A small cell antenna architecture for disaster emergency

Abstract

The utility model discloses a small -size base station antenna frame for disaster emergency, including substrate and the MxN antenna array integrated on the substrate, the antenna array is divided into a plurality of pxp sub -matrix that can work independently, and each sub -matrix contains pxp radiating unit and a plurality of radio frequency switches, and each radio frequency switch is connected two adjacent diagonal radiating unit respectively, and each sub -matrix back surface is provided with antenna rotation unit, the utility model divides the antenna array into a plurality of sub -array, adopts radio frequency switch control feed network, supports a variety of sub -array combination mode, and mode switching time reduces from minute level to millisecond level, and disaster response speed is greatly promoted. The utility model positioning accuracy enhances, compared with the traditional scheme >5m precision, adopt the multi -sub -array TDOA joint positioning error of utility model antenna structure <1m. In addition, the coplanar design can directly replace the existing base station antenna, need not structural reconstruction, and the compatibility is strong.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of communication antenna technology, specifically relating to a small base station antenna architecture for disaster emergency response. Background Technology

[0002] Base station antennas are key components of wireless communication systems, used to convert electrical signals into electromagnetic waves and vice versa, enabling directional radiation and reception of wireless signals to ensure the coverage and transmission quality of mobile communication networks. Currently used base station antenna systems have the following shortcomings in disaster emergency scenarios:

[0003] (1) Rigid structure: Traditional phased array antenna structures, such as those described in Chinese Patent No. CN110677856B, adopt a fixed array architecture, which cannot be dynamically divided into independent subarrays during disasters, resulting in inflexible resource allocation.

[0004] (2) Single function: Existing reconfigurable antenna structures, such as those described in the US patent application with publication number US20190181500A1, only support communication beam switching and lack a coplanar integrated mechanical steering mechanism, making it difficult to achieve large-angle scanning and precise positioning.

[0005] (3) Severe interference: Common modular antenna structures, such as those described in European Patent No. EP3282596B1, have insufficient isolation between subarrays (usually <20dB), resulting in significant signal crosstalk when multiple transmitters and receivers operate simultaneously. Utility Model Content

[0006] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this utility model discloses a small base station antenna architecture for disaster emergency response that is coplanar integrated and rapidly reconfigurable. While maintaining a low profile structure, it supports independent operation and collaborative positioning of subarrays in disaster mode.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this utility model is as follows:

[0008] A small base station antenna architecture for disaster emergency response includes a substrate and an M×N antenna array integrated on the substrate, where M is the number of rows and N is the number of columns; the antenna array is divided into several independently operable p×p sub-matrices, where p is an integer and p≥2; each sub-matrix contains p×p radiating elements and multiple radio frequency switches, each radio frequency switch is connected to two adjacent diagonal radiating elements; each radiating element is connected to an antenna rotation element.

[0009] Furthermore, each subarray is connected to an independent transceiver interface, which is switched via an RF switch.

[0010] Furthermore, the radio frequency switch is an SP4T switch, and the common port of the SP4T is connected to the working / distributing circuit. The working / distributing circuit receives or outputs the same power on average, and each is connected to the radiating unit.

[0011] Furthermore, the radio frequency switch is soldered to the back of the substrate and connected to the radiating unit through a metallized via.

[0012] Furthermore, the number of radio frequency switches is 2×(p-1). 2 .

[0013] Furthermore, the antenna rotation unit is a motor.

[0014] Furthermore, the antenna rotation unit includes a rotation bracket, a motor, and a piezoelectric ceramic micro-motion device. The bottom of the rotation bracket is connected to the substrate, and the top is connected to the radiation unit. The top of the rotation bracket can rotate relative to the bottom. The top of the rotation bracket is connected to a coarse adjustment gear set and a fine adjustment gear set. The motor drives the coarse adjustment gear set, and the piezoelectric ceramic micro-motion device drives the fine adjustment gear set.

[0015] Furthermore, the radiating element is a patch antenna.

[0016] Furthermore, the substrate includes a metal isolation layer.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0018] 1. This utility model provides a universal architecture that divides the antenna array into multiple subarrays, uses RF switches to control the feed network, supports various subarray combination modes, and reduces mode switching time from minutes to milliseconds, significantly improving disaster response speed. This utility model also enhances positioning accuracy; compared to traditional solutions with an accuracy >5 meters, the multi-subarray TDOA joint positioning error using this utility model's antenna structure is <1 meter. Furthermore, the coplanar design allows direct replacement of existing base station antennas without structural modifications, offering strong compatibility.

