting antenna shown uses a power splitter module to distribute power to the three antenna branches in a 1:K:1 ratio (2≤K≤4), with a phase distribution of -140°, 0°, and -140°. The power splitter module introduced in this solution complicates the design of the transmitting antenna, and the multiple antennas and power splitter module occupy a large area, hindering system integration.

[0042] Therefore, a beamforming antenna with simple structure and small area is proposed to achieve Figure 4 Directional pattern shown.

[0043] The beamforming antenna will be described in detail below in conjunction with various embodiments.

[0044] Example 1

[0045] One embodiment of the present application provides a beamforming antenna, comprising: a beamforming branch group, an array antenna branch group, and a first feeding structure connecting the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group; wherein the beamforming branch group includes a first preset number of beamforming branches, and the array antenna branch group includes a second preset number of array antenna branches; the length of the beamforming branch is greater than the length of the array antenna branch; and the length of the first feeding structure is determined based on a preset phase difference between the beamforming antenna group and the array antenna group.

[0046] The antenna medium (referred to as the medium) is the object that guides waveguide transmission in a beamforming antenna. For a patch antenna, for example, the medium is the material of the dielectric layer that supports the metal layer of the beamforming antenna's radiating structure. For an AiP antenna, for example, the medium is the material of the dielectric layer within the chip packaging structure that supports the metal layer that constitutes the beamforming antenna's radiating structure.

[0047] and Figure 1 and Figure 3 The structure of the antenna shown in FIG is different in that the beamforming antenna uses a single antenna structure formed by a beamforming branch group, an array antenna branch group and a first feeding structure. Due to the structural changes in the number of beamforming branch groups and array antenna branch groups, the branch length, and the length of the first feeding structure, the beamforming antenna can provide a wider than Figure 2 The radiation pattern of the radiation angle range shown. Figure 3 In general, the antenna structure provided in this example achieves a wide radiation angle range and beamforming required by an angle sensor in a smaller size.

[0048] In addition, since the antenna adopts a single-string structure rather than a multi-string parallel structure, the antenna structure provided by this application avoids the design and processing of the power divider, avoids the performance deterioration caused by the processing error of the power divider structure, and can effectively improve the reliability of the antenna design.

[0049] Here, the length of the beamforming branch and the array antenna branch is related to the desired radiation pattern shape, and as the branch of the beamforming antenna is at the waveguide wavelength λ of the medium, the length of the beamforming antenna branch is related to the desired radiation pattern shape. gVariable. Among them, the beamforming branch is longer than the waveguide wavelength, so that the waveguide distributes two opposite currents on the beamforming branch. Due to the capacitance effect of the branch edge, the length of the beamforming branch is actually close to the waveguide wavelength. The array antenna branch is equal to half the waveguide wavelength, so that a single current is distributed on the array antenna branch. According to the open-circuit effect of the branch edge, the length of the array antenna branch is actually close to half the length of the waveguide wavelength. Thus, each beamforming branch and each array antenna branch forms a plurality of equivalent radiation sources. The synthetic current distributed in the plurality of equivalent radiation sources causes the electromagnetic waves radiated by the beamforming antenna to weaken or enhance each other at different positions in free space, thereby forming a directional pattern with a wider radiation angle.

[0050] The spacing between adjacent beamforming branches is determined based on the feeding position of each beamforming branch to maintain the same direction of current. Taking the example of multiple beamforming branches staggered along the axial direction, the spacing between adjacent beamforming branches on the same side is the waveguide wavelength λ g , the branch spacing between adjacent beamforming branches on different sides is λ g / 2. Taking the arrangement of multiple beamforming branches along the same side of the axis as an example, the branch spacing between adjacent beamforming branches on the same side is the waveguide wavelength λ g .

[0051] Similarly, the distance between adjacent array antenna branches is determined based on the feeding position of each array antenna branch to maintain the same direction of current. Taking the example of multiple array antenna branches staggered along the axial direction, the distance between adjacent array antenna branches on the same side is the waveguide wavelength λ g , the branch spacing between adjacent array antenna branches on different sides is λ g / 2. Taking the arrangement of multiple array antenna branches along the same side of the axis as an example, the branch spacing between adjacent array antenna branches on the same side is the guided wave wavelength λ g .

