Circularly polarized antenna, array antenna and communication equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a circularly polarized antenna, an array antenna and a communication terminal, and relates to the technical field of antennas. The circularly polarized antenna comprises a radiation patch, a grounding layer, a dielectric layer and a power division module. The radiation patch and the grounding layer are oppositely arranged, and the dielectric layer is located between the radiation patch and the grounding layer; the power division module comprises an input end and two output ends, and the phase difference of output signals of the two output ends is 90 degrees; the radiation patch comprises a first feeding point and a second feeding point, the first feeding point is electrically connected with one of the output ends, and the second feeding point is electrically connected with the other output end; a virtual connecting line between the first feeding point and the center of the radiation patch is a first line, a virtual connecting line between the second feeding point and the center of the radiation patch is a second line, and an included angle between the first line and the second line is smaller than 90 degrees. The circularly polarized antenna is small in size and compact in structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to a circularly polarized antenna, an array antenna and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] Communication equipment generally includes an antenna, which can radiate the guided waves in the feeder to the external space in the form of electromagnetic waves, or receive electromagnetic waves in the external space and convert them into guided waves. However, the antenna in the related art is relatively large in size. Summary of the invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a circularly polarized antenna, an array antenna, and a communication device with a compact structure and a small size.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present disclosure adopt the following technical solutions:

[0005] On the one hand, a circularly polarized antenna is provided, comprising a radiating patch, a ground layer, a dielectric layer and a power divider; the radiating patch and the ground layer are arranged relative to each other, and the dielectric layer is located between the radiating patch and the ground layer; the power divider module comprises an input end and two output ends, and the phases of output signals of the two output ends differ by 90°; the radiating patch comprises a first feeding point and a second feeding point, the first feeding point is electrically connected to one of the output ends, and the second feeding point is electrically connected to the other output end; a virtual line between the first feeding point and the center of the radiating patch is a first line, a virtual line between the second feeding point and the center of the radiating patch is a second line, and an angle between the first line and the second line is less than 90°.

[0006] In some embodiments, the power division module includes a power divider, a first signal line and a second signal line, the power divider includes a first output end and a second output end, the first signal line electrically connects the first output end and the first feeding point, the second signal line electrically connects the second output end and the second feeding point, and the first signal line and the second signal line have different lengths.

[0007] In some embodiments, the circularly polarized antenna further includes a first conductive layer connected to a side of the dielectric layer away from the ground layer, and the radiation patch, the power divider, the first signal line, and the second signal line are located in the first conductive layer.

[0008] In some embodiments, there are two parallel and spaced virtual straight lines in the first conductive layer, the radiation patch is connected to both of the two virtual straight lines, and the radiation patch, the first signal line, the second signal line and the power divider are located between the two virtual straight lines.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first signal line includes a first feeding segment electrically connected to the first feeding point, the second signal line includes a second feeding segment electrically connected to the second feeding point, and the first feeding segment and the second feeding segment are parallel and spaced apart.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first output terminal and the second output terminal output signals with the same phase.

[0011] In some embodiments, a length difference between the first signal line and the second signal line is 2.8-3.8 mm, and / or a distance between the first feeding point and the second feeding point is 4.9-5.9 mm.

[0012] In some embodiments, the radiation patch is circular, polygonal, or irregular in shape.

[0013] In some embodiments, an electrically connected radiation patch and a power division module constitute an antenna unit, and the circularly polarized antenna includes at least two antenna units; the circularly polarized antenna also includes a branch line coupler, and the branch line coupler includes multiple input ports and at least two output ports, and the phases of signals output by two adjacent output ports differ by 90°, and each output port is connected to the antenna unit.

[0014] In some embodiments, two adjacent radiation patches are spaced apart, and the spacing between the centers of two adjacent radiation patches is half of the spatial wavelength.

[0015] In some embodiments, a plurality of conductive columns are provided between two adjacent radiation patches, and the axial direction of the conductive columns is perpendicular to the grounding layer; and / or a neutralization line is provided between two adjacent radiation patches, one end of the neutralization line is electrically connected to one radiation patch, and the other end of the neutralization line is electrically connected to another radiation patch; and / or the grounding layer is provided with a defective ground structure.

[0016] In some embodiments, the dielectric layer is provided with a plurality of openings, and the conductive pillars are disposed in the openings.

[0017] In some embodiments, the circularly polarized antenna includes at least three antenna units, and the branch line coupler includes at least three output ports.

[0018] In some embodiments, a filter is connected between the output port and the input port.

[0019] On the other hand, an array antenna is provided, comprising a plurality of the circularly polarized antennas, wherein the plurality of the circularly polarized antennas are arranged in an array.

[0020] In some embodiments, the multiple circularly polarized antennas include multiple circularly polarized antenna rows, the multiple circularly polarized antennas in the circularly polarized antenna row are arranged at intervals along a first direction, and two adjacent circularly polarized antenna columns in the circularly polarized antenna row are staggered at a preset distance along a second direction, and the first direction intersects with the second direction.

[0021] In some embodiments, the array antenna further includes a phase shifter, wherein the phase shifter is connected to an input port of the circularly polarized antenna, and / or the phase shifter is connected between an output port of the circularly polarized antenna and an input end of an antenna unit.

[0022] In some embodiments, the phase shifter is a liquid crystal phase shifter, and the dielectric layer serves as a substrate of the liquid crystal phase shifter.

[0023] In some embodiments, the array antenna also includes a power regulator, which is configured to amplify or attenuate an electrical signal; the power regulator is connected to the input port of the circularly polarized antenna, and / or the power regulator is connected between the output port of the circularly polarized antenna and the input end of the antenna unit.

[0024] On the other hand, a communication terminal is provided, comprising the array antenna.

[0025] The circularly polarized antenna, array antenna and communication terminal provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, the radiating patch includes a first feeding point and a second feeding point, the first feeding point is electrically connected to one of the output terminals, the second feeding point is electrically connected to the other output terminal, the virtual line between the first feeding point and the center of the radiating patch is the first line, the virtual line between the second feeding point and the center of the radiating patch is the second line, and the angle between the first line and the second line is less than 90°. Different from the orthogonal feeding method used in the circularly polarized antenna in the related art, the embodiments of the present disclosure utilize the phase difference between the two output terminals of the power division module and the different positions of the first feeding point and the second feeding point to reduce the size of the antenna along the first direction while realizing the circular polarization of the antenna. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0027] Figure 1 An application scenario diagram of a communication terminal is exemplarily shown;

[0028] Figure 2 A front view of a circularly polarized antenna in the related art is shown;

[0029] Figure 3 A front view of a circularly polarized antenna is exemplarily shown;

[0030] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The cross-sectional view of AA in ;

[0031] Figure 5 An exploded view of a circularly polarized antenna is exemplarily shown;

[0032] Figure 6 A partial structural schematic diagram of a circularly polarized antenna is exemplarily shown;

[0033] Figure 7 A partial structure of a circularly polarized antenna is exemplarily shown;

[0034] Figure 8 Shows Figure 3 The 3D radiation pattern of the circularly polarized antenna shown;

[0035] Fig. 9 Shows Figure 3 Input impedance bandwidth diagram of the circularly polarized antenna shown;

[0036] Fig.10 Shows Figure 3 The curve of the axial ratio of the circularly polarized antenna as a function of frequency is shown;

[0037] Fig.11 Shows Figure 3 The axial ratio of the circularly polarized antenna shown in Figure 7 The change graph of Theta in;

[0038] Fig.12 A front view of another circularly polarized antenna is exemplarily shown;

[0039] Fig.13 for Fig.12 The 3D radiation pattern of the circularly polarized antenna shown;

[0040] Fig.14 Shows Fig.12 Input impedance bandwidth diagram of the circularly polarized antenna shown;

[0041] Fig.15 Shows Fig.12 The curve of the axial ratio of the circularly polarized antenna as a function of frequency is shown;

[0042] Fig.16 A front view of another circularly polarized antenna is exemplarily shown;

