Liquid crystal antenna array, electronic device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a liquid crystal antenna array, an electronic device, and belongs to the technical field of antennas. The liquid crystal antenna array comprises a plurality of liquid crystal antenna units and a plurality of control lines, wherein the liquid crystal antenna unit comprises a microwave signal transceiving unit and at least one signal transmission line, and the signal transmission line comprises a phase shift region; the signal transmission line comprises a first sub-line and at least one second sub-line which are distributed at intervals, and part of the second sub-lines are multiplexed as the control lines. Part of the area of the signal transmission line is integrated with the control lines, which to some extent alleviates the problem of limited control line wiring space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of antenna technology, and more particularly to a liquid crystal antenna array and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] Liquid crystal antennas have attracted widespread attention due to their low cost, small size, and light weight resulting from their ultra-thin structure. However, liquid crystal antenna arrays require an independent control line for each element during operation. The limited space in a liquid crystal antenna array makes wiring these control lines difficult, especially with larger arrays. Furthermore, since the control lines are conductors, dense wiring can negatively impact antenna performance.

[0003] The information disclosed in the background section is only for enhancing the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a liquid crystal antenna array and electronic device, which to some extent alleviates the problem of limited space for control line routing.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a liquid crystal antenna array is provided, comprising a plurality of liquid crystal antenna elements and a plurality of control lines connected to the liquid crystal antenna elements, wherein the liquid crystal antenna elements include a microwave signal transceiver unit and at least one signal transmission line connected to the microwave signal transceiver unit, and the signal transmission line includes a phase shifting region;

[0007] At least some of the liquid crystal antenna elements have signal transmission lines that include a first sub-line and at least one second sub-line spaced apart, wherein the first sub-line includes the phase-shifting region.

[0008] The control line is used to provide voltage signals to the phase-shifting region in a one-to-one correspondence; when the signal transmission line of the liquid crystal antenna unit includes the first sub-line and the second sub-line, the control line corresponding to the phase-shifting region of the liquid crystal antenna unit is connected to the first sub-line and provides a voltage signal to the first sub-line;

[0009] The second sub-line of the signal transmission line of a portion of the liquid crystal antenna unit is multiplexed as the control line.

[0010] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the second sub-line of the signal transmission line of a portion of the liquid crystal antenna unit overlaps with and is in contact with at least a portion of the control line.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a plurality of liquid crystal antenna elements are arranged along a first direction to form an antenna element group. When the signal transmission line of the liquid crystal antenna element includes a first sub-line and a second sub-line, the first sub-line and the second sub-line extend along the first direction, and the first sub-line and a plurality of second sub-lines are arranged along a second direction.

[0012] Multiple control lines are arranged along the second direction to form a control line group. Each control line has a first end and a second end. The first end of the control line is used to connect to a voltage signal terminal. The first ends of the multiple control lines are located on the same side of the antenna element group in the first direction. The second end of the control line extends along the first direction and connects to the corresponding phase shift region.

[0013] The signal transmission line of the liquid crystal phase shifting unit located between the first and second ends of the control line includes a first sub-line and a second sub-line, and the second sub-line overlaps with and is in contact with at least a portion of the control line.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, at least a portion of the plurality of control lines include at least two control sub-segments, the control sub-segments and the liquid crystal antenna unit are arranged alternately, the signal transmission line of the liquid crystal antenna unit located between two adjacent control sub-segments includes a first sub-line and a second sub-line, the control sub-segments on both sides of the liquid crystal antenna unit and the same second sub-line of the liquid crystal antenna unit are connected, and the second sub-line connected between two adjacent control sub-segments is multiplexed as the control line.

[0015] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the liquid crystal antenna array further includes a liquid crystal layer and a substrate disposed on both sides of the liquid crystal layer, and the control line and the signal transmission line are disposed on the side of the substrate closer to the liquid crystal layer;

[0016] The orthogonal projection of the phase-shifting region on the substrate and the orthogonal projection of the liquid crystal layer on the substrate at least partially overlap;

[0017] The distance between the control line and the substrate on the side closest to the substrate is a first distance, and the distance between the signal transmission line and the substrate on the side closest to the substrate is a second distance, wherein the first distance and the second distance are equal.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a plurality of liquid crystal antenna elements are arranged along a first direction to form an antenna element group. When the signal transmission line of the liquid crystal antenna element includes a first sub-line and a second sub-line, the first sub-line and the second sub-line extend along the first direction, and the first sub-line and a plurality of second sub-lines are arranged along a second direction.

[0019] The control line extends along the first direction, and multiple control lines are arranged along the second direction to form a control line group. Each control line has a first end and a second end. The first end of the control line is used to connect to a voltage signal terminal. The first ends of multiple control lines are located on the same side of the antenna unit group in the first direction. The second end of the control line is used to connect to the corresponding phase shift region.

[0020] When the control line includes the control sub-segment, the control sub-segment and the liquid crystal antenna unit are arranged alternately along the first direction;

[0021] When the number of control segments included in the control line is equal to 2, the at least two control segments include a first segment and a tail segment. The first end of the first segment is the first end of the control line. The tail end of the first segment and the first end of the tail segment are connected to the same second sub-line of the liquid crystal antenna unit located between them. The tail end of the tail segment is the second end of the control line.

[0022] When the number of control segments contained in the control line is greater than or equal to 3, the at least two control segments further include at least one intermediate segment located between the first segment and the tail segment, and the two ends of the intermediate segment are connected to the second sub-line of the adjacent liquid crystal antenna unit.

