Phase shifter assembly, feed plate, cavity phase shifter and base station antenna

Abstract

The present application relates to a phase shifter assembly comprising a mounting face for mounting a feed plate, a bias cavity pair comprising a first cavity and a second cavity, which are arranged next to each other and separated by a common partition wall, the first cavity having a first hollow passage protruding forward from the mounting face and the second cavity having a second hollow passage protruding forward from the mounting face, a first transmission line being mounted in the first cavity and a second transmission line being mounted in the second cavity, a feed plate for feeding a radiating element, the feed plate having a feed section extending across the first hollow passage and the second hollow passage, a coupling between a ground plane of the feed section and the bias cavity pair being changed such that a resonance caused by the coupling is at least partially moved out of a predetermined operating frequency range. Furthermore, the present application relates to a feed plate, a cavity phase shifter and a base station antenna.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application generally relates to radio communications, and more specifically to a phase shifter assembly, a feed board, a cavity phase shifter, and a base station antenna. Background Technology

[0002] Cellular base stations are well known in the art and typically include a baseband unit, a radio unit, an antenna, and other components. The antenna is configured to provide bidirectional radio frequency (“RF”) communication with fixed and mobile subscribers (“users”) located throughout the cell. Typically, the antenna is mounted on a tower or a raised structure such as a pole, roof, water tower, etc., with separate baseband and radio units connected to the antenna.

[0003] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a conventional cellular base station 40. The cellular base station 40 typically includes a base station antenna 100 that can be mounted on an antenna tower 44. The cellular base station 40 also includes a baseband unit 41 and a radio unit 42. For simplicity, the accompanying drawings are provided below. Figure 1 A single baseband unit 41 and a single radio unit 42 are shown. However, it should be understood that more than one baseband unit 41 and / or radio unit 42 may be provided. Additionally, although radio unit 42 is shown located at the same position as baseband unit 41 at the bottom of antenna tower 44, it should be understood that in other cases, radio unit 42 may be a remote radio head (RRH) mounted on antenna tower 44 adjacent to base station antenna 100. Baseband unit 41 may receive data from another source (e.g., a backhaul network (not shown)) and may process that data and provide a data stream to radio unit 42. Radio unit 42 may generate RF signals including data encoded therein and may amplify and transmit these RF signals to base station antenna 100 via radio frequency cable 43 (e.g., coaxial transmission line). It should also be understood that... Figure 1 The cellular base station 40 may also include various other devices (not shown), such as a power supply, backup battery, power bus, antenna interface signal group (AISG) controller, etc. Typically, the base station antenna 100 includes one or more phased arrays of radiating elements, wherein the radiating elements are arranged in one or more columns when the antenna is installed for use.

[0004] To transmit and receive RF signals within a defined coverage area, the antenna beam generated by the array of radiating elements included in the base station antenna 100 is typically tilted downwards at a specific angle relative to the horizontal plane (referred to as a "downtilt"). In some cases, the downtilt angle of the antenna beam is electronically generated by adjusting the relative phase of the sub-components of the RF signals fed to the respective groups of radiating elements in the array that generate the antenna beam. The amount of electronic downtilt applied to the antenna beam generated by the array of radiating elements of the base station antenna 100 can, in some cases, be adjusted from a remote location. When the base station antenna 100 has such electronic tilt capability, the physical orientation of the base station antenna 100 can remain fixed, but the effective tilt angle of the generated antenna beam (e.g., the pointing angle of the antenna beam peak relative to the horizontal plane) can still be electronically adjusted, for example, by controlling phase shifters that provide the relative phase of the RF signal sub-components to each radiating element in the array included in the base station antenna 100. The phase shifters and other related circuitry are typically built into the base station antenna 100 and can be controlled from a remote location. Typically, the AISG control signal can be used to control the phase shifter.

[0005] Each phase shifter can typically be integrated with a power divider as part of the phase shifting and feeding network of a base station antenna 100, which feeds the RF signal received from the radio unit 42 to the radiating element array included in the base station antenna 100. The power divider divides the input RF signal into multiple sub-components, and the phase shifter applies an adjustable phase shift to each sub-component so that each sub-component is fed to a corresponding sub-array including one or more radiating elements. Various different types of phase shifters are known in the art, including rotary wiper arm phase shifters, trombone-style phase shifters, sliding dielectric phase shifters, and sliding metal phase shifters. Each of these types of phase shifters can be implemented as a cavity phase shifter, wherein the phase shifter can be enclosed in a metal housing coupled to an electrically grounded location.

