Ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital regulation and control antenna architecture method

Abstract

The invention discloses an ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital regulation antenna system and a reconstruction method thereof, and the system comprises a plurality of antenna feed sources which respectively work at different frequency bands and are used for generating electromagnetic waves and irradiating the electromagnetic waves to antenna sub-arrays; the plurality of antenna sub-arrays form a distributed interconnection layout form, and each antenna sub-array comprises a plurality of antenna array elements and an antenna sub-array processing module; the antenna array element comprises an antenna array element driving unit and an antenna array element radiation unit, the radiation unit comprises a liquid metal fluid pipeline and a digital electric control radiation structure, and the driving unit is used for adjusting the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline and the bias voltage of the digital electric control radiation structure; the antenna sub-array processing module is used for calculating the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit according to the radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction, generating a control signal according to the measured value of the state and the expected value, and sending the control signal to the antenna array element driving unit. According to the invention, antenna ultra-wide frequency band reconstruction, antenna beam high-precision scanning and rapid dynamic agility can be realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to an ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna architecture method. Background Art

[0002] At present, with the rapid development of wireless communication technology, channel resources have become particularly scarce. Modern communication technology has put forward higher requirements for wide-band, high-speed, and large-capacity communication systems. Antennas are the core functional components for the access of various wireless transceiver terminals and the compatible access of various communication links. Their performance determines the communication link rate, communication transmission distance, frequency band coverage, etc. In order to make full use of limited channel resources and improve the integration of communication platform antennas, some studies have proposed reconfigurable antennas, which can reconfigure their own working parameters in real time according to signal transmission requirements.

[0003] Traditional reconfigurable antennas usually use adjustable circuit elements or variable materials such as micro-electromechanical devices, liquid crystals, varactor diodes, and graphene to load onto the antenna radiator, and achieve antenna performance reconfiguration through external voltage adjustment, force adjustment, mechanical stretching or rotation, etc. Such reconfigurable antennas and their reconfiguration methods usually have problems such as poor flexibility, strong nonlinearity, and low power capacity.

[0004] Since liquid metal has the advantages of strong fluidity and good conductivity, applying it to the design of reconfigurable antennas can give the antennas plasticity that traditional solid metal antennas do not have. Compared with traditional solid metal antennas, the good flow characteristics of liquid metal antennas can achieve physical form reconstruction in a larger range, thereby achieving a wider frequency reconstruction range, achieving ultra-wideband and multi-functional reconstruction of the antenna, and ensuring that the antenna can meet the satellite platform's diverse RF signal transmission and reception requirements. For this reason, the design of liquid metal antennas has become a new research hotspot in the antenna field in recent years.

[0005] The paper "RESHAPE: A Liquid Metal-Based Reshapable Aperture for Compound Frequency, Pattern, and Polarization Reconfiguration" published in "IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation" discloses a single-feed point planar reconfigurable liquid metal antenna. By encapsulating liquid metal gallium-indium alloy in a flexible and retractable pipe, the flexible pipe is stretched by an external motor to change the length of the liquid metal, so as to achieve broadband reconstruction of the antenna operating frequency from 2.45-6.5GHz, and the antenna radiation pattern is scanned by ±45°. However, due to the relatively slow deformation rate of liquid metal, its beam dynamic scanning has a large rate restriction.

[0006] The paper "AFrequency-and Polarization-Reconfigurable Slot Antenna Using Liquid Metal" published in "IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation" discloses a reconfigurable liquid metal slot antenna using microfluidic technology. It uses a micro-syringe to drive the filling and emptying of liquid metal in the microfluidic channel to adjust the antenna linear polarization working frequency band within the range of 2.3-3GHz and the antenna circular polarization working frequency band within the range of 2-2.28GHz. However, due to the rate of filling and emptying the liquid metal channel, its reconstruction time is limited to minutes.

[0007] Most of the liquid metal antennas currently disclosed achieve antenna frequency, polarization, and radiation pattern reconstruction through liquid metal filling and reconstruction. Specifically, liquid metal guide grooves are reserved in the dielectric material pipeline, and the physical form is changed by the flow of liquid metal. However, the slow fluid flow rate significantly restricts the phase control speed of the antenna array element. Limited by the second-level physical deformation time delay of liquid metal, it is difficult to achieve dynamic scanning of the array beam with ultra-wide bandwidth coverage, which makes it difficult to meet the needs of microsecond-level radiation pattern agility of communication antennas, greatly limiting its usage scenarios. Summary of the invention

[0008] In order to solve some or all of the technical problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art, the present invention provides an ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system and a reconstruction method thereof.