[0023] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the antenna unit group includes m liquid crystal antenna units, each liquid crystal antenna unit includes x signal transmission lines, and the number of control lines in the control line group is m×x, where m and x are selected from any integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0024] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, each signal transmission line of each liquid crystal antenna unit includes one first sub-line and m-1 second sub-lines.

[0025] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the liquid crystal antenna elements in the antenna element group are numbered Ai, where i is selected from 1, 2, 3, 4...m-1, m; and m is selected from any integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0026] When i = m, the signal transmission line of the liquid crystal antenna unit Ai does not include the first sub-line and the second sub-line;

[0027] When i = 1, 2, 3, 4...m-1, the signal transmission line of the liquid crystal antenna unit Ai has one first sub-line and mi second sub-lines.

[0028] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the antenna unit group includes m liquid crystal antenna units, and the liquid crystal antenna units in the antenna unit group are numbered Ai, where i is selected from 1, 2, 3, 4...m-1, m; and m is selected from any integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0029] The control line in the control line group that provides a voltage signal to the phase-shifting region of the liquid crystal antenna unit Ai is numbered Lj, j = i;

[0030] The first end of the control line is located on the side of the liquid crystal antenna unit A1 away from the liquid crystal antenna unit Am;

[0031] When j = i = 1, the control line does not include the control sub-segment;

[0032] When j = i = 2, the control line has one first sub-segment and one last sub-segment;

[0033] When j = i ≥ 3, the control line has one first sub-segment, one last sub-segment, and j-2 intermediate segments.

[0034] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the spacing between two adjacent control lines is greater than or equal to 5 μm.

[0035] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the control line is made of a transparent conductive material or a metallic material, and the signal transmission line is made of a metallic material.

[0036] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the liquid crystal antenna unit includes at least two signal transmission lines, and the phase-shifting regions of the signal transmission lines at least partially overlap.

[0037] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is also provided, including a liquid crystal antenna array as described in the first aspect.

[0038] The liquid crystal antenna array disclosed herein includes multiple liquid crystal antenna elements and multiple control lines connected to the liquid crystal antenna elements. Each liquid crystal antenna element includes a microwave signal transceiver unit and at least one signal transmission line connected to the microwave signal transceiver unit. At least some of the liquid crystal antenna elements have signal transmission lines that include a first sub-line and at least one second sub-line spaced apart, with some of the second sub-lines multiplexed as control lines. This disclosure multiplexes a portion of the signal transmission lines as control lines, integrating a portion of the signal transmission lines with the control lines. This method alleviates the problem of limited space for control line routing to some extent and helps to solve the problem of improper wiring affecting the performance of the liquid crystal antenna array. Attached Figure Description

[0039] The above and other features and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from a detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the liquid crystal antenna array in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0041] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a planar structure of a liquid crystal antenna array in another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0042] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the liquid crystal antenna array in yet another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0043] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the liquid crystal antenna array in yet another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0044] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the stacked structure of the liquid crystal antenna array in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0045] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the liquid crystal antenna array in yet another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0046] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the liquid crystal antenna array in yet another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0047] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the liquid crystal antenna array in yet another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0048] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the liquid crystal antenna array in yet another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0049] The annotations for the main components in the diagram are explained below:

[0050] A - Liquid crystal antenna unit; L - Control line; 01 - Phase shifting area; 10 - Signal transmission line; 11 - First sub-line; 12 - Second sub-line; 20 - Control sub-segment; 21 - First sub-segment; 22 - Middle segment; 23 - Tail sub-segment; In - Voltage signal terminal; 1 - Antenna unit group; 2 - Control line group; 30 - Microwave signal transceiver unit; 40 - Substrate; 50 - Liquid crystal layer. Detailed Implementation

[0051] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to give a full understanding of embodiments of this disclosure.

[0052] For clarity, the thickness of regions and layers may be exaggerated in the figures. The same reference numerals in the figures denote the same or similar structures, and therefore their detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0053] The described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the following description to give a full understanding of embodiments of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific details described, or other methods, components, materials, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring the main technical concept of this disclosure.

[0054] When a structure is "on" other structures, it may mean that the structure is integrally formed on other structures, or that the structure is "directly" set on other structures, or that the structure is "indirectly" set on other structures through another structure.

[0055] The terms “a,” “one,” and “the” are used to indicate the existence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms “including” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and that other elements / components / etc. may exist in addition to those listed. The terms “first” and “second” are used only as markers and are not a limitation on the number of objects.

[0056] In this disclosure, acute angle, right angle, obtuse angle, perpendicularity, parallelism, and equality refer to the state in which the corresponding structure presents approximately acute angles, right angles, obtuse angles, or approximately perpendicularity, parallelism, and equality within the allowable range of process and measurement errors. The allowable range of process and measurement errors can be determined by actual operation, such as an error range not exceeding ±5%, but is not limited to this.

[0057] The liquid crystal antenna array includes control lines and multiple arrayed liquid crystal antenna elements. Each liquid crystal antenna element includes a liquid crystal layer and electrodes located on both sides of the liquid crystal layer. The control lines are used to apply voltage to both sides of the liquid crystal layer and change the electric field applied to the liquid crystal layer, thereby changing the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer and thus changing the transmission phase of the electromagnetic wave. Different electric fields are applied to different liquid crystal antenna elements through a certain algorithm to achieve the purpose of beam control.

