Millimeter wave external antenna device

Abstract

The invention provides a millimeter wave external antenna device, which relates to the technical field of antenna modules and comprises a dielectric layer, a first millimeter wave antenna array, a second millimeter wave antenna array, a radio frequency chip, a direction adjusting device, a first metal layer, a second metal layer and a third metal layer, wherein the first millimeter wave antenna array is located on the upper surface of the dielectric layer, the second millimeter wave antenna array is located on the lower surface of the dielectric layer, and the first millimeter wave antenna array and the second millimeter wave antenna array are respectively connected with the radio frequency chip; the first metal layer and the second metal layer are arranged in the dielectric layer and are respectively used as grounding plates of the first millimeter wave antenna array and the second millimeter wave antenna array; the third metal layer is arranged on the lower surface of the dielectric layer, and the radio frequency chip is arranged on the third metal layer; and the direction adjusting device is mounted on the side surface of the dielectric layer and is used for being fixedly connected with a test terminal and adjusting the mounting position and orientation of the millimeter wave external antenna device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of antenna modules, and in particular to a millimeter wave external antenna device. Background Art

[0002] This section is intended to provide a background or context to the embodiments of the invention recited in the claims. No admission is made that the description herein is prior art by inclusion in this section.

[0003] 5G will carry out full-band layout for Sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave bands to comprehensively meet the network's requirements in terms of capacity, coverage, performance, etc.

[0004] At present, the typical commercial millimeter wave antenna solution adopts the form of built-in packaged antenna module (AiP: Antenna in Package). By deploying / integrating 3-4 millimeter wave antenna modules at different locations inside the mobile phone and combining beamforming algorithms, the coverage / reception of millimeter wave signals in the three-dimensional spherical space can be completed. For example, refer to Figure 5 The schematic diagram of the deployment of the built-in millimeter wave antenna module of a traditional mobile phone is shown in FIG. 3, in which three 2×4 array millimeter wave antenna modules 500 are deployed in the device. Although this solution can effectively solve the influence of the absorption and shielding of millimeter wave signals by the human body during use, it has been commercialized in many mobile phones; however, the disadvantages of this solution are: multiple built-in millimeter wave antenna modules need to be deployed to complete the coverage / reception of millimeter wave signals in the three-dimensional spherical full space; complex beamforming and scanning algorithms need to be set up to ensure the continuous and smooth switching of radiation beams between different modules; it needs to occupy the already very small space inside the mobile phone, and it needs to consider the coexistence with the Sub-6 GHz antenna, the structure is complex, the design / integration difficulty is high, and the cost is high.

[0005] In summary, there is an urgent need for a technical solution that can overcome the above-mentioned defects and improve the millimeter wave antenna module. Summary of the invention

[0006] In order to solve the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention proposes a millimeter wave external antenna device. Compared with the traditional mobile phone built-in millimeter wave antenna module solution, the present invention is based on the design of an external millimeter wave antenna module, and flexibly adjusts its installation position and orientation through a direction adjustment device to ensure that the beam can be accurately aligned with the millimeter wave base station, thereby maximizing the power of the transmitted and received signals, effectively solving the problem of human body's absorption and shielding of millimeter wave signals, and improving the efficiency and stability of signal transmission. The present invention is equivalent to or even better than the traditional 3-4 built-in millimeter wave antenna modules in terms of function and performance, while reducing the complexity of design / integration and manufacturing costs.

[0007] In a first aspect of the present invention, a millimeter wave external antenna device is proposed, the device comprising: a dielectric layer, a first millimeter wave antenna array, a second millimeter wave antenna array, a radio frequency chip, a direction adjustment device, a first metal layer, a second metal layer, and a third metal layer;

[0008] Wherein, the first millimeter wave antenna array is located on the upper surface of the dielectric layer, and the second millimeter wave antenna array is located on the lower surface of the dielectric layer, and are respectively connected to the radio frequency chip;

[0009] The first metal layer and the second metal layer are arranged inside the dielectric layer and serve as ground planes of the first millimeter wave antenna array and the second millimeter wave antenna array respectively;

