Hybrid beam scanning antenna device

Abstract

The invention provides an antenna device for hybrid beam scanning. The antenna device comprises at least one antenna module, a plurality of groups of active radio frequency modules and a rotating part, the antenna module can at least carry out electronic scanning in the one-dimensional direction, each active radio frequency module can enable the antenna module to generate radiation wave beams, and the rotating part can drive the antenna module to rotate or revolve so as to supplement or expand the scanning capacity of the antenna module in the other-dimensional direction. Therefore, the antenna device has the capabilities of electronic scanning, mechanical scanning and the like so as to meet the requirements of tracking different satellites, and the antenna device has a good scanning range when the overall structural design is simplified.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to an antenna device, and more particularly to an antenna device that has both electronic scanning and mechanical scanning capabilities, and can perform one-dimensional beam tracking by electronic scanning and another-dimensional beam tracking by mechanical scanning, so as to adapt to the needs of tracking different satellites. Background Art

[0002] When the Earth is stationary, satellites orbit in circular or elliptical orbits that are nearly coplanar, satisfying the laws of mechanics, i.e., the balance of centripetal and centrifugal forces. This orbital plane is symmetrical to the Earth's equatorial plane, and can rotate from the South Pole to the North Pole, counterclockwise or clockwise. There are multiple satellites in each orbit, rotating in a front-to-back order, and in the best case, they are equally spaced over the 360-degree angle change in the orbit.

[0003] For a ground antenna system, in order to maintain a communication connection with a selected satellite, its pointing beam needs to be able to move quickly from one satellite to another and continuously track its movement. This tracking action is critical to ensure a continuous communication connection. The current antenna tracking method is to use a motor-driven pan-tilt for rotation, such as a dish antenna. The pan-tilt has at least two motor-driven rotation axes, which track the movement of satellites on the same orbital plane. Although the above method has the advantages of low cost, simple structure, fewer heat dissipation problems and mature technology, its mechanical scanning speed is slow and may cause communication interruption. It also requires a lot of space and high cost. At the same time, the mechanical scanning direction is limited and the beam cannot return quickly. For Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, which have been in high demand recently, it is obviously insufficient.

[0004] Compared to the aforementioned technology that simply uses mechanical actuation for tracking, active array antenna technology provides a fast beam tracking solution. This array antenna uses a large number of antenna units, and a set of RF modules are integrated at the back end of each antenna unit. Since the active array antenna uses electronic beam forming, its beam pointing speed is extremely fast, reaching the millisecond level, which is suitable for tracking LEO satellites. However, the disadvantages of the aforementioned technology include complex circuits, high costs, the need for multi-layer substrates, complex system control, and high process complexity. Therefore, how to effectively solve the aforementioned problems to provide an excellent antenna structure is an important topic of this application. Summary of the invention

[0005] Since the current antenna devices using electronic scanning and the antenna devices using mechanical scanning each have their own advantages and disadvantages, in order to stand out in the fiercely competitive market, the inventor has relied on his rich practical experience in professional antenna design for many years and has adhered to the spirit of continuous improvement in research. After a long period of hard research and experiments, he finally developed a hybrid beam scanning antenna device of the present application. It is hoped that the advent of this application will provide users with a better user experience.

[0006] The purpose of the present application is to provide an antenna device for hybrid beam scanning, which includes at least one antenna module, multiple groups of active radio frequency modules and a rotating part. The antenna module can perform electronic scanning in at least one dimension, and includes multiple groups of antenna unit groups, each antenna unit group is arranged along a first direction, and each group of antenna unit groups includes at least one antenna unit, and each antenna unit of the same group is arranged along a second direction. Each active radio frequency module is electrically connected to each antenna unit group, and can generate and transmit an active radio frequency signal to each corresponding antenna unit group, so that each antenna unit group can generate a radiation beam according to each active radio frequency signal, and each antenna unit group can receive an external radio frequency signal and transmit the external radio frequency signal to each corresponding active radio frequency module. One end of the rotating part is directly or indirectly connected to the antenna module, and the antenna module is rotated or revolved with one end of the rotating part as the axis to supplement or expand the scanning capability of the antenna module in another dimension. In this way, the antenna device itself has both electronic scanning and mechanical scanning capabilities, so as to meet the needs of tracking different satellites, and can also have a good scanning range while simplifying the overall structural design.

[0007] Optionally, the rotating part enables the antenna module to rotate alternately in a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction.

[0008] Optionally, the antenna device also includes a posture adjustment unit, one end of which is directly or indirectly connected to the antenna module, and causes the antenna module to tilt with one end of the posture adjustment unit as the axis to expand the scanning capability of the antenna module in one-dimensional direction, and the other end of the posture adjustment unit is directly or indirectly connected to the rotating unit.

[0009] Optionally, the antenna device further comprises at least one lateral lens module and at least one ground communication antenna module. The lateral lens module is located between the antenna module and the rotating part. The ground communication antenna module is located on the side of each corresponding lateral lens module, and can generate a radio frequency signal to each corresponding lateral lens module, and form a lateral radiation beam through each lateral lens module.

[0010] Optionally, a metal layer is provided on a surface of the lateral lens module opposite to the antenna module, or between each of the plurality of stacked lateral lens modules.

[0011] Optionally, the ground communication antenna module is applied to WiFi or 5G communication protocols.

[0012] Optionally, the ground communication antenna module adopts a horn antenna or a microstrip antenna.

[0013] Optionally, the antenna device further includes a multi-faceted carrier and a pivoting portion. The multi-faceted carrier has a plurality of structural planes, each of which is positioned relative to a central axis so that each structural plane is distributed around the central axis, and each structural plane can be used to assemble each antenna module. One end of the pivoting portion is disposed on one side of the multi-faceted carrier, and the multi-faceted carrier can be rotated with one end of the pivoting portion as the axis, and the other end of the pivoting portion is directly or indirectly connected to one end of the rotating portion, wherein one end of the pivoting portion extends in a first direction, and one end of the rotating portion extends in another direction, and the other direction is substantially orthogonal to the first direction, so that the overall rotation direction of the antenna module driven by the rotating portion is different from the rotation direction of the multi-faceted carrier.

[0014] Optionally, the antenna device also includes multiple transmission multiplexers and multiple reception multiplexers, wherein each antenna unit group in different structural planes is electrically connected to the same transmission multiplexer, the transmission multiplexer is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules, and each antenna unit group in the same structural plane is not electrically connected to the same transmission multiplexer; each antenna unit group in different structural planes is electrically connected to the same reception multiplexer, the aforementioned reception multiplexer is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules, and each antenna unit group in the same structural plane is not electrically connected to the same reception multiplexer.

[0015] Optionally, the multi-faceted carrier has three structural planes to form a trihedral structure, which has a triangular appearance when viewed from the side.

[0016] Optionally, the angle between any two adjacent structural planes of the multi-faceted carrier is 60 degrees.

[0017] Optionally, the antenna device also includes multiple focusing lens modules, wherein each focusing lens module is located on the outside of the multi-faceted carrier frame and corresponds to each antenna module on each structural plane, and each focusing lens module is used to focus the radiation beam generated by each antenna module.

[0018] Optionally, when the same group of antenna units has multiple antenna units, each antenna unit of the same group of antenna units is also electrically connected to the same focus switch for transmission, and the aforementioned focus switch for transmission is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules; each antenna unit of the same group of antenna units is also electrically connected to the same focus switch for reception, and the aforementioned focus switch for reception is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules.

[0019] Optionally, the active RF module includes a transmitted beamforming chip (Transmitted Beamforming Integrated Circuit, referred to as Transmitted BFIC), a power amplifier (Power Amplifier), a low-noise amplifier (Low-noise Amplifier) ​​and a received beamforming chip (Received BFIC). The transmitted beamforming chip is used to generate an active RF signal. The power amplifier is electrically connected to the transmitted beamforming chip to receive the active RF signal transmitted by the transmitted beamforming chip, and can amplify the active RF signal, and then directly or indirectly transmit the amplified active RF signal to each antenna unit group. The low noise amplifier directly or indirectly receives the external RF signal transmitted from each antenna unit group, and can amplify the external RF signal. The receiving beamforming chip is electrically connected to the low noise amplifier to receive the amplified external RF signal.

[0020] Optionally, when the same antenna unit group has multiple antenna units, the antenna device further includes a power divider and a power combiner. The power divider is electrically connected to the power amplifier and each antenna unit of the same antenna unit group to distribute the amplified active RF signal to each antenna unit. The power combiner is electrically connected to the low noise amplifier and each antenna unit of the same antenna unit group to combine the external RF signal transmitted from each antenna unit.

