Reconfigurable array antenna and base station

Abstract

The invention discloses a reconfigurable array antenna and a base station. The reconfigurable array antenna comprises a plurality of antenna array elements arranged in an array; the antenna housing is located on the side where the radiating surfaces of the multiple antenna array elements are located; the plurality of reflecting surface structures are positioned on one side, close to the plurality of antenna array elements, of the antenna housing; the plurality of reflecting surface structures are in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of antenna array elements; the reflection surface structure is configured to reflect electromagnetic waves radiated to the reflection surface structure, and the electromagnetic waves reflected by the reflection surface structure and coupling waves of adjacent antenna array elements are opposite in phase and identical in amplitude.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to a reconfigurable array antenna and a base station. Background Art

[0002] Polarization reconfigurable antennas can change their polarization characteristics while maintaining the same operating frequency and radiation pattern. Polarization reconfigurable array antennas are widely and significantly used in satellite communications, playing a crucial role in improving communication capacity and efficiency, enhancing communication quality, and adapting to multi-polarization requirements.

[0003] In a polarization-reconfigurable array antenna, each antenna element has two ports, each corresponding to a polarization operating mode. Due to strict requirements on element size, polarization-reconfigurable array antennas are often very compact, with very small spacing between antenna element ports. This leads to strong mutual coupling between antenna elements. This strong coupling not only affects the antenna's reflection coefficient and radiation pattern, but also the performance of the transceiver components connected to the antenna.

[0004] In view of this, how to reduce the mutual coupling between antenna elements in a polarization reconfigurable array antenna has become a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present invention provide a reconfigurable array antenna and a base station, which are used to solve the technical problem of mutual coupling between antenna array elements in the prior art.

[0006] In a first aspect, to solve the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a reconfigurable array antenna, comprising:

[0007] A plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array;

[0008] a radome, located on a side where the radiation surfaces of the plurality of antenna array elements are located;

[0009] A plurality of reflecting surface structures are located on a side of the radome close to the plurality of antenna array elements; the plurality of reflecting surface structures correspond one-to-one to the plurality of antenna array elements; the reflecting surface structures are configured to reflect electromagnetic waves radiated to the reflecting surface structures, and the electromagnetic waves reflected by the reflecting surface structures have opposite phases and the same amplitudes as the coupled waves of adjacent antenna array elements.

[0010] In a possible implementation manner, the reflective surface structure includes at least one annular structure, and the orthographic projection of the largest annular structure on the corresponding antenna array element surrounds the corresponding antenna array element.

[0011] In a possible implementation manner, the reflective surface structure includes a plurality of annular structures, the centers of the plurality of annular structures coincide with each other, and sizes of the plurality of annular structures gradually decrease in a direction from the annular structure to the center.

[0012] In one possible implementation manner, the annular structure includes at least one opening.

[0013] In a possible implementation manner, the reflective surface structure includes a plurality of annular structures, and the opening directions of two adjacent annular structures are opposite.

[0014] In one possible implementation manner, the antenna array element includes:

[0015] First ground layer;

[0016] a strip transmission line layer located on a side of the first ground layer close to the reflective surface structure;

[0017] a second ground layer located on a side of the strip transmission line layer close to the reflective surface structure; the second ground layer includes two coupling slots, the two coupling slots extending in orthogonal directions, the strip transmission line layer includes two transmission lines corresponding to the two coupling slots, respectively, and the orthographic projections of the transmission lines on the second ground layer are orthogonal to the corresponding coupling slots;

[0018] A radiation unit is located on a side of the second ground layer close to the reflective surface structure; the radiation unit overlaps with the two coupling slots.

[0019] In a possible implementation manner, the coupling gap includes:

[0020] A first sub-slit and a second sub-slit parallel to each other;

[0021] The third sub-slit connects the first sub-slit and the second sub-slit.

[0022] In one possible implementation manner, the strip transmission line layer includes:

[0023] An electric bridge having two input terminals and two output terminals, wherein the RF signals at the two output terminals have the same amplitude and a 90° phase difference; wherein the transmission line serves as the output terminal;

[0024] Or, two microstrip lines, the microstrip lines serving as the transmission lines.