[0052] Considering that the beamforming branches and / or the array antenna branches at different positions radiate electromagnetic waves with the same or different powers, which makes the radiation gain of the beamforming antenna also different, the width of the array antenna branches is the same or satisfies the Chebyshev distribution.

[0053] See also Figure 5a and Figure 5b , which respectively give examples of a current distribution diagram of a beamforming branch group and a current distribution diagram of an array antenna branch group. Figure 5a and Figure 5b As shown, the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group are equivalent to three radiation sources, wherein the first radiation source is based on Figure 5aThe direction of the beamforming branch group is along the current distribution upward on the paper surface, radiating energy outward; the second radiation source is based on Figure 5a The current distribution in the direction of the beamforming branch group is downward along the paper and radiates energy, and the current distribution in the direction of the array antenna branch group is downward along the paper and radiates energy as shown in Figure 5b; the third radiation source is based on Figure 5a The beamforming branch group radiates electromagnetic waves along the current distribution downward on the paper. It can be seen that the beamforming antenna provided by this application is, in principle, to provide multiple radiation sources within a certain distance interval. The electromagnetic waves generated by each radiation source can weaken or enhance each other at different positions in free space, thereby meeting the detection needs of the angle sensor under the preset radiation angle range and radiation gain conditions. Among them, the horizontal distance interval is significantly shorter than Figure 3 The distance interval corresponding to the multi-string radiation structure shown.

[0054] Furthermore, based on the aforementioned principle of energy superposition between beamforming branches and array antenna branches in free space, the first and second preset numbers can adjust the radiation angle range and radiation gain of the designed beamforming antenna. For example, if beamforming antennas are configured with different first and / or second preset numbers, the radiation angle range and radiation gain of the corresponding beamforming antennas will vary due to the change in the energy of the equivalent radiation source.

[0055] Here, each beamforming branch in the beamforming branch group may be connected by a second feed structure. Each array antenna branch in the array antenna branch group may be connected by a third feed structure. Examples of the second or third feed structures include a microstrip line structure or a coplanar waveguide structure. In some examples, the second, first, and third feed structures are different sections of a microstrip line connecting all branches.

[0056] The first feeding structure is a circuit structure that feeds the same waveguide to the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group. Its length reflects the phase difference between the waveguide fed into the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group respectively; this phase difference helps to adjust the position where the electromagnetic waves radiated by each radiation source are enhanced or weakened in free space, thereby achieving the purpose of setting the corresponding angle range and radiation gain according to the scenario requirements of the angle sensor.

[0057] The first feed structure has two ends connected to a beamforming branch group and an array antenna branch group. The front and rear positions of the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group can be determined based on actual needs. For example, the beamforming branch group can be arranged at the leading and / or trailing sides of the array antenna branch group.

[0058] Figure 6aThis is a schematic diagram of the structure of a beamforming antenna provided in this application, such as Figure 6a As shown, the beamforming branch group is arranged on the head side of the array antenna branch group. Figure 6b A schematic diagram of the structure of another beamforming antenna provided in this application is shown in FIG. Figure 6b As shown, the beamforming branch group is arranged at the tail side of the array antenna branch group. Figure 6c A structural diagram of another beamforming antenna provided in this application is shown in FIG. Figure 6c As shown, the beamforming branch groups are arranged on the front and rear sides of the array antenna branch group. Based on the above examples, it can be seen that the phase deviation set according to the length of the first feeding structure in the beamforming antenna, the first preset number of the beamforming branches, and the second preset number of the array antenna branches can change the synthetic current distribution formed by the equivalent radiation source on the beamforming antenna; the synthetic current distribution is used to reflect the radiation angle range and radiation gain of the beamforming antenna. Here, Figure 5a and 5b As an example, the synthetic current distribution of the beamforming antenna is described. The three equivalent radiation sources formed by the beamforming antenna provide n 11 cos(α+180°),((n 12 +n 31 )cosα+2mcosβ), and n 32 cos(α+180°) three current distributions. Among them, n 11 and n 32 are the number of beamforming branches corresponding to the first radiation source and the third radiation source respectively; (n 12 +n 31 ) and m are respectively the number of beamforming branches corresponding to the second radiation source and the number of array antenna branches in the array antenna branch group; α is the waveguide phase fed into the beamforming branch; β is the waveguide phase fed into the array antenna branch; (β-α) is the phase deviation set according to the length of the first feeding structure.

