Antenna module, mobile terminal and communication base station

Abstract

The invention provides an antenna module, a mobile terminal and a communication base station, the antenna module comprises a plurality of connected antenna array units, each antenna array unit comprises a plurality of radiation patches arranged in an array, and the plurality of radiation patches are located on the same plane; each antenna array unit is used for generating a directional wave beam in a corresponding radiation direction, and an included angle is formed between planes where any two adjacent antenna array units are located, so that the radiation directions of the directional wave beams generated by the antenna array units are different. According to the antenna module disclosed by the invention, the directional wave beams in different radiation directions are generated by arranging the plurality of connected antenna array units, so that the coverage of radiation ranges in multiple directions is realized, the signal coverage capability of the antenna module is enhanced, the space is saved, and the production cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to an antenna module, a mobile terminal and a communication base station. Background Art

[0002] Compared with traditional 4G antennas, 5G millimeter wave antennas use more directional array antennas. The directional beam gain generated by this antenna array is higher, so it can achieve more efficient point-to-point communication. However, the coverage range of the directional beam generated by this antenna array will be reduced, and multiple antenna modules are required to cover beams in different directions. This requires more installation locations and installation spaces to be reserved in electronic devices to meet the coverage requirements of directional beams, which greatly increases the design cost and difficulty. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to overcome the problems existing in the related art, the present disclosure provides an antenna module, a mobile terminal and a communication base station.

[0004] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an antenna module, comprising a plurality of connected antenna array units, each of the antenna array units comprising a plurality of radiation patches arranged in an array, the plurality of radiation patches being located in the same plane;

[0005] Each antenna array unit is used to generate a directional beam in a corresponding radiation direction, and there is an angle between the planes where any two adjacent antenna array units are located, so that the radiation direction of the directional beam generated by each antenna array unit is different.

[0006] Optionally, the plurality of radiation patches arranged in an array include a first array direction and a second array direction, and the number of the radiation patches arrayed along the first array direction is greater than or equal to the number of the radiation patches arrayed along the second array direction.

[0007] Optionally, the sides of two adjacent antenna array units extending along the first array direction are connected, or the sides of two adjacent antenna array units extending along the second array direction are connected.

[0008] Optionally, the number of the antenna array units is two, and the angle between the planes where the two antenna array units are located is 30° to 150°.

[0009] Optionally, the number of the antenna array units is three, and the sides of two adjacent antenna array units extending along the first array direction are connected.

[0010] Optionally, the multiple connected antenna array units include a first antenna array unit, a second antenna array unit and a third antenna array unit, and the second antenna array unit is connected to the first antenna array unit and the third antenna array unit respectively;

[0011] The angle between the planes where the first antenna array unit and the second antenna array unit are located is a first angle θ1, and the angle between the planes where the second antenna array unit and the third antenna array unit are located is a second angle θ2.

[0012] Optionally, the first angle θ1 is equal to the second angle θ2.

[0013] Optionally, the first angle θ1 is between 85° and 95°, the first antenna array unit is provided with a plurality of first radiation patches, the second antenna array unit is provided with a plurality of second radiation patches, the first radiation patches are provided on a side of the first antenna array unit away from the second antenna array unit, and the second radiation patches are provided on a side of the second antenna array unit away from the first antenna array unit.

[0014] Optionally, the first antenna array unit is connected to the third antenna array unit, and a projection of a structure enclosed by the first antenna array unit, the second antenna array unit and the third antenna array unit on a plane perpendicular to the first array direction is a triangle.

[0015] Optionally, the number of the antenna array units is four, and the sides of two adjacent antenna array units extending along the first array direction are connected;

[0016] The multiple connected antenna array units include a first antenna array unit, a second antenna array unit, a third antenna array unit and a fourth antenna array unit which are connected in sequence, the fourth antenna array unit is connected to the first antenna array unit, and the first antenna array unit, the second antenna array unit, the third antenna array unit and the fourth antenna array unit enclose a cylindrical structure extending along the first array direction;

[0017] Taking a plane perpendicular to the first array direction as a cross section, the projection of the cylindrical structure on the cross section is a square;

[0018] Wherein, the radiation patch arranged on each of the antenna array units is arranged on the outer wall surface of the antenna array unit.