[0021] Optionally, the antenna module is divided into a first satellite zone and a second satellite zone, wherein the power amplifier electrically connected to each antenna unit group in the first satellite zone can amplify a power level greater than the power amplifier electrically connected to each antenna unit group in the second satellite zone.

[0022] Another object of the present application is to provide a hybrid beam scanning antenna device, the antenna device comprising a multi-faceted carrier, a plurality of antenna modules, a plurality of active radio frequency modules, a pivoting portion and a rotating portion. The multi-faceted carrier has a plurality of structural planes, each of which is positioned relative to a central axis so that each structural plane is distributed around the central axis. Each antenna module is respectively arranged on each structural plane and exposed to the outside, and can perform electronic scanning in at least one dimension. Each active radio frequency module is respectively electrically connected to each antenna module, and can respectively generate and transmit an active radio frequency signal to each corresponding antenna module, so that each antenna module can respectively form a radiation beam according to each active radio frequency signal, and each antenna module can respectively receive an external radio frequency signal and transmit each external radio frequency signal to each corresponding active radio frequency module. One end of the pivoting portion is arranged on one side of the multi-faceted carrier, and extends in the first direction, and can allow the multi-faceted carrier to rotate with one end of the pivoting portion as the axis. One end of the rotating part is directly or indirectly connected to the other end of the pivoting part, and enables the multi-faceted carrier to rotate or revolve around the axis of the rotating part to supplement or expand the scanning capability of the antenna module in another dimension. One end of the rotating part extends in another direction, which is substantially orthogonal to the first direction, so that the overall rotation direction of the antenna module driven by the rotating part is different from the rotation direction of the multi-faceted carrier.

[0023] Optionally, the antenna module includes multiple groups of antenna unit groups, each antenna unit group is arranged along a first direction and is electrically connected to a corresponding active RF module, each group of antenna unit groups includes at least one antenna unit, and each antenna unit in the same group is arranged along a second direction.

[0024] Optionally, the antenna device also includes multiple transmission multiplexers and multiple reception multiplexers, wherein each antenna unit group in different structural planes is also electrically connected to the same transmission multiplexer, the aforementioned transmission multiplexer is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules, and each antenna unit group in the same structural plane will not be electrically connected to the same transmission multiplexer; each antenna unit group in different structural planes is also electrically connected to the same reception multiplexer, the aforementioned reception multiplexer is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules, and each antenna unit group in the same structural plane will not be electrically connected to the same reception multiplexer.

[0025] Optionally, the multi-faceted carrier has three structural planes to form a trihedral structure, which has a triangular appearance when viewed from the side.

[0026] Optionally, the angle between any two adjacent structural planes of the multi-faceted carrier is 60 degrees.

[0027] Optionally, the antenna device also includes a plurality of focusing lens modules, wherein each focusing lens module is located on the outside of the multi-faceted carrier frame and corresponds to each antenna module on each structural plane, and each focusing lens module is used to focus the radiation beam generated by each antenna module.

[0028] Optionally, the antenna module includes multiple groups of antenna unit groups, each antenna unit group is arranged along a first direction and is electrically connected to a corresponding active RF module, each group of antenna unit groups includes multiple antenna units, each antenna unit in the same group is arranged along a second direction, and each antenna unit in the same group of antenna unit groups is also electrically connected to the same focus switch for transmission, which is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules; each antenna unit in the same group of antenna unit groups is also electrically connected to the same focus switch for reception, which is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules.

[0029] Optionally, the active RF module includes a transmission beamforming chip, a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier and a reception beamforming chip. The transmission beamforming chip is used to generate an active RF signal. The power amplifier is electrically connected to the transmission beamforming chip to receive the active RF signal transmitted by the transmission beamforming chip, and can amplify the active RF signal, and then directly or indirectly transmit the amplified active RF signal to each antenna unit group. The low noise amplifier directly or indirectly receives the external RF signal transmitted by each antenna unit group, and can amplify the external RF signal. The reception beamforming chip is electrically connected to the low noise amplifier to receive the amplified external RF signal.

[0030] Optionally, when the same antenna unit group has multiple antenna units, the antenna device further includes a power divider and a power synthesizer. The power divider is electrically connected to the power amplifier and each antenna unit of the same antenna unit group to distribute the amplified active RF signal to each antenna unit. The power synthesizer is electrically connected to the low noise amplifier and each antenna unit of the same antenna unit group to combine the external RF signal transmitted from each antenna unit.

[0031] In order to further explain the purpose, technical features and effects of the present application, a specific implementation method is now described in detail with the accompanying drawings. However, the accompanying drawings are only for reference and description and are not intended to limit the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0033] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the antenna device of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 2 A schematic side view of an antenna device according to a first embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the configuration of antenna units of the antenna module of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 4 It is a circuit block diagram of the antenna module and the active radio frequency module of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the operation of the antenna device of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of an antenna module according to a first variation of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an antenna device according to a second variation of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the stacking of the lateral lens modules of the present application;

[0041] Fig. 9 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an antenna device according to a second embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Fig.10 A schematic side view of an antenna device according to a second embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of the operation of the antenna device according to the second embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the circuit architecture of the active radio frequency module of the second embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of the operation of the antenna device for tracking a satellite according to the second embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of beam deviation of an antenna device according to a second embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Fig.15 A schematic side view of an antenna device according to a third embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Fig.16 A schematic diagram of beam deviation of an antenna device according to a third embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Fig.17 A schematic diagram of the configuration of antenna units of an antenna module according to a third embodiment of the present application; and

[0050] Fig.18 It is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of the antenna module and the active radio frequency module according to the third embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the implementation methods of the "hybrid beam scanning antenna device" disclosed in the present application are further described in detail below in combination with specific implementation methods and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art can understand the advantages and effects of the present application from the contents disclosed in this specification. The present application can be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified and changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the concept of the present application. In addition, it is stated in advance that the drawings of the present application are only simple schematic illustrations and are not depicted according to actual dimensions. Although this article can provide demonstrations of parameters containing specific values, it should be understood that the parameters do not need to be exactly equal to the corresponding values, but can be approximated to the corresponding values ​​within an acceptable error tolerance or design constraint. In addition, unless the context clearly indicates or defines otherwise, the meaning of "one", "the" and "said" in this application includes the plural.

[0052] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various components or signals, each of the components or signals should not be limited by the aforementioned terms, which are mainly used to distinguish one component from another component or one signal from another signal. Furthermore, the directional terms mentioned in the subsequent embodiments, such as "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", etc., are only referenced to the directions of the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are used to illustrate and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this application. In addition, the term "or" used herein may include any one or more combinations of the associated listed items depending on the actual situation.

[0053] Furthermore, the terms "substantially" or "approximately" as used in this document may refer to a numerical value or an average value of multiple numerical values ​​within a deviation range for a specific value that can be recognized or determined by those skilled in the art, including certain specific errors that may arise when measuring the specific value due to limitations of the measurement system or equipment. For example, the numerical value referred to substantially may include ±5%, ±3%, ±1%, ±0.5%, ±0.1% or one or more standard deviation ranges of the specific value.

[0054] The present application is a hybrid beam scanning antenna device. For ease of explanation, the spatial form of the present application is defined based on three mutually orthogonal axes, namely the horizontal axis (X axis), the longitudinal axis (Y axis) and the vertical axis (Z axis). The antenna device of the present application has both electronic scanning (electronic tracking) and mechanical scanning (mechanical tracking) capabilities to achieve a mechanism for tracking satellites (such as low-orbit satellites). For example, the antenna device can use electronic scanning in one dimension (such as the polar angle direction (theta, θ)) for rapid tracking and beam regression, and use mechanical scanning in another dimension (such as the azimuth direction (phi, φ)) for slower tracking, thereby smoothly connecting to the satellite for communication.

[0055] In the first embodiment, see Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the antenna device A1 includes an antenna module 1, multiple groups of active radio frequency modules 2 and a rotating part 3, wherein the antenna module 1 has the ability of electronic scanning and is in the form of an array antenna, but is not limited to this. In other embodiments of the present application, the antenna module 1 can adopt other antenna forms, not limited to the array antenna form, as long as it is sufficient to achieve electronic scanning. In addition, when the array antenna adopts a one-dimensional layout, it can perform electronic scanning in the polar angle direction; when the array antenna adopts a two-dimensional layout, it can perform electronic scanning in the polar angle direction and the azimuth direction; since the minimum requirement for electronic scanning (single dimension) only requires a one-dimensional array antenna to achieve, the antenna module 1 can use multiple high-gain antenna objects to construct a one-dimensional array antenna to perform single-dimensional beam scanning.

