Flexible wearable RF front-end device and system

Abstract

The present invention provides a flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device and system, relating to the field of communications technology. The device comprises: a flexible dielectric plate, an antenna radiator, and a ground plate, both of which are overlaid on one side of the flexible dielectric plate. The antenna radiator comprises a radiator body, which has a hexagonal structure with a slot at its center, arranged in the same hexagonal pattern as the radiator body. This invention significantly improves the limitations of traditional rigid antennas, such as limited mobility, uncomfortable wearing, and frequency band restrictions, making it suitable for use in emergency rescue equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device and system. Background Art

[0002] Because timely and effective communication is crucial in emergency rescue operations, existing rescue equipment often includes communications equipment, most commonly rigid antennas. However, traditional rigid antenna designs present inconveniences and limitations, such as restricted mobility, discomfort, and frequency band restrictions. These shortcomings limit the communication capabilities of traditional rigid antenna designs in emergency rescue equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a flexible wearable RF front-end device and system, which can significantly improve the problems of traditional rigid antennas such as limited mobility, uncomfortable wearing, and frequency band limitation, so that it can be better used in emergency rescue equipment.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device, comprising: a flexible dielectric board, an antenna radiator, and a ground plate, wherein the antenna radiator and the ground plate are both covered on one side of the flexible dielectric board;

[0005] The antenna radiator includes a radiator body, which adopts a hexagonal star structure. A slot is provided at the center of the radiator body, and the slot structure is a hexagonal structure with the same arrangement orientation as the radiator body.

[0006] In one embodiment, the antenna radiator further includes a plurality of first radiator branches, and the first radiator branches are located inside each vertex of the radiator body.

[0007] In one embodiment, the first radiator branch includes two radiator line segments, the endpoints of the two radiator line segments intersect, and the direction of the angle obtained by the intersection is consistent with the direction of the vertex angle of the radiator body.

[0008] In one embodiment, the angle value corresponding to the angle obtained by the intersection is equal to the angle value corresponding to the top angle of the radiator body.

[0009] In one embodiment, the antenna radiator further includes a second radiator branch, the second radiator branch is located outside the radiator body, and the second radiator branch adopts a rectangular structure.

[0010] In one embodiment, the ground plate adopts a trapezoidal structure, a slot is provided at the midline of the ground plate, and the slot is a rectangular structure with the same arrangement orientation as the second radiator branch.

[0011] In one embodiment, one end of the second radiator branch is located at any vertex of the radiator body, and the other end of the second radiator branch is located in the slot of the ground plate.

[0012] In one embodiment, the antenna radiator and the ground plane are in the same plane.

[0013] In one embodiment, an interface component is further included, which is welded on the flexible dielectric board and is used to transmit signals to the antenna radiator.

[0014] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a flexible wearable radio frequency front-end system, comprising any one of the flexible wearable radio frequency front-end devices provided in the first aspect.

[0015] The embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device and system, comprising: a flexible dielectric plate, an antenna radiator and a ground plate, wherein the antenna radiator and the ground plate are both covered on one side of the flexible dielectric plate; the antenna radiator comprises a radiator body, the radiator body adopts a hexagonal structure, and a slot is provided at the center of the radiator body, and the slot structure is a hexagonal structure with the same arrangement orientation as the radiator body. The above device uses the flexible dielectric plate to provide support for the antenna radiator and the ground plate, making the device softer, lighter, easier to bend and wear, thereby providing a more comfortable user experience. In addition, the radiator body adopts a hexagonal structure and has slots arranged in the same structure inside, so that the device can cover more frequency bands. Therefore, the embodiment of the present invention can significantly improve the problems of limited mobility, uncomfortable wearing, frequency band limitation, etc. of traditional rigid antennas, so that it can be better applied to emergency rescue equipment.

[0016] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the description, or will be understood through implementation of the present invention. The purposes and other advantages of the present invention are realized and obtained by the structures particularly pointed out in the description, claims and drawings.