[0019] Optionally, the number of the antenna array units is six, the six antenna array units form a hexahedral structure, and the radiation patch arranged on each of the antenna array units is arranged on the outer wall surface of the antenna array unit.

[0020] Optionally, the antenna module further includes a power divider, an input end of the power divider is electrically connected to the antenna feed port, and the power divider includes multiple output ends, and the multiple output ends are respectively electrically connected to the multiple antenna array units in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0021] Optionally, the radiating patch comprises a microstrip antenna.

[0022] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a mobile terminal is provided, comprising the antenna module as described in the first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication base station is provided, wherein the communication base station comprises the antenna module as described in the first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] The above method of the present disclosure has the following beneficial effects: The present disclosure provides an antenna module, a mobile terminal and a communication base station, wherein the antenna module includes a plurality of connected antenna array units, each antenna array unit includes a plurality of radiation patches arranged in an array, and the plurality of radiation patches are located in the same plane; each antenna array unit is used to generate a directional beam in a corresponding radiation direction, and there is an angle between the planes where any two adjacent antenna array units are located, so that the radiation direction of the directional beam generated by each antenna array unit is different. The antenna module of the present disclosure generates directional beams in different radiation directions by setting a plurality of connected antenna array units, thereby achieving coverage of radiation ranges in multiple directions, enhancing the signal coverage capability of the antenna module, and being conducive to saving space and reducing production costs.

[0025] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0027] Figure 1 It is a 3D directional diagram of the radiation range formed by a single radiation patch in the related art.

[0028] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional view of a radiation beam formed by a single radiation patch in the related art.

[0029] Figure 3It is the 3D pattern of the directional beam formed by the radiating patch array in the related art;

[0030] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a directional beam formed by a radiating patch array in the related art;

[0031] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the arrangement positions of multiple antenna modules on a terminal in the related art;

[0032] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an antenna array unit according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0033] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0034] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0035] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of an antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0036] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of an antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0037] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of an antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0038] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of an antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0039] Fig.13 is a schematic diagram of an antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0040] Fig.14 is a schematic diagram of an antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0041] Fig.15 This is a comparison chart of the effects of a single antenna array unit and two antenna array units;

[0042] Fig.16 It is a comparison chart of the cumulative distribution function of a single antenna array unit and two antenna array units. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present invention as detailed in the appended claims.

[0044] At present, 5G millimeter wave antennas are widely used in communications in mobile terminals. 5G millimeter wave antennas can achieve beamforming by adopting MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) technology. The antenna array transmits radio frequency signals and focuses them in a specific direction to form a directional beam with high gain. The formed radio frequency signal is stronger in the desired direction but weaker in other directions, thereby compensating for the high propagation loss in the millimeter wave frequency band, improving communication quality, and conducting more efficient point-to-point communication.

[0045] Refer to Figure 1-Figure 2 As shown, the radiation coverage of a 5G millimeter wave antenna provided with only one radiation patch 11 ′ is described. Figure 1 A 3D radiation pattern is formed for a single radiation patch 11'. Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a radiation beam formed by a single radiation patch 11'. Figure 1 As shown, a single radiation patch 11' forms a directional radiation beam 120' with a large gain in the positive direction of the Z axis, but there is almost no radiation beam in other directions, such as the X axis direction and the Y axis direction. Figure 2 As shown, curve a is Figure 1 The directional radiation beam 120' shown in FIG. Figure 1 ) on the cross-sectional view; curve b is Figure 1 The directional radiation beam 120' shown in FIG. Figure 2 It can be seen from the curves a and b shown in FIG. 1 that the directional radiation beam 120' formed by the single radiation patch 11' is relatively round as a whole. Figure 2 The gain in the direction with an angle of 90° is the largest, reaching about 6dB, but the increase in other directions is much smaller.

