Antenna elements and antenna arrays

Abstract

The application discloses an antenna unit and an antenna array, wherein the antenna unit comprises a plurality of radiation oscillators, at least one feeding part and a switch device, the radiation oscillators are arranged along a longitudinal first direction; the feeding part is electrically connected with the radiation oscillators through a feeding channel; and the switch device is arranged on the feeding channel and is arranged to be capable of controlling the on-off between at least one of the radiation oscillators and the feeding part. The application aims to integrate the communication function and the signal sensing function of a communication network to realize integrated communication and sensing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of communication technology, specifically to an antenna element and an antenna array. Background Technology

[0002] With the evolution of technology and the expansion of business and information processing needs, the integration of communication and sensing has become one of the leading trends in future technology and business. Future networks are expected to be a fusion of mobile communication networks, sensing networks, and computing networks. In conventional networks, communication and sensing exist independently, while the integrated design of communication and sensing can reduce the waste of wireless spectrum and hardware resources, and lower latency during information processing. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main objective of this invention is to propose an antenna unit and antenna array that integrates the communication function and signal sensing function of a communication network to achieve integrated communication and sensing setup.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes an antenna element, wherein the antenna element comprises:

[0005] Multiple radiating oscillators are arranged along the first longitudinal direction;

[0006] At least one feed unit is electrically connected to the radiating oscillator via a feed channel; and,

[0007] A switching device is provided on the feed channel and is configured to control the on / off connection between at least one of the radiating oscillators and the feed section.

[0008] The present invention also proposes an antenna array comprising multiple antenna elements, each antenna element comprising multiple radiating elements, at least one feed section, and a switching device. The multiple radiating elements are arranged along a first longitudinal direction. The feed section is electrically connected to each of the radiating elements via a feed channel. The switching device is disposed on the feed channel and is configured to control the on / off state between at least one of the radiating elements and the feed section. The multiple antenna elements are arranged in an array.

[0009] In the technical solution of this invention, when the antenna unit is used for communication, it is common practice to connect multiple radiating elements to the feed section to obtain the farthest radiation distance and ensure communication quality. At this time, the beam angle after loading multiple radiating elements is relatively small, which can meet communication requirements. However, when the antenna unit is used for signal sensing, the small beam angle results in low spatial coverage in the first direction. Although the coverage range in the first direction can be improved by performing multi-channel digital scanning in the first direction of the antenna unit or by adding phase shifters for simulated beam scanning, multi-channel digital scanning requires increasing the number of channels and expanding the antenna array, resulting in high costs. While the scheme of adding phase shifters for simulated beam scanning does not require expanding the antenna array, it requires adding multiple phase shifters, making control complex and also costly. Therefore, in this application, a switching device is provided on the feed channel to control the number of radiating elements operating within the antenna unit. When the antenna unit is used for signal sensing, the number of operating radiating elements can be reduced to shorten the sensing distance while achieving a larger beam angle, thus improving sensing coverage in the first direction and meeting the spatial coverage requirements of the sensing signal. This solution is simple to implement, low in cost, and effective. Simultaneously, when the antenna unit is used for communication, the switching device can be controlled to connect multiple radiating elements to the feed section, restoring the antenna unit to its communication mode without affecting its communication function. Thus, the switching device can control the antenna unit to switch between communication mode and signal sensing mode, achieving the integration of communication and signal sensing functions, and realizing a unified sensing and communication system. Attached Figure Description

[0010] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0011] Figure 1 A simplified planar view and a beam diagram of a first specific embodiment of the antenna element provided by the present invention;

[0012] Figure 2 A simplified planar diagram and a beam diagram of a second specific embodiment of the antenna element provided by the present invention;

[0013] Figure 3 A simplified planar diagram and a beam diagram of a third specific embodiment of the antenna element provided by the present invention;

[0014] Figure 4A simplified planar diagram and a beam diagram of a fourth specific embodiment of the antenna element provided by the present invention;

[0015] Figure 5 The switching device described in the first embodiment of the antenna unit provided by the present invention is a simplified planar diagram of the first embodiment;

[0016] Figure 6 The switching device described in the first embodiment of the antenna unit provided by the present invention is a simplified planar diagram of the second embodiment;

[0017] Figure 7 The switching device described in the first embodiment of the antenna unit provided by the present invention is a simplified planar diagram of the third embodiment;

[0018] Figure 8 The branch channel in the second embodiment of the antenna unit provided by the present invention is a simplified planar diagram of the first embodiment;

[0019] Figure 9 The branch channel in the second embodiment of the antenna unit provided by the present invention is a simplified planar diagram of the second embodiment;

[0020] Figure 10 The branch channel described in the second embodiment of the antenna unit provided by the present invention is a simplified planar diagram of the third embodiment;

[0021] Figure 11 The branch channel described in the second embodiment of the antenna unit provided by the present invention is a simplified planar diagram of the fourth embodiment;

[0022] Figure 12 The branch channel described in the second embodiment of the antenna unit provided by the present invention is a simplified planar diagram of the fifth embodiment;

[0023] Figure 13 The branch channel described in the second embodiment of the antenna unit provided by the present invention is a simplified planar diagram of the sixth embodiment;

[0024] Figure 14 A simplified planar diagram of the antenna array provided by this invention;

[0025] Figure 15 for Figure 14 A simplified diagram of the radiating dipole connectivity state of the antenna array in communication mode and sensing signal mode.

