Lens body, lens antenna and communication device

Abstract

The invention provides a lens body, a lens antenna and communication equipment, the lens body comprises a plurality of lens units, the lens units are cone-shaped, the cone point of each lens unit points to the sphere center of a reference sphere space, the bottom surface of each lens unit faces the outer side, the plurality of lens units uniformly occupy the reference sphere space, and the lens units are arranged in the reference sphere space. Each lens unit comprises a plurality of medium bodies which are sequentially nested to form a cone shape. The lens body is composed of a plurality of conical lens units, and each lens body is formed by nesting a plurality of dielectric bodies in sequence, so that the lens antenna can improve the gain, optimize the directional diagram and reduce the production difficulty of the lens body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of mobile communications, and in particular relates to a lens body, a lens antenna equipped with the lens body, and a communication device equipped with the lens antenna. Background Art

[0002] In high-capacity communication scenarios, multi-beam antenna technology has emerged to address the coverage limitations of linear array antennas. Multi-beam antenna technology generates multiple beams pointing in different directions at the same time to expand network coverage and reduce blind spots. Currently, the commonly used technology for implementing multi-beam antennas is the Butler matrix, but this technology is highly complex, the antenna structure is complex, and in high-gain states, it faces the problem of narrow vertical beam width.

[0003] In this context, lens antennas, as a new type of antenna technology, have attracted widespread attention due to their unique performance. Through their unique refraction characteristics, lens antennas can converge the electromagnetic waves emitted by the feed source into plane waves, thereby increasing the antenna gain. Among them, Luneburg lens antennas and cylindrical lens antennas are two common forms of lens antennas.

[0004] The Luneburg lens antenna adopts a spherical design, with the feed placed on one side of the sphere. Through the refraction of electromagnetic waves inside the sphere, a plane wave is formed on the other side of the sphere, thereby achieving an increase in gain. Due to the spherical design, all sections passing through the center of the circle remain consistent, so the beam width of the Luneburg lens antenna in the horizontal and vertical directions is relatively consistent, and has a higher gain. However, due to current technological limitations, it is impossible to directly realize materials with a continuous gradient of dielectric constant. It is usually necessary to divide the sphere into multiple layers, and the dielectric constant of each layer gradually decreases from the inside to the outside, which increases the difficulty of manufacturing.

[0005] The cylindrical lens antenna adopts a cylindrical design, and also forms plane waves through the refraction of electromagnetic waves inside the cylinder. Compared with the Luneburg lens antenna, one cross section of the cylindrical lens antenna is the same as the sphere, but the other cross section perpendicular to it is rectangular, which leads to differences in beam width in the horizontal and vertical directions, and the antenna gain is relatively low. In order to increase the gain, it is usually necessary to add radiation units in the length direction of the cylinder.

[0006] Therefore, although lens antennas show unique advantages in improving antenna gain, there are still some challenges and problems due to technical limitations and manufacturing difficulties. Therefore, further optimization and improvement of lens antennas to better meet the needs of mobile communication systems has important research significance and application value. Summary of the invention

[0007] The primary objective of the present invention is to solve at least one of the above problems and provide a lens body and a lens antenna.

[0008] In order to meet the various objectives of the present invention, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] A lens body is provided to meet one of the purposes of the present invention, including multiple lens units, each of which is cone-shaped, with the cone point of each lens unit pointing to the center of a reference spherical space, and the bottom surface of each lens unit facing outward. The multiple lens units evenly occupy the reference spherical space, and each lens unit includes multiple dielectric bodies, which are nested in sequence to form a cone shape.

[0010] Furthermore, the plurality of dielectric bodies are sequentially arranged along a center line of the lens unit, and the plurality of dielectric bodies are sequentially connected to form the lens unit.

[0011] Furthermore, the dielectric body includes an exposed section, and the exposed sections of the plurality of dielectric bodies are connected in sequence to jointly form an outer contour of the lens unit.

[0012] Specifically, from the cone point, along the center line, of the two adjacent dielectric bodies, the front dielectric body further includes an inserting section connected to the exposed section, and the rear dielectric body is provided with an inserting hole, and the inserting section is inserted into the inserting hole.

[0013] Specifically, the plug-in section extends from the dielectric body where it is located to the bottom surface of the lens unit, and the bottom surface of the plug-in section is a part of the bottom surface of the lens unit.

[0014] Specifically, from the cone point, along the center line, the bottom surface of the exposed section of the dielectric body at the end and the bottom surfaces of the plug-in sections of the remaining plurality of dielectric bodies together constitute the bottom surface of the lens unit.

[0015] Specifically, the plug-in hole of the dielectric body is a through hole and extends to the bottom surface of the lens unit to accommodate the corresponding plug-in section.

[0016] Furthermore, the respective plug-in holes of the plurality of dielectric bodies are arranged along a common central axis.

[0017] In one embodiment, on the bottom surface of the lens unit, the bottom surface of the exposed section of the dielectric body at the end and the bottom surfaces of the plug-in sections of the remaining dielectric bodies together form the bottom surface of the lens unit with a multi-layer ring structure.

[0018] In one embodiment, the respective cone points of the plurality of lens units intersect at the center of the sphere, or the respective cone points of the plurality of lens units are arranged at equal intervals from the center of the sphere.

[0019] In one embodiment, the plurality of dielectric bodies have the same or different thicknesses.

[0020] In one embodiment, the dielectric constants of the plurality of dielectric bodies are different.

[0021] In one embodiment, the number of dielectric bodies of the lens unit is ≤6.

[0022] In one embodiment, the angle between two adjacent lens units is ≤90°.

[0023] In one embodiment, the cone angle of the lens unit is ≤60°.

