Millimeter wave antenna housing and millimeter wave antenna

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of wireless transmission, and discloses a millimeter wave radome and a millimeter wave antenna, the millimeter wave radome covers an antenna array, and the antenna array comprises a plurality of antenna array elements; the millimeter wave antenna housing comprises a micro lens array and a millimeter wave antenna housing substrate. Wherein the microlens array comprises a plurality of microlens array elements, is arranged on the surface of the millimeter wave antenna housing substrate, is vertical to the incident direction of electromagnetic wave signals, and is used for converging the electromagnetic wave signals to the same point; the millimeter wave radome substrate is arranged on the side, away from the antenna array, of the microlens array. According to the millimeter wave radome, the directivity of a directional antenna can be improved, and the intensity of a main lobe emitted by the antenna is increased.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The embodiment of the present application relates to the technical field of wireless transmission, in particular to a millimeter wave antenna cover and a millimeter wave antenna. BACKGROUND

[0002] Currently, radar technology has developed from military applications, such as missile control, ground monitoring, air traffic control, to numerous automotive and industrial applications, such as adaptive cruise control (ACC), parking assistance, automatic parking, motion and presence detection, liquid level detection, personnel counting, etc. In order to make the radar sensor get good application effect in these fields, the key is to ensure that the design of the radar antenna cover or shell can minimize the electromagnetic interference and environmental interference on the radar sensor antenna.

[0003] However, the existing millimeter wave antenna cover mainly considers the selection of materials, such as glass fiber, polytetrafluoroethylene coated fabric and polycarbonate, which is usually determined according to the target application environment, so as to achieve the effect of protecting the antenna, preventing rain and dust, and protecting the internal structure from being damaged. However, no matter what material is used, the planar antenna cover will cause attenuation to the radio frequency signal, and the millimeter wave signal has a higher frequency point, so the attenuation is greater, which leads to more reduction of radio frequency performance. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0004] The purpose of the embodiment of the present application is to provide a novel millimeter wave antenna cover and electronic equipment to solve the technical problem of large attenuation of the existing millimeter wave antenna cover.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the first embodiment of the present application provides a millimeter wave antenna cover, which is arranged on an antenna array, and comprises a microlens array and a millimeter wave antenna cover substrate; wherein the microlens array comprises a plurality of microlens elements, which are installed on the surface of the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate and are perpendicular to the incident direction of electromagnetic wave signals, and are used for converging the electromagnetic wave signals to the same point; the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate is a stepped structure and is arranged on the side of the microlens array away from the antenna array.

[0006] In some embodiments, the millimeter wave antenna cover is a Fresnel lens structure.

[0007] In some embodiments, the millimeter wave antenna cover is provided with a plurality of focal points in the axial propagation direction.

[0008] In some embodiments, the antenna array comprises a plurality of antenna elements for receiving and transmitting electromagnetic waves, and the millimeter wave antenna cover is arranged on the antenna elements.

[0009] In some embodiments, the microlens elements and the antenna elements are one-to-one correspondingly arranged.

[0010] In some embodiments, the lens orientation of the microlens array is away from the direction of the antenna array.

[0011] In some embodiments, the material of the millimeter wave radome substrate is glass fiber, polytetrafluoroethylene coated fabric or polycarbonate.

[0012] In some embodiments, the microlens array and the millimeter wave radome substrate are an integral structure.

[0013] In some embodiments, the microlens array and the millimeter wave radome substrate are a split structure.

[0014] The second embodiment of the utility model further proposes a millimeter wave antenna, comprising an antenna array and a millimeter wave radome as described in the above embodiment, and the millimeter wave radome is arranged on the antenna array.

[0015] The millimeter wave radome provided by some embodiments of the application installs a microlens array on the surface of a millimeter wave radome substrate, the millimeter wave radome substrate is arranged as a small stepped structure, and the refraction principle of electromagnetic waves is utilized, so that the signals in different stepped structures are focused on the same point when electromagnetic waves penetrate the millimeter wave radome material after being transmitted by the antenna, thereby ensuring that the radio frequency signals are converged into a directional antenna with extremely strong directivity and increasing the main lobe intensity of the antenna emission. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] One or more embodiments are exemplified by the pictures in the drawings corresponding thereto, and the exemplifications do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments, and the elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings represent similar elements, unless otherwise specified, and the drawings do not constitute a proportional limitation.

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a millimeter wave antenna structure provided by some embodiments of the application;

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the transmission process of electromagnetic waves in the stepped microlens array;

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the front end of the millimeter wave radome.

