Feed device, antenna system and base station

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a feed device, an antenna system and a base station, the feed device comprises a substrate, the substrate comprises a signal line, and the signal line is used for transmitting an electric signal; the shell is arranged on the substrate, the shell comprises a bottom wall and side walls, and a plurality of cavities are defined by the side walls and the bottom wall; and the plurality of functional circuits are respectively accommodated in the plurality of cavities, the plane where the plurality of functional circuits are located is perpendicular to the substrate, and the plurality of functional circuits are connected with the signal lines through strip lines. According to the feed device, the antenna system and the base station provided by the embodiment of the invention, the feed device can be easily integrated with different functional modules of the antenna system, and the flexible layout of the antenna system is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of wireless communication technology, and more specifically, to a feeding device, an antenna system and a base station. Background Art

[0002] The beam tilt of the base station antenna can be achieved through electrical adjustment or mechanical downtilt. The electrical adjustment method saves manpower and material resources, and the coverage effect is better than that of the mechanical downtilt antenna, so it plays an important role in network optimization.

[0003] The feed network is an important part of the antenna system. The feed network includes phase shifters, which can adjust the phase of the antenna. The performance of the phase shifter directly affects the performance of the base station antenna. Most phase shifters are disc phase shifters, which change the phase by rotating the arc brush. This arc-shaped transmission mode increases the size and area in the width direction, which is easy to affect the overall layout of the feed network and is not easy to integrate with other functional modules of the antenna system, thus affecting the layout of the entire antenna system. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a feeding device, an antenna system and a base station, which can facilitate the integration of the feeding device with different functional modules of the antenna system and realize flexible layout of the antenna system.

[0005] In a first aspect, a feeding device is provided, comprising: a substrate, the substrate comprising a signal line, the signal line being used to transmit an electrical signal; a shell, the shell being arranged on the substrate, and the shell comprising a bottom wall and a side wall, the side wall and the bottom wall forming a plurality of cavities; a plurality of functional circuits, the plurality of functional circuits being respectively accommodated in the plurality of cavities, and the plane where the functional circuits are located is perpendicular to the substrate, and the functional circuits are connected to the signal line through a strip line.

[0006] In the embodiments provided in the present application, the substrate can be used as a bottom plate to carry components such as a shell and a functional circuit. The bottom wall and the side wall of the shell enclose a plurality of cavities to accommodate a plurality of functional circuits, which can make it easy for the feeding device to integrate a plurality of functional modules of the antenna system and realize a flexible layout of the antenna system; the plane where the functional circuit is located is perpendicular to the substrate, which can effectively reduce the substrate space occupied by each functional module of the substrate and realize the miniaturization of the feeding device. Furthermore, different functional modules can be combined to realize the expansion and derivation of the functions of the feeding device. Multiple functional circuits are respectively accommodated in a plurality of cavities, which can also improve the isolation between each functional circuit and solve the coupling problem between each functional circuit. The functional modules in different cavities can be optimized separately to improve the design efficiency. In addition, each modular circuit can be easily standardized and thus applicable to all feeding devices under the same architecture.

[0007] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the shell further includes a partition, which is disposed in the cavity and divides the cavity into a plurality of parts.

[0008] In the embodiment provided in the present application, the shell includes a partition, and the partition divides the cavity into multiple parts, and the multiple parts can respectively accommodate functional circuits, thereby improving the utilization rate of the internal space of the cavity, so that the feeding device can integrate more functional modules, realizing the integration and modularization of the feeding device; and can realize three-dimensional wiring of the feeding device, reduce the occupancy rate of the substrate surface space, thereby realizing the miniaturized design of the feeding device.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the multiple cavities include a first cavity and a second cavity, and an extension direction of the first cavity is parallel or perpendicular to an extension direction of the second cavity.

[0010] In the embodiments provided in the present application, the multiple cavities include cavities that are parallel to or perpendicular to each other, which can improve the flexibility of the spatial layout of the feeding device, make full use of the surface space of the substrate to integrate different functional modules, and realize the miniaturization of the feeding device.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, there are multiple shells, and the multiple shells are arranged on the same main plane of the substrate.

[0012] In the embodiment provided in the present application, multiple shells are arranged on the same main plane of the substrate, which can easily realize one-time welding of multiple shells, improve the production and processing efficiency of the feeding device, and easily realize the miniaturization of the feeding device and reduce the occupied space of the feeding device.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the feeding device further includes a sliding medium, and the sliding medium can slide relative to the plurality of functional circuits.

[0014] In the embodiment provided in the present application, the feeding device includes a sliding medium, and the sliding medium can slide relative to the functional circuit, so as to realize the phase adjustment function of the feeding device.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the functional circuit and the corresponding shell together constitute a functional module, and the functional module includes at least one of the following modules: a phase shift module, a power division module, a phase compensation module, a main feed module, a combiner and a filter.

[0016] In the embodiments provided in the present application, a plurality of functional circuits can respectively constitute together with the corresponding shells at least one of a phase shift module, a power division module, a phase compensation module, a main feed module, a combiner and a filter, so that the feeding device can integrate different functional modules, realize the modularization of the feed, and further realize the miniaturization of the feeding device.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the signal line is also used to constitute at least one of the following functional modules of the feeding device: a power division module, a phase compensation module, a main feeding module, a combiner, a filter, and a switching network.

