Antennas and antenna devices

Abstract

Antennas and antenna apparatuses are provided. An antenna includes a first radiating arm including a first radiating element having a first outer edge, and a second radiating arm orthogonally arranged on the first radiating arm and separated from the first radiating arm in a first direction, the second radiating arm including a second radiating element having a second outer edge. The first outer edge of the first radiating element extends substantially parallel to the second outer edge of the second radiating element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates generally to antennas, and more specifically to broadband polarized diversity antennas. Background Technology

[0002] Wireless communication systems have historically undergone a revolution roughly every decade. Currently, 5G wireless technology has moved beyond its exploratory research phase and is experiencing its first wave of commercialization, with widespread adoption expected by 2025. One of the benefits of 5G includes significantly higher system capacity (100 to 1000 times greater) than current 4G systems. One way to achieve this order-of-magnitude increase in system capacity will be by utilizing a large amount of new system bandwidth. This necessitates a migration to higher frequencies, particularly in the millimeter wave (“mm wave”) region of the spectrum, which will unlock a vast amount of bandwidth available for achieving higher capacity. The mm wave spectrum is the band between 30 GHz and 300 GHz. Global standards organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of China have already announced several mm wave bands for 5G systems.

[0003] Besides moving to mmWave frequencies, another way to achieve increased system capacity is by using MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) technology. In MIMO, antenna diversity is used on either side of the communication link to create multiple spatial channels between the transmitter and receiver. In short, large operating bandwidth and MIMO technology are considered important enabling factors for future wireless communication systems of 5G and beyond. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In a first aspect of this application, an antenna is provided, comprising: a first radiating arm including a first radiating element having a first outer edge; and a second radiating arm orthogonally arranged on the first radiating arm and separated from the first radiating arm in a first direction, the second radiating arm including a second radiating element having a second outer edge, wherein the first outer edge of the first radiating element extends substantially parallel to the second outer edge of the second radiating element.

[0005] In an exemplary embodiment, a first radiating arm may include a plurality of first radiating elements, which may include one first radiating element on the first radiating arm and another first radiating element on the first radiating arm that is opposite to it. A second radiating arm may include a plurality of second radiating elements, which may include one second radiating element on the second radiating arm and another second radiating element on the second radiating arm that is opposite to it.

[0006] In another aspect of this application, an antenna device is provided, comprising: an antenna including: a first radiating arm including a first radiating element, the first radiating element including a first outer edge; and a second radiating arm orthogonal to the first radiating arm and vertically offset relative to the first radiating arm, the second radiating arm including a second radiating element having a second outer edge, wherein at least a first portion of the first outer edge of the first radiating element and a second portion of the second outer edge of the second radiating element extend in the same first direction, and wherein the horizontal spacing between the first radiating element and the second radiating element remains substantially the same along the first portion of the first outer edge and the second portion of the second outer edge; and a transceiver coupled to the first radiating arm and the second radiating arm, the transceiver being configured to provide a first signal to the first radiating element and a second signal to the second radiating element. Attached Figure Description

[0007] The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example rather than limitation, and similar reference numerals in the drawings indicate similar elements.

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of an antenna element according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A side view of the antenna element.

[0010] Figure 3A and Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram illustrating the details of the antenna element of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the electrical performance of an antenna element according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 5 This is a graph of the impedance of an antenna element relative to frequency according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 6 This is a Smith chart illustrating the impedance of an antenna element according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 7 Example behavior of surface current in antenna elements according to some embodiments of the present invention is illustrated.

[0015] Figure 8 A comparison of antenna elements utilizing parasitic pillars with antenna elements not utilizing parasitic pillars is illustrated according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 9A and Figure 9BExamples are given respectively. Figure 8 Exemplary radiation patterns of the antenna element at operating frequencies of 24 GHz and 43 GHz.

[0017] Figure 10A and Figure 10B A comparison of electric field diagrams of antenna elements utilizing parasitic pillars and antenna elements not utilizing parasitic pillars according to some embodiments of the present invention is illustrated.

[0018] Figure 11 A 3D radiation pattern of an antenna element having a parasitic column for one of the polarization signals is illustrated according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 12 This is a schematic perspective view of an example antenna array according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 13 This is an example Figure 12 The figure shows the performance of the antenna array.