[0006] However, in some applications, the RF performance of cavity phase shifters may deteriorate due to undesirable resonances. This is undesirable. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Therefore, the purpose of this application is to provide a phase shifter assembly, feed board, cavity phase shifter, and base station antenna that can overcome at least one defect in the prior art.

[0008] According to a first aspect of this application, a phase shifter assembly is provided, characterized in that the phase shifter assembly includes: a mounting surface for mounting a feed plate; a pair of bias cavities, the pair including a first cavity and a second cavity, the first cavity and the second cavity being arranged side by side and separated by a common partition wall, the first cavity having a first hollow channel projecting forward from the mounting surface, and the second cavity having a second hollow channel projecting forward from the mounting surface, wherein a first transmission line is mounted in the first cavity and a second transmission line is mounted in the second cavity; a feed plate for feeding a radiating element, the feed plate having a feed section extending across the first hollow channel and the second hollow channel, wherein the coupling between the ground plane of the feed section and the pair of bias cavities is modified such that the resonance caused by the coupling is at least partially shifted out of a predetermined operating frequency range.

[0009] According to a second aspect of this application, a feed plate for feeding a radiating element is provided, comprising: a mounting section configured for mounting onto a mounting surface of a phase shifter assembly, and a feed section configured to extend across a first hollow channel and a second hollow channel of a bias cavity pair of the phase shifter assembly and establish a feed connection with a transmission line within the bias cavity pair, wherein the ground plane of the feed section includes a grounded metal region and further comprises: at least one metal removal feature in which a metal cladding is removed; and / or at least one metal extension feature extending from the grounded metal region, having a metal cladding attached to the grounded metal region within the metal extension feature.

[0010] According to a third aspect of this application, a cavity phase shifter is provided, comprising: a mounting surface for mounting a feed board; a bias cavity pair, the bias cavity pair including a first cavity and a second cavity, the first cavity and the second cavity being arranged side by side and separated by a common partition wall, wherein a first transmission line is installed in the first cavity and a second transmission line is installed in the second cavity, wherein the first cavity has a first hollow channel projecting forward from the mounting surface, and the second cavity has a second hollow channel projecting forward from the mounting surface, wherein a transition surface is formed between the first hollow channel and the second hollow channel, the ground plane of the feed section facing the transition surface, and wherein, in the area traversed by the feed section, at least a portion of not only the first hollow channel section and the second hollow channel section but also the transition surface section therebetween is removed.

[0011] According to a fourth aspect of this application, a base station antenna is provided, comprising: a phase shifter assembly as described in some embodiments of this application; and an array of radiating elements mounted on a mounting surface of the phase shifter assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The present application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The schematic drawings are briefly described below:

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a conventional cellular base station.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic block diagram of a base station antenna.

[0015] Figures 3 to 5 Some schematic diagrams of a cavity phase shifter assembly with conventional cavity pairs are shown. The cavity phase shifter assembly may include a mounting surface, conventional cavity pairs, and a feed plate.

[0016] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a cavity phase shifter with a biased cavity pair is shown.

[0017] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a cavity phase shifter with two biased cavity pairs is shown.

[0018] Figures 8 to 12 Some schematic diagrams of a cavity phase shifter assembly with biased cavity pairs are shown. The cavity phase shifter assembly may include a mounting surface, a biased cavity pair, and a feed plate.

[0019] Figures 13 to 16 Some schematic diagrams of a phase shifter assembly according to a first exemplary embodiment of this application are shown.

[0020] Figure 17 A partial schematic diagram of a phase shifter assembly according to a second exemplary embodiment of this application is shown.

[0021] Figure 18 A partial schematic diagram of a phase shifter assembly according to a third exemplary embodiment of this application is shown.

[0022] Figure 19 A perspective view of a phase shifter assembly with two offset cavity pairs is shown, which can be used in a multi-band antenna. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the present application. However, it should be understood that the present application can be presented in many different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below; in fact, the embodiments described below are intended to make the disclosure of the present application more complete and to fully illustrate the scope of protection of the present application to those skilled in the art. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide more additional embodiments.

[0024] In the various embodiments described, the same reference numerals or element names are used for the same elements, and the disclosure contained throughout the specification can be applied semantically to elements with the same reference numerals or element names. Furthermore, in the various embodiments, the number, implementation, and / or arrangement of elements are not limited to the examples shown, but other numbers, implementations, and / or arrangements can be selected according to actual needs.