[0010] The third metal layer is arranged on the lower surface of the dielectric layer, and the radio frequency chip is arranged on the third metal layer;

[0011] The direction adjustment device is installed on the side of the dielectric layer, and is used to be fixedly connected to the test terminal and adjust the installation position and direction of the millimeter wave external antenna device.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first millimeter wave antenna array includes a first radiating element and a first feeding structure; the second millimeter wave antenna array includes a second radiating element and a second feeding structure;

[0013] Wherein, for the first millimeter wave antenna array, the first radiating element is arranged on the upper surface of the dielectric layer, the first feeding structure is arranged inside the dielectric layer, one end of the first feeding structure is connected to the first radiating element, and the other end is connected to the radio frequency chip;

[0014] For the second millimeter wave antenna array, the second radiating element is arranged on the lower surface of the dielectric layer, the second feeding structure is arranged inside the dielectric layer, one end of the second feeding structure is connected to the second radiating element, and the other end is connected to the RF chip.

[0015] In one embodiment, for the first millimeter wave antenna array, the first radiating element is in the form of a 4×4 microstrip patch array, which is used to transmit and cover signals in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the dielectric layer;

[0016] The first radiating element supports independent 4×1 or 4×2 sub-array forms, and each sub-array is connected to an independent amplitude and phase controlled RF channel for beam scanning in the horizontal or vertical direction.

[0017] In one embodiment, for the second millimeter wave antenna array, the second radiating element is in the form of a Yagi antenna, which is used to transmit and cover signals in a direction parallel to the lower surface of the dielectric layer;

[0018] Wherein, the second radiating element is a microstrip planar Yagi antenna printed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer, and / or a microstrip vertical Yagi antenna perpendicular to the lower surface of the dielectric layer.

[0019] In one embodiment, for the first millimeter wave antenna array, one end of the strip microstrip line of the first feeding structure is directly connected to the first radiating element through a metallized via, and the other end is connected to a corresponding port of the RF chip through a metallized via;

[0020] For the second millimeter wave antenna array, one end of the strip microstrip line of the second feeding structure is directly connected to the second radiating element, and the other end is connected to the corresponding port of the radio frequency chip.

[0021] In one embodiment, the second metal layer is located below the first metal layer;

[0022] A strip microstrip line of the first feeding structure is arranged between the first metal layer and the second metal layer; the first metal layer serves as a ground plane of the first millimeter wave antenna array; and the second metal layer serves as a ground plane of the second millimeter wave antenna array.

[0023] In one embodiment, the first metal layer, the second metal layer and the third metal layer are connected through metallized vias.

[0024] In one embodiment, the device further comprises: a baseband circuit chip and a power management chip;

[0025] The baseband circuit chip and the power management chip are arranged on the third metal layer;

[0026] The baseband circuit chip and the power management chip are electrically connected to the radio frequency chip respectively.

[0027] In one embodiment, the device further comprises: a USB interface;

[0028] A circuit connection is established with the test terminal through the USB interface and an extension cable of the USB interface; the test terminal is a host 5G millimeter wave mobile phone.

[0029] In one embodiment, the direction adjustment device is clamped on the test terminal, and the beam is aligned with the millimeter wave base station by adjusting the installation position and orientation of the millimeter wave external antenna device and combining phased array beam scanning.

[0030] The millimeter-wave external antenna device proposed in the present invention has a simpler design structure, is easy to install and adjust, and is not blocked by the human body. It can ensure that the beam is accurately aligned with the millimeter-wave base station, maximize the power of transmitted and received signals, and improve the efficiency and stability of signal transmission. At the same time, it reduces the complexity of design / integration and manufacturing costs, and provides strong technical support for the field of millimeter-wave antenna technology. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0032] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a millimeter wave external antenna device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2A It is a schematic top view of a surface of a first millimeter wave antenna array according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2B It is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the sub-array forms of the first millimeter wave antenna array according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 2C It is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the sub-array forms of the first millimeter wave antenna array according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 3 4 is a side view schematic diagram of a second millimeter wave antenna array according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the relationship between scattering parameters of a millimeter wave external antenna device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the deployment of a millimeter wave antenna module built into a traditional mobile phone according to the prior art.