[0021] Figure 14 This is a block diagram of an example of a wireless communication device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 15 This is a flowchart of a method for designing antenna elements according to one or more aspects of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Various embodiments and aspects will be described in detail with reference to the following discussion, and the accompanying drawings will illustrate various embodiments. The following description and drawings are illustrative and should not be construed as limiting. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments. However, in some instances, well-known or conventional details have not been described to provide a brief discussion of the embodiments.

[0024] References to "one embodiment" or "embodiment" in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. The appearance of the phrases "in one embodiment" and / or "in some embodiments" in various places in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. The processing depicted in the following drawings is performed by processing logic including hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, etc.), software, or a combination of both. Although some sequential operations are described below, it should be understood that some of the described operations may be performed in a different order. Furthermore, some operations may be performed in parallel rather than sequentially. Throughout the specification and in the claims, the term "connection" means a direct electrical connection between connected things without any intermediate means. The term "coupled" means a direct electrical connection between connected things, or an indirect connection via one or more passive or active intermediate means. The term "circuit" means one or more passive and / or active components arranged to cooperate with each other to provide a desired function. The term "signal" means at least one current signal, voltage signal, or data / clock signal. The meanings of "a," "an," and "the" include plural references. The meaning of “in…” includes both “in…” and “on…”. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0025] As previously mentioned, future telecommunications trends favor a shift towards mm-wave frequencies. To provide crucial bandwidth for global mm-wave 5G communications, it is desirable for device front-ends and antennas to support a wide frequency range from 24 GHz to 43.5 GHz. The evolving demands of wireless communication technologies place stringent requirements on terminal device antenna design. Embodiments of this invention address these requirements by proposing a broadband polarization diversity antenna element suitable for mm-wave MIMO antenna arrays. Therefore, embodiments of this invention can play a positive and crucial role in promoting and facilitating the development of novel wireless communication systems where such antennas are in high demand.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of an antenna element 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A side view of the antenna element 100. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the antenna element 100 may be a broadband, polarization diversity antenna element 100.

[0027] Polarization diversity is achieved by two radiating arms 110 and 120 arranged orthogonally on a suitable substrate material 150, which may be a multilayer printed circuit board. (See reference) Figure 1 and Figure 2The first radiating arm 110 may be arranged to have a longitudinal axis extending in a first direction. The second radiating arm 120 may be arranged to have a longitudinal axis extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction. In some embodiments, the longitudinal axis of the first radiating arm 110 may be arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the second radiating arm 120.

[0028] The first radiating arm 110 may be arranged higher than the second radiating arm 120 (e.g., vertically offset). In other words, the first radiating arm 110 may be offset relative to the second radiating arm in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions. This offset may be a fraction of the wavelength at the operating frequency. In some embodiments, the first radiating arm 110 may be offset relative to the second radiating arm 120 in a third direction by 0.127 mm to 0.254 mm.

[0029] A signal can be applied to the first radiating arm 110 through a first port 170 and a feed coupling (not shown). A signal can be applied to the second radiating arm 120 through a second port 175 and an associated feed coupling 180. Orthogonal polarization is achieved by independently exciting the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 via their respective ports 170 and 175. A differential feeding mechanism is used to excite the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 over a wide frequency bandwidth. In some embodiments, one of the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 may be provided with a vertically polarized signal, while the other of the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 may be provided with a horizontally polarized signal. Embodiments of the invention are not limited to a horizontal and vertical configuration of signal polarization. In some embodiments, one of the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 may be provided with a polarized first signal, while the other of the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 may be provided with a second signal orthogonally polarized to the first signal. In some embodiments, the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 may be configured to support the transmission of a first signal and a second signal ranging from 24 GHz to 43.5 GHz.

[0030] The first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 may each include a radiating element. For example, the first radiating arm 110 may include a plurality of opposing first radiating elements 115, and the second radiating arm 120 may include a plurality of opposing second radiating elements 125. When viewed in a plane, the plurality of first radiating elements 115 of the first radiating arm 110 may be arranged adjacent to the plurality of second radiating elements 125 of the second radiating arm 120. The arrangement of the first radiating elements 115 and the second radiating elements 125 of the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 will be referred to herein. Figure 3A and Figure 3B Further discussion.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 may be disposed in the substrate 150. In some embodiments, all or part of the substrate 150 may be part of a printed circuit board (PCB). For example, in some embodiments, the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 may be arranged on different layers within the PCB. Therefore, in some embodiments, the first radiating arm 110 may be separated from the second radiating arm 120 by at least a portion of the PCB.