[0026] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0027]

[0028]

[0029] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0032] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the meaning of "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions; for example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0033] With the evolution of technology and the expansion of business and information processing needs, the integration of communication and sensing has become one of the leading trends in future technology and business. Future networks are expected to be a fusion of mobile communication networks, sensing networks, and computing networks. In conventional networks, communication and sensing exist independently, while the integrated design of communication and sensing can reduce the waste of wireless spectrum and hardware resources, and lower latency during information processing.

[0034] In view of this, the present invention provides an antenna element, Figures 1 to 13 The following is an embodiment of the antenna element provided by the present invention, and the antenna element will be described in conjunction with the specific accompanying drawings.

[0035] Please see Figures 1 to 13The antenna unit 100 includes a plurality of radiating elements 1, at least one feed section 2, and a switching device 4. The plurality of radiating elements 1 are arranged along a longitudinal first direction. The feed section 2 is electrically connected to the radiating elements 1 through a feed channel 3. The switching device 4 is disposed on the feed channel 3 and is configured to control the on / off connection between at least one of the radiating elements 1 and the feed section 2.

[0036] In the technical solution of this invention, when the antenna unit 100 is used for communication, it is common practice to connect multiple radiating elements 1 to the feed unit 2 to obtain the farthest radiation distance and ensure communication quality. At this time, the beam angle after loading multiple radiating elements 1 is small, which can meet the communication requirements. However, when the antenna unit 100 is used for sensing signals, the small beam angle results in low spatial coverage in the first direction. Although the coverage range in the first direction can be improved by performing multi-channel digital scanning in the first direction of the antenna unit 100 or by adding phase shifters 5 for simulated beam scanning, multi-channel digital scanning requires increasing the number of channels and expanding the antenna array, which is costly. While the solution of adding phase shifters 5 for simulated beam scanning does not require expanding the antenna array, it requires adding multiple phase shifters 5, which is complex to control and also has a high cost. Therefore, in this application, a switching device 4 is provided on the feed channel 3. The switching device 4 controls the number of radiating elements 1 operating within the antenna unit 100. When the antenna unit 100 is used for signal sensing, the number of operating radiating elements 1 can be reduced to shorten the sensing distance while achieving a larger beam angle, thus improving sensing coverage in the first direction and meeting the spatial coverage requirements of the sensing signal. This solution is simple, low-cost, and effective. Simultaneously, when the antenna unit 100 is used for communication, the switching device 4 can be controlled to connect multiple radiating elements 1 to the feed section 2, restoring the antenna unit 100 to its communication usage state without affecting its communication function. Thus, the switching device 4 can control the antenna unit 100 to switch between communication mode and signal sensing mode, achieving the integration of communication and signal sensing functions, and realizing a unified sensing and communication system.

[0037] It should be noted that the antenna unit 100 may also be without the switching device 4. Multiple radiating elements 1 can be loaded and used for both communication and sensing signals, achieving integrated communication and sensing capabilities. However, as mentioned above, loading multiple radiating elements 1 results in a smaller beam angle and lower spatial coverage. When sensing signals, the covered area is small, limiting its practicality. Therefore, when setting the switching device 4 to select the sensing signal mode, the number of radiating elements 1 connected to the feed unit 2 is primarily based on actual usage requirements and is not limited. A higher number of connected radiating elements 1 results in a longer sensing distance but lower spatial coverage, and a more complex beam loading and adjustment process. Conversely, a lower number of connected radiating elements 1 results in a shorter sensing distance but higher spatial coverage, and a simpler beam loading and adjustment process.

[0038] See Figures 5 to 7 In the first embodiment of the antenna unit 100, at least two feed channels 3 are provided, one feed channel 3 connecting the feed section 2 and the plurality of radiating elements 1, and the other feed channel 3 connecting the feed section 2 and part of the radiating elements 1; the switching device 4 is provided between the two feed channels 3 and the feed section 2. The two feed channels 3 include a first feed channel 31 and a second feed channel 32. By providing at least two types of feed channels 3 to correspond to the communication mode and sensing signal mode of the antenna unit 100 respectively, in this embodiment, the two modes are directly distinguished. The switching device 4 selects either the first feed channel 31 or the second feed channel 32 to directly complete the mode switching of the antenna unit 100. The feed channels 3 have a large number of channels and occupy a large area, but the logic is simple, easy to operate, and convenient to implement. It is important to note that the number of feed channels 3 is set according to the number of sensing signal modes of the antenna unit 100. That is, different numbers of radiating elements 1 are used to sense signals according to different requirements, necessitating different numbers of feed channels 3. The switching device 4 is used to select one of the required feed channels 3 for connection among the multiple feed channels 3 to meet the usage requirements. However, obviously, the more feed channels 3 there are, the larger the area occupied and the more complex it becomes. Considering practical usage requirements, as in the first embodiment of the antenna unit 100 described above, two feed channels 3 are set, corresponding to the communication mode and sensing signal mode of the antenna unit 100 respectively, which is simple and practical. The number of radiating elements 1 connected in the second feed channel 32 is mainly based on actual needs, as detailed above, and will not be repeated here.

