Antenna structure, array antenna and electronic equipment

Abstract

This disclosure provides an antenna structure, an array antenna, and an electronic device, belonging to the field of communication technology. The antenna structure provided includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a dielectric tunable layer disposed opposite to each other; the first substrate includes a first base and a first radiation phase-shifting unit and a second radiation phase-shifting unit disposed on one side of the first base; the second substrate includes a second base and a third radiation phase-shifting unit and a fourth radiation phase-shifting unit disposed on one side of the second base; wherein the orthographic projections of the first and third radiation phase-shifting units on the first base at least partially overlap; the orthographic projections of the second and fourth radiation phase-shifting units on the first base at least partially overlap; the extending directions of the radiation regions of the first and second radiation phase-shifting units form a first angle; and the extending directions of the radiation regions of the third and fourth radiation phase-shifting units form a second angle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure belongs to the field of communication technology, specifically relating to antenna structures, array antennas, and electronic devices. Background Technology

[0002] Reconfigurable antennas can achieve independent adjustment of radiation characteristics without changing the antenna's physical structure and aperture. This functional versatility allows reconfigurable antennas to not only adapt to the channel and rate requirements of today's wireless communication systems, but also to greatly reduce the number and cost of antennas, making them very valuable in practical applications. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and to provide an antenna structure, array antenna and electronic device that can achieve reconfiguration of multiple polarization modes, and has a simple structure that is easy to manufacture.

[0004] In a first aspect, the technical solution adopted to solve the technical problem of this disclosure is an antenna structure, which includes: a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and a dielectric adjustable dielectric layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;

[0005] The first substrate includes a first substrate, and a first radiation phase shifting unit and a second radiation phase shifting unit disposed on one side of the first substrate near the dielectric tunable dielectric layer and insulated from each other;

[0006] The second substrate includes a second substrate, and a third radiation phase shifting unit and a fourth radiation phase shifting unit disposed on the side of the second substrate near the dielectric tunable dielectric layer and insulated from each other;

[0007] Wherein, the orthographic projections of the first radiation phase-shifting unit and the third radiation phase-shifting unit on the first substrate at least partially overlap; the orthographic projections of the second radiation phase-shifting unit and the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit on the first substrate at least partially overlap;

[0008] The extension direction of the radiation region of the first radiation phase shifting unit and the extension direction of the radiation region of the second radiation phase shifting unit have a first angle; the extension direction of the radiation region of the third radiation phase shifting unit and the extension direction of the radiation region of the fourth radiation phase shifting unit have a second angle; the angle of the first angle is equal to the angle of the second angle.

[0009] In some examples, each of the first radiation phase-shifting unit, the second radiation phase-shifting unit, the third radiation phase-shifting unit, and the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit includes a radiating section and a reflecting phase-shifting section connected to the radiating section; wherein,

[0010] The orthographic projections of the reflective phase-shifting portion of the first radiation phase-shifting unit and the reflective phase-shifting portion of the third radiation phase-shifting unit on the first substrate at least partially overlap, and the orthographic projections of the radiating portion of the first radiation phase-shifting unit and the radiating portion of the third radiation phase-shifting unit on the first substrate at least partially overlap; the orthographic projections of the reflective phase-shifting portion of the second radiation phase-shifting unit and the reflective phase-shifting portion of the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit on the first substrate at least partially overlap, and the orthographic projections of the radiating portion of the second radiation phase-shifting unit and the radiating portion of the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit on the first substrate at least partially overlap.

[0011] In some examples, the radiating portions of the first and second radiation phase-shifting units are both patch structures; the radiating portions of the third and fourth radiation phase-shifting units are both patch structures; wherein, the patch structure of the first radiation phase-shifting unit includes a first radiation region, the orthographic projection of the first radiation region onto the first substrate lies within the orthographic projection of the patch structure of the third radiation phase-shifting unit onto the first substrate; the patch structure of the second radiation phase-shifting unit includes a second radiation region, the orthographic projection of the second radiation region onto the second substrate lies within the orthographic projection of the patch structure of the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit onto the second substrate.

[0012] In some examples, the radiating portion of each of the first, second, third, and fourth radiation phase shifting units is a dipole structure.

[0013] In some examples, the radiating portion of each of the first, second, third, and fourth radiating phase shifting units includes a first sub-radiating portion and a second sub-radiating portion, which form a dipole structure; wherein there is a first gap between the first and second sub-radiating portions, the extending direction of the first and second sub-radiating portions is the same, and both the first and second sub-radiating portions are connected to one end of the reflecting phase shifting portion of the radiating phase shifting unit to which they belong.

[0014] In some examples, the radiating portion of each of the first, second, third, and fourth radiating phase-shifting units is coupled to the reflecting phase-shifting portion, and the radiating portion and the reflecting phase-shifting portion are layered; the radiating portion has a slit, and the area where the slit is located defines the radiating region; wherein, the orthographic projection of a slit on a radiating portion onto the first substrate overlaps with the orthographic projection of the reflecting phase-shifting portion of the radiating phase-shifting unit to which the radiating portion belongs onto the first substrate.

[0015] In some examples, for any one of the first radiation phase shifting unit, the second radiation phase shifting unit, the third radiation phase shifting unit, and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit, the extending direction of the radiation region of the radiating part has a third angle with the extending direction of the reflecting phase shifting part.

[0016] In some examples, the first included angle and the second included angle are both 90°, and / or the third included angle is 90°.

[0017] In some examples, the reflective phase-shifting portion of each of the first, second, third, and fourth radiation phase-shifting units is connected to the midpoint of the radiation portion in the direction of extension of the radiation portion.

[0018] In some examples, a reflective layer is also included, disposed on the side of the second substrate opposite to the dielectric tunable dielectric layer.

[0019] Secondly, this disclosure provides an array antenna that includes multiple antenna structures as described above.

[0020] In some examples, multiple antenna structures are arranged in an array; a first substrate of multiple antenna structures is integrally disposed, and a second substrate of multiple antenna structures is integrally disposed.

[0021] In some examples, the array antenna further includes a first control unit, a second control unit, a plurality of first signal lines, a plurality of second signal lines, a plurality of third signal lines, and a plurality of fourth signal lines; wherein, the first end of each of the plurality of first signal lines is connected to a port of the first control unit, and the second end is connected to a first radiation phase-shifting unit; the first end of each of the plurality of second signal lines is connected to a port of the second control unit, and the second end is connected to a second radiation phase-shifting unit; the first end of each of the plurality of third signal lines is connected to a port of the first control unit, and the second end is connected to a third radiation phase-shifting unit; the first end of each of the plurality of fourth signal lines is connected to a port of the second control unit, and the second end is connected to a fourth radiation phase-shifting unit; wherein, each port of the first control unit independently provides a bias voltage, and each port of the second control unit independently provides a bias voltage.

