Antennas, antenna arrays, and electronic devices

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an antenna, an antenna array and an electronic device, and belongs to the technical field of communication. The antenna comprises a phase adjustment structure, a driving structure, a radiation structure, a reference electrode layer and an isolation layer. The driving structure is electrically connected with the phase adjustment structure and is configured to provide a driving voltage to the phase adjustment structure. The radiation structure is configured to transmit the received microwave signal to the phase adjustment structure and radiate the microwave signal adjusted via the phase adjustment structure. The isolation layer has a first opening, the first opening and the radiation structure at least partially overlap in the orthographic projection of the reference electrode layer, and the first opening and the driving structure do not overlap in the orthographic projection of the reference electrode layer. The orthographic projection of the isolation layer covers the orthographic projection of the driving structure in the reference electrode layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure belongs to the field of communication technology, and specifically relates to an antenna, antenna array, and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the information age, wireless terminals with high integration, miniaturization, multi-functionality, and low cost are gradually becoming the development trend of communication technology. As an important part of wireless communication, the performance of antennas directly affects the quality of information communication. To meet the needs of scientific and technological and industrial development, antennas are developing towards ultra-wideband, multi-functional, miniaturized, and intelligent designs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and to provide an antenna, an antenna array, and an electronic device.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide an antenna comprising a phase adjustment structure, a driving structure, a radiating structure, a reference electrode layer, and an isolation layer; wherein the phase adjustment structure is located between the reference electrode layer and the isolation layer; the driving structure is electrically connected to the phase adjustment structure and configured to provide a driving voltage to the phase adjustment structure so that the phase adjustment structure adjusts the phase of a received microwave signal; the radiating structure is configured to transmit the received microwave signal to the phase adjustment structure and to radiate the microwave signal adjusted by the phase adjustment structure.

[0005] The isolation layer has a first opening that at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the radiating structure onto the plane where the reference electrode layer is located, and the first opening does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the driving structure onto the plane where the reference electrode layer is located; the orthographic projection of the isolation layer onto the plane where the reference electrode layer is located covers the orthographic projection of the driving structure onto the plane where the reference electrode layer is located.

[0006] The radiation structure includes a first radiating part; the first radiating part is disposed on the side of the isolation layer near the reference electrode, and the first radiating part is connected to one end of the phase adjustment structure; the orthographic projections of the first radiating part and the first opening on the plane where the reference electrode layer is located at least partially overlap.

[0007] The radiation structure further includes a third dielectric substrate and a second radiating portion, which are sequentially disposed on the side of the isolation layer away from the phase adjustment structure; the orthographic projections of any two of the first radiating portion, the second radiating portion, and the first opening onto the plane where the reference electrode layer is located all at least partially overlap.

[0008] The centers of the first opening, the first radiating portion, and the second radiating portion coincide in the orthographic projection of the plane containing the reference electrode layer.

[0009] Wherein, the orthographic projection of the second radiating part onto the plane where the reference electrode layer is located is located within the orthographic projection of the first opening onto the plane where the reference electrode layer is located.

[0010] The phase adjustment structure includes a phase shifter; the phase shifter includes a first dielectric substrate and a second dielectric substrate disposed opposite to each other, an adjustable dielectric layer disposed between the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate, a first transmission line disposed on the side of the first dielectric substrate near the adjustable dielectric layer, and a second transmission line disposed on the side of the second dielectric substrate near the adjustable dielectric layer; the first radiating part includes a first radiating component and a second radiating component, the first radiating component being electrically connected to the first transmission line, and the second radiating component being electrically connected to the second transmission line.

[0011] Wherein, the first transmission line and the first radiating component are disposed on the same layer and are directly connected; and / or, the second transmission line and the second radiating component are disposed on the same layer and are directly connected.

[0012] The radiating structure is disposed on the side of the isolation layer away from the phase adjustment structure, and one end of the phase adjustment structure is coupled to the radiating structure through the first opening.

[0013] The first opening coincides with the center of the orthogonal projection of the radiation structure onto the plane containing the reference electrode layer.

[0014] There are multiple first openings, and the rotation centers of the multiple first openings are the same.