[0039] Furthermore, in the first embodiment of the antenna unit 100, the switching device 4 has multiple embodiments, see below. Figure 5 In a first embodiment of the switching device 4, the switching device 4 includes a switching switch 41 disposed between the two feed channels 3 and the feed section 2. The switching switch 41 switches one of the two feed channels 3 electrically connected to the feed section 2. In this embodiment, by setting the switching device 4 as the switching switch 41, the first feed channel 31 and the second feed channel 32 can be selected separately. The structure is simple, the operation is convenient, and the abnormal situation of the switching device 4 simultaneously connecting the first feed channel 31 and the second feed channel 32 will not occur. In a second embodiment of the switching device 4, see [reference needed]. Figure 6 The switching device 4 includes two first switches 42 respectively disposed on the two feed channels 3. In this embodiment, one first switch 42 is respectively disposed on the first feed channel 31 and the second feed channel 32, which can independently control the connection between the first feed channel 31 and the second feed channel 32. When one of the first switches 42 is damaged and fails, the other first switch 42 can still perform its function to meet the normal use of the antenna unit 100 in one mode, so as to minimize the impact of the damage of the first switch 42 on the antenna unit 100.

[0040] It should be noted that, based on the second embodiment of the switching device 4, a third embodiment of the switching device 4 is given, for details please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 7 The feeder 2 can be configured as multiple units. Regarding the configuration of the first feeder channel 31 and the second feeder channel 32, the first feeder channel 31 and the second feeder channel 32 can be respectively connected to one feeder 2. In this case, multiple feeder 2 units can feed the same digital signal. The first switch 42 is also respectively configured on one feeder channel 3 to control the two feeder channels 3 to respectively connect to their corresponding feeder 2.

[0041] Furthermore, regarding the aforementioned problems of having multiple feed channels 3 to correspond to different usage modes of the antenna element 100, resulting in a large number of feed channels 3, a large area occupied, and complex installation, this application also proposes a second embodiment of the antenna element 100, as detailed in [link to specific embodiment]. Figures 8 to 13The feeding channel 3 includes a main channel 33 and a branch channel 34. The main channel 33 is connected to the feeding part 2. The branch channel 34 is connected to the main channel 33 and includes a plurality of branches 341 corresponding to the plurality of radiating oscillators 1. At least one of the main channel 33 and the branch channel 34 is provided with the switching device 4. The branch channel 34 includes a branch 341 that communicates with multiple radiating elements 1. When the switching device 4 is placed in the branch channel 34, the radiating elements 1 in the branch channel 34 can be selectively connected. When the switching device 4 is placed in the main channel 33, at least some of the radiating elements 1 in the branch channel 34 can be selectively connected to the feed section 2. With this configuration, multiple radiating elements 1 in the antenna unit 100 can be selected on a feed channel 3 by cooperating with the feed channel 3 and the switching device 4 to meet different usage modes of the antenna unit 100. Compared with the first embodiment of the antenna unit 100 that sets multiple radiating channels to correspond to different usage modes of the antenna unit 100, the radiating channels in this embodiment occupy less space, have higher utilization, lower cost, and are more practical.

[0042] Specifically, see Figures 8 to 9 In the first and second embodiments of the branch channel 34, one end of each of the multiple branch channels 341 is connected to the main channel 33. In this embodiment, multiple radiating oscillators 1 are directly connected in parallel to the main channel 33. The feed channel 3 is simple to lay and easy to implement. Correspondingly, the switching device 4 has multiple embodiments, that is, the switching device 4 is disposed in the branch channel 341 or the switching device 4 is disposed in the main channel 33. Specifically, in the first embodiment of the branch channel 34, see... Figure 8 The branch 341 is equipped with the switching device 4, so that one radiating element 1 corresponds to one switching device 4, and each radiating element 1 can be independently controlled. The operation mode is relatively flexible. However, the setting of the switching device 4 is relatively cumbersome. In the process of switching between the communication mode and the sensing signal mode of the antenna unit 100, the number of radiating elements 1 used is relatively fixed and does not require flexible control. Therefore, the practicality of independently controlling each radiating element 1 is poor.

[0043] Based on this, a second embodiment of the branch channel 34 is proposed, as detailed below. Figure 9The plurality of radiating oscillators 1 include a first radiating oscillator 11 and a second radiating oscillator 12; the plurality of branches 341 include a first branch 3411 connected to the first radiating oscillator 11 and a second branch 3412 connected to the second radiating oscillator 12; one end of the main channel 33 is connected to the feed section 2, and the main channel 33 has a first connection point 331 connected to the first branch 3411 and a second connection point 332 connected to the second branch 3412, wherein the first connection point 331 is located between the second connection point 332 and the feed section 2; the switching device 4 includes a second switch 43 disposed between the first connection point 331 and the second connection point 332. When multiple branches 341 are connected in parallel to the main channel 33, the switching device 4 is installed on the main channel 33, and the switching device 4 is adjusted to be the second switch 43 located between the first connection point 331 and the second connection point 332. The second switch 43 is used to switch the main channel 33 on and off, thereby controlling the connection and disconnection between the main channel 33 and the second branch 3412, and playing a selection role for the radiating oscillator 1.

[0044] Furthermore, multiple second radiating elements 12 are configured. During the positioning of the second switch 43, the number of second branches 3412 is at least one, and in this embodiment, multiple branches are configured, that is, multiple second radiating elements 12 are configured so that the second switch 43 can simultaneously control the on / off state of multiple second radiating elements 12. Compared with the above-mentioned independent control of each radiating element 1 by the switch device 4, the cost is obviously lower.