[0059] Example 2

[0060] This example provides multiple specific examples based on the technical solution described in Example 1.

[0061] The present application also provides a beamforming antenna, comprising a beamforming branch group, an array antenna branch group, and a first feeding structure connecting the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group; wherein the beamforming branch group includes a first preset number of beamforming branches, and the array antenna branch group includes a second preset number of array antenna branches; the length of the beamforming branch is greater than the length of the array antenna branch; and the length of the first feeding structure is determined based on the phase difference required by the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group.

[0062] like Figure 6a As shown, the first preset number of beamforming branches included in the beamforming branch group is 8, and the second preset number of array antenna branches included in the array antenna group is also 8, that is, eight beamforming branches can constitute a beamforming branch group, and eight array antenna branches can constitute an array antenna branch group. Figure 6a In the provided beamforming antenna, eight beamforming branches are arranged in an interlaced manner on both sides of the connecting line, and eight antenna branches are arranged in an interlaced manner on both sides of the connecting line. The beamforming branch group is located on the front side of the first feeding structure, and the array antenna branch group is located on the rear side of the first feeding structure.

[0063] Figure 5a is the current distribution diagram of the beamforming branch group, Figure 5b The current distribution diagram of the array antenna branch group is shown in Figure 2. Adding a beamforming branch group in front of or behind the array antenna branch group will introduce additional current wavelength division. There are two currents with opposite directions in one guided wave length. Therefore, the current distribution of the beamforming branch group is shown in Figure 2. Figure 6a As shown, the current distribution of the array antenna branch group is as follows Figure 6b shown.

[0064] The first feeding structure between the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group can achieve a composite current distribution on the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group. The phase of each beamforming branch included in the beamforming branch group can be α, and the phase of each array antenna branch included in the array antenna branch group can be β. Figure 7 The current distribution diagram of each beamforming branch and each array antenna branch in a beamforming antenna provided in this application is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, each beamforming branch is distributed with a first beamforming current with a phase of α and a second beamforming current with a phase of α+180°. Each array antenna branch is distributed with an array antenna current with a phase of β. To obtain the horizontal pattern of the beamforming antenna, the currents of the beamforming branches and the elevation arrangement of the array antenna branches can be combined at the same horizontal direction. In this case, the combined currents are divided into four groups.

[0065] In the synthesized current, the currents of the two edges are nCos(α+180°), and the currents of the two middle branches are nCosα+mCosβ. The two middle currents can be equivalent to a current with twice the amplitude, that is, the two middle currents nCosα+mCosβ can be equivalent to a current 2nCosα+2mCosβ. Among them, n is the number of beamforming branches arranged on one side of the connecting line of the beamforming branch group, and m is the number of array antenna branches arranged on one side of the connecting line of the array antenna branch group. Therefore, the current distribution of the beamforming antenna can be determined based on the current phase on each branch and the number of branches. For example, n can be 4, and m can also be 4, that is, there are four beamforming branches on one side of the connecting line of the beamforming branch group, and there are four array antenna branches on one side of the connecting line of the array antenna branch group. Figure 8 The synthetic current distribution diagram of a beamforming antenna provided in this application is as follows: Figure 8 As shown on the left, the current of the two edge currents is 4cos(α+180°), and the current of the two middle currents is 4cosα+4cosβ, which can be equivalent to 8cosα+8cosβ. The sum and difference of trigonometric functions can be used to determine Therefore, if Figure 8 The four current distributions shown on the left can be equivalent to Figure 8 The three current distributions are shown on the right.