[0025] In one possible implementation manner, the antenna array element further includes:

[0026] The parasitic unit is located on a side of the radiation unit close to the reflective surface structure.

[0027] A possible implementation further includes:

[0028] A support column is located between the radome and the antenna array element;

[0029] The filling layer is filled between the antenna cover and the antenna array element and has no overlap with the supporting column.

[0030] In a possible implementation manner, the dielectric constant of the filling layer is less than 1.2.

[0031] In one possible implementation, every n antenna array elements constitute a subarray; n is greater than or equal to 3;

[0032] The n antenna array elements are symmetrical about the center of the sub-array and are arranged in a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation along the center of the sub-array.

[0033] In a possible implementation, n=4, one of two adjacent antenna array elements is rotated 90° along the center of the subarray and overlaps with the other, and the feeding phases of the two adjacent antenna array elements corresponding to the same feeding input terminal differ by 90°.

[0034] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a base station, comprising the reconfigurable array antenna as shown in the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a reconfigurable array antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of port isolation simulation of different reconfigurable array antennas provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 and Figure 4 A top view of a reflective surface structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 5-Figure 7 A top view of another reflective surface structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 8-Figure 9 A top view of another reflective surface structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 10 A top view of another reflective surface structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 11 A schematic structural diagram of another reconfigurable array antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 12A top view of a second ground layer provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 13 A top view of a strip transmission line provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 14 A perspective view of an antenna array element provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 15 A perspective view of another antenna array element provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 16 An exploded diagram of the structure of a reconfigurable array antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 17 A schematic structural diagram of another reconfigurable array antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 18 and Figure 19 A schematic diagram of the arrangement of a reconfigurable array antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 20 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a sub-array provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Reference numerals:

[0051] Antenna array element 1, radome 2, reflective surface structure 3, opening K, first ground layer 11, strip transmission line layer 12, strip transmission line 121, first substrate 122, transmission line 123, second substrate 15, second ground layer 13, radiating element 14, radiating patch 141, third substrate 142, coupling slot M, first sub-slot M1, second sub-slot M2, third sub-slot M3, input terminal RF in , output RF out , parasitic unit 16 , parasitic patch 161 , fourth substrate 162 , support column 4 , and filling layer 5 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The embodiments of the present invention provide a reconfigurable array antenna and a base station, which are used to solve the technical problem of mutual coupling between antenna array elements in the prior art.

[0053] It should be understood that the specific structural and functional details disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention are merely representative and are for the purpose of describing exemplary embodiments of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many alternative forms or combinations and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0054] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "lateral", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present 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 the present application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more. In addition, the term "including" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0055] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal connections between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0056] The terms used in this application are intended only to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit exemplary embodiments. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an", "an item" used herein are also intended to include the plural. It should also be understood that the terms "comprise" and / or "include" used herein specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, units and / or components, and do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, units, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0057] In the embodiments of the present invention, the term "and / or" simply describes an association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0058] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in various forms and should not be understood as being limited to the embodiments described herein; on the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the present invention more comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same figure marks in the figures represent the same or similar structures, and their repeated descriptions will be omitted. The words expressing position and direction described in the present invention are all explained with reference to the accompanying drawings as examples, but changes can be made as needed, and the changes made are all included in the scope of protection of the present invention. The drawings of the present invention are only used to illustrate the relative position relationship and do not represent the true proportion.

[0059] It should be noted that specific details are set forth in the following description to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in a variety of ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar generalizations without violating the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below. The subsequent description of the specification is a preferred embodiment of the present application, but the description is for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of the present application. The scope of protection of the present application shall be determined as defined by the appended claims.

