Radome and base station antenna

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an antenna cover and a base station antenna. The antenna cover can solve the problems that the conventional antenna cover has significant transmission loss and polarization mismatch at large angle of incidence, and the structure strength and the wave transmission performance are difficult to be considered. The antenna cover comprises a dielectric main body, at least a part of the dielectric main body is composed of a plurality of concave-convex units arranged periodically, each concave-convex unit has a first surface and a second surface facing away from each other, and the second surface is a plane; the first surface comprises a concave region and a convex region surrounding the concave region, the thickness of the concave-convex unit in the concave region is a first thickness, and the thickness of the concave-convex unit in the convex region is a second thickness, wherein the first thickness is half of the equivalent medium wavelength; the second thickness is N times of the first thickness, wherein N is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 1.5. The present disclosure can simultaneously meet the mechanical strength and the wave transmission performance, and can reduce the manufacturing cost.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of communication, in particular to an antenna cover and a base station antenna. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the rapid development of 5G millimeter wave communication, low earth orbit satellite communication (LEO) and intelligent vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, the requirement for the wave-transmitting performance of high-frequency band (such as 26-40GHz) antenna systems is increasingly stringent. The traditional antenna cover has the following technical bottlenecks under the conditions of wide-angle beam scanning and large-angle incidence.

[0003] Specifically, the traditional homogeneous material (such as polycarbonate PC) antenna cover has a transmission loss of more than 2dB caused by interface reflection when the incidence angle is greater than or equal to 60° under the standard thickness (such as 3mm), which seriously reduces the antenna gain. Moreover, in a dual-polarized antenna system, the phase delay difference of orthogonal polarized waves caused by oblique incidence leads to the deterioration of cross-polarization ratio (XPR) and increases the communication error rate.

[0004] Although the loss can be reduced by reducing the thickness of the antenna cover to ≤1mm, it is difficult to meet the reliability requirements such as wind load resistance and impact resistance. Although the design of combining a skin with a low dielectric interlayer can improve the strength, the excessive thickness of the skin in terms of electricity will lead to the decline of the wave-transmitting performance, and the bonding process is complex, which has the risk of delamination and flame retardation.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an antenna cover that can simultaneously meet the mechanical strength and wave-transmitting performance, and is low in cost. SUMMARY

[0006] The present disclosure provides an antenna cover and a base station antenna, which can simultaneously meet the mechanical strength and wave-transmitting performance, and can reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna cover, comprising a dielectric main body, at least a part of the dielectric main body is composed of a plurality of concave-convex units arranged periodically, each of the concave-convex units has a first surface and a second surface facing away from each other, and the second surface is a plane; the first surface comprises a concave region and a convex region surrounding the concave region, the thickness of the concave-convex unit in the concave region is a first thickness, and the thickness of the concave-convex unit in the convex region is a second thickness, wherein,

[0008] the first thickness is one-half of the equivalent medium wavelength;

[0009] the second thickness is N times of the first thickness, wherein N is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 1.5.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first surface further comprises a transition region between the recessed region and the protruded region, and the thickness of the concave-convex unit in the transition region increases from the recessed region to the protruded region.

[0011] In some embodiments, the recessed region comprises a central sub-region and at least one closed sub-region surrounding the central sub-region, and a plurality of the closed sub-regions are arranged in a nested manner.

[0012] The thickness of the concave-convex unit in the central sub-region is less than the thickness of all the closed sub-regions, and the thickness of the concave-convex unit in the plurality of the closed sub-regions increases from the center to the edge of the recessed region.

[0013] In some embodiments, the protruded region comprises a plurality of protruded sub-regions arranged in a nested manner, and the thickness of the concave-convex unit in the plurality of the protruded sub-regions increases from the inner circumferential side to the outer circumferential side of the protruded region.

[0014] In some embodiments, the distance between the centers of the recessed regions of any two adjacent concave-convex units is less than one-half of the wavelength of the operating frequency.

[0015] In some embodiments, the area of the recessed region accounts for greater than or equal to 60% and less than or equal to 70% of the total area of the first surface.

[0016] In some embodiments, the protruded regions of all the concave-convex units are coplanar and collectively form a continuous plane or curved surface.

[0017] In some embodiments, the boundary shape between the recessed region and the protruded region in each concave-convex unit is different from the outer peripheral boundary shape of the protruded region.

