Phase shifter and antenna assembly

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of radio frequency communication, and discloses a phase shifter and an antenna assembly, the phase shifter comprises a cavity with an opening and a phase shifting unit, the cavity comprises a bottom wall and side walls located at the two sides of the bottom wall, the phase shifting unit comprises a phase shifting circuit and a phase shifting medium, the phase shifting medium is movably arranged in the cavity, and the phase shifting circuit is arranged in the cavity. The phase shifting medium is arranged between the bottom wall and the phase shifting circuit, the phase shifting function can be achieved when the phase shifting medium moves relative to the phase shifting circuit, in addition, installation of the phase shifting medium is simplified through the semi-closed design of the opening, the overall weight of the phase shifter is reduced, the overall structure and the device are made to be light, and an operator can conveniently machine and install the phase shifter. The reflecting plate in the antenna assembly and the cavity of the phase shifter are integrally designed, so that the overall structural strength can be improved, and mold forming is facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of radio frequency communication, and further to a phase shifter and an antenna assembly. Background Art

[0002] Massive MIMO (Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) antenna system is a wireless communication technology that uses large-scale antenna arrays to improve the signal transmission efficiency and performance of the system. With the widespread popularity of 5G communications, Massive MIMO antennas have been widely used. Due to the large antenna space of traditional 4G antenna phase shifters, the phase shifter feeding network is mostly welded to the phase shifter cavity using cables. However, for 5G antennas, due to space limitations and antenna weight limitations, the antenna phase shifters can no longer be connected using cables like 4G antennas. Therefore, the conventional 4G antenna phase shifter feeding network installation method can no longer meet the requirements of miniaturization, lightweight, easy installation, and mass production of 5G antennas. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of the above technical problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a phase shifter and an antenna assembly, so as to solve the technical problem of lightweight phase shifter.

[0004] In order to achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, the utility model provides a phase shifter, comprising:

[0005] A cavity with an opening, comprising a bottom wall and side walls located on both sides of the bottom wall;

[0006] The phase shift unit comprises a phase shift circuit and a phase shift medium. The phase shift medium is movably arranged in the cavity, and the phase shift medium is located between the bottom wall and the phase shift circuit.

[0007] In an implementation of the first aspect, the phase shift circuit includes the following transmission line structure:

[0008] A first transmission line structure includes at least one phase-shifting trace.

[0009] In an implementation of the first aspect, the phase shift circuit further includes the following transmission line structure:

[0010] The second transmission line structure includes at least one phase-shifting trace and ground layers located on both sides of the phase-shifting trace.

[0011] In an implementation of the first aspect, a ground layer is further provided in any of the transmission line structures, and the cavity is made of a conductive material to serve as the ground layer.

[0012] In an implementation of the first aspect, the profile of the phase shift trace is a straight line or a slow-wave structure.

[0013] The second aspect of the present invention also provides an antenna assembly, comprising: the above-mentioned phase shifter, wherein the phase shifter is used for electrical phase shifting.

[0014] In an implementation of the second aspect, the antenna assembly further includes a reflector, and the reflector and the cavity form an integrated structure;

[0015] The phase shift unit further includes a dielectric carrier, which is mounted on the reflector and covers the opening of the cavity, and the phase shift circuit is arranged on the dielectric carrier.

[0016] In an implementation of the second aspect, the antenna assembly further includes:

[0017] A radiation unit, the radiation unit is arranged on a side of the medium carrier away from the cavity, and is used to generate and receive electromagnetic waves;

[0018] A feeding unit is provided on the dielectric carrier, one end of the feeding unit is electrically connected to the phase shifting circuit, and the other end of the feeding unit is electrically connected to the radiation unit.

[0019] In an implementation of the second aspect, the radiation unit and the phase-shifting medium do not generate relative offset in the horizontal direction; or the radiation unit is offset by a predetermined distance in the horizontal direction relative to the phase-shifting medium.

[0020] In an implementation of the second aspect, the feeding unit and the phase shifting circuit are respectively arranged on two sides of the dielectric carrier.