[0025] In this document, spatial relation terms such as "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," "back," "high," and "low" are used to describe the relationship between one feature and another in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that spatial relation terms include not only the orientation shown in the drawings but also different orientations of the device during use or operation. For example, when the device in the drawings is inverted, a feature previously described as "below" other features can now be described as "above" other features. The device can also be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), in which case the relative spatial relationships will be interpreted accordingly.

[0026] In this document, the term “A or B” includes both “A and B” and “A or B”, rather than exclusively including only “A” or only “B”, unless otherwise specified.

[0027] In this document, the terms "illustrative" or "exemplary" mean "used as an example, instance, or illustration," and not as a "model" to be precisely copied. Any implementation described herein by example is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Furthermore, this application is not limited to any stated or implied theory given in the foregoing technical field, background art, summary of the invention, or detailed description.

[0028] In this document, the term “substantially” means any minor variation caused by defects in design or manufacturing, tolerances of devices or components, environmental influences and / or other factors.

[0029] In this article, the term "part" can refer to any proportion. For example, it can be greater than 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%.

[0030] Additionally, terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., may be used in this document for reference purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. For example, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words “first,” “second,” and other such numerical terms relating to structures or elements do not imply order or sequence.

[0031] Figure 2A schematic block diagram of a base station antenna 100 is shown. The base station antenna 100 typically includes an radome (not shown) that provides environmental protection. Figure 2 As shown, the base station antenna 100 may include an RF port 132, a cable 133, a remote electronic tilt (RET) unit, a phase shifting and feeding network 50 (which may also be referred to in this application as a phase shifter assembly 50 with an integrated feed board), and a radiating element array 120, etc. The RF port 132 may be configured to receive RF signals from a corresponding port of a radio unit. Each received RF signal may be coupled to the radiating element array 120 via a corresponding phase shifting and feeding network 50.

[0032] The phase shifter in the phase-shifting and feed network 50 typically includes phase-shifting circuitry and power divider circuitry, which allows phase taper to be applied to subcomponents of the RF signal fed to the radiating elements in array 120. By adjusting the amount of phase taper applied, the resulting antenna beam can be electrically down-tilted to a desired angle in the elevation plane. This technique can be used to adjust how far the antenna beam extends outward from the antenna, and therefore can be used to adjust the coverage area of ​​the base station antenna 100.

[0033] A base station antenna 100 typically includes a reflector 10, which may include a metal surface that provides a ground plane and reflects electromagnetic radiation arriving thereto, redirecting the electromagnetic radiation, for example, to propagate forward. In some embodiments using cavity phase shifters, the reflector 10 of the base station antenna 100 may be at least partially composed of the front surfaces, or mounting surfaces 70, of a plurality of cavity phase shifters. In some embodiments, the base station antenna 100 may include a single reflector 10, and the cavity phase shifters may be mounted to the rear side of the reflector 10 via their front surfaces, or mounting surfaces 70.

[0034] Figures 3 to 5 Some views of the cavity phase shifter assembly 50 are schematically shown. The cavity phase shifter assembly 50 may include a mounting surface 70 for mounting a feed plate 60, conventional cavity pairs 81, 82, and a feed plate 60 for feeding radiating elements.

[0035] In some embodiments, a first transmission line 84 for a first polarized RF signal may be installed in the first cavity 81, and a second transmission line 85 for a second polarized RF signal may be installed in the second cavity 82. This achieves dual-polarization feeding for the radiating element. In some embodiments, a first transmission line 84 for a first polarized RF signal in a first operating frequency band may be installed in the first cavity 81, and a second transmission line 85 for a first polarized RF signal in a second operating frequency band may be installed in the second cavity 82. This achieves multi-band feeding for the radiating element.

[0036] The connection end 841 of the first transmission line 84 can extend through the first slot 681 on the feed plate 60 to be electrically connected to the feed plate 60, for example, by soldering, and then to feed the radiating element through the feed plate 60. Similarly, the connection end of the second transmission line 85 can extend through the second slot on the feed plate 60 to be electrically connected to the feed plate 60, for example by soldering, and then to feed the radiating element through the feed plate 60.