[0039] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0040] 100, dielectric layer;

[0041] 101, the first millimeter wave antenna array;

[0042] 102, a second millimeter wave antenna array;

[0043] 103, radio frequency chip;

[0044] 104, direction adjustment device;

[0045] 105, a first metal layer;

[0046] 106, a second metal layer;

[0047] 107, a third metal layer;

[0048] 108, stripline microstrip;

[0049] 109, metallized vias;

[0050] 110, baseband circuit chip;

[0051] 111, power management chip;

[0052] 112, USB interface;

[0053] 500, 2×4 array millimeter wave antenna module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The principles and spirit of the present invention will be described below with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are provided only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0055] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a millimeter wave external antenna device is proposed, which relates to the technical field of antenna modules.

[0056] The principle and spirit of the present invention are explained in detail below with reference to several representative embodiments of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a millimeter wave external antenna device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the device comprises:

[0058] A dielectric layer 100, a first millimeter wave antenna array 101, a second millimeter wave antenna array 102, a radio frequency chip 103, a direction adjustment device 104, a first metal layer 105, a second metal layer 106, and a third metal layer 107;

[0059] The first millimeter wave antenna array 101 is located on the upper surface of the dielectric layer 100, and the second millimeter wave antenna array 102 is located on the lower surface of the dielectric layer 100, and they are respectively connected to the radio frequency chip 103;

[0060] The first metal layer 105 and the second metal layer 106 are disposed inside the dielectric layer 100 and serve as ground planes for the first millimeter wave antenna array 101 and the second millimeter wave antenna array 102 respectively;

[0061] The third metal layer 107 is disposed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer 100 , and the RF chip 103 is disposed on the third metal layer 107 ;

[0062] The direction adjustment device 104 is installed on the side of the dielectric layer 100, and is used to be fixedly connected to the test terminal and adjust the installation position and direction of the millimeter wave external antenna device.

[0063] In order to explain the above-mentioned millimeter wave external antenna device more clearly, a detailed description is given below in conjunction with a specific embodiment.

[0064] In one embodiment, the first millimeter wave antenna array 101 includes a first radiating element and a first feeding structure; the second millimeter wave antenna array 102 includes a second radiating element and a second feeding structure;

[0065] Wherein, for the first millimeter wave antenna array 101, the first radiating element is arranged on the upper surface of the dielectric layer 100, the first feeding structure is arranged inside the dielectric layer 100, one end of the first feeding structure is connected to the first radiating element, and the other end is connected to the radio frequency chip 103;

[0066] For the second millimeter wave antenna array 102 , the second radiating element is arranged on the lower surface of the dielectric layer 100 , the second feeding structure is arranged inside the dielectric layer 100 , one end of the second feeding structure is connected to the second radiating element, and the other end is connected to the RF chip 103 .

[0067] In one embodiment, reference Figure 2A , is a schematic diagram of a top view of a first millimeter wave antenna array according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2A As shown, the first millimeter wave antenna array 101, the first radiating element is in the form of a 4×4 microstrip patch array, which is used to transmit and cover signals in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the dielectric layer 100 (broadcast direction);

[0068] Among them, Figure 2B and Figure 2C As shown, the first radiating element supports independent 4×1 or 4×2 sub-array forms, and independent amplitude and phase controlled radio frequency channels are connected between each sub-array for beam scanning in the horizontal or vertical direction.

[0069] In actual application scenarios, the first radiating element adopts a 4×4 microstrip patch array layout, which can flexibly work independently in the form of multiple independent 4×1 or 4×2 sub-arrays, enhancing the flexibility of beam scanning.

[0070] In one embodiment, reference Figure 3 , is a side view schematic diagram of a second millimeter wave antenna array according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3As shown, for the second millimeter wave antenna array 102, the second radiating element is in the form of a Yagi antenna, which is used to transmit and cover signals in a direction parallel to the lower surface of the dielectric layer 100 (end-fire direction); Figure 3 In the invention, an antenna radiation unit and a matching reflector and director unit are provided, and the lengths of the units are different, and the depths of the corresponding metallized vias are different.

