Cavity phase shifter and base station antenna

Abstract

The invention relates to a cavity phase shifter, comprising: a housing having at least one cavity, the housing being provided with a first protruding extension; the first printed circuit board is arranged in the cavity, the first printed circuit board is provided with a transmission line on the first printed circuit board and an extension part which penetrates through a first groove in the shell and extends to the outside of the cavity, the transmission line is provided with an input end and an output end, and the input end extends to the extension part; a movable element mounted within the cavity, the movement of said movable element being configured to adjust the phase shift experienced by the transmission of radio frequency signals between the input and output of the transmission line, the input of said transmission line being configured to be electrically connected to the inner conductor of the coaxial cable. Therefore, the insertion loss related to the phase cable is reduced, and the gain performance of the antenna is improved.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with national application number 201911099738.7, application date November 12, 2019, and name “Cavity Phase Shifter and Base Station Antenna”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates generally to radio communications and, more particularly, to a cavity phase shifter and base station antenna for use in a cellular communication system. Background Art

[0003] In cellular communication systems, electrically adjustable base station antennas (RET antennas) are widely used. Before the introduction of RET antennas, when the coverage area of ​​a conventional base station antenna needed to be adjusted, a technician had to climb up the antenna tower on which the antenna was mounted and manually adjust the pointing angle of the antenna. Typically, the coverage area of ​​an antenna is adjusted by changing the so-called "downtilt" angle of the antenna, which is the angle in the elevation plane of the boresight pointing direction of the antenna beam generated by the array of radiating elements in the antenna. The introduction of RET antennas allows cellular operators to electrically adjust the downtilt angle of the antenna beam by sending a control signal to the antenna. RET antennas use phase shifters to apply different phase shifts to the RF signal subcomponents transmitted by the various subarrays of the radiating elements in the array of radiating elements that generate the antenna beam. By applying different phase shifts to different subcomponents of the RF signal, the downtilt angle of the antenna beam formed by the array of radiating elements can be adjusted.

[0004] A number of different types of phase shifters are known in the art, including rotary wiperarm phase shifters, trombone style phase shifters, and sliding dielectric phase shifters. In a rotary brush arm phase shifter, a brush printed circuit board is mounted on a main printed circuit board via a pivot pin so that the brush printed circuit board can rotate on the main printed circuit board. Typically, a phase shifter includes one or more power dividers that split an RF signal input to the phase shifter into a plurality of subcomponents. At least a portion of the RF signal is transmitted to the brush printed circuit board and then coupled from the brush printed circuit board to a transmission path on the main printed circuit board. The path length of each subcomponent of the RF signal transmitted to the brush printed circuit board through the phase shifter depends on the position of the brush printed circuit board on the main printed circuit board. Thus, by moving the brush printed circuit board (e.g., using an actuator), the phase of the subcomponents of the RF signal can be adjusted so as to change the downtilt angle of the antenna beam. A trombone style phase shifter operates in a similar manner, except that the movable element of the phase shifter moves linearly rather than along an arc. A sliding dielectric phase shifter has a fixed length transmission path and a movable dielectric material so that the coverage area or length of the dielectric material on the transmission path can be changed to achieve different phase shifts along different transmission paths. Each of the above types of phase shifters can be implemented as a cavity phase shifter, where the phase shifter is enclosed in a metal housing coupled to an electrical ground. The metal housing can reduce RF signal losses and therefore reduce insertion losses associated with the phase shifter.

[0005] To improve the quality of communications, multiple-input multiple-output base station antennas and beamforming base station antennas are currently being deployed, these antenna systems use multiple arrays of radiating elements for transmission and / or reception. In many applications, the achievement of high gain of the antenna may be important when using these types of antennas. However, the so-called "phase cable" connection between the phase shifter and the feed board - where the radiating elements have associated insertion losses - reduces the gain of the antenna. Summary of the invention

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cavity phase shifter and a related base station antenna that can overcome at least one of the defects in the prior art.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a cavity phase shifter is provided, comprising: a shell having at least one cavity, the shell being provided with a first protruding extension; a first printed circuit board installed in the cavity, the first printed circuit board having a transmission line thereon and an extension extending to the outside of the cavity through a first slot on the shell, wherein the transmission line is provided with an input end and an output end, the input end extending to the extension portion; a movable element installed in the cavity, the movement of the movable element being configured to adjust the phase shift experienced by a radio frequency signal during transmission between the input end and the output end of the transmission line, wherein the input end of the transmission line is configured to be electrically connected to an inner conductor of a coaxial cable.

