Antenna unit, antenna array and antenna system

Abstract

The invention relates to an antenna unit, an antenna array and an antenna system, and relates to the technical field of communication. The antenna unit comprises a first substrate and a second substrate which are oppositely arranged, and a liquid crystal layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate; the first substrate comprises a first substrate and a radiation unit arranged on the side, close to the liquid crystal layer, of the first substrate. The second substrate comprises a second substrate and a grounding layer arranged on the side, close to the liquid crystal layer, of the second substrate. The radiating unit comprises a radiating body and a feeder line connected with the radiating body, and the feeder line extends along a first direction; the radiator is provided with a plurality of slits penetrating through the radiator along a direction perpendicular to the first substrate; the slits comprise first slits and second slits, any first slit and the edge of the radiator are arranged at an interval, and the first slits extend around a designated area of the radiator; at least one end of the second-type gap is located at the edge of the radiator. A plurality of frequency bands can be covered by one antenna, thereby facilitating structure simplification and cost reduction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to an antenna element, an antenna array, and an antenna system. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of wireless communication technology, new frequency bands and standards are constantly emerging. Different antennas are often needed to cover different frequency bands, but this is not conducive to simplifying the equipment structure and reducing costs. This limitation is even more pronounced for smaller devices such as wearable devices.

[0003] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an antenna element, antenna array, and antenna system that can cover multiple frequency bands with a single antenna, thereby simplifying the structure and reducing costs.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an antenna unit is provided, including a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate;

[0006] The first substrate includes a first substrate and a radiating unit disposed on the side of the first substrate near the liquid crystal layer; the second substrate includes a second substrate and a ground layer disposed on the side of the second substrate near the liquid crystal layer;

[0007] The radiating unit includes a radiator and a feed line connected to the radiator, the feed line extending along a first direction; the radiator is provided with a plurality of slots penetrating the radiator in a direction perpendicular to the first substrate; the slots include a first type of slot and a second type of slot, any first type of slot being spaced apart from the edge of the radiator and extending around a designated area of ​​the radiator; at least one end of the second type of slot is located at the edge of the radiator.

[0008] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first type of gap includes a first gap and a plurality of second gaps, each of the second gaps being located within the area surrounded by the first gap and distributed around the designated area.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first gap is a closed annular gap surrounding the designated area.

[0010] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first gap is partially broken, and the broken area is positioned toward the feeder.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the radiator is provided with a power supply slot located on both sides of the feed line, and one end of the first gap is connected to the power supply slot through a connecting gap.

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, any of the first type of gaps extends along a circular, elliptical, or polygonal trajectory.

[0013] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the second type of gap includes a third gap and a fourth gap distributed on both sides of the first type of gap along a second direction, the second direction intersecting the first direction.

[0014] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the third slit extends in a straight line, and the fourth slit extends along a curved or polygonal trajectory.

[0015] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the third gap extends along the first direction or the second direction.

[0016] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the fourth slit extends along a circular, elliptical, polygonal, wavy, or zigzag trajectory.

[0017] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, both ends of the fourth slit are located at the edge of the radiator.

[0018] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the shape of the outline of the orthographic projection of the radiator on the first substrate is circular, elliptical, or polygonal.

[0019] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an antenna array is provided, comprising a plurality of antenna elements as described in any one of the preceding claims.

[0020] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an antenna system is provided, comprising the antenna array described in any of the preceding claims.

[0021] The antenna element, antenna array, and antenna system disclosed herein have multiple slots on the radiator of the radiating element. These slots allow for changes in the current path, and slots of different positions and shapes can produce different excitation effects, thus enabling operation in different frequency bands and achieving the goal of covering multiple different frequency bands with a single radiator. Specifically, the first type of slot is located inside the edge of the radiator and extends around a designated area, while at least one end of the second type of slot is located at the edge of the radiator, making that edge end an open structure. The different positions and shapes of the two types of slots allow for coverage of different frequency bands, thereby enabling communication across multiple frequency bands without increasing the number of radiating elements. This simplifies the antenna system structure and reduces costs.

[0022] Furthermore, by controlling the voltage between the radiating unit and the ground layer, the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer can be changed, the radiation characteristics of the radiating unit can be adjusted, and frequency reconfigurability can be achieved.

