Radio frequency device and base station antenna

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a radio frequency device comprising: a substrate; the conductive circuit is arranged on the substrate, and the conductive circuit is configured to transmit signals and comprises a plurality of sections of transmission lines; the decoupling element is arranged on the substrate, is positioned between the adjacent first section of transmission line and second section of transmission line, and comprises a first arm adjacent to the first section of transmission line, a second arm adjacent to the second section of transmission line, and a connecting part for connecting the first arm and the second arm; the decoupling element is configured to at least partially reduce coupling between the first and second segments of transmission lines. According to the embodiment of the invention, the decoupling element is arranged between the two adjacent transmission lines which are close to each other in the conductive circuit of the circuit board of the radio frequency device, so that the coupling between the two transmission lines can be at least partially reduced, and the radio frequency performance of the radio frequency device comprising the circuit board is improved, for example, the coupling between the two transmission lines is reduced. And the return loss and the insertion loss are reduced. The invention further relates to a base station antenna comprising the radio frequency device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communications, and in particular, to a radio frequency device and a base station antenna. Background Art

[0002] Cellular communication systems are well known in the art. In a cellular communication system, a geographic area is divided into a series of areas, which are referred to as "cells" served by various base stations. A base station may include one or more base station antennas configured to provide two-way radio frequency ("RF") communications with mobile subscribers within the cell served by the base station.

[0003] To accommodate the growing volume of cellular communications, cellular operators have added cellular services in a variety of new frequency bands. Linear arrays of so-called "wideband" or "ultra-wideband" radiating elements may be used in some cases to provide services in multiple frequency bands. Thus, for example, radiating elements operating in the 1.7-2.7 GHz frequency range may be used to support cellular services in multiple different frequency bands. Base station antennas may also typically include multiple arrays of radiating elements designed to operate in different frequency bands. For example, in one common multi-band antenna design, the antenna may have at least one linear array of one or more "low-band" radiating elements for providing services in some or all of the 617-960 MHz frequency band, and at least one linear array of one or more "mid-band" radiating elements for providing services in some or all of the 1427-2690 MHz frequency band, for example.

[0004] In addition to the radiating elements, base station antennas also include a variety of RF devices, such as phase shifters, filters, power dividers, etc. A phase shifter is a device that can adjust the phase of a radio signal. By transmitting the RF signal in a medium, a phase shift can be introduced into the RF signal. A phase shifter is a device that uses this principle to change the phase of the RF signal. Most modern multi-band antennas include phase shifters to adjust the downtilt angle of the radiation pattern or "antenna beam" produced by each radiating element array. This downtilt angle adjustment can be used to adjust the coverage area of ​​each radiating element array.

[0005] However, as more and more frequency bands and more and more functional modules (such as phase shifters, filters, coaxial cables, and radiating element arrays, etc.) are integrated into the base station antenna, the installation space and / or operating space (such as welding space) in the base station antenna is increasingly limited. This makes the design size of some RF devices, such as phase shifters or filters, strictly limited. The limited design size may cause the gap between the transmission lines in the RF device to become smaller, thereby generating undesirable coupling interference between the transmission lines, and this coupling interference may negatively affect the RF performance of the RF device. Summary of the invention

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a radio frequency device and a base station antenna that can overcome at least one drawback in the prior art.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a radio frequency device, the radio frequency device comprising:

[0008] substrate;

[0009] A conductive circuit disposed on the substrate, the conductive circuit being configured to transmit a signal and comprising a plurality of transmission lines;

[0010] A decoupling element is disposed on the substrate, the decoupling element is positioned between adjacent first and second transmission line segments, the decoupling element comprises a first arm adjacent to the first transmission line segment, a second arm adjacent to the second transmission line segment, and a connecting portion connecting the first arm and the second arm, the decoupling element is configured to at least partially reduce coupling between the first transmission line segment and the second transmission line segment.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by providing a decoupling element between two adjacent transmission lines that are close to each other in a conductive circuit of a circuit board of a radio frequency device, the coupling between the two transmission lines can be at least partially reduced, thereby improving the radio frequency performance of the radio frequency device including the circuit board, for example, reducing return loss, reducing insertion loss, etc.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first arm of the decoupling element is substantially parallel to the second arm.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first arm of the decoupling element is substantially parallel to the first section of the transmission line, and the second arm of the decoupling element is substantially parallel to the second section of the transmission line.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first arm and the second arm of the decoupling element are substantially equal in length.