[0024] In one embodiment, an air medium is formed between the plurality of lens units.

[0025] In one embodiment, the lens body is provided with 6 lens units, and each lens unit is provided with 3 dielectric bodies.

[0026] In one embodiment, the lens unit is cone-shaped or pyramid-shaped.

[0027] A lens antenna is provided to meet one of the purposes of the present invention, comprising a feed source and a lens body as described in any one of the preceding purposes, wherein the feed source is arranged on one side of the lens body.

[0028] In order to meet one of the purposes of the present invention, a communication device is provided, comprising the lens antenna as described in the previous purpose.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has many advantages, including but not limited to:

[0030] First, the lens body of the present invention uses a plurality of cone-shaped lens units to approximately simulate the spherical Luneburg lens antenna, so that the lens body of the present invention avoids the complex surface processing and medium distribution problems during the manufacturing process, making the manufacturing process simpler and reducing the production cost. At the same time, since the lens units are independently replaceable, they can be easily repaired and replaced, further reducing the maintenance cost.

[0031] Secondly, the lens body of the present invention is composed of multiple lens units, and the multiple dielectric bodies of the lens units are nested to achieve precise focusing and transmission of electromagnetic waves, so that the lens body of the present invention has higher signal gain and transmission quality, and can maintain stable communication performance in complex environments. Moreover, by adjusting the number, size and position of the lens units, the lens body of the present invention can form multiple beams pointing in different directions. This multi-beam coverage capability enables the lens body of the present invention to cover multiple target areas at the same time, improving the coverage and flexibility of the communication system.

[0032] Again, the traditional lens antenna adjusts the radiation pattern by changing the thickness and dielectric constant of different layers. In addition to the traditional method of adjusting the radiation pattern by adjusting the thickness and dielectric constant of different layers, the present invention can also adjust the radiation pattern by adjusting the cone shape of the lens unit. This adjustment method makes the lens body of the present invention more flexible in the radiation pattern, and can meet the needs of different application scenarios, so that the lens body of the present invention can provide more stable and reliable communication performance in complex environments, and meet the application scenarios with high requirements for communication quality.

[0033] In addition, compared with the traditional cylindrical lens antenna and spherical Luneburg lens antenna, the lens body of the present invention is significantly reduced in size, making it easier to integrate the lens body of the present invention into various devices and systems, so that more antenna units can be deployed in a limited space, further improving the communication capability and coverage of the system. Moreover, since the lens body of the present invention has the characteristics of miniaturization, it can be easily integrated with other electronic devices, so that the lens body of the present invention can work together with other functional modules to achieve a more efficient and compact communication system. At the same time, integration also reduces the complexity and cost of the system and improves the reliability and stability of the system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and easily understood from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0035] Figure 1 FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a lens antenna according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic diagram of a lens body of a lens antenna according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a lens unit of a lens antenna according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 4 It is a side view schematic diagram of a first dielectric body of a lens unit of a lens antenna according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 5 It is a schematic side view of an intermediate dielectric body of a lens unit of a lens antenna according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 6 It is a schematic side view of a dielectric body at the end of a lens unit of a lens antenna according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission of electromagnetic waves when the electromagnetic waves emitted by the feed source of the lens antenna according to the first embodiment of the present invention propagate in the direction of the side-view section of the lens body.

[0042] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission of electromagnetic waves when the electromagnetic waves emitted by the feed source of the lens antenna according to the second embodiment of the present invention propagate in the direction of the side section of the lens body.

[0043] Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the structure of a lens antenna according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission of electromagnetic waves when the electromagnetic waves emitted by the feed source of the lens antenna according to the third embodiment of the present invention propagate in the direction of the side section of the lens body.

[0045] Fig.11 Schematic diagram of the structure of a lens antenna according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Fig.12 This is the horizontal plane radiation pattern of the lens antenna of the first embodiment of the present invention when operating at 1710-2170 MHz.

[0047] Fig.13 This is the vertical plane radiation pattern of the lens antenna of the first embodiment of the present invention when operating at 1710-2170 MHz.

[0048] Fig.14 This is the horizontal plane radiation pattern of the lens antenna of the second embodiment of the present invention when operating at 1710-2170 MHz.

[0049] Fig.15 This is the vertical plane radiation pattern of the lens antenna of the second embodiment of the present invention when operating at 1710-2170 MHz.

[0050] Fig.16 This is the horizontal plane radiation pattern of the lens antenna of the third embodiment of the present invention when operating at 1710-2170 MHz.

[0051] Fig.17 This is the vertical plane radiation pattern of the lens antenna of the third embodiment of the present invention when operating at 1710-2170 MHz. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements with the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention and cannot be interpreted as limiting the present invention.

[0053] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless expressly stated, the singular forms "one", "said", and "the" used herein may also include plural forms. It should be further understood that the term "comprising" used in the specification of the present invention refers to the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof. It should be understood that when we refer to an element as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be an intermediate element. In addition, the "connection" or "coupling" used herein may include wireless connection or wireless coupling. The term "and / or" used herein includes all or any unit and all combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0054] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art in the art to which the present invention belongs. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have meanings consistent with the meanings in the context of the prior art, and will not be interpreted with idealized or overly formal meanings unless specifically defined as herein.

[0055] The present invention provides a lens antenna, wherein the lens body of the lens antenna is composed of a plurality of cone-shaped lens units, and each lens body is composed of a plurality of dielectric bodies nested in sequence, so that the lens antenna can improve gain and optimize a radiation pattern.

[0056] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 The lens antenna 100 includes a lens body 200 and a feed source 600. The feed source 600 is arranged on one side of the lens body 200. The feed source 600 emits electromagnetic waves to the lens body 200. The lens body 200 converges the electromagnetic waves into a desired beam, such as a plane wave. The lens body 200 can also improve the antenna gain and optimize the radiation pattern.

