Antenna unit and antenna array

Abstract

The invention provides an antenna unit and an antenna array. The antenna unit comprises an antenna, an upper-layer metal reflecting plate, a lower-layer metal reflecting plate and a thin film arranged between the upper-layer metal reflecting plate and the lower-layer metal reflecting plate. An opening is formed in the upper-layer metal reflecting plate, the antenna is arranged in the opening and is arranged on the upper surface of the thin film, and the upper surface of the antenna is positioned at a higher horizontal position than the upper surface of the upper-layer metal reflecting plate. A transmission bus and a transmission branch line are arranged on the lower surface of the thin film, the transmission bus and the transmission branch line are integrally formed, and the transmission branch line is used for feeding the antenna in a coupling mode. A first groove is formed in the lower surface of the upper-layer metal reflecting plate, a second groove is formed in the upper surface of the lower-layer metal reflecting plate, the first groove and the second groove form a groove cavity, and the transmission bus is arranged in the groove cavity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular, to an antenna unit and an antenna array. Background Art

[0002] With the development of the fifth generation (5G) communication network and even the sixth generation (6G) communication network in the future, the market size of base stations is showing a rapid growth trend, and the antenna units are developing towards miniaturization, high gain and greenness. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has officially defined the U6G band (i.e., the upper half of 6 GHz, 6425 to 7125 MHz) as a licensed spectrum. In the near future, the commercial deployment of the U6G band will be realized, further promoting the continuous development of wireless communication technology.

[0003] Therefore, research on high-gain antenna arrays and their feeding technologies suitable for higher frequency bands is crucial. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides an antenna unit and an antenna array.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna unit, comprising: an antenna, an upper metal reflector, a lower metal reflector, and a film disposed between the upper metal reflector and the lower metal reflector. An opening is disposed in the upper metal reflector, the antenna is disposed in the opening, and is disposed on the upper surface of the film, the upper surface of the antenna being located at a higher horizontal position than the upper surface of the upper metal reflector. A transmission bus and a transmission branch are disposed on the lower surface of the film, the transmission bus and the transmission branch are formed integrally, and the transmission branch is used to couple and feed power to the antenna. A first groove is disposed on the lower surface of the upper metal reflector, and a second groove is disposed on the upper surface of the lower metal reflector, the first groove and the second groove form a groove cavity, and the transmission bus is disposed in the groove cavity.

[0006] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna array, comprising a plurality of antenna units arranged in an array, wherein each of the plurality of antenna units is an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0007] According to the antenna unit of the embodiment of the present disclosure, by setting the antenna in the opening of the upper metal reflector, the metal cavity formed by the opening of the upper metal reflector can improve the directivity of the antenna, so that the energy is radiated more concentratedly and the gain is improved; by setting the transmission line on the lower surface of the film, the additional dielectric loss caused by the printed circuit board can be reduced; in addition, by setting the transmission bus in the slot cavity, an air strip line can be realized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] In the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure:

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the architecture of an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0010] Figure 2 An example of an antenna unit obtained by applying a conventional patch antenna to an overall architecture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown;

[0011] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram showing an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 3B yes Figure 3A A schematic diagram of an antenna in the antenna unit shown;

[0013] Figure 3C Another example of an antenna in an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0014] Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view showing an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 4B is a top view showing an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 4C yes Figure 4A and Figure 4B A perspective view of an antenna in an antenna unit is shown;

[0017] Figure 4D yes Figure 4A and Figure 4B A top view of the antenna in the antenna unit is shown;

[0018] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing a thin film in an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 6 1 is a top view and a bottom view showing an upper metal reflector in an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 7 1 is a top view and a bottom view showing a lower metal reflector in an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a signal connection device in an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Fig. 9 1 is a top view and a bottom view showing an adapter plate in an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram showing a connection method of a signal connection device in an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Fig.11 are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view showing an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Fig. 12A shows the standing wave ratio of the antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Fig. 12B shows the port isolation of the antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Fig. 12C shows the gains of the antenna unit according to the embodiment of the present disclosure and the antenna unit of the comparative example;

[0028] Fig.13 shows an exploded perspective view of an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Fig.14A shows the standing wave ratio of the antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Fig. 14B shows the port isolation of the antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Fig. 14C The gain of the antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] The present disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the embodiments shown may be embodied in different forms, and the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth below. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the present disclosure thorough and complete, and to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the scope of the present disclosure.

[0034] The accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and constitute a part of the specification, and are used together with the detailed embodiments to explain the present disclosure, and do not constitute a limitation of the present disclosure. By describing the detailed embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, the above and other features and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0035] The present disclosure may be described with reference to plan views and / or cross-sectional views by means of ideal schematic views of the present disclosure. Therefore, the exemplary illustrations may be modified according to manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances.

[0036] In the absence of conflict, the various embodiments of the present disclosure and the various features therein may be combined with each other.

[0037] The terms used in the present disclosure are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The term "and / or" as used in the present disclosure includes any and all combinations of one or more related enumerated items. The singular forms "one" and "the" as used in the present disclosure are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "including", "made of..." as used in the present disclosure specify the presence of the features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof.

[0038] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this disclosure have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. It will also be understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and this disclosure, and will not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning unless explicitly defined in this disclosure.

[0039] The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but includes modifications of the configurations formed based on the manufacturing process. Therefore, the regions illustrated in the drawings have schematic properties, and the shapes of the regions shown in the drawings illustrate the specific shapes of the regions, but are not intended to be limiting.

