An antenna and electronic device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an antenna and an electronic device, and belongs to the technical field of communication. The antenna of the present disclosure comprises a reflecting plate and at least one radiating unit arranged on the reflecting plate; the radiating unit further comprises four loading pieces arranged one by one with the radiating parts; for the corresponding arranged loading pieces and radiating parts, the loading pieces and the radiating parts overlap in the orthographic projection part of the reflecting plate; the area defined by the four radiating parts in the radiating unit on the reflecting plate is located within the area defined by the four loading pieces on the reflecting plate. By adding corresponding loading pieces below the four radiating parts in the radiating unit, each loading piece can be coupled with the corresponding radiating part, so that the performance of the antenna is not excessively affected after reducing the height of the vibrator section, the structural stability of the antenna is increased, the use of supporting materials is reduced, and the cost of the antenna is reduced.

Description

An antenna and electronic device Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure belongs to the field of communication technology, specifically relating to an antenna and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, the height of the vibrator in a base station antenna is frequency-dependent, approximately λ / 4. For example, the height of a low-frequency vibrator covering the 690-960MHz band is typically 80-90mm, while the height of a high-frequency vibrator covering the 1710-1830MHz band is typically 30-35mm. Therefore, the lower the frequency of the vibrator, the taller it is, the less stable the structure, the higher the requirements for the support structure design, and the higher the cost. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and to provide an antenna and electronic device.

[0004] This disclosure provides an antenna including a reflector and at least one radiating element disposed on the reflector. The radiating element includes a first balun assembly and a second balun assembly arranged in a cross configuration, and four radiating portions. The first balun assembly and the second balun assembly are mounted on the reflector. Two of the four radiating portions are mounted on the end of the first balun assembly facing away from the reflector, and the other two are mounted on the end of the second balun assembly facing away from the reflector.

[0005] The radiation unit further includes four loading plates that are arranged one-to-one with the radiating part; for the corresponding loading plates and the radiating part, the loading plates and the radiating part overlap in the orthographic projection portion of the reflector; the area defined by the four radiating parts in the radiation unit on the reflector is located within the area defined by the four loading plates on the reflector.

[0006] Each of the radiating portions includes a first apex and a second apex that are arranged opposite to each other. The first apex of the two radiating portions mounted on the first balun assembly in the radiating unit are opposite to each other, and the first apex of the two radiating portions mounted on the second balun assembly are opposite to each other. The orthographic projection of the loading sheet on the reflector covers the orthographic projection of the second apex of the corresponding radiating portion on the reflector, and there is no overlap between the orthographic projection of the first apex of the radiating portion on the reflector.

[0007] Wherein, the midpoint of the diagonal of the first vertex and the second vertex is the first midpoint, and the line connecting the vertex of the second vertex to the first midpoint is the first line segment; the center of the orthographic projection of the loading piece on the reflector is located on the orthographic projection of the first line segment of the corresponding radiating part on the reflector.

[0008] Specifically, for the adjacent radiating portions and the loading plates corresponding to the radiating portions; the spacing between the radiating portions is a first spacing, and the spacing between the loading plates is a second spacing; the first spacing is less than the second spacing.

[0009] Among them, any two adjacent loading pieces are rotationally symmetrical.

[0010] The loading plate includes a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, as well as multiple connecting edges. The first side and the second side are connected to form a third apex, and the third side and the fourth side are connected to form a fourth apex. At least one connecting edge connects the first side and the third side, and at least one connecting edge connects the second side and the fourth side. The third apex and the fourth apex are arranged opposite to each other, and the third apex of the loading plate overlaps with the orthographic projection of the radiating part on the reflector, while the fourth apex of the loading plate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the radiating part on the reflector.

[0011] The loading plate includes four sequentially connected sides, namely a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side; the first side and the second side are connected to form a third apex, and the third side and the fourth side are connected to form a fourth apex; the third apex and the fourth apex are arranged opposite to each other, and the third apex of the loading plate overlaps with the orthographic projection of the radiating part on the reflector plate, while the fourth apex of the loading plate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the radiating part on the reflector plate.

[0012] At least one of the four sides includes multiple sequentially connected line segments, and at least some of the line segments extend in different directions.

[0013] This includes the sides of multiple line segments connected in sequence, some of which extend along a first direction and some along a second direction, and the multiple line segments are connected in sequence to form a concave shape.

[0014] The radiating unit further includes a metasurface structure located on the side of the layer where the radiating part is located away from the reflector; the metasurface structure at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the radiating part on the reflector.

[0015] The metasurface structure comprises multiple metasurface units arranged in an array; the region defined by the orthographic projection of the four radiating parts onto the reflector is located within the region defined by the orthographic projection of the metasurface structure onto the reflector.

[0016] The array consists of multiple metasurface units arranged in an array, with a period between 0.05λ and 0.3λ. The side length of the patch electrode in each metasurface unit is between 0.5 and 0.9 times the period of the array, where λ is the wavelength corresponding to the operating frequency of the antenna.

[0017] The antenna includes multiple sets of radiating elements arranged side by side along a first direction, with each set containing multiple radiating elements, and arranged side by side along a second direction.

[0018] The metasurface structure includes multiple metasurface units; the multiple metasurface units are divided into multiple first metasurface unit groups arranged side by side along a first direction, and multiple second metasurface unit groups arranged side by side along a second direction; the multiple metasurface units in the first metasurface unit groups are arranged side by side along the second direction; the multiple metasurface units in the second metasurface unit groups are arranged side by side along the first direction.

[0019] For any metasurface structure, the number of metasurface units in the first metasurface unit group closest to its adjacent metasurface structure in the first direction is less than the number of metasurface units in other first metasurface unit groups; and / or,

[0020] For any metasurface structure, the number of metasurface units in the second metasurface unit group closest to the metasurface structure adjacent to it in the second direction is less than the number of metasurface units in other second metasurface unit groups.

[0021] The metasurface structure includes multiple metasurface units; when each of the radiating parts includes a first apex and a second apex that are arranged opposite each other, and the first apex of the two radiating parts mounted on the first balun assembly are opposite each other, and the first apex of the two radiating parts mounted on the second balun assembly are opposite each other, one second apex and the orthographic projection of one metasurface unit on the first dielectric substrate at least partially overlap.

[0022] The antenna includes two sets of radiating elements arranged side by side along a first direction, each set containing multiple radiating elements, and arranged side by side along a second direction.

[0023] For two adjacent radiating units arranged along the first direction, the metasurface structures therein are arranged in a mirror-symmetric manner.

[0024] The metasurface structure is attached to the side of the layer containing the four radiating parts that is away from the reflector.

[0025] The loading plate is fixedly connected to the reflector via a support assembly.

[0026] Specifically, for the corresponding loading plate and the radiating part, the distance between the radiating part and the loading plate is between 0.01λ and 0.06λ, where λ is the wavelength corresponding to the operating frequency of the antenna.

[0027] This disclosure provides an electronic device, which includes an antenna array as described above. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 is a front view of a radiating unit and a reflector fixed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 2 is a top view of an antenna according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0030] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional structure diagram of an antenna according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0031] Figure 4 is a top view of another antenna according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0032] Figure 5 is a top view of another antenna according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0033] Figure 6 is a top view of a loading sheet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of one side of a loading sheet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 8 is a top view of a loading sheet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of one side of another loading sheet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of two sides of another loading sheet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 11 is a front view of another embodiment of the present disclosure where the radiating unit and the reflector are fixed.