[0045] In addition, see Figures 10 to 13The third to sixth embodiments of the branch channel 34 are as follows: the radiating oscillator 1 includes a first radiating oscillator 11 and a plurality of second radiating oscillators 12; the plurality of branches 341 include a first branch 3411 connected to the first radiating oscillator 11 and a plurality of second branches 3412 corresponding to the connections of the plurality of second radiating oscillators 12; the branch channel 34 includes a plurality of branch channels 342 connecting the main channel 33 and the plurality of branches 341, at least one of the branch channels 342 includes a first connecting channel 3421, one end of the first connecting channel 3421 is connected to at least two of the branches 341, and the branch 341 connected to the first connecting channel 3421 is the second branch 3412; the switching device 4 is used to control the on / off state of the first connecting channel 3421. That is, the branch channel 34 includes a plurality of parallel branch channels 342, and each branch channel 342 can be connected to at least one branch 341. When the antenna unit 100 switches between the communication mode and the sensing signal mode, if it is necessary to switch the on / off state of multiple radiating elements 1, that is, to switch the on / off state of multiple second radiating elements 12, the multiple second branches 3412 corresponding to the multiple second radiating elements 12 can be connected to the branch channel 342, that is, connected to the first connection channel 3421, and the switching device 4 controls the on / off state of the first connection channel 3421 to achieve synchronous control of the on / off state of multiple second radiating elements 12.

[0046] Specifically, see Figure 10 In the third embodiment of the branch channel 34, the switching device 4 includes a third switch 44 disposed on the first connecting channel. That is, the third switch 44 is directly disposed on the first connecting channel, and when there are multiple first connecting channels, each first connecting channel is controlled by the corresponding third switch 44, thus enabling independent control and avoiding impact on other branch channels 341.

[0047] In addition, see Figure 11In the fourth embodiment of the branch channel 34, the feeder 2 is connected to the middle section of the main channel 33, and the feeder 2 divides the main channel 33 into a first flow channel segment 333 and a second flow channel segment 334. The other end of the first connecting channel 3421 is connected to the first flow channel segment 333, and the other branch channels 342 are connected to the second flow channel segment 334. The switching device 4 includes a fourth switch 45 disposed on the first flow channel segment 333. Corresponding to the third embodiment of the branch channel 34, the feeder 2 is connected to the middle section of the main channel 33, dividing the main channel 33 into the first flow channel segment 333 and the second flow channel segment 334. In this case, the first flow channel segment 333 is only connected to the first connecting channel 3421, while the other branch channels 342 are connected to the second flow channel segment 334. This allows the switching device 4 to be configured as the fourth switch 45 located on the first flow channel segment 333, which is also used to switch the first connecting channel 3421 on and off.

[0048] In addition, see Figure 12 In the fifth embodiment of the branch channel 34, at least one of the branch channels 342 includes a first hybrid connection channel 3422 and a first connection channel 3421. One end of the first hybrid connection channel 3422 is connected to the main channel 33. One end of the first connection channel 3421 is connected to at least two branches 341, and the branch 341 connected to the first connection channel 3421 is the second branch 3412. The other end of the first hybrid connection channel 3422 is connected to the other end of the first connection channel 3421 and to at least one of the first branches 3411. In this embodiment, to meet usage requirements, the diversion channel 342 includes a first hybrid connection channel 3422, which connects to the main channel 33 and diverts the flow to the first connection channel 3421 and at least one first branch 3411, i.e., diverts the flow to multiple second radiating oscillators 12 and at least one first radiating oscillator 11 integrated by the first connection channel 3421. At this time, the switching device 4 can be set on the first connection channel 3421 or at one end of the first hybrid connection channel 3422 connected to the first connection channel 3421, as long as it can realize the switching of the first connection channel 3421. No limitation is made here, and the actual usage requirements are the main consideration.

[0049] Further, see Figure 13In the sixth embodiment of the branch channel 34, at least one of the branch channels 342 includes a second hybrid connection channel 3424 and a second connection channel 3423. One end of the second hybrid connection channel 3424 is connected to the main channel 33; one end of the second connection channel 3423 is connected to at least two branches 341, and the branch 341 connected to the second connection channel 3423 is the first branch 3411; wherein, the other end of the second hybrid connection channel 3424 is connected to the other end of the second connection channel 3423 and at least one second branch 3412. Corresponding to the fifth embodiment of the branch channel 34, to meet usage requirements, the diversion channel 342 may further include a second hybrid connection channel 3424, which connects to the main channel 33 and diverts the flow to the second connection channel 3423 and at least one second branch 3412, that is, diverts the flow to multiple first radiating oscillators 11 and at least one second radiating oscillator 12 integrated by the second connection channel 3423. In this case, the switching device 4 may be set on the second branch 3412 or at one end of the second hybrid connection channel 3424 connected to the second branch 3412, as long as it can realize the switching of the two branches 341. There is no limitation here, and the actual usage requirements shall prevail.

[0050] Furthermore, the radiating element 1 includes a first radiating element 11 and a second radiating element 12, wherein the switching device 4 is used to control the connection and disconnection between the second radiating element 12 and the feed section 2; the radiating element 1 includes at least two first radiating elements 11. When the antenna unit 100 is in the sensing signal mode, the specific setting of the number of radiating elements 1 connected to the feed section 2 has been described in detail above and will not be repeated here. In this embodiment, to meet usage requirements, at least two first radiating elements 11 are connected to the feed section 2.

