Antenna structure

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of antenna technology, and discloses an antenna structure and an electronic device. The antenna structure includes: a substrate, a feeding unit, a radiating unit and a switching unit arranged on a substrate; the feeding unit is used to provide excitation; the radiating unit includes an initial radiating unit and an enhanced radiating unit, the initial radiating unit is electrically connected to the feeding unit, and the enhanced radiating unit is electrically insulated from the feeding unit; the switching unit is used to control the electrical connection state between the enhanced radiating unit and the feeding unit, so as to change the radiation direction and radiation gain of the antenna structure. The electronic device includes: a device body and an antenna structure arranged on the device body, the device body is used to provide excitation to the antenna structure, and control the radiation direction and radiation gain of the antenna structure. The antenna structure of the utility model can change the conduction state between the feeding unit and the enhanced radiating unit through the switching unit, so as to realize the switching between the working states of wide coverage range and high gain in the radiation direction of the antenna structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of antennas, and in particular to an antenna structure. Background Art

[0002] In order to meet diverse communication needs, communication base stations generally use multiple antennas to perform beamforming, ensuring that the electric field radiation intensity meets the requirements while changing the coverage effect of the electric field radiation direction. However, due to their small size and limited available space, small electronic devices usually use fixed antenna solutions. When the antenna solution is determined, its radiation direction and gain are also fixed. Traditional terminal antenna solutions cannot take into account both good signal coverage and wall penetration. In other words, there is a situation where the radiation direction has a wide coverage range but low gain, or has a high gain but a small coverage range in the radiation direction. This cannot meet the user's needs for wide coverage and high gain of the antenna. Utility Model Content

[0003] The utility model aims to provide an antenna structure to solve the problem that the existing antenna cannot have both a large coverage range and a high gain.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present utility model provides an antenna structure, comprising:

[0005] A substrate; a feeding unit, arranged on the substrate, for providing excitation; a radiation unit, arranged on the substrate, comprising an initial radiation unit and an enhanced radiation unit, the initial radiation unit is electrically connected to the feeding unit, and the enhanced radiation unit is electrically insulated from the feeding unit; a switch unit, arranged on the substrate, and used to control the electrical connection state between the enhanced radiation unit and the feeding unit to change the radiation direction and radiation gain of the antenna structure.

[0006] Compared with the prior art, the embodiment of the utility model comprises a radiation unit of an antenna structure including an initial radiation unit and an enhanced radiation unit, wherein the initial radiation unit is electrically connected to the feeding unit, the enhanced radiation unit is electrically insulated from the feeding unit, and the feeding unit and the enhanced radiation unit change the conduction state through the switch unit. When the switch unit disconnects the feeding unit and the enhanced radiation unit, only the initial radiation unit in the antenna structure works under the excitation of the feeding unit, and the radiation direction covers a wider range; when the switch unit electrically connects the feeding unit and the enhanced radiation unit, the initial radiation unit and the enhanced radiation unit share the feeding unit, and both work under the excitation of the feeding unit, and the radiation gain is higher. In this way, the conduction state between the feeding unit and the enhanced radiation unit can be changed by the switch unit, so as to realize the switching between the working states of wide coverage and high gain in the radiation direction of the antenna structure.

[0007] Optionally, there is one initial radiation unit, there are multiple enhanced radiation units and they are arranged in sequence, there are multiple switch units, the initial radiation unit is located outside the straight line formed by the arrangement of the multiple enhanced radiation units, and the multiple switch units and the multiple enhanced radiation units are arranged in one-to-one correspondence; the multiple switch units independently control the conduction state of the corresponding enhanced radiation units and the initial radiation units to change the electrical connection state of the enhanced radiation units and the feeding unit.

[0008] Optionally, there is one initial radiation unit, there are multiple enhanced radiation units, and there are multiple switch units. The multiple enhanced radiation units are arranged in sequence around the initial radiation unit, and the multiple switch units and the multiple enhanced radiation units are arranged in one-to-one correspondence; the multiple switch units independently control the conduction state of the corresponding enhanced radiation units and the initial radiation units.

[0009] Optionally, there is one initial radiation unit, and there are multiple enhanced radiation units. The feeding unit, the initial radiation unit, and the multiple enhanced radiation units are arranged in sequence, and the switch unit is provided between at least two adjacent enhanced radiation units.

[0010] Optionally, there are at least three enhanced radiation units, and the switch unit is provided between any two adjacent enhanced radiation units, and the switch unit independently controls the conduction state between the two adjacent enhanced radiation units.