[0018] In some embodiments, the boundary shape between the recessed region and the protruded region in each concave-convex unit is circular, and the outer peripheral boundary shape of the protruded region is a regular polygon; or,

[0019] The boundary shape between the recessed region and the protruded region in each concave-convex unit is a first regular polygon, and the outer peripheral boundary shape of the protruded region is a second regular polygon, and the number of sides of the first regular polygon is different from that of the second regular polygon.

[0020] In a second aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a base station antenna, comprising:

[0021] The radome provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] The phased array antenna comprises a radiating antenna array, and the first surface is arranged opposite to the radiating antenna array. Attached Figure Description

[0023] In the accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed herein:

[0024] Figure 1 A partial planar schematic diagram of an antenna radome facing the antenna side, provided as an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0025] Figure 2 A perspective view of a first type of concave-convex unit for an antenna radome provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0026] Figure 3 A structural diagram of the second surface of the first type of concave-convex unit of the radome provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0027] Figure 4 A structural diagram of the first surface of the first type of concave-convex unit of the radome provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0028] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view in the thickness direction of a first type of concave-convex unit of an antenna radome provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0029] Figure 6 A cross-sectional view in the thickness direction of an antenna radome (partial) provided for an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0030] Figure 7 A comparison of transmission loss curves between a conventional 3mm thick planar radome and the radome provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view in the thickness direction of a second type of concave-convex unit of an antenna radome provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0032] Figure 9 A cross-sectional view in the thickness direction of a third type of concave-convex element of an antenna radome provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0033] Figure 10 A cross-sectional view in the thickness direction of a fourth type of concave-convex element of an antenna radome provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0034] Figure 11 A structural diagram of the first surface of the fifth type of concave-convex unit of the radome provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0035] Figure 12 To adopt Figure 11 A planar schematic diagram of the antenna radome of the concave-convex unit facing the antenna side;

[0036] Figure 13 A structural diagram of the first surface of the sixth type of concave-convex unit of the radome provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0037] Figure 14 Fig. 2 is a plan view of the antenna radome with the concave-convex unit of Fig. 1 toward the antenna side; Figure 13 Fig. 2 is a plan view of the antenna radome with the concave-convex unit of Fig. 1 toward the antenna side;

[0038] Figure 15 Fig. 2 is a plan view of the antenna radome with the concave-convex unit of Fig. 1 toward the antenna side; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] To enable persons skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0041] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and together with the detailed description serve to explain the present disclosure. The above and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0042] The present disclosure can be described with reference to plan views and / or cross-sectional views by idealized schematic illustrations of the ideal schematic views of the present disclosure. Thus, the example illustrations can not reflect the specific processing techniques and / or tolerances of the examples.

[0043] The embodiments of the present disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0044] The terms used in the present disclosure are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used in the present disclosure, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used in the present disclosure, the term "comprises" or "comprising" means that there are the features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0045] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an overly literal or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0046] The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but includes modifications of the configuration formed based on the manufacturing process. Therefore, the regions exemplified in the drawings have a schematic property, and the shape of the regions shown in the drawings exemplifies a specific shape of the region of the element, but is not intended to be restrictive.

[0047] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a radome which has better mechanical strength and better wave transmission performance. At high frequency bands (such as Ka / millimeter wave frequency bands), the traditional radome has a problem that significant transmission loss (such as more than 2 dB) and polarization mismatch occur at large angle incidence, and the structural strength and the wave transmission performance are difficult to be considered, which affects the gain and signal quality of the antenna, Figure 5 The first concave-convex unit of the radome provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure has a cross-sectional view in the thickness direction, as shown in Figure 5 The present disclosure corresponds to a first thickness d1 by the recessed area 211 of each concave-convex unit 2, and corresponds to a second thickness d2 by the convex area 212, and the second thickness d2 is greater than the first thickness d1, which can achieve the effects of reducing transmission loss, improving polarization purity, suppressing surface wave reflection, reducing cross-polarization ratio deterioration, and the like at large angle incidence. In addition, the present disclosure can be compatible with multi-band requirements: adapting to millimeter wave base stations and satellite communication Ka frequency bands and the like. The present disclosure mainly faces millimeter wave (mmWave) communication, low earth orbit satellite communication (LEO), intelligent vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and the like in 5G-Advanced and 6G networks, high-density and high-dynamic scenarios.