[0051] Furthermore, the two first radiating elements 11 are arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction. Generally, the plurality of radiating elements 1 on the antenna unit 100 are arranged along the first direction. When the antenna unit 100 is in communication mode, all the radiating elements 1 are connected to the feed unit 2 to form a radiating whole. Generally, the distance between adjacent radiating elements 1 is a certain value to facilitate beam adjustment after the plurality of radiating elements 1 are loaded. Correspondingly, when the antenna unit 100 is in sensing signal mode, the feed unit 2 is connected to at least two first radiating elements 11. When the two first radiating elements 11 are separated by a second radiating element 12, the beam loading of the two first radiating elements 11 needs to be further adjusted. Compared with directly arranging the two first radiating elements 11 adjacent to each other, the required operation and design steps are more numerous and complex, and the practicality is poor. Therefore, in this embodiment, the two first radiating elements 11 are directly arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction.

[0052] In addition, a phase shifter 5 is provided on the feed path, the phase shifter 5 including a first phase shifter 51, the first phase shifter 51 being able to control the phase of one of the two first radiating oscillators 11. When the two first radiating elements 11 are connected to the feed section 2, their beam extension direction is the second transverse direction. Compared with using only one first radiating element 11, using two first radiating elements 11 reduces the beam angle by nearly half, which does not meet the actual spatial coverage of the upper half or lower half of the horizontal plane in practical use. Therefore, in this embodiment, a first phase shifter 51 is provided on the feed path. The phase shifter 51 changes the phase of one of the two first radiating elements 11, so that the beams loaded by both of them extending in the second transverse direction are deflected in the first longitudinal direction. Corresponding to actual use, the beam can be tilted upward relative to the horizontal plane to meet the spatial coverage of the upper half of the horizontal plane, or the beam can be tilted downward relative to the horizontal plane to meet the spatial coverage of the lower half of the horizontal plane. The phase shifting of the first phase shifter 51 is selected according to actual needs, and is not limited here.

[0053] Furthermore, a phase shifter 5 is also provided on the feed channel 3. The phase shifter 5 includes a second phase shifter 52, which can control the phase of a portion of the plurality of radiating elements 1. When the antenna unit 100 is in communication mode, it is generally necessary to meet the requirement of beam coverage of the lower half of its horizontal plane to ensure communication quality. Without the second phase shifter 52, the beam of the plurality of radiating elements 1 after loading extends horizontally and has a small beam angle, which does not meet the requirement of beam coverage of the lower half of its horizontal plane. Therefore, in this embodiment, the second phase shifter 52 is added to tilt the beam of the plurality of radiating elements 1 downward relative to the horizontal plane to meet the requirement of beam coverage of the lower half of the horizontal plane and ensure communication quality.

[0054] Furthermore, the switching device 4 includes a switching unit 46 connected in series with the feed channel 3; and / or, the switching device 4 includes a grounding channel 47 connected in parallel with the feed channel 3 and a switching unit 46 disposed on the grounding channel 47. The switching device 4 can be configured in various ways. This application proposes two configurations: one is to directly connect the switching unit 46 in series with the feed channel 3, controlling the on / off state of the feed channel 3 by directly switching it on and off; the other is to connect the switching device 46 in parallel with the grounding channel 47 of the feed channel 3, and connect the switching unit 46 in series with the grounding channel 47, so that by controlling the on / off state of the switching unit 46, the portion of the feed channel 3 downstream of the grounding channel 47 is grounded and shielded by the grounding channel 47, thus also controlling the on / off state of the feed channel 3. This application does not limit the specific configuration of either of these configurations, as long as it meets the usage requirements.

[0055] Furthermore, the radiating oscillator 1 includes a dual-polarized radiating oscillator 1, and the feeding unit 2, the feeding channel 3, and the switching device 4 are respectively configured in two sets. The radiating oscillator 1 can be a single-polarized radiating oscillator 1, a circularly polarized radiating oscillator 1, or a dual-polarized radiating oscillator 1, depending on the actual usage requirements, and is not limited here. In this embodiment, the dual-polarized radiating oscillator 1 is used. Based on this, the feeding unit 2, the feeding channel 3, and the switching device 4 need to be configured in two sets to control one polarized radiating unit connected to the dual-polarized radiating oscillator 1 respectively.

[0056] Furthermore, a phase shifter 5 is provided on the feed channel 3, and correspondingly provided on both sets of feed channels 3. The specific arrangement and function of the phase shifter 5 have been described in detail above, and will not be repeated here. Based on the arrangement of the dual-polarized radiating oscillator 1, when the feed unit 2, the feed channel 3, and the switching device 4 are set in two sets, the phase shifter 5 also needs to be set in two corresponding sets to meet the usage requirements.

[0057] Specifically, see Figure 1 In a first specific embodiment of the antenna unit 100 of this application, the feed section 2 is sequentially connected to the branch 341 where the six dual-polarized radiating elements 1 are located via the main channel 33. A second phase shifter 52 is loaded at the position between the third and fourth radiating elements 1 in the longitudinal first direction of the main channel 33 to achieve electrically adjustable downtilt control of the channel beam of the antenna unit 100 in communication mode. Simultaneously, a switching device 4 is loaded between the fifth and sixth radiating elements 1 in the longitudinal first direction of the main channel 33, and the switching device 4 and the second phase shifter 52 are correspondingly arranged on the two sets of feed channels 3. When the switching device 4 is in the first state, the radio frequency signal emitted by the feed section 2 is transmitted to the six radiating elements 1 through the feed channel 3, synthesizing a narrow communication beam to achieve ground communication coverage. Simultaneously, the second phase shifter 52 is used to achieve electrically adjustable downtilt control and adjustment of the ground communication beam. When the switching device 4 is in the second state, the top five radiating elements 1 in the feed channel 3 are isolated by the switching device 4, and the radio frequency signal cannot be transmitted to these five radiating elements 1; the radio frequency signal is only transmitted to the sixth radiating element 1. In a conventional base station antenna layout, the channel beam is a 60°–70° wide beam at this time, and the air-sensing beam coverage can reach more than 30°. As shown in the beam diagram, the beam width is 60°–70°, which is the angle of the dashed line in the beam. Since the maximum beam direction is horizontal, the upward beam width in the horizontal direction is 1 / 2 of the total beam width, which is more than 30°. Therefore, beam coverage of the entire vertical space is achieved.

