Antenna, antenna array and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention provides an antenna, an antenna array and electronic equipment, and belongs to the technical field of communication. The antenna comprises a first substrate, a second substrate and an adjustable dielectric layer, the first substrate comprises a first dielectric substrate and a first electrode layer arranged on one side, close to the adjustable dielectric layer, of the first dielectric substrate; the second substrate comprises a second dielectric substrate and a second electrode layer arranged on one side, close to the adjustable dielectric layer, of the second dielectric substrate; wherein the second electrode layer comprises a signal electrode, and at least one first branch knot and at least one second branch knot which are electrically connected with the signal electrode; the first branch knot and the second branch knot are arranged on the two sides of the extending direction of the signal electrode respectively. A connection node of the first branch knot and the signal electrode is a first node, and a connection node of the second branch knot and the signal electrode is a second node; the included angle between the extension direction of the connecting line of at least one first node and any second node and the extension direction of the signal electrode is not equal to 90 degrees.

Description

Antennas, antenna arrays and electronic equipment Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of communication technology, and in particular relates to an antenna, an antenna array and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] Leaky-wave antennas, a type of traveling-wave antenna, have attracted widespread attention for their wideband characteristics and frequency-dependent mainlobe beamforming. In modern communications systems, especially airborne and shipborne communications, the antenna's fixed-frequency scanning capability is crucial. However, leaky-wave antennas can only achieve directional pattern scanning by varying the operating frequency, not by scanning at a fixed frequency. This limits their application.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art and provides an antenna, an antenna array and an electronic device.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna comprising a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and an adjustable dielectric layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; the first substrate comprises a first dielectric substrate and a first electrode layer disposed on a side of the first dielectric substrate close to the adjustable dielectric layer; the second substrate comprises a second dielectric substrate and a second electrode layer disposed on a side of the second dielectric substrate close to the adjustable dielectric layer; wherein,

[0006] The second electrode layer includes a signal electrode, and at least one first branch node and at least one second branch node electrically connected to the signal electrode; the first branch node and the second branch node are respectively arranged on both sides of the extension direction of the signal electrode;

[0007] The connection node between the first branch and the signal electrode is a first node, and the connection node between the second branch and the signal electrode is a second node; the angle between the extension direction of the line connecting at least one of the first nodes and any of the second nodes and the extension direction of the signal electrode is not equal to 90°.

[0008] Wherein, the first electrode layer includes a first reference electrode and a second reference electrode arranged side by side;

[0009] The orthographic projection of the signal electrode on the first dielectric substrate is located between the orthographic projections of the first reference electrode and the second reference electrode on the first dielectric substrate; the first branch node at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first reference electrode on the first dielectric substrate; and the second branch node at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the second reference electrode on the first dielectric substrate.

[0010] The first nodes and the second nodes are staggered in the extending direction of the signal electrode.

[0011] Among them, the number of the first branch node and the number of the second branch node are both multiple; the first branch node and the second branch node each include a first end and a second end arranged opposite to each other; the first end of the first branch node and the first end of the second branch node are both electrically connected to the signal electrode; the second end of the first branch node is located on the first curve, and the second end of the second branch node is located on the second curve; the curve type of the first curve and the second curve are any one of a cosine curve, a sine curve, and a triangle wave curve.

[0012] The first curve and the second curve have the same curve type and are both sine curves or cosine curves; the periods and amplitudes of the first curve and the second curve are equal, and the initial phase difference between the first curve and the second curve is 180°±10°.

[0013] The dimension of the first branch at the peak position of the first curve in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode is not greater than 1 / 5 of the wavelength corresponding to the highest operating frequency;

[0014] The size of the second branch at the peak position of the second curve in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode is no greater than 1 / 5 of the wavelength corresponding to the highest operating frequency.

[0015] There is a first spacing between adjacent first branches, and a second spacing between adjacent second branches; and the distance values ​​of the first spacing and the second spacing are both no greater than 1 / 10 wavelength corresponding to the highest operating frequency.

[0016] The number of the first branches and the number of the second branches are both multiple, and the overlapping area between each of the first branches and the orthographic projection of the first electrode layer on the first dielectric substrate is equal; and / or the overlapping area between each of the second branches and the orthographic projection of the first electrode layer on the first dielectric substrate is equal.

[0017] When the overlapping areas of the first branch nodes and the orthographic projection of the first electrode layer on the first dielectric substrate are equal, the sizes of the first branch nodes in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode are equal;

[0018] When the overlapping areas of the second branch nodes and the orthographic projection of the first electrode layer on the first dielectric substrate are equal, the sizes of the second branch nodes in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode are equal.