[0037] In some embodiments, the first transmission line 84 and the second transmission line 85 can typically be printed as traces on a printed circuit board. In other embodiments, the first transmission line 84 and / or the second transmission line 85 can be implemented as conductive metal lines. It should be understood that the corresponding transmission lines may include, for example, phase-shifting lines and power-sharing lines.

[0038] Reference Figures 6 to 12 The phase shifter assembly 50 with bias cavity pair 80 is shown in further detail. It should be understood that the coordinate axes marked in the figures show the vertical or longitudinal direction (V-axis), horizontal or lateral direction (H-axis), and forward direction (F-axis) of the base station antenna 100.

[0039] Figure 6 and 7 A cavity phase shifter 99 with biased cavity pairs 80 is shown. Distinguished from... Figure 3 In a conventional cavity pair, the first cavity 81 and the second cavity 82 of each bias cavity pair 80 can be arranged side by side with each other (or side by side with each other in the horizontal direction H when mounted in a base station antenna 100) and separated from each other by a common partition wall 83. Therefore, such a bias cavity pair 80 can advantageously have a compact structure.

[0040] exist Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the cavity phase shifter 99 may have a bias cavity pair 80. Combined with Figures 8 to 12 A first transmission line 84 for a first polarized RF signal may be installed, for example, within the first cavity 81. The connection end 841 of the first transmission line 84 may extend through a first slot 681 on the feed plate 60 to be electrically connected to the feed plate 60, for example, by soldering, and thus feed the first polarized RF signal to the radiating element via the feed plate 60. Similarly, a second transmission line 85 for a second polarized RF signal may be installed, for example, within the second cavity 82. The connection end of the second transmission line 85 may extend through a second slot on the feed plate 60 to be electrically connected to the feed plate 60, for example by soldering, and thus feed the second polarized RF signal to the radiating element via the feed plate 60.

[0041] exist Figure 7In the illustrated embodiment, the cavity phase shifter 99 may have two biased cavity pairs 80. Combined with Figures 8 to 12 The first bias cavity pair 80-1 can be configured to feed first polarized RF signals of a first operating frequency band and a second operating frequency band to the radiating element via the feed plate 60. A first transmission line 84 for the first polarized RF signal of the first operating frequency band can be installed, for example, in the first cavity 81 of the first bias cavity pair 80-1, and a second transmission line 85 for the first polarized RF signal of the second operating frequency band can be installed, for example, in the second cavity 82 of the first bias cavity pair 80-1. Similarly, the second bias cavity pair 80-2 can be configured to feed second polarized RF signals of the first operating frequency band and a second operating frequency band to the radiating element via the feed plate 60. A first transmission line 84 for the second polarized RF signal of the first operating frequency band can be installed, for example, in the first cavity 81 of the second bias cavity pair 80-2, and a second transmission line 85 for the second polarized RF signal of the second operating frequency band can be installed, for example, in the second cavity 82 of the second bias cavity pair 80-2. This enables multi-band operation of the antenna.

[0042] The first cavity 81 of the bias cavity pair 80 may have a first hollow channel 811 protruding forward from the mounting surface 70, and the second cavity 82 of the bias cavity pair 80 may have a second hollow channel 812 protruding forward from the mounting surface 70. Thus, the front surface of the phase shifter assembly 50 may sequentially include: a first mounting surface section 701 adjacent to the first cavity 81, the first hollow channel 811, a channel transition surface 815, the second hollow channel 812, and a second mounting surface section 702 adjacent to the second cavity 82. In the case of dual bias cavity pairs 80-1 and 80-2, as... Figure 7 As shown, the mounting surface 70 of the phase shifter assembly 50 may include: a first mounting surface section 701 adjacent to the first cavity 81 of the first bias cavity pair 80-1; a third mounting surface section 703 adjacent to the second cavity 82 of the second bias cavity pair 80-2; and a second mounting surface section 702 located between the second cavity 82 of the first bias cavity pair 80-1 and the first cavity 81 of the second bias cavity pair 80-2.

[0043] like Figure 11 and 12As shown, the feed plate 60 may include a feed section 65, which may be configured to extend across a first hollow channel 811 and a second hollow channel 812 of each of the bias cavity pairs 80 of the phase shifter assembly 50 and establish a feed connection with the transmission lines within the bias cavity pair 80. The feed plate 60 may also include one or more mounting sections 64, which may be configured to be mounted onto the mounting surface 70 of the phase shifter assembly 50. For example, the feed plate 60 may be secured to each mounting surface section of the phase shifter assembly 50 by riveting and / or bonding.