[0023] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of one embodiment of the antenna element of this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a top view of the radiating element of the first embodiment of the antenna element disclosed herein.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a top view of the radiating element of the second embodiment of the antenna element disclosed herein.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a top view of the radiating element of the third embodiment of the antenna element disclosed herein.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a top view of the radiating element of the fourth embodiment of the antenna element disclosed herein.

[0030] Figure 6 This is a top view of the radiating element of the fifth embodiment of the antenna element disclosed herein.

[0031] Figure 7 This is a top view of the radiating element of the sixth embodiment of the antenna element disclosed herein.

[0032] Figure 8 This is a top view of the radiating element of the seventh embodiment of the antenna element disclosed herein.

[0033] Figure 9 This is a top view of the radiating element of the eighth embodiment of the antenna element disclosed herein.

[0034] Figure 10 This is a top view of the radiating element of the ninth embodiment of the antenna element disclosed herein.

[0035] Figure 11 This is a top view of the radiating element of the tenth embodiment of the antenna element disclosed herein.

[0036] Figure 12 This is a top view of the radiating element of the eleventh embodiment of the antenna element disclosed herein.

[0037] Figure 13 This is a top view of the radiating element of the twelfth embodiment of the antenna element disclosed herein.

[0038] Figure 14 This is a top view of the radiating element of the thirteenth embodiment of the antenna element disclosed herein.

[0039] Figure 15 The graph shows the relationship between the S-parameters and frequency of an antenna under a given liquid crystal dielectric constant.

[0040] Figure 16 The graph shows the relationship between the S-parameters and frequency of the antenna under a different liquid crystal dielectric constant. Detailed Implementation

[0041] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore detailed descriptions of them will be omitted. Furthermore, the drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0042] The terms “a,” “one,” “the,” “the,” and “at least one” are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms “including” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and to mean that there may be other elements / components / etc. in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.; the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc., are used only as markers and are not a limitation on the number of objects.

[0043] This disclosure provides an antenna element, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the antenna unit includes a first substrate 1, a second substrate 2, and a liquid crystal layer 3, wherein:

[0044] The first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 may be disposed opposite to each other, and the liquid crystal layer 3 may be located between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2. The first substrate 1 may include a first substrate 11 and a radiating unit 12 disposed on the side of the first substrate 11 near the liquid crystal layer 3; the second substrate 2 may include a second substrate 21 and a ground layer 22 disposed on the side of the second substrate 21 near the liquid crystal layer 3.

[0045] like Figure 2As shown, the aforementioned radiating unit 12 may include a radiator 121 and a feed line 122 connected to the radiator 121, the feed line 122 extending along a first direction Y; the radiator 121 is provided with a plurality of slots penetrating the radiator 121 in a direction perpendicular to the first substrate 11; each slot includes at least a first type slot G1 and a second type slot G2, any first type slot G1 is spaced apart from the edge of the radiator 121 and extends around a designated area 1211 of the radiator 121; at least one end of the second type slot G2 is located at the edge of the radiator 121.

[0046] The antenna unit of this embodiment can change the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 3 by controlling the voltage between the radiating element 12 and the ground layer 22, thereby adjusting the radiation characteristics of the radiating element 12 and realizing frequency reconfigurability.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, multiple slots are provided on the radiator 121 of the radiating element 12. These slots can alter the current path, and slots of different positions and shapes can produce different excitation effects, thus operating in different frequency bands. This achieves the goal of covering multiple different frequency bands with the same radiator 121. Specifically, the first type of slot G1 is located inside the edge of the radiator 121 and extends around the designated area 1211. At least one end of the second type of slot G2 is located on the edge of the radiator 121, making that end an open structure. The different positions and shapes of the two types of slots allow them to cover different frequency bands, thereby enabling communication across multiple frequency bands without increasing the number of radiating elements 12. This simplifies the antenna system structure and reduces costs.

[0048] The antenna element of the present disclosure will now be described in detail:

[0049] like Figure 1 As shown, the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 can be common PCB insulating materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene glass fiber laminate, phenolic paper laminate, and phenolic glass cloth laminate, or they can be rigid materials with low microwave loss such as quartz and glass.

