Lens antenna and antenna device

Abstract

The invention provides a lens antenna and antenna equipment, and belongs to the technical field of communication. The lens antenna comprises a first substrate, a second substrate, a plurality of transmission units and a feed structure, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are oppositely arranged; the transmission units are arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate and are sequentially nested; the feed structure is positioned on one side, far away from the transmission unit close to the transmission unit, of the transmission unit on the outermost ring; wherein the transmission unit comprises a first electrode, a second electrode and an adjustable dielectric layer which are arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate; the tunable dielectric layer is configured to vary a dielectric constant according to an electric field formed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure belongs to the field of communication technologies, and particularly relates to a lens antenna and an antenna device. Background Art

[0002] Cylindrical Luneburg lens antennas have characteristics such as low cost, high gain, wide bandwidth, wide scanning angle, small size, light weight, and easy integration, and have broad application prospects in fields such as satellite chain communication, satellite navigation, radar warning, and future 6G communication. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and provides a lens antenna and an antenna device.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a lens antenna, which includes a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, a plurality of sequentially nested transmission units disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a feeding structure located on a side of the outermost transmission unit away from the transmission unit adjacent thereto; wherein,

[0005] The transmission unit includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an adjustable dielectric layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; the adjustable dielectric layer is configured to change the dielectric constant according to the electric field formed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

[0006] The lens antenna further includes a waveguide structure; the waveguide structure includes a third substrate and a fourth substrate disposed opposite to each other; the third substrate includes a first main body portion and a first extension portion surrounding the first main body portion; the fourth substrate includes a second main body portion and a second extension portion surrounding the second main body portion;

[0007] The first main body portion and the second main body portion are disposed opposite to each other, and the transmission unit is located between the first main body portion and the second main body portion;

[0008] The first extension portion and the second extension portion are disposed opposite to each other, and the distance between the first extension portion and the second extension portion becomes smaller as it gets closer to the transmission unit.

[0009] Wherein, the first main body portion and the first extension portion are connected as an integral structure, and the surface of the first main body portion facing away from the transmission unit is flush with the surface of the first extension portion facing away from the transmission unit;

[0010] The second main body portion and the second extension portion are connected as an integral structure, and the surface of the second main body portion facing away from the transmission unit is flush with the surface of the second extension portion facing away from the transmission unit;

[0011] The thickness of the first extension portion is thicker closer to the first main body portion; and / or, the thickness of the second extension portion is thicker closer to the second main body portion.

[0012] Wherein, both the third substrate and the fourth substrate are metal flat plates.

[0013] Wherein, the lens antenna further includes a reference electrode layer located on a side of the second substrate facing away from the first substrate.

[0014] Wherein, the orthographic projection of the innermost transmission unit on the first substrate is circular, and the radius of the circle is r. For the remaining transmission units except the innermost one, the width in the first direction is t, and t = r.

[0015] Wherein, the transmission unit further includes a retaining wall structure located between the first substrate and the second substrate and surrounding the tunable dielectric layer, and the retaining wall structures of adjacent transmission structures are shared.

[0016] Wherein, there is a certain gap between adjacent transmission units.

[0017] Wherein, a filling medium is provided between adjacent transmission units.

[0018] Wherein, the orthographic projection of each transmission unit on the first substrate is annular, and the centers of the annuli are the same; any one of the annuli includes an inner side and an outer side arranged oppositely, and the distance from the outer side of the innermost transmission unit to the center of the circle is equal to the distance between the outer sides of adjacent transmission units.

[0019] Wherein, the widths of each transmission unit in the first direction are equal.

[0020] Wherein, the width of each transmission unit in the first direction is narrower the farther away from the center of the circle.

[0021] Wherein, the feeding structure includes at least one feed source;

[0022] When the feeding structure includes multiple feed sources, the multiple feed sources are arranged around the outermost transmission unit.

[0023] Wherein, the feed source is any one of a microstrip antenna, an aperture waveguide antenna, and a horn antenna.

[0024] Wherein, the lens antenna further includes a drive control circuit board, which is electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode.

[0025] Wherein, the first substrate is any one of a PCB, glass, plastic, and ceramic; and / or,

[0026] The second substrate is any one of a PCB, glass, plastic, and ceramic.