[0058] In related technologies, each liquid crystal antenna element requires independent control; therefore, a control line must be connected to each liquid crystal antenna element. To avoid the control lines affecting microwave signal transmission, the control lines are usually kept as far away from the liquid crystal antenna elements as possible. However, as the scale of the liquid crystal antenna array increases, the control lines inevitably move closer to the liquid crystal antenna elements. Furthermore, due to the limited spacing between liquid crystal antenna elements (generally half a wavelength, but can also be any value from 0.3 to 0.9 times the wavelength), this limited spacing also restricts the number of control lines, thus limiting the scale of the liquid crystal antenna array.

[0059] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, this embodiment of the present disclosure provides a liquid crystal antenna array, including multiple liquid crystal antenna elements A and multiple control lines L connected to the liquid crystal antenna elements A. The different liquid crystal antenna elements A can be numbered A1, A2, A3, A4... and so on, and the different control lines L can be numbered L1, L2, L3, L4... and so on. Each liquid crystal antenna element A includes a microwave signal transceiver unit 30 and at least one signal transmission line 10 connected to the microwave signal transceiver unit 30. The signal transmission line 10 includes a phase-shifting region 01. At least some of the liquid crystal antenna elements A have signal transmission lines 10 including a first sub-line 11 and at least one second sub-line 12 spaced apart. The first sub-line 11 includes the phase-shifting region 01. The control lines L are used to provide voltage signals to the phase-shifting regions 01 in a one-to-one correspondence. When the signal transmission line 10 of a liquid crystal antenna element A includes the first sub-line 11 and the second sub-line 12, the control line L corresponding to the phase-shifting region 01 of that liquid crystal antenna element A is connected to the first sub-line 11 and provides a voltage signal to the first sub-line 11. The second sub-line 12 of the signal transmission line 10 of part of the liquid crystal antenna unit A is multiplexed as the control line L.

[0060] The liquid crystal antenna array provided in this disclosure includes multiple liquid crystal antenna elements A and multiple control lines L connected to the liquid crystal antenna elements A. Each liquid crystal antenna element A includes a microwave signal transceiver unit 30 and at least one signal transmission line 10 connected to the microwave signal transceiver unit 30. At least some of the liquid crystal antenna elements A have signal transmission lines 10 including a first sub-line 11 and at least one second sub-line 12 spaced apart. A portion of the second sub-line 12 is multiplexed as a control line L. This disclosure multiplexes a portion of the signal transmission line 10 as a control line L, integrating a portion of the signal transmission line 10 with the control line L. This method alleviates the problem of limited routing space for the control line L to some extent and helps solve the problem of improper wiring of the control line L affecting the performance of the liquid crystal antenna array.

[0061] The components of the liquid crystal antenna array provided in this embodiment will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0062] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the liquid crystal antenna array provided in this disclosure includes multiple liquid crystal antenna units A and multiple control lines L connected to the liquid crystal antenna units A. The control lines L are used to provide voltage signals to the liquid crystal antenna units A.

[0063] The liquid crystal antenna unit A includes a microwave signal transceiver unit 30 and at least one signal transmission line 10 connected to the microwave signal transceiver unit 30. The number of signal transmission lines 10 can be one, two, or three, etc. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the liquid crystal antenna unit A includes a signal transmission line 10, such as... Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the liquid crystal antenna unit A includes two signal transmission lines 10, such as differential lines, but the specific details are not limited in this disclosure. The signal transmission line 10 includes a phase-shifting region 01. Control lines L are used to provide voltage signals to the phase-shifting region 01 in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0064] The microwave signal transceiver unit 30 is used to receive or transmit microwave signals. For example... Figure 5As shown, the liquid crystal antenna array also includes a liquid crystal layer 50 and two substrates 40 located on both sides of the liquid crystal layer 50. The two substrates 40 and the liquid crystal layer 50 form a liquid crystal cell. The signal transmission line 10 and the control line L are located on the side of the substrate 40 closest to the liquid crystal layer 50. The orthographic projection of the phase-shifting region 01 on the substrate 40 and the orthographic projection of the liquid crystal layer 50 on the substrate 40 at least partially overlap. The phase-shifting region 01 can be located in any region of the signal transmission line 10, which can be a partial region or the entire region, and is not specifically limited. The microwave signal transceiver unit 30 is located on the side of the substrate 40 away from the liquid crystal layer 50. The microwave signal transceiver unit 30 can be a transceiver integrated unit, such as a reflective liquid crystal antenna unit, or it can include separate microwave signal receiving units and microwave signal transmitting units, such as a transmissive liquid crystal antenna unit, and is not specifically limited in this disclosure. When the microwave signal transceiver unit 30 includes a microwave signal receiving unit and a microwave signal transmitting unit, the two can be located on the sides of the two substrates 40 away from the liquid crystal layer 50, respectively.

[0065] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the distance between the control line L near the substrate 40 and the substrate 40 is a first distance, and the distance between the signal transmission line 10 near the substrate 40 and the substrate 40 is a second distance. The first distance and the second distance are equal, and the first distance and the second distance can be equal to or greater than 0. In this embodiment, the equality of the first distance and the second distance means that the control line L near the substrate 40 and the signal transmission line 10 near the substrate 40 are approximately on the same horizontal plane, indicating that no other film layer is provided between them. This structural setup is simple in process and helps to save production costs. For example, in actual production, the signal transmission line 10 can be formed in one area of ​​the substrate 40, and the control line L can be formed in another area of ​​the substrate 40. When forming the control line L, as long as the control line L is disconnected from the corresponding signal transmission line 10 with the phase shift region 01, the connection between the control line L and the phase shift region 01 can be completed without the need for additional transition through other conductive layers or through-holes. The process is simple and convenient to operate. Of course, in this disclosure, the side of the control line L near the substrate 40 and the side of the signal transmission line 10 near the substrate 40 may not be on the same horizontal plane, wherein the signal transmission line 10 is located on the side of the control line L away from the substrate. This disclosure does not limit the specific details.

