Luneberg lens antenna

Abstract

The utility model discloses a Luneberg lens antenna, relates to the technical field of antennas, and is used for solving the technical problem that weak coverage and over-coverage are easily formed in a coverage network due to the fact that the horizontal and vertical wave widths of the existing Luneberg lens antenna are narrower. The Luneberg lens antenna comprises a reflecting plate, a plurality of antenna oscillators and a plurality of Luneberg lenses, the plurality of antenna oscillators are arranged at intervals along the first direction and are all arranged at one side of the reflecting plate; the plurality of Luneberg lenses are arranged on one side, deviating from the reflecting plate, of the antenna oscillators, the refractive indexes of the plurality of Luneberg lenses are different, and the plurality of Luneberg lenses and the plurality of antenna oscillators are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular, to a Luneburg lens antenna. Background Art

[0002] As the front-end device of a communication system, the main function of an antenna is to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals. To match the development trend of communication systems, antennas are also facing continuous development and upgrading.

[0003] A Luneburg lens antenna is a spherical layered dielectric lens antenna. Compared with a parabolic antenna, its main feature is that it can focus the incident wave to a point on the spherical surface, and the multi-beam wave gains are consistent. At the same time, its spherical symmetry and good dielectric properties endow it with advantages such as multi-beams, wide frequency band, and wide scanning angle range.

[0004] For existing multi-beam Luneburg lenses and single-beam Luneburg lenses, when realizing single-beam and multi-beam, due to the fixed diameter and refractive index of the sphere or cylinder, the horizontal and vertical wave widths gradually narrow with the increase of frequency, thus easily forming weak coverage and over-coverage in a multi-frequency wireless coverage network. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application provides a Luneburg lens antenna to solve the technical problem that the horizontal and vertical wave widths of the existing Luneburg lens antenna are relatively narrow, resulting in easy formation of weak coverage and over-coverage in the coverage network.

[0006] To achieve the above object, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] This application provides a Luneburg lens antenna, including: a reflector, a plurality of antenna elements, and a plurality of Luneburg lenses. Among them, the plurality of antenna elements are arranged at intervals along a first direction and are all disposed on one side of the reflector; the plurality of Luneburg lenses are disposed on the side of the antenna elements away from the reflector, and the refractive indices of the plurality of Luneburg lenses are all different, and the plurality of Luneburg lenses are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of antenna elements.

[0008] In the embodiment of this application, by arranging the plurality of Luneburg lenses in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of antenna elements, the gain of the Luneburg lens antenna can be improved and the energy can be concentrated. After loading the Luneburg lens, the gain of the antenna can be significantly increased. And because the Luneburg lens antenna is focused by the Luneburg lens, the radiation energy emitted by the antenna element can be concentrated into a narrow beam, improving the energy utilization efficiency. In addition, since the plurality of Luneburg lenses are all disposed on the side of the antenna elements away from the reflector, the reflector can, by reflection, concentrate the signals radiated by the Luneburg lens antenna in a certain direction, thereby effectively increasing the radiation power of the Luneburg lens antenna, making the signal propagation in a specific direction stronger and facilitating long-distance communication.

[0009] In addition, since the refractive indices of multiple Luneburg lenses are all different, in this way, the differences in high and low frequency bandwidths can be achieved, avoiding the gradual narrowing of the horizontal and vertical bandwidths as the frequency increases, and thus reducing the occurrence of weak coverage and over-coverage in the multi-frequency wireless coverage network. Moreover, compared with the antennas in the prior art, the Luneburg lens antenna provided in the embodiments of the present application has a simple structure, is easier to fabricate, is easy to debug, and has lower material costs and process costs, and can meet the requirements of mass-scale production.

[0010] In a possible structural design, the diameters of the multiple Luneburg lenses increase sequentially along the first direction.

[0011] In a possible structural design, the diameters of the multiple Luneburg lenses are the same, and the refractive indices of the materials of the multiple Luneburg lenses increase sequentially along the first direction.

[0012] In a possible structural design, the centers of the multiple Luneburg lenses are not collinear. In this way, it can be ensured that the antenna elements are at different radiation foci, thereby improving the antenna gain. For example, by placing multiple antenna elements at specific radiation foci, the radiation energies of the multiple antenna elements are superimposed in these directions, thus enhancing the signal strength. Moreover, by making the centers of the multiple Luneburg lenses not collinear, the signal coverage can also be improved. For example, in some communication scenarios, there may be signal blind spots caused by obstacles such as terrain and buildings. By placing multiple antenna elements at different radiation foci, the radiation pattern of the antenna can be adjusted so that the signal can cover these blind spots, thereby improving the overall signal coverage quality.