[0027] Wherein, the thicknesses of the tunable dielectric layers of the respective transmission units are equal.

[0028] Wherein, the tunable dielectric layer is a liquid crystal layer.

[0029] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna device, which includes a plurality of lens antennas stacked in sequence; the lens antenna adopts any one of the above lens antennas.

[0030] Wherein, the lens antenna includes a drive control circuit board, which is electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode;

[0031] The antenna device further includes a wave control board, and the wave control board is electrically connected to each of the drive control circuit boards. Description of the Drawings

[0032] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional view of the lens antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 2 It is a top view of a transmission unit in the lens antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view of the transmission unit in the lens antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional view of a lens antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional view of the third substrate of the waveguide structure of the lens antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view of the fourth substrate of the waveguide structure of the lens antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 7 It is a cross-sectional view of another lens antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view of the lens antenna of the second example according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 9 It is a top view of the transmission structure of the lens antenna of the second example according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 10 It is a top view of the transmission structure of the lens antenna of the third example according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 11 Cross-sectional view of the lens antenna according to the fourth example of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the antenna device according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed implementation manners

[0044] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation manners.

[0045] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the present disclosure shall have the ordinary meanings understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. The "first", "second" and similar terms used in the present disclosure do not denote any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms such as "a", "an" or "the" do not denote a quantity limitation, but mean that there is at least one. The terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the elements or objects appearing before the term cover the elements or objects listed after the term and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms such as "connected" or "coupled" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. The terms such as "upper", "lower", "left" and "right" are only used to represent relative positional relationships, and when the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0046] In a first aspect, Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of the lens antenna according to the embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 2 Top view of a transmission unit 30 in the lens antenna according to the embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 3 Cross-sectional view of the transmission unit 30 in the lens antenna according to the embodiments of the present disclosure; as Figures 1-3As shown in the figure, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a lens antenna, which includes a first substrate 10 and a second substrate 20 arranged opposite to each other, a plurality of sequentially nested transmission units 30 disposed between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20, and a feeding structure 40 located on the side of the outermost transmission unit 30 away from the transmission unit 30 adjacent thereto. The feeding structure 40 is configured to feed electromagnetic waves into the transmission unit 30 for transmission. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmission unit 30 includes a first electrode 31, a second electrode 32, and an adjustable dielectric layer 33 disposed between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20; the adjustable dielectric layer 33 is configured to change the dielectric constant according to the electric field formed between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32. That is to say, when a corresponding bias voltage is applied to the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32, the electric field formed by the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 can change the dielectric constant of the adjustable dielectric layer 33.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, since the dielectric constant of the adjustable dielectric layer 33 in each transmission unit 30 can be controlled by the electric field formed by the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 in its respective transmission unit 30, the distribution of the dielectric constant of the adjustable dielectric layer 33 in each transmission unit 30 can be adjusted according to requirements, so as to realize a lens antenna with a distribution of adjustable dielectric layers 33 having different dielectric constants, and the beam of the electromagnetic waves fed by the feeding structure 40 can be reconstructed. That is to say, the lens antenna is equivalent to a power amplifier with adjustable power. Therefore, the lens antenna provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is a lens antenna with reconfigurable beam.

[0048] In some examples, the adjustable dielectric layer 33 in the transmission unit 30 includes, but is not limited to, a liquid crystal layer. That is to say, the material of the adjustable dielectric layer 33 can be selected as liquid crystal. The adjustable dielectric layer 33 in the embodiment of the present disclosure can also adopt other materials. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, only the case where the adjustable dielectric layer 33 adopts a liquid crystal layer is taken as an example.

[0049] In some examples, for each transmission unit 30, the first electrode 31 therein is disposed on the side of the first substrate 10 close to the second substrate 20, and the second electrode 32 is disposed on the side of the second substrate 20 close to the first substrate 10; in this case, both the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 can adopt plate-shaped electrodes, and the electric field formed between them is a vertical electric field. Of course, the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 can also be disposed on the first substrate 10 or the second substrate 20 at the same time. When the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 are disposed on the same substrate, the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 can be alternately disposed. In this case, a horizontal electric field is formed between them. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, only the case where the first electrode 31 is disposed on the first substrate 10 and the second electrode 32 is disposed on the second substrate 20 is taken as an example.