[0019] 2. The antenna rotation unit allows the radiating element to be physically deflected by ±θ degrees, and provides coarse and fine adjustment functions.

[0020] 3. The multilayer substrate structure with metal isolation layer effectively suppresses inter-array coupling, improves antenna performance and system stability, and optimizes signal quality. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a typical 4×4 base station antenna array in existing technology.

[0022] Figure 2 This invention relates to a 4×4 base station antenna array that adopts the structure of this utility model.

[0023] Figure 3 This invention relates to an 8×4 base station antenna array that adopts the structure of this utility model.

[0024] Figure 4 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of a 4×4 base station antenna and a partial sub-matrix using the structure of this utility model, wherein the switch part is a perspective view.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the SP4T switch, the RF front-end circuit, and the antenna.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a patch antenna structure.

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the radio frequency switch connection in a 3×3 sub-matrix of a base station antenna using the structure of this utility model, wherein the switch part is a perspective view.

[0028] Figure 8 This is a magnified semi-transparent back view of a 4×4 base station and a partial sub-matrix using the structure of this utility model.

[0029] Figure 9 This is a side view of the radiating element, the antenna rotating element, and the substrate.

[0030] Figure 10 This is a side view of an alternative design for the radiating element, antenna rotating element, and substrate.

[0031] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of longitudinal and discrete coplanar control of an antenna using the structure of this utility model.

[0032] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0033] 1-Substrate, 2-Radiation unit, 3-RF switch, 4-Antenna rotation unit, 5-Rotation bracket, 7-Coarse adjustment gear set, 8-Fine adjustment gear set, 9-Motor, 10-Piezoelectric ceramic micro-motion device. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solution provided by this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be understood that the following specific embodiments are only used to illustrate this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a typical 4×4 base station antenna array, and this invention improves upon it. The small base station antenna architecture for disaster emergency response provided in this example is as follows: Figure 2As shown, the antenna includes a substrate 1 and 2×2 independently operating sub-matrices. Each sub-matrix consists of 4 radiating elements, for a total of 16 radiating elements 2 disposed on the substrate. It should be noted that the number of radiating elements in the antenna and the number of radiating elements within the sub-arrays in this example are only for illustration. The number of antennas can be changed as needed to form an array. Figure 3 An 8×4 antenna array is shown, containing eight 2×2 subarrays. Therefore, more precisely, an M×N antenna array is integrated on the substrate, where M is the number of rows of radiating elements, N is the number of columns of radiating elements, and M, N ≥ 2. The entire array can be divided into multiple independently operating p×p subarrays, where p ≥ 2.