[0011] Optionally, there are multiple initial radiation units, multiple initial radiation units are connected in series, there is at least one enhanced radiation unit, and the switch unit is arranged between any one of the initial radiation units and the enhanced radiation unit; or, there are multiple initial radiation units, multiple initial radiation units are connected in parallel, and at least one initial radiation unit is electrically connected to at least one enhanced radiation unit through the switch unit.

[0012] Optionally, the switching unit includes an electromagnetic element and a metal part, the metal part having a first end and a second end relative to each other, the first end being fixedly or pivotally connected to the substrate and electrically connected to the feeding unit, and the second end being movable relative to the substrate, the electromagnetic element being fixed to the substrate, the electromagnetic element being used for an external driving circuit, and under the control of the driving circuit driving the metal part to electrically connect or electrically insulate the enhanced radiation unit and the initial radiation unit.

[0013] Optionally, the switching unit includes a field effect transistor, one of the source and the drain of the field effect transistor is electrically connected to the initial radiation unit, the other of the source and the drain of the field effect transistor is electrically connected to the enhanced radiation unit, and the gate of the field effect transistor is used for an external driving circuit, and under the control of the driving circuit, drives the enhanced radiation unit and the initial radiation unit to be electrically connected or electrically insulated.

[0014] Optionally, the switching unit includes a transistor, one of the source and the drain of the transistor is electrically connected to the initial radiation unit, the other of the source and the drain of the transistor is electrically connected to the enhanced radiation unit, and the gate of the transistor is used for an external driving circuit, and under the control of the driving circuit, the enhanced radiation unit and the initial radiation unit are driven to be electrically connected or electrically insulated.

[0015] Optionally, the radiating unit is one or more of a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, a patch antenna, and a slot antenna.

[0016] Optionally, the switching unit includes a radio frequency switch, which includes an input port, a first output port, a second output port and a control port; the input port is electrically connected to the initial radiation unit, the first output port or the second output port is electrically connected to the enhanced radiation unit, and the control port is used to receive a control signal and change the conduction state of the input port and the first output port or the second output port according to the control signal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] One or more embodiments are exemplarily described by pictures in the corresponding drawings, and these exemplified descriptions do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings represent similar elements, and unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations.

[0018] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the antenna structure of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of an exploded structure of the antenna structure of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 is a front view of a first surface of the antenna structure of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0021] Figure 4 is a front view of the second surface of the antenna structure of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 5 It is an arrangement of the radiation units in the antenna structure of the embodiment of the utility model;

[0023] Figure 6 This is another arrangement of the radiation units in the antenna structure of the embodiment of the utility model;

[0024] Figure 7 This is another arrangement of the radiation units in the antenna structure of the embodiment of the utility model;

[0025] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the configuration of an initial radiation unit and an enhanced radiation unit in the antenna structure of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0026] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of another configuration of an initial radiation unit and an enhanced radiation unit in the antenna structure of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0027] Fig.10 It is a structural schematic diagram of a mechanical switch in the antenna structure of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0028] Fig.11 It is a structural schematic diagram of another mechanical switch in the antenna structure of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0029] Fig.12 It is a structural schematic diagram of a circuit switch in the antenna structure of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0030] Fig.13 It is a structural schematic diagram of another circuit switch in the antenna structure of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0031] Fig.14 It is a schematic diagram of the principle of a radio frequency switch in the antenna structure of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0032] Fig.15 is a return loss curve diagram of the radiation signal of the antenna structure of the embodiment of the utility model;

[0033] Fig.16 is a radiation pattern of the antenna structure of the embodiment of the utility model when the switch unit is disconnected;

[0034] Fig.17 It is the radiation pattern of the antenna structure of the embodiment of the utility model when the switch unit is turned on. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the utility model clearer, the embodiments of the utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that in the embodiments of the utility model, many technical details are provided to enable readers to better understand the present application. However, even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the following embodiments, the technical schemes claimed for protection in the claims of the present application can be implemented.