[0015] In some embodiments, the decoupling element is substantially U-shaped.

[0016] In some embodiments, the operating frequency band of the radio frequency device includes a first frequency band, and the length of the decoupling element is one fifth to one third of the wavelength at the center frequency of the first frequency band.

[0017] In some embodiments, the length of the decoupling element is about one quarter of the wavelength at a center frequency of the first frequency band.

[0018] In some embodiments, the decoupling element is a first decoupling element, the operating frequency band of the radio frequency device includes a second frequency band different from the first frequency band, and the radio frequency device includes a second decoupling element, and the length of the second decoupling element is one-fifth to one-third of the wavelength at the center frequency of the second frequency band.

[0019] In some embodiments, the length of the second decoupling element is about one quarter of the wavelength at the center frequency of the second frequency band.

[0020] In some embodiments, a plurality of decoupling elements are disposed between the adjacent first transmission line segment and the second transmission line segment, and the plurality of decoupling elements are arranged sequentially along the direction of the space between the first transmission line segment and the second transmission line segment, and at least a first portion of the plurality of decoupling elements includes the first decoupling element, and at least a second portion of the plurality of decoupling elements includes the second decoupling element.

[0021] In some embodiments, the decoupling element is substantially H-shaped or A-shaped.

[0022] In some embodiments, the decoupling element is a first decoupling element having a first shape, and the radio frequency device includes a second decoupling element having a second shape different from the first shape.

[0023] In some embodiments, the radio frequency device includes a plurality of decoupling elements arranged in sequence along a direction of a space between a first section of the transmission line and a second section of the transmission line, and the plurality of decoupling elements include the first decoupling element and the second decoupling element.

[0024] In some embodiments, the decoupling element is a first decoupling element having a first shape and a first orientation, and wherein the radio frequency device includes a second decoupling element having the first shape and a second orientation different from the first orientation.

[0025] In some embodiments, the radio frequency device includes a plurality of decoupling elements arranged in sequence along a direction of a space between a first section of the transmission line and a second section of the transmission line, and the plurality of decoupling elements include the first decoupling element and the second decoupling element.

[0026] In some embodiments, the distance between the adjacent first transmission line segments and the second transmission line segments is less than 10 mm.

[0027] In some embodiments, the distance between the adjacent first transmission line segments and the second transmission line segments is less than 4 mm.

[0028] In some embodiments, at least one of the adjacent first transmission line segment and the adjacent second transmission line segment is serpentine.

[0029] In some embodiments, the substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the conductive circuit includes a first conductive circuit disposed on the first surface and a second conductive circuit disposed on the second surface, and the first conductive circuit is electrically connected to the second conductive circuit through a conductive structure.

[0030] In some embodiments, the first conductive circuit and the second conductive circuit are symmetrical with respect to the substrate.

[0031] In some embodiments, the radio frequency device is configured as a phase shifter, a filter, a power divider, a diplexer, a feed board, or a combiner.

[0032] In some embodiments, the radio frequency device is configured as a cavity phase shifter.

[0033] In some embodiments, the cavity phase shifter is configured as a vertically fed cavity phase shifter.

[0034] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a radio frequency device, the radio frequency device comprising:

[0035] substrate;

[0036] A conductive circuit disposed on the substrate, the conductive circuit being configured to transmit a signal and comprising a plurality of transmission lines;

[0037] A decoupling element is disposed between adjacent first and second transmission line segments of the conductive line, and the decoupling element has a substantially U-shape.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first arm of the decoupling element is substantially parallel to the second arm.

[0039] In some embodiments, the first arm and the second arm of the decoupling element are substantially equal in length.

[0040] In some embodiments, the operating frequency band of the radio frequency device includes a first frequency band, and the length of the decoupling element is about one quarter of the wavelength at a center frequency of the first frequency band.

[0041] In some embodiments, the decoupling element is a first decoupling element, the operating frequency band of the radio frequency device includes a second frequency band different from the first frequency band, and the radio frequency device also includes a second decoupling element, wherein the length of the second decoupling element is approximately one quarter of the wavelength at the center frequency of the second frequency band.

