Antenna and electronic device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an antenna and an electronic device, belonging to the technical field of communications. The antenna of the present disclosure comprises a feed layer, a phase adjustment layer, and a radiation layer. The feed layer is configured to transmit a microwave signal to the phase adjustment layer. The phase adjustment layer is configured to execute a phase shift on the microwave signal according to a preset phase shift amount. The radiation layer is configured to radiate the microwave signal subjected to phase shift by the phase adjustment layer, and the radiation layer comprises at least one first radiation patch.

Description

Antennas and electronic equipment Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure belongs to the field of antenna technology, and particularly relates to an antenna and electronic equipment. Background Art

[0002] In some antennas, the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer of the phase shifter in the antenna will change significantly with temperature. In other words, the temperature increase will cause the phase shifter's phase shift angle range to decrease and the insertion loss to increase. This will be reflected in the antenna and cause the antenna performance to deteriorate, such as sidelobe rise, mainlobe reduction, and beam pointing disorder. This brings huge challenges to the simulation design and actual use of the antenna.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art and provides an antenna and an electronic device.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna comprising a feeding layer, a phase adjustment layer, and a radiation layer; wherein,

[0006] The feeding layer is configured to transmit the microwave signal to the phase adjustment layer;

[0007] The phase adjustment layer is configured to shift the phase of the microwave signal according to a preset phase shift amount;

[0008] The radiation layer is configured to radiate the microwave signal after being phase-shifted by the phase adjustment layer; the radiation layer includes at least one first radiation patch.

[0009] The first radiation patch includes a first side and a second side arranged opposite to each other along a first direction, and a third side and a fourth side arranged opposite to each other along a second direction; the first radiation patch also includes a fifth side; the fifth side is connected to at least one of the following positions:

[0010] between the first end of the first side and the first end of the third side;

[0011] between the second end of the first side and the first end of the fourth side;

[0012] between the first end of the second side and the second end of the third side;

[0013] between the second end of the second side and the second end of the fourth side.

[0014] When the fifth side is connected between the first end of the first side and the first end of the third side, the intersection of the extension line of the first side and the extension line of the third side is a first intersection point, and the distance from the first intersection point to the first end of the first side is equal to the distance from the first intersection point to the first end of the third side;

[0015] When between the second end of the first side and the first end of the fourth side, the intersection of the extended line of the first side and the extended line of the fourth side is the second intersection point, and the distance from the second intersection point to the second end of the first side is equal to the distance from the second intersection point to the first end of the fourth side;

[0016] When between the first end of the second side and the second end of the third side, the intersection of the extension line of the second side and the extension line of the third side is the third intersection point, and the distance from the third intersection point to the first end of the second side is equal to the distance from the third intersection point to the second end of the third side;

[0017] When between the second end of the second side and the second end of the fourth side, the intersection of the extension line of the second side and the extension line of the fourth side is the fourth intersection, and the distance from the fourth intersection to the second end of the second side is equal to the distance from the fourth intersection to the second end of the fourth side.

[0018] The phase adjustment layer includes at least one phase shifter, a first transmission end of the phase shifter is electrically connected to a second feeding port of the feeding layer; and a second transmission end of the phase shifter is electrically connected to one of the first radiation patches.

[0019] The radiation layer further includes a first dielectric substrate and at least one probe. The first radiation layer is arranged on a side of the first dielectric substrate away from the phase adjustment layer. One of the probes is electrically connected to one of the first radiation layers and passes through the first dielectric substrate to point to the second transmission end of the phase shifter.

[0020] In which, the first radiation patch includes a first side and a second side arranged opposite to each other along a first direction, and a third side and a fourth side arranged opposite to each other along a second direction; the center of a virtual quadrilateral defined by the extension lines of the first side, the second side, the third side, and the fourth side is a first center, and the connection node between the probe and the first radiation patch is a first node; there is a certain first distance between the first node and the first center.

[0021] The extending direction of the line connecting the first node and the first center is the second direction.

[0022] The antenna further includes a first reference electrode layer disposed between the first dielectric substrate and the phase adjustment layer; the first reference electrode layer has a plurality of first openings, and the probes are disposed corresponding to the first openings.

