Antenna device with swing mechanism

Abstract

The invention provides an antenna device with a swing mechanism. The antenna device comprises at least one antenna module, at least one active radio frequency module, at least one swing part and a rotating part, the antenna module can transmit at least one active radio frequency signal to the outside, and can receive at least one external radio frequency signal transmitted from the outside. The active radio frequency module can be electrically connected to the corresponding antenna module, and is used for adjusting the phase and the amplitude of the antenna module, so that the antenna module can generate a focusing wave beam for transmitting the active radio frequency signal, and the antenna module can generate a focusing wave beam mode for receiving an external radio frequency signal. The swing part can be connected to the corresponding antenna module, and enables the corresponding antenna module to swing in an arc line by taking a central fulcrum as a circle center, so as to supplement the scanning capability of the antenna module in a one-dimensional direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to an antenna device, and more particularly to an antenna device having a swing mechanism to drive an antenna module to swing in an arc to track a satellite orbit. 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 the ground antenna system, in order to maintain the communication connection with the selected satellite, its pointing beam needs to track the satellite's position at all times. When the satellite passes through the ground antenna system and is located in a position where the signal strength is insufficient or leaves the horizon and loses the line of sight straight link, the ground antenna system needs to be able to quickly move from a satellite that was originally connected but is about to lose connection to another satellite that can be connected, and continue to track its movement. This satellite staggered link and along-track tracking action is essential to ensure 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 rotating 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 can only track a single satellite. When the tracking satellite needs to be disconnected to reconnect to another satellite due to insufficient signal strength, the pointing direction of the ground antenna system needs to rely on the original pan-tilt motor mechanism to return to the direction where the other satellite appears and reconnect. This mechanical rotation azimuth return is very time-consuming and may cause communication interruption. It also requires a lot of space and is high in cost. At the same time, the mechanical scanning direction is limited and rapid beam return is impossible. This is obviously insufficient for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, which have seen a surge in demand recently.

[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 still have room for improvement in tracking satellites, 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 an antenna device with a swing mechanism in 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 with a swing mechanism, the antenna device comprising at least one antenna module, at least one active radio frequency module and at least one swinging part. The antenna module can transmit at least one active radio frequency signal to the outside world, and can receive at least one external radio frequency signal from the outside world. The active radio frequency module is electrically connected to the corresponding antenna module, and is used to adjust the phase and amplitude of the antenna module so that the antenna module can generate a focused beam for transmitting the active radio frequency signal, and the antenna module can generate a beam pattern for receiving the external radio frequency signal. The swinging part is connected to the corresponding antenna module, wherein the swinging part can make the corresponding antenna module swing in an arc with a central fulcrum as the center of the circle, so as to supplement the scanning capability of the antenna module in one-dimensional direction.

[0007] Optionally, the antenna device also includes a rotating part, which is connected to the swinging part to drive the swinging part to rotate, thereby causing the antenna module to rotate or revolve around a vertical axis to supplement the scanning capability of the antenna module in another dimension, wherein the extension line of the vertical axis and the extension line of the center fulcrum intersect with each other and are not parallel.

[0008] Optionally, the rotating part causes the antenna module to rotate in a single direction, clockwise or counterclockwise, or to rotate alternately in the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction.

[0009] Optionally, the central support point is located in front of the radiation surface of the antenna module.

[0010] Optionally, the central support point is located behind the radiation surface of the antenna module.

[0011] Optionally, the antenna device also includes at least one lens mechanism, a local area of ​​the lens mechanism will be passed through by the extension line of the center fulcrum, so that the antenna module can swing in a circular arc along the outer edge of the lens mechanism. The lens mechanism can receive the focused beam transmitted from the antenna module and generate a corresponding secondary beam, and then emit the secondary beam from the side relative to the antenna module.

[0012] Optionally, the lens mechanism is substantially cylindrical in appearance.

[0013] Optionally, the lens mechanism is formed by connecting a plurality of lens discs in series along an axial direction.

[0014] Optionally, the appearance of the lens mechanism is substantially semi-cylindrical, a cross section is provided on one side thereof, and the swing region of the antenna module is substantially located on the other side opposite to the cross section.

[0015] Optionally, the lens mechanism is substantially spherical in appearance.

[0016] Optionally, the antenna device includes two antenna modules and two swing parts, and each antenna module is driven by each corresponding swing part, and the swing directions are the same.

[0017] Optionally, the antenna device includes two antenna modules and two swing parts, and each antenna module is driven by each corresponding swing part, and the swing directions are opposite to each other.

