Radiating unit integrated with phase shifter and base station antenna

Abstract

The invention relates to a radiation unit integrated with a phase shifter and a base station antenna. The radiating unit of the integrated phase shifter comprises a radiating body and a feed structure, the feed structure is connected to one side of the radiating body and comprises a balun and a feed core, a first feed cavity and a second feed cavity are formed in the balun, the feed core is coupled with the radiating body, one end of the feed core extends into the first feed cavity, the other end of the feed core extends into the second feed cavity, and the first feed cavity is communicated with the second feed cavity. The feed unit is used for feeding an externally input feed signal into the radiator; a first through hole communicated with the first feed cavity is formed in the side wall of the balun; at least part of the phase shifting medium is inserted into the first feed cavity in a sliding mode from the first through hole in the first direction, an included angle alpha is formed between the first direction and the plane where the radiator is located, and alpha is larger than or equal to 0 degree and smaller than 90 degrees or alpha is larger than 90 degrees and smaller than or equal to 180 degrees. The space dimension below the radiator is fully utilized, and the feed structure and the phase shift medium are integrated, so that the phase of the radiation unit can be adjusted, and the miniaturization of the antenna is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to a radiation unit and a base station antenna with an integrated phase shifter. Background Art

[0002] The mobile communication system is in a period of long-term coexistence with existing system standards and the rapid construction and development of 5G communication base stations. The number of existing 2G, 3G, 4G and other system standards and other multi-system coexisting base stations is huge, resulting in extremely tight antenna resources for wireless communication. Communication base stations are the second largest energy consumer of information infrastructure. It is estimated that the power consumption will account for about 1.1% of the total social electricity consumption in 2025, resulting in a contradiction between the rapid construction of 5G communication base stations and the continuous surge in energy consumption. In order to solve the two core problems of extremely tight antenna resources and reducing base station energy consumption, low-carbon, green, high-efficiency multi-frequency fusion antennas have become the development trend of the industry. The frequency ranges and system standards of each country are different, resulting in more and more frequencies and system standards.

[0003] The spatial resources of base station antennas are extremely limited. Many radiating units of different frequencies need to be in the same array, and different feeding networks also need to be integrated into the same base station antenna. These have accelerated the process of shrinking the space inside the antenna. In addition, with the industry trend of miniaturization of antennas, a technical solution to the problem of limited space inside the antenna is urgently needed. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problem or at least partially solve the above technical problem, the present application provides a radiation unit and a base station antenna with an integrated phase shifter.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a radiation unit with an integrated phase shifter, comprising:

[0006] Radiators,

[0007] A feeding structure, wherein the feeding structure is connected to one side of the radiator, and the feeding structure comprises a balun and a feeding core, wherein a first feeding cavity and a second feeding cavity are formed in the balun, the feeding core is coupled to the radiator, and one end of the feeding core extends into the first feeding cavity, and the other end extends into the second feeding cavity, for feeding an externally inputted feeding signal to the radiator; a first through hole communicating with the first feeding cavity is provided on a side wall of the balun;

[0008] A phase-shifting medium, wherein at least a portion of the phase-shifting medium is slidably inserted into the first feeding cavity from the first through hole along a first direction, wherein the first direction and the plane where the radiator is located have an angle α, 0°≤α<90° or 90°<α≤180°.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first direction is parallel to the plane where the radiator is located.

[0010] In some embodiments, the phase-shifting medium includes an interconnected plug-in structure and a connecting portion, the plug-in structure is inserted in the first feeding cavity and at least partially overlaps with the feeding core, and the connecting portion is located outside the balun and is used to pull the plug-in structure to move along the first direction.

[0011] In some embodiments, the plug-in structure includes a plurality of dielectric sheets arranged relatively to each other, a plug-in slot is formed between the plurality of dielectric sheets, and the feed core in the first feed cavity is plugged into the plug-in slot along a first direction.

[0012] In some embodiments, the feed core includes a first feed segment, a second feed segment, a third feed segment and a fourth feed segment arranged in sequence along the signal transmission direction, the first feed segment is located in the second feed cavity, the third feed segment is located in the first feed cavity, the second feed segment is connected between the first feed segment and the third feed segment, and is located on the outside of the radiator, and the fourth feed segment extends out of the first feed cavity from one end of the first feed cavity away from the radiator for connecting to an external feeding network.

[0013] In some embodiments, a depth of the plug-in slot along the first direction is greater than or equal to a dimension of the third feeding segment along the first direction.

[0014] In some embodiments, the connecting portion includes a main body and a pull rod, the main body is arranged opposite to the side wall of the balun, the plug-in structure is arranged on a side of the main body facing the balun, and the pull rod is formed on a side of the main body facing away from the balun.

[0015] In some embodiments, a plurality of first through-holes are correspondingly disposed on the side wall of the first feeding cavity, and the plurality of first through-holes are disposed at intervals and are respectively used for a plurality of the dielectric sheets to pass through.

[0016] In some embodiments, the number of the first feeding cavities is multiple, the number of the plug-in structures is equal to that of the first feeding cavities, and the plug-in structures are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the first feeding cavities.

[0017] In some embodiments, the third feeding segment is arranged in a serpentine shape along a direction perpendicular to the radiator.