[0056] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the antenna module 1 includes multiple groups (e.g., M groups) of antenna unit groups 11, which can transmit radio frequency signals outward and receive external radio frequency signals from the outside, wherein each antenna unit group 11 is substantially along a first direction (e.g., Figure 1 The antenna units 11 are arranged in the X-axis direction, and each antenna unit group 11 includes a plurality of (eg, N) antenna units 111, and the plurality of antenna units 111 are substantially arranged along the second direction (eg, Figure 1The antenna units 11 are arranged in the Y-axis direction. However, in some embodiments, a group of antenna units 11 can also be provided with only a single antenna unit 111 (i.e., N=1). Furthermore, each group of antenna units 11 can be electrically connected to an active RF module 2, so as to receive an active RF signal transmitted from the active RF module 2 and form a corresponding radiation beam, or the antenna unit group 11 can transmit the received external RF signal to the corresponding active RF module 2.

[0057] It is particularly worth mentioning that since the active RF module 2 is mainly based on a beamforming integrated circuit (BFIC), which is an integrated circuit used for beamforming to control the phase and amplitude of each antenna component in the array antenna form to form a beam pattern in a specific direction, Figure 3 The antenna unit group 11 is presented as being electrically connected to a beamforming chip (including a transmission beamforming chip 21 and a reception beamforming chip 27), with some electronic components omitted. However, according to the actual needs of the product (such as the need for full-duplex operation, cost or space considerations, etc.), the same beamforming chip can be used for both transmission and reception purposes without the need to use a beamforming chip specifically designed for transmission or reception purposes. In other words, in other embodiments of the present application, the antenna unit group 11 can be connected to only a single beamforming chip without the need to simultaneously connect the transmission beamforming chip 21 and the reception beamforming chip 27.

[0058] Also, see Figures 1 to 4 As shown, when each antenna unit group 11 has multiple antenna units 111, it can have a power divider 13 and a power combiner 15 to evenly distribute active RF signals to each antenna unit 111, or to combine external RF signals received by each antenna unit 111. In this first embodiment, each antenna unit group 11 can perform passive power distribution through the power divider 13 to form a radiation beam focused on a specific direction (such as the broadside), wherein the radiation beam will present a wide beam shape in a first direction (the arrangement direction of the multiple antenna unit groups 11) and a narrow beam shape in a second direction (the arrangement direction of the multiple antenna units 111), that is, the radiation beam is fan-shaped to improve the antenna gain.

[0059] Please refer to the above Figures 1 to 3As shown, since each group of antenna unit groups 11 is respectively matched with an active RF module 2, each group of antenna unit groups 11 can be respectively regarded as a single antenna component (or array component, sub-array, etc.), and its performance is equivalent to a high-gain antenna object. In other words, although the antenna module 1 physically arranges multiple antenna units 111 in a two-dimensional manner, it can be functionally regarded as a one-dimensional layout (that is, multiple high-gain antenna objects are arranged in a one-dimensional manner), so that it can perform electronic scanning in the polar angle direction. In addition, when multiple antenna unit groups 11 are arranged on the top surface of the circuit board P and face directly upward (such as Figure 2 When the scanning angle is in the Z-axis direction, the scanning angle range of the polar angle direction is about ±50 to 60 degrees (with the Z-axis as 0 degree), but it is not limited to this. As the number of antenna units 111 increases, the scanning angle of the antenna module 1 can be expanded to ±75 degrees.

[0060] In this first embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the antenna units 111 in the same antenna unit group 11 can be divided into transmission antenna units 111A or reception antenna units 111B according to whether they are electrically connected to the transmission beamforming chip 21 or the reception beamforming chip 27, and each transmission antenna unit 111A and each reception antenna unit 111B are arranged at intervals, but not limited to this. In other embodiments of the present application, the same antenna unit group 11 can be entirely composed of transmission antenna units 111A or reception antenna units 111B; or, part of the area of ​​the same antenna unit group 11 can be arranged with transmission antenna units 111A, and another part of the area can be arranged with reception antenna units 111B; or, the same antenna unit 111 can have both transmission and reception purposes, that is, the same antenna unit 111 can be used as the transmission antenna unit 111A and the reception antenna unit 111B.

[0061] In this way, through the design of the antenna module 1 and the active RF module 2 of the present application, multiple antenna unit groups 11 can form a narrower narrow beam, which helps to improve the gain of the antenna module 1, and then enhance the strength of the received / transmitted RF signal to meet the coverage requirements in the polar angle direction. In addition, although the antenna device A1 of the present application can achieve the scanning capability in the azimuth direction by mechanical means (the rotating part 3 mentioned in the subsequent description), in some implementation scenarios and requirements, such as mechanical equipment failure, the need to quickly switch satellites or reduce mechanical movement, the antenna module 1 of the present application can also provide additional (or temporary) electronic scanning capability in the azimuth direction (for example, additionally with a phase controller or other components and software, etc.) to improve the flexibility of use. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the antenna device A1 can also be provided with a posture adjustment unit 16, one end of which can be directly or indirectly connected to the antenna module 1, and the antenna module 1 is tilted with one end of the posture adjustment unit 16 as the axis to expand the scanning capability of the antenna module 1 in one-dimensional direction (such as polar angle direction).

[0062] The following is an explanation of the architecture of the active RF module 2, but it is not limited to this. According to actual product requirements, the electronic components and even the connection relationship included in the active RF module 2 can be adjusted and changed, as long as the active RF module 2 can enable the antenna module 1 to generate the required radiation beam. Figures 1 to 4 As shown, in the first embodiment, the active RF module 2 includes a transmitted beamforming chip (Transmitted BFIC) 21, a power amplifier (Power Amplifier) ​​23, a low-noise amplifier (Low-noise Amplifier) ​​25 and a received beamforming chip (Received BFIC) 27, wherein the transmitted beamforming chip 21 can generate an active RF signal, and its main function is to control and adjust the phase and amplitude of each antenna unit group 11, so that the antenna module 1 can eventually form a radiation beam in a specified direction. In some embodiments, each group of active RF modules 2 has an independent transmitted beamforming chip 21; or, in some embodiments, multiple active RF modules 2 can share the same transmitted beamforming chip 21, but the aforementioned transmitted beamforming chip 21 can still provide corresponding active RF signals to different antenna unit groups 11.

[0063] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4As shown, the power amplifier 23 can be electrically connected to the transmission beamforming chip 21 to receive the active RF signal from the transmission beamforming chip 21 and amplify the power of the active RF signal. In addition, the power amplifier 23 can directly or indirectly transmit the amplified active RF signal to the antenna unit group 11. For example, the power amplifier 23 can transmit the amplified active RF signal to the power divider 13, so that the power divider 13 forms the amplified active RF signal into a plurality of split active RF signals, and then transmits them to each antenna unit 111 in the same antenna unit group 11, especially corresponding to the transmission antenna unit 111A, so that the antenna unit group 11 can form a predetermined radiation beam.

[0064] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the low noise amplifier 25 can be electrically connected to the antenna unit group 11 to directly or indirectly receive the external RF signal transmitted by the antenna unit group 11. For example, when the antenna unit group 11 receives the external RF signal, the antenna unit 111 therein (especially corresponding to the receiving antenna unit 111B) will respectively transmit the external RF signal to the power synthesizer 15, so that the power synthesizer 15 combines each external RF signal into a combined external RF signal. After that, the power synthesizer 15 transmits the combined external RF signal to the corresponding low noise amplifier 25, so that the low noise amplifier 25 can amplify the combined external RF signal to a sufficient power level without significantly increasing the noise of the external RF signal. The receiving beamforming chip 27 can be electrically connected to the low noise amplifier 25, and can receive the amplified external RF signal and perform related processing procedures, such as demodulating the external RF signal, optimizing the signal or transmitting it to other circuits for processing, etc. Similarly, each group of active RF modules 2 can each have an independent receiving beamforming chip 27, or multiple active RF modules 2 can share the same receiving beamforming chip 27.