[0009] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0010] In a first aspect, an ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system is provided, the antenna system comprising:

[0011] Antenna feed sources are provided in plurality, and the plurality of antenna feed sources respectively operate in different frequency bands and are used to generate electromagnetic waves and irradiate the electromagnetic waves to the antenna subarray;

[0012] The antenna subarray is provided with a plurality of antenna subarrays, and the plurality of antenna subarrays form a distributed interconnection layout. The antenna subarray includes an antenna array element and an antenna subarray processing module. The antenna array element is provided with a plurality of antenna array elements, and the plurality of antenna array elements are respectively connected to the antenna subarray processing module;

[0013] The antenna array element comprises an antenna array element driving unit and an antenna array element radiating unit connected to each other, the antenna array element radiating unit comprises a liquid metal fluid pipeline and a digital electronically controlled radiating structure, the antenna array element driving unit is used to adjust the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline according to the received control signal to adjust the antenna radiation frequency, and adjust the bias voltage of the digital electronically controlled radiating structure to achieve ultra-wideband phase modulation of the antenna;

[0014] The antenna subarray processing module can be communicatively connected with the adjacent antenna subarrays and can be communicatively connected with external devices. The antenna subarray processing module is used to measure the state of the antenna array element radiation unit, to calculate the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit according to the radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction received from the external device and the state information from other antenna subarrays, and to generate a control signal according to the measured value and expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit and send it to the antenna array element driving unit, and to send the state of the antenna array element radiation unit to other antenna subarrays connected thereto. The state of the antenna array element radiation unit includes: the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline and the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure.

[0015] In some optional implementations, the antenna subarray processing module includes: an antenna subarray calculation unit, an antenna subarray control unit, and an antenna subarray sensing unit;

[0016] The antenna subarray calculation unit is provided with a plurality of communication interfaces, and the antenna subarray calculation unit can be respectively connected to the adjacent antenna subarrays and external devices through the plurality of communication interfaces. The antenna subarray calculation unit is used to calculate the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit according to the radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction received from the external device and the state information from other antenna subarrays, and to generate a control instruction according to the received measured value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit and the calculated expected value and send it to the antenna subarray control unit, and to send the state of the antenna array element radiation unit to other antenna subarrays connected thereto;

[0017] The antenna subarray control unit is connected to the antenna subarray computing unit and the antenna array element driving unit respectively, and the antenna subarray control unit is used to analyze and process the control instructions received from the antenna subarray computing unit, determine the control signal corresponding to the liquid metal fluid pipeline and the control signal corresponding to the digital electronically controlled radiation structure, and send the control signal to the antenna array element driving unit;

[0018] The antenna subarray sensing unit is connected to the antenna subarray computing unit and the antenna array element radiating unit respectively. The antenna subarray sensing unit is used to measure the state of the antenna array element radiating unit and send the measured state information to the antenna subarray computing unit.

[0019] In some optional implementations, the antenna subarray computing unit includes: a router and an information processing subunit;

[0020] The router is respectively connected to the plurality of communication interfaces of the antenna subarray computing unit, and the router is used for information forwarding;

[0021] The information processing subunit is connected to the router, the antenna subarray control unit and the antenna subarray sensing unit respectively. The signal processing subunit is used to calculate and process the radiation characteristic reconstruction instructions received from the external device and the status information from other antenna subarrays using a preset power consumption-time distributed optimization model to obtain the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit, and generate a control instruction based on the received measured value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit and the calculated expected value and send it to the antenna subarray control unit, and is used to send the state of the antenna array element radiation unit to other antenna subarrays connected thereto through the router and the communication interface.

[0022] In some optional implementations, the antenna subarray control unit includes: a liquid metal flow field PID controller, a liquid metal electric field PID controller and a bias voltage controller;

[0023] The liquid metal flow field PID controller is used to control the antenna array element driving component to realize the liquid metal flowing into the liquid metal fluid pipeline or the liquid metal flowing out of the liquid metal fluid pipeline. The liquid metal electric field PID controller is used to control the antenna array element driving component to realize the adjustment of the position of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline. The bias voltage controller is used to control the antenna array element driving component to realize the adjustment of the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure.

[0024] In some optional implementations, the antenna subarray sensing unit includes: a liquid metal displacement measurement circuit and a PIN diode bias voltage measurement circuit;

[0025] The liquid metal displacement measurement circuit is connected to the antenna subarray computing unit and the liquid metal fluid pipeline respectively, and the liquid metal displacement measurement circuit is used to measure the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline and send the measurement information to the antenna subarray computing unit;

[0026] The PIN diode bias voltage measurement circuit is connected to the antenna subarray calculation unit and the digital electrically controlled radiation structure respectively. The PIN diode bias voltage measurement circuit is used to measure the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure and send the measurement information to the antenna subarray calculation unit.