[0018] In some embodiments, a window is provided on the dielectric sheet.

[0019] A second aspect of the present application provides a base station antenna, comprising a substrate and a radiation unit of the integrated phase shifter as described in any one of the above.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application has the following advantages:

[0021] The radiation unit with integrated phase shifter provided in the embodiment of the present application has a slidable phase shifting medium arranged in the first feeding cavity, thereby changing the size of the phase shifting medium in the first feeding cavity, that is, changing the dielectric constant in the first feeding cavity. Compared with the prior art in which the phase of the radiation unit is adjusted by a phase shifter, the embodiment of the present application can change the dielectric constant in the first feeding cavity by setting the movement of the phase shifting medium, thereby adjusting the phase of the radiation unit, thereby avoiding the problem of poor stability of the radiation unit caused by the random bending of the coaxial line connecting the phase shifter and the radiation unit. At the same time, the phase shifting medium is located on one side of the feeding structure, making full use of the spatial dimension below the radiator, and integrating the feeding structure and the phase shifting medium, so as to adjust the phase of the radiation unit and realize the miniaturization of the antenna. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0024] Figure 1 This is an assembly diagram of the radiation unit described in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 2 A top view of the radiation unit described in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a bottom view of the radiation unit described in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the balun described in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the radiation unit and the external feeding network described in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of the feeding core and the first feeding cavity according to the first embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a top view of the radiation unit of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Middle AA section view;

[0032] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the feed core and the first feed cavity according to the first embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Fig.10 A cross-sectional view of the feed core and the first feed cavity described in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first feeding core in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Fig.12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the phase shifting medium described in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Fig.13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first feeding core in the second embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Fig.14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first feeding core in the third embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Fig.15 This is a schematic structural diagram of the first feeding core in the fourth embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Fig.16 This is a structural schematic diagram of the first feeding core and the first feeding cavity of the fifth embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Fig.17 This is a front view of the first feeding core and the first feeding cavity of the fifth embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Fig.18 This is a structural schematic diagram of the first feeding core and the first feeding cavity in the sixth embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Fig.19 This is a structural schematic diagram of the first feeding core and the first feeding cavity of the seventh embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Fig. 20 A top view of the radiation unit described in the eighth embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Fig.21 for Fig. 20 Middle AA section view;

[0045] Fig. 22 for Fig. 20 Middle BB section view;

[0046] Fig.23 A topological diagram of an antenna array in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Fig.24 This is a topological diagram of the antenna array in an embodiment of the present application.

[0048] Among them, 1. radiator; 11. first radiating arm; 12. second radiating arm; 2. balun; 21. first feeding cavity; 211. first perforation; 22. second feeding cavity; 23. first insulating fixture; 24. second insulating fixture; 3. feeding core; 3(a) first feeding core; 3(b) second feeding core; 3a1. first feeding section; 3a2. second feeding section; 3a3. third feeding section; 3a4. fourth feeding section; 3a31. transverse feeding section; 3a32. longitudinal feeding section; 4. phase shifting medium; 41. dielectric sheet; 411. plug-in slot; 42. main body; 43. pull rod; 431. connecting rod; 432. connector; 5. external feeding network; 51. external feeding cavity; 52. feeding strip line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] In order to more clearly understand the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application, the scheme of the present application will be further described below. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0050] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present application, but the present application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein; obviously, the embodiments in the specification are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments.

[0051] The spatial resources of base station antennas are extremely limited. Many radiating units of different frequencies need to be in the same array, and different feeding networks also need to be integrated into the same base station antenna. These have accelerated the process of shrinking the space inside the antenna. In addition, with the industry trend of miniaturization of antennas, a technical solution to the problem of limited space inside the antenna is urgently needed.

[0052] In order to solve the space problem of the antenna, the patent with application number: 201810636506.X and invention name: Base station radiation unit and antenna with integrated filter discloses a base station radiation unit and antenna with integrated filter, including a support member and a feeding structure, a plurality of radiation members are arranged around the support member, a partition is provided on the support member between two adjacent radiation members, a plurality of partitions are combined to form a receiving groove, a filter assembly is provided on the feeding structure, and the feeding structure and the filter assembly are arranged in the receiving groove; the antenna includes the radiation unit. The base station radiation unit and antenna with integrated filter of the present invention have good out-of-band suppression capability, reduce the mutual influence between the low-frequency radiation array and the high-frequency radiation array; by integrating the filter assembly with the feeding plate, the overall structure and processing technology of the radiation unit are greatly simplified without affecting the radiation characteristics of the radiation unit. That is to say, the patent discloses that a partition is provided on the support member between two adjacent radiation members, a plurality of partitions are combined to form a receiving groove, a filter assembly is provided on the feeding structure, and the feeding structure and the filter assembly are arranged in the receiving groove.