[0057] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2, the lens body 200 includes a plurality of lens units 210, and the lens units 210 are cone-shaped. Assuming there is a reference spherical space, the lens body 200 is arranged in the reference spherical space, the cone point 211 of each lens body 200 points to the center of the reference spherical space, the bottom surface 212 of each lens body 200 faces the spherical surface of the reference spherical space, and the plurality of lens units 210 evenly occupy the reference spherical space, so that the lens body 200 has some characteristics of the spherical Luneburg lens antenna 100, and the electromagnetic wave can form a plane wave on the other side of the lens body 200 to achieve gain improvement, and the beam width of the lens body 200 in the horizontal and vertical directions is relatively consistent, and has a higher gain.

[0058] Since the multiple lens units 210 evenly occupy the reference spherical space, it can be understood that the reference spherical space is evenly divided according to the number of the lens units 210, and the size of the space in the reference spherical space occupied by each lens unit 210 is the same.

[0059] The bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210 constitutes a part of the outer side surface of the lens body 200, and the bottom surfaces 212 of the plurality of lens units 210 together constitute the outer side surface of the lens body 200, so that the lens body 200 forms a polyhedron structure. For example, when the lens body 200 includes 6 lens units 210, the lens body 200 forms a hexahedron. When the lens body 200 includes 8 lens units 210, the lens body 200 forms an octahedron. When the lens body 200 includes 12 lens units 210, the lens body 200 forms a dodecahedron.

[0060] Because the plurality of lens units 210 equally occupy the reference spherical space, the angle between two adjacent lens units 210 is the same among the plurality of lens units 210. The angle between two adjacent lens units 210 is between 0-360°. The present invention recommends that the angle between two adjacent lens units is ≤90°, but this should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. Specifically, the angle between two adjacent lens units 210 decreases as the number of lens units 210 of the lens body 200 increases, so that a corresponding number of lens units 210 can be arranged in the reference spherical space.

[0061] For example, when the lens body 200 includes six lens units 210, the six lens units 210 evenly occupy the reference sphere space, and there is a 90° angle between two adjacent lens units 210, then the bottom surfaces 212 of the six lens units 210 are together arranged to form a lens body 200 with a quasi-cube structure. In particular, when the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210 is rectangular, that is, when the lens unit 210 is a quadrangular pyramid, the lens body 200 forms a cubic structure. When the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210 is circular, that is, when the lens unit 210 is a cone, the lens body 200 forms a lens body 200 with a quasi-cube structure.

[0062] In one embodiment, the cone angle of the lens unit 210 is ≤60°. By controlling the cone angle of the lens unit 210, the air gap inside the lens body 200 composed of a plurality of lens units 210 can be adjusted. When there is an air gap in the lens body 200, external air can enter the air gap, so that an air medium is formed in the lens body 200.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in combination with Figure 2 and Figure 3 The lens unit 210 includes a plurality of dielectric bodies 220, which are nested in sequence along the center line of the lens unit 210 to form the lens unit 210. The plurality of dielectric bodies 220 are nested with each other, which reduces the difficulty of producing the lens unit 210. Therefore, compared with the traditional spherical Luneburg lens antenna 100, the lens body 200 of the present invention is easier to produce and manufacture, greatly reducing the production cost.

[0064] The dielectric body 220 includes an exposed section 221, which is a section of the dielectric body 220 exposed to the outside, and the exposed sections 221 of the plurality of dielectric bodies 220 are sequentially connected to form the outer contour of the lens unit 210. In other words, along the center line, the outer contour of the lens unit 210 is sequentially divided into a plurality of exposed sections 221, and each dielectric body 220 has one exposed section 221.

[0065] The direction vector from the cone point 211 of the lens unit 210 along the center line and pointing to the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210 is called a first vector. Along the first vector, the lens unit 210 has a plurality of dielectric bodies, which are a first dielectric body 230, one or more intermediate dielectric bodies 240, and a final dielectric body 250 in sequence. The first dielectric body 230, one or more intermediate dielectric bodies 240, and the final dielectric body 250 are connected in sequence to form the lens unit 210.

[0066] Combination Figure 4The cone point 211 of the lens unit 210 is arranged on the exposed section 231 of the first dielectric body 230, so that the exposed section 231 of the first dielectric body 230 is also cone-shaped. Figure 5 and Figure 6 , so that the exposed section 241 of the middle dielectric body 240 of the lens unit 210 and the exposed section 251 of the last dielectric body 250 are in a table shape. Therefore, after the exposed section 231 of the first dielectric body 230, the exposed sections 241 of one or more middle dielectric bodies 240 and the exposed section 251 of the last dielectric body 250 are sequentially connected along the first vector, the exposed sections of the multiple dielectric bodies of the lens unit 210 together constitute the outer contour of the lens unit 210.

[0067] Along the first vector, combined Figure 4 and Figure 5 The two adjacent dielectric bodies 220 are connected to each other, wherein the preceding dielectric body 230 is further provided with an inserting section 232, and the inserting section 232 is connected to the exposed section 231 of the preceding dielectric body 230, and the following dielectric body 240 is further provided with an inserting hole 2422, and the inserting section 232 is inserted into the inserting hole 2422, so that the two adjacent dielectric bodies are connected to each other.

[0068] In this embodiment, the shape of the plug hole 2422 corresponds to the shape of the plug section 232 to be plugged in, so that the plug section 232 and the plug hole 2422 can be plugged in each other. For example, if the plug section 232 is a cylinder, the plug hole 2422 is a round hole; if the plug section 232 is a square column, the plug hole 2422 is a square hole.