[0036] In the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "middle", "vertical", "horizontal", "lateral", "longitudinal" and the like indicating positions or positional relationships are based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are mainly used to better describe the present invention and its embodiments, and are not used to limit the indicated devices, elements or components to have a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0037] In addition, some of the above terms may be used to express other meanings in addition to indicating orientation or positional relationship. For example, the term "on" may also be used to express a certain dependency or connection relationship in some cases. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of these terms in this utility model can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0038] In addition, the terms "installed", "set", "provided with", "opened", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection, or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be an internal connection between two devices, elements, or components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this utility model can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0039] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are mainly used to distinguish different devices, elements or components (the specific types and structures may be the same or different), and are not used to indicate or imply the relative importance and quantity of the indicated devices, elements or components. Unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0040] Generally, the radiation pattern of a single antenna is omnidirectional, with a relatively wide beam width and good coverage, but its gain effect is poor and the signal's ability to penetrate walls is limited. In some scenarios, the communication of electronic devices is easily affected, resulting in poor communication quality, or even a situation where there is no signal for communication at all. By increasing the number of antennas, the gain can be increased and the signal's ability to penetrate walls can be enhanced, but the coverage effect in the direction of the antenna radiation will be degraded. For electronic devices that have determined the antenna solution, there may be a situation where the antenna signal has good coverage but poor wall penetration, or there may be a situation where the antenna signal has good wall penetration but poor coverage. In addition, for small electronic devices, due to their small size and limited available space, it is also difficult to increase the gain effect of the antenna by increasing the number of antennas.

[0041] To solve the above technical problems, an embodiment of the utility model provides an antenna structure, comprising: a substrate; a feeding unit, arranged on the substrate, for providing excitation; a radiation unit, arranged on the substrate, comprising an initial radiation unit and an enhanced radiation unit, the initial radiation unit is electrically connected to the feeding unit, and the enhanced radiation unit is electrically insulated from the feeding unit; a switch unit, arranged on the substrate, and used to control the electrical connection state between the enhanced radiation unit and the feeding unit to change the radiation direction and radiation gain of the antenna structure.

[0042] Compared with the prior art, the embodiment of the utility model is that the radiation unit of an antenna structure includes an initial radiation unit and an enhanced radiation unit, the initial radiation unit is electrically connected to the feeding unit, the enhanced radiation unit is electrically insulated from the feeding unit, and the feeding unit and the enhanced radiation unit change the conduction state through the switch unit. When the switch unit disconnects the feeding unit and the enhanced radiation unit, only the initial radiation unit in the antenna structure works under the excitation of the feeding unit, and the radiation direction covers a wider range; when the switch unit electrically connects the feeding unit and the enhanced radiation unit, the initial radiation unit and the enhanced radiation unit share the feeding unit, and both work under the excitation of the feeding unit, and the radiation gain is higher. In this way, the conduction state between the feeding unit and the enhanced radiation unit can be changed by the switch unit, so as to realize the switching between the working states of wide coverage and high gain in the radiation direction of the antenna structure.

[0043] The implementation details of the antenna structure 100 of this embodiment are described in detail below. The following content is only provided for easy understanding of the implementation details and is not necessary for implementing this solution.

[0044] See also Figure 1In an implementable solution, the antenna structure 100 includes: a substrate 110, a feed unit 120, a radiation unit 130 and a switch unit 140. The feed unit 120 is disposed on the substrate 110 and is used to provide excitation. The radiation unit 130 is disposed on the substrate 110 and includes an initial radiation unit 131 and an enhanced radiation unit 132. The initial radiation unit 131 is electrically connected to the feed unit 120, and the enhanced radiation unit 132 is electrically insulated from the feed unit 120. The switch unit 140 is disposed on the substrate 110 and is used to control the electrical connection state between the enhanced radiation unit 132 and the feed unit 120 to change the radiation direction and radiation gain of the antenna structure 100.

[0045] In the antenna structure 100 of this solution, when the switch unit 140 disconnects the feed unit 120 and the enhanced radiation unit 132, only the initial radiation unit 131 in the antenna structure 100 works under the excitation of the feed unit 120, and the radiation direction covers a wider range; when the switch unit 140 electrically connects the feed unit 120 and the enhanced radiation unit 132, the initial radiation unit 131 and the enhanced radiation unit 132 share the feed unit 120, and both work under the excitation of the feed unit 120, and the radiation gain is higher. In this way, the conduction state between the feed unit 120 and the enhanced radiation unit 132 can be changed by the switch unit 140, so as to realize the switching of the antenna structure 100 between the working state of wide coverage in the radiation direction and high gain.

[0046] It can be seen that the utility model sets multiple radiation units in an antenna structure, and the working number of the radiation units is controllable. By controlling the working number of the radiation units, the antenna structure can be switched between different working states to meet the application requirements of different scenarios. Among them, the "working state" includes the radiation direction coverage effect and gain effect of the antenna structure.

[0047] It is understandable that the enhanced radiation unit 132 can be directly electrically connected to the feed unit 120 through the switch unit 140, or the enhanced radiation unit 132 can be connected in series with the initial radiation unit 131 through the switch unit 140 and then electrically connected to the feed unit 120 via the initial radiation unit 131. This embodiment is described using the latter as an example.

