A wide beam patch antenna

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of communication antennas and provides a wide-beam patch antenna comprising a radiating patch, a ground plate, a feeding structure, a dielectric substrate and at least one group of grounded metal coupling posts. The feeding structure is cooperatively arranged with the grounded metal coupling posts to excite and control the polarization direction of the main current mode. The grounded metal coupling posts are located in the current abdomen area of ​​the main current mode of the radiating patch, forming strong coupling with the main mode current, exciting and establishing a secondary current path perpendicular to the horizontal plane, thereby enhancing the low elevation angle component and the beam width in the polarization direction of the antenna radiation; by establishing a four-coupling post structure with an orthogonal mode cooperative enhancement mechanism, the half-power beam width in two orthogonal polarization directions can be effectively expanded, further realizing the wide-beam circularly polarized radiation of the antenna; in addition, the present invention adopts a single-layer dielectric substrate structure, which is lightweight and low-cost, ensuring wide-beam performance while taking into account cost control and manufacturing reliability, and has good feasibility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of communication antennas and relates to a patch antenna, in particular to a patch antenna with a wide beam and high performance. Background Art

[0002] As a core component of modern wireless communication systems, patch antennas have gained widespread application in various fields due to their unique structural advantages. These antennas utilize a flattened design, consisting of a typical sandwich structure consisting of a radiating patch, a dielectric substrate, and a ground plane. Their overall thickness is typically less than one-tenth of the operating wavelength, making them a significant advantage in mobile terminals, satellite navigation, and intelligent transportation systems. Microstrip antenna manufacturing technology, based on photolithography, is highly compatible with printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing processes. Large-scale production is possible through metal thin film deposition and electroplating processes, enabling the fabrication of dozens or even hundreds of antenna elements in a single process, significantly reducing unit production costs.

[0003] In engineering applications, the radiation characteristics of traditional half-wavelength microstrip patch antennas (length ≈ 0.5λ, where λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave in the dielectric substrate) have significant limitations. Their half-power beamwidth is typically limited to less than 100°. This narrow beam characteristic can easily lead to signal stability issues in dynamic reception scenarios. For example, in vehicle-mounted satellite positioning systems, the low-elevation-angle signal reception requirements caused by the urban canyon effect conflict with the antenna's limited beam coverage capability. In high-speed mobile environments, multipath effects and beam misalignment further weaken communication reliability.

[0004] To achieve wide-beam coverage, existing technologies reshape the current distribution by changing the patch geometry (circular / annular patches or asymmetric corner-cut designs), combine structures such as defective floors and U-shaped floors to suppress backward radiation, use thick low-dielectric-constant substrates or air-filled layers to reduce Q, and combine multi-layer stacked patches with cross-feeding to broaden bandwidth. Parasitic patches are also introduced to manipulate the near field. However, these methods generally rely on complex multi-layer structures or specialized substrate materials, increasing antenna manufacturing costs and facing drawbacks such as sharp gain drop and increased process complexity. Therefore, there is an urgent need for high-performance, low-cost, wide-beam patch antennas. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a wide-beam patch antenna based on a single-layer radiating patch and with the rational introduction of a grounded metal coupling column. Through the electromagnetic coupling control mechanism, as well as the reconstruction of the electromagnetic environment at the boundary of the radiating patch and the guidance of the auxiliary current path, the beam width and radiation direction of the patch antenna are effectively expanded, aiming to break through the limitations of traditional single-layer patch antennas in beam width and directivity, and achieve high-performance radiation control under a lightweight architecture.

[0006] The purpose of the present invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions.

[0007] A wide-beam patch antenna comprises a radiating patch, a ground plane, a feed structure, and a dielectric substrate. The radiating patch is a single-layer patch, and the dielectric substrate is disposed between the radiating patch and the ground plane. The inner conductor of the feed structure is electrically connected to the radiating patch, and the outer conductor is welded to the ground plane. At least one set of grounded metal coupling posts is disposed on the dielectric substrate near the edge of the radiating patch. The lower ends of the grounded metal coupling posts are connected to the ground plane, and the upper ends are loaded with floating capacitors. The feed structure and the grounded metal coupling posts work together to excite and control the polarization direction of the radiating patch's main current mode. The grounded metal coupling posts are located in the current abdomen region of the radiating patch's main current mode. By forming strong coupling with the main current, they excite and establish a secondary current path perpendicular to the horizontal plane, thereby enhancing the low-elevation-angle component of the antenna radiation and the beam width in the polarization direction, thereby achieving omnidirectional wide-beam coverage.