[0018] In the embodiments provided in the present application, the signal line can constitute at least one of a power distribution module, a phase compensation module, a main feed module, a combiner, a filter and a switching network, so that the feeding device can integrate different functional modules to achieve modularization and miniaturization of the feeding device.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the substrate further includes a ground layer, and the bottom wall is electrically connected to the ground layer.

[0020] In the embodiment provided in the present application, the substrate includes a grounding layer, and the bottom wall of the shell is electrically connected to the grounding layer, so that the feeding device can be grounded.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the signal line and the ground layer are located on the same main plane of the substrate, and the signal line and the ground layer form a coplanar waveguide structure; or, the signal line and the ground layer are respectively located on different main planes of the substrate, and the signal line and the ground layer constitute a microstrip line or a stripline structure.

[0022] In the embodiments provided in the present application, when the signal line and the ground layer are located on the same plane to form a coplanar waveguide structure, the connection between multiple functional circuits can be made more convenient, and it is beneficial to reduce the production cost of the feeding device; when the signal line and the ground layer are located on different planes to form a microstrip line or stripline structure, the surface space of the substrate can be fully utilized to achieve miniaturization of the feeding device.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, a side of the shell away from the substrate includes an opening portion, two adjacent functional circuits respectively include a bending portion, and the bending portions of the two adjacent functional circuits are connected through the opening portion.

[0024] In the embodiment provided in the present application, two adjacent functional circuits may respectively include a bending portion, and the bending portions of the two adjacent functional circuits are connected through the opening portion, which can reduce the number of parts used in the feeding device and realize the miniaturization of the feeding device.

[0025] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the shell includes a first opening, and the strip line passes through the first opening to be electrically connected to the signal line.

[0026] In the embodiment provided in the present application, the shell includes a first opening, so that the strip line passes through the first opening to connect with the signal line, without winding the wire outside the shell to achieve electrical connection, which can make the wiring in the feeding device simpler.

[0027] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the substrate includes a second opening, the second opening extends in a direction perpendicular to the main plane of the substrate, the strip line passes through the first opening and the second opening is electrically connected to the signal line.

[0028] In the embodiments provided in the present application, when the signal line and the shell are located on different planes of the substrate, the substrate may include a second opening, so that the strip line passes through the first opening and the second opening respectively to be electrically connected to the signal line, without the need to wind the wire outside the shell and the substrate to achieve electrical connection, which can make the wiring in the feeding device simpler.

[0029] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the substrate includes one or more wire outlets, which are arranged on the periphery of the substrate for connecting the signal line to the antenna element or other radio frequency system, or the substrate includes one or more pins, which are arranged on the periphery of the substrate for connecting the signal line to the antenna element or other radio frequency system.

[0030] In the embodiment provided in the present application, the substrate includes a wire outlet or a pin, which can facilitate the connection of the feeding device with the antenna system or other radio frequency systems, thereby realizing the integration and modularization of the antenna system and other radio frequency systems.

[0031] In a second aspect, an antenna system is provided, comprising a feeding device as described in the first aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first aspect, and one or more antenna elements, wherein the one or more antenna elements are connected to the feeding device.

[0032] In a third aspect, a base station is provided, comprising the antenna system as described in the second aspect and a radio frequency module connected to the antenna system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an antenna system.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an antenna.

[0035] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of a feeding device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of a feeding device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of a feeding device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of a feeding device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0039] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of a feeding device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of a feeding device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0041] Fig. 9 It is a structural schematic diagram of a feeding device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0043] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" etc. described in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment is included in one or more embodiments of the present application. Thus, the phrases "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in some other embodiments", "in some other embodiments", etc. appearing in different places in this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways.

[0044] The terms "include", "comprising", "having" and variations thereof all mean "including but not limited to", unless specifically emphasized otherwise.

[0045] In various embodiments of the present application, the first, second, etc. are only used to indicate that multiple objects are different. For example, the first cavity and the second cavity are only used to indicate different cavities. They should not have any impact on the cavity itself and the number, etc. The first, second, etc. mentioned above should not impose any limitations on the embodiments of the present application.

[0046] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a base station antenna system provided in an embodiment of the present application. The base station antenna system may include components such as an antenna 101, a feeder 103, a pole 104, a remote radio unit (RRU) 102, and a grounding device 105. The antenna 101 may be fixed to the pole 104 by adjusting a bracket, etc., and may be connected to the RRU 102 through the feeder 103, and signals may be transmitted between the feeder 103 and the RRU 102. The antenna 101 may also be connected to the grounding device 105.

[0047] Figure 2 It is the main component inside the antenna, which may include a radiating element, a feeding network, a transmission or calibration network, a radome, a reflector, etc.

[0048] The radiation unit is the basic structural unit of the antenna array, which is used to radiate or receive radio waves. The radiation unit may also be called an antenna vibrator or a vibrator, etc. An antenna array may include one or more radiation units, and the frequencies of different radiation units may be the same or different.

[0049] The feeding network is used to feed the signal to the radiating unit according to a certain amplitude and phase, or to send the received signal to the signal processing unit of the base station according to a certain amplitude and phase. The feeding network can be connected to the transmission network to achieve different radiation beam pointing directions. The feeding network can also be connected to the calibration network to obtain the calibration signal required by the system. The feeding network is usually composed of a controlled impedance transmission line. The feeding network can include phase shifters, and in some cases, it can also include devices such as combiners and filters.