[0036] Each submatrix connects to an independent transceiver interface, which is switched via RF switch 3. Figure 4 Taking a submatrix in the upper left corner as an example, this submatrix has four radiating elements connected to two RF switches (SP4T switches in this example). Each RF switch connects to two diagonally arranged radiating elements, and each switch controls the power supply to the adjacent two diagonally opposite elements. The circuit diagram of the SP4T switch and the radiating elements is shown below. Figure 4 As shown, the SP4T's common port is connected to a power divider / combiner circuit (50Ω wiring). The power divider / combiner circuit receives or outputs the same power on average, and each is connected to a patch antenna (50Ω wiring) to ensure power consistency. V1, V2, and V3 are control signals that enable RF1, RF2, RF3, and RF4 RF ports, respectively. Each RF port cannot be enabled simultaneously, but can be disabled at the same time. RF1 through RF4 are connected to different RF TRx interfaces. Figure 5 The connection method enables both antennas simultaneously, thus gaining an additional 3dB of gain beyond the antennas' native gain. The switching time of the RF switch matrix is ​​<10μs. Eight SP4T switches (MASW-010350) control the feed network, supporting multiple subarray combination modes, with a measured switching time of <15μs. Figure 3The base station antenna comprises four sub-matrixes, employing eight SP4T switches. Each switch controls two radiating elements, staggered along the main and secondary diagonals, resulting in a total of 16 radiating elements controlled by the eight switches. The switches are directly soldered to the back of the substrate and connected to the radiating elements via metallized vias. The sub-matrix in the upper left corner uses switches SW1 and SW2. SW1 controls the upper left radiating element (1,1) and lower right radiating element (2,2) in the sub-matrix, while SW2 controls the upper right radiating element (1,2) and lower left radiating element (2,1) in the sub-matrix. When SW1 is turned on, the 2×2 sub-matrix antenna in the upper left corner is activated; when SW2 is turned on, a cross-polarization compensation pair is formed. The lower right submatrix uses switches SW3 and SW4. SW3 controls the upper left radiating element (3,3) and lower right radiating element (4,4) in the submatrix, while SW4 controls the upper right radiating element (3,4) and lower left radiating element (4,3). When SW3 is on, the 2×2 submatrix antenna in the upper left corner is activated; when SW4 is on, a cross-polarization compensation pair is formed. The remaining submatrixes use two sets of switches, SW5 and SW6, and SW7 and SW8, respectively. When only SW1 and SW3 are closed, the upper left and lower right elements are activated, forming a 2×2 single submatrix, suitable for high-gain directional communication scenarios. When all switches are alternately on, four independent 2×2 submatrixes are formed, suitable for multi-target positioning scenarios. When all switches are closed, a complete 4×4 array is formed, suitable for wide-area coverage scenarios. In this example, the radiating elements use patch antennas with a diameter of 2.1mm, such as... Figure 5 As shown, dual polarization is achieved by chamfering the corners, and the feed point is offset by 0.5mm to broaden the bandwidth. When the number of antenna rows in the subarray is greater than 2, more RF switches are used to connect adjacent diagonal radiating elements. Figure 7 It is a 3×3 submatrix, with each group of adjacent diagonal radiating elements connected by an RF switch. The number of RF switches is 2×(p-1). 2 By closing different positions and numbers of radio frequency switches, various combinations of antenna operating modes can be formed.

[0037] like Figure 8 As shown, each radiating element is connected to an antenna rotation unit 4, which is disposed between the radiating element and the substrate. The antenna rotation unit 4 is a rotation drive device that can drive the radiating element to rotate a certain angle. Figure 9 As shown, the rotation drive device 4 can be a micro motor, with the motor body fixed on the substrate and the drive shaft connected to the center of the back of the radiating element. By controlling the rotation of the motor, the radiating element can achieve a physical deflection capability of ±θ degrees. As an improvement, a micro motor and a piezoelectric ceramic micro-motion device can be combined in the antenna rotation unit. The micro motor provides coarse adjustment, while the piezoelectric ceramic micro-motion device provides fine adjustment. For example... Figure 10As shown, a rotating bracket 5 connects the radiating unit 2 and the substrate 1. The lower half of the rotating bracket 5 is fixed to the substrate, while the upper half is rotatable (it can be connected to the lower half using a miniature bearing). The rotating bracket has a through hole in its center, through which the transmit / receive signal line connects from the radiating unit to the substrate interface (via hole) and then to the RF switch. The upper half of the rotating bracket is connected to a coarse adjustment gear set 7 and a fine adjustment gear set 8, which are driven by a miniature motor 9 and a piezoelectric ceramic micro-motion device 10, respectively. Specifically, the coarse adjustment gear set 7 meshes with the gear driven by the miniature motor 9, and the fine adjustment gear set 8 meshes with the gear driven by the piezoelectric ceramic micro-motion device 10. This coarse-fine adjustment method is a conventional mechanical structure and will not be described in detail in this invention. The motor can directly control the gear set to a specific angle, similar to coarse adjustment (e.g., directly adjusting to 90°, 120°), and then fine adjustment is performed using the piezoelectric ceramic micro-motion device. The piezoelectric ceramic micro-motion device can be model PK4FL2, with a 1V drive voltage corresponding to a 0.1° deflection, and a full stroke of ±15° taking 8ms. The control method of the piezoelectric ceramic is as follows: a drive voltage of 0-100V corresponds to a micro-motion deflection of 0°-15° (linearity error <3%).