[0015] The rotation centers of the plurality of first openings coincide with the orthographic projection of the center of the radiation structure onto the plane containing the reference electrode layer.

[0016] The phase adjustment structure includes a phase shifter; the phase shifter includes a first dielectric substrate and a second dielectric substrate disposed opposite to each other, an adjustable dielectric layer disposed between the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate, a first transmission line disposed on the side of the first dielectric substrate near the adjustable dielectric layer, and a second transmission line disposed on the side of the second dielectric substrate near the adjustable dielectric layer; the driving structure includes a first driving line and a second driving line; the first driving line is electrically connected to the first transmission line, and the second driving line is electrically connected to the second transmission line.

[0017] The first driving line is disposed on the same layer as the first transmission line; and / or, the second driving line is disposed on the same layer as the second transmission line.

[0018] The reference electrode layer is a reflective layer.

[0019] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide an antenna array that includes a plurality of antennas as described above.

[0020] The antenna array further includes a feed source and a transceiver module;

[0021] The feed source is located on the array surface formed by the plurality of antennas;

[0022] The transceiver module is electrically connected to the feed source and is configured to feed power to the feed source and process microwave signals received by the feed source.

[0023] The feed source includes any one of a horn, a helical antenna, or a microstrip line.

[0024] It also includes a control module, which is electrically connected to the drive structure in the antenna.

[0025] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide an electronic device that includes any of the antenna arrays described above. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary antenna membrane structure.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a partial schematic diagram of an exemplary phase shifter.

[0028] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The cross section of AA'.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary phase shifter.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the membrane structure of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between a phase shifter, a radiating structure, a driving structure, and an isolation layer according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between a second radiating part and an isolation layer according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between the second radiating part and the isolation layer in another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0034] Figure 9This is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between another phase shifter, radiation structure, driving structure, and isolation layer in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0035] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the membrane structure of another antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between another phase shifter, driving structure, and isolation layer according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0037] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of another antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0040] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms “an,” “a,” or “the,” and similar terms do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms “including,” “comprising,” or “containing,” and similar terms mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms “connected,” “linked,” or similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. The terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” and “right,” etc., are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, and these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described objects changes.

[0041] Air-fed array antennas are divided into reflective array antennas and transmissive array antennas. Air-fed array antennas are passive antennas used to modulate incident waves and then radiate them. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary antenna's membrane structure; see reference. Figure 1 Taking a reflective array antenna as an example, any antenna in the reflective array antenna includes a phase adjustment unit 100, a radiating structure 40, and a reflective layer / reference electrode layer 50. The reflective layer / reference electrode layer 50 can be a reflective ground. The phase adjustment unit 100 can be a phase shifter, used to adjust the phase of the microwave signal received by the radiating structure 40, and after adjustment, it is radiated out through the radiating structure 40.

[0042] The phase shifter can be a liquid crystal phase shifter. This phase shifter can be a single-line phase shifter or a differential two-line phase shifter. In this embodiment, a differential phase shifter is used as an example. The adjustable dielectric layer in the phase shifter is a liquid crystal layer.

[0043] Figure 2 This is a partial schematic diagram of an exemplary phase shifter; Figure 3 for Figure 1 The cross section of AA'; such as Figure 1-3 As shown, the phase shifter includes a first transmission line 11 disposed on a first dielectric substrate 10 and a second transmission line 12 disposed on a second dielectric substrate 20, and a liquid crystal layer 30 disposed between the first transmission line 11 and the second transmission line 12. The first transmission line 11 includes a first trunk line 111 and a first branch 112 connected in the extension direction of the first trunk line 111; the second transmission line 12 includes a second trunk line 121 and a second branch 122 connected in the extension direction of the second trunk line 121. The orthographic projections of one first branch 112 and the second branch 122 on the first dielectric substrate 10 at least partially overlap, defining an overlapping region (i.e., a capacitance region), and the overlapping region is located between the orthographic projections of the first trunk line 111 and the second trunk line 121 on the first dielectric substrate 10. By applying a bias voltage to the first trunk line 111 and the second trunk line 121, an electric field is formed in the capacitance region, thereby changing the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal molecules and achieving phase shifting of the microwave signal.

