Leaky-wave antenna and communication equipment

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a leaky-wave antenna and communication equipment, and aims to improve the communication performance of the leaky-wave antenna. According to the leaky-wave antenna provided by the invention, a waveguide structure comprises a plurality of transmission channels, a plurality of gaps are formed in a grounding layer in an array manner, each row of gaps corresponds to one transmission channel, a plurality of radiators are provided, and each radiator corresponds to one gap; the number of the variable impedors is multiple, each variable impedor corresponds to one gap and is located on the side, facing the transmission channel, of the gap, one end of each variable impedor is grounded, and the other end of each variable impedor is connected with one bias line. The variable impedor connected with the bias line can be controlled through the bias line so as to control the radiator corresponding to the variable impedor to emit signals outwards; and each variable impedor is connected with one bias line, so that each radiator can be independently controlled, the beam formed by each transmission channel can be independently controlled, and the communication performance of the leaky-wave antenna is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication technology, and specifically to a leaky wave antenna and communication equipment. Background Art

[0002] The leaky wave antenna includes a waveguide, a radiator and a PIN diode. There are multiple waveguides, each of which has a transmission channel. The transmission channels are arranged in parallel and at intervals. Each transmission channel is provided with multiple slots at intervals along the direction of signal transmission, that is, each slot array is arranged; there are multiple radiators, multiple radiators are arranged in an array, and each radiator corresponds to a slot; a PIN diode is arranged between each slot and the transmission channel, and each PIN diode array is arranged, one end of each PIN diode is grounded, and each PIN diode corresponding to each transmission channel is located in the same row, and the other end of the PIN diodes in the same column is connected by the same bias line. When working, the signal in the transmission channel is coupled to the corresponding radiator through the slot, so that the radiator emits a signal outward; the state of the PIN diodes in the same column can be controlled by the bias line, and then the signal can be controlled to pass through the corresponding slot. However, the other end of the PIN diodes in the same column is connected by the same bias line, and the beam formed by each waveguide is the same, which makes the communication performance of the leaky wave antenna poor. Summary of the invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present application provide a leaky wave antenna and a communication device, aiming to improve the communication performance of the leaky wave antenna.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0005] On the one hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a leaky wave antenna, including a waveguide structure, a ground layer, a radiator, and a variable impedance device. The waveguide structure includes multiple transmission channels, and each transmission channel is arranged in parallel and at intervals. A plurality of slots are arranged in an array on the ground layer, and each row of slots corresponds to a transmission channel. There are multiple radiators, each radiator corresponds to a slot and is located on the side of the slot away from the transmission channel. There are multiple variable impedance devices, each variable impedance device corresponds to a slot and is located on the side of the slot facing the transmission channel. One end of each variable impedance device is grounded, and the other end of each variable impedance device is connected to a bias line.

[0006] The leaky wave antenna provided by the present application, the waveguide structure includes a plurality of transmission channels, the transmission channels are arranged in parallel and at intervals, a plurality of slots are arranged in an array on the grounding layer, each row of slots corresponds to a transmission channel, the radiators are multiple, each radiator corresponds to a slot and is located on the side of the slot away from the transmission channel; the variable impedance devices are multiple, each variable impedance device corresponds to a slot and is located on the side of the slot facing the transmission channel, one end of each variable impedance device is grounded, and the other end of each variable impedance device is connected to a bias line. The variable impedance device connected to the bias line can be controlled through the bias line to control the radiator corresponding to the variable impedance device to emit signals outward; and each variable impedance device is connected to a bias line, so that the individual control of each radiator can be realized, and then the beam formed by each transmission channel can be individually controlled, improving the communication performance of the leaky wave antenna.

[0007] In some embodiments, the leaky wave antenna further includes a first conductive layer, the first conductive layer is arranged parallel and at intervals with the grounding layer, and the first conductive layer is located on the side of the grounding layer facing the transmission channel; the first conductive layer includes a plurality of pads and each bias line, each pad is grounded, and one end of each variable impedance device is connected to a pad.

[0008] Through the above arrangement, one end of the variable impedance device is grounded through the pad, and the other end is connected to a bias line, realizing that each variable impedance device can be controlled to be turned off or on through each bias line, and individually controlling whether the corresponding radiator emits signals outward.

[0009] In some embodiments, a first conductive structure is arranged between each pad and the grounding layer, and the pad is connected to the grounding layer through the first conductive structure.

[0010] Through the above arrangement, since both the pad in the grounding layer and the first conductive layer need to be grounded, after the first conductive structure connects the pad and the grounding layer, only the pad needs to be grounded or the grounding layer needs to be grounded, so that the grounding layer and the pad can be grounded at the same time, reducing the number of grounding lines of the leaky wave antenna and reducing the difficulty of manufacturing the grounding lines of the leaky wave antenna.

[0011] In some embodiments, the leaky wave antenna further includes a second conductive layer, the second conductive layer is arranged parallel and at intervals with the grounding layer, and the second conductive layer is located on the side of the grounding layer away from the first conductive layer, the second conductive layer includes a plurality of first wires arranged at intervals, and each first wire is connected to a bias line.

[0012] With the above settings, each bias line is connected to the corresponding first conductor. Energizing the first conductor is equivalent to energizing the bias line connected thereto, thereby enabling the bias line to provide voltage to the variable impedance device. Also, since the second conductive layer is located on the side of the ground layer away from the first conductive layer, that is, the first conductor and the bias line are not on the same layer, the layout of the first conductor is flexible, which can prevent adjacent first conductors from being connected to each other, and further prevent adjacent bias lines from being connected to each other.

[0013] In some embodiments, a second conductive structure is provided between each first conductor and the corresponding bias line, and the first conductor is connected to the corresponding bias line through the second conductive structure.

[0014] With the above settings, since the first conductor and the bias line are not on the same layer, one end of the second conductive structure is connected to the first conductor, and the other end of the second conductive structure is connected to the corresponding bias line, realizing the connection between the first conductor and the corresponding bias line.

[0015] In some embodiments, a first avoidance hole is provided on the ground layer, and the second conductive structure passes through the first avoidance hole.

[0016] With the above settings, since the ground layer needs to be grounded and the second conductive structure passes through the first avoidance hole, the second conductive structure is insulated from the ground layer, preventing leakage between the second conductive structure and the ground layer, which may cause the corresponding bias line to fail.

[0017] In some embodiments, the leaky wave antenna further includes a third conductive layer, which is arranged parallel and spaced from the ground layer, and the third conductive layer is located between the second conductive layer and the ground layer; the third conductive layer includes a plurality of second conductors arranged at intervals, each second conductor is connected to a bias line, several bias lines are connected to the second conductors, and the remaining bias lines are connected to the first conductors.

[0018] With the above settings, a bias line is connected to the corresponding second conductor. Energizing the second conductor is equivalent to energizing the bias line connected thereto, thereby enabling the bias line to provide voltage to the variable impedance device. Also, since the third conductive layer is located between the second conductive layer and the ground layer, that is, the second conductor and the bias line are not on the same layer, the layout of the second conductor is flexible, which can prevent adjacent second conductors from being connected to each other, and further prevent the corresponding adjacent bias lines from being connected to each other. At the same time, since several bias lines are connected to the second conductors and the remaining bias lines are connected to the first conductors, and the third conductive layer and the second conductive layer are not on the same layer, compared with the embodiment where the leaky wave antenna only includes the second conductive layer, the third conductive layer can connect other bias lines, increasing the number of radiators that the leaky wave antenna can set, facilitating the expansion of the leaky wave antenna in the row direction or the column direction.