[0032] In some embodiments, the radiating elements of the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 may be disposed on and / or above the parasitic column 130, respectively. For example, a first radiating element 115 of the first radiating arm 110 may be disposed on and / or above the first parasitic column 130, and a second radiating element 125 of the second radiating arm may be disposed on and / or above the second parasitic column 130. The parasitic column 130 may have a longitudinal axis extending vertically toward a corresponding one of the first radiating arm 110 or the second radiating arm 120. For example, as previously described, the first radiating arm 110 may be offset relative to the second radiating arm 120 in a third (e.g., vertical) direction. In some embodiments, the longitudinal axis of the parasitic column 130 may extend upward in a third direction, and the parasitic column 130 may be offset relative to a corresponding one of the first radiating arm 110 or the second radiating arm 120. In some embodiments, the parasitic column 130 may have a cylindrical shape, but embodiments of the invention are not limited to such a configuration. In some embodiments, the parasitic column 130 is optional.

[0033] In some embodiments, the parasitic post 130 may be formed of a conductive material (such as a conductive metal). Other conductive materials may be used without departing from the scope of the invention. In some embodiments, the parasitic post 130 may be disposed within the substrate 150. For example, in some embodiments, a portion of the substrate 150 (e.g., a portion of a PCB) may be between the parasitic post 130 and the first radiating arm 110 or the second radiating arm 120.

[0034] As will be further described herein, this specific element configuration of antenna element 100 can help improve the impedance bandwidth of antenna element 100 to meet the frequency requirements of modern communication systems. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As can be seen, the vertical parasitic pillar 130 below the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 can act as a parasitic radiator to enhance the radiation coverage of the element at angles away from the boresight, which may be desirable for wide-angle scanning arrays used in mobile communication applications. The parasitic pillar 130 can also contribute to the symmetry of the radiation pattern of the antenna element 100. Furthermore, the simple configuration of the antenna element 100 can be simplified in its manufacturing using conventional planar printed circuit board technology.

[0035] Figure 3A and Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram illustrating the details of the antenna element 100 of the present invention. Figure 3A This is a plan view illustrating details of the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120, while Figure 3B It is along Figure 3A The side view is taken from line AA. Figure 3A and Figure 3B The invention is intended to illustrate the structure of various elements of antenna element 100 and not to limit the embodiments thereof. Figure 3A and Figure 3B The components are not intended to represent proportions. For the sake of simplicity, some will be omitted or reduced. Figure 3A and Figure 3B The description of the elements that have been previously discussed.

[0036] refer to Figure 3A The first radiating arm 110 may have a plurality of first radiating elements 115 at opposite ends of the first radiating arm 110. The second radiating arm 120 may have a plurality of second radiating elements 125 at opposite ends of the second radiating arm 120. The first radiating elements 115 and the second radiating elements 125 may have different shapes. For example, when viewed in a plane, the first radiating element 115 and the second radiating element 125 may have a square or rhomboid shape. In some embodiments, the first radiating element 115 may have a different shape than the second radiating element 125.

[0037] The first radiating element 115 may have a first outer edge 115A adjacent to the second outer edge 125A of the second radiating element 125. The first outer edge 115A may be one of a plurality of outer edges of the first radiating element 115. For example, Figure 3A The first radiating element 115 is illustrated as having four outer edges 115A, 115B, 115C, and 115D, but embodiments of the invention are not limited thereto. Adjacent outer edges of the outer edges 115A, 115B, 115C, and 115D may be connected by a corner 117. In some embodiments, the corner 117 may be a transition from one outer edge to another. The second outer edge 125A of the second radiating element 125 may similarly be one of a plurality of outer edges of the second radiating element 125, and its repeated description will be omitted.

[0038] The first outer edge 115A of the first radiating element 115 may be the edge of the first radiating element 115 that is closest to the second radiating element 125 among a plurality of edges of the first radiating element 115. Similarly, the second outer edge 125A of the second radiating element 125 may be the edge of the second radiating element 125 that is closest to the first radiating element 115. (The last sentence appears to be incomplete and possibly refers to a different context.) Figure 3BAs discussed further, since the first radiating element 115 is offset relative to the second radiating element 125 (e.g., vertically), the first outer edge 115A of the first radiating element 115 can be offset diagonally relative to the second outer edge 125A of the second radiating element 125.

