Antenna device for realizing space-polarization separation of wave beams by using four-polarization antenna module array

Abstract

The invention discloses an antenna device for realizing beam space-polarization separation by using a four-polarization antenna module array. According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an antenna device capable of realizing spatial-polarization separation of a beam, comprising: a four-polarization antenna module array comprising first and second four-polarization antenna modules in which channels of radiating elements having the same polarization direction are coupled to each other, the first wave beam and the second wave beam have different polarizations; and a polarization / separation beamforming module that sets the phases between the signals to be different so that the first beam and the second beam are spatially separated.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the application with application date of September 24, 2020, application number 202080070649.4, and invention name “Antenna device for achieving spatial-polarization separation of beams using a quad-polarization antenna module array”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to an antenna device, and more particularly, to a quad-polarization antenna module that can achieve time-polarization separation and improve antenna module area utilization, and an antenna device that uses a quad-polarization antenna module array to achieve beam space-polarization separation. Background Art

[0003] The contents described in this section are merely used to provide background information for the present invention and do not constitute prior art.

[0004] Frequency-division duplex (FDD) and time-division duplex (TDD) are widely used as methods for sharing transmission and reception signals using a single transmission line or antenna.

[0005] Figure 1 The figure shows an example of a conventional antenna device that shares transmit and receive signals using a TDD method.

[0006] An existing TDD antenna device may include an antenna (ANT), a filter, a switch (S / W), a power amplifier (PA), a low noise amplifier (LNA), an AD converter (not shown), and a digital signal processor (FPGA, not shown).

[0007] The TDD antenna (AND) may have a form of an array of multiple antenna modules, and the antenna module may be composed of a radiating element (dual-polarization antenna module) having a dual-polarization antenna form.

[0008] like Figure 2 As shown, a dual-polarization antenna module can be composed of two radiating elements with different polarization directions (set to have different polarization directions). Arrows represent each radiating element, and the direction of the arrows indicates the polarization direction of each radiating element. The solid box represents the area or space occupied by the antenna module.

[0009] In a dual-polarization antenna module, when the switch (S / W) is connected to the transmit line (Tx line), the signal is transmitted; when the switch (S / W) is connected to the receive line (Rx line), the signal is received. In other words, a dual-polarization antenna module (a conventional TDD antenna device) implements TDD functionality based on the selective switching of the switch (S / W).

[0010] However, during the handover process, signal loss may occur in either the transmitted (downlink) or received (uplink) signals. Furthermore, signal loss may occur during the transmission of received signals via cables to the backend within the device. This signal loss degrades the noise figure (NF) and limits the expansion of the uplink coverage of the wireless communication system.

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a new antenna module of the TDD method has recently been disclosed, in which a transmission antenna module (Tx antenna module) and a reception antenna module (Rx antenna module) are physically separated.

[0012] Figure 3 An example of a novel antenna module is shown in FIG. Figure 3 In the figure, the antenna modules on the left are the transmit antenna modules Tx1 and Tx2, and the antenna modules on the right are the receive antenna modules Rx1 and Rx2. The solid-line box represents the entire area or space occupied by the new antenna modules. The new antenna modules physically separate transmit and receive antennas (with separate transmit and receive lines), thus resolving some of the issues caused by existing switching.

[0013] However, the new antenna module mechanically separates the single antenna module responsible for both receiving and transmitting signals into two distinct components, which increases the area of the antenna module itself.

[0014] Typically, antenna devices utilize antenna module arrays composed of multiple antenna modules. Furthermore, to implement MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) technology, the number of antenna modules included in antenna module arrays is increasing. Therefore, if the area of the antenna modules themselves, such as new antenna modules, increases, the area or size of not only the antenna module array but also the antenna device as a whole will also increase. This can lead to difficulties not only in the production process of the antenna device but also in its installation and maintenance.

[0015] In addition, in order to reduce the fading effect caused by multi-path and perform polarization diversity, a MIMO antenna module for mobile communications is generally configured as a plurality of dual-polarization antenna modules (dual-polarization antenna module array).

[0016] like Figure 4 As shown, fading refers to the phenomenon that the intensity of radio waves changes over time. Diversity is a method of reducing the impact of fading by synthesizing multiple received signals with different electromagnetic field strengths or signal output to noise output ratios to obtain a single signal.

[0017] Figure 5 An example of a dual-polarized antenna module array is shown. Figure 5 The dual polarization antenna can be composed of a radiating element with a polarization direction of +45 degrees and a radiating element with a polarization direction of -45 degrees. Figure 6 Beam-forming (beam-pattern) by a dual-polarized antenna is illustrated.

[0018] Figure 6 The figure shows that the dual-polarization antenna connected to the signal lines of TRx1 and TRx2 radiates a beam with a dotted line waveform, and the dual-polarization antenna connected to the signal lines of TRx3 and TRx4 radiates a beam with a double-dotted line waveform. Figure 6 As can be seen, the beam radiated from the dual-polarization antenna has a wide beam shape. The wide beam shape has a limitation in that the SNR (signal tonoise ratio) decreases depending on the surrounding environment, making it difficult to transmit the signal to a long distance.

[0019] Existing methods solve the above problem by coupling the radiating elements in the dual-polarization antenna module array (sharing channels) and performing spatial (sector) separation on the signals of the same frequency (signals of the same polarization).