[0013] In a possible structural design, the multiple antenna elements include: a first antenna element, a second antenna element, and a third antenna element arranged at intervals along the first direction; the multiple Luneburg lenses include: a first Luneburg lens disposed on the side of the first antenna element away from the reflector, a second Luneburg lens disposed on the side of the second antenna element away from the reflector, and a third Luneburg lens disposed on the side of the third antenna element away from the reflector.

[0014] In a possible structural design, the Luneburg lens antenna further includes: a housing, an accommodation chamber is arranged inside the housing, and the reflector, the multiple antenna elements, and the multiple Luneburg lenses are all arranged inside the housing. In this way, it can be avoided that the reflector, the antenna elements, and the Luneburg lenses are damaged due to collision.

[0015] In a possible structural design, the shell includes: a bottom plate, an upper end cover, a lower end cover and an antenna cover, the bottom plate is arranged on the side of the reflector away from the antenna vibrator; the upper end cover and the lower end cover are arranged at intervals along the first direction, and the bottom plate is connected between the upper end cover and the lower end cover; the antenna cover is connected to the bottom plate, the upper end cover and the lower end cover; and a storage chamber is formed between the antenna cover, the bottom plate, the upper end cover and the lower end cover. In this way, the bottom plate can effectively support the reflector, multiple antenna vibrators and multiple Luneburg lenses, and the upper end cover and the lower end cover cooperate with the bottom plate to form a storage gap, so that when the antenna cover is connected to the upper end cover, the lower end cover and the bottom plate, the upper end cover, the lower end cover and the bottom plate can support the antenna cover, so that a storage chamber is formed between the antenna cover, the bottom plate, the upper end cover and the lower end cover.

[0016] In a possible structural design, the shell also includes: multiple groups of partitions, the multiple groups of partitions are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the multiple antenna elements, and any partition in the multiple groups is arranged on the reflector and is arranged around one of the multiple antenna elements.

[0017] The present application can adjust and optimize the radiation pattern of the Luneburg lens antenna by setting a partition around the antenna oscillator, and can achieve fine control of the radiation pattern of the Luneburg lens antenna by changing parameters such as the position, size and shape of the partition to meet specific communication needs.

[0018] In a possible structural design, the Luneburg lens antenna also includes: a connection port, which is electrically connected to the antenna element, and a avoidance hole is provided on the lower end cover, and at least a portion of the connection port extends out of the accommodating chamber through the avoidance hole to connect the Luneburg lens antenna to an external cable.

[0019] In a possible structural design, the first antenna element and the second antenna element are both medium frequency antenna elements, and the third antenna element is a 3.5G antenna element; the first Luneburg lens is a 1800MHZ Luneburg sphere, the second Luneburg lens is a 2100MHZ Luneburg sphere, and the third Luneburg lens is a 3.5GHZ Luneburg sphere. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the technical solution of the utility model and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present application, they are used to explain the technical solution of the utility model and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solution of the utility model.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a Luneburg lens antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a Luneburg lens antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application without the Luneburg lens;

[0023] Figure 3 The horizontal radiation pattern of the Luneburg lens antenna at 1800 MHz provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 4 The horizontal radiation pattern of the Luneburg lens antenna at 2100 MHz provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 5 The horizontal radiation pattern of the Luneburg lens antenna at 3.5 GHz provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 6 The structural schematic diagram of the housing of the Luneburg lens antenna provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 7 The schematic diagram of the external connection structure of the Luneburg lens antenna provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Reference numerals:

[0029] 100, Luneburg lens antenna;

[0030] 10, reflector;

[0031] 20, antenna element; 21, first antenna element; 22, second antenna element; 23, third antenna element;

[0032] 30, Luneburg lens; 31, first Luneburg lens; 32, second Luneburg lens; 33, third Luneburg lens;

[0033] 40, housing; 41, bottom plate; 42, upper end cover; 43, lower end cover; 431, avoidance hole; 44, radome; 45, partition; 451, first group of partitions; 452, second group of partitions; 453, third group of partitions;

[0034] 50, connection port;

[0035] 60, support member; 61, abutting portion;

[0036] 70, external connection structure; 701, connection hole; 70A, first external connection structure; 70B, second external connection structure; 71, first mounting plate; 72, second mounting plate. Detailed implementation manners

[0037] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Apparently, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present application. Usually, the components of the embodiments of the present application described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0038] Accordingly, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed present application, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments in the present application without creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0039] It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters denote like items in the following drawings. Therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings.