[0040] 3GPP has officially defined the U6G band (6425 to 7125 MHz) as a licensed spectrum. In the near future, the U6G band will be commercially deployed, further promoting the continuous development of wireless communication technology. However, there is a relative lack of research on the U6G band in academia and industry. One of the technical difficulties in this band is that the path loss will increase with the increase of frequency, which will reduce the gain of the antenna.

[0041] In order to solve the loss problem caused by the path, the method commonly used in the Sub-6G band (i.e., the band below 6 GHz) is to use air striplines to realize the feeding of antenna units or antenna arrays. At present, there are two schemes for the design of air cavities for air striplines: one is the pultruded cavity, which has a large cavity size and poor precision; the other is the metallization of the plastic module, but it can only realize a semi-air cavity, and the precision is poor, which is not suitable for the U6G band. Therefore, for the U6G band, a new solution for realizing air striplines needs to be proposed. In addition, conventional striplines are printed on the upper and lower surfaces of the printed circuit board (PCB), and then the upper and lower layers of routing are connected through metallized vias, so the PCB board will bring additional dielectric loss, and the loss will increase with the thickness of the PCB board.

[0042] Another problem with using air striplines is the selection of antenna units. Common antenna units include patch antennas and symmetrical dipole antennas. Patch antennas are usually printed on the surface of a dielectric substrate. When using a stripline solution, the patch antenna needs to be etched separately outside the stripline area, or a metal cavity needs to be set on the metal surface of the stripline for radiation. The overall size of the independently printed antenna array is large and is not suitable for large-scale compact multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas; and setting the patch antenna in a metal cavity with a limited caliber will affect the radiation efficiency of the antenna. Symmetrical dipole antennas usually use balun feeding, and the realization of dual polarization requires at least two structures to be assembled together. For pure metal antennas, non-metallic structural parts need to be used as supports, which requires high processing accuracy of the structural parts, and the processing tolerance of the structural parts will affect the performance of the antenna.

[0043] On the other hand, as the frequency band increases, the requirements for welding technology will become more stringent. At present, the total input port of the feeder is connected to structures such as phase shifters by welding feed pins to build a complete signal path. However, with the continuous expansion of the scale of base stations and the significant increase in the number of antennas, traditional welding interconnection methods may introduce additional failure points, thereby affecting the performance of the antenna. At the same time, a large number of welding operations will increase costs and reduce the assembly efficiency of the antenna. The smoke and harmful gases generated during the welding process will pollute the surrounding environment. Therefore, it is necessary to use a solder-free design to improve the reliability of the overall connection, improve production efficiency, and reduce pollution to the environment.

[0044] In response to the above-mentioned problems, the present disclosure provides an architecture of an antenna unit and an antenna array for a base station in the U6G frequency band.

[0045] Figure 1is a schematic diagram showing the architecture of an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, the antenna array according to the embodiment of the present disclosure as a whole includes an upper metal reflector 110, a lower metal reflector 130, and a film 120 disposed between the upper metal reflector 110 and the lower metal reflector 130. An opening 111 is disposed in the upper metal reflector 110, and the antenna 100 is disposed in the opening 111 and on the upper surface of the film 120. The opening 111 is used for the radiation of the antenna 100, and the distance between the opening 111 and the radiator of the antenna 100 is 0.01λ to 0.1λ (λ is the wavelength in free space at the center frequency point).

[0047] A transmission line 121 is disposed on the lower surface of the film 120 . The transmission line 121 includes a transmission bus line and a transmission branch line, which are integrally formed. The transmission branch line is used to couple and feed the antenna 100 .

[0048] also, Figure 1 Also shown is a signal connection device 140 , which vertically passes through a hole 134 provided in the lower metal reflective plate 130 , and one end of the signal connection device 140 is electrically connected to a transmission line 121 provided on the lower surface of the film 120 to transfer an external signal to the transmission line 121 .

[0049] Although in Figure 1 The antenna array shown includes an array of 1×4 antenna elements, but it should be appreciated that the number of antenna elements is not limited to four, and the arrangement of the antenna array is not limited to the arrangement shown. In practical applications, the size of the antenna array can be arbitrarily expanded to achieve a large-scale MIMO array.

[0050] Figure 2 An example of an antenna unit obtained by applying a traditional patch antenna to the overall architecture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown, the patch antenna 100' is etched on the upper surface of the film 120, which will produce greater dielectric loss in higher frequency bands. In addition, the metal cavity formed by the opening 111 around the antenna 100' will couple part of the energy, resulting in reduced antenna efficiency.

[0052] In order to overcome this problem, the present disclosure proposes an antenna unit based on the overall architecture according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0053] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram showing an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 3B yes Figure 3AA schematic diagram of the antenna in the antenna unit is shown, Figure 3C Another example of an antenna in an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view showing an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 4B is a top view showing an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 4C yes Figure 4A and Figure 4B A perspective view of an antenna in an antenna unit is shown, Figure 4D yes Figure 4A and Figure 4B A top view of the antenna in the antenna unit is shown.

[0054] See also FIG. 3A to FIG. 4D The antenna unit according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an antenna 100 , an upper metal reflective plate 110 , a lower metal reflective plate 130 , and a film 120 disposed between the upper metal reflective plate 110 and the lower metal reflective plate 130 .