[0053] The patent with application number: 201811072989.1 discloses that the present invention relates to a base station antenna and its radiation unit. The radiation unit includes an antenna vibrator and a feeding structure. The filter section of the feeding structure is formed with multiple high impedance sections and multiple low impedance sections by size changes, and the multiple high impedance sections and the multiple low impedance sections are alternately arranged to form a step impedance transformation filter in the filter section. Since the step impedance transformation filter has good low-pass characteristics and can suppress high-frequency components, it can effectively avoid mutual interference between radiation units of different frequencies and improve the isolation between different systems. Furthermore, the step impedance transformation filter is formed by the filter section, that is, the feeding structure and the step impedance transformation filter are integrated. Compared with the prior art, the above-mentioned radiation unit does not need to design a decoupling circuit separately, so it does not take up additional space. While ensuring isolation, the above-mentioned radiation unit can also avoid increasing the volume. Therefore, the above-mentioned radiation unit can effectively improve the miniaturization of the base station antenna. That is, the patent discloses that the filter segment is formed into a plurality of high impedance segments and a plurality of low impedance segments by size variation, and the plurality of high impedance segments and the plurality of low impedance segments are alternately arranged to form a stepped impedance transformation filter in the filter segment.

[0054] The patent with application number: 201580028850.5 discloses an antenna element for dual-polarization of a multi-frequency antenna, including: four radiating units, a balun unit for feeding the radiating units and a fixing plate for fixing the balun unit; the balun unit includes two dielectric plates, each of which is printed with two signal transmission units, a feeding unit and two filtering units, and an LC resonant energy storage structure is constructed on the filtering unit on the balun unit, and decoupling can be achieved within a specific frequency band by adjusting the filtering unit, so that even if the antenna element provided in this embodiment is applied to a scenario where elements in different frequency bands work together, there will be no strong electromagnetic coupling between the radiating units in different frequency bands when they are closely arranged, so that the antenna element provided in this embodiment can ensure the normal operation of the antenna within the relevant frequency band. That is to say, the balun unit disclosed in the patent includes two dielectric plates, and the two dielectric plates are cross-embedded with each other, and two signal transmission units, a feeding unit and two filtering units are printed on each dielectric plate, and the filtering unit is used for decoupling; the main dielectric form such as PCB has complex assembly and large loss, and only has filtering function.

[0055] The patent with application number: 201610896013.0 discloses an integrated antenna radiation unit and an integrated antenna. Among them, the integrated antenna radiation unit includes a base, a plurality of support members and a dipole for receiving and / or sending antenna signals; the base includes an integrally formed fixing member and a connecting terminal; the two ends of the support member are respectively connected to the dipole and the fixing member. The support member can be used to support a balun. The fixing member includes two connecting plates, and the two connecting plates are respectively located on both sides of the connecting terminal. The present invention simplifies the structure of the antenna and reduces the volume of the antenna. The base of the patent includes an integrally formed fixing member and a connecting terminal. The base and the radiator of the radiation unit are not integrated, the assembly is complicated, and the intermodulation stability is poor.

[0056] The patent with application number: 201911411602.5 discloses a base station antenna and a radiation unit thereof, wherein the radiation unit includes a balun structure, a dipole supported by the balun structure, and a feeding component extending along the balun structure for feeding the dipole, the balun structure includes a base, a balun arm connected to the base and supporting the dipole, the base is provided with three mounting holes, the mounting holes extend from the bottom end of the base to the top end, and the three mounting holes are arranged on the base in a non-collinear manner. By only setting three mounting holes on the base of the balun structure and setting them in a non-collinear manner, a triangular mounting structure is formed, thereby ensuring that the radiation unit has high stability when mounted on the reflector by screws. In the base station antenna using this radiation unit, since the fixing points of the radiation unit are reduced, the number of holes that need to be opened on the reflector can also be reduced accordingly, reducing the intermodulation problem caused by the presence of burrs in the holes, and the antenna performance is relatively stable. The balun structure of the patent has a base and a balun arm connected to the base and correspondingly arranged to support the radiation arm in the dipole, the combining port is formed integrally on the base, and the base is provided with three mounting holes arranged non-collinearly. It is suitable for bowl-shaped die-cast radiation units and only for two-power dividers, with limited functions and applicable scenarios.

[0057] The application number is: 202311852527.2, and the invention name is: Patent of Radiating Unit, Antenna and Base Station, which discloses that the radiating unit includes a radiator, a feeding structure connected to the radiator, and a dielectric block. The feeding structure includes a shell and a feeding core arranged in a feeding cavity formed by the shell, and the feeding core is used to feed the external input feeding signal to the radiator; the dielectric block is arranged at one end of the shell away from the radiator, and can slide in the feeding cavity to change the dielectric constant in the feeding cavity. The present application can adjust the phase of the radiating unit by setting a dielectric block in the radiating unit, which not only avoids the problem of poor stability of the radiating unit due to the random bending of the coaxial line connecting the phase shifter and the radiating unit, but also solves the problem that the connection between the phase shifter and multiple radiating units makes the layout structure of the antenna complicated, resulting in low antenna production efficiency. Therefore, the use of the radiating unit provided by the present application can effectively improve the stability of the antenna and the production efficiency of the antenna. That is to say, the radiation unit substrate is used as a cavity, and the feeding medium reciprocates perpendicularly to the radiator in the cavity, and the phase of the radiation unit is adjusted by changing the dielectric constant in the feeding cavity. The feeding medium in this technology is located on the side of the feeding structure away from the radiator, and reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the radiator, occupying the space on the antenna perpendicular to the substrate, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of the antenna. The movement direction of this patent occupies a large size of the feeding network, has a great impact on the space of other feeding networks, and has complex transmission.