[0020] For example, existing methods separate the signal of the same frequency into three ( Figure 7 (a)) or 6 ( Figure 7 (b)) Beamforming is performed spatially. However, in the above method, since beams with the same polarization are arranged at adjacent positions, the correlation between the beams increases, which may cause a problem of reduced communication quality. Summary of the Invention

[0021]

Technical Issues

[0022] The main purpose of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a quad-polarization antenna module that reduces the area of the antenna module by simplifying the dual-polarization antenna module and distinguishes between transmission and reception within the simplified antenna module, thereby resolving signal loss caused by switching.

[0023] Furthermore, a main object of another embodiment of the present invention is to provide an antenna device that radiates a narrow beam by coupling channels between radiating elements, thereby being able to transmit signals to a relatively far place.

[0024] Furthermore, a main object of another embodiment of the present invention is to provide an antenna device that can improve communication quality by reducing correlation between beams by setting the polarization between beams radiated from mutually close positions to be different.

[0025]

Technical solution

[0026] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an antenna device capable of achieving spatial-polarization separation of beams is provided. The antenna device includes: a quad-polarization antenna module array, comprising a first quad-polarization antenna module and a second quad-polarization antenna module, each of which has radiating elements with the same polarization direction and is channel-coupled to each other, and radiating first and second beams with different polarizations; and a polarization / separation beamforming module, which sets the phases between signals to be different to spatially separate the first and second beams. The first quad-polarization antenna module includes: a first radiating element; a second radiating element having a polarization direction orthogonal to the first radiating element; a third radiating element having a polarization direction difference of 45 degrees from the second radiating element; and a fourth radiating element having a polarization direction orthogonal to the third radiating element. The second quad-polarization antenna module includes: a fifth radiating element having the same polarization direction as the first radiating element; a sixth radiating element having the same polarization direction as the second radiating element; a seventh radiating element having the same polarization direction as the third radiating element; and an eighth radiating element having the same polarization direction as the fourth radiating element.

[0027] Beneficial effects

[0028] As described above, according to the present invention, by distinguishing between transmission and reception in a single antenna module, signal loss due to switching can be reduced.

[0029] Furthermore, according to the present invention, physically separate dual-polarization antenna modules are unified into one quad-polarization antenna module, thereby not only being able to reduce the area but also providing convenience in manufacturing, installation, operation and maintenance, and the like.

[0030] Furthermore, according to the present invention, since it is possible to radiate a narrow beam, the antenna gain can be improved, and the beams can be spatially separated in various directions, thereby expanding the coverage range. The correlation between beams can be reduced by polarization separation of the beams, thereby further improving the communication quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 This is a block diagram for explaining an example of a conventional antenna device.

[0032] Figure 2 and Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining a conventional antenna module.

[0033] Figure 4 It is a diagram for explaining the fading phenomenon.

[0034] Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining a conventional antenna module array.

[0035] Figure 6 and Figure 7 A diagram for explaining beams radiated by a conventional antenna module array.

[0036] Figures 8 to 10 are diagrams for explaining various examples of a quad-polarization antenna module.

[0037] Figure 11 FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of performing time-polarization separation using a quad-polarization antenna module.

[0038] Figures 12 to 15 is a diagram for explaining various examples of a quad-polarized antenna module array.

[0039] Figures 16 to 18 It is a diagram for explaining spatial-polarization separation in the horizontal direction.

[0040] Figure 19 and Figure 20 is a diagram for explaining spatial-polarization separation in the vertical direction.

[0041] [Description of Reference Numerals]

[0042] 800: Quad-polarized antenna module 810: First radiating element module

[0043] 812, 1212: first radiating element 814, 1214: second radiating element

[0044] 820: second radiating element module 822, 1216: third radiating element

[0045] 824, 1218: fourth radiating element 1010, 1512: first intersection

[0046] 1020, 1514: Second intersection 1200: Quad-polarized antenna module array

[0047] 1210: First quad-polarized antenna module 1220: Second quad-polarized antenna module

[0048] 1222: fifth radiating element 1224: sixth radiating element

[0049] 1226: Seventh radiating element 1228: Eighth radiating element

[0050] 1522: Third intersection 1524: Fourth intersection DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] Below, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. When annotating the figures, even if the same technical features appear in different figures, the same reference numerals are used whenever possible. It should also be noted that throughout this specification, if a detailed description of a relevant known technical feature or function is deemed to obscure the subject matter of the present invention, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0052] In addition, when describing the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only used to distinguish the corresponding technical features from other technical features, and do not limit their nature, order or sequence, etc. Throughout the entire specification, if a technical feature "includes" or "has" another technical feature, unless otherwise specifically stated, it can be understood that the technical feature also includes the other technical feature, rather than being understood as excluding the other technical feature. Moreover, terms such as "… part" and "module" recorded in the specification refer to units that can perform at least one function, which can be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0053] This specification proposes 1) a quad-polarized antenna module that can achieve time-polarization separation; and 2) an antenna device that can achieve space-polarization separation. The following describes embodiments of 1) the quad-polarized antenna module and 2) the antenna device.

[0054] Example 1

[0055] Embodiment 1 proposes a quad-polarization antenna module 800 that can achieve time-polarization separation.

[0056] like Figures 8 to 10 As shown, the quad-polarization antenna module 800 may include a first radiating element module 810 and a second radiating element module 820 .

[0057] The first radiating element module 810 may include two radiating elements 812 and 814 having mutually orthogonal or perpendicular polarization directions. The second radiating element module 820 may also include two radiating elements 822 and 824 having mutually orthogonal or perpendicular polarization directions.