[0019] The antenna is divided into at least one first branch group and at least one second branch group; the first branch group and the second branch group are arranged alternately, and the first branch group includes multiple first branches; the second branch group includes multiple second branches.

[0020] For one first branch node group, overlapping areas between each first branch node and the orthographic projection of the first electrode layer on the first dielectric substrate are equal;

[0021] For one second branch node group, the overlapping areas between each second branch node and the orthographic projection of the first electrode layer on the first dielectric substrate are all equal.

[0022] Among them, the sizes of each first branch node in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode are equal, and the sizes of each second branch node in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode are equal; and the sizes of the first branch node and the second branch node in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode are different.

[0023] Among them, the number of the first branch node and the number of the second branch node are both multiple; the first branch node and the second branch node each include a first end and a second end arranged opposite to each other; the first end of the first branch node and the first end of the second branch node are both electrically connected to the signal electrode; the second end of the first branch node and the second end of the second branch node are located on a third curve; the curve type of the third curve is any one of a cosine curve, a sine curve, and a triangle wave curve.

[0024] Among them, there is a third distance between the first branches that are located in the same first branch group and are adjacent to each other; there is a fourth distance between the second branches that are located in the same second branch group and are adjacent to each other; the distance values ​​of the third distance and the fourth distance are equal.

[0025] The sizes of the first branches and the second branches in the extending direction of the signal electrode are equal.

[0026] The number of the first branches is multiple, and the number of the second branches is multiple;

[0027] At least two of the first branches have different thicknesses, and the first branch with a larger thickness is larger than the first branch with a smaller thickness in a dimension perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode; and / or,

[0028] At least two of the second branch nodes have different thicknesses, and the second branch node with a larger thickness is larger than the second branch node with a smaller thickness in a dimension perpendicular to the extending direction of the signal electrode.

[0029] , wherein the adjustable dielectric layer includes a liquid crystal layer.

[0030] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna array, which includes multiple antennas, and the antenna is any of the above-mentioned antennas.

[0031] The antenna array further includes a feeding structure, which includes a first feeding end and a plurality of second feeding ends electrically connected to the first feeding end, and one first feeding end is electrically connected to one antenna.

[0032] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device comprising any of the above-mentioned antenna arrays. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG1 is a top view of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA′ in FIG. 1 .

[0035] FIG. 3 is a top view of the first conductive layer in the antenna shown in FIG. 1 .

[0036] FIG. 4 is a top view of the second conductive layer in the antenna shown in FIG. 1 .

[0037] FIG5 is a top view of another first conductive layer of the antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna to which the first conductive layer shown in FIG. 5 is applied.

[0039] FIG7 is an equivalent circuit diagram of nine first branches and nine second branches in the antenna shown in FIG1 .

[0040] FIG8 is a partial schematic diagram of the second conductive layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 9 is a graph showing the reflection coefficient S11 of the antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] FIG10 is a graph showing the transmission coefficient S21 of the antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] FIG11 is a radiation pattern of the antenna in an embodiment of the present disclosure when the operating frequency is 21 GHz as the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer changes.

[0044] FIG12 is a radiation pattern of the antenna in an embodiment of the present disclosure when the operating frequency is 23 GHz as the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer changes.

[0045] FIG13 is a radiation pattern of the antenna in an embodiment of the present disclosure when the operating frequencies are 21 GHz and 23 GHz as the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer changes.

[0046] FIG14 is a top view of the second electrode layer in the antenna of the second example of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] FIG15 is a top view of the second electrode layer in the antenna of the third example of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] FIG16 is a top view of the second electrode layer in the antenna of the fourth example of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0051] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure should have the usual meanings understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which this disclosure belongs. The words "first", "second" and similar words used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, words such as "one", "an" or "the" do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the existence of at least one. Words such as "include" or "comprise" mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Words such as "connect" or "connected" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0052] In the first aspect, Figure 1 is a top view of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA' of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top view of the first conductive layer in the antenna shown in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a top view of the second conductive layer in the antenna shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1-4, an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided, specifically a leaky-wave antenna. The antenna comprises a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite each other, and a tunable dielectric layer disposed between the first and second substrates. The first substrate comprises a first dielectric substrate 10 and a first electrode layer 11 disposed on a side of the first dielectric substrate 10 proximate to the tunable dielectric layer. The second substrate comprises a second dielectric substrate 20 and a second electrode layer 21 disposed on a side of the second dielectric substrate 20 proximate to the tunable dielectric layer. The second electrode layer 21 comprises a signal electrode 211, as well as at least one first branch 212 and at least one second branch 213 electrically connected to the signal electrode 211. The first branch 212 and the second branch 213 are disposed on either side of the signal electrode 211.