[0065] Therefore, please refer to Figures 1 to 4 As shown, although the antenna device A1 uses M*N antenna units 111, since the same group of antenna units 111 share the same power amplifier 23 and low noise amplifier 25, the number of all power amplifiers 23 and low noise amplifiers 25 used by the antenna device A1 is M respectively. Compared with the existing active array antenna design method (which requires the use of M*N power amplifiers 23 and low noise amplifiers 25 respectively), the cost of the antenna device A1 of the present application is reduced by approximately N times, and the control signal transmission time of the electronic components is also reduced to approximately 1 / N, which greatly reduces the electronic scanning delay and can also reduce the heat generated by the antenna device A1 during operation, which helps to reduce the difficulty of designing the heat dissipation structure.

[0066] Also, please refer to Figure 1 to Figure 2 As shown, one end of the rotating part 3 is directly or indirectly connected to the antenna module 1, and can drive the antenna module 1 to rotate. For example, the rotating part 3 can be connected to the circuit board P of the antenna module 1 (equivalent to direct connection), or the rotating part 3 can be connected to the substrate provided with the active radio frequency module 2, or connected to the other end of the posture adjustment part 16 (equivalent to indirect connection), and drive the antenna module 1 to rotate. In addition, when the extension axis of the aforementioned axis (extending toward the Z axis) passes through the antenna module 1 itself, the antenna module 1 will rotate about the axis; or, when the extension axis of the aforementioned axis does not pass through the antenna module 1, the antenna module 1 can revolve around the axis; in other words, the antenna module 1 will rotate as a whole with the vertical axis (Z axis) as the axis to supplement or expand the scanning capability of the antenna module 1 in the azimuth direction.

[0067] In the first embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 to Figure 2 As shown, the rotating part 3 includes a support body 31 and a motor device 33, wherein the top end of the support body 31 can be directly or indirectly fixed to the antenna module 1, and the bottom end of the support body 31 can be directly or indirectly connected to the motor device 33, so as to be driven by the motor device 33 to rotate 360 ​​degrees along the XY plane. In some embodiments, the motor device 33 is disposed in a seat 35, and the bottom end of the support body 31 can pass through the seat 35 and be directly connected to the drive shaft of the motor device 33; or, in some embodiments, the bottom end of the support body 31 is fixed to the seat 35, and the motor device 33 can drive the seat 35 to rotate as a whole or in part, thereby driving the support body 31 to operate. Therefore, as long as the rotating part 3 is sufficient to drive the antenna module 1 to rotate as a whole (including rotation or revolution), it is the rotating part 3 referred to in this application.

[0068] The following is an explanation of how the antenna device A1 is used to track satellites. Figures 1 to 5 As shown, Figure 5 The invention discloses a method for tracking satellites S1 and S2 on orbits C1 and C2, wherein the antenna module 1 can rotate and switch beams to track satellites S1 and S2 on orbits C1 and C2. The antenna module 1 uses an electronic scanning method for beam scanning in the polar direction, and a mechanical scanning method for beam scanning in the azimuth direction, that is, the rotating part 3 can drive the antenna module 1 to rotate to perform azimuth beam scanning, wherein the angle at which the antenna module 1 is rotated by the rotating part 3 can be any angle and any direction, and is not limited to Figure 5The presented 90 degrees can also be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise in the same direction, or rotated alternately clockwise and counterclockwise according to actual needs, so as to track and search for satellites.

[0069] Please refer to the above Figures 1 to 5 As shown, a scanning surface (such as Figure 5 ), and it has linked to the satellite S1 of orbit C1 when it is in the first position. Afterwards, when the antenna module 1 rotates from the first position to the second position, the scanning plane will also rotate accordingly (counterclockwise). Moreover, based on the rotation axis of the antenna module 1, the scanning plane can be divided into two left / right half planes. During the aforementioned rotation process, the left half plane of the scanning plane will turn to the left (i.e., from the thick black line plane position to the thin black line plane position), and the right half plane of the scanning plane will turn to the right to continuously track the satellite S1 (to Figure 5 As for the right position of the thin black line plane, it is more to the right than the right position of the thick black line plane). Since the satellite S2 of orbit C2 will move from left to right, the satellite S2 will contact the left half plane of the scanning surface. At this time, the antenna device A1 can switch the direction of the beam originally used to track the satellite S1 to the satellite S2 of orbit C2, and can change the rotation direction of the scanning surface (clockwise) to track the satellite S2 online.

[0070] Also, please refer to Figures 1 to 5 As shown, when the beam of the antenna module 1 locks the satellite S2, and the left half plane of its scanning surface moves with the satellite S2, the right half plane of the scanning surface will rotate in the opposite direction to the left half plane, so that the right half plane of the scanning surface intersects with the orbit C1. In this way, the right half plane of the scanning surface can be used to find another satellite (different from the satellite S1) on the orbit C1, or other satellites on the same side of the orbit C1 (compared to the left and right sides divided by the rotation axis of the antenna module 1). In other words, through the mechanical rotation of the antenna module 1, the scanning surface can be rotated alternately clockwise or counterclockwise, thereby realizing the tracking of the satellite and the simultaneous search for the next satellite to be linked.

[0071] In summary, the antenna device A1 can adopt the form of a circular polarization or dual-polarization antenna, wherein the dual-polarization antenna can simultaneously receive two different polarization signals (such as horizontal polarization and vertical polarization), and the antenna device A1 has the ability to physically rotate, for example, the rotating part 3 drives the antenna module 1 to rotate in azimuth, and the direction of linear polarization will also change accordingly. When the antenna module 1 rotates, it can adjust its own polarization direction to match the polarization of the incident wave, and ensure that the received signal polarization matches the transmitting end through the back-end signal processing technology. In addition, the antenna device A1 can also perform cross-orbit satellite tracking and linking. Specifically, the first satellite being tracked and the second satellite to be linked can be located on different orbits. This is mainly due to the electronic scanning function of the antenna module 1, which can perform wide-angle rapid beam switching. Therefore, the aforementioned orbit does not have to be limited to adjacent orbits, but can span multiple orbits. In this way, the antenna device A1 has greater flexibility in selecting satellites and can improve the overall communication efficiency. For example, when the satellite communication link on the adjacent orbit is saturated, the antenna device A1 can choose to span a larger distance to connect to a satellite on a farther orbit. For scenarios with a small number of orbits and a large orbital spacing, especially for small operators, the antenna device A1 of the present application provides an optimized solution.

[0072] If the antenna device A1 needs to be applied to satellites in different orbits, for example, geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and low Earth Orbit (LEO), each satellite in each orbit has its own specific characteristics. Among them, GEO satellites are almost stationary relative to the antenna system on the ground. Therefore, the antenna system does not need to track the satellite. Its main requirements are high transmission effective isotropic radiated power (EIPR(TX)) and high receiving gain-to-noise temperature ratio (G / T(RX)). LEO satellites need to be tracked quickly due to their fast movement speed, but they require lower EIPR(TX) and G / T(RX). MEO satellites are between GEO satellites and LEO satellites. In short, as long as the EIPR(TX) and G / T(RX) of antenna device A1 can meet the requirements of GEO satellites, it can also meet the antenna characteristic requirements of LEO satellites and MEO satellites. As long as the beam tracking capability of antenna device A1 can track LEO satellites, it can also meet the requirements of tracking MEO satellites and GEO satellites.

[0073] In the first variant of the first embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the antenna module 1 can be divided into a first satellite area E1 and a second satellite area E2, wherein the arrangement of the antenna module 1 can be the same as or similar to the architecture of the first embodiment, that is, a plurality of rows of antenna unit groups 11 are provided along the first direction, and each antenna unit group 11 has a plurality of antenna units 111, but the number of antenna units 111 included in each antenna unit group 11 can be different from each other. In addition, the active radio frequency module 2 connected to some antenna unit groups 11 adopts a high-power power amplifier 23, and the aforementioned part of the antenna unit groups 11 can constitute the first satellite zone E1 and can operate in the frequency bands such as Ku, Ka and / or S-band; the active radio frequency module 2 connected to another part of the antenna unit groups 11 adopts a lower-power power amplifier 23 (compared to the power level that can be amplified by the aforementioned high-power power amplifier 23), and the aforementioned another part of the antenna unit groups 11 constitutes the second satellite zone E2 and can operate in the frequency bands such as Ku and / or S-band; when the antenna device A1 is connected to the LEO satellite, the first satellite zone E1 can be turned off (that is, the relevant components of the first satellite zone E1 are not used), and only the relevant components of the second satellite zone E2 are used, and the antenna device A1 will track the LEO satellite by hybrid electronic scanning and mechanical scanning as described in the first embodiment. At this time, since the relevant components of the first satellite zone E1 are not used, there is no need to worry about the heat dissipation problem of the high-power power amplifier 23, and the overall energy consumption of the antenna device A1 can be reduced. Furthermore, when the antenna device A1 is connected to a GEO satellite, it can use the first satellite zone E1 and the second satellite zone E2 simultaneously to maintain power consumption efficiency. Moreover, since only the first satellite zone E1 uses the high-power power amplifier 23, its deployment area is smaller, making it easier to solve the heat dissipation problem.