[0069] Specifically, combined Figures 3 to 6 The first dielectric body 230 and the intermediate dielectric body 240 are both provided with plug-in sections, the exposed section 231 of the first dielectric body 230 is connected to the plug-in section 232 of the first dielectric body 230, and the exposed section 241 of the intermediate dielectric body 240 is connected to the plug-in section 242 of the intermediate dielectric body 240. The intermediate dielectric body 240 and the final dielectric body 250 are both provided with plug-in holes.

[0070] When there is only one intermediate dielectric body 240 , the insertion section 232 of the first dielectric body 230 is inserted into the insertion hole 2422 of the intermediate dielectric body 240 , so that the first dielectric body 230 and the intermediate dielectric body 240 are stably connected to each other.

[0071] The last dielectric body 250 is provided with an inserting hole 253 , and the inserting section 242 of the middle dielectric body 240 is inserted into the inserting hole 253 of the last dielectric body 250 , so that the middle dielectric body 240 and the last dielectric body 250 are stably connected.

[0072] In one embodiment, when there are multiple intermediate dielectric bodies 240, the multiple intermediate dielectric bodies 240 are sequentially connected and arranged along the first vector. For example, two intermediate dielectric bodies 240 are included, and the two intermediate dielectric bodies 240 are respectively the second dielectric body and the third dielectric body, the second dielectric body is respectively connected to the first dielectric body 230 and the third dielectric body, and the third dielectric body is also connected to the last dielectric body 250. Specifically, the plug-in section 232 of the first dielectric body 230 is inserted into the plug-in hole of the second dielectric body, the plug-in section of the second dielectric body is inserted into the plug-in hole of the third dielectric body, and the plug-in section of the third dielectric body is inserted into the plug-in hole 253 of the last dielectric body 250.

[0073] Furthermore, when the number of the intermediate dielectric bodies 240 is greater than 2, the connection method of the plurality of intermediate dielectric bodies 240 can refer to the connection method between the first dielectric body 230 , the second dielectric body, the third dielectric body and the final dielectric body 250 , which will not be described in detail to save space.

[0074] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 and Figure 3 , the bottom surface 252 of the last dielectric body 250 is a part of the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210. The plug-in section 232 of the first dielectric body 230 and the plug-in section 242 of the intermediate dielectric body 240 both extend to the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210, and the bottom surface 2321 of the plug-in section 232 of the first dielectric body 230 and the bottom surface 2421 of the plug-in section 242 of the intermediate dielectric body 240 are both parts of the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210. In other words, the bottom surface 2321 of the plug-in section 232 of the first dielectric body 230, the bottom surface 2421 of the plug-in section 242 of the intermediate dielectric body 240 and the bottom surface 252 of the last dielectric body 250 together constitute the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210.

[0075] Specifically, combined Figures 3 to 6 The plug-in hole 2422 of the intermediate dielectric body 240 and the plug-in hole 253 of the final dielectric body 250 both extend to the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210, and the plug-in hole 2422 of the intermediate dielectric body 240 and the plug-in hole 253 of the final dielectric body 250 are both through holes, so that both the plug-in section 232 of the first dielectric body 230 and the plug-in section 242 of the intermediate dielectric body 240 can extend to the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210 through the corresponding plug-in holes, so that the bottom surface 2321 of the plug-in section 232 of the first dielectric body 230, the bottom surface 2421 of the plug-in section 242 of the intermediate dielectric body 240 and the bottom surface 252 of the final dielectric body 250 together constitute the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210.

[0076] The plugging hole 2422 of the intermediate dielectric body 240 simultaneously penetrates the exposed section 241 and the plugging section 242 of the intermediate dielectric body 240, so that the corresponding plugging section 242 can extend to the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210 through the plugging hole 2422 of the intermediate dielectric body 240. For example, when there is only one intermediate dielectric body 240, the plugging section 232 of the first dielectric body 230 can extend to the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210 through the plugging hole 2422 of the intermediate dielectric body 240, so that the bottom surface 2321 of the plugging section 232 of the first dielectric body 230 constitutes a part of the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210.

[0077] In this embodiment, the central axis of the plug hole 2422 of the middle dielectric body 240 coincides with the central axis of the plug hole 253 of the last dielectric body 250, that is, the plug hole 2422 of the middle dielectric body 240 and the plug hole 253 of the last dielectric body 250 share the same central axis. Because the lens unit 210 is cone-shaped, the plurality of dielectric bodies 220 are sequentially arranged along the first vector, and the aperture of the plug hole 223 of each dielectric body 220 is increasingly larger from the middle dielectric body 240 to the last dielectric body 250, so that the plug hole of the next dielectric body can accommodate the plug section of the previous dielectric body. For example, the aperture of the plug hole 253 of the last dielectric body 250 is larger than the aperture of the plug hole 2422 of the middle dielectric body 240 connected thereto.

[0078] The central axis of the plug-in hole 2422 of the intermediate dielectric body 240 coincides with the central axis of the plug-in hole 253 of the final dielectric body 250. The plug-in section 232 of the first dielectric body 230 extends along the corresponding plug-in hole 2422 of the intermediate dielectric body 240, and the plug-in section 242 of the intermediate dielectric body 240 extends along the plug-in hole 253 of the final dielectric body 250. It can be understood that the size of the plug-in section 232 of the first dielectric body 230 is smaller than the size of the plug-in section 242 of the intermediate dielectric body 240.