[0027] In some optional implementations, the antenna array element driving unit includes: a liquid metal driving subunit and a PIN diode driving circuit;

[0028] The liquid metal driving subunit is connected to the antenna subarray processing module and the liquid metal fluid pipeline respectively, and the liquid metal driving subunit adjusts the filling amount of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline according to the received control signal;

[0029] The PIN diode driving circuit is connected to the antenna subarray processing module and the digital electrically controlled radiation structure respectively, and the PIN diode driving circuit adjusts the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure according to a received control signal.

[0030] In some optional embodiments, the liquid metal driving subunit includes: a flow field actuator and an electric field actuator;

[0031] The flow field actuator is connected to the antenna subarray processing module and the liquid metal fluid pipeline respectively, and is used to drive the liquid metal in the liquid storage capsule to flow into the liquid metal fluid pipeline or drive the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline to flow into the liquid storage capsule;

[0032] The electric field actuator is connected to the antenna subarray processing module and the liquid metal fluid pipeline respectively, and the electric field actuator is used to adjust the position of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline.

[0033] In some optional implementations, the antenna feed sources are provided with four, and the four antenna feed sources respectively operate in the L band, S band, C band and X band;

[0034] There are 16 antenna subarrays, and the 16 antenna subarrays form a 4×4 distributed interconnection layout.

[0035] In some optional embodiments, the antenna subarray includes four different types of antenna array element radiation units, namely, type 1 antenna array element radiation unit, type 2 antenna array element radiation unit, type 3 antenna array element radiation unit and type 4 antenna array element radiation unit. The type 1 antenna array element radiation unit operates in the L band, the type 2 antenna array element radiation unit operates in the S band, the type 3 antenna array element radiation unit operates in the C band, and the type 4 antenna array element radiation unit operates in the X band.

[0036] In a second aspect, a reconstruction method applied to the ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system is also provided, and the reconstruction method comprises:

[0037] The antenna subarray processing module measures the state of the antenna array element radiation unit in real time, and receives the radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction sent by the external device and the state information sent by other antenna subarrays in real time, wherein the state of the antenna array element radiation unit includes: the filling amount of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline and the bias voltage of the digital electric control radiation structure;

[0038] The antenna subarray processing module calculates the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit according to the radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction and other state information of the antenna subarray, and generates a control signal according to the measured value and the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit and sends it to the antenna array element driving unit;

[0039] The antenna array element driving unit adjusts the filling amount of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline according to the received control signal to adjust the antenna radiation frequency, and adjusts the bias voltage of the digital electric control radiation structure to achieve ultra-wideband phase modulation of the antenna;

[0040] The antenna subarray processing module measures the state of the adjusted antenna array element radiation unit, and sends the state information of the antenna array element radiation unit to other antenna subarrays connected thereto;

[0041] The status information sent by the other antenna sub-arrays includes: the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline in the other antenna sub-arrays and the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure.

[0042] The main advantages of the technical solution of the present invention are as follows:

[0043] The ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system and reconstruction method of the present invention integrate the design and control of the liquid metal fluid pipeline and the digital electrically controlled radiation structure. The physical form reconstruction control of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline can realize the ultra-wideband reconstruction of the antenna and the continuous adjustment of the antenna frequency. The digital reconstruction of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure can realize high-precision scanning and rapid dynamic agility of the antenna beam, and realize multi-frequency and multi-beam concurrency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present invention and constitute a part of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0045] Figure 1 A structural block diagram of an ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 2 A structural block diagram of an antenna subarray provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 3 A structural block diagram of another antenna subarray provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 4 A structural block diagram of an antenna array element provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 5 A structural block diagram of another antenna array element provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 6 A flowchart of a reconstruction method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the specific embodiments of the present invention and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0052] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] refer to Figure 1-2 The embodiment of the present invention provides an ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system, and the ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system includes:

[0054] Antenna feed sources are provided, and the multiple antenna feed sources respectively operate in different frequency bands and are used to generate electromagnetic waves and irradiate the antenna subarrays;

[0055] There are multiple antenna subarrays, and the multiple antenna subarrays form a distributed interconnection layout. The antenna subarray includes an antenna array element and an antenna subarray processing module. There are multiple antenna array elements, and the multiple antenna array elements are respectively connected to the antenna subarray processing module;