[0053] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the connection node between the first branch 212 and the signal electrode 211 is the first node, and the connection node between the second branch 213 and the signal electrode 211 is the second node. The angle between the extension direction of the line connecting at least one first node and any second node and the extension direction of the signal electrode 211 is not equal to 90°. That is to say, at least one first branch 212 in the antenna does not have a second branch 213 arranged opposite to it in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode 211, and the first branch 212 and any second branch 213 are staggered in the extension direction of the signal electrode 211. In this case, the electromagnetic waves transmitted in the adjustable dielectric layer are disturbed by the first branch 212 and the second branch 213 staggered in the extension direction of the signal electrode 211, thereby achieving radiation of the electromagnetic wave signal.

[0054] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the signal electrode 211 is a strip-shaped structure. Therefore, the extension direction of the signal electrode 211 is the length direction of the signal electrode 211. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first electrode layer 11 includes but is not limited to a ground electrode, and the adjustable dielectric layer includes but is not limited to a liquid crystal layer 30. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, only the first electrode layer 11 is a ground electrode, and the adjustable dielectric layer is a liquid crystal layer 30.

[0055] In the disclosed embodiment, the voltage applied to the first electrode layer 11 is changed, thereby changing the electric field between the first electrode layer 11 and the second electrode layer 21, thereby changing the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 30. When the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 30 changes, the phase shift constant β of the leaky-wave antenna also changes accordingly. Since the main beam of the leaky-wave antenna θ = arccos(β / k0), where k0 is the free-space wave number, the direction of the main beam of the leaky-wave antenna changes, thus achieving the fixed-frequency scanning characteristic of the leaky-wave antenna.

[0056] In some examples, the leaky wave antenna includes but is not limited to a microstrip line structure or an off-plane CPW (waveguide transmission line) structure. When the leaky wave antenna adopts a microstrip line structure, the first electrode layer 11 adopts a planar electrode. Figure 5 is a top view of another first conductive layer of the antenna of an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna using the first conductive layer shown in Figure 5; as shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the leaky wave antenna adopts an off-plane CPW structure, the first electrode layer 11 includes a first reference electrode and a second reference electrode arranged side by side. The orthographic projection of the signal electrode 211 on the first dielectric substrate 10 is confined between the orthographic projections of the first reference electrode and the second reference electrode on the first dielectric substrate 10. The first branch 212 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first reference electrode on the first dielectric substrate 10; the second branch 213 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the second reference electrode on the first dielectric substrate 10.

[0057] It should be noted that when the first electrode layer 11 is a ground electrode, the first reference electrode and the second reference electrode are both grounded. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, only the leaky wave antenna adopting the out-of-plane CPW structure is described as an example.

[0058] In some examples, the shapes of the first branch 212 and the second branch 213 can be rectangular, triangular, elliptical, trapezoidal, etc. In the embodiment disclosed herein, only the first branch 212 and the second branch 213 are rectangular as an example for illustration. That is, the shapes of the first branches 212 are the same, the shapes of the second branches 213 are the same, and the shapes of the first branches 212 and the second branches 213 are the same, but it should be understood that the shapes of the first branches 212 and the second branches 213 may also be different, for example: part of the first branch 212 is rectangular and the other part is circular; similarly, the second branch 213 can also be set in this way; for another example: the shapes of the first branches 212 are the same, all are rectangular, and the shapes of the second branches 213 are the same, all are circular.

[0059] When the first branch node 212 and the second branch node 213 are both rectangular, the dimension of the first branch node 212 in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode 211 refers to the length of the first branch node 212, and the dimension of the first branch node 212 in the direction of extension of the signal electrode 211 refers to the width of the first branch node 212; similarly, the dimension of the second branch node 213 in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode 211 refers to the length of the second branch node 213, and the dimension of the second branch node 213 in the direction of extension of the signal electrode 211 refers to the width of the second branch node 213.

[0060] In some examples, at least two of the first branches 212 have unequal overlapping areas with the orthographic projection of the first reference electrode on the first dielectric substrate 10. For example, the widths of the first branches 212 are equal, and the lengths of at least two of the first branches are unequal; or, the lengths of the first branches 212 are equal, and the widths of at least two of the first branches are unequal. Similarly, the overlapping areas of at least two of the second branches 213 with the orthographic projection of the second reference electrode on the first dielectric substrate 10 are unequal. For example, the widths of the second branches 213 are equal, and the lengths of at least two of the second branches 213 are unequal; or, the lengths of the second branches 213 are equal, and the widths of at least two of the second branches 213 are unequal.