[0039] Figure 12 is a front view of a support component according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0040] Figure 13 is a top view of a support component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 14 is a front view of another embodiment of the present disclosure where the radiating unit and the reflector are fixed.

[0042] Figure 15 is a front view of a radiation unit including a metasurface structure and a reflector fixed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 16 is a standing wave simulation diagram of an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0044] Figure 17 is a vertical radiation pattern of an antenna according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0045] Figure 18 is a horizontal radiation pattern of an antenna according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0046] Figure 19 is a top view of an antenna including a metasurface structure according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0047] Figure 20 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an antenna including a metasurface structure according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0048] Figure 21 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of another antenna according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0049] Figure 22 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of another antenna according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0050] Figure 23 is a top view of the metasurface structure and reflector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] Figure 24 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of another antenna according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0052] Figure 25 is a top view of another antenna according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0053] Figure 26 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of another antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] Figure 27 is a top view of another antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 28 is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention, showing a radiating element including an antenna radome and a fixed reflector.

[0056] Figure 29 is a cross-sectional view of a metasurface unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Figure 30 is a top view of a metasurface unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] Figure 31 is a cross-sectional view of the first balun component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] Figure 32 is a front view of one side of the first balun component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] Figure 33 is a front view of the other side of the first balun component according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0061] Figure 34 is a cross-sectional view of the second balun component according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0062] Figure 35 is a front view of one side of the second balun component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] Figure 36 is a front view of another side of the second balun assembly according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0064] Figure 37 is a top view of the reflector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] Figure 38 is a top view of the radiation unit according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0066] Figure 39 is a top view of the radiating part and the loading plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0067] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0068] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms “an,” “a,” or “the,” and similar terms do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms “including,” “comprising,” or “containing,” and similar terms mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms “connected,” “linked,” or similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. The terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” and “right,” etc., are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, and these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described objects changes.

[0069] To increase the structural stability of the antenna, the height of the oscillator profile can be reduced, that is, the distance between the radiating part and the reflector in the radiating element of the oscillator can be reduced, especially for low-frequency oscillators. However, for the oscillator, reducing the distance between the radiating part and the reflector in the radiating element will lead to a deterioration of the standing wave ratio and a reduction in gain at each frequency, resulting in a serious deterioration in the antenna performance. Therefore, it is necessary to design an antenna that can reduce the oscillator profile without affecting the antenna performance.

[0070] Referring to Figures 1 to 4, this disclosure provides an antenna comprising a reflector 1 and at least one radiating element disposed on the reflector 1. The radiating element includes a first balun assembly 4 and a second balun assembly 5 arranged in a cross configuration, and four radiating portions 2. The first balun assembly 4 and the second balun assembly 5 are mounted on the reflector 1. Two of the four radiating portions 2 are mounted on the end of the first balun assembly 4 facing away from the reflector 1, and the other two are mounted on the end of the second balun assembly 5 facing away from the reflector 1. The radiating element also includes four loading plates 3 corresponding one-to-one with the radiating portions 2. The orthographic projections of the loading plates 3 and the radiating portions 2 on the reflector 1 overlap. The area defined by the four radiating portions 2 on the reflector 1 is referred to as a first defined area 21, and the area defined by the four loading plates 3 on the reflector 1 is referred to as a second defined area 31. The first defined area 21 is located within the second defined area 31. The orthographic projection of a single loading plate 3 on the reflector 1 is defined herein as the first projection, and the orthographic projection of a single radiating portion 2 on the reflector 1 is defined herein as the second projection. The first projection of the loading piece 3 overlaps only with the second projection of the corresponding radiating part 2, and the first projection does not overlap with multiple second projections.

[0071] As shown in Figure 39, the radiation unit includes four radiation parts 2: a first radiation part 2a, a second radiation part 2b, a third radiation part 2c, and a fourth radiation part 2d, as well as a first loading plate 3a, a second loading plate 3b, a third loading plate 3c, and a fourth loading plate 3d, which are respectively corresponding to the radiation parts 2.

[0072] Referring to Figure 4, the area that can be enclosed by connecting the apex angles of the orthographic projections of the four loading plates 3 onto the reflector plate 1 is called the area defined by the four loading plates 3 on the reflector plate 1, which is also the second defined area 31. Similarly, the area that can be enclosed by connecting the apex angles of the orthographic projections of the four radiating parts 2 in a radiating element onto the reflector plate 1 is called the area defined by the four radiating parts 2 on the reflector plate 1, which is also the first defined area 21. It can be seen that the first defined area 21 defined by the four radiating parts 2 in the radiating element on the reflector plate 1 is smaller than the second defined area 31 defined by the four loading plates 3 on the reflector plate 1. The first defined area 21 is located within the second defined area 31. At the same time, when the orthographic projections of the loading plates 3 and the radiating parts 2 on the reflector plate 1 partially overlap, part of the structure of the four loading plates 3 will be located outside the corresponding radiating parts 2. In this state, the loading plates 3 can effectively couple with the corresponding radiating parts 2, effectively improving the antenna standing wave.

[0073] By adding corresponding loading plates 3 below the four radiating parts 2 in the radiating element, each loading plate 3 can be coupled to the corresponding radiating part 2, thereby effectively improving the antenna standing wave ratio (SWR) and increasing the gain at each frequency point. This compensates for the deterioration of the SWR caused by the reduced spacing between the radiating part 2 and the reflector 1 in the radiating element, without affecting the bandwidth of the antenna's wideband SWR. This makes it possible to reduce the height of the vibrator profile without excessively affecting the antenna performance, thereby increasing the structural stability of the antenna. Compared with existing technologies, it also reduces the support structure required to ensure the structural stability of the antenna, thus reducing the cost of the antenna.

[0074] For example, a base station antenna uses a 700MHz / 900MHz frequency band unit design, requiring coverage of the 703-803MHz and 885-960MHz frequency bands. The distance between the side of the radiating part 2 near the reflector 1 and the side of the reflector 1 near the radiating part 2 is 80mm. At this time, the standing wave ratio (VSWR) of the antenna unit is <1.44, the gain at the 703 / 803 / 885 / 960MHz frequency points is 8.11dBi / 8.16dBi / 8.29dBi / 8.46dBi, the vertical plane (XOZ plane) wavelength is 72° / 70° / 68° / 67°, and the horizontal plane (YOZ plane) wavelength is 77° / 75° / 73° / 72°. After lowering the height of the radiator 2, the distance between it and the reflector 1 becomes 60mm. At this time, the antenna's standing wave ratio (VSWR) deteriorates (VSWR < 2.06), and the gain at the 703MHz frequency point decreases (by 0.15dB). After symmetrically adding four loading plates 3 below each radiator 2, the VSWR is improved to VSWR < 1.81, and the gain at 703MHz / 803MHz / 885MHz / 960MHz is increased to 8.42dBi / 8.42dBi / 8.83dBi / 9.27dBi, which is an improvement of 0.31dB / 0.26dB / 0.54dB / 0.81dB compared to the original gain. The vertical plane wavelength is 69° / 65° / 62° / 60°, and the horizontal plane wavelength is 74° / 70° / 67° / 65°, which is a change of 3° to 7° compared to the original wavelength.