[0019] In some embodiments, a third conductive structure is provided between each second wire and the corresponding bias line, and the second wire is connected to the corresponding bias line through the third conductive structure.

[0020] With the above arrangement, since the second wire and the bias line are not on the same layer, one end of the third conductive structure is connected to the second wire, and the other end of the third conductive structure is linked to the corresponding bias line, realizing the connection between the second wire and the corresponding bias line.

[0021] In some embodiments, a second avoidance hole is provided on the ground layer, and the third conductive structure passes through the second avoidance hole.

[0022] With the above arrangement, since the ground layer needs to be grounded and the third conductive structure passes through the second avoidance hole, the third conductive structure is insulated from the ground layer, avoiding leakage between the third conductive structure and the ground layer, which may cause the corresponding bias line to fail.

[0023] In some embodiments, the leaky wave antenna further includes a plurality of pins, each pin is connected to a bias line, and the central axis of the pin is perpendicular to the ground layer.

[0024] With the above arrangement, each bias line is connected to the corresponding pin, so energizing the pin is equivalent to energizing the bias line connected thereto. Furthermore, the voltage provided by the bias line to the variable impedance device is realized. Also, since the central axis of the pin is perpendicular to the ground layer, the extraction of the bias line in the row direction or the column direction is avoided, which can reduce the size of the leaky wave antenna in the row direction or the column direction, facilitating the increase in the number of radiators in the row direction or the column direction of the leaky wave antenna.

[0025] In some embodiments, the leaky wave antenna further includes a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer, and a plurality of jacks arranged in an array. The first dielectric layer is stacked between the ground layer and the variable impedance device; the second dielectric layer is stacked between the ground layer and the radiator; each jack penetrates through the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer, and each pin is inserted into a jack; a conductive side wall is provided on the inner wall of the jack, and the conductive side wall is connected to the corresponding bias line.

[0026] With the above arrangement, each pin is inserted into the corresponding jack, and the connection with the corresponding bias line is realized through the conductive side wall of the jack.

[0027] In some embodiments, the projection of a row of pins corresponding to a row of slots on the waveguide structure is located between adjacent transmission channels.

[0028] With the above arrangement, the pins located between adjacent transmission channels can avoid the pins from affecting the transmission of electromagnetic waves in the transmission channels.

[0029] In some embodiments, the leaky-wave antenna further includes a power divider, the power divider includes an input end and a plurality of output ends, and each output end is connected to the input end; each output end is configured to send a signal to a transmission channel.

[0030] Through the above settings, electromagnetic waves with the same amplitude and the same phase can be output from all output ends, so that the amplitudes and phases of the electromagnetic waves transmitted in each transmission channel are the same.

[0031] In some embodiments, there are two power dividers, one power divider is arranged at one end of the transmission channel, and the other power divider is arranged at the other end of the transmission channel.

[0032] Through the above settings, the power divider located at one end of the transmission channel is used to input electromagnetic waves into the transmission channel, and the power divider located at the other end of the transmission channel is used to integrate the electromagnetic waves transmitted out of the transmission channel and discharge them into the air.

[0033] In some embodiments, the waveguide structure includes a bottom plate and a plurality of columns arranged on the bottom plate. The plurality of columns are arranged in an array, and a transmission channel is formed between adjacent rows of columns.

[0034] Through the above settings, the adjacent rows of columns forming the transmission channel can prevent the electromagnetic waves in the transmission channel from propagating to other transmission channels, prevent the electromagnetic waves in adjacent transmission channels from interfering with each other, and reduce the loss generated when the electromagnetic waves are transmitted in the transmission channel.

[0035] In some embodiments, the waveguide structure further includes a plurality of first ridge structures. The plurality of first ridge structures are located in the transmission channel and extend along the signal transmission direction.

[0036] Through the above settings, setting the first ridge structure in the transmission channel is equivalent to moving the ground plane into the transmission channel, restricting the electric field in the transmission channel, increasing the capacitance of the transmission channel, reducing the cut-off frequency of the waveguide structure, and reducing the frequency of the electromagnetic waves transmitted in the transmission channel to make them slow waves.

[0037] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device. The communication device includes a radio frequency unit and the above-mentioned leaky-wave antenna, and the radio frequency unit is used to send a radio frequency signal to the leaky-wave antenna.

[0038] It can be understood that for the communication device provided by the above embodiments of the present application, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can refer to the beneficial effects of the leaky-wave antenna in the above text, which will not be elaborated here. Description of the Drawings

[0039] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for some embodiments of this application. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only the drawings of some embodiments of this application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings. In addition, the drawings in the following description can be regarded as schematic diagrams, and are not limitations on the actual dimensions of the products involved in the embodiments of this application, the actual processes of the methods, the actual timings of the signals, etc.

[0040] Figure 1 Schematic connection diagram of the communication device in the embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 2 Axonometric view of the leaky wave antenna in the embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 3 Schematic structural diagram of the waveguide structure in the embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 4 Cross-sectional schematic diagram of the waveguide structure in the embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 5 Schematic structural diagram of the waveguide structure in the embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 6 Schematic structure of the leaky wave antenna in the embodiment of this application Figure 1 ;

[0046] Figure 7 Schematic structure of the leaky wave antenna in the embodiment of this application Figure 2 ;

[0047] Figure 8 Schematic structure of the leaky wave antenna in the embodiment of this application Figure 3 ;

[0048] Figure 9 Amplitude curve diagram of the electromagnetic wave radiated by the radiator when the PIN diode is turned off or on at different frequencies of the electromagnetic wave in the embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the scheme for controlling the radiators arranged in an array in the embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 11 In the embodiment of this application corresponding Figure 10 Beam pattern formed by the scheme in;

[0051] Figure 12 Schematic structural diagram of the second conductive layer in the embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 13Schematic diagram of the connection between the first wire and the radiator in the embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 14 Schematic structure of the leaky wave antenna in the embodiment of the present application Figure 4 ;

[0054] Figure 15 Schematic structure of the leaky wave antenna in the embodiment of the present application Figure 5 ;

[0055] Figure 16 Schematic diagram of the structure of the third conductive layer in the embodiment of the present application;

[0056] Figure 17 Schematic structure of the leaky wave antenna in the embodiment of the present application Figure 6 ;

[0057] Figure 18 Schematic structure of the leaky wave antenna in the embodiment of the present application Figure 7 ;

[0058] Figure 19 Position relationship diagram between the radiator and the pin in the embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Figure 20 Position relationship diagram between the pin and the transmission channel in the embodiment of the present application;

[0060] Figure 21 Schematic diagram of the structure of the power divider in the embodiment of the present application;

[0061] Figure 22 Phase curve diagram of the electromagnetic waves output by each output end of the power divider at different frequencies of the electromagnetic waves in the embodiment of the present application;