[0017] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, preferred embodiments are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the specific embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0019] Figure 1A schematic structural diagram of a flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the dimensions of a flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device provided by an embodiment of the present invention applied to emergency rescue equipment;

[0022] Figure 4 A schematic diagram comparing antenna return losses under different iterations provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the current direction at the center frequency of a flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Icon: 1-flexible dielectric board; 2-antenna radiator; 21-radiator body; 22-first radiator branch; 23-second radiator branch; 3-ground plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the embodiments. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] Traditional rescue equipment usually uses a rigid antenna design, which has the following objective disadvantages:

[0027] 1. Limited mobility: Rigid antennas are often fixed to equipment, limiting the user's mobility. Emergency rescue operations require rapid maneuverability and flexibility, and rigid antennas can become a hindrance to users.

[0028] 2. Inconvenient to wear: Rigid antennas are usually hard and strong, which may cause discomfort and pressure when worn. Especially when worn for a long time, it may cause pain or discomfort.

[0029] 3. Frequency band limitations: Traditional rigid antenna designs are generally suitable for communications in a single or limited frequency band and cannot support multi-band communications simultaneously. In emergency rescue scenarios, communication with multiple devices or systems may be required, necessitating coverage of a wider range of frequency bands.

[0030] The above shortcomings limit the communication capabilities of traditional rigid antenna designs in emergency rescue equipment, so a flexible wearable antenna design is needed to improve these problems.

[0031] Based on this, the present invention provides a flexible wearable RF front-end device and system, which can significantly improve the problems of limited mobility, uncomfortable wearing, and frequency band limitation existing in traditional rigid antennas, and thus can be better applied in emergency rescue equipment.

[0032] In emergency rescue scenarios, fast, efficient, and reliable communication is crucial. With the development of science and technology, wearable flexible antennas, as an emerging technology, provide rescue workers with more flexible and effective communication solutions.

[0033] The present invention can be applied to a variety of disaster scenarios:

[0034] 1. Earthquake Disaster Scenario: An earthquake is a natural phenomenon in which the Earth's crust vibrates violently, significantly impacting humans and buildings. Earthquakes can cause building collapses, road and bridge collapses, and ruptures in water, electricity, and gas pipelines. They can also result in casualties, disappearances, and property damage.

[0035] 2. Torrential rain and flooding: Torrential rain and flooding are natural phenomena in which rainfall over a period of time exceeds the capacity of local soil and drainage systems, resulting in flooding, waterlogging, mudslides, and other conditions. Flooding often inundates buildings, roads, and bridges, paralyzing traffic and causing power outages.

[0036] 3. Hurricane Surge Disaster Scenario: A hurricane is a high-speed rotating cyclone that causes strong winds and heavy rain, while hurricane surge refers to the waves and high tides caused by the hurricane. Hurricane surges can damage coastal buildings, destroy seawalls and docks, and disrupt transportation.

[0037] 4. Terrorist attack scenario: A terrorist attack refers to violent attacks by extremist groups or individuals against civilians or other targets. Terrorist attacks may result in casualties, property damage, etc.

[0038] 5. Public Health Emergency Scenario: A public health emergency is an event that occurs suddenly and has an impact on public health, such as an infectious disease, food safety incident, or environmental pollution incident. A public health emergency may cause illness, death, or panic.

[0039] In the above scenarios, the communication system needs to meet the following requirements: First, after a disaster occurs, the communication system needs to be able to be established quickly to facilitate communication and command between rescue personnel; second, the communication system needs to be able to maintain stable and reliable communication quality in harsh environments to ensure the timely and accurate transmission of information; third, the communication system needs to cover a wide geographical area to facilitate communication and command between rescue personnel in different locations; fourth, the communication system needs to be compatible and able to interconnect with different communication equipment and systems; fifth, the communication system needs to be secure and confidential to ensure that the communication content cannot be illegally obtained and used, and to prevent leakage and destruction.

[0040] During natural disasters such as those described above, wearable flexible antennas can be integrated into rescue clothing, eliminating the need for rescue workers to carry additional equipment while on the move. The lightweight and flexible design of these antennas allows them to adapt to complex environments, such as narrow ruins or muddy terrain, ensuring smooth communication. Rescue teams also need to quickly acquire and share data. Wearable flexible antennas support data transmission and remote monitoring, enabling rescue workers to understand and respond promptly. Furthermore, the antennas' compatibility allows them to connect to a variety of medical devices, improving rescue efficiency and accuracy.