[0060] A reconfigurable array antenna and a base station provided by an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] Please refer to Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a reconfigurable array antenna provided in an embodiment of the present invention, the reconfigurable array antenna comprising:

[0062] A plurality of antenna elements 1 arranged in an array;

[0063] The radome 2 is located on the side where the radiation surfaces of the multiple antenna array elements 1 are located;

[0064] Multiple reflecting surface structures 3 are located on one side of the antenna cover 2 close to the multiple antenna array elements 1; the multiple reflecting surface structures 3 correspond one-to-one to the multiple antenna array elements 1; the reflecting surface structures 3 are configured to reflect electromagnetic waves radiated to the reflecting surface structures 3, and the electromagnetic waves reflected by the reflecting surface structures 3 have opposite phases and the same amplitudes as the coupled waves of the adjacent antenna array elements 1.

[0065] By setting the reflective surface structure 3, it is equivalent to introducing a new electromagnetic wave propagation path between the two mutually coupled antenna array elements 1. Figure 1As shown, the electromagnetic wave ① radiated from antenna element A can be mainly divided into four parts: the electromagnetic wave ② radiated to the far field through the reflective surface structure 3; the part of the electromagnetic wave ③ reflected back to antenna element A by the reflective surface structure 3; the reflected electromagnetic wave ④ received by antenna element B from the reflective surface structure 3 directly above antenna element A and directly above antenna element B; and the reflected electromagnetic wave ⑤ received by antenna element C from the reflective surface structure 3. By adjusting and optimizing the size of the reflective surface structure 3 and the distance to the antenna element 1, the amplitude of the electromagnetic wave reflected from the reflective surface structure 3 and the coupled wave of the adjacent antenna element 1 are equal and the phase is opposite, thereby reducing the mutual coupling between adjacent antenna elements 1 and improving the antenna port isolation. Please refer to Figure 2 Schematic diagram of port isolation simulation of different reconfigurable array antennas provided in the embodiment of the present invention, from Figure 2 It can be seen that the port isolation of the reconfigurable array antenna provided with the reflective surface structure 3 in the embodiment of the present invention is higher than the port isolation of the reconfigurable array antenna without the reflective surface structure 3 .

[0066] The material of the reflective surface structure 3 can be metal, such as copper, aluminum, etc.

[0067] In some embodiments, the distance d between the radome 1 and the antenna element 2 is in the range of 0.2 to 0.3 times the operating wavelength of the electromagnetic wave radiated by the antenna element 1 .

[0068] In the embodiment provided by the present invention, multiple reflective surface structures 3 are provided on one side of the radome 2 close to the multiple antenna elements 1, so that the electromagnetic waves reflected by the reflective surface structures 3 have opposite phases and the same amplitudes as the coupled waves of the adjacent antenna elements 1. In this way, the reflected electromagnetic waves can be used to cancel the coupled waves of the adjacent antenna elements 1, thereby reducing the mutual coupling between the adjacent antenna elements 1 and improving the antenna port isolation.

[0069] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 This is a top view of a reflective surface structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The reflective surface structure 3 includes at least one annular structure, and the orthographic projection of the largest annular structure on the corresponding antenna array element 1 surrounds the corresponding antenna array element 1 . Figure 3 and Figure 4 The reflective surface structure 3 in FIG. 1 includes an annular structure, and thus this annular structure is also the largest annular structure.

[0070] The ring structure can be a polygonal ring, such as Figure 3 The polygonal ring shown can be a square ring, a rectangular ring or other polygonal ring, without limitation; Figure 4 As shown, the annular structure may also be a circular ring.

[0071] By setting the reflective surface structure 3 to include at least one annular structure, most of the electromagnetic waves radiated by the antenna array element 1 can pass through the annular structure, and a small part can be reflected by the annular structure, thereby reducing the mutual coupling between adjacent antenna array elements 1 without affecting the electromagnetic waves radiated by the reconfigurable array antenna as much as possible.

[0072] Please refer to Figure 5-Figure 7 The top view of another reflective surface structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention, the annular structure may include at least one opening K. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The annular structure shown may include an opening K, or may be as shown in FIG. Figure 7 The annular structure shown may also include four openings K, and there is no limitation on the number of openings K included in a specific annular structure.

[0073] By making the annular structure include at least one opening K, the quality factor of the reflective surface structure 3 can be improved, thereby improving the isolation.