[0046] 5G antenna modules usually use radiating patch arrays for radiation, see Figure 3-Figure 4 As shown, the radiation coverage of a 5G millimeter wave antenna provided with a radiation patch array 10' is described. Figure 3In order to form a 3D directional pattern of the radiation range of the radiation patch array 10', a total of a plurality of radiation patches 11' in a 1X4 array are arranged on the radiation patch array 10', that is, the plurality of radiation patches 11' are arranged in 1 row and 4 columns. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a radiation beam formed by the radiation patch array 10'. Figure 3 As shown, the radiation patch array 10' forms a directional beam 12' with a large gain in the positive direction of the Z axis, but there is almost no radiation beam in other directions, such as the X axis direction and the Y axis direction. Figure 4 As shown, curve c is Figure 3 The directional beam 12' shown in FIG. Figure 3 ) on the cross-sectional view; curve d is Figure 3 The directional beam 12' shown in FIG. Figure 4 It can be seen from the curves c and d shown in FIG. 1 that the directional beam 12' formed by the radiation patch array 10' is sharper overall. Figure 4 The gain in the direction with an angle of 0° is the largest, reaching about 11dB, which is about 5dB higher than the gain of the radiation beam formed by a single radiation patch 11', but the gain in other directions is much smaller. That is, compared with the directional radiation beam 120' formed by a single radiation patch 11', the directional beam 12' formed by the radiation patch array 10' has a higher beam gain and lower loss during signal transmission, which is conducive to achieving efficient point-to-point communication, but at the same time the coverage range is narrower and cannot take into account the coverage of multiple directional spaces.

[0047] Therefore, in actual production applications, in order to improve the beam coverage of the antenna on the electronic device, antenna modules are set at multiple locations on the electronic device to cover beam scanning in different spatial directions. Figure 5 As shown in the figure, three antenna modules are set as an example, and the three antenna modules respectively generate signals along the first direction ( Figure 5 The first directional beam 121' along the E-axis direction shown in FIG. Figure 5 The second directional beam 122' along the third direction ( Figure 5 The third directional beam 123' in the G-axis direction shown in the figure can simultaneously ensure the spatial coverage effect in the first direction, the second direction and the third direction. However, such a design scheme will inevitably occupy more space inside the electronic device, further reducing the already tight internal space of the electronic device and affecting the internal space layout of the electronic device. At the same time, the cost of producing multiple antenna modules is also difficult to reduce, which greatly increases the production cost.

[0048] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention discloses an antenna module, a mobile terminal and a communication base station, wherein the antenna module includes a plurality of connected antenna array units, each antenna array unit includes a plurality of radiation patches arranged in an array, and the plurality of radiation patches are located in the same plane; each antenna array unit is used to generate a directional beam in a corresponding radiation direction, and there is an angle between the planes where any two adjacent antenna array units are located, so that the radiation direction of the directional beam generated by each antenna array unit is different. The antenna module disclosed in the present invention generates directional beams in different radiation directions by setting a plurality of connected antenna array units, thereby achieving coverage of radiation ranges in multiple directions, enhancing the signal coverage capability of the antenna module, and being conducive to saving space and reducing production costs.

[0049] According to an exemplary embodiment, Figure 6-Figure 14 As shown, the antenna module includes a plurality of connected antenna array units 10, each antenna array unit 10 includes a plurality of radiation patches 11 arranged in an array, the plurality of radiation patches 11 are located on the same plane, and each antenna array unit 10 is used to generate a directional beam in a corresponding radiation direction (not shown in the figure). For example, the radiation direction of the directional beam can be perpendicular to the plane where the antenna array unit 10 is located, or it can be at a preset angle to the plane where the antenna array unit 10 is located, and the direction of the directional beam can be adjusted by adjusting the phase difference of the feed of each radiation patch in the antenna array unit 10. However, due to the characteristics of the radiation patch 11 itself, no matter which direction the directional beam is facing after adjustment, each antenna array unit can only form a directional beam with a larger gain in one direction, and the gain of the beam formed in other directions is smaller.

[0050] The antenna module disclosed in the present invention is provided with a plurality of connected antenna array units, and there is an angle between the planes where any two adjacent antenna array units 10 are located, so that the radiation direction of the directional beam generated by each antenna array unit 10 is different, thereby being able to form directional beams with larger gains in multiple directions, so as to achieve signal coverage in different directions, increase the coverage area of ​​the antenna, and improve the antenna performance of the electronic device.