[0040] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the utility model product is usually placed during use. It is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation of the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used for descriptive distinction and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0041] In addition, terms such as "horizontal" and "vertical" do not mean that the components are required to be absolutely horizontal or hanging, but can be slightly inclined. For example, "horizontal" only means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical", and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly inclined.

[0042] In the description of the present application, it should also be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "set", "installed", "connected", "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0043] For the convenience of understanding, first, a brief introduction and explanation of some terms or basic concepts of technologies related to the embodiments of the present utility model are given.

[0044] Luneberg lens antenna: Also known as Luneburg lens antenna, it is a technology that applies the Luneberg lens to antenna design. It changes the antenna gain and focusing direction through the refractive index characteristics of the lens. The Luneberg lens is a lens made of inhomogeneous medium, and its relative permittivity changes continuously from the center of the sphere to the surface (usually from 2 to 1). This special refractive index distribution enables electromagnetic waves to continuously change their propagation directions inside the lens, ultimately achieving the focusing or divergence of electromagnetic waves. In antenna design, the Luneberg lens is used to correct the spherical or cylindrical waves emitted by the feed antenna, and finally achieve the focusing or directional radiation of electromagnetic wave energy in the form of plane waves. The Luneberg lens antenna has a high gain and can collect and radiate electromagnetic wave energy more effectively.

[0045] Antenna element: It is an important component on the antenna, which has the functions of guiding and amplifying electromagnetic waves, making the electromagnetic signals received by the antenna stronger. The antenna element is the most basic unit that makes up the antenna and is made of metal with good conductivity. They have specific shapes and sizes to optimize the radiation and reception performance of electromagnetic waves. The main function of the antenna element is to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals. When an electric current passes through the antenna element, electromagnetic wave radiation will be generated; conversely, when electromagnetic waves irradiate the antenna element, an electric current will be induced, thus realizing signal reception.

[0046] Reflector: It is a metal plate placed around the antenna or a reflective structure made of other materials. It is mainly used to reflect and guide electromagnetic waves, thereby optimizing the radiation and reception performance of the antenna. Among them, the reflector can increase the radiation power of the antenna and improve the signal strength by concentrating the radiated signals in a certain direction. The reflector can also reflect and guide the radiation direction of the antenna, thereby adjusting the propagation direction and range of the signal to achieve directional radiation.

[0047] With the rapid development of radio frequency technology, electromagnetic field and electromagnetic wave theory, radio equipment has played a significant role in human society.

[0048] Among them, as the transmitter and receiver of electromagnetic waves in the radio system, the performance of the antenna will have a decisive impact on the overall performance of the radio system. With the expansion of radio frequency technology to ultra-high frequency and extremely high frequency, and the development and use of spectrum resources, millimeter waves have shown great advantages and application scenarios. Among them, the working wavelength of millimeter waves is in the overlapping wavelength range between microwaves and far-infrared waves, and its frequency range is from 30 GHz to 300 GHz, so it has the characteristics of both waves at the same time. At present, the application fields of millimeter waves include wireless communication, satellite communication, radar systems, radio frequency identification, electromagnetic interference, etc., and it has outstanding advantages in 5G communication and civilian vehicle collision avoidance radar, etc.

[0049] The Luneburg lens exhibits absolute advantages in the millimeter-wave frequency range due to its excellent broadband characteristics, fast beam switching ability, wide-angle scanning ability, beam focusing ability, and high-speed data transmission ability, and can be widely applied in the above-mentioned multiple fields.

[0050] Therefore, the Luneburg lens antenna came into being. The Luneburg lens has a spherical basic shape. The Luneburg lens antenna is a lens antenna that focuses electromagnetic waves to a focal point through a dielectric, including a Luneburg lens and a feed source disposed on the lens. The Luneburg lens sphere is a sphere made of dielectric material that can converge electromagnetic waves coming from all directions to a corresponding point on the lens surface. In the part infinitely close to the sphere surface, the dielectric constant of its material = 1, that is, the same as that of air; the dielectric constant at its sphere center = 2, and the dielectric constant of the sphere material gradually changes from the surface to the center.