[0074] In addition, in order to make the antenna device A1 applicable to not only the satellite communication system but also the terrestrial communication system (for example, WIFI or 5G), in the second variant of the first embodiment, see Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the antenna device A1 includes, in addition to the structure of the first deformation form, at least one lateral lens module 17 and at least one ground communication antenna module 18, wherein the lateral lens module 17 is located between the antenna module 1 and the rotating portion 3. In some embodiments, the lateral lens module 17 can be made of a plastic material with a dielectric constant of about 2 (but not limited thereto); Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, a plurality of lateral lens modules 17 can be stacked up and down. When the rotating part 3 drives the antenna module 1 to rotate, the lateral lens module 17 and the ground communication antenna module 18 are also driven to rotate synchronously.

[0075] Please refer to the above Figures 6 to 8 As shown, the ground communication antenna module 18 is located on the side of the lateral lens module 17. In other words, the ground communication antenna module 18 and the lateral lens module 17 are substantially arranged along the XY plane. The ground communication antenna module 18 is mainly designed for ground communication protocols (such as WIFI, 5G, etc.), and is not suitable for satellite communication. The ground communication antenna module 18 can generate a radio frequency signal toward the lateral lens module 17 and form a lateral radiation beam through the lateral lens module 17. In this way, the antenna module 1 of the antenna device A1 can track the satellite for satellite communication and can also perform ground communication. In some embodiments, the ground communication antenna module 18 can be a vertically polarized active antenna, and it can adopt a horn antenna or a microstrip antenna. In addition, a metal layer 171 can be provided between the lateral lens module 17 and the antenna module 1, or a plurality of stacked lateral lens modules 17 can also be provided with a metal layer 171 between each other, so as to avoid interference between the ground communication antenna module 18 and the antenna module 1 or other ground communication antenna modules 18.

[0076] Furthermore, since the antenna device A1 of the first embodiment adjusts its posture to be in the same direction as the orbital orientation or polarization direction (especially linear polarization) by horizontal (XY plane) rotation, in order to avoid the problems of poor mechanical stability and vibration caused by frequent clockwise and counterclockwise changes in the rotation direction of the vertical scanning plane, in the second embodiment of the present application, multiple antenna modules are used to rotate in a single direction to solve the above problems. Please refer to Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown, in the second embodiment of the present application, the antenna device A2 includes an antenna module 1, multiple groups of active RF modules 2, a rotating part 3, a multi-faceted carrier frame 4 and a pivoting part 5, wherein the functions and structures of the antenna module 1, the active RF module 2 and the rotating part 3 are similar to those of the first embodiment, so the subsequent description uses the component numbering of the first embodiment without additional elaboration, and only describes the parts that are different from the first embodiment.

[0077] Please refer to the above Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown, the multi-faceted carrier 4 has a plurality of structural planes 41, each of which is positioned relative to a central axis, so that each of the structural planes 41 is distributed around the central axis, wherein the central axis can substantially extend along a first direction (e.g., X-axis). Specifically, the multi-faceted carrier 4 has three structural planes 41 to form a trihedral structure, which can be viewed from the side (e.g., Fig.10As shown in the figure, the trihedron structure presents a triangular appearance, and the angle between any two adjacent structural planes is 60 degrees. However, in other embodiments of the present application, the angle between any two adjacent structural planes of the multi-faceted carrier 4 can be any angle, or the multi-faceted carrier 4 can have other numbers of structural planes 41. In addition, each structural plane 41 can be used to assemble each antenna module 1, and each antenna module 1 is exposed, and each antenna module 1 can generate a radiation beam pointing to a direction with good characteristics (such as: the front (broadside)). It is particularly mentioned here that, according to the actual needs of the product, the antenna device A2 is not limited to the antenna module 1 form (array antenna) of the first embodiment, but can be an antenna module of other forms (such as: a columnar structure antenna form, etc.); or the surface of the antenna module 1 can be substantially a plane or a curved surface, etc.; or the antenna forms arranged on each structural plane 41 can be different, therefore, as long as the antenna modules 1 can each generate a radiation beam and can perform electronic scanning.

[0078] Also, please refer to Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown, one end of the pivot portion 5 is arranged on one side of the multi-faceted carrier 4, and can make the multi-faceted carrier 4 rotate with one end of the pivot portion 5 as the axis, wherein one end of the pivot portion 5 extends toward the first direction (X-axis or Y-axis), so that each antenna module 1 rolls in the vertical plane (XZ plane or YZ plane), and the electronic scanning capability of the antenna module 1 can adjust the direction of the radiation beam to correct the azimuth spacing difference of the satellite's orbit, and then can approach or align with the actual position of the satellite, so that the antenna device A2 has a hybrid beam scanning mechanism such as electronic scanning and mechanical scanning.

[0079] Please refer to the above Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown, when the multi-faceted carrier 4 has W structural planes 41, the beam tracking angle θ range of each antenna module 1 is defined as "360 / W" degrees, for example, Fig.10 There are three structural planes 41, so each beam tracking angle θ is 120 degrees. Therefore, when the first beam completes tracking a satellite and scans "360 / W" degrees from one direction to another direction, the second beam will start from this direction and continue to scan in another direction to track the next satellite. In particular, when "360 / W" degrees is less than 180 degrees, the second beam has an additional angle range to monitor the upcoming area in advance and ensure smooth connection with the next satellite.

[0080] For more details, please refer to Fig. 9 and Fig.10As shown, the multi-faceted carrier frame 4 of the antenna device A2 has three structural planes 41, and each structural plane 41 is provided with an antenna module 1. The structure of the antenna module 1 can be the same as or similar to the first embodiment (such as Figure 3 As shown), the antenna module 1 can be composed of M antenna unit groups 11, wherein M≧1, and each antenna unit group 11 can be regarded as an array unit, and all are in the form of passive antennas. In some embodiments, as the satellite deployment density increases and the orbital spacing decreases, the angle of electronic scanning will also decrease relatively. Therefore, each antenna unit group 11 can be composed of N antenna units 111 (N≧1) according to actual needs. In other words, a plurality of the antenna unit groups 11 are constructed in an array in the horizontal plane (XY plane) to meet the working principle of the array antenna, and each antenna unit group 11 can be electrically connected to an active RF module 2 (such as: BFIC) (for example, connected by a coaxial line), thereby equivalently forming a group of one-dimensional active array antennas. In this way, by utilizing the phase change of the active RF module 2, the antenna module 1 will be able to perform electronic scanning in the horizontal plane (azimuth direction) to track the satellite. Furthermore, the antenna module 1 can receive the active RF signal transmitted from the active RF module 2 to generate a radiation beam (a fan-shaped radiation waveform), and perform mechanical scanning in a vertical plane (polar angle direction) through the design of the pivoting portion 5 .

[0081] Also, please refer to Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown, the other end of the pivoting portion 5 is directly or indirectly connected to one end of the rotating portion 3, so that the pivoting portion 5 can rotate (rotate or revolve) with one end of the rotating portion 3 as the axis, thereby causing the multi-faceted carrier 4 to rotate (rotate or revolve) as a whole, so as to assist the antenna module 1 in changing the radiation beam direction in accordance with the satellite orbit. Specifically, the multi-faceted carrier 4 will rotate as a whole with the vertical axis (Z axis) as the axis, so that each antenna module 1 rotates around the vertical axis (Z axis). It is particularly mentioned here that since each antenna module 1 rolls toward the vertical plane (XZ plane or YZ plane), the antenna module 1 can form various forms such as rotation or revolve around the vertical axis (Z axis) at different time points as the position of the antenna module 1 is different. Since the antenna module 1 has two rotation directions, one is rotating around the X axis or Y axis, and the other is rotating around the Z axis, the antenna module 1 in the antenna device A2 has two independent rotation directions to form a dual-axis rotation.