[0066] The working principle of the liquid crystal array antenna disclosed herein is briefly described as follows: The microwave signal transceiver unit 30 receives microwave signals and transmits them through the signal transmission line 10. During the transmission process, different voltage signals are applied to the signal transmission line 10 through the control line L, changing the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 50, which is equivalent to changing the electrical length of the signal transmission line 10. Under different voltage signals, the liquid crystal antenna unit A corresponds to different phase delays. By controlling the phase delay parameter, electromagnetic waves are coupled to each other in the outer space, forming a main beam in the target direction, and the microwave signal is transmitted through the microwave signal transceiver unit 30.

[0067] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, at least some of the signal transmission lines 10 of the plurality of liquid crystal antenna elements A include a first sub-line 11 and at least one second sub-line 12 spaced apart, wherein the first sub-line 11 includes a phase shifting region 01. That is, at least some of the signal transmission lines 10 of the plurality of liquid crystal antenna elements A are divided into a first sub-line 11 and at least one second sub-line 12. For example, a liquid crystal antenna array includes 16 liquid crystal antenna elements A, wherein the signal transmission lines 10 of 12 of the liquid crystal antenna elements A are divided into a first sub-line 11 and at least one second sub-line 12. In this description, the number of divided liquid crystal antenna elements A is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this disclosure. Specifically, the number of divided liquid crystal antenna elements A can be set according to the actual structure of the liquid crystal antenna array. Furthermore, the number of second sub-lines 12 into which the signal transmission lines 10 of the liquid crystal antenna elements A are divided can also be set according to the structure of the liquid crystal antenna array.

[0068] Control lines L are used to provide voltage signals to the phase-shifting regions 01 in a one-to-one correspondence. When the signal transmission line 10 of the liquid crystal antenna unit A includes a first sub-line 11 and a second sub-line 12, the control line L corresponding to the phase-shifting region 01 of the liquid crystal antenna unit A is connected to the first sub-line 11 to provide a voltage signal to the first sub-line 11, and thus to provide a voltage signal to the phase-shifting region 01 on the first sub-line 11. It should be noted that the number of control lines L in the liquid crystal antenna array is equal to the number of phase-shifting regions 01. For example, as... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the liquid crystal antenna array includes 16 liquid crystal antenna elements A. Each liquid crystal antenna element A has two signal transmission lines 10, and both signal transmission lines 10 have a phase shifting region 01. Therefore, the number of control lines L in the liquid crystal antenna array is 16 × 2 = 32. Two control lines L are connected to each liquid crystal antenna element A and provide control signals to that liquid crystal antenna element A. Each of the two control lines L is connected to the phase shifting region 01 of the two signal transmission lines 10 respectively, providing voltage signals to the corresponding phase shifting region 01. In some embodiments of this disclosure, when the liquid crystal antenna element A includes at least two signal transmission lines 10, the phase shifting regions 01 of the signal transmission lines 10 at least partially overlap; specifically, their orthographic projections on the substrate 40 at least partially overlap.

[0069] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, in some embodiments of this disclosure, at least a portion of the multiple control lines L includes at least two control segments 20, and the control segments 20 and the liquid crystal antenna element A are arranged alternately. That is, at least a portion of the multiple control lines L is divided into at least two control segments 20. Figure 2As shown, for example, a liquid crystal antenna array includes 16 liquid crystal antenna elements A, each liquid crystal antenna element A having a signal transmission line 10, and each signal transmission line 10 having a phase shift region O1. The liquid crystal antenna array then includes 16 control lines L, of which 12 control lines L are divided into at least two control segments 20. In this description, the number of divided control lines L is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this disclosure. The specific number of divided control lines L can be set according to the actual structure of the liquid crystal antenna array. Furthermore, the number of control segments 20 into which the control lines L are divided can also be set according to the structure of the liquid crystal antenna array.

[0070] The signal transmission line 10 of the liquid crystal antenna unit A located between two adjacent control sub-segments 20 includes a first sub-line 11 and a second sub-line 12. The control sub-segments 20 on both sides of the liquid crystal antenna unit A are connected to the same second sub-line 12 of the liquid crystal antenna unit A. The second sub-line 12 connected between two adjacent control sub-segments 20 is multiplexed as a control line L. For example, the control line L includes two control sub-segments 20, and the control sub-segments 20 and the liquid crystal antenna unit A are arranged alternately. That is, there is a liquid crystal antenna unit A between two control sub-segments 20, and the signal transmission line 10 of the liquid crystal antenna unit A is divided into a first sub-line 11 and at least one second sub-line 12. Then, the two control sub-segments 20 are connected to the second sub-line 12, and the second sub-line 12 is multiplexed as a control line L. That is, the two control sub-segments 20 and the second sub-line 12 connected in the middle are combined to form a complete control line L.