[0008] The cavity phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present invention can at least eliminate the cable connection between the cavity phase shifter and the feeding board, thereby reducing the insertion loss associated with the phase cable, thereby improving the gain performance of the antenna.

[0009] In some embodiments, the cavity phase shifter includes a first printed circuit board, and the transmission line is configured as a printed trace on the first printed circuit board.

[0010] In some embodiments, a first slot is provided on the shell, and an input end of the transmission line passes through the first slot and extends out of the cavity.

[0011] In some embodiments, the input end is configured to be electrically connected to an inner conductor of a cable.

[0012] In some embodiments, the input end is configured to be welded to an inner conductor of a cable.

[0013] In some embodiments, the housing has a first protruding extension configured for electrical connection to an outer conductor of a cable.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first protruding extension is configured to be welded to an outer conductor of a cable.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first protruding extension is arranged adjacent to an input end of the transmission line.

[0016] In some embodiments, a second slot is provided on the shell, and the output end of the transmission line passes through the second slot and extends out of the cavity.

[0017] In some embodiments, the output end of the transmission line extends through the second slot, the reflector and the feed plate.

[0018] In some embodiments, the output terminal is configured to be electrically connected to a transmission line on a feed board.

[0019] In some embodiments, the output terminal is configured to be welded to a transmission line on a feed board.

[0020] In some embodiments, the output end is configured to be electrically connected to a transmission line on a feeding pole of the radiating element.

[0021] In some embodiments, the output end is configured to be welded to a transmission line on a feed rod of the radiating element.

[0022] In some embodiments, the housing has a second protruding extension portion, and the second protruding extension portion is configured to be soldered to a pad on a feed board of the radiation element, and the pad is electrically connected to a ground metal layer of the feed board.

[0023] In some embodiments, the transmission line is provided with a plurality of output ends, and each output end has a corresponding second protruding extension portion.

[0024] In some embodiments, each output end is arranged parallel to each other with the corresponding second protruding extension outside the cavity.

[0025] In some embodiments, the at least one cavity includes a first cavity and a second cavity, the first transmission line is installed in the first cavity, and the second transmission line is installed in the second cavity.

[0026] In some embodiments, the output of the first transmission line feeds a first polarization of the radiating element without the aid of a cable, and the output of the second transmission line feeds a second polarization of the radiating element without the aid of a cable.

[0027] In some embodiments, at least one output end of the first transmission line and at least one output end of the second transmission line are provided with a corresponding second protruding extension, which protrudes and extends from a partition wall between the first cavity and the second cavity.

[0028] In some embodiments, the output end of the first transmission line and the output end of the second transmission line each have a separate second protruding extension.

[0029] In some embodiments, an opening and a joining wall are provided on the housing. The joining wall at least partially surrounds the opening and extends outward in a direction perpendicular to the opening.

[0030] In some embodiments, the joining wall is configured to be welded to an outer conductor of a cable, and an inner conductor of the cable can pass through the opening, extend into the cavity, and be welded to an input end of the transmission line.

[0031] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cavity phase shifter, comprising: a shell having at least one cavity, the shell being provided with a first protruding extension; a first printed circuit board installed in the cavity, the first printed circuit board having a transmission line thereon and an extension extending to the outside of the cavity through a first slot on the shell, wherein the transmission line is provided with an input end and an output end, the input end extending to the extension portion; a movable element installed in the cavity, the movement of the movable element being configured to adjust the phase shift experienced by a radio frequency signal during transmission between the input end and the output end of the transmission line, wherein the input end of the transmission line is configured to be welded to an inner conductor of a cable.

[0032] In some embodiments, a first slot is provided on the shell, the input end of the first transmission line extends from the first slot or the inner conductor of the cable can pass through the first slot and extend into the first cavity, and the input end is configured to be welded to the inner conductor of the cable.

[0033] In some embodiments, the housing has a first protruding extension configured for electrical connection to an outer conductor of a cable.