[0050] The first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 can be disposed opposite to each other to form a liquid crystal cell, and the liquid crystal layer 3 can be disposed between the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21. Simultaneously, the antenna unit may also include an isolation pillar, which can be supported between the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 to maintain the cell thickness of the liquid crystal cell. The isolation pillar can be formed integrally with one of the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 through a molding process, or it can be a separate structure mounted between the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21. For example, the liquid crystal cell formation process may include the following steps:

[0051] Isolation pillars can be formed on the first substrate 11 or the second substrate 21 by photolithography (including coating, exposure and development, etc.); then drying is performed, the drying temperature can be 230°C, the drying time can be 1 hour, of course, the drying time can also be extended; then the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 are aligned and pressed together to obtain the liquid crystal cell.

[0052] In addition, a sealing frame can be formed between the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 by an adhesive material, thereby forming a liquid crystal cell with the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21, and the liquid crystal layer 3 can be filled in the liquid crystal cell.

[0053] like Figure 1 As shown, the radiating unit 12 can be disposed on the side of the first substrate 11 near the liquid crystal layer 3. For example, the radiating unit 12 can be disposed on the surface of the first substrate 11 near the liquid crystal layer 3. The ground layer 22 can be disposed on the side of the second substrate 21 near the liquid crystal layer 3 and is disposed opposite to the radiating unit 12. That is, the orthographic projections of the radiating unit 12 and the ground layer 22 on the first substrate 11 or the second substrate 21 at least partially overlap. The shape of the outline of the orthographic projection of the radiator 121 on the first substrate 11 can be a smooth curve such as a circle or an ellipse, or a polygon such as a square or a rhombus.

[0054] The radiating element 12 and the grounding layer 22 can be made of low-resistance, low-loss metals such as copper, gold, and silver, and can be prepared by magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation, electroplating, etc.; of course, other conductive materials can also be used.

[0055] By applying a voltage to the radiating element 12 and the ground layer 22 to the liquid crystal layer 3, the angle of the liquid crystal molecules can be controlled, thereby adjusting the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 3. By changing the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal, the frequency of the antenna element can be reconstructed.

[0056] like Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, Figure 15 The relationship between the S-parameters and frequency of an antenna under a given liquid crystal dielectric constant is shown. Figure 16 The relationship between the S-parameters and frequency of the antenna under another liquid crystal dielectric constant is shown. It can be seen that frequency reconfiguration can be achieved by changing the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal.

[0057] like Figure 2 As shown, the aforementioned radiating unit 12 may include a radiator 121 and a feed line 122 connected to the radiator 121, the feed line 122 extending along a first direction Y. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the radiator 121 may be provided with feed slots G3 located on both sides of the feed line 122, the feed slots G3 penetrating the radiator 121 along a direction perpendicular to the first substrate 11, and may be symmetrically arranged about the feed line 122.

[0058] The radiator 121 has multiple slits, each of which can penetrate the radiator 121 in a direction perpendicular to the first substrate 11. Any slit can change the current path, and slits of different positions and shapes can produce different excitation effects, allowing the radiator 121 to operate in different frequency bands, thus achieving the purpose of covering multiple different frequency bands with the same radiator 121. The slit width can be 0.008-0.012 times the dielectric wavelength, for example, 0.01 times the dielectric wavelength.

[0059] like Figures 2-14 As shown, based on the location and shape of the gaps, each gap can be divided into at least two categories, including a first category gap G1 and a second category gap G2, wherein:

[0060] The first type of gap G1 is located inside the edge of the radiator 121, that is, the first type of gap G1 is at a certain distance from the edge of the radiator 121. At the same time, the first type of gap G1 can extend around a designated area 1211 in the radiator 121. The designated area 1211 can be any area within the edge of the radiator 121. For example, the geometric center of the radiator 121 can coincide with the geometric center of the designated area 1211; or, the geometric center of the radiator 121 can not coincide with the geometric center of the designated area 1211; of course, in some embodiments, the geometric center of the radiator 121 can also be located outside the designated area 1211.