[0058] In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiment of the present application provides a radiating unit with an integrated phase shifter, which adjusts the dielectric constant in the first feeding cavity by setting a phase shifting medium, thereby adjusting the phase of the radiating unit. The radiating unit provided by the embodiment of the present application integrates the phase shifter and the feeding structure, and the phase shifting medium is located on one side of the feeding structure, does not occupy the height space of the radiating unit, fully utilizes the spatial dimension below the radiator, and is conducive to the miniaturization of the antenna.

[0059] Specifically, Figures 1 to 20 As shown, the radiation unit of the integrated phase shifter provided in the embodiment of the present application includes:

[0060] The radiator 1 may be a half-wave radiator 1, a folded radiator 1, a single-polarized radiator 1, or a dual-polarized radiator 1;

[0061] A feeding structure, the feeding structure is connected to one side of the radiator 1, and the feeding structure includes a balun 2 and a feeding core 3, a first feeding cavity 21 and a second feeding cavity 22 are formed in the balun 2, the feeding core 3 is coupled with the radiator 1, and one end of the feeding core 3 extends into the first feeding cavity 21, and the other end extends into the second feeding cavity 22, and is used to feed the feeding signal input from the outside of the component to the radiator 1; a first through hole 211 connected to the first feeding cavity 21 is provided on the side wall of the balun 2;

[0062] Taking the dual-polarized radiator 1 as an example, the dual-polarized radiator 1 includes two pairs of orthogonally arranged dipoles, each pair of dipoles includes a first radiating arm 11 and a second radiating arm 12 that are arranged opposite to each other. The balun 2 is located below the radiator 1 and supports the radiator 1. The balun 2 is provided with a first feeding cavity 21 and a second feeding cavity 22, wherein the first feeding cavity 21 is arranged corresponding to the first radiating arm 11, and the second feeding cavity 22 is arranged corresponding to the second radiating arm 12. The ends of the first feeding cavity 21 and the second feeding cavity 22 connected to the radiator 1 are both open, so that the feeding core 3 can be inserted into the first feeding cavity 21 and the second feeding cavity 22. Specifically, one pair of dipoles realizes the function of radiating electromagnetic waves of the first polarization, and the other pair of dipoles realizes the function of radiating electromagnetic waves of the second polarization.

[0063] For example, Figure 1As shown, the first polarized half-wave radiation unit is composed of two first radiation arms 11, two second radiation arms 12, two first feeding cavities 21 and two second feeding cavities 22. A first radiation arm 11 and a second radiation arm 12 form a pair of dipoles, the first feeding cavity 21 is arranged corresponding to the first radiation arm 11, and the second feeding cavity 22 is arranged corresponding to the second radiation arm 12; the number of the feed cores 3 is two, and for the convenience of description, the two feed cores 3 are respectively defined as the first feed core 3 (a) and the second feed core 3 (b), and the first feed core 3 (a) and the second feed core 3 (b) are respectively arranged corresponding to the two pairs of dipoles.

[0064] The radiation unit further includes a phase shifting medium 4, the phase shifting medium 4 at least partially extending in the first direction ( Figure 2 The first through hole 211 can be slidably inserted into the first feeding cavity 21, wherein the first direction and the plane where the radiator 1 is located have an angle α, 0°≤α<90° or 90°<α≤180°. That is, the first direction is not perpendicular to the plane where the radiator 1 is located, avoiding occupying the height space of the radiation unit.

[0065] The phase shifter changes the phase of the radiating unit by the electrical length. Since the propagation speed of the feed signal in different media is different, the dielectric constant in the first feed cavity 21 can be changed by sliding the dielectric adapter block into the first feed cavity 21, thereby adjusting the propagation speed of the first feed signal in the first feed cavity 21, that is, the electrical length is equivalently changed to achieve the purpose of changing the phase of the radiating unit, thereby achieving the purpose of replacing the phase shifter. For example, before the radiating unit starts working, the target equivalent electrical length can be determined according to the target phase, the target transmission rate of the feed signal in the first feed cavity 21 can be determined according to the target equivalent electrical length, and the target dielectric constant in the first feed cavity 21 can be determined according to the target transmission rate, and then the target depth of the phase shift medium 4 that should be slid into the first feed cavity 21 can be determined based on the target dielectric constant, and the phase shift medium 4 can be inserted into the first feed cavity 21 based on the mechanical structure and the target depth. Control.

