Antenna unit, antenna assembly, light-transmitting device and vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses an antenna unit, an antenna assembly, light-transmitting equipment and a vehicle, relates to the technical field of vehicles, and aims to solve the problem of how to conveniently arrange the antenna assembly on the vehicle. The antenna unit comprises a radiation layer, a feed layer and a reference ground layer which are sequentially stacked, the radiation layer comprises a radiation unit, the feed layer comprises a feed unit, and the feed unit is used for feeding the radiation unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of vehicle technology, and in particular to an antenna unit, an antenna assembly, a light-transmitting device and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] With the development of intelligent vehicle technology and the evolution of 6G millimeter wave and satellite communication technology, traditional vehicle intelligent networking technology based on ground-based cellular communication can no longer meet the full-time and full-area communication needs of vehicles and drivers and passengers in working conditions such as outdoor, uninhabited areas, and disasters. Therefore, the vehicle's antenna components are gradually integrated and interconnected with satellite-based integrated air-space-ground communication technology to improve the communication needs of the antenna components.

[0003] In the prior art, the structure of the satellite communication-based antenna assembly on the vehicle is usually complex, occupies a large space, is difficult to integrate with vehicle components such as sunroof glass, window glass, etc., and is inconvenient to arrange the antenna assembly on the vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide an antenna unit, an antenna assembly, a light-transmitting device and a vehicle, aiming to solve the problem of how to facilitate the arrangement of the antenna assembly on the vehicle.

[0005] In a first aspect, an antenna unit is provided for use in a vehicle. The antenna unit includes a radiation layer, a feeding layer, and a reference ground layer stacked in sequence. The radiation layer includes a radiation unit. The feeding layer includes a feeding unit. The feeding unit is used to feed power to the radiation unit.

[0006] In the antenna unit provided herein, the reference ground layer is used to ensure the direction and range of the antenna unit's signal transmission, thereby ensuring the antenna assembly's coverage and signal strength. The feed unit and radiating unit cooperate to receive and transmit signals. By stacking the radiating layer, feed layer, and reference ground layer in sequence, the space occupied by the antenna unit in a direction parallel to the reference ground layer can be reduced, thereby facilitating the placement of the antenna unit in the vehicle.

[0007] Optionally, the thickness of the antenna unit is less than or equal to 1 mm.

[0008] Optionally, the radiation layer, the feed layer and the reference ground layer are all light-transmitting structures.

[0009] Optionally, the visible light band transmittance of the antenna unit is greater than or equal to 0.4.

[0010] Optionally, the antenna unit further includes a phase shift module stacked between the radiation layer and the reference stratum, the phase shift module being used to adjust the phase of the radio frequency signal fed into the radiation unit by the feeding unit to adjust the beam pointing direction of the antenna unit.

[0011] Optionally, the phase shift module includes a liquid crystal layer, a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer, the first electrode layer is arranged between the liquid crystal layer and the radiation layer, and the second electrode layer is arranged between the liquid crystal layer and the reference ground layer; the first electrode layer includes a first electrode unit, the second electrode layer includes a second electrode unit, and a portion of the liquid crystal layer between the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit is located on the signal transmission path between the feeding unit and the radiation unit, and the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit are used to apply different voltages to adjust the dielectric constant of the portion of the liquid crystal layer.

[0012] Optionally, the first electrode unit is a ground electrode unit, and the second electrode unit is a bias electrode unit.

[0013] Optionally, the first electrode unit is located between the feeding unit and the radiation unit, and the second electrode unit is arranged coplanar with the feeding unit.

[0014] Optionally, the portion of the orthographic projection of the feeding unit on the first electrode unit is located at the periphery of the first electrode unit.

[0015] Optionally, the phase shift module further includes a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer, wherein the first insulating layer is disposed between the first electrode layer and the liquid crystal layer; and the second insulating layer is disposed between the second electrode layer and the liquid crystal layer.

[0016] Optionally, the phase shift module further includes a first substrate layer and a second substrate layer, the first substrate layer is arranged between the first electrode layer and the radiation layer, and the second substrate layer is arranged between the second electrode layer and the feed layer and the reference ground layer.

[0017] Optionally, the antenna unit further includes an intermediate coupling layer, which is arranged between the phase shift module and the radiation layer. The intermediate coupling layer includes an intermediate coupling unit, and there is a capacitive coupling effect between the intermediate coupling unit and the feeding unit, and between the intermediate coupling unit and the radiation unit.

[0018] Optionally, the antenna unit further includes a third insulating layer, which is provided between the intermediate coupling layer and the radiation layer.

[0019] Optionally, there are multiple radiating units, and the multiple radiating units are arranged in an array in the plane where the radiating layer is located; there are also multiple feeding units, and the multiple feeding units are arranged in an array in the plane where the feeding layer is located; one feeding unit is used to feed one radiating unit.

[0020] Optionally, along the width direction of the vehicle, the spacing between two adjacent radiation units among the multiple radiation units is greater than or equal to 0.4 times the minimum value of the working wavelength range of the antenna unit, and less than or equal to 0.6 times the maximum value of the working wavelength range of the antenna unit; along the length direction of the vehicle, the spacing between two adjacent radiation units among the multiple radiation units is greater than or equal to 0.5 times the minimum value of the working wavelength range of the antenna unit, and less than or equal to 0.7 times the maximum value of the working wavelength range of the antenna unit.

[0021] Optionally, the adjustment range of the beam pointing of the antenna unit is a 360° range in the circumferential direction of the antenna unit and a range between -60° and +60° based on a direction perpendicular to the radiation layer.

[0022] In a second aspect, an antenna assembly is further provided, the antenna assembly including a transmitting antenna unit and a receiving antenna unit, at least one of the transmitting antenna unit and the receiving antenna unit is the above-mentioned antenna unit.

[0023] Optionally, the antenna assembly further includes a radio frequency transceiver assembly and a control module connected to the radio frequency transceiver assembly, and the radio frequency transceiver assembly is connected to both the transmitting antenna unit and the receiving antenna unit.

[0024] Optionally, the RF transceiver component includes an RF transmitting link and an RF receiving link; one end of the RF transmitting link is connected to the control module, and the other end is connected to the transmitting antenna unit; one end of the RF receiving link is connected to the receiving antenna unit, and the other end is connected to the control module.

[0025] Optionally, there are multiple transmitting antenna units, and the number of radiating units and feeding units in each transmitting antenna unit is multiple, and one feeding unit is used to feed one radiating unit; the RF transmitting link includes a main transmitting link, multiple first transmitting links and multiple second transmitting links, one end of the main transmitting link is connected to the control module, and the other end is connected to one end of the multiple first transmitting links, the other end of each first transmitting link is connected to one end of the multiple second transmitting links, and the other ends of the multiple second transmitting links are respectively connected to multiple feeding units of a transmitting antenna unit; the main transmitting link and the multiple first transmitting links both include power amplifiers.

[0026] Optionally, there are multiple receiving antenna units, and the number of radiating units and feeding units in each receiving antenna unit is multiple, and one feeding unit is used to receive the signal of one radiating unit; the RF receiving link includes a main receiving link, multiple first-branch receiving links and multiple second-branch receiving links, one end of the main receiving link is connected to the control module, and the other end is connected to one end of the multiple first-branch receiving links, the other end of each first-branch receiving link is connected to one end of the multiple second-branch receiving links, and the other ends of the multiple second-branch receiving links are respectively connected to multiple feeding units of a receiving antenna unit; the main receiving link and the multiple first-branch receiving links both include low-noise amplifiers.

[0027] Optionally, the antenna assembly also includes a detection device and a beam control processing device. The detection device is used to detect the vehicle's position information and status information. The detection device is connected to the control module, and the beam control processing device is connected to the control module, the transmitting antenna unit, and the receiving antenna unit. The control module is used to control the beam phase of the transmitting antenna unit and the receiving antenna unit through the beam control processing device based on the vehicle's position information and status information detected by the detection device and the ephemeris information received by the RF transceiver assembly.

[0028] Optionally, the antenna assembly further includes a human-computer interaction device, which is connected to the control module.

[0029] Optionally, the control module includes an on-board controller and a main controller connected to the on-board controller, the human-computer interaction device and the detection device are connected to the on-board controller, and the radio frequency transceiver component and the wave control processing device are connected to the main controller.

[0030] On the third aspect, a light-transmitting device is provided, which includes a first light-transmitting cover plate and a second light-transmitting cover plate that are arranged opposite to and spaced apart from each other, and the above-mentioned antenna assembly, wherein the transmitting antenna unit and the receiving antenna unit of the antenna assembly are arranged between the first light-transmitting cover plate and the second light-transmitting cover plate.