[0039] The first outer edge 115A of the first radiating element 115 may extend substantially parallel to the second outer edge 125A of the second radiating element 125 (e.g., when viewed in a plane). As used herein, “substantially parallel” means that the distance between the two outer edges 115A, 125A varies by no more than 10% along the length of adjacent outer edges 115A, 125A. The parallel arrangement of the first outer edge 115A and the second outer edge 125A can help improve the performance of the antenna element 100. The two outer edges 115A, 125A may be horizontally offset by a small fraction of the wavelength at the operating frequency. In some embodiments, the horizontal distance X between the first outer edge 115A and the second outer edge 125A may be between 0.127 mm and 0.3 mm.

[0040] Although about Figure 3A The discussion focuses on the two adjacent outer edges 115A, 125A of the first radiating element 115 and the second radiating element 125, but it should be understood that other outer edges of the first radiating element 115 and the second radiating element 125 may be adjacent to other radiating elements of the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120. For example, refer to Figure 3A The additional outer edge 115D of the first radiating element 115 is adjacent to the opposing second radiating element of the second radiating arm 120. In some embodiments, each of the first radiating elements 115 may have two outer edges that extend substantially parallel to the adjacent outer edges of the opposing radiating elements in the second radiating elements 125. Similarly, each of the second radiating elements 125 may have two outer edges that extend substantially parallel to the adjacent outer edges of the opposing radiating elements in the first radiating elements 115.

[0041] In some embodiments, the first radiating element 115 and the second radiating element 125 are each disposed on the parasitic column 130. In some embodiments, when viewed in a plane, the parasitic column 130 may be disposed near the center of the first radiating element 115 and the second radiating element 125. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the parasitic column 130 may be vertically overlapped by one of the first radiating element 115 and the second radiating element 125.

[0042] Figure 3B A side view of an antenna element 100 including a first radiating element 115 and a second radiating element 125 is shown. Figure 3BAs shown, the first radiating element 115 can be offset relative to the second radiating element 125 in both a first (e.g., vertical) direction and a second (e.g., horizontal) direction. For example, the first radiating element 115 can be offset by a distance Y relative to the second radiating element 125 in the first direction, which distance Y can be a fraction of the wavelength at the operating frequency. In some embodiments, the distance Y can range from 0.127 mm to 0.254 mm. The first radiating element 115 can also be offset by a distance X relative to the second radiating element 125 in the second direction, which distance X can be a fraction of the wavelength at the operating frequency. In some embodiments, the distance X can range from 0.127 mm to 0.3 mm. Due to the offset in the first and second directions, the first outer edges 115A and the second outer edges 125A of the first radiating element 115 and the second radiating element 125 can be diagonally offset relative to each other.

[0043] In some embodiments, the parasitic post 130 may be offset relative to a corresponding radiating element in the first radiating element 115 and the second radiating element 125 in a first direction (e.g., vertical). This vertical offset may be a fraction of the wavelength at the operating frequency. In some embodiments, the radiating elements 115, 125 of the antenna element 100 may be horizontally positioned at approximately a quarter wavelength of the operating frequency from the ground plane, and the height of the vertical parasitic post 130 may be close to approximately a quarter wavelength at the operating frequency. In some embodiments, the vertical offset of the parasitic post 130 from the corresponding radiating element in the first radiating element 115 and the second radiating element 125 in the first direction (e.g., vertical) may be approximately one percent of the free-space wavelength at the intermediate frequency of the broadband antenna. In some embodiments, this offset may be approximately 0.127 mm. In some embodiments, the offset between the parasitic post in the parasitic post 130 and the first radiating element 115 or the second radiating element 125 below which the parasitic post is disposed is substantially the same (e.g., within 10% of each other). In some embodiments, the offset between each parasitic column in the parasitic column 130 and the first radiating element 115 or the second radiating element 125 below which the parasitic column is disposed may be different from each other (e.g., more than 10%). In some embodiments, the length of the parasitic column 130 below one of the second radiating elements 125 in a first direction (e.g., vertical direction) is less than the length of the other parasitic column 130 below one of the first radiating elements 115 in a first direction (e.g., vertical direction), but embodiments of the invention are not limited thereto.