[0051] However, due to the fixed refractive index of multiple Luneburg lenses in the prior art, the horizontal and vertical wave widths gradually become narrower as the frequency increases, thus easily forming weak coverage and over-coverage in a multi-frequency wireless coverage network. For example, in the FDD1800 frequency band, the half-wave width is 27°, but by the 2690 frequency band, the half-power wave width becomes 19°. In the antenna application coverage, it is impossible to achieve co-coverage of high and low frequencies, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0052] Based on this, the embodiments of the present application provide a Luneburg lens antenna. Figure 1 The structural schematic diagram of a Luneburg lens antenna provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown. Figure 2 The structural schematic diagram of a Luneburg lens antenna provided by the embodiments of the present application after removing the Luneburg lens is shown, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the Luneburg lens antenna 100 includes: a reflector 10, a plurality of antenna elements 20, and a plurality of Luneburg lenses 30. The Luneburg lens 30 can be spherical or cylindrical, and the present application does not make any limitation thereto.

[0053] Among them, the antenna element 20 is classified according to its structure and shape. Optionally, the antenna element 20 can be a folded dipole. The folded dipole is a special form of antenna element, which is formed by bending and connecting the two arms of a half-wave symmetric antenna element. The folded dipole is usually designed to have an impedance matching the feeder (such as a coaxial cable), such as 50 ohms. This makes the energy transmission from the feeder to the antenna more efficient, reducing reflection and loss. Due to the structural characteristics of the folded dipole, it usually has a relatively wide operating bandwidth. This means that it can effectively radiate and receive signals within a relatively wide frequency range.

[0054] Moreover, the folded antenna element increases its mechanical strength by bending and connecting the two arms of the antenna element. This makes it more suitable for outdoor applications that need to withstand wind and other environmental stresses. In addition, the folded antenna element is a balanced antenna, which means that its two main parts (i.e., the two bent arms) are electrically equivalent. This balance helps reduce interference and losses caused by imbalance.

[0055] Optionally, the antenna element 20 can also be a crossed dipole antenna element (or called a crossed dipole). The electric field of the crossed dipole antenna element is non-zero in both the direction of the dipole moment axis and the direction orthogonal to the axis. The crossed dipole antenna element can generate isotropic omnidirectional radiation, which means that its radiation intensity is relatively uniform in all directions, facilitating omnidirectional communication. Through appropriate design and configuration, an antenna with a crossed dipole antenna element can achieve dual-polarization or circular-polarization radiation. The dual-polarization characteristic helps combat multipath fading and improve communication quality; while the circular-polarization characteristic has advantages in terms of rain fade resistance, multipath interference resistance, etc. In addition, an antenna with a crossed dipole antenna element usually has a relatively wide impedance bandwidth and operating bandwidth, which enables it to maintain stable performance within a relatively wide frequency range and meet the requirements of multi-band and wide-band communication.

[0056] Optionally, the antenna element 20 can also be a dipole antenna element arranged in an array shape. The dipole antenna consists of two straight wires of equal length, the same diameter, and parallel to each other, and these two wires are called the antenna element 20. The two ends of the antenna element 20 are usually called arms or radiating elements. When an electrical signal is fed into the dipole antenna, a standing wave distribution will be formed on the antenna element 20. The wavelength of the standing wave is the same as the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave generated or received by the antenna. An antenna with a dipole antenna element has the advantages of simple structure, easy fabrication, low cost, high radiation efficiency, good directivity, etc.

[0057] In addition, the antenna element 20 can also be classified according to the material. The antenna element 20 can be a metal antenna element, a printed circuit board (PCB) patch antenna element, a plastic antenna element, etc., and this application does not limit this.

[0058] Among them, as Figure 2 shown, multiple antenna elements 20 are arranged in a column on one side of the reflector 10. That is, the multiple antenna elements 20 can be arranged at intervals along the first direction and are all provided on one side of the reflector 10. In this way, when using an antenna with multiple antenna elements 20, the signal quality in deep coverage areas such as indoor or underground parking lots can be enhanced by adjusting the position and phase of the antenna element 20, improving the signal quality in the deep coverage area.

[0059] In addition, a plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 are all arranged on the side of the antenna element 20 away from the reflector 10, and the refractive indices of the plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 are all different.

[0060] In some embodiments, the plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 are made of the same material, but the diameters of the plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 are different, so that the refractive indices of the plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 are all different. Optionally, the diameters of the plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 may increase in sequence along the first direction (i.e., Figure 1 the X-axis direction shown), and optionally, the diameters of the plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 may also decrease in sequence along the first direction. The present application does not limit this.