[0044] Furthermore, since the main characteristic of differential liquid crystal phase shifters is that they operate in differential mode, they have higher phase shifting efficiency compared to single-line phase shifters. However, to provide differential mode signals, a first balun component and a second balun component need to be added at both the input and output terminals of the phase shifter, such as... Figure 4As shown, both the first and second balun components include main roads 81 / 84, first branch roads 82 / 85, and second branch roads 83 / 86. For the first balun component, the first ends of both first branch roads 82 and 83 are connected to the main road 81, the second end of first branch road 82 is connected to the first end of the first trunk line 111, and the second end of second branch road 82 is connected to the first end of the second trunk line 121. For the second balun component, the first ends of both first branch roads 85 and 86 are connected to the main road 84, the second end of first branch road 85 is connected to the second end of the first trunk line 111, and the second end of second branch road 86 is connected to the second end of the second trunk line 121. Furthermore, the first branch roads 82 and 86 of the first and second balun components are meandering lines to achieve a 180° phase difference between the first and second branch roads 82 and 83, and a 180° phase difference between the first and second branch roads 85 and 86 of the second balun component. In this case, taking the main path 81 of the first balun component connected to the radiating structure 40 and the main path 84 of the second balun component open as an example, when the radiating structure 40 receives the microwave signal and transmits the microwave signal to the first branch 82 of the first balun component, the radio frequency signal fed into the first transmission line 11 by the first branch 86 of the first balun component is 180° out of phase with the radio frequency signal fed into the second transmission line 12 by the second branch 83. After being transmitted to the first branch 85 and the second branch 86 of the second balun component via the first transmission line 11 and the second transmission line 12 respectively, the radio frequency signal is restored and output as a microwave signal with the same phase and amplitude, which is then radiated out through the radiating structure.

[0045] It should be noted that a balun (balun-unbalance) is a three-port device applicable to microwave RF devices. A balun is an RF transmission line transformer that converts matched inputs to differential inputs. It can be used to drive differential lines, amplifiers, broadband antennas, balanced mixers, balanced frequency multipliers and modulators, phase shifters, and any circuit design requiring equal amplitude and 180° phase difference between the two lines. Specifically, the two outputs of the balun have equal amplitudes and opposite phases. In the frequency domain, this represents a 180° phase difference between the two outputs; in the time domain, this means the voltage of one balanced output is the negative of the other balanced output.

[0046] The above is merely an exemplary structure of a phase shifter, but the phase shifter in the embodiments of this disclosure is not limited to this. Various forms of phase shifters can be applied in the antennas of the embodiments of this disclosure, and they will not be listed one by one here.

[0047] The inventors discovered that the driving structure for applying bias voltages to the first main line 111 and the second main line 121 in the antenna can include a first driving line disposed on the first dielectric substrate 10 and a second driving line disposed on the second dielectric substrate 20. Since the first and second driving lines are disposed around the phase shifter of the antenna, when a microwave signal is incident on the antenna, the microwave signal irradiating the first and second driving lines will cause electromagnetic responses, degrading the antenna's performance.

[0048] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this disclosure provides an antenna, an antenna array including the antenna, and an electronic device. Specific examples are described below.

[0049] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the membrane structure of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between a phase shifter, a radiating structure, a driving structure, and an isolation layer according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between a second radiating element and an isolation layer according to an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between another second radiating part and an isolation layer according to an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between a phase shifter, a radiating structure, a driving structure, and an isolation layer in another embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the membrane structure of another antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between another phase shifter, driving structure, and isolation layer according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0050] Firstly, combining Figure 5-11 As shown, this embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna, which includes a phase adjustment structure, a driving structure 90, a radiating structure 40, a reference electrode layer 50, and an isolation layer 60; wherein the reference electrode layer 50, the phase adjustment structure, and the isolation layer 60 are stacked sequentially; the driving structure 90 is electrically connected to the phase adjustment structure and is configured to provide a driving voltage to the phase adjustment structure so that the phase adjustment structure adjusts the phase of a received microwave signal; the radiating structure 40 is configured to transmit the received microwave signal to the phase adjustment structure and radiate the microwave signal adjusted by the phase adjustment structure. The isolation layer 60 has a first opening 61, the first opening 61 at least partially overlapping the orthographic projection of the radiating structure 40 onto the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located, and the orthographic projection of the driving structure 90 onto the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located does not overlap; the orthographic projection of the isolation layer 60 onto the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located covers the driving structure 90 onto the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located.