[0038] Substrate 1 employs a multilayer structure, including a metal isolation layer to suppress inter-array coupling. The metal isolation layer has a honeycomb-shaped perforated structure. The substrate material is Rogers RO3003 high-frequency laminate with εr = 3.0, a thickness of 0.508 mm, and a loss tangent of 0.0013. In this example, the metal isolation layer is an EBG isolation layer, formed by laser drilling (hole diameter 0.3 mm ± 0.02 mm) on the FR4 substrate, chemically depositing copper to form a mushroom-shaped metal cap (thickness 35 μm), and then covering it with a protective dielectric layer (dielectric constant 2.2). The mushroom-shaped cell period = λ / 6 = 1.78 mm, the hole diameter is 0.3 mm, and the depth is 0.2 mm. Its performance is verified by CST simulation, showing a reflection phase < -90° in the 26-30 GHz band and an isolation > 28 dB at 28 GHz.

[0039] Taking a coplanar matrix antenna employing the structure of this invention as an example, if the gain of a single antenna is 3dBi, the overall coplanar gain is 15dBi. If there are four transceiver sources, and each transceiver source can control four antennas, then the coplanar gain of each transceiver source is 9dBi. Based on the algorithm, different main lobe width beams and additional antenna gains are established to provide propagation / reception capabilities with greater line-of-sight distance or higher penetration. Side lobes can be used as multipath catadioptric signals for reception, increasing capture efficiency.

[0040] Figure 11This diagram illustrates the principle of combined and discrete coplanar control of the antenna structure of this invention. An example uses three transceiver sources, which can operate on the same frequency for maximum gain and coverage, or each can operate on an independent channel (heterogeneous sources). In a heterogeneous source setup, the channel configuration between the transceiver sources is designed to prevent mutual interference. If multiple antenna arrays are used, the switching direction and timing are adjustable. In a combined source setup, high-priority targets receive the highest link gain, ensuring communication quality with minimal controllable risk, and executing the maximum range beamforming algorithm for a wide-area search. In a heterogeneous source setup, while ensuring the minimum requirements for high-priority target location and communication quality, resources from other subarrays can be released. These released subarrays can be recombined for a secondary beamforming algorithm to search for other targets. This ensures that the phased array achieves higher communication quality and serves more targets compared to traditional designs.

[0041] It should be noted that the above content merely illustrates the technical concept of this utility model and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of this utility model, and all such improvements and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A small cell base station antenna architecture for disaster emergency, characterized in that, The system includes a substrate and an M×N antenna array integrated on the substrate, where M is the number of rows and N is the number of columns; the antenna array is divided into several p×p sub-matrices that can operate independently, where p is an integer and p≥2; each sub-matrix contains p×p radiating elements and multiple radio frequency switches, and each radio frequency switch is connected to two adjacent diagonal radiating elements; each radiating element is connected to an antenna rotation element.

2. The small cell base station antenna architecture for disaster emergency according to claim 1, wherein, Each subarray is connected to an independent transceiver interface, which is switched via an RF switch.

3. The small cell base station antenna architecture for disaster emergency of claim 1, wherein, The radio frequency switch is an SP4T switch. The common port of the SP4T is connected to the working / splitting circuit. The working / splitting circuit receives or outputs the same power on average and is connected to the radiation unit.

4. The small cell antenna architecture for disaster emergency response of claim 1, wherein, The radio frequency switch is soldered to the back of the substrate and connected to the radiating unit through metallized vias.

5. The small cell base station antenna architecture for disaster emergency of claim 1, wherein, The number of radio frequency switches is 2 x (p-1) 2 .

6. The small cell base station antenna architecture for disaster emergency, as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The antenna rotation unit is a motor.

7. The small base station antenna architecture for disaster emergency response according to claim 5, characterized in that, The antenna rotation unit includes a rotating bracket, a motor, and a piezoelectric ceramic micro-motion device. The bottom of the rotating bracket is connected to the substrate, and the top is connected to the radiating unit. The top of the rotating bracket can rotate relative to the bottom. The top of the rotating bracket is connected to a coarse adjustment gear set and a fine adjustment gear set. The motor drives the coarse adjustment gear set, and the piezoelectric ceramic micro-motion device drives the fine adjustment gear set.

8. The small cell base station antenna architecture for disaster emergency, according to claim 1, wherein, The radiating element is a patch antenna.

9. The small cell base station antenna architecture for disaster emergency, according to claim 1, wherein, The substrate includes a metal isolation layer.

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