[0031] In a fourth aspect, a vehicle is also provided, comprising the above-mentioned antenna unit, or the above-mentioned antenna assembly, or the above-mentioned light-transmitting device.

[0032] It should be noted that the technical effects brought about by the implementation methods of the second to fourth aspects can be referred to the technical effects brought about by the corresponding implementation methods in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0034] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the light transmission device in the vehicle shown;

[0036] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of the light-transmitting device shown;

[0037] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a distribution method of antenna elements in the antenna unit shown;

[0038] Figure 5 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of another distribution method of antenna elements in the antenna unit shown.

[0039] Reference numerals:

[0040] 1000, vehicle; 100, vehicle body; 10, vehicle body frame; 20, light-transmitting device; 20A, roof panel; 20B, sunroof glass; 20C, glass body; 20D, black border area;

[0041] 1. A first light-transmitting cover plate;

[0042] 2. A second light-transmitting cover plate;

[0043] 3. Antenna assembly; 31. Transmitting antenna unit; 32. Receiving antenna unit; 33. RF transceiver assembly; 331. RF transmitting link; 3311. Main transmitting link; 3312. First transmitting link; 3313. Power amplifier; 332. RF receiving link; 3321. Main receiving link; 3322. First receiving link; 3323. Low-noise amplifier; 34. Control module; 341. On-board controller; 342. Main controller; 35. Detection device; 36. Wavelength control processing device; 37. Human-computer interaction device;

[0044] 30. Antenna unit; 30A. Antenna element; 301. Radiating layer; 301A. Radiating unit; 302. Feeding layer; 302A. Feeding unit; 303. Reference ground layer; 304. Phase shift module; 3041. Liquid crystal layer; 3042. First electrode layer; 3042A. First electrode unit; 3043. Second electrode layer; 3043A. Second electrode unit; 3044. First insulating layer; 3045. Second insulating layer; 3046. First substrate layer; 3047. Second substrate layer; 305. Intermediate coupling layer; 305A. Intermediate coupling unit; 306. Signal transmission line; 307. Third insulating layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," "fifth," and "sixth" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first," "second," "third," "fourth," "fifth," and "sixth" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0046] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not preclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising the element.

[0047] “A and / or B” includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0048] In the embodiments of the present application, "parallel", "perpendicular", and "equal" include the situations described and situations similar to the situations described, and the range of the similar situations is within an acceptable deviation range, wherein the acceptable deviation range is as determined by a person of ordinary skill in the art taking into account the measurement being discussed and the errors associated with the measurement of a specific quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "parallel" includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate parallelism can be, for example, a deviation within 5°; "perpendicular" includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate perpendicularity can also be, for example, a deviation within 5°. "Equal" includes absolute equality and approximate equality, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate equality can be, for example, that the difference between the two equals is less than or equal to 5% of either one.

[0049] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle 1000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Vehicle 1000 can be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, an extended-range electric vehicle, a gasoline vehicle, etc. Vehicle 1000 can also be a car, a van, a bus, a truck, a trailer, etc.

[0050] The vehicle 1000 may include a vehicle body 100. The vehicle body 100 includes a vehicle body frame 10 and a light-transmitting device 20 connected to the vehicle body frame 10. The vehicle body frame 10 is used to support the light-transmitting device 20. The light-transmitting device 20 may be partially light-transmitting or fully light-transmitting. For example, see Figure 2 , Figure 2 for Figure 1 The structure of the light-transmitting device 20 in vehicle 1000 is schematically shown. The light-transmitting device 20 may include a roof panel 20A and a sunroof glass 20B connected to the roof panel 20A. In this case, the sunroof glass 20B is the light-transmitting portion of the light-transmitting device 20. For another example, the light-transmitting device 20 may be a front windshield, in which case the light-transmitting device 20 is fully light-transmitting. For another example, the light-transmitting device 20 may also be a rear windshield, a window glass, or the like.

[0051] This application illustrates a light-transmitting device 20 comprising a roof panel 20A and a sunroof glass 20B. Sunroof glass 20B further comprises a glass body 20C and a black border region 20D located at the edge of glass body 20C where it meets roof panel 20A. Black border region 20D comprises a black, opaque coating formed using ceramic sintering technology.

[0052] In some embodiments, see Figure 3 , Figure 3 for Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the light-transmitting device shown in FIG. The light-transmitting device 20 may include a first light-transmitting cover plate 1, a second light-transmitting cover plate 2, and an antenna assembly 3. At least a portion of the antenna assembly 3 is disposed between the first light-transmitting cover plate 1 and the second light-transmitting cover plate 2. The first light-transmitting cover plate 1 and the second light-transmitting cover plate 2 are used to support and protect the antenna assembly 3. The first light-transmitting cover plate 1 and the second light-transmitting cover plate 2 have the same thickness.

[0053] In some examples, the first light-transmitting cover plate 1 and the second light-transmitting cover plate 2 can be glass. For example, the first light-transmitting cover plate 1 is located on the outside of the second light-transmitting cover plate 2, that is, the first light-transmitting cover plate 1 can be the outer layer of glass of the skylight glass 20B, and the second light-transmitting cover plate 2 can be the inner layer of glass of the skylight glass 20B. The antenna assembly 3 transmits or receives signals through the first light-transmitting cover plate 1. Among them, the first light-transmitting cover plate 1 can be made of low-dielectric-loss soda-lime glass or other low-dielectric-loss glass, the dielectric constant of the glass is 2-3, and the loss tangent value is less than or equal to 1.5%. In this way, the signal transmission effect of the antenna assembly 3 can be ensured. The second light-transmitting cover plate 2 can be made of white glass or Low-E glass (low-emissivity coated glass), etc.

[0054] In some examples, the antenna assembly 3 may be completely flat or may have a certain smooth curvature.

[0055] In other examples, the first light-transmitting cover plate 1 and the second light-transmitting cover plate 2 may also be made of transparent plastic such as PVC board, polycarbonate board, etc. This application does not make any specific limitation on this, as long as the first light-transmitting cover plate 1 and the second light-transmitting cover plate 2 meet the light transmission requirements.

[0056] Antenna assembly 3 is used to transmit information to and from a satellite. The information transmitted between antenna assembly 3 and the satellite can include video, voice, weather, and so on. This application does not specifically limit this. For example, the satellite can be a high-orbit satellite or a low-orbit satellite, such as a Ka-band low-orbit satellite. This application uses the example of information transmission between antenna assembly 3 and a low-orbit satellite as an example.

[0057] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 The antenna assembly 3 may include a transmitting antenna unit 31 and a receiving antenna unit 32. The transmitting antenna unit 31 is used to transmit signals to the satellite, and the receiving antenna unit 32 is used to receive signals from the satellite. The transmitting antenna unit 31 and the receiving antenna unit 32 cooperate to complete signal transmission.

[0058] In some examples, the structure of the transmitting antenna unit 31 and the structure of the receiving antenna unit 32 may be the same or different.

[0059] This application is exemplified by assuming that the structures of the transmitting antenna unit 31 and the receiving antenna unit 32 are identical. The structures of the transmitting antenna unit 31 and the receiving antenna unit 32 are described below. For ease of description, the structures of the transmitting antenna unit 31 and the receiving antenna unit 32 are collectively referred to as the antenna unit 30.

[0060] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 The antenna unit 30 may include a radiation layer 301, a feed layer 302, and a reference layer 303 stacked in sequence. The reference layer 303 is used to ensure the signal transmission direction and range of the antenna unit 30, thereby ensuring the coverage range and signal strength of the antenna assembly 3.

[0061] Here, the stacked arrangement means that there is no gap between the radiating layer 301, the feeding layer 302 and the reference ground layer 303. For example, the radiating layer 301, the feeding layer 302 and the reference ground layer 303 are in direct contact with each other, or other layer structures are provided between the radiating layer 301 and the feeding layer 302 so that the radiating layer 301 and the feeding layer 302 are in indirect contact through the other layer structures; another layer structure is provided between the feeding layer 302 and the reference ground layer 303 so that the radiating layer 301 and the feeding layer 302 are in indirect contact through the other layer structure.

[0062] The radiating layer 301 includes a radiating unit 301A, and the feeding layer 302 includes a feeding unit 302A. The feeding unit 302A is used to feed power to the radiating unit 301A. For example, when the antenna unit 30 is a transmitting antenna unit 31, the feeding unit 302A feeds a radio frequency signal into the radiating unit 301A through coupling between the feeding unit 302A and the radiating unit 301A, so that the radiating unit 301A converts the radio frequency signal into an electromagnetic wave signal and transmits the electromagnetic wave signal to the satellite to achieve signal transmission. When the antenna unit 30 is a receiving antenna unit 32, the radiating unit 301A receives the electromagnetic wave signal sent by the satellite and converts it into a radio frequency signal. Then, through coupling between the feeding unit 302A and the radiating unit 301A, the radio frequency signal is transmitted to the feeding unit 302A to achieve signal reception.