[0018] Optionally, the swing angle of the antenna module is between 0 degrees and 90 degrees.

[0019] Optionally, the antenna device includes two antenna modules, each antenna module is arranged along an axial direction, and each antenna module swings in an arc along another axial direction.

[0020] Optionally, the antenna device includes two antenna modules, each antenna module is arranged along an axial direction, and each antenna module swings in an arc along the axial direction.

[0021] Optionally, the antenna module 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 antenna unit group is electrically connected to each active RF module respectively so that the phase and amplitude can be adjusted by each active RF module to generate each corresponding focused beam.

[0022] 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 enables each antenna unit group to generate a focused beam for transmitting an active RF signal. The power amplifier is electrically connected to the transmission beamforming chip to receive the active RF signal from the transmission beamforming chip, and can amplify the active RF signal before directly or indirectly transmitting the amplified active RF signal to each antenna unit group. The low noise amplifier directly or indirectly receives the external RF signal from each antenna unit group and can amplify the external RF signal. The reception beamforming chip enables each antenna unit group to form a beam pattern for receiving an external RF signal, and the reception beamforming chip can be electrically connected to the low noise amplifier to receive the amplified external RF signal.

[0023] In order to further explain the purpose, technical features and effects of the present application, a specific implementation method is given with the accompanying drawings and described in detail as follows. However, the drawings provided are only for reference and explanation and are not used to limit the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] 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.

[0025] Figure 1 is a side view schematic diagram of an antenna device according to a first embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the antenna device of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the antenna unit configuration of the antenna module of the present application;

[0028] Figure 4 A circuit block diagram of the antenna module and active radio frequency module of the present application;

[0029] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the swing of the antenna module of the first variant of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Fig. 6A A schematic diagram of the swing of the antenna module of the second variation of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 6B is a partial three-dimensional schematic diagram of an antenna module according to a second variation of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Fig. 7A It is a schematic diagram of the operation of the antenna device of the first embodiment of the present application in tracking a satellite;

[0033] Figure 7B It is another schematic diagram of the antenna device of the first embodiment of the present application in tracking a satellite;

[0034] Figure 8 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an antenna device according to a second embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Fig.9A is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an antenna device according to a third embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Fig. 9Bis a side view schematic diagram of an antenna device according to a third embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Fig. 10A is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an antenna device according to a fourth embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Fig. 10B is a side view schematic diagram of an antenna device according to a fourth embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the circuit architecture of an antenna module and an active radio frequency module according to a fourth embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Fig.12 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an antenna device according to a fifth embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Fig.13A is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an antenna device according to a sixth embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Fig. 13B This is a schematic diagram of a sixth embodiment of the present application in which the central support point is located in front of the antenna module;

[0043] Fig.14A is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an antenna device according to a first variant of the sixth embodiment of the present application; and

[0044] Fig. 14B This is a schematic diagram of a first variant of the sixth embodiment of the present application in which the central support point is located behind the antenna module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the following is a further detailed description of the implementation method of the "antenna device with a swing mechanism" disclosed in the present application in combination with the specific implementation method 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] The present application is an antenna device with a swing mechanism. For the convenience of explanation, the spatial form of the present application is defined according to three mutually orthogonal axes, namely, the horizontal axis (X axis), the vertical axis (Y axis) and the vertical axis (Z axis), and each axis does not specifically refer to a fixed direction. For example, the horizontal axis can be a left-right extending axis, a front-back extending axis or an up-and-down extending axis. Similarly, the longitudinal axis and the vertical axis are also the same. In some embodiments, the antenna device of the present application can have both electronic scanning (electronic tracking) and mechanical scanning (mechanical tracking) capabilities to achieve a mechanism for tracking satellites (such as: Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites). For example, the antenna device can use electronic scanning in one dimension (such as: polar angle direction (theta, θ)) for fast tracking and beam return, and use mechanical scanning in another dimension (such as: azimuth direction (phi, φ)) for slower tracking to connect to the satellite for communication; or, in some embodiments, the antenna device can achieve mechanical scanning (mechanical tracking) capabilities in polar angle direction and azimuth direction only through mechanical actuation.