[0041] To facilitate understanding of this embodiment, a flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention is first described in detail. Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device is shown in FIG. Figure 1 The left picture is a front view of the flexible wearable RF front-end device, and the right picture is a side view of the flexible wearable RF front-end device. Figure 1 The diagram shows that the flexible wearable RF front-end device includes: a flexible dielectric plate 1, an antenna radiator 2 and a ground plate 3, and the antenna radiator 2 and the ground plate 3 are both covered on one side of the flexible dielectric plate 1.

[0042] Please continue to see Figure 1 The antenna radiator 2 includes a radiator body 21, which adopts a hexagonal star structure (also known as a hexagram structure). A slot is provided at the center of the radiator body 21, and the slot structure is a hexagonal structure with the same arrangement orientation as the radiator body 21.

[0043] A flexible wearable RF front-end device, also known as a flexible antenna, is designed in an embodiment of the present invention. A six-pointed star-shaped flexible antenna is designed for smartwatches and other mobile devices. The antenna uses a coplanar waveguide structure for power feeding, and a six-pointed star-shaped radiator model is printed on a TLX-6 flexible dielectric board. This model is derived from the traditional triangular monopole radiating antenna. The study explored the effects of different feeder widths, dielectric board thicknesses, and curvature on antenna performance. Simulations using HFSS software, combined with measured data in an electromagnetic microwave anechoic chamber, revealed that the antenna exhibited good performance in both the 2.175GHz-2.59GHz and 4.59GHz-5.05GHz frequency bands. This allows the antenna to cover multiple communication frequency bands, including the ISM2400 band, WLAN (2402-24835MHz), WiMAX (2.3-2.7GHz), and Bluetooth (2402-2480MHz). With center frequencies of 2.38GHz and 4.87GHz, the antenna offers advantages such as small size and wide frequency coverage.

[0044] The flexible wearable RF front-end device provided in an embodiment of the present invention utilizes a flexible dielectric board antenna radiator and a ground plate to provide support, making the device softer, lighter, easier to bend and wear, thereby providing a more comfortable user experience. In addition, the radiator body adopts a hexagonal star structure, and the same structure is used to set slots inside it, so that the device can cover more frequency bands. Therefore, the embodiment of the present invention can significantly improve the problems of limited mobility, uncomfortable wearing, and frequency band limitation of traditional rigid antennas, so that it can be better applied to emergency rescue equipment.

[0045] In one embodiment, the purpose of the embodiment of the present invention is to provide a more reliable, flexible and comfortable communication capability to meet the needs of emergency rescue operations. The device includes a flexible dielectric board, an antenna radiator and an interface component, the interface component is welded on the flexible dielectric board, and the interface component is used to transmit the signal to the antenna radiator. The flexible wearable RF front-end device of the embodiment of the present invention provides a number of advantages, including: the flexible dielectric board makes the antenna softer, lighter, easier to bend and wear, providing a more comfortable use experience; the antenna design method can cover multiple frequency bands. The flexible wearable RF front-end device of the embodiment of the present invention provides a better communication solution, which is applied to emergency rescue equipment and provides better support for communication equipment in emergency rescue operations.

[0046] For ease of understanding, an embodiment of the present invention provides a specific implementation of a flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device.

[0047] Please continue to see Figure 1 , Figure 1The schematic diagram shows that the antenna radiator 2 further includes a plurality of first radiator branches 22, which are located inside each vertex of the radiator body 21. In one example, the number of first radiator branches 22 is the same as the number of vertex corners of the radiator body 21, that is, a total of six first radiator branches are included.

[0048] Please continue to see Figure 1 , Figure 1 The diagram also illustrates that the first radiator branch 22 includes two radiator line segments, whose endpoints intersect, and the resulting angle aligns with the vertex angle of the radiator body 21. In one example, for any vertex angle of the radiator body 21, a straight line drawn through that vertex angle and the inner corner of the first radiator branch 22 will pass through the center point of the radiator body 21.