[0066] The radiation unit provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a radiator 1, a feeding structure and a phase-shifting medium 4. The phase-shifting medium 4 is at least partially inserted into the first feeding cavity 21. By sliding the phase-shifting medium 4, the depth of the phase-shifting medium 4 inserted into the first feeding cavity 21 is changed, and the dielectric constant in the first feeding cavity 21 is adjusted, thereby adjusting the phase of the radiation unit. Compared with the prior art in which the phase of the radiation unit is adjusted by a phase shifter, the embodiment of the present application can change the dielectric constant in the first feeding cavity 21 by setting the movement of the phase-shifting medium 4, thereby adjusting the phase of the radiation unit, thereby avoiding the problem of poor stability of the radiation unit due to the random bendability of the coaxial line connecting the phase shifter and the radiation unit. The phase-shifting medium 4 in the embodiment of the present application is located on one side of the feeding structure, making full use of the spatial dimension below the radiator 1. By integrating the feeding structure and the phase-shifting medium 4, the phase of the radiation unit can be adjusted, thereby realizing the miniaturization of the antenna.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present application, the first direction is parallel to the plane where the radiator 1 is located, and the phase-shifting medium 4 moves in a direction parallel to the radiator 1 to change the dielectric constant in the first feeding cavity 21, thereby ensuring that the phase-shifting medium 4 does not occupy the height space of the radiation unit during the movement, thereby avoiding interference between the phase-shifting medium 4 and the radiator 1.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present application, the phase shifting medium 4 includes an interconnected plug-in structure and a connecting portion, the plug-in structure can be slidably inserted into the first feeding cavity 21 from the first through hole 211, and at least partially overlaps with the feeding core 3, and the connecting portion is located outside the balun 2, and is used to pull the plug-in structure to move along the first direction. The shape of the first through hole 211 matches the shape of the plug-in structure, and there is a gap between the plug-in structure and the side wall of the first through hole 211 to ensure that the plug-in structure can be inserted into the first through hole 211 and slide, and the value of the gap should not be too large to avoid the displacement of the plug-in structure during movement.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present application, the plug-in structure includes a plurality of dielectric sheets 41 arranged relatively to each other, and a plug-in slot 411 is formed between the plurality of dielectric sheets 41, and the feed core 3 in the first feed cavity 21 is plugged into the plug-in slot 411 along a first direction. The plug-in structure cooperates with the feed core 3 by means of the plug-in slot 411, thereby improving the stability of the assembly structure. The plug-in structure may also include one dielectric sheet 41, three dielectric sheets 41 or more, and the dielectric sheet 41 is arranged parallel to the feed core 3 after being inserted into the first feed cavity 21. By moving the dielectric sheet 41 along the first direction, the overlapping area between the dielectric sheet 41 and the feed core 3 is changed, thereby changing the dielectric constant of the overlapping part, thereby changing the absolute phase in the first feed cavity 21, and thereby achieving phase control of the radiation unit.

[0070] In some embodiments of the present application, the connecting portion includes a main body 42 and a pull rod 43. The main body 42 is a plate-like structure, and the main body 42 is located outside the balun 2 and is arranged opposite to the side wall of the balun 2 on which the first through hole 211 is opened. The pull rod 43 is arranged on the side surface of the main body 42 facing away from the balun 2, and the plug-in structure is arranged on the side surface of the main body 42 facing the balun 2. Exemplarily, the number of plug-in slots 411 is two, and the number of corresponding dielectric sheets 41 is four. Two dielectric sheets 41 form a pair of plug-in slots 411, and the dielectric sheets 41 pass through the first through hole 211 on the balun 2 and enter the first feeding cavity 21. Two first through holes 211 are arranged correspondingly to each first feeding cavity 21, and the two first through holes 211 are arranged at intervals for the corresponding two dielectric sheets 41 to pass through. Exemplarily, in some embodiments of the present application, the shape of the first through hole 211 is rectangular. Of course, the first through hole 211 can also adopt other shapes.

[0071] It should be noted that the number of dielectric sheets 41 may be determined according to the actual electrical design scheme, and is generally twice the number of the first feeding cavities 21 .

[0072] In some embodiments of the present application, the feed core 3 includes a first feed segment 3a1, a second feed segment 3a2, a third feed segment 3a3 and a fourth feed segment 3a4 which are arranged in sequence along the length direction, wherein the first feed segment 3a1 is located in the second feed cavity 22, the third feed segment 3a3 is located in the first feed cavity 21, the second feed segment 3a2 is connected between the first feed segment 3a1 and the third feed segment 3a3, and is located on the outside of the radiator 1 and spans between the first feed cavity 21 and the second feed cavity 22, and the fourth feed segment 3a4 is connected to the external feed circuit 5.

[0073] like Figure 5 As shown, the external feeding circuit 5 includes an external feeding cavity 51 and a feeding strip line 52 arranged in the external feeding cavity 51, and the feeding strip line 52 is coupled or welded to the fourth feeding segment 3a4.

[0074] The structure of the first feed core 3(a) is different from that of the second feed core 3(b) only at the second feed segment 3a2. The second feed segment 3a2 of the first feed core 3(a) is recessed downward to form a recessed avoidance portion, and the second feed segment 3a2 of the second feed core 3(b) is recessed upward to form an upper recessed avoidance portion, so that the first feed core 3(a) and the second feed core 3(b) do not interfere with each other at the intersection.