[0021] In an implementation of the second aspect, the phase shift circuit is disposed on a side of the dielectric carrier facing the phase shift medium, and the feeding unit is disposed on a side of the dielectric carrier facing the radiation unit;

[0022] The feeding unit and the phase shifting circuit are electrically connected via metallized vias or coupling.

[0023] In an implementation of the second aspect, the reflective plate includes a substrate, and the end of the side wall of the cavity extends in a direction away from the cavity opening to form the substrate;

[0024] The substrate and the sidewall of the cavity together form a first installation area.

[0025] In an implementation of the second aspect, the reflective plate further includes an extension plate, the extension plate is arranged opposite to the base plate, and the extension plate is arranged coplanar with the bottom wall of the cavity;

[0026] The substrate, the sidewall of the cavity and the extension plate together enclose a second installation area.

[0027] In an implementation of the second aspect, the antenna assembly includes a driving member, which is disposed on the side wall of the cavity and / or the reflective plate, and the driving member is cooperatively connected with the phase shifting medium to drive the phase shifting medium to generate displacement relative to the phase shifting circuit.

[0028] In an implementation of the second aspect, an air gap is formed between the medium carrier and the substrate, and the phase-shifting medium has at least one of the following states:

[0029] In a first state, the upper surface of the phase-shifting medium is flush with the upper surface of the substrate;

[0030] In the second state, the upper surface of the phase shifting medium is higher than the upper surface of the substrate;

[0031] In a third state, an upper surface of the phase shifting medium is lower than an upper surface of the substrate.

[0032] In an implementation of the second aspect, in the second state;

[0033] The opposite sides of the phase-shifting medium are respectively in contact with the bottom wall of the cavity and the medium carrier.

[0034] and / or,

[0035] The phase-shifting medium has an extension band formed along the width direction of the cavity, and the extension band is used to fill at least a portion of the air gap.

[0036] Compared with the prior art, the phase shifter and antenna provided by the utility model have the following beneficial effects:

[0037] 1. The phase-shifting medium can move in the cavity, so that the proportion of the phase-shifting unit in the medium and in the air can be synchronously adjusted during the movement, thereby obtaining different phase-shifting amounts and realizing the phase-shifting function; and the cavity has an opening, which can simplify the installation structure of the phase-shifting medium and effectively reduce the overall weight of the phase shifter, making it lighter when installed on the antenna, which is conducive to the lightweighting of the phase shifter and the antenna.

[0038] 2. While achieving lightweight of the phase shifter, the phase shift amount can be increased by adjusting the layout and shape of the phase shift trace, which is beneficial to improving the space utilization of the phase shifter.

[0039] 3. The feeding unit and the phase shifting circuit can be integrated and installed, and the metal material in the phase shifter can be used as the ground layer of the feeding unit to further reduce the overall weight of the phase shifter.

[0040] 4. The reflector and cavity of the antenna are integrated into one design, which enhances the structural strength and flatness of the antenna to a certain extent, improves the shielding effect, and is more conducive to mold forming, so that rapid manufacturing and mass production can be achieved during the antenna production process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The preferred implementation modes will be described below in a clear and understandable manner with reference to the accompanying drawings to further illustrate the above-mentioned characteristics, technical features, advantages and implementation methods of the present utility model.

[0042] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a phase shifter in one embodiment of the utility model;

[0043] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the relative positions of the dielectric carrier and the phase shift circuit in another embodiment of the utility model;

[0044] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a phase shift trace in one embodiment of the utility model;

[0045] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a second transmission line structure in one embodiment of the utility model;

[0046] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a second transmission line structure in another embodiment of the utility model;

[0047] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0048] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the utility model;

[0049] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of the utility model;

[0050] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the structure when the phase-shifting medium forms an extended band in one embodiment of the utility model;

[0051] Fig.10 This is a structural diagram of a single-channel 1-to-1 transmission form provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0052] Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of a dual-path 1-to-1 transmission mode provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0053] Fig.12 This is a schematic diagram of a single-channel 1-to-2 transmission mode provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0054] Fig.13is a schematic structural diagram of an antenna assembly in one embodiment of the utility model;

[0055] Fig.14 is a structural schematic diagram of an antenna assembly in another embodiment of the utility model;

[0056] Fig.15 It is a structural schematic diagram of an antenna assembly in one embodiment of the utility model.