[0082] As above, please refer to Fig. 9 and Fig.11As shown, since the satellite is flying and rotating around the center of the earth, while the antenna device A2 is located on the surface of the earth and its rotation center is itself, although both rotate at the same speed, since the rotation centers of the satellite and the antenna device A2 are different, the relative speeds of the two are also different, that is, the flying speed of the satellite is a non-uniform motion for the antenna device A2 on the ground. Specifically, when the satellite is located directly above the antenna device A2, its moving speed relative to the antenna device A2 will be faster, and when the satellite is close to the horizon, the moving speed will be slower. Therefore, when the multi-faceted carrier 4 of the antenna device A2 rolls and rotates at a constant speed (based on the speed of the previous beam tracking the satellite), the rotation speed of the beam behind it (that is, the next beam) will be higher than the moving speed of the satellite. Regardless of whether the satellite behind is in the same orbit as the currently tracked satellite, it can still ensure that the antenna device A2 can track the satellite behind (that is, the next satellite). In addition, when the satellite behind is tracked, the antenna device A2 will perform a satellite connection handover and then start the next round of tracking. In addition, the rotating part 3 can also drive the multi-faceted carrier 4 to rotate, so as to adjust the horizontal posture and be consistent with the orbital direction of the satellite, so as to perform the aforementioned rolling tracking satellite method. In this way, the antenna device A2 can track and connect to different satellites more flexibly.

[0083] Furthermore, please refer to Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown, each antenna module 1 of the antenna device A2 can be a passive antenna, and the antenna device A2 can operate only with the antenna module 1 on a single structural plane 41 when in use, so the antenna unit groups 11 on different structural planes 41 can share the same active RF module 2. In addition, since each antenna unit group 11 in the same antenna module 1 requires an active RF module 2, the M active RF modules 2 can be arranged in an array and arranged on an independent single substrate (such as a circuit board), and each active RF module 2 can be respectively transmitted through a transmission multiplexer 43 (such as a transmission multiplexer 43). Fig.12 As shown), the antenna unit groups 11 on different structural planes 41 are electrically connected, and the same group of antenna unit groups 11 will not be connected to two different transmission multiplexers 43, so that the antenna unit group 11 to be used can be selected. Similarly, each active RF module 2 can also be respectively connected to a receiving multiplexer 44 (as shown). Fig.12As shown), the antenna unit groups 11 on different structural planes 41 are electrically connected, and the same group of antenna unit groups 11 will not be connected to two different receiving multiplexers 44, so as to receive the external RF signal transmitted from the antenna unit group 11 in use. In this way, by sharing the active RF module 2, the number of active RF modules 2 can be greatly reduced to reduce the overall cost of the antenna device A2. In addition, since the relevant components for controlling the antenna module 1 (such as: microprocessor controller, digital control line, etc.) can be set on a substrate with multiple active RF modules 2, the complexity of the circuit design is greatly reduced.

[0084] The following is a description of the connection relationship between the antenna module 1, the active RF module 2, the transmission multiplexer 43 and the reception multiplexer 44 of the second embodiment. The general structure of the active RF module 2 can be the same as that of the first embodiment, so the relevant component numbers can be referred to in Figure 4 See Fig. 9 and Fig.12 As shown, the active RF module 2 can also be provided with a frequency up-conversion module 211 and a frequency down-conversion module 271, wherein the frequency up-conversion module 211 can be integrated into the transmission beamforming chip 21, or can be a separate circuit architecture, which can up-convert an intermediate frequency (IF) signal into an RF signal; the frequency down-conversion module 271 can be integrated into the reception beamforming chip 27, or can be a separate circuit architecture, which can down-convert an RF signal into an intermediate frequency signal.

[0085] Please refer to the above Figure 4 , Fig. 9 and Fig.12As shown, the input end of the transmission multiplexer 43 can be electrically connected to the power amplifier 23 of the active RF module 2, and the multiple output ends of the transmission multiplexer 43 can be electrically connected to the antenna unit groups 11 of different structural planes 41, and in some embodiments, the output end of the transmission multiplexer 43 can be electrically connected to the power distributor 13 of the antenna unit group 11; the multiple input ends of the receiving multiplexer 44 can be electrically connected to the antenna unit groups 11 of different structural planes 41, and in some embodiments, the output end of the receiving multiplexer 44 can be electrically connected to the power synthesizer 15 of the antenna unit group 11, and the output end of the transmission multiplexer 43 can be electrically connected to the low noise amplifier 25 of the active RF module 2. In this way, the active RF module 2 can receive an intermediate frequency input signal IFin, and up-convert the intermediate frequency signal into an RF signal through the up-conversion module 211 for processing by the transmission beamforming chip 21. Afterwards, the active RF signal generated by the transmission beamforming chip 21 after being processed by its internal phase shifter (PS) can be transmitted to the antenna unit group 11 of one of the structural planes 41 through the power amplifier 23 and the transmission multiplexer 43 in sequence; and after the antenna unit group 11 of one of the structural planes 41 receives an external RF signal, it can be transmitted to the receiving beamforming chip 27 for processing through the receiving multiplexer 44 and the low noise amplifier 25 in sequence, and after the RF signal is down-converted into an intermediate frequency signal through the down-conversion module 271, the active RF module 2 outputs an intermediate frequency output signal IFout. However, in other embodiments of the present application, the antenna device A2 can also omit the up-conversion module 211 and the down-conversion module 271 and directly process the radio frequency signal.

[0086] Please refer to Fig. 9 and Fig.12As shown, in the second embodiment, all transmission multiplexers 43 and / or reception multiplexers 44 can be controlled by the same control unit 40 so that the actions of each of the transmission multiplexers 43 and / or reception multiplexers 44 are consistent. In this way, through the switching action of the transmission multiplexers 43 and / or reception multiplexers 44, multiple antenna modules 1 can share multiple active RF modules 2 to significantly reduce the number of active RF modules 2, and only a single transmission multiplexer 43 is used for switching between antenna unit groups 11 in different structural planes 41, which can also make the beam change time extremely short to maintain good satellite tracking efficiency. However, the present application is not limited to the form of the aforementioned second embodiment. In some embodiments, each transmission multiplexer 43 and / or reception multiplexer 44 can each be provided with an independent control unit 40; or, in some embodiments, each antenna module 1 does not share the active RF module 2, and the transmission multiplexer 43 and the reception multiplexer 44 are not set, but each is provided with multiple active RF modules 2.

[0087] The following is a detailed description of the method of tracking satellites by the antenna device A2. Fig. 9 and Fig.14 As shown, for the sake of clarity, the three antenna modules 1 of the antenna device A2 are named as the first antenna module 1, the second antenna module 1 and the third antenna module 1, and the focused beams generated by them are named as the first beam V1, the second beam V2 and the third beam, respectively. Moreover, at the first time T1, the satellites S3 and S4 are at different first positions L1 and Q1, respectively. At the second time T2, the satellites S3 and S4 can move from left to right to their respective second positions L2 and Q2. The tracking steps of the antenna device A2 include:

[0088] (P11) The first beam V1 of the first antenna module 1 will track the satellite S3 online.

[0089] During the first time T1 to the second time T2, the pivoting portion 5 drives the multi-faceted carrier 4 to rotate, so that the first beam V1 moves from the corresponding first position L1 to the second position L2, ensuring that the communication with the satellite S3 is not interrupted;

[0090] (P12) In addition, the second beam V2 of the second planar antenna module 1 will track the direction of the satellite S4, and during the first time T1 to the second time T2, the second beam V2 can move from the corresponding first position Q1 to the second position Q2. Since the moving speed of the satellite S4 is lower than the beam scanning speed, the second beam V2 can successfully catch up with the satellite S4.

[0091] (P13) Timing of changing tracking satellites:

[0092] (P131) Since the satellites S3 and S4 are flying and rotating around the center of the earth, and the antenna module 1 is rotating around the axis of the multi-faceted carrier 4, the first beam V1 and the second beam V2 cannot exactly correspond to the two satellites S3 and S4, so that the first antenna module 1 and the second antenna module 1 cannot be synchronously linked to the satellites S3 and S4. Therefore, when the second beam V2 catches up with the satellite S4, it will start to link (connect) with the satellite S4 so as to communicate with the satellite S4, and the first antenna module 1 will start to let go (i.e., stop tracking the satellite S3);

[0093] (P132) When the second beam of the second antenna module 1 is connected to the satellite S4, the first antenna module 1 enters a rest state, and the third beam of the third antenna module 1 begins to search for the next satellite for connection. After that, the second antenna module 1 will track the satellite S4 online to the second position Q2. In the aforementioned process, the role of the second antenna module 1 is equivalent to the role of the first antenna module 1 in the steps (P11) to (P12), and the role of the third antenna module 1 is equivalent to the role of the second antenna module 1 in the steps (P11) to (P12).