[0075] For the corresponding loading plate 3 and radiating part 2, a third spacing is provided between the radiating part 2 and the loading plate 3. The third spacing is between 0.01λ and 0.06λ, where λ is the wavelength corresponding to the operating frequency of the antenna, that is, the wavelength of the standing wave of the antenna. When the antenna includes multiple radiating elements and the radiating elements are distributed in an array, in order to reduce the coupling between the radiating elements, the third spacing between the corresponding radiating part 2 and the loading plate 3 can be between 0.01λ and 0.04λ. When the third spacing between the radiating part 2 and the loading plate 3 is 0.01λ, it corresponds to the minimum coupling between adjacent radiating elements. When the radiating elements are distributed in a non-array state, or when only a single radiating element is included, the third spacing between the radiating part 2 and the loading plate 3 can be between 0.04λ and 0.06λ.

[0076] In this embodiment of the disclosure, referring to FIG4, the radiating part 2 can be a polygon, such as a quadrilateral, hexagon, octagon, etc. FIG4 only shows a quadrilateral radiating part 2 as an example. The radiating part includes four sides, namely a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side; the first side and the second side are connected to form a first vertex, and the third side and the fourth side are connected to form a second vertex.

[0077] Furthermore, the first apex 23 of the two radiating parts 2 installed on the first balun assembly 4 in the radiating unit are opposite each other, and the first apex 23 of the two radiating parts 2 installed on the second balun assembly 5 are opposite each other; the orthographic projection of the loading plate 3 on the reflector plate 1 covers the orthographic projection of the second apex 22 of the corresponding radiating part 2 on the reflector plate 1, and does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the first apex 23 of the radiating part 2 on the reflector plate 1.

[0078] The loading plate 3 can be positioned below the second apex 22, which is furthest from the corresponding balun assembly, of the four radiating sections 2. The first apex 23 and the second apex 22 are located on the same diagonal line. For two radiating sections 2 mounted on the same balun assembly, the first apex 23s of the two radiating sections 2 will be positioned opposite each other. The two radiating sections 2 are symmetrical about the corresponding balun assembly, so the second apex 22 is located on the outermost side of the radiating section 2, that is, the corner furthest from the center of the first defined region 21. At the same time, in order to ensure the coupling effect of the loading plate 3, the orthographic projection of the loading plate 3 on the reflector 1 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the first apex 23 on the reflector 1. The first projection of the loading plate 3 may not be symmetrical about the diagonal axis of the first apex 23 and the second apex 22 of the radiating section 2, and the position of the loading plate 3 relative to the radiating section 2 can be offset to one side.

[0079] In the embodiments of this disclosure, referring to FIG5, the midpoint of the diagonal line between the first vertices 23 and 22 is the first midpoint 24, and the line connecting the vertex of the second vertices 22 to the first midpoint 24 is the first line segment 25; the center of the orthographic projection of the loading piece 3 on the reflector 1 is located on the orthographic projection of the first line segment 25 of the corresponding radiating part 2 on the reflector 1. In order to obtain the best coupling effect, the center of the first projection of the loading piece 3 is limited to the line connecting the vertex of the second vertices 22 to the first midpoint 24. The center of the first projection can overlap with both ends of the first line segment 25, but when the center of the first projection overlaps with the first midpoint 24, the projection of the first vertices 23 on the reflector 1 still does not overlap with the first projection.

[0080] In the embodiments of this disclosure, for adjacent radiating portions 2 and corresponding loading pieces 3, the spacing between the radiating portions 2 is a first spacing, and the spacing between the loading pieces 3 is a second spacing; the first spacing is smaller than the second spacing. The spacing between the loading pieces 3 is greater than the spacing between the radiating portions 2, which avoids coupling between the loading pieces 3 and provides a better coupling effect.

[0081] In this embodiment, any two adjacent loading plates 3 can be rotate symmetrical. Similarly, the loading plates 3 in the aforementioned embodiments can also be rotate symmetrical. When the radiation unit includes four radiation parts 2, the rotational symmetry angle between the four loading plates 3 is 90°, and the rotation center can be the center of the second defined region 31.

[0082] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the loading piece 3 serves as a component that couples with the corresponding radiating part 2. Its shape can be varied, such as rectangular or other polygonal shapes. In order to reduce the weight of the antenna, the loading piece 3 can also be processed by chopping corners and / or chopping edges to remove redundant area. This further reduces the weight of the loading piece 3 without affecting the coupling effect, thus ensuring the lightweight design of the antenna.

[0083] In one specific case, the loading plate 3 may include a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, as well as multiple connecting edges; the first side and the second side are connected to form a third apex, and the third side and the fourth side are connected to form a fourth apex; at least one connecting edge is connected between the first side and the third side, and at least one connecting edge is connected between the second side and the fourth side; the third apex and the fourth apex are arranged opposite to each other, and the third apex of the loading plate 3 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the radiating part 2 on the reflector plate 1, while the fourth apex of the loading plate 3 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the radiating part 2 on the reflector plate 1.

[0084] For example, referring to Figures 6 and 21, the loading piece 3 can be specifically hexagonal, including a first side S1, a second side S2, a third side S3, and a fourth side S5, as well as a first connecting edge S5 and a second connecting edge S6. The first side S1 and the second side S2 are connected to form a third vertex, and the third side S3 and the fourth side S5 are connected to form a fourth vertex. Both the third and fourth vertexes are right angles. The first side S1 and the third side S3 are connected by the first connecting edge S5. The second side S2 and the fourth side S5 are connected by a second connecting edge S6. The angles between the first connecting edge S5 and the first side S1 and the third side S3 are both obtuse angles. The angles between the second connecting edge S6 and the second side S2 and the fourth side S5 are also obtuse angles. The third apex and the fourth apex are opposite to each other, and the third apex of the loading piece 3 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the radiating part 2 on the reflector plate 1, while the fourth apex of the loading piece 3 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the radiating part 2 on the reflector plate 1. This shape of the loading piece 3 can extend the current path and reduce the weight of the loading piece 3. In this example, as shown in Figures 6 and 21, the third and fourth apex angles are both right angles. However, in other embodiments, the third and fourth apex angles can also be acute or obtuse angles. Therefore, this is only an exemplary description. The angles of the third and fourth apex angles can be set according to the actual application and are not specifically limited here.

[0085] In another scenario, the loading plate 3 may include four sequentially connected sides, namely a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side; the first side and the second side are connected to form a third apex, and the third side and the fourth side are connected to form a fourth apex; the third apex and the fourth apex are arranged opposite to each other, and the third apex of the loading plate 3 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the radiating part 2 on the reflector plate 1, while the fourth apex of the loading plate 3 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the radiating part 2 on the reflector plate 1; at least one of the four sides includes multiple sequentially connected line segments, and at least some of the line segments extend in different directions.

[0086] It is understandable that a side may contain multiple line segments, some of which extend in different directions to form concave or convex shapes. For example, as shown in Figure 7, a side may contain three line segments extending in three directions: a first line segment S7, a second line segment S8, a third line segment S9, and a fourth line segment S10. The first and fourth line segments extend in the same direction, while the second and third line segments extend in different directions than the other line segments. On this side, the first, second, and third line segments S7, S8, S9, and S10 will form a triangular protrusion or concavity. In one implementation scenario, a concave shape may be chosen to reduce weight.