[0044] While the phase shifter assembly 50 with bias cavity pair 80 offers an advantageous compact structure, this compactness can introduce undesirable resonances that may fall within the antenna's operating frequency band, negatively impacting its RF performance. The inventors discovered that, unlike conventional cavity pairs, the coupling scenario between the feed section 65 of the feed board 60 and the bias cavity pair 80 changes with the bias cavity pair 80. For example, the feed section 65 needs to cross two adjacent hollow channels 811, 812 and the narrow transition surface 815 between them. This alters the coupling between the ground plane of the feed section 65 facing the bias cavity pair 80 (which is invisible due to its location on the back side) and the bias cavity pair 80. This change in coupling can generate resonances falling within the antenna's operating frequency band, thus negatively affecting the antenna's RF performance. Therefore, this disclosure proposes to change the coupling between the ground plane and the bias cavity pair 80 in the feed section 65 so that the resonance caused by the coupling is at least partially shifted out of the predetermined operating frequency range.

[0045] Reference Figures 13 to 16 This paper details a phase shifter assembly 50 according to a first embodiment of the present application. In the first embodiment of the phase shifter assembly 50, to alter the coupling between the ground plane 651 (showing the back side ground plane 651) and the bias cavity pair 80 in the feed section 65, at least a portion or all of the transition surface section between the first and second hollow channel sections, as well as the area traversed by the feed section 65, is removed. Figure 15 and 16As shown, by removing at least part or all of the first hollow channel segment, the second hollow channel segment, and the transition surface segment in between, the bias cavity pair 80 can form a continuous window 66 in the region traversed by the feed segment 65. This continuous window 66 can expose the internal space of the bias cavity pair 80, such as the internal first transmission line 84, the second transmission line 85, and the common partition wall 83. Advantageously, this continuous window 66 can provide a coherent passage for the feed segment 65 to pass through. When viewed from the front, the continuous window 66 can have a regular projected profile, such as a substantially rectangular projected profile, and the width of the continuous window 66 can be slightly larger than the width of the feed segment 65. In some embodiments, the extent of the transition surface segment to be removed can be flexibly adjusted according to the actual situation in order to shift the resulting resonance away from the operating frequency band as much as possible.

[0046] Reference Figure 17 This paper details a phase shifter assembly 50 according to a second embodiment of the present application. In this second embodiment of the phase shifter assembly 50, to modify the coupling between the ground plane 651 (shown from the back side in the view) of the feed section 65 and the bias cavity pair 80, at least one metal removal feature 670 is provided on the ground plane 651 of the feed section 65. The metal removal feature 670 can be understood as a region without metal cladding or a region where the metal cladding has been removed. By providing a dedicated metal removal feature 670 on the ground plane 651 of the feed section 65, the coupling between the ground plane 651 of the feed section 65 and the bias cavity pair 80 can be effectively modified.

[0047] like Figure 17 As shown, the ground plane 651 of the power supply section 65 may include a grounded metal region 660 and at least one metal removal feature 670. Advantageously, the ground plane 651 of the power supply section 65 may include a plurality of metal removal features 670 arranged substantially symmetrically to each other.

[0048] In some embodiments, the ground plane 651 of the power supply section 65 may include a first metal removal feature 670-1, which may be located in a region corresponding to the removed first hollow channel section. Advantageously, the ground plane 651 of the power supply section 65 may include two opposing first metal removal features 670-1, which may be separated by a grounding metal region 660. A first groove 681 may be provided between the two first metal removal features 670-1, for example, through which the connection end of the first transmission line 84 extends.

[0049] Additionally or alternatively, the ground plane 651 of the feed section 65 may include a second metal removal feature 670-2, which may be located in a region corresponding to the removed second hollow channel section. Advantageously, the ground plane 651 of the feed section 65 may include two opposing second metal removal features 670-2, which may be separated by a grounded metal region 660. In some embodiments, such as Figure 17 As shown, the bias cavity pair 80 can be electrically connected to the feed board 60 only through the connection end of the first transmission line. In other embodiments, a second slot may be provided, for example, between the two second metal removal features 670-2 for the connection end of the second transmission line 85 to extend through.