[0022] Thirdly, this disclosure provides an electronic device that includes at least one of the above-described antenna structures and / or the above-described array antennas.

[0023] In some examples, it also includes:

[0024] A transceiver unit is used to send or receive signals.

[0025] A radio frequency transceiver, connected to the transceiver unit, is used to modulate the signal transmitted by the transceiver unit, or to demodulate the signal received by the antenna and then transmit it to the transceiver unit.

[0026] A signal amplifier, connected to the radio frequency transceiver, is used to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal output by the radio frequency transceiver or the signal received by the antenna;

[0027] A power amplifier, connected to the radio frequency transceiver, is used to amplify the power of the signal output by the radio frequency transceiver or the signal received by the antenna;

[0028] The filtering unit is connected to both the signal amplifier and the power amplifier, and is also connected to the antenna. It is used to filter the received signal and send it to the antenna, or to filter the signal received by the antenna.

[0029] The antenna structure, array antenna, and electronic device provided in this disclosure, since the extension directions of the radiation regions of the first and second radiation phase-shifting units have a first angle, and the extension directions of the radiation regions of the third and fourth radiation phase-shifting units have a second angle, and the angles of the first and second angles are equal, the first and third radiation phase-shifting units are respectively responsible for the coupling, phase shifting, and radiation of the radiated signal in one polarization direction, while the second and fourth radiation phase-shifting units are respectively responsible for the other polarization direction. The coupling, phase shifting, and radiation of radiation signals in the polarization direction are achieved. Furthermore, since the first and second radiation phase shifting units are located on one side of the dielectrically tunable dielectric layer, and the third and fourth radiation phase shifting units are located on the other side of the dielectrically tunable dielectric layer, if a bias voltage is applied to each of the four radiation phase shifting units, the dielectric constant of the dielectrically tunable dielectric layer can be controlled, thereby applying a phase shifting effect of 0 degrees to 360 degrees to the radiation signals in the two polarization directions. This allows the radiation signals in the two polarization directions to be superimposed to generate radiation signals with multiple polarization modes, thus realizing the reconfigurability of multiple polarization modes. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary antenna structure provided in this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view (in the Z direction) of an antenna structure provided in this disclosure;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary planar structure of the antenna structure provided in this disclosure on the first substrate side.

[0033] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary planar structure of the second substrate side of the antenna structure provided in this disclosure;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary planar structure of the array antenna provided in this disclosure;

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another exemplary planar structure of the antenna structure of the present disclosure on the first substrate side;

[0036] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another exemplary planar structure of the antenna structure of the present disclosure on the first substrate side;

[0037] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing the arrangement of various radiating phase-shifting units in the antenna structure provided in this disclosure;

[0038] Figure 9 This is an exemplary structural diagram of an electronic device provided in this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of this disclosure, the disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0040] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms “an,” “a,” or “the,” and similar terms do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms “including,” “comprising,” or “containing,” and similar terms mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms “connected,” “linked,” or similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. The terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” and “right,” etc., are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, and these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described objects changes.

[0041] It should be noted that in this disclosure, the two structures being "set in the same layer" means that they are formed from the same material layer, so they are in the same layer in terms of stacking relationship, but this does not mean that they are equidistant from the substrate, nor does it mean that they are completely identical to other layers between them and the substrate.

[0042] The present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the various drawings, the same elements are indicated by similar reference numerals. For clarity, the various parts in the drawings are not drawn to scale. Furthermore, some well-known parts may not be shown in the drawings.

[0043] It should be noted that in this disclosure, the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z intersect each other. In this disclosure, the example is taken where the first direction X and the second direction Y form a plane and are perpendicular to each other in the formed plane, and the third direction Z is perpendicular to the formed plane.

[0044] In a first aspect, the technical solution adopted to solve the technical problem of this disclosure is an antenna structure, which includes a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and a dielectric adjustable dielectric layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

[0045] Specifically, the first substrate includes a first base and a first radiation phase-shifting unit and a second radiation phase-shifting unit disposed on the side of the first base near the dielectric tunable dielectric layer, and the first radiation phase-shifting unit and the second radiation phase-shifting unit are insulated from each other. The second substrate includes a second base and a third radiation phase-shifting unit and a fourth radiation phase-shifting unit disposed on the side of the second base near the dielectric tunable dielectric layer, and the third radiation phase-shifting unit and the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit are insulated from each other.

[0046] The orthographic projections of the first and third radiation phase-shifting units on the first substrate at least partially overlap. If bias voltages are applied to the first and third radiation phase-shifting units respectively, the dielectric constant of the dielectric tunable dielectric layer between the first and third radiation phase-shifting units can be independently controlled, and the radiation signal can be phase-shifted when propagating in this part of the dielectric tunable dielectric layer. The orthographic projections of the second and fourth radiation phase-shifting units on the first substrate at least partially overlap. If bias voltages are applied to the second and fourth radiation phase-shifting units respectively, the dielectric constant of the dielectric tunable dielectric layer between the second and fourth radiation phase-shifting units can be independently controlled, and the radiation signal can be phase-shifted when propagating in this part of the dielectric tunable dielectric layer.

[0047] The extension direction of the radiation region of the first radiation phase shifting unit and the extension direction of the radiation region of the second radiation phase shifting unit have a first angle, and the extension directions of the radiation regions of the third radiation phase shifting unit and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit have a second angle. The angles of the first angle and the second angle are equal. Thus, the first radiation phase shifting unit and the third radiation phase shifting unit are respectively responsible for the coupling, phase shifting and radiation of the radiation signal in one polarization direction, and the second radiation phase shifting unit and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit are respectively responsible for the coupling, phase shifting and radiation of the radiation signal in the other polarization direction.

[0048] It should be noted that the dielectrically tunable dielectric layer can be filled with any material whose dielectric constant can be adjusted under the drive of an electric field, such as liquid crystal molecules, ferroelectrics, etc. For ease of explanation, the following description will be based on the example of a dielectrically tunable dielectric layer filled with liquid crystal molecules, i.e., the dielectrically tunable dielectric layer is a liquid crystal layer, but this does not constitute a limitation on this disclosure.