[0048] Specifically, the radome includes a dielectric body, and the material of the dielectric body includes, for example, general-purpose plastics (such as PC, etc.), engineering plastics (such as PP+glass fiber, ASA, etc.), and the like. Figure 1 A local plane view of the radome provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure towards the antenna side is shown in Figure 1 As shown, at least a part of the dielectric body 1 is composed of a plurality of concave-convex units 2 arranged periodically, and specifically, the plurality of concave-convex units 2 can be repeatedly arranged in a specific rule (such as a square array, a hexagonal array) in a two-dimensional plane, for regulating the phase front of electromagnetic waves.

[0049] As shown in Figure 1As shown, a local area of ​​the dielectric body 1 is formed by a local array of multiple concave and convex units 2. This local array occupies a portion of the working area of ​​the radome 100, such as one-half, one-quarter, one-sixth, one-eighth, etc. The working area of ​​the radome 100 is used to face the working area of ​​the phased array antenna. In addition, the radome 100 may also have an edge shaping portion (not shown in the figure) around its entire working area, which does not have concave and convex units 2 distributed thereon.

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown, the dashed box represents the orthographic projection outline of the raised / lower unit 2 on the medium body 1. This raised / lower unit 2 can be multiple virtual components used in design software during the design phase to constitute the medium body 1, while the actual medium body 1 is a single-piece cover or plate. In other words, the medium body 1 is a single piece, which can be virtually divided into multiple raised / lower units 2 arranged periodically. Of course, this embodiment is not limited to this; the medium body 1 can also be modular, i.e., composed of multiple periodically arranged physical components (i.e., raised / lower units 2), with adjacent physical components fixedly connected. Whether virtual or physical, each raised / lower unit 2 has a structure, for example, a cube. However, this embodiment is not limited to this; the orthographic projection outline of each raised / lower unit 2 on the medium body 1 can be not only square, but also regular hexagon, etc.

[0051] In practical applications, each of the concave and convex units 2 disclosed herein can be configured as an independent module (which can be virtual or physical) during the design process, and supports size adjustment to adapt to the radiation characteristic requirements of antennas of different sizes such as macro base stations and micro base stations.

[0052] Figure 2 A perspective view of the first type of concave-convex element of the radome provided in the embodiments of this disclosure, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the concave-convex unit 2 has a first surface 21. Figure 3 A structural diagram of the second surface of the first type of concave-convex unit of the radome provided in the embodiments of this disclosure is shown below. Figure 3 As shown, the concave-convex unit 2 has a second surface 22, which is a plane with a flatness tolerance, for example, within the range of ±10%. The first surface 21 and the second surface 22 of the concave-convex unit 2 are arranged opposite to each other.

[0053] In some embodiments, the second surfaces 22 of the plurality of concave and convex units 2 together constitute the outer surface of the radome 100 away from the antenna.

[0054] Figure 6 A cross-sectional view in the thickness direction of an antenna radome (partial) provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, as shown below. Figure 6As shown, the second surfaces 22 of all the concave-convex units 2 can be coplanar, thereby forming a continuous plane 11 to improve the flatness of the outer surface of the radome 100. Of course, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and the second surfaces 22 of different concave-convex units 2 can also be non-coplanar, or a part of the second surfaces 22 are coplanar and another part of the second surfaces 22 are non-coplanar.

[0055] In some embodiments, the first surfaces 21 of the plurality of concave-convex units 2 collectively constitute the inner surface of the radome 100 facing the antenna, and the first surfaces 21 include a concave region 211 and a convex region 212 surrounding the concave region 211, as shown in FIG. 1. Figure 5 As shown, the thickness of the concave-convex units 2 in the concave region 211 is a first thickness d1, and the thickness of the concave-convex units 2 in the convex region 212 is a second thickness d2, which is greater than the first thickness d1. Specifically, the first thickness d1 and the second thickness d2 are both the thickness of the dielectric body 1, wherein the concave region 211 corresponds to the first thickness d1, and the convex region 212 corresponds to the second thickness d2. In some examples, the first thickness d1 corresponding to the concave region 211 is a single value, i.e., the thickness of each position in the concave region 211 is the same. In other examples, the first thickness d1 corresponding to the concave region 211 includes multiple values, i.e., the thickness of different positions in the concave region 211 is different, but all satisfy the condition that the second thickness d2 is greater than the first thickness d1. Similarly, the second thickness d2 corresponding to the convex region 212 can be a single value, i.e., the thickness of each position in the convex region 212 is the same. Alternatively, the second thickness d2 corresponding to the convex region 212 includes multiple values, i.e., the thickness of different positions in the concave region 211 is different, but all satisfy the condition that the second thickness d2 is greater than the first thickness d1.