[0056] The antenna array element includes an antenna array element driving unit and an antenna array element radiating unit connected to each other, the antenna array element radiating unit includes a liquid metal fluid pipeline and a digital electronically controlled radiating structure, the antenna array element driving unit is used to adjust the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline according to the received control signal to adjust the antenna radiation frequency, and adjust the bias voltage of the digital electronically controlled radiating structure to achieve ultra-wideband phase modulation of the antenna;

[0057] The antenna subarray processing module can be communicatively connected with adjacent antenna subarrays and can be communicatively connected with external devices. The antenna subarray processing module is used to measure the state of the antenna array element radiating unit, to calculate the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiating unit based on the radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction received from the external device and the state information from other antenna subarrays, and to generate a control signal based on the measured value and expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiating unit and send it to the antenna array element driving unit, and to send the state of the antenna array element radiating unit to other antenna subarrays connected thereto.

[0058] It should be noted that the distributed interconnection layout means that each antenna subarray is connected to its adjacent antenna subarray.

[0059] It should be noted that the state of the antenna array element radiation unit includes: the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline and the bias voltage of the digital electronically controlled radiation structure.

[0060] It should be noted that the status information sent by other antenna sub-arrays includes: the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline in other antenna sub-arrays and the bias voltage of the digital electronically controlled radiation structure.

[0061] In an embodiment of the present invention, when the ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system is actually applied, the antenna subarray processing module in the antenna system is connected to the antenna platform. When the ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system needs to be reconstructed, a radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction is sent to the antenna subarray processing module through the antenna platform. The antenna subarray processing module measures the state of the antenna element radiation unit in real time, and receives the radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction sent by the antenna platform and the state information sent by other antenna subarrays in real time. The expected value of the state of the antenna element radiation unit is calculated according to the radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction and the state information of other antenna subarrays, and a control signal is generated according to the measured value and the expected value of the state of the antenna element radiation unit and sent to the antenna element driving unit; the antenna element driving unit adjusts the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline according to the received control signal to adjust the antenna radiation frequency, and adjusts the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure to realize ultra-wideband phase modulation of the antenna, thereby realizing dynamic reconstruction of the antenna frequency and radiation pattern of the ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system. In addition, after completing the adjustment of the antenna array element radiation unit, the antenna subarray processing module measures the state of the adjusted antenna array element radiation unit, and sends the state information of the antenna array element radiation unit to other antenna subarrays connected thereto.

[0062] The ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system provided by the embodiment of the present invention integrates the design and control of the liquid metal fluid pipeline and the digital electrically controlled radiation structure. The physical form reconstruction control of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline can realize the ultra-wideband reconstruction of the antenna and the continuous adjustment of the antenna frequency. The digital reconstruction of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure can realize high-precision scanning and rapid dynamic agility of the antenna beam, and realize multi-frequency and multi-beam concurrency.

[0063] Furthermore, in one implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, the antenna subarray processing module may adjust the state of the antenna array element radiating unit to a desired value in a feedback adjustment manner according to the measured value of the state of the antenna array element radiating unit.

[0064] refer to Figure 3 ,Further, in one implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, the antenna subarray processing module includes: an antenna subarray calculation unit, an antenna subarray control unit and an antenna subarray sensing unit;

[0065] The antenna subarray calculation unit is provided with a plurality of communication interfaces. The antenna subarray calculation unit can be respectively connected to adjacent antenna subarrays and external devices through the plurality of communication interfaces. The antenna subarray calculation unit is used to calculate the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit according to the radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction received from the external device and the state information from other antenna subarrays, and to generate a control instruction according to the received measured value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit and the calculated expected value and send it to the antenna subarray control unit, and to send the state of the antenna array element radiation unit to other antenna subarrays connected thereto;

[0066] The antenna subarray control unit is connected to the antenna subarray computing unit and the antenna array element driving unit respectively. The antenna subarray control unit is used to analyze and process the control instructions received from the antenna subarray computing unit, determine the control signal corresponding to the liquid metal fluid pipeline and the control signal corresponding to the digital electronically controlled radiation structure, and send the control signal to the antenna array element driving unit;

[0067] The antenna subarray sensing unit is connected to the antenna subarray computing unit and the antenna array element radiation unit respectively. The antenna subarray sensing unit is used to measure the state of the antenna array element radiation unit and send the measured state information to the antenna subarray computing unit.