[0094] (P14) When the first / second / third antenna module 1 deviates from the satellite orbit plane, it can perform beam shifting, such as Fig.14 As shown, along with the cross section of the mechanical rotation direction, the first beam V1 can be quickly turned to link and track the satellite S3. Specifically, a scanning surface can be formed above the first antenna module 1, and it can adjust the first beam V1 to the orbital plane of the satellite S3 by electronic scanning.

[0095] In summary, in the second embodiment, please refer to Fig. 9 and Fig.14 As shown, the electronic scanning of the antenna device A2 is mainly used to closely align the radiation beam with the orbit of the satellite to establish a connection, and the required scanning angle is relatively small. In addition, the antenna device A2 can be assisted by the rotating part 3 to adjust the horizontal posture in the azimuth direction, and can form a continuous beam rotation mode through the operation of the pivot part 5, and perform mechanical scanning in the polar angle direction. Because it is achieved by physically rotating the entire antenna module 1, rather than changing the phase of the antenna unit group 11, it will not affect the gain of the antenna. In this way, the antenna device A2 can avoid the gain loss (Scan loss) that may occur in traditional active array antennas during scanning, and reduce the electromagnetic coupling between the antenna unit groups 11 that may be caused by electronic scanning, thereby reducing interference and saturation problems.

[0096] Assuming that in the second embodiment, when the number of antenna units 111 in the antenna unit group 11 is reduced (e.g., N≤3), the antenna module 1 may not be able to focus effectively, so that the radiation beam generated by it forms a beam width that is too large in the second direction (the arrangement direction of the multiple antenna units 111), thereby causing problems such as gain reduction, energy loss, directional control difficulties and path interference. Therefore, in the third embodiment of the present application, a lens is added to solve the above problems. Please refer to Fig.15 As shown, the antenna device A3 includes at least one antenna module 1, multiple sets of active radio frequency modules 2, a rotating portion 3, a multi-faceted carrier 4, a pivoting portion 5 and a plurality of focusing lens modules 6, wherein the structure of the antenna module 1, the active radio frequency module 2, the rotating portion 3, the multi-faceted carrier 4 and the pivoting portion 5 is similar to the first / second embodiment (see Figure 3 , Figure 4 ), therefore, the subsequent description uses the component numbering of the first / second embodiment and no additional elaboration is given, and only the parts that are different from the first / second embodiment are described.

[0097] Please refer to Fig.15 As shown, each focusing lens module 6 can be located outside the multi-faceted carrier 4 and respectively correspond to an antenna module 1 on a structural plane 41. Therefore, multiple focusing lens modules 6 can be arranged around the multi-faceted carrier 4. In addition, the radiation beam generated by the antenna module 1 can be focused through the focusing lens module 6 to generate a focused beam pointing in a direction with good characteristics (such as: directly in front), and the focused beam has a high gain and is fan-shaped (i.e., a wide beam in the first direction and a narrow beam in the second direction). In the third embodiment, since the multi-faceted carrier 4 is a trihedron, the antenna device A3 is provided with three focusing lens modules 6, and the multiple focusing lens modules 6 can be connected to each other to form a radome to cover the multi-faceted carrier 4 and related components thereon, thereby protecting the antenna module 1 from the external environment. In addition, since the antenna module 1 must maintain the electronic scanning function, the focusing lens module 6 can be a columnar structure, and its cross-sectional appearance can be circular or other optimized appearance, as long as the focusing lens module 6 can enable the antenna module 1 to focus the radiation beam emitted by the antenna module 1 while maintaining the electronic scanning function of the antenna module 1.

[0098] Also, see Figure 15 to Figure 16As shown, when the multi-faceted carrier 4 drives the multiple antenna modules 1 to rotate, the focused beams generated by the multiple antenna modules 1 will also roll accordingly. Taking the multi-faceted carrier 4 as a trihedral structure as an example, the relative positions of the three antenna modules 1 maintain a fixed difference angle (e.g., 120 degrees). Since the distribution of satellites in orbit is discrete and has a fixed difference angle (e.g., 5.5 degrees), when the antenna module 1 tracks the satellite, its focused beam may not completely correspond to the position of the satellite, resulting in poor transmission and reception effects. In order to solve the aforementioned problem, in the third embodiment, the antenna unit group 11 of the antenna device A3 can adopt a multi-feed method, please refer to Figure 17 to Figure 18 As shown, the antenna device A3 is provided with M transmission focus switches 71 and M reception focus switches 73, wherein the antenna module 1 separately arranges the transmission antenna unit 111A and the reception antenna unit 111B, so that in the same group of antenna unit groups 11, there are only the transmission antenna unit 111A or the reception antenna unit 111B, but not limited to this. An input end of the transmission focus switch 71 can be electrically connected to an active RF module 2 (e.g., the power amplifier 23 of the active RF module 2), and multiple output ends of the transmission focus switch 71 can be electrically connected to multiple antenna units 111 of the same antenna unit group 11 (especially the transmission antenna unit 111A); multiple input ends of the reception focus switch 73 can be electrically connected to multiple antenna units 111 of the same antenna unit group 11 (especially the reception antenna unit 111B), and an output end of the reception focus switch 73 can be electrically connected to an active RF module 2 (e.g., the low noise amplifier 25 of the active RF module 2). In addition, in the above case, it is possible to omit Figure 4 The power divider 13 and the power combiner 15 are replaced by a transmission focus switch 71 and a reception focus switch 73, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0099] If so, please refer to Figures 15 to 18 As shown, through the function of the transmission focus switch 71 or the reception focus switch 73, the beam of the antenna module 1 can be focused at different positions in the focusing lens module 6, thereby achieving a beam offset effect (such as Fig.16The beam on the left side is shifted in position), so the antenna module 1 can perform electronic scanning at a small angle (such as less than 5 degrees, but not limited to this) to compensate for the error problem derived from the unstable floating of mechanical scanning. In some embodiments of the present application, multiple antenna units 111 of the same group of antenna unit groups 11 can also be connected to an independent active RF module 2 respectively, without providing a focus switch 71 for transmission and a focus switch 73 for reception, so as to be able to perform dynamic focusing and more precise beam shifting, and the aforementioned form also belongs to a multi-feed method. However, in other embodiments of the present application, the antenna module 1 can adopt the same connection method as the first / second embodiment, that is, all antenna units 111 of each group of antenna unit groups 11 are electrically connected to an active RF module 2 (without a focus switch 71 for transmission or a focus switch 73 for reception), and the aforementioned form belongs to a single feed method.

[0100] The above description is only a preferred feasible embodiment of the present application, and does not limit the protection scope of the claims of the present application. Therefore, any equivalent changes that can be thought of by a person skilled in the art without creative work based on the technical content disclosed in the present application should be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A hybrid beam scanning antenna device, characterized in that: The antenna device comprises: At least one antenna module capable of electronic scanning in at least one dimensional direction, the antenna module comprising a plurality of antenna unit groups, each of the antenna unit groups being arranged along a first direction, and each antenna unit group comprising at least one antenna unit, each of the antenna units in the same group being arranged along a second direction; A plurality of active RF modules, respectively electrically connected to each of the antenna unit groups, and capable of respectively generating and transmitting an active RF signal to each corresponding antenna unit group, so that each of the antenna unit groups can generate a radiation beam according to each of the active RF signals, and each of the antenna unit groups can receive an external RF signal and transmit the external RF signal to each corresponding active RF module; and A rotating part has one end directly or indirectly connected to the antenna module, and enables the antenna module to rotate or revolve around the one end of the rotating part as the axis, so as to supplement or expand the scanning capability of the antenna module in another dimensional direction.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that The rotating part enables the antenna module to rotate alternately in a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction.

3. The antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that The antenna device also includes a posture adjustment unit, one end of which is directly or indirectly connected to the antenna module, and causes the antenna module to tilt with one end of the posture adjustment unit as the axis to expand the scanning capability of the antenna module in one-dimensional direction, and the other end of the posture adjustment unit is directly or indirectly connected to the rotating unit.