[0058] "Orthogonal" or "perpendicular" encompasses situations where the polarization directions of the radiating elements differ by exactly 90 degrees, as well as situations where the angle differs by 90±θ. θ can vary based on factors such as manufacturing tolerances within the antenna module, correlation with other antenna modules, and the need for beamforming direction adjustments.

[0059] Of the two radiating elements 812 and 814 included in the first radiating element module 810, one is referred to as the first radiating element 812 and the other is referred to as the second radiating element 814. The polarization direction of the second radiating element 814 can be set to be orthogonal or perpendicular to the polarization direction of the first radiating element 812.

[0060] Of the two radiating elements 822 and 824 included in the second radiating element module 820, one is referred to as a third radiating element 822 and the other is referred to as a fourth radiating element 824. The third radiating element 822 may be set to have a polarization direction difference of 45 degrees from the polarization direction of the first radiating element 812.

[0061] The polarization direction of the fourth radiating element 824 is set to be perpendicular or orthogonal to the polarization direction of the third radiating element 822. The second radiating element 814 has a perpendicular or orthogonal polarization direction relationship with the first radiating element 812, the first radiating element 812 has a 45-degree polarization direction relationship with the third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824, and the fourth radiating element 824 has a perpendicular or orthogonal polarization direction relationship with the third radiating element 822. Therefore, the fourth radiating element 824 can have a 45-degree polarization direction relationship with the first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814.

[0062] The term "45-degree polarization relationship" encompasses both situations where there is a precise 45-degree polarization difference between radiating elements, and situations where there is a 45-degree ±θ polarization difference. θ can vary depending on factors such as antenna module manufacturing process tolerances, correlation with other antenna modules, and the need for beamforming direction adjustments.

[0063] Depending on the implementation, the polarization directions of the radiating elements 812, 814, 822, and 824 may have various configurations. For example, the first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814 may have polarization directions of +45 degrees and -45 degrees, respectively, and the third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824 may have polarization directions of vertical and horizontal, respectively. As another example, the first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814 may have polarization directions of vertical and horizontal, respectively, and the third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824 may have polarization directions of +45 degrees and -45 degrees, respectively.

[0064] The first radiating element module 810 can be connected to the transmit lines Tx1 and Tx2 for transmitting signals, while the second radiating element module 820 can be connected to the receive lines Rx1 and Rx2 for receiving signals. Conversely, the first radiating element module 810 can be connected to the receive lines Rx1 and Rx2 for receiving signals, while the second radiating element module 820 can be connected to the transmit lines Tx1 and Tx2 for transmitting signals.

[0065] As described above, the quad-polarized antenna module 800 of the present invention can solve the prior art problem (signal loss) caused by switching operations by differentiating between a radiating element module for transmitting signals and a radiating element module for receiving signals.

[0066] Furthermore, the quad-polarized antenna module 800 can achieve time-polarization separation (separation of signal transmission and reception and polarization) by using either the first radiating element module 810 or the second radiating element module 820 for transmission and the other for reception.

[0067] Figure 11 An example of implementing time-polarization separation using a quad-polarization antenna module 800 is shown.

[0068] Figure 11 In FIG. 1 , a patterned area Tx indicates a time period during which the first transmitting radiating element module 810 transmits a signal, and an unpatterned area Rx indicates a time period during which the second receiving radiating element module 820 receives a signal.

[0069] The two radiating elements 812 and 814 in the first radiating element module 810 have a polarization direction difference of ±45 degrees (±45° Pol.), and the two radiating elements 822 and 824 in the second radiating element module 820 have vertical polarization directions and horizontal polarization directions (V / H Pol.).

[0070] The following describes an embodiment that can improve the area utilization of the quad-polarized antenna module 800. In the following embodiment, it is assumed that the first radiating element module 810 is connected to the transmitting line and is used to transmit signals, and the second radiating element module 820 is connected to the receiving line and is used to receive signals.

[0071] Example 1-1

[0072] Embodiment 1-1 is an embodiment in which the third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824 are arranged around the first radiating element module 810 .

[0073] like Figure 8 As shown, the first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814 may have an orthogonal or perpendicular polarization direction difference. The first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814 may be connected to the transmission lines Tx1 and Tx2 and used to transmit signals.

[0074] The third radiating element 822 may be arranged on the upper side (upper side periphery, Figure 8 (a) and Figure 8 (b)), or arranged on the lower side (lower side periphery) of the first radiating element module 810, ( Figure 8 (c) and Figure 8 (d)).

[0075] The third radiating element 822 disposed above or below the first radiating element module 810 may have a polarization direction difference of ±45 degrees from the first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814 , and is connected to the receiving line Rx1 for receiving signals.

[0076] The fourth radiating element 824 is arranged on the left side (left side periphery, Figure 8 (a) and Figure 8 (c)), or arranged on the right side of the first radiating element module 810 (right peripheral, Figure 8 (b) and Figure 8 (d)).

[0077] The fourth radiating element 824, arranged on the left or right side of the first radiating element module 810, may have a polarization direction difference that is orthogonal or perpendicular to the third radiating element 822, and may have a polarization direction difference of ±45 degrees from the first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814. The fourth radiating element 824 may be connected to the receiving line Rx2 and be used to receive signals.

[0078] Example 1-2

[0079] Embodiment 1-2 is an embodiment in which the first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814 are arranged around the second radiating element module 820 .