[0043] Fig.17 The structure of another circularly polarized antenna is exemplarily shown;

[0044] Fig.18 The structure of another circularly polarized antenna is exemplarily shown;

[0045] Fig.19 The structure of another circularly polarized antenna is exemplarily shown;

[0046] Fig. 20 The structure of a ground layer is exemplarily shown;

[0047] Fig.21 An array antenna structure is shown exemplarily;

[0048] Fig. 22 Another structure of an array antenna is shown exemplarily;

[0049] Fig.23 for Fig.21 3D radiation pattern of the array antenna shown;

[0050] Figures 24 to 34 The arrangement diagram of the radiation patches in the array antenna is shown exemplarily;

[0051] Fig.35 Another structure of an array antenna is shown exemplarily;

[0052] Fig.36 for Fig.35 The beam pointing corresponding to different phase differences of the array antenna shown;

[0053] Fig.37 Another structure of an array antenna is shown exemplarily;

[0054] Fig.38 Another structure of an array antenna is shown exemplarily;

[0055] Fig.39 Another structure of an array antenna is shown exemplarily;

[0056] Fig.40 The structure of another array antenna is shown as an example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0058] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, words such as "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with substantially the same functions and effects. This is only for the purpose of clearly describing the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure and shall not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features.

[0059] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” means two or more than two, and “at least one” means one or more than one, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0060] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "upper" and "lower" etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and is only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure.

[0061] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication terminal, which can perform wireless communication with an external device. Figure 1 An application scenario diagram of a communication terminal is shown exemplarily. Figure 1 As shown, wireless communication can be carried out between the communication terminal and the satellite. Figure 1 The illustrated embodiment is described by taking a mobile phone as an example. It is understandable that the communication terminal may also be other electronic devices. The disclosed embodiment does not limit the type of communication device as long as wireless communication with external devices can be achieved.

[0062] The communication terminal includes a circularly polarized antenna, which realizes wireless communication with external devices. The circularly polarized antenna can be used as a transmitting antenna or a receiving antenna. When the circularly polarized antenna is used as a transmitting antenna, the circularly polarized antenna converts the radio frequency current in the guided wave mode into a spatial electromagnetic wave in the diffuse wave mode; when the circularly polarized antenna is used as a receiving antenna, the circularly polarized antenna intercepts the spatial electromagnetic wave in the diffuse wave mode and converts the electromagnetic wave into a radio frequency current in the guided wave mode.

[0063] Exemplarily, the communication terminal includes a housing and a circularly polarized antenna, a feeder, a receiving device, and a transmitting device arranged in the housing, wherein the feeder electrically connects the circularly polarized antenna and the transmitting device, and the feeder electrically connects the circularly polarized antenna and the receiving device. When the circularly polarized antenna is used as a transmitting antenna, the radio frequency current signal emitted by the transmitting device is fed into the circularly polarized antenna through the feeder; when the circularly polarized antenna is used as a receiving antenna, the current signal converted by the circularly polarized antenna is input into the receiving device through the feeder.

[0064] In actual application, the communication terminal may further include a battery, and the battery provides power to various active devices inside the communication terminal.

[0065] Figure 2 FIG. 2 shows a front view of a circularly polarized antenna in the related art. Figure 2 As shown, the circular polarization antenna in the related art includes a circular radiator and two feed lines connected to the radiator. The connection point between the two feed lines and the radiator is the feeding point, and the two feeding points are respectively connected to the center of the radiator to form two virtual lines ( Figure 2 The two virtual lines are perpendicular to each other to achieve circular polarization of the antenna. Since the two virtual lines need to be perpendicular to each other, one of the feed lines extends along the first direction X and the other feed line extends along the second direction Y, resulting in a larger lateral size of the circular polarization antenna in the related art, that is, the circular polarization antenna is Figure 2 The size of the first direction X is large and cannot meet the miniaturization requirements of the communication terminal. Specifically, in the related art, one of the feed lines of the antenna needs to extend along the meridian of the radiator along the first direction X, resulting in the position of the feed line exceeding the outermost area of ​​the radiator along the first direction X.

[0066] In view of this, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a circularly polarized antenna with a compact structure and small size. The circularly polarized antenna may be a microstrip antenna, a dielectric antenna, a cross-dipole antenna, etc. For the convenience of description, the circularly polarized antenna is only taken as an example of a microstrip antenna.

[0067] Figure 3 The figure shows a front view of a circularly polarized antenna. Figure 4 for Figure 3 The cross-sectional view of AA in Figure 5 An exploded view of a circularly polarized antenna is shown as an example. Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the circularly polarized antenna 100 includes a radiation patch 31 , a ground layer 1 and a dielectric layer 2 . The radiation patch 31 and the ground layer 1 are arranged opposite to each other, and the dielectric layer 2 is located between the radiation patch 31 and the ground layer 1 .

[0068] The dielectric layer 2 can be a sheet made of low-loss hard materials such as quartz, ceramic, graphene, glass, etc. The dielectric layer 2 can also be a low-loss printed circuit board (PCB), such as a polytetrafluoroethylene F4BM high-frequency antenna board. Of course, the dielectric layer 2 can also be other materials, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the material of the dielectric layer.

[0069] The thickness direction of the dielectric layer 2 is Figure 4In the third direction Z, the thickness of the dielectric layer 2 may be less than the working wavelength. Exemplarily, the thickness of the dielectric layer 2 is greater than 0.025 times the working wavelength and less than the working wavelength. In practical applications, the thickness of the dielectric layer 2 can be flexibly adjusted as needed. When the thickness of the dielectric layer 2 is set to be thinner, the impedance mismatch can be reduced, the gain of the antenna can be improved, the bandwidth of the antenna can be increased, and the overall size of the circularly polarized antenna can be reduced. When the thickness of the dielectric layer 2 is set to be thicker, the radiation of the circularly polarized antenna can be made more uniform.

[0070] The dielectric layer 2 includes a first side surface and a second side surface perpendicular to the thickness direction. The radiation patch 31 is located on the first side surface of the dielectric layer 2 , and the ground layer 1 is located on the second side surface of the dielectric layer 2 .

[0071] The radiation patch 31 and the grounding layer 1 are made of conductive materials, for example, the radiation patch 31 and the grounding layer 1 are made of low-loss metal materials such as gold, silver, and copper. The materials of the grounding layer 1 and the radiation patch 31 can be the same, for example, the grounding layer 1 and the radiation patch 31 are both made of copper; the materials of the grounding layer 1 and the radiation patch 31 can also be different, for example, the grounding layer 1 is made of copper, and the radiation patch is made of gold.

[0072] The ground layer 1 and the radiation patch 31 can be directly connected to the dielectric layer 2, thereby reducing the thickness of the circularly polarized antenna along the third direction Z. For example, when the dielectric layer 2 is a glass dielectric layer, the ground layer 1 and the radiation patch 31 can be prepared on the surface of the dielectric layer 2 using a glass-based semiconductor process. For another example, when the dielectric layer 2 is a PCB, the ground layer 1 and the radiation patch 31 can be printed on the substrate surface of the PCB.

[0073] For example, Figure 4 As shown, when the dielectric layer 2 is a glass dielectric layer, a first conductive layer 3 can be formed on the first side of the dielectric layer 2 by magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation, electroplating, etc., and a second conductive layer can be formed on the second side of the dielectric layer 2. The first conductive layer 3 is patterned to form a radiation patch 31, and the second conductive layer serves as a ground layer 1 or the second conductive layer is patterned to form a ground layer 1.

[0074] Of course, the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the preparation method of the ground layer 1 and the radiation patch 31 and the connection method of the ground layer 1 and the radiation patch 31 with the dielectric layer 2. For example, the ground layer 1 and the radiation patch 31 may be connected to the dielectric layer 2 by bonding.