[0087] Specifically, as shown in Figures 8 and 22, the loading piece 3 may include the side of multiple sequentially connected line segments. Each side includes 5 line segments, namely the first line segment S11, the second line segment S12, the third line segment S13, the fourth line segment S14, and the fifth line segment S15. The first line segment S11, the third line segment S13, and the fifth line segment S15 extend along the first direction, and the second line segment S12 and the fourth line segment S14 extend along the second direction. The 5 line segments are connected sequentially to form a concave shape, so that each side of the loading piece 3 has a concave notch. The first direction and the second direction can be perpendicular. The angle between the second line segment S12 and the third line segment S13 and the angle between the third line segment S13 and the fourth line segment S14 are both 90°. This can also extend the current path and reduce the weight. Of course, in practical applications, the concave shape can be more complex. For example, as shown in Figure 9, one side may include 7 line segments, and the 7 line segments have 5 extension directions.

[0088] Meanwhile, a side may include more than one concave or convex area, and the number of concave or convex areas included on each side may also be different. The shape of each concave or convex area, as well as whether it is concave or convex, may be different and can be set according to actual application requirements. As shown in Figure 10, the first side S16 includes a U-shaped concave area and a triangular concave area, while the second side S17 includes a U-shaped concave area.

[0089] Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, the loading piece 3 can be fixedly connected to the reflector 1 via the support assembly 7. The support assembly 7 can be a connecting post 71, with one end of the connecting post 71 fixedly connected to the reflector 1 and the other end fixedly connected to the loading piece 3. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the support assembly 7 can also include a slot 72 and a connecting post 71. The radiation unit can also include a first dielectric substrate corresponding to each loading piece 3. The first dielectric substrate is disposed between the radiation part 2 and the reflector 1. The loading piece 3 is disposed on the side of the first dielectric substrate near the radiation part 2. The loading piece 3 can be a metal film deposited on the first dielectric substrate. The slot 72 is an integrally formed plastic support slot. A slot 721 corresponding to the loading piece 3 is opened on one side of the slot 72 for inserting the loading piece 3. One end of the connecting post 71 is fixedly connected to the slot 72, and the other end of the connecting post 71 is a ring for engaging and fixing with the first balun assembly 4 and the second balun assembly 5. Referring to Figure 14, the support assembly 7 can also be fixedly connected at one end to the side of the radiating part 2 near the reflector 1, and at the other end to the loading piece 3, so that the loading piece 3 is fixedly connected by suspension. The support assembly 7 can be made of plastic.

[0090] Based on any of the aforementioned embodiments, to further improve the antenna standing wave ratio (SWR), as shown in Figure 15, the radiating element further includes a metasurface structure 6 located on the side of the layer containing the radiating part 2 away from the reflector 1; the metasurface structure 6 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the radiating part 2 onto the reflector 1. Utilizing the metasurface's ability to modulate and deflect electromagnetic waves, the addition of the metasurface transforms the lateral electromagnetic waves emitted from the radiating part 2 into waves propagating along the normal direction of the radiating part 2, further improving the antenna's SWR and gain at each frequency. The metasurface structure 6 can be added independently to improve the antenna's SWR and gain at each frequency, or it can be added after the aforementioned addition of the loading plate 3 and reduction of the distance between the radiating part 2 and the reflector 1, thereby ensuring that the overall performance of the antenna is close to, or even better than, the performance of the original antenna.

[0091] For example, an antenna has a VSWR < 1.44, with gains of 8.11 dBi / 8.16 dBi / 8.29 dBi / 8.46 dBi at frequencies of 703 MHz / 803 MHz / 885 MHz / 960 MHz, and pulse widths of 72° / 70° / 68° / 67° in the vertical plane (XOZ) and 77° / 75° / 73° / 72° in the horizontal plane (YOZ). Reducing the height of the radiator 2, making the distance between it and the reflector 1 60 mm, worsens the antenna's VSWR (VSWR < 2.06) and decreases the gain at the 703 MHz frequency (by 0.15 dB). After symmetrically adding four loading plates 3 below each radiating section 2, the standing wave ratio (VSWR) can be improved to VSWR < 1.81, and the gain at 703MHz / 803MHz / 885MHz / 960MHz is increased to 8.42dBi / 8.42dBi / 8.83dBi / 9.27dBi, compared to the original gain, which is 0.31dB / 0.26dB / 0.54dB / 0.81dB. The vertical plane wavelength is 69° / 65° / 62° / 60°, and the horizontal plane wavelength is 74° / 70° / 67° / 65°, with a change in wavelength of 3° to 7° compared to the original. This is achieved by placing the radiating section 2 on a layer away from the reflector 1. After adding a metasurface, the simulation results of the antenna are shown in Figures 16 to 18. At this time, the antenna's standing wave ratio (VSWR) is further improved to VSWR < 1.46, and the gain at 703MHz / 803MHz / 885MHz / 960MHz is further increased to 8.56dBi / 8.8dBi / 9.14dBi / 9.49dBi, which is 0.45dB / 0.64dB / 0.85dB / 1.03dB compared to the original gain. The vertical plane wavelength is 69° / 65° / 62° / 60°, and the horizontal plane wavelength is 73° / 69° / 66° / 63°, which is 3° to 9° different from the original wavelength.

[0092] In one embodiment, when a corresponding metasurface structure 6 is provided for a single radiating unit, the center of the metasurface structure 6 on the reflector plate 1 can overlap with the center of the first defined region 21 of the radiating part 2, and the orthosurface structure 6 on the reflector plate 1 covers the first defined region 21 of the radiating part 2, thereby playing a better role in deflecting and modulating the electromagnetic waves emitted by the radiating part 2.

[0093] The metasurface structure 6 can include various shapes. It can be a single plane or composed of multiple metasurface units arranged in an array. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 19 and 20, the metasurface structure 6 includes multiple metasurface units 61 arranged in an array. The area defined by the orthographic projection of the four radiating parts 2 onto the reflector plate 1 is the first defined area 21, located within the area defined by the orthographic projection of the metasurface structure 6 onto the reflector plate 1. Here, the area defined by the orthographic projection of the metasurface structure 6 onto the reflector plate 1 is defined as the third defined area 62. Similarly, the area that can be enclosed by connecting the sides or corners of the orthographic projections of the multiple arrayed metasurface units 61 onto the reflector plate 1 is the third defined area 62. When the metasurface unit 61 includes a third dielectric substrate 611 as shown in Figures 28 and 29, and patch electrodes 612 disposed on the third dielectric substrate 611, the third defined region can specifically be the region of the largest area that can be enclosed by connecting the sides or corners of the orthographic projection of each patch electrode 612 on the reflector plate 1 in the array of metasurface units 61, as shown in Figures 19, 23, 25 and 27.

[0094] An antenna may include multiple radiating elements. The electromagnetic waves radiated by the radiating parts 2 in the multiple radiating elements can be superimposed to each other, thereby improving the performance of the antenna. At this time, each radiating element is provided with a corresponding metasurface structure 6. If the spacing between multiple radiating elements is close, and the metasurface structure 6 is set for multiple radiating elements in the same way as setting a single radiating element that does not form an array, it is easy to cause mutual coupling and interference between the metasurface structures 6. Therefore, when setting metasurface structures 6 for multiple radiating elements, a separate arrangement method can be adopted. Referring to Figure 23, the antenna includes multiple groups of radiating elements arranged side-by-side along a first direction, each group containing multiple radiating elements, and arranged side-by-side along a second direction; the metasurface structure 6 includes multiple metasurface elements 61; the multiple metasurface elements 61 are divided into multiple first metasurface element groups 62 arranged side-by-side along the first direction, and multiple second metasurface element groups 63 arranged side-by-side along the second direction; the multiple metasurface elements 61 in the first metasurface element group 62 are arranged side-by-side along the second direction; the multiple metasurface elements 61 in the second metasurface element group 63 are arranged side-by-side along the first direction; for any metasurface structure 6, the number of metasurface elements 61 in the first metasurface element group 62 closest to the metasurface structure 6 adjacent to it in the first direction is less than the number of metasurface elements 61 in other first metasurface element groups 62; and / or, for any metasurface structure 6, the number of metasurface elements 61 in the second metasurface element group 63 closest to the metasurface structure 6 adjacent to it in the second direction is less than the number of metasurface elements 61 in other second metasurface element groups 63.