[0050] The radome is a structural component used to protect the antenna system from the external environment. The radome has good electromagnetic wave penetration characteristics in terms of electrical performance and can withstand the effects of the external harsh environment in terms of mechanical performance. The above-mentioned radiation unit, transmission or calibration network, and feed network and other components can be accommodated in the radome.

[0051] The reflector can also be called a base plate, antenna panel, metal reflective surface, etc. It can improve the receiving sensitivity of the antenna signal, reflect the antenna signal and focus it on the receiving point, and block or shield the interference of other radio waves from the opposite direction on the received signal. The radiation unit is generally placed above the reflector.

[0052] The antenna may also include an antenna connector for connecting the antenna to an external feeder, thereby connecting the antenna to an RRU or the like.

[0053] The feeding device provided in the embodiment of the present application can be arranged in the antenna. The feeding device or the feeding network can also be called a feeding network, which is used to adjust the amplitude and phase of the transmitted signal or the received signal. Figures 3 to 9 The structure of the feeding device provided in the embodiment of the present application is introduced.

[0054] First, see Figure 3 The feeding device shown, wherein Figure 3 (a) is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the feeding device. Figure 3 (b) is a top view of the feeding device. The feeding device may include a substrate 310, a housing 320 and a plurality of functional circuits 340.

[0055] The substrate 310 may be a printed circuit board (PCB) or a ceramic substrate. The substrate 310 may be a single-layer substrate or a multi-layer substrate. The substrate 310 may include a signal line 311 for transmitting an electrical signal. The signal line 311 may be used as a switching network to connect multiple functional circuits 340 and transmit an electrical signal from one functional circuit 340 to another functional circuit 340. It may also be used to connect the feeding device to other radio frequency circuits and transmit the electrical signal of the feeding device to other radio frequency circuits.

[0056] The housing 320 may include a bottom wall 322 and a side wall 321. The bottom wall 322 may be supported on the substrate 310, and the bottom wall 322 and the side wall 321 may enclose a plurality of cavities 330. Exemplarily, the bottom wall 322 of the housing 320 may be parallel to the substrate 310 and fixedly connected to the substrate 310, for example, by welding or the like. The bottom wall 322 may be connected to the entire surface of the substrate 310, or may be fixedly connected to the substrate 310 through one or more protrusions on the substrate 310. The bottom wall 322 may also be supported on the substrate 310 by coupling.

[0057] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present application, two or more structural members are parallel to each other, and can be approximately parallel to each other, allowing a certain angle error in the production process. Similarly, in the following, two or more structural members are approximately perpendicular to each other, and can be approximately perpendicular to each other, and equal size can refer to approximately equal size.

[0058] The housing 320 may include a plurality of side walls 321, and the plurality of side walls 321 may share a bottom wall 322 and enclose a plurality of cavities 330 together with the bottom wall 322. Figure 3As shown, the multiple side walls 321 can be arranged parallel to each other, and the multiple side walls 321 can be perpendicular to the bottom wall 322, so that a single cavity 330 forms a "U"-shaped structure, and the shell 320 can be a semi-open shell. The multiple side walls 321 are arranged parallel to each other, that is, the extension directions of the multiple cavities 330 surrounded by the multiple side walls 321 and the bottom wall 322 can be the same, or the extension directions of the multiple cavities 330 can be parallel to each other. Figure 3 The extending direction of the multiple cavities 330 shown is the direction shown by the y-axis. The side wall 321 and the bottom wall 322 can be an integral structure, or can be connected by welding, screwing, etc. The housing 320 is a semi-open housing, which can effectively reduce the weight and volume of the feeding device, and can reduce the manufacturing cost of the feeding device.

[0059] The housing 320 may also include a top wall (not shown in the figure), which may be disposed on a side of the housing 320 away from the substrate 310, that is, it may be disposed opposite to the bottom wall 322, that is, the top wall and the bottom wall 322 may be disposed on the upper and lower sides of the side wall 321 along the z-axis direction, respectively. The top wall may enclose a closed cavity together with the bottom wall 322 and the side wall 321. In this example, the side wall 321 may include not only the side walls 321 disposed in parallel as shown in the figure, but also the side walls 321 disposed on the left and right sides of the housing 320 (not shown in the figure), which are the two sides of the housing 320 along the y-axis direction as shown in the figure.

[0060] Multiple functional circuits 340 can be respectively accommodated in multiple cavities 330 of the housing 320, and multiple functional circuits 340 can be respectively accommodated in the cavities 330 in an upright manner, or in other words, the plane formed by the functional circuits 340 can be perpendicular to the plane where the substrate 310 is located. For example, the functional circuit 340 can be formed by bending the strip line to form a folded line structure with alternating concave and convex shapes, and the alternating concave and convex folded line structure can be located in the same plane, and the plane can be located on the yz plane shown in the figure, parallel to the side wall 321, and perpendicular to the substrate 310. Multiple functional circuits 340 can be electrically connected to the signal line through the strip line.

[0061] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, the functional circuit 340 can be a microwave circuit. From a structural point of view, the functional circuit 340 can be a strip line; from a functional point of view, the functional circuit 340, that is, the part of the strip line located in the cavity 330 can constitute a functional module together with the shell 320, and is therefore referred to as a functional circuit in the embodiment of the present application, while the part located outside the cavity 330 mainly serves as an electrical connection, and is therefore referred to as a strip line in the embodiment of the present application. In other words, the functional circuit and the strip line can be a whole, but the setting position in the feeding device is different, and the functions realized are also different. The functional circuit 340 and the strip line can also be two parts connected to each other, respectively arranged inside the cavity 330 and outside the cavity 330, to achieve different functions.