[0066] The first feeding structure can be used as a phase-controlled branch to control the phase of the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group. In particular, when β = α-80°, the two middle currents in the synthesized current can be equivalent to one current. Since the current of the two edge strands n cos (α + 180°) = 4 cos (α + 180°), the amplitude distribution of the three synthesized currents is 1:3:1, and the relative phase distribution is -140°, 0°, and -140°, which can meet the design requirements of amplitude and phase ratio.

[0067] Figure 9 The directional pattern of a beamforming antenna provided in this application is as follows: Figure 9 As shown, the horizontal axis represents the angle and the vertical axis represents the antenna gain. The antenna pattern meets the specific beam range requirements of the corner radar.

[0068] The present application provides a beamforming antenna, comprising: a beamforming branch group, an array antenna branch group, and a first feeding structure connecting the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group; wherein, the beamforming branch group includes a first preset number of beamforming branches, and the array antenna branch group includes a second preset number of array antenna branches; the length of the beamforming branch is greater than the length of the array antenna branch; the length of the first feeding structure is determined according to the preset phase deviation of the guided wave transmitted in the medium. In the above technical solution, the beamforming branch group, the array antenna branch group, and the first feeding structure connecting the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group can constitute a beamforming antenna, and the length of the first feeding structure is determined according to the required phase difference between the beamforming antenna group and the array antenna group. And it affects the amplitude distribution and relative phase distribution of each current in the entire antenna structure, that is, it affects the radiation pattern of the entire antenna structure.

[0069] In one embodiment, the branch spacing between adjacent beamforming branches is determined based on maintaining current in the same direction at the feeding position of each beamforming branch.

[0070] Specifically, the branch spacing between adjacent beamforming branches located on the same side of the beamforming branch group connection line can be determined based on the feeding position of each beamforming branch to maintain the same direction of current. Specifically, the branch spacing between adjacent beamforming branches located on the same side of the beamforming branch group connection line can be the guided wavelength λ of the current medium. g .

[0071] In addition, the branch length of the beamforming branch can also be the guided wavelength λ in the current medium g .

[0072] Of course, in practical applications, since the edges of the beamforming branches are open-circuited, additional capacitance characteristics will be introduced. Therefore, the branch length of the beamforming branches and the branch spacing between adjacent beamforming branches located on the same side of the beamforming branch group connection line can fluctuate around the waveguide wavelength.

[0073] In one embodiment, the phase deviation of the first feeding structure, the first preset number of the beamforming branches, and the second preset number of the array antenna branches are determined based on the synthetic current distribution of the beamforming antenna; the synthetic current distribution is used to reflect the radiation angle range and radiation gain of the beamforming antenna.

[0074] In practical applications, the radiation angle range and radiation gain requirements of a beamforming antenna can determine the amplitude distribution requirements and relative phase distribution requirements of the composite current corresponding to the current distributed in the beamforming antenna, and thus determine the phase deviation of the first feed structure, the first preset number of beamforming branches, and the second preset number of array antenna branches. For example, the radiation angle range and radiation gain requirements of a beamforming antenna are as follows: the radiation gain corresponding to the ±45° angle of the antenna pattern is maximum. Therefore, the amplitude distribution requirements of the composite current corresponding to the current distributed in the beamforming antenna are 1:3:1, and the relative phase distribution requirements are -140°, 0°, and -140°. The phase deviation of the waveguide can then be determined to be α-80°, the first preset number of beamforming branches to be 8, and the second preset number of array antenna branches to be 8.