[0080] like Figure 9 As shown, the third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824 may have an orthogonal or perpendicular polarization direction difference. The third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824 may be connected to the receiving lines Rx1 and Rx2 and used to receive signals.

[0081] The first radiating element 812 is arranged on the upper left side (the periphery of the upper left side, Figure 9 (a) and Figure 9 (b)), or arranged on the lower right side of the second radiating element module 820 (lower right side periphery, Figure 9 (c) and Figure 9 (d)).

[0082] The first radiating element 812 disposed on the upper left or lower right side of the second radiating element module 820 may have a polarization direction difference of ±45 degrees from the third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824 , and may be connected to the transmission line Tx1 for transmitting signals.

[0083] The second radiating element 814 is arranged on the lower left side (the periphery of the lower left side, Figure 9 (a) and Figure 9 (c)), or arranged on the upper right side of the second radiating element module 820 (the upper right side periphery, Figure 9 (b) and Figure 9 (d)).

[0084] The second radiating element 814, located on the lower left or upper right side of the second radiating element module 820, may have a polarization direction difference that is orthogonal or perpendicular to the first radiating element 812, and may have a polarization direction difference of ±45 degrees with the third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824. The second radiating element 814 may be connected to the transmission line Tx2 and used to transmit signals.

[0085] As shown in Embodiments 1-1 and 1-2, the quad-polarized antenna module 800 of the present invention can be configured as follows: in the area occupied by the first radiating element module 810 ( Figure 8 The third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824 are arranged in the solid line box ( ), or in the area occupied by the second radiating element module 820 ( Figure 9 The first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814 are arranged in the solid line box).

[0086] Therefore, compared to the existing method of placing the transmitting antenna module and the receiving antenna module in two physically separate areas, Examples 1-1 and 1-2 can further improve area utilization. In addition, the improved area utilization can bring convenience to manufacturing, installation, operation and maintenance.

[0087] In embodiment 1-1, the first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814 can be arranged in various configurations. For example, the first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814 can be arranged to intersect each other. In addition, the first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814 can be arranged to intersect each other at their respective centers. In this case, the area occupied by the first radiating element module 810 ( Figure 8 The area of the solid line box) is minimized, thereby further improving the area utilization.

[0088] In the embodiment 1-2, the third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824 can be arranged in various configurations. For example, the third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824 can be arranged to intersect each other. In addition, the third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824 can be arranged to intersect each other at their respective centers. In this case, the area occupied by the second radiating element module 820 ( Figure 8 The area of the solid line box) is minimized, thereby further improving area utilization.

[0089] Examples 1-3

[0090] Embodiments 1-3 are embodiments in which the first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814 are arranged to cross each other, and the third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824 are also arranged to cross each other.

[0091] like Figure 10 As shown, the first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814 may be arranged to intersect with each other. The location or point where the first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814 intersect with each other is referred to as a 'first intersection point 1010'.

[0092] like Figure 10 As shown, the third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824 may be arranged to intersect with each other. The position or point where the third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824 intersect with each other is referred to as a 'second intersection point 1020'.

[0093] The area occupied by the quad-polarized antenna module 800 ( Figure 10 The area occupied by the quad-polarized antenna module 800 increases as the distance between the first intersection 1010 and the second intersection 1020 increases, and the area occupied by the quad-polarized antenna module 800 decreases as the distance between the first intersection 1010 and the second intersection 1020 decreases.

[0094] Compared with the existing method (the transmitting antenna module and the receiving antenna module are arranged in two physically separate areas), in order to further improve area utilization, the distance between the first intersection 1010 and the second intersection 1020 is preferably less than or equal to the length of a radiating element.

[0095] If the distance between the first intersection point 1010 and the second intersection point 1020 is less than or equal to the length of a radiating element, the distance between the first intersection point 1010 and the second intersection point 1020 can be set to various forms based on the designer's intention or the arrangement relationship between other antenna modules in the antenna module array, etc.

[0096] To maximize area utilization, the first intersection point 1010 and the second intersection point 1020 may be located at the same position. That is, the first radiating element 812 and the second radiating element 814 may be arranged so that their centers intersect (the first intersection point), and the third radiating element 822 and the fourth radiating element 824 may also be arranged so that their centers intersect (the second intersection point). If the first intersection point 1010 and the second intersection point 1020 are located at the same position, the area utilization can be maximized.

[0097] Example 2

[0098] Example 2 proposes an antenna device that can achieve space-polarization separation.

[0099] As previously mentioned, existing dual-polarization antenna module arrays radiate wide beams with low antenna gain, making it difficult to transmit signals over long distances. Arranging the antenna modules in an array and coupling the channels of the radiating elements can create narrower beams, enabling longer-range signal transmission. However, this approach may lead to the following issues:

[0100] 1) Increased size - To derive a narrow beam shape, multiple radiating elements or multiple antenna modules need to be arranged, which increases the size of the antenna and reduces area utilization.

[0101] 2) Adjacent beams overlap, increasing the correlation between the polarizations of the beams and thus causing a decrease in communication quality.

[0102] This specification aims to provide a novel antenna device that can solve all the problems existing in the existing antenna devices as mentioned above.

[0103] like Figure 12 As shown, the antenna device according to the present invention may include a quad-polarization antenna module array 1200 and a polarization / separation beamforming module 1230 (or a phase setting module).

[0104] The quad-polarized antenna module array 1200 utilizes its own radiating elements to radiate multiple beams. The beams radiated by the quad-polarized antenna module array 1200 may have a narrow beam shape, and two adjacent beams in the beam may have different polarization directions.