[0034] In some embodiments, a second slot is provided on the shell, and an output end of the first transmission line extends out from the second slot, and the output end is configured to be welded to the transmission line on the feeding board of the radiation element.

[0035] In some embodiments, the output end of the first transmission line extends from inside the first cavity through the reflector and the feed board of the radiating element.

[0036] In some embodiments, the housing has a second protruding extension portion, and the second protruding extension portion is configured to be soldered to a pad on a feed board of the radiation element, and the pad is electrically connected to a ground metal layer of the feed board.

[0037] In some embodiments, the shell also includes a second cavity, and the second cavity and the first cavity are separated from each other by a partition wall, wherein a second transmission line is installed in the second cavity, wherein the second transmission line is provided with an input end and an output end, wherein the output end of the second transmission line is configured to be welded to a transmission line on a feeding board for a radiating element.

[0038] In some embodiments, the output of the first transmission line feeds a first polarization of at least one radiating element without the aid of a cable, and the output of the second transmission line feeds a second polarization of the radiating element without the aid of a cable.

[0039] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a base station antenna, comprising a phase shifter, a reflector, a feed board and a radiating element, wherein the phase shifter has a metal shell defining a cavity, and the radiating element is mounted on the feed board, and is characterized in that the phase shifter has a transmission line, the transmission line is provided with an input end and an output end, wherein the output end of the transmission line extends outside the metal shell and is electrically connected to other transmission lines outside the phase shifter without the aid of a cable.

[0040] In some embodiments, the phase shifter includes a printed circuit board, the transmission line is configured as a printed trace on the printed circuit board, and the printed circuit board extends perpendicular to the feed board.

[0041] In some embodiments, the phase shifter is configured as a cavity phase shifter according to various embodiments of the present invention.

[0042] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a base station antenna, comprising: a reflector; a feeding board installed in front of the reflector; a radiating element extending forward from the feeding board; and a phase shifter installed in the rear of the reflector, characterized in that the phase shifter comprises a printed circuit board extending perpendicular to the feeding board, and the output end of the transmission line on the printed circuit board is soldered to the trace on the feeding board.

[0043] In some embodiments, the phase shifter includes a housing defining a cavity, and the output end of the transmission line extends through a slot in the housing.

[0044] In some embodiments, the output end of the transmission line further extends through a slot in the reflector. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] In the figure:

[0046] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of an antenna according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 2a shows a side view of a cavity phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 2b Show Figure 2a A partial schematic perspective view of a transmission line of a cavity phase shifter;

[0049] Figure 3a Show Figure 2a-2b A first possible implementation of the input end of the cavity phase shifter;

[0050] Figure 3b Show Figure 2a-2b A second possible implementation of the input end of the cavity phase shifter;

[0051] Figure 4 Some embodiments of the present invention are shown Figure 2a-2b A partial schematic stereoscopic diagram of a cavity phase shifter together with a feeding plate at an output end of the cavity phase shifter;

[0052] Figure 5 Show Figure 4 Top view of the diagram. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the present invention. However, it should be understood that the present invention can be presented in many different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below; in fact, the embodiments described below are intended to make the disclosure of the present invention more complete and fully illustrate the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide more additional embodiments.

[0054] In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same elements. In the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of some features may be distorted for clarity.

[0055] It should be understood that the terms used in the specification are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. All terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used in the specification have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art unless otherwise defined. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, well-known functions or structures may not be described in detail.

[0056] The singular forms "a", "the" and "the" used in the specification include the plural forms unless clearly indicated. The terms "include", "comprise" and "contain" used in the specification indicate the presence of the claimed features, but do not exclude the presence of one or more other features. The term "and / or" used in the specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items. The terms "between X and Y" and "between approximately X and Y" used in the specification should be interpreted as including X and Y. The term "between approximately X and Y" used in this specification means "between approximately X and approximately Y", and the term "from approximately X to Y" used in this specification means "from approximately X to approximately Y".

[0057] In the specification, when an element is said to be "on", "attached", "connected", "coupled", or "contacting" another element, the element may be directly on, attached, connected, coupled, or contacting another element, or there may be an intermediate element. In contrast, when an element is said to be "directly" "on", "directly attached", "directly connected", "directly coupled", or "directly contacting" another element, there will be no intermediate element. In the specification, a feature is arranged "adjacent" to another feature, which may refer to a feature having a portion that overlaps with an adjacent feature or a portion that is located above or below an adjacent feature.