[0056] In some embodiments, by making the concave region 211 of each concave-convex unit 2 correspond to the first thickness d1, and the convex region 212 correspond to the second thickness d2, and the second thickness d2 is greater than the first thickness d1, the mechanical strength and the wave transmission performance can be considered. Specifically, since the convex region 212 surrounds the concave region 211 and has a relatively large thickness, it can serve as a continuous rib surrounding the concave region 211, achieving distributed bearing through stress dispersion and improving bending stiffness, thereby eliminating the need for additional reinforcing ribs and ensuring the mechanical strength of the dielectric body 1. For example, the average thickness of the dielectric body 1 as a whole can be designed to be ≥3mm to meet the mechanical strength and wind load requirements of the base station antenna, avoiding the risk of structural failure of the ultra-thin radome.

[0057] At the same time, due to the relatively small thickness of the recessed area 211, it can compensate for the wave path difference (phase difference) introduced by the change of the incident angle (θ), achieve nearly zero loss transmission, and at the same time, the two different thickness areas (recessed area 211 and protruding area 212) work together to optimize the wave transmission performance of the normal incidence (θ = 0°) and the large angle oblique incidence (for example, θ ≥ 40°) respectively. Among them, the first thickness d1 adopted by the recessed area 211 is configured to optimize the transmission of electromagnetic waves of 0° normal incidence. The second thickness d2 adopted by the protruding area 212 is configured to compensate for the phase delay when the large angle oblique incidence (for example, θ ≥ 40°), solve the wavefront distortion problem, suppress surface wave reflection, and improve the cross polarization ratio (XPR).

[0058] In order to optimize the wave transmission performance of the normal incidence (θ = 0°), the first thickness d1 is one half of the equivalent medium wavelength. The equivalent medium wavelength refers to the actual wavelength of the electromagnetic wave propagating in a specific medium, which is the medium main body 1. When the electromagnetic wave is vertically incident (θ = 0°), the waves reflected from the medium-air upper and lower interfaces will interfere. By making the first thickness d1 one half of the equivalent medium wavelength, the phase of the wave reflected from the lower interface can be made to differ by 180° from the wave reflected from the upper interface, and the two reflected waves can cancel each other out (destructive interference), thereby providing ideal impedance matching for the normal (θ = 0°) incident wave, eliminating interface reflection, and achieving nearly zero loss transmission.

[0059] In order to optimize the wave transmission performance of the large angle oblique incidence (for example, θ ≥ 40°), the second thickness d2 is N times the first thickness d1, where N is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 1.5. Based on the equivalent medium theory, since the wave passing through the recessed area 211 with smaller thickness will produce phase lag compared to the wave passing through the protruding area 212 with larger thickness, by making the second thickness d2 1.2 times to 1.5 times the first thickness d1, the wave passing through the protruding area 212 with larger thickness can accumulate enough phase advance to exactly offset the phase lag caused by the wave path difference due to oblique incidence. Thus, the waves transmitted from the recessed area 211 and the protruding area 212 remain in phase synchronization and maintain the same wavefront (that is, the transmitted electromagnetic waves remain in phase consistency and spatial synchronization), avoiding energy loss caused by phase interference, and achieving low loss transmission at large angles.

[0060] Figure 7 For comparison of the transmission loss curves of the traditional flat cover with a thickness of 3mm and the antenna cover provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, please refer to Figure 7A comparison chart of the transmission loss curves of the antenna radome provided by the traditional planar radome with a thickness of 3 mm and the radome of the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The medium bodies of the two kinds of radomes are made of the same PC material, the transmission loss curve of the traditional planar radome with a thickness of 3 mm is curve A, and the transmission loss curve of the radome provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is curve B. It is found through comparison that when the electromagnetic wave is incident at a scan angle (unit: deg) of 70°, the transmission loss (unit: dB) of the traditional planar radome with a thickness of 3 mm exceeds 5 dB. Moreover, the scan angle range in which the transmission loss of the planar radome is within 1 dB is approximately in the range of ±40°, which cannot meet the large-angle scan requirement of the millimeter wave or Ka-band phased array antenna. In comparison, when the electromagnetic wave is incident at a scan angle (unit: deg) of 70°, the radome of the present disclosure can control the transmission loss within 1 dB, and the loss reduction exceeds 60%. Moreover, the scan angle range in which the transmission loss of the radome 100 of the present disclosure is within 1 dB can be extended to ±75°, which can meet the large-angle scan requirement of the millimeter wave or Ka-band phased array antenna.