[0075] The thickness of the ground layer 1 and the radiation patch 31 can be flexibly set according to actual needs. When the thickness of the ground layer 1 and the radiation patch 31 is thicker, the loss of the circularly polarized antenna can be reduced. When the thickness of the ground layer 1 and the radiation patch 31 is thinner, the size of the circularly polarized antenna can be reduced. In addition, when the circularly polarized antenna is prepared by glass-based semiconductor technology, the preparation difficulty can be reduced when the thickness of the ground layer 1 and the radiation patch 31 is thinner.

[0076] Exemplarily, the thickness of the radiation patch 31 and the ground layer 1 is 18-35 μm.

[0077] Continue to refer Figure 3 The circularly polarized antenna 100 further includes a power division module 32, which includes an input terminal 32a and two output terminals. The power division module 32 receives the RF current signal through the input terminal 32a, and simultaneously outputs the RF current signal through the two output terminals, and the signals output by the two output terminals have the same amplitude and a phase difference of 90°. Both output terminals are electrically connected to the radiation patch 31, so that the power division module 32 simultaneously provides two RF current signals with the same amplitude and a phase difference of 90° to the radiation patch 31 through the two output terminals, so that the circularly polarized antenna realizes circular polarization.

[0078] The fact that the power division module 32 includes two output terminals means that the power division module 32 includes at least two output terminals, and the power division module 32 may also include three output terminals, four output terminals, etc. When the power division module 32 includes more than three output terminals, only two of the output terminals of the power division module 32 are electrically connected to the radiation patch 31, and the amplitudes of the signals output by the two output terminals electrically connected to the radiation patch 31 are the same and the phases differ by 90°.

[0079] The power division module 32 is used as a power divider to divide the radio frequency current signal received by the input terminal 32a into two or more radio frequency current signals. The power division module 32 can be an active device or a passive device. The embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the structure of the power division module 32, as long as the output signals of the two output terminals electrically connected to the radiation patch 31 can have the same amplitude and a phase difference of 90°.

[0080] The radiation patch 31 includes a first feeding point 31a and a second feeding point 31b, which are parts of the radiation patch 31 for electrically connecting to the output end of the power division module 32. The first feeding point 31a and the second feeding point 31b are spaced apart.

[0081] Exemplarily, when the radiation patch 31 is circular, the first feeding point 31a and the second feeding point 31b are two points spaced apart on the circumference of the radiation patch 31. Of course, the first feeding point 31a and the second feeding point 31b may also be points inside the circular radiation patch 31.

[0082] The first feeding points 31 a and the second feeding points 31 b may be arranged along the first direction X at intervals.

[0083] The first feeding point 31a is electrically connected to one of the output ends of the power division module 32, and the second feeding point 31b is electrically connected to the other output end of the power division module 32. The RF current signals received by the first feeding point 31a and the second feeding point 31b have the same amplitude and a 90° phase difference, so that the antenna realizes circular polarization.

[0084] Figure 6 The following is a schematic diagram showing a partial structure of a circularly polarized antenna. Figure 6 As shown, the virtual line between the first feeding point 31a and the center of the radiation patch 31 is the first line L1, and the virtual line between the second feeding point 31b and the center of the radiation patch 31 is the second line L2. The angle between the first line L1 and the second line L2 is less than 90°, that is, the first line L1 and the second line L2 are not orthogonal.

[0085] The first line L1 and the second line L2 are virtual lines for indicating the positional relationship between the first feeding point 31a, the second feeding point 31b and the center of the radiation patch 31. No physical structure corresponding to the first line L1 and the second line L2 may be provided on the radiation patch 31.

[0086] Exemplarily, the radiation patch 31 is circular, and the center of the radiation patch 31 is the center of the circle. The first line L1 is a radius line passing through the first feeding point 31a, and the second line L2 is a radius line passing through the second feeding point 31b, and the angle between the two radius lines is less than 90°.

[0087] Exemplarily, the radiation patch 31 is a rectangle, and the center of the radiation patch 31 is the intersection of two diagonals of the rectangle.

[0088] Since the angle between the first line L1 and the second line L2 is less than 90°, the spacing between the first feeding point 31a and the second feeding point 31b can be set smaller, that is, the spacing between the two output ends of the power division module 32 is smaller, so that the structure of the circularly polarized antenna is more compact. When the first feeding point 31a and the second feeding point 31b are arranged at intervals along the first direction X, the two output ends are also arranged at intervals along the first direction X. For example, the two output ends of the power division module 32 are both located below the radiation patch 31 along the second direction Y, so that the size of the circularly polarized antenna along the first direction X is smaller.

[0089] Among them, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the radiation patch 31 is taken as a circular patch for illustrative explanation, the radiation patch 31 can also be a polygon such as a triangle, rhombus, rectangle, square, trapezoid, etc. The radiation patch 31 can also be an irregular shape. The embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the shape of the radiation patch 31.

[0090] The circularly polarized antenna provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the radiation patch 31 includes a first feeding point 31a and a second feeding point 31b, the first feeding point 31a is electrically connected to one of the output terminals, the second feeding point 31b is electrically connected to the other output terminal, the virtual line between the first feeding point 31a and the center of the radiation patch 31 is the first line L1, the virtual line between the second feeding point 31b and the center of the radiation patch 31 is the second line L2, and the angle between the first line L1 and the second line L2 is less than 90°. Different from the orthogonal feeding method used in the circularly polarized antenna 100 in the related art, the embodiment of the present disclosure utilizes the phase difference between the two output terminals of the power division module 32 and the different positions of the first feeding point 31a and the second feeding point 31b, while realizing the circular polarization of the antenna, the size of the antenna along the first direction X is reduced.

[0091] Continue to refer Figure 6 The power division module 32 may include a power divider, a first signal line 33 and a second signal line 34. The power divider includes an input terminal 32a, a first output terminal 32c and a second output terminal 32b. The first signal line 33 electrically connects the first output terminal 32c and the first feeding point 31a. The second signal line 34 electrically connects the second output terminal 32b and the second feeding point 31b. The lengths of the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 are different.

[0092] The power divider is a power distributor, which inputs a radio frequency current signal through the input terminal 32a and outputs the radio frequency current signal through the first output terminal 32c and the second output terminal 32b. The amplitude and phase of the radio frequency current signal output by the first output terminal 32c and the second output terminal 32b can be the same.

[0093] Exemplarily, the power divider may be a Wilkinson power divider or a T-type power divider. The embodiment of the present disclosure takes the Wilkinson power divider as an example for illustrative description, and the power divider may also be other types of power dividers, as long as it can output RF current signals with the same amplitude and phase through the first output terminal 32c and the second output terminal 32b.

[0094] When the power divider is a Wilkinson power divider, in order to improve the isolation between the first output terminal 32c and the second output terminal 32b, an isolation resistor may be connected between the first output terminal 32c and the second output terminal 32b.

[0095] Since the RF current signals outputted from the first output terminal 32c and the second output terminal 32b have the same phase, and the lengths of the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 are different, the RF current signals fed into the first feeding point 31a and the second feeding point 31b have a phase difference. Moreover, the magnitude of the phase difference is related to the length difference between the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34.

[0096] Exemplarily, the length difference between the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 is one quarter of the waveguide wavelength, so that the RF signal fed into the first feeding point 31 a and the second feeding point 31 b generates a phase difference of 90°.

[0097] In actual application, the axial ratio and circular polarization performance of the circular polarization antenna can be adjusted by adjusting the lengths of the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 and the distance between the first feeding point 31 a and the second feeding point 31 b .

[0098] Exemplarily, the distance between the first feeding point 31 a and the second feeding point 31 b is 4.9-5.9 mm.

[0099] Exemplarily, the length difference between the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 is 2.8 to 3.8 mm. When the length difference between the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 is about 3.3 mm, the circularly polarized antenna can achieve a better axial ratio and circular polarization performance. When the length difference between the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 is greater than or less than 0.5 mm on the basis of 3.3 mm, the axial ratio and circular polarization performance deteriorate.