[0063] By stacking the radiation layer 301 , the feed layer 302 and the reference ground layer 303 in sequence, the space occupied by the antenna unit 30 in the direction parallel to the reference ground layer 303 can be reduced, thereby facilitating the arrangement of the antenna unit 30 in the vehicle 1000 .

[0064] In some embodiments, the thickness of the antenna unit 30 is less than or equal to 1 mm. That is, the thickness of the antenna unit 30 in the stacking direction of the radiation layer 301, the feed layer 302, and the reference ground layer 303 is less than or equal to 1 mm. For example, the thickness of the antenna unit 30 can be 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.9 mm, 1 mm, etc.

[0065] By making the thickness of the antenna unit 30 less than or equal to 1 mm, the thickness of the antenna can be made smaller, thereby reducing the space occupied by the antenna unit 30 in the stacking direction of the radiation layer 301, the feed layer 302 and the reference ground layer 303, so as to further facilitate the arrangement of the antenna unit 30 in the vehicle 1000.

[0066] In some embodiments, the radiation layer 301, the feed layer 302, and the reference ground layer 303 are all light-transmitting structures. For example, the radiation layer 301, the feed layer 302, and the reference ground layer 303 can be made of a transparent conductive metal material. For example, the radiation layer 301, the feed layer 302, and the reference ground layer 303 can be a transparent conductive metal film. The conductive metal film has a relatively small thickness, which can reduce the space occupied by the antenna unit 30. The conductive metal film can be an ITO film, an FTO film, or the like. For another example, the radiation layer 301, the feed layer 302, and the reference ground layer 303 can also be a transparent conductive metal block, a transparent conductive metal plate, or the like.

[0067] By making the radiating layer 301, the feeding layer 302, and the reference ground layer 303 all light-transmissive, the antenna assembly 3 can be made transparent to visible light, thereby improving the light transmittance of the antenna assembly 3. This, when integrated with the light-transmissive device 20 of the vehicle 1000, reduces the impact of the antenna assembly 3 on the light transmittance of the light-transmissive device 20. Furthermore, the fact that the radiating layer 301, the feeding layer 302, and the reference ground layer 303 all are light-transmissive makes the antenna assembly 3 flexible, bendable, and lightweight, facilitating the integrated, conformal design of the antenna assembly 3 and the light-transmissive device 20.

[0068] In addition, the radiation layer 301 , the feed layer 302 and the reference ground layer 303 are all light-transmitting structures, which can also improve the concealment of the antenna assembly 3 and the signal transmission efficiency of the antenna assembly 3 .

[0069] In some other embodiments, the radiation layer 301, the feed layer 302 and the reference ground layer 303 may also be a semi-transparent structure, a non-transparent structure, etc., so that signal transmission between the antenna unit 30 and the satellite can also be achieved.

[0070] In some embodiments, the visible light band transmittance of the antenna unit 30 is greater than or equal to 0.4. For example, the visible light band (380-780 nm) transmittance of the antenna unit 30 can be 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, and so on. A visible light band transmittance of the antenna unit 30 greater than or equal to 0.4 can further improve the transmittance of the antenna assembly 3 and make the antenna assembly 3 flexible, bendable, and lightweight, further facilitating the integrated conformal design of the antenna assembly 3 and the light-transmitting device 20.

[0071] In some embodiments, the antenna unit 30 further includes a phase shift module 304 stacked between the radiation layer 301 and the reference ground layer 303. The phase shift module 304 is used to adjust the phase of the radio frequency signal fed from the feeding unit 302A to the radiation unit 301A to adjust the beam pointing direction of the antenna unit 30.

[0072] Because the satellite is constantly operating at high speed, the relative position of vehicle 1000 and the satellite is constantly changing. Consequently, if the beam pointing direction of vehicle 1000's antenna assembly 3 deviates significantly from the satellite, the signal between the satellite and vehicle 1000's antenna assembly 3 may be poor. By disposing a phase shift module 304 between radiation layer 301 and reference layer 303, the phase shift module 304 adjusts the beam pointing direction of antenna unit 30. This allows the beam pointing direction of antenna unit 30 to change as the relative position of vehicle 1000 and the satellite changes, ensuring that the beam pointing direction of antenna unit 30 is directed toward the satellite or deviates minimally from the satellite, thereby ensuring effective signal transmission between antenna assembly 3 and the satellite.

[0073] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 Phase shift module 304 includes a liquid crystal layer 3041, a first electrode layer 3042, and a second electrode layer 3043. The first electrode layer 3042 is disposed between the liquid crystal layer 3041 and the radiation layer 301, and the second electrode layer 3043 is disposed between the liquid crystal layer 3041 and the reference ground layer 303. This can reduce the space occupied by phase shift module 304 in a direction parallel to the reference ground layer 303, thereby facilitating the placement of antenna unit 30 on vehicle 1000.

[0074] In some examples, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 3041 can be less than or equal to 10 micrometers. For example, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 3041 can be 5 micrometers, 6 micrometers, 7 micrometers, 8 micrometers, 9 micrometers, 10 micrometers, etc.

[0075] In some examples, the first electrode layer 3042 may be made of a transparent conductive metal material, such as ITO material, FTO material, etc.

[0076] The first electrode layer 3042 includes a first electrode unit 3042A, and the second electrode layer 3043 includes a second electrode unit 3043A. The portion of the liquid crystal layer 3041 between the first electrode unit 3042A and the second electrode unit 3043A is located on the signal transmission path between the feeding unit 302A and the radiation unit 301A. The first electrode unit 3042A and the second electrode unit 3043A are used to apply different voltages to adjust the dielectric constant of the portion of the liquid crystal layer 3041.

[0077] In this way, by applying different voltages to the first electrode unit 3042A and the second electrode unit 3043A, the liquid crystal molecules of the portion of the liquid crystal layer 3041 located between the first electrode unit 3042A and the second electrode unit 3043A can be deflected, thereby adjusting the dielectric constant of the portion of the liquid crystal layer 3041 located between the first electrode unit 3042A and the second electrode unit 3043A. In this way, when the electromagnetic wave propagates in the portion of the liquid crystal layer 3041 located between the first electrode unit 3042A and the second electrode unit 3043A, due to the change in the dielectric constant of the portion of the liquid crystal layer 3041, the electromagnetic wave will undergo a certain degree of phase shift during the propagation process, and this phase shift of the electromagnetic wave is related to the change value of the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 3041. Therefore, by adjusting the voltage applied to the first electrode unit 3042A and the second electrode unit 3043A, different electromagnetic wave phase shifts can be obtained, so that the beam of the antenna unit 30 is directed toward the satellite or deviates from the satellite less, thereby ensuring the stability of signal transmission between the antenna unit 30 and the satellite.

[0078] In some embodiments, the first electrode unit 3042A is a ground electrode unit, and the second electrode unit 3043A is a bias electrode unit. Thus, by grounding the first electrode unit 3042A and inputting a bias voltage to the second electrode unit 3043A, the dielectric constant of the portion of the liquid crystal layer 3041 located between the first electrode unit 3042A and the second electrode unit 3043A can be adjusted, thereby causing a phase shift in the electromagnetic wave propagating through the portion of the liquid crystal layer 3041. This allows the beam of the antenna unit 30 to be directed toward the satellite or to deviate from the satellite to a smaller extent, thereby ensuring the stability of signal transmission between the antenna unit 30 and the satellite.

[0079] In some other embodiments, the first electrode unit 3042A and the second electrode unit 3043A can also be other electrodes. It is only necessary to adjust the voltage of the first electrode unit 3042A and the second electrode unit 3043A to change the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 3041. This application does not make any specific limitations on this.

[0080] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 The first electrode unit 3042A is located between the feed unit 302A and the radiating unit 301A, and the second electrode unit 3043A is coplanar with the feed unit 302A. This arrangement not only allows the portion of the liquid crystal layer 3041 between the first electrode unit 3042A and the second electrode unit 3043A to be located on the signal transmission path between the feed unit 302A and the radiating unit 301A, thereby facilitating adjustment of the dielectric constant of the portion of the liquid crystal layer 3041 located between the first electrode unit 3042A and the second electrode unit 3043A, but also reduces the overall thickness of the first electrode unit 3042A, the second electrode unit 3043A, the feed unit 302A, the liquid crystal layer 3041, and the radiating unit 301A by coplanarly arranging the second electrode unit 3043A with the feed unit 302A, thereby reducing the space occupied by the antenna assembly 3 and facilitating placement of the antenna assembly 3 on the vehicle 1000.