[0105] The quad-polarized antenna module array 1200 may include multiple quad-polarized antenna modules. In this specification, it is assumed that the quad-polarized antenna module array 1200 includes two quad-polarized antenna modules, one of which is referred to as a first quad-polarized antenna module 1210 and the other as a second quad-polarized antenna module 1220.

[0106] As shown in Embodiment 1, the first quad-polarization antenna module 1210 may include first to fourth radiating elements 1212 , 1214 , 1216 , and 1218 .

[0107] The second radiating element 1214 has a polarization direction that is orthogonal to the first radiating element 1212. The third radiating element 1216 has a polarization direction difference of 45 degrees from the first radiating element 1212 and the second radiating element 1214. The fourth radiating element 1218 may have a polarization direction that is orthogonal to the third radiating element 1216. Since the third radiating element 1216 and the fourth radiating element 1218 have polarization directions that are orthogonal to each other, the fourth radiating element 1218, like the third radiating element 1216, also has a polarization direction difference of 45 degrees from the first radiating element 1212 and the second radiating element 1214.

[0108] As shown in Embodiment 1, the second quad-polarization antenna module 1220 may include fifth to eighth radiating elements 1222 , 1224 , 1226 , and 1228 .

[0109] The fifth radiating element 1222 may have the same polarization direction as the first radiating element 1212 , the sixth radiating element 1224 may have the same polarization direction as the second radiating element 1214 , the seventh radiating element 1226 may have the same polarization direction as the third radiating element 1216 , and the eighth radiating element 1228 may have the same polarization direction as the fourth radiating element 1218 .

[0110] Therefore, the sixth radiating element 1224 has a polarization direction perpendicular to the fifth radiating element 1222, the seventh radiating element 1226 has a polarization direction difference of 45 degrees from the fifth radiating element 1222 and the sixth radiating element 1224, and the eighth radiating element 1228 may have a polarization direction perpendicular to the seventh radiating element 1226. The seventh radiating element 1226 and the eighth radiating element 1228 have polarization directions perpendicular to each other, and the eighth radiating element 1228, like the seventh radiating element 1226, also has a polarization direction difference of 45 degrees from the fifth radiating element 1222 and the sixth radiating element 1224.

[0111] Among the radiating elements included in the quad-polarized antenna module array 1200, channels of radiating elements with the same polarization direction can be coupled to each other. For example, the channels TRx1 of the first radiating element 1212 and the fifth radiating element 1222 can be coupled, and the channels TRx2 of the second radiating element 1214 and the sixth radiating element 1224 can also be coupled. Furthermore, the channels TRx3 of the third radiating element 1216 and the seventh radiating element 1226 can be coupled, and the channels TRx4 of the fourth radiating element 1218 and the eighth radiating element 1228 can also be coupled. The beams radiated by the radiating elements with coupled channels can have a narrow beam shape.

[0112] In channels TRx1, TRx2, TRx3, or TRx4, the frequencies of signals transmitted along the same channel may be the same or different. For example, when signals transmitted along the same channel have different frequencies, communication operators can be distinguished by the different frequencies. As another example, when signals transmitted along the same channel have the same frequency, beams (beam patterns) in various directions can be provided to the same communication operator using the same frequency. In the latter case, beams in various directions can cover multiple sectors within the entire coverage area, ultimately achieving the effect of increasing coverage.

[0113] The beam emitted by a radiating element may have a polarization direction of the radiating element that radiates it (the polarization direction set by the radiating element that radiates the beam). For example, the beam emitted by the first radiating element 1212 and the fifth radiating element 1222 sharing TRx1 may have a polarization direction of +45 degrees, and the beam emitted by the second radiating element 1214 and the sixth radiating element 1224 sharing TRx2 may have a polarization direction of -45 degrees. Furthermore, the beam emitted by the third radiating element 1216 and the seventh radiating element 1226 sharing TRx3 may have a horizontal polarization direction, and the beam emitted by the fourth radiating element 1218 and the eighth radiating element 1228 sharing TRx4 may have a vertical polarization direction.

[0114] Among them, the beam with a polarization direction of ±45 degrees may be referred to as a first beam, and the beam with a vertical polarization direction and the beam with a horizontal polarization direction may be referred to as a second beam (V / H).

[0115] To spatially separate the beams radiated by the quad-polarized antenna module array 1200, the polarization / separation beamforming module 1230 may set the phases of the input signals (or transmission signals) to be different from each other. The polarization / separation beamforming module 1230 may be implemented using a phase shifter or the like.

[0116] Signals set to different phases by the polarization / separation beamforming module 1230 are input to the quad-polarized antenna module array 1200 through the coupled channels Rx1, TRx2, TRx3, and TRx4. These signals are spatially separated according to the set phases and radiated as beams. Since the beams are radiated in the polarization direction of the radiating element that radiates them, two spatially adjacent beams have different polarizations.

[0117] Example 2-1: Improving Area Utilization (Reducing Antenna Size)

[0118] Embodiment 2-1 is a method for reducing the size of the quad-polarized antenna module array 1200 by effectively arranging radiating elements, thereby improving area utilization. As a method for improving area utilization, the method for improving area utilization of the quad-polarized antenna module shown in Embodiment 1 can be used.