[0095] Referring to Figure 23, the figure includes six metasurface structures 6 corresponding to radiating units. By default, both the first metasurface unit group 62 and the second metasurface unit group 63 include five metasurface units 61, namely, the first metasurface structure 64, the second metasurface structure 65, the third metasurface structure 66, the fourth metasurface structure 67, the fifth metasurface structure 68, and the sixth metasurface structure 69. Each of the first metasurface structure 64, the second metasurface structure 65, the fifth metasurface structure 68, and the sixth metasurface structure 69 has one group of metasurface units 61 adjacent to other metasurface structures 6 in the first and second directions, respectively. The first metasurface unit group 62 closest to the metasurface structure 6 adjacent in the first direction... The number of metasurface units 61 in a given metasurface unit group 62 is less than the number of metasurface units 61 in other first metasurface unit groups 62. Similarly, the number of metasurface units 61 in the second metasurface unit group 63 closest to the metasurface structure 6 adjacent to it in the second direction is less than the number of metasurface units 61 in other second metasurface unit groups 63. Likewise, if the third metasurface structure 66 and the fourth metasurface structure 67 have one group of metasurface units 61 adjacent to each other in the first direction and two groups of metasurface units 61 adjacent to other metasurface structures 6 in the second direction, then the number of metasurface units 61 in these groups is less than the number of other metasurface unit groups 61, i.e., less than 5 metasurface units 61, and can include 0 to 4 metasurface units 61. Reducing the number of metasurface units 61 in the groups of metasurface units 61 between adjacent metasurface structures 6 can effectively reduce interference between adjacent metasurface structures 6.

[0096] Furthermore, in order to maintain symmetry, each group of metasurface units 61 adjacent to other metasurface structures 6 includes the same number of metasurface units 61. For example, as shown in Figures 24 and 25, each group of metasurface units 61 adjacent to other metasurface structures 6 includes only 2 metasurface units 61.

[0097] It is understandable that the first metasurface unit group 62 intersects with the second metasurface unit group 63, and there are overlapping metasurface units 61.

[0098] Furthermore, referring to Figures 24 and 25, the metasurface structure 6 includes a plurality of metasurface units 61; when each of the radiating portions 2 includes a first apex 23 and a second apex 22 arranged opposite to each other, and the first apex 23 of the two radiating portions 2 mounted on the first balun assembly 4 in the radiating unit are opposite to each other, and the first apex 23 of the two radiating portions 2 mounted on the second balun assembly 5 are opposite to each other, a second apex 22 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of a metasurface unit 61 on the first dielectric substrate.

[0099] Specifically, the group of metasurface units 61 adjacent to other metasurface structures 6 must include at least one metasurface unit 61 corresponding to the second apex 22. In Figures 24 and 25, the radiating unit includes four radiating parts 2. The second apex 22 of each radiating part 2 must correspond to a corresponding metasurface unit. Therefore, the group of metasurface units 61 adjacent to the metasurface structure 6 must include at least two metasurface units 61 corresponding to the second apex 22. For example, the group of metasurface units 61 includes 5 metasurface units 61 by default. The group of metasurface units 61 adjacent to other metasurface structures 6 includes 2 to 4 metasurface units 61, of which at least 2 are metasurface units 61 corresponding to the second apex 22.

[0100] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 24 and 25, the antenna includes two sets of radiating elements arranged side-by-side along a first direction, each set containing multiple radiating elements, and arranged side-by-side along a second direction; for two adjacent radiating elements arranged along the first direction, the metasurface structures 6 are mirror-symmetrically arranged. In scenarios where multiple rows of radiating elements are arranged side-by-side, the metasurface structures 6 corresponding to the two rows of radiating elements are mirror-symmetrically arranged.

[0101] As shown in Figures 26 and 27, each metasurface unit 61 can be annular, further reducing material cost and weight.

[0102] The metasurface structure 6 can be attached to the side of the layer containing the four radiating parts 2 away from the reflector 1. Referring to Figure 3, the radiating unit can also include a second dielectric substrate 8, which is disposed on the side of the four radiating parts 2 away from the reflector 1. The metasurface structure 6 is disposed on the side of the second dielectric substrate 8 close to the four radiating parts 2, and a fourth spacing is provided between the second dielectric substrate 8 and the four radiating parts 2. In one embodiment, referring to Figure 28, the antenna can also include an radome 9, with each radiating unit and each reflector 1 inside the radome 9. Referring to Figures 19, 23, 25, 27, 29, and 30, the metasurface unit 61 in the metasurface structure 6 includes a third dielectric substrate 611 and a patch electrode 612 disposed on the third dielectric substrate 611. In one example, the radome 9 can be used as the third dielectric substrate 611, and the patch electrode 612 is directly disposed on the surface of the radome 9. The patch electrode 612 can be disposed on the side of the radome 9 close to the radiating unit, or it can be disposed on the side of the radome 9 away from the radiating unit.

[0103] In any of the above embodiments, the metasurface structure 6 can be a rectangular array of multiple metasurface units 61, with the period of the array being between 0.05λ and 0.3λ. The side length of the patch electrode 612 in each metasurface unit 61 is between 0.5 and 0.9 times the period of the array, where λ is the wavelength corresponding to the operating frequency of the antenna.

[0104] Referring to Figures 31 to 38, the first balun assembly 44 of this embodiment includes a first substrate 41, a first balun feed line 42 disposed on the first substrate 41, and a first reference electrode 43 disposed on the side of the first substrate 41 opposite to the first balun feed line 42. The second balun assembly 55 includes a second substrate 51, a second balun feed line 52 disposed on the second substrate 51, and a second reference electrode 53 disposed on the side of the second substrate 51 opposite to the second balun feed line 52. The first substrate 41 and the second substrate 51 are intersected, and the planes containing the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 51 both form an angle with the plane containing the reflector 1. For example, the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 51 are orthogonally arranged, and the plane containing the first substrate 41 is perpendicular to the plane containing the reflector 1, and the plane containing the second substrate 51 is perpendicular to the plane containing the reflector 1.

[0105] Furthermore, the planes containing the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 51 have a certain angle, for example, the angle between the planes containing the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 51 is 90°, that is, the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 51 are orthogonally arranged. The planes containing the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 51 also have a certain angle relative to the plane containing the reflector 1, for example, the plane containing the first substrate 41 is perpendicular to the plane containing the reflector 1, and correspondingly, the plane containing the second substrate 51 is also perpendicular to the plane containing the reflector 1. In this embodiment of the disclosure, only the example of the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 51 being orthogonally arranged, and both of their planes being perpendicular to the plane containing the reflector 1, is used.