[0075] For example, Figures 8 to 11As shown, the first feed core 3(a) is taken as an example for introduction. The first feed core 3(a) includes a first feed segment 3a1, a second feed segment 3a2, a third feed segment 3a3 and a fourth feed segment 3a4, wherein the first feed segment 3a1 is located in the second feed cavity 22, the third feed segment 3a3 is located in the first feed cavity 21, the second feed segment 3a2 is arranged between the first feed cavity 21 and the second feed cavity 22, and the fourth feed segment 3a4 extends from the lower end of the first feed cavity 21. By changing the size of the dielectric sheet 41 in the first feed cavity 21, the overlapping area between the dielectric sheet 41 and the third feed segment 3a3 is changed, thereby changing the dielectric constant in the first feed cavity 21, thereby changing the phase of the radiator 1.

[0076] The feed core 3 is formed by bending a metal sheet, and a second insulating fixture 24 is provided between the first feed segment 3a1 and the second feed cavity 22, and the first feed segment 3a1 and the second feed cavity 22 are insulated and fixed by the second insulating fixture 24. A first insulating fixture 23 is provided between the third feed segment 3a3 and the first feed cavity 21, and the third feed segment 3a3 and the first feed cavity 21 are insulated and fixed by the first insulating fixture 23.

[0077] The third feeding section 3a3 is composed of a folded stripline circuit, and the third feeding section 3a3 is composed of two parts: a transverse feeding section 3a31 and a longitudinal feeding section 3a32. The third feeding section 3a3 is placed in the plug slot 411, and the absolute phase in the first feeding cavity 21 is changed by adjusting the length of the dielectric sheet 41 covering the third feeding section 3a3.

[0078] The third feeding section 3a3 is the feeding input section of the radiating unit. The feeding network is connected to the third feeding section 3a3 by coupling or welding to feed the first radiating arm 11 and the second radiating arm 12 in a pair of dipoles of the radiating unit.

[0079] The second insulating fixing member 24 and the first insulating fixing member 23 are respectively placed at appropriate positions of the second feeding cavity 22 and the first feeding cavity 21 to play an insulating supporting role.

[0080] The dielectric sheet 41 is located at both sides of the third feeding section 3a3. By pulling the pull rod 43, the length of the feeding strip line covering the third feeding section 3a3 is changed, thereby changing the strip line feeding phase.

[0081] Similarly, the second feed core 3 (b) is similar to the first feed core 3 (a), except that the bending directions at the second feed section 3a2 are different, that is, the two feed cores 3 have the same size at the second feed section 3a2, but opposite spatial bending directions.

[0082] In some embodiments of the present application, the depth of the insertion slot 411 along the first direction is greater than or equal to the dimension of the third feeding segment 3a3 along the first direction. Therefore, the dielectric sheet 41 can be directly arranged opposite to the third feeding segment 3a3 in the second direction, and the dielectric constant in the first feeding cavity 21 can be adjusted by changing the area of ​​the dielectric sheet 41 inserted into the first feeding cavity 21.

[0083] Combination Fig.12 As shown, in some embodiments of the present application, the pull rod 43 includes a connecting rod 431 and a connecting head 432 , and the cross-sectional area of ​​the connecting head 432 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the connecting rod 431 .

[0084] In some embodiments of the present application, there are multiple first feeding cavities 21 , each of which is provided with a feeding core 3 , and the number of plug-in structures is equal to that of the first feeding cavities 21 , and they are arranged one-to-one with the first feeding cavities 21 .

[0085] Specifically, taking a dual-polarized radiation unit as an example, two first feeding cavities 21 and two second feeding cavities 22 are correspondingly arranged for a dual-polarized radiation unit, the number of the feeding cores 3 is two, and the two feeding cores 3 are respectively arranged corresponding to a group of dipoles, and one end of the feeding core 3 is inserted into the first feeding cavity 21, and the other end of the feeding core 3 is inserted into the second feeding cavity 22, and the number of the plug-in structures is two, which are respectively inserted into the two first feeding cavities 21. The plug-in structures can move synchronously or asynchronously to adjust the dielectric constants in the corresponding first feeding cavities 21 respectively. Preferably, the plug-in structures move synchronously, so that the dielectric constants in different feeding cavities can be adjusted synchronously.

[0086] In some embodiments of the present application, the third feed segment 3a3 is arranged in a serpentine bend along the length direction. Specifically, the feed core 3 is a linear feed sheet as a whole, one end of the feed core 3 is inserted into the second feed cavity 22 to form the first feed segment 3a1, and the other end first extends upward, then bends across the radiator 1 to form the second feed segment 3a2, and then bends downward to extend into the first feed cavity 21 to form the third feed segment 3a3 and the fourth feed segment 3a4, and the third feed segment 3a3 is serpentine-bent in the first feed cavity 21. The third feed segments 3a3 in different first feed cavities 21 are preferably made of the same material for easy production, and of course different materials can also be used. The fourth feed segment 3a4 extends out of the first feed cavity 21 for connection to the feed network.

[0087] Taking one of the feed cores 3 as an example, the fourth feed segment 3a4 is a signal input end or output end, which is connected to the feed network of the first frequency band, and can be connected by coupling connection or coaxial welding. Similarly, another feed core 3 in the same radiation unit is electrically connected to the feed network of the second frequency band, and can be connected by coupling connection or coaxial welding.

