Antenna assembly and communication device

Abstract

The application relates to an antenna assembly and a communication device. A first antenna in the antenna assembly is a horn antenna. At least one second antenna is arranged at an opening position of the first antenna, and the second antenna is connected with the first antenna to realize ground sharing. Thus, a feeding structure connected with the first antenna can not only excite electromagnetic wave radiation of the first antenna, but also excite electromagnetic wave radiation of the second antenna based on the ground sharing. The first antenna supports radio frequency signal transmission of a first frequency band, the second antenna supports radio frequency signal transmission of a second frequency band, and the frequency band ranges of the first frequency band and the second frequency band are different. That is, while the second antenna is arranged in a space where the first antenna is located, multi-frequency band communication can be supported, and the antennas do not interfere with each other, and miniaturization design and communication performance are considered.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of radio frequency technology, and in particular to an antenna assembly and a communication device. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of communication technology, the communication electronics industry has been greatly impacted. The demand for communication functions in various fields such as the Internet of Things and the Internet of Vehicles is increasing. Multiple communication functions are often achieved by setting up multiple antennas, but this contradicts the miniaturization design requirements of communication equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an antenna assembly and communication device that can balance communication performance and miniaturized design requirements.

[0004] In a first aspect, an antenna assembly is provided, comprising:

[0005] The first antenna is a horn antenna.

[0006] At least one second antenna, which is positioned at the opening of the first antenna and connected to the first antenna;

[0007] The feeding structure is connected to the first antenna. The feeding structure is used to provide an excitation signal to the first antenna to excite the first antenna to support the transmission of radio frequency signals in the first frequency band, and to excite the second antenna to support the transmission of radio frequency signals in the second frequency band. The frequency ranges of the first frequency band and the second frequency band are different.

[0008] In one embodiment, the waveguide segment of the first antenna extends along a first direction, and the horn segment of the first antenna extends along a second direction, the first direction being different from the second direction.

[0009] In one embodiment, the distance between the opening of the second antenna and the inner wall of the cavity opposite to the opening of the first antenna is 1 / 4 wavelength to 1 / 3 wavelength.

[0010] In one embodiment, the second antenna is parallel to the inner wall of the cavity opposite the opening of the first antenna.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first antenna is a rectangular waveguide horn antenna.

[0012] In one embodiment, the length of the horn diameter of the first antenna is 100mm-120mm, and / or the width of the horn diameter of the first antenna is 20mm-50mm, and / or the height of the horn segment of the first antenna is 50mm-90mm.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first antenna is an E-plane rectangular waveguide horn antenna.

[0014] In one embodiment, the second antenna includes at least one of a loop antenna, a monopole antenna, and an IFA antenna.

[0015] In one embodiment, at least one secondary antenna includes a serpentine metal trace portion for adjusting the resonant frequency band of the secondary antenna to the second frequency band.

[0016] In one embodiment, the second antenna includes:

[0017] The first type of antenna is connected to the inner wall of the first type of antenna. The first type of antenna is one of the Monopolole antenna and the IFA antenna.

[0018] The second type of antenna is connected to the first type of antenna, and the second type of antenna is either a loop antenna or a monopole antenna.

[0019] Secondly, a communication device is provided, including the aforementioned antenna assembly.

[0020] The aforementioned antenna assembly and communication equipment have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0021] This antenna assembly, by setting at least one second antenna at the opening of the first antenna and connecting the second antenna to the first antenna, can achieve a common ground. In this way, the feeding structure connected to the first antenna can not only excite the electromagnetic wave radiation of the first antenna, but also excite the second antenna to radiate electromagnetic waves based on the common ground. The first antenna supports the transmission of radio frequency signals in the first frequency band, and the second antenna supports the transmission of radio frequency signals in the second frequency band. The frequency ranges of the first frequency band and the second frequency band are different. That is, while reusing the space where the first antenna is located to set up the second antenna, multi-band communication can be supported, and the antennas will not interfere with each other, taking into account both miniaturization design and communication performance. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of an antenna assembly according to an embodiment;

[0024] Figure 2a This is a second schematic diagram of the structure of an antenna assembly according to one embodiment;

[0025] Figure 2b for Figure 2aThe side view corresponding to the antenna assembly shown in the top view;

[0026] Figure 3 This is the third schematic diagram of the antenna assembly in one embodiment;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a fourth schematic diagram of the structure of an antenna assembly according to one embodiment;

[0028] Figure 5 This is the fifth schematic diagram of the structure of an antenna assembly according to one embodiment;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an antenna assembly according to one embodiment;

[0030] Figure 7a The first antenna of an antenna assembly according to one embodiment has an E-plane radiation pattern when operating in the 1.7 GHz band.