[0023] The phase adjustment layer includes at least one phase shifter, which includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and an adjustable dielectric layer disposed between the first and second substrates. A temperature control unit layer is disposed on a side of at least one of the first and second substrates facing away from the adjustable dielectric layer. The temperature control unit layer is configured to adjust the temperature of the phase adjustment layer to adjust the operating temperature of the antenna.

[0024] Wherein, a plurality of flow channels are provided in the temperature control unit layer for accommodating the flow of working medium.

[0025] Wherein, the antenna further comprises: a circulation device connected to the flow channel;

[0026] The circulation device includes a working fluid driving unit and a working fluid temperature control unit. The working fluid driving unit is used to drive the working fluid to flow, and the working fluid temperature control unit is used to control the temperature of the working fluid.

[0027] In which, the feeding layer includes a waveguide power splitter feeding network; the temperature control unit layer is arranged on the side of the first substrate away from the adjustable dielectric layer, and is arranged on the same layer as the waveguide power splitter feeding network, and the orthographic projection of the waveguide power splitter feeding network on the first dielectric substrate has no overlap.

[0028] Wherein, the temperature control unit layer includes electric heating plates and / or semiconductor cooling plates.

[0029] Wherein, a plurality of temperature measuring units are further provided on a side of the first substrate and / or the second substrate of at least part of the phase shifters facing away from the adjustable dielectric layer, for detecting the operating temperature of the phase shifters.

[0030] In which, the antenna includes a shell, and the shell includes at least a first side panel and a second side panel arranged opposite to each other; a first wind control device is arranged on the first side, and a second wind control device is arranged on the second side panel; the first wind control device is configured to introduce air in the environment into the interior of the shell, and the second wind control device is configured to guide the air inside the shell out of the shell.

[0031] The antenna includes a shell, and a temperature control layer is provided on the outer wall of the shell.

[0032] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device comprising any of the antennas described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG2 is a top view of an inverted microstrip line phase shifter.

[0035] FIG3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA′ in FIG2 .

[0036] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a waveguide power splitter feeding network 4 in an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a combination of a radiation layer and a phase shifter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG6 is a top view of a first radiation patch of a first example of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] FIG7 is a top view of a first radiation patch of a second example of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG8 is a top view of a first radiation patch of a third example of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG9 is a top view of a first radiation patch of a fourth example of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] FIG10 is a top view of a first radiation patch of a fifth example of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the connection position between the first radiation patch and the probe of the antenna of FIG11 .

[0045] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a first example of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of a second example of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] FIG15 is a schematic structural diagram of a third example of the antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of a fourth example of the antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0050] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure should have the usual meanings understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which this disclosure belongs. The words "first", "second" and similar words used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, words such as "one", "an" or "the" do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the existence of at least one. Words such as "include" or "comprise" mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Words such as "connect" or "connected" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0051] In the first aspect, Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1 , an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a structure comprising a feed layer 1, a phase adjustment layer 3, and a radiating layer 2. The feed layer 1 is configured to transmit a microwave signal to the phase adjustment layer; the phase adjustment layer 3 is configured to phase-shift the microwave signal according to a predetermined phase shift amount; the radiating layer 2 is configured to radiate the microwave signal after the phase shift by the phase adjustment layer 3; and the radiating layer includes at least one first radiating patch.

[0052] The antenna provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is a passive antenna structure. The passive antenna structure does not contain a device that can amplify the radio frequency signal. Therefore, the key to the passive antenna is to reduce the loss, which can reduce the antenna array loss, reduce the phase shifter loss, and reduce the feed layer loss.

[0053] In order to clarify the structure of the antenna in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the various parts of the antenna are introduced separately below.

[0054] The phase shifter in the antenna of the present embodiment can be a liquid crystal phase shifter, meaning that the adjustable dielectric layer in the phase shifter utilizes a liquid crystal layer. Specifically, the phase shifters in the present embodiment include, but are not limited to, inverted microstrip, upright microstrip, coplanar waveguide, and variable capacitor types. The following uses an inverted microstrip phase shifter as an example.

