A broadband transparent antenna

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of antenna technology and discloses a broadband transparent antenna, including a transparent substrate and a dielectric substrate disposed on top of the transparent substrate. The inner wall of the dielectric substrate has multiple patch carrier slots of different sizes. Radiation units are disposed inside the patch carrier slots. Each radiation unit is composed of an array of conductive structural units. By using conductive structural units, a more flexible material (silver nanowire material), and a gradient design (indium tin oxide structure – gradient structure – silver nanowire structure – gradient structure arrangement), the antenna can fit well against curved surfaces, avoiding wrinkles and warping, ensuring the structural integrity of the radiation units, significantly improving signal strength and coverage, and making communication more stable and efficient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of antenna technology, and more particularly to a wideband transparent antenna. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of intelligent and connected vehicles, the problems of traditional automotive antennas have become increasingly prominent. Traditional antennas, such as rod-shaped ones, protrude from the vehicle body, affecting aesthetics and increasing wind resistance and noise. Furthermore, their frequency coverage is limited, making it difficult to meet the multi-band communication needs of AM / FM, GPS, and cellular networks. Multiple antennas are also prone to electromagnetic interference. Meanwhile, intelligent connected and autonomous driving technologies place higher demands on vehicle communication, requiring stable, efficient, and wide-band communication support. Wide-band transparent antennas can be installed on the windshield, offering aesthetic appeal and good integration, minimizing impact on the vehicle body, and their advantageous location facilitates signal propagation, meeting the diverse communication needs of automobiles.

[0003] A transparent antenna for automotive smart glass is disclosed in patent publication number CN112736407A, including: a ground patch and a radiating patch and a spacer strip arranged between the two. The ground patch adopts a micro-wire structure. The ratio between the distance occupied by each micro-wire in each of two mutually perpendicular directions in the extended plane of the glass and the spatial spacing between two connected micro-wires makes the transparency of the glass not less than 38%.

[0004] The existing technology has the following drawbacks:

[0005] Radiation patches cannot fit curved surfaces: Transparent antennas are often used on car windshields and need to fit curved surfaces such as car windshields. However, the materials used in the radiation patches of existing transparent antennas are rigid and have poor flexibility, making it difficult to deform with curved surfaces. This results in wrinkles and lifting during the application process, and the antenna cannot make close contact with the curved surface. This will damage the structural integrity of the radiation element and thus affect the radiation performance of the antenna, such as weakening the signal strength and reducing the signal coverage area.

[0006] The large overall size is due to the need to adapt to wide frequency bands: Wide frequency band antennas integrate multiple frequency band functions, resulting in a significantly larger overall size. They require more physical space for installation. The larger physical area makes it difficult to flexibly arrange and adjust the antenna in some complex environments or scenarios with high space requirements, which limits its application range. In addition, more materials are used, and manufacturing, transportation, and installation costs are increased. If used in mobile devices such as automobiles, large-area antennas can also disrupt the overall aesthetic harmony. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Given that existing technologies have problems such as the inability of radiating patches to fit curved surfaces and the large overall area required to adapt to wide frequency bands, a wide-band transparent antenna is proposed.

[0008] This application provides a broadband transparent antenna, the purpose of which is to: by setting conductive structural units, using more flexible materials and a gradient design, the antenna can fit well against curved surfaces, avoiding wrinkles and warping, ensuring the structural integrity of the radiating unit, significantly improving signal strength and coverage, and making communication more stable and efficient; by setting radiating units in the shape of tilted rectangles, the antenna layout is optimized, the overall area is reduced, the physical space required for installation is reduced, the layout flexibility in complex environments or space-constrained scenarios is enhanced, and the use of materials is reduced, manufacturing, transportation and installation costs are lowered, and the appearance of automobiles and other equipment is maintained.