[0055] An opening 111 is provided in the upper metal reflector 110, and the antenna 100 is provided in the opening 111 and on the upper surface of the film 120. The upper surface of the antenna 100 is located at a higher level than the upper surface of the upper metal reflector 110, that is, the height H1 of the antenna 100 is greater than the height H2 of the upper metal reflector 110.

[0056] A transmission bus and a transmission branch line (ie, Figure 1 As shown in the transmission line 121, the transmission bus and the transmission branch line are formed integrally, and the transmission branch line is used to couple and feed power to the antenna 100.

[0057] A first groove (not shown in the figure) is arranged on the lower surface of the upper metal reflective plate 110, and a second groove (not shown in the figure) is arranged on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate 130. The first groove and the second groove form a groove cavity, and the transmission bus is arranged in the groove cavity.

[0058] According to the antenna unit of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the antenna is arranged in a metal cavity formed by the opening of the upper metal reflective plate, which is equivalent to forming a metal wall around the antenna to improve the directivity of the antenna, so that the energy is radiated more concentratedly and the gain is improved; by arranging the transmission line on the lower surface of the film, the additional dielectric loss caused by the PCB can be reduced; in addition, by arranging the transmission bus in the slot cavity, an air strip line can be realized.

[0059] The antenna unit according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below in conjunction with detailed diagrams of each part.

[0060] See also FIG. 4A to FIG. 4DThe antenna 100 is a metal patch antenna and includes a radiator 101 and a plurality of metal support blocks 102 disposed on the lower surface of the radiator 101. The transmission branch line 1212 couples and feeds the metal patch antenna 100 via the plurality of metal support blocks 102. The material of the radiator 101 of the antenna 100 may be aluminum. Aluminum has relatively small internal resistance and strong corrosion resistance.

[0061] It should be recognized that although FIG. 4B to FIG. 4D The transmission branch line 1212 is shown in FIG. 1 , but the transmission branch line 1212 is integrally formed with the transmission bus on the lower surface of the film 120. The size and shape of the transmission branch line 1212 can be designed according to actual needs. FIG. 4B to FIG. 4D In the example, the transmission branch line 1212 is shown as having a T-shaped structure. Through coupled feeding, the transmission branch line 1212 can excite the ±45° polarization of the antenna unit. By adjusting the length and width configuration of the T-shaped structure of the transmission branch line 1212, the antenna unit can achieve good matching within the required frequency band.

[0062] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, see Figure 3A and Figure 4A The height of the plurality of metal support blocks 102 is greater than the height of the upper metal reflector 110, so that the upper surface of the antenna 100 is located at a higher level than the upper surface of the upper metal reflector 110, so as to avoid the metal cavity formed by the opening 111 causing the antenna efficiency to decrease. The opening 111 in the upper metal reflector 110 surrounds the plurality of metal support blocks 102.

[0063] According to the antenna unit of the embodiment of the present disclosure, a metal patch antenna is used, and the working frequency band of the antenna can be controlled by controlling the size of the radiator 101. The metal support block 102 below the radiator 101 is used to increase the antenna profile. The increase in the antenna profile reduces the energy coupling of the metal cavity and improves the radiation efficiency. The metal cavity is equivalent to forming a metal wall around the antenna to improve the directivity of the antenna, so that the energy is radiated more concentratedly and the gain is increased.

[0064] It should be appreciated that although four metal support blocks 102 are shown in the figure, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For dual polarization, since the transmission branch is coupled and fed to the metal patch antenna via multiple metal support blocks 102, the number of metal support blocks 102 is at least two. On the other hand, although the radiator 101 is shown as a square in the figure, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the shape of the radiator can be square, round (such as Figure 3C In addition, as required, a slot or hole design can be made on the radiator 101, for example, Figure 4C and Figure 4DIn the antenna shown, the radiator 101 is formed as a square with a certain thickness, and slots are provided in the central parts of the four sides of the radiator 101, so that the current path can be extended and the size of the antenna can be reduced while meeting the radiation performance requirements, thereby realizing the miniaturized design of the antenna.

[0065] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, see Figure 4A and Figure 4B A third groove 112 is provided on the upper surface of the upper metal reflective plate 110 , and the third groove 112 surrounds the opening 111 .

[0066] A square structure with a side length of L1 and a thickness of H2 is removed from the upper metal reflector 110 to form an opening 111, that is, a metal cavity for accommodating the antenna 100. On the upper surface of the upper metal reflector 110, a square structure with a side length of L2 and a thickness of H3 is removed around the opening 111 to form a third groove 112, where L2 is greater than L1 and H3 is less than H2. By forming the third groove 112 on the upper surface of the upper metal reflector 110, the mutual coupling between the upper metal reflector 110 and the radiator 101 of the antenna 100 can be reduced, thereby reducing the antenna profile. The depth H3 of the third groove 112 should be less than the height H2 of the upper metal reflector 110, and the depth H3 of the third groove 112 can be designed according to the frequency band and the type of antenna.

[0067] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, see Figure 4A and Figure 4B A fourth groove 131 is provided on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate 130, and a boss 132 is provided at the center of the fourth groove 131, and the height of the boss 132 is the same as that of the lower metal reflective plate 130. Figure 4B As shown, the projection of the opening 111 in the upper metal reflective plate 110 on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate 130 covers the fourth groove 131, and the projection of each of the multiple metal support blocks 102 on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate 130 partially overlaps with the upper surface of the boss 132.