[0061] In some examples, the overlapping area between each first branch 212 and the orthographic projection of the first reference electrode on the first dielectric substrate 10 is equal. The area between each second branch 213 and the orthographic projection of the second reference electrode on the first dielectric substrate 10 is equal. For example, the length and width of each first branch 212 are equal. The length and width of each second branch 213 are equal. Furthermore, the overlapping area between the first branch 212 and the orthographic projection of the first reference electrode on the first dielectric substrate 10 is different from the overlapping area between the second branch 213 and the orthographic projection of the second reference electrode on the first dielectric substrate 10. For example, the width of the first branch 212 is equal to the width of the second branch 213, while the length of the first branch 212 is different from the length of the second branch 213; the length of the first branch 212 is equal to the length of the second branch 213, while the width of the first branch 212 is different from the width of the second branch 213.

[0062] It should be noted that, in the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is taken as an example that the widths of the first branches 212 are all equal and the widths of the second branches 213 are all equal.

[0063] In some examples, there are multiple first branches 212 and multiple second branches 213 in the second electrode layer 21, and each first branch 212 and each second branch 213 are staggered in the extension direction of the signal electrode 211. For example, the first branch 212 and the second branch 213 are alternately arranged in the extension direction of the signal electrode 211. For another example, the first branch 212 is divided into multiple first branch groups 220, each of which includes multiple first branch groups 212; the second branch 213 is divided into multiple second branch groups 230, each of which includes multiple second branch groups 213; and the first branch groups 220 and the second branch groups 230 are alternately arranged.

[0064] In some examples, the thickness of each first branch 212 in the second electrode layer 21 can be the same, or the thickness of at least some of the first branches 212 can be different. For example, the length of the first branch 212 with a large thickness is greater than the length of the first branch 212 with a small thickness. The reason for this setting, under the premise of equal thickness, is that the first branch 212 with a long length has a greater disturbance intensity on the electromagnetic wave than the first branch 212 with a short length. Therefore, the thickness of the long first branch 212 can be designed to be relatively large, so that the distance between the long first branch 212 and the first electrode layer 11 (first reference electrode) can be increased, thereby further increasing the disturbance intensity of the electromagnetic wave. Similarly, the thickness of each second branch 213 can be the same or different. For example, the length of the second branch 213 with a large thickness is greater than the length of the second branch 213 with a small thickness.

[0065] In some examples, the first reference electrode in the first electrode layer 11 overlaps only with the orthographic projection of the first branch 212 on the first dielectric substrate 10, and the second reference electrode overlaps only with the orthographic projection of the second branch 213 on the first dielectric substrate 10. This configuration is because, by using a metal material for the first electrode layer 11, hollowing out the first electrode layer 11 except for the locations corresponding to the first branch 212 and the second branch 213 can reduce metal loss to a certain extent, thereby enhancing radiation. However, it should be understood that when the first electrode layer 11 is hollowed out except for the locations corresponding to the first branch 212 and the second branch 213, the inductive impedance changes compared to when the first electrode layer 11 includes strip-shaped first and second reference electrodes, and the frequency band of the antenna also changes accordingly. In this case, the arrangement of the first and second branches 212, 213 and the lengths of the first and second branches 212, 213 need to be redesigned to achieve directional scanning within the desired frequency band.

[0066] To further clarify the specific arrangement of the first branches 212 and the second branches 213 in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following description is provided with reference to specific examples. However, it should be understood that the following only provides some exemplary arrangements of the first branches 212 and the second branches 213, and the arrangements of the first branches 212 and the second branches 213 are not limited to these arrangements. As long as some of the first branches 212 and the second branches 213 are staggered, they are within the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0067] First example: Referring to Figures 4-6, the first electrode layer 11 includes a first reference electrode and a second reference electrode, and the second electrode layer 21 includes a signal electrode 211, and a plurality of first branches 212 and a plurality of second branches 213 connected on both sides of the extension direction of the signal electrode 211. The first branches 212 and the second branches 213 are alternately arranged in the extension direction of the signal electrode 211. The first branches 212 and the second branches 213 each have a first end and a second end arranged opposite to each other in the length direction. The first end of the first branch 212 and the first end of the second branch 213 are both electrically connected to the signal electrode 211. The second end of the first branch 212 is located on the first curve, and the second end of the second branch 213 is located on the second curve. The first curve and the second curve are cosine curves.

[0068] It should be noted that "the second end of the first branch 212 is located on the first curve" means that a certain point on the second end of the first branch 212 is located on the first curve, for example, the midpoint of the second end of the first branch 212 is located on the first curve. Similarly, "the second end of the second branch 213 is located on the second curve" means that a certain point on the second end of the second branch 213 is located on the second curve, for example, the midpoint of the second end of the second branch 213 is located on the second curve.