[0009] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a broadband transparent antenna, comprising a transparent substrate and a dielectric substrate disposed on top of the transparent substrate, wherein the inner wall of the dielectric substrate is provided with a plurality of patch carrier slots of different sizes, and a radiating unit is disposed inside the patch carrier slot, wherein the radiating unit is composed of an array of conductive structural units;

[0010] The conductive structural unit includes an indium tin oxide structure, a silver nanowire structure, and two gradient structures, arranged in the order of indium tin oxide structure – gradient structure – silver nanowire structure – gradient structure.

[0011] Furthermore, the indium tin oxide structure is composed of indium tin oxide material, the silver nanowire structure is composed of silver nanowire material, and the gradient structure is composed of a mixture of indium tin oxide material and silver nanowire material. The side of the gradient structure closer to the silver nanowire structure has a higher content of silver nanowire material, and the side closer to the indium tin oxide structure has a higher content of indium tin oxide material.

[0012] By adopting the above scheme and through the set conductive structural unit, the radiating unit not only has good flexibility and can fit into various curved surfaces, but also achieves efficient signal transmission, making full preparation for subsequent frequency band processing. Overall, this wideband transparent antenna can achieve efficient reception and transmission of wideband signals while ensuring high transparency, and has broad application prospects in many fields such as modern communication, intelligent transportation, and smart homes.

[0013] Furthermore, the radiating unit includes low-frequency microstrip patches, mid-frequency microstrip patches, very high-frequency microstrip patches, ultra-high-frequency microstrip patches, and millimeter-wave microstrip patches coupled and connected inside the corresponding patch carrier groove.

[0014] Furthermore, the radiating unit is divided into three layers: upper, middle, and lower. The low-frequency microstrip patch is located in the lower layer, the mid-frequency microstrip patch and the ultra-high frequency microstrip patch are located in the middle layer, and the very high frequency microstrip patch and the millimeter-wave frequency microstrip patch are located in the upper layer.

[0015] By adopting the above scheme, the radiating element is designed with a unique tilted rectangle shape. Compared with traditional shapes such as rectangles and circles, it can be arranged more reasonably in a limited space, optimize the antenna layout, reduce the overall antenna area, reduce the physical space required for installation, and enhance the layout flexibility in complex or space-constrained scenarios.

[0016] Furthermore, an electromagnetic bandgap is provided between the mid-frequency microstrip patch and the very high-frequency microstrip patch, and the electromagnetic bandgap isolator is installed inside the dielectric substrate.

[0017] Furthermore, a long defective trench is provided between the low-frequency microstrip patch and the mid-frequency and very high-frequency microstrip patches; an L-shaped defective trench is provided between the ultra-high-frequency microstrip patch and the mid-frequency and very high-frequency microstrip patches; and a short defective trench is provided between the millimeter-wave microstrip patch and the low-frequency microstrip patch. All the long defective trenches, L-shaped defective trenches, and short defective trenches are formed inside the transparent substrate.

[0018] By adopting the above scheme, the electromagnetic bandgap isolator can block interference by using its electromagnetic properties through the setting of electromagnetic bandgap isolator, long defective ground slot, L-shaped defective ground slot and short defective ground slot; the long defective ground slot, L-shaped defective ground slot and short defective ground slot in the transparent substrate can change the electromagnetic distribution around the antenna and further reduce the mutual interference between microstrip patches of different frequency bands.

[0019] Furthermore, the bottom of the low-frequency band microstrip patch, mid-frequency band microstrip patch, very high frequency band microstrip patch, ultra-high frequency band microstrip patch and millimeter-wave band microstrip patch are all connected to a feed microstrip line, and the inner wall of the transparent substrate is coupled to an RF front-end module, and multiple feed microstrip lines penetrate the dielectric substrate and are coupled to the RF front-end module.

[0020] Furthermore, a transparent encapsulation cover is coupled to the top of the dielectric substrate, and a plurality of transparent pressure plates are fixedly connected to the bottom of the transparent encapsulation cover, with the plurality of transparent pressure plates abutting against the top of the radiating unit.