[0051] In this embodiment of the invention, an isolation layer 60 with a first opening 61 is added to the antenna, and the driving structure 90 is blocked by the isolation layer 60. This can effectively prevent the electromagnetic response caused by microwave signals irradiating the driving structure 90 when the antenna is receiving signals, thereby degrading the antenna performance.

[0052] In some examples, the phase adjustment unit includes, but is not limited to, the phase shifter 100. When the phase adjustment unit is a phase shifter 100, it can adopt the structure of the phase shifter 100 described above. That is, the phase shifter 100 can be a liquid crystal phase shifter 100, meaning that the adjustable dielectric layer in the phase shifter 100 is a liquid crystal layer 30. Specifically, the phase shifter 100 may include a first dielectric substrate 10, a second dielectric substrate 20, a liquid crystal layer 30 disposed between the first dielectric substrate 10 and the second dielectric substrate 20, a first transmission line disposed on the side of the first dielectric substrate 10 near the liquid crystal layer 30, and a second transmission line disposed on the side of the second dielectric substrate 20 near the liquid crystal layer 30. The first transmission line may include a first trunk line and a plurality of first branches connected in the extension direction of the first trunk line; the second transmission line may include a second trunk line and a plurality of second branches connected in the extension direction of the second trunk line. The first branches and the second branches are correspondingly disposed, and the orthographic projections of the corresponding first branches and the second branches on the first dielectric substrate 10 at least overlap. By applying voltage to the first and second main lines of the driving structure 90, the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 30 between the first and second branches is adjusted, thereby achieving phase shifting of the microwave signal.

[0053] The first branch and the second branch are configured in a one-to-one correspondence. Furthermore, multiple first branches are arranged periodically, and similarly, multiple second branches are also arranged periodically. For example, the spacing between each first branch is equal; the spacing between each second branch is equal. In some examples, the overlap area of ​​the orthographic projections of each first branch and each second branch onto the first dielectric substrate 10 is equal. For example, the width of each first branch is equal, and the width of each second branch is equal; of course, the length of each first branch can also be equal, and the length of each second branch can also be equal.

[0054] In some examples, both the first and second trunk lines in the phase shifter 100 can be straight transmission lines. The extension directions of the first and second trunk lines can be parallel to each other. This arrangement helps to miniaturize the phase shifter 100, which in turn helps to achieve high integration of the antenna. Of course, the first and second trunk lines can also be curved, and the shapes of the first and second trunk lines are not limited in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0055] Furthermore, the radiating structure 40 may include a first radiating portion 41 and a second radiating portion 42. The first radiating portion 41 and the second radiating portion 42 are respectively disposed on the sides of the isolation layer 60 near and away from the reference electrode layer 50, and a third dielectric substrate 70 is disposed between the isolation layer 60 and the second radiating portion 42. Any two of the first radiating portion 41, the second radiating portion 42, and the first opening 61 on the isolation layer 60 have overlapping orthographic projections on the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located. This ensures that the microwave signal received by the second radiator can be transmitted to the first radiating portion 41 through the first opening 61, and then to the phase shifter 100 through the first radiating portion 41. At the same time, the microwave signal modulated by the phase shifter 100 can also be transmitted to the first radiating portion 41. The first radiating portion 41 transmits the microwave signal to the second radiating portion 42 through the first opening 61, and the second radiating portion 42 radiates the microwave signal.