[0079] In this embodiment, the extension line extending from the center point of the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210 to the edge of the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210 is called a first extension line, and the bottom surface 2321 of the plug-in section 232 of the first dielectric body 230, the bottom surface 2421 of the plug-in section 242 of one or more intermediate dielectric bodies 240, and the bottom surface 253 of the final dielectric body 250 are arranged in sequence along the first extension line, so that the bottom surface 2321 of the plug-in section 232 of the first dielectric body 230, the bottom surface 2421 of the plug-in section 242 of one or more intermediate dielectric bodies 240, and the bottom surface 253 of the final dielectric body 250 together constitute the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210 of the multi-layer sleeve ring structure. In addition, the multi-layer sleeve ring structure is arranged in sequence based on the center point.

[0080] In one embodiment, the thicknesses of the plurality of dielectric bodies 220 of the lens unit 210 are the same or different, and the radiation performance of the lens body 200 can be adjusted by adjusting the thickness of the dielectric body 220 .

[0081] In one embodiment, the dielectric constants of the plurality of dielectric bodies 220 of the lens unit 210 are different, wherein the dielectric constants of the first dielectric body 230, the middle dielectric body 240 and the last dielectric body 250 vary from large to small. In this embodiment, the dielectric constant of the dielectric body 220 may be greater than 2.

[0082] When the lens unit 210 has only one middle dielectric body 240 , the dielectric constant of the first dielectric body 230 is recommended to be 1.89, the dielectric constant of the middle dielectric body 240 is recommended to be 1.56, and the dielectric constant of the last dielectric body 250 is recommended to be 1.

[0083] In one embodiment, the number of dielectric bodies 220 of the lens unit 210 is multiple. In this embodiment, it is recommended that the number of dielectric bodies 220 of the lens unit 210 is ≤ 6, but this should not be understood as a limitation of the present invention. In a typical embodiment of the present invention, the lens unit 210 includes three dielectric bodies 220 as an example to describe the present invention, that is, the lens unit 210 includes a first dielectric body 230, an intermediate dielectric body 240 and a final dielectric body 250.

[0084] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the Figure 1 The lens body 200 includes 6 lens units 210, and two adjacent lens units 210 of the 6 lens units 210 are arranged at 90 degrees, so that the lens body 200 forms a cubic structure. The lens unit 210 is conical, and the exposed section 231 of the first dielectric body 230 is conical, the exposed section 241 of the middle dielectric body 240 is truncated cone, and the exposed section 251 of the end dielectric body 250 is also truncated cone. The cone angle of the lens unit 210 is 60 degrees. Moreover, the 6 lens units 210 are centrally symmetrical structures with respect to the center of the reference sphere space. In this embodiment, the cone points of the 6 lens units 210 intersect at the center of the reference sphere, so that the 6 lens units are closely connected, and there is no air medium between the lens units 210, that is, there is no air medium in the lens body 200.

[0085] Because the six lens units 210 are centrally symmetrical about the center of the sphere, the electromagnetic waves emitted by the feed source 600 are transmitted consistently on the left and side sections of the lens body 200, see Figure 7 , here we select the left side view section for detailed description.

[0086] In the normal direction, Figure 7As shown in the propagation direction, the electromagnetic wave passes through the first dielectric body 310 of the first lens unit 300 and the first dielectric body 410 of the second lens unit 400 in sequence, that is, the electromagnetic wave of the feed source 600 reaches the point P of the equiphase surface after passing through points A and B. The letter A represents the dividing point between the first dielectric body 310 of the first lens unit 300 and the first dielectric body 410 of the second lens unit 400, which is also the center of the lens body 200; the letter B represents the dividing point between the lens body 200 and the external air medium.

[0087] In the non-linear direction, such as Figure 7 As shown in the propagation direction, two typical paths are taken for illustration:

[0088] Path 1, i.e., the electromagnetic wave of the feed source 600 passes through points A1, B1, C1 and D1 and reaches point P1 of the equiphase surface. Letters A1-D1 represent the boundary points of two media respectively. That is, the electromagnetic wave passes through the first dielectric body 310 of the first lens unit 300, the intermediate dielectric body 320 of the first lens unit 300, the intermediate dielectric body 520 of the third lens unit 500, the first dielectric body 510 of the third lens unit 500, the intermediate dielectric body 520 of the third lens unit 500, the intermediate dielectric body 420 of the second lens unit 400 and the air medium in sequence. Although the path lengths of OP and OP1 are different, since the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body that OP passes through is greater than the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body that OP passes through, P and P1 are on the same equiphase surface.

[0089] Path 2, i.e., the electromagnetic wave of the feed source 600 passes through points A2, B2, C2, D2, E2, F2, and G2 and reaches point P2 on the isophase surface. Letters A2-G2 represent the boundary points of two media, respectively. That is, the electromagnetic wave passes through the first dielectric body 310 of the first lens unit 300, the middle dielectric body 320 of the first lens unit 300, the final dielectric body 330 of the first lens unit 300, the final dielectric body 530 of the third lens unit 500, the middle dielectric body 520 of the third lens unit 500, the first dielectric body 510 of the third lens unit 500, the middle dielectric body 520 of the third lens unit 500, the final dielectric body 530 of the third lens unit 500, the final dielectric body 430 of the second lens unit 400, and the air medium in sequence. Although the path lengths of OP and OP2 are different, since the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body through which OP passes is greater than the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body through which OP passes, P and P2 are on the same isophase surface.

[0090] Therefore, the electromagnetic waves emitted by the feed source 600 of the lens antenna 100 of this embodiment can be transmitted consistently on different sides of the lens body 200, the beam widths in the horizontal and vertical directions are relatively consistent, and have a higher gain, so that the lens antenna 100 of this embodiment can be equivalent to a spherical Luneburg lens antenna 100.