[0061] In addition, the difference between the thickness of the recessed area 211 and the thickness of the protruding area 212 can smooth the transition of the wave impedance from air to medium, reduce the possibility of surface wave excitation at the interface, thereby reducing the energy loss and polarization distortion caused by surface wave propagation and reflection, and improving the radiation field distribution of the antenna, so that the characteristics of the two orthogonal polarization modes (such as TE and TM modes) are more pure and symmetrical, thereby improving the cross-polarization ratio (XPR).

[0062] In addition, in the embodiment in which the medium body 1 adopts an integrated structure, the recessed area 211 and the protruding area 212 of each concave-convex unit 2 can be derived from the same material, the same process, and one-time molding. Moreover, each concave-convex unit 2 of the present disclosure can be constituted as an independent module (which can be virtual or physical) in the design process, thereby enabling batch production using standardized molds. Compared with the periodic arrangement of metal metamaterial structures in the prior art, or the delamination risk and mismatch of the thermal expansion coefficient caused by the use of different materials for bonding (such as sandwich structure), the present disclosure can eliminate the delamination risk of the sandwich structure, improve the production yield, and has the advantages of simple process, reduced manufacturing cost, and shortened cycle.

[0063] In some embodiments, the dielectric constant, the first thickness d1, and the second thickness d2 of the medium body 1 satisfy the following relationship:

[0064]

[0065] wherein, is the dielectric constant of the medium body 1; θ is the incidence angle; d1 is the first thickness; and d2 is the second thickness.

[0066] By making the first thickness d1 and the second thickness d2 satisfy the above relationship, it is ensured that when the electromagnetic wave is obliquely incident at an angle θ, the phase difference generated after the transmission in the recessed area 211 and the convex area 212, respectively, can exactly compensate for the "wave path difference" caused by the different incident angles, so that the wave front of the transmitted wave is kept in synchronization, and high-efficiency transmission is achieved. At the same time, according to the dielectric constant , the optimal thickness ratio (i.e., the ratio of the second thickness d2 to the first thickness d1) is calculated using the above relationship, so that it can be flexibly applied to various materials of the medium body 1, and only the absolute size of the second thickness d2 and the first thickness d1 needs to be adjusted, thereby decoupling the structure design and material properties ).

[0067] Moreover, by adjusting the unit period (i.e., the center distance P of the recessed area 211 of each adjacent two concave-convex units 2) and the thickness ratio (i.e., the ratio of the second thickness d2 to the first thickness d1), multi-band compatibility can be achieved, so that the radome 100 can be applied to millimeter wave base stations to satellite communication Ka frequency band communication frequency band (24-30 GHz), satellite communication Ka frequency band (26-40 GHz), etc.

[0068] In some embodiments, the first surface 21 further includes a transition area 213 between the recessed area 211 and the convex area 212, and the thickness of the concave-convex unit 2 in the transition area 213 increases from the recessed area 211 to the convex area 212. By forming a thickness gradient area between the recessed area 211 and the convex area 212 through the transition area 213, the wave impedance can be smoothly and continuously transitioned from the value corresponding to the recessed area 211 to the value corresponding to the convex area 212, further reducing the insertion loss and improving the polarization purity. Moreover, the transition area 213 can also eliminate sharp thickness corners and smoothly disperse stress to avoid stress concentration. Of course, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and in other embodiments, Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of a second concave-convex unit of a radome provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure in the thickness direction is shown in Figure 8 The side surface 214 formed between the recessed area 211 and the convex area 212 can also be arranged along the thickness direction.