[0068] Since there is only one film 120 between the lower metal reflector 130 and the metal support block 102 of the antenna 100, the distance is very close, resulting in a large conductor loss. Therefore, a square structure with a side length of L3 and a thickness of about 1 mm is removed from the lower metal reflector 130 to form a fourth groove 131. To ensure the stability of the antenna unit, L3 is smaller than L1. In order to further support the antenna 100, a boss 132 with a side length of L4 is provided at the center of the fourth groove 131.

[0069] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, see Figure 4A and Figure 4CAn adhesive layer 103 is provided on the lower surface of the plurality of metal support blocks 102 , and the metal patch antenna 100 is provided on the upper surface of the film 120 via the adhesive layer 103 .

[0070] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, see FIG. 4A to FIG. 4D A positioning protrusion 104 is provided on the lower surface of at least one metal supporting block 102 among the plurality of metal supporting blocks 102 .

[0071] A positioning protrusion 104 is provided at the bottom of the antenna 100 to facilitate installation and fixation of the antenna 100. Figure 4C and Figure 4D In the example of FIG. 1 , the positioning protrusion 104 is shown as a cylindrical shape, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. It should be appreciated that the position of the positioning protrusion 104 should avoid the transmission branch line 1212 under the antenna 100. Figure 4C and Figure 4D In the example, the antenna 100 includes four metal support blocks 102, positioning protrusions 104 are set on the lower surfaces of two of the metal support blocks 102, and the transmission branch line 1212 is set under the other two metal support blocks 102 to couple and feed the antenna 100 through the metal support blocks 102.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the film 120 includes one of the following: a polyphenylene oxide (PPO) film, a polyetherimide (PEI) film, and a polyester (PET) film, and a transmission bus line and a transmission branch line are formed on the lower surface of the film 120 by a screen printing process using a conductive silver paste.

[0073] The film 120 may have a thickness of less than or equal to 0.3 mm, a dielectric constant of less than 4, a loss tangent of less than 0.003, and has advantages such as chemical resistance, electrical insulation, and easy processing. The film 120 may be a PPO film, a PEI film, and a PET film. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the film 120 may be a PPO film, and its thickness may be less than or equal to 0.1 mm. A transmission line 121 is formed on the lower surface of the film 120 by a screen printing process using a conductive silver paste (see Figure 1 ), the combination of low dielectric constant and low dissipation factor can significantly reduce the overall loss of the transmission line.

[0074] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing a thin film in an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 6 1 is a top view and a bottom view showing an upper metal reflector in an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 7 3A and 3B show a top view and a bottom view of a lower metal reflector in an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] It should be recognized that for ease of illustrating the structure of the film, Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a thin film in an antenna array is shown in FIG. 1 . For antenna units constituting the antenna array, the structure of the thin film in the antenna unit is consistent with the thin film in the antenna array.

[0076] See also Figures 5 to 7 In the film 120, a plurality of metal vias 122 are arranged around the transmission bus 1211, a first groove 113 is arranged on the lower surface of the upper metal reflective plate 110, and a second groove 133 is arranged on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate 130. The first groove 113 and the second groove 133 may form a groove cavity, and the transmission bus 1211 may be arranged in the groove cavity. The first groove 113 may be formed on the lower surface of the upper metal reflective plate 110, and the second groove 133 may be formed on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate 130 by using a computer numerical control (CNC) machine tool.

[0077] The material of the transmission bus 1211 and the transmission branch line 1212 may be silver, and may be formed on the lower surface of the film 120 by a screen printing process using a conductive silver paste. The material of the upper metal reflector 110 and the lower metal reflector 130 may be aluminum, and the thickness of each is about 2 mm. In other embodiments, the upper metal reflector 110 and the lower metal reflector 130 may have other thicknesses, and the thicknesses of the upper metal reflector 110 and the lower metal reflector 130 may not be equal.

[0078] To ensure effective electrical connection between the upper metal reflector 110 and the lower metal reflector 130 to realize air cavity and reduce wiring loss, metal vias 122 may be provided around the transmission bus 1211. The upper metal reflector 110, the film 120 and the lower metal reflector 130 may be pressed together with rivets.

[0079] The transmission bus 1211 is arranged between the upper metal reflective plate 110 and the lower metal reflective plate 130. In order to avoid the transmission bus 1211, a first groove 113 and a second groove 133 are respectively arranged on the side of the upper metal reflective plate 110 and the lower metal reflective plate 130 close to the film 120, and after the upper metal reflective plate 110 and the lower metal reflective plate 130 are combined, a groove cavity is formed by the first groove 113 and the second groove 133, and the groove cavity is located around the transmission bus 1211.

[0080] The edge of the slot cavity maintains a spacing of about 1 mm from the transmission bus 1211 in all directions (i.e., length, width, and depth). The spacing can be set arbitrarily, but the following principles must be followed: 1) The spacing must be smaller than the thickness of the reflective metal plate to prevent penetration of the metal reflective plate and weakening the structural strength of the metal reflective plate or causing electromagnetic energy leakage; 2) Try to ensure that each transmission bus has an independent cavity space to reduce mutual interference between traces and improve isolation between ports.

[0081] The slot cavity is parallel to the transmission bus 1211 and extends along the direction of the transmission bus 1211 to place the transmission bus 1211 in the air cavity, making air the main medium of the transmission line, and further reducing the loss by using the low dielectric constant of air. In addition, the slot cavity can also achieve the effect of electromagnetic shielding to prevent external interference.

[0082] At the main input port of the transmission bus 1211, a signal connection device 140 may be used to transmit an external signal to the transmission bus 1211. The signal connection device 140 may vertically pass through a hole 134 disposed in the lower metal reflective plate 130 to connect to an external signal.