[0088] In some embodiments of the present application, the cross-sectional shape of the first feeding cavity 21 is rectangular, circular, elliptical, etc., and the cross-sectional shape of the second feeding cavity 22 may be the same as or different from the cross-sectional shape of the first feeding cavity 21. Exemplarily, in some embodiments of the present application, the cross-sectional shape of the first feeding cavity 21 is rectangular, the cross-sectional shape of the second feeding cavity 22 is circular, the second feeding core 3 (b) is located in the first feeding cavity 21, and there is a gap between the second feeding core 3 (b) and the inner wall of the first feeding cavity 21, and when the plug-in structure is inserted into the first feeding cavity 21, it is located in the gap formed between the second feeding core 3 (b) and the inner wall of the first feeding cavity 21.

[0089] In some embodiments of the present application, the phase can be adjusted by changing parameters such as the number of bends, the bend length, and the position of the third feeding segment 3 a 3 and the material and shape of the dielectric sheet 41 .

[0090] The following further explains different implementations of the balun 2, the feed core 3 and the phase shift medium 4 in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The structure of the radiator 1 corresponding to these embodiments (the first embodiment to the eighth embodiment) may be the same as the above description.

[0091] like Figures 1 to 12 , combined with the above description, in the first embodiment, the first polarization and the second polarization both include a first feeding cavity 21 and a second feeding cavity 22, and the other structures corresponding to the two polarizations are the same. Specifically, one polarization corresponds to a first feeding cavity 21 and a second feeding cavity 22, the cross section of the first feeding cavity 21 is rectangular, and the cross section of the second feeding cavity 22 is circular. The feeding cores 3 corresponding to the two polarizations are different only in the bending direction at the second feeding section 3a2, and the two polarizations share a phase shifting medium 4, which includes a plug-in mating portion corresponding to the first feeding cavity 21 of the two polarizations.

[0092] Fig.13 The structure of the feed core 3 of the second embodiment is shown, and the differences from the first embodiment include: the number of bending times of the third feed segment 3a3 is increased, and the number of the formed transverse feed segments 3a31 and the longitudinal feed segments 3a32 is increased, that is, the relative phase of the strip line is increased, which plays the function of increasing the phase shift amount. Fig.14 The structure of the feed core 3 of the third embodiment is shown, and the difference from the first embodiment includes: the number of bends of the third feed segment 3a3 is reduced, and the number of the formed transverse feed segments 3a31 and the longitudinal feed segments 3a32 is reduced. By changing the number of bends, that is, the number of the transverse feed segments 3a31 and the longitudinal feed segments 3a32, the phase shift amount of the strip line can be changed.

[0093] like Fig.15FIG. 4 shows the structure of the feeding core 3 of the fourth embodiment. The change of the stripline phase shift amount can also be achieved by changing the length of the third feeding segment 3 a 3 .

[0094] The phase adjustment rate can be changed by opening a window on the phase shifting medium 4. Specifically, a window is opened on the dielectric sheet 41. The phase can be adjusted by adjusting the number, size, position and other parameters of the window. Specifically, Figures 16 to 18 As shown, the structures of the phase shifting medium 4 of the fifth and sixth embodiments are shown. The fifth embodiment ( Fig.16 and Fig.17 ) and the sixth embodiment ( Fig.18 ) is that the phase shift medium 4 has different numbers of openings. By adjusting the number of openings of the phase shift medium 42A6, when different numbers of openings are set on the same dielectric sheet 41, the phase shift medium 4 moves to the same position, and the phase change brought about is also different.

[0095] like Fig.19 FIG. 4 shows the structure of the phase shift medium 4 in the seventh embodiment. The seventh embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the material of the phase shift medium 4 is different. By changing the material properties of the phase shift medium 4, that is, adjusting the dielectric constant of the phase shift medium 4, when the phase shift medium 42A6 is at the same position, the phase change brought about is also different.

[0096] Fig. 20 FIG. 8 shows the structure of the radiation unit of the eighth embodiment. Fig. 20 As shown, the feeding structure may also include four first feeding cavities 21, and the four first feeding cavities 21 are arranged in parallel. Fig.21 As shown, Fig. 20 The view along the section AA in FIG. 1 shows an AA section view of the first feed core 3 ( a ). The first feed core 3 ( a ) includes two third feed segments 3 a 3 , and the two third feed segments 3 a 3 are connected in series.

[0097] Along the section BB, a BB section view of the first feed core 3 (a) can be obtained, and the two third feed segments 3a3 are respectively located in the two first feed cavities 21, and the two third feed segments 3a3 are connected in series and then connected to the second feed segment 3a2 and the first feed segment 3a1 to feed the radiator 1.

[0098] This manner of connecting the second feeding segments 3a2 of the two first feeding cavities 21 in series increases the absolute phase of the phase-shifting medium 4. When the phase-shifting medium 4 moves, a larger phase shift can be obtained when moving the same physical length, thereby playing the role of adjusting the phase of the radiation unit.

[0099] like Fig.23The figure shows a topological diagram of a feeding network of an antenna array using the integrated phase shifter. As shown in the figure, the antenna array consists of nine units, and the integrated phase shifter of each unit satisfies the phase relationship of an arithmetic progression, that is, the phase relationship from positive 4 times the phase shift amount to negative 4 times the phase shift amount. Each radiating unit interface is connected to the feeding network to realize the beamforming of the antenna array.