[0062] Figure 23This is a graph showing the reflection coefficients of the electromagnetic waves output from each output terminal of the power divider at different frequencies in the embodiments of the present application. Explanation of the reference numerals: 1. Communication device; 2. Indoor baseband processing unit; 3. Radio frequency unit; 4. Leaky wave antenna; 5. Waveguide structure; 6. Ground layer; 7. Radiator; 8. Bottom plate; 9. Cylinder; 10. Transmission channel; 11. First ridge structure; 12. Gap; 13. First radiator; 14. Second radiator; 15. Variable impedance device; 16. Bias line; 17. PIN diode; 18. First dielectric layer; 19. Second dielectric layer; 20. First prepreg; 21. First conductive layer; 22. Pad; 23. First conductive structure; 24. Second conductive layer; 25. First wire; 26. Second conductive structure; 27. Third dielectric layer; 28. Second prepreg; 29. First avoidance hole; 30. Third conductive layer; 31. Second wire; 32. Third conductive structure; 33. Second avoidance hole; 34. Pin; 35. Jack; 36. Conductive side wall; 37. Waveguide sub-structure; 38. First cylinder; 39. Second cylinder; 40. Third avoidance hole; 41. Power divider; 42. Input terminal; 43. Output terminal; 44. Input channel; 45. Second ridge structure. Detailed implementation manners

[0063] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Apparently, the described embodiments are some but not all of the embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0064] Hereinafter, terms such as "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first", "second", etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features.

[0065] In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, orientation terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "horizontal" and "vertical" are defined with respect to the orientation of the components shown in the drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts, which are used for relative description and clarification and may change accordingly with the change of the orientation of the components placed in the drawings.

[0066] In the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the term "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral one; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium.

[0067] Please refer to Figure 1 In the embodiments of the present application, a communication device 1 is provided. The communication device 1 may include a communication base station, an electronic device, etc. In an implementation where the communication device 1 includes a communication base station, the communication device 1 may include a BBU (Building Baseband Unit, indoor baseband processing unit 2), an RRU (Radio Remote Unit, radio remote unit (referred to as radio frequency unit 3 in the embodiments of the present application)), and a leaky wave antenna 4. One end of the radio frequency unit 3 is connected to the indoor baseband processing unit 2, and the other end of the radio frequency unit 3 is connected to the leaky wave antenna 4. Among them, the indoor baseband processing unit 2 is used to complete channel encoding and decoding, modulation and demodulation of baseband signals, and protocol processing, including generating control instructions and generating radio frequency signals; the leaky wave antenna 4 is used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals; the radio frequency unit 3 is used to send control instructions and radio frequency signals to the leaky wave antenna 4, and is also used to transmit the radio frequency signals received by the leaky wave antenna 4 to the indoor baseband processing unit 2. The leaky wave antenna 4 in the embodiments of the present application should be understood as being used in conjunction with the radio frequency unit 3. The leaky wave antenna 4 transmits the radio frequency signals sent by the radio frequency unit 3 into the air in the form of wireless signals. The leaky wave antenna 4 may include an electrically tunable antenna, a mechanical antenna, etc.

[0068] It can be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the information interaction (including antenna control instructions, transmission operation results, etc.) between the radio frequency unit 3 and the leaky wave antenna 4 is carried out through a radio frequency coaxial cable. In an implementation where the communication device 1 includes an electronic device, the electronic device may include a housing, a radio frequency unit 3, and a leaky wave antenna 4. Both the leaky wave antenna 4 and the radio frequency unit 3 are arranged in the housing. The electronic device may further include a controller, which is also arranged in the housing and is electrically connected to the leaky wave antenna 4 and the radio frequency unit 3.

[0069] In the above implementation, the electronic device may include a wireless router or a mobile phone, etc. In an implementation where the electronic device includes a wireless router, the leaky wave antenna 4 may include a WIFI (Wireless-Fidelity) antenna; in an implementation where the electronic device includes a mobile phone, the leaky wave antenna 4 may include a main set antenna or a diversity antenna or both a main set antenna and a diversity antenna. Among them, the main set antenna is responsible for signal transmission and reception, and the diversity antenna is only responsible for receiving signals and not for transmitting signals. In an implementation where the leaky wave antenna 4 includes both a main set antenna and a diversity antenna, the signals received by the main set antenna and the diversity antenna may be combined to improve the reception effect of the leaky wave antenna 4.

[0070] Please refer to Figure 2 In the embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned leaky wave antenna 4 may include a waveguide structure 5, a ground layer 6 (such as Figure 6as shown), and a radiator 7. Among them, the waveguide structure 5 may include a slot gap waveguide, a ridge gap waveguide, etc. In the embodiments of the present application, the waveguide structure 5 is used to receive radio frequency signals (that is, used to receive electromagnetic waves), and couple the signals to the radiator 7, so that the radiator 7 emits signals outward. Please refer to Figure 3 , the waveguide structure 5 may include a bottom plate 8 and a plurality of columns 9 arranged on the bottom plate 8. The plurality of columns 9 are arranged in an array, and a transmission channel 10 is formed between adjacent two rows of columns 9 ( Figure 3 in Figure 3 , the x direction is the column direction of the columns, and the y direction is the row direction of the columns). Then the waveguide structure 5 may include a plurality of transmission channels 10. Each transmission channel 10 is arranged in parallel and at intervals. The extending direction of the transmission channel 10 is parallel to the row direction of the column 9 array. The signals received by the waveguide structure 5 are transmitted in the extending direction of the transmission channel 10 in each transmission channel 10. In the transmission channel 10, the main mode of electromagnetic wave propagation is the TE10 mode (where the TE mode is the transverse electric mode, that is, the transverse electric mode). The above bottom plate 8 and columns 9 may both be made of metal materials. Through the above settings, the adjacent two rows of columns 9 forming the transmission channel 10 can prevent the electromagnetic waves in the transmission channel 10 from propagating to other transmission channels 10, prevent the electromagnetic waves in adjacent transmission channels 10 from interfering with each other, and reduce the loss generated when the electromagnetic waves are transmitted in the transmission channel 10. Please refer to Figure 4 , exemplarily, the center line of the column 9 may be perpendicular to the bottom plate 8, and the height of the column 9 (the length along the direction parallel to the center line) may be 2 mm - 6 mm (such as 2 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm, etc.); please refer to Figure 5 , the projection of the column 9 on the bottom plate 8 may be a regular shape such as a circle, a rectangle, etc. Of course, the projection may also be other irregular shapes. In the implementation where the projection is a rectangle, the side length of the rectangle may be 0.6 mm - 1 mm. For example, the rectangle may be a square with a side length of 0.8 mm * 0.8 mm; in the row direction, the distance between the center lines of adjacent two columns 9 may be 2 mm - 6 mm (such as 2 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm, etc.); in the column direction, the distance between adjacent two columns 9 may be 6.8 mm - 8 mm (such as 6.8 mm, 7.4 mm, 8 mm).