[0074] See Figure 8-Figure 9 This is a top view of another reflective surface structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The reflective surface structure 3 includes a plurality of annular structures. The centers of the plurality of annular structures coincide with each other, and the sizes of the plurality of annular structures gradually decrease in the direction toward the center.

[0075] like Figure 8 The reflecting surface structure 3 shown includes two annular structures with an opening K. The annular structures are square in shape, their centers coincide with each other, and the size of the inner annular structure is smaller than that of the outer annular structure.

[0076] like Figure 9 The reflective surface structure 3 shown includes two annular structures with an opening K. The annular structures are circular rings. The two circular rings are concentric rings, and the radius of the inner ring is smaller than the radius of the outer ring.

[0077] By making the reflective surface structure 3 include multiple ring structures, the centers of the multiple ring structures coincide, and the sizes of the multiple ring structures gradually decrease in the direction of the ring structures pointing to the center, the reflection area of the reflective surface structure 3 can be increased, thereby further increasing the electromagnetic waves reflected by the reflective surface structure 3. In this way, the edges and more coupled waves cancel each other to reduce the mutual coupling between adjacent antenna array elements 1, further improving the isolation.

[0078] Please continue to see 8 and Figure 9 The reflective surface structure 3 includes a plurality of annular structures, and the openings K of two adjacent annular structures are in opposite directions. This can further improve the quality factor of the reflective surface structure 3 and further improve the isolation.

[0079] Please refer to Figure 10 This is a top view of another reflective surface structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The reflective surface structure 3 may include an annular structure and a surface structure. The surface structure is surrounded by the annular structure and has the same shape as the annular structure. Figure 10 The middle ring structure is a circular ring, and the surface structure surrounded by the circular ring is a circular surface structure. Of course, the ring structure can also be other shapes, and the corresponding surface structure also changes with the shape of the ring structure, which will not be described in detail here.

[0080] By allowing the reflective surface structure 3 to include a ring structure and a surface structure, and the surface structure being surrounded by the ring structure and having the same shape as the ring structure, the reflective area of the reflective surface structure 3 can be increased, thereby further increasing the amount of electromagnetic waves reflected by the reflective surface structure 3. In this way, the edges cancel out more coupled waves to reduce the mutual coupling between adjacent antenna array elements 1, further improving isolation.

[0081] Please refer to Figure 11 A schematic structural diagram of another reconfigurable array antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] Antenna array element 1, including:

[0083] a first ground layer 11;

[0084] The strip transmission line layer 12 is located on a side of the first ground layer 11 close to the reflective surface structure 3. The strip transmission line layer 12 includes a strip transmission line 121 and a first substrate 122. The first substrate 122 is located on a side of the first ground layer 11 close to the reflective surface structure 3. The strip transmission line 121 is located on one side of the first substrate 122.

[0085] A second ground layer 13 is located on a side of the stripline layer 12 near the reflective surface structure 3. The second ground layer 13 includes two coupling slots M, extending in orthogonal directions. The stripline layer 12 includes two transmission lines 123 corresponding to the two coupling slots M, respectively. The orthographic projections of the transmission lines 123 on the second ground layer 13 are orthogonal to the corresponding coupling slots M. The antenna array element 1 also includes a second substrate 15. The second substrate 15 is located on a side of the stripline layer 12 near the reflective surface structure 3. The second ground layer 13 is located on one side of the second substrate 15. The portion of the stripline 121 near the coupling slots M serves as the transmission line 123.

[0086] The radiation unit 14 is located on a side of the second ground layer 13 close to the reflective surface structure 3 ; the radiation unit 14 overlaps with the two coupling slots M.

[0087] The radiating unit 14 includes a radiating patch 141 and a third substrate 142. The third substrate 142 is located on the side of the first ground layer 11 close to the radome 2. The radiating patch 141 is located on the surface of the third substrate 142 close to the radome 2. The shape of the radiating patch 141 can be polygonal, circular, or other shapes, which are not limited here.