[0051] There is no specific limitation on the number and array mode of the multiple radiating patches provided on each antenna array unit. For example, the multiple radiating patches can form an array unit of 1 row × 4 columns, an array unit of 2 rows × 2 columns, or an array unit of 2 rows × 5 columns. In addition, the array modes of the radiating patches in the connected antenna array units can also be different. For example, the multiple radiating patches in one antenna array unit can be set as an array unit of 1 row × 4 columns, and the multiple radiating patches in another antenna array unit can be set as an array unit of 2 rows × 4 columns, thereby forming directional beams with different gain intensities in different radiation directions.

[0052] In this embodiment, by setting up a plurality of connected antenna array units, directional beams with different radiation directions are generated, thereby achieving coverage of radiation ranges in multiple directions, enhancing the signal coverage capability of the antenna module, and helping to save space and reduce production costs.

[0053] In some embodiments, the number of antenna array elements 10 is at least two. Figure 7-Figure 8 As shown, there are two antenna array units 10, namely a first antenna array unit 101 and a second antenna array unit 102, to achieve signal coverage in two corresponding radiation directions, and the angle between the two antenna array units 10 can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0054] In another example, Figure 9-12 As shown, the number of antenna array units 10 is three to achieve signal coverage in three corresponding radiation directions. Fig.13 As shown, the number of antenna array units 10 is four to achieve signal coverage in four corresponding radiation directions. Fig.14 As shown, there are six antenna array units 10 to achieve signal coverage in six corresponding radiation directions. The number of antenna array units 10 can be increased or decreased according to actual needs, and the present disclosure does not impose too many restrictions on this.

[0055] In some embodiments, Figure 6 As shown, the plurality of radiation patches 11 arranged in an array include a first array direction M and a second array direction N, and the number of radiation patches 11 in the array along the first array direction M and along the second array direction N may be unequal or equal.

[0056] Among them, the number of radiation patches 11 in the first array direction M array is greater than or equal to the number of radiation patches 11 in the second array direction N array, and the number of radiation patches 11 can be set according to the radiation intensity requirements of the antenna module.

[0057] The sides of two adjacent antenna array units 10 extending along the first array direction M are connected, or the sides of two adjacent antenna array units 10 extending along the second array direction N are connected. Figure 6 As shown in the orientation shown in, for example, two antenna array units 10 can be connected through their short sides, that is, through the sides extending along the vertical direction of the antenna array unit 10; for another example, two antenna array units 10 can be connected through their long sides, that is, through the sides extending along the horizontal direction of the antenna array unit 10. During implementation, it can be adjusted according to the position and space where the antenna module needs to be installed in the electronic device or base station.

[0058] In one example, if Figure 6-Figure 7 As shown, the number of radiation patches 11 along the first array direction M array is 4, and the number of radiation patches 11 along the second array direction N array is 1. The number of radiation patches 11 along the first array direction M array is greater than the number of radiation patches 11 along the second array direction N array. The sides of two adjacent antenna array units 10 extending along the first array direction M are connected, that is, each antenna array unit of each antenna module is provided with a plurality of radiation patches 11 arranged in a 1 row x 4 column array.

[0059] In another example, if Figure 8 As shown, the number of radiation patches 11 along the first array direction M array and the number of radiation patches 11 along the second array direction N array are both 2, the number of radiation patches 11 along the first array direction M array is equal to the number of radiation patches 11 along the second array direction N array, and the sides of two adjacent antenna array units 10 extending along the second array direction N are connected, that is, each antenna array unit of each antenna module is provided with a plurality of radiation patches 11 arranged in a 2-row × 2-column array.