[0050] Further, a first isolation layer is disposed on a side of the first electrode 31 of each transmission unit 30 close to the adjustable dielectric layer 33, and a second isolation layer is disposed on a side of the second electrode 32 close to the adjustable dielectric layer 33. The adjustable dielectric layer 33 is disposed between the first isolation layer and the second isolation layer. Wherein, the first isolation layer and the second isolation layer may be alignment layers for providing an initial pretilt angle for the liquid crystal layer.

[0051] In some examples, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a lens antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a third substrate 51 of a waveguide structure 50 of the lens antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a fourth substrate 52 of the waveguide structure 50 of the lens antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; As Figures 4-6 shown, the lens antenna not only includes the above-mentioned first substrate 10, second substrate 20, transmission unit 30 and feeding structure 40, but also includes a waveguide structure 50. The waveguide structure 50 may be a parallel plate waveguide, and specifically may include a third substrate 51 and a fourth substrate 52 disposed opposite to each other. The third substrate 51 includes a first main body portion 511 and a first extending portion 512 surrounding and connected to the first main body portion 511; the fourth substrate 52 includes a second main body portion 521 and a second extending portion 522 surrounding and connected to the second main body portion 521. The first main body portion 511 and the second main body portion 521 are opposed to each other, and the first extending portion 512 and the second extending portion 522 are opposed to each other. The transmission unit 30 is disposed between the first main body portion 511 and the second main body portion 521, and the distance between the first extending portion 512 and the second extending portion 522 becomes smaller as it gets closer to the transmission unit 30. In this case, the first extending portion 512 and the second extending portion 522 are opposed to form a horn-shaped structure, so that impedance matching between the transmission unit 30 and the feeding structure 40 can be achieved, facilitating the transmission of the electromagnetic wave fed by the feeding structure 40 to the transmission unit 30; at the same time, a position for installing and fixing the feeding structure 40 can also be provided.

[0052] Further, as Figure 5 and 6 shown, the first main body portion 511 and the first extending portion 512 are connected as an integral structure, and the surface of the first main body portion 511 facing away from the transmission structure is flush with the surface of the first extending portion 512 facing away from the transmission structure. Similarly, the second main body portion 521 and the second extending portion 522 can also be connected as an integral structure, and the surface of the second main body portion 521 facing away from the transmission structure is flush with the surface of the second extending portion 522 facing away from the transmission structure. In this case, the outer surface of the lens antenna is flat, which helps to miniaturize the lens antenna.

[0053] Even further, continue to refer toFigure 5 and 6 As for Figure 5 and 6 , the thickness of the first extension portion 512 is thicker closer to the first main body portion 511. Similarly, the thickness of the second extension portion 522 is thicker closer to the second main body portion 521. That is to say, the thickness of at least one of the first extension and the second extension portion 522 is thicker closer to the transmission unit 30, so that the peripheral region of the waveguide structure 50 presents a horn-shaped structure. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, only the example where both the first extension portion 512 and the second extension portion 522 are thicker closer to the transmission structure is taken, but this does not limit the protection scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0054] In some examples, both the third substrate 51 and the fourth substrate 52 of the waveguide structure 50 are metal plates, and a horn-shaped structure is formed at the edge of the waveguide structure 50, which helps to achieve good impedance matching between the transmission unit 30 and the feed source, and can also provide the function of installing and fixing the feed source. In addition, since both the third substrate 51 and the fourth substrate 52 are metal plates, they can act as a reference ground. At this time, the lens antenna of the embodiments of the present disclosure does not need to be provided with a separate reference ground, and the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 can form a current loop with the waveguide structure 50.

[0055] In some examples, Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of another lens antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; as Figure 7 shown, the lens antenna may not include the above-mentioned waveguide structure 50. In this case, a reference electrode layer 70 may be provided on the side of the second substrate 20 facing away from the first substrate 10, so that the reference electrode layer 70 forms a current loop with the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 in each transmission unit 30. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the reference electrode layer 70 may be a ground electrode layer, which is convenient for control.