[0031] Figure 7b The H-plane radiation pattern of the first antenna of an antenna assembly according to one embodiment when operating in the 1.7 GHz band;

[0032] Figure 8a The E-plane radiation pattern of the second antenna of an antenna assembly according to one embodiment when operating in the 900MHz frequency band;

[0033] Figure 8b The H-plane radiation pattern of the second antenna of an antenna assembly according to one embodiment when operating in the 900MHz frequency band;

[0034] Figure 9a The standing wave ratio (SWR) curve of an antenna assembly in one frequency band is shown in one embodiment.

[0035] Figure 9b The standing wave ratio (SWR) curve of an antenna assembly in one embodiment is shown in another frequency band.

[0036] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0037] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more complete description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of this application will be thorough and complete.

[0038] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application.

[0039] It is understood that the terms "first," "second," etc., used in this application may be used herein to describe various elements, but these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, a first antenna may be referred to as a second antenna, and similarly, a second antenna may be referred to as a first antenna. Both the first antenna and the second antenna are antennas, but they are not the same antenna.

[0040] It is understandable that "at least one" refers to one or more, and "multiple" refers to two or more. "At least a part of an element" refers to part or all of an element.

[0041] When used herein, the singular forms of “a,” “an,” and “the” may also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising / including” or “having,” etc., specify the presence of the stated features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Meanwhile, the term “and / or” as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0042] To address the above problems, in one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, an antenna assembly is provided, including: a first antenna 20, which is a horn antenna; at least one second antenna 40; and a feeding structure 60. The first antenna 20 includes a gradually widening waveguide aperture. The gradually widening transition section (horn section) can ensure good matching between the waveguide and space, and can also obtain a larger aperture size to improve the directivity of radiation.

[0043] The second antenna 40 is positioned at the opening of the first antenna 20 and is connected to the first antenna 20, sharing a common ground. Based on this common ground, the second antenna 40 and the first antenna 20 can radiate electromagnetic waves under the same feed excitation. The feed structure 60 is connected to the first antenna 20 and is used to transmit the excitation signal from the feed. The feed structure 60 provides the excitation signal to the first antenna 20 to excite it to support radio frequency signal transmission in a first frequency band and to excite the second antenna 40 to support radio frequency signal transmission in a second frequency band. The first and second frequency bands have different frequency ranges. Because the first antenna 20 and the second antenna 40 support different frequency bands, they will not interfere with each other.

[0044] The feeding structure 60 can be fed using any one or a combination of several of the following feeding methods: slot coupling feeding, coaxial coupling probe 62 feeding, microstrip coupling feeding, and coplanar waveguide feeding.

[0045] Specifically, by setting at least one second antenna 40 at the opening of the first antenna 20 and connecting the second antenna 40 to the first antenna 20, a common ground can be achieved. In this way, the feeding structure 60 connected to the first antenna 20 can not only excite the electromagnetic wave radiation of the first antenna 20, but also excite the second antenna 40 to radiate electromagnetic waves based on the common ground. The first antenna 20 supports the transmission of radio frequency signals in the first frequency band, and the second antenna 40 supports the transmission of radio frequency signals in the second frequency band. Moreover, the frequency ranges of the first frequency band and the second frequency band are different. That is, while setting the second antenna 40 in the space where the first antenna 20 is located, multi-band communication can be supported, and the antennas will not interfere with each other, taking into account both miniaturization design and communication performance.

[0046] In one embodiment, the waveguide segment BD of the first antenna 20 extends along a first direction F1, and the horn segment LB of the first antenna 20 extends along a second direction F2, wherein the first direction F1 and the second direction F2 are different.

[0047] The feeding structure 60 can be located in the waveguide section BD of the first antenna 20. Based on the waveguide-coaxial conversion of the feeding structure 60, the energy transmitted by the feeding structure 60 is converted into the waveguide and then radiated directionally through the horn section with gradually increasing aperture. The waveguide section BD of the first antenna 20 extends along the first direction F1, and the horn section LB extends along the second direction F2, forming a T-shaped bend structure. With this structure, the radiation pattern of the first antenna 20 can be changed by altering the horn's radiating aperture without changing the feeding position of the feeding structure 60. Therefore, the directional communication can be adjusted accordingly by changing the horn's aperture, making the design flexible and simple to implement, which helps reduce design costs.