[0058] In the specification, spatial relational terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "higher", "lower", etc. may describe the relationship of one feature to another feature in the drawings. It should be understood that the spatial relational terms include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation shown in the drawings. For example, when the device in the drawings is turned upside down, features previously described as being "below" other features may now be described as being "above" the other features. The device may also be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the relative spatial relationships will be interpreted accordingly.

[0059] The cavity phase shifters according to the various embodiments of the present invention can be applied to various types of base station antennas, such as beamforming antennas or multiple-input multiple-output antennas. These antennas include phase shifters, which are provided for adjusting the relative phase shifts applied to the sub-components of the RF signals, which are fed to the radiating elements of the array contained in the antenna. Typically, the output of the phase shifter is connected to a feed board via a so-called phase cable, wherein each feed board has one or more radiating elements mounted thereon. The transmission line on the feed board electrically connects the output of the phase shifter to the radiating element. However, each phase cable has an associated signal insertion loss, and these insertion losses reduce the gain of the antenna.

[0060] The cavity phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present invention can at least eliminate the cable connection between the cavity phase shifter and the feeding board, thereby reducing the insertion loss associated with the phase cable, thereby improving the gain performance of the antenna.

[0061] Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of an antenna according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0063] Figure 1 An antenna 100 is shown, which includes a reflector 210 and an antenna array 200 mounted in rows and columns on one side of the reflector 210 , and a feed network 230 on the other side of the reflector 210 .

[0064] The reflector 210 may serve as a ground plane for the antenna array 200. The reflector 210 may be formed of a conductive material such as copper, aluminum, etc., to suppress radiation of the antenna array 200 in the upper half space (ie, z>0).

[0065] The antenna array 200 may be, for example, a linear radiating element array of radiating elements or a two-dimensional radiating element array of radiating elements. Figure 1 Only four linear arrays of radiating elements are shown exemplarily and schematically. In other cases, more radiating element arrays (e.g., one or more high-band radiating element arrays, mid-band radiating element arrays, and / or low-frequency radiating element arrays) may be mounted on the reflector 210. The operating frequency band of the low-band radiating element may be, for example, 617 MHz to 960 MHz or one or more partial ranges thereof. The operating frequency band of the mid-band radiating element may be, for example, 1427 MHz to 2690 MHz or one or more partial ranges thereof. The operating frequency band of the high-band radiating element may be 3 GHz to 5 GHz or one or more partial ranges thereof. Arrays of radiating elements operating in other frequency bands (e.g., arrays of radiating elements operating in a portion of the mid-band and in a portion of the high-band) may be provided. Typically, dual-polarized radiating elements are used on modern base station antennas, which transmit and receive RF signals with two orthogonal polarizations.

[0066] The feed network 230 may include phase shifters, multiplexers (e.g., duplexers or triplexers), calibration networks, and / or one or more power dividers. The power divider is typically integrated into the phase shifter. The antenna array 200 may be fed by the feed network 230 and, for example, each array may generate a pair of antenna beams, one beam for each orthogonal polarization.

[0067] When the antenna 100 is transmitting a radio frequency (RF) signal, the feed network 230 receives the RF signal from the feed interface 2301. When there are multiple radiating element arrays, the feed network 230 can receive RF signals of multiple frequency bands at multiple feed interfaces (not shown), each of which receives an RF signal of one of the multiple frequency bands. The feed network 230 then provides the received RF signal to a corresponding one of the arrays 200.

[0068] When the antenna 100 is receiving an RF signal, the feed network 230 receives the RF signal from the antenna array 200 and transmits the RF signal to the feed interface 2301. When there are multiple radiating element arrays, the feed network 230 may have multiple feed interfaces 2301 so that the received RF signals of multiple frequency bands do not need to be combined.

[0069] Next, with the help of Figure 2a , 2b , 3a, 3b and 4 introduce in detail the cavity phase shifter 300 according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0070] Reference now Figure 2a and 2b ,in, Figure 2a shows a side view of a cavity phase shifter 300 according to some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2b Shown included in Figure 2a Schematic perspective view of a printed circuit board within the cavity phase shifter 300.