[0069] In some embodiments, Figure 9 A cross-sectional view of a third concave-convex unit of a radome provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure in the thickness direction is shown in Figure 9As shown, the concave region 211 includes a central sub-region 211a and at least one closed sub-region 211b surrounding the central sub-region 211a, and the plurality of closed sub-regions 211b are nested. Moreover, the thickness of the relief unit 2 in the central sub-region 211a is less than that in all the closed sub-regions 211b; the thickness of the relief unit 2 in the plurality of closed sub-regions 211b increases from the center to the edge of the concave region 211. In this way, Figure 9 As shown by way of example of two closed sub-regions 211b, the boundary of the central sub-region 211a coincides with the inner peripheral boundary of the closed sub-region 211b located in the inner ring, and the outer peripheral boundary of the closed sub-region 211b located in the inner ring coincides with the inner peripheral boundary of the closed sub-region 211b located in the outer ring. Moreover, the thickness of the relief unit 2 in the central sub-region 211a is the smallest, the thickness of the relief unit 2 in the closed sub-region 211b in the inner ring is the second smallest, and the thickness of the relief unit 2 in the closed sub-region 211b in the outer ring is the largest, but these thicknesses all belong to the first thickness d1, and the values of the thicknesses are all less than the value of the thickness of the relief unit 2 in the convex region 212 (i.e., the second thickness d2).

[0070] By further dividing the concave region 211 into a plurality of sub-regions (i.e., the central sub-region 211a and the plurality of closed sub-regions 211b), and different sub-regions having different thicknesses, different scan angles of the same frequency point can correspond to different sub-region thicknesses, so that the regions of these different thickness combinations can effectively match electromagnetic waves of a larger angle.

[0071] Similarly, in some embodiments, Figure 10 A fourth kind of relief unit of the radome provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure is shown in a cross-sectional view in the thickness direction, as shown in FIG. 6. Figure 10 As shown, the convex region 212 includes a plurality of convex sub-regions 212a nested, Figure 10 As shown, the convex region 212 includes a plurality of convex sub-regions 212a nested,

[0072] It should be noted that the concave region 211 and the convex region 212 can both adopt the structure of a plurality of sub-regions having different thicknesses, or one of them adopts the structure of a plurality of sub-regions having different thicknesses, and the other adopts the structure of the same thickness at each position. It can also be that the concave region 211 and the convex region 212 both adopt the structure of the same thickness at each position.

[0073] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the center distance P between the recessed regions 211 of two adjacent concave and convex units 2 is less than half the wavelength of the operating frequency. The operating frequency wavelength refers to the wavelength of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum corresponding to the operating frequency of the device. By making the aforementioned center distance P less than half the wavelength of the operating frequency, it is possible to ensure that there are no grid lobes within the scanning angle range (e.g., 0° to 70°), thus avoiding high-frequency grid lobe effects.

[0074] In some embodiments, the area of ​​the recessed region 211 accounts for more than or equal to 60% and less than or equal to 70% of the total area of ​​the first surface 21. This achieves a balance between the requirements of wave transmission efficiency and structural stiffness. Moreover, by making the area of ​​the recessed region 211 occupy a sufficiently large area, most of the area of ​​the concave-convex element 2 can be in a "high-performance mode" optimized for normal incidence, thereby ensuring that the overall wave transmission efficiency of the radome 100 is the highest in most operating conditions. At the same time, by making the raised region 212 occupy the necessary area (≥30%), a continuous and robust rib can be formed, thereby providing reliable structural rigidity.

[0075] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the raised regions 212 in all the concave and convex elements 2 are coplanar and together form a continuous plane 12, or they can form a continuous curved surface. In this way, a continuous and complete "mesh" or "honeycomb" rib network can be formed on the antenna-facing side of the entire radome 100, creating an integrated reinforced structure, thereby more effectively improving the mechanical strength of the radome 100. Simultaneously, the coplanarity of the raised regions 212 in all the concave and convex elements 2 ensures the spatial consistency of the electromagnetic wave transmission phase, which helps to optimize the radiation pattern.

[0076] To adapt to diverse scenarios, in some embodiments, the boundary shape between the recessed region 211 and the raised region 212 in each concave-convex unit 2 is different from the outer peripheral boundary shape of the raised region 212. It should be noted that if a transition region 213 is provided between the recessed region 211 and the raised region 212, then the boundary shape between the recessed region 211 and the raised region 212 mentioned above refers to the boundary shape between the transition region 213 and the raised region 212.

