All-metal phase-mode antenna unit and wide-angle scanning array thereof

Abstract

The invention provides an all-metal phase-mode antenna unit and a large-angle scanning array thereof. The all-metal phase-mode antenna unit comprises a scanning phased array; the scanning phased array is a high-efficiency wide-angle scanning phased array based on a generalized directional diagram product principle, and the scanning phased array is an area array formed by arranging a plurality of antenna units according to a plane; the antenna unit is a three-dimensional all-metal structure antenna unit and has the working characteristics of high efficiency and high power capacity; according to the invention, the metal radiator is fed through the feed port by using signals with equal amplitude and different phases, the directional diagram of the antenna unit can change along with the change of the phase difference of the port, the two-dimensional beam scanning effect is realized, and the working efficiency is greater than 98%; meanwhile, based on the generalized directional diagram product theorem, the antenna unit can effectively improve the beam scanning range and gain of the phased-array antenna.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to, in particular, an all-metal phase-controlled antenna unit and a wide-angle scanning array thereof, and in particular to a three-dimensional all-metal structure antenna unit and a high-efficiency wide-angle scanning phased array thereof based on the generalized pattern product principle. Background Art

[0002] With the advancement of radar, wireless communications, and wireless power transmission technologies, antenna arrays have become critical components in modern wireless systems. There is a growing demand for multifunctional RF front-ends that integrate sensing, jamming, detection, and communication functions. Specifically, integrated systems typically require antenna arrays to have not only high power handling and efficiency but also flexible beam scanning capabilities over a wide angle. High efficiency means the ability to effectively convert input power into radiated power, thereby reducing system energy loss and improving the quality of transmitted and received signals. In applications such as communications and radar, improved efficiency is directly related to the system's coverage capability, target detection sensitivity, and link reliability. Wide-angle scanning capability is also a key indicator for evaluating array performance, determining whether the antenna system can achieve flexible beam control over a large spatial range to accommodate a variety of application scenarios such as target tracking, area coverage, and interference avoidance.

[0003] However, in actual engineering implementation, there is often a clear performance conflict between wide-angle scanning and high efficiency. When the antenna array operates within a larger scanning angle range, the increase in coupling power will lead to a decrease in radiation efficiency and even beam distortion and sidelobe enhancement due to the enhanced electromagnetic mutual coupling effect between units, which will seriously affect the system performance. In addition, the mutual coupling effect will also cause changes in the unit excitation amplitude and phase, causing the originally well-designed radiation pattern to shift, thereby weakening the stability and accuracy of the system. Therefore, how to suppress the array mutual coupling effect and improve the overall efficiency of the system while ensuring wide-angle scanning capability remains an important issue that needs to be urgently addressed in the current design of high-performance antenna arrays, and is also a research difficulty and challenging direction that continues to attract attention in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the defects in the prior art, the present invention aims to provide an all-metal Sagami antenna unit and a large-angle scanning array thereof.

[0005] The all-metal phased array antenna unit and its large-angle scanning array provided by the present invention include: a scanning phased array,

[0006] The scanning phased array is a wide-angle scanning phased array based on the generalized pattern product principle. The scanning phased array is composed of a plurality of antenna units arranged in a plane to form a planar array.

[0007] Preferably, the antenna unit is a three-dimensional all-metal structure antenna unit, including: a metal radiator, a first opening slot, a second opening slot and a metal floor; the metal radiator is arranged above the metal floor, and the first opening slot and the second opening slot are arranged on both sides of the metal radiator.

[0008] Preferably, the scanning phased array is composed of n three-dimensional antenna units arranged in a plane to form a planar array; the directional pattern of the main beam of the scanning phased array pointing to θ0 is the beam pointing to θ e The element factor and beam pointing θ a The product of the matrix factors;

[0009] The scanning phased array pattern can be expressed as f(Δφ1, Δφ2)=f e (Δφ1)×f a (Δφ2), where f e (Δφ1) is the element factor. Δφ1 is the phase difference between the two input ports of the antenna unit, which is used to control the shape of the unit radiation pattern. Different Δφ1 corresponds to different unit radiation patterns with the maximum beam index θ e ;f a (Δφ2) is the array factor, which represents the phase difference between adjacent array elements and determines the main beam direction θ of the array factor. a ; The element factor and array factor of the phased array can be independently adjusted with different phase differences.

[0010] Preferably, the antenna unit is made of an all-metal structure and is suitable for metal 3D printing manufacturing process.