[0049] The antenna structure provided in this disclosure, because the extension directions of the radiation regions of the first and second radiation phase-shifting units form a first angle, and the extension directions of the radiation regions of the third and fourth radiation phase-shifting units form a second angle, and the angles of the first and second angles are equal, allows the first and third radiation phase-shifting units to be responsible for coupling, phase-shifting, and radiation of the radiated signal in one polarization direction, respectively, and the second and fourth radiation phase-shifting units to be responsible for coupling, phase-shifting, and radiation of the radiated signal in the other polarization direction. Furthermore, since the first and second radiation phase-shifting units are disposed on one side of the dielectrically tunable dielectric layer, and the third and fourth radiation phase-shifting units are disposed on the other side of the dielectrically tunable dielectric layer, if bias voltages are applied to the first to fourth radiation phase-shifting units respectively, the dielectric constant of the dielectrically tunable dielectric layer can be controlled. Thus, by controlling the magnitude of the bias voltage, a phase shift of 0 to 360 degrees can be applied to the radiation signals in the two polarization directions, thereby causing the radiation signals in the two polarization directions to be superimposed to generate radiation signals with multiple polarization modes, that is, to realize the reconfigurability of multiple polarization modes.

[0050] It should be noted that the various polarization modes of the radiated signal mentioned above include, but are not limited to, linear polarization, circular polarization, and elliptical polarization. Linear polarization includes horizontal and vertical polarization, while circular polarization includes left-handed and right-handed circular polarization. The polarization characteristics of an antenna structure are defined by the spatial orientation of the electric field intensity vector of the radiated signal received or transmitted in the radiation region along the direction of maximum radiation. Different polarization modes are distinguished by the trajectory of the electric field intensity vector's endpoint. When the angle between the polarization surface of the radiated signal and the normal plane of the earth changes periodically from 0 to 360° (i.e., the magnitude of the electric field remains constant while its direction changes with time), and the trajectory of the electric field vector's endpoint projects as a circle onto a plane perpendicular to the propagation direction, it is called circular polarization. Circular polarization can be obtained when the horizontal and vertical components of the electric field have equal amplitudes and a phase difference of 90° or 270°. Circular polarization is further defined as follows: if the polarization surface rotates with time and forms a right-handed spiral relationship with the direction of electromagnetic wave propagation, it is called right-handed circular polarization; conversely, if it forms a left-handed spiral relationship, it is called left-handed circular polarization.

[0051] The antenna structure provided in the embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] See Figures 1-4 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an antenna structure provided in this disclosure. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-section of an antenna structure provided in this disclosure in the vertical direction (i.e., the third direction Z). Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first substrate of an antenna structure provided in this disclosure. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second substrate of an antenna structure provided in this disclosure. The diagram illustrates the film structure of the antenna structure for clarity. Figure 1 The second substrate and reflective layer of the second substrate are semi-transparent, but this does not limit their materials or light transmittance. The antenna structure includes a first substrate 1 and a second substrate 2 disposed opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal layer 3 disposed between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2. The first substrate 1 includes a first base 11 and a first radiation phase-shifting unit 12 and a second radiation phase-shifting unit 13 disposed on the side of the first base 11 near the liquid crystal layer 3, and the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12 and the second radiation phase-shifting unit 13 are insulated from each other. The second substrate 2 includes a second base 21 and a third radiation phase-shifting unit 22 and a fourth radiation phase-shifting unit 23 disposed on the side of the second base 21 near the liquid crystal layer 3, and the third radiation phase-shifting unit 22 and the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit 23 are insulated from each other.

[0053] The orthographic projections of the first radiation phase shifting unit 12 and the third radiation phase shifting unit 22 on the first substrate 11 at least partially overlap; the orthographic projections of the second radiation phase shifting unit 13 and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23 on the first substrate 11 at least partially overlap. The extension direction of the radiation region of the first radiation phase shifting unit 12 and the extension direction of the radiation region of the second radiation phase shifting unit 13 have a first angle, and the extension directions of the radiation regions of the third radiation phase shifting unit 22 and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23 have a second angle, wherein the angles of the first angle and the second angle are equal.

[0054] Based on the above structural characteristics, in this antenna structure, due to the extension direction of the radiation region of the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12 located on the upper side of the liquid crystal layer 3 (i.e., Figures 1-4 The first direction X) and the extension direction of the radiation region of the second radiation phase shifting unit 13 (i.e. Figures 1-4 The first included angle between the second direction (Y) and the extension direction of the radiation region of the third radiation phase-shifting unit 22 located below the liquid crystal layer 3 (i.e., Figures 1-4 The first direction X) and the extension direction of the radiation region of the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23 (i.e. Figures 1-4The second included angle between the second direction (Y) in the second radiation phase shift unit 12 and the third radiation phase shift unit 22 overlaps, and the second radiation phase shift unit 13 and the fourth radiation phase shift unit 23 overlap. Therefore, it can be concluded that the radiation regions of the first radiation phase shift unit 12 and the third radiation phase shift unit 22 extend in the same direction, and they are respectively responsible for the coupling, phase shifting, and radiation of the radiation signal in the first polarization direction of the space radiation signal. The radiation regions of the second radiation phase shift unit 13 and the fourth radiation phase shift unit 23 extend in the same direction, and they are respectively responsible for the coupling, phase shifting, and radiation of the radiation signal in the second polarization direction of the space radiation signal. The first polarization direction and the second polarization direction are respectively... The specific direction is related to the angle of the first included angle (and the second included angle). For ease of explanation, the following explanation assumes that both the first and second included angles are 90°. That is, the extension directions of the radiation regions of the first radiation phase shifting unit 12 and the second radiation phase shifting unit 13 are perpendicular to each other, and the extension directions of the radiation regions of the third radiation phase shifting unit 22 and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23 are perpendicular to each other. This makes the linearly polarized radiation signals generated on the radiation regions of the first radiation phase shifting unit 12 and the third radiation phase shifting unit 22 orthogonal to the linearly polarized radiation signals generated on the second radiation phase shifting unit 13 and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23.

[0055] Furthermore, each of the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12, the second radiation phase-shifting unit 13, the third radiation phase-shifting unit 22, and the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit 23 includes a radiating section and a reflecting phase-shifting section connected to the radiating section, with the radiating section connected to one end of the reflecting phase-shifting section. Specifically, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 3 The first radiation phase-shifting unit 12 includes a radiating section 12a and a reflecting phase-shifting section 12b connected to the radiating section 12a; the second radiation phase-shifting unit 13 includes a radiating section 13a and a reflecting phase-shifting section 13b connected to the radiating section 13a; (participating in...) Figure 4The third radiation phase shifting unit 22 includes a radiating part 22a and a reflecting phase shifting part 22b connected to the radiating part 22a; the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23 includes a radiating part 23a and a reflecting phase shifting part 23b connected to the radiating part 23a. The orthographic projections of the reflecting phase shifting part 12b of the first radiation phase shifting unit 12 and the reflecting phase shifting part 22b of the third radiation phase shifting unit 22 on the first substrate 11 at least partially overlap, and the orthographic projections of the radiating part 12a of the first radiation phase shifting unit 12 and the radiating part 22a of the third radiation phase shifting unit 22 on the first substrate 11 at least partially overlap; the orthographic projections of the reflecting phase shifting part 13b of the second radiation phase shifting unit 13 and the reflecting phase shifting part 23b of the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23 on the first substrate 11 at least partially overlap, and the orthographic projections of the radiating part 13a of the second radiation phase shifting unit 13 and the radiating part 23a of the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23 on the first substrate 11 at least partially overlap.