[0068] In the embodiment of the present invention, by setting different units to respectively perform information interaction processing, state information measurement, and control information analysis and processing, the independence of different processing processes can be achieved, the processing accuracy and processing efficiency can be improved, and the reconstruction efficiency and reconstruction accuracy of the antenna system can be improved.

[0069] refer to Figure 3 ,Further, in one implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, the antenna subarray computing unit includes: a router and an information processing subunit;

[0070] The router is respectively connected to a plurality of communication interfaces of the antenna subarray computing unit, and the router is used for information forwarding;

[0071] The information processing subunit is connected to the router, the antenna subarray control unit and the antenna subarray sensing unit respectively. The signal processing subunit is used to calculate and process the radiation characteristic reconstruction instructions received from the external device and the status information from other antenna subarrays using a preset power consumption-time distributed optimization model to obtain the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit, and generate a control instruction based on the received measured value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit and the calculated expected value and send it to the antenna subarray control unit, and is used to send the state of the antenna array element radiation unit to other antenna subarrays connected to it through the router and the communication interface.

[0072] In an embodiment of the present invention, a large-scale array element control model is established and converted into a power consumption-time hybrid optimization problem. According to a distributed dynamic task scheduling method with bidirectional time-varying information interaction, coordinated control of liquid metal with minimum power consumption under time constraints is completed, and a corresponding power consumption-time distributed optimization model is determined.

[0073] refer to Figure 3 , Further, in one implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, the antenna subarray control unit includes: a liquid metal flow field PID controller, a liquid metal electric field PID controller and a bias voltage controller;

[0074] The liquid metal flow field PID controller is used to control the antenna array element driving component to realize the liquid metal flowing into the liquid metal fluid pipeline or the liquid metal flowing out of the liquid metal fluid pipeline. The liquid metal electric field PID controller is used to control the antenna array element driving component to realize the adjustment of the liquid metal position in the liquid metal fluid pipeline. The bias voltage controller is used to control the antenna array element driving component to realize the adjustment of the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure.

[0075] In an embodiment of the present invention, by setting a liquid metal flow field PID controller, a liquid metal electric field PID controller and a bias voltage controller to respectively adjust and control different state parameters of the antenna array element radiation unit, the reconstruction efficiency and reconstruction accuracy of the antenna system can be further improved.

[0076] refer to Figure 3 ,Further, in one implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, the antenna subarray sensing unit includes: a liquid metal displacement measurement circuit and a PIN diode bias voltage measurement circuit;

[0077] The liquid metal displacement measurement circuit is connected to the antenna subarray calculation unit and the liquid metal fluid pipeline respectively, and the liquid metal displacement measurement circuit is used to measure the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline and send the measurement information to the antenna subarray calculation unit;

[0078] The PIN diode bias voltage measurement circuit is connected to the antenna subarray calculation unit and the digital electrically controlled radiation structure respectively. The PIN diode bias voltage measurement circuit is used to measure the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure and send the measurement information to the antenna subarray calculation unit.

[0079] In an embodiment of the present invention, a liquid metal displacement measurement circuit adopts a conductive fluid resistance measurement device and measurement method. By applying measurement electrodes at both ends of a liquid metal fluid pipeline, an excitation electrical signal is applied externally, and the current and voltage at both ends of the liquid metal to be measured are collected, and the corresponding equivalent impedance value is calculated, and the actual length of the liquid metal in the pipeline is reversely solved; the PIN diode bias voltage measurement circuit adopts a measurement method based on resistance sampling, and a precision resistor is connected in parallel to the voltage output port. The bias voltage is obtained by measuring the current flowing through the precision resistor and multiplying it by the precision resistance value.

[0080] In an embodiment of the present invention, by setting up a liquid metal displacement measurement circuit and a PIN diode bias voltage measurement circuit to respectively perform independent measurements of the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline and the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure, the measurement accuracy can be guaranteed, and the reconstruction accuracy of the antenna system can be further guaranteed.

[0081] refer to Figure 4 , Further, in one implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, the antenna array element driving unit includes: a liquid metal driving subunit and a PIN diode driving circuit;

[0082] The liquid metal driving subunit is connected to the antenna subarray processing module and the liquid metal fluid pipeline respectively, and the liquid metal driving subunit adjusts the filling amount of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline according to the received control signal;

[0083] The PIN diode driving circuit is connected to the antenna subarray processing module and the digital electrically controlled radiation structure respectively, and the PIN diode driving circuit adjusts the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure according to the received control signal.

[0084] In the embodiment of the present invention, positive and negative voltage bias signals are applied through the PIN diode driving circuit, and the PIN diode can be in the on or off state at different times, so that ultra-wideband phase control of 0° to 180° can be achieved.