[0069] Continuing with FIG4 , there are multiple first branches 212 and second branches 213, and the width of each first branch 212 and the width of each second branch 213 are equal. A first spacing is provided between adjacent first branches 212, and a second spacing is provided between adjacent second branches 213. The first spacing and the second spacing are equal in distance.

[0070] Furthermore, the second end of each first branch 212 is distributed on the line segments of N periods of the first curve. Each first branch 212 is divided into a plurality of first branch groups 220, and one first branch group 220 is arranged corresponding to one period of the first curve, that is, each first branch 212 is divided into N first branch groups 220 arranged continuously. Similarly, each second branch 213 is divided into a plurality of second branch groups 230, and one second branch group 230 is arranged corresponding to one period of the second curve, that is, each second branch 213 is divided into N second branch groups 230 arranged continuously. The number of first branches 212 in the first branch group 220 can be equal to the number of second branches 213 in the second branch group 230, and of course the two can also be unequal. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of first branches 212 in the first branch group 220 is equal to the number of second branches 213 in the second branch group 230 as an example.

[0071] When the first branch node group 220 includes n first branches 212, the second branch node group 230 includes n second branches 213, and n is an even number greater than or equal to 2, for a first branch node group 220, the first branches 212 are symmetrically arranged with a straight line perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode 211 and passing through the center of the portion of the signal electrode 211 corresponding to the first branch node group 220 as the axis of symmetry; for a second branch node group 230, the second branches 213 are symmetrically arranged with a straight line perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode 211 and passing through the center of the portion of the signal electrode 211 corresponding to the second branch node group 230 as the axis of symmetry.

[0072] When the first branch group 220 includes n first branches 212 and the second branch group 230 includes n second branches 213, and n is an odd number greater than or equal to 3, the n first branches 212 in the first branch group 220 are arranged sequentially, and the n second branches 213 in the second branch group 230 are arranged sequentially. In the first branch group 220, except for the (n+1) / 2th first branch 212, the remaining first branches 212 are symmetrically arranged with a straight line running through the center of the width of the (n+1) / 2th first branch 212 and extending along its length as the axis of symmetry. In the second branch group 230, except for the (n+1) / 2th second branch 213, the remaining second branches 213 are symmetrically arranged with a straight line passing through the center of the width of the (n+1) / 2th second branch 213 and extending along its length as the axis of symmetry.

[0073] Continuing with reference to FIG4 , the first branch 212 with the longest length in the first branch group 220 and the second branch 213 with the longest length in the second branch group 230 both have lengths that do not exceed 1 / 5 of the wavelength corresponding to the highest operating frequency of the antenna, for example, both have lengths that are 1 / 10 of the wavelength corresponding to the highest operating frequency of the antenna. The first spacing between the first branches 212 and the second spacing between the second branches 213 do not exceed 1 / 10 of the wavelength corresponding to the highest operating frequency of the antenna, for example, the first spacing and the second spacing are both 1 / 20 of the wavelength corresponding to the highest operating frequency of the antenna. In this case, according to the surface plasmon theory, the dispersion effect can be effectively reduced and the radiation efficiency of the antenna can be improved. Continuing with reference to FIG4 , the thickness of the first and last first branches 212 in each first branch group 220 is less than the thickness of the remaining first branches 212. For example, the thickness of the first and last first branches 212 is 1.3 μm, and the thickness of the remaining first branches 212 is 2 μm. Similarly, the thickness of the second branch nodes 213 in the second branch node group 230 can be set in the same manner as that of the first branch nodes 212 .

[0074] Continuing with Figure 4 , each first branch group 220 includes nine first branches 212, and each second branch group 230 includes nine second branches 213. Figure 7 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the nine first branches 212 and nine second branches 213 in the antenna shown in Figure 1 . As shown in Figure 7 , the first branches 212 and the second branches 213 form parallel capacitors Cpr1 to Cpr9, Cpl1 to Cpl9, parallel inductor Lp1, and metal impedance Rp1. The parallel inductor Lp1 and metal impedance Rp1 are connected in series and then in parallel with the parallel capacitors Cpr1 to Cpr9, Cpl1 to Cpl9.

[0075] FIG8 is a partial schematic diagram of the second conductive layer of the embodiment of the present disclosure; as shown in FIG8 , the initial phase difference between the first curve and the second curve is 180°±10°. In other words, the distance between the first branch 212 in the first branch group 220 and the first branch in the second branch group 230 closest to the first branch group 220 is S, and the displacement of one cycle of the first curve is P, where S is approximately P / 2. Since the first branch 212 and the second branch 213 have opposite current flows in opposite directions, the aforementioned setting method makes the cancellation effect between the first branch 212 and the second branch 213 the weakest, thereby making the antenna have a stronger (strongest) radiation capability.