[0075] A beamforming antenna provided in the present application may include a beamforming branch group, an array antenna branch group, and a first feeding structure connecting the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group, etc.; wherein, the beamforming branch group includes a first preset number of beamforming branches, and the array antenna branch group includes a second preset number of array antenna branches; the length of the beamforming branch is greater than the length of the array antenna branch; the length of the first feeding structure is determined based on the preset phase deviation of the waveguide transmitted in the antenna medium. The branch spacing between adjacent beamforming branches is determined based on maintaining the same direction of current at the feeding position of each beamforming branch. The phase deviation of the first feeding structure, the first preset number of beamforming branches, and the second preset number of array antenna branches are determined based on the synthetic current distribution of the beamforming antenna; the synthetic current distribution is used to reflect the radiation angle range and radiation gain of the beamforming antenna. Since the length of the first feed structure is determined by the phase difference required by the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group, and the length of the first feed structure can affect the amplitude distribution and relative phase distribution of each current in the beamforming antenna, after determining the amplitude distribution and relative phase distribution of each current in the beamforming antenna, the directional pattern of the beamforming antenna can be determined. In addition, the beamforming branch group is arranged on the front side and / or the rear side of the array antenna branch group; the width of each array antenna branch is the same or satisfies the Chebyshev distribution; the beamforming antenna also includes a second feed structure and a third feed structure; the second feed structure is used to connect each beamforming branch and feed each beamforming branch; the third feed structure is used to connect each array antenna branch and feed each array antenna branch; each beamforming branch is staggered on both sides of the second feed structure, and each array antenna branch is staggered on both sides of the third feed structure. This makes the structure of the constructed beamforming antenna more flexible and changeable, and has a smaller area. The preset design requirements for the beamforming antenna are realized with a smaller area, thereby improving the integration of the system.

[0076] It should be noted that the above examples are not mutually exclusive, and that various beamforming antenna configurations can be formed by recombining the examples, which will not be detailed here. It should also be noted that the beamforming antennas mentioned in the above examples can be configured within the sensor chip or connected to the sensor chip via chip pins.

[0077] Here, the term "integrated circuit" (IC, also known as chip) refers to a circuit structure manufactured on a semiconductor wafer by miniaturizing circuits (primarily semiconductor devices, but also passive components). It consists of a bare die and a packaging structure. A bare die refers to a semiconductor circuit structure produced in a foundry and includes pads for packaging. These bare dies are typically not directly used in actual circuits. Instead, they are covered with a packaging structure using chip packaging technology to create the chip. The packaging structure covers the die and includes pins that connect the internal circuitry formed within the die to external circuits. It also includes a housing to secure, seal, and protect the die, and enhance electrical and thermal performance. Here, the sensor chip (also known as a sensor chip, radar chip, or sensor) utilizes the same manufacturing techniques used for these chips to create circuits, including antennas, to form a miniaturized, highly integrated electrical device.

[0078] In some sensor chip examples, the beamforming antenna can be configured on the surface of the die or within the package structure. For example, the chip has an AiP (Antenna-in-Package) chip structure, an AoP (Antenna-on-Package) chip structure, or an AoC (Antenna-on-Chip) chip structure.

[0079] In other sensor chips, the beamforming antenna can be located outside the sensor chip and connected to it via pins. Multiple beamforming antennas with the same or different configurations can form the antenna assembly within the sensor chip, meeting the sensor's requirements for detection angle range and radiation distance.

[0080] In an optional embodiment, the sensor chip can be equivalent to the sensor chip described in any embodiment of the present application, that is, the sensor chips can have the same structure and function as each other, and can also be combined with each other to form a cascade structure. For the sake of simplicity, they will not be described here in detail, but it should be understood that the technologies that people in this field should know based on the contents recorded in this application should be included in the scope recorded in this application.

[0081] Example 3

[0082] Embodiment 3 of the present application provides a sensor, comprising: a beamforming antenna as described in embodiment 1 or embodiment 2, and a signal transceiver connected to the beamforming antenna, wherein the signal transceiver is configured to drive the beamforming antenna to transmit a detection signal wave, and to process an echo electrical signal induced by the beamforming antenna from an echo signal wave, so as to output a digital signal obtained by processing the echo electrical signal within the directional range; wherein the echo signal wave is formed by reflection of the detection signal wave.

[0083] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure of a sensor provided in this application, such as Figure 10 As shown, the sensor includes an antenna device including the beamforming antenna and a signal transceiver. The beamforming antenna and the signal transceiver are directly connected without a power splitter module. For example, a feeder line directly connects the beamforming antenna and the signal transceiver.

[0084] For ease of description, this embodiment takes a transmitting antenna including a beamforming antenna and a receiving antenna including a beamforming antenna in an antenna device as an example.

[0085] The sensor provided in the embodiment of the present application can output a digital signal obtained by processing the echo electrical signal within a directional range based on the beamforming antenna included in the sensor, and has the same beneficial effects as the beamforming antenna provided in Example 1 or Example 2.