[0071] Various embodiments according to the present invention relate to a cavity phase shifter 300, which is configured as a part of the above-mentioned feed network 230, and is used to adjust the relative phase shift applied to each sub-component of the RF signal transmitted by the antenna, so as to change the electrical characteristics of the antenna beam (such as the electrical downtilt angle).

[0072] Reference Figure 2a and 2b The cavity phase shifter 300 includes a housing 310 with a cavity 380 and a transmission line 320 (which functions as a phase shifting line) installed in the cavity 380. The transmission line 320 is provided with an input end 330 and at least one (e.g., 5) output ends 340. In the current embodiment, the transmission line 320 can be configured as a metal trace printed on a printed circuit board, and the input end 330 and the output end 340 can be configured as end sections of the metal trace, especially widened end sections. In other embodiments, the transmission line 320 can also be configured as a metal inner conductor, such as in a coaxial dielectric phase shifter, and the input end 330 and the output end 340 can be configured as end sections of the metal inner conductor.

[0073] Typically, the transmission line 320 includes a single input 330 and a plurality of outputs 340. Power splitters are provided along the length of the transmission line 320 for splitting an RF signal input at the input 320 into a plurality of subcomponents that are output through respective outputs 340.

[0074] In addition, the cavity phase shifter 300 may also include a movable element, such as a movable dielectric element 350 movably mounted in the cavity 380. The movable dielectric element 350 may be configured to adjust the relative phase shift applied to the corresponding sub-components of the RF signal output through the corresponding output terminal 340 of the transmission line 320. With the sliding dielectric phase shifter design exemplarily shown in the figure, the relative phase shift is adjusted by changing the coverage area or length of the dielectric element 350 on different parts of the transmission line 320. In other phase shifter designs, the movable element can adjust the relative physical path length of each sub-component of the RF signal. There may be a pre-set transmission path between the input terminal 330 and each output terminal 340. When the antenna 100 is transmitting an RF signal, the input terminal 330 is configured to receive an RF signal from the feed interface 2301 (it should be understood that other feed network parts may also be provided between the feed interface 2301 and the cavity phase shifter 300). The RF signal is transmitted to the corresponding output terminal 340 via the corresponding transmission path. Each output end 340 is configured to be directly electrically connected, for example, welded, to a corresponding transmission line outside the cavity phase shifter 300, such as a transmission line on the feed board 500 or the feed rod 2201 of the radiation element 220. Thus, the RF signal can be sent to the radiation element 220 via other transmission lines and / or a power divider on the feed board 500. Conversely, when the antenna 100 is receiving a signal, the RF signal can be transmitted from the corresponding output end 340 to the input end 330 in reverse.

[0075] It should also be understood that Figure 2a and 2b The arrangement of the transmission lines 320 shown in FIG. 3 is only one possible case, and the number and arrangement of the transmission lines 320 may be changed as required.

[0076] In some embodiments, the cavity phase shifter 300 may include a housing 310 having a first cavity 3801 and a second cavity 3802 (see Figure 4 ), a first transmission line with an input end and an output end can be installed in the first cavity 3801, and a second transmission line with an input end and an output end can be installed in the second cavity 3802.

[0077] In some embodiments, multiple transmission lines may be arranged in the cavity. In addition, the transmission line may have one or more input ends 330 and one or more output ends 340. Each input end 330 and / or output end 340 may be arranged on different sides of the cavity phase shifter 300, respectively.

[0078] Reference now Figure 3a ,in, Figure 3a Show Figure 2a-2bA first possible implementation of the input end of a cavity phase shifter.

[0079] Reference Figure 3a The housing 310 of the cavity phase shifter 300 has a window or a slot (hereinafter referred to as the first slot 3301) at the location where the input end 330 is to be arranged. In the current embodiment, the first slot 3301 is arranged on the lower wall portion of the housing 310 of the cavity phase shifter 300. In other embodiments, the first slot 3301 may also be arranged at other suitable locations of the housing 310.