[0076] Specifically, when S = 0.52P, Figure 9 is a graph of the reflection coefficient S11 of the antenna of the embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 10 is a graph of the transmission coefficient S21 of the antenna of the embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, it can be seen that within the operating frequency band of 20 GHz to 24 GHz, it has a good radiation effect. Figure 11 is a radiation pattern of the antenna of the embodiment of the present disclosure when the operating frequency is 21 GHz, as the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 30 changes. As shown in Figure 11, at the operating frequency of 21 GHz, the main beam direction of the leaky wave antenna changes from θ = 25° (L1) to θ = 45° (L2) as the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal changes, achieving scanning of the main beam. Figure 12 shows the radiation pattern of the antenna in the embodiment of the present disclosure when the operating frequency is 23 GHz, as the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 30 changes. As shown in Figure 12, at the antenna's operating frequency of 23 GHz, the main beam direction of the leaky-wave antenna changes from θ = 44° (L3) to θ = 68° (L4) as the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal changes, achieving main beam scanning. Figure 13 shows the radiation pattern of the antenna in the embodiment of the present disclosure when the operating frequencies are 21 GHz and 23 GHz, as the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 30 changes. As can be seen from Figure 13, the main beam of the leaky-wave antenna not only has the function of scanning with frequency, but also has the function of changing with the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal at a fixed frequency, achieving a fixed-frequency scanning function.

[0077] It should be noted that in the first example, the second end of each first branch 212 and the second end of each second branch 213 are respectively located on two cosine curves, that is, the first curve and the second curve are cosine curves. However, in some examples, the first curve and the second curve can also be sine curves or triangular wave curves, that is, the second end of each first branch 212 and the second end of each second branch 213 are respectively located on two sine curves or two triangular wave curves, which are not listed here one by one.

[0078] Second Example: FIG14 is a top view of the second electrode layer 21 in the antenna of the second example of the embodiment of the present disclosure; as shown in FIG14 , this example is similar to the first example, namely, the first branches 212 and the second branches 213 electrically connected to the signal electrode 211 are alternately arranged in the extension direction of the signal electrode 211. The difference from the first example is that the lengths of the first branches 212 are equal, the lengths of the second branches 213 are equal, and the lengths of the first branches 212 and the second branches 213 are different. With this arrangement, the antenna can also have excellent radiation capability, and this arrangement can make the preparation relatively simple.

[0079] The third example: FIG15 is a top view of the second electrode layer 21 in the antenna of the third example of the embodiment of the present disclosure; as shown in FIG15 , this example is similar to the first example, that is, the second end of the first branch 212 in the first branch group 220 electrically connected to the signal electrode 211 is located on a line segment of one period of the cosine curve, and the second end of the second branch 213 in the second branch group 230 is located on a line segment of one period of the cosine curve. The difference from the first example is that the first branch groups 220 are not arranged continuously, and the second branch groups 230 are not arranged continuously, but the first branch groups 220 and the second branch groups 230 are alternately arranged in the extension direction of the signal electrode 211. In this case, the antenna can also obtain better radiation capability.

[0080] In some examples, the second end of each first branch 212 and the second end of each second branch 213 are located on a third curve, which can be a cosine curve, a sine curve, a triangle wave curve, etc., which are not listed here. Figure 15 only illustrates the case where the second end of each first branch 212 and the second end of each second branch 213 are located on the cosine curve.

[0081] Fourth example: Figure 16 is a top view of the second electrode layer 21 in the antenna of the fourth example of the embodiment of the present disclosure; as shown in Figure 16, in this example, the extension direction of the first branch and the extension direction of the signal electrode can also be non-perpendicular, and similarly, the extension direction of the second branch and the extension direction of the signal electrode can also be non-perpendicular. For example: the extension direction of the first branch is the same as the extension direction of the second branch, and both are non-perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode. In this example, the length of the first branch and the length of the second branch, as well as the staggered arrangement of the first branch and the second branch can adopt the arrangement in any of the above examples, and they are not listed one by one here. Figure 16 only takes the length of the first branch and the length of the second branch in the second example, as an example. Regardless of which of the above forms the antenna in the embodiments of the present disclosure adopts, the first dielectric substrate 10 and the second dielectric substrate 20 can be made of commonly used PCB insulating materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene glass fiber pressed board, phenolic paper laminate, phenolic glass cloth laminate, or can be made of hard materials with low microwave loss such as quartz and glass.

[0082] In some examples, the adjustable dielectric layer can be the liquid crystal layer 30 described above, or other dielectric materials with adjustable dielectric constants, such as graphene. The thickness of the liquid crystal layer 30 affects the beam scanning time. Considering that the beam switching time requires milliseconds, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 30 should not be too large. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 30 is approximately 35 μm. Different types of liquid crystals have different adjustable dielectric constants, and it is necessary to use the appropriate liquid crystal based on the desired antenna beam scanning angle, such as the LC446 liquid crystal.