[0088] The first substrate 122 , the second substrate 15 , and the third substrate 142 may be commonly used printed circuit board insulation materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene glass fiber laminates, phenolic paper laminates, phenolic glass cloth laminates, or may be hard materials with low microwave loss such as quartz and glass.

[0089] The materials used for the first ground layer 11, the second ground layer, and the strip transmission line 121 can be low-resistance, low-loss metals such as copper, gold, and silver. The first ground layer 11, the second ground layer, and the strip transmission line 121 can be prepared by magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation, electroplating, and other methods.

[0090] By configuring the antenna array element 1 to include a first ground layer 11, a strip transmission line layer 12 located on a side of the first ground layer close to the reflective surface structure 3, and a second ground layer 13 located on a side of the strip transmission line layer 12 close to the reflective surface structure 3, and allowing the second ground layer 13 to include two coupling slots M, the extension directions of the two coupling slots M are orthogonal, and the strip transmission line layer 12 includes two transmission lines 123 corresponding to the two coupling slots M, respectively, and the orthographic projections of the transmission lines 123 on the second ground layer 13 are orthogonal to the corresponding coupling slots M, the strip transmission layer can be used to generate dual-polarized electromagnetic waves through the two coupling slots M, and radiate them externally through the radiation unit 14.

[0091] Please refer to Figure 12 A top view of a second ground layer provided in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the coupling gap M includes:

[0092] A first sub-slit M1 and a second sub-slit M2 that are parallel to each other;

[0093] The third sub-slit M3 connects the first sub-slit M1 and the second sub-slit M2.

[0094] Figure 12 What is shown is a graphic corresponding to a radiation unit 14 in the second ground layer 13. The two coupling slots M corresponding to a radiation unit 14 have the same shape, but may be the same or different in size. Specifically, they need to be matched according to the impedance corresponding to the two transmission lines 123 in the strip radiation layer.

[0095] Please refer to Figure 13 A top view of a strip transmission line provided in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the strip transmission line layer 12 includes:

[0096] Bridge (such as Figure 13 The bridge has two input terminals RF in And two output terminals RF ou t, two output terminals RF out The amplitude of the RF signal is the same and the phase difference is 90°; wherein the transmission line 123 is the output terminal RF out .

[0097] The bridge may be a 3dB bridge.

[0098] Please refer to Figure 14 A perspective view of an antenna array element provided in an embodiment of the present invention, with two output terminals RF of the bridge out The orthographic projection of the second ground layer 13 is orthogonal to the corresponding coupling slots M, and the radiating patch 141 almost completely covers the two coupling slots M. By configuring the strip transmission layer as a bridge, the bridge can generate two RF signals with the same amplitude and a 90° phase difference. These signals are then fed to the radiating patch 141 through the coupling slots M, causing the radiating patch 141 to generate circularly polarized radiation.

[0099] Please refer to Figure 15 A perspective view of another antenna array element provided by an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the strip transmission line layer 12 includes two microstrip lines, and the microstrip lines serve as transmission lines 123 .

[0100] Two microstrip lines (such as Figure 15 The black entity in the middle corresponds to the two feeding input terminals (such as Figure 15 (shown by the dotted line in the middle circle), the end of the microstrip line away from the coupling slot M is connected to the corresponding feeding input terminal, and the orthographic projections of the two microstrip lines on the second ground layer 13 are orthogonal to the corresponding coupling slot M. By inputting feeding signals with the same amplitude and a 90-degree phase difference from the two feeding input terminals, the radiating patch 141 can achieve dual circularly polarized radiation, and its structure is simpler than that of a bridge solution.

[0101] Please refer to Figure 16 This is an exploded diagram of the structure of a reconfigurable array antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The antenna array element 1 also includes:

[0102] The parasitic unit 16 is located on a side of the radiation unit 14 close to the reflective surface structure 3 .

[0103] The parasitic unit 16 includes a parasitic patch 161 and a fourth substrate 162. The fourth substrate 162 is located on the side of the radiation unit 14 close to the reflective surface structure 3. The parasitic patch 161 is located on the side of the fourth substrate 162 close to the reflective surface structure 3. The material of the parasitic patch 161 can be the same as that of the radiation patch 141, and the fourth substrate 162 can be the same material as that of the first substrate 122. This reduces the number of materials and facilitates production management.