[0056] Based on the above structure, the working principle of the antenna structure is explained below: The first radiation phase shifting unit 12, the third radiation phase shifting unit 22, and the portion of the liquid crystal layer 3 located between the first radiation phase shifting unit 12 and the third radiation phase shifting unit 22 form a radiation phase shifter. A first bias voltage V1 is applied to the first radiation phase shifting unit 12, and a third bias voltage V3 is applied to the third radiation phase shifting unit 22. Thus, the electric field between the first radiation phase shifting unit 12 and the third radiation phase shifting unit 22 can change the deflection angle of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 3 in the region where they are located, thereby changing the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 3 in this region. Since the phase shift of the radiation signal is different in media with different dielectric constants, by controlling the first bias voltage V1 and the third bias voltage V3, a phase shift amount corresponding to 0 degrees to 360 degrees can be applied to the radiation signal. In space radiation, a radiation signal corresponding to the first polarization direction handled by the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12 and the third radiation phase-shifting unit 22 is incident on the radiating part 12a of the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12 and the radiating part 22a of the third phase-shifting unit 22. It then propagates along the extension direction (e.g., the second direction Y in the figure) of the reflecting phase-shifting part 12b of the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12 and the reflecting phase-shifting part 22b of the third phase-shifting unit 22. The radiation signal reaches the end of the reflecting phase-shifting part 12b of the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12 away from its radiating part 12a (which is also the reflection point of the third radiation phase-shifting unit 22). When the phase-shifting section 22b moves away from the end of its radiating section 22a, it is reflected back to the radiating section 12a. During this entire propagation process, the radiation signal in the first polarization direction propagates between the liquid crystal layer 3 in the region defined by the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12 and the third radiation phase-shifting unit 22. Since the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 3 in this region are deflected under the electric field generated by the first bias voltage V1 and the third bias voltage V3, a corresponding phase-shifting effect is applied to the radiation signal in the first polarization direction, so that the radiation signal in the first polarization direction generates a corresponding phase shift amount, thereby generating the first linearly polarized radiation signal.

[0057] Similarly, the second radiation phase shifting unit 13, the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23, and the portion of the liquid crystal layer 3 located between the second radiation phase shifting unit 13 and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23 form another radiation phase shifter. A second bias voltage V2 is applied to the second radiation phase shifting unit 13, and a fourth bias voltage V4 is applied to the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23. Thus, the electric field between the second radiation phase shifting unit 13 and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23 can change the deflection angle of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 3 in the region where they are located, thereby changing the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 3 in this region. Since the phase shift of the radiation signal is different in media with different dielectric constants, the phase shift amount corresponding to 0 degrees to 360 degrees can be applied to the radiation signal by controlling the second bias voltage V2 and the fourth bias voltage V4. In space radiation, the radiation signal corresponding to the second polarization direction handled by the second radiation phase-shifting unit 13 and the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit 23 is incident on the radiating part 13a of the second radiation phase-shifting unit 13 and the radiating part 23a of the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit 23. It then propagates along the extension direction (e.g., the second direction X in the figure) of the reflecting phase-shifting part 13b of the second radiation phase-shifting unit 13 and the reflecting phase-shifting part 23b of the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit 23. The radiation signal reaches the end of the reflecting phase-shifting part 13b of the second radiation phase-shifting unit 13 away from its radiating part 13a (which is also the end of the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit 23). When the reflective phase-shifting section 23b moves away from the end of its radiating section 23a, it is reflected back to the radiating section 13a. During this entire propagation process, the radiation signal in the second polarization direction propagates between the liquid crystal layer 3 in the region defined by the second radiation phase-shifting unit 13 and the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit 23. Since the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 3 in this region are deflected under the electric field generated by the second bias voltage V2 and the fourth bias voltage V4, a corresponding phase shifting effect is applied to the radiation signal in the second polarization direction, so that the radiation signal in the second polarization direction generates a corresponding phase shift amount, thereby generating a second linearly polarized radiation signal.

[0058] Similarly, since the first and second included angles are 90°, in other words, the radiation regions of the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12 and the second radiation phase-shifting unit 13 are set in a mutually perpendicular manner, and the radiation regions of the third radiation phase-shifting unit 22 and the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit 23 are set in a mutually perpendicular manner. Therefore, the first linearly polarized radiation signal and the second linearly polarized radiation signal are orthogonal. The first and second linearly polarized radiation signals are modulated by the deflection angle of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 3, so that the first and second linearly polarized radiation signals have a certain phase difference. Therefore, the first linearly polarized radiation signal and the second linearly polarized radiation signal are orthogonal. The superposition of polarized radiation signals can produce radiation signals with different polarization modes. For example, when the phase difference between the first and second linearly polarized radiation signals is +90 degrees, their superposition produces a right-hand circularly polarized radiation signal; when the phase difference is -90 degrees, it produces a left-hand circularly polarized radiation signal; and when the phase difference is 0 degrees, they produce a linearly polarized radiation signal. It should be noted that the aforementioned circularly polarized radiation signals include both positively circularly polarized and elliptically polarized radiation signals; when the axial ratio of the circularly polarized radiation signal is 1, it is a positively circularly polarized radiation signal; when the axial ratio is greater than 1, it is an elliptically polarized radiation signal. For example, when the phase difference between the first linearly polarized radiation signal and the second linearly polarized radiation signal is not ±90 degrees and is not 0 degrees, their superposition produces an elliptical polarized wave. Based on the above principle, by controlling the magnitudes of the first bias voltage V1 to the fourth bias voltage V4, the phase difference between the first linearly polarized radiation signal and the second linearly polarized radiation signal can be controlled, thereby enabling the generation of radiation signals with multiple polarization modes, i.e., realizing the reconfigurability of multiple polarization modes.

[0059] It is worth noting that, see Figure 5 , Figure 5 The diagram shows a planar structure of an array antenna using the antenna structure provided in this disclosure. When the antenna structure provided in this disclosure (each dashed box defines one antenna structure) is applied to an array antenna, by controlling the phase difference between the first linear polarization radiation signal and the second linear polarization radiation signal in multiple antenna structures, the radiation signals generated by each antenna structure in different polarization directions are superimposed, which can achieve beam scanning under fixed polarization. In other words, it can achieve beam directional adjustment, deflection, etc. Furthermore, using a liquid crystal layer for phase modulation can achieve continuous control by changing the bias voltage, thus providing high resolution during beam scanning.