[0050] It should be understood that the dimensional parameters of the first metal removal feature 670-1 and the second metal removal feature 670-2 may be the same or different from each other. The extension dimension of the corresponding metal removal feature 670 may, for example, be between 1 mm and 5 mm. In some embodiments, such as Figure 17 As shown, the extension dimension of the first metal removal feature 670-1 may be longer than the extension dimension of the second metal removal feature 670-2. In some embodiments, the shape of the respective metal removal feature 670 may have a substantially regular shape, such as a rectangular shape. Furthermore, the ground metal region 660, together with the respective metal removal features 670, may form a substantially rectangular shape. It should be understood that the shape of the metal removal feature 670 can be flexibly adjusted according to actual conditions in order to shift the generated resonance as far away from the operating frequency band as possible.

[0051] Reference Figure 18 This paper details a phase shifter assembly 50 according to a third embodiment of the present application. In this third embodiment of the phase shifter assembly 50, to modify the coupling between the ground plane 651 of the feed section 65 and the bias cavity pair 80, at least one metal extension feature 690 is provided on the ground plane 651 of the feed section 65 (shown from the back side in the view). The metal extension feature 690 can be understood as an additional metal region outside the original ground metal region 660. The metal extension feature 690 may, for example, extend from the ground metal region 660 along the longitudinal direction V of the bias cavity pair 80. By providing a dedicated metal extension feature 690 on the ground plane 651 of the feed section 65, the coupling between the ground plane 651 of the feed section 65 and the bias cavity pair 80 can be effectively modified.

[0052] like Figure 18As shown, the ground plane 651 of the power supply section 65 may include a ground metal region 660 and at least one metal extension feature 690 extending from the ground metal region 660, wherein the metal extension feature 690 has a metal cladding attached to the ground metal region 660, such that the coupling between the ground plane 651 of the power supply section 65 and the bias cavity pair 80 is altered.

[0053] Advantageously, the ground plane 651 of the power supply section 65 may include a plurality of metal extension features 690 arranged substantially symmetrically to each other.

[0054] In some embodiments, the ground plane 651 of the power supply section 65 may include a first metal extension feature 690-1 extending from the ground metal region 660 into the transition surface 815 between the first hollow channel 811 and the second hollow channel 812. Advantageously, the ground plane 651 of the power supply section 65 may include two opposing first metal extension features 690-1, which are respectively connected to opposite sides of the ground metal region 660.

[0055] Alternatively or additionally, the ground plane 651 of the power supply section 65 may include a second metallic extension feature 690-2 extending from the grounded metallic region 660 into the second mounting surface section 702 of the mounting surface 70 adjacent to the second cavity 82. Advantageously, the ground plane 651 of the power supply section 65 may include two opposing second metallic extension features 690-2, which are respectively connected to opposite sides of the grounded metallic region 660.

[0056] It should be understood that the dimensional parameters of the first metal extension feature 690-1 and the second metal extension feature 690-2 may be the same or different from each other. The extension dimension of the corresponding metal extension feature 690 may be, for example, between 2 mm and 10 mm. In some embodiments, the ground metal region 660 has a substantially rectangular shape, and the shape of the corresponding metal extension feature 690 may be an elongated metal strip or rectangular strip extending from the ground metal region 660. It should be understood that the shape of the metal extension feature 690 can be flexibly adjusted according to the actual situation in order to shift the generated resonance as far away from the operating frequency band as possible.

[0057] Additionally or alternatively, in a fourth embodiment of the phase shifter assembly 50 (not shown), in order to change the coupling between the ground plane of the feed section 65 and the bias cavity pair 80, a dielectric layer is provided between the ground plane of the feed section 65 and the bias cavity pair 80, by means of which the coupling between the ground plane of the feed section 65 and the bias cavity pair 80 is changed such that the resonance caused by the coupling is at least partially shifted out of the predetermined operating frequency range.

[0058] Reference Figure 19 This illustrates a phase shifter assembly 50 with two bias cavity pairs 80, which can be used in a multi-band antenna. Figure 19 As shown, the power supply board 60 may include: a first power supply section 65-1 extending across a first hollow channel 811 and a second hollow channel 812 of a first bias cavity pair 80-1; and a second power supply section 65-2 extending across a first hollow channel 811 and a second hollow channel 812 of a second bias cavity pair 80-2, wherein the coupling between the ground plane of the first power supply section 65-1 and the first bias cavity pair 80-1 is changed such that the resonance caused by the coupling is at least partially shifted out of a predetermined operating frequency range, and / or the coupling between the ground plane of the second power supply section 65-2 and the second bias cavity pair 80-2 is changed such that the resonance caused by the coupling is at least partially shifted out of a predetermined operating frequency range.

