Multi-beam phased array antenna

Abstract

The invention relates to a multi-beam phased-array antenna, which comprises an antenna layer, a beam layer, a control network layer, a power supply network layer and a radio frequency chip layer, the beam layer comprises a plurality of beam forming network layers; the radio frequency chip layer is connected with the wave beam layer and the antenna layer through an electromagnetic interconnection structure; the multi-beam phased-array antenna outputs a plurality of independent beams, the number of the independent beams is smaller than or equal to the number of the beam forming network layers, and opening or closing and pointing of any independent beam are controlled according to the requirement for the communication rate, the signal strength and the use scene; and the multi-beam phased-array antenna enhances the signal strength and the communication rate by controlling the plurality of independent beams to point to the same satellite. The method can improve the performance of the satellite communication terminal by flexibly switching the beams, and has the characteristics of high engineering practicability, mature process and controllable cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of phased array antennas, and in particular to a multi-beam phased array antenna. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid rise of 5G communications and broadband low-orbit satellite communications, millimeter-wave active phased array antennas have begun unprecedented development. my country has included satellite Internet construction in the "new infrastructure", among which the cost, size and universality of millimeter-wave phased arrays directly affect user experience and operating costs, and are the main technical bottlenecks restricting the large-scale promotion and application of satellite communications. It is necessary to achieve technological breakthroughs and independent control as soon as possible.

[0003] The terminal's satellite communication, satellite tracking, satellite switching and other communication operations all need to be implemented with phased array terminals. According to the system architecture, the terminal needs antennas, low noise amplifiers or final power amplifiers, amplitude modulation, phase modulation, mixing and other functions. The core of the design and the bulk of the cost are the antenna + RF link part because of its large number.

[0004] Phased array antenna refers to an antenna that changes the shape of the radiation pattern by controlling the feeding phase of the radiating elements in the array antenna. In recent years, phased array antenna technology has been widely used in radar systems, communications, remote control and telemetry, electronic countermeasures and other technical fields.

[0005] At present, although the related technologies of phased array antennas can flexibly control the number and shape of beams, their structures are relatively complex, the costs are high, and the manufacturing process is complicated.

[0006] A Chinese patent with publication number CN117200843A discloses a millimeter wave networking communication multi-beam phased array antenna device, which includes a planar antenna array, a beam control module, a frequency conversion component, an AD / DA acquisition processing unit, a beam forming processing unit, and a communication terminal for modulating and demodulating signal processing. This antenna adopts a sub-array multi-beam form and a wide and narrow beam switching method to respectively realize the multi-beam wide coverage requirements in the networking communication construction stage and the high-gain narrow beam requirements in the data transmission stage, and can realize flexible multi-beam, wide and narrow beam switching, beam scanning and control, and beam automatic tracking functions. However, the multi-beam phased array antenna has the following problems: the phased array is relatively thick, and the size and weight are large, resulting in scenarios with strict requirements on size and weight, such as satellite communication terminals, satellite payload antennas, 5G antennas, and other application scenarios, and its application promotion is greatly limited. In addition, in terms of satellite-to-ground communication applications, there are technical problems such as large attenuation and long transmission delay. Summary of the invention

[0007] In order to solve the technical problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-beam phased array antenna with high engineering practicality, mature technology and controllable cost, which can improve the performance of satellite communication terminals by flexibly switching independent beams.

[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose of the invention, the present invention provides a multi-beam phased array antenna, comprising an antenna layer, a beam layer, a control network layer, a power network layer, and a radio frequency chip layer;

[0009] The beam layer includes a plurality of beam synthesis network layers;

[0010] The radio frequency chip layer is connected to the beam layer and the antenna layer through an electromagnetic interconnection structure;

[0011] The multi-beam phased array antenna outputs a plurality of independent beams, the number of the independent beams being less than or equal to the number of the beam synthesis network layers, and the opening or closing and the direction of any of the independent beams being controlled according to the communication rate requirement, signal strength and usage scenario;

[0012] The multi-beam phased array antenna enhances the signal strength and the communication rate by controlling a plurality of the independent beams to point to the same satellite.

[0013] According to a technical solution of the present invention, the multi-beam phased array antenna outputs at least three independent beams.