[0044] As previously described, in some embodiments, one or more of these parasitic pillars 130 may be omitted. For example, in some embodiments, the parasitic pillar 130 may be below one of the first radiating elements 115, but not below the other first radiating elements 115. Similarly, in some embodiments, the parasitic pillar 130 may be below one of the second radiating elements 125, but not below the other second radiating elements 125. In some embodiments, the parasitic pillar 130 may be below one or more of the first radiating elements 115, but not below the second radiating element 125. In some embodiments, the parasitic pillar 130 may be omitted entirely.

[0045] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the electrical performance of an antenna element according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 4 The electrical performance of an antenna element according to some embodiments of the invention is illustrated in terms of impedance matching (or return loss), port-to-port isolation, and gain achieved at frequencies of interest (e.g., 24 GHz to 43.5 GHz). It can be seen that the antenna element is capable of covering the wide frequency bandwidth required for mm-wave 5G with a return loss better than 10 dB over most of the frequency band. Isolation between the two ports remains better than 30 dB at all frequencies. The antenna element demonstrates stable, wide-side achieved gain across the entire operating frequency band, with variation of less than dB in any polarization.

[0046] Figure 5 This is a graph of the impedance of an antenna element relative to frequency according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a Smith chart illustrating the impedance of an antenna element according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 5 The real and imaginary parts 510A and 510B of the impedance seen from a port (any port) of the proposed antenna element according to some embodiments of the present invention are shown, compared to the real and imaginary parts 520A and 520B of a corresponding antenna element with only a single radiating arm for a conventional dipole element. For the antenna element according to some embodiments of the present invention, it can be seen that the real and imaginary parts 510A and 510B of the input impedance exhibit smaller frequency variations compared to the single-arm structure 520A, 520B.

[0048] Figure 6The impedance diagram further illustrates this effect, where a tighter impedance profile compared to a single-arm structure (lines 520A and 520B) indicates a lower impedance variation for the antenna elements (lines 510A and 510B) according to some embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, the configuration according to some embodiments of the invention can provide additional resonance on the higher side of the frequency band (e.g., see...). Figure 5 This can further facilitate broadband impedance matching between the antenna element and the system. Therefore, the combination of additional resonance and reduced impedance variation with frequency enables antenna elements according to some embodiments of the invention to provide a broadband response suitable for covering the mm-wave 5G band.

[0049] Figure 7 Example behavior of surface current in antenna elements according to some embodiments of the present invention is illustrated. More specifically, Figure 7 Examples of surface currents of antenna elements according to some embodiments of the invention are illustrated at two different frequencies, one at the lower side and one at the higher side of the frequency band. Figure 7 Example 710 illustrates the surface current when operating between 20 GHz and 31.5 GHz, while Example 720 illustrates the surface current when operating between 36.5 GHz and 39 GHz.

[0050] refer to Figure 7 As can be seen, at lower frequencies, most of the current flows in the arm with direct excitation (in this case, the horizontal arm), as shown in box 710A, while at higher frequencies, significant surface currents are observed in both arms of the element, as shown in box 720A. Therefore, at higher frequencies, the other arm (in this case, the vertical arm) can be parasitically excited and can act as an open sleeve structure for the excited dipole arm. This mechanism is believed to give rise to the paper's discussion of... Figure 5 and Figure 6 The aforementioned additional resonance. The presence of the open bushing effect can help mitigate impedance variations with frequency, thereby further promoting broadband impedance matching.

[0051] Figure 8 A comparison of antenna elements utilizing parasitic pillars with antenna elements not utilizing parasitic pillars is illustrated according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 8 In the diagram, lines 810A, 810B, and 810C illustrate the performance of antenna elements utilizing parasitic pillars, while lines 820A, 820B, and 820C illustrate the performance of antenna elements omitting parasitic pillars.

[0052] Figure 9A and Figure 9B Examples are given respectively. Figure 8 Example radiation patterns of the antenna element at operating frequencies of 24 GHz and 43 GHz. Figure 9A and Figure 9B In the diagram, lines 910A, 910B, and 910C illustrate the performance of antenna elements utilizing parasitic pillars, while lines 920A, 920B, and 920C illustrate the performance of antenna elements omitting parasitic pillars.