[0021] Using the above scheme, after each frequency band microstrip patch receives a signal, it is transmitted to the RF front-end module through the bottom feed microstrip line. The RF front-end module amplifies and filters the signal and outputs a signal that meets the requirements, realizing wideband communication function. The transparent encapsulation cover and transparent pressure plate protect the radiating element and ensure stable antenna operation.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0023] By setting conductive structural units, using more flexible materials (silver nanowires) and a gradient design (indium tin oxide structure - gradient structure - silver nanowire structure - gradient structure arrangement), the antenna can fit well against curved surfaces, avoiding wrinkles and warping, ensuring the structural integrity of the radiating unit, significantly improving signal strength and coverage, and making communication more stable and efficient.

[0024] By setting up radiating elements in a tilted rectangular shape, the antenna layout can be more rationally arranged within a limited space, thereby reducing the overall antenna area, reducing the physical space required for installation, enhancing the flexibility of layout in complex environments or space-constrained scenarios, reducing material usage, lowering manufacturing, transportation, and installation costs, maintaining the appearance coordination of automobiles and other equipment, and improving the practicality and aesthetics of the product. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the transparent encapsulation cover structure of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure at the radiating unit of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electromagnetic bandgap isolation sheet of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure at the transparent substrate of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the patch carrier groove of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 For the present invention Figure 7 Enlarged structural diagram of point A in the middle;

[0033] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention in a bent state.

[0034] In the picture:

[0035] 1. Transparent substrate; 11. L-shaped defect trench; 12. Long defect trench; 13. Short defect trench; 2. Dielectric substrate; 21. Patch carrier trench; 3. Transparent encapsulation cover; 31. Transparent clip; 4. RF front-end module; 41. Feed microstrip line; 5. Radiation unit; 51. Low-frequency microstrip patch; 52. Mid-frequency microstrip patch; 53. Very high frequency microstrip patch; 54. Ultra-high frequency microstrip patch; 55. Millimeter-wave microstrip patch; 6. Electromagnetic bandgap isolator; 7. Conductive structural unit; 71. Indium tin oxide structure; 72. Gradient structure; 73. Silver nanowire structure. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Reference Figure 1 - Figure 9 A wideband transparent antenna is provided, including a transparent substrate 1 and a dielectric substrate 2 disposed on top of the transparent substrate 1. The inner wall of the dielectric substrate 2 is provided with a plurality of patch carrier slots 21 of different sizes. The patch carrier slots 21 are provided with radiating units 5, which are composed of an array of conductive structural units 7.

[0038] Reference Figure 8 The conductive structural unit 7 includes an indium tin oxide structure 71, a silver nanowire structure 73, and two gradient structures 72, arranged in the order of indium tin oxide structure 71 - gradient structure 72 - silver nanowire structure 73 - gradient structure 72.

[0039] Reference Figure 8 The indium tin oxide structure 71 is composed of indium tin oxide material, the silver nanowire structure 73 is composed of silver nanowire material, and the gradient structure 72 is composed of a mixture of indium tin oxide material and silver nanowire material. The side of the gradient structure 72 closer to the silver nanowire structure 73 has a higher content of silver nanowire material, and the side closer to the indium tin oxide structure 71 has a higher content of indium tin oxide material.