[0106] Referring again to Figures 31, 32, 34, and 35, the first substrate 41 has a first opening extending along the thickness direction of the reflector 1, and the second substrate 51 has a second opening extending along the thickness direction of the reflector 1. The first substrate 41 is fixed to the second substrate 51 through the first opening, and the second substrate 51 is fixed to the first substrate 41 through the second opening, so that the two are orthogonally arranged. Since the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 51 are orthogonal, the second substrate 51 divides the first substrate 41 into a first sub-plate 411 and a second sub-plate 412, and the first substrate 41 divides the second substrate 51 into a third sub-plate 511 and a fourth sub-plate 512. The portion of the first reference electrode 43 located on the first sub-plate 411 is called the first sub-reference electrode 431, and the portion of the first reference electrode 43 on the second sub-plate 412 is called the second sub-reference electrode 432; the portion of the second reference electrode 53 located on the third sub-plate 511 is called the third sub-reference electrode 531, and the portion of the second reference electrode 53 on the fourth sub-plate 512 is called the fourth sub-reference electrode 532.

[0107] Since the first balun assembly 44 and the second balun assembly 55 are fixed to the reflector 1 and the four radiating parts 2 at their respective ends, a first connecting part 44 and a second connecting part 45 can be provided at both ends of the first sub-plate 411 along the thickness direction of the reflector 1, a third connecting part 46 and a fourth connecting part 47 can be provided at both ends of the second sub-plate 412 along the thickness direction of the reflector 1, a fifth connecting part 54 and a sixth connecting part 55 can be provided at both ends of the third sub-plate 511 along the thickness direction of the reflector 1, and a seventh connecting part 56 and an eighth connecting part 57 can be provided at both ends of the fourth sub-plate 512 along the thickness direction of the reflector 1. Correspondingly, four through holes can be provided on the reflector 1 corresponding to the first connecting part 44, the third connecting part 46, the fifth connecting part 54 and the seventh connecting part 56. The first connecting part 44, the third connecting part 46, the fifth connecting part 54 and the seventh connecting part 56 are fixed to the reflector 1 through the four through holes provided on the reflector 1 respectively. Similarly, four through holes corresponding to the second connecting part 45, the fourth connecting part 47, the sixth connecting part 55, and the eighth connecting part 57 can be provided on the four radiating parts 2. The second connecting part 45, the fourth connecting part 47, the sixth connecting part 55, and the eighth connecting part 57 are fixed to the four radiating parts 2 through the four through holes provided on the four radiating parts 2 respectively.

[0108] Furthermore, Figure 37 is a top view of the reflector 1 according to an embodiment of this disclosure; as shown in Figure 35, when a planar reference electrode is provided on the surface of the reflector 1 away from the four radiating portions 2, the first reference electrode 43 and the second reference electrode 53 can be connected to the planar reference electrode through the first through hole 11 and the second through hole 12 penetrating the reflector 1. That is, the four through holes of the reflector 1 include two first through holes 11 and two second through holes 12, wherein the two first through holes 11 are respectively provided corresponding to the first connecting portion 44 and the third connecting portion 46, and the two second through holes 12 are respectively provided corresponding to the fifth connecting portion 54 and the seventh connecting portion 56.

[0109] In some examples, FIG38 is a top view of four radiating portions 2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG38, the radiating unit includes a third substrate 20 and four radiating portions 2 disposed on the side of the third substrate 20 away from the reflector 1, namely a first radiating portion 2a, a second radiating portion 2b, a third radiating portion 2c, and a fourth radiating portion 2d. The first radiating portion 2a, the second radiating portion 2b, the third radiating portion 2c, and the fourth radiating portion 2d can be arranged in an array. The first radiating portion 2a is electrically connected to the first sub-reference electrode 431, the second radiating portion 2b is electrically connected to the second sub-reference electrode 432, the third radiating portion 2c is electrically connected to the third sub-reference electrode 531, and the fourth radiating portion 2d is electrically connected to the fourth sub-reference electrode 532. The aforementioned fourth dielectric substrate can be used as the third substrate 20 in this embodiment.

[0110] In this case, the four vias on the four radiating sections 2 are respectively a third via 26 penetrating the third substrate 20 and the first radiating section 2a, a fourth via 27 penetrating the third substrate 20 and the second radiating section 2b, a fifth via 28 penetrating the third substrate 20 and the third radiating section 2c, and a sixth via 29 penetrating the third substrate 20 and the fourth radiating section 2d. At this time, the first sub-reference electrode 431 is connected to the first radiating section 2a through the third via 26, and the two can be connected by welding. Similarly, the second sub-reference electrode 432 is connected to the second radiating section 2b through the fourth via 27, and the two can be connected by welding. The third sub-reference electrode 531 is connected to the third radiating section 2c through the fifth via 28, and the two can be connected by welding. The fourth sub-reference electrode 532 is connected to the fourth radiating section 2d through the sixth via 29, and the two can be connected by welding.

[0111] In some examples, a first radiating part 2a, a second radiating part 2b, a third radiating part 2c, and a fourth radiating part 2d are joined together to form a radiating surface. The first radiating part 2a, the second radiating part 2b, the third radiating part 2c, and the fourth radiating part 2d include, but are not limited to, polygons (e.g., squares, rectangles, hexagons), circles, etc.

[0112] This disclosure also provides some specific implementation scenarios, as shown in Figures 3, 16 to 28, as follows:

[0113] Referring to Figure 3, taking a 444 base station antenna with radiating elements designed for the 700MHz / 900MHz frequency band as an example, the antenna is required to cover the frequency bands 703MHz-803MHz and 885MHz-960MHz. In this case, the four radiating elements 2 are arranged in a grid pattern, each with a side length of 137mm. The side length of the fourth dielectric substrate on which the four radiating elements 2 are located is 150mm. The four radiating elements 2 are positioned on the side of the fourth dielectric substrate facing away from the reflector 1. The reflector 1 has dimensions of 295mm x 245mm. The distance from the bottom of the fourth dielectric substrate to the top of the reflector 1 is 80mm, and the distance from the bottom of the reflector 1 to the top of the radome 9 is 100mm. Simulations show that the antenna element has a VSWR of <1.44, gains of 8.11dBi / 8.16dBi / 8.29dBi / 8.46dBi at 703MHz / 803MHz / 885MHz / 960MHz, vertical (XOZ) bandwidth of 72° / 70° / 68° / 67°, and horizontal (YOZ) bandwidth of 77° / 75° / 73° / 72°.

[0114] The height of the radiator 2 is reduced so that the distance between its lower part and the upper part of the reflector 1 becomes 60mm, i.e., the height changes from the original 0.222λ to 0.167λ. The balun parameters are optimized accordingly as the height of the radiator 2 is reduced. At this time, the antenna's standing wave ratio deteriorates (VSWR < 2.06), and the gain at the 703 frequency point decreases (by 0.15dB). By symmetrically adding four square loading plates 3 below each radiating section 2, the standing wave ratio (VSWR) can be improved to VSWR < 1.81, and the gain at 703MHz / 803MHz / 885MHz / 960MHz is increased to 8.42dBi / 8.42dBi / 8.83dBi / 9.27dBi, which is 0.31dB / 0.26dB / 0.54dB / 0.81dB compared to the original gain. The vertical plane wavelength is 69° / 65° / 62° / 60°, and the horizontal plane wavelength is 74° / 70° / 67° / 65°, which is 3° to 7° compared to the original wavelength.