[0049] Preferably, the angle value corresponding to the angle obtained by the intersection is equal to the angle value corresponding to the top angle of the radiator body 21.

[0050] Please continue to see Figure 1 The antenna radiator 2 further includes a second radiator branch 23, which is located outside the radiator body 21, specifically on a side close to the ground plate 3, and the second radiator branch 23 has a rectangular structure.

[0051] Please continue to see Figure 1 The ground plate 3 has a trapezoidal structure and a slot is provided at the midline of the ground plate 3. The slot is a rectangular structure arranged in the same orientation as the second radiator branch 23. The rectangular size of the slot is larger than that of the second radiator.

[0052] Please continue to see Figure 1 One end of the second radiator branch 23 is located at any vertex of the radiator body 21, and the other end of the second radiator branch 23 is located in the slot of the ground plate 3. Specifically, Figure 1 It is shown that a portion of the second radiator branch 23 is located in the slot of the ground plate 3 .

[0053] The flexible wearable RF front-end device designed in the embodiment of the present invention has a hexagram-shaped radiator structure. The antenna can cover multiple communication frequency bands including ISM2400, WLAN (2402-24835MHz), WiMAX (2.3-2.7GHz), and Bluetooth (2402-2480MHz), and has a wide range of applications. Based on the theory of loop antennas and coplanar waveguide antennas, the embodiment of the present invention calculates preliminary data and then uses HFSS simulation parameter optimization to confirm the final size, such as Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the dimensions of a flexible wearable RF front-end device is shown. Figure 2 The dimensions of the antenna to be designed are marked in the figure, and the dimensions of the antenna are shown in Table 1.

[0054] Table 1 Antenna design dimensions

[0055]

[0056] The antenna also uses a coplanar waveguide feed method, leveraging its advantages over microstrip line feed. To minimize the impact of antenna bending on its electrical parameters, the antenna radiator 2 and ground plane 3 are aligned in the same plane. This effectively reduces the antenna's profile, ensuring the antenna maintains sufficient gain and low return loss while meeting the compact size requirements of smart terminal antennas.

[0057] Since the wearable RF front-end device needs to be conformal to the human body, when the device is placed on different parts of the human body, such as the arms, chest, and head, its bending radius will change, which will lead to changes in the resonant frequency, bandwidth, and radiation direction performance. Therefore, the performance evaluation of the device needs to consider its performance when placed in different parts of the human body to ensure that its basic performance meets the performance requirements. In order to more accurately evaluate the performance of the flexible antenna, relevant radiation characteristic tests are carried out under the background of the human body to test whether the basic performance of the antenna still meets the performance requirements when the device is placed in different parts of the human body. Such as Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a flexible wearable RF front-end device applied to emergency rescue equipment is shown.

[0058] Furthermore, in order to achieve the goal of multi-band operation and obtain better frequency characteristics, the antenna structure has undergone a series of evolutions, such as Figure 4 A comparative schematic diagram of antenna return loss under different iterations is shown. The design process of the flexible wearable RF front-end device is as follows: (1) The traditional monopole radiating element is transformed into an inverted triangle radiating element. (2) On this basis, equilateral triangles of the same size and center are added to form a hexagonal star structure, thereby achieving a resonant frequency band of 2.38 GHz in a lower frequency band. (3) In order to improve high-frequency performance, slots are introduced into the structure obtained in the antenna in the previous step. (4) Since it is recognized that the high-frequency gain may not meet the communication requirements, six first radiator branches 22 are added to increase the high-frequency gain, thereby achieving resonance at 4.87 GHz. (5) In addition, in order to meet the demand for narrower bandwidth, a trapezoidal ground plane 3 is also used to balance the antenna gain and bandwidth. Based on this structure, the current direction at the center frequency of the flexible wearable RF front-end device is as follows: Figure 5 shown.

[0059] At 2.38 / 4.87GHz, the peak gain of the designed antenna is -27.378dBi / -25.213dBi respectively. Figure 4The designed antenna has a peak gain of -27.378dBi at 2.38GHz and a peak gain of -25.213dBi at 4.87GHz. The antenna's bandwidth covers multiple communication frequency bands, including ISM2400, wireless LAN (2402-2483.5MHz), WiMAX (2.3-2.7GHz), and Bluetooth (2402-2480MHz).