[0085] In an embodiment of the present invention, by setting a liquid metal driving subunit and a PIN diode driving circuit to respectively perform adjustment and control of the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline and the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure, the reconstruction efficiency and reconstruction accuracy of the antenna system can be further improved.

[0086] refer to Figure 5 ,Further, in one implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, the liquid metal driving subunit includes: a flow field actuator and an electric field actuator;

[0087] The flow field actuator is connected to the antenna subarray processing module and the liquid metal fluid pipeline respectively, and the flow field actuator is used to drive the liquid metal in the liquid storage capsule to flow into the liquid metal fluid pipeline or drive the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline to flow into the liquid storage capsule;

[0088] The electric field actuator is connected to the antenna subarray processing module and the liquid metal fluid pipeline respectively, and the electric field actuator is used to adjust the position of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline.

[0089] In an embodiment of the present invention, a flow field actuator controls the inflow and outflow of liquid metal in a liquid metal fluid pipeline based on an electromagnetic pump, and pushes the liquid metal forward or backward to a desired position in the liquid metal fluid pipeline through the forward or reverse rotation of the fan blades in the pump; an electric field actuator controls the position of liquid metal in a liquid metal fluid pipeline based on electrodes, and controls the displacement position of the liquid metal through applying a forward or reverse voltage to the driving electrode after the flow field actuator completes its action.

[0090] It should be noted that, in an embodiment of the present invention, when the antenna array element driving unit includes: a liquid metal driving subunit and a PIN diode driving circuit, and the liquid metal driving subunit includes: a flow field actuator and an electric field actuator, the liquid metal flow field PID controller is connected to the flow field actuator, the liquid metal electric field PID controller is connected to the electric field actuator, and the bias voltage controller is connected to the PIN diode driving circuit; the liquid metal flow field PID controller controls the flow field actuator to realize the control of liquid metal flowing into the liquid metal fluid pipeline or liquid metal flowing out of the liquid metal fluid pipeline, the liquid metal electric field PID controller controls the electric field actuator to realize the adjustment of the position of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline, and the bias voltage controller controls the bias voltage of the PIN diode in the PIN diode driving circuit, thereby realizing the conduction and closing of the PIN diode, so as to realize the adjustment of the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure.

[0091] Further, in one implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, four antenna feed sources are provided, and the four antenna feed sources respectively operate in the L band, S band, C band and X band;

[0092] There are 16 antenna subarrays, and the 16 antenna subarrays form a 4×4 distributed interconnection layout.

[0093] It should be noted that the L-band, S-band, C-band and X-band refer to the frequency ranges of electromagnetic waves. The frequency range of the L-band is 1 to 2 GHz, the frequency range of the S-band is 2 to 4 GHz, the frequency range of the C-band is 4 to 8 GHz, and the frequency range of the X-band is 8 to 12 GHz.

[0094] It should be noted that the 4×4 distributed interconnection layout means that 16 antenna subarrays form a 4×4 square array layout, and each antenna subarray is connected to its adjacent antenna subarray.

[0095] By setting up four antenna feeds that work in the L-band, S-band, C-band and X-band respectively, ultra-wideband coverage of the 1-12 GHz frequency band can be achieved.

[0096] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the antenna subarray includes four different types of antenna array element radiation units, namely, type 1 antenna array element radiation unit, type 2 antenna array element radiation unit, type 3 antenna array element radiation unit and type 4 antenna array element radiation unit. The type 1 antenna array element radiation unit operates in the L band, the type 2 antenna array element radiation unit operates in the S band, the type 3 antenna array element radiation unit operates in the C band, and the type 4 antenna array element radiation unit operates in the X band.

[0097] In an embodiment of the present invention, each antenna subarray may be provided with a plurality of type 1 antenna array element radiation units, a plurality of type 2 antenna array element radiation units, a plurality of type 3 antenna array element radiation units, and a plurality of type 4 antenna array element radiation units. The specific number of each type of antenna array element radiation unit is specifically set according to actual needs, for example, two type 1 antenna array element radiation units are provided, four type 2 antenna array element radiation units are provided, 32 type 3 antenna array element radiation units are provided, and 64 type 4 antenna array element radiation units are provided.

[0098] In an embodiment of the present invention, when arranging different types of antenna array element radiating units in an antenna subarray, based on the sizes of different types of antenna array element radiating units and on the principle of minimum interference shielding between antenna array element radiating units, four types of antenna array element radiating units are arranged in a nested periodic expansion array manner using vertical height differences, and interference-free arrangement of four types of antenna array element radiating units is achieved through a staggered design.