[0083] In some examples, the materials for the first electrode layer 11 and the second electrode layer 21 can be low-resistance, low-loss metals such as copper, gold, and silver, and can be prepared by magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation, electroplating, and the like.

[0084] On the second aspect, FIG17 is a schematic diagram of an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG17 , an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an antenna array comprising a plurality of any of the above-mentioned antennas 100 .

[0085] Of course, as shown in Figure 17, the antenna array may also include a feeding structure 200. The feeding structure 200 may include a first feeding port 201 and a plurality of second feeding ports 202 electrically connected to the first feeding port 201. Each second feeding port 202 is electrically connected to an antenna 100, for example, each second feeding port 201 is electrically connected to a signal electrode. In Figure 16, the antenna array includes four antennas 100 arranged side by side. In this case, the feeding structure 200 uses a one-to-four power splitter. In actual products, different feeding structures 200 can be selected according to the number and arrangement of antennas 100 in the antenna array.

[0086] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, which includes the above-mentioned antenna array. The antenna also includes a transceiver unit, a radio frequency transceiver, a signal amplifier, a power amplifier, and a filtering unit. The antenna can be used as a transmitting antenna or as a receiving antenna. The transceiver unit may include a baseband and a receiving end, and the baseband provides a signal of at least one frequency band, such as a 2G signal, a 3G signal, a 4G signal, a 5G signal, etc., and sends a signal of at least one frequency band to the radio frequency transceiver. After the transparent antenna in the communication system receives the signal, it can be processed by the filtering unit, the power amplifier, the signal amplifier, and the radio frequency transceiver (not shown in the figure) and then transmitted to the receiving end in the transceiver unit. The receiving end may be, for example, a smart gateway.

[0087] Furthermore, a radio frequency transceiver is connected to the transceiver unit and is used to modulate the signals sent by the transceiver unit, or to demodulate the signals received by the transparent antenna and transmit them back to the transceiver unit. Specifically, the radio frequency transceiver may include a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, a modulation circuit, and a demodulation circuit. After the transmitting circuit receives various types of signals provided by the substrate, the modulation circuit can modulate the various types of signals provided by the baseband and then transmit them to the antenna. The transparent antenna receives the signal and transmits it to the receiving circuit of the radio frequency transceiver. The receiving circuit transmits the signal to the demodulation circuit, which demodulates the signal and transmits it to the receiving end.

[0088] Furthermore, the RF transceiver is connected to a signal amplifier and a power amplifier, which are then connected to a filtering unit, which is connected to at least one antenna. When the communication system transmits signals, the signal amplifier is used to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal output by the RF transceiver before transmitting it to the filtering unit. The power amplifier is used to amplify the power of the signal output by the RF transceiver before transmitting it to the filtering unit. The filtering unit may specifically include a duplexer and a filtering circuit. The filtering unit combines the signals output by the signal amplifier and the power amplifier, filters out noise, and then transmits them to the transparent antenna, which radiates the signal. When the communication system receives signals, the antenna receives the signal and transmits it to the filtering unit. The filtering unit filters out noise from the signal received by the antenna and transmits it to the signal amplifier and power amplifier. The signal amplifier amplifies the signal received by the antenna to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. The power amplifier amplifies the power of the signal received by the antenna. The signal received by the antenna is processed by the power amplifier and the signal amplifier before being transmitted to the RF transceiver, which then transmits it to the transceiver unit.

[0089] In some examples, the signal amplifier may include various types of signal amplifiers, such as a low noise amplifier, which is not limited herein.

[0090] In some examples, the antenna provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure further includes a power management unit, which is connected to a power amplifier to provide the power amplifier with a voltage for amplifying a signal.

[0091] It will be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments for illustrating the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of the present invention, and such modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and an adjustable dielectric layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; the first substrate comprising a first dielectric substrate and a first electrode layer disposed on a side of the first dielectric substrate close to the adjustable dielectric layer; the second substrate comprising a second dielectric substrate and a second electrode layer disposed on a side of the second dielectric substrate close to the adjustable dielectric layer; wherein: The second electrode layer includes a signal electrode, and at least one first branch node and at least one second branch node electrically connected to the signal electrode; the first branch node and the second branch node are respectively arranged on both sides of the extension direction of the signal electrode; The connection node between the first branch and the signal electrode is a first node, and the connection node between the second branch and the signal electrode is a second node; the angle between the extension direction of the line connecting at least one of the first nodes and any of the second nodes and the extension direction of the signal electrode is not equal to 90°.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein The first electrode layer includes a first reference electrode and a second reference electrode arranged side by side; The orthographic projection of the signal electrode on the first dielectric substrate is located between the orthographic projections of the first reference electrode and the second reference electrode on the first dielectric substrate; The first branch node at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first reference electrode on the first dielectric substrate; The second branch at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the second reference electrode on the first dielectric substrate.