[0057] Explanation of the accompanying reference numerals: cavity 1; accommodating cavity 10; air gap 100; dielectric carrier 2; phase shifting circuit 3; phase shifting trace 31; grounding layer 32; phase shifting medium 4; extension belt 41; feeding unit 5; radiation unit 6; reflection plate 7; substrate 71; extension plate 72; metallized via 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the specific implementation methods of the utility model will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings and other implementation methods can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0059] In order to simplify the drawings, only the parts related to the utility model are schematically shown in each figure, and they do not represent the actual structure of the product. In addition, in order to simplify the drawings and facilitate understanding, in some figures, only one of the parts with the same structure or function is schematically drawn or marked. In this article, "one" not only means "only one", but also means "more than one".

[0060] It should be further understood that the term “and / or” used in the specification and appended claims refers to any combination and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes these combinations.

[0061] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0062] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, ordinal numbers, such as "first", "second", etc., are only used to distinguish and describe associated objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance or order between associated objects; in addition, they do not represent the number of associated objects. "Multiple" includes two or more, and other quantifiers are similar. " / " is used to describe the relationship between associated objects, which indicates the "or" relationship between associated objects. "And / or" is used to describe the relationship between associated objects, which includes any combination relationship between associated objects, such as "a and / or b" includes: "alone a", "alone b", or "a and b". "One or more" or "at least one" in multiple objects refers to any object or any combination of multiple objects, such as "one or more of a1, a2, a3" or "at least one of a1, a2, a3" includes: "alone a1", "alone a2", "alone a3", "a1 and a2", "a1 and a3", "a2 and a3" or "a1, a2 and a3".

[0063] A phase shifter is a device used in microwave and radio frequency systems to adjust the phase of electromagnetic waves. It uses the properties of dielectric materials to control the propagation speed of electromagnetic waves in the device, thereby achieving phase adjustment of the signal. A phase shifter usually has a dielectric material. When an electromagnetic wave passes through this dielectric material, its propagation speed is affected by the dielectric constant of the dielectric material. The dielectric constant of the medium can be adjusted to change the electric field or magnetic field in the medium, thereby affecting the propagation speed and phase of the electromagnetic wave. Phase shifters have a wide range of application scenarios, such as wireless communication systems, radar systems, antenna arrays, and optical systems, and are used to achieve functions such as phase modulation, beamforming, phased arrays, and signal processing. In wireless communication systems, phase shifters can be used to adjust the phase difference between antennas in an antenna array, thereby achieving beamforming and spatial multiple access technology, and improving the performance and capacity of the communication system. In an antenna array, if all antennas transmit signals with the same phase, the formed beam will point to the center of the array. If different phase differences are introduced through the phase shifter, beam control can be achieved so that the antenna array produces a stronger signal in a specific direction and reduces the signal strength in other directions, thereby improving the focus and directionality of the signal.

[0064] The phase shifters in traditional 4G antennas occupy a large antenna space, so the phase shifter feeding network is mostly welded to the cavity using cables. However, for 5G antennas, due to space limitations and antenna weight limitations, the phase shifters of 5G antennas cannot be connected to 4G antennas using the same cables. Therefore, a lighter phase shifter is needed to meet the technical requirements of miniaturization, lightweight, easy installation, and mass production of 5G antennas.

[0065] Please refer to the instruction manual Figure 1 Based on the above background and content, the utility model provides a phase shifter to meet the above content's demand for a lightweight phase shifter, and the utility model is convenient for electrical connection with other transmission networks or feeding / power division networks, or units.