[0081] In other embodiments, the first electrode unit 3042A and the second electrode unit 3043A may be disposed in other locations. For example, the first electrode unit 3042A and the radiating unit 301A may be coplanar, and the second electrode unit 3043A may be disposed on the side of the feeding unit 302A facing away from the radiating unit 301A. This only requires that the portion of the liquid crystal layer 3041 between the first electrode unit 3042A and the second electrode unit 3043A be located on the signal transmission path between the feeding unit 302A and the radiating unit 301A. This is not specifically limited in this application.

[0082] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the feeding unit 302A on the first electrode unit 3042A is located outside the first electrode unit 3042A. That is, the feeding unit 302A and the first electrode unit 3042A partially overlap in the thickness direction of the antenna unit 30. This prevents the first electrode unit 3042A from blocking the feeding unit 302A. In other words, the signal transmission between the feeding unit 302A and the radiating unit 301A is not completely isolated by the first electrode unit 3042A, thereby reducing interference from the first electrode unit 3042A on the signal transmission between the feeding unit 302A and the radiating unit 301A.

[0083] Moreover, in the thickness direction of the antenna unit 30, the feeding unit 302A and the first electrode unit 3042A partially overlap, so that the feeding unit 302A can make more space for the second electrode unit 3043A in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the antenna unit 30, thereby facilitating the coplanar arrangement of the second electrode unit 3043A and the feeding unit 302A, and the antenna unit 30 occupies a smaller space in the thickness direction of the antenna unit 30 and in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the antenna unit 30, so as to further facilitate the arrangement of the antenna assembly 3 on the vehicle 1000.

[0084] In some other embodiments, the relationship between the feeding unit 302A and the first electrode unit 3042A may be such that the orthographic projection of the feeding unit 302A on the first electrode unit 3042A is entirely located outside the first electrode unit 3042A. This can also prevent the first electrode unit 3042A from interfering with signal transmission between the feeding unit 302A and the radiating unit 301A.

[0085] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 The phase shift module 304 further includes a first insulating layer 3044 and a second insulating layer 3045 . The first insulating layer 3044 is disposed between the first electrode layer 3042 and the liquid crystal layer 3041 . The second insulating layer 3045 is disposed between the second electrode layer 3043 and the liquid crystal layer 3041 .

[0086] The first insulating layer 3044 can insulate the first electrode layer 3042 from the liquid crystal layer 3041 to reduce interference between the first electrode layer 3042 and the liquid crystal layer 3041. The second insulating layer 3045 can insulate the second electrode layer 3043 from the liquid crystal layer 3041 to reduce interference between the second electrode layer 3043 and the liquid crystal layer 3041. The first insulating layer 3044 and the second insulating layer 3045 can also be used to fix the liquid crystal layer 3041 and set the initial alignment of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 3041, thereby adjusting the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 3041.

[0087] In some examples, the first insulating layer 3044 and the second insulating layer 3045 may be transparent polyimide insulating films. In other examples, the first insulating layer 3044 and the second insulating layer 3045 may be other transparent insulating films, such as polycarbonate films.

[0088] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 The phase shift module 304 further includes a first substrate layer 3046 and a second substrate layer 3047. The first substrate layer 3046 is disposed between the first electrode layer 3042 and the radiation layer 301 and is used to support the first electrode layer 3042. For example, the first electrode layer 3042 is disposed on the side of the first substrate layer 3046 facing the liquid crystal layer 3041, with a first insulating layer 3044 disposed between the first electrode layer 3042 and the liquid crystal layer 3041.

[0089] The second substrate layer 3047 is disposed between the second electrode layer 3043, the feed layer 302, and the reference ground layer 303. Specifically, the second electrode layer 3043 and the feed layer 302 are both disposed on the side of the second substrate layer 3047 facing away from the reference bottom layer 303. The second substrate layer 3047 is used to support the second electrode layer 3043. For example, the second electrode layer 3043 is disposed on a surface of the second substrate layer 3047 facing the first substrate layer 3046 and is isolated from the liquid crystal layer 3041 by a second insulating layer 3045. The feed layer 302 is also disposed on a surface of the second substrate layer 3047 facing the first substrate layer 3046 and is isolated from the liquid crystal layer 3041 by a second insulating layer 3045.

[0090] The liquid crystal layer 3041 is also located between the first substrate layer 3046 and the second substrate layer 3047 . The first substrate layer 3046 and the second substrate layer 3047 can also fix and support the liquid crystal layer 3041 and facilitate setting the initial orientation of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 3041 .

[0091] In some examples, the first substrate layer 3046 and the second substrate layer 3047 can be made of a clear polyimide insulating film and ultra-thin flexible glass. This ensures the transparency of the first substrate layer 3046 and the second substrate layer 3047, reducing the effect of the antenna assembly 3 on the transmittance of the light-transmitting device 20. It also provides the first substrate layer 3046 and the second substrate layer 3047 with a certain structural strength, ensuring the structural stability of the antenna unit 30.

[0092] In some examples, the reference layer 303 can be located on a surface of the second substrate layer 3047 facing away from the first substrate layer 3046 so that the reference layer 303 is supported by the second substrate layer 3047 . The position of the reference layer 303 can be adjusted under certain conditions.

[0093] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 The antenna unit 30 further includes an intermediate coupling layer 305, which is disposed between the phase shift module 304 and the radiating layer 301. For example, the intermediate coupling layer 305 is disposed between the first substrate layer 3046 and the radiating layer 301. The intermediate coupling layer 305 includes an intermediate coupling unit 305A. Capacitive coupling effects are established between the intermediate coupling unit 305A and the feeding unit 302A, and between the intermediate coupling unit 305A and the radiating unit 301A.

[0094] In this way, when the antenna unit 30 transmits a signal, the feeding unit 302A is first capacitively coupled with the intermediate coupling unit 305A to transmit the RF signal, and then the intermediate coupling unit 305A is capacitively coupled with the radiating unit 301A to transmit the RF signal. In this way, the RF signal can be transmitted through the intermediate coupling layer 305 to improve the signal transmission efficiency of the antenna unit 30.

[0095] In some examples, the intermediate coupling layer 305 may be a transparent conductive metal film, such as an ITO metal film, an FTO metal film, etc. In other examples, the intermediate coupling layer 305 may also be made of a conductive metal material such as CU.

[0096] In some examples, the antenna unit 30 may further include a signal transmission line 306. The signal transmission line 306 may be disposed on the side of the second substrate layer 3047 facing the liquid crystal layer 3041 and isolated from the liquid crystal layer 3041 by a second insulating layer 3045. In other words, the signal transmission line 306 may be coplanar with the feed unit 302A. The signal transmission line 306 is electrically connected to the feed unit 302A. The signal transmission line 306 may utilize a coplanar waveguide or other suitable type of transmission line using a plastic metallization process, which is not specifically limited in this application. The plastic or metal of the signal transmission line 306 may be a flexible, transparent material.

[0097] The bias electrode unit applies a voltage to the signal transmission line 306, so that the second electrode unit 3043A and the first electrode unit 3042A form a specific bias electric field under a specific bias voltage. The liquid crystal layer 3041 establishes a bias electric field under the specific bias voltage, and performs a phase shift of a set value on the radio frequency signal transmitted through the liquid crystal layer 3041, thereby performing a phase shift of a set value on the radio frequency signal transmitted between the intermediate coupling layer 305 and the feeding unit 302A.

[0098] In some embodiments, the antenna unit 30 further includes a third insulating layer 307, which is disposed between the intermediate coupling layer 305 and the radiating layer 301. Thus, the third insulating layer 307 can isolate the intermediate coupling layer 305 from the radiating layer 301, thereby forming a capacitive coupling effect between the intermediate coupling layer 305 and the radiating layer 301.

[0099] In some examples, the third insulating layer 307 is made of a transparent substrate material with a stable dielectric constant. For example, the third insulating layer 307 can be a glass substrate, a polyimide substrate / ceramic substrate, an epoxy resin substrate, etc. In this way, the third insulating layer 307 can effectively isolate the intermediate coupling layer 305 and the radiation layer 301 while ensuring the transparency of the antenna unit 30.

[0100] In some examples, the radiation layer 301 and the intermediate coupling layer 305 can be made of a transparent conductive metal material. In this case, the intermediate coupling layer 305 can be fixed to the surface of the third insulating layer 307 facing the phase shift module 304 through a specific coating process. The intermediate coupling layer 305 can be formed into a designed antenna array pattern through methods such as laser etching. The radiation layer 301 can also be fixed to the surface of the phase shift module 304 facing away from the liquid crystal layer 3041 through a specific coating process.

[0101] In some other examples, the radiation layer 301 and the intermediate coupling layer 305 can also be made of conductive metal materials such as CU. The intermediate coupling layer 305 uses a patch process to fix a specific metal pattern on the side of the third insulating layer 307 facing the phase shift module 304, and the radiation layer 301 uses a patch process to fix a specific metal pattern on the side of the third insulating layer 307 facing away from the phase shift module 304.