[0042] In some embodiments, the decoupling element is a first decoupling element having a first orientation, and the radio frequency device includes a second decoupling element having a second orientation different from the first orientation.

[0043] In some embodiments, the distance between the adjacent first transmission line segments and the second transmission line segments is less than 4 mm.

[0044] In some embodiments, at least one of the first transmission line segment and the second transmission line segment is serpentine.

[0045] In some embodiments, the substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the conductive circuit includes a first conductive circuit arranged on the first surface and a second conductive circuit arranged on the second surface, and the first conductive circuit is electrically connected to the second conductive circuit through a conductive structure, wherein the first conductive circuit and the second conductive circuit are symmetrical relative to the substrate.

[0046] In some embodiments, the radio frequency device is configured as a cavity phase shifter.

[0047] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a base station antenna, the base station antenna comprising:

[0048] A radio frequency device as described above;

[0049] An array of radiating elements, wherein the radio frequency device is electrically connected to at least some of the radiating elements in the array of radiating elements.

[0050] The technical features mentioned above, the technical features to be mentioned below, and the technical features shown separately in the drawings can be combined with each other arbitrarily, as long as the combined technical features are not contradictory. All feasible feature combinations are technical contents clearly recorded in this article. Any of the multiple sub-features contained in the same sentence can be applied independently, and does not have to be applied together with other sub-features. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of a portion of a base station antenna is shown, showing a reflector, an array of radiating elements located in front of the reflector, and a cavity phase shifter located behind the reflector;

[0053] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of a cavity phase shifter in FIG.

[0054] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a portion of a circuit board in a cavity phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, wherein a decoupling element is disposed on the circuit board;

[0055] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a decoupling element according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0056] Figure 5 Schematic diagrams showing various decoupling elements according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0057] Figure 6 Schematic diagrams showing various decoupling elements according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0058] Figure 7 A first simulation test diagram showing the return loss of a conductive line of a circuit board of a cavity phase shifter;

[0059] Figure 8 A second simulation test diagram (Smith diagram) showing the return loss of a conductive line of a circuit board of a cavity phase shifter;

[0060] Fig. 9 A simulation test diagram showing the insertion loss of a conductive line of a circuit board of a cavity phase shifter is shown.

[0061] It should be noted that in the embodiments described below, the same reference numerals are sometimes used in common between different drawings to represent the same parts or parts with the same functions, and their repeated descriptions are omitted. In this specification, similar numbers and letters are used to represent similar items, so once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0062] For ease of understanding, the positions, sizes, and ranges of various structures shown in the drawings and the like may not represent actual positions, sizes, and ranges, etc. Therefore, the disclosed invention is not limited to the positions, sizes, and ranges disclosed in the drawings and the like. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] The present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the accompanying drawings illustrate several embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be presented in a variety of different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below; in fact, the embodiments described below are intended to make the disclosure of the present disclosure more complete and fully illustrate the scope of protection of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide more additional embodiments.

[0064] It should be understood that the terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. All terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used herein have meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art unless otherwise defined. For the sake of simplicity and / or clarity, well-known functions or structures may not be described in detail.

[0065] In this article, when an element is said to be "on", "attached" to, "connected" to, "coupled" to, or "contacting" another element, the element may be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled to, or contacting another element, or there may be an intermediate element. In contrast, when an element is said to be "directly" "on", "directly attached" to, "directly connected" to, "directly coupled" to, or "directly contacting" another element, there may be no intermediate element. In this article, a feature is arranged to be "adjacent" to another feature, which may refer to a feature having a portion overlapping an adjacent feature or a portion located above or below an adjacent feature.

[0066] As used herein, spatial relational terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "higher," "lower," etc. may describe the relationship of one feature to another feature in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the spatial relational terms encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation shown in the accompanying drawings. For example, features previously described as being "below" other features may now be described as being "above" the other features when the device in the accompanying drawings is turned over. The device may also be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the relative spatial relationships will be interpreted accordingly.

[0067] Herein, the term "A or B" includes "A and B" and "A or B" rather than exclusively including only "A" or only "B", unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0068] In this document, the terms "illustrative" or "exemplary" mean "used as an example, instance or illustration" rather than as a "model" to be exactly copied. Any implementation described as an example herein is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Moreover, the present disclosure is not limited by any expressed or implied theory given in the above technical field, background technology, summary of the invention or detailed description.