[0091] See also Fig.12 and Fig.12 , see Fig.12 and Fig.13 The horizontal and vertical radiation patterns of the lens antenna 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention are shown in FIG. 1 , and the frequency band is 1710-2170 MHz. Fig.12 and Fig.13 It can be seen from the above that the side lobe of the horizontal plane pattern is about 20dB, and the side lobe of the vertical plane pattern is about 20dB. The horizontal plane pattern is basically consistent with the vertical plane pattern.

[0092] In a second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 The structure of the lens body 200 of this embodiment is basically the same as that of the lens body of the first embodiment, but the cone points of the six lens units 210 of the lens body 200 of this embodiment do not intersect, and the cone points of the six lens units 210 are arranged at equal intervals from the center of the reference sphere, so that there is air medium between each lens unit 210, that is, there is air medium in the lens body 200 of this embodiment.

[0093] Air gaps are filled between the lens units 210, and the size of the air gaps gradually increases as the distance increases. The filling of the air gaps changes the equivalent dielectric constant of the medium inside the lens body 200, and also changes the phases of electromagnetic waves passing through different paths of the lens body 200, thereby forming different radiation patterns.

[0094] Because the six lens units 210 are centrally symmetrical about the center of the sphere, the electromagnetic waves emitted by the feed source 600 are transmitted consistently on the left and side sections of the lens body 200, and the left side section is selected for detailed description. Figure 8 As shown, when the electromagnetic wave propagates in the direction of the left side viewing plane of the lens body 200, its propagation path is related to the shape of the lens body 200.

[0095] In the normal direction, Figure 8 As shown in the propagation direction, the electromagnetic wave passes through the first dielectric body 310 of the first lens unit 300, the air gap and the first dielectric body 410 of the second lens unit 400 in sequence, that is, the electromagnetic wave of the feed source 600 reaches the point P of the equal phase surface after passing through points A and B. The letters A and B represent the boundary points of the first dielectric body 310 of the first lens unit 300 and the first dielectric body 410 of the second lens unit 400 and the air gap, respectively.

[0096] In the non-linear direction, such as Figure 8 As shown in the propagation direction, two typical paths are taken for illustration:

[0097] Path 1, i.e., the electromagnetic wave of the feed source 600 passes through points A1, B1, C1, D1, E1, and F1 and arrives at point P1 of the equiphase plane. Letters A1-F1 represent the boundary points of two media, respectively. That is, the electromagnetic wave passes through the first dielectric body 310 of the first lens unit 300, the intermediate dielectric body 320 of the first lens unit 300, the air medium, the intermediate dielectric body 520 of the third lens unit 500, the first dielectric body 510 of the third lens unit 500, the intermediate dielectric body 520 of the third lens unit 500, the air medium, the intermediate dielectric body 420 of the second lens unit 400, and the air medium in sequence. Although the path lengths of OP and OP1 are different, since the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body through which OP passes is greater than the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body through which OP1 passes, P and P1 are on the same equiphase plane.

[0098] Path 2, i.e., the electromagnetic wave of the feed source 600 passes through points A2, B2, C2, D2, E2, F2, G2, H2, and I and arrives at point P2 of the equal phase plane. Letters A2-I 2 represent the boundary points of two media respectively. That is, the electromagnetic wave passes through the first dielectric body 310 of the first lens unit 300, the intermediate dielectric body 320 of the first lens unit 300, the final dielectric body 330 of the first lens unit 300, the air medium, the final dielectric body 530 of the third lens unit 500, the intermediate dielectric body 520 of the third lens unit 500, the first dielectric body 510 of the third lens unit 500, the intermediate dielectric body 520 of the third lens unit 500, the final dielectric body 530 of the third lens unit 500, the air medium, the final dielectric body 430 of the second lens unit 400 and the air medium in sequence. Although the path lengths of OP and OP2 are different, since the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body through which OP passes is greater than the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body through which OP2 passes, P and P2 are on the same equiphase plane.

[0099] Therefore, the electromagnetic waves emitted by the feed source 600 of the lens antenna 100 of the present embodiment can be transmitted consistently on different sides of the lens body 200, and the beam widths in the horizontal and vertical directions are relatively consistent, with a higher gain, so that the lens antenna 100 of the present embodiment can be equivalent to the spherical Luneburg lens antenna 100. In addition, the working performance of the lens antenna 100 can be adjusted by changing the volume of the lens unit 210 and / or the size of the air gap inside the lens body 200, so that the phase of the electromagnetic wave changes when it is transmitted inside the lens body 200, thereby obtaining different shaped beams.

[0100] See also Fig.14 and Fig.15 , Fig.14 and Fig.15 The horizontal and vertical radiation patterns of the lens antenna 100 of the second embodiment of the present invention are shown in FIG. 1 , and the frequency band is 1710-2170 MHz. Fig.14and Fig.15 It can be seen from the figure that the side lobe of the horizontal plane pattern is about 23dB, and the side lobe of the vertical plane pattern is about 23dB, and the horizontal plane pattern is basically consistent with the vertical plane pattern. At the same time, the beam widths of the horizontal and vertical planes intersect in the first embodiment and are significantly widened, obtaining a beam with new radiation performance. In this embodiment, the position of each lens unit 210 can be further adjusted to obtain other forms of shaped beams. After knowing the technical solution of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make adaptive adjustments. In order to save space, they will not be described one by one.

[0101] In the third embodiment of the present invention, based on the first embodiment, see Fig. 9 , the cone angle of each lens unit 210 is reduced so that the cone angle of the lens unit 210 is less than 60°, so as to expand the internal air gap of the lens body 200, so that the phase of the electromagnetic wave changes when it is transmitted inside the lens body 200, thereby obtaining different shaped beams. Specifically, the structure of the lens body 200 of this embodiment is basically the same as that of the lens body of the first embodiment, but the cone points of the six lens units 210 of the lens body 200 of this embodiment are respectively arranged to intersect at the center of the reference sphere, and the cone angle of the lens unit 210 is less than 60°. The following description of this embodiment takes the cone angle of 50° as an example, but it should not be understood as a limitation to this embodiment.