[0060] In the antenna structure provided in this disclosure, the radiating and reflecting phase-shifting parts of the first to fourth radiating phase-shifting units can adopt various structures, as long as the two radiating phase-shifting parts of the radiating phase-shifting unit superimposed on the upper and lower sides of the liquid crystal layer 3 and the liquid crystal layer 3 between them can be combined to form a reflecting phase-shifter. In other words, the reflecting phase-shifter can achieve the following: after the radiated signal is incident on the radiating region, it propagates from the end of the reflecting phase-shifter closer to the radiating region (i.e., closer to the radiating part) to the end farther from the radiating region, and is reflected back to the radiating region and then radiated out again. The radiating part and reflecting phase-shifting part of a radiating phase-shifting unit (including any one of the first to fourth radiating phase-shifting units) can be arranged on the same layer and transmit the radiated signal by electrical connection; the radiating part and reflecting phase-shifting part of a radiating phase-shifting unit can also be arranged in layers (i.e., arranged on different layers) and transmit the radiated signal by coupling connection. Examples are given in detail below.

[0061] See in some examples Figures 1-4 The radiating portion 12a of the first radiation phase shifting unit 12 and the radiating portion 13a of the second radiation phase shifting unit 13 are both patch structures, i.e., made of sheet metal without slits. In this implementation, the area defined by the orthogonal projection of the patch structure (i.e., the radiating portion) of a radiation phase shifting unit (including any one of the first to fourth radiation phase shifting units) onto the first substrate 11 is the radiation area of ​​that radiation phase shifting unit. Similarly, the radiating portion 22a of the third radiation phase shifting unit 22 and the radiating portion 23a of the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23 are both patch structures, i.e. made of sheet metal without slits. In this implementation, the area defined by the orthogonal projection of the patch structure (i.e., the radiating portion) of a radiation phase shifting unit (including any one of the first to fourth radiation phase shifting units) onto the second substrate 21 is the radiation area of ​​that radiation phase shifting unit. Furthermore, the patch structure (i.e., radiating portion 12a) of the first radiation phase shifting unit 12 includes a first radiation region, the orthographic projection of which onto the first substrate 11 lies within the orthographic projection of the patch structure (i.e., radiating portion 22a) of the third radiation phase shifting unit 22 onto the first substrate 11; the patch structure (i.e., radiating portion 13a) of the second radiation phase shifting unit 13 includes a second radiation region, the orthographic projection of which onto the second substrate 21 lies within the orthographic projection of the patch structure (i.e., radiating portion 23a) of the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23 onto the second substrate 21. In this implementation, the reflective phase shifting portion of a radiation phase shifting unit (including any one of the first to fourth radiation phase shifting units) is disposed on the same layer as the patch structure (i.e., radiating portion) and is directly electrically connected. In some examples, the reflective phase shifting portion of a radiation phase shifting unit is integrally formed with the patch structure (i.e., radiating portion).

[0062] Furthermore, the radiating part of each of the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12, the second radiation phase-shifting unit 13, the third radiation phase-shifting unit 22, and the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit 23 is a dipole structure. There are various ways to implement the dipole structure; for example, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 6 , Figure 6 The diagram shows a planar structure of the first substrate in an embodiment where the radiating section is a dipole structure. The third and fourth radiating phase-shifting units on the second substrate can employ the same configuration, which will not be elaborated upon here. Each of the first, second, and third radiating phase-shifting units 12, 13, 22, and 23 includes a first sub-radiating section and a second sub-radiating section, forming a planar dipole structure. A first distance exists between a first sub-radiating section and a second sub-radiating section belonging to the same radiating phase-shifting unit. The extending directions of the first and second sub-radiating sections are the same, and both are connected to one end of the reflecting phase-shifting section of the radiating phase-shifting unit to which they belong. Figure 6 For example, the extending directions of the first sub-radiator and the second sub-radiator are the first direction X. In this embodiment, the first and second sub-radiators are arranged at intervals along the same horizontal line. The area defined by the orthographic projection of the first and second sub-radiators of a radiation phase-shifting unit (including any one of the first to fourth radiation phase-shifting units) onto the first substrate 11 is the radiation region of that radiation phase-shifting unit. For example: See Figure 6 The first radiation phase-shifting unit 12 includes a radiating section 12a and a reflecting phase-shifting section 12b connected to the radiating section 12a. The radiating section 12a includes a first sub-radiating section 12a1 and a second sub-radiating section 12a2 that are disconnected from each other. The first sub-radiating section 12a1 and the second sub-radiating section 12a2 have a first distance d1, and the extending directions of the first sub-radiating section 12a1 and the second sub-radiating section 12a2 are both the first direction X. The first sub-radiating section 12a1 and the second sub-radiating section 12a2 are connected to the same end of the reflecting phase-shifting section 12b. The orthographic projections of the first sub-radiating section 12a1 and the second sub-radiating section 12a2 onto the first substrate 1 define the radiation area of ​​the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12. The first distance d1 is the distance from the extending direction of the first radiating section 12a1 (e.g., X). Figure 6In the first direction X), the distance between the end of the first sub-radiator 12a1 near the second sub-radiator 12a2 and the end of the second sub-radiator 12a2 near the first sub-radiator 12a1. The second radiation phase-shifting unit 13 includes a radiator 13a and a reflective phase-shifting part 13b connected to the radiator 13a. The radiator 13a includes a first sub-radiator 13a1 and a second sub-radiator 13a2 that are disconnected. The first sub-radiator 13a1 and the second sub-radiator 13a2 have a first distance, and the extension direction of the first sub-radiator 13a1 and the extension direction of the second sub-radiator 13a2 are both in the second direction Y. The first sub-radiator 13a1 and the second sub-radiator 13a2 are connected to the same end of the reflective phase-shifting part 13b. The orthographic projection of the first sub-radiator 13a1 and the second sub-radiator 13a2 onto the first substrate 1 defines the radiation area of ​​the second radiation phase-shifting unit 13. The structures of the third radiation phase shifting unit 22 and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23 can be implemented in the same way as the first radiation phase shifting unit 12, and will not be described again here.