[0056] In some examples, regardless of which of the above structures the lens antenna of the embodiments of the present disclosure adopts, taking the lens antenna shown in Figure 4 as an example, the lens antenna further includes a drive control circuit board 60, which is electrically connected to the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 in each transmission unit 30 and is configured to apply a bias voltage to the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32. The drive circuit board may be a PCB, which may be disposed on the side of the first substrate 10 facing away from the second substrate 20.

[0057] In some examples, the feeding structure 40 may include at least one feed source, and the feed source includes but is not limited to any one of a microstrip antenna, an open waveguide antenna, and a horn antenna.

[0058] In one example, there are multiple feed sources in the feeding structure 40, and the multiple feed sources are arranged around the outermost transmission unit 30. The multiple feed sources can have a certain angle with the transmission unit 30 and are evenly arranged around the outermost transmission unit 30.

[0059] In some examples, both the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 can be selected from any one of, including but not limited to, PCB, glass, plastic, and ceramic. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the materials of the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 are not limited.

[0060] When the lens antenna of the embodiments of the present disclosure adopts any of the above structures, the transmission unit 30 therein can adopt any of the following arrangements. Each arrangement mode will be described below with specific examples.

[0061] The first example: Refer to Figure 2 and 4, the lens antenna includes the above-mentioned first substrate 10, second substrate 20, transmission unit 30, feeding structure 40 and waveguide structure 50. The waveguide structure 50 can be a parallel plate waveguide, and specifically can include a third substrate 51 and a fourth substrate 52 which are oppositely arranged. The third substrate 51 includes a first main body portion 511 and a first extension portion 512 that surrounds and is connected to the first main body portion 511; the fourth substrate 52 includes a second main body portion 521 and a second extension portion 522 that surrounds and is connected to the second main body portion 521. The first main body portion 511 and the second main body portion 521 are opposed to each other, and the first extension portion 512 and the second extension portion 522 are opposed to each other. The transmission unit 30 is disposed between the first main body portion 511 and the second main body portion 521, and the distance between the first extension portion 512 and the second extension portion 522 becomes smaller as it gets closer to the transmission unit 30. Taking the lens antenna as an example that it includes 4 circles of transmission units 30, each transmission unit 30 not only includes a first electrode 31, a second electrode 32 and an adjustable dielectric layer 33, but also includes a retaining wall structure disposed between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20. The retaining wall structures of adjacent transmission structures are shared. That is to say, there is no gap between adjacent transmission structures, and the adjustable dielectric layers 33 of the two are only separated by the retaining wall structure. In this case, the orthographic projection of the innermost circle of transmission units 30 on the first substrate 10 is circular, and the radius of the circle is r. For the remaining transmission units 30 except the innermost circle of transmission units 30, the width in the first direction is t, and t = r. Wherein, the first direction is the extending direction of any radius of the orthographic projection of the innermost circle of transmission units 30 on the first substrate 10. That is to say, the widths of each transmission unit 30 except the innermost circle in the first direction are the same and are the same as the radius of the innermost circle of transmission units 30. In this case, by applying a bias voltage to the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 of each transmission unit 30, the dielectric constants of the adjustable dielectric layers 33 of each transmission unit 30 are made different. Since the adjustable dielectric layer 33 in the embodiment of the present disclosure adopts a liquid crystal layer, the change range of its dielectric constant is 2.4 to 3.6. The dielectric constants of the adjustable dielectric layers of the innermost circle to the outermost circle of transmission units 30 are denoted as ε1, ε2, ε3, ε4. By applying a bias voltage to the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 of each transmission unit 30, ε1≥ε2≥ε3≥ε4 can be achieved. Of course, according to different requirements of the communication system for the beam, such as beam width, gain, etc., the magnitudes of the dielectric constants of each layer of adjustable dielectric layer 33 can be adjusted.

[0062] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present disclosure, only taking the lens antenna including 4 circles of transmission units 30 as an example, but the number of circles of the transmission units 30 is not limited to 4, and can be specifically set according to the requirements of the communication system.