[0102] In some embodiments, there are multiple radiating elements 301A, arranged in an array within the plane of the radiating layer 301. There are also multiple feeding elements 302A, arranged in an array within the plane of the feeding layer 302. One feeding element 302A is used to feed one radiating element 301A. In other words, one radiating element 301A, one feeding element 302A, and one reference layer 303 form an antenna element. Thus, one antenna unit 30 includes multiple antenna elements. Multiple antenna elements can share a single reference layer 303, or one antenna element can have a single reference layer 303.

[0103] By having one antenna unit 30 include multiple radiation units 301A and multiple feeding units 302A, that is, include multiple antenna elements, the signal gain of the antenna unit 30 can be improved.

[0104] In some examples, there may be multiple first electrode units 3042A, second electrode units 3043A, and intermediate coupling layers 305, with one first electrode unit 3042A, one second electrode unit 3043A, and one intermediate coupling layer 305 corresponding to one radiating unit 301A. In this case, one first electrode unit 3042A, one second electrode unit 3043A, one intermediate coupling layer 305, one radiating unit 301A, one feeding unit 302A, one reference ground layer 303, liquid crystal layer 3041, first substrate layer 3046, second substrate layer 3047, first insulating layer 3044, second insulating layer 3045, and third insulating layer 307 form one antenna element 30A. Among them, multiple antenna elements 30A can share a common reference ground layer 303, a liquid crystal layer 3041, a first substrate layer 3046, a second substrate layer 3047, a first insulating layer 3044, a second insulating layer 3045 and a third insulating layer 307, or one antenna element 30A can have a reference ground layer 303, a liquid crystal layer 3041, a first substrate layer 3046, a second substrate layer 3047, a first insulating layer 3044, a second insulating layer 3045 and a third insulating layer 307.

[0105] For some examples, see Figure 4 , Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a distribution arrangement of antenna elements 30A in antenna unit 30 is shown. Multiple radiating elements 301A can be arranged in a matrix. For example, multiple radiating elements 301A are arranged in a 16-row by 16-column matrix. Another example is a 12-row by 12-column matrix. In this case, structures corresponding to the radiating elements 301A, such as the first electrode elements 3042A, the second electrode elements 3043A, and the intermediate coupling layer 305, are also arranged in a matrix, corresponding one-to-one with each radiating element 301A.

[0106] For other examples, see Figure 5 , Figure 5 for Figure 3 This diagram illustrates another arrangement of antenna elements 30A within antenna unit 30. Multiple radiating elements 301A can also be arranged in a triangular grid. In this case, structures corresponding to radiating elements 301A, such as first electrode elements 3042A, second electrode elements 3043A, and intermediate coupling layer 305, are also arranged in a triangular grid, corresponding one-to-one with each radiating element 301A.

[0107] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 4 , along the width direction of the vehicle 1000 (such as Figure 4direction X), the distance between two adjacent radiation units 301A in the plurality of radiation units 301A (e.g. Figure 4 The spacing L1) is greater than or equal to 0.4 times the minimum value of the operating wavelength range of the antenna unit 30 and less than or equal to 0.6 times the maximum value of the operating wavelength range of the antenna unit 30. For example, along the width direction of the vehicle 1000, the spacing between two adjacent radiating elements 301A in the plurality of radiating elements 301A is 0.4 times, 0.5 times, 0.6 times, 0.7 times, etc., of the minimum value of the operating wavelength range of the antenna unit 30. For another example, along the width direction of the vehicle 1000, the spacing between two adjacent radiating elements 301A in the plurality of radiating elements 301A is 0.3 times, 0.4 times, 0.5 times, 0.6 times, etc., of the maximum value of the operating wavelength range of the antenna unit 30.

[0108] Along the length direction of the vehicle 1000 (eg Figure 4 direction Y in the middle), the distance between two adjacent radiation units 301A in the plurality of radiation units 301A (e.g. Figure 4 The spacing L2 in the plurality of radiating elements 301A is greater than or equal to 0.5 times the minimum value of the operating wavelength range of the antenna unit 30 and less than or equal to 0.7 times the maximum value of the operating wavelength range of the antenna unit 30. For example, along the length direction of the vehicle 1000, the spacing between two adjacent radiating elements 301A in the plurality of radiating elements 301A is 0.5 times, 0.6 times, 0.7 times, etc., of the minimum value of the operating wavelength range of the antenna unit 30. For another example, along the length direction of the vehicle 1000, the spacing between two adjacent radiating elements 301A in the plurality of radiating elements 301A is 0.5 times, 0.6 times, 0.7 times, etc., of the maximum value of the operating wavelength range of the antenna unit 30.

[0109] By setting the distance between two adjacent radiation units 301A within the above range, the multiple radiation units 301A can be distributed more reasonably, thereby improving the gain effect of the antenna unit 30 and ensuring the signal transmission efficiency of the antenna unit 30.

[0110] In some embodiments, the beam pointing range of the antenna unit 30 is adjustable within a 360° range around the antenna unit 30 and within a range between -60° and +60° relative to the direction perpendicular to the radiation layer 301. Within this range, the beam pointing range of the antenna unit 30 can be adjusted to enable scanning, tracking, and beam switching of the satellite beam during rapid relative movement between the vehicle 1000 and the satellite, thereby ensuring that the beam of the vehicle's 1000 antenna assembly 3 is directed toward the satellite or deviates from the satellite to a minimum, thereby ensuring effective signal transmission from the vehicle's 1000 antenna assembly 3.

[0111] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2The antenna assembly 3 further includes a radio frequency transceiver assembly 33 and a control module 34 connected to the radio frequency transceiver assembly 33 . The radio frequency transceiver assembly 33 is connected to both the transmitting antenna unit 31 and the receiving antenna unit 32 .

[0112] Satellite information received by the receiving antenna unit 32 can be transmitted to the control module 34 via the RF transceiver assembly 33, where it is demodulated for easy access by personnel. Furthermore, the control module 34 can transmit the desired information to the transmitting antenna unit via the RF transceiver assembly 33, which then transmits the signal to the satellite. This facilitates signal exchange and transmission between the vehicle 1000's antenna assembly 3 and the satellite.

[0113] In some examples, the control module 34 may include an onboard controller 341 and a main controller 342 connected to the onboard controller 341. The RF transceiver assembly 33 may be connected to the main controller 342. This allows the main controller 342 to independently control the antenna assembly 3 and exchange information with the onboard controller 341, facilitating control of the antenna assembly 3 and enabling personnel to send and receive information. The main controller 342 includes a baseband module, which is used to transmit baseband signals.

[0114] Among them, the feeding unit 302A and the phase shift module 304 of the transmitting antenna unit 31 receive the electromagnetic wave signal from the main controller 342, and the phase shift module 304 shifts the phase of the electromagnetic wave signal. The phase-shifted electromagnetic wave is coupled and transmitted to the radiation unit 301A, and the radiation unit 301A radiates the electromagnetic wave into space.

[0115] The radiation unit 301A of the receiving antenna unit 32 receives electromagnetic wave signals from free space (satellite) and transmits the electromagnetic wave signals to the feeding unit 302A and the phase shifting module 304 through coupling. The phase shifting module 304 shifts the phase of the electromagnetic wave signals and transmits the signals to the control module 34 through the feeding unit 302A.

[0116] In other examples, the control module 34 may also include only the vehicle-mounted controller 341 , or the vehicle-mounted controller 341 may be integrated with the main controller 342 , so that the antenna assembly 3 can also be controlled.

[0117] This application is exemplified by taking the control module 34 as including a vehicle controller 341 and a main controller 342 .

[0118] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3The RF transceiver assembly 33 includes an RF transmission link 331 and an RF reception link 332. One end of the RF transmission link 331 is connected to the control module 34, and the other end is connected to the transmitting antenna unit 31. For example, one end of the RF transmission link 331 is connected to the main controller 342, and the other end is connected to the signal transmission line 306 of the transmitting antenna unit 31. The RF transmission link 331 receives the baseband signal from the main controller 342, converts and amplifies it, and sends the RF signal to the transmitting antenna unit 31 via a lightweight feed network. The electromagnetic wave signal is then uploaded to the satellite through the radiating element 301A of the transmitting antenna unit 31.

[0119] One end of the RF receive link 332 is connected to the receive antenna unit 32, and the other end is connected to the control module 34. For example, one end of the RF receive link 332 is connected to the main controller 342, and the other end is connected to the signal transmission line 306 of the receive antenna unit 32. The RF receive link 332 receives the RF signal from the receive antenna unit 32 via the lightweight feed network, converts and amplifies the RF signal, and sends the baseband signal to the main controller 342 for demodulation to obtain the received information.