[0063] In some examples, the radiating and reflecting phase-shifting parts of each of the first, second, third, and fourth radiation phase-shifting units 12, 13, 22, and 23 can be coupled together. In this implementation, the radiating and reflecting phase-shifting parts can be arranged in layers. See also Figure 7 , Figure 7 This diagram illustrates a planar structure of the first substrate in an embodiment where the radiating and reflecting phase-shifting parts of a radiation phase-shifting unit are coupled together. The third and fourth radiation phase-shifting units on the second substrate can employ the same configuration and will not be described in detail here. The radiating parts belonging to the same radiation phase-shifter have slits, and the area where the slits are located defines the radiation area of ​​the radiation phase-shifter. Specifically, the orthographic projection of a slit on a radiating part onto the first substrate 11 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the reflecting phase-shifting part of the radiation phase-shifting unit to which that radiating part belongs onto the first substrate 11. Therefore, the reflecting phase-shifting part and the radiating part can transmit radiated signals using a slit coupling method. For example: See... Figure 7The first radiation phase-shifting unit 12 includes a radiating section 12a and a reflecting phase-shifting section 12b connected to the radiating section 12a. The radiating section 12a has a slit K1. The orthographic projection of the reflecting phase-shifting section 12b onto the first substrate 11 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the slit K1 onto the first substrate 11. The orthographic projection of the slit K1 onto the first substrate 11 defines the radiation region of the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12. The second radiation phase-shifting unit 13 includes a radiating section 13a and a reflecting phase-shifting section 13b connected to the radiating section 13a. The radiating section 13a has a slit K2. The orthographic projection of the reflecting phase-shifting section 13b onto the first substrate 11 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the slit K2 onto the first substrate 11. The orthographic projection of the slit K1 onto the first substrate 11 defines the radiation region of the second radiation phase-shifting unit 13. The structures of the third radiation phase-shifting unit 22 and the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit 23 can be implemented in the same way as the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12, and will not be described further here.

[0064] Of course, the first to fourth radiative phase shifting units can also be implemented in more ways, such as using a microstrip line structure, which is not limited here.

[0065] See Figure 8 , Figure 8 This diagram illustrates various arrangements of radiating phase-shifting units located on the same layer. For an antenna structure, the first radiating phase-shifting unit 12 and the second radiating phase-shifting unit 13 located on the first substrate 11 can be arranged in various ways, and the third radiating phase-shifting unit 22 and the fourth radiating phase-shifting unit 23 located on the second substrate 21 can also be arranged in various ways. It is only necessary to ensure that the first angle between the extension direction of the radiation region of the first radiating phase-shifting unit 12 and the first angle between the extension direction of the second radiating phase-shifting unit 13 and the second angle between the extension directions of the radiation region of the third radiating phase-shifting unit 22 and the fourth radiating phase-shifting unit 23 are consistent. In embodiments where the first linearly polarized radiation signal and the second linearly polarized radiation signal need to be orthogonal, it is necessary to ensure that the first angle between the extension direction of the radiation region of the first radiating phase-shifting unit 12 and the first angle between the extension direction of the second radiating phase-shifting unit 13 is 90°; and that the second angle between the extension direction of the radiation region of the third radiating phase-shifting unit 22 and the extension direction of the fourth radiating phase-shifting unit 23 is 90°. For example: See [link to documentation]. Figure 8 ,exist Figure 8 In embodiments (a) and (b), taking one side of the first substrate as an example, the extension direction of the radiation region of the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12 is the first direction X, and the extension direction of the second radiation phase-shifting unit 13 is the second direction Y. The first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular to each other. Figure 8In embodiments (c) and (d), taking one side of the first substrate as an example, the extension direction of the radiation region of the first radiation phase shifting unit 12 is the fourth direction S1, and the extension direction of the second radiation phase shifting unit 13 is the fifth direction S2. The fourth direction S1 and the fifth direction S2 are perpendicular to each other. The structures of the third radiation phase shifting unit 22 and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23 can be implemented in the same way as the first radiation phase shifting unit 12, and will not be described again here.

[0066] In some examples, for any one of the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12, the second radiation phase-shifting unit 13, the third radiation phase-shifting unit 22, and the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit 23, the extending direction of the radiation region of the radiating part of the radiation phase-shifting unit has a third angle with the extending direction of the reflecting phase-shifting part of the same radiation phase-shifting unit. That is, the extending direction of the reflecting phase-shifting part of the same radiation phase-shifting unit is different from the extending direction of the radiating part, and the angle of the third angle is between (0, 90) degrees. For example: in Figure 8 In the embodiments shown in (a) and (b), the extending direction (e.g., the second direction Y) of the reflecting phase-shifting portion 12b of the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12 is perpendicular to the radiating portion 12a (e.g., the first direction X) of the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12, i.e., the included angle is 90°; Figure 8 In the embodiment shown in (d), the extending direction (e.g., the sixth direction S3) of the reflective phase-shifting portion 12b of the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12 intersects with the radiating portion 12a (e.g., the fourth direction S1) of the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12, and the third included angle is less than 90°. In specific embodiments, the arrangement of the reflective phase-shifting portions can be varied, including multi-segment arrangement, periodic or non-periodic patterns, etc., to achieve space saving or to realize various functions such as delay lines, which are not limited here. The structures of the second radiation phase-shifting unit 13, the third radiation phase-shifting unit 22, and the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit 23 can be implemented in the same way as the first radiation phase-shifting unit 12, and will not be described again here.

[0067] In some examples, the reflective phase shifting portion of each of the first radiation phase shifting unit 12, the second radiation phase shifting unit 13, the third radiation phase shifting unit 22, and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23 can be connected to the midpoint of the radiation portion of the radiation phase shifting unit in the direction of extension of the radiation portion.

[0068] It should be noted that in the antenna structure provided in this disclosure, the patterns of the first radiation phase shifting unit 12 and the second radiation phase shifting unit 13 disposed on the first substrate 11 may not be consistent with the patterns of the third radiation phase shifting unit 22 and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23, as long as the orthographic projections of the first radiation phase shifting unit 12 and the third radiation phase shifting unit 22 on the first substrate 11 at least partially overlap, and the orthographic projections of the second radiation phase shifting unit 13 and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23 on the first substrate 11 at least partially overlap.

[0069] See in some examples Figure 1 , Figure 2 The antenna structure provided in this disclosure further includes a reflective layer 24, which is disposed on the side of the second substrate 21 opposite to the liquid crystal layer 3. The orthographic projection of the reflective layer 24 on the second substrate 21 covers the orthographic projection of the first to fourth radiating elements on the second substrate 21. The reflective layer 24 is used to reflect the radiated signals radiated by the first to fourth radiating elements toward the second substrate 21 to a direction away from the second substrate 21, thereby increasing the radiation efficiency of the antenna structure. The reflective layer 24 can be formed of a single sheet of metal or can be formed of an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structure using a periodic pattern; no limitation is made herein.