[0119] For example, Figure 12 As shown, the third radiating element 1216 may be arranged above the first radiating element 1212 and the second radiating element 1214, and the fourth radiating element 1218 may be arranged to the right or left of the first radiating element 1212 and the second radiating element 1214. Correspondingly, the seventh radiating element 1226 may be arranged above the fifth radiating element 1222 and the sixth radiating element 1224, and the eighth radiating element 1228 may be arranged to the right or left of the fifth radiating element 1222 and the sixth radiating element 1224.

[0120] As another example, the third radiating element 1216 may be arranged below the first radiating element 1212 and the second radiating element 1214, and the fourth radiating element 1218 may be arranged to the right or left of the first radiating element 1212 and the second radiating element 1214. Accordingly, the seventh radiating element 1226 may be arranged below the fifth radiating element 1222 and the sixth radiating element 1224, and the eighth radiating element 1228 may be arranged to the right or left of the fifth radiating element 1222 and the sixth radiating element 1224.

[0121] As another example, Figure 14 As shown, the first radiating element 1212 may be arranged on the upper left side of the third radiating element 1216 and the fourth radiating element 1218, and the second radiating element 1214 may be arranged on the upper right side or the lower left side of the third radiating element 1216 and the fourth radiating element 1218. Correspondingly, the fifth radiating element 1222 may be arranged on the upper left side of the seventh radiating element 1226 and the eighth radiating element 1228, and the sixth radiating element 1224 may be arranged on the upper right side or the lower left side of the seventh radiating element 1226 and the eighth radiating element 1228.

[0122] As another example, the first radiating element 1212 may be arranged to the lower right of the third radiating element 1216 and the fourth radiating element 1218, and the second radiating element 1214 may be arranged to the upper right or lower left of the third radiating element 1216 and the fourth radiating element 1218. Accordingly, the fifth radiating element 1222 may be arranged to the lower right of the seventh radiating element 1226 and the eighth radiating element 1228, and the sixth radiating element 1224 may be arranged to the upper right or lower left of the seventh radiating element 1226 and the eighth radiating element 1228.

[0123] As another example, Figure 15 As shown, the first radiating element 1212 and the second radiating element 1214 are arranged to intersect with each other, and the third radiating element 1216 and the fourth radiating element 1218 can be arranged to intersect with each other. Correspondingly, the fifth radiating element 1222 and the sixth radiating element 1224 can be arranged to intersect with each other, and the seventh radiating element 1226 and the eighth radiating element 1228 can be arranged to intersect with each other.

[0124] The location or point where the first radiating element 1212 and the second radiating element 1214 intersect may be referred to as a first intersection point 1512, and the location or point where the third radiating element 1216 and the fourth radiating element 1218 intersect may be referred to as a second intersection point 1514. Furthermore, the location or point where the fifth radiating element 1222 and the sixth radiating element 1224 intersect may be referred to as a third intersection point 1522, and the location or point where the seventh radiating element 1226 and the eighth radiating element 1228 intersect may be referred to as a fourth intersection point 1524.

[0125] As in Embodiments 1-3, when the distance between the first intersection 1512 and the second intersection 1514 is minimized, the area utilization of the first quad-polarized antenna module 1210 is maximized. When the distance between the third intersection 1522 and the fourth intersection 1524 is minimized, the area utilization of the second quad-polarized antenna module 1220 can be maximized. Therefore, to maximize area utilization, the first intersection 1512 and the second intersection 1514 can be located at the same position, and the third intersection 1522 and the fourth intersection 1524 can also be located at the same position.

[0126] In addition, the first quad-polarization antenna module 1210 and the second quad-polarization antenna module 1220 may be arranged at different positions. For example, the quad-polarization antenna modules 1210 and 1220 may be arranged horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

[0127] When the quad-polarized antenna modules 1210 and 1220 are arranged horizontally, the first quad-polarized antenna module 1210 can be arranged on the left and the second quad-polarized antenna module 1220 can be arranged on the right, or the first quad-polarized antenna module 1210 can be arranged on the right and the second quad-polarized antenna module 1220 can be arranged on the left.

[0128] When the quad-polarized antenna modules 1210 and 1220 are arranged vertically, the first quad-polarized antenna module 1210 can be arranged at the top and the second quad-polarized antenna module 1220 at the bottom, or the first quad-polarized antenna module 1210 can be arranged at the bottom and the second quad-polarized antenna module 1220 at the top. In this case, the radiating elements 1212, 1214, 1216, 1218, 1222, 1224, 1226, and 1228 arranged vertically can be arranged at different positions relative to the horizontal direction.

[0129] For example, Figure 13 As shown, if the first quad-polarization antenna module 1210 is arranged on the upper side and the second quad-polarization antenna module 1220 is arranged on the lower side, the fourth radiating element 1218 and the eighth radiating element 1228 are arranged in the vertical direction. In this case, the fourth radiating element 1218 and the eighth radiating element 1228 can be arranged at different positions (opposite positions) relative to the vertical direction. That is, the fourth radiating element 1218 can be arranged to the left of the first radiating element 1212 and the second radiating element 1214, and the eighth radiating element 1228 can be arranged to the right of the fifth radiating element 1222 and the sixth radiating element 1224. Alternatively, the fourth radiating element 1218 can be arranged to the right of the first radiating element 1212 and the second radiating element 1214, and the eighth radiating element 1228 can be arranged to the left of the fifth radiating element 1222 and the sixth radiating element 1224.

[0130] The radiating elements arranged in the vertical direction are arranged at positions different from each other with respect to the vertical direction in order to form a narrow beam having sufficient gain (a narrow beam having a predetermined radiation angle).