[0058] See Figure 2In a second specific embodiment of the antenna unit 100 of this application, the feed section 2 is connected to the six dual-polarized radiating elements 1 via a parallel-feed power divider. The parallel-feed power divider is designed in two stages. First, every three radiating elements 1 are connected using a 1-to-3 power divider, and then the two paths are combined using a 1-to-2 power divider. Simultaneously, the second phase shifter 52 is loaded on the branch 341 of the 1-to-2 power divider to achieve electrically adjustable downtilt control of the channel beam. Meanwhile, the switching device 4 is loaded in the branches 341 of the 1-to-2 and 1-to-3 power dividers, and the switching device 4 and the second phase shifter 52 are correspondingly arranged on the two sets of feed channels 3. When the switching device 4 is in the first state, the radio frequency signal is transmitted to the six radiating elements 1 through the feed channel 3, and the combined narrow communication beam achieves ground communication coverage. Simultaneously, the second phase shifter 52 is used to achieve electrically adjustable downtilt control and adjustment of the ground communication beam. When the switching device 4 is in the second state, the top five radiating elements 1 in the feed channel 3 are switched off, and radio frequency signals cannot be transmitted to these five radiating elements 1. All signals are transmitted only to the sixth radiating element 1. In a conventional base station antenna layout, the channel beam is a 60°–70° wide beam, and the air-sensing beam coverage can reach more than 30°. As shown in the beam diagram, the beam width is 60°–70°, which is the angle indicated by the dashed line in the beam. Since the maximum beam direction is horizontal, the upward beam width in the horizontal direction is 1 / 2 of the total beam width, which is more than 30°. Therefore, full vertical beam coverage is achieved.

[0059] See Figure 3In the third specific embodiment of the antenna unit 100 of this application, the feed section 2 is connected to the six dual-polarized radiating elements 1 via a parallel feed power divider. The parallel feed power divider is designed in two stages. First, every three radiating elements 1 are connected using a 1-to-3 power divider, and then the two paths are combined using a 1-to-2 power divider. Simultaneously, the second phase shifter 52 is applied to the upper branch 341 of the 1-to-2 power divider to achieve electrically adjustable downtilt control of the channel beam. To select the radiating elements 1, the switching device 4 is introduced into the network branch 341 in the figure, and the first phase shifter 51 is applied to the network of the bottom two radiating elements 1. When the switching device 4 is in the first state, the radio frequency signal is transmitted to the six radiating elements 1 through the feed channel 3, and the combined narrow communication beam achieves ground communication coverage. At the same time, the two second phase shifters 52 are used to achieve electrically adjustable downtilt control and adjustment of the ground communication beam. When the switching device 4 is in the second state, the upper four units in the feed channel 3 are isolated by the switching device 4, and the radio frequency signal cannot be transmitted to these four radiating elements 1. All signals are only transmitted to the fifth and sixth radiating elements 1. In a conventional base station antenna layout, the channel beam is a 30° to 35° beam at this time. By using the first phase shifter 51 below to adjust the beam pointing upwards by 15° to 18°, the air-sensing beam coverage can reach more than 30°. As shown in the beam diagram, the beamwidth is 30° to 35°, which is the angle of the dashed line in the beam. In order to achieve coverage of the upper half of the space, the first phase shifter 51 between the two radiating elements 1 after the switching device 4 is switched is used to make the maximum beam pointing upwards by 15° to 18°. At this time, the horizontal upward beamwidth is more than 30° (i.e., the beamwidth). Thus, beam coverage of the entire vertical space is achieved.

[0060] See Figure 4In the fourth embodiment of the antenna unit 100 of this application, the feed section 2 is connected to the six dual-polarized radiating elements 1 via a parallel-feed power divider. The parallel-feed power divider is designed in two stages. First, every three radiating elements 1 are connected using a 1-to-3 power divider, and then the two paths are combined using a 1-to-2 power divider. Simultaneously, the second phase shifter 52 is applied to the upper branch 341 of the 1-to-2 power divider to achieve electrically adjustable downtilt control of the channel beam. To select the radiating elements 1, the switching device 4 is introduced into the network branch 341 in the figure. When the switching device 4 is in the first state, the radio frequency signal is transmitted to the six radiating elements 1 through the feed channel 3, and the combined narrow communication beam achieves ground communication coverage. At the same time, the second phase shifter 52 is used to achieve electrically adjustable downtilt control and adjustment of the ground communication beam. When the switching device 4 is in the second state, the top two and bottom two radiating elements 1 in the feed channel 3 are isolated by the switching device 4, and radio frequency signals cannot be transmitted to these four radiating elements 1. All signals are only transmitted to the third and fourth radiating elements 1. In a conventional base station antenna layout, the channel beam is a 30° to 35° beam at this time. By using the second phase shifter 52 (in this embodiment, the first phase shifter 51 and the second phase shifter 52 are the same phase shifter 5) to adjust the beam pointing upwards by 15° to 18°, the air sensing beam coverage can reach more than 30°. As shown in the beam diagram, the beamwidth is 30° to 35°, which is the angle of the dashed line in the beam. In order to achieve coverage of the upper half of the space, the second phase shifter 52 between the two radiating elements 1 after the switching device 4 is switched makes the beam pointing upwards by a maximum of 15° to 18°. At this time, the horizontal upward beamwidth is more than 30° (i.e., the beamwidth). This enabled beam coverage across the entire vertical space.