[0071] It can be understood that the signals transmitted in each transmission channel 10 may be co-frequency signals or different-frequency signals, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0072] Continue to refer to Figure 3 , in the above embodiments, the waveguide structure 5 may further include a plurality of first ridge structures 11. The plurality of first ridge structures 11 are located in the transmission channel 10. One first ridge structure 11 is provided in each transmission channel 10, and the first ridge structure 11 extends along the signal transmission direction. Among them, the first ridge structure 11 is provided on the bottom plate 8. Refer toFigure 4 , on the side of the first ridge structure 11 away from the bottom plate 8, it is closer to the bottom plate 8 than the end of the column 9 away from the bottom plate 8, that is, the height of the first ridge structure 11 is less than the height of the column 9. With the above arrangement, setting the first ridge structure 11 in the transmission channel 10 is equivalent to moving the ground plane into the transmission channel 10, restricting the electric field in the transmission channel 10, increasing the capacitance of the transmission channel 10, and reducing the cut-off frequency of the waveguide structure 5. It can be understood that when the signal frequency is higher than the cut-off frequency, the signal can pass through; when the signal frequency is lower than the cut-off frequency, the signal output will be greatly attenuated. Therefore, after the first ridge structure 11 reduces the cut-off frequency of the waveguide structure 5, it can reduce the frequency of the electromagnetic wave transmitted in the transmission channel 10 to make it a slow wave. Continue to refer to Figure 4 , exemplarily, the length of the first ridge structure 11 in the row direction can be approximately equal to the length of the transmission channel 10; the width of the first ridge structure 11 in the column direction can be 2.3 mm - 2.7 mm (such as 2.3 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.7 mm), where in the column direction, the first ridge structure 11 can be located at the center position between two adjacent columns 9; the height of the first ridge structure 11 (the length of the first ridge structure 11 perpendicular to the surface connected to the bottom plate 8) can be 2 mm - 2.4 mm (such as 2 mm, 2.2 mm, 2.4 mm). In some embodiments, the height of the first ridge structure 11 can have a periodic change along the row direction, that is, the first ridge structure 11 includes a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of grooves alternately arranged along the row direction.

[0073] Continue to refer to Figure 4 and Figure 6 , in the embodiment of the present application, the ground layer 6 covers the waveguide structure 5, the ground layer 6 is arranged parallel and spaced from the bottom plate 8, the column 9 is located between the bottom plate 8 and the ground layer 6, and the ground layer 6 can enclose the transmission channel 10; the radiator 7 is arranged on the side of the ground layer 6 away from the transmission channel 10 (as Figure 2 shown). A plurality of slots 12 are arranged in an array on the ground layer 6, each row of slots 12 corresponds to a transmission channel 10, the radiator 7 is located on the side of the slot 12 away from the transmission channel 10, and each radiator 7 corresponds to a slot 12. The signal in the transmission channel 10 can be coupled to the corresponding radiator 7 through the slot 12, so that the radiator 7 emits signals outward.

[0074] Please refer to Figure 7 , in some embodiments, each transmission channel 10 is correspondingly provided with two rows of slots 12 (as Figure 6 shown), that is, each transmission channel 10 is correspondingly provided with two rows of radiators 7. Exemplarily, please refer to Figure 8 , the waveguide structure 5 includes 16 rows of transmission channels 10, and the leaky wave antenna 4 includes 32 rows of radiators 7. Continue to refer to Figure 7, in the embodiment where the spacing between two adjacent cylinders 9 is 7.4 mm as described above, the spacing between the geometric centers of two adjacent rows of radiators 7 can be 3.7 mm. The two rows of radiators 7 corresponding to the same transmission channel 10 include a plurality of first radiators 13 in the first row of radiators 7 and a plurality of second radiators 14 in the second row of radiators 7. The first straight line in the column direction of the first radiators 13 is located between two second straight lines in the column directions of two adjacent second radiators 14; Exemplarily, the spacing between the geometric centers of two adjacent first radiators 13 in the row direction is 3.4 mm, and the spacing between the geometric center of a first radiator 13 and the geometric center of an adjacent second radiator 14 in the row direction is 1.7 mm. In the above embodiment, the length of the projection of the radiator 7 in the row direction perpendicular to the array direction is 2 mm, and the length in the column direction is 2.1 mm.

[0075] Continue to refer to Figure 6 , in the above embodiment, the leaky wave antenna 4 may further include a variable impedance device 15. There may be a plurality of variable impedance devices 15. Each variable impedance device 15 corresponds to a slit 12 and is located on the side of the slit 12 facing the transmission channel 10 (as Figure 3 shown). One end of each variable impedance device 15 is grounded, and the other end of each variable impedance device 15 is connected to a bias line 16. Exemplarily, the variable impedance device 15 may include a PIN diode 17. One end of the PIN diode 17 is grounded, and the other end of the PIN diode 17 is connected to a bias line 16. The bias line 16 is used to provide a voltage for the PIN diode 17 to change the switching state of the PIN diode 17; Combining Figure 6 and Figure 9 , Figure 9 For the amplitude of the electromagnetic wave radiated by the corresponding radiator 7 when the PIN diode 17 is turned off and the amplitude of the electromagnetic wave radiated by the corresponding radiator 7 when the PIN diode 17 is turned on at different frequencies of the electromagnetic wave, it can be seen that in the range of 24 GHz to 28 GHz of the electromagnetic wave frequency, there is an obvious difference between the amplitude of the electromagnetic wave radiated by the corresponding radiator 7 when the PIN diode 17 is turned off and the amplitude of the electromagnetic wave radiated by the corresponding radiator 7 when the PIN diode 17 is turned on, indicating that whether the radiator 7 radiates electromagnetic waves can be controlled by turning off or on the corresponding PIN diode 17 through the bias line 16. That is to say, in the range of 24 GHz to 28 GHz of the electromagnetic wave frequency, when the PIN diode 17 is in the off state, part of the electromagnetic wave in the transmission channel 10 can pass through the PIN diode 17 and be coupled to the corresponding radiator 7 through the slit 12, so that the radiator 7 emits signals outward; when the PIN diode 17 is in the on state, the electromagnetic wave in the transmission channel 10 will not pass through this PIN diode 17 and will continue to be transmitted along the transmission channel 10.

[0076] Continue to refer to Figure 6 In some embodiments, the leaky-wave antenna 4 may include a first dielectric layer 18 and a second dielectric layer 19. The first dielectric layer 18 is stacked between the ground layer 6 and the variable impedance 15; the second dielectric layer 19 is stacked between the ground layer 6 and the radiator 7. Through the first dielectric layer 18 and the second dielectric layer 19, the radiator 7, the ground layer 6, and the variable impedance 15 can be connected together to facilitate the assembly of the leaky-wave antenna 4. Exemplarily, the first dielectric layer 18 and the second dielectric layer 19 can be bonded by a first prepreg 20, where the first dielectric layer 18, the second dielectric layer 19, and the first prepreg 20 can all be made of insulating materials. Exemplarily, the thickness of the first dielectric layer 18 is 0.508 mm, the thickness of the second dielectric layer 19 is 0.101 mm, and the thickness of the first prepreg 20 is 0.2 mm. The ground layer 6 is located between the first dielectric layer 18 and the first prepreg 20, and the first dielectric layer 18 covers the side of the waveguide structure 5 away from the bottom plate 8.