[0080] The printed circuit board on which the transmission line 320 is printed has a protruding portion 360. The input end 330 of the transmission line 320 can extend to the protruding portion 360. The protruding portion 360 extends to the outside of the cavity 380 through the first slot 3301, so that the input end 330 at least partially extends to the outside of the housing 310. The housing 310 of the cavity phase shifter 300 can also have, for example, an integrally formed protruding extension portion 3101 (hereinafter referred to as a first protruding extension portion), which matches the input end 330 of the transmission line 320 to achieve transmission of the RF signal on the input end 330 of the transmission line 320. The first protruding extension portion 3101 can be arranged adjacent to the input end 330, for example, arranged substantially parallel to the side of the input end 330.

[0081] A cable 400 is connected to the input end 330 of the cavity phase shifter 300, and the cable 400, for example, sends an RF signal from an upstream to the cavity phase shifter 300 or receives an RF signal from the cavity phase shifter 300. In order to achieve an effective connection between the cable 400 and the cavity phase shifter 300, the insulating sheath 410 (i.e., the cable sheath) at the end of the cable 400 is stripped off, thereby exposing the outer conductor 420. The outer conductor 420 of the cable 400 is surrounded by an insulating dielectric layer, and the insulating dielectric layer surrounds the inner conductor 430. The outer section of the exposed outer conductor 420 is stripped off together with the corresponding insulating dielectric layer, thereby exposing the inner conductor 430. The exposed inner conductor 430 of the cable 400 is configured to be electrically connected to the input end 330 of the cavity phase shifter 300, for example, by welding ( Figure 3a The exposed outer conductor 420 is configured to be electrically connected to the first protruding extension 3101 of the cavity phase shifter 300, for example, by welding ( Figure 3a, the solder joint A2 is schematically shown in FIG. 1 ). Thus, the first protruding extension 3101 of the cavity phase shifter 300 and then the housing 310 can be configured as a ground plane to achieve effective transmission of the radio frequency signal in the cavity. This connection mode between the cable 400 and the input end 330 of the cavity phase shifter 300 is advantageous: the connection between the cable 400 and the input end 330 can be advantageously performed outside the cavity phase shifter 300, thereby simplifying the manufacturing and improving the efficiency. In addition, the inner conductor 430 of the cable 400 does not need to be bent, thereby avoiding the parasitic inductance of the inner conductor 430 due to bending. It should be understood that the parasitic inductance may make the impedance matching between the cable 400 and the input end 330 of the cavity phase shifter 300 more difficult and may therefore increase the return loss, and the influence of the parasitic inductance may be significant, especially when the operating frequency band of the antenna system is high.

[0082] Reference now Figure 3b ,in, Figure 3b An optional implementation of the cavity phase shifter 300 at the input end 330 according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0083] Reference Figure 3b , the shell 310 of the cavity phase shifter 300 is provided with an opening, such as a circular groove 3301', at the place where the input end 330 should be set. A roughly cylindrical joining wall 390 may be provided around the circular groove 3301', and the joining wall 390 may be formed integrally with the shell 310. In other embodiments, the joining wall 390 may also be constituted as an independent component with the shell 310, for example, connected to each other by welding or interference fit. The joining wall 390 is used to join the corresponding cable 400 in a manner perpendicular to the circular groove 3301'. The exposed outer conductor 420 of the cable 400 can be welded to the inner side of the joining wall 390. In addition, the inner conductor (not shown), or together with the insulating dielectric layer can pass through the circular groove 3301', and the inner conductor of the cable 400 can enter the interior of the cavity phase shifter 300, that is, the cavity 380, and be welded to the input end of the transmission line. In addition, from Figure 3b It can be seen in the figure that a reduced thickness portion 3901 is provided on the joint wall 390 , and a clamping member (not shown) can be arranged on the reduced thickness portion 3901 to further fix the cable 400 and protect the welding point.

[0084] This connection method of the cable 400 and the cavity phase shifter 300 can also have several advantages. The exposed inner conductor 430 of the cable 400 can be inside the joint wall 390 without being exposed to the environment, thereby reducing radiation loss. Secondly, the inner conductor 430 extends inside the joint wall 390 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the cavity phase shifter 300, so there is no need to bend the inner conductor 430, thereby reducing return loss. In addition, the joint wall 390 is joined to the outer conductor 420 on the side (i.e., surface joint rather than point joint or line joint), thereby improving the accuracy and consistency of the electrical connection.