[0060] In another example, Fig.14As shown, the number of antenna array units 10 is six, and the six antenna array units 10 form a hexahedral structure. The six antenna array units 10 include two A antenna array units 1401 (arranged oppositely), two B antenna array units 1402 (arranged oppositely), and two C antenna array units 1403 (arranged oppositely). Among them, the A antenna array unit 1401 and the B antenna array unit 1402 are both 1 row × 2 column antenna array units, that is, the number of radiation patches 11 in the M array along the first array direction is 2, and the number of radiation patches 11 in the N array along the second array direction is 1, and the C antenna array unit 1403 is a 2 row × 2 column antenna array unit, that is, the number of radiation patches 11 in the M array along the first array direction and the N array along the second array direction are both 2, and the number of radiation patches 11 in the M array along the first array direction is equal to the number of radiation patches 11 in the N array along the second array direction. The side of the A antenna array unit 1401 extending along the first array direction M is connected to the side of the B antenna array unit 1402 extending along the first array direction M, the side of the A antenna array unit 1401 extending along the second array direction N is connected to the side of the C antenna array unit 1403 extending along the second array direction N, and the side of the B antenna array unit 1402 extending along the second array direction N is connected to the side of the C antenna array unit 1403 extending along the second array direction N. Since the multiple antenna array units of the antenna module are enclosed to form a hexahedral structure, a directional beam with a large gain can be formed in all directions of the space, so that the directional beam of the antenna forms full-range coverage, while enhancing the gain of the directional beam of the antenna module, the radiation range of the antenna module is also expanded. The structural module can be set on the base station to improve the radiation range of the base station in all directions, and improve the radiation capacity and strength of the base station.

[0061] In some embodiments, the angle between the planes where the antenna array unit 10 is located can be adjusted according to the demand for the radiation direction. For example, in one example, Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, the number of antenna array units 10 is two, and the angle between the plane where the first antenna array unit 101 is located and the plane where the second antenna array unit 102 is located is 30° to 150°. For example, the angle between the plane where the first antenna array unit 101 is located and the plane where the second antenna array unit 102 is located is 90°, 60°, 30°, 45°, or 120°, etc., so as to adjust the radiation direction of the directional beam formed by each antenna array unit as needed, ensure that the directional beam is formed in two different directions, and expand the radiation range of the directional beam.

[0062] In another example, if Fig. 9As shown, there are three antenna array units 10, and the sides of two adjacent antenna array units 10 extending along the first array direction M are connected. Of course, two adjacent antenna array units 10 among the three antenna array units 10 may also extend along the second array direction.

[0063] In some examples, the antenna array unit 10 includes a first antenna array unit 101, a second antenna array unit 102, and a third antenna array unit 103, wherein the second antenna array unit 102 is respectively connected to the first antenna array unit 101 and the third antenna array unit 103. The angle between the plane where the first antenna array unit 101 and the second antenna array unit 102 are located is a first angle θ1, and the angle between the plane where the second antenna array unit 102 and the third antenna array unit 103 are located is a second angle θ2.

[0064] The first angle θ1 and the second angle θ2 may be equal or unequal, and the first antenna array unit 101 and the third antenna array unit 103 may be connected or not connected. For example, the first angle θ1 and the second angle θ2 are 85° to 95°, and the first angle θ1 and the second angle θ2 may both be 60°, 90°, or 120°. In the implementation process, the setting is performed according to the location where the antenna module needs to be installed and the direction in which the directional beam needs to be radiated.

[0065] In another example, Fig. 9 As shown, there are three antenna array units 10, the second antenna array unit 102 is connected to the first antenna array unit 101 and the third antenna array unit 103 respectively, and at the same time, the first antenna array unit 101 is connected to the third antenna array unit 103, and the first antenna array unit 101, the second antenna array unit 102 and the third antenna array unit 103 are enclosed to form a cylindrical structure, and the projection of the structure enclosed by the first antenna array unit 101, the second antenna array unit 102 and the third antenna array unit 103 on the cross section is a triangle, that is, the sum of the angles between the planes where two adjacent antenna array units 10 are located is 180°. When the first angle θ1 is equal to the second angle θ2, the projection of the structure enclosed by the first antenna array unit 101, the second antenna array unit 102 and the third antenna array unit 103 on the cross section is an isosceles triangle. When the first angle θ1 is equal to the second angle θ2 and equals to 60°, the projection of the structure enclosed by the first antenna array unit 101, the second antenna array unit 102 and the third antenna array unit 103 on the cross section is an equilateral triangle.