[0048] Optionally, the radiation unit 130 is one or more of a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, a patch antenna, and a slot antenna. For example, the initial radiation unit 131 is one of a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, a patch antenna, and a slot antenna, and the enhanced radiation unit 132 is one of a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, a patch antenna, and a slot antenna. The initial radiation unit 131 and the enhanced radiation unit 132 may be the same or different. The following description is made by taking the initial radiation unit 131 and the enhanced radiation unit 132 as dipole antennas as an example.

[0049] The dipole antenna is the simplest type of antenna, which consists of a pair of symmetrically placed conductors (temporarily referred to as antenna arms), and the two ends of the two antenna arms close to each other are respectively connected to the feeder. When the dipole antenna is used as a transmitting antenna, the electrical signal is fed into the antenna arm from the center of the antenna; when the dipole antenna is used as a receiving antenna, the received signal is also obtained from the antenna arm at the center of the antenna. Using a dipole antenna as the radiating unit 130 can simplify the overall structure of the antenna structure 100.

[0050] In some feasible solutions, the substrate 110 is made of insulating material, such as resin, etc. The substrate 110 can be separately provided in the electronic device, that is, an independent PCB antenna. It can also be an antenna directly provided on the mainboard of the electronic device, which will not be described in detail here.

[0051] See also Figures 2 to 4 The substrate 110 has a first surface 111 and a second surface 112. The initial radiation unit 131 includes a first antenna arm 1311 and a second antenna arm 1312. The first antenna arm 1311 is disposed on the first surface 111, and the second antenna arm 1312 is disposed on the second surface 112. The enhanced radiation unit 132 includes a third antenna arm 1321 and a fourth antenna arm 1322. The third antenna arm 1321 is disposed on the first surface 111, and the fourth antenna arm 1322 is disposed on the second surface 112.

[0052] In some feasible solutions, the switch unit 140 is arranged between the first antenna arm 1311 and the third antenna arm 1321, and / or between the first antenna arm 1311 and the third antenna arm 1321. That is, the switch unit 140 is arranged between the first antenna arm 1311 and the third antenna arm 1321, or the switch unit 140 is arranged between the second antenna arm 1312 and the fourth antenna arm 1322, or the switch unit 140 is arranged between the first antenna arm 1311 and the third antenna arm 1321, and the switch unit 140 is also arranged between the second antenna arm 1312 and the fourth antenna arm 1322. In the present utility model, the switch unit 140 is arranged between the first antenna arm 1311 and the third antenna arm 1321 as an example for description.

[0053] The feeding unit 120 includes a first feeding line 121 and a second feeding line 122. The first feeding line 121 is disposed on the first surface 111 and is used to provide excitation for the first antenna arm 1311. The second feeding line 122 is disposed on the second surface 112 and is used to provide excitation for the second antenna arm 1312. When the switch unit 140 turns on the first antenna arm 1311 and the third antenna arm 1321, the first feeding line 121 simultaneously provides excitation for the first antenna arm 1311 and the third antenna arm 1321, and the second feeding line 122 simultaneously provides excitation for the second antenna arm 1312 and the fourth antenna arm 1322.

[0054] In a specific solution, the feeding unit 120 may use a coaxial cable, and utilize the inner and outer conductors of the coaxial cable to realize the feeding function of the first feeding line 121 and the second feeding line 122, which can reduce wiring and simplify the setting.

[0055] In some feasible solutions, there is one initial radiation unit 131, there are multiple enhanced radiation units 132 and they are arranged in sequence, there are multiple switch units 140, the initial radiation unit 131 is located outside the straight line formed by the arrangement of the multiple enhanced radiation units 132, and the multiple switch units 140 and the multiple enhanced radiation units 132 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. The multiple switch units 140 independently control the conduction state of the corresponding enhanced radiation unit 132 and the initial radiation unit 131 to change the electrical connection state of the enhanced radiation unit 132 and the feeding unit 120.

[0056] See also Figure 5, there are three enhanced radiation units 132, and the three enhanced radiation units 132 are arranged in sequence at intervals, and there is one initial radiation unit 131, which is located outside the connection line of the three enhanced radiation units 132, similar to a triangular distribution. A feeder is provided between the initial radiation unit 131 and each of the enhanced radiation units 132, and each feeder is disconnected. The switch unit 140 is provided at the disconnection point of each feeder. When it is necessary to increase the gain of the antenna structure 100 by turning on the enhanced radiation unit 132, different switch units 140 can be used to control the conduction state of the lines in which they are located, and different switch units 140 control the conduction state of the lines in which they are located independently. For example, when only one radiation unit needs to be added, any one of the three switch units 140 can control the line to be turned on, while the other two switch units 140 remain in an open circuit state. When two radiation units need to be added, any two of the switch units 140 can be turned on, and the other one remains in an open circuit state.