[0048] Furthermore, the T-shaped bend of the first antenna 20 provides a reflective surface A for the second antenna 40. When the second antenna 40 radiates electromagnetic waves under excitation, the electromagnetic waves are reflected by this reflective surface A and superimposed on the electromagnetic waves originally radiated by the second antenna 40 in the reflection direction. This strengthens the electromagnetic wave intensity of the second antenna 40 in the reflection direction, improving its radiation performance in that direction by at least 2-3 dB. The optimal electromagnetic wave radiation enhancement effect can be achieved by carefully configuring the installation position of the second antenna 40 within the first antenna 20.

[0049] For example, in one embodiment, the distance between the second antenna 40 and the inner wall of the cavity opposite the opening of the first antenna 20 is 1 / 4 wavelength to 1 / 3 wavelength. Within this wavelength range, the inner wall of the cavity opposite the opening of the first antenna 20, i.e., the reflecting surface A based on the T-shaped structure, can effectively reflect the energy of the second antenna 40. The energy of the second antenna 40 is superimposed in the reflection direction, thereby increasing the gain of the second antenna 40.

[0050] In one embodiment, the second antenna 40 is parallel to the inner wall of the cavity opposite the opening of the first antenna 20. This concentrates most of the energy of the second antenna 40 in the vertical direction of the inner wall of the cavity opposite the opening, achieving effective energy enhancement and improving antenna gain.

[0051] In one embodiment, the first antenna 20 is a rectangular waveguide horn antenna 20. A rectangular waveguide horn antenna 20 is a horn antenna 20 with a rectangular waveguide cross-sectional shape, and can include an H-plane rectangular waveguide horn antenna 20 and an E-plane rectangular waveguide horn antenna 20. If the narrow side dimension of the rectangular waveguide remains unchanged, gradually expanding the wide side yields an H-plane rectangular horn antenna; if the wide side dimension of the rectangular waveguide remains unchanged, gradually expanding the narrow side yields an E-plane rectangular horn antenna.

[0052] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2a As shown, the length W2 of the horn aperture of the first antenna 20 is 100mm-120mm, and / or, the width W1 of the horn aperture of the first antenna 20 is 20mm-50mm, and / or, as... Figure 2b As shown, the height H of the horn section of the first antenna 20 is 50mm-90mm. The first antenna 20 supports a first frequency band of 600-960MHz. The second antenna 40 supports a second frequency band of 1710-5000MHz. Both the radio frequency signals in the first and second frequency bands can be 5G signals to support full-band 5G signal transmission.

[0053] In one embodiment, the first antenna 20 is an E-plane rectangular waveguide horn antenna 20. Optionally, the angle between the horn segment's open surface and the first direction F1 can be 50 degrees to 70 degrees. For example, as... Figure 2bAs shown, in one alternative configuration, the included angle is 70 degrees. The opening direction of the horn segment is the second direction F2, which can be perpendicular to the first direction F1. The thickness T of the waveguide segment of the first antenna 20 is approximately 30 mm, for example, 31 mm.

[0054] It should be understood that the first antenna 20 can also be as follows: Figure 3 The elliptical aperture horn antenna 20 shown can also be a circular aperture horn antenna 20 or a horn antenna 20 of other apertures, which will not be listed here.

[0055] In one embodiment, such as Figures 4-5 As shown, the second antenna 40 includes at least one of a loop antenna, a monopole antenna, and an IFA antenna (inverted-F antenna). Due to its gradient characteristics, the loop antenna has a wider impedance bandwidth and can support resonance in a wider first frequency band. For example, a loop antenna can support resonance in the 600-960MHz frequency band. The shape of the loop antenna is not limited to... Figure 1 The semicircle in the middle, such as Figure 4 The rhombus shape can also be a circle or other ring shape.

[0056] Monopole antennas, based on a common ground, transmit the excitation signal on the radiator of the monopole antenna and radiate outwards at the end of the radiator. The effective radiator is the entire radiator, making efficient use of its size. The short-circuit stub of the IFA antenna can be grounded by connecting it to the inner wall of the cavity of the first antenna 20. The short-circuit stub of the IFA antenna can be equivalent to a parallel inductor, used to adjust the impedance of the second antenna 40, achieving tuning and supporting stable operation of the second antenna 40 in the second frequency band. The second antenna 40 can include at least one of the antennas mentioned above, or a combination of multiple second antennas 40. If the second antenna 40 includes a combination of multiple antennas mentioned above, each second antenna 40 can be independently connected to the inner wall of the cavity of the first antenna 20 to achieve a common ground connection with the first antenna 20. After one second antenna 40 is connected to the inner wall of the cavity of the first antenna 20, the remaining second antennas 40 can also be connected to that second antenna 40 to achieve a common ground connection with the first antenna 20.