[0071] Continue as Figures 1 to 4 As shown in some embodiments of this disclosure, multiple liquid crystal antenna elements A are arranged along a first direction X to form an antenna element group 1. When the signal transmission line 10 of the liquid crystal antenna element A includes a first sub-line 11 and a second sub-line 12, the first sub-line 11 and the second sub-line 12 extend along the first direction X, and the first sub-line 11 and multiple second sub-lines 12 are arranged along a second direction Y. The second direction Y and the first direction X have a certain angle, which can be any angle greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°, and can be specifically determined according to the shape of the signal transmission line 10. In a specific embodiment, the second direction Y and the first direction X are approximately perpendicular. The liquid crystal antenna array may include multiple antenna element groups 1, and the multiple antenna element groups 1 may be arranged along the second direction Y.

[0072] Control lines L extend along a first direction X, and multiple control lines L are arranged along a second direction Y to form control line group 2. The number of control lines L in control line group 2 is equal to the number of phase shift regions O1 in antenna element group 1. For example, if antenna element group 1 contains m liquid crystal antenna elements A, and each liquid crystal antenna element A contains x signal transmission lines 10, and each signal transmission line 10 has a phase shift region O1, then the number of control lines L in control line group 2 is m×x, where m and x are selected from any integer greater than or equal to 1. Similarly, the liquid crystal antenna array can also contain multiple control line groups 2, which are arranged along the second direction Y.

[0073] The control line L has a first end and a second end. The first end of the control line L is used to connect to the voltage signal terminal In. The first ends of multiple control lines L are located on the same side of the antenna element group 1 in the first direction X. The second end of the control line L is used to connect to the corresponding phase shift region O1. The first end of the control line L can be connected to a driver chip, which provides a driving signal to the liquid crystal antenna element A. In this embodiment, the first end of the control line L can be the voltage signal input terminal of the control line L, and the second end can be the voltage signal output terminal of the control line L.

[0074] In control line group 2, when control line L includes control segment 20, control segment 20 and liquid crystal antenna element A are arranged alternately along the first direction X. The number of control segment 20 can be greater than or equal to 2.

[0075] When the number of control segments 20 included in control line L is equal to 2, at least two control segments 20 include a first segment 21 and a last segment 23. The first end of the first segment 21 is the first end of control line L. The last end of the first segment 21 and the first end of the last segment 23 are connected to the same second sub-line 12 of the liquid crystal antenna element A located between them. The last end of the last segment 23 is the second end of control line L. For example, control line L2 is divided into two control segments 20, namely the first segment 21 and the last segment 23. Both the first segment 21 and the last segment 23 have a first end and a last end. The first end of the first segment 21 is the first end of control line L2 and is used to connect to the voltage signal terminal In, that is, the first segment 21 serves as the initial input segment of the voltage signal. Meanwhile, the control sub-segment 20 and the liquid crystal antenna unit A are arranged alternately in the first direction X, that is, the first sub-segment 21, the liquid crystal antenna unit A1, the tail sub-segment 23, and the liquid crystal antenna unit A2 are arranged sequentially in the first direction X. The signal transmission line 10 of the liquid crystal antenna unit A1 located between the first sub-segment 21 and the tail sub-segment 23 includes a first sub-line 11 and a second sub-line 12. The first end of the first sub-segment 21 is connected to the voltage signal terminal In, and the tail end is connected to the second sub-line 12 of the adjacent liquid crystal antenna unit A1. The first end of the tail sub-segment 23 is connected to the same second sub-line 12 of the adjacent liquid crystal antenna unit A2, and the tail end is connected to the phase shifting region O1 of the liquid crystal antenna unit A2.

[0076] When the number of control segments 20 contained in the control line L is greater than or equal to 3, at least two control segments 20 also include at least one intermediate segment 22 located between the first segment 21 and the last segment 23, with both ends of the intermediate segment 22 connected to the second sub-line 12 of the adjacent liquid crystal antenna unit A. For example, if the number of control segments 20 contained in the control line L3 is 3, then the control line L3 includes a first segment 21, an intermediate segment 22, and a last segment 23, wherein the first end of the first segment 21 is the first end of the control line L3, connected to the voltage signal terminal In, that is, the first segment 21 serves as the initial input segment of the voltage signal. The first segment 21, liquid crystal antenna unit A1, intermediate segment 22, liquid crystal antenna unit A2, last segment 23, and liquid crystal antenna unit A3 are arranged sequentially in the first direction X. The signal transmission line 10 of the liquid crystal antenna units A1 and A2 located between the first segment 21 and the intermediate segment 22, and between the intermediate segment 22 and the last segment 23, includes a first sub-line 11 and a second sub-line 12. The first end of the first segment 21 is connected to the voltage signal terminal In, and the last end is connected to the second sub-line 12 of the adjacent liquid crystal antenna unit A1. The first end of the middle segment 22 is connected to the same second sub-line 12 of the liquid crystal antenna unit A1, and the last end is connected to the second sub-line 12 of the liquid crystal antenna unit A2. The first end of the last segment 23 is connected to the same second sub-line 12 of the liquid crystal antenna unit A2, and the last end is connected to the phase shifting region 01 of the liquid crystal antenna unit A3.

[0077] In some embodiments of this disclosure, antenna unit group 1 includes m liquid crystal antenna units A, each liquid crystal antenna unit A includes x signal transmission lines 10, and the number of control lines L in control line group 2 is m×x, where m and x are selected from any integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0078] In antenna element group 1, the liquid crystal antenna element A is numbered Ai, where i is selected from 1, 2, 3, 4...m-1, m; in control line group 2, the control line L used to provide voltage signals to the phase shift region 01 of the liquid crystal antenna element Ai is numbered Lj, where j = i. It should be noted here that, as... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, when the liquid crystal antenna unit Ai has two signal transmission lines 10, that is, two phase shift regions 01, the number of corresponding control lines LLj can be two.