[0102] Because the cone angle of the lens unit 210 is 50°, air medium is filled between each lens unit 210, and the filling size of the air gap gradually increases as the cone angle decreases. The filling of the air gap changes the equivalent dielectric constant of the medium inside the lens antenna, and also changes the phase of the electromagnetic waves passing through different paths of the lens, thereby forming different radiation patterns.

[0103] Since the six lens units 210 are centrally symmetrical about the center of the sphere, the electromagnetic waves emitted by the feed source 600 are transmitted consistently on the left and side sections of the lens body 200, see Fig.10 , here we select the left side view section for detailed description.

[0104] In the normal direction, Fig.10 As shown in the propagation direction, the electromagnetic wave passes through the first dielectric body 310 of the first lens unit 300 and the first dielectric body 410 of the second lens unit 400 in sequence, that is, the electromagnetic wave of the feed source 600 reaches the point P of the equiphase surface after passing through points A and B. The letter A represents the dividing point between the first dielectric body 310 of the first lens unit 300 and the first dielectric body 410 of the second lens unit 400, which is also the center of the lens body 200; the letter B represents the dividing point between the lens body 200 and the external air medium.

[0105] In the non-linear direction, such as Fig.10As shown in the propagation direction, four typical paths are taken for illustration:

[0106] Path 1, i.e., the electromagnetic wave of the feed source 600 passes through points A1, B1, C1, D1, and E1 and arrives at point P1 of the isophase plane. Letters A1-E1 represent the boundary points of two media, respectively. That is, the electromagnetic wave passes through the first dielectric body 310 of the first lens unit 300, the air medium, the first dielectric body 510 of the third lens unit 500, the air medium, the first dielectric body 410 of the second lens unit 400, and the air medium in sequence. Although the path lengths of OP and OP1 are different, since the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body that OP passes through is greater than the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body that OP1 passes through, P and P1 are on the same isophase plane.

[0107] Path 2, i.e., the electromagnetic wave of the feed source 600O passes through points A2, B2, C2, D2, E2, and F2 and reaches point P2 on the isophase plane. Letters A2-F2 represent the boundary points of two media, respectively. That is, the electromagnetic wave passes through the first dielectric body 310 of the first lens unit 300, the intermediate dielectric body 320 of the first lens unit 300, the air medium, the first dielectric body 510 of the third lens unit 500, the air medium, the intermediate dielectric body 420 of the second lens unit 400, and the air medium in sequence. Although the path lengths of OP and OP2 are different, since the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body through which OP passes is greater than the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body through which OP2 passes, P and P2 are on the same isophase plane.

[0108] Path three, that is, the electromagnetic wave of the feed source 600O passes through points A3, B3, C3, D3, E3, F3, G3, and H3 and arrives at point P3 of the equal phase plane. Letters A3-H3 represent the boundary points of two media respectively. That is, the electromagnetic wave passes through the first dielectric body 310 of the first lens unit 300, the intermediate dielectric body 320 of the first lens unit 300, the air medium, the intermediate dielectric body 520 of the third lens unit 500, the first dielectric body 510 of the third lens unit 500, the intermediate dielectric body 520 of the third lens unit 500, the air medium, the end dielectric body 430 of the second lens unit 400, and the air medium in sequence. Although the path lengths of OP and OP3 are different, since the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body through which OP passes is greater than the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body through which OP passes, P and P3 are on the same equal phase plane.

[0109] Path 4, i.e., the electromagnetic wave of the feed source 600O passes through points A4, B4, C4, D4, E4, F4, G4, H4, and I4 and arrives at point P4 of the equal phase plane. Letters A4-I4 represent the boundary points of two media respectively. That is, the electromagnetic wave passes through the first dielectric body 310 of the first lens unit 300, the middle dielectric body 320 of the first lens unit 300, the final dielectric body 330 of the first lens unit 300, the air medium, the final dielectric body 530 of the third lens unit 500, the middle dielectric body 520 of the third lens unit 500, the first dielectric body 510 of the third lens unit 500, the middle dielectric body 520 of the third lens unit 500, the final dielectric body 530 of the third lens unit 500, and the air medium in sequence. Although the path lengths of OP and OP4 are different, since the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body through which OP passes is greater than the average dielectric constant of the dielectric body through which OP4 passes, P and P2 are realized on the same equal phase plane.

[0110] In this embodiment, the introduction of the air gap effectively adjusts the equivalent dielectric constant of each dielectric body in the lens body 200, changes the phase of the electromagnetic wave on the radiation path, and can effectively adjust key radiation indicators such as the wavelength without increasing additional costs.

[0111] See also Fig.16 and Fig.17 , Fig.16 and Fig.17 It is the horizontal and vertical plane radiation pattern of the lens antenna of the third embodiment of the present invention, and the frequency band is 1710-2170MHz. It can be seen from the figure that the side lobe of the horizontal plane radiation pattern is about 20dB, and the side lobe of the vertical plane radiation pattern is about 20dB. The horizontal plane radiation pattern is basically consistent with the vertical plane radiation pattern. At the same time, its horizontal plane and vertical plane beam widths intersect with the first embodiment and are significantly widened, obtaining a beam with new radiation performance. In this embodiment, the position of each lens unit 210 can be further adjusted to obtain other forms of shaped beams. After knowing the technical solution of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make adaptive adjustments. In order to save space, they will not be described one by one here.