[0059] The first bias cavity pair 80-1 can be configured to feed a first polarized RF signal of a first operating frequency band and a second operating frequency band to the radiating element 90 via the feed plate 60. The second bias cavity pair 80-2 can be configured to feed a second polarized RF signal of the first operating frequency band and a second operating frequency band to the radiating element 90 via the feed plate 60. This enables multi-band operation of the antenna.

[0060] It should be understood that the various embodiments described in this application can be implemented individually or in combination with each other, and should not be limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0061] While specific embodiments of this application have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the above examples are for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting the scope of this application. The various embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in any way without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Those skilled in the art should also understand that various modifications can be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of this application. The scope of this application is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A phase shifter assembly, comprising: Mounting surface for mounting the power supply board; A biased cavity pair, the biased cavity pair including a first cavity and a second cavity, the first cavity and the second cavity being arranged side by side and separated by a common partition wall, the first cavity having a first hollow channel protruding forward from the mounting surface, and the second cavity having a second hollow channel protruding forward from the mounting surface, wherein a first transmission line is installed in the first cavity and a second transmission line is installed in the second cavity; A feed plate for feeding a radiating element, the feed plate having a feed section extending across a first hollow channel and a second hollow channel, wherein the coupling between the ground plane and the bias cavity pair in the feed section is altered such that the resonance caused by the coupling is at least partially shifted out of a predetermined operating frequency range.

2. The phase shifter assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, A transition surface is formed between the first hollow channel and the second hollow channel, with the ground plane of the feed section facing the transition surface. In the region traversed by the feed section, at least a portion of not only the first hollow channel section and the second hollow channel section, but also the transition surface section between them, is removed, thereby altering the coupling between the ground plane of the feed section and the bias cavity pair. Preferably, by removing the first hollow channel section, the second hollow channel section, and the transition surface section between them, a continuous window is formed in the region traversed by the feed section, exposing the first transmission line, the second transmission line, and the common partition wall inside the bias cavity pair; and / or The mounting surface includes a first mounting surface section adjacent to the first cavity and a second mounting surface section adjacent to the second cavity, and the power supply board is respectively fixed to each mounting surface section by riveting and / or bonding; and / or The ground plane of the power supply section includes a grounded metal region and at least one metal removal feature, in which the metal cladding is removed, thereby altering the coupling between the ground plane of the power supply section and the bias cavity pair. Preferably, the grounded metal area together with the various metal removal features forms a substantially rectangular shape; Preferably, within the area traversed by the power supply section, the first hollow channel section and the second hollow channel section are removed. The grounding surface of the power supply section includes: A first metal removal feature, located in a region corresponding to the first hollow channel segment being removed; and / or The second metal removal feature is located in the region corresponding to the removed second hollow channel segment; Preferably, the ground plane of the power supply section includes: Two opposing first metal removal features, separated by a grounded metal region; and / or Two opposing second metal removal features are separated by a grounded metal region; Preferably, A first groove is provided between the two first metal removal features for the connection end of the first transmission line to extend through; and / or A second slot is provided between the two second metal removal features for the connection end of the second transmission line to extend through.

3. The phase shifter assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The ground plane of the power supply section includes a ground metal region and at least one metal extension feature extending from the ground metal region, wherein the metal extension feature has a metal cladding attached to the ground metal region, such that the coupling between the ground plane of the power supply section and the bias cavity pair is altered. Preferably, the metal extension feature extends longitudinally from the grounded metal region along the bias cavity pair; Preferably, the grounded metal region has a substantially rectangular shape, and the metal extension feature forms an elongated metal strip; Preferably, within the area traversed by the power supply section, the first hollow channel section and the second hollow channel section are removed. The grounding surface of the power supply section includes: A first metal extension feature extends from the grounded metal region into the transition surface between the first hollow channel and the second hollow channel; and / or The second metal extension feature extends from the grounded metal region into the second mounting surface section adjacent to the second cavity on the mounting surface; Preferably, the ground plane of the power supply section includes: Two opposing first metal extension features are respectively connected to opposite sides of the grounded metal region; and / or Two opposing second metal extension features are connected to opposite sides of the grounded metal region, respectively.