4. The antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna device further comprises: At least one lateral lens module is located between the antenna module and the rotating part; and At least one ground communication antenna module is located on the side of each corresponding lateral lens module, and can generate radio frequency signals toward each corresponding lateral lens module, and form a lateral radiation beam through each lateral lens module.

5. The antenna device according to claim 4, characterized in that: A metal layer is respectively disposed on a surface of the lateral lens module opposite to the antenna module, or between each of the plurality of stacked lateral lens modules.

6. The antenna device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The ground communication antenna module is applied to WiFi or 5G communication protocols.

7. The antenna device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The ground communication antenna module adopts the type of horn antenna or microstrip antenna.

8. The antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that The antenna device further comprises: A multi-faceted carrier frame having a plurality of structural planes, each structural plane being positioned relative to a central axis, such that each of the structural planes is distributed around the central axis, and each of the structural planes can be used to assemble each of the antenna modules; and A pivot portion, one end of which is arranged on one side of the multi-faceted carrier, and can allow the multi-faceted carrier to rotate with the one end of the pivot portion as the axis, and the other end of the pivot portion is directly or indirectly connected to one end of the rotating portion, wherein one end of the pivot portion extends in a first direction, and one end of the rotating portion extends in another direction, and the other direction is substantially orthogonal to the first direction, so that the overall rotation direction of the antenna module driven by the rotating portion is different from the rotation direction of the multi-faceted carrier.

9. The antenna device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The antenna device also includes multiple transmission multiplexers and multiple reception multiplexers, wherein each of the antenna unit groups in different structural planes is electrically connected to the same transmission multiplexer, the aforementioned transmission multiplexer is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules, and each of the antenna unit groups in the same structural plane will not be electrically connected to the same transmission multiplexer; each of the antenna unit groups in different structural planes is electrically connected to the same reception multiplexer, the aforementioned reception multiplexer is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules, and each of the antenna unit groups in the same structural plane will not be electrically connected to the same reception multiplexer.

10. The antenna device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The multi-faceted carrier has three structural planes to form a trihedral structure, and the trihedral structure has a triangular appearance when viewed from the side.

11. The antenna device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The angle between any two adjacent structural planes of the multi-faceted support frame is 60 degrees.

12. The antenna device according to claim 8, characterized in that The antenna device also includes a plurality of focusing lens modules, wherein each of the focusing lens modules is respectively located on the outside of the multi-faceted carrier and respectively corresponds to each of the antenna modules on each of the structural planes, and each of the focusing lens modules is used to focus the radiation beam generated by each of the antenna modules.

13. The antenna device according to claim 12, characterized in that: When the same group of antenna units has multiple antenna units, each of the antenna units in the same group of antenna units is also electrically connected to the same focus switch for transmission, and the aforementioned focus switch for transmission is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules; each of the antenna units in the same group of antenna units is also electrically connected to the same focus switch for reception, and the aforementioned focus switch for reception is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules.

14. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that: The active radio frequency module comprises: A transmission beamforming chip for generating an active radio frequency signal; a power amplifier, electrically connected to the transmission beamforming chip, to receive the active RF signal transmitted by the transmission beamforming chip, amplify the active RF signal, and then directly or indirectly transmit the amplified active RF signal to each of the antenna unit groups; a low noise amplifier, directly or indirectly receiving an external radio frequency signal transmitted from each of the antenna unit groups, and capable of amplifying the external radio frequency signal; and A receiving beamforming chip is electrically connected to the low noise amplifier to receive the amplified external RF signal.

15. The antenna device according to claim 14, characterized in that: In the case where the same antenna unit group has multiple antenna units, the antenna device further includes: a power distributor, electrically connected to the power amplifier and each of the antenna units in the same antenna unit group, so as to distribute the amplified active RF signal to each of the antenna units; and A power synthesizer is electrically connected to the low noise amplifier and each antenna unit of the same antenna unit group to combine the external radio frequency signal transmitted from each antenna unit.

16. The antenna device according to claim 14, characterized in that: The antenna module is divided into a first satellite area and a second satellite area, wherein the power amplifier electrically connected to each antenna unit group in the first satellite area can amplify a power level greater than the power amplifier electrically connected to each antenna unit group in the second satellite area.

17. A hybrid beam scanning antenna device, characterized in that: The antenna device comprises: A multi-faceted carrier frame having a plurality of structural planes, each structural plane being positioned relative to a central axis such that each of the structural planes is distributed around the central axis; A plurality of antenna modules are respectively arranged on each of the structural planes and exposed to the outside, and are capable of electronic scanning in at least one dimensional direction; A plurality of active RF modules are electrically connected to each of the antenna modules, and can generate and transmit an active RF signal to each corresponding antenna module, so that each antenna module can form a radiation beam according to each active RF signal, and each antenna module can receive an external RF signal and transmit each external RF signal to each corresponding active RF module; a pivoting portion, one end of which is disposed on one side of the multi-faceted carrier and extends in a first direction, and enables the multi-faceted carrier to rotate around one end of the pivoting portion as an axis; and A rotating portion, one end of which is directly or indirectly connected to the other end of the pivoting portion, and enables the multi-faceted carrier to rotate or revolve about the axis of the rotating portion to supplement or expand the scanning capability of the antenna module in another dimensional direction, wherein one end of the rotating portion extends in another direction, and the other direction is substantially orthogonal to the first direction, so that the overall rotation direction of the antenna module driven by the rotating portion is different from the rotation direction of the multi-faceted carrier.

18. The antenna device according to claim 17, characterized in that: The antenna module includes multiple groups of antenna unit groups, each of which is arranged along a first direction and is electrically connected to the corresponding active RF module. Each group of antenna unit groups includes at least one antenna unit, and each antenna unit in the same group is arranged along a second direction.

19. The antenna device according to claim 18, characterized in that The antenna device also includes multiple transmission multiplexers and multiple reception multiplexers, wherein each of the antenna unit groups in different structural planes is also electrically connected to the same transmission multiplexer, the aforementioned transmission multiplexer is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules, and each of the antenna unit groups in the same structural plane will not be electrically connected to the same transmission multiplexer; each of the antenna unit groups in different structural planes is also electrically connected to the same reception multiplexer, the aforementioned reception multiplexer is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules, and each of the antenna unit groups in the same structural plane will not be electrically connected to the same reception multiplexer.

20. The antenna device according to claim 17, characterized in that The multi-faceted carrier has three structural planes to form a trihedral structure, and the trihedral structure has a triangular appearance when viewed from the side.

21. The antenna device according to claim 20, characterized in that The angle between any two adjacent structural planes of the multi-faceted support frame is 60 degrees.

22. The antenna device according to claim 17, characterized in that The antenna device also includes a plurality of focusing lens modules, wherein each of the focusing lens modules is respectively located on the outside of the multi-faceted carrier and corresponds to each of the antenna modules on each of the structural planes, and each of the focusing lens modules is used to focus the radiation beam generated by each of the antenna modules.

23. The antenna device according to claim 22, characterized in that The antenna module includes multiple groups of antenna unit groups, each of which is arranged along a first direction and is electrically connected to the corresponding active RF modules respectively. Each group of antenna unit groups includes multiple antenna units. Each antenna unit in the same group is arranged along a second direction, and each antenna unit in the same group of antenna unit groups is also electrically connected to the same focus switch for transmission, which is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules; each antenna unit in the same group of antenna unit groups is also electrically connected to the same focus switch for reception, which is also electrically connected to one of the active RF modules.

24. The antenna device according to any one of claims 18, 19 or 23, characterized in that: The active radio frequency module comprises: A transmission beamforming chip for generating an active radio frequency signal; a power amplifier, electrically connected to the transmission beamforming chip, to receive the active RF signal transmitted by the transmission beamforming chip, amplify the active RF signal, and then directly or indirectly transmit the amplified active RF signal to each of the antenna unit groups; a low noise amplifier, directly or indirectly receiving an external radio frequency signal transmitted from each of the antenna unit groups, and capable of amplifying the external radio frequency signal; and A receiving beamforming chip is electrically connected to the low noise amplifier to receive the amplified external RF signal.

25. The antenna device according to claim 24, characterized in that In the case where the same antenna unit group has multiple antenna units, the antenna device further includes: a power distributor, electrically connected to the power amplifier and each of the antenna units in the same antenna unit group, so as to distribute the amplified active RF signal to each of the antenna units; and A power synthesizer is electrically connected to the low noise amplifier and each antenna unit of the same antenna unit group to combine the external radio frequency signal transmitted from each antenna unit.

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