[0083] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a signal connection device in an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 9 1 is a top view and a bottom view showing an adapter plate in an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram showing the connection method of the signal connection device in the antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0084] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the antenna unit may further include a signal connection device 140 and an adapter plate 150. The adapter plate 150 is disposed below the lower metal reflective plate 130, and a transfer device is disposed in the adapter plate 150. The signal connection device 140 vertically passes through the lower metal reflective plate 130. One end of the signal connection device 140 is electrically connected to a transmission bus 1211 disposed on the lower surface of the film 120, and the other end of the signal connection device 140 is electrically connected to the transfer device.

[0085] like Figure 8 As shown, the signal connection device 140 may include a metal elastic column 141, an insulating column 142, and an insulating cover 143 disposed above the metal elastic column 141 and the insulating column 142. It should be appreciated that Figure 8The signal connection device 140 shown is only for example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The signal connection device 140 can have various forms, such as a hair button, a spring probe, etc. The signal connection device 140 can be a connector with telescopic or elastic deformation capability, and can be used in conjunction with an insulating medium or alone. The two ends of the signal connection device 140 can be respectively connected to the transmission bus 1211 on the lower surface of the film 120 and the printed circuit board (for example, Fig. 9 The microstrip line on the transfer board 150 shown forms an elastic contact, thereby realizing a solder-free design and being able to provide a stable connection in various environments, while also simplifying the assembly process of the antenna.

[0086] like Fig. 9 As shown, a first microstrip line 151 is provided on the upper surface of the adapter plate 150, and a second microstrip line 152 is provided on the lower surface of the adapter plate 150. The first microstrip line 151 and the second microstrip line 152 are electrically connected via a metal via that passes through the adapter plate 150. The adapter device provided on the adapter plate 150 includes the first microstrip line 151, the second microstrip line 152, and a metal via that connects the first microstrip line 151 and the second microstrip line 152.

[0087] like Fig.10 As shown, the metal elastic column 141 is disposed between the film 120 and the adapter plate 150. One end of the metal elastic column 141 is electrically connected to the transmission bus 1211, and the other end is electrically connected to the adapter on the adapter plate 150. Specifically, the other end of the metal elastic column 141 is electrically connected to the first microstrip line 151 on the upper surface of the adapter plate 150. The metal elastic column 141 may include beryllium bronze alloy wire, molybdenum wire, nickel-chromium alloy wire, etc., and its diameter is about 1 mm.

[0088] The insulating column 142 surrounds the metal elastic column 141 and is disposed between the metal elastic column 141 and the lower metal reflector 130, that is, the insulating column 142 fills the hole 134 in the lower metal reflector 130 to achieve insulation between the metal elastic column 141 and the lower metal reflector 130. The size of the hole 134 in the lower metal reflector 130 matches the size of the insulating column 142. The material of the insulating column 142 can be polytetrafluoroethylene, and a hole with a diameter of about 1.2 mm can be formed in the middle of the insulating column 142. The metal elastic column 141 is embedded in the insulating column 142 to prevent the metal elastic column 141 from shifting.

[0089] The insulating cover 143 is embedded in the lower surface of the upper metal reflective plate 110 , and the projection of the insulating cover 143 on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate 130 covers the projection of the metal elastic column 141 on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate 130 .

[0090] The transmission bus 1211 formed on the lower surface of the film 120 is electrically connected to the first microstrip line 151 formed on the upper surface of the adapter plate 150 through the metal elastic column 141. Since the upper end of the metal elastic column 141 contacts the transmission bus 1211 printed on the film 120, the thickness of the film 120 is very thin, and its physical properties cannot achieve a stable and reliable elastic connection. Therefore, it is necessary to embed an insulating cover 143 on the lower surface of the upper metal reflector 110. Through the mutual cooperation of the insulating cover 143 and the adapter plate 150, the metal elastic column 141 can be pressed to ensure the stability of the electrical performance.

[0091] exist Figure 8 and Fig.10 In the example of , the number of the metal elastic column 141 is 1, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the signal connection device 140 may include a plurality of metal elastic columns 141 , and the plurality of metal elastic columns 141 may be symmetrically arranged around the center of the first microstrip line 151 .

[0092] Fig.11 are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view showing an antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0093] like Fig.11 As shown, the antenna unit according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a parasitic patch plate 160 disposed above the antenna 100. The parasitic patch plate 160 includes a dielectric plate, and a first parasitic patch 161 formed on the upper surface of the dielectric plate and a second parasitic patch 162 formed on the lower surface of the dielectric plate. The first parasitic patch 161 corresponds to the position and shape of the antenna 100, and the second parasitic patch 162 corresponds to the position and shape of the antenna 100.

[0094] By arranging a parasitic patch above the antenna 100, the gain of the antenna can be further improved. The parasitic patch board 160 includes a first parasitic patch 161 printed on the upper surface of the dielectric board and a second parasitic patch 162 printed on the lower surface of the dielectric board. The first parasitic patch 161 and the second parasitic patch 162 have the same structure. As shown in the figure, the first parasitic patch 161 and the second parasitic patch 162 are both squares with grooves on four sides, which have the same Figure 4C and Figure 4D The antenna shown has the same shape as the radiator 101. By introducing the parasitic patch, the current distribution on the antenna surface and the surrounding space can be changed, and the directivity of the antenna radiator can be enhanced, thereby effectively improving the gain of the antenna.