[0061] The first type of gap G1 can extend along a first designated trajectory surrounding the designated area 1211. The shape of the first designated trajectory can be a smooth curve such as a circle or an ellipse, or a polygon such as a square or a rhombus. Simultaneously, the first type of gap G1 can be a closed annular gap surrounding the designated area 1211. For example, the first type of gap G1 can be a closed elliptical or polygonal gap. The first type of gap G1 can also be a non-closed structure. For example, the first gap G11 may be partially broken, and the broken area may be positioned towards the feeder 122, forming a U-shaped gap facing the feeder 122. Alternatively, multiple first type of gaps G1 can be distributed at intervals along the first designated trajectory.

[0062] At least one end of the second type of slot G2 is located at the edge of the radiator 121, making that end at the edge of the radiator 121 an open structure, meaning that the edge of the radiator 121 has a gap due to the presence of the second type of slot G2. The second type of slot G2 can extend along a second specified trajectory, which can be a straight line, a curve, or a broken line trajectory. For example, the second specified trajectory can extend along a circular, elliptical, polygonal, wavy, or sawtooth trajectory, wherein a wavy line is formed by a smooth transition and connection of arc lines, and a sawtooth line is formed by connecting multiple straight lines. The second type of slot G2 at different locations can correspond to different frequency bands.

[0063] The first type of slot G1 and the second type have different positions and shapes, and can cover different frequency bands. Thus, communication of multiple frequency bands can be achieved without increasing the number of radiating elements 12, which helps to simplify the structure of the antenna system and reduce costs.

[0064] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the number of first-type gaps G1 may be multiple, including first gaps G11 and second gaps G12. The first gap G11 is a closed annular gap and is symmetrical about the central axis of the radiator 121 along the first direction Y. The number of second gaps G12 is two or more, and they are located within the area surrounded by the first gaps G11. Each second gap G12 may be distributed at intervals around a designated area 1211.

[0065] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the second type of gap G2 may include a third gap G21 and a fourth gap G22 distributed on both sides of the first type of gap G1 along the second direction X, wherein the second direction X intersects the first direction Y, for example, the first direction Y is perpendicular to the second direction X.

[0066] The third slit G21 may extend along a straight line trajectory, which may extend along a first direction Y or a second direction X. The fourth slit G22 may extend along a curved or broken line trajectory, for example, along a circular, elliptical, polygonal, wavy, or zigzag trajectory. The fourth slit G22 may have only one end located at the edge of the radiator 121, and the other end located inside the edge of the radiator 121; or, both ends of the fourth slit G22 may be located at the edge of the radiator 121, and the radiator 121 surrounded by the fourth slit G22 and the radiator 121 outside the fourth slit G22 are divided into two independent parts.

[0067] The following example uses a patch antenna with a resonant frequency of 2.45 GHz as a basis, and illustrates different forms of the slots in the radiating element 12:

[0068] like Figure 2 As shown, in the first embodiment of this disclosure, the outline of the orthographic projection of the radiator 121 on the first substrate 11 is rhomboid, and the side length of the rhombus can be 0.4-0.6 times the dielectric wavelength, for example, 0.5 times the dielectric wavelength. The feed line 122 can be located at one corner of the rhombus and extends straight along the first direction Y; two feed slots G3 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the feed line 122.

[0069] The first type of gap G1 includes the first gap G11 and the second gap G12, and the second type of gap G2 includes the third gap G21 and the fourth gap G22, wherein:

[0070] The first slit G11 is a closed annular slit extending along an elliptical trajectory. There are two second slits G12, which are located within the area surrounded by the first slit G11. The two second slits G12 can be distributed along the second direction X and are symmetrical about the central axis of the radiator 121 along the first direction Y.

[0071] The third slit G21 can extend along a curved trajectory, with one end located at the edge of the radiator 121 and the other end located inside the edge of the radiator 121. This curved trajectory can be an arc, a parabola, or part of another curve.

[0072] The fourth slot G22 extends linearly along the first direction Y and is located on the side of the first slot G11 away from the third slot G21. Simultaneously, the fourth slot G22 is located on the side of the geometric center of the area surrounded by the first slot G11 away from the feed line 122. The length of the fourth slot G22 in the first direction Y is less than the length of the first slot G11 in the first direction Y.