[0063] The second example: Figure 8Cross-sectional view of the lens antenna of the second example of the present disclosure; Figure 9 Top view of the transmission structure of the lens antenna of the second example of the present disclosure; as Figure 8 and 9 shown, different from the first example, in this example, the nested transmission units 30 are arranged at intervals, that is, there is a certain distance between adjacent transmission units 30. The orthographic projections of the transmission units 30 on the first substrate 10 in this example are concentric rings, and the distances between adjacent transmission units 30 are equal, and the widths of each transmission unit 30 are equal. Among them, the width of the transmission unit 30 refers to the width of the orthographic projection of the transmission unit 30 on the first substrate 10 along the extension direction from the center of the circle to any annular edge. In this case, since there is a certain distance between adjacent transmission units 30, in this way, a certain proportion of air or other wave-transmitting media is provided between adjacent transmission units 30.

[0064] The reason for such a setting is that the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal material is generally about 2.4 to 3.6, and the change range Δε of the dielectric constant under voltage regulation r is generally not greater than 1.3. To further increase the adjustable dielectric constant range of the transmission unit 30, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, by providing a certain proportion of air or other wave-transmitting media between adjacent transmission units 30 and adjusting the ratio of the air or wave-transmitting media to the liquid crystal material, an equivalent dielectric constant with a larger adjustable range for each transmission unit 30 can be achieved.

[0065] It should be noted that the transmission unit 30 in this example actually also includes a retaining wall structure surrounding the adjustable dielectric layer 33, but it is not shown in the figure.

[0066] In this example, the lens antenna is composed of 4 concentric and equally thick circular transmission units 30. The widths of the transmission units 30 are w1, w2, w3, and w4 respectively. At this time, w1 = w2 = w3 = w4 = w, and the distances between the transmission units 30 are the same, all (t - w), where t is the distance between the outer rings of the orthographic projections of two adjacent transmission units on the first substrate, and the space between the transmission units 30 is air; the drive control circuit board 60 applies different voltages to each transmission unit 30, so that each layer of liquid crystal material exhibits different dielectric constants, and the liquid crystal dielectric constant values from the inner ring to the outer ring satisfy ε1≥ε2≥ε3≥ε4.

[0067] For example: The liquid crystal layer uses a liquid crystal material of model 1018, and its ε r⊥ = 2.42, ε r∥= 3.46, Δεr = 1.22. The width of each transmission unit 30 in each layer of the liquid crystal cell is set to be the same. From the inner circle to the outer circle, the volumes of the liquid crystal filled inside are V1 to V4 respectively; the spacing between the transmission units 30 is set to be the same, that is, the width of the air ring between the transmission units 30 is the same. From the inner circle transmission unit 30 to the outer circle transmission unit 30, the volumes of the air are VK1 to VK4 respectively; since the dielectric constant of air is 1, the equivalent dielectric constant of the innermost transmission unit 30 namely The equivalent dielectric constant is related to the volume ratio of air and the liquid crystal layer.

[0068] The third example: Figure 10 is a top view of the transmission structure of the lens antenna according to the third example of the embodiments of the present disclosure; as Figure 10 shown, this example is substantially the same as the second example, the difference is only that the widths of the transmission units 30 in this lens antenna are different, and the spacing between the adjacent transmission units 30 is not equal. For example: the width from the outermost transmission unit 30 to the innermost transmission unit 30 becomes wider and the spacing becomes smaller.

[0069] Specifically, in this example, the lens antenna is composed of 4 concentric and circular transmission units 30 with the same thickness. The widths of the transmission units 30 are w1, w2, w3, w4, and the spacings between the transmission units 30 are (t - w1), (t - w2), (t - w3), (t - w4) respectively. The space between the transmission units 30 is air; the drive control circuit board 60 applies corresponding bias voltages to the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 of the transmission unit 30, so that each layer of liquid crystal material exhibits different dielectric constants, and the values of the liquid crystal dielectric constants from the innermost transmission unit 30 to the outermost transmission unit 30 satisfy ε1 ≥ ε2 ≥ ε3 ≥ ε4.