[0020] The various marks in the drawings represent the following:

[0021] 1: antenna array

[0022] 11: antenna array element

[0023] 21: microlens array

[0024] 211: micro-lens array element

[0025] 22: millimeter wave radome substrate

[0026] 3: radio frequency terminal device

[0027] 4: base station DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In the related art, the millimeter wave radome mainly considers the selection of materials such as glass fiber, polytetrafluoroethylene coated fabric, and polycarbonate, which is usually determined according to the target application environment, so as to achieve the effect of protecting the antenna, preventing rain and dust, and protecting the internal structure from being damaged. However, no matter what material is used, the planar radome will cause attenuation to the radio frequency signal, resulting in a decrease in the radio frequency performance of the millimeter wave antenna signal.

[0029] In the related art, the diffractive optical element (DOE) is a planar multi-focusing system using a diffractive optical element, which is an optical element designed by utilizing the wave nature of light. By manufacturing microstructures on the surface of the DOE, the transmission phase of the light wave can be changed when passing through, so as to perform phase modulation on the incident light. The multi-focusing DOE is based on the principle of planar multi-focusing, and uses incident laser irradiated to different local areas of the lens to focus respectively, so as to obtain multiple focal points in the axial propagation direction at the same time. The spacing between these focal points is nearly equal, the number of focal points is generally 2 to 15, the spacing is generally tens to hundreds of microns, and the energy of each focal point is also basically consistent.

[0030] Based on this, the embodiment of the present application provides a millimeter wave radome, which is arranged on an antenna array and includes a micro-lens array and a millimeter wave radome substrate; wherein the micro-lens array includes a plurality of micro-lens array elements, which are installed on the surface of the millimeter wave radome substrate and are perpendicular to the incident direction of electromagnetic wave signals, and are used for converging the electromagnetic wave signals to the same point; the millimeter wave radome substrate is a stepped structure and is arranged on the side of the micro-lens array away from the antenna array. Based on the principle of planar multi-focusing, a structure similar to a Fresnel lens is used, and on the basis of single refraction, the planar radome is designed as a multi-focusing structure, so as to improve the directivity of the directional antenna, thereby further increasing the main lobe intensity of the antenna emission.

[0031] In order to make the purposes, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the various embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, those skilled in the art can understand that in the various embodiments of the present application, many technical details are proposed in order to make the readers better understand the present application. However, the technical solutions claimed by the present application can be implemented even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the following embodiments. The division of the following various embodiments is for the convenience of description, and should not constitute any limitation on the specific implementation of the present application. The various embodiments can be combined and quoted with each other without contradiction.

[0032] For the convenience of description, in the context of the present specification, when an element is referred to as being located "on" another element, it can be directly located on the other element or indirectly located on the other element with one or more intermediate elements interposed therebetween. Moreover, in the context of the present specification, when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" or "attached" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled or attached to the other element or indirectly connected, coupled or attached to the other element with one or more intermediate elements interposed therebetween. In addition, when an element is referred to as being "engaged" with another element, it can be directly engaged or contacted with the other element or indirectly engaged or contacted with the other element with one or more intermediate elements interposed therebetween.

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a millimeter wave antenna structure provided by an embodiment of the present application includes a millimeter wave antenna cover, which is arranged on an antenna array 1. The millimeter wave antenna cover includes a microlens array 21 and a millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22. The microlens array 21 includes a plurality of microlens array elements 211 mounted on the surface of the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22, perpendicular to the incident direction of electromagnetic wave signals, for focusing the electromagnetic wave signals to the same point. The millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22 is a stepped structure arranged on the side of the microlens array 21 away from the antenna array 1.

[0034] Millimeter wave (mmWave) is a special antenna wave, which is an electromagnetic wave with a wavelength range of 1 to 10 millimeters and a frequency range of 30 GHz-300 GHz. Due to its characteristics of high bandwidth, low latency and anti-interference, it has wide application in 5G communication, automotive field, industrial automation, smart city and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) etc.

[0035] The millimeter wave radome is an important component in the millimeter wave radar system, which mainly protects the antenna from the influence of external environment such as rain, sunlight, wind, etc., while ensuring the transmission quality of radar signals. The millimeter wave radome has little attenuation to the electromagnetic wave signals transmitted or received by the antenna, which can ensure the efficient transmission and reception of electromagnetic wave signals, and can also optimize the beam characteristics of electromagnetic wave signals through special structural design. In the embodiments of the present application, the millimeter wave radome changes the beam characteristics by setting a special microlens array.