[0061] In other embodiments, the diameters of the plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 are the same, but the materials of the plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 are different, and the refractive indices of the materials of the plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 are all different. Among them, the refractive indices of the materials of the plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 may increase in sequence along the first direction, and the refractive indices of the materials of the plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 may also decrease in sequence along the first direction. The present application does not limit this either.

[0062] In addition, the plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 and the plurality of antenna elements 20 are arranged in one-to-one correspondence. Exemplarily, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, there are 3 Luneburg lenses 30, and there are also 3 antenna elements 20. The 3 Luneburg lenses 30 and the 3 antenna elements 20 are arranged in one-to-one correspondence.

[0063] In the embodiment of the present application, by arranging the plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 and the plurality of antenna elements 20 in one-to-one correspondence, the gain of the Luneburg lens antenna 100 can be improved and the energy can be concentrated. After the Luneburg lens 30 is loaded on the Luneburg lens antenna 100, the gain of the antenna can be significantly improved, and since the Luneburg lens antenna 100 is focused by the Luneburg lens 30, the radiation energy emitted by the antenna element 20 can be concentrated into a narrow beam, improving the utilization efficiency of the energy. In addition, since the plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 are all arranged on the side of the antenna element 20 away from the reflector 10, the reflector 10 can concentrate the signal radiated by the Luneburg lens antenna 100 in a certain direction by reflection, thereby effectively increasing the radiation power of the Luneburg lens antenna 100, and making the propagation of the signal in a specific direction stronger, which is beneficial to long-distance communication.

[0064] In addition, since the refractive indices of multiple Luneburg lenses 30 are all different, in this way, the difference in high and low frequency bandwidths can be achieved, avoiding the gradual narrowing of the horizontal and vertical bandwidths as the frequency increases, and further reducing the occurrence of weak coverage and over-coverage in the multi-frequency wireless coverage network. Moreover, compared with the prior art antennas, the Luneburg lens antenna 100 provided by the embodiments of the present application has a simple structure, is easier to manufacture, is easy to debug, and has lower material costs and process costs, and can meet the requirements of large-scale mass production.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present application, as Figure 2 shown, the multiple antenna elements 20 may include: a first antenna element 21, a second antenna element 22, and a third antenna element 23, wherein the first antenna element 21, the second antenna element 22, and the third antenna element 23 are arranged at intervals along a first direction.

[0066] In some embodiments of the present application, the first antenna element 21 and the second antenna element 22 may be intermediate frequency antenna elements 20, and the third antenna element 23 may be a 3.5G antenna element 20. Among them, the intermediate frequency refers to the frequency in the frequency band from 300KHz to 3000KHz. In some other embodiments, the first antenna element 21, the second antenna element 22, and the third antenna element 23 may also be antenna elements 20 supporting other frequency bands, and the present application does not make any limitations in this regard.

[0067] Relatively, as Figure 1 shown, the multiple Luneburg lenses 30 may include: a first Luneburg lens 31, a second Luneburg lens 32, and a third Luneburg lens 33, wherein the first Luneburg lens 31 is disposed on a side of the first antenna element 21 away from the reflector 10, the second Luneburg unit lens is disposed on a side of the second antenna element 22 away from the reflector 10, and the third Luneburg lens 33 is disposed on a side of the third antenna element 23 away from the reflector.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present application, the first Luneburg lens 31 may be a 1800MHZ Luneburg sphere, the second Luneburg lens 32 may be a 2100MHZ Luneburg sphere, and the third Luneburg lens 33 may be a 3.5GHZ Luneburg sphere. In some other embodiments, the first Luneburg lens 31, the second Luneburg lens 32, and the third Luneburg lens 33 may also be Luneburg lenses with other wave frequencies, and the present application does not make any limitations in this regard.

[0069] The diameter of the first Luneburg lens 31 may be 280-320 mm, the diameter of the second Luneburg lens 32 may be 240-280 mm, and the diameter of the third Luneburg lens 33 may be 170 mm-210 mm. For example, the diameter of the first Luneburg lens 31 may be 300 mm, the diameter of the second Luneburg lens 32 may be 260 mm, and the diameter of the third Luneburg lens 33 may be 190 mm.