[0057] In one embodiment, the second antenna 40 includes a first type of antenna and a second type of antenna.

[0058] The first type of antenna is connected to the inner wall of the first antenna 20, and is either a monople antenna or an IFA antenna. The second type of antenna is connected to the first type of antenna, and is either a loop antenna or a monople antenna.

[0059] The number of Type I and Type II antennas is not limited here; that is, they can consist of one or more sets of Type I and Type II antennas connected together.

[0060] like Figure 1 As shown, when the first type of antenna is an IFA antenna and the second type of antenna is a loop antenna, the feed stub and short-circuit stub of the IFA antenna are connected to the inner wall of the cavity of the first antenna 20 (the inner wall of the cavity of the first antenna 20 is conductive), thus establishing the feed path. The loop antenna is connected to the feed stub of the IFA antenna, and the loop antenna is equivalent to a monopole loop antenna. Then, the monopole antenna is grounded through the short-circuit stub of the IFA antenna, and the two together form an IFA loop antenna. In other embodiments, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the first type of antenna can be a monople antenna, and the second type of antenna is a loop antenna. Figure 5 As shown, the first type of antenna can also be an IFA antenna, and the second type of antenna is a Monopolole antenna. When there are multiple second antennas 40, the second frequency bands supported by different second antennas 40 can be the same or different.

[0061] In one embodiment, such as Figures 1-5 As shown, at least one second antenna 40 includes a serpentine metal trace. The serpentine metal trace acts as an equivalent inductor to adjust the resonant frequency band of the second antenna 40 to the second frequency band. It has a decoupling effect on the electromagnetic field of the first frequency band generated by the first antenna 20, which can avoid the impact of the second antenna 40 on the performance of the first antenna 20. The electromagnetic waves of the first frequency band can pass smoothly through the second antenna 40 and radiate outward.

[0062] The antenna assembly provided in this application embodiment effectively realizes the function of multiple antennas in the same space through spatial multiplexing. The second antenna 40 and the first antenna 20 not only do not interfere with each other, but can also utilize the structure of another antenna to improve their own performance.

[0063] In one embodiment, such as Figure 6 As shown, the waveguide section of the first antenna 20 has a through-hole 22. The feeding structure 60 includes a coupling probe 62, which extends into the cavity of the waveguide section through the through-hole 22. The coupling probe 62 can be connected to an external transmission line, which in turn connects to a feed source. The coupling probe 62 converts the energy from the transmission line to the rectangular waveguide to excite the first antenna 20 to radiate electromagnetic waves.

[0064] In one embodiment, it will be as follows Figure 1 The antenna assembly shown is tested when the first antenna 20 is placed with its opening facing upwards (perpendicular to the horizontal plane). The first antenna 20 operates in the 1.7 GHz band; its E-plane radiation pattern is shown in Figure 7a, and its H-plane radiation pattern is shown in Figure 7a. Figure 7bAs shown, the first antenna 20 exhibits the strongest radiation intensity along the 90-degree direction in the E-plane, while it can effectively radiate in all directions in the H-plane. The second antenna 40 operates in the 900MHz frequency band, and its E-plane radiation pattern is shown below. Figure 8a As shown, the radiation pattern of the H-plane is as follows: Figure 8b As shown, the energy of the second antenna 40 is mainly concentrated in the 90-degree and -90-degree directions, especially in the 90-degree direction. Based on the reflection of the first antenna 20, energy superposition can be achieved in this direction.

[0065] After testing, the following was obtained: Figure 9a and Figure 9b As shown in the attached figure, the standing wave ratio (SWR) of the second antenna 40 at 900MHz is less than 1.5, and the SWR of the first antenna 20 at 1.7GHz is also close to 1.5. This indicates that when the first antenna 20 and the second antenna 40 are working, their decoupling effect is good and their transmission efficiency is high.

[0066] In one embodiment, a communication device is provided, including the antenna assembly described above. The communication device equipped with the antenna assembly can support radio frequency signal transmission across multiple frequency bands, and through spatial multiplexing, it facilitates miniaturization and improves space utilization.