[0131] The beam gain depends on the horizontal length of the radiating element. Since the third radiating element 1216 and the seventh radiating element 121 are arranged horizontally, they can radiate a narrow beam with sufficient gain. However, since the fourth radiating element 1218 and the eighth radiating element 1228 are arranged vertically, their horizontal length is very short, making it difficult to radiate a narrow beam with sufficient gain.

[0132] Therefore, if the fourth radiating element 1218 and the eighth radiating element 1228 are arranged at mutually symmetrical positions and the distance difference between the fourth radiating element 1218 and the eighth radiating element 1228 is used as the horizontal length of the radiating element, a narrow beam with sufficient gain can be formed.

[0133] Example 2-2: Improving Correlation Between Beams (Spatial-Polarization Separation)

[0134] Example 2-2 is a method of spatially separating and radiating beams (spatial separation) in order to improve the correlation between beams, and setting the polarizations of adjacent beams in the spatially separated beams to be different (polarization separation).

[0135] To spatially separate the beams, the polarization / separate beamforming module 1230 may set the phase or angle of the input signal. For example, the polarization / separate beamforming module 1230 may set the phase of the signal input through TRx1 and TRx2 to be different from the phase of the signal input through TRx3 and TRx4.

[0136] Signals set to different phases from each other are radiated through the radiating elements 1212 , 1214 , 1216 , 1218 , 1222 , 1224 , 1226 , and 1228 . At this time, the signals are radiated in a beam form having the polarization direction set in each radiating element.

[0137] For example, a signal input through TRx1 may be radiated as a beam having a +45-degree polarization direction based on the first radiating element 1212 and the fifth radiating element 1222, and a signal input through TRx2 may be radiated as a beam having a −45-degree polarization direction (a first beam) based on the second radiating element 1214 and the sixth radiating element 1224. Furthermore, a signal input through TRx3 may be radiated as a beam having a horizontal polarization direction based on the third radiating element 1216 and the fifth radiating element 1226, and a signal input through TRx4 may be radiated as a beam having a vertical polarization direction (a second beam) based on the fourth radiating element 1218 and the eighth radiating element 1228.

[0138] Horizontal spatial-polarization separation

[0139] The polarization / separation beamforming module 1230 can set the phases of the input signals to be different from each other in the horizontal direction. If the phases of the signals are set to be different from each other in the horizontal direction, the beams radiated by the quad-polarization antenna module array 1200 can be spatially separated in the horizontal direction.

[0140] Figure 16The figure shows an example of horizontal spatial-polarization separation of beams. The beam with ±45 degree polarization direction represents the first beam, and the beam with V / H polarization direction represents the second beam. Figure 16 It can be seen that in the antenna device according to the present invention, beams (the first beam and the second beam) having mutually different polarizations or polarization directions are spatially separated along the horizontal direction and emitted.

[0141] Figure 17 The figure shows a comparison between the spatially-polarization separated beams of the antenna device according to the present invention and the beams of the conventional antenna device.

[0142] Figure 17 In the figure, the dotted waveform shows the beam based on the existing antenna device, the area without a pattern in the solid waveform represents the first beam (±45 degrees) of the antenna device based on the present invention, and the waveform marked with a pattern represents the second beam (V / H) of the antenna device based on the present invention.

[0143] pass Figure 17 As can be seen, the antenna device of the present invention can achieve spatial-polarization separation of the beam in the horizontal direction, thereby further improving antenna gain compared to existing methods. Furthermore, the antenna device of the present invention can achieve increased coverage due to the separation of sectors (space).

[0144] Furthermore, it can be seen that although there is an overlapping area between the beams radiated by the antenna device according to the present invention, the polarizations between the beams are different from each other (polarization separation), and thus the correlation problem between the signals can be solved. Figure 18 A diagram further illustrating the effect based on polarization separation is illustrated.

[0145] By polarizing the first beam at ±45 degrees and the second beam at V / H, the correlation between the two beams can be minimized, with the direction of travel from left to right as the reference. This characteristic also applies to the second and third beams, as well as the third and fourth beams.

[0146] Although both the first and third beams have ±45-degree polarization directions, the spatial separation between them allows them to be sufficiently far apart (separated), resulting in a sufficiently low correlation between the two beams. This characteristic also holds true between the second and fourth beams.

[0147] Vertical spatial-polarization separation

[0148] The polarization / separation beamforming module 1230 can set the phases of the input signals to be different from each other in the vertical direction. If the phases of the signals are set to be different from each other in the vertical direction, the beams radiated by the quad-polarization antenna module array 1200 can be spatially separated in the vertical direction.

[0149] Figure 19 An example of vertical spatial-polarization separation of beams is shown. A beam with ±45 degree polarization represents a first beam, and a beam with V / H polarization represents a second beam.

[0150] Although there is an overlapping area between beams that are spatially separated in the vertical direction, the polarizations between the beams are different from each other (polarization separation), and thus the correlation problem between the signals can be solved.

[0151] Spatial-polarization separation in horizontal and vertical directions

[0152] The horizontal spatial-polarization separation and the vertical spatial-polarization separation can be implemented independently or simultaneously.

[0153] For the latter, the polarization / separation beamforming module 1230 may set the phases of the input signals to differ in the vertical and horizontal directions. For example, the polarization / separation beamforming module 1230 may set the horizontal phases of the input signals to differ by a (a is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) and may set the vertical phases of the input signals to differ by b (b is a natural number greater than or equal to 1).