[0011] The antenna unit has a length less than half a wavelength. The first opening slot and the second opening slot are fed by coaxial probes respectively, and the feeding phase can be set arbitrarily. The metal radiator is fed through the feeding port using signals of equal amplitude but different phases.

[0012] Preferably, the antenna unit pattern can change with the port phase difference, achieving a two-dimensional beam scanning effect in the xoz and yoz planes, with a working efficiency greater than 98%.

[0013] Preferably, the scanning phased array is composed of sixteen antenna units arranged in a 4×4 pattern.

[0014] According to the present invention, a full-metal Sagami antenna unit and a method for operating a large-angle scanning array thereof include:

[0015] Step S1: The antenna unit is fed using a coaxial probe;

[0016] Step S2: The scanning phased array pattern is expressed as f(Δφ1, Δφ2)=f e (Δφ1)×fa (Δφ2), where f e (Δφ1) is the element factor. Δφ1 is the phase difference between the two input ports of the antenna unit, which is used to control the shape of the unit radiation pattern. Different Δφ1 corresponds to different unit radiation patterns with the maximum beam index θ e ;f a (Δφ2) is the array factor, which represents the phase difference between adjacent array elements and determines the main beam direction θ of the array factor. a ;

[0017] Step S3: By jointly adjusting Δφ1 and Δφ2, the element factor and the array factor main beam are superimposed in the same direction θ0, thereby significantly improving the array gain;

[0018] Step S4: Main beam direction θ of the element factor e It is not fixed, and can be flexibly adjusted within a certain range to change the main beam direction θ of the scanning phased array as a whole. e Expand to a wider angle range; thereby breaking through the bottleneck of limited beam deflection angle of traditional phased array; the maximum beam pointing of the element factor and array factor can be scanned, the scanning angle of the element factor is ±48°, and the scanning angle of the array factor is ±90°.

[0019] Preferably, in step S1, when signals of equal amplitude and phase are fed into the two coaxial probes, the maximum radiation direction of the antenna unit on the E plane is θ=±48°, and the maximum radiation direction on the H plane is θ=±42°.

[0020] Preferably, in step S1, when signals of equal amplitude and opposite directions are fed to the two ports simultaneously, the maximum radiation direction of the antenna unit is at θ=0°.

[0021] Preferably, in step S1, when the feeding phase difference between the two ports varies between 0° and 180°, the directional pattern generated by the antenna unit performs continuous beam scanning in the E-plane and the H-plane.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0023] 1. The present invention uses signals of equal amplitude but different phases to feed the metal radiator through the feeding port. The antenna unit pattern can change with the phase difference of the port, achieving a two-dimensional beam scanning effect with a working efficiency greater than 98%;

[0024] 2. The antenna unit of the present invention is composed of an all-metal structure, which can eliminate dielectric loss and improve the radiation efficiency of the antenna. The total working efficiency of the antenna unit is greater than 98%, while the power capacity of the antenna unit is increased. The power capacity of the antenna unit in a vacuum environment is 1.95MW.

[0025] 3. Based on the generalized pattern product theorem, the maximum beam pointing angles of the element factor and array factor in the scanning phased array can be the same, enabling two-dimensional large-angle scanning (±63°, ±76°), allowing the antenna unit to effectively improve the beam scanning range and gain of the phased array antenna;

[0026] 4. The antenna unit and scanning phased array of the present invention are both suitable for 3D printing manufacturing process, with simple structure and easy processing; BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the following drawings:

[0028] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the antenna unit of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 It is a side view schematic diagram of the antenna unit of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 Schematic top view of the antenna unit of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the phased array principle based on the generalized pattern product principle of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the generalized directional pattern product principle of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 6 The figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of the phased array based on the generalized pattern product principle of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the return loss of the antenna unit of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the E-plane direction when the two ports of the antenna unit of the present invention have different feeding phases.

[0036] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the H-plane direction when the two ports of the antenna unit of the present invention have different feeding phases.

[0037] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of return loss of a phased array based on the generalized pattern product principle of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the scanning direction of the phased array on the E plane based on the generalized directional pattern product principle of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the H-plane scanning direction of the phased array based on the generalized directional pattern product principle of the present invention.