[0069] As used herein, the term "substantially" is intended to include any minor variations due to design or manufacturing defects, tolerances of devices or components, environmental influences, and / or other factors.

[0070] In addition, the terms "first", "second" and the like may also be used herein for reference purposes only, and thus are not intended to be limiting. For example, the terms "first", "second" and other such numerical terms referring to structures or elements do not imply a sequence or order unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0071] It should also be understood that when the term “include / comprises” is used in this document, it indicates the existence of the specified features, steps, operations, units and / or components, but does not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, units and / or components and / or their combinations.

[0072] The present disclosure provides a radio frequency device, which includes a substrate, a conductive line arranged on the substrate, and at least one decoupling element arranged on the substrate. The conductive line is configured to transmit a signal and may include multiple transmission lines. Each decoupling element is positioned between two adjacent transmission lines and includes a first arm, a second arm, and a connecting portion connecting the first arm and the second arm. Each decoupling element may be configured to at least partially reduce the coupling between the two transmission lines, thereby improving the radio frequency performance of the radio frequency device, for example, reducing return loss, reducing insertion loss, etc.

[0073] It should be understood that the radio frequency device mentioned in the present disclosure can be a variety of functional devices used in base station antennas, and is not limited to the device types introduced in the specific embodiments. In some embodiments, the radio frequency device can be a phase shifter or a power divider. In other embodiments, the radio frequency device can be a filter, a sharer, a feed board or a combiner, etc. The radio frequency device according to the present disclosure can be electrically connected to at least some of the radiating elements in the radiating element array in the base station antenna.

[0074] Next, a radio frequency device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is described in detail by taking a cavity phase shifter as an example.

[0075] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a base station antenna 1, wherein a reflector 2, a radiation element array 3 located in front of the reflector 2, and a cavity phase shifter 4 located behind the reflector 2 are shown. Figure 1As shown, a plurality of radiating elements 5 are installed to extend forward from the reflector 2 of the base station antenna 1 to form a radiating element array 3. The radio frequency device configured as a cavity phase shifter 4 can be configured to receive one or more radio frequency signals from a radio device (not shown), perform phase shifting operations on respective sub-components of the corresponding radio frequency signals, and feed the phase-shifted one or more radio frequency signals to at least some of the radiating elements 5 of the radiating element array 3 electrically connected to the output port of the cavity phase shifter 4. Each radiating element 5 can be fed by a feeding board disposed on the reflector 2, and is configured to send and receive signals in a corresponding operating frequency band.

[0076] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 Schematic stereogram of the cavity phase shifter 4 in FIG. Figure 2 The cavity phase shifter 4 shown includes a metal cavity 13 and a circuit board 6 accommodated in the metal cavity 13, and the circuit board 6 includes a substrate and a conductive line or a phase shifting circuit printed on the substrate. Generally, the metal cavity 13 of the cavity phase shifter 4 can be grounded, so the conductive line on the circuit board 6 can form a stripline circuit. In addition, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the cavity phase shifter 4 also includes a sliding dielectric block accommodated in the metal cavity 13. Among them, by sliding the sliding dielectric block relative to the conductive line on the circuit board 6, the length of the conductive line covered by the sliding dielectric block can be changed, thereby changing the phase of the signal (such as a radio frequency signal) transmitted in the conductive line. In the cavity phase shifter 4, the substrate of the circuit board 6 may include a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the conductive line of the circuit board 6 may be arranged on at least one surface of the substrate. In some embodiments, the conductive line of the circuit board 6 may include a first conductive line arranged on the first surface and a second conductive line arranged on the second surface, wherein the first conductive line may be electrically connected to the second conductive line through a conductive structure, such as a plated through hole. Advantageously, the first conductive line and the second conductive line may be substantially symmetrical relative to the substrate. That is, the first conductive line and the second conductive line can be arranged on opposite surfaces of the substrate so as to substantially overlap each other when viewed from the thickness direction of the circuit board 6. The structure of the cavity phase shifter 4 is known to those skilled in the art, and therefore, the cavity phase shifter 4 is not illustrated and described in detail in the present disclosure. It should be understood that in other embodiments not shown, the cavity phase shifter 4 can also be replaced by other forms of phase shifters, such as a sliding vane phase shifter, a trombone phase shifter, etc.