[0056] In one example, the first radiating portion 41 may include a first radiating component 411 and a second radiating component 412. For example, the first radiating component 411 is directly connected to the first trunk line of the first transmission line, and the second radiating component 412 is directly connected to the second trunk line of the second transmission line. In this case, the first radiating component 411 can be disposed in the same layer as the first transmission line, that is, disposed on the side of the first dielectric substrate 10 near the liquid crystal layer 30, and the second radiating component 412 can be disposed in the same layer as the second transmission line, that is, disposed on the side of the second dielectric substrate 20 near the liquid crystal layer 30. In this way, the fabrication of the first radiating component 411 and the first transmission line, and the fabrication of the second radiating component 412 and the second transmission line can be completed in one process, which not only reduces the process cost, but also helps to achieve a highly integrated and thinner antenna design. It should be understood that the first radiating component 411 and the second radiating component 412 in the first radiating portion 41 both overlap with the orthographic projection of the second radiating portion 42 on the layer where the reference electrode layer 50 is located. By setting the second radiating portion 42, the transmission efficiency of microwave signals can be improved and the transmission loss can be reduced.

[0057] In some examples, the first radiating component 411, the second radiating component 412, and the second radiating part 42 are, but are not limited to, antenna structures such as patch electrodes and dipoles. When the first radiating component 411, the second radiating component 412, and the second radiating part 42 all use patch electrodes, their shapes can be the same or different. For example, the shape of the patch electrode can be any one or a combination of rectangles, circles, annular rings, and triangles. The specific shape of the patch electrode is not limited in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0058] In some examples, the second radiating portion 42 can be a planar structure, and may also include multiple substructures 421, for example, multiple substructures 421 arranged in an array. Regardless of the structure of the second radiating portion 42, the orthographic projection of the second radiating portion 42 onto the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located can be within the orthographic projection of the first opening 61 of the isolation layer 60 onto the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located. In one example, the center of the second radiating portion 42 coincides with the orthographic projection of the center of the first opening 61 onto the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located. Of course, the orthographic projections of the center of the second radiating portion 42 and the center of the first opening 61 onto the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located can also be approximately coincident, that is, there is a small distance between the orthographic projections of their centers onto the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located.

[0059] In one example, when the phase shifter 100 is a differential phase shifter 100, one end of the first transmission line and the second transmission line are connected to the balun assembly, for example, the first transmission line and the second transmission line are connected to the first balun assembly described above, and the other end is connected to the second balun assembly. In this case, the first radiating part 41 can be an integral structure, and the first radiating part 41 can be connected to the main path of the first balun assembly. In this case, in one example, the centers of the first radiating part 41, the second radiating part 42, and the first opening 61 of the isolation layer 60 coincide in the orthographic projection onto the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located.

[0060] Furthermore, the orthographic projections of the first radiating portion 41 and the second radiating portion 42 onto the plane containing the reference electrode layer 50 are both located within the orthographic projection of the first opening 61 of the isolation layer 60 onto the plane containing the reference electrode layer 50. For example, both the first radiating portion 41 and the second radiating portion 42 are patch electrodes, and the shape of the patch electrode can be rectangular, and the corresponding first opening 61 of the isolation layer 60 can also be rectangular. Of course, the shapes of the first radiating portion 41, the second radiating portion 42, and the first opening 61 of the isolation layer 60 can also be different.

[0061] It should be noted that in the antenna embodiments of this disclosure, the radiating structure 40 may also include only the first radiating part 41, without the need for the second radiating part 42. This is also feasible and falls within the protection scope of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0062] In one example, the radiating structure 40 may be located on the side of the isolation layer 60 away from the phase shifter 100. In this case, the orthographic projections of one end of the phase shifter 100, the first opening 61 of the isolation layer 60, and any two of the radiating structure 40 onto the plane containing the reference electrode layer 50 overlap. Again, taking the phase shifter 100 described above as an example, the main path of the first balun assembly overlaps with the orthographic projections of the first opening 61 of the isolation layer 60 and any two of the radiating structure 40 onto the plane containing the reference electrode layer 50.

[0063] Furthermore, the first opening 61 can be a slit structure, and the slit structure can be elongated, I-shaped, etc. The number of first openings 61 can be one or more. When there is only one first opening 61, the center of the first opening 61 coincides with the orthographic projection of the center of the radiating structure 40 onto the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located, or the center of the first opening 61 and the center of the radiating structure 40 on the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located approximately coincide, that is, there is a small distance between the center of the first opening 61 and the orthographic projection of the center of the radiating structure 40 on the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located. When there are multiple first openings 61, the multiple first openings 61 have a common rotation center or symmetry center, and the rotation center / symmetry center of the multiple first openings 61 coincides with the orthographic projection of the center of the radiation structure 40 on the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located, or the rotation center / symmetry center of the multiple first openings 61 and the orthographic projection of the center of the radiation structure 40 on the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located approximately coincide, that is, there is a small distance between the rotation center / symmetry center of the multiple first openings 61 and the orthographic projection of the center of the radiation structure 40 on the plane where the reference electrode layer 50 is located.