[0062] The functional circuit 340 and the shell 320 can form a suspended strip line structure, that is, the strip line can be set in the cavity 330 and may not be in direct contact with the side wall 321 of the shell 320. The strip line can form a functional module of the feeding device together with the shell 320 and other components, such as a power division module, a phase shift module, etc.

[0063] As an example, the feeding device may further include a sliding medium 350, which may slide relative to the functional circuit 340. The sliding medium 350 may be a material having an electrostatic constant different from that of air, and is used to change the electrostatic constant of the surrounding environment. When the sliding medium 350 slides relative to the functional circuit 340, the electrical length of the stroke line may be changed to achieve phase adjustment. The number of the sliding medium 350 may be multiple, for example, five as shown in the figure. The five sliding media 350A, 350B, 350C, 350D, and 350E may be respectively disposed in the cavities 330A, 330B, 330C, 330D, and 330E, and may respectively cover the corresponding functional circuits 340A, 340B, 340C, 340D, and 340E in each cavity. For example, the sliding medium 350 may be in an inverted "U"-shaped structure, and the functional circuit 340 may be disposed below the middle gap of the inverted "U" shape. The sliding medium 350 can slide relative to the functional circuit 340 along the y-axis direction shown in the figure. The sliding medium 350 can form a phase shifting module together with the side wall 321 and the bottom wall 322 of the corresponding cavity 330 and the functional circuit 340 in the corresponding cavity 330. Five sliding media 350 can form five phase shifting modules with the corresponding housing 320 and the functional circuit 340 respectively to achieve phase adjustment. For example, the sliding medium 350A can form a phase shifting module with the corresponding functional circuit 340A and the side wall 321 and the bottom wall 322 of the corresponding cavity 330A, and the sliding medium 350B can form a phase shifting module with the corresponding functional circuit 340B and the side wall 321 and the bottom wall 322 of the corresponding cavity 330B, and 330C, 330D and 330E are similar.

[0064] The functional circuit 340 can also form a power distribution module, a phase compensation module, a combiner, a filter and other functional modules together with the corresponding shell 320 part of the cavity 330 accommodated therein, and the present application does not limit this.

[0065] In the feeding device provided in the embodiment of the present application, the substrate is used as a motherboard to carry components such as a housing and a functional circuit, and a plurality of functional circuits can be respectively accommodated in a plurality of cavities of the housing, so that the feeding device can be easily integrated with different functional modules, and different functional modules can be combined to achieve the expansion and derivation of the functions of the feeding device. The plurality of functional circuits are respectively accommodated in a plurality of cavities, and the isolation of the strip lines in each cavity can also be improved, and the coupling problem between the strip lines can be solved. The functional modules in different cavities can be optimized separately to improve the design efficiency. In addition, each modular circuit can be easily standardized and thus be applicable to all feeding devices under the same architecture.

[0066] In some embodiments, the signal line 311 and the housing 320 can be respectively arranged on two main planes of the substrate 310. The main plane of the substrate 310 is the surface of the substrate 310 with a larger area, for example, the xy plane shown in the figure, or the signal line 311 and the housing 320 can be respectively arranged on the upper and lower sides of the substrate 310 in the z-axis direction shown in the figure. The structure of the signal line 311 can be, for example, Figure 4 The housing 320 may include a first opening (not shown in the figure), which may be arranged on the side wall 321 of the housing 320 or on the bottom wall 322 of the housing 320, and the number of the first opening may be one or more. When the signal line 311 and the housing 320 are respectively arranged on two main planes of the substrate 310, the corresponding position of the substrate 310 may also include a second opening 3221 (such as Figure 4 As shown in (b) in the figure), the second opening 3221 can extend in a direction perpendicular to the main plane of the substrate 310, so that the strip line can pass through the first opening and the second opening 3221 in sequence to be electrically connected to the signal line. The housing 320 can also include an open surface (not shown in the figure), which is a larger opening on the housing 320, and the strip line can pass through the open surface to connect with the signal line 311. The signal line 311 and the housing 320 are respectively arranged on the two main planes of the substrate 310, which can improve the utilization rate of the surface space of the substrate 310 and effectively reduce the volume of the feeding device.

[0067] The signal line 311 and the housing 320 may also be arranged on the same plane of the substrate 310. In this example, the substrate 310 may not need to be provided with a second opening 3221 or an open surface, and only a first opening is required on the housing, so that the strip line can pass through the first opening on the housing 320 to connect with the signal line 311. In this example, the signal line 311 may be arranged in an area outside the projection range of the housing 320 on the substrate 310 along the z-axis direction shown in the figure.

[0068] In some embodiments, the signal line 311 may also constitute a power division module of the feeding device, which is used to divide one input signal into two or more output signals for output. The power division module may work together with the phase shifting module to realize the phase shifter function and achieve phase adjustment of the antenna.

[0069] In some embodiments, the substrate 310 may further include a grounding layer (not shown in the figure), which may be disposed on the same main plane of the substrate 310 as the housing 320, and the housing 320 may be connected to the grounding layer. The housing 320 may be directly electrically connected to the grounding layer, or may be coupled. When the housing 320 is directly electrically connected to the grounding layer, the housing 320 may be electrically connected to the entire surface of the grounding layer, for example, the entire bottom wall 322 of the housing 320 may be connected to the grounding layer, or the grounding layer may include one or more protrusions, and the housing 320 may be connected to the grounding layer through the one or more protrusions (not shown in the figure). The housing 320 may be fixed to the grounding layer and electrically connected by welding or the like.