[0061] The present invention also proposes an antenna array 1000, which includes antenna elements 100, the specific structure of which is described in the above embodiments. Since the antenna array 1000 adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it possesses at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated further here; the multiple antenna elements 100 are arranged in an array.

[0062] Specifically, multiple antenna elements 100 arranged along a first direction form an antenna group 200. The antenna array 1000 includes multiple antenna groups 200 arranged along a second transverse direction. When at least one antenna element 100 at both ends of an antenna group 200 is disconnected from the feed section 2 by the switching device 4, the channel spacing between the two antenna elements 100 is greater than the center distance between them. The distance between the longitudinal center point of multiple radiating elements 1 connected to the feed section on one antenna element 100 and the longitudinal center point of multiple radiating elements 1 connected to the feed section on another antenna element 100 is the aforementioned channel spacing. From the perspective of the measurement mechanism of the target angle, the larger the aperture of the antenna array 1000, that is, the larger the channel spacing between two antenna elements 100, the higher its angular resolution and the higher the sensing accuracy. Therefore, in the design of the rooftop, it is necessary to maximize the maximum distance between the channels within the limited rooftop space to obtain a larger aperture. Based on this, in this embodiment, the channel spacing between the two antenna elements 100 in the sensing signal mode is set to be at least greater than the center distance between them, so as to increase the maximum distance between the channels and improve their sensing accuracy.

[0063] Furthermore, when the switching device 4 within the antenna unit 100 controls the disconnection between at least one of the radiating elements 1 and the feed section 2, the antenna array 1000 includes at least two groups of antenna units 300 with different channel spacings. Each antenna unit group 300 includes two antenna units 100 spaced apart in the first direction. Given a fixed number of digital channels, increasing the aperture inevitably leads to an increase in the channel spacing, potentially introducing target mirroring issues and affecting sensing accuracy. Therefore, in this embodiment, in addition to the antenna group 200 with the maximum distance between channels, an antenna unit group 300 with a different maximum distance is also provided. When the antenna array 1000 has only two rows in the second transverse direction, one antenna group 200 is equivalent to one antenna unit group 300. In this case, the channel spacing of the multiple antenna groups 200 arranged in the second transverse direction is set differently, so that the antenna array 1000 has different apertures, satisfying the requirement for improved sensing accuracy while suppressing mirroring issues. When the antenna array 1000 is configured with at least three rows in the second horizontal direction, an antenna group 200 may include multiple antenna element groups 300, so that antenna element groups 300 with different channel spacing can be set within an antenna group 200, so that an antenna group 200 can have different apertures, thereby meeting the requirements for improving sensing accuracy while suppressing the mirroring problem.

[0064] Specifically, it is understood that setting a larger channel spacing between two antenna elements 100 can improve angular resolution, but will cause a mirroring problem. Conversely, setting a smaller channel spacing between two antenna elements 100 can reduce the mirroring problem, but will reduce angular resolution. Both settings will affect the final sensing accuracy. Therefore, when specifically setting the channel spacing between two antenna elements 100, there is actually no perfect solution. Thus, when designing the antenna array 1000, it is necessary to consider both aperture and mirroring suppression effects. The design should be based on a larger spacing for some antenna element groups 300 and a smaller spacing for some antenna element groups 300 to comprehensively meet the sensing accuracy requirements of the antenna array.

[0065] See Figures 14 to 15 In a specific embodiment of the antenna array 1000 described in this application, the antenna array 1000 is composed of two antenna elements 100 as described in the fourth embodiment above and four antenna elements 100 as described in the third embodiment above, arranged in a two-row, three-column antenna array. When all the switching devices 4 are in the second state, only Figure 15 The radiating element 1 in the dark-colored position shown is connected to the feed section 2. At this time, the maximum vertical aperture of the entire array is determined by the centers of the two farthest equivalent channels in the third column of the array, and its aperture size is equal to 10 times the spacing between the radiating elements 1. In contrast, the antenna array with the same arrangement composed of conventional fixed six-element antenna units 300 has a vertical aperture size only six times the spacing between the radiating elements 1. It is evident that the array design presented in this application can achieve a larger aperture without increasing the number of radiating elements 1, thereby achieving higher precision target sensing. However, if each column of the antenna array 1000 uses the same antenna combination as the third column, due to the large spacing between the two channels, although a large vertical aperture can be obtained, multiple target mirror images may appear during target sensing, affecting the accuracy of sensing. Therefore, this application selects different radiating element 1 combinations in the first and second columns compared to the third column. Combining the three columns of antenna units 200 for target sensing effectively suppresses the mirror image problem in sensing. In summary, by employing multiple antenna architectures and combining them appropriately, an antenna array 1000 with a larger antenna aperture can be obtained without increasing the number of radiating elements 1, thereby suppressing the image of the sensing target and achieving higher precision sensing.