[0071] The second radiating element is a microstrip planar Yagi antenna printed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer 100 and / or a microstrip vertical Yagi antenna perpendicular to the lower surface of the dielectric layer 100 .

[0072] Specifically, the radiating element adopts the form of a Yagi antenna, including a microstrip line printed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer (microstrip planar Yagi antenna) and / or a metallized via perpendicular to the lower surface of the dielectric layer (microstrip vertical Yagi antenna).

[0073] In one embodiment, the feeding structure is mainly composed of metallized vias and stripline microstrip lines.

[0074] For the first millimeter wave antenna array 101, one end of the strip microstrip line 108 of the first feeding structure is directly connected to the first radiating element through the metallized via 109, and the other end is connected to the corresponding port of the RF chip 103 through the metallized via 109;

[0075] For the second millimeter wave antenna array 102 , one end of the strip microstrip line of the second feeding structure is directly connected to the second radiating element, and the other end is connected to the corresponding port of the RF chip 103 .

[0076] In one embodiment, the second metal layer 106 is located below the first metal layer 105;

[0077] A strip microstrip line 108 of a first feeding structure is provided between the first metal layer 105 and the second metal layer 106 ; the first metal layer 105 serves as a ground plane for the first millimeter wave antenna array 101 ; and the second metal layer 106 serves as a ground plane for the second millimeter wave antenna array 102 .

[0078] In one embodiment, the first metal layer 105 , the second metal layer 106 and the third metal layer 107 are connected through metallized vias 109 .

[0079] In one embodiment, reference Figure 1 , the device also includes: a baseband circuit chip 110 and a power management chip 111;

[0080] The baseband circuit chip 110 and the power management chip 111 are disposed on the third metal layer 107;

[0081] The baseband circuit chip 110 and the power management chip 111 are electrically connected to the RF chip 103 , respectively.

[0082] In one embodiment, reference Figure 1 , the device further includes: a USB interface 112;

[0083] A circuit connection is established with a test terminal through the USB interface 112 and an extension cable of the USB interface; the test terminal is a host 5G millimeter wave mobile phone.

[0084] In one embodiment, the direction adjustment device 104 is clamped on the test terminal, and the beam is aligned with the millimeter wave base station by adjusting the installation position and orientation of the millimeter wave external antenna device and combining phased array beam scanning.

[0085] refer to Figure 4 , is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the scattering parameters (S ParameterPlot, S parameters) of the millimeter wave external antenna device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 As shown, the horizontal axis is frequency (unit: GHz), and the vertical axis is return loss (S(1,1), unit: dB); the coordinate of point M1 is 24.44000 GHz, -9.8629 dB, and the coordinate of point M2 is 28.9600 GHz, -9.8566 dB.

[0086] Compared with the traditional mobile phone built-in millimeter wave antenna module solution, the present invention uses an external millimeter wave antenna module design and a direction adjustment device to flexibly adjust its installation position and orientation, ensuring that the beam can be accurately aligned with the millimeter wave base station, thereby maximizing the power of the received and transmitted signals, effectively solving the problem of human body absorption and shielding of millimeter wave signals, and improving the efficiency and stability of signal transmission. The present invention is equivalent to or even better than the traditional 3-4 built-in millimeter wave antenna modules in terms of function and performance, while reducing the complexity of design / integration and manufacturing costs.

[0087] The millimeter-wave external antenna device proposed in the present invention has a simpler design structure, is easy to install and adjust, and is not blocked by the human body. It can ensure that the beam can be accurately aligned with the millimeter-wave base station, maximize the power of transmitted and received signals, and improve the efficiency and stability of signal transmission. At the same time, it reduces the complexity of design / integration and manufacturing costs, and provides strong technical support for the field of millimeter-wave antenna technology.