[0100] The length of the first signal line 33 can be less than that of the second signal line 34, so that the radiation patch 31 can stimulate right-handed circular radiation. The length of the first signal line 33 can also be greater than that of the second signal line 34, so that the radiation patch 31 can stimulate left-handed circular radiation.

[0101] The radiation patch 31, the power divider, the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 can be arranged in the same layer, which reduces the number of film layers of the circularly polarized antenna, makes the thickness of the circularly polarized antenna thinner along the third direction Z, and makes the structure of the circularly polarized antenna more compact. For example, the radiation patch 31, the power divider, the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 are all located in the first conductive layer 3.

[0102] Exemplarily, the radiation patch 31, the power divider, the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 are formed in the same patterning process, which can reduce the steps of the preparation process of the circularly polarized antenna. After the first conductive layer 3 is formed on the first side of the dielectric layer 2 by magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation, electroplating, etc., the first conductive layer 3 is patterned to form the radiation patch 31, the power divider, the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34.

[0103] When the power divider is a Wilkinson power divider, the wiring of the Wilkinson power divider is located on the first conductive layer 3, and the isolation resistor of the Wilkinson power divider can be connected between the first output terminal 32c and the second output terminal 32b by welding.

[0104] Of course, the radiation patch 31, the power divider, the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 may also be located in different conductive layers. For example, the circularly polarized antenna further includes a third conductive layer located on the side of the first conductive layer 3 away from the dielectric layer 2, and at least one of the power divider, the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 may be located in the third conductive layer.

[0105] Figure 7 The partial structure of a circularly polarized antenna is shown as an example. Figure 7 As shown, when the radiation patch 31, the power divider, the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 are all located in the first conductive layer, there are two parallel and spaced virtual straight lines VL in the first conductive layer 3, the radiation patch 31 is connected to the two virtual straight lines VL, and the radiation patch 31, the first signal line 33, the second signal line 34 and the power divider are located between the two virtual straight lines VL.

[0106] The two virtual straight lines VL are virtual straight lines used to represent the relative sizes of the power divider, the first signal line 33 , the second signal line 34 and the radiation patch 31 along the first direction X. No physical structure corresponding to the two virtual straight lines VL may be provided on the first conductive layer 3 .

[0107] Exemplarily, two virtual straight lines VL extend along the second direction Y, wherein one virtual straight line VL is connected to the leftmost edge of the radiation patch 31 along the first direction X, and the other virtual straight line VL is connected to the rightmost edge of the radiation patch 31 along the first direction X. When the radiation patch 31, the first signal line 33, the second signal line 34 and the power divider are located between the two virtual straight lines VL, the sizes of the radiation patch 31, the first signal line 33, the second signal line 34 and the power divider along the first direction X are all smaller than the spacing between the two virtual straight lines VL, that is, along the first direction X, the sizes of the first signal line 33, the second signal line 34 and the power divider are all smaller than the size of the radiation patch 31.

[0108] For example, Figure 6 As shown, the radiation patch 31 is a circular patch, and two virtual straight lines VL are arranged at intervals and extend along the second direction Y, wherein one virtual straight line VL is tangent to the left edge of the radiation patch 31, and the other virtual straight line VL is tangent to the right edge of the radiation patch 31. The first signal line 33, the second signal line 34 and the power divider are all located between the two virtual straight lines VL.

[0109] That is, the sizes of the first signal line 33 , the second signal line 34 and the power divider in the first direction X are smaller than the size of the radiation patch 31 , so that the circular polarization antenna has a smaller size along the first direction X and a more compact structure.

[0110] At this time, the radiation patch 31 , the first signal line 33 , the second signal line 34 and the power divider may be arranged in sequence along the second direction Y. That is, the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 are located between the radiation patch 31 and the power divider.

[0111] It is understandable that when the radiation patch 31 is a rectangle, the rectangle includes two sides extending along the second direction Y, and the extension lines of the two sides extending along the second direction Y can be used as two virtual straight lines VL. The same is true when the radiation patch 31 is other shapes, which are not listed here one by one.

[0112] In addition, the two virtual straight lines VL may also form a certain angle with the second direction Y. For example, the angle between the two virtual straight lines VL and the second direction Y is 80°, 70°, 60°, etc.

[0113] Continue to refer Figure 6 The first signal line 33 includes a first feeding section 33a, the first feeding section 33a is electrically connected to the first feeding point 31a, the second signal line 34 includes a second feeding section 34a, the second feeding section 34a is electrically connected to the second feeding point 31b, and the first feeding section 33a and the second feeding section 34a are arranged in parallel and spaced apart. Compared with the first feeding section 33a and the second feeding section 34a being arranged crosswise, when the first feeding section 33a and the second feeding section 34a are arranged in parallel, the structure of the circularly polarized antenna is more compact.

[0114] Exemplarily, one end of the first feeding segment 33a is electrically connected to the first feeding point 31a, and the other end of the first feeding segment 33a is electrically connected to the first output terminal 32c; one end of the second feeding segment 34a is electrically connected to the second feeding point 31b, and the other end of the second feeding segment 34a is electrically connected to the second output terminal 32b.

[0115] Exemplarily, the first feeding section 33a and the second feeding section 34a extend along the second direction Y. Of course, the first feeding section 33a and the second feeding section 34a may also form a certain angle with the second direction Y. For example, the angle between the first feeding section 33a and the second feeding section 34a and the second direction Y is 80°, 70°, 60°, etc.

[0116] Of course, the first feeding segment 33a may also extend along the direction of the first line L1, and the second feeding segment 34a may extend along the direction of the second line L2.

[0117] Continue to refer Figure 6The first signal line 33 further includes a first connecting section 33b, which electrically connects the first feeding section 33a and the first output terminal 32c; the second signal line 34 further includes a second connecting section 34b, which electrically connects the second feeding section 34a and the second output terminal 32b. The length of the first signal line 33 is the sum of the lengths of the first feeding section 33a and the first connecting section 33b, and the length of the second signal line 34 is the sum of the lengths of the second feeding section 34a and the second connecting section 34b.

[0118] Exemplarily, the first connecting segment 33b and the second connecting segment 34b extend along the first direction X.

[0119] The first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 have different lengths, and the lengths of the first connecting section 33b and the second connecting section 34b may be equal, and the lengths of the first feeding section 33a and the second feeding section 34a may be different. The first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 have different lengths, and the lengths of the first connecting section 33b and the second connecting section 34b may be different, and the lengths of the first feeding section 33a and the second feeding section 34a may also be different.

[0120] A radiation patch 31, a ground layer 1 arranged opposite to the radiation patch 31, a dielectric layer 2 located between the radiation patch 31 and the ground layer 1, and a power division module 32 electrically connected to the radiation patch 31 together constitute an antenna unit. The circularly polarized antenna may include one antenna unit or may include multiple antenna units. When the circularly polarized antenna includes one antenna unit, the circularly polarized antenna is a single-beam circularly polarized antenna.

[0121] Figure 8 Shows Figure 3 The 3D radiation pattern of the circularly polarized antenna is shown in Figure 1. Among them, the circularly polarized antenna can be applied to satellite communication scenarios in the KU band. The KU band refers to a band with a lower frequency than the K band under the IEEE 521-2002 standard. The KU frequency band is usually from 10.7 to 12.75 GHz for downlink and from 12.75 to 18.1 GHz for uplink. The power of a single transponder in the KU band satellite is generally large, and shaped beam coverage is often used. The satellite EIRP is large. In addition, the efficiency of the Ku band receiving antenna is higher than that of the C band receiving antenna. Therefore, the antenna aperture for receiving Ku band satellite programs is much smaller than that of the C band, which can effectively reduce the receiving cost and facilitate individual reception. Figure 8 The gain diagram at 12 GHz is shown. Figure 8 It can be seen that the circularly polarized antenna provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure has good gain performance at 12 GHz, and the maximum realized gain (RealizedGain) is about 4.61 dBi.