[0049] In the first embodiment, see Figures 1 to 4As shown, the antenna device A1 includes two antenna modules 1, a plurality of active radio frequency modules 2, two swinging parts 3, a rotating part 4 and a lens mechanism 5, wherein the antenna module 1 has the capability of electronic scanning and is in the form of an array antenna. When the array antenna adopts a one-dimensional layout, it can perform electronic scanning in the polar angle direction (theta, θ); when the array antenna adopts a two-dimensional layout, it can perform electronic scanning in the polar angle direction and the azimuth direction ((phi, φ)); since the minimum requirement for electronic scanning (single dimension) only requires a one-dimensional array antenna, the antenna module 1 can use multiple high-gain antenna objects to construct a one-dimensional array antenna to perform single-dimensional beam scanning. However, this is not limited to this. According to the actual needs of the product, in other embodiments of the present application, the antenna module 1 can adopt other antenna forms, not limited to the array antenna form, and does not necessarily need to have electronic scanning capabilities, as long as it is sufficient to generate a focused beam in a predetermined direction.

[0050] See also Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the antenna module 1 includes a plurality of groups (e.g., M groups) of antenna unit groups 11, which can transmit active RF signals outward and receive external RF signals from the outside, wherein each antenna unit group 11 is substantially arranged along a first direction (e.g., a horizontal axis), and each group of antenna unit groups 11 includes a plurality (e.g., N) of antenna units 111, and the plurality of antenna units 111 are substantially arranged along a second direction (e.g., a vertical axis). In other words, the arrangement directions of the plurality of antenna unit groups 11 and the plurality of antenna units 111 are different. In addition, in some embodiments, a group of antenna unit groups 11 can also be provided with only a single antenna unit 111 (i.e., N=1). Furthermore, each group of antenna unit groups 11 can be electrically connected to an active RF module 2, respectively, so as to receive the active RF signal transmitted from the active RF module 2 and form a corresponding focused beam, or the antenna unit group 11 can transmit the received external RF signal to the corresponding active RF module 2.

[0051] It is particularly worth mentioning that 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. Therefore, Figure 3The antenna unit group 11 is presented in a form of being electrically connected to a beamforming chip (including a transmission beamforming chip 21 and a reception beamforming chip 27), while some electronic components are 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 specially 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.

[0052] Also, please refer to 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 the first embodiment, each antenna unit group 11 can perform passive power distribution through the power divider 13 to form a focused beam focused on a specific direction (such as the broadside), wherein the focused 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 focused beam is fan-shaped to improve the antenna gain.

[0053] Please refer to the above Figures 1 to 4 As 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 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 (equivalent to the radiation surface of the antenna module 1) and face directly upward (such as Figure 2 When the electronic scanning angle in the polar angle direction is in the Z-axis direction, the electronic scanning angle range in the polar angle direction is approximately ±50 to 60 degrees (with the Z-axis as 0 degrees), but 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.

[0054] In this first embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 4As 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.

[0055] If so, please refer to Figures 1 to 4 As shown, 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 through mechanical means (the rotating part 4 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 additionally (or temporarily) provide electronic scanning capability in the azimuth direction (for example, additionally with a phase controller or other components and software, etc.) to improve flexibility in use.

[0056] The architecture of the active RF module 2 is described here, but it is not limited to this. According to actual product requirements, the electronic components and even the connection relationship contained 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 focused beam (for transmitting active RF signals) and beam mode (for receiving external RF signals). Please refer to Figures 1 to 4As 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 main function of the transmitted beamforming chip 21 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 focused beam in a specified direction, and the transmitted beamforming chip 21 can receive an active RF signal from an RF signal source (for example, an RF signal formed by an up converter) and directly or indirectly transmit it to the corresponding antenna unit group 11. 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.

[0057] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 As 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. Furthermore, 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 focused beam.

[0058] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4As 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, so as to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. 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, for example, transmitting it to other circuits (such as a down converter) 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 1 to Figure 2 As shown, the swing portion 3 includes at least one swing rod 31 and a swing motor device 33 (such as a stepping motor, but not limited thereto), wherein one end of the swing rod 31 is connected to the antenna module 1, and the other end of the swing rod 31 is connected to the swing motor device 33, for example, Figure 2 In the form shown, a swing motor device 33 is respectively provided at the positions on the opposite sides of the lens mechanism 5. When each swing motor device 33 is in operation, it can drive the corresponding swing rod 31 to rotate, thereby causing the antenna module 1 to rotate synchronously. Specifically, the antenna module 1 can swing in an arc (such as) with the other end of the swing rod 31 (i.e., the central fulcrum C) as the center of the circle and the swing rod 31 as the rotation radius. Figure 5 As shown). In addition, with the actuation of the swing part 3, the beam of the antenna module 1 (including the focused beam for transmitting the active RF signal and the beam pattern for receiving the external RF signal) will form an angle β with the vertical axis (Z axis), and the angle β can include any angle of 0 degrees and above, so that the antenna module 1 can supplement or expand its scanning capability in one-dimensional direction (such as polar angle direction). It is particularly mentioned here that the figures of the present application are only for illustration. When two swing rods 31 share the same pivot rod, one of the swing motor devices 33 will still only drive one of the swing rods 31, and the other swing rod 31 will be in an idle form and can only be driven by the other swing motor device 33; or, the two swing rods 31 will not share the same pivot rod. At this time, the antenna device A1 will have two central fulcrums C, so that each antenna module 1 can swing with the corresponding central fulcrum C as the center of the circle, but the two central fulcrums C can still be regarded as the same central fulcrum C in a macro sense, and each antenna device A1 will swing with this as the center of the circle.