[0057] By increasing the number of the enhanced radiation units 132, more enhanced radiation units 132 can be turned on through the switch unit 140, so that the antenna structure 100 can obtain a higher gain to meet the needs of more scenarios, especially in some scenarios where ships that obstruct the signal are more obvious. By increasing the enhanced radiation units 132 that work together, the wall penetration ability of the signal can be greatly improved.

[0058] It is understandable that when there are more enhanced radiation units 132, there are also more switch units 140, and each of the switch units 140 is independent of each other, which is not described in detail here.

[0059] In some feasible solutions, there is one initial radiation unit 131, there are multiple enhanced radiation units 132, there are multiple switch units 140, and the multiple enhanced radiation units 132 are arranged in sequence around the initial radiation unit 131, that is, they are arranged in a surrounding manner, and the multiple switch units 140 and the multiple enhanced radiation units 132 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. The multiple switch units 140 independently control the conduction state of the corresponding enhanced radiation unit 132 and the initial radiation unit 131.

[0060] It should be noted that the plurality of enhanced radiation units 132 are arranged around the initial radiation unit 131, as long as the plurality of enhanced radiation units 132 are arranged substantially around the initial radiation unit 131, and do not need to completely surround the initial radiation unit 131. Figure 6 As shown, by making a plurality of the enhanced radiation units 132 surround one initial radiation unit 131, the length of the substrate 110 for arranging the radiation units can be reduced.

[0061] See also Figure 7 In some other feasible schemes, there is one initial radiation unit 131, there are multiple enhanced radiation units 132, the feed unit 120, the initial radiation unit 131 and the multiple enhanced radiation units 132 are arranged in sequence, that is, they are distributed in a straight line, and the switch unit 140 is provided between at least two adjacent enhanced radiation units 132. For example, the feed unit 120, the initial radiation unit 131 and the multiple enhanced radiation units 132 are arranged in sequence along a straight line, the feed unit 120 is electrically connected to the initial radiation unit 131, and at least two adjacent enhanced radiation units 132 among the multiple enhanced radiation units 132 are electrically insulated from each other, and the switch unit 140 is provided between the two adjacent and electrically insulated enhanced radiation units 132, and the enhanced radiation units 132 are electrically connected to each other through the switch unit 140. By arranging the feed unit 120, the initial radiation unit 131 and the multiple enhanced radiation units 132 in sequence along a straight line, the entire antenna structure 100 can be in a long strip shape, which is suitable for scenes with narrow and long spaces.

[0062] See also Figure 8 In some feasible solutions, when the initial radiation unit 131 and the plurality of enhanced radiation units 132 (for example, 5) are arranged in sequence, if the switch unit is only provided between the initial radiation unit 131 and the enhanced radiation unit 132 closest to the initial radiation unit 131, all the enhanced radiation units 132 are connected in series. When the switch unit 140 turns on the initial radiation unit 131, all the enhanced radiation units 132 are turned on and start to work. Alternatively, the plurality of enhanced radiation units 132 may also be connected in parallel.

[0063] See also Fig. 9In some other feasible schemes, the feed unit 120, the initial radiation unit 131 and the plurality of enhanced radiation units 132 are arranged in sequence along a straight line, and the initial radiation unit 131 is multiple, and the multiple initial radiation units 131 are connected in series through wires. The initial radiation unit 131 is set to be multiple, which can change the radiation direction coverage of the signal of the antenna structure 100 in the initial working state. Alternatively, the initial radiation unit 131 is multiple and connected in parallel with each other. At this time, at least one of the initial radiation units 131 can be electrically connected to at least one of the enhanced radiation units 132 through the switch unit 140. For example, three initial radiation units 131 are connected in parallel, wherein one or more initial radiation units 131 can be connected in series with one or more enhanced radiation units 132 through the corresponding switch units 140, and when the multiple initial radiation units 131 are connected in series with the enhanced radiation unit 132, the number of enhanced radiation units 132 connected in series with different initial radiation units 131 can be the same or different. In the present invention, the “initial working state” refers to the working state of the antenna structure 100 when only the initial radiation unit 131 is used to transmit and receive signals.

[0064] It can be understood that in the scheme in which the feed unit 120, the initial radiation unit 131 and the plurality of enhanced radiation units 132 are arranged in sequence along a straight line, when there are more than three enhanced radiation units 132, the switch unit 140 can also be set between any two adjacent enhanced radiation units 132, and each of the switch units 140 independently controls the conduction state between two adjacent enhanced radiation units 132. When the plurality of enhanced radiation units 132 are turned on one by one starting from the initial radiation unit 131, the gain of the antenna structure 100 can be continuously improved to obtain a good quality signal in a specific direction or orientation.

