3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of millimeter wave antennas, and discloses a 3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna, comprising: a lens; wherein the lens is composed of two 3D printed circular rings, the two circular rings are connected through four supporting structures, and the rest part is air; the number of the source antennas is five; wherein the five source antennas are located below the lens and are used for exciting the lens and verifying the multi-beam performance. The lens is manufactured through a 3D printing technology, and a 3D printing material is a transparent medium material. The lens has two phase structures, namely a 0-degree phase structure and a 180-degree phase structure. The antenna is composed of the 3D printed lens and the five source antennas, has the advantages of being wide in bandwidth, capable of achieving multi-beam scanning, small in size, easy to integrate with other structures and the like, and can be widely applied to millimeter wave communication fields such as automobiles and building glass needing transparent materials due to the transparent characteristic of the antenna.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of millimeter wave antennas, and in particular to a 3D-printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna. Background Art

[0002] Millimeter wave technology plays an important role in modern wireless communications and radar systems. Millimeter wave communication technology has the advantages of bandwidth and low latency, and can support high data rate transmission. However, millimeter wave signals will have high path loss and atmospheric attenuation during their propagation in space. To solve this problem, we can use high-gain antennas to compensate for the propagation loss, because high-gain antennas can provide stronger signals in a specific direction, thereby increasing the transmission distance of the signal. However, the beam coverage of a single-beam antenna is narrow, which limits its use in some applications.

[0003] In order to achieve a wider beam coverage range, we can use a multi-beam antenna, that is, switch the angle at which the antenna transmits electromagnetic waves so that the beam at each angle covers a different range, thereby achieving electromagnetic wave coverage in a larger range.

[0004] To this end, we proposed a 3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter-wave antenna to solve the problem. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a 3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna to solve the problems raised in the above background technology.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions: a 3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna, comprising:

[0007] lens;

[0008] The lens consists of two 3D-printed dielectric rings connected by four supporting structures, and the rest is air.

[0009] Source antennas, five in number;

[0010] Five source antennas are located below the lens to stimulate the lens and verify the multi-beam performance.

[0011] According to the above technical solution, the lens is made by 3D printing technology, and the 3D printing material is a light transparent material.

[0012] According to the above technical solution, the lens has two phase structures, one of 0 degrees and one of 180 degrees, and the phase distribution can be calculated by the phase compensation criterion.

[0013] According to the above technical solution, the air rings between the dielectric rings and the central air ring are 0 degree phase compensation areas, while the dielectric ring is a 180 degree phase compensation area.

[0014] According to the above technical solution, the source antenna is composed of a waveguide structure on the lower layer and a magneto-electric dipole antenna on the upper layer. A gap is opened above the waveguide, and the waveguide and the magneto-electric dipole radiation structure realize the transmission of electromagnetic waves through the gap. The ports of the five source antennas are arranged in an alternating manner so that the array has enough space to place the connector.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects achieved by the present invention are as follows: the present invention consists of a 3D printed lens and five source antennas, the source antenna is a magnetoelectric dipole antenna structure, has the advantages of wide bandwidth, multi-beam scanning, small size, easy integration with other structures, etc., and due to its transparent characteristics, it can be widely used in millimeter wave communication fields that require transparent materials such as automobiles and building glass. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present invention, they are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a phase compensation scheme of a lens in a 3D-printed transparent multi-beam millimeter-wave antenna of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the geometric structure of a lens in a 3D-printed transparent multi-beam millimeter-wave antenna of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the hierarchical structure of a source antenna array unit below a lens in a 3D-printed transparent multi-beam millimeter-wave antenna of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a source antenna array in a 3D-printed transparent multi-beam millimeter-wave antenna of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 It is a schematic top view of a lower dielectric substrate of a source antenna array in a 3D-printed transparent multi-beam millimeter-wave antenna of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of reflection coefficient of a 3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna simulation of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 7 It is a gain diagram and aperture efficiency schematic diagram of a 3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna of the present invention in the entire frequency band of 28GHz-35GHz when scanning at 0°;

[0024] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the radiation pattern of the main polarization and cross polarization of the E plane when the center frequency is scanned at 0° in a 3D-printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna of the present invention;

[0025] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the radiation pattern of the main polarization and cross polarization of the H plane when the center frequency is scanned at 0° in a 3D-printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna of the present invention;

[0026] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of a beam scanning radiation pattern at 28 GHz in a 3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna of the present invention;

[0027] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of a beam scanning radiation pattern at 31.5 GHz in a 3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna of the present invention;

[0028] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram of the beam scanning radiation pattern at 35 GHz in a 3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] See also Figure 1-12 The present invention provides a technical solution: a 3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna comprising:

[0031] lens;

[0032] The lens consists of two 3D printed dielectric rings, which are connected by four supporting structures, and the rest is air. The air ring between the two rings and the central air ring are 0-degree phase compensation areas, while the two dielectric rings are 180-degree phase compensation areas.

[0033] Here, the lens is made by 3D printing technology. The 3D printing material is water shed xc11122, which is completely transparent and has a dielectric constant of 2.9. The lens has two phase structures, one 0 degree and one 180 degrees. The phase distribution can be calculated by the phase compensation criterion.