[0073] The first slot G11 can be used to cover the 5.8 GHz band. The second slot G12 can widen the band of the first slot G11 and maintain the current path at 2.45 GHz. The third slot G21 can be used to cover 3.9 GHz and increase the current path at 2.45 GHz. The fourth slot G22 can introduce a new resonant point at 3.3 GHz, thereby covering the 3.3 GHz band.

[0074] The 2.45GHz and 5.8GHz bands can be used for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communication, while the 3.3-3.4GHz band can be used for mobile WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), and the 3.85-4.0GHz band can be used for 5G communication.

[0075] As can be seen, the antenna unit described above can cover multiple communication methods through a single radiating element 12, avoiding the need to set up multiple radiating elements 12, which helps to simplify the structure and reduce costs.

[0076] like Figure 3 As shown, in the second embodiment of this disclosure, the shape of the outline of the orthographic projection of the radiator 121 onto the first substrate 11 is rectangular, and the rectangular radiator 121 has a greater gain. The gaps can be the same as in the first embodiment described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0077] like Figure 4As shown, in the third embodiment of this disclosure, the shape of the outline of the orthographic projection of the radiator 121 onto the first substrate 11 can be circular, with a higher bandwidth. The first slit G11, the second slit G12, and the fourth slit G22 can be the same as in the first embodiment described above, and will not be repeated here. Both ends of the third slit G21 can be located at the edge of the radiator 121.

[0078] like Figure 5 As shown, in the fourth embodiment of this disclosure, the outline of the orthographic projection of the radiator 121 onto the first substrate 11 is circular. The second slit G12, the third slit G21, and the fourth slit G22 are the same as in the third embodiment described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0079] The first gap G11 is partially broken, forming a U-shaped gap, and the broken area faces the feeder 122.

[0080] The area where the first gap G11 is broken is actually the area where the radiator 121 is continuous.

[0081] like Figure 6 As shown, in the fifth embodiment of this disclosure, based on the fourth embodiment described above, each gap may further include a connecting gap G13, which may be provided along the first direction Y, and one end of the first gap G11 is connected to a feed slot G3 through the connecting gap G13, which can reduce the unwanted depression in the radiation mode of the 5.8 GHz band covered by the first gap G11 and maintain the current path of 2.45 GHz.

[0082] like Figure 7 As shown, in the sixth embodiment of this disclosure, the outline of the orthographic projection of the radiator 121 onto the first substrate 11 is rhomboid. The second slit G12, the third slit G21, and the fourth slit G22 can be the same as in any of the above embodiments, and will not be described again here. The first slit G11 can extend along a rhomboid trajectory.

[0083] like Figure 8 As shown, in the seventh embodiment of this disclosure, the outline of the orthographic projection of the radiator 121 onto the first substrate 11 is rhomboid. The third slit G21 and the fourth slit G22 can be the same as in any of the above embodiments, and will not be described again here. The first slit G11 and the second slit G12 can extend along a rhomboid trajectory.

[0084] like Figure 9 As shown, in the eighth embodiment of this disclosure, the outline of the orthographic projection of the radiator 121 onto the first substrate 11 is circular. The first slit G11, the second slit G12, and the third slit G21 can be the same as in any of the above embodiments, and will not be described again here. The fourth slit G22 can extend along the second direction X.

[0085] like Figure 10 As shown, in the eighth embodiment of this disclosure, the outline of the radiator 121 projected onto the first substrate 11 is circular. The first slit G11, the second slit G12, and the third slit G21 can be the same as in any of the above embodiments, and will not be described again here. The fourth slit G22 can extend along the first direction Y, but the fourth slit G22 is located on the side of the geometric center of the region surrounded by the first slit G11 near the feed line 122.

[0086] like Figure 11 As shown, in the ninth embodiment of this disclosure, the outline of the orthographic projection of the radiator 121 onto the first substrate 11 is circular. The first slit G11, the second slit G12, and the fourth slit G22 can be the same as in any of the above embodiments, and will not be described again here. The third slit G21 can extend along a rectangular trajectory, with both ends located at the edges of the radiator 121.