[0070] When the grounding layer and the shell 320 are arranged on different main planes of the substrate 310, the shell 320 can be electrically connected to the grounding layer through the openings on the substrate 310. The openings on the substrate 310 can be guide holes, that is, metal objects can be injected into the openings to achieve electrical connection between the shell 320 and the grounding layer, so that the shell 320 is grounded.

[0071] The ground layer and the signal line 311 may be located on the same main plane of the substrate 310, or may be located on different main planes of the substrate 310. When the ground layer and the signal line 311 are located on different main planes of the substrate 310, for example, the ground layer and the housing 320 are located on the same main plane of the substrate 310, or located on the upper plane of the substrate 310, that is, the upper plane of the substrate 310 in the z-axis direction, and the signal line 311 is located on the lower plane of the substrate 310, that is, located on the lower plane of the substrate 310 in the z-axis direction, the ground layer may form a microstrip line structure with the signal line 311, that is, a structure in which the signal line 311, the substrate 310, and the ground layer are arranged in sequence; or the ground layer may also form a stripline structure with the signal line 311, that is, the signal line 311 may be a multi-layer structure, for example, may include two layers of signal lines 311, and another layer of substrate 310 is arranged between the two layers of signal lines 311. The ground layer and the signal line 311 are located on different main planes of the substrate 310 , which can fully utilize the surface space of the substrate and realize the miniaturization of the feeding device.

[0072] When the ground layer and the signal line 311 are located on the same main plane of the substrate 310, for example, when the ground layer and the signal line 311 are located on the same plane of the substrate 310 as the housing 320, that is, on the upper plane of the substrate 310, the ground layer can form a coplanar waveguide structure with the signal line 311. When the signal line 311 and the ground layer are located on the same plane to form a coplanar waveguide structure, it can make the connection between the multiple functional circuits 340 more convenient, and it is beneficial to reduce the production cost of the feeding device.

[0073] In some embodiments, the substrate 310 may include one or more outlets 312, which may be disposed on the periphery of the substrate 310 to connect the signal line 311 to the antenna element or other radio frequency system. The outlet structure used by the outlet 312 may be a coaxial cable.

[0074] above Figure 3 and Figure 4 The feeding device shown includes a housing 320, and the housing 320 may be a multi-cavity structure. The housing 320 may also be a single-cavity structure. The feeding device may be composed of a plurality of single-cavity housings 320, each of which is used to accommodate a plurality of functional circuits 340. For example, Figure 5 The feeding device structure shown in FIG. Figure 5 (a) is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the feeding device. Figure 5 (b) is a top view of the feeding device.

[0075] The feeding device may include a plurality of housings 320, such as the six housings 320A to 320F shown in the figure. The plurality of housings 320 may be arranged on the same main plane of the substrate 310. The plurality of housings 320 are arranged on the same main plane of the substrate 310, which can easily realize one-time welding of the plurality of housings 320, improve the production and processing efficiency of the feeding device, and facilitate miniaturization of the feeding device and reduce the volume of the feeding device. Each housing 320 in the plurality of housings 320 may be a semi-open structure as shown in the figure, or a closed structure. Each housing 320 may include a cavity 330, that is, each housing 320 may include a bottom wall 322 and two side walls 321, and a bottom wall 322 and two side walls 321 may be surrounded by a "U"-shaped structure. A plurality of functional circuits 340A to 340F may be respectively accommodated in a plurality of cavities 330A to 330F of the plurality of housings 320A to 320F.

[0076] and Figure 3 Similar to the structure shown in FIG. 1 , the feeding device may include a sliding medium 350. The number of the sliding medium 350 may be one or more, for example, Figure 5 The four sliding media 350B, 350C, 350D and 350E shown in the figure can be respectively accommodated in the four cavities 330B, 330C, 330D and 330E, and can respectively constitute four phase-shifting modules with the shell 320 and the functional circuit 340 of the corresponding cavity 330. For example, the sliding medium 350B and the shell corresponding to the cavity 330B in which it is located, and the functional circuit 340B in the cavity 330B can together constitute a phase-shifting module.

[0077] The feeding device may further include a power division module, and the power division module may be composed of a functional circuit 340 and a housing 320. For example, the cavities 330A and 330F shown in the figure contain a strip line 340A and a line 340F respectively, and the strip line 340A and the housing 320 corresponding to the cavity 330A together constitute a power division module, and similarly, the strip line 340F and the housing 320 corresponding to the cavity 330F may also together constitute a power division module.

[0078] In some embodiments, the substrate 310 may also be connected to an antenna element or other radio frequency module via a pin 313. The pin 313 may be disposed on the periphery of the substrate 310, and the pin 313 may be a protruding portion of the substrate 310, such as a protruding portion of a PCB, which may cover at least a portion of the signal line 311, serving as an output line adapter of the feeding device. The pin 313 may also be in the form of a plus etched pattern (PEP) plastic electroplated strip line or a sheet metal strip line, wherein PEP is a metallization process technology for forming a complex three-dimensional circuit on a non-metal surface, and a PEP plastic electroplated strip line is a metal strip line electroplated on a plastic surface, serving as an output line adapter of the feeding device. The periphery of the substrate 310 may also include structures such as pin holes, serving as an adapter for connecting to an antenna element or other radio frequency circuits, and the present application does not limit the structural form of the output line adapter of the feeding device.