[0085] It should be understood that Figure 3a and 3b The connection method shown in the figure is only a possible case, and the specific connection method can also be changed as needed.

[0086] According to the cavity phase shifter 300 of various embodiments of the present invention, the output end 340 of the transmission line 320 of the cavity phase shifter 300 can send RF signals to other transmission lines outside the cavity 380 or receive RF signals from the other transmission lines without the aid of cables. Figure 4 and 5 ,in, Figure 4 A partial schematic stereoscopic diagram showing a cavity phase shifter 300 together with a feeding plate 500 at an output end 340 of the cavity phase shifter 300 according to some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 5 Show Figure 4 Top view of the diagram.

[0087] Reference Figure 4 The cavity phase shifter 300 includes a housing 310 having two cavities 380 (a first cavity 3801 and a second cavity 3802, respectively). The first cavity 3801 and the second cavity 3802 are separated, for example, by a partition wall 3103. A first transmission line together with a movable first dielectric element (not shown) can be installed in the first cavity 3801, and a second transmission line together with a movable second dielectric element (not shown) can be installed in the second cavity 3802. The output end of each first transmission line can feed each sub-component of the RF signal with the first polarization to a corresponding radiating element (or radiating element group) without the aid of a cable, and the output end of each second transmission line can feed each sub-component of the RF signal with the second polarization to a corresponding radiating element (or radiating element group) without the aid of a cable.

[0088] The cavity phase shifter 300 has a window or a slot (one example is hereinafter referred to as the second slot) at the output end 340 of the transmission line 320. In the current embodiment, the second slot is arranged on the upper wall portion of the housing 310 of the cavity phase shifter 300. In other embodiments, the second slot may also be arranged at other suitable positions of the housing 310. The printed circuit board printed with the transmission line 320 may be provided with an extension portion 370 with the output end 340 of the transmission line 320. The extension portion 370 extends to the outside of the cavity 380 through the second slot so that the output end 340 can be directly electrically connected (for example, welded) to the outside. The housing 310 of the cavity phase shifter 300 also has, for example, an integrally formed protruding extension portion 3102 (hereinafter referred to as the second protruding extension portion), which matches the output end 340 of the transmission line 320 to achieve the transmission of the RF signal at the output end 340 of the transmission line 320. The second protruding extension 3102 may be arranged adjacent to the output end 340, for example, arranged substantially parallel to the side of the output end 330. In the current embodiment, the second protruding extension 3102 may be configured as a protruding extension of the partition wall 3103 between the first cavity 3801 and the second cavity 3802. Thus, the output end 340 of the transmission line 320 in the first cavity 3801 and the output end 340 of the transmission line 320 in the second cavity 3802 may share a second protruding extension 3102 as a ground plane, which is conducive to compact circuit layout.

[0089] In order to feed the radiating element 220 without the aid of a cable, the output end 340 or the extension 370 of the transmission line 320 can extend from the inside of the cavity 380, for example, vertically upward (in the z direction), through a reflector (not shown) and a feeding board 500. Similarly, the second protruding extension 3102 can also extend vertically upward, for example, through a reflector (not shown) and a feeding board 500. For this purpose, see Figure 5, a third slot 510 for each output terminal 340 and a fourth slot 520 for each second protruding extension 3102 are provided on the feed board 500. Correspondingly, a slot matching the third slot 510 and the fourth slot 520 should also be provided on the reflector. Thus, each output terminal 340 can reach the printed metal pattern on the feed board 500 and be configured to be electrically connected to, for example, welded to, a connection location A3 set on the transmission line 530. The second protruding extension 3102 can reach the printed metal pattern on the feed board 500 and be configured to be welded to a set pad 540, and the pad 540 is electrically connected to the ground metal layer of the feed board 500 via a metallized hole. Therefore, the RF signal from the feed interface 2301 can be transmitted to the transmission line 530 on the feed board 500 without the aid of a cable after phase processing in the cavity phase shifter 300 as described above, and the transmission line 530 can feed the RF signal to one or more radiation elements 220. The connection between the cavity phase shifter 300 and the feed board 500 without the aid of cables is advantageous because the cable-related insertion loss of the antenna is reduced, thereby improving the gain of the antenna.

[0090] It should also be understood that Figure 4 and 5 The arrangement shown in is only one possible case, and the arrangement can also be changed as needed.