[0099] refer to Figure 6 The embodiment of the present invention further provides a reconstruction method for the ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system, the reconstruction method comprising the following steps:

[0100] Step 1: The antenna subarray processing module measures the state of the antenna array element radiation unit in real time, and receives the radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction sent by the external device and the state information sent by other antenna subarrays in real time. The state of the antenna array element radiation unit includes: the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline and the bias voltage of the digital electronically controlled radiation structure;

[0101] Step 2: The antenna subarray processing module calculates the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit according to the radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction and the state information of other antenna subarrays, and generates a control signal according to the measured value and the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit and sends it to the antenna array element driving unit;

[0102] Step 3, the antenna array element driving unit adjusts the filling amount of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline according to the received control signal to adjust the antenna radiation frequency, and adjusts the bias voltage of the digital electronically controlled radiation structure to achieve ultra-wideband phase modulation of the antenna;

[0103] Step 4: The antenna subarray processing module measures the state of the adjusted antenna array element radiation unit, and sends the state information of the antenna array element radiation unit to other antenna subarrays connected thereto.

[0104] The reconstruction method of the ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system provided by the embodiment of the present invention integrates the control of the liquid metal fluid pipeline and the digital electrically controlled radiation structure. The physical form reconstruction control of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline can realize the ultra-wideband reconstruction of the antenna and the continuous adjustment of the antenna frequency. The digital reconstruction of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure can realize high-precision scanning and rapid dynamic agility of the antenna beam, and realize multi-frequency and multi-beam concurrency.

[0105] 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 addition, "front", "back", "left", "right", "upper" and "lower" in this article are all referenced to the placement state shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0106] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system, characterized in that: include: Antenna feed sources are provided in plurality, and the plurality of antenna feed sources respectively operate in different frequency bands and are used to generate electromagnetic waves and irradiate the electromagnetic waves to the antenna subarray; The antenna subarray is provided with a plurality of antenna subarrays, and the plurality of antenna subarrays form a distributed interconnection layout. The antenna subarray includes an antenna array element and an antenna subarray processing module. The antenna array element is provided with a plurality of antenna array elements, and the plurality of antenna array elements are respectively connected to the antenna subarray processing module; The antenna array element comprises an antenna array element driving unit and an antenna array element radiating unit connected to each other, the antenna array element radiating unit comprises a liquid metal fluid pipeline and a digital electronically controlled radiating structure, the antenna array element driving unit is used to adjust the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline according to the received control signal to adjust the antenna radiation frequency, and adjust the bias voltage of the digital electronically controlled radiating structure to achieve ultra-wideband phase modulation of the antenna; The antenna subarray processing module can be communicatively connected with the adjacent antenna subarrays and can be communicatively connected with external devices. The antenna subarray processing module is used to measure the state of the antenna array element radiation unit, to calculate the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit according to the radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction received from the external device and the state information from other antenna subarrays, and to generate a control signal according to the measured value and expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit and send it to the antenna array element driving unit, and to send the state of the antenna array element radiation unit to other antenna subarrays connected thereto. The state of the antenna array element radiation unit includes: the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline and the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure.

2. The ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The antenna subarray processing module includes: an antenna subarray calculation unit, an antenna subarray control unit and an antenna subarray sensing unit; The antenna subarray calculation unit is provided with a plurality of communication interfaces, and the antenna subarray calculation unit can be respectively connected to the adjacent antenna subarrays and external devices through the plurality of communication interfaces. The antenna subarray calculation unit is used to calculate the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit according to the radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction received from the external device and the state information from other antenna subarrays, and to generate a control instruction according to the received measured value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit and the calculated expected value and send it to the antenna subarray control unit, and to send the state of the antenna array element radiation unit to other antenna subarrays connected thereto; The antenna subarray control unit is connected to the antenna subarray computing unit and the antenna array element driving unit respectively, and the antenna subarray control unit is used to analyze and process the control instructions received from the antenna subarray computing unit, determine the control signal corresponding to the liquid metal fluid pipeline and the control signal corresponding to the digital electronically controlled radiation structure, and send the control signal to the antenna array element driving unit; The antenna subarray sensing unit is connected to the antenna subarray computing unit and the antenna array element radiating unit respectively. The antenna subarray sensing unit is used to measure the state of the antenna array element radiating unit and send the measured state information to the antenna subarray computing unit.