[0079] The feeding device can also be composed of one or more single-cavity housings 320 and one or more multi-cavity housings 320, and multiple functional circuits 340 can be respectively accommodated in multiple cavities 330. In addition, in addition to the above-mentioned phase shift module and functional module, the functional circuit can also form functional modules such as combiner, filter, power division module and phase compensation module together with the housing 320, and the above-mentioned functional modules can be combined so that the feeding device can realize a variety of different functions. For details, please refer to Figures 6 to 9 The example shown, similarly, Figures 6 to 9 (a) is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the feeding device. Figures 6 to 9 (b) is a top view of the feeding device.

[0080] First, if Figure 6 The feeding device shown in the figure may include a multi-cavity housing 320 and two single-cavity housings 320, and the multi-cavity housing 320 may be arranged between the two single-cavity housings 320 along the x direction shown in the figure. The multi-cavity housing 320 is, for example, a four-cavity housing 320 shown in the figure. Similar to the above, the functional circuit 340 and the sliding medium 350 contained in the multi-cavity housing 320 may constitute four phase shifting modules together with the housing 320, which will not be described in detail here.

[0081] The side of the housing 320 of the feeding device away from the substrate 310 may also include an opening portion 3211. For example, the opening portion 3211 may be provided at the upper right corner and the upper left corner of the side wall 321 of the multi-cavity housing 320. The left and the right may refer to the left and the right along the direction shown by the y-axis shown in the figure. The opening portion 3211 may be used to pass the connecting wire 370 to connect the functional circuits 340 in two adjacent cavities 330. That is, the strip lines of the multiple functional circuits 340 may be electrically connected by extending the wires from the bottom of the housing 320. For example, openings may be provided at the corresponding positions on the bottom wall 322 of the housing 320 and the substrate 310 so that the strip lines are connected to the signal line 311. The multiple functional circuits 340 may also be electrically connected by extending the wires from the top of the housing 320.

[0082] The connecting line 370 may be a bent portion of the functional circuit 340 in two adjacent cavities 330. For example, the ends of the functional circuits 340 in two adjacent cavities 330 may be bent and connected through the opening portion 3211 to achieve connection between the functional circuits 340 in the two adjacent cavities 330. Alternatively, only one of the two adjacent functional circuits 340 may include a bent portion, and the bent portion may be connected to the other functional circuit through the opening portion 3211. The functional circuit 340 includes a bent portion and the bent portion is connected through the opening portion, which can reduce the use of parts of the feeding device and further achieve miniaturization of the feeding device.

[0083] It should be noted that Figure 6 The feeding device shown is a shell 320B with multiple cavities, in which a connecting line 370 is set to connect the functional circuits 340 in two adjacent cavities 330. Any two functional circuits 340 in the feeding device can be electrically connected through the connecting line 370. For example, the functional circuit 340 in the multi-cavity shell 320B can also be electrically connected to the functional circuit 340 in the single-cavity shell 320A-1 and / or 320A-2. This application does not limit this. The opening portion 3211 can also be set at other positions on the side wall 321 of the shell 320 except the corner, for example, it is set at the middle position of the side of the side wall 321 away from the substrate 310, or it is set at any position on the side of the side wall 321 perpendicular to the main plane of the substrate 310. This application does not limit this.

[0084] The functional circuit 340 contained in the two single-cavity shells 320A-1 and 320A-2 can constitute a phase compensation module together with the shell 320. For example, the functional circuit in the cavity 330A and the shell 320A-1 corresponding to the cavity 330A can constitute a phase compensation module together, and the functional circuit 340 in the cavity 330F can also constitute a phase compensation module together with the shell 320A-2 corresponding to the cavity 330. The phase compensation module can be used to adjust the phase of the feeding device.

[0085] and Figure 5 Similar to the feeding device shown, the feeding device may also include a power division module, which may be composed of the signal line 311 in the feeding device, and the power division module may be arranged on the lower plane of the substrate 310. The feeding device may also include a phase shift module, which may be composed of the housing corresponding to the cavities 340B to 340E, the functional circuit and the sliding medium 350.

[0086] Figure 7 The feeding device shown may be composed of a plurality of multi-cavity housings 320 , and in addition to the phase shift module, the feeding device may also include a main feeding module and a combiner.

[0087] Exemplarily, the feeding device may include three multi-cavity shells 320A-1, 320A-2 and 320B, the two shells 320A-1 and 320A-2 located on the upper and lower sides of the feeding device may be double-cavity shells, the multi-cavity shell 320A-1 may include cavities 330A and 330B, the functional circuit 340 in the cavity 330B may constitute a main feeding module together with the shell 320 portion corresponding to the cavity 330B, for transmitting electrical signals, such as transmitting signals sent by the RRU to the antenna, the functional circuit 340 in the cavity 330A may constitute a combiner together with the shell 320 portion corresponding to the cavity 330A, for combining the signals transmitted by the main feeding module.

[0088] Similarly, the multi-cavity shell 320A-2 may include cavities 330G and 330H, and the functional circuit in cavity 330G may constitute a main feed module together with the shell 320 corresponding to the cavity 330G, and the functional circuit in cavity 330H may constitute a combiner together with the shell 320 corresponding to the cavity 330H, for combining and outputting the signal transmitted by the main feed module.