[0077] As the integration of various radiating element arrays and various radio frequency devices in the base station antenna 1 becomes higher and higher, the conductive lines on the circuit boards in the radio frequency devices become more and more dense, resulting in very narrow spacing between many adjacent transmission lines of the conductive lines. In the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of cavity phase shifters 4 are installed on the rear side of the reflector 2 at a certain distance from each other. The circuit board 6 in each cavity phase shifter 4 can be arranged substantially perpendicular to the reflector 2, thereby forming a vertically fed cavity phase shifter 4. Limited by the design space in the base station antenna 1, such a cavity phase shifter 4 is generally configured to have an elongated shape, that is, the lateral dimension of the cavity phase shifter 4 perpendicular to the reflector 2 is much smaller than its longitudinal dimension parallel to the reflector 2 and extending along the longitudinal direction of the base station antenna 1. The internal dimensions of such a cavity phase shifter 4 are particularly compact, resulting in particularly limited arrangement space for the conductive lines on the circuit board 6 therein. For example, the distance between two adjacent transmission lines at some positions of the circuit board 6 in the cavity phase shifter 4 is less than 10 mm, 6 mm, or even less than 4 mm. Such a compact arrangement of conductive lines will lead to undesirable electromagnetic coupling between adjacent transmission lines. Electromagnetic coupling can also be called mutual inductance coupling. When the distance between two transmission lines is close, there may be mutual inductance between the two transmission lines, so that the current change of each transmission line may affect the other transmission line through mutual inductance, thereby causing energy to be transmitted between the two transmission lines. Such electromagnetic coupling will cause undesirable situations such as increased return loss and insertion loss, and deformation of gain distribution.

[0078] Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a portion of a circuit board 6 in a cavity phase shifter 4 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown, the circuit board 6 includes a substrate 7, a conductive line 8 disposed on the substrate 7, and one or more decoupling elements 9 disposed on the substrate 7, wherein each decoupling element 9 can be positioned between two adjacent transmission lines 10 of the conductive line 8, and is configured to at least partially reduce the coupling between the two adjacent transmission lines 10. It should be understood that for the sake of clarity of the illustration, Figure 3 Each decoupling element and its corresponding transmission line are not labeled. Figure 3As shown, any one of the two adjacent transmission lines 10 can be straight or serpentine. The decoupling element 9 can be arranged in a relatively narrow space between the two adjacent transmission lines 10. The width of the narrow space or the spacing between the two adjacent transmission lines 10 can be less than 10 mm, less than 8 mm, less than 6 mm, or even less than 4 mm. In some embodiments, the decoupling element 9 can be arranged or can be arranged only between the following two adjacent transmission lines 10. The spacing between the two adjacent transmission lines 10 can be less than a predetermined value, such as less than 10 mm, 8 mm, 6 mm or even 4 mm. The decoupling element 9 can be made of a conductive material, such as metal copper or aluminum, for example, it can be made of the same material as the conductive line 8 and / or its transmission line 10.

[0079] like Figure 3 As further shown, a plurality of decoupling elements 9 may be printed in the corresponding narrow space between two adjacent sections of the transmission line 10, and the plurality of decoupling elements may be arranged in sequence at a certain distance along the direction of the narrow space. The distance between each two decoupling elements 9 may be equal or different. The plurality of decoupling elements 9 may be arranged in the entire space of the corresponding narrow space, or in a partial space of the corresponding narrow space. In some embodiments, the shapes and / or orientations of the plurality of decoupling elements 9 arranged in a narrow space may be the same as each other or at least partially different. In some embodiments, the shapes and / or orientations of the decoupling elements 9 arranged in different narrow spaces may be the same as each other or at least partially different.