[0077] In some examples, the boundary between the recessed region 211 and the raised region 212 in each concave-convex unit 2 is circular, and the outer periphery of the raised region 212 is a regular polygon. For example, Figure 11 A structural diagram of the first surface of the fifth type of concave-convex unit of the radome provided in the embodiments of this disclosure is shown below. Figure 11As shown in the figure, the junction shape between the recessed area 211 and the raised area 212 in each concave-convex unit 2' refers to the junction C1 shape between the transition area 213 and the raised area 212, and the junction C1 shape is circular; the outer peripheral boundary C2 shape of the raised area 212 is a regular hexagon. Moreover, Figure 12 As shown in the figure, the junction shape between the recessed area 211 and the raised area 212 in each concave-convex unit 2' refers to the junction C1 shape between the transition area 213 and the raised area 212, and the junction C1 shape is circular; the outer peripheral boundary C2 shape of the raised area 212 is a regular hexagon. Moreover, Figure 11 As shown in the figure, the junction shape between the recessed area 211 and the raised area 212 in each concave-convex unit 2' refers to the junction C1 shape between the transition area 213 and the raised area 212, and the junction C1 shape is circular; the outer peripheral boundary C2 shape of the raised area 212 is a regular hexagon. Moreover, Figure 12 As shown in the figure, the junction shape between the recessed area 211 and the raised area 212 in each concave-convex unit 2' refers to the junction C1 shape between the transition area 213 and the raised area 212, and the junction C1 shape is circular; the outer peripheral boundary C2 shape of the raised area 212 is a regular hexagon. Moreover,

[0078] In other examples, the junction shape between the recessed area 211 and the raised area 212 in each concave-convex unit 2 is a first regular polygon, the outer peripheral boundary shape of the raised area 212 is a second regular polygon, and the number of sides of the first regular polygon is different from that of the second regular polygon. For example, Figure 13 As shown in the figure, the junction shape between the recessed area 211 and the raised area 212 in each concave-convex unit 2' refers to the junction C1 shape between the transition area 213 and the raised area 212, and the junction C1 shape is circular; the outer peripheral boundary C2 shape of the raised area 212 is a regular hexagon. Moreover, Figure 13 As shown in the figure, the junction shape between the recessed area 211 and the raised area 212 in each concave-convex unit 2' refers to the junction C1 shape between the transition area 213 and the raised area 212, and the junction C1 shape is circular; the outer peripheral boundary C2 shape of the raised area 212 is a regular hexagon. Moreover, Figure 14 As shown in the figure, the junction shape between the recessed area 211 and the raised area 212 in each concave-convex unit 2' refers to the junction C1 shape between the transition area 213 and the raised area 212, and the junction C1 shape is circular; the outer peripheral boundary C2 shape of the raised area 212 is a regular hexagon. Moreover, Figure 13 As shown in the figure, the junction shape between the recessed area 211 and the raised area 212 in each concave-convex unit 2' refers to the junction C1 shape between the transition area 213 and the raised area 212, and the junction C1 shape is circular; the outer peripheral boundary C2 shape of the raised area 212 is a regular hexagon. Moreover, Figure 14 As shown in the figure, the junction shape between the recessed area 211 and the raised area 212 in each concave-convex unit 2' refers to the junction C1 shape between the transition area 213 and the raised area 212, and the junction C1 shape is circular; the outer peripheral boundary C2 shape of the raised area 212 is a regular hexagon. Moreover,

[0079] In actual applications, the arrangement rule of all concave-convex units in the two-dimensional plane can be set according to the outer peripheral boundary shape of the raised area 212.

[0080] The above-described antenna cover 100 provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to 5G millimeter wave base station antennas, satellite communication terminals, automobile radar systems, and the like.

[0081] As another technical solution, Figure 15 As shown in the figure, the junction shape between the recessed area 211 and the raised area 212 in each concave-convex unit 2' refers to the junction C1 shape between the transition area 213 and the raised area 212, and the junction C1 shape is circular; the outer peripheral boundary C2 shape of the raised area 212 is a regular hexagon. Moreover, Figure 15 The base station antenna 1000 provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure comprises the above-described antenna cover 100 provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, and a phased array antenna 200 comprising a radiating antenna array 201, wherein the first surface 21 is arranged opposite to the radiating antenna array 201.

[0082] Each two adjacent antennas in the radiating antenna array 201 are arranged with a spacing D, which is usually half of the wavelength of the operating frequency. Taking the receiving path as an example, after the phase compensation of the array composed of a plurality of concave-convex units 2 in the antenna cover 100, the incident electromagnetic wave is received by the radiating antenna array 201.