[0065] It is understandable that the initial radiation unit 131 and the multiple enhanced radiation units 132 adopt a triangular distribution, a surrounding distribution or a linear distribution, which can be selected and adjusted according to actual design requirements, and will not be elaborated here.

[0066] Optionally, the switch unit 140 may be a mechanical switch, a circuit switch driven by voltage or current, or a switch unit including a radio frequency switch. The following will illustrate mechanical switches, circuit switches, and radio frequency switches by way of example, but are not limited thereto.

[0067] See also Fig.10In some feasible solutions, the mechanical switch 141 includes an electromagnetic element 1411 and a metal member 1412, the metal member 1412 has a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end is fixedly or pivotally connected to the substrate 110 and electrically connected to the feeding unit 120, the second end is movable relative to the substrate 110, the electromagnetic element 1411 is fixed to the substrate 110, the electromagnetic element 1411 is used to connect to an external driving circuit, and under the control of the driving circuit, drives the metal member 1412 to electrically connect or electrically insulate the enhanced radiation unit 132 and the initial radiation unit 131. It can be understood that a conductive metal can be provided on the substrate 110, the first end is fixedly or pivotally connected to the conductive metal, or the first end can be fixedly or pivotally connected to the feeding unit 120 and fixed to the substrate 110 via the feeding unit 120.

[0068] For example, the electromagnetic element 1411 may be an electromagnet, which is magnetic when powered on and non-magnetic when powered off. The metal piece 1412 may be a metal spring. In a natural state, the second end of the metal piece 1412 is electrically isolated from the enhanced radiation unit 132. When the gain of the antenna structure 100 needs to be increased, the driving circuit sends a current signal to the electromagnetic element 1411, so that the electromagnetic element 1411 is magnetic, and the metal piece 1412 is attracted and moves its second end toward the direction close to the electromagnetic element 1411 until it is connected to the enhanced radiation unit 132. When the radiation direction coverage of the antenna structure 100 needs to be increased, the driving circuit stops sending a current signal to the electromagnetic element 1411. At this time, the electromagnetic element 1411 is no longer magnetic, and the metal piece 1412 returns to its original state under the action of the elastic force and moves its second end toward a direction away from the enhanced radiation unit 132, thereby disconnecting the enhanced radiation unit 132 from the initial radiation unit 131.

[0069] See also Fig.11In some other feasible solutions, the mechanical switch 141 further includes an elastic member 1413, such as a spring, a torsion spring, etc. One end of the elastic member 1413 is fixed on the substrate 110, and the other end is connected to or abuts against the metal member 1412. When the driving circuit sends a current signal to the electromagnetic element 1411 to make the electromagnetic element 1411 magnetic, the metal member 1412 is attracted and its second end moves toward the direction close to the electromagnetic element 1411 until it is connected to the enhanced radiation unit 132, and at the same time, the elastic member 1413 is compressed by force. When the driving circuit stops sending a current signal to the electromagnetic element 1411, the electromagnetic element 1411 no longer has magnetism and cannot attract the metal part 1412. At this time, the metal part 1412 no longer applies force to the elastic part 1413. The elastic part 1413 pushes the metal part 1412 in a direction away from the enhanced radiation unit 132 under the action of its own elastic force, thereby disconnecting the enhanced radiation unit 132 and the initial radiation unit 131.

[0070] See also Fig.12 In some feasible solutions, the circuit switch 142 includes a field effect transistor 1421, one of the source S and the drain D of the field effect transistor 1421 is electrically connected to the initial radiation unit 131, the other of the source S and the drain D of the field effect transistor 1421 is electrically connected to the enhanced radiation unit 132, and the gate G of the field effect transistor 1421 is used to connect to an external driving circuit, and drive the enhanced radiation unit 132 and the initial radiation unit 131 to be electrically connected or electrically insulated under the control of the driving circuit. For example, the source S of the field effect transistor 1421 is electrically connected to the initial radiation unit 131, the drain is electrically connected to the enhanced radiation unit 132, and the gate G is electrically connected to the driving circuit. When the driving circuit applies an appropriate driving voltage to the gate G, the source S and the drain D of the field effect transistor 1421 are turned on, thereby electrically connecting the enhanced radiation unit 132 and the initial radiation unit 131. Compared with the mechanical switch 141 , the circuit switch 142 is smaller in size and more stable in performance, which facilitates the miniaturization of the antenna structure 100 .