[0122] Fig. 9 Shows Figure 3The input impedance bandwidth diagram of the circularly polarized antenna is shown, that is, Figure 3 S11 curve of the circularly polarized antenna shown. Fig. 9 The horizontal axis is frequency and the vertical axis is gain. Fig. 9 It can be seen that the circularly polarized antenna 100 of the embodiment of the present disclosure has a good impedance bandwidth when S11≤-10dB at 11.12-12.14GHz. In practical applications, impedance matching can be achieved by setting the widths of the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 and the width of the feeder.

[0123] The axial ratio of a circularly polarized antenna is an important parameter that determines the performance of the circularly polarized antenna. When designing a circularly polarized antenna, the axial ratio generally needs to be controlled below 3dB. Fig.10 Shows Figure 3 The curve of the axial ratio of the circularly polarized antenna shown in Figure 1 is a function of frequency. Fig.10 The horizontal axis is frequency, and the vertical axis is gain. Fig.10 As shown, the circularly polarized antenna of the embodiment of the present disclosure has an axial ratio of less than 3 dB at 11.30-12.09 GHz, and has good circular polarization performance.

[0124] Fig.11 Shows Figure 3 The axial ratio of the circularly polarized antenna shown in Figure 8 Theta variation graph in . Fig.11 The horizontal axis is the angle Theta, and the vertical axis is the gain. Fig.11 As shown, the axial ratio of Theta is less than 3dB in the range of -102° to 86°, which has good circular polarization performance.

[0125] Depend on Figures 8 to 11 It can be seen that the circularly polarized antenna provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure has good gain performance and circular polarization performance, and is easy to achieve impedance matching.

[0126] With the development of mobile communication technology, the number of communication terminals has increased rapidly. In related technologies, the channel capacity is usually increased by increasing the carrier frequency and carrier sector and increasing the base station. However, even if the density of base stations is getting higher and higher and the configuration of base stations is getting higher and higher, network congestion will still occur. In view of this, a solution can be proposed from the aspect of the antenna feed link, that is, the use of dual-beam circularly polarized antennas. Dual-beam circularly polarized antennas produce two beams, which can not only increase channel capacity and coverage, but also improve the stability and reliability of the system. For example, if one beam of a dual-beam circularly polarized antenna is lost, the other beam can still continue to work. When the circularly polarized antenna is used in the communication terminal of the satellite communication link, the dual-beam circularly polarized antenna can reduce the probability of satellite loss and improve the reliability of satellite communication.

[0127] Fig.12FIG. 1 shows an exemplary front view of another circularly polarized antenna. Fig.12 As shown, in order to make the circular polarization antenna 100 generate two beams, the circular polarization antenna 100 may include multiple antenna units, for example, the circular polarization antenna 100 includes two antenna units. The two antenna units include a first antenna unit 101 and a second antenna unit 102. When working, the first antenna unit 101 generates one beam, and the second antenna unit 102 generates another beam.

[0128] The circularly polarized antenna 100 including two antenna units means that the circularly polarized antenna 100 includes at least two antenna units. The circularly polarized antenna 100 may also include three antenna units, four antenna units, and so on.

[0129] Continue to refer Fig.12 The circularly polarized antenna 100 also includes a branch line coupler 104, which includes a first input port IN1, a second input port IN2, a first output port OUT1 and a second output port OUT2. The first output port OUT1 is electrically connected to the input end 32a of the first antenna unit 101, and the second output port OUT2 is electrically connected to the input end 32a of the second antenna unit 102.

[0130] The branch line coupler 104 receives the RF current signal through the first input port IN1 and the second input port IN2 and outputs the RF signal through the first output port OUT1 and the second output port OUT2 , and the phase difference between the signals outputted from the first output port OUT1 and the second output port OUT2 is 90°.

[0131] The branch line coupler 104 is a microwave device having multiple input ports and multiple output ports. The phase difference between the two output ports of the branch line coupler 104 is 90°. It is also called a branch line bridge and is commonly used for power distribution and synthesis.

[0132] Exemplarily, the branch line coupler 104 is a Butler matrix or a 3dB bridge. Of course, the disclosed embodiment does not limit the type of the branch line coupler 104, as long as the phase difference between the RF current signal outputted from the first output port OUT1 and the second output port OUT2 of the branch line coupler 104 is 90°.

[0133] Continue to refer Fig.12, the first antenna unit 101 and the second antenna unit 102 can be arranged at intervals along the first direction X. When the circularly polarized antenna 100 is working, the branch line coupler 104 outputs the first radio frequency signal to the first antenna unit 101 through the first output port OUT1, and outputs the second radio frequency signal to the second antenna unit 102 through the second output port OUT2, and the phase difference between the first radio frequency signal and the second radio frequency signal is 90°. The first antenna unit 101 radiates electromagnetic waves outwardly to form a beam under the excitation of the first radio frequency signal, and the second antenna unit 102 radiates electromagnetic waves outwardly to form another beam under the excitation of the second radio frequency signal, so that the circularly polarized antenna 100 forms two beams, reducing the probability of satellite loss and improving the reliability of satellite communication.

[0134] Fig.13 for Fig.12 The 3D radiation pattern of the circularly polarized antenna 100 is shown. The circularly polarized antenna 100 can be applied to satellite communication scenarios in the KU band. Fig.13 The gain diagram at 12 GHz is shown. Fig.13 It can be seen that the circularly polarized antenna 100 provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure includes two beams, and the maximum realized gain (RealizedGain) is about 4.68dBi. Exemplarily, the two beams are deflected 30° relative to the normal direction, that is, the angle between the two beams is 60°. For example, the normal direction is Fig.13 In the vertical direction, one beam is deflected 30° to the left relative to the normal direction, and the other beam is deflected 30° to the right relative to the normal direction, so that the angle between the two beams is 60°.

[0135] Fig.14 Shows Fig.12 The input impedance bandwidth diagram of the circularly polarized antenna 100 is shown as follows: Fig.12 The S11 curve of the circularly polarized antenna 100 is shown. Fig.14 The horizontal axis is frequency and the vertical axis is gain. Fig.14 It can be seen that the circularly polarized antenna 100 of the embodiment of the present disclosure has S11≤-10dB at 10.55-16GHz, an absolute bandwidth of 5.45GHz, and a relative bandwidth ratio of about 41%, which has a good impedance bandwidth. Figure 3 The circularly polarized antenna 100 shown, Fig.12 The bandwidth of the antenna shown is wider. In practical applications, the impedance can be matched by setting the width of the first signal line 33 and the second signal line 34 and the width of the feeder.

[0136] The axial ratio of the circularly polarized antenna 100 is an important parameter for determining the circular polarization performance. When designing the circularly polarized antenna 100 , the axial ratio generally needs to be controlled below 3 dB. Fig.15 Shows Fig.12The curve showing the variation of the axial ratio of the circularly polarized antenna 100 with frequency. Fig.15 The horizontal axis is frequency, and the vertical axis is gain. Fig.15 As shown, the axial ratio of the circularly polarized antenna 100 of the embodiment of the present disclosure at 11.15-12.6 GHz is less than 3 dB, relative to Figure 3 The circularly polarized antenna 100 shown has good circular polarization performance.

[0137] Depend on Figures 13 to 15 It can be seen that by setting the branch line coupler 104, and the two output ports of the branch line coupler 104 are connected to the antenna unit, the circular polarization antenna 100 can form two beams, and when one beam is lost, the other beam can still continue to work, thereby improving the reliability of communication. In addition, the impedance bandwidth of the circular polarization antenna 100 is expanded, and the axial ratio performance of the circular polarization antenna is optimized.

[0138] Fig.16 FIG. 1 is a front view of another circularly polarized antenna 100. Fig.16 As shown, the multiple antenna units may include three antenna units, the three antenna units include a first antenna unit 101, a second antenna unit 102 and a third antenna unit 103, the branch line coupler 104 includes a first input port IN1, a second input port IN2, a third input port IN3, a first output port OUT1, a second output port OUT2 and a third output port OUT3, the first output port OUT1 is electrically connected to the input end 32a of the first antenna unit 101, the second output port OUT2 is electrically connected to the input end 32a of the second antenna unit 102, and the third output port OUT3 is electrically connected to the input end 32a of the third antenna unit 103.