[0083] The present disclosure has disclosed example embodiments, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in the broadest sense only and should not be construed to limit the disclosure. In some instances, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that features, characteristics or / and elements described in connection with a particular embodiment can be used in conjunction with other embodiments unless otherwise explicitly stated. Accordingly, it will be understood that various changes in form and details can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An antenna cover, characterized by, The antenna cover comprises a medium body, at least a part of the medium body is composed of a plurality of concave-convex units arranged periodically, each of the concave-convex units has a first surface and a second surface facing away from each other, the second surface is a plane; the first surface comprises a concave region and a convex region surrounding the concave region, the thickness of the concave-convex unit in the concave region is a first thickness, the thickness of the concave-convex unit in the convex region is a second thickness, wherein, The first thickness is half of the equivalent medium wavelength; The second thickness is N times of the first thickness, wherein N is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 1.

5.

2. The antenna cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first surface further comprises a transition region between the concave region and the convex region, the thickness of the concave-convex unit in the transition region increases from the concave region to the convex region.

3. The antenna cover of claim 1, wherein, The concave region comprises a central sub-region and at least one closed sub-region surrounding the central sub-region, and a plurality of the closed sub-regions are nested; The thickness of the concave-convex unit in the central sub-region is less than the thickness in all the closed sub-regions; the thickness of the concave-convex unit in a plurality of the closed sub-regions increases from the center to the edge of the concave region.

4. The antenna cover of claim 1, wherein, The convex region comprises a plurality of convex sub-regions arranged in a nested manner, and the thickness of the concave-convex unit in a plurality of the convex sub-regions increases from the inner circumferential side to the outer circumferential side of the convex region.

5. The radome according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The center distance of the concave region of each of two adjacent concave-convex units is less than half of the wavelength of the working frequency.

6. The radome according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The area ratio of the concave region in the total area of the first surface is greater than or equal to 60% and less than or equal to 70%.

7. The radome according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The convex regions in all the concave-convex units are coplanar and jointly form a continuous plane or curved surface.

8. The radome according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The interface shape between the concave region and the convex region in each of the concave-convex units is different from the outer peripheral boundary shape of the convex region.

9. The antenna cover of claim 8, wherein, The interface shape between the concave region and the convex region in each of the concave-convex units is circular, and the outer peripheral boundary shape of the convex region is a regular polygon; or, The interface shape between the concave region and the convex region in each of the concave-convex units is a first regular polygon, and the outer peripheral boundary shape of the convex region is a second regular polygon, and the number of sides of the first regular polygon is different from that of the second regular polygon.

10. A base station antenna, comprising: The antenna cover comprises a medium body, at least a part of the medium body is composed of a plurality of concave-convex units arranged periodically, each of the concave-convex units has a first surface and a second surface facing away from each other, the second surface is a plane; the first surface comprises a concave region and a convex region surrounding the concave region, the thickness of the concave-convex unit in the concave region is a first thickness, the thickness of the concave-convex unit in the convex region is a second thickness, wherein, The first thickness is half of the equivalent medium wavelength; The second thickness is N times of the first thickness, wherein N is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 1.

5. The first surface further comprises a transition region between the concave region and the convex region, the thickness of the concave-convex unit in the transition region increases from the concave region to the convex region. The concave region comprises a central sub-region and at least one closed sub-region surrounding the central sub-region, and a plurality of the closed sub-regions are nested; The thickness of the concave-convex unit in the central sub-region is less than the thickness in all the closed sub-regions; the thickness of the concave-convex unit in a plurality of the closed sub-regions increases from the center to the edge of the concave region. The convex region comprises a plurality of convex sub-regions arranged in a nested manner, and the thickness of the concave-convex unit in a plurality of the convex sub-regions increases from the inner circumferential side to the outer circumferential side of the convex region. The center distance of the concave region of each of two adjacent concave-convex units is less than half of the wavelength of the working frequency. The area ratio of the concave region in the total area of the first surface is greater than or equal to 60% and less than or equal to 70%. The convex regions in all the concave-convex units are coplanar and jointly form a continuous plane or curved surface. The interface shape between the concave region and the convex region in each of the concave-convex units is different from the outer peripheral boundary shape of the convex region. The interface shape between the concave region and the convex region in each of the concave-convex units is circular, and the outer peripheral boundary shape of the convex region is a regular polygon; or, The interface shape between the concave region and the convex region in each of the concave-convex units is a first regular polygon, and the outer peripheral boundary shape of the convex region is a second regular polygon, and the number of sides of the first regular polygon is different from that of the second regular polygon.

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