[0112] In a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in combination with Fig.11, the lens unit 210 is in the shape of a quadrangular pyramid, that is, the bottom surface 212 of the lens unit 210 is rectangular, preferably square, and correspondingly, the exposed section 231 of the first dielectric body 230 is in the shape of a quadrangular pyramid, the exposed section 241 of the middle dielectric body 240 is in the shape of a prism, and the exposed section 251 of the end dielectric body 250 is also in the shape of a prism. The cone angle of the lens unit 210 is 60°. The lens body 200 includes 6 lens units 210, and two adjacent lens units 210 of the 6 lens units 210 are arranged at 90°, so that the lens body 200 forms a cubic structure. Moreover, the 6 lens units 210 are in a centrosymmetric structure with respect to the center of the reference spherical space.

[0113] In this embodiment, the lens body 200 forms a cubic structure to eliminate the air gap inside the lens body 200, that is, there is no air medium inside the lens body 200. Since the air medium is eliminated, the average dielectric constant of the lens body 200 is changed to adjust the working performance of the lens antenna 100, so that the phase of the electromagnetic wave changes when it is transmitted inside the lens body 200, thereby obtaining different shaped beams.

[0114] In the fifth embodiment of the present invention, on the basis of the fourth embodiment, the cone angle of each lens unit 210 is reduced so that the cone angle of the lens unit 210 is less than 60°, so that the lens body 200 cannot maintain a cubic structure, but instead forms a quasi-cube structure, thereby forming an air gap inside the lens body 200, so that the phase of the electromagnetic wave changes when it is transmitted inside the lens body 200, thereby obtaining different shaped beams.

[0115] In one embodiment of the invention, the feed source 600 of the lens antenna 100 is a radiating dipole.

[0116] The present invention also separately provides a lens body, which is the lens body 200 described above. The specific structure and function of the lens body 200 can be found above, and will not be described here to save space.

[0117] The present invention further provides a communication device, wherein the communication device comprises the lens antenna 100 described above.

[0118] To sum up, the lens body of the lens antenna of the present invention is composed of a plurality of cone-shaped lens units, and each lens body is composed of a plurality of dielectric bodies nested in sequence. The phase of the electromagnetic wave changes when it is transmitted inside the lens body by adjusting the cone angle of the lens unit and the air medium of the lens body, thereby obtaining different shaped beams.

[0119] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and an explanation of the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the invention involved in the present invention is not limited to the technical solution formed by a specific combination of the above technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by any combination of the above technical features or their equivalent features without departing from the above inventive concept. For example, the above features are replaced with the technical features with similar functions invented in the present invention (but not limited to) to form a technical solution.

[0120] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological logical actions, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. On the contrary, the specific features and actions described above are merely example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A lens body, characterized in that: The invention comprises a plurality of lens units, each of which is cone-shaped, the cone point of each lens unit points to the center of a reference spherical space, the bottom surface of each lens unit faces outward, the plurality of lens units evenly occupy the reference spherical space, and each lens unit comprises a plurality of dielectric bodies, which are nested in sequence to form a cone shape.

2. The lens body according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of dielectric bodies are sequentially arranged along a center line of the lens unit, and the plurality of dielectric bodies are sequentially connected to form the lens unit.

3. The lens body according to claim 2, characterized in that: The dielectric body includes an exposed section, and the exposed sections of the plurality of dielectric bodies are connected in sequence to jointly form an outer contour of the lens unit.

4. The lens body as described in claim 3 has a characteristic value that, from the cone point, along the center line, among two adjacent dielectric bodies, the front dielectric body also includes an insertion section connected to the exposed section, and the rear dielectric body is provided with an insertion hole, and the insertion section is inserted into the insertion hole.

5. The lens body according to claim 4, characterized in that: The plug-in section extends from the dielectric body to the bottom surface of the lens unit, and the bottom surface of the plug-in section is a part of the bottom surface of the lens unit.

6. The lens body according to claim 5, characterized in that: From the cone point, along the center line, the bottom surface of the exposed section of the dielectric body at the end and the bottom surfaces of the plug-in sections of the remaining dielectric bodies together constitute the bottom surface of the lens unit.

7. The lens body according to claim 5, characterized in that: The plug-in hole of the dielectric body is a through hole and extends to the bottom surface of the lens unit to accommodate the corresponding plug-in section.

8. The lens body according to claim 7, characterized in that: The respective plug-in holes of the plurality of dielectric bodies are arranged on a common central axis.

9. The lens body according to claim 8, characterized in that: On the bottom surface of the lens unit, the bottom surface of the exposed section of the dielectric body at the end and the bottom surfaces of the plug-in sections of the remaining dielectric bodies together form the bottom surface of the lens unit with a multi-layer ring structure.

10. The lens body according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cone points of the lens units intersect at the spherical center, or the cone points of the lens units are arranged at equal intervals from the spherical center.

11. The lens body according to claim 2, characterized in that: The thicknesses of the plurality of dielectric bodies are the same or different.

12. The lens body according to claim 2, characterized in that: The dielectric constants of the plurality of dielectric bodies are different.

13. The lens body according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of dielectric bodies of the lens unit is ≤6.

14. The lens body according to claim 1, characterized in that: The angle between two adjacent lens units is ≤90°.

15. The lens body according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cone angle of the lens unit is ≤60°.

16. The lens body according to claim 1, characterized in that: An air medium is formed between the plurality of lens units.

17. The lens body according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lens body is provided with 6 lens units, and each lens unit is provided with 3 dielectric bodies.

18. The lens body according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that: The lens unit is in a cone or pyramid shape.

19. A lens antenna, characterized in that: It comprises a feed source and a lens body as described in any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the feed source is arranged on one side of the lens body.

20. A communication device, characterized in that: Comprising the lens antenna as claimed in claim 19.

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