[0154] As described above, if the phases of the signals are set to differ by a phase in the horizontal direction and b phase in the horizontal direction, spatial-polarization separation in the horizontal direction and spatial-polarization separation in the vertical direction can be achieved simultaneously.

[0155] Figure 20 An example of simultaneously achieving horizontal spatial-polarization separation and vertical spatial-polarization separation is shown in the figure.

[0156] For each of the a sectors, a beams can be formed that are spatially separated in the horizontal direction, and for each of the a sectors, b beams can be formed that are spatially separated in the vertical direction. Figure 20 In FIG, for each sector, although it is shown that the beams are spatially separated into the same number (b) along the vertical direction, the number of beams spatially separated along the vertical direction on each sector can be the same or different.

[0157] In the beams generated in sector a (beams separated vertically), the beams with ±45-degree polarization and the beam with V / H polarization have different polarizations, so the correlation between the two beams is sufficiently low. Furthermore, the beams with ±45-degree polarization in sector a and the beam with V / H polarization in sector a-1 have different polarizations, so the correlation between the two beams is also sufficiently low. Although the beams with ±45-degree polarization in sector a and the beams with ±45-degree polarization in sector 4 have the same polarization, the two beams are separated by a sufficient distance (separated) due to their horizontal spatial separation, so the correlation between the two beams is also sufficiently low.

[0158] As described above, the antenna apparatus of the present invention sets polarizations between spatially adjacent narrow beams to be different from each other, thereby improving the correlation between polarizations and achieving polarization reuse, thereby fully reusing polarization efficiency.

[0159] The above description is only used to illustrate the technical concept of this embodiment. For those skilled in the art with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which this embodiment belongs, various modifications and variations can be made without exceeding the essential features of this embodiment. Therefore, this embodiment is not used to limit the technical concept of this embodiment but is used for illustration. The scope of the technical concept of this embodiment is not limited by the embodiment. The scope of protection of this embodiment should be interpreted based on the following claims, and all technical concepts within the scope equivalent to them should be interpreted as belonging to the scope of rights of this embodiment.

Claims

1. An antenna device capable of achieving spatial-polarization separation of beams, comprising: A quad-polarized antenna module array includes a first quad-polarized antenna module and a second quad-polarized antenna module, the channels of which are coupled to each other and have radiating elements with the same polarization direction, and radiates a first beam and a second beam with different polarizations; as well as a polarization / separation beamforming module that sets the phases between the signals to be different so that the first beam and the second beam are spatially separated, The first quad-polarized antenna module includes: a first radiating element; a second radiating element having a polarization direction orthogonal to the first radiating element; a third radiating element having a polarization direction difference of 45 degrees from the second radiating element; and a fourth radiating element having a polarization direction orthogonal to the third radiating element. The second quad-polarized antenna module includes: a fifth radiating element having the same polarization direction as the first radiating element; a sixth radiating element having the same polarization direction as the second radiating element; a seventh radiating element having the same polarization direction as the third radiating element; and an eighth radiating element having the same polarization direction as the fourth radiating element.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein The polarization / separation beamforming module sets phases between signals to be different along the horizontal direction, so that the first beam and the second beam are spatially separated along the horizontal direction.

3. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein The polarization / separation beamforming module sets the phases of the signals to be different from each other along the vertical direction, so that the first beam and the second beam are spatially separated along the vertical direction.

4. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein In the first quad-polarized antenna module, the third radiating element is arranged above or below the first radiating element and the second radiating element, and the fourth radiating element is arranged on the right or left side of the first radiating element and the second radiating element. In the second quad-polarized antenna module, the seventh radiating element is arranged above or below the fifth radiating element and the sixth radiating element, and the eighth radiating element is arranged on the right or left side of the fifth radiating element and the sixth radiating element.

5. The antenna device according to claim 4, wherein: The first quadruple-polarization antenna module is arranged on the upper side or the lower side of the second quadruple-polarization antenna module. If the fourth radiating element is arranged on the right side of the first radiating element and the second radiating element, the eighth radiating element is arranged on the left side of the fifth radiating element and the sixth radiating element. If the fourth radiating element is arranged on the left side of the first radiating element and the second radiating element, the eighth radiating element is arranged on the right side of the fifth radiating element and the sixth radiating element. The antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein: In the first quadruple-polarized antenna module, the first radiating element is arranged on the upper left side or the lower right side of the third radiating element and the fourth radiating element, and the second radiating element is arranged on the upper right side or the lower left side of the third radiating element and the fourth radiating element. In the second quadruple-polarized antenna module, the fifth radiating element is arranged on the upper left side or the lower right side of the seventh radiating element and the eighth radiating element, and the sixth radiating element is arranged on the upper right side or the lower left side of the seventh radiating element and the eighth radiating element.

7. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein In the first quad-polarized antenna module, the first radiating element and the second radiating element are arranged to intersect with each other based on the first intersection, and the third radiating element and the fourth radiating element are arranged to intersect with each other based on the second intersection. In the second quad-polarized antenna module, the fifth radiating element and the sixth radiating element are arranged to intersect with each other based on the third intersection, and the seventh radiating element and the eighth radiating element are arranged to intersect with each other based on the fourth intersection.

8. The antenna device according to claim 7, wherein: The first intersection is located at the same position as the second intersection, and the third intersection is located at the same position as the fourth intersection.

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