[0067] The communication device 10 provided in this application embodiment may also include other circuit components. Taking a vehicle-mounted communication device as an example: Figure 10 This is a block diagram of a portion of the structure of an in-vehicle communication device related to the communication device 10 provided in the embodiments of this application. (Refer to...) Figure 10 The vehicle-mounted communication device 10 includes components such as an RF (Radio Frequency) circuit 110, a memory 120, an input unit 130, a display unit 140, a sensor 150, an audio circuit 160, a processor 170, and a power supply 180. Those skilled in the art will understand that... Figure 10 The structure of the vehicle communication device shown does not constitute a limitation on the vehicle communication device. It may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0068] The vehicle-mounted communication device may also include at least one sensor 150, such as a motion sensor and other sensors. Specifically, the motion sensor may include an accelerometer, which can detect the magnitude of acceleration in various directions and, when stationary, detect the magnitude and direction of gravity, and can be used to identify the vehicle's direction of travel and speed, etc. In addition, the vehicle-mounted communication device may also be equipped with other sensors such as gyroscopes, thermometers, and infrared sensors.

[0069] Audio circuit 160, speaker 161, and microphone 162 provide an audio interface between the user and the vehicle communication device. Audio circuit 160, speaker 161, and microphone 162 can be integrated into the vehicle multimedia equipment. Audio circuit 160 converts received audio data into electrical signals and transmits them to speaker 161, where speaker 161 converts them into sound signals for output. On the other hand, microphone 162 converts collected sound signals into electrical signals, which are received by audio circuit 160, converted into audio data, and then processed by processor 170. The audio data can then be output to memory 120 via RF circuit 110 for further processing.

[0070] The processor 170 is the control center of the vehicle-mounted communication device. It connects various parts of the device via various interfaces and lines, and performs various functions and processes data by running or executing software programs and / or modules stored in the memory 120, and by calling data stored in the memory 120, thereby providing overall monitoring of the vehicle-mounted communication device. In one embodiment, the processor 170 may include one or more processing units. In one embodiment, the processor 170 may integrate an application processor and a modem processor, wherein the application processor mainly handles the operating system, user interface, and applications; and the modem processor mainly handles wireless communication. It is understood that the modem processor may not be integrated into the processor 170.

[0071] The vehicle communication device 100 also includes a power supply 180 (such as a battery) that supplies power to various components. Preferably, the power supply can be logically connected to the processor 170 through a power management system, thereby enabling functions such as charging, discharging, and power consumption management through the power management system.

[0072] It should be noted that, in addition to the vehicle-mounted communication device exemplified above, the communication device provided in this application embodiment can also be a micro base station, an indoor distributed antenna device, etc., and is not limited here.

[0073] This application also provides a vehicle that includes the above-described communication device and has the beneficial effects described in the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0074] In one embodiment, a vehicle networking system is also provided, including the aforementioned vehicle and a server, wherein different vehicles can communicate with the server via a network to achieve interconnection between vehicles.

[0075] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "some embodiments," "other embodiments," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative descriptions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples.

[0076] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0077] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An antenna assembly, characterized in that, include: The first antenna is a horn antenna. At least one second antenna, the second antenna being disposed at the opening position of the first antenna, and the second antenna being connected to the first antenna; A feeding structure is connected to the first antenna. The feeding structure is used to provide an excitation signal to the first antenna to excite the first antenna to support the transmission of radio frequency signals in a first frequency band and to excite the second antenna to support the transmission of radio frequency signals in a second frequency band. The first frequency band and the second frequency band have different frequency ranges. Wherein, the second antenna is parallel to the inner wall of the cavity opposite the opening of the first antenna; At least one of the second antennas includes a serpentine metal trace portion, which is used to adjust the resonant frequency band of the second antenna to the second frequency band.

2. The antenna assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The waveguide segment of the first antenna extends along a first direction, and the horn segment of the first antenna extends along a second direction, wherein the first direction is different from the second direction.

3. The antenna assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first antenna is a rectangular waveguide horn antenna.

4. The antenna assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The length of the horn aperture of the first antenna is 100mm-120mm, and / or the width of the horn aperture of the first antenna is 20mm-50mm, and / or the height of the horn segment of the first antenna is 50mm-90mm.

5. The antenna assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first antenna is an E-plane rectangular waveguide horn antenna.

6. The antenna assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second antenna includes at least one of a loop antenna, a monopole antenna, and an IFA antenna.

7. The antenna assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second antenna includes: The first type of antenna is connected to the inner wall of the horn antenna. The first type of antenna is one of a Monopolole antenna and an IFA antenna. The second type of antenna is connected to the first type of antenna, and the second type of antenna is either a loop antenna or a monopole antenna.

8. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes the antenna assembly as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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