[0079] The first end of the control line L is located on the side of the liquid crystal antenna unit A1 away from the liquid crystal antenna unit Am; when j = i = 1, the control line L does not include the control sub-segment 20; when j = i = 2, the control line L2 has a first sub-segment 21 and a tail sub-segment 23; when j = i ≥ 3, the control line Lj has a first sub-segment 21, a tail sub-segment 23 and j-2 intermediate segments 22.

[0080] In some embodiments of this disclosure, control lines L1, L2, L3, L4...Lj-1, Lj are arranged approximately along the direction of the first sub-line 11 in the corresponding signal transmission line 10, closer to the second sub-line 12.

[0081] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the signal transmission line 10 of some or all of the liquid crystal antenna elements A in the liquid crystal antenna array can be divided into a first sub-line 11 and a second sub-line 12.

[0082] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment, the signal transmission lines 10 of all liquid crystal antenna elements A can be divided into first sub-lines 11 and second sub-lines 12. Each signal transmission line 10 of each liquid crystal antenna element A includes one first sub-line 11 and m-1 second sub-lines 12. For example, if m is 4, that is, the antenna element group 1 contains 4 liquid crystal antenna elements A, then each signal transmission line 10 of each liquid crystal antenna element A includes one first sub-line 11 and 3 second sub-lines 12.

[0083] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, in another embodiment, the signal transmission line 10 of a portion of the liquid crystal antenna elements A in the liquid crystal antenna array can be divided into a first sub-line 11 and a second sub-line 12. When i = m, the signal transmission line 10 of the liquid crystal antenna element Ai does not include the first sub-line 11 and the second sub-line 12; when i = 1, 2, 3, 4...m-1, the signal transmission line 10 of the liquid crystal antenna element Ai has one first sub-line 11 and mi second sub-lines 12. For example, if m is 4, that is, the antenna element group 1 contains 4 liquid crystal antenna elements A, then the signal transmission line 10 of the liquid crystal antenna element A4 does not include the first sub-line 11 and the second sub-line 12, that is, the signal transmission line 10 of the liquid crystal antenna element A4 is not divided. The liquid crystal antenna element A3 has one first sub-line 11 and one second sub-line 12, the liquid crystal antenna element A2 has one first sub-line 11 and two second sub-lines 12, and the liquid crystal antenna element A1 has one first sub-line 11 and three second sub-lines 12.

[0084] In other embodiments of this disclosure, the second sub-line 12 of the signal transmission line 10 of a portion of the liquid crystal antenna element A overlaps with and is in contact with at least a portion of the control line L. The second sub-line 12, which is in contact with the control line L, is multiplexed as the control line L and can transmit voltage signals to the corresponding liquid crystal antenna element A.

[0085] like Figures 6 to 9As shown, multiple liquid crystal antenna elements A are arranged along a first direction X to form an antenna element group 1. When the signal transmission line 10 of the liquid crystal antenna element A includes a first sub-line 11 and a second sub-line 12, the first sub-line 11 and the second sub-line 12 extend along the first direction X, and the first sub-line 11 and multiple second sub-lines 12 are arranged along a second direction Y. The second direction Y and the first direction X have a certain angle, which can be any angle greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°, and can be specifically determined according to the shape of the signal transmission line 10. In a specific embodiment, the second direction Y and the first direction X are approximately perpendicular. The liquid crystal antenna array may include multiple antenna element groups 1, and the multiple antenna element groups 1 may be arranged along the second direction Y.

[0086] Multiple control lines L are arranged along the second direction Y to form control line group 2. The number of control lines L in control line group 2 is equal to the number of phase shift regions O1 in antenna element group 1. For example, if antenna element group 1 contains m liquid crystal antenna elements A, and each liquid crystal antenna element A contains x signal transmission lines 10, and each signal transmission line 10 has a phase shift region O1, then the number of control lines L in control line group 2 is m×x, where m and x are selected from any integer greater than or equal to 1. Similarly, the liquid crystal antenna array can also contain multiple control line groups 2, which are arranged along the second direction Y.

[0087] The control line L has a first end and a second end. The first end of the control line L is used to connect to the voltage signal terminal In. The first ends of multiple control lines L are located on the same side of the antenna element group 1 in the first direction X. The second end of the control line L extends along the first direction X to the corresponding phase shift region O1 and is connected to the phase shift region O1. The first end of the control line L can be connected to a driver chip, which provides a driving signal to the liquid crystal antenna element A. In this embodiment, the first end of the control line L can be the voltage signal input terminal of the control line L, and the second end can be the voltage signal output terminal of the control line L.

[0088] The signal transmission line 10 of the liquid crystal phase shifting unit A located between the first and second ends of the control line L includes a first sub-line 11 and a second sub-line 12, and the second sub-line 12 overlaps with and is in contact with at least a portion of the control line L.