[0080] like Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the decoupling element 9 may include at least two arms 11 (two arms in the figure) and a connecting portion 12 connecting the two arms 11. The decoupling element 9 formed in this way may be equivalent to a resonator, so that the electromagnetic energy from the two adjacent sections of the transmission line 10 on both sides of the decoupling element 9 can oscillate therein and suppress near-field radiation. In other words, the decoupling element 9 may be regarded as a separation wall or a spacer between the two adjacent sections of the transmission line 10. The decoupling element 9 may reduce the electromagnetic coupling between the two adjacent sections of the transmission line 10 on both sides of the decoupling element 9 through the electromagnetic decoupling effect between each arm 11 and the transmission line 10 adjacent to the arm 11, thereby helping to reduce the coupling loss of the signal transmitted in the conductive line 8.

[0081] Advantageously, the two arms 11 of the decoupling element 9 can be arranged substantially parallel to each other. Advantageously, the two arms 11 of the decoupling element 9 can be arranged substantially parallel to the corresponding transmission line 10 adjacent to the two arms 11. Advantageously, when the transmission line 10 adjacent to the decoupling element 9 is non-linear (e.g., Figure 3When the transmission line 10 is a serpentine or meandering transmission line as shown in FIG, the arm 11 of the decoupling element 9 adjacent to the transmission line 10 can be arranged substantially parallel to the main direction or length direction of the transmission line 10. Advantageously, the lengths of the two arms 11 of the decoupling element 9 can be arranged substantially equal to each other, or can also be unequal to each other.

[0082] The decoupling element 9 may be formed to have a substantially U-shape. It should be understood that the "U" shape mentioned herein should be broadly understood to have two arms of the same length or different lengths, wherein the two arms are connected at their end portions. Figure 5 As shown in , in which some exemplary figures are shown (and it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to these figures), the "U"-shaped decoupling element 9 may include a decoupling element that is shaped like or approximates a "V" shape, a "C" shape, or a "J" shape. In some embodiments, the lengths and / or directions of the two arms 11 of the U-shaped decoupling element 9 may be distinguished. In some embodiments, the length of each decoupling element 9 may be related to the center frequency of the frequency band in which the cavity phase shifter 4 operates. In some embodiments, the length of each decoupling element 9 may be one-fifth to one-third of the wavelength at the above-mentioned center frequency, for example, about one-quarter of the wavelength at the center frequency. It should be understood that the above-mentioned "length" refers to the length from the free end of one arm 11 through the connecting portion 12 to the free end of the other arm 11. In some embodiments, the cavity phase shifter 4 may include multiple different operating frequency bands, and the cavity phase shifter 4 may correspondingly include multiple decoupling elements 9 of different lengths. For example, the operating frequency band of the cavity phase shifter 4 may include a first frequency band and a second frequency band different from the first frequency band, and the cavity phase shifter 4 may include a first decoupling element and a second decoupling element, wherein the length of the first decoupling element is one-fifth to one-third of the wavelength at the center frequency of the first frequency band, for example, about one-quarter of the wavelength at the center frequency, and the length of the second decoupling element is one-fifth to one-third of the wavelength at the center frequency of the second frequency band, for example, about one-quarter of the wavelength at the center frequency. In some embodiments, a plurality of decoupling elements 9 may be printed in the corresponding narrow space between two adjacent sections of the transmission line 10, and the plurality of decoupling elements may be arranged in sequence along the direction of the narrow space. In some embodiments, at least a first portion of the plurality of decoupling elements 9 is a first decoupling element designed for the first frequency band, and at least a second portion is a second decoupling element designed for the first frequency band.

[0083] It should be understood that the shape of the decoupling element 9 is not limited to a U shape, and may also be an H shape, an A shape, etc., for example, Figure 6As shown in . It should be understood that the cavity phase shifter 4 may include a plurality of decoupling elements 9 of different shapes, and / or, the cavity phase shifter 4 may include a plurality of decoupling elements 9 of the same shape but different orientations. In some embodiments, a plurality of decoupling elements 9 may be printed in the corresponding narrow space between two adjacent sections of the transmission line 10, and the plurality of decoupling elements may be arranged in sequence along the direction of the narrow space. In some embodiments, the first decoupling element among the plurality of decoupling elements 9 is a decoupling element having a first shape, and the second decoupling element among the plurality of decoupling elements 9 is a decoupling element having a second shape different from the first shape. In some embodiments, the plurality of decoupling elements 9 include a group of decoupling elements having the same shape, wherein a first portion of the group of decoupling elements has a first orientation, and a second portion of the group of decoupling elements has a second orientation.