[0064] Regardless of which of the above-described structures is used for the radiating structure 40 in the embodiments of this disclosure, the driving structure 90 in the embodiments of this disclosure can include a first driving line 91 and a second driving line 92. The first driving line 91 is electrically connected to the first transmission line in the phase shifter 100, and the second driving line 92 is connected to the second transmission line. In this case, the first driving line 91 can be disposed on the same layer as the first transmission line, that is, the first driving line 91 is disposed on the side of the first dielectric substrate 10 near the liquid crystal layer 30; the second driving line 92 can be disposed on the same layer as the second transmission line, that is, the two driving lines are disposed on the side of the first dielectric substrate 10 near the liquid crystal layer 30. In this way, the first driving line 91 and the first transmission line can be formed in a single patterning process, and the second driving line 92 and the second transmission line can be formed in a single patterning process. This method can not only reduce the process cost, but also help to improve the integration of the antenna and achieve a thinner and lighter design. In some examples, the reference electrode layer 50 includes, but is not limited to, a ground electrode. In one example, the reference electrode can also be a reflective layer, that is, the antenna in the embodiments of this disclosure is a reflective antenna. In the embodiments of this disclosure, the reference electrode layer 50 can be a full-surface structure. If there are special requirements for antenna performance, such as suppressing specific resonances or improving bandwidth, specific defective ground and electromagnetic bandgap structures can be used to replace the complete reference electrode layer 50.

[0065] In some examples, the first dielectric substrate 10 and the second dielectric substrate 20 in the embodiments of this disclosure can be glass substrates, plastics, PCBs, ceramics, etc. The materials of the radiating structure 40, the driving structure 90, and the reference electrode layer 50 include, but are not limited to, copper, aluminum, molybdenum, or other metals. Of course, non-metallic materials with conductive properties, such as indium tin oxide, can also be used.

[0066] In this embodiment of the antenna, different voltages are applied to the phase adjustment structure by the driving structure 90, which can orient the liquid crystal in the phase adjustment structure. The tunability of the liquid crystal is used to apply a phase shift of more than 360 degrees to the incident electromagnetic wave. This effect allows each antenna to independently perform phase compensation of more than 360 degrees for the incident wave. At the same time, the addition of the isolation layer 60 prevents the incident electromagnetic wave from passing through the isolation layer 60 and directly hitting the driving structure 90, thus avoiding the deterioration of antenna performance by the electromagnetic response on the driving structure 90.

[0067] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide an antenna array 1, which includes a plurality of (e.g., M*N, M≥1, M≥2) antennas 1. The antenna 1 can be any of the antennas 1 described above.

[0068] In some examples, the antenna 1 array in this disclosure embodiment further includes a feed and a transceiver module. The feed is located on the array surface formed by the plurality of antennas 1; the transceiver module is electrically connected to the feed and is configured to feed the feed and process the microwave signals received by the feed. Further, the feed can be in the form of a horn, a helical antenna 1, a microstrip antenna 1, etc., and the feeding position can be selected from positive feed and side feed, etc.

[0069] For the antenna array 1 of this embodiment, when a plane wave incident from a certain direction reaches the array surface, the phase at each element can be extracted to obtain a phase compensation matrix. At a certain moment, if the beam needs to be emitted in a specified direction, according to the theoretical calculation formula of the phased array, each antenna 1 needs to be loaded with a different phase. By adjusting the control voltage of the liquid crystal phase shifter 100 and calculating the difference between the compensation matrix of the specified direction output and the incident direction, the phase difference that each antenna 1 needs to be loaded when radiating in that direction can be obtained, realizing the voltage matrix assignment process. At the next moment, if energy needs to be radiated in other directions, a second voltage assignment matrix is ​​obtained using the same method. In this way, dynamic adjustment of the emitted beam direction can be realized, completing the beam reconfigurability function.