[0040] The figure shows:

[0041] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. The following examples will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but are not intended to limit the present invention in any form. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several changes and improvements can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. These all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0043] like Figures 1 to 12 As shown, the embodiment of the present invention provides a full metal phased array antenna unit and a large angle scanning array thereof, including: a scanning phased array,

[0044] The scanning phased array is a high-efficiency wide-angle scanning phased array based on the generalized pattern product principle, and the scanning phased array is composed of multiple antenna units arranged in a plane to form a planar array;

[0045] The antenna unit is a three-dimensional all-metal structure antenna unit, including: a metal radiator 1, a first opening slot 2, a second opening slot 3 and a metal floor 4; the metal radiator 1 is arranged above the metal floor 4, and the first opening slot 2 and the second opening slot 3 are arranged on both sides of the metal radiator 1;

[0046] Furthermore, the scanning phased array is composed of n three-dimensional antenna units arranged in a plane to form a planar array; the planar array composed of n three-dimensional antenna units arranged in a plane, the direction diagram of the main beam pointing to θ0 is the direction diagram of the beam pointing to θ e The element factor and beam pointing θ a The product of the array factors is the generalized pattern product principle. The scanning phased array pattern can be expressed as in is the meta-factor, The phase difference between the two input ports of the antenna unit is used to control the shape of the unit radiation pattern. The maximum beam index of the corresponding different unit patterns is θ e . It is the array factor, Represents the phase difference between adjacent array elements, which determines the main beam direction of the array factor θ a. Both the element factor and the array factor of the phased array can be independently adjusted with different phase differences, thereby significantly expanding the scannable angle range of the array beam. Although the directional pattern of the antenna unit will be dynamically adjusted with phase changes, the directional pattern product principle can still be used to describe the overall radiation characteristics in the phased array modeling of the present invention. The difference is that both the element factor and the array factor are functions of the phase difference, so this method is called the generalized directional pattern product principle, which provides theoretical support for the analysis and design of array systems with reconfigurable directional patterns.

[0047] Furthermore, the antenna unit is constructed of an all-metal structure, suitable for metal 3D printing manufacturing processes, and exhibits high efficiency and high power capacity. The antenna unit is smaller than half a wavelength in length, and the first and second opening slots 2 and 3 are fed by coaxial probes, respectively, with feed phases that can be arbitrarily set. The metal radiator 1 is fed through the feed port using signals of equal amplitude but different phases. The antenna unit's radiation pattern can vary with the port phase difference, achieving a two-dimensional beam scanning effect in the xoz and yoz planes, with an operating efficiency exceeding 98%. Both the antenna unit and the scanning phased array are suitable for 3D printing manufacturing processes, featuring a simple structure and easy processing. The antenna unit exhibits high power capacity, with a power capacity of 1.95 MW in a vacuum environment. Because the antenna unit is constructed of an all-metal structure, this eliminates dielectric loss and improves the antenna's radiation efficiency, resulting in an overall operating efficiency exceeding 98%. Furthermore, the all-metal structure also increases the antenna unit's power capacity, achieving a power capacity of 1.95 MW in a vacuum environment. The maximum beam pointing angles of the element factor and the array factor in the scanning phased array can be the same, and two-dimensional large-angle scanning (±63°, ±76°) can be achieved.

[0048] The present invention is explained in more detail below. In a preferred embodiment, the antenna unit pattern varies with the input port phase difference. By optimizing the parameters of the antenna unit and array, the antenna profile height is minimized while the impedance characteristics and radiation characteristics of the antenna are kept basically unchanged, thereby being able to better adapt to various communication application fields.

[0049] like Figures 1 to 3 The figure shows the antenna unit, and the antenna unit structure is entirely made of metal aluminum; the metal radiator 1 is fed by a coaxial probe, the phase of the feeding port can be set arbitrarily, and the radiation pattern can change with the phase difference of the input port.

[0050] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the present invention, according to the product principle of generalized directional patterns, the directional pattern of the scanning phased array can be expressed as f(Δφ1,Δφ2)=f e (Δφ1)×fa (Δφ2), where f e (Δφ1) is the element factor. Δφ1 is the phase difference between the two input ports of the antenna unit, which is used to control the shape of the unit radiation pattern. Different Δφ1 corresponds to different unit radiation patterns with the maximum beam index θ e .f a (Δφ2) is the array factor, which represents the phase difference between adjacent array elements and determines the main beam direction θ of the array factor. a By adjusting Δφ1 and Δφ2, the array's maximum beam pointing angle θ0 can be achieved to a larger angle; Figure 6 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the above antenna units being arranged into a 4×4 array.