[0061] As above, please refer to Figure 5 As shown, in the first embodiment, the swing starting position of the plurality of antenna modules 1 is directly below the central fulcrum C (with Figure 5 In terms of direction), the swing angle of the aforementioned position is 0 degrees, and the angle β between the beam of the antenna module 1 and the vertical axis is also 0 degrees. Furthermore, one of the antenna modules 1 can swing to the left from the swing starting position, and swing up to 90 degrees (but not limited thereto), and the other antenna module 1 can swing to the right from the swing starting position, and swing up to 90 degrees (but not limited thereto), thereby changing the angle β between the beam of each antenna module 1 and the vertical axis, and tracking and searching for satellites. In the first variant of the first embodiment, the swing rods 31 of the plurality of antenna modules 1 have different lengths, so that the plurality of antenna modules 1 can be arranged in an overlapping manner up and down when they are in the same swing starting position (such as Figure 5 or, see Fig. 6A and Figure 6B In the second variation of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , when the plurality of antenna modules 1 are simultaneously moved to the swing start position, the plurality of antenna modules 1 can be arranged side by side (in a manner similar to FIG. 1 ). Fig. 6A direction), and the two can be close to each other (such as Fig. 6A as shown) or at a distance (as shown Figure 6B In some embodiments, when two of the multiple antenna modules 1 substantially have the same swing starting position, the swing directions of the multiple antenna modules 1 can be different; in some embodiments, when two of the multiple antenna modules 1 substantially have different swing starting positions, the swing directions of the multiple antenna modules 1 can be the same (but not limited thereto).

[0062] Also, please refer to Figure 1 to Figure 2As shown, the rotating part 4 is connected to the plurality of swing parts 3, and can drive the plurality of swing parts 3 to rotate as a whole, thereby causing the antenna module 1 located on the plurality of swing parts 3 to rotate accordingly, so as to supplement or expand the scanning capability of the antenna module 1 in the azimuth direction. In addition, the rotating part 4 can cause the antenna module 1 to rotate around an axial direction (e.g., a vertical axis) (e.g., a single direction of clockwise or counterclockwise rotation, or a staggered rotation of clockwise and counterclockwise directions), and the aforementioned axial direction is different from another axial direction (e.g., a horizontal axis) around which the swing part 3 drives the antenna module 1 to swing. In the first embodiment, the rotating part 4 includes a support body 41 and a rotating motor device 43, wherein the support body 41 is a platform type, and the plurality of swing parts 3 together with the antenna module 1 thereon can be located on the top surface of the support body 41, and the rotating motor device 43 is located at the bottom of the support body 41, and causes the support body 41 to rotate, so that the components located on the support body 41 (e.g., swing parts 3, antenna module 1, etc.) can rotate together. However, in other embodiments of the present application, the specific structure of the rotating portion 4 can be adjusted according to product requirements. As long as the rotating portion 4 is sufficient to drive the multiple antenna modules 1 to rotate as a whole, it is referred to as the rotating portion 4 in the present application.

[0063] Furthermore, please refer to Figures 1 to 6B As shown, the local area of ​​the lens mechanism 5 will be passed by the extension line E of the central support point C along the XY plane (as shown in FIG. Figure 6B As shown), each antenna module 1 swings along the outer arc line of the lens mechanism 5. Fig. 7A As shown, since the lens mechanism 5 is a focusing lens, it can form a focus relative to the antenna module 1, and can generate a corresponding secondary beam FW after receiving the focused beam transmitted by each antenna module 1 through focused radiation, and then emit the secondary beam FW from a side relative to each antenna module 1. In addition, in response to the smaller space at the focus position (i.e., the space between the antenna module 1 and the lens mechanism 5), the antenna module 1 can use a smaller number of antenna units 111 (e.g., 1 to 3), or even only construct a one-dimensional array antenna instead of a multi-dimensional array antenna. In this way, not only can the overall volume of the antenna module 1 be reduced, but also in the process of satellite tracking and handover of multiple antenna modules 1, it will not cause the two groups of antenna modules 1 to collide with each other when they meet.