[0089] Specifically, in Figures 6 to 9 In the antenna unit group 1, the liquid crystal antenna unit A is numbered Ai, where i is selected from 1, 2, 3, 4...m-1, m; the control line L in control line group 2, which provides a voltage signal to the phase shift region 01 of the liquid crystal antenna unit Ai, is numbered Lj, where j = i. It should be noted that, as... Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, when the liquid crystal antenna unit Ai has two signal transmission lines 10, i.e., two phase shift regions 01, the corresponding number of control lines LLj can be two. The first end of the control line Lj is located on the side of the liquid crystal antenna unit A1 away from the liquid crystal antenna unit Am. The second end of the control line Lj extends along the first direction X to the phase shift region 01 of the corresponding liquid crystal antenna unit Ai. The second sub-line 12 of the signal transmission lines 10 of the liquid crystal antenna units Ai-1, Ai-2, Ai-3, ..., A2, A1 located between the first and second ends of the control line Lj partially overlaps with and contacts the control line Lj. The second sub-line 12 of the liquid crystal antenna units Ai-1, Ai-2, Ai-3, ..., A2, A1 is multiplexed as the control line Lj.

[0090] For example, the second end of control line L1 extends along the first direction X to the phase-shifting region 01 of liquid crystal antenna unit A1. The second end of control line L2 extends along the first direction X to the phase-shifting region 01 of liquid crystal antenna unit A2. The second sub-line 12 of the signal transmission line 10 of liquid crystal antenna unit A1, located between the first and second ends of control line L2, partially overlaps with and contacts control line L2, and the second sub-line 12 of liquid crystal antenna unit A1 is multiplexed as control line L2. The second end of control line L3 extends along the first direction X to the phase-shifting region 01 of liquid crystal antenna unit A3. The second sub-line 12 of the signal transmission lines 10 of liquid crystal antenna units A1 and A2, located between the first and second ends of control line L3, partially overlaps with and contacts control line L3, and the second sub-line 12 of liquid crystal antenna units A1 and A2 is multiplexed as control line L3. The second end of control line L4 extends along the first direction X to the phase-shifting region 01 of liquid crystal antenna unit A4. The second sub-line 12 of the signal transmission line 10 of the liquid crystal antenna units A1, A2 and A3 located between the first and second ends of the control line L4 overlaps with and is in contact with the control line L4 in a partial area. The second sub-line 12 of the liquid crystal antenna units A1, A2 and A3 is multiplexed as the control line L4.

[0091] It should be noted here that Figures 6 to 9 The corresponding embodiment Figures 1 to 4 The embodiment differs in that Figures 1 to 4 In the embodiment, some control lines L are segmented, while Figures 6 to 9 In the embodiment, the control line L is not segmented, and other contents are largely the same and can be used as a reference.

[0092] In this disclosure, when the control line L controls the liquid crystal antenna unit A, the control signal is generally DC or low-frequency AC. Considering manufacturing precision, a spacing of several micrometers is required between every two control lines L, such as a spacing of 5 μm or greater between adjacent control lines L. On the signal transmission line 10, due to the high signal frequency and short wavelength, the several-micrometer spacing between the first sub-line 11 and the second sub-line 12 has almost no impact on high-frequency signal transmission, and the transmission effect of the signal transmission line 10 can still be guaranteed. When the control line L is connected to the segmented signal transmission line 10, since the conductivity of the material of the signal transmission line 10 is much higher than that of the material of the control line L (e.g., the material of the signal transmission line 10 includes metallic materials, and the material of the control line L includes transparent conductive materials such as indium tin oxide, or may also include metallic materials), the voltage signal can still propagate along the signal transmission line 10. When the control line L transmits DC or low-frequency AC control signals, the voltage signal is transmitted through the finer segmented first sub-line 11, without affecting each other. It should be noted that the line width of the control line L and the line width of the first sub-line 11 and the second sub-line 12 divided in the signal transmission line 10 are not limited in this disclosure, as long as the corresponding connection relationship can be met.

[0093] This disclosure also provides an electronic device, including the liquid crystal antenna array in any of the above embodiments. The electronic device may be a display device, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, television, monitor, laptop computer, digital photo frame, navigator, electronic watch, smart bracelet, or any product or component that needs to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals.

[0094] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the detailed structure and arrangement of the components presented in this specification. This disclosure is capable of other embodiments and can be implemented and performed in various ways. The foregoing variations and modifications fall within the scope of this disclosure. It should be understood that this disclosure, as disclosed and defined in this specification, extends to all alternative combinations of two or more individual features mentioned or apparent in the text and / or drawings. All these different combinations constitute multiple alternative aspects of this disclosure. The embodiments described in this specification illustrate the best known mode for implementing this disclosure and will enable those skilled in the art to utilize this disclosure.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal antenna array, characterized in that, It includes multiple liquid crystal antenna units and multiple control lines connected to the liquid crystal antenna units. The liquid crystal antenna unit includes a microwave signal transceiver unit and at least one signal transmission line connected to the microwave signal transceiver unit. The signal transmission line includes a phase shifting region. At least some of the liquid crystal antenna elements have signal transmission lines that include a first sub-line and at least one second sub-line spaced apart, wherein the first sub-line includes the phase-shifting region. The control line is used to provide voltage signals to the phase-shifting region in a one-to-one correspondence; when the signal transmission line of the liquid crystal antenna unit includes the first sub-line and the second sub-line, the control line corresponding to the phase-shifting region of the liquid crystal antenna unit is connected to the first sub-line and provides a voltage signal to the first sub-line; The second sub-line of the signal transmission line of a portion of the liquid crystal antenna unit is multiplexed as the control line.

2. The liquid crystal antenna array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second sub-line of the signal transmission line of a portion of the liquid crystal antenna unit overlaps with and is in contact with at least a portion of the control line.