[0077] For the leaky-wave antenna 4 provided in the present application, the waveguide structure 5 includes a plurality of transmission channels 10. The transmission channels 10 are arranged in parallel and spaced apart. A plurality of slots 12 are arranged in an array on the ground layer 6. Each row of slots 12 corresponds to one transmission channel 10. There are a plurality of radiators 7, and each radiator 7 corresponds to one slot 12 and is located on the side of the slot 12 away from the transmission channel 10; there are a plurality of variable impedances 15, and each variable impedance 15 corresponds to one slot 12 and is located on the side of the slot 12 facing the transmission channel 10. One end of each variable impedance 15 is grounded, and the other end of each variable impedance 15 is connected to a bias line 16. Through the bias line 16, the variable impedance 15 connected to the bias line 16 can be controlled to control the radiator 7 corresponding to the variable impedance 15 to emit signals outward; and each variable impedance 15 is connected to a bias line 16, so that the individual control of each radiator 7 can be realized, and then the beam formed by each transmission channel 10 can be individually controlled, improving the communication performance of the leaky-wave antenna 4.

[0078] In the above embodiments, it is possible to individually control whether the corresponding radiator 7 (as shown in Figure 6 ) emits signals outward. Please refer to Figure 10 . In the figure, the black squares represent that the radiator 7 does not emit signals outward, and the gray squares in the figure represent that the radiator 7 emits signals outward. According to the scheme of the first one in the first row in Figure 10 to control the radiator 7 arranged in an array to emit signals, the obtained beam shape is as shown in the first one in the first row in Figure 11 ; according to the scheme of the second one in the first row in Figure 10 to control the radiator 7 arranged in an array to emit signals, the obtained beam shape is as shown in the second one in the first row in Figure 11The shape of the second one in the first row in FIG. ; and so on. It can be seen that by controlling the radiator 7 of the array according to different schemes, beams of different angles can be formed, thereby increasing the scanning range of the leaky wave antenna 4. In addition, during the scanning process of the leaky wave antenna 4, the aperture area of ​​the leaky wave antenna 4 is the overall area of ​​the leaky wave antenna 4, thereby improving the aperture efficiency of the leaky wave antenna 4.

[0079] Continue to refer to Figure 6 In the embodiment of the present application, the leaky wave antenna 4 further includes a first conductive layer 21, the first conductive layer 21 is arranged parallel to and spaced from the ground layer 6, and the first conductive layer 21 is located on the ground layer 6 toward the transmission channel 10 (such as Figure 3 ); in the implementation mode in which the leaky wave antenna 4 includes the first dielectric layer 18, the first conductive layer 21 is located on the side of the first dielectric layer 18 away from the ground layer 6; the first conductive layer 21 includes a plurality of pads 22 and bias lines 16, each pad 22 is grounded, and one end of each variable impedance 15 is connected to a pad 22; in the implementation mode in which the leaky wave antenna 4 includes the PIN diode 17, each pad 22 is located on the side of the first dielectric layer 18 away from the ground layer 6 and on the side close to the corresponding PIN diode 17, the pad 22 is close to one end of the PIN diode 17 and connected to one end of the PIN diode 17, and the end of the pad 22 away from the PIN diode 17 is used for grounding. Each bias line 16 is located on the side of the first dielectric layer 18 away from the ground layer 6 and close to one end of the corresponding PIN diode 17 away from the pad 22, one end of the bias line 16 close to the PIN diode 17 is connected to one end of the PIN diode 17 away from the pad 22, and the bias line 16 is used to provide voltage to the PIN diode 17. Through the above configuration, one end of the variable impedance 15 is grounded through the pad 22, and the other end is connected to a bias line 16, so that each variable impedance 15 can be controlled to be turned off or on through each bias line 16, and whether the corresponding radiator 7 emits a signal to the outside can be individually controlled.

[0080] Continue to refer to Figure 6, in the embodiments of the present application, the leaky wave antenna 4 further includes a plurality of first conductive structures 23. Each first conductive structure 23 is disposed between each pad 22 and the corresponding ground layer 6, and the pad 22 is connected to the ground layer 6 through the first conductive structure 23. In an implementation manner where the leaky wave antenna 4 includes the first dielectric layer 18, the first conductive structure 23 penetrates through the first dielectric layer 18. One end of the first conductive structure 23 is connected to the pad 22, and the other end of the first conductive structure 23 is connected to the ground layer 6. Through the above arrangement, since both the ground layer 6 and the pad 22 in the first conductive layer 21 need to be grounded, after the first conductive structure 23 connects the pad 22 and the ground layer 6, only grounding the pad 22 or grounding the ground layer 6 can simultaneously ground the ground layer 6 and the pad 22, reducing the number of grounding lines of the leaky wave antenna 4 and reducing the difficulty of manufacturing the grounding lines of the leaky wave antenna 4.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the first conductive structure 23 is connected to the pad 22, and the pad 22 is located on the left side of the PIN diode 17, so the PIN diode 17 is located on the right side of the first conductive structure 23; the first conductive structure 23 penetrates through the first dielectric layer 18 along a direction perpendicular to the array direction and is connected to a part of the ground layer 6 located on the left side of the slot 12, so that the slot 12 is also located on the right side of the first conductive structure 23. Then when the PIN diode 17 is in the off state, during the process of electromagnetic waves passing through the PIN diode 17 and the slot 12, the grounded first conductive structure 23 can be avoided from affecting the transmission of electromagnetic waves.

[0082] Continue to refer to Figure 6 , in the embodiments of the present application, the leaky wave antenna 4 further includes a second conductive layer 24. The second conductive layer 24 is disposed parallel and spaced from the ground layer 6, and the second conductive layer 24 is located on a side of the ground layer 6 away from the first conductive layer 21. The second conductive layer 24 includes a plurality of first wires 25 arranged at intervals. Each first wire 25 is connected to a bias line 16. Through the above arrangement, each bias line 16 is connected to the corresponding first wire 25. Energizing the first wire 25 is equivalent to energizing the bias line 16 connected thereto, thereby realizing that the bias line 16 provides voltage to the variable impedance device 15. Also, since the second conductive layer 24 is located on a side of the ground layer 6 away from the first conductive layer 21, that is, the first wire 25 and the bias line 16 are not on the same layer, the layout of the first wire 25 has flexibility, and the adjacent first wires 25 can be avoided from being connected to each other, and thus the adjacent bias lines 16 can be avoided from being connected to each other.

[0083] In the above embodiments, the leaky-wave antenna 4 further includes a plurality of second conductive structures 26. The first wire 25 is connected to the corresponding bias line 16 through the second conductive structures 26. With the above arrangement, since the first wire 25 and the bias line 16 are not arranged on the same layer, one end of the second conductive structure 26 is connected to the first wire 25, and the other end of the second conductive structure 26 is connected to the corresponding bias line 16, realizing the connection between the first wire 25 and the corresponding bias line 16.