[0100] like Fig.24 The figure shows a topological diagram of the feeding network of the antenna array using the integrated phase shifter. As shown in the figure, the antenna array is composed of nine units, each unit has the same integrated phase shifter, and a two-power splitter is integrated inside the balun 2. The connection relationship of each phase shifter is shown in the figure. The initial position of the medium of the phase shifter is adjusted according to the design to meet the feeding network of the phase shifter of the radiation unit in a series relationship, that is, the equivalent phase realizes the phase relationship from positive 4 times the phase shift amount to negative 4 times the phase shift amount. Each radiation unit interface is connected to the feeding network to realize the beamforming of the antenna array.

[0101] Some embodiments of the present application also provide a base station antenna, including a reflector and the radiation unit in the above embodiment, wherein the radiation unit is arranged on the reflector and is located on the same side of the reflector. The base station antenna provided in the embodiment of the present application has the same technical effect as the above radiation unit, and will not be described again.

[0102] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0103] "Vertical", "horizontal", "top" or "bottom", "upper", "middle", "lower" and similar expressions are for illustrative purposes only and do not indicate that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0104] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0105] The term "and / or" as used herein is inclusive, for example, "A; and / or B" means only A, or only B, or both A and B. "Multiple" means two or more.

[0106] The above description is only a specific implementation of the present application, so that those skilled in the art can understand or implement the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to the embodiments described herein, but will conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A radiation unit with integrated phase shifter, characterized in that: include: Radiator (1), A feeding structure, the feeding structure being connected to one side of the radiator (1), and the feeding structure comprising a balun (2) and a feeding core (3), wherein a first feeding cavity (21) and a second feeding cavity (22) are formed in the balun (2), the feeding core (3) is coupled to the radiator (1), and one end of the feeding core (3) extends into the first feeding cavity (21), and the other end extends into the second feeding cavity (22), for feeding an externally inputted feeding signal into the radiator (1); a first through hole (211) communicating with the first feeding cavity (21) is provided on a side wall of the balun (2); A phase shifting medium (4), wherein at least a portion of the phase shifting medium (4) is slidably inserted from the first through hole (211) into the first feeding cavity (21) along a first direction, wherein the first direction and the plane where the radiator (1) is located have an angle α, 0°≤α<90° or 90°<α≤180°.

2. The radiation unit of the integrated phase shifter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first direction is parallel to the plane where the radiator (1) is located.

3. The radiation unit of the integrated phase shifter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The phase-shifting medium (4) comprises a plug-in structure and a connecting portion which are connected to each other, the plug-in structure being inserted into the first feeding cavity (21) and at least partially overlapping with the feeding core (3), and the connecting portion being located outside the balun (2) and used for pulling the plug-in structure to move along the first direction.

4. The radiation unit of the integrated phase shifter according to claim 3, characterized in that: The plug-in structure comprises a plurality of dielectric sheets (41) arranged relatively to each other, a plug-in slot (411) being formed between the plurality of dielectric sheets (41), and the feed core (3) in the first feed cavity (21) being plugged into the plug-in slot (411) along a first direction.

5. The radiation unit of the integrated phase shifter according to claim 4, characterized in that: The feed core (3) comprises a first feed segment (3a1), a second feed segment (3a2), a third feed segment (3a3) and a fourth feed segment (3a4) which are arranged in sequence along the signal transmission direction; the first feed segment (3a1) is located in the second feed cavity (22); the third feed segment (3a3) is located in the first feed cavity (21); the second feed segment (3a2) is connected between the first feed segment (3a1) and the third feed segment (3a3) and is located outside the radiator (1); and the fourth feed segment (3a4) is connected to an external feed network (5).

6. The radiation unit of the integrated phase shifter according to claim 5, characterized in that: The depth of the plug-in slot (411) along the first direction is greater than or equal to the dimension of the third feeding section (3a3) along the first direction.

7. The radiation unit of the integrated phase shifter according to claim 3, characterized in that: The connecting portion includes a main body portion (42) and a pull rod (43), the main body portion (42) is arranged opposite to the side wall of the balun (2), the plug-in structure is arranged on a side of the main body portion (42) facing the balun (2), and the pull rod (43) is formed on a side of the main body portion (42) facing away from the balun (2).

8. The radiation unit of the integrated phase shifter according to claim 4, characterized in that: A plurality of first through holes (211) are correspondingly arranged on the side wall of the first feeding cavity (21), and the plurality of first through holes (211) are arranged at intervals and are respectively used for a plurality of dielectric sheets (41) to pass through.

9. The radiation unit of the integrated phase shifter according to claim 3, characterized in that: The number of the first feeding cavities (21) is plural, and the number of the plug-in structures is equal to that of the first feeding cavities (21), and the plug-in structures are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the first feeding cavities (21).

10. The radiation unit of the integrated phase shifter according to claim 5, characterized in that: The third feeding section (3a3) is arranged in a serpentine shape along a direction perpendicular to the radiator (1).

11. The radiation unit of the integrated phase shifter according to claim 4, characterized in that: The dielectric sheet (41) is provided with a window.

12. A base station antenna, characterized in that: A radiating element comprising an integrated phase shifter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11.

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