[0055] Figure 2 is a top view of an inverted microstrip line phase shifter; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA' of Figure 2. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the phase shifter includes a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite each other, and a liquid crystal layer 30 disposed between the first and second substrates. The first substrate includes a second dielectric substrate 10, a first transmission line 11 and a bias line 12 disposed on the side of the second dielectric substrate 10 near the liquid crystal layer 30, and a first alignment layer 13 disposed on the side of the first transmission line 11 and bias line 12 facing away from the second dielectric substrate 10. The second substrate includes a third dielectric substrate 20, a first reference electrode 21 disposed on the side of the third dielectric substrate 20 near the liquid crystal layer 30, and a second alignment layer 22 disposed on the side of the second reference electrode 21 near the liquid crystal layer 30. As shown in Figure 3, the phase shifter includes not only the aforementioned structures but also a support structure 40 for maintaining the liquid crystal cell thickness (the cell thickness between the first and second substrates) and a sealant 50 for sealing the liquid crystal cell, among other structures, which are not described here. As shown in FIG2 , the first transmission line 11 has a first transmission end 11a (serving as the first transmission end of the phase shifter), a second transmission end 11b (serving as the second transmission end of the phase shifter), and a transmission main body 11c; wherein, the first transmission end 11a, the second transmission end 11b, and the transmission main body 11c all have a first endpoint and a second endpoint; the first endpoint of the first transmission end 11a is electrically connected to the first endpoint of the transmission main body 11c, and the first endpoint of the second transmission end 11b is electrically connected to the second endpoint of the transmission main body 11c. It should be noted that the first endpoint and the second endpoint are relative concepts. If the first endpoint is the head end, the second endpoint is the tail end, and vice versa. In addition, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first endpoint of the first transmission end 11a is electrically connected to the first endpoint of the transmission main body 11c. In this case, the first endpoint of the first transmission end 11a and the first endpoint of the transmission main body 11c can be a common endpoint. Correspondingly, the first endpoint of the second transmission end 11b is electrically connected to the second endpoint of the transmission main body 11c, and the first endpoint of the second transmission end 11b and the second endpoint of the transmission main body 11c can be a common endpoint.

[0056] The transmission main body 11c includes but is not limited to a meander line, and the number of the meander line can be one or more. The shape of the meander line includes but is not limited to a bow shape, a wave shape, etc.

[0057] In some examples, when the transmission main body 11c includes a plurality of meandering lines, the shapes of the meandering lines are at least partially different. That is, the shapes of the meandering lines may be partially the same, or all the meandering lines may be different.

[0058] In some examples, when the transmission main body 11c of the first transmission line 11 includes at least one meandering line, the orthographic projection of the second opening 211 of the second reference electrode 21 on the second dielectric substrate 10 does not overlap with the projection of the at least one meandering line on the second dielectric substrate 10. For example, the orthographic projection of the second opening 211 of the second reference electrode 21 on the second dielectric substrate 10 does not overlap with the projection of each meandering line on the second dielectric substrate 10. This prevents microwave signal loss.

[0059] In some examples, when the first transmission end 11a serves as a microwave signal receiver, the second transmission end 11b serves as a microwave signal transmitter; correspondingly, when the second transmission end 11b serves as a microwave signal receiver, the first transmission end 11a serves as a microwave signal transmitter. The bias line 12 is electrically connected to the first transmission line 11 and is configured to apply a DC bias signal to the first transmission line 11, thereby forming a DC steady-state electric field between the first transmission line 11 and the second reference electrode 21. Microscopically, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 30 experience a deflection in their axial orientation due to the electric field force. Macroscopically, this changes the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 30. When a microwave signal is transmitted between the first transmission line 11 and the second reference electrode 21, the change in the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 30 causes a corresponding change in the phase of the microwave signal. Specifically, the magnitude of the phase change of the microwave signal is positively correlated with the deflection angle of the liquid crystal molecules and the electric field strength. This means that applying a DC bias voltage can change the phase of the microwave signal. This is the operating principle of a liquid crystal phase shifter. It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the phase shifter further includes a first wiring board and a second wiring board; wherein, the first wiring board is bound and connected to the first substrate, and is configured to provide a DC bias voltage to the bias line 12. The second wiring board is bound and connected to the second substrate, and is configured to provide a ground signal to the second reference electrode 21. Both the first wiring board and the second wiring board can include various types of wiring boards, such as a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or a printed circuit board (PCB), etc., which are not limited here. The first wiring board can have at least one first soldering pad, one end of the bias line 12 is connected to the first soldering pad (that is, bonded to the first soldering pad), and the other end of the bias line 12 is the first transmission line 11; the second wiring board can also have at least one second soldering pad, and the second wiring board is electrically connected to the second reference electrode 21 through the second connecting soldering pad.