[0014] According to a technical solution of the present invention, the antenna layer, the beam layer, the control network layer, the power network layer, and the radio frequency chip layer are manufactured through a multi-layer PCB or LTCC process.

[0015] According to a technical solution of the present invention, the electromagnetic interconnection structure is a quasi-coaxial structure, including an inner core and an outer core, the inner core is composed of a metal through hole for transmitting signals, and the outer core is composed of a plurality of metal through holes surrounding the inner core for shielding interference from other signals.

[0016] According to a technical solution of the present invention, any two adjacent beamforming network layers are separated by a floor.

[0017] According to a technical solution of the present invention, the control network layer includes a clock network, a data network, and a control network.

[0018] According to a technical solution of the present invention, the RF chip layer includes a plurality of RF chips for receiving N independent beams, the RF chip is provided with N beam ports, the RF chip is provided with a plurality of channels, any of the channels is provided with a low-noise amplifier, N phase shifters for adjusting the phase of the independent beams and N attenuators, one of the low-noise amplifiers in any of the channels is connected to the N phase shifters, one of the attenuators is connected after any of the phase shifters, and a plurality of the attenuators processing the same independent beam are connected to the corresponding beam ports;

[0019] The N beam ports on the radio frequency chip are connected in a one-to-one correspondence with the N beam synthesis network layers via an electromagnetic interconnection structure.

[0020] According to a technical solution of the present invention, the antenna layer includes a receiving antenna array, and the receiving antenna array includes a plurality of antenna units.

[0021] According to a technical solution of the present invention, the phase difference between any two adjacent antenna units is △φ;

[0022] The main lobe pointing of the independent beams of the multi-beam phased array antenna is adjusted by the following formula:

[0023]

[0024] Where λ is the wavelength of the independent beam, θ 0 For main lobe pointing, d is the distance between any two adjacent antenna units.

[0025] According to a technical solution of the present invention, the radio frequency chip layer is connected to the frequency conversion module and the baseband signal processor.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0027] The present invention can flexibly switch the number of beams to be used according to the usage scenario. In high-speed scenarios, such as watching high-definition videos or downloading large amounts of data, four beams work simultaneously and can communicate at a very high rate, which is suitable for scenarios with high-speed and strong performance requirements. In medium-speed scenarios, such as watching standard-definition videos, video conferencing, etc., two or three beams can be selected to work simultaneously. When the communication environment conditions are good and the signal strength is high, two beams can be directly turned off to reduce terminal power consumption and increase battery life.

[0028] In the present invention, the beam layer has N independent beams that can work simultaneously, and adjacent beams are separated by a layer of floor. Low-loss propagation of radio frequency signals can be achieved inside the beam layer, and radio frequency signals between different channels have a high degree of isolation.

[0029] In the present invention, the electromagnetic interconnection structure can vertically transmit radio frequency signals between different layers with low loss, and different electromagnetic interconnection structures have good isolation.

[0030] The circuit part of the present invention is realized by PCB technology, and the antenna system as a whole undergoes complete electromagnetic compatibility design, high-speed digital circuit design, radio frequency circuit and chip design, antenna design and other designs. The overall system design is complete and has high reliability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention, and 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 a multi-layer circuit lamination of a switchable four-beam active phased array antenna provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the composition of a switchable four-beam active phased array antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0034] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a quasi-coaxial vertical interconnection electromagnetic structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0035] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing switchable beam pointing of a four-beam active phased array antenna when there are four satellites in communication;

[0036] Figure 5 The schematic diagram shows that when the satellite moves to a certain angle, the phase of each antenna unit of the array antenna changes, thereby changing the main lobe beam direction, so that the switchable four-beam active phased array antenna beam scans to the angle where the satellite is located;

[0037] Figure 6 A schematic diagram schematically shows a beam active phased array antenna used in conventional terminals at present;

[0038] Figure 7 A schematic diagram schematically shows a switchable receiving four-beam active phased array antenna RF front end working according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of vertical stacking of switchable four-beam synthesis network layers provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically;

[0040] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a synthesis network plane of one layer of a beam synthesis network provided by an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0041] Fig.10 A schematic diagram schematically shows a receiving four-beam terminal in operation provided by an implementation example of the present invention;

[0042] Fig.11 A schematic diagram schematically shows that when four beams provided by an embodiment of the present invention work simultaneously, four useful signals are provided and directed to four satellites;