[0115] Based on four symmetrically loaded square loading pieces 3 below, a metasurface structure 6 is formed by depositing a periodic 5x5 square array of metal thin films on the lower surface of the radome 9, i.e., on the side closest to the radiating element, as shown in Figure 3. For example, the side length of the patch electrode 611 in the square metasurface unit 61 is 26 mm, the period is 34 mm, the height of the metasurface structure 6 from the radiating part 2 is 40 mm, the side length of the four square loading pieces 3 below the four radiating parts 2 is 75 mm, the period is 119 mm, the height of the loading pieces 3 from below the fourth dielectric substrate is 15 mm, and the height of the radome 9 from the reflector 1 is 105 mm. The simulated antenna performance is shown in Figures 16 to 18. The antenna's standing wave ratio (VSWR) is further improved to VSWR < 1.46, and the gain at 703MHz / 803MHz / 885MHz / 960MHz is further increased to 8.56dBi / 8.8dBi / 9.14dBi / 9.49dBi, which is 0.45dB / 0.64dB / 0.85dB / 1.03dB compared to the original gain. The vertical plane wavelength is 69° / 65° / 62° / 60°, and the horizontal plane wavelength is 73° / 69° / 66° / 63°, which is 3° to 9° different from the original wavelength.

[0116] In practical applications, continuing with the 444 antenna as an example, it is typically required to form two columns and use a combiner to create a 700MHz four-port / 900MHz four-port array. Therefore, by simply evaluating the performance of a 2x3 array and analyzing the characteristics of a two-column antenna array, we can guide the design of 2x5, 2x6, or even more two-column antenna element arrays.

[0117] Figure 20 shows a low-profile, high-gain 2x3 base station antenna array design based on metasurfaces. When assembling the 2x3 antenna array from the elements, the parameters of the lower loading piece 3 need to be adjusted appropriately to reduce the coupling between elements. This includes reducing the height of the loading piece 3 from the bottom of the fourth dielectric substrate to 5mm and increasing the period of the loading piece 3 to 123mm. The simulation results show that the performance of the 2x3 antenna array is as follows: VSWR < 1.64, vertical gain of 11.91dBi / 12.94dBi / 13.63dBi / 14.21dBi at 703MHz / 803MHz / 885MHz / 960MHz, horizontal gain of 11.94dBi / 13.05dBi / 13.71dBi / 14.20dBi, which is an improvement of 0.46dB / 0.29dB / 0.19dB / 0.3dB in vertical plane and 0.4dB / 0.21dB / 0.17dB / 0.25dB in horizontal plane compared to the original 2x3 array. The vertical plane bandwidth is 25° / 22° / 19° / 18°, and the horizontal plane bandwidth is 89° / 76° / 67° / 66°, with a bandwidth variation of 1°-6°.

[0118] The loading plate 3 below the radiating section 2 can be square or chamfered, for example, with a 30mm corner, as shown in Figure 21. Simulation results show the following performance for this 2x3 antenna array: VSWR < 1.77, vertical gain of 11.93dBi / 12.91dBi / 13.62dBi / 14.26dBi at 703MHz / 803MHz / 885MHz / 960MHz, and horizontal gain of 11.98dBi. Bi / 13.02dBi / 13.67dBi / 14.25dBi, compared to the original 2x3 array, the vertical plane improvement is 0.48dB / 0.26dB / 0.18dB / 0.35dB, and the horizontal plane improvement is 0.44dB / 0.18dB / 0.13dB / 0.3dB. The vertical plane wavelength is 25° / 22° / 19° / 18°, and the horizontal plane wavelength is 88° / 75° / 64° / 68°, with a wavelength variation of 1°-9°.

[0119] In addition to chamfering the corners, edge cutting can also be performed, as shown in Figure 22, where a small rectangle of 30mm x 20mm is cut off at the midpoint of each side of the square loading piece 3. The simulation results show that the performance of the 2x3 antenna array is as follows: VSWR < 1.59, vertical gain of 11.87dBi / 12.94dBi / 13.61dBi / 14.14dBi at 703MHz / 803MHz / 885MHz / 960MHz, and horizontal gain of 11.91dBi / 13.05dBi / 13.68dBi / 14.13dBi. Compared with the original 2x3 array, the vertical gain is improved by 0.42dB / 0.29dB / 0.17dB / 0.23dB, and the horizontal gain is improved by 0.37dB / 0.21dB / 0.14dB / 0.18dB. The vertical wavelength is 25° / 22° / 19° / 18°, and the horizontal wavelength is 89° / 76° / 67° / 67°, with a wavelength variation of 1°-6°.

[0120] In addition to deforming the loading plate 3 below the radiating part 2, the metasurface structure 6 formed by the periodic square metal thin film can also be changed. As shown in Figures 24 and 25, the five metasurface units 61 on the side opposite to other metasurface units 61 are reduced to two metasurface units 61 on the edge. This means that the coupling between units can be further reduced. The simulation results show that the performance of the 2x3 antenna array is as follows: VSWR < 1.79, vertical gain of 11.93dBi / 12.95dBi / 13.71dBi / 14.27dBi at 703MHz / 803MHz / 885MHz / 960MHz, horizontal gain of 11.99dBi / 13.08dBi / 13.81dBi / 14.25dBi, which is an improvement of 0.48dB / 0.3dB / 0.27dB / 0.36dB in vertical plane and 0.45dB / 0.24dB / 0.27dB / 0.3dB in horizontal plane compared to the original 2x3 array. The vertical plane bandwidth is 25° / 22° / 19° / 18°, and the horizontal plane bandwidth is 88° / 75° / 65° / 66°, with a bandwidth variation of 1°-8°. Compared with the metasurface structure 6 in Figure 20, it can be seen that by reducing the number of intermediate metasurface units 61 on the opposite side, the gain at the high frequency points of 885MHz / 960MHz is mainly improved.

[0121] The square metal film in metasurface unit 61 can also be replaced with an annular metal film, as shown in Figures 26 and 27. For example, the width of the ring is 5 mm. The simulation results show that the performance of the 2x3 antenna array is as follows: VSWR < 1.75, vertical gain of 11.93dBi / 12.94dBi / 13.71dBi / 14.25dBi at 703MHz / 803MHz / 885MHz / 960MHz, and horizontal gain of 11.98dBi / 13.08dBi / 13.81dBi / 14.24dBi. Compared with the original 2x3 array, the vertical gain is improved by 0.48dB / 0.29dB / 0.27dB / 0.34dB, and the horizontal gain is improved by 0.44dB / 0.24dB / 0.27dB / 0.29dB. The vertical bandwidth is 25° / 22° / 19° / 18°, and the horizontal bandwidth is 88° / 75° / 65° / 66°, with a bandwidth variation of 1°-8°.

[0122] This disclosure also provides an electronic device including an antenna as described above.

[0123] The antenna also includes a transceiver unit, an RF transceiver, a signal amplifier, a power amplifier, and a filtering unit. This antenna can function as either a transmitting or receiving antenna. The transceiver unit can include a baseband and a receiver. The baseband provides signals in at least one frequency band, such as 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G signals, and transmits these signals to the RF transceiver. The transparent antenna in the communication system receives the signal, which is then processed by the filtering unit, power amplifier, signal amplifier, and RF transceiver (not shown in the diagram) before being transmitted to the receiver in the transceiver unit. The receiver could be, for example, a smart gateway.