[0008] As a further solution of the present invention, the radiation patch specifically adopts a rectangular structure or a circular structure.

[0009] Preferably, a group of grounded metal coupling columns are selected and symmetrically arranged on both sides of the central axis of the radiation patch. By adjusting and optimizing the distance between the grounded metal coupling columns and the edge of the radiation patch, the electromagnetic coupling performance of the grounded metal coupling columns and the current abdomen is optimized.

[0010] It is further explained that the feeding structure and the grounded metal coupling column are jointly arranged on the central axis of the radiation patch, and the excited main mode current is distributed along the direction of the central axis.

[0011] It is further explained that by adjusting the offset position of the feeding structure on the surface of the radiation patch, the electric field strength and impedance matching of the excitation current of the radiation patch can be jointly optimized.

[0012] Preferably, two groups of grounded metal coupling posts are selected, and the four grounded metal coupling posts are symmetrically arranged on two orthogonal central axes of the radiation patch to form a cross-coupling structure. By adjusting and optimizing the distances between the two groups of grounded metal coupling posts and the edges of the radiation patch, the performance of the grounded metal coupling posts in simultaneously electromagnetically coupling with two orthogonally polarized current abdomens is optimized.

[0013] It is further explained that by controlling the side length parameters of the radiation patch, the frequencies determined by the two orthogonal polarization currents are distributed on both sides of the antenna target center frequency, and by adjusting the difference between the two frequencies, a 90-degree phase difference is formed at the antenna target center frequency, forming circularly polarized radiation.

[0014] It is further explained that the feeding structure is located in the diagonal area of ​​the radiating patch, and simultaneously excites two orthogonal modes on the orthogonal central axis. The amplitude ratio and phase difference of the two modes are adjusted by fine-tuning the position of the feeding structure to achieve optimal control of the circular polarization axial ratio and impedance matching performance.

[0015] As a further solution of the present invention, the size of the ground plate is larger than that of the radiation patch, providing a voltage zero point and forming a reflection surface to improve the directivity and gain of the antenna, thereby forming a directional antenna.

[0016] As a further solution of the present invention, the radiation patch may also adopt an annular or polygonal structure, as well as a special-shaped patch including a polygonal slot opening, a loading gap or a periodic defect structure.

[0017] As a further solution of the present invention, the thickness and dielectric constant of the dielectric substrate can be adaptively controlled.

[0018] Beneficial effects of the present invention: The wide-beam patch antenna provided by the present invention adopts a single-layer dielectric substrate structure and has the characteristics of lightness and low cost. Without relying on multi-layer stacking or complex geometric loading, it only loads symmetrically arranged grounded metal coupling columns in the single-layer dielectric substrate structure, so that it always covers the current abdomen area of ​​the main current mode of the radiating chip, forms a strong coupling with the main mode current, introduces additional radiation components in the vertical horizontal plane direction, and significantly enhances the low elevation angle component and polarization direction of the antenna radiation; it also supports the establishment of a four-coupling column structure with an orthogonal mode collaborative enhancement mechanism, effectively expanding the half-power beam width in the two orthogonal polarization directions, further realizing the wide-beam circularly polarized radiation of the antenna, and significantly improving the radiation performance of the antenna. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the wide-beam patch antenna in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a side view of the wide-beam patch antenna in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a top view of the wide-beam patch antenna in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of current mode distribution of the wide-beam patch antenna in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the wide-beam patch antenna in Example 2 of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a top view of the wide-beam patch antenna in Example 2 of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of current mode distribution of the wide-beam patch antenna in Example 2 of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of the circular patch antenna in Example 3 of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the single-layer special-shaped patch provided by the present invention.

[0028] Figure 10 This is the simulation result of the directional pattern of the linearly polarized patch of the present invention in the H plane (horizontal plane).

[0029] Figure 11 This is the simulation result of the directional pattern of the circularly polarized patch of the present invention in the H plane (horizontal plane).