[0070] Figure 3 The horizontal radiation pattern of the Luneburg lens antenna at 1800 MHz provided in the embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 4 The horizontal radiation pattern of the Luneburg lens antenna at 2100 MHz provided in the embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 5 The horizontal radiation pattern of the Luneburg lens antenna at 3.5 GHz provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown, wherein: Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 All of them are analysis schematic diagrams of the Luneburg lens antenna provided in the embodiments of the present application in the finite element analysis (ANSYS) software, such as Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the horizontal wave width of the high and low frequencies of the Luneburg lens antenna is basically consistent, thereby ensuring that the high and low frequencies of the Luneburg lens antenna are covered in a coordinated manner and improving the user experience.

[0071] In some other embodiments, the antenna vibrator 20 can also be provided with 4, 5 or 6, etc., and correspondingly, the Luneburg lenses 30 can also be provided with 4, 5 or 6, etc. The number of the antenna vibrator 20 and the Luneburg lenses 30 can be set according to the specific situation, and the present application does not limit this.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present application, the centers of the multiple Luneburg lenses 30 are not collinear, that is, the line connecting the centers of the first Luneburg lens 31 and the second Luneburg lens 32 is not collinear with the line connecting the centers of the second Luneburg lens 32 and the third Luneburg lens 33.

[0073] In this way, it can be ensured that the antenna elements 20 are at different radiation foci, thereby improving the antenna gain. For example, by placing multiple antenna elements 20 at specific radiation foci, the radiation energy of multiple antenna elements 20 is superimposed in these directions, thereby enhancing the signal strength. In addition, by making the sphere centers of multiple Luneburg lenses 30 non-collinear, the signal coverage can also be improved. For example, in some communication scenarios, there may be signal blind spots caused by obstacles such as terrain and buildings. By placing multiple antenna elements 20 at different radiation foci, the radiation pattern of the antenna can be adjusted so that the signal can cover these blind spots, thereby improving the overall signal coverage quality.

[0074] In some other embodiments, the spherical centers of the multiple Luneburg lenses 30 may also be arranged collinearly, which is not limited in the present application.

[0075] In order to improve the protection effect of the Luneburg lens antenna 100, in some embodiments of the present application, such as Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, the Luneburg lens antenna 100 may include: a housing 40, a housing chamber is provided in the housing 40, and a reflector 10, a plurality of antenna elements 20 and a plurality of Luneburg lenses 30 are all provided in the housing 40. In this way, the reflector 10, the antenna element 20 and the Luneburg lens 30 can be prevented from being damaged by collision.

[0076] In some embodiments, Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, the housing 40 may include: a bottom plate 41, an upper end cover 42, a lower end cover 43 and an antenna cover 44, the bottom plate 41 is arranged on the side of the reflector 10 away from the antenna vibrator 20, that is, the reflector 10 is arranged on the bottom plate 41. The upper end cover 42 and the lower end cover 43 are arranged at intervals along the first direction, and the bottom plate 41 is connected between the upper end cover 42 and the lower end cover 43, wherein the long side of the bottom plate 41 is arranged along the first direction, and there is a receiving gap between the upper end cover 42 and the lower end cover 43. Multiple antenna vibrators 20 and multiple Luneburg lenses 30 are all located in the receiving gap.

[0077] In addition, the antenna cover 44 is connected to the bottom plate 41, the upper end cover 42 and the lower end cover 43. A receiving chamber is formed between the antenna cover 44, the bottom plate 41, the upper end cover 42 and the lower end cover 43. The receiving chamber includes at least a receiving gap.

[0078] In this way, the base plate 41 can effectively support the reflector 10, multiple antenna elements 20 and multiple Luneburg lenses 30, and the cooperation between the upper end cover 42 and the lower end cover 43 and the base plate 41 can form a receiving gap, so that when the antenna cover 44 is connected to the upper end cover 42 and the lower end cover 43 is connected to the base plate 41, the upper end cover 42, the lower end cover 43 and the base plate 41 can support the antenna cover 44, so that a receiving chamber is formed between the antenna cover 44, the base plate 41, the upper end cover 42 and the lower end cover 43.

[0079] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 2 As shown, the shell also includes multiple groups of partitions 45, and the multiple groups of partitions 45 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the multiple antenna elements 20. Any group of partitions 45 in the multiple groups is arranged on the reflector 10 and is arranged around one antenna element 20 among the multiple antenna elements 20.

[0080] For example, Figure 2As shown, three groups of partitions 45 are provided on the housing, namely: the first group of partitions 451, the second group of partitions 452, and the third group of partitions 453. Among them, the first group of partitions 451 is arranged on the reflector 10 around the first antenna element 21, the second group of partitions 452 is arranged on the reflector 10 around the second antenna element 22, and the third group of partitions 453 is arranged on the reflector 10 around the third antenna element 23.