[0071] It can be understood that when there are multiple enhanced radiation units 132, a circuit switch 142 including a field effect transistor 1421 can also be set between any two adjacent enhanced radiation units 132. In order to enable different circuit switches 142 to be used independently, the gate G of the field effect transistor 1421 of each circuit switch 142 is electrically connected to the driving circuit.

[0072] See also Fig.13In some other feasible solutions, the circuit switch 142 may also use a transistor 1422 to replace the field effect transistor 1421. The configuration of the transistor 1422 as the main component of the circuit switch is substantially the same as that of the field effect transistor 1421, with the main difference being that the driving circuit applies an appropriate current signal to the gate G of the transistor 1422 to turn on the source S and drain D of the transistor 1422, thereby electrically connecting the enhanced radiation unit 132 to the initial radiation unit 131.

[0073] It is understandable that when the transistor 1422 is used as the main component of the circuit switch 142 , a protection resistor may be connected in series at the source S and / or the drain D of the transistor 1422 .

[0074] See also Fig.14 , the RF switch 143 is used as an antenna switch, and the RF switch 143 includes an input port 1431, a first output port 1432, a second output port 1433 and a control port 1434. Among them, the input port 1431 is electrically connected to the initial radiation unit 131, and either the first output port 1432 or the second output port 1433 is electrically connected to the enhanced radiation unit 132, and the other can be set to an open circuit or electrically connected to other circuit modules. When the user operates the electronic device and applies a first voltage to the control port 1434, the first output port 1432 is electrically connected to the input port 1431, and the second output port 1433 is disconnected from the input port 1431; when a second voltage is applied to the control port 1434, the first output port 1432 is disconnected from the input port 1431, and the second output port 1433 is electrically connected to the input port 1431. For example, taking a single-pole double-throw RF switch as an example, when a positive voltage is applied to the control port 1434, the control circuit 1435 inside the RF chip controls the active end 1436 of the single-pole double-throw switch to be connected to the first output port 1432; when a zero voltage is applied to the control port 1434, the control circuit 1435 inside the RF chip controls the active end 1436 of the single-pole double-throw switch to be connected to the second output port 1433.

[0075] See also Figures 15 to 17 , taking the case where the number of the initial radiation unit 131 and the number of the enhanced radiation unit 132 are both one as an example. Fig.15: is a return loss curve diagram of the radiation signal of the antenna structure 100, the dotted line is the return loss curve when the switch unit 140 disconnects the connection between the initial radiation unit 131 and the enhanced radiation unit 132, and the dotted line is the return loss curve when the switch unit 140 connects the connection between the initial radiation unit 131 and the enhanced radiation unit 132. It can be seen that when the switch unit 140 is disconnected or turned on, the resonance of the antenna structure 100 in the WiFi working frequency band 5.85GHz (5.15GHz to 5.85GHz) is relatively good, meeting the performance requirements of the terminal antenna. Fig.16 1 is the radiation pattern of the antenna structure 100 when the switch unit 140 is in the off state. It can be seen that the vertical beam width of the pattern is wider and the maximum gain is smaller, which is 1.88dBi, that is, the coverage is wider and the gain is smaller. Fig.17 : is the radiation pattern of the antenna structure 100 when the switch unit 140 is in the on state. It can be seen that when the initial radiation unit 131 and the enhanced radiation unit 132 work together, the two radiation units are beam-synthesized, the vertical beam width of the radiation pattern is compressed, and the maximum gain reaches 4.17dBi, which is 2.3dBi higher than when the switch unit 140 is disconnected, with stronger wall penetration capability and longer radiation distance.

[0076] It should be noted that the above-mentioned different feasible schemes can be combined and referenced with each other as needed if they do not conflict with each other. For example, no matter what distribution method is adopted between the initial radiation unit 131 and the enhanced radiation unit 132, when there are multiple switch units 140, one or more of the above-mentioned different types of switches can be used, which will not be elaborated here.

[0077] The antenna structure 100 provided by the utility model can be applied to a variety of electronic devices, which may include a device body and any one of the above-mentioned feasible antenna structures 100, wherein the device body is used to provide excitation to the antenna structure 100 and control the radiation direction and radiation gain of the antenna structure 100.