[0095] Fig. 12A shows the standing wave ratio of the antenna unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 12B shows the port isolation of the antenna unit according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 12CThe gain and Figure 2 The gain of the antenna unit of the comparative example is shown.

[0096] like Fig. 12A and Fig. 12B As shown, the antenna unit according to this embodiment of the present disclosure has good standing wave ratio and port isolation within the designed frequency band, such as Fig. 12C As shown, compared with the traditional patch antenna with the same parasitic structure ( Fig. 12C Compared with the dotted line in the figure, the antenna unit ( Fig. 12C The gain of the RF amplifier (solid line in the figure) has an average improvement of 0.7 dBi across the entire frequency band.

[0097] According to the antenna unit of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the antenna is arranged in a metal cavity formed by the opening of the upper metal reflective plate, which improves the directivity of the antenna, makes the energy radiated more concentratedly, and improves the gain; by arranging the transmission line on the lower surface of the film, the additional dielectric loss caused by the PCB can be reduced; in addition, by arranging the transmission bus in the slot cavity, an air strip line can be realized.

[0098] The antenna unit according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is suitable for the U6G frequency band and can be applied to the antenna array of the base station. By using a transmission branch line to couple and feed the antenna, and by using a signal connection device, a solder-free design is achieved. Compared with the traditional solution, the dielectric loss is reduced, the radiation efficiency is improved, and welding defects such as cold solder joints and desoldering during the welding process are avoided, the reliability of the antenna is improved, the difficulty of assembly is reduced, and environmental pollution is reduced, which is green and environmentally friendly. By using a low-loss film, using conductive silver paste to form a transmission bus and a transmission branch line through a screen printing process, and arranging the transmission bus in a slot cavity formed by using a CNC machine tool, the loss of the routing can be reduced to an extremely low level, which can meet the process requirements of high-frequency band antennas and has a low cost.

[0099] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide an antenna array, including multiple antenna units according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. The antenna units according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be used in solderless base station antenna arrays with low loss and processing accuracy requirements. The antenna arrays according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to the field of mobile communication antennas, providing more possibilities for the development of 5G and 6G.

[0100] Fig.13 An exploded perspective view of an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0101] like Fig.13As shown, the antenna array according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an antenna layer 1, a feeder layer 2 and a transfer board layer 3. The antenna layer 1 is placed above the feeder layer 2, and the transfer board layer 3 is placed below the feeder layer 2. The antenna layer 1 includes at least two antennas 100, which are connected to form an array through a transmission bus 1211 located in the feeder layer 2, and then connected to the transfer board layer 3 through a signal connection device 140, so that they can be interconnected with structures such as phase shifters and couplers.

[0102] The antenna layer 1 includes an antenna 100 and a parasitic patch plate 160, and a first parasitic patch 161 is formed on the upper surface of the parasitic patch plate 160. The feed line layer 2 includes an upper metal reflector 110, a film 120 and a lower metal reflector 130, and a transmission bus 1211 and a transmission branch line ( Fig.13 The adapter board layer 3 includes an adapter board 150 , on the upper surface of which a first microstrip line 151 is formed.

[0103] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, Fig.13 As shown, the upper metal reflector 110 of the plurality of antenna units is formed integrally, the lower metal reflector 130 of the plurality of antenna units is formed integrally, and the thin film 120 of the plurality of antenna units is formed integrally. On the lower surface of the integrally formed thin film 120, a transmission branch line ( Fig.13 ), and the transmission bus 1211 connects the transmission branches corresponding to each of the multiple antenna units together.

[0104] Although in Fig.13 The antenna array shown includes an array of 1×4 antenna elements, but it should be appreciated that the number of antenna elements is not limited to four, for example, three or six antenna elements may be included, and the arrangement of the antenna array is not limited to the arrangement shown. In practical applications, the scale of the antenna array can be arbitrarily expanded to achieve a large-scale MIMO array.

[0105] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a transmission branch corresponding to each of the plurality of antenna units includes a first transmission branch and a second transmission branch electrically separated from each other (see Figure 4C and Figure 4D ), and, as Fig.13 As shown, the transmission bus 1211 includes a first transmission bus 1211_1 and a second transmission bus 1211_2 that are electrically separated from each other. The first transmission bus 1211_1 connects the first transmission branches corresponding to each of the plurality of antenna units, and the second transmission bus 1211_2 connects the second transmission branches corresponding to each of the plurality of antenna units.

[0106] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, Fig.13 As shown, the antenna array further includes a first signal connection device 140_1, a second signal connection device 140_2 and an adapter plate 150. The adapter plate 150 is disposed below the integrally formed lower metal reflector 130, and a first adapter device and a second adapter device are disposed in the adapter plate 150. The first signal connection device 140_1 and the second signal connection device 140_2 respectively vertically pass through the integrally formed lower metal reflector 130. One end of the first signal connection device 140_1 is electrically connected to a first transmission bus 1211_1 disposed on the lower surface of the integrally formed film 120, and the other end of the first signal connection device 140_1 is electrically connected to the first adapter. One end of the second signal connection device 140_2 is electrically connected to a second transmission bus 1211_2 disposed on the lower surface of the integrally formed film 120, and the other end of the second signal connection device 140_2 is electrically connected to the second adapter.