[0084] It should be understood that the above-mentioned decoupling element 9 is not limited to being applied to the circuit board 6 of the cavity phase shifter 4, but can also be applied to circuit boards of other types of phase shifters, and can also be applied to circuit boards of other radio frequency devices of the base station antenna 1 (such as filters, power dividers, sharers, feed boards or combiners, etc.).

[0085] Figure 7 and 8 The figure shows a simulated test diagram of the return loss of a conductive line of the circuit board 6 of the cavity phase shifter 4. Figure 7 Curve 101 and Figure 8 The curve 201 in FIG. 1 is the return loss of the conductive line including the two adjacent transmission lines when the spacing between the two adjacent transmission lines is 12 mm without the decoupling element 9. Figure 7 Curve 102 and Figure 8 The curve 202 in FIG. 1 is the return loss of the conductive line including the two adjacent transmission lines when the spacing between the two adjacent transmission lines is 4 mm without the decoupling element 9. Figure 7 Curve 103 and Figure 8 The curve 203 in FIG. 2 is the return loss of the conductive path including the two adjacent transmission lines when the spacing between the two adjacent transmission lines is 4 mm, wherein a decoupling element 9 is provided between the two transmission lines. It can be seen that as the spacing between the two adjacent transmission lines decreases, the return loss of the conductive path including the two transmission lines tends to increase (for example, when the frequency is high), and by providing a decoupling element 9 between the two adjacent transmission lines with a smaller spacing, the return loss of the conductive path including the two transmission lines can be reduced.

[0086] Fig. 9The figure shows a simulation test diagram of the insertion loss (Insertion Loss) of a conductive circuit of the circuit board 6 of the cavity phase shifter 4. Wherein, curve 301 is the insertion loss of the conductive circuit including two adjacent transmission lines when the spacing between the two adjacent transmission lines is 12 mm without the decoupling element 9, curve 302 is the insertion loss of the conductive circuit including the two adjacent transmission lines when the spacing between the two adjacent transmission lines is 4 mm without the decoupling element 9, and curve 303 is the insertion loss of the conductive circuit including the two adjacent transmission lines when the spacing between the two adjacent transmission lines is 4 mm, wherein the decoupling element 9 is arranged between the two transmission lines. It can be seen that as the spacing between the two adjacent transmission lines decreases, the insertion loss of the conductive circuit including the two transmission lines tends to increase (for example, when the frequency is high), and by arranging the decoupling element 9 between the two adjacent transmission lines with a smaller spacing, the insertion loss of the conductive circuit including the two transmission lines can be reduced.

[0087] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by providing a decoupling element between two adjacent transmission lines that are close to each other in a conductive circuit of a circuit board of a radio frequency device, the coupling between the two transmission lines can be at least partially reduced, thereby improving the radio frequency performance of the radio frequency device including the circuit board, for example, reducing return loss, reducing insertion loss, etc.

[0088] Although some specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail by way of example, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above examples are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The various embodiments disclosed herein may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It should also be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A radio frequency device, characterized in that The radio frequency device comprises: substrate; A conductive circuit disposed on the substrate, the conductive circuit being configured to transmit a signal and comprising a plurality of transmission lines; A decoupling element is disposed on the substrate, the decoupling element is positioned between adjacent first and second transmission line segments, the decoupling element comprises a first arm adjacent to the first transmission line segment, a second arm adjacent to the second transmission line segment, and a connecting portion connecting the first arm and the second arm, the decoupling element is configured to at least partially reduce coupling between the first transmission line segment and the second transmission line segment.

2. The radio frequency device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first arm of the decoupling element is substantially parallel to the second arm; and / or The first arm of the decoupling element is substantially parallel to the first section of the transmission line, and the second arm of the decoupling element is substantially parallel to the second section of the transmission line; and / or The first arm and the second arm of the decoupling element are substantially equal in length; and / or The decoupling element is substantially U-shaped; and / or The operating frequency band of the radio frequency device includes a first frequency band, and the length of the decoupling element is one-fifth to one-third of the wavelength at the center frequency of the first frequency band. Preferably, the length of the decoupling element is about one-quarter of the wavelength at the center frequency of the first frequency band.