[0120] By setting up the RF receiving link 332 and the RF transmitting link 331, signal transmission between the transmitting antenna unit 31 and the receiving antenna unit 32 of the antenna assembly 3 and the control module 34 can be facilitated, so that the antenna assembly 3 can receive and transmit signals.

[0121] In some embodiments, there are multiple transmitting antenna units 31, and each transmitting antenna unit 31 includes multiple radiating elements 301A and multiple feeding elements 302A, with one feeding unit 302A feeding one radiating element 301A. In other words, the antenna assembly 3 includes multiple transmitting antenna units 31, each of which includes multiple antenna elements 30A.

[0122] Among them, each antenna element 30A of the transmitting antenna unit 31 can individually adjust the phase of the transmitted signal. Through the phase difference, the signal emitted by each antenna element 30A is interfered and synthesized in space to form a beam. By adjusting the phase of each antenna element 30A, the interference of the signal can be changed, so that the directional control of the beam can be achieved in the scenario of high-speed relative motion between the car and the satellite, and then the antenna component 3 can realize rapid scanning and tracking of the satellite, thereby realizing broadband communication of the entire vehicle in a mobile scenario.

[0123] By providing multiple transmitting antenna units 31, the transmitting antenna units 31 can be modularized, thereby facilitating the processing of the antenna unit 30 and, consequently, the antenna assembly 3. Furthermore, when multiple antenna elements 30A of a single antenna unit 30 share a liquid crystal layer 3041, modularizing the antenna unit 30 can reduce the number of antenna elements 30A sharing the liquid crystal layer 3041, thereby improving the accuracy of the antenna unit 30. Furthermore, modularizing the transmitting antenna units 31 facilitates the placement of multiple transmitting antenna units 31 on the light-transmitting device 20 of the vehicle 1000. Furthermore, modularizing the transmitting antenna units 31 allows the number of active transmitting antenna units 31 to be selected based on the strength of the transmitted signal, thereby achieving energy savings.

[0124] For example, the transmitting antenna unit 31 may include two antenna units 30, with the multiple antenna elements 30A of each antenna unit 30 arranged in a matrix of 16 columns and 16 rows. For another example, the number of antenna units 30 in the transmitting antenna unit 31 may be other numbers, such as 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc. The antenna elements 30A of each antenna unit 30 may also be arranged in other arrangements, such as a matrix of 14 rows and 14 columns.

[0125] In some examples, the plurality of antenna units 30 in the transmitting antenna unit 31 may be arranged along the width direction of the vehicle 1000 (eg, Figure 2 The plurality of antenna units 30 in the transmitting antenna unit 31 may be arranged in other manners, such as in a matrix, and arranged in a direction Y shown in FIG. 2 , and are disposed at one end of the sunroof glass 20B in the width direction of the vehicle 1000, close to the black border region 20D. In other examples, the plurality of antenna units 30 in the transmitting antenna unit 31 may be arranged in other manners, such as in a matrix, and the like.

[0126] In some other embodiments, the antenna assembly 3 may also use an integrated transmitting antenna unit 31. This application exemplifies that the antenna assembly 3 includes multiple transmitting antenna units 31.

[0127] Please continue reading Figure 2 The radio frequency transmission chain 331 includes a main transmission chain 3311, a plurality of first transmission chains 3312 and a plurality of second transmission chains ( Figure 2 (not shown), one end of the main transmission chain 3311 is connected to the control module 34. For example, one end of the main transmission chain 3311 is connected to the main controller 342. The other end of the main transmission chain 3311 is connected to one end of multiple first transmission chains 3312, and the other end of each first transmission chain 3312 is connected to one end of multiple second transmission chains. The other ends of the multiple second transmission chains are respectively connected to multiple feed units 302A of a transmitting antenna unit 31.

[0128] The main transmission chain 3311 and the plurality of first transmission chains 3312 each include a power amplifier 3313. That is, the RF transmission chain 331 is a multi-output channel structure, and each channel corresponds to an independent power amplifier 3313. Figure 2 In the figure, the power amplifier 3313 on the main transmission chain 3311 is shown, and the power amplifier on the first transmission chain 3312 is not shown.

[0129] In this way, through the coordination of the main transmission link 3311, the multiple first transmission links 3312, and the multiple second transmission links, the signal from the control module 34 can be conveniently distributed to the antenna element 30A of each antenna unit 30, thereby facilitating signal transmission. Furthermore, by providing power amplifiers 3313 in both the main transmission link 3311 and the multiple first transmission links 3312, during signal transmission, the power amplifiers 3313 in the main transmission link 3311 can first actively compensate the signal, and then the power amplifiers 3313 in the multiple first transmission links 3312 can actively compensate the signal. This can reduce signal attenuation during transmission, ensure effective signal transmission, improve the overall efficiency of the antenna assembly 3, and optimize the ERIP and G / T indicators.

[0130] It should be noted that ERIP is the equivalent isotropically radiated power, which is one of the core indicators of the antenna assembly 3. G / T is the gain-to-noise temperature ratio, which is one of the core indicators of the antenna assembly 3.

[0131] After receiving the baseband signal from the main controller 342, the main transmission chain 3311 converts the signal and performs active compensation amplification on the signal through the power amplifier 3313. The converted signal then passes through the internal first-stage multi-point power distribution network and is output to each first transmission chain 3312. Each first transmission chain 3312 then performs independent active compensation amplification on the signal before outputting it to each antenna unit 30 through the subsequent multi-point power distribution network. In other words, one first transmission chain 3312 corresponds to one antenna unit 30. One second transmission chain corresponds to one antenna element 30A in one antenna unit 30 and is connected to the feed unit 302A of one antenna element 30A in one antenna unit 30. One first transmission chain 3312 transmits the signal to multiple second transmission chains corresponding to one antenna unit 30. The signal is then transmitted to the feed unit 302A of each antenna element 30A via the multiple second transmission chains and then uploaded to the satellite via the radiating unit 301A of each antenna element 30A.

[0132] Specifically, after receiving the baseband signal from the main controller 342, the main transmission link 3311 first converts the signal and performs active compensation amplification on the signal through the power amplifier 3313. The signal is then connected to the input port of the one-to-many power division feeding network respectively through multiple first transmission links 3312, and the output port of the one-to-many power division feeding network is respectively connected to the signal transmission line 306 in each antenna element 30A. The signal transmission line 306 is connected to the feeding unit 302A. The feeding unit 302A is a slot antenna structure. The radio frequency signal transmitted through the signal transmission line 306 is excited by the slot structure of the feeding unit 302A and passes through the liquid crystal layer 3041. Then, it is spatially coupled with the first electrode unit 3042A. As described above, under the application of a specific bias voltage, the liquid crystal layer 3041 realizes a specific degree of phase shift in the transmission process of the electromagnetic wave. After passing through the first electrode unit 3042A, the radio frequency signal is further spatially coupled with the intermediate coupling layer 305. The corresponding positions of the first electrode unit 3042A and the feeding unit 302A and the corresponding positions of the first electrode unit 3042A and the intermediate coupling layer 305 also have corresponding gap structures. After the phase shift, the radio frequency signal is further coupled to the radiation unit 301A through the intermediate coupling layer 305 and radiated into the air by the radiation unit 301A.

[0133] In some examples, the main transmission chain 3311 and the multiple first transmission chains 3312 may also be provided with an upconverter to increase the transmission frequency of the signal through the upconverter to facilitate signal transmission. The upconverter and power amplifier 3313 on each chain may be integrated or provided separately.

[0134] In some embodiments, there are multiple receiving antenna units 32, each of which includes multiple radiating elements 301A and multiple feeding elements 302A. Each feeding element 302A is used to receive signals from a single radiating element 301A. In other words, the antenna assembly 3 includes multiple receiving antenna units 32, each of which includes multiple antenna elements 30A. The operation and effects of multiple receiving antenna units 32 can be referenced with those of multiple transmitting antenna units 31 and will not be further described here.

[0135] For example, the receiving antenna unit 32 may include four antenna units 30, with the multiple antenna elements 30A of each antenna unit 30 arranged in a matrix of 12 columns and 12 rows. For another example, the number of antenna units 30 in the receiving antenna unit 32 may be other numbers, such as 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, etc. The antenna elements 30A of each antenna unit 30 may also be arranged in other arrangements, such as a matrix of 10 rows and 10 columns.

[0136] In some examples, the multiple antenna units 30 in the receiving antenna unit 32 can be arranged along the width direction of the vehicle 1000 and disposed at one end of the sunroof glass 20B in the width direction of the vehicle 1000, near the black border region 20D. The multiple antenna units 30 in the receiving antenna unit 32 can be disposed opposite the multiple antenna units 30 in the transmitting antenna unit 31. In other examples, the multiple antenna units 30 in the receiving antenna unit 32 can also be arranged in other ways, such as in a matrix.