[0036] The millimeter wave radome in the embodiments of the present application is arranged on the antenna array, and can be designed into various shapes such as plane, sphere, geodesic line, etc. according to the requirements of the specific radio frequency terminal device 3. The specific shape is determined by the radiation pattern, field of view and detection distance of the radar sensor, which is not limited here.

[0037] The millimeter wave radome in the embodiments of the present application includes a microlens array 21 and a millimeter wave radome substrate 22, wherein the microlens array 21 includes a plurality of microlens elements 211 mounted on the surface of the millimeter wave radome substrate 22, perpendicular to the incident direction of the electromagnetic wave signal, for focusing the electromagnetic wave signal to the same point. The electromagnetic wave signal is emitted by the radio frequency system, passes through the antenna array 1, and is transmitted to the base station 4.

[0038] In the embodiments of the present application, the millimeter wave radome realizes efficient regulation and control of millimeter wave signals by integrating a microlens array (MLA). The microlens array is an electromagnetic wave refractive element composed of a plurality of microlens elements in microns to millimeters. These microlens elements are integrated on the surface of the substrate of the millimeter wave radome in a specific arrangement. The subunit period of the microlens is generally tens of microns to several thousand microns, and the shape can be circular, square, hexagonal or other free-form surface.

[0039] In the embodiments of the present application, the microlens array includes a plurality of microlens elements mounted on the surface of the millimeter wave radome substrate.

[0040] In the embodiments of the present application, the electromagnetic wave signal emitted by the antenna element 11 is focused by the microlens element 211, and the microlens element 211 is in a stepped shape. In the embodiments of the present application, the lens of the microlens element 211 faces away from the direction of the antenna element 11, as shown in FIG. 2B. Figure 2As shown, the incident line of the electromagnetic wave signal is the electromagnetic wave signal emitted by the antenna array element 11, which is focused in the microlens array element 211, reaches the convex lens side of the microlens array element 211, is refracted out through the convex lens surface of the microlens array element 211, and forms secondary focusing, thereby realizing re-focusing on the basis of single refraction of the existing planar antenna cover, converging the electromagnetic wave signal to the same point, improving the directivity of the directional antenna, and increasing the main lobe strength of the antenna emission.

[0041] The millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22 of the embodiment of the present application is a stepped structure, as shown in the front view of the front end of the millimeter wave antenna cover, Figure 3 As shown, the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22 of the embodiment of the present application is a stepped structure, as shown in the front view of the front end of the millimeter wave antenna cover, Figure 3 The antenna cover with a small step is shown. The millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22 of the embodiment of the present application is arranged on the side of the microlens array 21 away from the antenna array.

[0042] The millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22 in the embodiment of the present application comprehensively considers electrical performance, heat resistance, mechanical strength, chemical stability and other factors to ensure that the millimeter wave antenna cover can work stably in various environments. The millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22 is arranged on the side of the microlens array 21 away from the antenna array 1, so that the electromagnetic wave emitted by the antenna array 1 first passes through the microlens array 21 and then passes through the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22 and is emitted to the base station 3. Since the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate has strong wave-transparent performance and small magnetic field loss, the direction of the electromagnetic wave is not changed, so the propagation of the electromagnetic wave is not affected when the electromagnetic wave passes through the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22. At the same time, the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22 plays a role in fixing the microlens array 21, and the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22 faces the external environment. Such a setting mode can make the microlens array 21 be located under the protection of the millimeter wave antenna cover, thereby improving the service life.

[0043] The millimeter wave antenna cover in the embodiment of the present application is provided with a plurality of focal points in the axial propagation direction.

[0044] The millimeter wave antenna cover of the embodiment is an electromagnetic wave refracting element with a stepped shape. By using the principle of electromagnetic wave refraction, the transmission phase of the incident electromagnetic wave signal is changed through the small stepped structure of the millimeter wave antenna cover, phase modulation is realized, and different positions of the electromagnetic wave signal are focused by refraction. As shown in the figure, Figure 2 By accurately controlling the structure of the microlens array element 211 on the millimeter wave antenna cover, the phase modulation of the incident electromagnetic wave is realized, so that the electromagnetic wave is focused in a plurality of predetermined directions, and the directivity and main lobe strength of the antenna are enhanced.

[0045] The millimeter wave antenna cover in the embodiment of the present application is a Fresnel lens structure.

[0046] A Fresnel lens consists of a series of linear prisms, each with an angle that needs to be precisely designed to converge parallel incident light rays to the focal point. In this embodiment, the millimeter-wave radome borrows from the Fresnel lens structure, designing a series of refractive structures with specific angles as elements of a microlens array. This allows electromagnetic waves to be effectively focused in multiple stages when passing through the millimeter-wave radome, improving the antenna's directivity.