3. The radio frequency device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The decoupling element is a first decoupling element, the operating frequency band of the radio frequency device includes a second frequency band different from the first frequency band, and the radio frequency device includes a second decoupling element, the length of the second decoupling element is one-fifth to one-third of the wavelength at the center frequency of the second frequency band, preferably, the length of the second decoupling element is about one-quarter of the wavelength at the center frequency of the second frequency band.

4. The radio frequency device according to claim 3, characterized in that: A plurality of decoupling elements are arranged between the adjacent first and second transmission line segments, and the plurality of decoupling elements are arranged in sequence along the direction of the space between the first and second transmission line segments, and at least a first portion of the plurality of decoupling elements includes the first decoupling element, and at least a second portion of the plurality of decoupling elements includes the second decoupling element.

5. The radio frequency device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The decoupling element is substantially H-shaped or A-shaped; and / or The decoupling element is a first decoupling element having a first shape, and the radio frequency device comprises a second decoupling element having a second shape different from the first shape; and / or The radio frequency device includes a plurality of decoupling elements arranged in sequence along the direction of the space between the first section of the transmission line and the second section of the transmission line, and the plurality of decoupling elements include the first decoupling element and the second decoupling element; and / or The decoupling element is a first decoupling element having a first shape and a first orientation, and wherein the radio frequency device comprises a second decoupling element having the first shape and a second orientation different from the first orientation; and / or The radio frequency device includes a plurality of decoupling elements arranged in sequence along the direction of the space between the first section of the transmission line and the second section of the transmission line, and the plurality of decoupling elements include the first decoupling element and the second decoupling element.

6. The radio frequency device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between the adjacent first transmission line segments and the second transmission line segments is less than 10 mm, preferably, the distance between the adjacent first transmission line segments and the second transmission line segments is less than 4 mm; and / or At least one of the adjacent first transmission line segment and the adjacent second transmission line segment is serpentine; and / or The substrate comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the conductive circuit comprises a first conductive circuit arranged on the first surface and a second conductive circuit arranged on the second surface, and the first conductive circuit is electrically connected to the second conductive circuit through a conductive structure; and / or The first conductive circuit and the second conductive circuit are symmetrical with respect to the substrate; and / or The radio frequency device is configured as a phase shifter, a filter, a power divider, a sharer, a feed board or a combiner. Preferably, the radio frequency device is configured as a cavity phase shifter. More preferably, the cavity phase shifter is configured as a vertically fed cavity phase shifter.

7. A radio frequency device, characterized in that The radio frequency device comprises: substrate; A conductive circuit disposed on the substrate, the conductive circuit being configured to transmit a signal and comprising a plurality of transmission lines; A decoupling element is disposed between adjacent first and second transmission line segments of the conductive line, and the decoupling element has a substantially U-shape.

8. The radio frequency device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first arm of the decoupling element is substantially parallel to the second arm; and / or The first arm and the second arm of the decoupling element are substantially equal in length; and / or The operating frequency band of the radio frequency device includes a first frequency band, and the length of the decoupling element is about one quarter of the wavelength at the center frequency of the first frequency band; and / or The decoupling element is a first decoupling element, the operating frequency band of the radio frequency device includes a second frequency band different from the first frequency band, and the radio frequency device further includes a second decoupling element, the length of the second decoupling element is about one quarter of the wavelength at the center frequency of the second frequency band; and / or The decoupling element is a first decoupling element having a first orientation, and the radio frequency device includes a second decoupling element having a second orientation different from the first orientation; and / or The distance between the adjacent first transmission line segment and the second transmission line segment is less than 4 mm; and / or At least one of the first transmission line segment and the second transmission line segment is serpentine-shaped.

9. The radio frequency device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The substrate comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the conductive circuit comprises a first conductive circuit arranged on the first surface and a second conductive circuit arranged on the second surface, and the first conductive circuit is electrically connected to the second conductive circuit through a conductive structure, wherein the first conductive circuit and the second conductive circuit are symmetrical with respect to the substrate; and / or The radio frequency device is configured as a cavity phase shifter.

10. A base station antenna, characterized in that The base station antenna comprises: The radio frequency device according to any one of claims 1 to 9; An array of radiating elements, wherein the radio frequency device is electrically connected to at least some of the radiating elements in the array of radiating elements.

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