[0070] In some embodiments, the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 can be glass substrates with a thickness of 100-1000 micrometers, or sapphire substrates, ceramic substrates, etc., or polyethylene terephthalate substrates, triallyl cyanurate substrates, and polyimide transparent flexible substrates with a thickness of 10-500 micrometers. Specifically, the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 can be high-purity quartz glass with extremely low dielectric loss. Compared with ordinary glass substrates, using quartz glass for the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 can effectively reduce microwave loss, enabling the phase shifter to have low power consumption and a high signal-to-noise ratio.

[0071] In some embodiments, the material of any one of the radiating part and the phase-shifting reflective part and the reflective layer of the first to fourth radiating phase-shifting units can be made of metals such as aluminum, silver, gold, chromium, molybdenum, nickel or iron, or it can be made of non-metallic conductive material.

[0072] In some embodiments, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 3 are positive or negative liquid crystal molecules. It should be noted that when the liquid crystal molecules are positive, the angle between the long axis of the liquid crystal molecules and the second electrode in this specific embodiment is greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 45 degrees. When the liquid crystal molecules are negative, the angle between the long axis of the liquid crystal molecules and the second electrode in this specific embodiment is greater than 45 degrees and less than 90 degrees. This ensures that after the liquid crystal molecules are deflected, the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 3 is changed, thereby achieving the purpose of phase shifting.

[0073] Secondly, this disclosure provides an array antenna that includes multiple antenna structures as described above.

[0074] See in some examples Figure 5 Multiple antenna structures (each antenna structure is defined by a rectangular dashed frame) are arranged in an array; the first substrate 11 of the multiple antenna structures is integrally formed, and the second substrate 21 of the multiple antenna structures ( Figure 5 (Not shown in the image) Integrated with a reflective layer 24 of multiple antenna structures. Figure 5 (Not shown in the image) Integrated setup.

[0075] In some examples, see further. Figure 5 The array antenna also includes a first control unit CON1, a second control unit CON2, multiple first signal lines 01, multiple second signal lines 02, and multiple third signal lines ( Figure 5 (not shown in the image) and multiple fourth signal lines ( Figure 5 (Not shown in the image). It should be noted that... Figure 5 The structure of one side of the first substrate will be used as an example for explanation. The same connection method can be used on the second substrate side, so it will not be described in detail here.

[0076] The first control unit CON1 and the second control unit CON2 each have multiple ports, each capable of independently outputting a bias voltage. The first end of each of the multiple first signal lines 01 is connected to a port of the first control unit CON1, and the second end of the first signal line 01 is connected to a first radiation phase shifting unit 12. Different first signal lines 01 are connected to different first radiation phase shifting units 12 and different ports of the first control unit CON1. ​​The first end of each of the multiple second signal lines 02 is connected to a port of the second control unit CON2, and the second end of the second signal line 02 is connected to a second radiation phase shifting unit 13. Different second signal lines 02 are connected to different second radiation phase shifting units 13 and different ports of the second control unit CON2. The first end of each of the multiple third signal lines is connected to a port of the first control unit CON1, and the second end of the third signal line is connected to a third radiation phase shifting unit 22. Different third signal lines are connected to different third radiation phase shifting units 22 and different ports of the first control unit CON1. ​​Each of the multiple fourth signal lines... The first end is connected to a port of the second control unit CON2, and the second end of the fourth signal line is connected to a fourth radiation phase shifting unit 23. Different fourth signal lines are connected to different fourth radiation phase shifting units 23 and different ports of the second control unit CON2. Each port of the first control unit CON1 and each port of the second control unit CON2 independently provides a bias voltage. Through the bias voltages output by each port of the first control unit CON1 and the second control unit CON2 (such as the first to fourth bias voltages mentioned above), the phase difference of the radiated signal of each antenna structure in the multiple antenna structures can be independently controlled to generate a radiated signal with the corresponding polarization mode. This allows the radiated signals with different polarization directions generated by each antenna structure in the multiple antenna structures to be superimposed, enabling beam scanning under fixed polarization. In other words, it enables beam directional adjustment, deflection, etc. Furthermore, using a liquid crystal layer for phase modulation can achieve continuous control by changing the bias voltage, thus providing high resolution during beam scanning. Furthermore, the array antenna provided in this disclosure is an air-fed array antenna, which does not require the setting of complex transmit / receive feed modules, and the arrangement of the antenna structure, the arrangement of signal lines, and the driving method of the array antenna are relatively flexible, and the manufacturing process is relatively simple.

[0077] In some examples, at least one of the first control unit CON1 and the second control unit CON2 of the array antenna provided in this disclosure may be a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) board.

[0078] Thirdly, this disclosure provides an electronic device that includes at least one of the above-described antenna structures and / or the above-described array antennas.

[0079] See in some examples Figure 9 The electronic device also includes a transceiver unit, a radio frequency transceiver, a signal amplifier, a power amplifier, and a filtering unit. The transceiver unit may include a baseband and a receiver. The baseband provides signals in at least one frequency band, such as 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G signals, and transmits these signals to the radio frequency transceiver. After receiving the signal, the antenna structure in the electronic device processes it through the filtering unit, power amplifier, signal amplifier, and radio frequency transceiver before transmitting it to the receiver in the transceiver unit. The receiver may be, for example, a smart gateway.

[0080] Furthermore, the RF transceiver is connected to the transceiver unit and is used to modulate the signals transmitted by the transceiver unit, or to demodulate the signals received by the antenna structure before transmitting them to the transceiver unit. Specifically, the RF transceiver may include a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, a modulation circuit, and a demodulation circuit. After the transmitting circuit receives various types of signals provided by the baseband, the modulation circuit can modulate the various types of signals provided by the baseband and then send them to the antenna structure. The antenna structure receives the signals and transmits them to the receiving circuit of the RF transceiver. The receiving circuit then transmits the signals to the demodulation circuit, which demodulates the signals and transmits them to the receiving end.

[0081] Furthermore, the RF transceiver is connected to a signal amplifier and a power amplifier, which are then connected to a filtering unit. The filtering unit is connected to at least one antenna structure. During signal transmission by the electronic device, the signal amplifier improves the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the RF transceiver's output signal before transmitting it to the filtering unit; the power amplifier amplifies the power of the RF transceiver's output signal before transmitting it to the filtering unit. The filtering unit may specifically include a duplexer and a filtering circuit. The filtering unit combines the signals output from the signal amplifier and power amplifier, filters out clutter, and transmits them to the antenna structure, which then radiates the signal. During signal reception by the electronic device, the antenna structure receives the signal and transmits it to the filtering unit. The filtering unit filters out clutter from the received signal and transmits it to the signal amplifier and power amplifier. The signal amplifier increases the gain of the received signal, improving the SNR; the power amplifier amplifies the power of the received signal. The signal received by the antenna structure is processed by the power amplifier and signal amplifier before being transmitted to the RF transceiver, which then transmits it to the transceiver unit.