3. The antenna according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first nodes and the second nodes are alternately arranged in the extending direction of the signal electrode.

4. The antenna according to claim 3, wherein The number of the first branch nodes and the number of the second branch nodes are both multiple; the first branch node and the second branch node each include a first end and a second end arranged opposite to each other; the first end of the first branch node and the first end of the second branch node are both electrically connected to the signal electrode; the second end of the first branch node is located on the first curve, and the second end of the second branch node is located on the second curve; the curve type of the first curve and the second curve is any one of a cosine curve, a sine curve, and a triangle wave curve.

5. The antenna according to claim 4, wherein The first curve and the second curve are of the same curve type and are both sine curves or cosine curves; the periods and amplitudes of the first curve and the second curve are equal, and the initial phase difference between the first curve and the second curve is 180°±10°. The antenna according to claim 4 , wherein: The size of the first branch at the peak position of the first curve in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode is not greater than 1 / 5 of the wavelength corresponding to the highest operating frequency; The size of the second branch at the peak position of the second curve in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode is no greater than 1 / 5 of the wavelength corresponding to the highest operating frequency.

7. The antenna according to claim 4, wherein There is a first spacing between adjacent first branches, and a second spacing between adjacent second branches; the distance values ​​of the first spacing and the second spacing are not greater than 1 / 10 wavelength corresponding to the highest operating frequency.

8. The antenna according to claim 3, wherein The number of the first branches and the number of the second branches are both multiple, and the overlapping area between each of the first branches and the orthographic projection of the first electrode layer on the first dielectric substrate is equal; and / or the overlapping area between each of the second branches and the orthographic projection of the first electrode layer on the first dielectric substrate is equal.

9. The antenna according to claim 8, wherein When the overlapping areas of the first branch nodes and the orthographic projection of the first electrode layer on the first dielectric substrate are equal, the sizes of the first branch nodes in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode are equal; When the overlapping areas of the second branch nodes and the orthographic projection of the first electrode layer on the first dielectric substrate are equal, the sizes of the second branch nodes in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode are equal.

10. The antenna according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The antenna is divided into at least one first branch group and at least one second branch group; the first branch group and the second branch group are arranged alternately, and the first branch group includes multiple first branches; the second branch group includes multiple second branches. The antenna according to claim 10 , wherein: For one first branch node group, the overlapping areas of each first branch node and the orthographic projection of the first electrode layer on the first dielectric substrate are equal; For one second branch node group, the overlapping areas between each second branch node and the orthographic projection of the first electrode layer on the first dielectric substrate are all equal.

12. The antenna according to claim 11, wherein The first branches have the same size in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode, and the second branches have the same size in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode; and the first branches and the second branches have different sizes in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode.

13. The antenna according to claim 11, wherein The number of the first branch nodes and the number of the second branch nodes are both multiple; the first branch node and the second branch node each include a first end and a second end arranged opposite to each other; the first end of the first branch node and the first end of the second branch node are both electrically connected to the signal electrode; the second end of the first branch node and the second end of the second branch node are located on a third curve; the curve type of the third curve is any one of a cosine curve, a sine curve, and a triangle wave curve.

14. The antenna according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein: There is a third spacing between the adjacent first branches in the same first branch group; there is a fourth spacing between the adjacent second branches in the same second branch group; and the distance values ​​of the third spacing and the fourth spacing are equal.

15. The antenna according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein: The sizes of the first branches and the second branches in the extending direction of the signal electrode are equal.

16. The antenna according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: There are multiple first branches, and multiple second branches; At least two of the first branches have different thicknesses, and the first branch with a larger thickness is larger than the first branch with a smaller thickness in a dimension perpendicular to the extension direction of the signal electrode; and / or, At least two of the second branch nodes have different thicknesses, and the second branch node with a larger thickness is larger than the second branch node with a smaller thickness in a dimension perpendicular to the extending direction of the signal electrode.

17. The antenna according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The tunable dielectric layer includes a liquid crystal layer.

18. An antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas, wherein the antennas are the antennas according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

19. The antenna array according to claim 18, wherein: It also includes a feeding structure, which includes a first feeding end and a plurality of second feeding ends electrically connected to the first feeding end, and one of the first feeding ends is electrically connected to one of the antennas.

20. An electronic device comprising the antenna array according to claim 18 or 19.

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