[0086] The signal transceiver includes a signal transmitter and a signal receiver. The beamforming antenna and the signal transceiver each have a circuit structure determined based on the surrounding environment measured by the measurement sensor, emitting a detection signal wave and receiving an echo signal wave at a preset frequency band or a fixed frequency.

[0087] The signal transmitter is configured to transmit an electrical signal corresponding to a change in the detection signal wave to the beamforming antenna. Specifically, the signal transmitter performs frequency and phase modulation on a reference electrical signal provided by a signal source, modulating it into a current-varying transmission electrical signal in the radio frequency band for output to the beamforming antenna. For example, the signal transmitter modulates the detection electrical signal to radio frequency and feeds it to the beamforming antenna, causing the beamforming antenna to generate a fixed-frequency or swept-frequency detection signal wave in a frequency band such as 60 GHz or 77 GHz. The signal transmitter can generate a detection signal wave with a fixed center frequency or a detection signal wave with a swept center frequency and a preset bandwidth. For example, if the detection signal wave includes at least one chirp signal, which is an electromagnetic wave signal generated based on a linear frequency modulation cycle, the signal transmitter performs frequency multiplication based on the signal source of the linear frequency modulation cycle and feeds it to the beamforming antenna to transmit the detection signal wave containing the chirp signal. When the detection signal wave is reflected by an object, an echo signal wave is generated. The beamforming antenna receives the echo signal wave and generates an echo electrical signal.

[0088] The signal receiver is used to utilize the detection electrical signal that generates the detection signal wave to perform processing such as demodulation and filtering on the echo electrical signal output by the beamforming antenna, so as to output a baseband digital signal.

[0089] In some examples, the sensor also includes a signal processor.

[0090] The signal processor is connected to the signal transceiver and is configured to extract measurement information from the baseband digital signal through signal processing and output measurement data. The signal processing includes performing digital signal processing calculations, such as phase, frequency, and time domain, on at least one signal to be processed provided by at least one beamforming antenna. The measurement data includes at least one of the following: distance data indicating the relative distance of at least one detected obstacle; velocity data indicating the relative velocity of at least one detected obstacle; angle data indicating the relative angle of at least one detected obstacle; and the like.

[0091] Among them, when each receiving antenna receives an echo signal wave corresponding to the same detection signal wave, the signal processor performs FFT processing on the baseband digital signal according to the number of Doppler sampling points set according to the measurement resolution to obtain measurement data including distance data, etc.

[0092] When multiple detection signal waves are transmitted by the same transmitting antenna and each receiving antenna receives a corresponding echo signal wave corresponding to each detection signal wave, the signal processor performs signal processing on the different distance data obtained at different times by the transceiver channel formed by the same transmitting antenna and the same receiving antenna to output measurement data including speed data.

[0093] When at least one detection signal wave is transmitted by the same transmitting antenna, each of the multiple receiving antennas receives a corresponding echo signal wave corresponding to each detection signal wave and forms a corresponding echo electrical signal. The signal processor obtains the arrival angle of each distance-speed value by determining the virtual transceiver channel corresponding to the distance-speed value containing the range-Doppler index, thereby outputting measurement data including distance, speed, and angle.

[0094] Example 4

[0095] A fourth embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, comprising: the sensor as described in the third embodiment; a processor connected to the sensor; and a memory connected to the processor.

[0096] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in this application, such as Figure 11 As shown, the electronic device includes a processor 110, a memory 120 and a sensor 130; the number of processors 110 in the electronic device can be one or more. Figure 11 In the figure, a processor 110 is used as an example; the processor 110, the memory 120 and the sensor 130 in the electronic device can be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 11 The bus connection is taken as an example.

[0097] The processor 110 may include one or more central processing units (CPUs), or may include multiple processors 110. Each CPU in these processors 110 may be a single-core processor (single-CPU) or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). The processor 110 herein may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0098] The memory 120 may primarily include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store an operating system and at least one application required for a function; the data storage area may store data generated based on the use of the terminal. Furthermore, the memory 120 may include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state memory device. In some instances, the memory 120 may further include memory remotely located relative to the processor 110, and such remote memory may be connected to the electronic device via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0099] The sensor 130 may output a digital signal obtained by processing the echo electrical signal within a direction range; wherein the echo signal wave is formed by reflection of the detection signal wave.