[0084] Continuing to refer to Figure 6 , in the implementation manner where the leaky-wave antenna 4 includes the first dielectric layer 18 and the second dielectric layer 19, the leaky-wave antenna 4 may further include a third dielectric layer 27. The third dielectric layer 27 is located on the side of the second dielectric layer 19 away from the first dielectric layer 18. The third dielectric layer 27 is bonded to the second dielectric layer 19 through the second prepreg 28. Wherein both the third dielectric layer 27 and the second prepreg 28 may be made of insulating materials. In this implementation manner, the radiator 7 is located on the side of the third dielectric layer 27 away from the first dielectric layer 18. Exemplarily, the thickness of the third dielectric layer 27 is 0.508 mm, and the thickness of the second prepreg 28 is 0.2 mm. Combining the above embodiments, the second conductive layer 24 is located between the second dielectric layer 19 and the second prepreg 28. One end of the second conductive structure 26 is connected to the bias line 16, and the other end of the second conductive structure 26 penetrates through the first dielectric layer 18, the first prepreg 20, and the second dielectric layer 19 in a direction perpendicular to the array direction and is connected to the first wire 25.

[0085] In the above implementation manner, a first avoidance hole 29 is provided on the ground layer 6, and the second conductive structure 26 passes through the first avoidance hole 29. With the above arrangement, since the ground layer 6 needs to be grounded, the second conductive structure 26 passes through the first avoidance hole 29, insulating the second conductive structure 26 from the ground layer 6 and preventing leakage between the second conductive structure 26 and the ground layer 6, which may cause the corresponding bias line 16 to fail.

[0086] In the implementation manner where the leaky-wave antenna 4 includes the first dielectric layer 18 and the second dielectric layer 19, since the ground layer 6 is located between the first dielectric layer 18 and the first prepreg 20, during the process of bonding the first dielectric layer 18 and the second dielectric layer 19 through the first prepreg 20, part of the first prepreg 20 fills the first avoidance hole 29. After the second conductive structure 26 passes through the first avoidance hole 29, there is a part of the first prepreg 20 made of insulating material between the second conductive structure 26 and the ground layer 6, thus realizing the insulation between the second conductive structure 26 and the ground layer 6.

[0087] In the above implementation, one end of the second conductive structure 26 is connected to the bias line 16. The bias line 16 is located on the right side of the PIN diode 17. Therefore, the PIN diode 17 is located on the left side of the second conductive structure 26. The second conductive structure 26 penetrates through the first dielectric layer 18, the first prepreg 20, and the second dielectric layer 19 in a direction perpendicular to the array direction and is connected to the first wire 25, so that the slot 12 and the radiator 7 are also located on the left side of the second conductive structure 26. Then, when the PIN diode 17 is in the off state, during the process that the electromagnetic wave passes through the PIN diode 17 and the slot 12 and is transmitted to the radiator 7, the influence of the second conductive structure 26 on the transmission of the electromagnetic wave can be avoided.

[0088] Please refer to Figure 12 and Figure 13 In the above implementation, there is a spacing between the plane where the first wire 25 is located and perpendicular to the row direction and the plane where the radiator 7, the slot 12, and the PIN diode 17 are located and perpendicular to the row direction. Please refer to Figure 14 In the longitudinal direction of the figure, although the first wire 25 is located between the second dielectric layer 19 and the second prepreg 28, in the transverse direction of the figure, the first wire 25 is located on the right side of the whole of the radiator 7, the slot 12, and the PIN diode 17, so that during the process that the electromagnetic wave passes through the PIN diode 17 and the slot 12 and is transmitted to the radiator 7 when the PIN diode 17 is in the off state, the influence of the first wire 25 on the transmission of the electromagnetic wave can be avoided.

[0089] Continue to refer to Figure 15 In the embodiment of the present application, the leaky wave antenna 4 may further include a third conductive layer 30. The third conductive layer 30 is arranged parallel to and spaced from the ground layer 6 and is located between the second conductive layer 24 and the ground layer 6. The third conductive layer 30 includes a plurality of second wires 31 arranged at intervals. Each second wire 31 is connected to a bias line 16. Several bias lines 16 are connected to the second wires 31, and the remaining bias lines 16 are connected to the first wire 25.

[0090] With the above settings, a bias line 16 is connected to a corresponding second conductor 31. Energizing the second conductor 31 is equivalent to energizing the bias line 16 connected thereto, thereby enabling the bias line 16 to provide a voltage to the variable impedance device 15. Also, since the third conductive layer 30 is located between the second conductive layer 24 and the ground layer 6, that is, the second conductor 31 and the bias line 16 are not arranged on the same layer, the layout of the second conductor 31 has flexibility, which can avoid the connection between adjacent second conductors 31, and further avoid the connection between corresponding adjacent bias lines 16. At the same time, since several bias lines 16 are connected to the second conductor 31 and the remaining bias lines 16 are connected to the first conductor 25, and the third conductive layer 30 and the second conductive layer 24 are not arranged on the same layer, compared with the embodiment where the leaky wave antenna 4 only includes the second conductive layer 24, the third conductive layer 30 can be connected to other bias lines 16, increasing the number of radiators 7 that the leaky wave antenna 4 can be provided with, facilitating the expansion of the leaky wave antenna 4 in the row direction or the column direction.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the leaky wave antenna 4 further includes a plurality of third conductive structures 32, and the second conductor 31 is connected to the corresponding bias line 16 through the third conductive structure 32. With the above settings, since the second conductor 31 and the bias line 16 are not arranged on the same layer, one end of the third conductive structure 32 is connected to the second conductor 31, and the other end of the third conductive structure 32 is linked to the corresponding bias line 16, realizing the connection between the second conductor 31 and the corresponding bias line 16.

[0092] In the implementation manner where the leaky wave antenna 4 includes the first dielectric layer 18, the second dielectric layer 19, and the third dielectric layer 27, the third conductive layer 30 is located between the second dielectric layer 19 and the first prepreg 20. One end of the third conductive structure 32 is connected to the bias line 16, and the other end of the third conductive structure 32 penetrates through the first dielectric layer 18 and the first prepreg 20 perpendicular to the array direction and is connected to the second conductor 31.

[0093] In the above implementation manner, a second avoidance hole 33 is provided on the ground layer 6, and the third conductive structure 32 passes through the second avoidance hole 33. With the above settings, since the ground layer 6 needs to be grounded and the third conductive structure 32 passes through the second avoidance hole 33, the third conductive structure 32 is insulated from the ground layer 6, avoiding leakage between the third conductive structure 32 and the ground layer 6, which may cause the corresponding bias line 16 to fail.

[0094] In an implementation where the leaky wave antenna 4 includes a first dielectric layer 18 and a second dielectric layer 19, since the ground layer 6 is located between the first dielectric layer 18 and the first prepreg 20, during the process of bonding the first dielectric layer 18 and the second dielectric layer 19 through the first prepreg 20, part of the first prepreg 20 fills the second avoidance hole 33. After the third conductive structure 32 passes through the second avoidance hole 33, there is a part of the first prepreg 20 made of insulating material between the third conductive structure 32 and the ground layer 6, thus realizing insulation between the third conductive structure 32 and the ground layer 6.