[0087] like Figure 12 As shown, in the tenth embodiment of this disclosure, the outline of the orthographic projection of the radiator 121 onto the first substrate 11 is circular. The first slit G11, the second slit G12, and the fourth slit G22 can be the same as in any of the above embodiments, and will not be described again here. The third slit G21 can extend along a zigzag trajectory, with one end of the third slit G21 located at the edge of the radiator 121 and the other end located inside the edge of the radiator 121; for example, the third slit G21 may include multiple sequentially connected slit segments, with adjacent slit segments connected at a certain angle, which can be an acute angle.

[0088] like Figure 13 As shown, in the eleventh embodiment of this disclosure, the outline of the radiator 121 projected onto the first substrate 11 is rhomboid. The first slit G11, the second slit G12, and the fourth slit G22 are the same as in the first embodiment described above, and will not be repeated here. Both ends of the third slit G21 can be located at the edges of the radiator 121.

[0089] like Figure 14 As shown, in the twelfth embodiment of this disclosure, the outline of the radiator 121 projected onto the first substrate 11 is rhomboid. The second slot G12, third slot G21, and fourth slot G22 can be the same as in any of the above embodiments, and will not be described again here. The first slot G11 can extend along a rhomboid trajectory, and the first slot G11 is partially broken, forming a U-shaped slot, with the broken area facing the feed line 122. Each slot may also include a connecting slot G13, which can be provided extending along the first direction Y, and one end of the first slot G11 is connected to a feed slot G3 through the connecting slot G13.

[0090] This disclosure provides an antenna array that may include multiple antenna elements distributed in an array. The antenna elements may be antenna elements of any of the above embodiments, and their structure and beneficial effects will not be described in detail here.

[0091] This disclosure also provides an antenna system that may include the antenna array of any of the above embodiments. The antenna system can be used in electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets, and can also be used in wearable devices such as smartwatches and virtual reality devices, which will not be listed here.

[0092] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An antenna element, characterized in that, It includes a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate; The first substrate includes a first substrate and a radiating unit disposed on the side of the first substrate near the liquid crystal layer; the second substrate includes a second substrate and a ground layer disposed on the side of the second substrate near the liquid crystal layer; The radiating unit includes a radiator and a feed line connected to the radiator, the feed line extending along a first direction; the radiator is provided with a plurality of slots penetrating the radiator along a direction perpendicular to the first substrate; the slots include a first type of slots and a second type of slots, any first type of slot being spaced apart from the edge of the radiator and extending around a designated area of ​​the radiator; At least one end of the second type of slit is located at the edge of the radiator.

2. The antenna element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first type of gap includes a first gap and a plurality of second gaps, each of the second gaps being located within the area surrounded by the first gap and distributed around the designated area.

3. The antenna element according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first gap is a closed annular gap surrounding the designated area.

4. The antenna element according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first gap is partially broken, and the broken area is oriented toward the feed line.

5. The antenna element according to claim 4, characterized in that, The radiator is provided with a power supply slot on both sides of the feed line, and one end of the first gap is connected to the power supply slot through a connecting gap.

6. The antenna element according to claim 2, characterized in that, Any of the first type of gap extends along a circular, elliptical, or polygonal trajectory.

7. The antenna element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second type of gap includes a third gap and a fourth gap distributed along a second direction on both sides of the first type of gap, and the second direction intersects the first direction.

8. The antenna element according to claim 7, characterized in that, The third gap extends in a straight line, and the fourth gap extends along a curved or broken line trajectory.

9. The antenna element according to claim 7, characterized in that, The third gap extends along either the first direction or the second direction.

10. The antenna element according to claim 8, characterized in that, The fourth gap extends along a circular, elliptical, polygonal, wavy, or zigzag trajectory.

11. The antenna element according to claim 8, characterized in that, Both ends of the fourth slit are located at the edge of the radiator.

12. The antenna element according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The shape of the outline of the orthographic projection of the radiator onto the first substrate is circular, elliptical, or polygonal.

13. An antenna array, characterized in that, It includes the antenna elements described in any one of claims 1-12.

14. An antenna system, characterized in that, Including the antenna array as described in claim 13.

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