[0088] Finally, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments are only specific implementations of the present invention, which are used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit them. The protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Although the present invention is described in detail with reference to the above-described embodiments, ordinary technicians in the field should understand that any technician familiar with the technical field can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the above-described embodiments within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, or can easily think of changes, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein; and these modifications, changes or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A millimeter wave external antenna device, characterized in that: The device comprises: a dielectric layer, a first millimeter wave antenna array, a second millimeter wave antenna array, a radio frequency chip, a direction adjustment device, a first metal layer, a second metal layer, and a third metal layer; Wherein, the first millimeter wave antenna array is located on the upper surface of the dielectric layer, and the second millimeter wave antenna array is located on the lower surface of the dielectric layer, and are respectively connected to the radio frequency chip; The first metal layer and the second metal layer are arranged inside the dielectric layer and serve as ground planes of the first millimeter wave antenna array and the second millimeter wave antenna array respectively; The third metal layer is arranged on the lower surface of the dielectric layer, and the radio frequency chip is arranged on the third metal layer; The direction adjustment device is installed on the side of the dielectric layer, and is used to be fixedly connected to the test terminal and adjust the installation position and direction of the millimeter wave external antenna device.

2. The millimeter wave external antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first millimeter wave antenna array includes a first radiating element and a first feeding structure; the second millimeter wave antenna array includes a second radiating element and a second feeding structure; Wherein, for the first millimeter wave antenna array, the first radiating element is arranged on the upper surface of the dielectric layer, the first feeding structure is arranged inside the dielectric layer, one end of the first feeding structure is connected to the first radiating element, and the other end is connected to the radio frequency chip; For the second millimeter wave antenna array, the second radiating element is arranged on the lower surface of the dielectric layer, the second feeding structure is arranged inside the dielectric layer, one end of the second feeding structure is connected to the second radiating element, and the other end is connected to the RF chip.

3. The millimeter wave external antenna device according to claim 2, characterized in that: For the first millimeter wave antenna array, the first radiating element is in the form of a 4×4 microstrip patch array, which is used for transmitting and covering signals in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the dielectric layer; The first radiating element supports independent 4×1 or 4×2 sub-array forms, and each sub-array is connected to an independent amplitude and phase controlled RF channel for beam scanning in the horizontal or vertical direction.

4. The millimeter wave external antenna device according to claim 2, characterized in that: For the second millimeter wave antenna array, the second radiating element is in the form of a Yagi antenna, which is used to transmit and cover signals in a direction parallel to the lower surface of the dielectric layer; Wherein, the second radiating element is a microstrip planar Yagi antenna printed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer, and / or a microstrip vertical Yagi antenna perpendicular to the lower surface of the dielectric layer.

5. The millimeter wave external antenna device according to claim 2, characterized in that: For the first millimeter wave antenna array, one end of the strip microstrip line of the first feeding structure is directly connected to the first radiating element through a metallized via, and the other end is connected to a corresponding port of the RF chip through a metallized via; For the second millimeter wave antenna array, one end of the strip microstrip line of the second feeding structure is directly connected to the second radiating element, and the other end is connected to the corresponding port of the radio frequency chip.

6. The millimeter wave external antenna device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second metal layer is located below the first metal layer; A strip microstrip line of the first feeding structure is arranged between the first metal layer and the second metal layer; the first metal layer serves as a ground plane of the first millimeter wave antenna array; and the second metal layer serves as a ground plane of the second millimeter wave antenna array.

7. The millimeter wave external antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first metal layer, the second metal layer and the third metal layer are connected through metallized vias.

8. The millimeter wave external antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The device also includes: a baseband circuit chip and a power management chip; The baseband circuit chip and the power management chip are arranged on the third metal layer; The baseband circuit chip and the power management chip are electrically connected to the radio frequency chip respectively.

9. The millimeter wave external antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The device also includes: a USB interface; A circuit connection is established with the test terminal through the USB interface and an extension cable of the USB interface; the test terminal is a host 5G millimeter wave mobile phone.

10. The millimeter wave external antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The direction adjustment device is clamped on the test terminal, and the beam is aligned with the millimeter wave base station by adjusting the installation position and orientation of the millimeter wave external antenna device and combining phased array beam scanning.

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