[0139] The circularly polarized antenna 100 including three antenna units means that the circularly polarized antenna 100 includes at least three antenna units. The circularly polarized antenna 100 may also include four antenna units, five antenna units, six antenna units, and the like.

[0140] The branch line coupler 104 receives the RF signal through the first input port IN1, the second input port IN2 and the third input port IN3, and outputs the RF signal through the first output port OUT1, the second output port OUT2 and the third output port OUT3, and the phases of the signals output by the first output port OUT1, the second output port OUT2 and the third output port OUT3 differ by 90° respectively.

[0141] Exemplarily, the branch line coupler 104 is a three-input and three-output Butler matrix. Of course, the disclosed embodiment does not limit the type of the branch line coupler 104, as long as the phases of the signals output from the first output port OUT1, the second output port OUT2, and the third output port OUT3 of the branch line coupler 104 are 90° apart in sequence.

[0142] Continue to refer Fig.16 , the first antenna unit 101, the second antenna unit 102 and the third antenna unit 103 can be arranged at intervals along the first direction X. When the circularly polarized antenna 100 is working, the branch line coupler 104 outputs the first RF signal to the first antenna unit 101 through the first output port OUT1, outputs the second RF signal to the second antenna unit 102 through the second output port OUT2, and outputs the third RF signal to the third antenna unit 103 through the third output port OUT3, and the phases of the first RF signal, the second RF signal and the third RF signal differ by 90° respectively, and the first antenna unit 101, the second antenna unit 102 and the third antenna unit 103 radiate electromagnetic waves outward at the same time. The branch line coupler 104 is electrically connected to the three antenna units to enhance the signal strength.

[0143] Fig.17 The structure of another circularly polarized antenna 100 is shown as an example. Fig.17 As shown, a filter 106 may be connected between the output port of the branch line coupler 104 and the input end 32a of the antenna unit. The filter 106 can filter the signal within a specific frequency and / or phase range while the circularly polarized antenna 100 receives or transmits electromagnetic waves, thereby playing a role in signal selection and interference suppression, and improving the performance and reliability of the system. This public embodiment does not limit the structure of the filter 106, as long as it can filter out signals with partial phases to solve the problem of phase mixing.

[0144] The filter 106 solves the phase mixing problem by filtering the signal within a specific frequency and / or phase range. For example, the filter solves the phase mixing problem by filtering the signal with a partial phase.

[0145] The filter 106 can be disposed on the same layer as the radiation patch 31 , the first signal line 33 , the second signal line 34 and the power divider, thereby reducing the number of film layers of the circularly polarized antenna 100 and reducing the thickness of the circularly polarized antenna 100 along the third direction Z.

[0146] Exemplarily, the radiation patch 31, the first signal line 33, the second signal line 34, the power divider and the filter 106 are all located on the first conductive layer 3. For example, after the first conductive layer 3 is formed on the first side of the dielectric layer 2 by magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation, electroplating, etc., the first conductive layer 3 is patterned to form the radiation patch 31, the power divider, the first signal line 33, the second signal line 34 and the filter 106.

[0147] Continue to refer Fig.12 and Fig.16 In the circular polarization antenna 100, two adjacent radiation patches 31 are arranged at intervals. For example, the interval between the centers of two adjacent radiation patches 31 is half of the spatial wavelength.

[0148] Exemplarily, when the radiation patch 31 is circular, the interval between two adjacent radiation patches 31 is the distance between the centers of the two adjacent radiation patches 31 .

[0149] Exemplarily, when the radiation patch 31 is a polygon such as a rectangle, the spacing between two adjacent radiation patches 31 is the distance between the geometric centers of the two adjacent radiation patches 31 .

[0150] It is believed that the spacing of two radiation patches 31 does not mean that the two adjacent radiation patches 31 are disconnected, but that a gap is provided between the main structures of the two adjacent radiation patches 31. The two adjacent radiation patches 31 can be disconnected or connected by a connecting line.

[0151] When the circularly polarized antenna 100 includes multiple antenna units, there is a large spatial coupling between the multiple antenna units. For example, when the structure of the circularly polarized antenna 100 is as follows: Fig.12 , Fig.16 as well as Fig.17 In the structure shown, there is a large spatial coupling between different antenna units in the circularly polarized antenna 100, that is, the isolation between two adjacent antenna units is low. In view of this, an isolation structure can be provided between the radiation patches 31 of two adjacent antenna units to improve the isolation between the two adjacent antenna units.

[0152] Fig.18 The structure of another circularly polarized antenna 100 is shown as an example. Fig.18 As shown, a plurality of conductive columns 105 may be provided between two adjacent radiation patches 31, and the axial direction of the conductive column 105 is perpendicular to the ground layer 1. The isolation between different antenna units is increased by providing a plurality of conductive columns 105.

[0153] The fact that the axis of the conductive column 105 is perpendicular to the ground layer 1 does not mean that the axis is strictly perpendicular to the ground layer 1 , but that the axis of the conductive column 105 extends approximately along the thickness direction of the dielectric layer 2 .

[0154] Exemplarily, the plurality of conductive pillars 105 are arranged in an array to form a plurality of conductive pillar columns, the plurality of conductive pillars 105 in the same conductive pillar column are arranged at intervals along the direction of extension of the gap between two adjacent radiation patches 31 (eg, the second direction Y), and the plurality of conductive pillar columns are arranged at intervals along the first direction X.

[0155] The conductive pillars 105 in different conductive pillar columns may be staggered along the second direction Y by a certain distance.

[0156] The orthographic projection of the radiation patch 31 on the conductive column 105 is located within the conductive column range to improve the isolation between different antenna units. For example, the upper end of the conductive column protrudes from the radiation patch 31 along the second direction Y, and the lower end of the conductive column protrudes from the radiation patch 31 along the second direction Y.

[0157] The first end of the conductive column 105 may be located between two adjacent radiation patches 31 , and the second end of the conductive column 105 may be spaced apart from the ground layer 1 , that is, the conductive column 105 is not connected to the ground layer 1 .

[0158] Along the third direction Z, the first end of the conductive column 105 may be flush with the radiation patch 31 , may protrude from the radiation patch 31 , or may be lower than the radiation patch 31 .

[0159] At least a portion of the structure of the conductive pillar 105 may be located in the dielectric layer 2 to reduce the thickness of the circularly polarized antenna 100 along the third direction Z. For example, the dielectric layer 2 may be provided with a plurality of openings, and the conductive pillar 105 is disposed in the openings.

[0160] Exemplarily, the dielectric layer 2 is a glass dielectric layer 2, a plurality of openings are formed on the glass dielectric layer 2 by etching, and then metal material is deposited in the openings to form the conductive pillar 105. At this time, the first end of the conductive pillar 105 is flush with the dielectric layer 2.

[0161] Fig.19 The structure of another circularly polarized antenna 100 is shown as an example. Fig.19 As shown, a neutralization line 107 may be provided between two adjacent radiation patches 31 , one end of the neutralization line 107 is electrically connected to one radiation patch 31 , and the other end of the neutralization line 107 is electrically connected to the other radiation patch 31 .

[0162] The neutralization line 107 can be arranged on the same layer as the radiation patch 31 , the first signal line 33 , the second signal line 34 , the power divider and the branch line coupler 106 to reduce the number of film layers of the circularly polarized antenna 100 and reduce the thickness of the circularly polarized antenna 100 along the third direction Z.

[0163] Exemplarily, the radiation patch 31, the first signal line 33, the second signal line 34, the power divider, the branch line coupler 106 and the neutralization line 107 are all located in the first conductive layer 3, that is, the radiation patch 31, the first signal line 33, the second signal line 34, the power divider, the branch line coupler 106 and the neutralization line 107 are formed in a single patterning process.