[0082] In some examples, the signal amplifier may include various types of signal amplifiers, such as low-noise amplifiers, without limitation.

[0083] In some examples, the electronic device provided in this disclosure also includes a power management unit connected to a power amplifier and providing the power amplifier with a voltage for amplifying signals.

[0084] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments used to illustrate the principles of this disclosure, and this disclosure is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of this disclosure, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An antenna structure comprising: A first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and a dielectric adjustable dielectric layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; The first substrate includes a first substrate, and a first radiation phase shifting unit and a second radiation phase shifting unit disposed on one side of the first substrate near the dielectric tunable dielectric layer and insulated from each other; The second substrate includes a second substrate, and a third radiation phase shifting unit and a fourth radiation phase shifting unit disposed on the side of the second substrate near the dielectric tunable dielectric layer and insulated from each other; Wherein, the orthographic projections of the first radiation phase-shifting unit and the third radiation phase-shifting unit on the first substrate at least partially overlap; the orthographic projections of the second radiation phase-shifting unit and the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit on the first substrate at least partially overlap; The extension direction of the radiation region of the first radiation phase shifting unit and the extension direction of the radiation region of the second radiation phase shifting unit have a first angle; the extension direction of the radiation region of the third radiation phase shifting unit and the extension direction of the radiation region of the fourth radiation phase shifting unit have a second angle; the angle of the first angle is equal to the angle of the second angle. Each of the first radiation phase-shifting unit, the second radiation phase-shifting unit, the third radiation phase-shifting unit, and the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit includes a radiating section and a reflecting phase-shifting section connected to the radiating section; wherein, The orthographic projections of the reflective phase-shifting portion of the first radiation phase-shifting unit and the reflective phase-shifting portion of the third radiation phase-shifting unit on the first substrate at least partially overlap, and the orthographic projections of the radiating portion of the first radiation phase-shifting unit and the radiating portion of the third radiation phase-shifting unit on the first substrate at least partially overlap; the orthographic projections of the reflective phase-shifting portion of the second radiation phase-shifting unit and the reflective phase-shifting portion of the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit on the first substrate at least partially overlap, and the orthographic projections of the radiating portion of the second radiation phase-shifting unit and the radiating portion of the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit on the first substrate at least partially overlap.

2. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein, The radiating portions of the first and second radiation phase-shifting units are both patch structures; the radiating portions of the third and fourth radiation phase-shifting units are also patch structures; wherein, the patch structure of the first radiation phase-shifting unit includes a first radiation region, and the orthographic projection of the first radiation region onto the first substrate lies within the orthographic projection of the patch structure of the third radiation phase-shifting unit onto the first substrate; the patch structure of the second radiation phase-shifting unit includes a second radiation region, and the orthographic projection of the second radiation region onto the second substrate lies within the orthographic projection of the patch structure of the fourth radiation phase-shifting unit onto the second substrate.

3. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein, The radiating part of each of the first, second, third, and fourth radiation phase shifting units is a dipole structure.

4. The antenna structure according to claim 3, wherein, Each of the first, second, third, and fourth radiation phase-shifting units comprises a first sub-radiating part and a second sub-radiating part, which form a dipole structure. A first distance exists between the first and second sub-radiating parts, the first sub-radiating part extends in the same direction as the second sub-radiating part, and both the first and second sub-radiating parts are connected to one end of the reflection phase-shifting part of their respective radiation phase-shifting units.

5. The antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein, The radiating portion of each of the first, second, third, and fourth radiating phase-shifting units is coupled to the reflecting phase-shifting portion, and the radiating portion and the reflecting phase-shifting portion are layered; the radiating portion has a slit, and the area where the slit is located defines the radiating area; wherein, the orthographic projection of a slit on a radiating portion onto the first substrate overlaps with the orthographic projection of the reflecting phase-shifting portion of the radiating phase-shifting unit to which the radiating portion belongs onto the first substrate.

6. The antenna structure according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, For any one of the first radiation phase shifting unit, the second radiation phase shifting unit, the third radiation phase shifting unit, and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit, the extending direction of the radiation region of the radiation part has a third angle with the extending direction of the reflection phase shifting part.

7. The antenna structure according to claim 6, wherein, The first included angle and the second included angle are both 90°, and / or the third included angle is 90°.

8. The antenna structure according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The reflection phase shifting portion of each of the first radiation phase shifting unit, the second radiation phase shifting unit, the third radiation phase shifting unit, and the fourth radiation phase shifting unit is connected to the midpoint of the radiation portion in the extension direction of the radiation portion.

9. The antenna structure according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, It also includes a reflective layer disposed on the side of the second substrate opposite to the dielectric tunable dielectric layer.

10. An array antenna comprising a plurality of antenna structures as described in any one of 1-9.

11. The array antenna according to claim 10, wherein, The antenna structures are arranged in an array; the first substrate of the multiple antenna structures is integrally formed, and the second substrate of the multiple antenna structures is integrally formed.

12. The array antenna according to claim 10, wherein, The array antenna further includes a first control unit, a second control unit, multiple first signal lines, multiple second signal lines, multiple third signal lines, and multiple fourth signal lines; wherein, the first end of each of the multiple first signal lines is connected to a port of the first control unit, and the second end is connected to a first radiation phase shifting unit; the first end of each of the multiple second signal lines is connected to a port of the second control unit, and the second end is connected to a second radiation phase shifting unit; the first end of each of the multiple third signal lines is connected to a port of the first control unit, and the second end is connected to a third radiation phase shifting unit; the first end of each of the multiple fourth signal lines is connected to a port of the second control unit, and the second end is connected to a fourth radiation phase shifting unit; wherein, each port of the first control unit independently provides a bias voltage, and each port of the second control unit independently provides a bias voltage.

13. An electronic device comprising at least one antenna structure as described in any one of claims 1-9, and / or an array antenna as described in any one of claims 10-12.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein, Also includes: A transceiver unit is used to send or receive signals. A radio frequency transceiver, connected to the transceiver unit, is used to modulate the signal transmitted by the transceiver unit, or to demodulate the signal received by the antenna and then transmit it to the transceiver unit. A signal amplifier, connected to the radio frequency transceiver, is used to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal output by the radio frequency transceiver or the signal received by the antenna; A power amplifier, connected to the radio frequency transceiver, is used to amplify the power of the signal output by the radio frequency transceiver or the signal received by the antenna; The filtering unit is connected to both the signal amplifier and the power amplifier, and is also connected to the antenna. It is used to filter the received signal and send it to the antenna, or to filter the signal received by the antenna.

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