[0137] In some other embodiments, the antenna assembly 3 may also use an integrated receiving antenna unit 32. This application exemplifies that the antenna assembly 3 includes multiple receiving antenna units 32.

[0138] Please continue reading Figure 2 The RF receiving chain 332 includes a main receiving chain 3321, a plurality of first receiving chains 3322 and a plurality of second receiving chains ( Figure 2 (not shown), one end of the main receiving link 3321 is connected to the control module 34. For example, one end of the main receiving link 3321 is connected to the main controller 342. The other end of the main receiving link 3321 is connected to one end of multiple first receiving links 3322. The other end of each first receiving link 3322 is connected to one end of multiple second receiving links. The other ends of the multiple second receiving links are respectively connected to multiple feeding units 302A of a receiving antenna unit 32.

[0139] The main receiving chain 3321 and the plurality of first receiving chains 3322 each include a low noise amplifier 3323. In other words, the RF transmitting chain 331 is a multi-output channel structure, and each channel corresponds to an independent low noise amplifier 3323. Figure 2 In the figure, the low noise amplifier 3323 on the main receiving chain 3321 is shown, and the power amplifier on the first receiving chain 3322 is not shown.

[0140] In this way, through the coordination of the main receive link 3321, the multiple first receive links 3322, and the multiple second receive links, the signals from each antenna element 30A in the receive antenna unit 32 can be conveniently aggregated and transmitted to the control module 34 step by step to facilitate signal reception. Furthermore, by providing low-noise amplifiers 3323 in both the main receive link 3321 and the multiple first receive radio links, during signal transmission, the signals can first be actively compensated by the low-noise amplifiers 3323 of the multiple first receive radio links, and then by the low-noise amplifier 3323 in the main receive link 3321. This reduces signal attenuation during transmission, ensuring effective signal transmission, improving the overall efficiency of the antenna assembly 3, and optimizing the ERIP and G / T values.

[0141] One second receiving chain is connected to one antenna element 30A in one receiving antenna unit 32. One first receiving chain 3322 corresponds to one receiving antenna unit 32, that is, one receiving chain is connected to multiple second receiving chains corresponding to one receiving antenna unit 32.

[0142] Multiple second-branch receiving links respectively receive signals from each antenna element 30A. After each first-branch receiving link 3322 receives the RF signals received by multiple second-branch receiving links through the previous-stage all-in-one power coupling network, the low-noise amplifier 3323 on each first-branch receiving link 3322 performs independent active compensation amplification on the signal, and then passes through the internal next-stage all-in-one power coupling network, and then converts the coupled signal and transmits it to the main receiving link 3321. The signal is further amplified by the low-noise amplifier 3323 on the main receiving link 3321, and finally output to the control module 34 for demodulation.

[0143] In some examples, the main receiving link 3321 and the plurality of first receiving links 3322 may further include a downconverter to reduce the frequency of the signal through the downconverter to facilitate information reception by the control module 34. The downconverter and low-noise amplifier 3323 on each link may be integrated or provided separately.

[0144] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 The antenna assembly 3 further includes a detection device 35 and a beam control processing device 36. The detection device 35 is used to detect the position information and state information of the vehicle 1000. The position information may be the absolute position information of the vehicle 1000. The state information may be the posture information of the vehicle 1000.

[0145] The detection device 35 is connected to the control module 34, and the beam control processing device 36 is connected to the control module 34, the transmitting antenna unit 31, and the receiving antenna unit 32. For example, the beam control processing device 36 is connected to each transmitting antenna unit 31 and each receiving antenna unit 32 via a synchronous serial communication interface or other type of interface via a digital-to-analog conversion module. The beam control processing device 36 is connected to the main controller 342 via a serial communication interface or other type of interface. The main controller 342 is connected to the vehicle controller 341 via a data interface, and the vehicle controller 341 is also connected to the detection device 35 via a data interface.

[0146] The control module 34 is configured to control the beam phases of the transmitting antenna unit 31 and the receiving antenna unit 32 via the beam control processing unit 36 ​​based on the position and status information of the vehicle 1000 detected by the detection device 35 and the ephemeris information received by the radio frequency transceiver assembly. Ephemeris information refers to satellite orbit information, orbital parameters at a specific moment and their rate of change, or satellite position at a specific moment and its rate of change. This information represents the precise position of the satellite currently observed by the receiver and is used for positioning.

[0147] In this way, the control module 34 can determine the relative information between the vehicle 1000 and the satellite based on the position information of the vehicle 1000 and the ephemeris information of the satellite, and determine the degree of deviation of the beam pointing of the antenna component 3 of the vehicle 1000 relative to the satellite in combination with the status information of the vehicle 1000, thereby adjusting the beam phase of the antenna component 3 so that the beam pointing of the antenna component 3 changes with the change of the relative position of the vehicle 1000 and the satellite, so that the beam pointing of the antenna component 3 is facing the satellite or deviates from the satellite by a small amount, so as to ensure the signal reception and transmission effect of the antenna component 3.

[0148] Specifically, the main controller 342 of the control module receives the satellite ephemeris information received by the receiving antenna unit 32, and collects the position information and status information (attitude information) calculated by the detection device 35 forwarded by the vehicle-mounted controller 341. The main controller 342 calculates the beam pointing information such as the beam pointing azimuth angle and the pitch angle based on the built-in algorithm and the collected relevant information, and transmits the beam pointing information to the beam control processing device 36 through the data interface. The beam control processing device 36 calculates the beam control code (phase value) of each antenna channel in the antenna assembly 3 (i.e., the RF transmission link 331 and the RF receiving link 332), and converts the beam control code into a bias voltage signal.

[0149] The wave control processing device 36 is connected to the bias unit in the phase shift module 304 in the transmitting antenna unit 31 and the receiving antenna unit 32 through a synchronous serial interface and a digital-to-analog conversion unit, and applies a bias voltage to the liquid crystal layer 3041, thereby causing the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 3041 to change, thereby achieving an electromagnetic wave phase shift, so that the beam of the antenna component 3 is pointed directly at the satellite or deviates slightly from the satellite.

[0150] In some examples, the control module 34 and the beam control processing device 36 are located within the roof panel 20A. For example, if the roof panel 20A includes a roof interior panel and a metal roof located outside the roof interior panel, the control module 34 and the beam control processing device 36 are located between the roof interior panel and the metal roof, and as close to the sunroof glass 20B as possible. The connecting wires between the control module 34 and the transmitting antenna unit 31 and the receiving antenna unit 32, as well as the connecting wires between the beam control processing device 36 and the transmitting antenna unit 31 and the receiving antenna unit 32, are all hidden in the black border area 20D of the sunroof glass 20B.

[0151] In some examples, the detection device 35 may include a high-precision positioning GNSS module, an inertial navigation module, and corresponding computing units to calculate the position, direction, and attitude information of the vehicle 1000 and output time synchronization information. In addition to outputting relevant information to the main controller 342, the detection device 35 also provides position, direction, attitude, time, and other information to the vehicle's intelligent driving system and intelligent cockpit system.

[0152] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 The antenna assembly 3 also includes a human-machine interaction device 37, which is connected to the control module 34. For example, the human-machine interaction device 37 can be an in-vehicle multimedia display. The in-vehicle controller 341 can use a data interface to connect to the in-vehicle multimedia display. The in-vehicle multimedia display is the unit in the antenna assembly 3 responsible for human-machine interaction. Depending on usage requirements, the in-vehicle multimedia display can be one of the multiple screens in the vehicle or a combination of several screens. Alternatively, the human-machine interaction of the antenna assembly 3 can be completed by wirelessly connecting any portable terminal to the in-vehicle controller 341.

[0153] The human-computer interaction device 37 can facilitate people in the vehicle 1000 to obtain information through the antenna assembly 3, provide entertainment functions for people in the vehicle 1000, and improve the user experience of the vehicle 1000.

[0154] In some embodiments, the control module 34 may include an onboard controller 341 and a main controller 342 connected to the onboard controller 341. The human-computer interaction device 37 and the detection device 35 are connected to the onboard controller 341. The radio frequency transceiver component 33 and the beam control processing device 36 are connected to the main controller 342. In this way, different information can be received by the onboard controller 341 and the main controller 342 respectively, thereby improving information transmission efficiency.

[0155] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be combined in an appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0156] The above are only specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. An antenna unit, applied to a vehicle, characterized in that: The invention comprises a radiation layer (301), a feed layer (302) and a reference ground layer (303) which are stacked in sequence, wherein the radiation layer (301) comprises a radiation unit (301A), the feed layer (302) comprises a feed unit (302A), and the feed unit (302A) is used to feed power to the radiation unit (301A).

2. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The thickness of the antenna unit is less than or equal to 1 mm.

3. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The radiation layer (301), the feed layer (302) and the reference ground layer (303) are all light-transmitting structures.

4. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The visible light band transmittance of the antenna unit is greater than or equal to 0.

4.

5. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The invention also includes a phase shift module (304) stacked between the radiation layer (301) and the reference ground layer (303), wherein the phase shift module (304) is used to adjust the phase of the radio frequency signal fed into the radiation unit (301A) by the feeding unit (302A) to adjust the beam direction of the antenna unit.

6. The antenna unit according to claim 5, characterized in that The phase shift module (304) comprises a liquid crystal layer (3041), a first electrode layer (3042) and a second electrode layer (3043), wherein the first electrode layer (3042) is arranged between the liquid crystal layer (3041) and the radiation layer (301), and the second electrode layer (3043) is arranged between the liquid crystal layer (3041) and the reference ground layer (303); The first electrode layer (3042) includes a first electrode unit (3042A), the second electrode layer (3043) includes a second electrode unit (3043A), the portion of the liquid crystal layer (3041) between the first electrode unit (3042A) and the second electrode unit (3043A) is located on the signal transmission path between the feeding unit (302A) and the radiation unit (301A), and the first electrode unit (3042A) and the second electrode unit (3043A) are used to apply different voltages to adjust the dielectric constant of the portion of the liquid crystal layer (3041).

7. The antenna unit according to claim 6, characterized in that The first electrode unit (3042A) is a ground electrode unit, and the second electrode unit (3043A) is a bias electrode unit.

8. The antenna unit according to claim 7, characterized in that The first electrode unit (3042A) is located between the feeding unit (302A) and the radiation unit (301A), and the second electrode unit (3043A) is coplanarly arranged with the feeding unit (302A).

9. The antenna unit according to claim 7, wherein: The portion of the feed unit (302A) that is the orthographic projection of the first electrode unit (3042A) is located outside the first electrode unit (3042A).

10. The antenna unit according to claim 6, wherein: The phase shift module (304) further comprises a first insulating layer (3044) and a second insulating layer (3045), wherein the first insulating layer (3044) is arranged between the first electrode layer (3042) and the liquid crystal layer (3041); and the second insulating layer (3045) is arranged between the second electrode layer (3043) and the liquid crystal layer (3041).

11. The antenna unit according to claim 6, wherein: The phase shift module (304) further comprises a first substrate layer (3046) and a second substrate layer (3047), wherein the first substrate layer (3046) is arranged between the first electrode layer (3042) and the radiation layer (301), and the second substrate layer (3047) is arranged between the second electrode layer (3043), the feed layer (302) and the reference ground layer (303).

12. The antenna unit according to claim 5, wherein: The invention also includes an intermediate coupling layer (305), wherein the intermediate coupling layer (305) is arranged between the phase shift module (304) and the radiation layer (301), and the intermediate coupling layer (305) includes an intermediate coupling unit (305A). Capacitive coupling effects are present between the intermediate coupling unit (305A) and the feeding unit (302A), and between the intermediate coupling unit (305A) and the radiation unit (301A).

13. The antenna unit according to claim 12, wherein: The invention also includes a third insulating layer (307), wherein the third insulating layer (307) is provided between the intermediate coupling layer (305) and the radiation layer (301).

14. The antenna unit according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that: There are a plurality of radiation units (301A), and the plurality of radiation units (301A) are arranged in an array within the plane where the radiation layer (301) is located; there are also a plurality of feeding units (302A), and the plurality of feeding units (302A) are arranged in an array within the plane where the feeding layer (302) is located; One of the feeding units (302A) is used to feed power to one of the radiating units (301A).

15. The antenna unit according to claim 14, characterized in that Along the width direction of the vehicle, a spacing between two adjacent radiation units (301A) among the plurality of radiation units (301A) is greater than or equal to 0.4 times the minimum value of the operating wavelength range of the antenna unit, and less than or equal to 0.6 times the maximum value of the operating wavelength range of the antenna unit; Along the length direction of the vehicle, the spacing between two adjacent radiation units (301A) among the multiple radiation units (301A) is greater than or equal to 0.5 times the minimum value of the working wavelength range of the antenna unit, and less than or equal to 0.7 times the maximum value of the working wavelength range of the antenna unit.

16. The antenna unit according to claim 5, wherein: The adjustment range of the beam pointing of the antenna unit is 360 degrees in the circumferential direction of the antenna unit and a range between -60 degrees and +60 degrees based on the direction perpendicular to the radiation layer (301).

17. An antenna assembly, characterized in that: The invention comprises a transmitting antenna unit (31) and a receiving antenna unit (32), wherein at least one of the transmitting antenna unit (31) and the receiving antenna unit (32) is the antenna unit according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

18. The antenna assembly according to claim 17, wherein: It also includes a radio frequency transceiver component (33) and a control module (34) connected to the radio frequency transceiver component (33), and the radio frequency transceiver component (33) is connected to both the transmitting antenna unit (31) and the receiving antenna unit (32).

19. The antenna assembly according to claim 18, wherein: The radio frequency transceiver component (33) includes a radio frequency transmission link (331) and a radio frequency reception link (332); one end of the radio frequency transmission link (331) is connected to the control module (34), and the other end is connected to the transmitting antenna unit (31); one end of the radio frequency reception link (332) is connected to the receiving antenna unit (32), and the other end is connected to the control module (34).

20. The antenna assembly according to claim 19, wherein: There are multiple transmitting antenna units (31), and each transmitting antenna unit (31) has multiple radiating units (301A) and feeding units (302A), and one feeding unit (302A) is used to feed power to one radiating unit (301A). The radio frequency transmission chain (331) includes a main transmission chain (3311), a plurality of first transmission chains (3312), and a plurality of second transmission chains. One end of the main transmission chain (3311) is connected to the control module (34), and the other end is connected to one end of the plurality of first transmission chains (3312). The other end of each of the first transmission chains (3312) is connected to one end of the plurality of second transmission chains. The other ends of the plurality of second transmission chains are respectively connected to a plurality of feed units (302A) of the transmitting antenna unit (31). The main transmission chain (3311) and the plurality of first transmission chains (3312) each include a power amplifier (3313).

21. The antenna assembly according to claim 19, wherein There are multiple receiving antenna units (32), and each receiving antenna unit (32) has multiple radiating units (301A) and feeding units (302A), and one feeding unit (302A) is used to receive a signal from one radiating unit (301A). The radio frequency receiving chain (332) includes a main receiving chain (3321), a plurality of first receiving chains (3322), and a plurality of second receiving chains. One end of the main receiving chain (3321) is connected to the control module (34), and the other end is connected to one end of the plurality of first receiving chains (3322). The other end of each of the first receiving chains (3322) is connected to one end of the plurality of second receiving chains. The other ends of the plurality of second receiving chains are respectively connected to a plurality of feeding units (302A) of the receiving antenna unit (32). The main receiving chain (3321) and the plurality of first receiving chains (3322) each include a low noise amplifier (3323).

22. The antenna assembly according to claim 18, wherein: It also includes a detection device (35) and a wave control processing device (36), wherein the detection device (35) is used to detect the position information and status information of the vehicle, the detection device (35) is connected to the control module (34), and the wave control processing device (36) is connected to the control module (34), the transmitting antenna unit (31) and the receiving antenna unit (32); The control module (34) is used to control the beam phase of the transmitting antenna unit (31) and the receiving antenna unit (32) through the beam control processing device (36) based on the vehicle's position information and status information detected by the detection device (35) and the ephemeris information received by the radio frequency transceiver component.

23. The antenna assembly according to claim 22, wherein: It also includes a human-machine interaction device (37), which is connected to the control module (34).

24. The antenna assembly according to claim 23, wherein: The control module (34) includes an onboard controller (341) and a main controller (342) connected to the onboard controller (341); the human-computer interaction device (37) and the detection device (35) are connected to the onboard controller (341); and the radio frequency transceiver component (33) and the wave control processing device (36) are connected to the main controller (342).

25. A light-transmitting device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a first light-transmitting cover plate (1) and a second light-transmitting cover plate (2) which are arranged opposite to and spaced apart from each other, and an antenna assembly according to any one of claims 17 to 24, wherein a transmitting antenna unit (31) and a receiving antenna unit (32) of the antenna assembly are arranged between the first light-transmitting cover plate (1) and the second light-transmitting cover plate (2).

26. A vehicle, characterized in that: The antenna unit comprises any one of claims 1 to 16, or the antenna assembly comprises any one of claims 17 to 24, or the light-transmitting device comprises the light-transmitting device according to claim 25.

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