[0030] Figure 12 This is the simulation result of the directional pattern of the circularly polarized patch of the present invention on the E plane (vertical plane). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms used in this specification of the present invention are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0033] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being “fixed on” or “disposed on” another element, it may be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being “connected to” another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0034] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0035] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0036] This invention provides a wide-beam patch antenna with superior radiation performance and structural engineering adaptability. It aims to overcome the limitations of traditional single-layer patch antennas in beam width and directivity, achieving high-performance radiation control within a lightweight architecture. Based on a single-layer radiating patch, this structure rationally incorporates grounded metal coupling posts to control the radiation pattern through electromagnetic coupling. This design simultaneously balances antenna miniaturization with manufacturing cost control, providing strong support for wireless communication applications in multiple scenarios.

[0037] Example 1.

[0038] This embodiment specifically provides a linearly polarized wide beam patch antenna, referring to Figure 1-4 , specifically including a radiation patch 101, a ground plate 100, a feeding structure 102, a dielectric substrate 103, a first grounding metal coupling column 104a and a second grounding metal coupling column 104b.

[0039] The radiating patch 101 adopts a rectangular structure, with length and width parameters a and b optimized to meet the resonance conditions of the target frequency band and ensure stable excitation of the main mode TM10 or TM01 current mode. The dielectric substrate 103 is disposed between the radiating patch 101 and the ground plane 100. Its thickness determines the distance between the radiating patch 101 and the ground plane 100, that is, the antenna height. The dielectric substrate 103 is preferably made of low-loss, low-dielectric constant material to effectively reduce the antenna Q factor while ensuring structural rigidity, thereby improving its operating bandwidth and beamwidth. The ground plane 100 is preferably larger than the radiating patch 101 to provide a voltage zero point and form a reflective surface to improve the antenna's directivity and gain, forming a directional antenna. However, this results in a narrow beamwidth.

[0040] Depend on Figure 4As shown, the radiating patch 101 includes four sides: a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side. A first grounded metal coupling post 104a and a second grounded metal coupling post 104b are positioned near the fourth and second sides of the radiating patch 101, respectively, at a distance c from their edges. This parameter c, optimized through electromagnetic simulation, positions the first and second grounded metal coupling posts 104a and 104b near the current abdomen of the radiating patch 101's main mode current (primarily distributed along the y-axis) to ensure maximum electromagnetic coupling. The first and second grounded metal coupling posts 104a and 104b are symmetrically arranged along the y-axis, located on the central axis of the radiating patch 101. They exhibit a capacitive loading configuration, with their lower ends connected to the ground plane 100 and their upper ends suspended. This "suspended post + ground plane" structure forms a resonant branch similar to a short-circuit load, essentially creating a vertical current path along the z-direction. During antenna operation, the horizontal current (primarily distributed in the y-direction) excited by the radiating patch 101 stimulates a resonant response in the vertically grounded metal coupling post through electromagnetic coupling, generating a secondary current path in the z-direction. This additional path effectively enhances the low-elevation-angle component of the directional radiation pattern, which is primarily directional due to the patch, resulting in a circular or omnidirectional radiation pattern for the overall radiation field.

[0041] Crucially, the omnidirectional radiation introduced by the grounded metal coupling post complements the radiation pattern of the original radiating patch's main lobe in space. The original radiating patch's main lobe is concentrated in the θ = 0° direction, offering strong directivity but a narrow beam. The annular radiation energy introduced by the grounded metal coupling post fills the airspace in the ±θ directions, creating a wider coverage area within the overall radiation pattern. Measured and simulated data show that the grounded metal coupling post significantly expands the antenna's H-plane (horizontal) half-power beamwidth from approximately 90° for traditional patches to 120° or even higher, effectively mitigating link interruptions caused by changes in user orientation or disturbances in terminal attitude.

[0042] Furthermore, this structure demonstrates excellent feasibility in both manufacturing and engineering implementation. The grounded metal coupling posts can be integrated through through-hole electroplating or soldering, eliminating the need for additional multi-layer substrates or specialized conductive structures. This facilitates mass production on standard printed circuit board (PCB) or ceramic substrate platforms. This optimized design maintains wide-beam performance while balancing cost control and manufacturing reliability, fully embodying the engineering design philosophy of "structural simplicity for performance gain."

[0043] In this embodiment, the feeding structure 102 not only assumes the basic functions of RF signal transmission and impedance matching, but also achieves precise control of the antenna polarization direction and current mode through its coordinated layout with the grounded metal coupling pillars 104a and 104b, reflecting a high degree of functional integration and polarization flexibility.