[0089] The multi-chamber housing 320B may include four chambers 330C, 330D, 330E and 330F as shown. Figure 6 Similar to the feeding device shown, the functional circuit 340 in the multi-cavity housing 320B can form a phase shift module together with the sliding medium 350 and the housing part of the corresponding cavity, which will not be described in detail here.

[0090] Similar to the feeding device described above, the signal line 311 of the feeding device can also constitute a functional module such as a power splitter module of the feeding device. Figure 3 The feeding devices shown are similar and will not be described in detail here.

[0091] above Figures 3 to 7 In the feeding device shown, the multiple cavities 330 enclosed by one or more shells 320 are parallel to each other, that is, the side walls 321 of each shell can be parallel structures. Figure 8 In the feeding device shown, the multiple cavities 330 may include cavities 330 that are perpendicular to each other.

[0092] like Figure 8 As shown, the phase shift module can be arranged at both ends of the substrate 310 in the x-axis direction, that is, the phase shift module can be arranged in the housings 320A-1 and 320A-2 shown in the figure, the housings 320A-1 and 320A-2 can be double-cavity structures, and the number of phase shift modules can be 4 as shown in the figure. Similar to the above, the phase shift module can be composed of the functional circuit 340, the sliding medium 350, and the housing 320 part corresponding to the cavity 330, which will not be repeated here.

[0093] The functional circuit 340 in the housing 320B can form a combiner together with the corresponding housing 320, and the housing 320B can be a four-cavity housing, and thus can form four combiners. For example, the functional circuit 340C and the housing 320 portion of the corresponding cavity 330C can form a combiner together, similarly, the functional circuit 340D and the housing 320 portion of the corresponding cavity 330D can form a combiner together, the functional circuit 340E and the housing 320 portion of the corresponding cavity 330E can form a combiner together, the functional circuit 340E and the housing 320 portion of the corresponding cavity 330E can form a combiner together, and the functional circuit 340F and the housing 320 portion of the corresponding cavity 330F can form a combiner together.

[0094] The cavities 330A to 330H may be parallel to each other, that is, the plurality of side walls 321 corresponding to the cavities 330A to 330H may be arranged parallel to each other. A shell may also be provided near the left and right sides of the substrate 310, for example, the shells 320C-1 and 320C-2 shown in the figure may be provided, and the shells 320C-1 and 320C-2 may be dual-cavity structures, for example, the shell 320C-1 located on the left may include cavities 330I and 330J, and the shell 320C-2 located on the right may include cavities 330K and 330L, and the extension direction of the cavities 330I~330L may be perpendicular to the extension direction of the cavities 330A~330G, that is, the extension direction of the cavities 330I~330L may be the x-axis direction shown in the figure, and the extension direction of the cavities 330A~330H may be along the y-axis direction shown in the figure, and the side walls 321 corresponding to the cavities 330I~330L may be perpendicular to the side walls 321 corresponding to the cavities 330A~330G.

[0095] Functional circuits may also be provided in the cavities 330I-330L. Exemplarily, the functional circuits in the cavities 330I-330L may respectively form a combiner together with the shell parts of the corresponding cavities to perform combining processing on the signals transmitted by the feeding device.

[0096] Functional circuits are arranged in the cavities 330I-330L to realize the functions that can be realized by functional modules such as combiners. Under the premise that the feeding device can integrate multiple functional modules, the space occupied by the functional circuits on the feeding device can be reduced, the feeding device can be miniaturized, and the volume of the antenna system can be effectively reduced.

[0097] In some embodiments, the housing may further include a partition 323 to divide the single cavity into at least two parts, for example, see Fig. 9 The feeding device structure shown.

[0098] like Fig. 9As shown, the housings 320A-1 and 320A-2 located at both ends of the substrate 310 in the x-axis direction can be double-chamber housings. The housings 320A-1 and 320A-2 can include a partition 323. The material of the partition 323 can be a metallic material, and the material of the partition 323 can be the same as the material of the housing 320. The partition 323 can be disposed in the cavity 330 and divide the corresponding cavity into multiple parts. The partition 323 can be parallel to the substrate 310. For example, the cavity 330A can include a partition 323-1, the cavity 330B can include a partition 323-2, and the partitions 323-1 and 323-2 can be parallel to the substrate 310. The setting heights of the partitions 323 in the same housing 320 can be the same or different. In other words, the setting heights of the partitions 323 in different cavities 330 can be the same or different. For example, the illustrated partition 323-1 and the partition 323-2 can be disposed at the same position in the z-axis direction of the housing 320A-1, so that the housing 320A-1 forms a semi-open "field" - shaped structure, or they can be disposed at different positions in the z-axis direction.

[0099] The partition 323 can divide the cavity 330 into upper and lower parts. Taking the cavity 330A as an example, the cavity 330 can be divided into a first part 330A-1 and a second part 330A-2. Functional circuits 340 can be respectively disposed in the first part 330A-1 and the second part 330A-2. Each functional circuit 340 can form a functional module with the corresponding part of the housing 320. For example, the functional circuit 340 in the first part 330A-1 can form a combiner with the corresponding side wall 321 and the partition 323 of the first part 330A-1, and the functional circuit 340 in the second part 330A-2 can form a combiner with the corresponding side wall 321, the partition 323, and the bottom wall 322 of the second part 330A-2. The functional module formed by the functional circuit 340 in the first part 330A-1 can be the same as or different from the functional module formed by the functional circuit 340 in the second part 330A-2. The setting of the partition in the cavity 330B and the setting of the functional circuits in the corresponding cavity can be similar to those in the cavity 330A, which will not be elaborated here.