[0053] One problem with dipole elements such as those described in this paper is that the beamwidth of the radiation pattern in the E-plane (i.e., the plane along the direction of the surface current or electric field) decreases with increasing frequency. In other words, as the electrical length (length in terms of wavelength) of the element increases, compression of the radiation pattern is observed in the E-plane. This can be seen from... Figure 9B As can be seen from curve 920A. To improve the radiation pattern properties at the higher side of the frequency band (where the electrical length is relatively large), some embodiments of the invention utilize parasitic pillars 130 (e.g., vertical metal vias). When appropriately designed for height and properly positioned near the radiating arms 110, 120 of the antenna element 100 (e.g., see...), Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3A , Figure 3B These parasitic posts 130 can act as parasitic monopoles and provide radiation away from the line of sight. The combination of radiation from the radiating arms 110, 120 of the antenna element 100 and the parasitic posts 130 results in wide-angle beam coverage of the antenna element 100 according to some embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, as from... Figure 8 The conclusion that can be drawn is that the proposed parasitic post 130 does not significantly affect the impedance bandwidth or isolation characteristics of the structure (lines 810A, 810B, 810C). Figure 9A and Figure 9B This illustrates significant improvements in E-plane beamwidth (line 910A) and pattern symmetry obtained at higher frequencies from antenna elements using some embodiments of the invention.

[0054] Figure 10A and Figure 10B A comparison of the electric field diagrams of antenna elements utilizing parasitic pillars and antenna elements not utilizing parasitic pillars, according to some embodiments of the present invention, is illustrated. Figure 10B As can be seen from the example (where parasitic pillar 130 is used), more symmetrical radiation is obtained by introducing parasitic pillar 130 into the structure.

[0055] Figure 11 A 3D radiation pattern of an antenna element 100 having a parasitic column 130 for one of the polarization signals is illustrated according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 11 Radiation patterns of one of the radiating arms operating at 24 GHz, 28 GHz, 39 GHz, and 43 GHz are illustrated. (As shown in...) Figure 11As can be seen, good pattern properties with stable, wide-side patterns and wide-angle radiation characteristics can be observed in the frequency band of interest.

[0056] While the parasitic post 130 provides additional improvements to the antenna element 100, some embodiments of the antenna element 100 may exhibit improved performance superior to conventional devices while omitting the parasitic post 130. Thus, embodiments of the present invention can still provide an improved antenna element 100 despite the absence of the parasitic post 130.

[0057] Figure 12 This is a schematic perspective view of an example antenna array 1000 according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 13 This is an example Figure 12 The performance of the antenna array 1000 is shown in the figure.

[0058] exist Figure 12 In this context, antenna array 1000 is a 16-element array of antenna elements 100 using broadband dual-polarized elements according to some embodiments described herein. For Figure 13 The first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 are respectively provided with horizontal polarization signals and vertical polarization signals. Figure 13 The performance of wide-angle scanning of antenna array 1000 is illustrated, where equally good beam scanning performance can be observed in either polarization. Figure 13 In the middle, lines 1300A and 1300B are scanned in the wide side direction. Figure 12 The 16-element array is merely an example, and other sizes of antenna arrays 1000 are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. Antenna elements 100 according to some embodiments of the invention can be scaled to any size antenna array 1000 requiring large frequency bandwidth, wide-angle coverage, and polarization diversity.

[0059] Figure 14 This is a block diagram of an example of a wireless communication device 200 according to some embodiments of the present invention. (See reference) Figure 14 The wireless communication device 200 (also referred to as the wireless device) includes an RF front-end module 201 and a baseband processor 202, etc. The wireless device 200 can be any type of wireless communication device, such as a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a networked electrical device (e.g., an Internet of Things or IoT device), etc.

[0060] In radio receiver circuitry, RF front-end 201 is a general term for all circuitry from the antenna up to and including the mixer stage. RF front-end 201 consists of all components in the receiver that process the signal at its raw input RF frequency before converting it to a lower frequency (e.g., IF). In microwave and satellite receivers, RF front-end 201 is often referred to as a low-noise block (LNB) or low-noise downconverter (LND) and is typically located at the antenna, allowing the signal from the antenna to be transmitted to the rest of the receiver at a more easily processed intermediate frequency (IF). Baseband processor 202 is a device (chip or part of a chip) in the network interface that manages all baseband processing functions to process baseband signals.

[0061] In radio transmitter circuitry, RF front-end 201 is a general term for all circuitry from the mixer stage up to and including the antenna. RF front-end 201 consists of all components in the transmitter that process the signal at an intermediate frequency (IF) for easier handling before converting it to radio frequency (RF) for transmission. In microwave and satellite transmitters, RF front-end 201 is often referred to as a block on-converter (BUC), constituting the “transmit” side of the system, and it is frequently used in conjunction with an LNB, constituting the “receive” side of the system.