[0060] In some examples, continuing to refer to FIG3 , the phase shifter includes not only the above-mentioned structure, but also includes structures such as a support structure 40 and a frame sealant 50 ; wherein the frame sealant 50 is arranged between the second substrate and the third substrate, is located in the peripheral area, and surrounds the microwave transmission area, and is used to seal the liquid crystal box of the phase shifter; the support structure 40 is arranged between the second substrate and the third substrate, and there can be multiple support structures 40, and each support structure 40 is arranged at intervals in the microwave transmission area to maintain the box thickness of the liquid crystal box.

[0061] In some examples, bias line 12 is made of a high-resistance material. When a DC bias is applied to bias line 12, the electric field formed between bias line 12 and second reference electrode 21 is only used to drive the deflection of liquid crystal molecules in liquid crystal layer 30. For the microwave signal transmitted by the phase shifter, it is equivalent to an open circuit, that is, the microwave signal is only transmitted along first transmission line 11. In some examples, the material of bias line 12 includes, but is not limited to, any one of indium tin oxide (ITO), nickel (Ni), tantalum nitride (TaN), chromium (Cr), indium oxide (In2O3), and tin oxide (Sn2O3). Preferably, bias line 12 is made of ITO.

[0062] In some examples, the first transmission line 11 is made of metal material. Specifically, the material of the first transmission line 11 is made of, but not limited to, aluminum, silver, gold, chromium, molybdenum, nickel, iron, or other metals.

[0063] In some examples, the first transmission line 11 is a delay line, and the angle of the corner of the delay line is not equal to 90°, thereby preventing the microwave signal from being reflected at the corner of the delay line and causing loss of the microwave signal.

[0064] In some examples, the second dielectric substrate 10 can be made of a variety of materials. For example, if the second dielectric substrate 10 is a flexible substrate, the material of the second dielectric substrate 10 can include at least one of polyethylene glycol terephthalate (PET) and polyimide (PI). If the second dielectric substrate 1011 is a rigid substrate, the material of the second dielectric substrate 10 can also be glass. The thickness of the second dielectric substrate 10 can be approximately 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm. The third dielectric substrate 20 can also be made of a variety of materials. For example, if the third dielectric substrate 20 is a flexible substrate, the material of the third dielectric substrate 20 can include at least one of polyethylene glycol terephthalate (PET) and polyimide (PI). If the third dielectric substrate 20 is a rigid substrate, the material of the third dielectric substrate 20 can also be glass. The thickness of the third dielectric substrate 20 can be approximately 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm. Of course, the second dielectric substrate 10 and the third dielectric substrate 20 may also be made of other materials, which are not limited here. The specific thickness of the second dielectric substrate 10 and the third dielectric substrate 20 may also be set according to the skin depth of the electromagnetic wave (RF signal).

[0065] The feed layer 1 in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include a microstrip power division feeding network or a waveguide power division feeding network 4. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the feed layer adopts a waveguide power division feeding network as an example.

[0066] Specifically, FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a waveguide power splitter feeding network 4 in an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4 , the waveguide power splitter feeding network may have n-level sub-waveguide structures 101, with the phase adjustment layer pointing in the direction of the waveguide power splitter feeding network. Each level of sub-waveguide structure 101 is referred to as a first-level sub-waveguide structure 101 to an n-th-level sub-waveguide structure 101, and the number of sub-waveguide structures 101 from the first level to the n-th level gradually decreases; wherein n is an integer and n ≥ 2;

[0067] When n=2, the first end of each first-level sub-waveguide structure 101 is connected to a phase shifter, and the second ends of at least two first-level sub-waveguide structures 101 are connected to the first end of a second-level sub-waveguide structure 101; the second end of each second-level sub-waveguide structure 101 serves as the combining end of the waveguide power splitter feeding network.