[0164] Of course, the neutralization line 107 can also be connected between two radiation patches 31 by welding. For example, the neutralization line 107 is a zero-ohm resistor, one end of which is welded on one radiation patch 31, and the other end of which is welded on the other radiation patch 31.

[0165] In addition, the circularly polarized antenna 100 may be provided with a conductive column 105 and a neutralization line 107 at the same time to increase the isolation between two adjacent radiation patches 31 .

[0166] Fig. 20 The structure of a ground layer 1 is shown as an example. Fig. 20 As shown, the ground layer 1 may be provided with a defective ground structure 11, and the isolation between different antenna units is increased by providing the defective ground structure 11. Fig. 20 One type of defective ground structure 11 is shown in the figure. In actual application, the defective ground structure 11 can also be other different types of structures. The embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the specific structure of the defective ground structure 11.

[0167] In addition, the circularly polarized antenna may be provided with the conductive column 105 , the neutralization line 107 and the defective ground structure 11 at the same time, or only the conductive column 105 and the defective ground structure 11 may be provided, or only the neutralization line 107 and the defective ground structure 11 may be provided.

[0168] The embodiment of the present disclosure also provides an array antenna, which includes multiple circular polarization antennas 100, and the multiple circular polarization antennas 100 are arranged in an array. The multiple circular polarization antennas 100 are arranged in an array to improve the gain of the array antenna. The communication terminal provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure may include the above-mentioned circular polarization antenna 100, may also include an array antenna, and may also include the above-mentioned circular polarization antenna 100 and the array antenna at the same time. For example, the communication terminal includes two antennas, one of which is a circular polarization antenna, and the other is an array antenna.

[0169] The number of circularly polarized antennas 100 in the array antenna may be four, eight, sixteen, etc. The embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the number of circularly polarized antennas 100, as long as multiple circularly polarized antennas 100 form an antenna array.

[0170] For the convenience of description, the composition and arrangement of the array antenna are similarly described below by taking an array antenna including four circularly polarized antennas 100 as an example.

[0171] Fig.21 The structure of an array antenna is shown exemplarily. Fig. 22 The structure of an array antenna is shown exemplarily. Fig.21 and Fig. 22 It shows the arrangement of four circularly polarized antennas 100 when the array antenna includes four circularly polarized antennas.

[0172] like Fig.21 As shown, four circularly polarized antennas 100 can be arranged at intervals along the first direction X, that is, eight radiation patches 31 are arranged in a 1*8 array. Among them, 1*8 means that the antenna array includes a row of radiation patches 31, and each row of radiation patches 31 includes eight radiation patches 31, that is, the number before the * represents the number of rows, and the number after the * represents the number of radiation patches 31 contained in each row of radiation patches 31. When working, the phase of the RF signal fed between two adjacent input ports of the branch line coupler 104 can differ by -180°. For example, along the direction from left to right in the figure, taking the phase of the first input port as the reference, the phase of the second input port is 180° later than the phase of the first input port, and the phase of the third input port is 180° later than the phase of the second input port, and so on.

[0173] Fig.23 for Fig. 20 The 3D radiation pattern of the array antenna is shown in Figure . Fig.23 As shown, compared with a single circular polarization antenna 100, after a plurality of circular polarization antennas 100 form an array, the gain of the array antenna is improved.

[0174] Of course, the four circularly polarized antennas 100 may also be arranged in a 2*2 array, that is, the array antenna includes two rows of antenna units, and each row of antenna units includes two antenna units. Fig. 22 As shown, when the four circularly polarized antennas 100 are arranged in a 2*2 arrangement, they can also be staggered at a certain distance. For example, multiple antenna units are arranged in an array to form multiple antenna unit rows, and multiple antenna units in each antenna unit row are arranged at intervals along the first direction X, and two adjacent antenna units in the same antenna unit row are staggered at a certain distance along the second direction Y.

[0175] Exemplarily, multiple antenna units are arranged in an array to form a first antenna unit column and a second antenna unit column, the orthographic projection of the radiation patch 31 in the first antenna unit column in the second direction Y is the first projection, the orthographic projection of the radiation patch 31 in the second antenna unit column in the second direction Y is the second projection, and the second projection is located between two adjacent first projections.

[0176] Two adjacent antenna units in the same antenna unit row are staggered along the second direction Y by a certain distance, so that the multiple radiation patches 31 in the array antenna are arranged more compactly, making the size of the array antenna smaller.

[0177] Fig.24 The structure diagram of another array antenna is shown as an example. Fig.25 A schematic diagram of another array antenna structure is shown as an example. In the figure, a circle represents a radiation patch 31 in a circular polarization antenna 100. For the sake of simplicity, the power division module 32, branch line coupler 106, ground layer 1 and dielectric layer 2 are not shown in the figure. Fig.24 and Fig.25 The arrangement of the circularly polarized antennas 100 is described by taking an array antenna including eight circularly polarized antennas 100 as an example.

[0178] like Fig.24 As shown, the eight circularly polarized antennas 100 include sixteen radiation patches 31 , and the sixteen radiation patches 31 may be arranged in a 4*4 array.

[0179] like Fig.25 As shown, sixteen radiation patches 31 are arranged in a 4*4 array to form a plurality of radiation patch columns, each radiation patch column includes four radiation patches 31 arranged along the second direction Y, and two adjacent radiation patch columns are staggered along the second direction Y by a certain distance.

[0180] Similarly, when the array antenna includes sixteen circularly polarized antennas 100, the array antenna may include thirty-two radiating patches 31, and the thirty-two radiating patches 31 may be arranged in an 8*4 array, that is, eight rows of radiating patches 31 are formed, and each row of radiating patches 31 includes four radiating patches 31, such as Fig.26 As shown. Fig. 27 As shown, two adjacent radiation patch columns may be staggered along the second direction Y by a certain distance.

[0181] like Fig.28 As shown, the array antenna may also include thirty-two circularly polarized antennas 100, and the thirty-two circularly polarized antennas 100 include sixty-four radiation patches 31, and the sixty-four radiation patches 31 are arranged in 8*8. Fig.29 As shown, two adjacent radiation patch columns may be staggered along the second direction Y by a certain distance.

[0182] Of course, the number of radiation patches 31 in the array antenna is not limited thereto. Fig.30 As shown, the radiation patches 31 may also be arranged in an 8*n array, where n is an even number greater than 8.

[0183] Figure 31 to Figure 34 Other arrangements of the radiation patches 31 are shown as examples. Fig.31As shown, the multiple radiation patches 31 in the array antenna can be arranged in a triangle. Fig.31 As shown, the multiple radiation patches 31 in the array antenna can be arranged in a diamond shape. Fig.32 As shown, the multiple radiation patches 31 in the array antenna can be arranged in a trapezoidal shape. Fig.33 As shown, the multiple radiation patches 31 in the array antenna can be arranged in a hexagonal shape.

[0184] Since the branch line coupler 104 can only form a fixed phase difference, the array antenna can only achieve fixed beam pointing. In view of this, the array antenna can also include a phase shifter 108, which is configured to adjust the phase of the radio frequency signal. After the phase shifter 108 is set, the phase of the radio frequency signal can be continuously adjusted, thereby achieving beam pointing in different directions.

[0185] The phase shifter 108 may be a liquid crystal phase shifter. A liquid crystal phase shifter is a programmable optical phased array that uses liquid crystal as an electro-optical material. When a periodic voltage is applied to the electrodes of the liquid crystal phase shifter, the liquid crystal in the electrode region will form a periodic phase distribution due to the electro-optical properties of the liquid crystal. The periodic distribution of the phase performs phase modulation on the signal transmitted in the array to achieve the function of adjusting the phase. The liquid crystal phase shifter uses voltage to control the phase change, has no mechanical rotating parts, is small in size, and has low power consumption. The disclosed embodiment does not limit the type of the phase shifter 108, as long as it can achieve the adjustment of the phase of the RF signal.