[0107] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the first signal connection device and the second signal connection device includes a metal elastic column 141, an insulating column 142, and an insulating cover 143 disposed above the metal elastic column 141 and the insulating column 142 (see Figure 8 ). The metal elastic column 141 is disposed between the integrally formed film 120 and the adapter plate 150. One end of the metal elastic column 141 of the first signal connection device 140_1 is electrically connected to the first transmission bus 1211_1, and the other end of the metal elastic column 141 of the first signal connection device 140_1 is electrically connected to the first adapter. One end of the metal elastic column 141 of the second signal connection device 140_2 is electrically connected to the second transmission bus 1211_2, and the other end of the metal elastic column 141 of the second signal connection device 140_2 is electrically connected to the second adapter. The insulating column 142 surrounds the metal elastic column 141 and is disposed between the metal elastic column 141 and the integrally formed lower metal reflective plate 130. The insulating cover 143 is embedded in the lower surface of the integrally formed upper metal reflective plate 110, and the projection of the insulating cover 143 on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate 130 covers the projection of the metal elastic column 141 on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate 130.

[0108] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first adapter and the second adapter respectively include a first microstrip line 151 disposed on the upper surface of the adapter plate 150, and a second microstrip line 152 disposed on the lower surface of the adapter plate 150 (see Fig. 9). The first microstrip line 151 is electrically connected to the second microstrip line 152 via a metal via that passes through the adapter board 150, and the first signal connection device 140_1 is electrically connected to the first microstrip line 151 of the first adapter, and the second signal connection device 140_2 is electrically connected to the first microstrip line 151 of the second adapter.

[0109] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, Fig.13 As shown, the antenna array further includes a parasitic patch plate 160 disposed above the antenna 100. The parasitic patch plate 160 includes a dielectric plate, and a plurality of first parasitic patches 161 formed on the upper surface of the dielectric plate and a plurality of second parasitic patches 162 formed on the lower surface of the dielectric plate (see Fig.11 Each of the plurality of first parasitic patches 161 corresponds to the position and shape of the antenna 100 of each of the plurality of antenna units, and each of the plurality of second parasitic patches 162 corresponds to the position and shape of the antenna 100 of each of the plurality of antenna units.

[0110] Fig.14A shows the standing wave ratio of the antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 14B shows the port isolation of the antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 14C The gain of the antenna array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0111] Fig.14A The standing wave ratio of the two ports of the antenna array is shown as Fig.14A As shown, the standing wave ratios of the two ports of the antenna array are both less than 1.55, which shows good performance. Fig. 14B shows the isolation between the two ports of the antenna array, as Fig. 14B As shown, the isolation between the two ports of the antenna array is greater than 25 dB, which is at least 6.6 dB higher than the isolation of the antenna unit (see Fig. 12B ), it can be seen that the air stripline proposed in the present disclosure has a beneficial effect on isolation. Fig. 14C The gain results of a 1×4 antenna array are shown, as Fig. 14C As shown, the gain of the antenna unit is increased by 5.7 dBi (see Fig. 12C As shown by the solid line, it can be seen that the antenna array according to the embodiment of the present disclosure has a higher gain, ensuring excellent signal transmission and reception performance.

[0112] The present disclosure has disclosed example embodiments, and although specific terms are employed, they are used and should be interpreted only in a general illustrative sense and not for limiting purposes. In some instances, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise expressly stated, features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with a particular embodiment may be used alone or in combination with features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with other embodiments. Therefore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An antenna unit, comprising: An antenna, an upper metal reflector, a lower metal reflector, and a film disposed between the upper metal reflector and the lower metal reflector, wherein an opening is provided in the upper metal reflector, the antenna is provided in the opening and on the upper surface of the film, and the upper surface of the antenna is located at a higher level than the upper surface of the upper metal reflector, A transmission bus and a transmission branch line are arranged on the lower surface of the film, wherein the transmission bus and the transmission branch line are formed in one piece, and the transmission branch line is used for coupling and feeding power to the antenna. A first groove is arranged on the lower surface of the upper metal reflective plate, and a second groove is arranged on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate. The first groove and the second groove form a groove cavity, and the transmission bus is arranged in the groove cavity.

2. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The antenna is a metal patch antenna and includes a radiator and a plurality of metal support blocks arranged on the lower surface of the radiator. The transmission branch line couples and feeds the metal patch antenna via the plurality of metal support blocks.

3. The antenna unit according to claim 2, wherein: The heights of the plurality of metal support blocks are greater than the height of the upper metal reflective plate, and the openings in the upper metal reflective plate surround the plurality of metal support blocks.

4. The antenna unit according to claim 3, wherein: A third groove is arranged on the upper surface of the upper metal reflective plate, and the third groove surrounds the opening.

5. The antenna unit according to claim 2, wherein: A fourth groove is provided on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate, and a boss is provided at the center of the fourth groove, and the height of the boss is the same as that of the lower metal reflective plate. The projection of the opening in the upper metal reflective plate on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate covers the fourth groove, and the projection of each of the plurality of metal support blocks on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate partially overlaps with the upper surface of the boss.

6. The antenna unit according to claim 2, wherein: An adhesive layer is disposed on the lower surfaces of the plurality of metal support blocks, and the metal patch antenna is disposed on the upper surface of the film via the adhesive layer.

7. The antenna unit according to claim 2, wherein: A positioning protrusion is provided on the lower surface of at least one metal support block among the plurality of metal support blocks.

8. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The film includes one of the following: a polyphenylene ether PPO film, a polyetherimide PEI film and a polyester PET film, and the transmission bus line and the transmission branch line are formed on the lower surface of the film by a conductive silver paste screen printing process.