[0070] In some examples, the antenna array 1 may also include a control module electrically connected to the drive structure 90 in the antenna 1. The control module independently controls the drive voltage on each antenna 1 to achieve different phase compensation matrices, thereby realizing beam scanning. For example, the drive structure 90 in each antenna 1 includes a first drive line 91 and a second drive line 92. The control module may include a first control module 101 and a second control module 102. The first control module 101 is connected to each first drive line 91 via a first lead, and the second control module 102 is connected to each second drive line 92 via a second lead. The first and second leads can be ordinary wires, flexible printed circuits (FPC), thin-film chip integrated circuits (COF), etc., but are not limited to these forms; the connection between the first lead and the first drive line 91, and between the second lead and the second drive line 92, can be pins, soldering, bonding, etc., but are not limited to these forms; the connection between the first lead and the first control module 101, and between the second lead and the second control module 102, can be pins, soldering, bonding, snap-fit, etc., but are not limited to these forms.

[0071] Fourthly, this disclosure also provides an electronic device including an antenna 1, comprising the aforementioned antenna 1 array. The antenna 1 system provided in this disclosure further includes a transceiver unit, a radio frequency transceiver, a signal amplifier, a power amplifier, and a filtering unit. The antenna 1 in the antenna 1 system can function as either a transmitting antenna 1 or a receiving antenna 1. The transceiver unit may include a baseband and a receiving end. The baseband provides signals in at least one frequency band, such as 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G signals, and transmits the signals in at least one frequency band to the radio frequency transceiver. After receiving a signal, the antenna 1 in the antenna 1 system can transmit it to the receiving end in the transmitting unit after processing by the filtering unit, power amplifier, signal amplifier, and radio frequency transceiver. The receiving end may be, for example, a smart gateway.

[0072] Furthermore, the RF transceiver is connected to the transceiver unit and is used to modulate the signals transmitted by the transceiver unit, or to demodulate the signals received by antenna 1 before transmitting them to the transceiver unit. Specifically, the RF transceiver may include a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, a modulation circuit, and a demodulation circuit. After the transmitting circuit receives various types of signals provided by the baseband, the modulation circuit can modulate the various types of signals provided by the baseband and then send them to antenna 1. Antenna 1 receives the signals and transmits them to the receiving circuit of the RF transceiver. The receiving circuit transmits the signals to the demodulation circuit, which demodulates the signals and then transmits them to the receiving end.

[0073] Further, the RF transceiver is connected to a signal amplifier and a power amplifier, which are then connected to a filtering unit. The filtering unit is connected to at least one antenna 1. During signal transmission by the antenna 1 system, the signal amplifier improves the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the RF transceiver's output signal before transmitting it to the filtering unit; the power amplifier amplifies the power of the RF transceiver's output signal before transmitting it to the filtering unit. The filtering unit may specifically include a duplexer and a filtering circuit. The filtering unit combines the signals output from the signal amplifier and power amplifier, filters out noise, and then transmits them to antenna 1, which radiates the signal. During signal reception by the antenna 1 system, antenna 1 receives the signal and transmits it to the filtering unit. The filtering unit filters out noise from the received signal and transmits it to the signal amplifier and power amplifier. The signal amplifier increases the gain of the received signal, improving the SNR; the power amplifier amplifies the power of the received signal. The signal received by antenna 1 is processed by the power amplifier and signal amplifier before being transmitted to the RF transceiver, which then transmits it to the transceiver unit.

[0074] In some examples, the signal amplifier may include various types of signal amplifiers, such as low-noise amplifiers, without limitation.

[0075] In some examples, the electronic device provided in this disclosure also includes a power management unit connected to a power amplifier and providing the power amplifier with a voltage for amplifying signals.