[0066] In another example, Fig.10As shown, the number of antenna array units 10 is three, including a fourth antenna array unit 1001, a fifth antenna array unit 1002 and a sixth antenna array unit 1003. The fifth antenna array unit 1002 is connected to the fourth antenna array unit 1001 and the sixth antenna array unit 1003 respectively, and the fourth antenna array unit 1001 and the sixth antenna array unit 1003 are not connected. The angle between the plane where the fourth antenna array unit 1001 and the fifth antenna array unit 1002 are located is a third angle α1, and the angle between the plane where the fifth antenna array unit 1002 and the sixth antenna array unit 1003 are located is a fourth angle α2. Among them, the angle of the third angle α1 is 85° to 95°, and the angle of the third angle α1 is equal to the fourth angle α2. In a preferred embodiment, the third angle α1 and the fourth angle α2 are both 90°, then the fourth antenna array unit 1001, the fifth antenna array unit 1002 and the sixth antenna array unit 1003 are combined into a frame structure, so as to Fig.10 Directional beams are formed above, to the left, and to the right of the azimuth shown in FIG.

[0067] In another example, Fig.11 As shown, the number of antenna array units 10 is three, including the seventh antenna array unit 1101, the eighth antenna array unit 1102 and the ninth antenna array unit 1103. The eighth antenna array unit 1102 is connected to the seventh antenna array unit 1101 and the ninth antenna array unit 1103 respectively, and the seventh antenna array unit 1101 and the ninth antenna array unit 1103 are not connected. The angle between the planes where the seventh antenna array unit 1101 and the eighth antenna array unit 1102 are located is the fifth angle β1, and the angle between the planes where the eighth antenna array unit 1102 and the ninth antenna array unit 1103 are located is the sixth angle β2. Among them, the angles of the fifth angle β1 and the sixth angle β2 are not equal, the fifth angle β1 is 60°, and the sixth angle β2 is 120°.

[0068] In another example, Fig.12 As shown, the number of antenna array units 10 is three, including D antenna array unit 1201, J antenna array unit 1202 and K antenna array unit 1203. J antenna array unit 1202 is connected to D antenna array unit 1201 and K antenna array unit 1203 respectively, and D antenna array unit 1201 and K antenna array unit 1203 are not connected. The angle between the planes where D antenna array unit 1201 and J antenna array unit 1202 are located is the seventh angle γ1, and the angle between the planes where J antenna array unit 1202 and K antenna array unit 1203 are located is the eighth angle γ2. Among them, the seventh angle γ1 is 60°, and the eighth angle γ2 is 90°.

[0069] In another example, Fig.13 As shown, the number of antenna array units 10 is four, and the sides of two adjacent antenna array units 10 extending along the first array direction M are connected. Specifically, the multiple connected antenna array units 10 include a P antenna array unit 1301, a Q antenna array unit 1302, an R antenna array unit 1303 and an S antenna array unit 1304 connected in sequence, and the P antenna array unit 1301, the Q antenna array unit 1302, the R antenna array unit 1303 and the S antenna array unit 1304 enclose a cylindrical structure extending along the first array direction M, and with the plane perpendicular to the first array direction M as the cross section, the projection of the cylindrical structure enclosed by the P antenna array unit 1301, the Q antenna array unit 1302, the R antenna array unit 1303 and the S antenna array unit 1304 on the cross section is square, that is, the angle between the planes where the two adjacent antenna array units 10 are located is 90°.

[0070] In some embodiments, the antenna module further includes a power divider (not shown in the figure), the input end of the power divider is electrically connected to the antenna feed port (not shown in the figure), and the power divider includes multiple output ends, and the multiple output ends are electrically connected to multiple antenna array units one by one. The power divider can adjust the feed power of multiple antenna array units of the antenna module, thereby changing the gain of the directional beam of the antenna array units located in different directions, and changing the intensity of the radiation signal of different antenna array units. For example, if a higher radiation gain and intensity are required in a certain direction, the power of the antenna array unit corresponding to this direction can be increased during power distribution, so as to adapt to a variety of different antenna requirements. In addition, since the structure of each antenna array unit of the antenna module is relatively fixed, after being installed on an electronic device or a base station, generally no structural improvement will be made. At this time, the radiation direction of the directional beam of the antenna array unit can be adjusted by changing the phase angle of the feed of each radiation patch 11 of the antenna array unit, so that when there is no beam coverage in a certain direction during the use of the antenna module, the direction of the directional beam of the antenna array unit is adjusted to the direction, thereby improving the radiation effect in the direction.