3. The liquid crystal antenna array according to claim 2, characterized in that, Multiple liquid crystal antenna elements are arranged along a first direction to form an antenna element group. When the signal transmission line of the liquid crystal antenna element includes a first sub-line and a second sub-line, the first sub-line and the second sub-line extend along the first direction, and the first sub-line and multiple second sub-lines are arranged along a second direction. Multiple control lines are arranged along the second direction to form a control line group. Each control line has a first end and a second end. The first end of the control line is used to connect to a voltage signal terminal. The first ends of the multiple control lines are located on the same side of the antenna element group in the first direction. The second end of the control line extends along the first direction to the corresponding phase shift region and is connected to the phase shift region. The signal transmission line of the liquid crystal phase shifting unit located between the first and second ends of the control line includes a first sub-line and a second sub-line, and the second sub-line overlaps with and is in contact with at least a portion of the control line.

4. The liquid crystal antenna array according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least some of the multiple control lines include at least two control segments, and the control segments and the liquid crystal antenna unit are arranged alternately. The signal transmission line of the liquid crystal antenna unit located between two adjacent control segments includes a first sub-line and a second sub-line. The control segments on both sides of the liquid crystal antenna unit are connected to the same second sub-line of the liquid crystal antenna unit. The second sub-line connected between two adjacent control segments is multiplexed as the control line.

5. The liquid crystal antenna array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid crystal antenna array further includes a liquid crystal layer and a substrate disposed on both sides of the liquid crystal layer, and the control line and the signal transmission line are disposed on the side of the substrate closer to the liquid crystal layer; The orthogonal projection of the phase-shifting region on the substrate and the orthogonal projection of the liquid crystal layer on the substrate at least partially overlap; The distance between the control line and the substrate on the side closest to the substrate is a first distance, and the distance between the signal transmission line and the substrate on the side closest to the substrate is a second distance, wherein the first distance and the second distance are equal.

6. The liquid crystal antenna array according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple liquid crystal antenna elements are arranged along a first direction to form an antenna element group. When the signal transmission line of the liquid crystal antenna element includes a first sub-line and a second sub-line, the first sub-line and the second sub-line extend along the first direction, and the first sub-line and multiple second sub-lines are arranged along a second direction. The control line extends along the first direction, and multiple control lines are arranged along the second direction to form a control line group. Each control line has a first end and a second end. The first end of the control line is used to connect to a voltage signal terminal. The first ends of multiple control lines are located on the same side of the antenna unit group in the first direction. The second end of the control line is used to connect to the corresponding phase shift region. When the control line includes a control segment, the control segment and the liquid crystal antenna unit are arranged alternately along the first direction; When the number of control segments included in the control line is equal to 2, the at least two control segments include a first segment and a tail segment. The first end of the first segment is the first end of the control line. The tail end of the first segment and the first end of the tail segment are connected to the same second sub-line of the liquid crystal antenna unit located between them. The tail end of the tail segment is the second end of the control line. When the number of control segments contained in the control line is greater than or equal to 3, the at least two control segments further include at least one intermediate segment located between the first segment and the tail segment, and the two ends of the intermediate segment are connected to the second sub-line of the adjacent liquid crystal antenna unit.

7. The liquid crystal antenna array according to claim 3 or 6, characterized in that, The antenna unit group comprises m liquid crystal antenna units, each liquid crystal antenna unit comprises x signal transmission lines, and the number of control lines in the control line group is m×x, where m and x are selected from any integer greater than or equal to 1.

8. The liquid crystal antenna array according to claim 7, characterized in that, Each signal transmission line of each of the liquid crystal antenna units includes one first sub-line and m-1 second sub-lines.

9. The liquid crystal antenna array according to claim 7, characterized in that, The liquid crystal antenna units in the antenna unit group are numbered Ai, where i is selected from 1, 2, 3, 4...m-1, m; and m is selected from any integer greater than or equal to 1. When i = m, the signal transmission line of the liquid crystal antenna unit Ai does not include the first sub-line and the second sub-line; When i = 1, 2, 3, 4...m-1, the signal transmission line of the liquid crystal antenna unit Ai has one first sub-line and mi second sub-lines.

10. The liquid crystal antenna array according to claim 6, characterized in that, The antenna unit group contains m liquid crystal antenna units, and the liquid crystal antenna units in the antenna unit group are numbered Ai, where i is selected from 1, 2, 3, 4...m-1, m; and m is selected from any integer greater than or equal to 1. The control line in the control line group that provides a voltage signal to the phase-shifting region of the liquid crystal antenna unit Ai is numbered Lj, j = i; The first end of the control line is located on the side of the liquid crystal antenna unit A1 away from the liquid crystal antenna unit Am; When j = i = 1, the control line does not include the control sub-segment; When j = i = 2, the control line has one first sub-segment and one last sub-segment; When j = i ≥ 3, the control line has one first sub-segment, one last sub-segment, and j-2 intermediate segments.

11. The liquid crystal antenna array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spacing between two adjacent control lines is greater than or equal to 5 μm.

12. The liquid crystal antenna array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control line is made of a transparent conductive material or a metallic material, and the signal transmission line is made of a metallic material.

13. The liquid crystal antenna array according to claim 2, characterized in that, The liquid crystal antenna unit includes at least two signal transmission lines, and the phase shift regions of the signal transmission lines at least partially overlap.

14. An electronic device, characterized in that, Including the liquid crystal antenna array as described in any one of claims 1-13.

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