[0043] Fig.12 A schematic diagram schematically shows that two beams provided by an embodiment of the present invention work simultaneously, two beams are turned off, two useful signals are provided, and the two beams are directed to two satellites;

[0044] Fig.13 A schematic diagram showing a case where four beams provided by an implementation example of the present invention work simultaneously and are enhanced into two useful signals directed to two satellites;

[0045] Fig.14 A schematic diagram schematically shows a case in which one beam provided by an implementation example of the present invention works simultaneously, three beams are turned off, one useful signal is provided, and one satellite is pointed at;

[0046] Fig.15 A schematic diagram schematically shows a case where two beams provided in an implementation example of the present invention work simultaneously, two beams are turned off, and one enhanced signal is provided and directed to one satellite;

[0047] Fig.16 A schematic diagram schematically shows a case where three beams provided by an implementation example of the present invention work simultaneously, one beam is turned off, and one enhanced signal is provided and directed to one satellite;

[0048] Fig.17 The schematic diagram schematically shows that four beams provided in an implementation example of the present invention work simultaneously to provide one enhanced signal and point to one satellite.

[0049] in, Figures 1 to 9 The corresponding relationship between the reference numerals and the component names is as follows:

[0050] 1-antenna layer; 2-beam layer; 3-control network layer; 4-power network layer; 5-RF chip layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The description of the embodiments of this specification should be combined with the corresponding drawings, which should be considered as part of the complete specification. In the drawings, the shape or thickness of the embodiments may be enlarged and indicated for simplification or convenience. Furthermore, the parts of each structure in the drawings will be described separately. It is worth noting that the elements not shown in the drawings or not described in words are in a form known to ordinary technicians in the relevant technical field.

[0052] The description of the embodiments herein and any reference to directions and orientations are only for the convenience of description and are not to be construed as any limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention. The following description of the preferred embodiments may involve combinations of features, which may exist independently or in combination, and the present invention is not particularly limited to the preferred embodiments. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims.

[0053] Example

[0054] A multi-beam phased array antenna, comprising an antenna layer 1, a beam layer 2, a control network layer 3, a power network layer 4, and a radio frequency chip layer 5;

[0055] Beam layer 2 includes multiple beam synthesis network layers;

[0056] The radio frequency chip layer 5 is connected to the beam layer 2 and the antenna layer 1 through an electromagnetic interconnection structure;

[0057] The multi-beam phased array antenna outputs multiple independent beams. The number of independent beams is less than or equal to the number of beam synthesis network layers. The opening or closing and pointing of any independent beam are controlled according to the communication rate requirements, signal strength and usage scenarios.

[0058] Multi-beam phased array antennas enhance signal strength and communication rates by controlling multiple independent beams to point to the same satellite.

[0059] The multi-beam phased array antenna outputs at least 3 independent beams.

[0060] The antenna layer 1, the beam layer 2, the control network layer 3, the power network layer 4, and the radio frequency chip layer 5 are manufactured through a multi-layer PCB process.

[0061] The control network layer 3 includes a clock network, a data network, and a control network.

[0062] The embodiment of the present invention is a four-beam active phased array antenna designed and produced according to the scheme of the present invention.

[0063] like Figure 1As shown, the overall antenna system includes multiple stacking layers, including antenna layer 1, beam layer 2, control network layer 3, power network layer 4, RF chip layer 5, etc. Different functional layers are composed of different media, and the stacking structure is realized by PCB technology. Antenna layer 1 includes a receiving antenna array, and the receiving antenna array has various array modes, which can be square array, triangle array, and other forms, without restriction. Beam layer 2 includes 4 layers of beam synthesis network layers, and control network layer 3 includes clock network, data network, control network, etc. The clock network provides clock for multi-beam chip component interface communication, the data network provides data reading and writing for chip and other interface communications, and the control network provides control signals for chips. The control network layer has many control signal lines, including clock lines, data lines, and control signal lines, etc., which can provide corresponding signals for all chips. The control signal is sent by the control chip, and the control chip automatically switches different states through customized scene algorithms. The power network layer 4 mainly provides power for receiving chips, FPGA and other chips, and the power supply voltage type and power are designed according to actual chip indicators. Antenna layer 1 is connected to RF chip layer 5 through an electromagnetic interconnection structure. When transmitting, the RF signal is transmitted from the chip to the antenna through a quasi-coaxial structure. When receiving, the RF signal is transmitted from the antenna to the chip through a quasi-coaxial structure. This embodiment is a receiving embodiment. The beam layer 2 is connected to the RF chip layer 5 through an electromagnetic interconnection structure. When working, Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the signal transmitted by the satellite is processed by the whole system and finally outputs four-beam signal. The whole system has undergone complete electromagnetic compatibility design, high-speed digital circuit design, RF circuit and chip design, antenna design and other design adjustments. The overall system design is complete and highly reliable.