[0062] In some embodiments, the RF front-end module 201 includes one or more RF transceivers, wherein each RF transceiver transmits and receives RF signals within a specific frequency band (e.g., a specific frequency range, such as a non-overlapping frequency range) via one of a plurality of RF antennas. The one or more RF antennas may include antenna elements 100 as described herein.

[0063] Figure 15 This is a flowchart of a method 1500 for designing an antenna element 100 according to one or more aspects of the present invention. In some embodiments, method 1500 may be performed by processing logic, which may include hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, processor, processing device, central processing unit (CPU), system-on-a-chip (SoC), etc.), software (e.g., instructions that run / execute on the processing device), firmware (e.g., microcode), or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, at least a portion of method 1500 may be performed by a computing device that executes program instructions configured to design the antenna element and / or simulate antenna performance.

[0064] refer to Figure 15Method 1500 illustrates example functions used by various embodiments. While specific functional blocks (“multiple blocks”) are disclosed in method 1500, such blocks are exemplary. That is, implementations are well-suited to variations of the various other blocks or blocks set forth in method 1500. It is understood that the blocks in method 1500 may be performed in a different order than presented, and not all blocks in method 1500 may be performed.

[0065] Method 1500 begins at block 1510 and may include a first radiating arm. The first radiating arm may be similar to one of the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 discussed herein. In some embodiments, the first radiating arm may be disposed on a reflector. The reflector may be similar to a suitable substrate material 150 discussed herein. In some embodiments, the first radiating arm may be configured for a signal polarized in a specific direction.

[0066] At box 1515, the configuration of the first radiating arm can be adjusted. For example, the length of the arm and / or the distance of the first radiating arm from the reflector.

[0067] Adjustments to box 1515 can continue up to box 1520, at which point resonance is achieved on the lower side of the desired operating frequency band. For example, in Figure 5 Examples of possible resonance types are illustrated in curves 520A and 520B. In some embodiments, resonance can be achieved using a conceptual feed.

[0068] At frame 1525, a second radiating arm may be provided. The second radiating arm may be similar to one of the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120 discussed herein. The second radiating arm may be arranged orthogonally to the first radiating arm in a manner similar to that disclosed herein with respect to the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120. In some embodiments, the second radiating arm may be configured to polarize the signal in a direction orthogonal to the signal polarization direction of the first radiating arm.

[0069] At box 1530, the configuration of the second radiating arm can be adjusted. For example, the length of the second radiating arm can be adjusted. Furthermore, the vertical and horizontal offsets between adjacent edges of the first and second radiating arms can be adjusted. The adjacent edges of the first and second radiating arms can be similar to the first edge 115A and the second edge 125A discussed herein.

[0070] Adjustments to box 1530 can continue up to box 1535, at which point two distinct resonances are obtained. For example, in Figure 5Examples of achievable resonance types are illustrated in curves 510A and 510B. In some embodiments, a conceptual feed can be used to obtain two resonances. In some embodiments, as illustrated in block 1590, the conceptual feed can be replaced with a suitable balanced feed structure. Examples of balanced feed structures are provided, for example, by referring to... Figure 1 The second port 175 and feed coupling 180 are described. In some embodiments, in block 1595, the feed size of the balanced feed structure can be adjusted as part of obtaining two different resonances in block 1535 or before obtaining two different resonances in block 1535.

[0071] At frame 1540, a parasitic monopole may be added. The parasitic monopole may be similar to the parasitic post 130 discussed herein. The parasitic monopole may be arranged below the first and second radiating arms in a manner similar to that disclosed herein with respect to the parasitic post 130 with respect to the first radiating arm 110 and the second radiating arm 120.

[0072] At box 1545, the arm dimensions of the first and second radiating arms can be adjusted again. In some embodiments, the adjustment of the first and second radiating arms will be based on the measured and / or simulated performance of the antenna element. In some embodiments, the adjustment can be made according to a specific range of operating frequencies at which the antenna element is intended to operate.

[0073] At frame 1550, the position and vertical dimensions of the parasitic monopole can be adjusted. In some embodiments, the adjustment of the parasitic monopole is based on the measured and / or analog performance of the antenna element. In some embodiments, the adjustment can be made according to a specific range of operating frequencies at which the antenna element is intended to operate.