[0064] The following is an explanation of how the antenna device A1 is used to track satellites. FIG. 7A to FIG. 7B As shown, it is assumed that the orbital direction of satellite S1 is from right to left (with Fig. 7AThe antenna module A1 is moved in the direction of the first position Q1, and moves from the first position Q1 to the second position Q2 and then to the third position Q3 with the time T1, T2 to T3. Moreover, the rotating part 4 can rotate the antenna device A1 to the orbital plane (phi section), and the swing starting positions of the two antenna modules 1 are both directly below the central fulcrum C. Figure 7B The antenna module 1 on the left side can reciprocate to the left from the swing starting position. Figure 7B The antenna module 1 on the right side can reciprocate from the swing starting position to the right. In other words, Figure 1 In terms of the direction, the plurality of antenna modules 1 will be opened from the middle to the left and right sides, or gathered from the left and right sides to the middle. Fig. 7A The antenna module 1 on the left side swings from the swing starting position to a specific angle to the left, and after linking with the satellite S1, it will start tracking the satellite S1, and the antenna module 1 on the right side can wait at the swing starting position. When the antenna module 1 on the left side gradually moves back to the swing starting position as the satellite S1 moves (from the first position Q1 to the second position Q2), the two antenna modules 1 are adjacent and their respective secondary beams FW overlap appropriately. At this time, since the satellite S1 is in the corresponding area of ​​the aforementioned secondary beam FW overlap, multiple antenna modules 1 can perform the satellite handover procedure. Afterwards, when the antenna module 1 on the right side starts tracking the satellite S1 and gradually swings to the right as the satellite S1 moves (from the second position Q2 to the second position Q3), the antenna module 1 on the left side will swing to the left to the specific angle to wait for the rise of another satellite. Therefore, it can be seen that the swinging part 3 drives the antenna module 1 to track the theta angle. In short, each antenna module 1 can swing away from each other or move closer to each other through the corresponding swinging portion 3, and when one antenna module 1 tracks a satellite, the other antenna module 1 can perform azimuth return to receive another satellite. In addition, in order to avoid mutual radiation blocking between the two antenna modules 1 when they are open (swing away from each other), in some embodiments, the maximum opening angle of the two antenna modules 1 can be set to between 45 degrees and 55 degrees, but not limited thereto.

[0065] In addition, according to the actual needs of the product, the type of the lens mechanism 5 can be varied. Since the lens mechanism 5 is for the purpose of focusing to generate high radiation gain, and considering that the antenna module 1 needs to rotate the cylindrical surface, in the first embodiment, Figure 2 As shown, the appearance of the lens mechanism 5 is substantially cylindrical, and the cylindrical symmetric shape can generate the same beam. However, since the plurality of antenna modules 1 are mainly in the lower half area of ​​the lens mechanism 5 (such as Figure 1Therefore, the upper half of the lens mechanism 5 can be designed and optimized in a variety of ways according to the actual needs of the product. It is particularly noted that in the subsequent embodiments, the components that are mainly changed from the first embodiment are described, and the remaining components that are substantially the same still use the original component symbols and are not described in detail. Figure 8 As shown in the second embodiment, the lens mechanism 5 used in the antenna device A2 is substantially semi-cylindrical in appearance, and one side (such as Figure 8 A cross section is provided on the upper side of the antenna module 1, and the swing area of ​​each antenna module 1 is substantially located on the other side (such as the upper side of the antenna module 1) facing away from the cross section. Figure 8 the lower area of ​​the

[0066] As mentioned above, the lens mechanism 5 can be a combination of solid or artificial materials with a metamaterial (or metamaterial) structure. In some embodiments, it can use the design principle of Luneburg lens to achieve two-dimensional structuring. For example, consider a cross-section of a cylinder. The dielectric constant distribution of its material has a change similar to that of Luneburg lens, that is, the dielectric constant at the center of the circle is 2, and gradually changes to 1 (equivalent to the dielectric constant of air) near the circumference. This dielectric constant changes uniformly along the radial direction from the center to the outside, as shown in the following formula, where ε r (r) is the dielectric constant, α is the maximum radius of the cylinder, r is the distance from the center of the cylinder to a specific location, and the value of r is between 0 and α:

[0067]