[0070] The fourth example: Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the lens antenna according to the fourth example of the embodiments of the present disclosure; as Figure 11 shown, the basic structure of this example can be the same as the structures of the second and third examples. The difference is that, in this example, a filling medium 80 is provided between the adjacent transmission units 30. For this lens antenna from the innermost transmission unit 30 to the outermost transmission unit 30, the dielectric layers are arranged at intervals of liquid crystal material and a filling medium 80 with a dielectric constant ε. In this example, the widths of the transmission units 30 can be the same or different, and the widths of the filling medium 80 can be the same or different, and their respective widths are determined by simulation optimization according to the antenna performance requirements.

[0071] In the second aspect, Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the antenna device according to the embodiments of the present disclosure; as Figure 12As shown, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna device, which includes a plurality of lens antennas stacked in sequence, where the lens antenna can adopt any of the above lens antennas. Of course, the antenna device further includes a wave control board 100, and the wave control board 100 is electrically connected to the drive control circuit board 60 in each lens antenna.

[0072] Specifically, the storage unit of the beam control board pre-stores beam control information, which includes the correspondence between different beam performances and the bias voltages required for each first electrode 31 and each second electrode 32 in the required lens antenna. For example, if the antenna device needs to form a beam with a beam width of 60°, the beam control board provides the bias voltage requirements corresponding to the beam width of 60° according to the pre-stored beam control information. The drive control circuit board 60 applies different voltages to the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 of different transmission units 30 in the lens antenna according to the voltage control requirements provided by the beam control board, so as to obtain the dielectric constant combination corresponding to the beam width of 60°. The beam control information needs to be preliminarily determined according to simulation in the design stage and revised according to the measured results and then finally determined.

[0073] In some examples, the antenna device further includes a transceiver unit, a radio frequency transceiver, a signal amplifier, a power amplifier, and a filtering unit. The antenna in the communication device can be used as a transmitting antenna or a receiving antenna. Among them, the transceiver unit may include a baseband and a receiving end. The baseband provides signals of at least one frequency band, such as providing 2G signals, 3G signals, 4G signals, 5G signals, etc., and sends the signals of at least one frequency band to the radio frequency transceiver. After the antenna in the communication system receives the signal, it can be transmitted to the receiving end in the transceiver unit after being processed by the filtering unit, the power amplifier, the signal amplifier, and the radio frequency transceiver. The receiving end can be, for example, a smart gateway, etc.

[0074] Furthermore, the radio frequency transceiver is connected to the transceiver unit and is used to modulate the signal sent by the transceiver unit or to demodulate the signal received by the antenna and then transmit it to the transceiver unit. Specifically, the radio frequency transceiver may include a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, a modulating circuit, and a demodulating circuit. After the transmitting circuit receives various types of signals provided by the baseband, the modulating circuit can modulate the various types of signals provided by the baseband and then send them to the antenna. The antenna receives the signal and transmits it to the receiving circuit of the radio frequency transceiver. The receiving circuit transmits the signal to the demodulating circuit, and the demodulating circuit demodulates the signal and then transmits it to the receiving end.

[0075] Further, the radio frequency transceiver is connected to a signal amplifier and a power amplifier. The signal amplifier and the power amplifier are then connected to a filtering unit, and the filtering unit is connected to at least one antenna. During the process of transmitting a signal in the communication system, the signal amplifier is used to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal output by the radio frequency transceiver and then transmit it to the filtering unit; the power amplifier is used to amplify the power of the signal output by the radio frequency transceiver and then transmit it to the filtering unit; the filtering unit may specifically include a duplexer and a filtering circuit. The filtering unit combines the signals output by the signal amplifier and the power amplifier, filters out the clutter, and then transmits the signals to the antenna, and the antenna radiates the signals. During the process of receiving a signal in the communication system, after the antenna receives the signal, it transmits the signal to the filtering unit. The filtering unit filters out the clutter from the signal received by the antenna and then transmits the signal to the signal amplifier and the power amplifier. The signal amplifier amplifies the signal received by the antenna to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal; the power amplifier amplifies the power of the signal received by the antenna. The signal received by the antenna is processed by the power amplifier and the signal amplifier and then transmitted to the radio frequency transceiver, and the radio frequency transceiver then transmits it to the transceiver unit.

[0076] In some examples, the signal amplifier may include various types of signal amplifiers, such as a low-noise amplifier, which is not limited herein.