[0100] The sensor 130 included in the electronic device provided in the embodiment of the present application can output a digital signal obtained by processing the echo electrical signal within a directional range based on the beamforming antenna included in the sensor, and has the same beneficial effects as the beamforming antenna provided in the above examples.

[0101] In an optional embodiment, the electronic device body may be a component or product used in fields such as smart housing, transportation, smart home, consumer electronics, monitoring, industrial automation, in-cabin detection, and health care. For example, the device body may be intelligent transportation equipment (such as cars, bicycles, motorcycles, ships, subways, trains, etc.), security equipment (such as cameras), liquid level / flow rate detection equipment, smart wearable devices (such as bracelets, glasses, etc.), smart home devices (such as sweeping robots, door locks, televisions, air conditioners, smart lights, etc.), various communication devices (such as mobile phones, tablets, etc.), as well as gates, smart traffic lights, smart signs, traffic cameras, and various industrial robotic arms (or robots). It can also be various instruments for detecting life characteristic parameters and various devices equipped with the instruments, such as in-cabin detection in automobiles, indoor personnel monitoring, smart medical equipment, consumer electronic devices, etc.

[0102] Note that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and that various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, although the present application has been described in more detail through the above embodiments, the present application is not limited to the above embodiments and may include many other equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present application. The scope of the present application is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A beamforming antenna, characterized in that: include: beamforming branch group; Array antenna branch group; as well as a first feeding structure connecting the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group, wherein the beamforming branch group is arranged at the leading side and / or the trailing side of the array antenna branch group; The beamforming branch group includes a first preset number of beamforming branches; the array antenna branch group includes a second preset number of array antenna branches; and the length of the beamforming branch is greater than the length of the array antenna branch. The length of the first feeding structure is determined according to a preset phase difference between the beamforming branch group and the array antenna branch group.

2. The beamforming antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The branch spacing between adjacent beamforming branches is determined based on maintaining the same-directional current at the feeding position of each beamforming branch.

3. The beamforming antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The phase deviation corresponding to the first feeding structure, the first preset number of the beamforming branches, and the second preset number of the array antenna branches are determined according to a synthetic current distribution required by the beamforming antenna; The synthetic current distribution is used to reflect the radiation angle range and radiation gain of the beamforming antenna.

4. The beamforming antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The widths of the beamforming branches are the same or satisfy Chebyshev distribution, and / or The widths of the array antenna branches are the same or satisfy Chebyshev distribution.

5. The beamforming antenna according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: a second feeding structure and a third feeding structure; The second feeding structure is connected to one end of the first feeding structure, and is used to connect to each of the beamforming branches and feed power to each of the beamforming branches; as well as The third feeding structure is connected to the other end of the first feeding structure, and is used to connect to each of the array antenna branches and feed power to each of the array antenna branches.

6. The beamforming antenna according to claim 5, characterized in that The beamforming branches are staggeredly arranged on both sides of the second feeding structure; and / or The array antenna branches are arranged in a staggered manner on both sides of the third feeding structure.

7. The beamforming antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The length of the beamforming branch is determined based on the wavelength of the waveguide of the beamforming branch in the medium.

8. The beamforming antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The length of the array antenna branch is determined based on half of the guided wave wavelength of the array antenna branch in the medium.

9. A sensor, characterized in that: include: The beamforming antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and a signal transceiver connected to the beamforming antenna, configured to drive the beamforming antenna to transmit a detection signal wave and receive an echo signal wave formed by reflection and / or scattering of the detection signal wave by a target; The signal transceiver device is further configured to process an echo electrical signal generated by the beamforming antenna after inducing the echo signal wave, so as to output a baseband digital signal obtained by processing the echo electrical signal.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: The sensor according to claim 9; a processor connected to the sensor; as well as A memory coupled to the processor.

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