[0051] Furthermore, in a more specific embodiment, a scanning phased array composed of sixteen antenna units arranged in a 4×4 pattern is simulated using full-wave electromagnetic simulation software to simulate the technical solution of the present invention. The simulation verifies the characteristics of the antenna unit radiation pattern changing with the phase difference of the input port and the scanning characteristics of the array. When signals of equal amplitude but different phase difference are fed into the two ports of the antenna unit, the radiation pattern of the antenna unit changes accordingly; when signals of equal amplitude but different phase difference are fed into different units of the antenna array, the antenna array factor can realize scanning in different angular directions. Figure 7 Given the return loss of the antenna unit, it can be easily concluded that the present invention has broadband working characteristics; in order to characterize the radiation characteristics of the present invention, Figure 8 The E-plane radiation pattern of the antenna unit with different feeding phases at the two ports is given. Figure 9 The H-plane radiation pattern of the antenna unit with different feeding phases at the two ports is given, showing that the antenna unit radiation pattern has the characteristic of varying with the phase difference of the input ports. The scanning range of the antenna unit in the E-plane is ±48°, and the scanning range in the H-plane is ±42°. Figure 10 The S parameters of the 4×4 antenna array are given. Considering the coupling effect between antenna elements, the return loss and port isolation of the phased array of the present invention vary, but the overall consistency is good. Figure 11 The scanning pattern of the phased array of the present invention on the E plane is given. It can be seen that the phased array of the present invention can achieve a large angle scanning of ±78°; Figure 12The scanning pattern of the antenna array in the H plane is given, and it can be seen that the phased array array of the present invention can achieve a wide angle scanning of ±63°. The simulation results verify that the proposed antenna unit has good broadband performance, and its radiation pattern can be flexibly adjusted with the phase difference between the two ports. The 4×4 scanning phased array exhibits a large scanning angle range at the array level, demonstrating its potential in wide-angle scanning applications; in addition, the array construction method and beamforming and scanning strategy proposed in the present invention are also applicable to other antenna units with variable radiation pattern characteristics, and are particularly suitable for the design of large-scale array systems, realizing the promotion and application of the generalized radiation pattern product principle.

[0052] An embodiment of the present invention further provides an all-metal Sagami antenna unit and a method for operating a large-angle scanning array thereof, including:

[0053] Step S1: The antenna unit is fed using coaxial probes. Specifically, when equal-amplitude and in-phase signals are fed to the two coaxial probes, the antenna unit's maximum radiation direction is θ = ±48° on the E-plane and θ = ±42° on the H-plane. When equal-amplitude and inverse-phase signals are fed to both ports simultaneously, the antenna unit's maximum radiation direction is θ = 0°. When the feed phase difference between the two ports varies between 0° and 180°, the antenna unit generates a directivity pattern that continuously scans the beam in both the E-plane and the H-plane.

[0054] Step S2: The scanning phased array pattern is expressed as f(Δφ1, Δφ2)=f e (Δφ1)×f a (Δφ2), where f e (Δφ1) is the element factor. Δφ1 is the phase difference between the two input ports of the antenna unit, which is used to control the shape of the unit radiation pattern. Different Δφ1 corresponds to different unit radiation patterns with the maximum beam index θ e ;f a (Δφ2) is the array factor, which represents the phase difference between adjacent array elements and determines the main beam direction θ of the array factor. a ;

[0055] Step S3: By jointly adjusting Δφ1 and Δφ2, the element factor and the array factor main beam are superimposed in the same direction θ0, thereby significantly improving the array gain;

[0056] Step S4: Main beam direction θ of the element factor e It is not fixed and can be flexibly adjusted within a certain range to expand the main beam direction θ0 of the scanning phased array as a whole to a wider angle range, thereby breaking through the bottleneck of the limited beam deflection angle of the traditional phased array. The maximum beam pointing directions of the element factor and the array factor can both be scanned, the scanning angle of the element factor is ±48°, and the scanning angle of the array factor is ±90°.

[0057] In summary, embodiments of the present invention provide an all-metal phased array antenna unit and its wide-angle scanning array, comprising: a scanning phased array; the scanning phased array is a high-efficiency, wide-angle scanning phased array based on the generalized pattern product principle, and is composed of multiple antenna units arranged in a plane to form a planar array; the antenna units are three-dimensional, all-metal antenna units with high efficiency and high power capacity. The present invention utilizes signals of equal amplitude but different phases to feed the metal radiator through the feed port, and the antenna unit pattern can change with the port phase difference, achieving a two-dimensional beam scanning effect with an operating efficiency greater than 98%. Furthermore, based on the generalized pattern product theorem, the antenna units can effectively improve the beam scanning range and gain of the phased array antenna.

[0058] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0059] The above describes specific embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art may make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. The embodiments of this application and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other in any manner unless there is a conflict.