[0068] In some embodiments, the design principle of fisheye lens can be used to achieve two-dimensional structuring. For example, consider a cross-section of a cylinder. The dielectric constant distribution of its material has a change similar to that of a fisheye lens, that is, the dielectric constant at the center of the circle is 4, and gradually changes to 1 (equivalent to the dielectric constant of air) near the circumference. This dielectric constant changes uniformly along the radial direction from the center to the outside, as shown in the following formula, where ε r (r) is the dielectric constant, α is the maximum radius of the cylinder, r is the distance from the center of the cylinder to a specific position, The dielectric constant of the center point (r = 0):

[0069]

[0070] However, this is not a limitation. Any device that can produce an equivalent change in the dielectric constant of the two devices, and can produce the effect of translational amplification of the dielectric constant, belongs to the scope of the lens mechanism 5 of the present application. In addition, in the first / second embodiment, the lens mechanism 5 changes uniformly in the horizontal axis, but its horizontal axis length will be longer than the length of the antenna module 1 (i.e., the array antenna form), depending on the angle of its horizontal electronic scanning, and can be about twice as long.

[0071] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, please refer to FIG. 9A to FIG. 9B As shown, the lens mechanism 5 used in the antenna device A3 can be composed of a plurality of lens plates 51 connected in series along an axis (such as a horizontal axis) to form a cylindrical structure. The aforementioned structural method allows each lens plate 51 to be designed and manufactured separately and then assembled together according to needs, for example, Fig. 9B As shown, the multiple lens discs 51 on the left (such as the lens disc 51 in the left imaginary line frame) are used to transmit active radio frequency signals, and the multiple lens discs 51 on the right (such as the lens disc 51 in the right imaginary line frame) are used to receive external radio frequency signals (but not limited to this), and the antenna units 111 on each antenna module 1 can also be arranged accordingly according to the purpose of the lens disc 51. In this way, not only the weight and manufacturing cost of the lens mechanism 5 are reduced, but the manufacturing process (such as: die casting) is also relatively simple, and a single material can be used for equivalent molding without using multiple materials with different dielectric coefficients. In addition, the design of the lens disc 51 can effectively control and guide the propagation of electromagnetic waves, which is achieved by binding energy in the lens disc 51, which means that the electromagnetic waves propagate in a specific way inside the lens disc 51, thereby forming the desired radiation pattern. For example, the aforementioned binding effect can be achieved by using high dielectric materials. In addition, in order to reduce interference between different lens plates 51, each lens plate 51 is designed to be able to operate independently. For example, both sides of the lens plate 51 are coated with metallic paint to form a parallel-plate waveguide. In this way, complete isolation between the lens plates 51 can be achieved, and the interference between the multiple lens plates 51 is reduced, thereby improving the performance and efficiency of the entire antenna device A3.

[0072] In the fourth embodiment, see FIG. 10A to FIG. 10BAs shown, the lens mechanism 5 of the antenna device A4 can use a three-dimensional lens to transform the columnar structure into a spherical shape (such as a cypress lens) or a hemispherical shape (such as a fisheye lens), instead of using the columnar structure of the aforementioned embodiments. Therefore, it is not necessary to use a lens mechanism 5 with a longer length, and the physical volume and size of the lens mechanism 5 can be reduced. In addition, the spherical lens mechanism 5 can concentrate or focus electromagnetic waves in two dimensions (such as two different directions such as horizontal and vertical) to control the direction and shape of the beam, so there is no need to use a phase shifter of a beamforming integrated circuit (BFIC) to perform one-dimensional electronic scanning. When the antenna module 1 adopts circularly polarized radiation, the array antenna type used by the antenna module 1 can be an arc-shaped shape and layout, but it is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the antenna module 1 can also have only one set of antenna unit group 11, and the antenna unit group 11 can have only one antenna unit 111. Furthermore, the swinging part 3 corresponding to each antenna module 1 can use different motor devices to independently control the direction and rotation speed of each antenna module 1, so as to avoid the beam azimuth generated by each antenna module 1 being different from the satellite azimuth when it moves continuously.

[0073] Please refer to FIG. 10A to FIG. 10B As shown, in the first variant of the fourth embodiment, only a single antenna module 1 can be provided, wherein the antenna module 1 adopts an array antenna type and has an arc-shaped shape and layout, and at least one electronic switch 29 (such as Fig.11 As shown in the figure, with the switching action of the electronic switch 29, the currently active antenna unit group 11 can be changed, so that the beam of the antenna module 1 is focused at different positions in the lens mechanism 5, thereby achieving the beam offset effect, so as to track the moving position of the satellite. In addition, in the above-mentioned form, the swing part 3 and the rotating part 4 will be able to assist the antenna module 1 to better search and track the satellite. In the second variant of the fourth embodiment, it is possible not to have the rotating part 4, and the antenna device A1 can adopt the two antenna modules 1 and the two swing parts 3 of the fourth embodiment, as well as the array antenna type and the electronic switch 29 of the first variant of the fourth embodiment (as shown in the figure). Fig.11 For example, the beam direction of the antenna module 1 is changed by the electronic switch 29, and each antenna module 1 is able to adjust its position through the two swing parts 3 to track the satellite.