[0081] Optionally, the partition 45 can be in the Figure 2 quadrilateral shown and surround the antenna element 20. The partition 45 can also be pentagonal, hexagonal, circular, etc. and surround the antenna element 20. The present application does not make any limitations in this regard.

[0082] By providing the partition 45 around the antenna element 20 in the present application, the radiation pattern of the Luneburg lens antenna 100 can be adjusted and optimized. And by changing parameters such as the position, size, and shape of the partition 45, fine control of the radiation pattern of the Luneburg lens antenna 100 can be achieved to meet specific communication requirements.

[0083] In some embodiments of the present application, as Figure 2 and Figure 6 shown, the Luneburg lens antenna 100 may further include: a connection port 50, which is electrically connected to the antenna element 20. An avoidance hole 431 is provided on the lower end cover 43, and at least a part of the connection port 50 extends out of the accommodation chamber through the avoidance hole 431 to connect the Luneburg lens antenna 100 to an external cable.

[0084] Among them, the connection port 50 can be an output port. Exemplarily, as Figure 3 shown, there can be 6 output ports. There can also be 4, 8, 9, etc. output ports. The present application does not make any limitations in this regard.

[0085] In order to fix the Luneburg lens 30, in some embodiments, as Figure 1 shown, the Luneburg lens antenna 100 may further include a support member 60. The circumferences of any Luneburg lens 30 can be surrounded by the support member 60. One end of the support member 60 is connected to the reflector 10, and the other end forms an abutting portion 61 that cooperates with the Luneburg lens 30 to fix the Luneburg lens 30. Among them, the support member 60 can be a support column, a support plate, etc. The present application does not make any limitations in this regard.

[0086] Exemplarily, as Figure 1As shown, the second Luenburg lens 32 is a spherical lens, and four support members 60 are arranged around the circumference of the second Luenburg lens 32 (one of the support members 60 is blocked by the second Luenburg lens 32, not shown). The four support members are arranged around the second Luenburg lens 32, and one end of the four support members is connected to the reflector 10, and the other ends of the four support members are arranged higher than the spherical center of the second Luenburg lens 32. The other ends of the four support members are all arranged at the abutment portion 61 that matches the spherical surface of the Luenburg lens 30, and the abutment portions 61 of the four support members are all abutted with the second Luenburg lens 32 to fix the Luenburg lens 30. Similarly, the connection between the first Luenburg lens 31 and the third Luenburg lens 33 can refer to the connection of the third Luenburg lens 33, and this application will not elaborate on this.

[0087] The abutting portion 61 may be a curved surface that is in surface contact with the spherical surface of the Luneburg lens 30 . This can increase the contact area between the Luneburg lens 30 and the support member, which is beneficial to improving the connection strength of the Luneburg lens 30 .

[0088] In some embodiments, Figure 2 and Figure 7 As shown, the Luneburg lens antenna 100 may also include an external connection structure 70, which is arranged on the side of the bottom plate 41 away from the reflector 10. A connection hole 701 may be opened on the external connection structure 70, so that it can be connected to other external devices through a connecting piece passing through the connection hole 701.

[0089] There may be multiple groups of the external connection structures 70 , and the multiple groups of external connection structures 70 are spaced apart along the first direction, so as to improve the connection strength between the Luneburg lens antenna 100 and other external devices.

[0090] For example, Figure 7 As shown, the external connection structure 70 may include: a first external connection structure 70A and a second external connection structure 70B.

[0091] In a possible structural design, the first external connection structure 70A and the second external connection structure 70B may include: a first mounting plate 71 and a second mounting plate 72, wherein the first mounting plate 71 and the second mounting plate 72 are both connected to the wall panel and are spaced apart along a direction perpendicular to the first direction, the first mounting plate 71 and the second mounting plate 72 are both provided with connection holes 701, and the two connection holes 701 are arranged opposite to each other, so that the connection position of other external connection devices can be set between the first mounting plate 71 and the second mounting plate 72, and a through hole is set at the connection position, and the connecting bolts pass through the connection hole 701 of the first mounting plate 71, the through hole and the connection hole 701 of the second mounting plate 72 in sequence to be connected with the connecting nut, so as to realize the fixed installation of the Luneburg lens antenna 100, and this connection method is relatively simple and convenient, and has a high connection strength.