[0066] In this embodiment, the phase shifter includes a cavity 1 with an opening and a phase shift unit. The phase shift unit includes a phase shift circuit 3 and a phase shift medium 4. The cavity includes a bottom wall and side walls on both sides of the bottom wall, thereby forming a U-shaped opening.

[0067] Among them, the phase-shifting medium 4 can be movably arranged in the cavity 1, and the phase-shifting medium 4 is located between the bottom wall of the cavity 1 and the phase-shifting circuit 3. When the phase-shifting medium 4 moves relative to the phase-shifting circuit 3, during the movement, the proportion of the phase-shifting circuit 3 in the medium and in the air is synchronously adjusted, thereby obtaining different phase-shifting amounts and realizing the phase-shifting function.

[0068] It should also be noted that the cavity 1 with an open design can be more convenient for the installation of the phase shifting medium 4, which is beneficial to the daily operation and maintenance and later repair of the corresponding structure in the phase shifter. Compared with the completely closed cavities in the prior art, the semi-closed cavity 1 is more operational; at the same time, it simplifies the structure, making the phase shifter and the antenna used therein lighter. For some occasions with high requirements on the weight of the antenna, such as 5G communications and aerospace, the semi-closed cavity 1 has more advantages.

[0069] In addition, in this embodiment, no specific limitation is imposed on the number of phase shifting media 4, cavities 1, and phase shifting units. That is to say, when the overall size of the phase shifter is constantly adjusted and changed, the phase shifting media 4, phase shifting units and other components included therein should also be adjusted accordingly.

[0070] In one embodiment, based on the above embodiment, the phase shift unit includes a dielectric carrier 2 and a phase shift circuit 3 , and the phase shift circuit 3 is arranged on the dielectric carrier 2 .

[0071] In addition, in the present embodiment, it can be observed from the accompanying drawings that only a rectangular medium carrier 2 is shown. This is because the processing and installation of the rectangle are relatively convenient, which is beneficial to the reduction of the production cost of the phase shifter and its large-scale promotion. However, it does not mean that other shapes of medium carriers 2 cannot be set in other embodiments, such as arched plates, square plates, trapezoidal plates, etc.

[0072] Specifically, Figure 2 As shown, the phase shift circuit 3 includes a phase shift trace 31 , and the phase shift trace 31 is arranged along the length direction of the dielectric carrier 2 .

[0073] Based on the above content, please refer to the attached Figure 3-5 , the phase shift circuit 3 includes at least one of the following transmission line structures:

[0074] The first transmission line structure comprises at least one phase shifting trace 31, and the phase shifting traces 31 are all arranged on the same surface of the dielectric carrier 2. The phase shifting trace 31, the phase shifting medium 4 and the bottom wall constitute a microstrip line.

[0075] The second transmission line structure includes at least one phase-shifting trace 31 and grounding layers 32 located on both sides of the phase-shifting trace 31. At this time, the phase-shifting trace 31 and the grounding layer 32 form a coplanar waveguide.

[0076] First, in the present application, the cavity 1 made of conductive material can be used as the ground layer in the first transmission line structure or the second transmission line structure. Using the cavity 1 made of conductive material as the ground layer can reduce additional structural components, help reduce the volume and weight of the phase shifter, and facilitate integration and installation.

[0077] Based on the content of this embodiment, optionally, the profile of the phase shift trace 31 can be a straight line or a slow wave structure, which can be referred to in the appendix of the specification. Figure 3 It is necessary to explain the waveform profile, so that the phase shift trace 31 forms a curved state, so that the phase shift circuit 3 has a longer transmission path, thereby achieving a larger phase shift within a unit length, which helps to improve the phase shift range and resolution of the phase shifter and achieve a larger phase shift amount within a limited space layout.

[0078] For the first transmission line structure, the first transmission line structure is generally an ordinary microstrip line structure, which can form a more concise and compact phase shift circuit 3 shape, further reduce the size of the phase shifter, and is more conducive to integration with other components, making the design of the entire system simpler and more flexible.