[0104] The parasitic patch 161 has the same shape as the radiation patch 141 , and can be the same or different in size, which can be specifically configured as needed.

[0105] By arranging the parasitic unit 16 on the side of the radiation unit 14 close to the reflective surface structure 3 , the directivity of the reconfigurable array antenna can be improved.

[0106] Please refer to Figure 17 This is a schematic structural diagram of another reconfigurable array antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The reconfigurable array antenna further includes:

[0107] The support column 4 is located between the radome 2 and the antenna array element 1; the support column 4 does not overlap with the reflective surface structure 3 and the antenna array element 1;

[0108] The filling layer 5 is filled between the radome 2 and the antenna element 1 and does not overlap with the supporting column 4 .

[0109] In some embodiments, the dielectric constant of the filling layer 5 is less than 1.2.

[0110] The material of the filling layer 5 may be polymethacrylimide (PMI) foam.

[0111] By arranging the support column 4 between the radome 2 and the antenna array element 1 and filling the filling layer 5, the structure of the reconfigurable array antenna can be made more stable.

[0112] Please refer to Figure 18 and Figure 19 A schematic diagram of the arrangement of a reconfigurable array antenna provided in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein every n antenna array elements 1 constitute a sub-array; n is greater than or equal to 3;

[0113] The n antenna array elements 1 are symmetrical about the center of the sub-array and are arranged in a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation along the center of the sub-array.

[0114] Figure 18 and Figure 19 The reconfigurable array antenna in is composed of a sub-array, and the sub-array is composed of 4 antenna elements 1, such as Figure 18 The four antenna array elements 1 are arranged counterclockwise around the sub-array center O, as shown in FIG. Figure 19 The four antenna array elements 1 shown are arranged in a clockwise rotation around the sub-array center O.

[0115] By making every n antenna array elements 1 form a subarray, where n is greater than or equal to 3, and making the n antenna array elements 1 symmetrical about the center of the subarray and arranged in a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation along the center of the subarray, the circular polarization performance of the subarray can be enhanced, thereby improving the circular polarization performance of the antenna array element 1.

[0116] Please continue to refer to Figure 18 and Figure 19 , n=4, one of the two adjacent antenna array elements 1 coincides with the other after being rotated 90° along the center O of the sub-array, and the feeding phases of the two adjacent antenna array elements 1 corresponding to the same feeding input terminal differ by 90°.

[0117] As in Figure 18 The antenna array element 1 in the upper left corner is rotated 90° counterclockwise along the sub-array center O to coincide with the antenna array element 1 in the lower left corner. The antenna array element 1 in the lower left corner is rotated 90° counterclockwise along the sub-array center O to coincide with the antenna array element 1 in the lower right corner. The antenna array element 1 in the lower right corner is rotated 90° counterclockwise along the sub-array center O to coincide with the antenna array element 1 in the upper right corner. The antenna array element 1 in the upper right corner is rotated 90° counterclockwise along the sub-array center O to coincide with the antenna array element 1 in the upper left corner. Figure 18 The phase difference between the feed signals input to the same feed input terminal of two adjacent antenna array elements 1 is 90°, and gradually increases along the direction of rotation of the antenna array element 1; Figure 19 Then Figure 18 On the contrary, antenna element 1 is rotated 90° clockwise along the sub-array center O and overlaps with an adjacent antenna element 1. Figure 19 The phase difference between the feeding signals input to the same feeding input terminal of two adjacent antenna array elements 1 is 90°, and gradually increases along the direction of rotation of the antenna array element 1.

[0118] It should be noted that, since the antenna array element 1 includes the reflective surface structure 3 and the strip transmission line 121, the above rotation includes the synchronous rotation of the reflective surface structure 3 and the strip transmission line 121, as well as the synchronous rotation of the corresponding feed input end. Figure 20 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a sub-array provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0119] When the reconfigurable array antenna includes multiple sub-arrays, the multiple sub-arrays are arranged in an array.