[0068] When n>2, the first end of each first-level sub-waveguide structure 101 is connected to a phase shifter, and the second ends of at least two first-level sub-waveguide structures 101 are connected to the first end of a second-level sub-waveguide structure 101; the first end of each m-th level sub-waveguide structure 101 is connected to the second ends of at least two m-1-th level sub-waveguide structures 101, and the second ends of at least two m-th level sub-waveguide structures 101 are connected to the first end of an m+1-th level sub-waveguide structure 101, where m is an integer and 1<m<n; the first end of each n-th level sub-waveguide structure 101 is connected to the second ends of at least two n-1-th level sub-waveguide structures 101, and the second end of each n-th level sub-waveguide structure 101 serves as a combining end of the waveguide power division feeding network.

[0069] That is to say, the waveguide power splitter feeding network is a sub-waveguide structure 101 with multi-stage power splitting, and the multi-channel microwave signals are combined step by step from the 1st stage to the nth stage sub-waveguide structure 101 until the last stage sub-waveguide structure 101, and the combined signals are the output of the final waveguide power splitter structure. In some examples, the second terminal signal connector of the last stage sub-waveguide structure 101, such as an SMA connector, can also be connected to an external port test connector on the sub-waveguide structure 101 to facilitate testing.

[0070] Furthermore, the connection between the first-stage sub-waveguide structure 101 and the phase shifter can be specifically such that each sub-waveguide structure 101 of the first-stage sub-waveguide structure 101 is coupled to the second transmission end 11b of the first transmission line 11 of the phase shifter, which serves as the output end. That is, each first-stage sub-waveguide structure 101 is located on a side of the second substrate of a phase shifter facing away from the liquid crystal layer 30. Each first-stage sub-waveguide structure 101 is configured to transmit microwave signals by coupling with the second transmission end 11b (i.e., the second end) of the first transmission line 11 through the second opening 211 on the second reference electrode 21. That is, the orthographic projection of each first-stage sub-waveguide structure 101 on the second substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the second opening 211 of the second reference electrode 21 of the phase shifter corresponding to the sub-waveguide structure 101 on the second substrate.

[0071] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the combined radiating layer and phase shifter of an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the radiating layer in this embodiment includes a first dielectric substrate 021 and a first radiating patch disposed on the side of the first dielectric substrate 021 facing away from the phase adjustment layer. The first radiating patch can have any shape, such as circular, rectangular, hexagonal, or irregular. Different shapes of the first radiating patch can produce different radiation efficiencies and polarization directions for microwave signals. The following describes antennas employing first radiating patches 02 of different shapes, using several specific examples.

[0072] In the first example, Figure 6 is a top view of the first radiating patch 02 of the first example of the embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the outline of the first radiating patch 02 is a quadrilateral. Specifically, the first radiating patch 02 includes a first side S1 and a second side S2 arranged opposite each other along a first direction X, and a third side S3 and a fourth side S4 arranged opposite each other along a second direction Y. When the first radiating patch 02 adopts a linear polarization design, the polarization direction of the microwave signal is along the first side S1 and the second side S2.

[0073] As a second example, FIG7 is a top view of the first radiating patch 02 of the second example of the embodiment of the present disclosure; as shown in FIG7 , the outline of the first radiating patch 02 is a pentagon and adopts a right-hand circular polarization design. Specifically, the first radiating patch 02 includes a first side S1 and a second side S2 arranged opposite to each other along a first direction X, a third side S3 and a fourth side S4 arranged opposite to each other along a second direction Y, and a fifth side S5 connected to the second end of the first side S1 and the first end of the fourth side S4. In one example, the intersection of the extension line of the first side S1 and the extension line of the fourth side S4 is the second intersection point P2, and the distance from the second intersection point P2 to the second end of the first side S1 is equal to the distance from the second intersection point P2 to the first end of the fourth side S4. That is, the dotted line structure in the figure is an isosceles right triangle.

[0074] As a third example, FIG8 is a top view of the first radiating patch 02 of the third example of the embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG8 , the outline of the first radiating patch 02 is a pentagon and adopts a right-hand circular polarization design. Specifically, the first radiating patch 02 includes a first side S1 and a second side S2 arranged opposite to each other along a first direction X, a third side S3 and a fourth side S4 arranged opposite to each other along a second direction Y, and a fifth side S5 connected to the second end of the third side S3 and the first end of the second side S2. In one example, the intersection of the extension line of the third side S3 and the extension line of the second side S2 is the third intersection point P3, and the distance from the third intersection point P3 to the second end of the second side S2 is equal to the distance from the third intersection point P3 to the first end of the second side S2. That is, the dotted line structure in the figure is an isosceles right triangle.