[0079] As for the second transmission line structure, the second transmission line structure can be understood as a coplanar waveguide structure, and the ground layer 32 can provide good electromagnetic shielding to reduce the influence of signal interference and external electromagnetic interference; and the symmetrical layout of the phase shift trace 31 and the ground layer 32 helps to achieve better impedance matching and reduce signal reflection and transmission loss. It can also be understood that the second transmission line structure is an improvement made on the first transmission line structure.

[0080] As is well known, the coplanar waveguide (CPW) structure is a microwave transmission line structure. Specifically, two grounding layers 32 and phase shift traces 31 are arranged on the same side of the dielectric carrier 2 in a coplanar form, and the phase shift traces 31 are between the two grounding layers 32 and are spaced apart from each other, so that the impedance can be controlled by adjusting the width of the phase shift traces 31 and the distance between the phase shift traces 31 and the ground. In the process of signal transmission, the operation of higher frequency signals can be supported, thereby meeting a wider range of signal transmission needs.

[0081] Moreover, if Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, this embodiment can also be used in combination with the straight profile and the waveform profile mentioned in the above embodiments, and the coplanar waveguide structure formed by the curved phase-shifting trace 31 and the ground layer 32 can be used to further improve the performance of signal transmission.

[0082] Based on the above, it can be seen that the first transmission line structure in this application is suitable for simple and compact designs due to its simplicity and high cost-effectiveness, while the second transmission line structure is suitable for high performance and complex application scenarios due to its excellent shielding performance and signal integrity.

[0083] In one embodiment, the phase-shifting medium 4 has a preset thickness, and the cavity 1 has a preset depth, and the preset thickness is at least equal to the preset depth. It is well understood that the matching relationship between the phase-shifting medium 4 and the cavity 1 must be adjusted to a more appropriate and proper state to ensure that the error between the phase shift range generated when the phase-shifting medium 4 moves and the preset range is within an acceptable range.

[0084] First, when the preset thickness is equal to the preset depth, the surface of the cavity 1 and the bottom of the phase shifting medium 4 fit together, and the upper surfaces are flush, so that the gap between the medium carrier 2 and the cavity 1 can be very small, thereby making the structure more compact and reducing the thickness of the phase shifter.

[0085] In addition, please refer to the instructions for Figure 8 When the preset thickness is greater than the preset depth, the opposite sides of the phase shift medium 4 abut against the bottom of the cavity 1 and the phase shift unit respectively, so that an air gap 100 is generated between the surface of the cavity 1 and the phase shift unit.

[0086] Specifically, the values ​​of the preset thickness and the preset depth are not limited in this embodiment, and the preset thickness may be smaller than the preset depth. In addition, the width of the formed air gap 100 has different width designs according to the specifications and application scenarios of the phase shifter.

[0087] Of course, there are other implementations different from the above, one of which is to allow part of the phase-shifting medium 4 to extend to both sides along the width direction of the cavity 1 to form an extension band 41 .

[0088] Specifically, Fig. 9 As shown, the extension band 41 on the phase-shifting medium 4 fills the above-mentioned air gap 100 to a certain extent, so that the end faces of the medium carrier 2, the phase-shifting medium 4 and the cavity 1 can be stacked on each other, so that the phase-shifting medium 4 can be supported to a certain extent during the sliding process. At the same time, the phase-shifting medium 4 is supported by the upper end face of the cavity 1, which avoids the shaking or deviation of the phase-shifting medium 4 to the greatest extent possible, and plays a guiding role.

[0089] In one embodiment, according to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention further provides an antenna assembly, wherein the antenna assembly includes the above-mentioned phase shifter, so that the electrical phase shifting effect is achieved through the phase shifter.

[0090] Further, in another embodiment, if Fig.13 and Fig.14 As shown, the antenna assembly also includes a reflector 7. The reflector 7 and the cavity 1 are integrated into one design. The medium carrier 2 in the above embodiment is installed on the reflector 7 and covers the opening of the cavity 1. On the basis of ensuring the performance, the structural design of the antenna is simplified, which can provide a basis for the miniaturization and lightweight of the antenna. At the same time, it reduces the number of parts to a certain extent, is conducive to mold molding, and is also convenient for staff to install.