[0124] Furthermore, the RF transceiver is connected to the transceiver unit and is used to modulate the signals transmitted by the transceiver unit, or to demodulate the signals received by the transparent antenna before transmitting them to the transceiver unit. Specifically, the RF transceiver may include a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, a modulation circuit, and a demodulation circuit. After the transmitting circuit receives various types of signals provided by the baseband, the modulation circuit can modulate the various types of signals provided by the baseband before transmitting them to the antenna. The transparent antenna receives the signals and transmits them to the receiving circuit of the RF transceiver. The receiving circuit then transmits the signals to the demodulation circuit, which demodulates the signals before transmitting them to the receiving end.

[0125] Furthermore, the RF transceiver is connected to a signal amplifier and a power amplifier, which are then connected to a filtering unit. The filtering unit is connected to at least one antenna. During signal transmission in the communication system, the signal amplifier improves the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the RF transceiver's output signal before transmitting it to the filtering unit; the power amplifier amplifies the power of the RF transceiver's output signal before transmitting it to the filtering unit. The filtering unit may specifically include a duplexer and a filtering circuit. The filtering unit combines the signals output from the signal amplifier and power amplifier, filters out clutter, and transmits them to the transparent antenna, which radiates the signal. During signal reception in the communication system, the antenna receives the signal and transmits it to the filtering unit. The filtering unit filters out clutter from the received signal and transmits it to the signal amplifier and power amplifier. The signal amplifier increases the gain of the received signal, improving the SNR; the power amplifier amplifies the power of the received signal. The signal received by the antenna, after processing by the power amplifier and signal amplifier, is transmitted to the RF transceiver, which then transmits it to the transceiver unit.

[0126] In some examples, the signal amplifier may include various types of signal amplifiers, such as low-noise amplifiers, without limitation.

[0127] In some examples, the antenna provided in this disclosure also includes a power management unit connected to a power amplifier to provide voltage to the power amplifier for amplifying signals.

[0128] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising a reflector and at least one radiating element disposed on the reflector; the radiating element comprising a first balun assembly and a second balun assembly arranged in a cross configuration, and four radiating portions; the first balun assembly and the second balun assembly being mounted on the reflector, two of the four radiating portions being mounted on the end of the first balun assembly facing away from the reflector, and the other two being mounted on the end of the second balun assembly facing away from the reflector; wherein, The radiation unit further includes four loading plates that are arranged one-to-one with the radiating part; for the corresponding loading plates and the radiating part, the loading plates and the radiating part overlap in the orthographic projection portion of the reflector. The regions defined by the four radiating elements in the radiating unit on the reflector plate are located within the regions defined by the four loading plates on the reflector plate.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the radiating parts includes a first apex and a second apex that are arranged opposite to each other. The first apex of the two radiating parts mounted on the first balun assembly in the radiating unit are opposite to each other, and the first apex of the two radiating parts mounted on the second balun assembly are opposite to each other. The orthographic projection of the loading sheet on the reflector covers the orthographic projection of the second apex of the corresponding radiating part on the reflector, and does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the first apex of the radiating part on the reflector.

3. The antenna according to claim 2, wherein, The midpoint of the diagonals of the first vertices and the second vertices is the first midpoint, and the line connecting the vertex of the second vertices to the first midpoint is the first line segment; the center of the orthographic projection of the loading piece on the reflector is located on the orthographic projection of the first line segment of the corresponding radiating part on the reflector.

4. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein, For the adjacent radiating portions and the loading plates corresponding to the radiating portions; the spacing between the radiating portions is a first spacing, and the spacing between the loading plates is a second spacing; the first spacing is less than the second spacing.

5. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein, Any two adjacent loading plates are rotationally symmetrical.

6. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein, The loading plate includes a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, as well as multiple connecting edges; the first side and the second side are connected to form a third apex, and the third side and the fourth side are connected to form a fourth apex; at least one connecting edge is connected between the first side and the third side, and at least one connecting edge is connected between the second side and the fourth side; the third apex and the fourth apex are arranged opposite to each other, and the third apex of the loading plate overlaps with the orthographic projection of the radiating part on the reflector, while the fourth apex of the loading plate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the radiating part on the reflector.

7. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein, The loading plate includes four sides connected in sequence, namely a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side; the first side and the second side are connected to form a third apex, and the third side and the fourth side are connected to form a fourth apex; the third apex and the fourth apex are arranged opposite to each other, and the third apex of the loading plate overlaps with the orthographic projection of the radiating part on the reflector plate, while the fourth apex of the loading plate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the radiating part on the reflector plate. At least one of the four sides includes multiple sequentially connected line segments, and at least some of the line segments extend in different directions.

8. The antenna according to claim 7, wherein, It includes the side of multiple line segments connected in sequence, some of which extend along a first direction and some along a second direction, and the multiple line segments are connected in sequence to form a concave shape.

9. The antenna according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The radiating unit also includes a metasurface structure located on the side of the layer where the radiating part is located away from the reflector; the metasurface structure at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the radiating part on the reflector.

10. The antenna according to claim 9, wherein, The metasurface structure includes multiple metasurface units arranged in an array; the region defined by the orthographic projection of the four radiating parts onto the reflector is located within the region defined by the orthographic projection of the metasurface structure onto the reflector.

11. The antenna according to claim 10, wherein, Multiple metasurface units are arranged in an array, with the period of the array being between 0.05λ and 0.3λ. The side length of the patch electrode in each metasurface unit is between 0.5 and 0.9 times the period of the array, where λ is the wavelength corresponding to the operating frequency of the antenna.

12. The antenna according to claim 9, wherein, The antenna includes multiple sets of radiating elements arranged side by side along a first direction, each set containing multiple radiating elements, and arranged side by side along a second direction; The metasurface structure includes multiple metasurface units; the multiple metasurface units are divided into multiple first metasurface unit groups arranged side by side along a first direction, and multiple second metasurface unit groups arranged side by side along a second direction; the multiple metasurface units in the first metasurface unit groups are arranged side by side along the second direction; the multiple metasurface units in the second metasurface unit groups are arranged side by side along the first direction. For any metasurface structure, the number of metasurface units in the first metasurface unit group closest to its adjacent metasurface structure in the first direction is less than the number of metasurface units in other first metasurface unit groups; and / or, For any metasurface structure, the number of metasurface units in the second metasurface unit group closest to the metasurface structure adjacent to it in the second direction is less than the number of metasurface units in other second metasurface unit groups.

13. The antenna according to claim 9, wherein, The metasurface structure includes multiple metasurface units; when each of the radiating parts includes a first apex and a second apex that are arranged opposite to each other, and the first apex of the two radiating parts mounted on the first balun assembly in the radiating unit are opposite to each other, and the first apex of the two radiating parts mounted on the second balun assembly are opposite to each other, one second apex at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of one of the metasurface units on the reflector.

14. The antenna according to claim 9, wherein, The antenna includes two sets of radiating elements arranged side by side along a first direction, each set containing multiple radiating elements, and arranged side by side along a second direction; For two adjacent radiating units arranged along the first direction, the metasurface structures therein are arranged in a mirror-symmetric manner.

15. The antenna according to claim 9, wherein, The metasurface structure is attached to the side of the layer containing the four radiating sections that faces away from the reflector.

16. The antenna according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The loading plate is fixedly connected to the reflector via a support assembly.

17. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein, For the corresponding loading plate and the radiating part, the distance between the radiating part and the loading plate is between 0.01λ and 0.06λ, where λ is the wavelength corresponding to the operating frequency of the antenna.

18. An electronic device, wherein, Including the antenna array as described in claim 17.

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