4. The phase shifter assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The phase shifter assembly includes two pairs of bias cavities, and the feed plate includes: The first feed section extends across the first hollow channel and the second hollow channel of the first bias cavity pair; and The second feed section extends across the first hollow channel and the second hollow channel of the second bias cavity pair. Specifically, the coupling between the ground plane and the first bias cavity pair in the first power supply section is changed such that the resonance caused by the coupling is at least partially removed from the predetermined operating frequency range, and / or the coupling between the ground plane and the second bias cavity pair in the second power supply section is changed such that the resonance caused by the coupling is at least partially removed from the predetermined operating frequency range. Preferably, the mounting surface includes: The first mounting surface section adjacent to the first cavity of the first bias cavity; The third mounting surface section adjacent to the second cavity of the second bias cavity pair; and The second mounting surface section located between the second cavity of the first bias cavity pair and the first cavity of the second bias cavity pair. The power supply board is fixed to each mounting surface section by means of riveting and / or bonding.

5. The phase shifter assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, A dielectric layer is provided between the ground plane and the bias cavity pair in the power supply section, by means of which the coupling between the ground plane and the bias cavity pair in the power supply section is changed such that the resonance caused by the coupling is at least partially shifted out of the predetermined operating frequency range.

6. A feed board for feeding a radiating element, comprising: The mounting section is configured for mounting onto the mounting surface of the phase shifter assembly, and The feed section is configured to extend across the first and second hollow channels of a bias cavity pair of the phase shifter assembly and establish a feed connection with the transmission lines within the bias cavity pair. The grounding area of ​​the power supply section includes a grounded metal region and further includes: At least one metal removal feature, within which a metal coating is removed; and / or At least one metal extension feature extending from the grounded metal region, having a metal cladding attached to the grounded metal region within the metal extension feature.

7. The power supply board according to claim 6, characterized in that, The grounding surface of the power supply section includes: Two opposing first metal removal features, separated by a grounded metal region; and / or Two opposing second metal removal features are separated by a grounded metal region; Preferably, A first slot is provided between the two first metal removal features through which the connection end of the transmission line within the bias cavity extends; and / or A second slot is provided between the two second metal removal features for the connection end of the transmission line inside the bias cavity to extend through; Preferably, the metal extension feature extends longitudinally from the grounded metal region; Preferably, the ground plane of the power supply section includes: Two opposing first metal extension features are respectively connected to opposite sides of the grounded metal region; and / or Two opposing second metal extension features are respectively connected to opposite sides of the grounded metal region; Preferably, the grounded metal region has a substantially rectangular shape, and the metal extension feature forms an elongated metal strip or a rectangular metal strip; Preferably, the power supply board includes: The first feed section is configured to extend across the first hollow channel and the second hollow channel of the first bias cavity pair; and The second power supply section is configured to extend across the first hollow channel and the second hollow channel of the second bias cavity pair. Preferably, the first power supply section extends horizontally from the first side of the mounting section, crossing the first hollow channel and the second hollow channel of the first bias cavity pair, and the second power supply section extends horizontally from the second side of the mounting section, crossing the first hollow channel and the second hollow channel of the second bias cavity pair.

8. A cavity phase shifter, comprising: Mounting surface for mounting the power supply board; A biased cavity pair, comprising a first cavity and a second cavity, the first cavity and the second cavity being arranged side by side and separated by a common partition wall, wherein a first transmission line is installed in the first cavity and a second transmission line is installed in the second cavity. The first cavity has a first hollow channel protruding forward from the mounting surface, and the second cavity has a second hollow channel protruding forward from the mounting surface. A transition surface is formed between the first hollow channel and the second hollow channel, and the ground plane of the power supply section faces the transition surface. In the area traversed by the power supply section, at least a portion of not only the first hollow channel section and the second hollow channel section, but also the transition surface section between them is removed.

9. The cavity phase shifter according to claim 8, characterized in that, By removing the first hollow channel section, the second hollow channel section, and the transition surface section in between, a continuous window is formed in the area traversed by the power supply section, the window exposing the bias cavity to the first transmission line, the second transmission line, and the common partition wall inside.

10. Base station antenna, including: Phase shifter assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9; and An array of radiating elements mounted on the mounting surface of a phase shifter assembly; Preferably, the base station antenna includes a plurality of phase shifter assemblies, which are fixed to and connected together via corresponding mounting surfaces, wherein the mounting surfaces of the plurality of phase shifter assemblies that are fixed to and connected together form a reflector for a radiating element array. Preferably, the base station antenna includes a reflector, and the phase shifter assembly is mounted on the reflector via its mounting surface.

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