3. The ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The antenna subarray computing unit includes: a router and an information processing subunit; The router is respectively connected to the plurality of communication interfaces of the antenna subarray computing unit, and the router is used for information forwarding; The information processing subunit is connected to the router, the antenna subarray control unit and the antenna subarray sensing unit respectively. The signal processing subunit is used to calculate and process the radiation characteristic reconstruction instructions received from the external device and the status information from other antenna subarrays using a preset power consumption-time distributed optimization model to obtain the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit, and generate a control instruction based on the received measured value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit and the calculated expected value and send it to the antenna subarray control unit, and is used to send the state of the antenna array element radiation unit to other antenna subarrays connected thereto through the router and the communication interface.

4. The ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The antenna subarray control unit includes: a liquid metal flow field PID controller, a liquid metal electric field PID controller and a bias voltage controller; The liquid metal flow field PID controller is used to control the antenna array element driving component to realize the liquid metal flowing into the liquid metal fluid pipeline or the liquid metal flowing out of the liquid metal fluid pipeline. The liquid metal electric field PID controller is used to control the antenna array element driving component to realize the adjustment of the position of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline. The bias voltage controller is used to control the antenna array element driving component to realize the adjustment of the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure.

5. The ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The antenna subarray sensing unit comprises: a liquid metal displacement measurement circuit and a PIN diode bias voltage measurement circuit; The liquid metal displacement measurement circuit is connected to the antenna subarray computing unit and the liquid metal fluid pipeline respectively, and the liquid metal displacement measurement circuit is used to measure the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline and send the measurement information to the antenna subarray computing unit; The PIN diode bias voltage measurement circuit is connected to the antenna subarray calculation unit and the digital electrically controlled radiation structure respectively. The PIN diode bias voltage measurement circuit is used to measure the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure and send the measurement information to the antenna subarray calculation unit.

6. The ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna array element driving unit comprises: a liquid metal driving subunit and a PIN diode driving circuit; The liquid metal driving subunit is connected to the antenna subarray processing module and the liquid metal fluid pipeline respectively, and the liquid metal driving subunit adjusts the filling amount of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline according to the received control signal; The PIN diode driving circuit is connected to the antenna subarray processing module and the digital electrically controlled radiation structure respectively, and the PIN diode driving circuit adjusts the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure according to a received control signal.

7. The ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The liquid metal driving subunit includes: a flow field actuator and an electric field actuator; The flow field actuator is connected to the antenna subarray processing module and the liquid metal fluid pipeline respectively, and is used to drive the liquid metal in the liquid storage capsule to flow into the liquid metal fluid pipeline or drive the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline to flow into the liquid storage capsule; The electric field actuator is connected to the antenna subarray processing module and the liquid metal fluid pipeline respectively, and the electric field actuator is used to adjust the position of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline.

8. The ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are four antenna feed sources, and the four antenna feed sources respectively operate in the L band, S band, C band and X band; There are 16 antenna subarrays, and the 16 antenna subarrays form a 4×4 distributed interconnection layout.

9. The ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The antenna subarray includes four different types of antenna array element radiation units, namely type 1 antenna array element radiation unit, type 2 antenna array element radiation unit, type 3 antenna array element radiation unit and type 4 antenna array element radiation unit. The type 1 antenna array element radiation unit operates in the L band, the type 2 antenna array element radiation unit operates in the S band, the type 3 antenna array element radiation unit operates in the C band, and the type 4 antenna array element radiation unit operates in the X band.

10. A reconstruction method for an ultra-wideband reconfigurable liquid metal digital control antenna system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The reconstruction method comprises: The antenna subarray processing module measures the state of the antenna array element radiation unit in real time, and receives the radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction sent by the external device and the state information sent by other antenna subarrays in real time, wherein the state of the antenna array element radiation unit includes: the filling amount of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline and the bias voltage of the digital electric control radiation structure; The antenna subarray processing module calculates the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit according to the radiation characteristic reconstruction instruction and other state information of the antenna subarray, and generates a control signal according to the measured value and the expected value of the state of the antenna array element radiation unit and sends it to the antenna array element driving unit; The antenna array element driving unit adjusts the filling amount of the liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline according to the received control signal to adjust the antenna radiation frequency, and adjusts the bias voltage of the digital electric control radiation structure to achieve ultra-wideband phase modulation of the antenna; The antenna subarray processing module measures the state of the adjusted antenna array element radiation unit, and sends the state information of the antenna array element radiation unit to other antenna subarrays connected thereto; The status information sent by the other antenna sub-arrays includes: the filling amount of liquid metal in the liquid metal fluid pipeline in the other antenna sub-arrays and the bias voltage of the digital electrically controlled radiation structure.

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