[0120] By rotating one of two adjacent antenna elements 1 in the four antenna array elements 1 by 90° along the center of the sub-array and coinciding with the other, and making the feeding phases of the two adjacent antenna array elements 1 corresponding to the same feeding input end differ by 90°, the circular polarization performance of the sub-array can be further enhanced, thereby improving the circular polarization performance of the antenna array element 1.

[0121] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present invention provides a base station, including the reconfigurable array antenna shown above.

[0122] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, those skilled in the art may make additional changes and modifications to these embodiments once they have learned the basic creative concept. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0123] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, if such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, the present invention is intended to include such changes and modifications.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable array antenna, characterized in that: include: A plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array; a radome, located on a side where the radiation surfaces of the plurality of antenna array elements are located; A plurality of reflecting surface structures are located on a side of the radome close to the plurality of antenna array elements; the plurality of reflecting surface structures correspond one-to-one to the plurality of antenna array elements; the reflecting surface structures are configured to reflect electromagnetic waves radiated to the reflecting surface structures, and the electromagnetic waves reflected by the reflecting surface structures have opposite phases and the same amplitudes as the coupled waves of adjacent antenna array elements.

2. The reconfigurable array antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The reflective surface structure includes at least one annular structure, and the orthographic projection of the largest annular structure on the corresponding antenna array element surrounds the corresponding antenna array element.

3. The reconfigurable array antenna according to claim 2, wherein: The reflective surface structure includes a plurality of annular structures, the centers of the plurality of annular structures coincide with each other, and sizes of the plurality of annular structures gradually decrease in a direction from the annular structures to the centers.

4. The reconfigurable array antenna according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The annular structure includes at least one opening.

5. The reconfigurable array antenna according to claim 4, wherein: The reflective surface structure includes a plurality of annular structures, and the opening directions of two adjacent annular structures are opposite to each other.

6. The reconfigurable array antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The antenna array element comprises: First ground layer; a strip transmission line layer located on a side of the first ground layer close to the reflective surface structure; a second ground layer located on a side of the strip transmission line layer close to the reflective surface structure; the second ground layer includes two coupling slots, the two coupling slots extending in orthogonal directions, the strip transmission line layer includes two transmission lines corresponding to the two coupling slots, respectively, and the orthographic projections of the transmission lines on the second ground layer are orthogonal to the corresponding coupling slots; A radiation unit is located on a side of the second ground layer close to the reflective surface structure; the radiation unit overlaps with the two coupling slots.

7. The reconfigurable array antenna according to claim 6, wherein: The coupling gap comprises: A first sub-slit and a second sub-slit parallel to each other; The third sub-slit connects the first sub-slit and the second sub-slit.

8. The reconfigurable array antenna according to claim 6, wherein: The strip transmission line layer comprises: An electric bridge having two input terminals and two output terminals, wherein the RF signals at the two output terminals have the same amplitude and a 90° phase difference; wherein the transmission line serves as the output terminal; Or, two microstrip lines, the microstrip lines serving as the transmission lines.

9. The reconfigurable array antenna according to claim 6, wherein: The antenna array element further includes: The parasitic unit is located on a side of the radiation unit close to the reflective surface structure.

10. The reconfigurable array antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Also includes: A support column is located between the radome and the antenna array element; The filling layer is filled between the antenna cover and the antenna array element and has no overlap with the supporting column.

11. The reconfigurable array antenna according to claim 9, wherein: The dielectric constant of the filling layer is less than 1.

2.

12. The reconfigurable array antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Every n antenna array elements constitute a subarray; n is greater than or equal to 3; The n antenna array elements are symmetrical about the center of the sub-array and are arranged in a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation along the center of the sub-array.

13. The reconfigurable array antenna according to claim 12, wherein: n=4, one of two adjacent antenna array elements coincides with the other after being rotated 90° along the center of the sub-array, and the feeding phases of the two adjacent antenna array elements corresponding to the same feeding input terminal differ by 90°.

14. A base station, characterized in that: The invention comprises a reconfigurable array antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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