[0047] The antenna array 1 described in this embodiment includes multiple antenna elements 11 for receiving and transmitting electromagnetic waves, and the millimeter-wave antenna cover is disposed on the antenna elements 11.

[0048] In this embodiment, the antenna array 1 is composed of multiple antenna elements 11, such as... Figure 1 As shown, these antenna elements 11 are used to receive and transmit electromagnetic wave signals from the radio frequency system. The millimeter-wave antenna cover is placed on the antenna elements 11. Its main function is not only to protect the antenna elements 11 from the influence of the external environment such as rain, sunlight, and wind, but also to achieve phase modulation of electromagnetic waves through its special structural design (such as stepped electromagnetic wave refraction elements).

[0049] In this embodiment, the microlens array element 211 is configured in a one-to-one correspondence with the antenna array element 11.

[0050] The microlens array elements 211 are configured in a one-to-one correspondence with the antenna array elements 11. Each antenna array element 11 is configured with an independent stepped microlens array element 211, so that the vibrator of the antenna array element 11 is located at the focal point of the corresponding microlens array element 211, which facilitates the adjustment of the distance between the antenna array element 11 and the stepped microlens array element 211.

[0051] The millimeter-wave antenna radome substrate 22 described in this application embodiment is made of glass fiber, polytetrafluoroethylene coated fabric, or polycarbonate.

[0052] The material selection of the millimeter-wave radome substrate 22 directly affects the performance and stability of the millimeter-wave radome. When selecting materials, the dielectric constant and loss tangent are the two main parameters to consider. At the same time, the weather resistance, corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance and cost-effectiveness are also considered. The specific selection can be determined according to the usage environment and functional requirements.

[0053] The dielectric constant is a physical quantity that describes the ability of a material to store electric charge in an electric field. It reflects the material's polarity, solvent capacity, microwave coupling ability, and other properties. The dielectric constant is the product of the relative dielectric constant and the absolute dielectric constant in a vacuum, usually represented by ε, with the unit of farad per meter (F / m). The dielectric constant affects the propagation speed and impedance matching characteristics of microwave signals in transmission lines. By selecting appropriate dielectric constant materials as the insulating layer of the transmission line, a low-loss and high-performance microwave system can be achieved. In radio frequency electronics, the dielectric constant determines the characteristic impedance of the circuit board material. By selecting appropriate substrate materials and their dielectric constants, optimized radio frequency circuit performance can be achieved, such as reducing signal loss and increasing signal transmission rate. The dielectric constant also affects the operating frequency and size of radio frequency electronic devices. By precisely controlling the dielectric constant, miniaturization and high performance of radio frequency devices can be achieved.

[0054] The loss tangent (tan δ) is an important physical quantity in materials science and electrical engineering, which characterizes the energy loss of dielectric materials under the action of alternating electric field. Specifically, the loss tangent is defined as the ratio of the imaginary part to the real part of the dielectric constant, i.e., tan δ = ε' / ε", where ε' is the real part of the dielectric constant, representing the material's ability to store energy in an electric field; ε" is the imaginary part of the dielectric constant, representing the material's ability to dissipate energy in an electric field.

[0055] Low dielectric constant and loss tangent values mean that the material has less loss and reflection of electromagnetic wave signals, and the millimeter wave radome has good wave transmission performance.

[0056] The material of the millimeter wave radome substrate 22 in the embodiments of the present application can be selected from glass fiber. The dielectric constant of glass fiber is usually between 5 and 10, and the specific value will be affected by its composition, structure and preparation process. A higher dielectric constant means that the material can store more electric energy and effectively isolate current.

[0057] The material of the millimeter wave radome substrate 22 in the embodiments of the present application can also be selected from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coated fabric. The dielectric constant of polytetrafluoroethylene is about 2.1, with very low dielectric loss, usually less than 0.001. This makes PTFE an ideal material for high-frequency electronic components, which can improve the performance of the device.

[0058] The material of the millimeter wave radome substrate 22 in the embodiments of the present application can also be selected from polycarbonate. The dielectric constant of polycarbonate is generally between 2.9 and 3.1. It exhibits good insulation performance and voltage resistance, making it suitable for electronic components in high-temperature environments.

[0059] The microlens array 21 and the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22 in the embodiments of the present application are an integrated structure, but can also be a split structure, which is determined according to the specific use environment, function, performance, and cost requirements.