[0095] In the above implementation, one end of the third conductive structure 32 is connected to the bias line 16. The bias line 16 is located on the right side of the PIN diode 17, so the PIN diode 17 is located on the left side of the third conductive structure 32; the third conductive structure 32 penetrates through the first dielectric layer 18 and the first prepreg 20 in a direction perpendicular to the array direction and is connected to the second wire 31, so that the slot 12 and the radiator 7 are also located on the left side of the third conductive structure 32. Then when the PIN diode 17 is in the off state, during the process of electromagnetic waves passing through the PIN diode 17 and the slot 12 and transmitting to the radiator 7, the third conductive structure 32 can be avoided from affecting the transmission of electromagnetic waves.

[0096] Please refer to Figure 16 , in the above implementation, there is a spacing between the plane where the second wire 31 is located and perpendicular to the row direction and the plane where the radiator 7, the slot 12, and the PIN diode 17 are located and perpendicular to the row direction. Please refer to Figure 17 , in the longitudinal direction of the figure, although the second wire 31 is located between the first dielectric layer 18 and the first prepreg 20, in the transverse direction of the figure, the second wire 31 is located on the right side of the whole of the radiator 7, the slot 12, and the PIN diode 17, so that when the PIN diode 17 is in the off state, during the process of electromagnetic waves passing through the PIN diode 17 and the slot 12 and transmitting to the radiator 7, the second wire 31 can be avoided from affecting the transmission of electromagnetic waves.

[0097] Please refer to Figure 18 , in the embodiment of the present application, the leaky wave antenna 4 may further include a plurality of pins 34. Each pin 34 is connected to a bias line 16, and the center line of the pin 34 is perpendicular to the ground layer 6.

[0098] Through the above setting, each bias line 16 is connected to the corresponding pin 34. Then energizing the pin 34 is equivalent to energizing the bias line 16 connected to it, thus realizing that the bias line 16 provides voltage to the variable impedance device 15. Also, since the center line of the pin 34 is perpendicular to the ground layer 6, the lead-out of the bias line 16 in the row direction or the column direction can be avoided, and the size of the leaky wave antenna 4 in the row direction or the column direction can be reduced, which is convenient for increasing the number of radiators 7 in the row direction or the column direction of the leaky wave antenna 4.

[0099] In an implementation where the leaky wave antenna 4 further includes a first dielectric layer 18 and a second dielectric layer 19, the leaky wave antenna 4 further includes a plurality of jacks 35 arranged in an array, and each jack 35 penetrates through the first dielectric layer 18 and the second dielectric layer 19; a conductive side wall 36 is provided on the inner wall of the jack 35, and the conductive side wall 36 is connected to the corresponding bias line 16, and each pin 34 is inserted into a jack 35. Through the above arrangement, each pin 34 is inserted into the corresponding jack 35, and the connection with the corresponding bias line 16 is realized through the conductive side wall 36 of the jack 35. As shown in the figure, the pin 34 can penetrate out from the bottom of the first conductive layer 21. Correspondingly, the top end of the pin 34 can be soldered and fixed to the conductive side wall 36 for easy welding. In this way, not only can the pin 34 be connected to the conductive side wall 36, so that energizing the pin 34 is equivalent to energizing the conductive side wall 36 of the corresponding jack 35, and further equivalent to energizing the corresponding bias line 16; but also the relative positions of the pin 34 and the conductive side wall 36 can be fixed to prevent the pin 34 from falling off from the conductive side wall 36 or having poor contact with the conductive side wall 36.

[0100] It can be understood that the end of the pin 34 far from the radiator 7 can be connected to other plugging devices to control the corresponding variable impedance device 15 through the pin 34. The plugging device can include a jack, or other circuit boards.

[0101] Please refer to Figure 19 and Figure 20 In the above implementation, the waveguide structure 5 can include a bottom plate 8 and a plurality of waveguide sub-structures 37 arranged on the bottom plate 8 and extending in the row direction. The plurality of waveguide sub-structures 37 are arranged at intervals in the column direction. Among them, the waveguide sub-structure 37 includes a plurality of first columns 38 extending in the row direction and a plurality of second columns 39 extending in the row direction. A row of first columns 38 and a row of second columns 39 in the same waveguide sub-structure 37 form a transmission channel 10.

[0102] In the above implementation, the projection of a row of pins 34 corresponding to a row of slots 12 on the waveguide structure 5 is located between adjacent transmission channels 10. That is to say, a row of pins 34 is located between a row of second columns 39 in a waveguide sub-structure 37 and a row of first columns 38 belonging to another adjacent waveguide sub-structure 37. Through the above arrangement, the pins 34 being located between adjacent transmission channels 10 can avoid the pins 34 affecting the transmission of electromagnetic waves in the transmission channels 10.

[0103] Continue to refer to Figure 18, in the above implementation, the grounding layer 6 may further include a third avoidance hole 40, and the conductive sidewall 36 passes through the third avoidance hole 40. Since the grounding layer 6 needs to be grounded and the conductive sidewall 36 passes through the third avoidance hole 40, insulation between the conductive sidewall 36 and the grounding layer 6 is achieved, preventing leakage between the conductive sidewall 36 and the grounding layer 6 and avoiding failure of the corresponding bias line 16.

[0104] In an implementation where the leaky wave antenna 4 includes a first dielectric layer 18 and a second dielectric layer 19, since the grounding layer 6 is located between the first dielectric layer 18 and the first prepreg 20, during the process of bonding the first dielectric layer 18 and the second dielectric layer 19 through the first prepreg 20, part of the first prepreg 20 fills the third avoidance hole 40. After the conductive sidewall 36 passes through the third avoidance hole 40, there is a part of the first prepreg 20 made of insulating material between the conductive sidewall 36 and the grounding layer 6, thus achieving insulation between the conductive sidewall 36 and the grounding layer 6.

[0105] Please refer to Figure 21 , in the embodiments of the present application, the leaky wave antenna 4 further includes a power divider 41. The power divider 41 includes an input end 42 and a plurality of output ends 43, and each output end 43 is connected to the input end 42; each output end 43 is configured to send a signal to a transmission channel 10 (such as Figure 3 shown). Through the above settings, electromagnetic waves with the same amplitude and the same phase can be output from all output ends 43, so that the electromagnetic waves transmitted in each transmission channel 10 have the same amplitude and the same phase. Please refer to Figure 22 , in the figure, the abscissa is the frequency of the input electromagnetic wave, and the ordinate is the phase of the electromagnetic waves output by each output end 43. Among them, S2,1 is the electromagnetic wave input from the input end 42, and the phase of the electromagnetic wave output by the first output end 43 is measured; S3,1 is the electromagnetic wave input from the input end 42, and the phase of the electromagnetic wave output by the second output end 43 is measured......; and so on. (Only S1,1 to S9,1 are marked in the figure). It can be seen that the curves of S2,1 to S9,1 coincide, indicating that the phases of the electromagnetic waves output by each output end 43 are the same. Please refer to Figure 23 , in the figure, the abscissa is the frequency of the input electromagnetic wave, and the ordinate is the reflection coefficient measured at the input end 42 and each output end 43. Among them, S1,1 is the electromagnetic wave input from the input end 42, and the reflection coefficient of the input end 42 is measured; S2,1 is the electromagnetic wave input from the input end 42, and the reflection coefficient of the first output end 43 is measured; S3,1 is the electromagnetic wave input from the input end 42, and the reflection coefficient of the second output end 43 is measured......; and so on. (Only S1,1 to S9,1 are marked in the figure). Since all output ends 43 output electromagnetic waves with the same amplitude and the same phase, the curves of S2,1 to S9,1 coincide. Figure 23It can be seen that when the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is in the range of 24 GHz to 28 GHz, all output ends 43 have a low reflection coefficient.