[0066] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An antenna array, characterized in that, It includes multiple antenna elements, which are arranged in an array. Each antenna element includes: Multiple radiating oscillators are arranged along the first longitudinal direction; At least one feed unit is electrically connected to the radiating oscillator via a feed channel; and, A switching device is provided on the feed channel and is configured to control the connection and disconnection between at least one of the radiating elements and the feed section, so as to control the connection between a portion of the radiating elements within the antenna unit and the feed section; The antenna array includes multiple antenna elements arranged along a first direction to form an antenna group, and the antenna array includes multiple antenna groups arranged along a second transverse direction. When at least two antenna elements at both ends of an antenna group are disconnected from the feed section by the switching device, the channel distance between them is greater than the center distance between them. The channel spacing is the distance between the center point of the plurality of radiating elements on one antenna unit that are connected to the feed section in the longitudinal first direction and the center point of the plurality of radiating elements on another antenna unit that are connected to the feed section in the longitudinal first direction.

2. An antenna array, characterized in that, It includes multiple antenna elements, which are arranged in an array. Each antenna element includes: Multiple radiating oscillators are arranged along the first longitudinal direction; At least one feed unit is electrically connected to the radiating oscillator via a feed channel; and, A switching device is provided on the feed channel and is configured to control the connection and disconnection between at least one of the radiating elements and the feed section, so as to control the connection between a portion of the radiating elements within the antenna unit and the feed section; Wherein, when the switching device in the antenna element controls the disconnection between at least one of the radiating elements and the feed section, the antenna array includes at least two groups of antenna elements with different channel spacings, and the antenna element group includes two antenna elements spaced apart in a first direction; The channel spacing is the distance between the center point of the plurality of radiating elements on one antenna unit that are connected to the feed section in the longitudinal first direction and the center point of the plurality of radiating elements on another antenna unit that are connected to the feed section in the longitudinal first direction.

3. The antenna array as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, At least two feeding channels are provided, one of which connects the feeding unit and the plurality of radiating oscillators, and the other feeding channel connects the feeding unit and part of the radiating oscillators; The switching device is disposed between the two feeding channels and the feeding section.

4. The antenna array as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The switching device includes a switching switch disposed between the two feed channels and the feed section, the switching switch switching one of the two feed channels electrically connected to the feed section; or... The switching device includes two first switches disposed on the two feed channels.

5. The antenna array as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The feed channel includes: The main channel, which is connected to the feed unit; and, A branch channel, connected to the main channel, the branch channel including multiple branches corresponding to the multiple radiating oscillators; The main channel and the branch channel are equipped with the switching device.

6. The antenna array as described in claim 5, characterized in that, One end of each of the multiple branch roads is connected to the main channel.

7. The antenna array as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The plurality of radiating oscillators includes a first radiating oscillator and a second radiating oscillator; The plurality of branches include a first branch connected to the first radiating vibrator and a second branch connected to the second radiating vibrator; One end of the main channel is connected to the feeder. The main channel has a first connection point connected to the first branch and a second connection point connected to the second branch. The first connection point is located between the second connection point and the feeder. The switching device includes a second switch disposed between the first connection point and the second connection point.

8. The antenna array as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The radiating oscillator includes a first radiating oscillator and a plurality of second radiating oscillators; The plurality of said branches include a first branch connected to the first radiating oscillator, and a plurality of second branches corresponding to the plurality of second radiating oscillators for connection; The branch channel includes multiple branch channels connecting the main channel and the multiple branch roads. At least one of the branch channels includes a first connecting channel, one end of which is connected to at least two of the branch roads, and the branch road connected to the first connecting channel is the second branch road. The switching device is used to control the connection and disconnection with the first connection channel.

9. The antenna array as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The switching device includes a third switch disposed on the first communication channel.

10. The antenna array as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The feeding section is connected to the middle section of the main channel, and the feeding section divides the main channel into a first flow channel section and a second flow channel section. The other end of the first connecting channel is connected to the first flow channel segment, and the other branch channels are connected to the second flow channel segment; The switching device includes a fourth switch disposed on the first flow channel section.

11. The antenna array as described in claim 8, characterized in that, At least one of the said branch channels includes: A first hybrid connection channel, one end of which is connected to the main channel; and A first connection channel, one end of which is connected to at least two of the branches, and the branch connected to the first connection channel is the second branch; The other end of the first hybrid connection channel is connected to the other end of the first connection channel and to at least one of the first branches.

12. The antenna array as described in claim 8, characterized in that, At least one of the aforementioned branch channels include: A second hybrid connection channel, one end of which is connected to the main channel; and A second connection channel, one end of which is connected to at least two of the branches, wherein the branch connected to the second connection channel is the first branch; The other end of the second hybrid connection channel is connected to the other end of the second connection channel and at least one of the second branches.

13. The antenna array as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The radiating oscillator includes a first radiating oscillator and a second radiating oscillator, wherein the switching device is used to control the on / off connection between the second radiating oscillator and the feeding section; The radiating oscillator includes at least two of the first radiating oscillators.

14. The antenna array as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The two first radiating oscillators are arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction.

15. The antenna array as described in claim 13, characterized in that, A phase shifter is provided on the feed channel. The phase shifter includes a first phase shifter, which is capable of controlling the phase of one of the two first radiating oscillators.

16. The antenna array as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The feed channel is also provided with a phase shifter, which includes a second phase shifter that can control the phase of a portion of the multiple radiating oscillators.

17. The antenna array as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The switching device includes a switching unit connected in series with the feed channel; and / or, The switching device includes a grounding channel connected in parallel to the feed channel and a switching unit disposed on the grounding channel.

18. The antenna array as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The radiating oscillator includes a dual-polarized radiating oscillator, and the feeding unit, the feeding channel, and the switching device are respectively configured in two sets.

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