[0186] Exemplarily, the liquid crystal phase shifter includes a first substrate, a first electrode layer, a liquid crystal layer, a second electrode layer and a second substrate in sequence along the second direction Y. When working, an electric field is formed between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, and the electric field drives the liquid crystal layer to move, thereby adjusting the phase of the radio frequency signal.

[0187] The liquid crystal phase shifter can be integrated with the circular polarization antenna 100, further reducing the size of the array antenna. For example, the dielectric layer 2 can be used as one of the first substrate or the second substrate of the liquid crystal phase shifter.

[0188] Of course, the liquid crystal phase shifter can also be used as a separate device, and the liquid crystal phase shifter is electrically connected to the circularly polarized antenna 100 through a connecting wire.

[0189] Fig.35 The structure diagram of another array antenna is shown as an example. Fig.35 As shown, the phase shifter 108 may be connected to the input port of the circularly polarized antenna 100 , that is, the input port of the branch line coupler 104 .

[0190] Fig.36 for Fig.35 The beam pointing corresponding to different phase differences of the array antenna is shown in the figure, where the horizontal axis represents Theta and the vertical axis represents gain. Fig.36 As shown, the beam direction can be changed by changing the phase difference between different input ports through the phase shifter 108. For example, Fig.35 The dual beams of the array antenna shown can achieve a phase scan of ±45°, where +45° means a deviation of 45° in one direction relative to the normal direction, and -45° means a deviation of 45° in another direction opposite to the normal direction.

[0191] Fig.37 The structure diagram of another array antenna is shown as an example. Fig.37 As shown, the phase shifter 108 can be connected between the output port of the circular polarization antenna 100 and the input end 32a of the antenna unit, that is, connected between the output port of the branch line coupler 104 and the input end 32a of the power division module 32. In this way, the phase shifter 108 can be used to perform phase compensation on the signal at the output port of the branch line coupler 104, so as to achieve more forms of beam pointing.

[0192] Fig.38 The structure diagram of another array antenna is shown as an example. Fig.38 As shown, a phase shifter 108 is provided between the output port of the circular polarization antenna 100 and the input end 32a of the antenna unit, and a phase shifter 108 is also provided between the output port of the circular polarization antenna 100 and the input end 32a of the antenna unit.

[0193] Exemplarily, multiple antenna units are arranged at intervals along the first direction X, and may include odd-numbered antenna units and even-numbered antenna units in order from left to right. The phase shifter 108 controls the left beam scanning by adjusting the phase fed to the odd-numbered antenna units, and the phase shifter 108 controls the right beam scanning by adjusting the phase fed to the even-numbered antenna units, thereby realizing the function of independent scanning of the left and right beams.

[0194] Fig.39 The structure diagram of another array antenna is shown as an example. Fig.39 As shown, the array antenna also includes a power regulator 109, which is configured to amplify or attenuate the electrical signal. The power regulator 109 can be connected to the input port of the circularly polarized antenna 100, such as Fig.40 The power regulator 109 may also be connected between the output port of the circular polarization antenna 100 and the input end 32a of the antenna unit, or may be simultaneously connected between the input port of the circular polarization antenna 100 and between the output port of the circular polarization antenna 100 and the input end 32a of the antenna unit.

[0195] The power regulator 109 may be an amplifier or an attenuator. The power regulator 109 adjusts the amplitude of the current signal fed into the antenna unit. The current signal fed into each antenna unit may be a Taylor distribution or a Chebyshev distribution to reduce the side lobe. The current signal fed into each antenna unit may also be a gradually increasing or gradually decreasing current signal.

[0196] In addition, the power regulator 109 can also compensate for the energy loss caused by the current signal passing through the phase shifter 108 and the branch line coupler 104 .

[0197] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present disclosure, which should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A circularly polarized antenna, characterized in that: It includes a radiation patch, a ground layer, a dielectric layer and a power division module; the radiation patch and the ground layer are arranged opposite to each other, and the dielectric layer is located between the radiation patch and the ground layer; The power division module includes an input end and two output ends, and the phases of the output signals of the two output ends differ by 90°; the radiation patch includes a first feeding point and a second feeding point, the first feeding point is electrically connected to one of the output ends, and the second feeding point is electrically connected to the other output end; A virtual line connecting the first feeding point and the center of the radiation patch is a first line, a virtual line connecting the second feeding point and the center of the radiation patch is a second line, and an angle between the first line and the second line is less than 90°.

2. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power division module includes a power divider, a first signal line and a second signal line, the power divider includes a first output end and a second output end, the first signal line electrically connects the first output end and the first feeding point, the second signal line electrically connects the second output end and the second feeding point, and the first signal line and the second signal line have different lengths.

3. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that: The circularly polarized antenna further includes a first conductive layer connected to a side of the dielectric layer away from the ground layer, and the radiation patch, the power divider, the first signal line, and the second signal line are located in the first conductive layer.

4. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first conductive layer has two parallel and spaced virtual straight lines, the radiation patch is connected to both of the two virtual straight lines, and the radiation patch, the first signal line, the second signal line and the power divider are located between the two virtual straight lines.

5. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first signal line includes a first feeding segment electrically connected to the first feeding point, the second signal line includes a second feeding segment electrically connected to the second feeding point, and the first feeding segment and the second feeding segment are arranged in parallel and at intervals.

6. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first output terminal and the second output terminal output signals with the same phase.

7. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that: A length difference between the first signal line and the second signal line is 2.8-3.8 mm, and / or a distance between the first feeding point and the second feeding point is 4.9-5.9 mm.

8. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The radiation patch is circular, polygonal or irregular in shape.

9. The circularly polarized antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: An electrically connected radiation patch and a power division module constitute an antenna unit, and the circularly polarized antenna includes at least two antenna units; The circularly polarized antenna further comprises a branch line coupler, which comprises a plurality of input ports and at least two output ports, the phases of output signals of two adjacent output ports differ by 90°, and each output port is connected to the antenna unit.

10. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 9, characterized in that: Two adjacent radiation patches are arranged at intervals, and the distance between the centers of two adjacent radiation patches is half of the spatial wavelength.

11. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 10, characterized in that: A plurality of conductive columns are provided between two adjacent radiation patches, and the axial direction of the conductive columns is perpendicular to the ground layer; And / or, a neutralization line is provided between two adjacent radiation patches, one end of the neutralization line is electrically connected to one radiation patch, and the other end of the neutralization line is electrically connected to the other radiation patch; And / or, the ground layer is provided with a defective ground structure.

12. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 11, characterized in that: The dielectric layer is provided with a plurality of openings, and the conductive pillars are arranged in the openings.

13. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 10, characterized in that: The circularly polarized antenna includes at least three antenna units, and the branch line coupler includes at least three output ports.

14. The circularly polarized antenna according to claim 13, characterized in that: A filter is connected between the output port and the input end.

15. An array antenna, characterized in that: It comprises a plurality of circularly polarized antennas as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the plurality of circularly polarized antennas are arranged in an array.

16. The array antenna according to claim 15, characterized in that: The multiple circularly polarized antennas include multiple circularly polarized antenna rows, the multiple circularly polarized antennas in the circularly polarized antenna row are arranged at intervals along a first direction, and two adjacent circularly polarized antenna columns in the circularly polarized antenna row are staggered at a preset distance along a second direction, and the first direction intersects the second direction.

17. The array antenna according to claim 15, characterized in that: The array antenna further comprises a phase shifter, wherein the phase shifter is connected to the input port of the circular polarization antenna, and / or the phase shifter is connected between the output port of the circular polarization antenna and the input end of the antenna unit.

18. The array antenna according to claim 17, characterized in that: The phase shifter is a liquid crystal phase shifter, and the dielectric layer serves as a substrate of the liquid crystal phase shifter.

19. The array antenna according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that: The array antenna also includes a power regulator, which is configured to amplify or attenuate an electrical signal; the power regulator is connected to the input port of the circularly polarized antenna, and / or the power regulator is connected between the output port of the circularly polarized antenna and the input end of the antenna unit.

20. A communication terminal, characterized in that: Comprising the array antenna as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 19.

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