[0076] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising a phase adjustment structure, a driving structure, a radiating structure, a reference electrode layer, and an isolation layer; wherein, The phase adjustment structure is located between the reference electrode layer and the isolation layer; the driving structure is electrically connected to the phase adjustment structure and is configured to provide a driving voltage to the phase adjustment structure so that the phase adjustment structure adjusts the phase of the received microwave signal; the radiation structure is configured to transmit the received microwave signal to the phase adjustment structure and to radiate the microwave signal adjusted by the phase adjustment structure. The isolation layer has a first opening, which at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the radiating structure onto the plane where the reference electrode layer is located, and the first opening does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the driving structure onto the plane where the reference electrode layer is located. The orthographic projection of the isolation layer onto the plane where the reference electrode layer is located overlaps the orthographic projection of the driving structure onto the plane where the reference electrode layer is located. The radiating structure is disposed on the side of the isolation layer away from the phase adjustment structure, and one end of the phase adjustment structure is coupled to the radiating structure through the first opening.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein, The radiation structure includes a first radiating part; the first radiating part is disposed on the side of the isolation layer near the reference electrode, and the first radiating part is connected to one end of the phase adjustment structure; the orthographic projections of the first radiating part and the first opening on the plane where the reference electrode layer is located at least partially overlap.

3. The antenna according to claim 2, wherein, The radiating structure further includes a third dielectric substrate and a second radiating portion, which are sequentially disposed on the side of the isolation layer away from the phase adjustment structure; the orthogonal projections of any two of the first radiating portion, the second radiating portion and the first opening onto the plane where the reference electrode layer is located at least partially overlap.

4. The antenna according to claim 3, wherein, The centers of the first opening, the first radiating portion, and the second radiating portion coincide in the orthographic projection of the plane containing the reference electrode layer.

5. The antenna according to claim 3, wherein, The orthographic projection of the second radiating part onto the plane where the reference electrode layer is located lies within the orthographic projection of the first opening onto the plane where the reference electrode layer is located.

6. The antenna according to claim 2, wherein, The phase adjustment structure includes a phase shifter; the phase shifter includes a first dielectric substrate and a second dielectric substrate disposed opposite to each other, an adjustable dielectric layer disposed between the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate, a first transmission line disposed on the side of the first dielectric substrate near the adjustable dielectric layer, and a second transmission line disposed on the side of the second dielectric substrate near the adjustable dielectric layer; the first radiating part includes a first radiating component and a second radiating component, the first radiating component being electrically connected to the first transmission line, and the second radiating component being electrically connected to the second transmission line.

7. The antenna according to claim 6, wherein, The first transmission line is disposed on the same layer as the first radiating component and the two are directly connected; and / or, the second transmission line is disposed on the same layer as the second radiating component and the two are directly connected.

8. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein, The first opening coincides with the center of the orthographic projection of the radiation structure onto the plane containing the reference electrode layer.

9. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein, There are multiple first openings, and the rotation centers of the multiple first openings are the same.

10. The antenna according to claim 9, wherein, The rotation centers of the plurality of first openings coincide with the orthographic projection of the center of the radiation structure onto the plane containing the reference electrode layer.

11. The antenna according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein, The phase adjustment structure includes a phase shifter; the phase shifter includes a first dielectric substrate and a second dielectric substrate disposed opposite to each other, an adjustable dielectric layer disposed between the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate, a first transmission line disposed on the side of the first dielectric substrate near the adjustable dielectric layer, and a second transmission line disposed on the side of the second dielectric substrate near the adjustable dielectric layer; the driving structure includes a first driving line and a second driving line; the first driving line is electrically connected to the first transmission line, and the second driving line is electrically connected to the second transmission line.

12. The antenna according to claim 11, wherein, The first driving line is disposed on the same layer as the first transmission line; and / or, the second driving line is disposed on the same layer as the second transmission line.

13. The antenna according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein, The reference electrode layer is a reflective layer.

14. An antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas as described in any one of claims 1-13.

15. The antenna array according to claim 14, wherein, It also includes a feed and a transceiver module; The feed source is located on the array surface formed by the plurality of antennas; The transceiver module is electrically connected to the feed source and is configured to feed power to the feed source and process microwave signals received by the feed source.

16. The antenna array according to claim 15, wherein, The feed source includes any one of a horn, a helical antenna, or a microstrip line.

17. The antenna array according to claim 14, wherein, It also includes a control module, which is electrically connected to the drive structure in the antenna.

18. An electronic device comprising the antenna array of any one of claims 14-17.

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