[0091] In some embodiments, each output end 340 may be configured to be electrically connected to a transmission line on the feeding rod 2201 of the radiation element 220 , for example, by welding.

[0092] In some embodiments, the output end 340 is configured to be directly electrically connected to other transmission lines outside the cavity phase shifter 300 , such as the transmission line on the feeding board 500 or the feeding rod 2201 of the radiation element 220 , via a probe or other conductive elements.

[0093] In some embodiments, the output ends 340 of the transmission lines 320 in the first cavity 3801 and the second cavity 3802 may also be respectively assigned to a separate protruding extension.

[0094] Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure in essence. Therefore, all changes and modifications are included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. The present disclosure is defined by the appended claims, and the equivalents of these claims are also included.

Claims

1. A cavity phase shifter, characterized in that: The cavity phase shifter comprises: a housing having at least one cavity, the housing being provided with a first protruding extension; A first printed circuit board installed in the cavity, the first printed circuit board having a transmission line thereon and an extension portion extending to the outside of the cavity through a first slot on the housing, wherein the transmission line is provided with an input end and an output end, and the input end extends to the extension portion; A movable element mounted in the cavity, wherein the movement of the movable element is configured to adjust the phase shift experienced by the radio frequency signal during transmission between the input end and the output end of the transmission line, Wherein, the input end of the transmission line is configured to be electrically connected to the inner conductor of the coaxial cable.

2. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission line is configured as a track on a first printed circuit board.

3. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first protruding extension is arranged adjacent to an input end of the transmission line.

4. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A second slot is provided on the shell, and the output end of the transmission line passes through the second slot and extends out of the cavity.

5. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 4, characterized in that: The output end of the transmission line extends through the second slot, the reflector and the feed plate.

6. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 5, characterized in that: The output end is configured to be electrically connected to a transmission line on a feed board.

7. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 6, characterized in that: The output end is configured to be welded to a transmission line on a feed board.

8. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 4, characterized in that: The output end is configured to be electrically connected to a transmission line on a feeding rod of the radiating element.

9. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 8, characterized in that: The output end is configured to be welded to a transmission line on a feeding rod of a radiation element.

10. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The housing has a second protruding extension portion, and the second protruding extension portion is configured to be soldered to a pad on a feed board of the radiation element, and the pad is electrically connected to a ground metal layer on the feed board.

11. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 10, characterized in that: The transmission line is provided with a plurality of output ends, and each output end has a corresponding second protruding extension portion.

12. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 11, characterized in that: Each output end is arranged parallel to each other with respect to the corresponding second protruding extension outside the cavity.

13. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The at least one cavity includes a first cavity and a second cavity, a first transmission line is installed in the first cavity, and a second transmission line is installed in the second cavity.

14. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 13, characterized in that: The output of the first transmission line feeds a first polarization of the radiating element without the aid of a cable, and the output of the second transmission line feeds a second polarization of the radiating element without the aid of a cable.

15. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 13, characterized in that: At least one output end of the first transmission line and at least one output end of the second transmission line have a corresponding second protruding extension, which protrudes and extends from the partition wall between the first cavity and the second cavity.

16. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 15, characterized in that: The output end of the first transmission line and the output end of the second transmission line each have a separate corresponding second protruding extension.

17. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The housing is provided with an opening and a connecting wall, wherein the connecting wall at least partially surrounds the opening and extends outward in a direction perpendicular to the opening.

18. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 17, characterized in that: The joint wall is configured to be welded to the outer conductor of the cable, and the inner conductor of the cable can pass through the opening and extend into the cavity to be welded to the input end of the transmission line.

19. A cavity phase shifter, characterized in that: The cavity phase shifter comprises: a housing having at least one cavity, the housing being provided with a first protruding extension; A first printed circuit board installed in the cavity, the first printed circuit board having a transmission line thereon and an extension portion extending to the outside of the cavity through a first slot on the housing, wherein the transmission line is provided with an input end and an output end, and the input end extends to the extension portion; A movable element mounted in the cavity, wherein the movement of the movable element is configured to adjust the phase shift experienced by the radio frequency signal in transmission between the input end and the output end of the transmission line, Wherein, the input end of the transmission line is configured to be welded to the inner conductor of the cable.

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