[0044] First, the feeding structure 102 can adopt probe feeding or coaxial feeding. Among them, probe feeding is suitable for traditional microstrip layer structures, while coaxial feeding is particularly suitable for the integrated design of this type of single-layer patch antenna due to its compact structure and good electromagnetic compatibility. The typical configuration is: the inner conductor of the coaxial feed line is electrically connected to the radiation patch 101, and the outer conductor is welded and fixed to the ground plate 100 to form a clear reference potential and electric field boundary conditions. In addition, in order to improve the anti-interference performance and adapt to different frequency bands, coupled feeding, offset feeding, coupled slot feeding and other forms can also be adopted to meet the multi-frequency working requirements in more complex environments.

[0045] In terms of structural layout, the position of the feed structure 102 plays a crucial role in this solution: its relative relationship with the grounded metal coupling posts 104a and 104b not only determines the directionality (horizontal or vertical) of the excited mode, but also directly affects the polarization mode and the control of the main radiation direction of the antenna. Figure 4 As shown, when the feed structure 102 and the grounded metal coupling posts 104a and 104b are arranged on the horizontal center axis (along the y-axis) of the radiating patch 101, the main current generated is distributed along the y-axis, corresponding to a horizontal polarization mode. This layout is suitable for operating scenarios where horizontal polarization is predominant, such as terrestrial communications and vehicle-mounted terminals. Conversely, if the feed structure 102 and the grounded metal coupling posts 104a and 104b are arranged on the vertical center axis (along the x-axis) of the radiating patch 101, the main current distribution direction shifts to the x-axis, corresponding to vertical polarization, and is suitable for low-elevation-angle satellite communications, stereo reception in unmanned systems, and other applications.

[0046] It's worth emphasizing that by adjusting the specific offset position (Δx, Δy) of the feed structure 102 on the surface of the radiating patch 101, the electric field strength and impedance matching of the excited mode can be further optimized. Theoretical and simulation results show that appropriate feed offset can optimize the antenna's input reflection coefficient (S11) to below -15dB without affecting the polarization direction, while maintaining a high axial ratio and gain, thus balancing frequency bandwidth and radiation performance.

[0047] To minimize antenna size, the dielectric substrate 103 can be constructed of high-dielectric-constant materials (such as ceramic dielectrics, typically with a dielectric constant εr ranging from 9 to 20) to shorten the wavelength of electromagnetic waves in the dielectric, effectively reducing the antenna structure size relative to the free-space wavelength. This strategy is suitable for applications with limited space or strict packaging constraints, such as portable devices and chip-scale package antennas (AiP). However, high-dielectric-constant materials also increase the Q value and electric field concentration, thereby reducing antenna radiation efficiency, increasing losses, and narrowing the frequency band. For applications requiring high performance, low-dielectric-constant materials (such as PTFE, foam plastics, and polypropylene, with a dielectric constant εr of 1.05-2.5) are preferred, or even air as a filler. Low-dielectric-constant materials can reduce the standing wave coefficient, improve bandwidth and radiation efficiency, and help suppress interference from dielectric mode resonance on the radiation pattern. In particular, in high-frequency band applications (such as millimeter waves), the use of "equivalent dielectric" materials such as air or low-density foam to form the dielectric layer not only reduces the overall weight of the antenna, but also reduces the disturbance of the material to the electromagnetic field, thereby improving the antenna's directivity and polarization purity.

[0048] In summary, this embodiment achieves a balanced combination of beam broadening, polarization control, and gain maintenance by reconstructing the electromagnetic environment at the radiating patch's boundaries and guiding auxiliary current paths without introducing multilayer structures or special materials. This structure combines the advantages of simplicity, ease of manufacture, and excellent radiation performance. It is particularly suitable for wireless communication scenarios requiring both wide coverage and high directivity, such as drone navigation, vehicular satellite communications, IoT base stations, and next-generation 6G terminals. It possesses significant engineering application value and promising industrial applications.

[0049] Example 2.