[0078] Specifically, a processor electrically connected to the power supply and a driving circuit electrically connected to the processor and the power supply may be provided inside the device body, the power supply is also electrically connected to the feed unit 120 of the antenna structure 100, and the processor is electrically connected to the switch unit 140 of the antenna structure 100. When the user needs to improve the radiation gain of the antenna structure 100 in a scene with a weak signal, a corresponding switching instruction for switching the antenna structure 100 may be applied to the device body, the processor sends a corresponding operation instruction to the driving circuit, and the driving circuit applies an electrical signal to the switch unit 140 according to the corresponding operation instruction, so that the enhanced radiation unit 132 and the initial radiation unit 131 are turned on. When the user is in a scene with a strong signal, the coverage of the radiation direction of the antenna structure 100 can be expanded to improve the user experience. After applying the corresponding switching instruction to the device body, the processor sends a corresponding operation instruction to the driving circuit, and the driving circuit stops applying an electrical signal to the switch unit 140 according to the operation instruction, so that the enhanced radiation unit 132 and the initial radiation unit 131 are disconnected.

[0079] Optionally, the electronic device may be a router, a mobile smart device such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer or a smart watch, etc., which is not specifically limited in the present invention.

[0080] The antenna structure and electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present invention are introduced in detail above. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The description of the above implementation methods is only used to help understand the idea of ​​the present invention. There may be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the contents of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. An antenna structure, characterized in that: include: substrate; A feeding unit, disposed on the substrate, for providing excitation; a radiation unit, disposed on the substrate, comprising an initial radiation unit and an enhanced radiation unit, wherein the initial radiation unit is electrically connected to the feeding unit, and the enhanced radiation unit is electrically insulated from the feeding unit; A switch unit is disposed on the substrate, and is used to control the electrical connection state between the enhanced radiation unit and the feeding unit to change the radiation direction and radiation gain of the antenna structure.

2. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is one initial radiation unit, there are multiple enhanced radiation units and they are arranged in sequence, there are multiple switch units, the initial radiation unit is located outside the straight line formed by the arrangement of the multiple enhanced radiation units, and the multiple switch units and the multiple enhanced radiation units are arranged in one-to-one correspondence; The plurality of switch units independently control the conduction states of the corresponding enhanced radiation units and the initial radiation units to change the electrical connection state between the enhanced radiation units and the feeding unit.

3. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is one initial radiation unit, there are multiple enhanced radiation units, there are multiple switch units, the multiple enhanced radiation units are sequentially arranged around the initial radiation unit, and the multiple switch units and the multiple enhanced radiation units are arranged in one-to-one correspondence; The plurality of switch units independently control the conduction states of the corresponding enhanced radiation units and the initial radiation units.

4. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is one initial radiation unit, there are multiple enhanced radiation units, the feeding unit, the initial radiation unit and the multiple enhanced radiation units are arranged in sequence, and the switch unit is arranged between at least two adjacent enhanced radiation units.

5. The antenna structure according to claim 4, characterized in that There are at least three enhanced radiation units, and the switch unit is provided between any two adjacent enhanced radiation units. The switch unit controls the conduction state between the two adjacent enhanced radiation units independently of each other.

6. The antenna structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are multiple initial radiation units, which are connected in series, there is at least one enhanced radiation unit, and the switch unit is provided between any one of the initial radiation units and the enhanced radiation unit; Alternatively, there are multiple initial radiation units, the multiple initial radiation units are connected in parallel, and at least one of the initial radiation units is electrically connected to at least one enhanced radiation unit through the switch unit.

7. The antenna structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The switch unit includes an electromagnetic element and a metal part, the metal part having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end being fixedly or pivotally connected to the substrate and electrically connected to the feeding unit, and the second end being movable relative to the substrate, the electromagnetic element being fixed to the substrate, the electromagnetic element being used for an external driving circuit, and under the control of the driving circuit, driving the metal part to electrically connect or electrically insulate the enhanced radiation unit and the initial radiation unit.

8. The antenna structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The switch unit includes a field effect transistor, one of the source and the drain of the field effect transistor is electrically connected to the initial radiation unit, the other of the source and the drain of the field effect transistor is electrically connected to the enhanced radiation unit, and the gate of the field effect transistor is used to be externally connected to a driving circuit, and under the control of the driving circuit, the enhanced radiation unit and the initial radiation unit are driven to be electrically connected or electrically insulated.

9. The antenna structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The switch unit includes a transistor, one of the source and the drain of the transistor is electrically connected to the initial radiation unit, the other of the source and the drain of the transistor is electrically connected to the enhanced radiation unit, and the gate of the transistor is used for an external driving circuit, and under the control of the driving circuit, the enhanced radiation unit and the initial radiation unit are driven to be electrically connected or electrically insulated.

10. The antenna structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The switch unit includes a radio frequency switch, which includes an input port, a first output port, a second output port and a control port; the input port is electrically connected to the initial radiation unit, the first output port or the second output port is electrically connected to the enhanced radiation unit, and the control port is used to receive a control signal and change the conduction state of the input port and the first output port or the second output port according to the control signal.

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