[0075] As a fourth example, FIG9 is a top view of the first radiating patch 02 of the fourth example of the embodiment of the present disclosure; as shown in FIG9 , the outline of the first radiating patch 02 is a pentagon, and it adopts a left-hand circular polarization design. Specifically, the first radiating patch 02 includes a first side S1 and a second side S2 arranged opposite to each other along a first direction X, a third side S3 and a fourth side S4 arranged opposite to each other along a second direction Y, and a fifth side S5 connected to the second end of the second side S2 and the second end of the fourth side S4. In one example, the intersection of the extension line of the second side S2 and the extension line of the fourth side S4 is the fourth intersection point P4, and the distance from the fourth intersection point P4 to the second end of the second side S2 is equal to the distance from the fourth intersection point P4 to the second end of the fourth side S4. That is, the dotted line structure in the figure is an isosceles right triangle.

[0076] As a fifth example, FIG10 is a top view of the first radiation patch 02 of the fifth example of the embodiment of the present disclosure; as shown in FIG10 , the outline of the first radiation patch 02 is a pentagon, and it adopts a left-hand circular polarization design. Specifically, the first radiation patch 02 includes a first side S1 and a second side S2 arranged opposite to each other along a first direction X, a third side S3 and a fourth side S4 arranged opposite to each other along a second direction Y, and a fifth side S5 connected to the first end of the first side S1 and the first end of the third side S3. In one example, the intersection of the extension line of the first side S1 and the extension line of the third side S3 is the first intersection point P1, and the distance from the first intersection point P1 to the first end of the first side S1 is equal to the distance from the first intersection point P1 to the first end of the second side S2. That is, the dotted line structure in the figure is an isosceles right triangle.

[0077] The above are some exemplary structures of the partial structure of the antenna shown in Figure 1. Of course, as shown in Figure 1, the antenna not only includes the above structure but also includes a shell 5, a power supply and wave control system 4, a antenna cover 6 and other structures, which are no longer listed here one by one.

[0078] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG11 , an antenna is also provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The antenna has a structure substantially the same as that of the antenna shown in FIG1 , except that the antenna further includes a probe 7 electrically connected to the first radiating patch 02. The first radiating layer further includes a first dielectric substrate 021. The first radiating patch 02 is disposed on a side of the first dielectric substrate 021 facing away from the phase adjustment layer. The probe 7 extends through the second opening of the first dielectric substrate 021 and points toward the second reference electrode. In this case, after propagating through space, the RF signal is received by the first radiating patch 02, then propagates downward through the probe 7 in the form of an RF current. At the end of the probe 7, it is converted into an electromagnetic wave that enters the phase shifter for phase shifting in a spatially coupled manner.

[0079] In some examples, the probe 7 is made of copper, has a diameter of 20 μm, and is coated with polytetrafluoroethylene with a thickness of 70 μm. The first dielectric substrate 021 may be a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0080] In some examples, referring again to FIG. 11 , a first reference electrode 022 layer may be further provided on a side of the first dielectric substrate 021 near the phase shifter, and a first opening 023 may be provided at a position of the first reference electrode 022 corresponding to the probe 7. The orthographic projections of one first opening 023 and one second opening on the first dielectric substrate 021 overlap, for example, the first opening 023 and the second opening are provided in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0081] In some examples, Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection between the first radiating patch 02 and the probe 7 of the antenna of Figure 11 . As shown in Figure 12 , regardless of which of the aforementioned first radiating patches 02 is used, the connection point between the probe 7 and the first radiating patch 02 is the first node P0. The center of the virtual quadrilateral defined by the extensions of the first side S1, the second side S2, the third side S3, and the fourth side S4 of the first radiating patch 02 is the first center O1. A certain first distance L1 exists between the first node P0 and the first center O1. For example, the first distance L1 is approximately 1.59 mm. It should be noted that different positions of the probe 7 on the patch can cause changes in the antenna impedance. For example, the line connecting the first node P0 and the first center O1 extends in the second direction Y. That is, as shown in Figure 12 , the first node P0 is shifted up or down in the second direction Y relative to the first center O1.