[0106] Continue to refer to Figure 21 , in an implementation manner provided by an embodiment of the present application for a communication device 1, one end of a radio frequency unit 3 (as shown in Figure 1 ) is connected to an indoor baseband processing unit 2 (as shown in Figure 1 ), and the other end of the radio frequency unit 3 is connected to an input end 42.

[0107] Continue to refer to Figure 21 , in the above implementation manner, an input channel 44 is provided between the input end 42 and each output end 43 in a power divider 41. The power divider 41 may further include a second ridge structure 45. A second ridge structure 45 is provided in each input channel 44, and the second ridge structure 45 extends along the signal transmission direction. Through the above setting, by providing the second ridge structure 45 in the input channel 44, the cut-off frequency of the electromagnetic wave in each input channel 44 of the power divider 41 is reduced, and the resonance frequency of the electromagnetic wave can be reduced. In order to maintain the resonance frequency of the electromagnetic wave, the size of the power divider 41 in the arrangement direction of each input channel 44 can be reduced. Therefore, reducing the cut-off frequency of the electromagnetic wave in each input channel 44 of the power divider 41 is beneficial to reducing the size of the power divider 41 in the arrangement direction of each input channel 44.

[0108] Continue to refer to Figure 21 , in some embodiments, the power divider 41 may include one. Combining Figure 2 , in the figure, the one on the left side of the waveguide structure 5 is the power divider 41, and the one on the right side of the waveguide structure 5 is an absorbing material for absorbing the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the transmission channel 10 (as shown in Figure 3 ).

[0109] In other embodiments, there are two power dividers 41. One power divider 41 is provided at one end of the transmission channel 10, and the other power divider 41 is provided at the other end of the transmission channel 10. Through the above setting, the power divider 41 located at one end of the transmission channel 10 is used to input electromagnetic waves into the transmission channel 10, and the power divider 41 located at the other end of the transmission channel 10 is used to integrate and discharge the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the transmission channel 10 into the air.

[0110] In the above embodiments, the input end 42 of the power divider 41 provided at one end of the transmission channel 10 is used to be connected to the radio frequency unit 3, and an absorbing material may be provided at the output end 43 of the power divider 41 located at the other end of the transmission channel 10. In this way, after the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the transmission channel 10 is integrated by the power divider 41, the absorbing material can absorb the transmitted electromagnetic wave.

[0111] It should be noted that in the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection or an integral connection; it may also be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it may be the communication inside two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to specific situations.

[0112] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A leaky-wave antenna, characterized in that, it includes: A waveguide structure, the waveguide structure includes a plurality of transmission channels, and the transmission channels are arranged in parallel and at intervals; A ground layer, on which a plurality of slots are arranged in an array, and each row of the slots corresponds to one of the transmission channels; Radiators, there are a plurality of the radiators, each radiator corresponds to one of the slots, and is located on the side of the slot away from the transmission channel; Variable impedance devices, there are a plurality of the variable impedance devices, each variable impedance device corresponds to one of the slots, and is located on the side of the slot facing the transmission channel, one end of each variable impedance device is grounded, and the other end of each variable impedance device is connected to a bias line.

2. The leaky-wave antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The leaky-wave antenna further includes a first conductive layer, the first conductive layer is arranged parallel and at intervals with the ground layer, and the first conductive layer is located on the side of the ground layer facing the transmission channel; the first conductive layer includes a plurality of pads and the bias lines, each pad is grounded, and one end of each variable impedance device is connected to one of the pads.

3. The leaky-wave antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that, A first conductive structure is arranged between each pad and the ground layer, and the pad is connected to the ground layer through the first conductive structure.

4. The leaky-wave antenna according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The leaky-wave antenna further includes a second conductive layer, the second conductive layer is arranged parallel and at intervals with the ground layer, and the second conductive layer is located on the side of the ground layer away from the first conductive layer, the second conductive layer includes a plurality of first wires arranged at intervals, and each first wire is connected to one of the bias lines.

5. The leaky-wave antenna according to claim 4, characterized in that, A second conductive structure is arranged between each first wire and the corresponding bias line, and the first wire is connected to the corresponding bias line through the second conductive structure.

6. The leaky-wave antenna according to claim 5, characterized in that, A first avoidance hole is arranged on the ground layer, and the second conductive structure passes through the first avoidance hole.

7. The leaky-wave antenna according to any one of claims 4-6, characterized in that, The leaky-wave antenna further includes a third conductive layer, the third conductive layer is arranged parallel and at intervals with the ground layer, the third conductive layer is located between the second conductive layer and the ground layer; the third conductive layer includes a plurality of second wires arranged at intervals, each second wire is connected to one of the bias lines, several of the bias lines are connected to the second wires, and the remaining bias lines are connected to the first wires.

8. The leaky-wave antenna according to claim 7, characterized in that, A third conductive structure is arranged between each second wire and the corresponding bias line, and the second wire is connected to the corresponding bias line through the third conductive structure.

9. The leaky-wave antenna according to claim 8, characterized in that, A second avoidance hole is provided on the grounding layer, and the third conductive structure passes through the second avoidance hole.

10. The leaky wave antenna according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, the leaky wave antenna further includes a plurality of pins, each pin is connected to a bias line, and the central axis of the pin is perpendicular to the grounding layer.

11. The leaky wave antenna according to claim 10, wherein, the leaky wave antenna further includes a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer, and a plurality of jacks arranged in an array. The first dielectric layer is stacked between the grounding layer and the variable impedance device; the second dielectric layer is stacked between the grounding layer and the radiator; each jack penetrates through the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer, and each pin is inserted into a jack; a conductive side wall is provided on the inner wall of the jack, and the conductive side wall is connected to the corresponding bias line.

12. The leaky wave antenna according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, the projection of the row of pins corresponding to the row of slots on the waveguide structure is located between adjacent transmission channels.

13. The leaky wave antenna according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein, the leaky wave antenna further includes a power divider, the power divider includes an input end and a plurality of output ends, and each output end is connected to the input end; each output end is configured to send a signal to a transmission channel.

14. The leaky wave antenna according to claim 13, wherein, there are two power dividers, one power divider is arranged at one end of the transmission channel, and the other power divider is arranged at the other end of the transmission channel.

15. The leaky wave antenna according to any one of claims 1-14, wherein, the waveguide structure includes a bottom plate and a plurality of columns arranged on the bottom plate, and the plurality of columns are arranged in an array, and the transmission channels are formed between adjacent rows of columns.

16. The leaky wave antenna according to claim 15, wherein, the waveguide structure further includes a plurality of first ridge structures, and the plurality of first ridge structures are located in the transmission channels and extend along the signal transmission direction.

17. A communication device, wherein, comprising: a radio frequency unit and the leaky wave antenna according to any one of claims 1-16, and the radio frequency unit is configured to send a radio frequency signal to the leaky wave antenna.

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