[0071] In some embodiments, the radiation patch 11 includes a microstrip antenna, and the substrate of the antenna array unit 10 can be made of a tetrafluoroethylene glass fiber laminate material. A plurality of radiation patches 11 are arranged on the substrate to form an antenna array unit. The radiation patch 11 arranged on each antenna array unit 10 is arranged on the wall surface of the antenna array unit 10 facing outward to achieve a better outward radiation effect. For example, Figure 7As shown in the figure, the first antenna array unit 101 is provided with a plurality of first radiation patches 111, and the second antenna array unit 102 is provided with a plurality of second radiation patches 112. The first radiation patches 111 are provided on a side of the first antenna array unit 101 away from the second antenna array unit 102, and the second radiation patches 112 are provided on a side of the second antenna array unit 102 away from the first antenna array unit 101, so as to reduce the influence of the antenna array unit 10 itself on the radiation patches 11.

[0072] Refer to the following Figure 15-16 , showing a comparison of the effect of an antenna module including only one antenna array unit and an antenna module in the present disclosure including two antenna array units arranged at a 90° angle. Among them, the structure, number and array method of the multiple radiation patches on each antenna array unit are the same.

[0073] like Fig.15 As shown, the horizontal axis is the angle range, in degrees, and the vertical axis is the gain, in dB. Curve e shows the angle range and gain of the directional beam generated by the antenna module when it contains only one antenna array unit. Curve f shows the angle range and gain of the directional beam generated by the antenna module when it contains two antenna array units. Fig.15 It can be clearly seen that when the gain is the same, for example, when the gain is -5dB, the horizontal axis range corresponding to curve f increases by about 45° compared to curve e. That is, under the same gain, the technical solution of the present invention with two antenna array units can cover a wider angle range.

[0074] like Fig.16 As shown, the horizontal axis is gain, in dB, and the vertical axis is cumulative distribution function (CDF). Curve g shows the cumulative distribution function of the directional beam generated when the antenna module includes only one antenna array unit, and curve h shows the cumulative distribution function of the directional beam generated when the antenna module includes two antenna array units. By comparing curve g and curve h, it can be seen that at coordinate 1 (10.9, 1), curve g and curve h are almost coincident, that is, the maximum gain indicators of the two are not much different when CDF=1, but when CDF=0.5, by comparing coordinate 3 (-2.4, 0.5) on curve g and coordinate 2 (4, 0.5) on curve h, it can be concluded that the gain of curve h is improved by about 6.4 dB compared with that of curve g, which proves that the technical solution of the present disclosure with two antenna array units has higher signal strength and stronger anti-loss ability.

[0075] In this embodiment, by setting up multiple connected antenna array units, directional beams in different radiation directions are generated, thereby achieving coverage of radiation ranges in multiple directions, enhancing the signal coverage capability of the antenna module, and helping to save space and reduce production costs. At the same time, a power divider is used to distribute power to different antenna array units, and the signal strength in each radiation direction can be flexibly adjusted to meet different needs.

[0076] According to an exemplary embodiment, this embodiment provides a mobile terminal, which may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a smart watch or other electronic device that is easy to move and carry, and the mobile terminal includes the antenna module described in the above embodiment. By setting a plurality of connected antenna array units, directional beams in different radiation directions are generated, thereby achieving coverage of radiation ranges in multiple directions, enhancing the signal coverage capability of the antenna module, and being conducive to saving the internal space of the terminal device and reducing the production cost of the whole machine.

[0077] According to an exemplary embodiment, this embodiment provides a communication base station, characterized in that the communication base station includes the antenna module as described in the above embodiment, the antenna module includes multiple connected antenna array units, each antenna array unit includes multiple radiation patches arranged in an array, the multiple radiation patches are located on the same plane, and each antenna array unit is used to generate a directional beam in a corresponding radiation direction. For example, the radiation direction of the directional beam can be perpendicular to the plane where the antenna array unit 10 is located, or it can be at a preset angle to the plane where the antenna array unit is located. In addition, there is an angle between the planes where any two adjacent antenna array units are located, so that the radiation direction of the directional beam generated by each antenna array unit is different, thereby achieving signal coverage in different directions.