[0091] It should be noted that the feeding unit generally refers to a circuit system used to provide signals to each unit in the antenna array.

[0092] Based on the above content, the antenna assembly in this embodiment also includes a radiation unit 6 and a feeding unit 5. The radiation unit 6 is arranged on the surface of the dielectric carrier 2 facing away from the cavity 1, and is used to generate and receive electromagnetic waves; the feeding unit 5 is also arranged on the dielectric carrier 2, and one end of the feeding unit 5 is electrically connected to the phase shifting circuit 3, and the other end is electrically connected to the radiation unit 6.

[0093] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the phase shift circuit 3 and the feeding unit 5 are both disposed on the dielectric carrier 2. In this embodiment, it is not limited whether the two are disposed on the same side or on different sides of the dielectric carrier 2. Figure 7 As shown, when the two are arranged on the same side, the overall thickness of the phase shifter can be reduced, which is beneficial to the miniaturization of the device.

[0094] Based on the above, if Figure 6As shown, when the feeding unit 5 and the phase shifting circuit 3 are arranged on different sides (different surfaces) of the dielectric carrier 2, the feeding unit 5 and the phase shifting circuit 3 are electrically connected by setting a metallized via 8. In the specific setting, the vias can be arranged according to the intersection of the feeding unit 5 and the phase shifting circuit 3, so as to play the role of connecting wires of different layers; of course, in other embodiments, the connection can also be made by coupling. Since this is not the invention point of the present application, it will not be repeated here.

[0095] Alternatively, the cavity 1 in the above embodiment is made of metal material and can serve as a base of the feeding unit 5, so that the feeding unit 5 and the phase shifting circuit 3 in the phase shifter can be integrated to improve the integration level of the structure.

[0096] In one embodiment, referring to the attached Figure 13-15 The reflector 7 includes a substrate 71, which is formed by extending the side wall of the cavity 1 in a direction away from the opening (center) of the cavity 1, which corresponds to the integrated structural design in the above content.

[0097] Furthermore, the reflective plate 7 further includes an extension plate 72 . The extension plate 72 and the base plate 71 are arranged opposite to each other, and the extension plate 72 is coplanar with the bottom wall of the cavity 1 .

[0098] And in the attached Fig.15 In, different from Fig.13 and Fig.14 The side of the reflector 7 facing away from the radiation unit 6 is flattened, which saves Fig.13 and Fig.14 The lower part of the plate (extension plate 72) in the reflector 7 can provide installation space for other components in the antenna assembly, and can also rationalize the use of the plate, thereby avoiding waste of resources.

[0099] It is necessary to explain the above content. In the case of an extension plate 72, the substrate 71, the extension plate 72, and the side wall of the cavity 1 together form an installation area; similarly, in the case where the substrate 71 and the side wall of the cavity 1 are not provided, an installation area can also be formed together. This installation area can be used to install other components in the antenna assembly, such as a driving member, which is used to drive the phase shifting medium 4 to move in the cavity 1 to achieve the phase shifting function.

[0100] There can be many forms of such a driving member. For example, by cooperating with a gear rack, a motor is used to drive the gear to rotate, and the side wall of the phase-shifting medium 4 is configured as a tooth surface that can mesh with the gear. Corresponding through holes are provided on the side wall of the cavity 1 to cooperate with the meshing of the gear and the rack. The linear motion of the phase-shifting medium 4 can be achieved through the rotational motion of the gear. Of course, the combination of a push-pull cylinder and a connecting rod can be used to drive the phase-shifting medium 4 to move in the length direction of the cavity 1, which will not be repeated here.

[0101] Currently in antenna design, the relative position between the radiating element 6 and the phase shifting medium 4 has an important influence on the radiation pattern and efficiency of the antenna. In order to improve antenna performance, the relative position between the radiating element 6 and the phase shifting medium 4 is also a part worth considering.