[0100] Similarly, the shell 320A-2 may also include a partition 323, for example, the partition 323-3 and the partition 323-4 shown in the figure, and the partition 323-3 and the partition 323-4 may be respectively accommodated in the cavities 330E and 330F, and the partition 323-3 and the partition 323-4 may be parallel to the substrate 310. The arrangement of the functional modules in the shell 320A-2 may be similar to that in the above-mentioned shell 320A-1, and will not be repeated here. One partition 323 may be provided in a cavity 330, or multiple partitions 323 may be provided, dividing the cavity 330 into multiple parts, so as to make more full use of the surface space on the substrate 310 and realize the miniaturization of the feeding device. The functional circuit 340 accommodated in the multiple parts into which a cavity 330 is divided may constitute the same functional module as the shell 320, or may constitute a different functional module.

[0101] A partition is arranged in the cavity to divide the cavity into multiple parts, which can realize three-dimensional wiring of the feeding device and improve the surface space utilization of the feeding device. For example, the flat-laid strip lines can be arranged upright to reduce the surface area occupied by the strip lines, further promoting the miniaturization of the feeding device.

[0102] It should be noted that the above Figures 3 to 9 In the described feeding device, the structure of the feeding device is mainly introduced by taking the functional circuit and the shell together to form the phase shift module, the power division module, the phase compensation module and the combiner and other functional modules as an example. The functional circuit can also form the filter, the duplexer and other functional modules together with the shell, and this application does not limit this. In addition, the feeding device can not only include a combination of one or two of the above modules, but also integrate three or more functional modules to achieve the expansion and derivation of the functions of the feeding device.

[0103] The shell in the above embodiment can be a single-chamber shell or a multi-chamber shell. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of single-chamber shells and multi-chamber shells, the number of cavities included in the multi-chamber shell, and the number of functional modules set in each cavity, and can be set according to actual usage requirements.

[0104] The above embodiment is described as a shell including cavities that are parallel to each other and / or perpendicular to each other. The shell can also be arranged in any other form. For example, multiple cavities can also be distributed on the substrate at a certain angle. The shell of the feeding device provided in the present application can be flexibly arranged according to actual functional requirements, making full use of the surface space of the substrate, and integrating multiple functional modules. The present application does not limit the structural form of the shell and the layout of the shell on the substrate.

[0105] The embodiment of the present application also provides an antenna system, which may include the above-mentioned Figures 3 to 9For any of the feeding devices described, the antenna system may further include an antenna element. The feeding device may be connected to the antenna element, and the number of the antenna element may be one or more.

[0106] An embodiment of the present application also provides a base station, which may include the above-mentioned antenna system and a radio frequency module connected to the antenna system.

[0107] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the present technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A feeding device, characterized in that: include: A substrate, the substrate comprising a signal line, the signal line being used to transmit an electrical signal; A shell, the shell is arranged on the substrate, and the shell comprises a bottom wall and side walls, and the side walls and the bottom wall enclose a plurality of cavities; A plurality of functional circuits are respectively accommodated in the plurality of cavities, and the planes where the functional circuits are located are perpendicular to the substrate, and the functional circuits are connected to the signal lines through strip lines.

2. The feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell further includes a partition plate, which is disposed in the cavity and divides the cavity into a plurality of parts.

3. The feeding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The plurality of cavities include a first cavity and a second cavity, and an extension direction of the first cavity is parallel or perpendicular to an extension direction of the second cavity.

4. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The side of the housing away from the substrate includes an opening portion, Two adjacent functional circuits respectively include a bending portion, and the bending portions of the two adjacent functional circuits are connected through the opening portion.

5. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The number of the shells is multiple, and the multiple shells are arranged on the same main plane of the substrate.

6. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The feeding device further includes a sliding medium that is slidable relative to the plurality of functional circuits.

7. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The functional circuit and the corresponding housing together constitute a functional module, and the functional module includes at least one of the following modules: a phase shift module, a power division module, a phase compensation module, a main feed module, a combiner and a filter.

8. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The signal line is also used to form at least one of the following functional modules of the feeding device: a power division module, a phase compensation module, a main feeding module, a combiner, a filter and a switching network.

9. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The substrate further includes a grounding layer, and the bottom wall is electrically connected to the grounding layer.

10. The feeding device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The signal line and the ground layer are located on the same main plane of the substrate, and the signal line and the ground layer form a coplanar waveguide structure, or, The signal line and the ground layer are respectively located on different main planes of the substrate, and the signal line and the ground layer form a microstrip line or a stripline structure.

11. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The housing includes a first opening, and the strip line passes through the first opening and is electrically connected to the signal line.

12. The feeding device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The substrate includes a second opening extending in a direction perpendicular to a main plane of the substrate, the strip line passes through the first opening, and the second opening is electrically connected to the signal line.

13. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that: The substrate includes one or more outlets, which are arranged on the periphery of the substrate and are used to connect the signal line with an antenna element or other radio frequency system, or, The substrate includes one or more pins, which are arranged on the periphery of the substrate and are used to connect the signal line with an antenna element or other radio frequency system.

14. An antenna system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, and one or more antenna elements, wherein the one or more antenna elements are connected to the feeding device.

15. A base station, characterized in that: It comprises the antenna system as claimed in claim 14, and a radio frequency module connected to the antenna system.

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