[0050] This embodiment specifically provides a circularly polarized wide beam patch antenna, referring to Figure 5-7As shown, the wide-beam patch antenna comprises a radiating patch 101, a ground plane 100, a dielectric substrate 103, a feed structure 202, and four grounded metal coupling posts 204a, 204b, 204c, and 204d, symmetrically arranged along the horizontal (y-axis) and vertical (x-axis) mid-axis of the radiating patch 101. The first and second grounded metal coupling posts 204a, 204b are arranged along the y-axis, corresponding to the enhancement region of the horizontally polarized current mode (Eh). Their positions are distanced by an angle e from the edge of the radiating patch and are optimized to maximize electromagnetic coupling with the anti-node region along the y-axis. The third and fourth grounded metal coupling posts 204c, 204d, are arranged along the x-axis, enhancing the vertically polarized current mode (Ev) and coupling with the resonant region of the x-axis current anti-node region. Their positions are distanced by an angle d from the edge of the radiating patch. The combination of four grounded metal coupling columns forms a cross-coupling structure, which effectively expands the half-power beamwidth in two orthogonal polarization directions while ensuring symmetry, realizing omnidirectional beam expansion of the patch antenna.

[0051] Depend on Figure 7 As shown, the distribution of current modes within the radiating patch 101 demonstrates that the structure supports two basic orthogonal modes: a horizontal mode frequency f1 determined by the current along the y-axis, and a vertical mode frequency f2 determined by the current along the x-axis. By precisely controlling the side length parameters of the radiating patch, f1 and f2 are distributed on both sides of the target center frequency f0 (e.g., f0 = 1.575 GHz), and their frequency spacing Δf = |f1 - f2| is set to achieve a 90° phase difference at f0. This differentiated frequency tuning strategy provides the basis for achieving high-quality circularly polarized (CP) radiation. In fact, at the f0 frequency point, the complex electric field vector of the superimposed two modes rotates in space to form right-handed or left-handed circular polarization, with strong polarization direction consistency and excellent axial ratio.

[0052] The feeding structure 202 is further optimized on this basis, and is preferably set in the diagonal area of ​​the radiation patch 101, such as the offset point of the third quadrant center. Figure 6 As shown, this position can simultaneously excite two orthogonal modes, and the amplitude ratio and phase difference of the two modes can be easily adjusted by fine-tuning the position of the feed structure 202, thereby achieving optimal control of the circular polarization axial ratio and good impedance matching performance (S11 <-15 dB@f0). This design concept leverages the coupling characteristics of the feed structure to the current abdomen to achieve a unified improvement in excitation efficiency and polarization characteristics.

[0053] Combine Figure 1-7The wide-beam patch antenna structure and the corresponding current pattern analysis shown in the figure show that the wide-beam patch antenna proposed in the present invention exhibits the following systematic innovative characteristics, which are significantly superior to traditional microstrip patch antenna solutions in terms of electromagnetic performance, structural design and polarization control.

[0054] (1) The single-layer dielectric substrate structure achieves a beam width of ≥120°, combining low cost and manufacturing adaptability.

[0055] This invention overcomes the bottleneck of traditional patch antennas' limited beamwidth (typically 80°–100°). By introducing an electromagnetic coupling control mechanism within a single-layer dielectric substrate structure, without relying on multi-layer stacking or complex geometric loading, it achieves a half-power beamwidth of 120° or greater in both the H-plane and E-plane directions. This simplified structure significantly improves the antenna's manufacturing process compatibility, allowing direct application to existing PCB or LTCC production lines, significantly reducing mass production costs. It is particularly suitable for mobile terminals, in-vehicle systems, and miniaturized array platforms.

[0056] (2) The dual-coupling column structure realizes linear polarization beam enhancement, improving the symmetry of the radiation pattern and the low elevation angle coverage capability.

[0057] exist Figure 1-4 The wide-beam patch antenna structure shown in the figure is loaded with two symmetrically arranged grounded metal coupling posts (104a and 104b), acting on the y-axis (or x-axis) centerline of the radiating patch. The grounded metal coupling posts form a strong coupling with the main mode current (TM10 or TM01 mode), introducing an additional radiation component in the direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane (z-direction), compensating for the insufficient radiation energy of traditional patch antennas at low elevation angles. This mechanism significantly expands the half-power beamwidth in linear polarization mode, improves the fullness and symmetry of the main lobe pattern, and adapts to multi-directional signal incidence scenarios.

[0058] (3) The four-coupling column structure constructs an orthogonal mode collaborative enhancement mechanism to achieve wide-beam circularly polarized radiation.