[0082] Since the liquid crystal phase shifter utilizes the anisotropy of liquid crystal molecules, the liquid crystal molecules rotate in space as the applied external electric field changes, causing the equivalent dielectric constant and the equivalent loss tangent to change, thereby changing the phase and amplitude of the electromagnetic wave. By controlling the applied electric field strength (voltage), the phase can be accurately controlled. However, the dielectric constant and loss tangent of the liquid crystal molecules are functions of temperature, and change greatly with changes in temperature, resulting in a large temperature drift characteristic in the performance of the liquid crystal phase shifter, which is unacceptable for a phased array antenna system. Therefore, an embodiment of the present disclosure also provides an antenna, which may include any of the above-mentioned antenna architectures, and the antenna adds a temperature control system on the basis of the above-mentioned structure. Specific explanation will be given in conjunction with the following examples.

[0083] First example: FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of the first example of the antenna of the embodiment of the present disclosure; as shown in FIG13 , a temperature control unit layer is provided on the side of the phase adjustment layer of the antenna close to the radiation layer and / or the feed layer, and the temperature control unit layer is configured to adjust the temperature of the phase adjustment layer to adjust the operating temperature of the antenna. FIG13 only takes the example of the temperature control unit layer being provided on both the side of the phase adjustment layer close to the radiation layer and the side of the phase adjustment layer close to the feed layer. For ease of description, the temperature control unit layer on the side of the phase adjustment layer close to the radiation layer is set as the first temperature control unit layer 81, and the temperature control unit layer on the side of the phase adjustment layer close to the feed layer is set as the second temperature control unit layer 82.

[0084] In some examples, the first temperature-control unit layer 81 and the second temperature-control unit layer 300 can each be provided with multiple flow channels 811 for accommodating the flow of a working fluid. When the operating temperature of the antenna is too high or too low, a working fluid at a certain temperature can be driven into the flow channels 811 in the first temperature-control unit layer 81 and the second temperature-control unit layer 82. Since the first temperature-control unit layer 81 and the second temperature-control unit layer 82 are arranged in close proximity to the phase shifter, the temperature of the phase shifter can be adjusted by the working fluid. Specifically, the first temperature-control unit layer 81 and the second temperature-control unit layer 300 can be a single layer structure made of a thermally conductive material, such as metal. If the substrate of the first temperature-control unit layer 81 and the second temperature-control unit layer 82 is made of a stronger material, it can also provide support for the antenna. The shape of the first temperature-control unit layer 81 and the second temperature-control unit layer 82 is closely aligned with the upper and lower surfaces of the phase shifter. Since the contact surface absorbs the most heat, it is called the cold head of the first temperature-control unit layer 81 and the second temperature-control unit layer 82. Multiple flow channels 811 are then provided in the entire layer structure.

[0085] Furthermore, the antenna may also include a circulation device 9, which connects the various flow channels 811 of the first temperature control unit layer 81 and the second temperature control unit layer 82 to drive the circulation of the working fluid. In some examples, the circulation device 9 may include a working fluid drive unit and a working fluid temperature control unit. The working fluid drive unit is used to drive the flow of the working fluid, such as a water-cooled pump, a motor, etc. The working fluid temperature control unit is used to control the temperature of the working fluid, and has heating, cooling, and temperature control functions. It can control the temperature of the working fluid to be constant, for example, between 25°C ± 0.5°C. The circulation device 9 can be arranged outside the housing 5.

[0086] Furthermore, when the radiation layer includes the aforementioned first dielectric substrate 021, the first dielectric substrate 021 is a PCB, and the flow channel 811 in the second temperature control unit layer 82 can be applied to the PCB using thermally conductive adhesive. When the feed layer includes a waveguide feed network, the first temperature control unit layer 81 can be provided on the same layer as the waveguide feed network, with their orthographic projections on the second dielectric substrate not overlapping. The flow channel 811 of the first temperature control unit layer 81 can be obtained by machine-cutting a half-flow channel 811, then bonding two halves of the flow channel 811 together. The liquid working fluid is preferably pure water, which has the highest specific heat capacity.