[0040] Specifically, the dielectric substrate 2 is made of a transparent material, such as transparent polyimide, which not only has good dielectric properties, but its low loss and high stability can provide a stable transmission environment for electromagnetic signals inside the antenna, reduce energy loss during signal transmission, and thus improve the overall performance of the antenna. Indium tin oxide is a material with good conductivity and high transparency. Its crystal structure allows electrons to move relatively freely, thus ensuring effective signal transmission. The silver nanowire material has excellent flexibility and extremely high conductivity. Its nanoscale wire structure provides a large number of electron conduction channels at the microscopic level, enabling electrons to move faster and more smoothly, greatly improving signal transmission efficiency. In addition, the flexibility of the silver nanowire allows the conductive structural unit 7 to adapt to various curved surfaces, enhancing the antenna's adaptability in different application scenarios. The gradient structure 72 effectively solves the problem of signal transmission difficulties that may be caused by material differences between the indium tin oxide structure 71 and the silver nanowire structure 73, allowing electrons to smoothly transition between different materials and further optimizing the electron conduction path.

[0041] By incorporating conductive structural unit 7, the radiating unit 5 not only possesses excellent flexibility, enabling it to conform to various curved surfaces, but also achieves efficient signal transmission, thus preparing for subsequent frequency band processing. Overall, this wideband transparent antenna can achieve efficient reception and transmission of wideband signals while maintaining high transparency, and has broad application prospects in many fields such as modern communications, intelligent transportation, and smart homes.

[0042] Reference Figure 3 - Figure 7 The radiating unit 5 includes a low-frequency microstrip patch 51, a mid-frequency microstrip patch 52, a very high-frequency microstrip patch 53, an ultra-high-frequency microstrip patch 54, and a millimeter-wave microstrip patch 55, which are coupled and connected inside the corresponding patch carrier groove 21. The radiating unit 5 is divided into three layers: upper, middle, and lower. The low-frequency microstrip patch 51 is located in the lower layer, the mid-frequency microstrip patch 52 and the ultra-high-frequency microstrip patch 54 are located in the middle layer, and the very high-frequency microstrip patch 53 and the millimeter-wave microstrip patch 55 are located in the upper layer.

[0043] Specifically, the low-frequency microstrip patch 51 is relatively large because low-frequency signals have longer wavelengths, requiring a larger physical size for effective radiation and reception. It has high sensitivity and good matching characteristics for low-frequency signals and is mainly responsible for capturing and processing low-frequency electromagnetic signals. The mid-frequency microstrip patch 52 and the very high-frequency microstrip patch 53 are of moderate size and operate at frequencies between low and ultra-high frequencies. Mid-frequency signals have a certain propagation distance and penetration capability, while very high-frequency signals are commonly used in fields such as aviation communications and weather radar. The ultra-high-frequency microstrip patch 54 and the millimeter-wave microstrip patch 55 are relatively large. The small size of the microstrip patch 51 is due to the shorter wavelengths of ultra-high frequency (UHF) and millimeter-wave (MW) band signals, which require higher signal directionality to achieve more precise signal radiation and reception. The large size and low operating frequency of the low-frequency microstrip patch 51, placed on the lower layer, can reduce interference with the upper-layer high-frequency microstrip patch. The mid-frequency (IF) and UHF microstrip patches 52 and 54 are located in the middle layer, maintaining a suitable distance from the microstrip patches above and below to avoid mutual interference. The VHF and MW band microstrip patches 53 and 55 are located on the upper layer, which is beneficial for their capture and radiation of high-frequency signals in space, while also reducing the influence of lower-frequency signals.

[0044] The radiating element 5, with its unique tilted rectangular shape, allows for a more rational arrangement within a limited space compared to traditional shapes such as rectangles and circles. This optimizes the antenna layout, reduces the overall antenna area, lowers the physical space required for installation, and enhances layout flexibility in complex or space-constrained scenarios.

[0045] Reference Figure 5 - Figure 6 An electromagnetic bandgap isolator 6 is disposed between the mid-frequency microstrip patch 52 and the very high frequency microstrip patch 53, and the electromagnetic bandgap isolator 6 is installed inside the dielectric substrate 2; a long defective ground groove 12 is disposed between the low-frequency microstrip patch 51 and the mid-frequency microstrip patch 52 and the very high frequency microstrip patch 53; an L-shaped defective ground groove 11 is disposed between the ultra-high frequency microstrip patch 54 and the mid-frequency microstrip patch 52 and the very high frequency microstrip patch 53; and a short defective ground groove 13 is disposed between the millimeter-wave microstrip patch 55 and the low-frequency microstrip patch 51. The long defective ground groove 12, the L-shaped defective ground groove 11 and the short defective ground groove 13 are all opened inside the transparent substrate 1.