[0064] The present invention increases the single beam of a conventional antenna to four beams. Through innovative design, the number of beams required for use can be flexibly switched according to the usage scenario. In a high-speed scenario, N beams work simultaneously, which is equivalent to a phased array pointing to N satellites, greatly improving the communication rate. That is, switching is performed according to the scenario to maximize the use of low-orbit satellite communication resources.

[0065] Specifically, Figure 4 As shown, the beams of the four-beam active phased array antenna in this embodiment can point to four satellites for simultaneous communication. When communicating with satellites, in order to better send and receive signals, the main lobe of each beam of the antenna will be aligned with the direction of the satellite. Because the present invention is a four-beam active phased array antenna, it has the ability to point to one satellite, two satellites, three satellites, or four satellites at the same time, and perform one-way communication, two-way communication, three-way communication, or four-way communication accordingly. Its specific communication mode is flexible and can be intelligently switched according to business and scenario requirements. In high-speed scenarios, such as watching high-definition videos or downloading large amounts of data, at this time, Fig.11, 4 beams are turned on at the same time, 4 beams work at the same time, and receive data from four satellites. It can communicate at a very high rate, which is suitable for scenarios with high-speed and strong performance requirements. In medium-speed scenarios, such as watching standard-definition videos, video conferencing, etc., you can choose 2 beams or 3 beams to work at the same time. Taking 2 beams as an example, there are also two switching methods for 2 beams. Fig.12 When the communication environment is good and the signal strength is high, two beams can be directly turned off to reduce terminal power consumption and increase endurance. At this time, only two beams are left pointing to two satellites to receive two useful signals. When the communication environment is poor and the signal strength is weak, all four beams are turned on. Fig.13 , two identical beams point to the same satellite, and their useful signals are superimposed to enhance signal strength and improve signal quality. Overall, the prototype still points to two satellites and receives two useful signals, which not only meets user needs but also improves signal quality. In low-rate scenarios, such as web browsing, audio calls, etc., you can choose to work with one beam, and there are also multiple ways to switch one beam. Fig.14 When the communication environment is good and the signal strength is high, you can directly turn off the three beams to reduce terminal power consumption and increase battery life. At this time, only one beam is left pointing to one satellite to receive one useful signal. When the communication environment is poor and the signal strength is weak, you can open two beams as needed to enhance the signal strength, such as Fig.15 This is the state when 2 beams are turned on. If the signal strength is still not enough, 3 beams can be turned on to further enhance the signal strength. Fig.16 This is the state when 3 beams are turned on. If the signal strength is still not enough, 4 beams can be turned on to further enhance the signal strength. Fig.17 This is the state when all four beams are fully open. Multiple identical beams point to the same satellite, and their useful signals are superimposed to enhance signal strength and improve signal quality. Overall, the antenna still points to one satellite, using the resources of one satellite without wasting satellite resources. It receives one useful signal, which not only meets user needs but also improves signal quality. In this way, switching according to the scene and switching on demand can not only meet user needs, but also maximize the use of satellite resources without wasting satellite resources.

[0066] The size of the phased array RF front end of the present invention is similar to that of a single-beam phased array, and the beam capacity is N times that of a single beam (when the number of independent beams is 4, its beam capacity is 4 times that of a single beam), and it has the advantages of miniaturization, low cost and high performance, and is the mainstream technical route for future high-end low-orbit satellite communication terminals. At the same time, the present invention makes full use of the existing mature multi-layer PCB process and mature chip CMOS process, and has the advantages of low cost and easy mass production, which greatly saves satellite communication costs and is the mainstream technical route for large-scale commercialization of millimeter-wave satellite communication terminals in the future.