[0074] In the fifth embodiment, see Fig.12As shown, the antenna device A5 is provided with two lens mechanisms 5, which can be cylindrical, semi-cylindrical or spherical, etc. Each lens mechanism 5 has a swinging portion 3 and an antenna module 1, wherein a plurality of lens mechanisms 5 can be arranged along the horizontal axis direction (or the first direction), so that a plurality of antenna modules 1 are also arranged along the horizontal axis direction (or the first direction), and a plurality of antenna modules 1 can be driven to swing toward the longitudinal axis (or the second direction). In other words, the arrangement of the lens mechanisms 5 and the antenna modules 1 of the fifth embodiment is different from that of the previously mentioned embodiment, in which the two antenna modules are arranged along the longitudinal axis direction (or the second direction), and each antenna module also swings in an arc along the longitudinal axis direction (or the second direction). In addition, assuming that the plurality of antenna modules 1 have the same swing starting position, one of the antenna modules 1 can swing in an arc from the swing starting position toward one direction of the longitudinal axis, and the other antenna module 1 can swing in an arc from the swing starting position toward the other direction of the longitudinal axis. In short, in the fifth embodiment, the two antenna modules 1 in the first embodiment are separated from the same position to two positions. In this way, the antenna device A5 of the fifth embodiment can also achieve the aforementioned satellite tracking, and the two antenna modules 1 can switch hands to track the satellite and perform azimuth return. Moreover, because the multiple antenna modules 1 are essentially connected in parallel (that is, the two groups of antenna modules 1 are arranged adjacent to each other along the horizontal axis and share a rotation axis), there will be no swing collision problem, and the rotation angle can be expanded by more than double to generate more satellite tracking time.

[0075] As above, for example, please refer to Fig.12 As shown, when the antenna module 1 on the left rotates clockwise (when viewed from the side) to track a satellite, the antenna module 1 on the right can rotate counterclockwise to find the next satellite. Also, when the antenna module 1 on the right is connected to the next satellite, the antenna module 1 on the left is disconnected from the previous tracked satellite (at this time, the previous tracked satellite has moved to a position where it begins to go down the mountain and leave the horizon). In this way, the left and right antenna modules 1 alternately change their rotation direction to track the previous satellite and find the next satellite to be connected. In addition, in the aforementioned actuation relationship, only one antenna module 1 is required to track and connect to the satellite, and the other antenna module 1 is only searching for the satellite to be connected. Therefore, in some embodiments, the antenna device A5 can be provided with only one active RF module 2 (such as Figure 4As shown), and the active RF module 2 can be electrically connected to the two antenna modules 1 through a multiplexer. In other words, the corresponding antenna unit groups 11 in the two antenna modules 1 can share the same active RF module 2, and can control the on and off states of the multiplexer according to actual needs (such as tracking LEO satellites), so that the antenna module 1 currently used to track and link the satellite is electrically connected to the active RF module 2 to generate the required focused beam; the other antenna module 1 searching for the satellite to be linked will not be electrically connected to the active RF module 2. In addition, in other embodiments of the present application, when the antenna device A5 is used to track GEO satellites, the swing directions and positions of the multiple antenna modules 1 can be synchronized and can be electrically connected to the active RF module 2 at the same time, so that the multiple antenna modules 1 can work together to simulate a higher gain antenna architecture, and can track the same GEO satellite together. In the above case, the gain of the multiple antenna modules 1 can be increased to 3dB, and the effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) can be increased by 6dB.