[0060] Please continue to see Figure 4 At center frequencies of 2.38 GHz and 4.87 GHz, the peak gains are 2.2 dBi and 4.42 dBi, respectively. This RF front-end device exhibits excellent radiation characteristics within the effective frequency band, with the E-plane and H-plane exhibiting good omnidirectionality, with uniform response in all directions and virtually no nulls. Furthermore, the antenna exhibits minimal cross-polarization, meaning that its ability to respond to electric and magnetic fields in different directions is essentially the same, effectively avoiding inconsistencies in signal polarization. This excellent performance enables the antenna to excel in applications such as wireless communications, improving transmission efficiency and signal quality.

[0061] In summary, the flexible wearable RF front-end device provided by the embodiment of the present invention has at least the following characteristics:

[0062] (1) The antenna in the flexible wearable RF front-end device is fed by a coplanar waveguide structure, and a hexagram structure radiator model is printed on the TLX-6 flexible dielectric board. This model is evolved from the traditional triangular monopole radiating antenna.

[0063] (2) The flexible wearable RF front-end device has good radiation performance, and the radiation of its antenna has good omnidirectionality. The simulation and measurement results are in good agreement, verifying the good radiation characteristics of the antenna. The flexible antenna has the characteristics of miniaturization, high stability, multi-band and wearable. The antenna covers multiple commercial frequency bands, such as ISM2400, WLAN (2402-24835MHz), WiMAX (2.3-2.7GHz), and Bluetooth (2402-2480MHz).

[0064] (3) The design of the flexible wearable RF front-end device is suitable for emergency rescue equipment and will not cause radiation damage to the human body, meeting the requirements of minimizing radiation to the human body.

[0065] (4) The flexible wearable RF front-end device is combined with a wearable flexible antenna to provide better support for communication equipment in emergency rescue operations.

[0066] Based on the foregoing embodiments, an embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible wearable radio frequency front-end system, including the flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device provided in the foregoing embodiments.

[0067] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working process of the flexible wearable RF front-end system described above can refer to the corresponding process in the aforementioned embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0068] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal connections between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0069] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate and simplify the description of the present invention. They are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0070] Finally, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments are only specific implementation methods of the present invention, which are used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit them. The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above-described embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that any person skilled in the art can modify or easily conceive of changes to the technical solutions described in the above-described embodiments within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, or replace some of the technical features therein with equivalents. Such modifications, changes, or replacements do not deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device, characterized in that: include: A flexible dielectric plate, an antenna radiator and a ground plate, wherein the antenna radiator and the ground plate are both covered on one side of the flexible dielectric plate; The antenna radiator includes a radiator body, the radiator body adopts a hexagonal star structure, a slot is provided at the center of the radiator body, and the slot has a hexagonal structure with the same arrangement orientation as the radiator body; The antenna radiator also includes a plurality of first radiator branches, which are located on the inner side of each vertex angle in the radiator body; the first radiator branch includes two radiator line segments, the endpoints of the two radiator line segments intersect, the direction of the angle obtained by the intersection is consistent with the direction of the vertex angle of the radiator body, and the angle value corresponding to the angle obtained by the intersection is equal to the angle value corresponding to the vertex angle of the radiator body.

2. The flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna radiator further includes a second radiator branch, which is located outside the radiator body and has a rectangular structure.

3. The flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ground plate adopts a trapezoidal structure, and a slot is provided at the midline position of the ground plate. The slot structure is a rectangular structure with the same arrangement orientation as the second radiator branch.

4. The flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device according to claim 3, characterized in that: One end of the second radiator branch is located at any vertex corner of the radiator body, and the other end of the second radiator branch is located in the slot of the ground plate.

5. The flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna radiator and the ground plane are located in the same plane.

6. The flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an interface component, which is welded on the flexible dielectric board and is used to transmit signals to the antenna radiator.

7. A flexible wearable radio frequency front-end system, characterized in that: A flexible wearable radio frequency front-end device comprising any one of claims 1 to 6.

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