Claims

1. An all-metal Sagami antenna unit and a large-angle scanning array thereof, characterized in that: include: Scanning phased array, The scanning phased array is a wide-angle scanning phased array based on the generalized pattern product principle. The scanning phased array is composed of a plurality of antenna units arranged in a plane to form a planar array.

2. The all-metal Sagami antenna unit and its large-angle scanning array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna unit is a three-dimensional all-metal structure antenna unit, comprising: a metal radiator (1), a first opening slot (2), a second opening slot (3) and a metal floor (4); the metal radiator (1) is arranged above the metal floor (4), and the first opening slot (2) and the second opening slot (3) are arranged on both sides of the metal radiator (1).

3. The all-metal Sagami antenna unit and its large-angle scanning array according to claim 2, characterized in that: The scanning phased array is composed of n three-dimensional antenna units arranged in a plane to form a planar array; the directional pattern of the main beam of the scanning phased array pointing to θ0 is the beam pointing to θ e The element factor and beam pointing θ a The product of the matrix factors; The scanning phased array pattern can be expressed as f(Δφ1, Δφ2)=f e (Δφ1)×f a (Δφ2), where f e (Δφ1) is the element factor. Δφ1 is the phase difference between the two input ports of the antenna unit, which is used to control the shape of the unit radiation pattern. Different Δφ1 corresponds to different unit radiation patterns with the maximum beam index θ e ;f a (Δφ2) is the array factor, which represents the phase difference between adjacent array elements and determines the main beam direction θ of the array factor. a ; The element factor and array factor of the phased array can be independently adjusted with different phase differences.

4. The all-metal Sagami antenna unit and its large-angle scanning array according to claim 2, characterized in that: The antenna unit is made of an all-metal structure and is suitable for metal 3D printing manufacturing processes. The antenna unit has a length smaller than half a wavelength, the first opening slot (2) and the second opening slot (3) are fed by coaxial probes respectively, and the feeding phase can be set arbitrarily; the metal radiator (1) is fed via a feeding port using signals of equal amplitude but different phases.

5. The all-metal Sagami antenna unit and its large-angle scanning array according to claim 2, characterized in that: The antenna unit pattern can change with the port phase difference, achieving a two-dimensional beam scanning effect in the xoz and yoz planes, with a working efficiency greater than 98%.

6. The all-metal Sagami antenna unit and its large-angle scanning array according to claim 2, characterized in that: A scanning phased array consisting of sixteen antenna elements arranged in a 4×4 pattern.

7. A method for operating the full metal Sagami antenna unit and its wide angle scanning array according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: include: Step S1: The antenna unit is fed using a coaxial probe; Step S2: The scanning phased array pattern is expressed as f(Δφ1, Δφ2)=f e (Δφ1)×f a (Δφ2), where f e (Δφ1) is the element factor. Δφ1 is the phase difference between the two input ports of the antenna unit, which is used to control the shape of the unit radiation pattern. Different Δφ1 corresponds to different unit radiation patterns with the maximum beam index θ e ;f a (Δφ2) is the array factor, which represents the phase difference between adjacent array elements and determines the main beam direction θ of the array factor. a ; Step S3: By jointly adjusting Δφ1 and Δφ2, the element factor and the array factor main beam are superimposed in the same direction θ0, thereby significantly improving the array gain; Step S4: Main beam direction θ of the element factor e It is not fixed, and can be flexibly adjusted within a certain range to change the main beam direction θ of the scanning phased array as a whole. e Expand to a wider angle range; thereby breaking through the bottleneck of limited beam deflection angle of traditional phased array; the maximum beam pointing of the element factor and array factor can be scanned, the scanning angle of the element factor is ±48°, and the scanning angle of the array factor is ±90°.

8. The full metal Sagami antenna unit and the operating method of the large-angle scanning array thereof according to claim 7, characterized in that: In step S1, when signals of equal amplitude and phase are fed into the two coaxial probes, the maximum radiation direction of the antenna unit on the E plane is θ=±48°, and the maximum radiation direction on the H plane is θ=±42°.

9. The full metal Sagami antenna unit and the operating method of the large-angle scanning array thereof according to claim 7, characterized in that: In step S1, when signals of equal amplitude and opposite directions are fed to the two ports simultaneously, the maximum radiation direction of the antenna unit is at θ=0°.

10. The full metal Sagami antenna unit and the operating method of the large-angle scanning array thereof according to claim 7, characterized in that: In step S1, when the feeding phase difference between the two ports varies between 0° and 180°, the directional pattern generated by the antenna unit performs continuous beam scanning in the E-plane and the H-plane.

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