[0076] It is particularly mentioned here that the combination of the antenna module 1 and the lens mechanism 5 of the aforementioned embodiment aims to achieve a high-gain antenna structure. Therefore, in some embodiments, each antenna module 1 and the lens mechanism 5 can also be replaced by a high-gain antenna. In other words, in the sixth embodiment, see FIG. 13A to FIG. 13B As shown, the antenna device A6 can omit the lens mechanism 5, wherein the two antenna modules 1 can be driven by the corresponding swinging parts 3 to rotate and swing, and the mechanism and method of the arc-shaped swing are substantially the same as the aforementioned embodiment with the lens mechanism 5. Therefore, one of the two antenna modules 1 can be used to track and connect to the satellite, and the other antenna module 1 can be used to search and wait for the satellite to be connected, and when multiple antenna modules 1 are adjacent, they can take over and exchange the current work. Alternatively, the two antenna modules 1 can cooperate to improve the antenna gain and jointly track the same satellite. Furthermore, in the sixth embodiment, the position of the center fulcrum C will be in front of the multiple antenna modules 1, that is, the center fulcrum C is facing the radiation surface of the antenna module 1 for radiating the beam. Therefore, the center fulcrum C is between the multiple antenna modules 1 and the satellite they track, so it is easy to cause radiation interference. In view of this, please refer to FIG. 14A to FIG. 14B As shown, in the first variant of the sixth embodiment, the center support point C can be located behind multiple antenna modules 1, that is, the center support point C is facing away from the radiating surface of the antenna module 1 for radiating beams, thereby solving the derivative problems of the aforementioned seventh embodiment.

[0077] 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. An antenna device with a swing mechanism, characterized in that: The antenna device comprises: At least one antenna module capable of transmitting at least one active radio frequency signal to the outside world and receiving at least one external radio frequency signal from the outside world; at least one active RF module electrically connected to the corresponding antenna module and used to adjust the phase and amplitude of the antenna module so that the antenna module can generate a focused beam for transmitting the active RF signal and generate a beam pattern for receiving the external RF signal; and At least one swinging part is connected to the corresponding antenna module, wherein the swinging part can make the corresponding antenna module swing in an arc with a central fulcrum as the center of the circle, so as to supplement the scanning capability of the antenna module in one-dimensional direction.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that The antenna device also includes a rotating part, which is connected to the swinging part to drive the swinging part to rotate, thereby causing the antenna module to rotate or revolve around a vertical axis to supplement the scanning capability of the antenna module in another dimension, wherein the extension line of the vertical axis and the extension line of the central fulcrum intersect with each other and are not parallel.

3. The antenna device according to claim 2, characterized in that The rotating part causes the antenna module to rotate in a single direction, clockwise or counterclockwise, or to rotate in an alternating manner between the clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

4. The antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central support point is located in front of the radiation surface of the antenna module.

5. The antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central support point is located behind the radiation surface of the antenna module.

6. The antenna device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna device also includes at least one lens mechanism, a local area of ​​the lens mechanism will be passed through by the extension line of the central fulcrum, so that the antenna module can swing in a circular arc along the outer edge of the lens mechanism, and the lens mechanism can receive the focused beam transmitted by the antenna module and generate a corresponding secondary beam, and then emit the secondary beam from a side relative to the antenna module.

7. The antenna device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The lens mechanism is substantially cylindrical in appearance.

8. The antenna device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The lens mechanism is formed by connecting a plurality of lens discs in series along an axial direction.

9. The antenna device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The appearance of the lens mechanism is substantially semi-cylindrical, one side of which is provided with a cross section, and the swing area of ​​the antenna module is substantially located on the other side opposite to the cross section.

10. The antenna device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The lens mechanism is substantially spherical in appearance.

11. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The antenna device includes two antenna modules and two swing parts, and each of the antenna modules is driven by each corresponding swing part, and the swing directions are the same.

12. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The antenna device includes two antenna modules and two swing parts, and each of the antenna modules is driven by each corresponding swing part, and the swing directions are opposite to each other.

13. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The swing angle of the antenna module is between 0 degrees and 90 degrees.

14. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The antenna device includes two antenna modules, each of which is arranged along an axial direction, and each of which swings in an arc along another axial direction.

15. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The antenna device includes two antenna modules, each of which is arranged along an axial direction, and each of which swings in an arc along the axial direction.

16. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The antenna module includes multiple groups of antenna unit groups, each of which is arranged along a first direction, and each group of antenna unit groups includes at least one antenna unit, and each of the antenna units in the same group is arranged along a second direction; each of the antenna unit groups is electrically connected to each of the active RF modules, so that the phase and amplitude can be adjusted by each of the active RF modules to generate each corresponding focused beam.

17. The antenna device according to claim 16, characterized in that: The active radio frequency module comprises: a transmission beamforming chip, which enables each of the antenna unit groups to generate a focused beam for transmitting the 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 enables each antenna unit group to form a beam pattern for receiving an external radio frequency signal. The receiving beamforming chip can be electrically connected to the low noise amplifier to receive the amplified external radio frequency signal.

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