[0034] Source antennas, five in number;

[0035] Five source antennas are located below the lens to stimulate the lens and verify the multi-beam performance.

[0036] Here, the source antenna consists of a waveguide structure at the bottom and a magneto-electric dipole antenna at the top. A gap is opened above the waveguide, and the waveguide and the magneto-electric dipole antenna transmit electromagnetic waves through the gap. The ports of the five source antennas are arranged in an interlaced manner, so that the array has enough space to place the connectors.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, it is the phase compensation scheme of the lens. When the medium thickness is 7mm, the phase shift is 180°, and the 0° phase compensation can be achieved by the air unit. First, the radius R of the lens and the focal length F between the source antenna and the lens are determined. Generally, the ratio of the focal length of the multi-beam lens antenna to the radius of the lens is 1:1. Then, the phase is discretized into 0° and 180°. Figure 1 The phase compensation criterion shown calculates the phase distribution interval size, where the number of phase compensation intervals N and the maximum radius R of each phase compensation interval i It can be calculated by the following formula:

[0038]

[0039] After calculating the phase distribution results, the phase is discretized, and the 180-degree phase interval is filled with a dielectric unit with a thickness of 7 mm, while the 0-degree phase interval is filled with air units. After filling, its geometric structure is as follows Figure 2 As shown, the two air rings are 0-degree phase compensation areas, the two dielectric rings are 180-degree phase compensation areas, and the two dielectric rings are connected by four dielectric support strips.

[0040] The hierarchical structure of the source antenna array unit under the lens is as follows: Figure 3 The overall structure of the array is shown in Figure 4 As shown, the source antenna is composed of two layers of dielectric substrates. The upper and lower surfaces of the lower dielectric substrate 8 are metal-coated grounded 4, and the upper and lower metal coatings are connected by metal vias 7 in the middle to form a metal waveguide cavity. The lower surface of the upper dielectric substrate 3 is a metal grounding coating 4, and the upper surface is two rectangular metal coatings to form an electric dipole. Each rectangle is connected to the metal grounding coating on the lower surface through a metal via 2 to form a magnetic dipole. The electric dipole and the magnetic electric dipole work together to form a magnetic electric dipole antenna. The upper and lower dielectric substrates are both Rogers Ro3003, which are bonded together by conductive glue 6. A gap 5 is opened at the same position of the conductive glue and the metal above and below. The gap 5 realizes the electromagnetic wave transmission between the waveguide cavity and the magnetic electric dipole antenna. The size of the gap can adjust the impedance matching between the waveguide cavity and the magnetic electric dipole antenna. The drill hole 9 is used to fix the source antenna.

[0041] Figure 6 The reflection coefficient of the entire antenna simulation was recorded. In the frequency band of 28-35GHz, the reflection coefficient was below -10dB, indicating that the antenna has good matching and low signal reflection loss. Figure 7 The gain and aperture efficiency of the entire antenna in the 28-35GHz band when scanning at 0° are given. In the entire frequency band, the gain of the antenna can reach 20.5dBi. After calculation, the aperture efficiency of the antenna is 23.92%, the 1dB gain bandwidth is 22.58%, the maximum scanning angle of the antenna is 20°, and the maximum scanning loss of the center frequency is 1dB.

[0042] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 The radiation patterns of the main polarization and cross polarization of the E-plane and H-plane when the center frequency is scanned at 0°;

[0043] Fig.10 Fig.11 and Fig.12 The beam scanning radiation patterns of the entire antenna at 28 GHz, 31.5 GHz, and 35 GHz are given. The beam scanning angle is 0° when port #3 is excited, 10° when port #2 is excited, and 20° when port #1 is excited. The radiation patterns of ports #4 and 5 are symmetrical with those of ports #1 and 2 and are not shown.

[0044] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device.

[0045] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments or replace some of the technical features therein by equivalents. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A 3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna, characterized in that: include: lens; The lens consists of two 3D-printed dielectric rings connected by four support structures, and the rest is air. Source antennas, five in number; Five source antennas are located below the lens to stimulate the lens and verify the multi-beam performance.

2. A 3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lens is made by 3D printing technology. The 3D printing material is water shed xc11122, which is completely transparent and has a dielectric constant of 2.

9.

3. The 3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lens has two phase structures, one at 0 degrees and one at 180 degrees, and the phase distribution can be calculated by the phase compensation criterion.

4. The 3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna according to claim 3, characterized in that: The air ring between the two dielectric rings and the central air ring are 0 degree phase compensation areas, and the two dielectric rings are 180 degree phase compensation areas.

5. The 3D printed transparent multi-beam millimeter wave antenna according to claim 4, characterized in that: The source antenna is composed of a waveguide structure on the lower layer and a magneto-electric dipole antenna on the upper layer. A gap is opened above the waveguide, and the waveguide and the magneto-electric dipole antenna transmit electromagnetic waves through the gap. The ports of the five source antennas are arranged in an alternating manner so that the array has enough space to place the connector.

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