[0060] The integrated structure of the microlens array 21 and the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22 is a design method that directly integrates the microlens array 21 onto the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22. This design method can improve the overall performance and compactness of the antenna system, reduce assembly steps, reduce costs, and improve the stability and reliability of the structure. This design can also reduce electromagnetic wave signal reflection and scattering caused by the interface discontinuity between different materials, thereby improving the performance of the antenna. When designing the integrated structure, the physical properties of the materials, such as the dielectric constant, loss tangent, thickness, and mechanical strength, need to be considered. These parameters will affect the performance of the millimeter wave antenna cover, including its transmission characteristics of electromagnetic wave signals and the durability of the structure.

[0061] In the split structure, the microlens array 21 and the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22 are manufactured and assembled separately. This design allows more flexible design and optimization, because each component can be designed, adjusted, and improved independently to meet specific performance requirements. The microlens array 21 can focus on achieving the required refraction performance, while the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22 can be optimized for electromagnetic performance. The split structure allows system designers to choose different materials for the microlens array 21 and the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate 22 to adapt to different application scenarios. For example, appropriate millimeter wave antenna cover substrate materials can be selected according to the required dielectric constant and loss tangent. At the same time, the split structure is easier to manufacture because each component can be produced on different production lines and then assembled together, which helps to reduce costs, especially in large-scale production.

[0062] The millimeter wave antenna cover provided by some embodiments of the present application installs the microlens array on the surface of the millimeter wave antenna cover substrate, which is set as a small stepped structure. By using the refraction principle of electromagnetic wave signals, the signals in different stepped structures are focused on the same point when the electromagnetic wave signals penetrate the millimeter wave antenna cover material after transmission through the antenna, ensuring that the radio frequency signals are converged into a directional antenna with extremely strong directivity, thereby increasing the main lobe strength of the antenna transmission.

[0063] Some embodiments of the present application provide a millimeter wave antenna, which includes an antenna array and a millimeter wave antenna cover as described in the above embodiments, and the millimeter wave antenna cover is arranged on the antenna array.

[0064] Those skilled in the art can understand that the above-mentioned embodiments are specific examples for implementing the present application, and in actual applications, various changes can be made in form and details without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application.

[0065] The above is a further detailed description of the present application in combination with specific preferred embodiments, and cannot be deemed to limit the specific implementation of the present application to these descriptions. For those skilled in the art to which the present application belongs, without departing from the concept of the present application, a number of equivalent substitutions or obvious modifications can be made, and the performance or use is the same, which should be regarded as belonging to the protection scope of the present application. In the description of the present application, the description of the reference terms "an embodiment", "some embodiments", "a preferred embodiment", "an example", "a specific example" or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in combination with the embodiment or example are contained in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In the present application, the illustrative description of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. Those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in the present application and the features of the different embodiments or examples without contradiction. Although the embodiments of the present application and their advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and modifications can be made in the present application without departing from the scope of the patent application.

Claims

1. A millimeter-wave radome, mounted on an antenna array, characterized in that, The millimeter-wave radome includes a microlens array and a millimeter-wave radome substrate; The microlens array includes multiple microlens elements, which are mounted on the surface of the millimeter-wave antenna radome substrate and perpendicular to the incident direction of the electromagnetic wave signal, in order to focus the electromagnetic wave signal to the same point. The millimeter-wave antenna radome substrate has a stepped structure and is disposed on the side of the microlens array opposite to the antenna array.

2. The millimeter-wave radome according to claim 1, characterized in that: The millimeter-wave antenna radome is a Fresnel lens structure.

3. The millimeter-wave radome according to claim 2, characterized in that: The millimeter-wave radome has multiple focal points in the axial propagation direction.

4. The millimeter-wave radome according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna array includes multiple antenna elements for receiving and transmitting electromagnetic waves, and the millimeter-wave radome is disposed on the antenna elements.

5. The millimeter-wave radome according to claim 4, characterized in that: The microlens array elements are configured in a one-to-one correspondence with the antenna array elements.

6. The millimeter-wave radome according to claim 5, characterized in that: The lenses of the microlens array element are oriented away from the direction of the antenna array element.

7. The millimeter-wave radome according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the millimeter-wave antenna radome substrate is glass fiber, polytetrafluoroethylene coated fabric, or polycarbonate.

8. The millimeter-wave radome according to claim 1, characterized in that: The microlens array and the millimeter-wave antenna radome substrate are integrally formed.

9. The millimeter-wave radome according to claim 1, characterized in that: The microlens array and the millimeter-wave antenna radome substrate are separate structures.

10. A millimeter-wave antenna, comprising an antenna array and a millimeter-wave radome as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the millimeter-wave radome is disposed on the antenna array.

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