[0059] exist Figure 5-7 In the wide-beam patch antenna structure shown, four grounded metal coupling posts (204a, 204b, 204c, and 204d) are symmetrically arranged along the two orthogonal central axes of the radiating patch, enhancing the vertical radiation flux of both the horizontal and vertical current modes. Combined with an optimized frequency deviation design (f1 ≠ f2) and a diagonal feeding strategy, this structure achieves a 90° phase difference between the two orthogonal electric field vectors at the center frequency, generating a wide-beam circularly polarized beam with excellent axial ratio. Compared to traditional, complex schemes that rely on multiple feed points or external phase-shifting networks to generate circular polarization, the present invention achieves a high synergy between structural simplicity and polarization performance.

[0060] Example 3.

[0061] This embodiment further expands the application scope of the grounded metal coupling post radiation enhancement mechanism and proposes a wide-beam patch antenna based on a circular radiating patch structure. This embodiment not only inherits the core concept of Example 2, which enhances the polarization beamwidth by symmetrically loading grounded metal coupling posts, but also combines the geometric symmetry and multimodal resonance characteristics of the circular patch structure to achieve flexible switching of polarization modes and comprehensive optimization of beam performance.

[0062] Specific as Figure 8 As shown, the circular patch antenna provided in this embodiment utilizes a single circular radiating patch with a highly symmetrical structure. Two sets of grounded metal coupling posts are symmetrically arranged along the horizontal center axis (y-axis) and the vertical center axis (x-axis). The arrangement of these grounded metal coupling posts follows a similar current coupling principle as that of rectangular patches. However, by leveraging the equivalent multipole modal current distribution naturally present in the circular patch, the antenna achieves higher coupling efficiency for modes in different directions and a more balanced and stable pattern broadening effect.

[0063] As a further illustration of the present invention, the beam broadening and polarization control mechanism with the grounded metal coupling column as the core is extended to radiating patch structures of arbitrary shapes to achieve a wider range of electromagnetic function adaptation and structural design freedom. It not only reflects the evolution from rectangular patches with a single function to modular design that adapts to multiple scenarios and multi-target applications, but also has extremely high scalability and system compatibility.

[0064] The radiating patch in the present invention is no longer limited to a rectangular or circular equiaxially symmetrical graphic structure with two orthogonal symmetry axes, but can be expanded to any polygonal outline such as a hexagon, ring, triangle, or even a special-shaped patch structure containing a polygonal slot opening, a loading gap, or a periodic defect structure, to further control the current path and resonance characteristics. Figure 9 As shown, this type of special-shaped patch design not only helps to achieve size compression and frequency bandwidth expansion, but also facilitates fitting to irregular terminal housings or array edge structures, and has stronger shape compatibility in engineering applications.

[0065] To ensure effective beam expansion even with the aforementioned shaped radiating patch, the present invention proposes a design strategy centered on "coupling post matrix reconfiguration." Specifically, the grounded metal coupling post array is flexibly arranged based on the current mode distribution characteristics of the shaped radiating patch, ensuring consistent coverage of the main current mode's current abdomen, ensuring maximum electromagnetic coupling efficiency. This localized loading approach not only establishes an auxiliary radiation path in the z-direction, continuing the design logic of vertical current coupling beam expansion in the aforementioned embodiment, but also avoids undesirable perturbations of the grounded metal coupling posts on edge modes, ensuring pattern symmetry and sidelobe suppression.

[0066] Furthermore, to achieve consistent performance across different frequency bands for the shaped radiating patch, the present invention adaptively controls the dielectric substrate thickness h and dielectric constant εr. Thicker or lower dielectric constant dielectric substrates are suitable for widening bandwidth and improving radiation efficiency. In applications with limited size or high spectral density, thinner or higher dielectric constant dielectric substrates can be selected to achieve a compact structure at the resonant frequency.

[0067] Figure 10-12 This is the simulation result of the directional pattern of the wide-beam patch antenna in the embodiment of the present invention. The simulation data is based on accurate full-wave analysis of the electromagnetic field and adopts a high-precision finite element method to ensure the reliability of the results and their engineering reference value, fully verifying the superiority of the wide-beam patch antenna of the present invention in terms of beam width and radiation performance.

[0068] Figure 10 Specifically, the simulation results of the directional pattern of the linearly polarized patch antenna in the H-plane (horizontal plane) of Example 1 are shown. A single-layer dielectric substrate with a thickness of 4 mm (the dielectric constant is optimized for low loss characteristics) is used in the simulation design. Compared with the H-plane half-power beamwidth (HPBW) of a traditional 4 mm thick patch antenna (only 90°), the present invention significantly widens the H-plane HPBW to 145.5° through the innovative introduction of a grounded metal coupling column structure, an increase of 61%. This breakthrough is due to the precise control of the current distribution on the surface of the radiating patch by the grounded metal coupling column, which effectively optimizes the wide-angle characteristics of the radiation pattern while maintaining high gain and low sidelobe levels, demonstrating the excellent adaptability of this design in dynamic reception scenarios.