[0067] The multi-beam phased array antenna of the present invention can also be manufactured using LTCC and other processes.

[0068] The current phased array antennas are all large single-beam arrays with a large number of elements, high cost, and inflexible. They cannot flexibly adjust the beams according to the usage scenario. The use of 4-beam active phased array antennas has the ability to connect to 4 satellites at the same time, which can achieve faster communication rates and more stable connections. Therefore, 4-beam active phased array antennas can construct higher-end satellite communication terminals. At the same time, 4-beam phased array antennas can flexibly adjust communication beams according to usage scenarios and consumer needs, which can maximize the match between user needs and valuable satellite resources and have high market potential.

[0069] The electromagnetic interconnection structure is a quasi-coaxial structure, including an inner core and an outer core. The inner core is composed of a metal through hole for transmitting signals, and the outer core is composed of multiple metal through holes surrounding the inner core for shielding interference from other signals.

[0070] The electromagnetic interconnection structure connecting the antenna and the RF chip is as follows Figure 3 As shown, this electromagnetic structure is a quasi-coaxial structure. The inner core is a signal hole composed of a metal through hole, which is used to transmit signals. One end is connected to the feeder of the antenna, and the other end is connected to the feeder of the RF chip, which is used to transmit RF signals in the vertical direction. The outer core is a circle of metal through holes as an isolation ground hole to shield other signal interference. The interconnected electromagnetic structure can transmit RF signals vertically between different layers with low loss, and different electromagnetic interconnected structures have good isolation;

[0071] The RF chip layer 5 includes a plurality of RF chips for receiving four independent beams. The RF chip is provided with four beam ports. The RF chip is provided with a plurality of channels. Any channel is provided with a low-noise amplifier, four phase shifters for adjusting the phase of the independent beam, and four attenuators. A low-noise amplifier in any channel is connected to four phase shifters, and an attenuator is connected after any phase shifter. Multiple attenuators processing the same independent beam are connected to the corresponding beam ports.

[0072] The four beam ports on the RF chip are connected one-to-one with the four beam synthesis network layers through an electromagnetic interconnection structure.

[0073] The principle of conventional single-beam RF chip is as follows Figure 6 As shown, the blue dotted box is a chip, which contains 4 channels. Each channel has an LNA (low noise amplifier) ​​to amplify small signals, a phase shifter to control the phase to achieve the satellite pointing angle and an attenuator to adjust the amplitude, that is, control the signal size.

[0074] The principle of the radio frequency chip of the present invention is as follows Figure 7 As shown, it may contain N channels, and this embodiment has 8 channels. Figure 7 Only two channels are drawn in detail, and the remaining six channels are consistent with the drawn channels. Each channel has an LNA to amplify small signals, four phase shifters to control the phase to achieve the satellite pointing angle and four attenuators to adjust the amplitude, that is, control the signal size. Each phase shifter attenuator represents a beam. The same beams of many channels are combined to synthesize a beam, which is transmitted from the beam port to the beam synthesis network. The connection between the RF chip and the beam synthesis network is as follows: Figure 8 As shown, a radio frequency chip has four beam ports, and outputs four beam signals in total. There are multiple radio frequency chips in the entire radio frequency network layer. The same beam port of each chip is connected to the beam synthesis network through the electromagnetic interconnection structure through the multi-layer PCB board. The beam synthesis network on the same layer contains the beam signals of the same beam of all radio frequency chips. These signals are connected to the power synthesis network, and all the signals of the same beam are synthesized into one signal through the power synthesis network, and then uniformly output through the radio frequency port. The present invention has 4 beams, so there are four beam synthesis network layers of this type. Each layer of the beam synthesis network is separated by the floor, so that the adjacent beam synthesis network layers have a high degree of isolation, ensuring that each beam works independently without interfering with each other.

[0075] Fig. 9 FIG. 1 is a partial schematic diagram of beam 1 of the four-beam synthesis network according to the present invention. Assuming that there are 8 RF chips, the RF signal of beam 1 of each RF chip is connected to the beam network layer through a coaxial electromagnetic interconnection structure. Figure 8 The beam synthesis network shown synthesizes the radio frequency signal of one beam 1 and outputs the radio frequency signal at the radio frequency port. The present invention has a four-layer beam synthesis network and can output radio frequency signals of four beams.