[0077] In some examples, the antenna device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure further includes a power management unit. The power management unit is connected to the power amplifier and provides a voltage for amplifying the signal to the power amplifier.

[0078] It can be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments adopted to illustrate the principles of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For those of ordinary skill in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lens antenna, which includes a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, a plurality of sequentially nested transmission units disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a feeding structure located on a side of the outermost transmission unit away from the transmission unit adjacent thereto; wherein, the transmission unit includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an adjustable dielectric layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; the adjustable dielectric layer is configured to change the dielectric constant according to the electric field formed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

2. The lens antenna according to claim 1, wherein, It further includes a waveguide structure; the waveguide structure includes a third substrate and a fourth substrate disposed opposite to each other; the third substrate includes a first main body portion and a first extending portion surrounding the first main body portion; the fourth substrate includes a second main body portion and a second extending portion surrounding the second main body portion; the first main body portion and the second main body portion are disposed opposite to each other, and the transmission unit is located between the first main body portion and the second main body portion; the first extending portion and the second extending portion are disposed opposite to each other, and the distance between the first extending portion and the second extending portion is smaller closer to the transmission unit.

3. The lens antenna according to claim 2, wherein, The first main body portion and the first extending portion are connected into an integral structure, and the surface of the first main body portion facing away from the transmission unit is flush with the surface of the first extending portion facing away from the transmission unit; The second main body portion and the second extending portion are connected into an integral structure, and the surface of the second main body portion facing away from the transmission unit is flush with the surface of the second extending portion facing away from the transmission unit; The first extending portion is thicker closer to the first main body portion; and / or, the second extending portion is thicker closer to the second main body portion.

4. The lens antenna according to claim 2, wherein, Both the third substrate and the fourth substrate are metal plates.

5. The lens antenna according to claim 1, wherein, It further includes a reference electrode layer located on a side of the second substrate away from the first substrate.

6. The lens antenna according to claim 1, wherein, The orthographic projection of the innermost transmission unit on the first substrate is circular, and the radius of the circle is r. For the remaining transmission units except the innermost transmission unit, the width in a first direction is t, and t = r.

7. The lens antenna according to claim 1, wherein, The transmission unit further includes a retaining wall structure located between the first substrate and the second substrate and surrounding the adjustable dielectric layer, and the retaining wall structures of adjacent transmission structures are shared.

8. The lens antenna according to claim 1, wherein, There is a certain gap between adjacent transmission units.

9. The lens antenna according to claim 1, wherein, A filling medium is disposed between adjacent transmission units.

10. The lens antenna according to claim 1, wherein, The orthographic projection of each transmission unit on the first substrate is annular, and the centers of the annular shapes are the same; any one of the annular shapes includes an inner side and an outer side disposed opposite to each other. The distance from the outer side of the innermost transmission unit to the center of the circle is equal to the distance between the outer sides of adjacent transmission units.

11. The lens antenna according to claim 10, wherein, The widths of each transmission unit in the first direction are equal.

12. The lens antenna according to claim 10, wherein, The widths of each transmission unit in the first direction are narrower the farther away from the center of the circle.

13. The lens antenna according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein, The feeding structure includes at least one feed source; When the feeding structure includes a plurality of feed sources, the plurality of feed sources are disposed surrounding the outermost transmission unit.

14. The lens antenna according to claim 13, wherein, The feed source is any one of a microstrip antenna, an open waveguide antenna, and a horn antenna.

15. The lens antenna according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein, It further includes a drive control circuit board, which is electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode.

16. The lens antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, The first substrate is any one of a PCB, glass, plastic, and ceramic; and / or, The second substrate is any one of a PCB, glass, plastic, and ceramic.

17. The lens antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, The thicknesses of the adjustable dielectric layers of the respective transmission units are equal.

18. The lens antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, The adjustable dielectric layer is a liquid crystal layer.

19. An antenna device, which includes a plurality of lens antennas stacked in sequence; the lens antenna adopts the lens antenna described in any one of claims 1-18.

20. The antenna device according to claim 19, wherein, The lens antenna includes a drive control circuit board, which is electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode; The antenna device further includes a wave control board, and the wave control board is electrically connected to each of the drive control circuit boards.

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