[0069] Figure 11 and Figure 12 The following are the simulation results of the directional patterns of the circularly polarized patch antenna in Example 2 on the H-plane (horizontal plane) and E-plane (vertical plane). By loading multiple sets of grounded metal coupling posts (with an optimized layout to achieve synchronous control of the horizontal and vertical current modes), this design achieves an HPBW exceeding 120° on both the E-plane and the H-plane, demonstrating a significant beam expansion effect compared to traditional circularly polarized patch antennas (HPBW is typically <100°). Specifically, the HPBW on the E-plane reaches 120.9°, and the HPBW on the H-plane reaches 130.7°, while maintaining excellent axial ratio (<3dB) and circular polarization purity. This innovative design achieves all-round wide-beam coverage through a single-layer substrate architecture, breaking through the reliance on complex structures and high costs of traditional multi-layer circularly polarized antennas and significantly improving the engineering practicality of the antenna.

[0070] The above description is a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not impose any form of limitation on the present invention. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art may make several improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wide beam patch antenna, comprising a radiation patch, a ground plane, a feed structure, and a dielectric substrate, wherein: The radiating patch is a single-layer patch, the dielectric substrate is arranged between the radiating patch and the ground plate, the inner conductor of the feeding structure is electrically connected to the radiating patch, and the outer conductor is welded and fixed to the ground plate. A grounded metal coupling column is provided on the dielectric substrate near the edge of the radiating patch, the lower end of the grounded metal coupling column is connected to the ground plate, and the upper end is loaded with a suspended capacitor. The feeding structure and the grounded metal coupling column work together to excite and control the polarization direction of the main current mode of the radiating patch. The grounded metal coupling column is located in the current abdomen area of ​​the main current mode of the radiating patch, and by forming a strong coupling with the main current, it excites and establishes a secondary current path perpendicular to the horizontal plane. It is characterized in that The feeding structure adopts a single feeding point, and the grounded metal coupling posts are selected as a group and symmetrically arranged on both sides of the central axis of the radiating patch. The feeding structure is also arranged on the central axis, and the main mode current excited is distributed along the central axis. By adjusting and optimizing the distance between the grounded metal coupling posts and the edge of the radiating patch, the electromagnetic coupling performance between the grounded metal coupling posts and the current abdomen is optimized. By adjusting the offset position of the feeding structure on the surface of the radiating patch, the electric field strength and impedance matching of the radiating patch excited current are jointly optimized. Alternatively, the feeding structure adopts a single feeding point, and two groups of grounded metal coupling posts are selected. The four grounded metal coupling posts are symmetrically arranged on two orthogonal central axes of the radiating patch to form a cross-coupling structure. The feeding structure is located in the diagonal area of ​​the radiating patch and simultaneously excites two orthogonal modes on the orthogonal central axes. The amplitude ratio and phase difference of the two modes are adjusted by fine-tuning the position of the feeding structure, and the circular polarization axial ratio and impedance matching performance are optimized and controlled. By separately adjusting and optimizing the distances between the two groups of grounded metal coupling posts and the edge of the radiating patch, the performance of the grounded metal coupling posts in simultaneously electromagnetically coupling with the two orthogonally polarized current abdomens is optimized.

2. The wide beam patch antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The radiation patch is a rectangular structure or a circular structure.

3. The wide beam patch antenna according to claim 1, wherein: By controlling the side length parameters of the radiation patch, the frequencies determined by the two orthogonal polarization currents are distributed on both sides of the antenna target center frequency, and by adjusting the difference between the two frequencies, a 90-degree phase difference is formed at the antenna target center frequency, thereby forming circularly polarized radiation.

4. The wide beam patch antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The ground plate is larger than the radiation patch, provides a voltage zero point and forms a reflection surface to form a directional antenna.

5. The wide beam patch antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The radiation patch is a special-shaped patch.

6. The wide beam patch antenna according to claim 5, characterized in that The thickness and dielectric constant of the dielectric substrate are adaptively regulated.

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