[0102] Based on the above content, in one embodiment, the radiation unit 6 and the phase shift medium 4 do not produce relative offset in the horizontal direction, that is, the radiation unit 6 and the phase shift medium 4 are aligned in the horizontal direction. Fig.13 In this case, the phase shifting medium 4 is arranged directly below the radiating unit 6. This arrangement can simplify the wiring, and the connecting line between the radiating unit 6 and the phase shifting unit is shorter, thereby reducing the complexity and cost of the circuit, achieving optimal electromagnetic coupling, thereby improving the radiation efficiency of the antenna, and also reducing the loss in the signal transmission path.

[0103] In contrast, in another embodiment, the radiation unit 6 is offset in the horizontal direction relative to the phase shifting medium 4 by a predetermined distance, and the specific offset distance is determined according to the specific requirements of the system design. Fig.14 In this case, the phase-shifting medium 4 is arranged obliquely below the radiating unit 6. This arrangement may require longer wires or more complex wiring methods, which may increase costs and signal losses. However, this arrangement may provide other design advantages, such as improving the impedance matching, directivity or radiation pattern of the antenna, providing more design flexibility, and allowing the relative angle and distance between the radiating unit 6 and the phase-shifting medium 4 to be adjusted according to specific application scenarios, thereby optimizing the radiation characteristics of the antenna. In short, the design of this part may have certain changes or modifications.

[0104] In one embodiment, each group of array antenna components includes two transmission modules with ±45° polarization, each transmission module is a feeding network, the phase shifting circuit 3 is used in the feeding network, and the transmission modules are arranged on the phase shifting medium 4 at preset intervals.

[0105] For details, please refer to the attached Fig.10 In a transmission module, the number of phase shift circuits 3 is one, and each phase shift circuit 3 is arranged corresponding to a phase shift medium 4 to form a single-channel 1-to-1 transmission form. In the n-to-n here, the first n represents n input terminals, and the following n represents n output terminals. That is to say, the phase shift network (line) and the feeding / (power division) network (line) in this application can form an n-to-n structure through a similar design, and the same is true in the following text.

[0106] Please refer to the instruction manual Fig.11The present application provides a dual-path 1-to-1 phase shifter form. In this case, in a transmission module, the number of phase shift circuits 3 is two, and the two phase shift circuits are independently arranged to form a dual-path 1-to-1 transmission form.

[0107] It can be understood that the biggest difference between this dual-path 1-to-1 and the above-mentioned single-path 1-to-1 is the number of phase shift circuits 3 in each group of transmission modules. The dual-path form is used to realize the transmission of dual-path signals. Compared with the single-path form, it plays a certain role in the phase shift smoothness. The inclination angle of the array antenna at different frequencies is more concentrated and the convergence is better.

[0108] In addition, if Fig.12 As shown, the present application also provides a single-channel 1-to-2 phase shifter form. The difference is that two phase shift circuits 3 share one input end. Although at this time, a group of transmission modules corresponds to a phase shift medium 4, the setting form of the phase shift circuit 3 in the transmission module has changed. It can be understood that the overall performance of the phase shifter is improved by adjusting the number of threads.

[0109] Of course, there are more forms in other embodiments, such as 1 to 3, 1 to 4, or even 1 to n, etc., and are not limited to the several implementation forms shown in this application. Due to space limitations, they are not expanded one by one here; in addition, in the single-channel 1 to 1 form, dual-channel 1 to 1 form, etc., the phase shift trace 31 can also adopt a straight line profile in addition to the waveform profile shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for illustrative purposes.

[0110] Based on the above content and referring to the attached manual Figure 1 It can be seen that when the number of phase-shifting media 4 is two or more, a receiving cavity 10 corresponding to the number of phase-shifting media 4 is provided on the cavity 1, and the receiving cavity 10 extends along the length direction of the cavity 1. The phase-shifting medium 4 can slide relative to the receiving cavity 10. It can be understood that a plurality of such receiving cavities 10 can be provided on one cavity 1 to match the model or size of the antenna.