9. The antenna unit according to claim 8, wherein: In the film, a plurality of metal vias are arranged around the transmission bus.

10. The antenna unit according to claim 1, further comprising: Signal connection device and adapter board, The adapter plate is arranged below the lower metal reflector plate, and an adapter device is arranged in the adapter plate. The signal connection device vertically passes through the lower metal reflective plate, one end of the signal connection device is electrically connected to the transmission bus arranged on the lower surface of the film, and the other end of the signal connection device is electrically connected to the switching device.

11. The antenna unit according to claim 10, wherein: The signal connection device includes a metal elastic column, an insulating column, and an insulating cover arranged above the metal elastic column and the insulating column. The metal elastic column is arranged between the film and the adapter plate, one end of the metal elastic column is electrically connected to the transmission bus, and the other end of the metal elastic column is electrically connected to the adapter. The insulating column surrounds the metal elastic column and is arranged between the metal elastic column and the lower metal reflective plate. The insulating cover is embedded in the lower surface of the upper metal reflective plate, and the projection of the insulating cover on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate covers the projection of the metal elastic column on the upper surface of the lower metal reflective plate.

12. The antenna unit according to claim 10, wherein: The adapter device includes a first microstrip line arranged on the upper surface of the adapter plate, and a second microstrip line arranged on the lower surface of the adapter plate, The first microstrip line is electrically connected to the second microstrip line via a metal via that passes through the adapter board, and the other end of the signal connection device is electrically connected to the first microstrip line.

13. The antenna unit according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a parasitic patch plate arranged above the antenna, in, The parasitic patch plate includes a dielectric plate, a first parasitic patch formed on an upper surface of the dielectric plate, and a second parasitic patch formed on a lower surface of the dielectric plate. The first parasitic patch corresponds to the position and shape of the antenna, and the second parasitic patch corresponds to the position and shape of the antenna.

14. An antenna array, comprising a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array, wherein: Each of the plurality of antenna units is the antenna unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

15. The antenna array according to claim 14, wherein: The upper metal reflectors of the plurality of antenna units are formed in one piece, the lower metal reflectors of the plurality of antenna units are formed in one piece, and the thin films of the plurality of antenna units are formed in one piece. The transmission branch lines corresponding to each of the plurality of antenna units are formed on the lower surface of the integrally formed film, respectively, and the transmission bus connects the transmission branch lines corresponding to each of the plurality of antenna units together.

16. The antenna array according to claim 15, wherein: The transmission branch corresponding to each of the plurality of antenna units includes a first transmission branch and a second transmission branch electrically separated from each other, and the transmission bus includes a first transmission bus and a second transmission bus electrically separated from each other, The first transmission bus connects the first transmission branch corresponding to each of the plurality of antenna units. The second transmission bus connects the second transmission branches corresponding to each of the plurality of antenna units.

17. The antenna array according to claim 16, further comprising: A first signal connection device, a second signal connection device and a transfer board, The adapter plate is arranged below the integrally formed lower metal reflector plate, and a first adapter device and a second adapter device are arranged in the adapter plate. The first signal connection device and the second signal connection device respectively vertically pass through the integrally formed lower metal reflective plate, One end of the first signal connection device is electrically connected to the first transmission bus disposed on the lower surface of the integrally formed film, and the other end of the first signal connection device is electrically connected to the first switching device, One end of the second signal connection device is electrically connected to the second transmission bus disposed on the lower surface of the integrally formed film, and the other end of the second signal connection device is electrically connected to the second switching device.

18. The antenna array according to claim 17, wherein: Each of the first signal connection device and the second signal connection device comprises a metal elastic column, an insulating column and an insulating cover disposed above the metal elastic column and the insulating column. The metal elastic column is arranged between the integrally formed film and the adapter board, one end of the metal elastic column of the first signal connection device is electrically connected to the first transmission bus, and the other end of the metal elastic column of the first signal connection device is electrically connected to the first adapter, one end of the metal elastic column of the second signal connection device is electrically connected to the second transmission bus, and the other end of the metal elastic column of the second signal connection device is electrically connected to the second adapter, The insulating column surrounds the metal elastic column and is arranged between the metal elastic column and the lower metal reflective plate formed integrally therewith. The insulating cover is embedded in the lower surface of the integrally formed upper metal reflector, and the projection of the insulating cover on the upper surface of the lower metal reflector covers the projection of the metal elastic column on the upper surface of the lower metal reflector.

19. The antenna array according to claim 17, wherein: The first adapter and the second adapter respectively include a first microstrip line arranged on the upper surface of the adapter plate, and a second microstrip line arranged on the lower surface of the adapter plate. The first microstrip line is electrically connected to the second microstrip line via a metal via passing through the adapter board, and the other end of the first signal connection device is electrically connected to the first microstrip line of the first adapter, and the other end of the second signal connection device is electrically connected to the first microstrip line of the second adapter.

20. The antenna array according to any one of claims 14 to 19, further comprising a parasitic patch plate arranged above the antenna, in, The parasitic patch plate includes a dielectric plate, a plurality of first parasitic patches formed on an upper surface of the dielectric plate, and a plurality of second parasitic patches formed on a lower surface of the dielectric plate. Each of the plurality of first parasitic patches corresponds to the position and shape of the antenna of each of the plurality of antenna units, and each of the plurality of second parasitic patches corresponds to the position and shape of the antenna of each of the plurality of antenna units.

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