[0092] When understanding the scope of the present utility model, the term "comprising" and its derivatives as used herein are intended to be open-ended terms that specify the presence of the recited features, elements, components, groups, wholes, and / or steps, but do not preclude the presence of other unrecited features, elements, components, groups, wholes, and / or steps. This concept also applies to words having similar meanings, such as the terms "including", "having", and their derivatives.

[0093] The term "attached" or "attachment" as used herein includes: a configuration in which an element is directly fixed to another element by directly fixing the element to the other element; a configuration in which an element is indirectly fixed to another element by fixing the element to an intermediate member, and the intermediate member is in turn fixed to the other element; and a configuration in which one element is integral with another element, i.e., one element is substantially a part of the other element. This definition also applies to words having similar meanings, such as "connected", "coupled", "joined", "mounted", "adhered", "fixed", and their derivatives. Finally, degree terms such as "substantially", "about", and "approximate" as used herein represent the amount of deviation that modifies the term such that the final result is not significantly changed.

[0094] Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field of the present utility model. The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present utility model. The features described in one embodiment herein can be applied to another embodiment alone or in combination with other features, unless the feature is not applicable or otherwise stated in that other embodiment.

[0095] The utility model has been described by the above embodiments, but it should be understood that the above embodiments are only for the purpose of illustration and example, and are not intended to limit the present utility model within the scope of the described embodiments. In addition, those skilled in the art can understand that the present utility model is not limited to the above embodiments, and more variations and modifications can be made according to the teachings of the present utility model, and these variations and modifications all fall within the scope of protection required by the present utility model.

Claims

1. A Luneburg lens antenna, characterized in that: include: Reflective panels; A plurality of antenna elements, wherein the plurality of antenna elements are arranged at intervals along a first direction and are all disposed on one side of the reflector; A plurality of Luneburg lenses are provided, each of the plurality of Luneburg lenses is arranged on a side of the antenna element away from the reflector, and the refractive indexes of the plurality of Luneburg lenses are different. The plurality of Luneburg lenses are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of antenna elements.

2. The Luneburg lens antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameters of the plurality of Luneburg lenses increase sequentially along the first direction.

3. The Luneburg lens antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameters of the plurality of Luneburg lenses are the same, and the refractive index of the material of the plurality of Luneburg lenses increases sequentially along the first direction.

4. The Luneburg lens antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The spherical centers of the multiple Luneburg lenses are not collinear.

5. The Luneburg lens antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The plurality of antenna elements include: a first antenna element, a second antenna element and a third antenna element arranged at intervals along the first direction; The multiple Luneburg lenses include: a first Luneburg lens arranged on the side of the first antenna element away from the reflector, a second Luneburg lens arranged on the side of the second antenna element away from the reflector, and a third Luneburg lens arranged on the side of the third antenna element away from the reflector.

6. The Luneburg lens antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Also includes: A housing is provided with a containing chamber in the housing, and the reflecting plate, the plurality of antenna elements and the plurality of Luneburg lenses are all arranged in the housing.

7. The Luneburg lens antenna according to claim 6, characterized in that: The housing comprises: A bottom plate, the bottom plate being arranged on a side of the reflector away from the antenna vibrator; An upper end cover and a lower end cover, wherein the upper end cover and the lower end cover are arranged at intervals along the first direction, and the bottom plate is connected between the upper end cover and the lower end cover; The antenna cover is connected to the bottom plate, the upper end cover and the lower end cover; the accommodation chamber is formed among the antenna cover, the bottom plate, the upper end cover and the lower end cover.

8. The Luneburg lens antenna according to claim 7, characterized in that: The housing further comprises: A plurality of groups of partitions are arranged corresponding to the plurality of antenna elements one by one, and any of the partitions in the plurality of groups is arranged on the reflecting plate and is arranged around one of the plurality of antenna elements.

9. The Luneburg lens antenna according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: Also includes: A connection port is electrically connected to the antenna element, and a avoidance hole is provided on the lower end cover. At least a portion of the connection port extends out of the accommodating chamber through the avoidance hole to connect the Luneburg lens antenna to an external cable.

10. The Luneburg lens antenna according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first antenna element and the second antenna element are both intermediate frequency antenna elements, and the third antenna element is a 3.5G antenna element; The first Luneburg lens is a 1800 MHZ Luneburg sphere, the second Luneburg lens is a 2100 MHZ Luneburg sphere, and the third Luneburg lens is a 3.5 GHZ Luneburg sphere.

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