[0046] By using the electromagnetic bandgap isolator 6, the long defective ground slot 12, the L-shaped defective ground slot 11, and the short defective ground slot 13, the electromagnetic bandgap isolator 6 can block interference using its electromagnetic properties; the long defective ground slot 12, the L-shaped defective ground slot 11, and the short defective ground slot 13 in the transparent substrate 1 can change the electromagnetic distribution around the antenna and further reduce the mutual interference between microstrip patches of different frequency bands.

[0047] Reference Figure 2 - Figure 6 The bottom of the low-frequency microstrip patch 51, the mid-frequency microstrip patch 52, the very high-frequency microstrip patch 53, the ultra-high-frequency microstrip patch 54, and the millimeter-wave microstrip patch 55 are all connected to a feed microstrip line 41. The inner wall of the transparent substrate 1 is coupled to the RF front-end module 4. The multiple feed microstrip lines 41 penetrate the dielectric substrate 2 and are coupled to the RF front-end module 4. The top of the dielectric substrate 2 is coupled to a transparent encapsulation cover 3. The bottom of the transparent encapsulation cover 3 is fixedly connected to multiple transparent pressure plates 31, which abut against the top of the radiating unit 5.

[0048] With the RF front-end module 4 and transparent encapsulation cover 3 in place, when the microstrip patch of each frequency band receives a signal, it transmits it to the RF front-end module 4 through the feed microstrip line 41 at the bottom. The RF front-end module 4 amplifies and filters the signal and outputs a signal that meets the requirements, realizing the wideband communication function. The transparent encapsulation cover 3 and transparent pressure plate 31 protect the radiating unit 5 and ensure the stable operation of the antenna.

[0049] Working principle of the invention:

[0050] During operation, when electromagnetic signals of different frequencies from the outside arrive at the broadband transparent antenna, the transparent substrate 1 serves as the basic support structure to ensure the stability of the entire antenna. The patch carrier groove 21 on the dielectric substrate 2 positions the radiating unit 5 so that it can accurately receive signals.

[0051] The radiating element 5 adopts a unique tilted rectangular shape design, which, compared with traditional shapes such as rectangles and circles, allows for a more reasonable arrangement in a limited space. This optimizes the antenna layout, reduces the overall area of ​​the antenna, lowers the physical space required for installation, and enhances the layout flexibility in complex environments or space-constrained scenarios.

[0052] The conductive structure unit 7 within the radiating unit 5 has an indium tin oxide structure 71 and a silver nanowire structure 73 that transition through a gradient structure 72. The indium tin oxide material has good conductivity and high transparency, which allows the antenna to meet the requirements of transparency while ensuring signal transmission. The silver nanowire material has excellent flexibility and high conductivity. Its nanoscale wire structure can provide more electron conduction channels at the microscopic level, which helps to improve signal transmission efficiency. When the signal enters the conductive structure unit 7, the different material properties enable the signal to be transmitted efficiently, preparing for subsequent frequency band processing.

[0053] The low-frequency microstrip patch 51, mid-frequency microstrip patch 52, very high-frequency microstrip patch 53, ultra-high-frequency microstrip patch 54, and millimeter-wave microstrip patch 55 in the radiating unit 5 work together in three layers: upper, middle, and lower, each capturing signals in its corresponding frequency band.