[0076] Figure 5 It is a working diagram of a four-beam active phased array antenna when one of the beams scans and points to a certain angle when the satellite moves to a certain angle. When the satellite is at a certain angle, the phase of the antenna will change the phase of each antenna through the phase shifter module inside the chip to form a set of active phased array antennas. By controlling the phase of each antenna, the radiation pattern of the entire array can freely control the direction of the pattern to point to the direction of the satellite.

[0077] The antenna layer 1 includes a receiving antenna array, which includes a plurality of antenna units.

[0078] The phase difference between any adjacent antenna elements is △φ;

[0079] The main lobe pointing of the individual beams of a multi-beam phased array antenna is adjusted by the following formula:

[0080]

[0081] Where λ is the wavelength of the independent beam, θ 0 For main lobe pointing, d is the distance between any two adjacent antenna units.

[0082] According to the calculation formula that no grating lobe appears within the scanning range, the main lobe direction of the phased array is θ 0 .

[0083] Since the satellite is always moving during satellite communications, it is important for the four-beam active phased array antenna to accurately point to the satellite's position, which is the key to signal quality. Figure 5 As shown, when the satellite moves to a certain angle, the antenna of the present invention will change the phase of each antenna through the phase shifter module inside the chip to change the phase of one of the beams, so that the beam scans and points to the angle corresponding to the satellite.

[0084] The specific method for changing the direction of the main lobe of the antenna beam is as follows: first determine the phase difference of each array element. Taking the rightmost antenna unit as the reference, the antenna units on the left lag behind the units on the right by an angle △φ, and so on. This is equivalent to the deflection of the main lobe array surface, and the main lobe of the radiation pattern is also deflected. Through formula calculation and dynamic adjustment, the main lobe is exactly pointed at the satellite.

[0085] For a satellite, if its ephemeris, that is, the precise position or trajectory table of the satellite's movement over time, is known, the position of the satellite in space can be known. The four-beam active phased array antenna can accurately locate its own position through Beidou or other navigation systems, and the relative position and angle between the user and the satellite can be calculated. The phase shifter inside the four-beam active phased array antenna can be controlled to make the antenna beam accurately point to the satellite, thereby achieving good satellite communication.

[0086] The radio frequency chip layer 5 is connected to the frequency conversion module and the baseband signal processor.

[0087] like Fig.10 As shown, after the antenna receives the signals from four satellites, it amplifies the signals through the RF chip and outputs four beam signals. Each beam signal is then mixed with the local oscillator and down-converted to a baseband signal to become four baseband signals. After being demodulated by the baseband signal processor, they become four useful signals.

[0088] The specific operation process of the antenna of the present invention is as follows: Taking simultaneous communication with four satellites as an example, the four satellites transmit signals to the terminal, which are transmitted to the array of the four-beam active phased array antenna. Since each beam has a phase shifter, each beam of the four-beam active phased array antenna can accurately point to the satellite, greatly improving the overall channel quality. Figure 2As shown, the antenna receives the satellite signal and transmits it to the RF chip layer 5 through the corresponding electromagnetic interconnection structure. The RF chip layer 5 has many RF chips. The RF signal is processed by the RF chip, such as low-noise amplification, phase shifting, attenuation, etc., to output 4 useful beam signals. The beam signal is transmitted to the beam layer 2 through the beam electromagnetic interconnection structure. The beam signals of different chips are synthesized together through the beam synthesis network. The beam 1 signals of different chips are combined to form 1 RF signal for output through the beam synthesis network. The beam 2 signals of different chips are combined to form 1 RF signal for output through the beam synthesis network. By analogy, because the present invention has four layers of beam networks, 4 RF signals can be formed in the end. These 4 RF signals have high isolation and are independent of each other. Each beam contains a useful signal of a satellite. The output 4 RF signals are mixed with the local oscillator signals in the frequency conversion modules 1 / 2 / 3 / 4, and down-converted into 4 baseband signals. The 4 baseband signals are demodulated using a baseband signal processor, and the demodulated useful 4 signals are transmitted to the end user.