[0078] This embodiment generates directional beams in different radiation directions by setting up multiple connected antenna array units, thereby achieving coverage of radiation ranges in multiple directions, which is beneficial to enhancing the signal coverage capability of the antenna module and realizing multi-directional point-to-point efficient communication of communication base stations.

[0079] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present invention after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the present invention that follow the general principles of the present invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in this disclosure. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present invention are indicated by the following claims.

[0080] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exact construction that has been described above and shown in the drawings and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An antenna module, characterized in that: It comprises a plurality of connected antenna array units, each of which comprises a plurality of radiation patches arranged in an array, and the plurality of radiation patches are located in the same plane; Each antenna array unit is used to generate a directional beam in a corresponding radiation direction, and there is an angle between the planes where any two adjacent antenna array units are located, so that the radiation direction of the directional beam generated by each antenna array unit is different.

2. The antenna module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of radiation patches arranged in an array include a first array direction and a second array direction, and the number of the radiation patches arrayed along the first array direction is greater than or equal to the number of the radiation patches arrayed along the second array direction.

3. The antenna module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sides of two adjacent antenna array units extending along the first array direction are connected, or the sides of two adjacent antenna array units extending along the second array direction are connected.

4. The antenna module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the antenna array units is two, and the angle between the planes where the two antenna array units are located is 30° to 150°.

5. The antenna module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the antenna array units is three, and the sides of two adjacent antenna array units extending along the first array direction are connected.

6. The antenna module according to claim 5, characterized in that: The multiple connected antenna array units include a first antenna array unit, a second antenna array unit and a third antenna array unit, and the second antenna array unit is connected to the first antenna array unit and the third antenna array unit respectively; The angle between the planes where the first antenna array unit and the second antenna array unit are located is a first angle θ1, and the angle between the planes where the second antenna array unit and the third antenna array unit are located is a second angle θ2.

7. The antenna module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first angle θ1 is equal to the second angle θ2.

8. The antenna module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The angle of the first angle θ1 is 85° to 95°, the first antenna array unit is provided with multiple first radiation patches, the second antenna array unit is provided with multiple second radiation patches, the first radiation patches are provided on the side of the first antenna array unit away from the second antenna array unit, and the second radiation patches are provided on the side of the second antenna array unit away from the first antenna array unit.

9. The antenna module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first antenna array unit is connected to the third antenna array unit, and a projection of a structure enclosed by the first antenna array unit, the second antenna array unit and the third antenna array unit on a plane perpendicular to the first array direction is a triangle.

10. The antenna module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the antenna array units is four, and the sides of two adjacent antenna array units extending along the first array direction are connected; The multiple connected antenna array units include a first antenna array unit, a second antenna array unit, a third antenna array unit and a fourth antenna array unit which are connected in sequence, the fourth antenna array unit is connected to the first antenna array unit, and the first antenna array unit, the second antenna array unit, the third antenna array unit and the fourth antenna array unit enclose a cylindrical structure extending along the first array direction; Taking a plane perpendicular to the first array direction as a cross section, the projection of the cylindrical structure on the cross section is a square; Wherein, the radiation patch arranged on each of the antenna array units is arranged on the outer wall surface of the antenna array unit.

11. The antenna module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the antenna array units is six, and the six antenna array units form a hexahedral structure. The radiation patch arranged on each of the antenna array units is arranged on the outer wall surface of the antenna array unit.

12. The antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The antenna module also includes a power divider, an input end of the power divider is electrically connected to the antenna feed port, and the power divider includes multiple output ends, and the multiple output ends are respectively electrically connected to the multiple antenna array units in a one-to-one correspondence.

13. The antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The radiating patch includes a microstrip antenna.

14. A mobile terminal, characterized in that: The mobile terminal comprises the antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A communication base station, characterized in that: The communication base station comprises the antenna module according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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