[0054] To avoid electromagnetic interference between different frequency bands, the electromagnetic bandgap isolator 6 between the mid-frequency microstrip patch 52 and the very high-frequency microstrip patch 53 uses its electromagnetic properties to block interference. At the same time, the long defective ground slot 12, the L-shaped defective ground slot 11 and the short defective ground slot 13 in the transparent substrate 1 can change the electromagnetic distribution around the antenna, further reducing mutual interference between microstrip patches of different frequency bands.

[0055] The signals received by the microstrip patches of each frequency band are transmitted to the radio frequency front-end module 4 through the bottom feed microstrip line 41. The radio frequency front-end module 4 amplifies and filters the signals and outputs signals that meet the requirements to realize wideband communication function. The transparent encapsulation cover 3 and the transparent pressure plate 31 protect the radiating unit 5 and ensure the stable operation of the antenna.

[0056] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A broadband transparent antenna, comprising a transparent substrate (1) and a dielectric substrate (2) disposed on top of the transparent substrate (1), characterized in that: The inner wall of the dielectric substrate (2) is provided with multiple patch carrier grooves (21) of different sizes. The patch carrier grooves (21) are provided with radiation units (5), which are composed of arrayed conductive structural units (7). The conductive structural unit (7) includes an indium tin oxide structure (71), a silver nanowire structure (73), and two gradient structures (72), arranged in the order of indium tin oxide structure (71), gradient structure (72), silver nanowire structure (73), and gradient structure (72); The indium tin oxide structure (71) is composed of indium tin oxide material, the nano silver wire structure (73) is composed of nano silver wire material, the gradient structure (72) is composed of a mixture of indium tin oxide material and nano silver wire material, the gradient structure (72) has a higher content of nano silver wire material on the side closer to the nano silver wire structure (73), and a higher content of indium tin oxide material on the side closer to the indium tin oxide structure (71); The radiation unit (5) includes a low-frequency microstrip patch (51), a mid-frequency microstrip patch (52), a very high-frequency microstrip patch (53), an ultra-high-frequency microstrip patch (54), and a millimeter-wave microstrip patch (55) coupled to the inside of the corresponding patch carrier groove (21). The radiation unit (5) is divided into three layers: upper, middle and lower. The low-frequency band microstrip patch (51) is located in the lower layer, the mid-frequency band microstrip patch (52) and the ultra-high frequency band microstrip patch (54) are located in the middle layer, and the very high frequency band microstrip patch (53) and the millimeter wave band microstrip patch (55) are located in the upper layer. An electromagnetic bandgap isolator (6) is provided between the mid-frequency microstrip patch (52) and the very high frequency microstrip patch (53), and the electromagnetic bandgap isolator (6) is installed inside the dielectric substrate (2). A long groove (12) with defects is provided between the low-frequency microstrip patch (51), the mid-frequency microstrip patch (52), and the very high-frequency microstrip patch (53). An L-shaped groove (11) with defects is provided between the ultra-high frequency microstrip patch (54), the mid-frequency microstrip patch (52), and the very high frequency microstrip patch (53). A short groove (13) with defects is provided between the millimeter-wave microstrip patch (55) and the low-frequency microstrip patch (51). The long groove (12), the L-shaped groove (11), and the short groove (13) with defects are all located inside the transparent substrate (1).

2. The broadband transparent antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the low-frequency microstrip patch (51), mid-frequency microstrip patch (52), very high frequency microstrip patch (53), ultra-high frequency microstrip patch (54) and millimeter-wave microstrip patch (55) are all connected to a feed microstrip line (41). The inner wall of the transparent substrate (1) is coupled to the radio frequency front-end module (4). The multiple feed microstrip lines (41) penetrate the dielectric substrate (2) and are coupled to the radio frequency front-end module (4).

3. The broadband transparent antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: A transparent encapsulation cover (3) is coupled to the top of the dielectric substrate (2), and a plurality of transparent pressure plates (31) are fixedly connected to the bottom of the transparent encapsulation cover (3). The plurality of transparent pressure plates (31) abut against the top of the radiation unit (5).

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