[0111] It should be noted that the above embodiments can be freely combined as needed. The above are only preferred implementations of the utility model. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the utility model, and these improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the protection scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A phase shifter, characterized in that: include: A cavity with an opening, comprising a bottom wall and side walls located on both sides of the bottom wall; The phase shift unit comprises a phase shift circuit and a phase shift medium. The phase shift medium is movably arranged in the cavity, and the phase shift medium is located between the bottom wall and the phase shift circuit.

2. The phase shifter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The phase shift circuit comprises the following transmission line structure: A first transmission line structure includes at least one phase-shifting trace.

3. The phase shifter according to claim 1, characterized in that The phase shift circuit also includes the following transmission line structure: The second transmission line structure includes at least one phase-shifting trace and ground layers located on both sides of the phase-shifting trace.

4. The phase shifter according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: A ground layer is also provided in any of the transmission line structures, and the cavity is made of a conductive material to serve as the ground layer.

5. The phase shifter according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The profile of the phase shift trace is a straight line or a slow wave structure.

6. An antenna assembly, characterized in that: include: At least one phase shifter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the phase shifter is used for electrically adjusting phase shifting.

7. The antenna assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The antenna assembly further comprises a reflector plate, wherein the reflector plate and the cavity form an integrated structure; The phase shift unit further includes a dielectric carrier, which is mounted on the reflector and covers the opening of the cavity, and the phase shift circuit is arranged on the dielectric carrier.

8. The antenna assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also includes: A radiation unit, the radiation unit is arranged on a side of the medium carrier away from the cavity, and is used to generate and receive electromagnetic waves; A feeding unit is provided on the dielectric carrier, one end of the feeding unit is electrically connected to the phase shifting circuit, and the other end of the feeding unit is electrically connected to the radiation unit.

9. The antenna assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The radiation unit and the phase shifting medium do not produce relative displacement in the horizontal direction; or, The radiation unit is offset by a predetermined distance in a horizontal direction relative to the phase shifting medium.

10. The antenna assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The feeding unit and the phase shifting circuit are respectively arranged on two sides of the dielectric carrier.

11. The antenna assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that: The phase shift circuit is arranged on a side of the dielectric carrier facing the phase shift medium, and the feeding unit is arranged on a side of the dielectric carrier facing the radiation unit; The feeding unit and the phase shifting circuit are electrically connected via metallized vias or coupling.

12. The antenna assembly according to any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that: The reflector includes a substrate, and the end of the side wall of the cavity extends in a direction away from the cavity opening to form the substrate; The substrate and the sidewall of the cavity together form a first installation area.

13. The antenna assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that: The reflective plate further comprises an extension plate, the extension plate is arranged opposite to the base plate, and the extension plate is arranged coplanar with the bottom wall of the cavity; The substrate, the sidewall of the cavity and the extension plate together enclose a second installation area.

14. The antenna assembly according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that: Also includes: A driving member, wherein the driving member is disposed on the side wall of the cavity and / or the reflecting plate, and the driving member is matched and connected with the phase shifting medium to drive the phase shifting medium to generate displacement relative to the phase shifting circuit.

15. The antenna assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that: An air gap is formed between the medium carrier and the substrate, and the phase-shifting medium has at least one of the following states: In a first state, the upper surface of the phase-shifting medium is flush with the upper surface of the substrate; In the second state, the upper surface of the phase shifting medium is higher than the upper surface of the substrate; In a third state, an upper surface of the phase shifting medium is lower than an upper surface of the substrate.

16. The antenna assembly according to claim 15, characterized in that In the second state; The opposite sides of the phase-shifting medium are respectively in contact with the bottom wall of the cavity and the medium carrier. and / or, The phase-shifting medium has an extension band formed along the width direction of the cavity, and the extension band is used to fill at least a portion of the air gap.

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