[0089] The specific implementation scheme of the present invention inside the radio frequency chip is as follows Figure 7 As shown: the antenna receives satellite signals and transmits them to the corresponding channel of the RF chip. The weak satellite signals are amplified by the LNA module inside the chip. The amplified signals are divided into four beams. Each beam is controlled by a phase shifter to achieve the angle pointing to the satellite and an attenuator to adjust the amplitude, that is, the control signal size. A single channel contains a total of four phase shifters and four attenuators. The same beams of multiple channels are combined through the beam network inside the chip to synthesize a beam signal, which is output through the four beam ports of the chip.

[0090] In this embodiment, the four-beam active phased array antenna can flexibly switch the number of beams to be used according to the usage scenario. In high-speed scenarios, such as watching high-definition videos or downloading large amounts of data, the four beams work simultaneously and can communicate at a very high rate, which is suitable for scenarios with high-speed and strong performance requirements. In medium-rate scenarios, such as watching standard-definition videos and video conferencing, you can choose to have 2 or 3 beams work simultaneously. When the communication environment is good and the signal strength is high, you can directly turn off 2 beams to reduce terminal power consumption and increase battery life. Beam layer 2 has 4 independent beams that can work simultaneously. Adjacent beams are separated by a layer of floor. Low-loss propagation of RF signals can be achieved inside beam layer 2, and RF signals between different channels have high isolation. The electromagnetic interconnection structure can transmit RF signals vertically between different layers with low loss, and different electromagnetic interconnection structures have good isolation. The circuit part of the four-beam active phased array antenna is realized by PCB technology. The antenna system as a whole has undergone complete electromagnetic compatibility design, high-speed digital circuit design, RF circuit and chip design, antenna design and other designs. The overall system design is complete and has high reliability.

[0091] The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited by the above embodiments. The above embodiments and descriptions are only preferred examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, the present invention may have various changes and improvements, which fall within the scope of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the attached claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A multi-beam phased array antenna, characterized in that: Including antenna layer, beam layer, control network layer, power network layer, and RF chip layer; The beam layer includes a plurality of beam synthesis network layers; The radio frequency chip layer is connected to the beam layer and the antenna layer through an electromagnetic interconnection structure; The multi-beam phased array antenna outputs a plurality of independent beams, the number of the independent beams being less than or equal to the number of the beam synthesis network layers, and the opening or closing and the direction of any of the independent beams being controlled according to the communication rate requirement, signal strength and usage scenario; The multi-beam phased array antenna enhances the signal strength and the communication rate by controlling a plurality of the independent beams to point to the same satellite.

2. The multi-beam phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multi-beam phased array antenna outputs at least three independent beams.

3. The multi-beam phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna layer, the beam layer, the control network layer, the power network layer, and the radio frequency chip layer are manufactured through a multi-layer PCB or LTCC process.

4. The multi-beam phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electromagnetic interconnection structure is a quasi-coaxial structure, including an inner core and an outer core, wherein the inner core is composed of a metal through hole for transmitting signals, and the outer core is composed of a plurality of metal through holes surrounding the inner core for shielding interference from other signals.

5. The multi-beam phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: Any two adjacent beamforming network layers are separated by a floor.

6. The multi-beam phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control network layer includes a clock network, a data network, and a control network.

7. The multi-beam phased array antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that: The RF chip layer includes a plurality of RF chips for receiving N independent beams, the RF chip is provided with N beam ports, the RF chip is provided with a plurality of channels, any of the channels is provided with a low noise amplifier, N phase shifters for adjusting the phase of the independent beams and N attenuators, one of the low noise amplifiers in any of the channels is connected to the N phase shifters, one attenuator is connected after any of the phase shifters, and a plurality of attenuators for processing the same independent beam are connected to the corresponding beam ports; The N beam ports on the radio frequency chip are connected in a one-to-one correspondence with the N beam synthesis network layers via an electromagnetic interconnection structure.

8. The multi-beam phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna layer includes a receiving antenna array, and the receiving antenna array includes a plurality of antenna units.

9. The multi-beam phased array antenna according to claim 8, characterized in that: The phase difference between any two adjacent antenna units is △φ; The main lobe pointing of the independent beams of the multi-beam phased array antenna is adjusted by the following formula: Wherein, λ is the wavelength of the independent beam, θ0 is the main lobe pointing direction, and d is the distance between any two adjacent antenna units.

10. The multi-beam phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The radio frequency chip layer is connected to the frequency conversion module and the baseband signal processor.

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