[0074] about Figure 15 The methods illustrated and described result in a wide-bandwidth beamwidth polarization diversity antenna according to some embodiments of the present invention. Although Figure 15 An example is illustrated of one method for generating such an antenna element according to an embodiment of the invention; however, it should be understood that other and / or additional operations may be used. Therefore, Figure 15 The methods described are merely examples and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention.

[0075] Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to any particular application. They can be used in a variety of wireless applications and at various frequencies and with different multiple access methods, and are advantageously used at radio frequencies such as those of fifth-generation mobile communication standard frequencies.

[0076] Specific exemplary embodiments have been described in the foregoing specification. It will be apparent that various modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope set forth in the appended claims. Therefore, the specification and drawings are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. An antenna, comprising: A first radiating arm, which includes a first radiating element having a first outer edge; A second radiating arm is orthogonally arranged on the first radiating arm and vertically offset relative to the first radiating arm, the second radiating arm including a second radiating element having a second outer edge; as well as First conductive parasitic pillar and second conductive parasitic pillar. Wherein, the first outer edge of the first radiating element extends substantially parallel to the second outer edge of the second radiating element. Wherein, the first radiating element is on the first conductive parasitic post, and the second radiating element is on the second conductive parasitic post.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein, The first conductive parasitic post and the second conductive parasitic post comprise conductive metal.

3. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein, The first radiating arm is configured to transmit a first signal, and The second radiating arm is configured to transmit a second signal orthogonally polarized relative to the first signal.

4. The antenna according to claim 3, wherein, The first signal is horizontally polarized, and The second signal is vertically polarized.

5. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein, The first radiating arm and the second radiating arm are configured to support transmission and / or reception from 24 GHz to 43.5 GHz.

6. The antenna according to claim 1 further includes a printed circuit board, i.e., a PCB, wherein, At least a portion of the PCB is located between the first radiating arm and the second radiating arm.

7. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein, The first radiating arm includes a third radiating element opposite to the first radiating element and the first radiating arm, the third radiating element including a third outer edge. The second radiating arm includes a fourth radiating element opposite to the second radiating element and the second radiating arm, the fourth radiating element including a fourth outer edge, and The third outer edge of the first radiating element extends substantially parallel to the fourth outer edge of the second radiating element.

8. An antenna device, comprising: Antenna, comprising: A first radiating arm includes a first radiating element, the first radiating element including a first outer edge; A second radiating arm, orthogonal to and vertically offset relative to the first radiating arm, includes a second radiating element having a second outer edge; and First conductive parasitic pillar and second conductive parasitic pillar. Wherein, at least a first portion of the first outer edge of the first radiating element and a second portion of the second outer edge of the second radiating element extend in the same first direction. Wherein, the horizontal spacing between the first radiating element and the second radiating element remains substantially the same along the first portion of the first outer edge and the second portion of the second outer edge, and Wherein, the first radiating element is on the first conductive parasitic pillar, and the second radiating element is on the second conductive parasitic pillar; and A transceiver coupled to the first radiating arm and the second radiating arm, the transceiver being configured to provide a first signal to the first radiating element and a second signal to the second radiating element.

9. The antenna device according to claim 8, wherein, The horizontal intervals are between 0.127 mm and 0.3 mm.

10. The antenna device according to claim 8, wherein, The first radiating arm is vertically offset from the second radiating arm by 0.127 mm to 0.254 mm.

11. The antenna device according to claim 8, wherein, The second signal is orthogonally polarized relative to the first signal.

12. The antenna device according to claim 11, wherein, The first signal is horizontally polarized and the second signal is vertically polarized.

13. The antenna device according to claim 8, wherein, The first conductive parasitic post is vertically offset relative to the first radiating element.

14. The antenna device according to claim 13, wherein, The second conductive parasitic post is vertically offset relative to the second radiating element.

15. The antenna device according to claim 14, wherein, The first length of the first conductive parasitic post is different from the second length of the second conductive parasitic post.

16. The antenna device according to claim 8, wherein, The antenna is a plurality of antennas.

17. The antenna device according to claim 8, wherein, The first and second radiating arms are configured to support transmission from 24 GHz to 43.5 GHz.

18. The antenna device according to claim 8 further includes a printed circuit board, i.e., a PCB, wherein, At least a portion of the PCB is located between the first radiating arm and the second radiating arm.

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