[0087] Second example: FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of the second example of the antenna of the embodiment of the present disclosure; as shown in FIG14 , this example is different from the first example in that the first temperature control unit layer 81 and the second temperature control unit layer 82 may include an electric heating plate and / or a semiconductor cooling plate 812. The first temperature control unit layer 81 and the second temperature control unit layer 82 may have a variety of structures and arrangements. For example, the first temperature control unit layer 81 and the second temperature control unit layer 82 are both electric heating plates, specifically resistance wires, which may be arranged around the second opening 211 and the periphery of the transmission line 11, in a straight line, or in a spiral arrangement, etc., which are not limited here. The material of the resistance wire may be a high-resistance material, such as indium tin oxide, etc., which are not limited here.

[0088] In some examples, the electric heating plate 812 can use a resistance wire heating plate and a PTC heating plate, or directly make a heating resistor such as ITO material on the back of the liquid crystal phase shifter; the semiconductor cooling plate 812 (utilizing the Peltier effect unique to semiconductor materials) can use bismuth telluride-based semiconductor materials such as P-type Bi2Te3-Sb2Te3 or N-type Bi2Te3-Bi2Se3.

[0089] Furthermore, the antenna provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure may also include multiple temperature measuring units 813. The multiple temperature measuring units 813 are arranged in at least some of the multiple phase shifters of the phase adjustment layer 3, and can be arranged on one side of the first substrate and / or one side of the second substrate of each phase shifter of the partial phase shifter, that is, they can be arranged on either the first substrate or the second substrate close to or away from the side of the adjustable dielectric layer. The temperature measuring unit is used to detect the operating temperature of the phase shifter. The temperature measuring unit can be, for example, a thermistor, a thermocouple, etc.

[0090] In some examples, the antenna provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure may further include a control unit 100, the control unit 100 being connected to the temperature measuring unit and the first temperature control unit layer 81 and the second temperature control unit layer 82. The control unit 100 may control the first temperature control unit layer 81 and the second temperature control unit layer 82 to adjust the temperature of the phase shifter based on the operating temperature of the phase shifter fed back by the temperature measuring unit. For example: the temperature measuring unit 813 measures the temperature near the phase shifter in real time, and when it is detected that one or several temperature measuring units 813 are too low, the feedback is given to the control unit 100, and the control unit 100 controls the electric heating plate 812 near the temperature abnormal point to heat and increase the temperature until the temperature returns to the normal operating temperature, and then stops heating; when it is detected that one or several temperature measuring units 813 are too low, the feedback is given to the control unit 100, and the control unit 100 controls the semiconductor cooling plate 812 near the temperature abnormal point to cool and reduce the temperature until the temperature returns to the normal operating temperature, and then stops cooling.

[0091] Third Example: Figure 15 is a schematic structural diagram of a third example of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 15 , this example differs from the first and second examples in that the antenna temperature is regulated by a wind control device mounted on the housing 5. Specifically, the antenna housing 5 includes at least a first side panel and a second side panel disposed opposite each other. A first wind control device 201 is mounted on the first side panel, and a second wind control device 202 is mounted on the second side panel. The first wind control device 201 is configured to direct ambient air into the interior of the housing 5, while the second wind control device 202 is configured to direct air from the interior of the housing 5 out of the housing 5.

[0092] Specifically, the first wind control device 201 and the second wind control device 202 can both be fans. As shown in Figure 15, two openings are opened on each side of the antenna housing 5, and fans are installed at the openings. The left fan draws air from the outside of the antenna housing 5 into the interior of the antenna housing 5, and the right fan draws air from the interior of the antenna housing 5 and discharges it into the environment. When the temperature of the phase shifter is higher than the normal operating temperature, the control system turns on the fan power supply, uses the fast-flowing air as the heat exchange medium, and transfers the heat in the antenna system to the air, so that the temperature of the phase shifter is maintained within the normal operating temperature range. In addition, this embodiment can be combined with heat pump technology. When the antenna temperature is lower than the normal operating temperature, the control system starts the heat pump, collects the heat in the environment (generating superheated air), and then blows it into the antenna housing 5 through the fan, so that the internal temperature of the antenna rises to the normal operating temperature. The control system then turns off the heat pump power supply and the fan power supply.

[0093] Fourth example: Figure 16 is a structural diagram of the fourth example of the antenna of the embodiment of the present disclosure; as shown in Figure 16, this example is different from the third example in that the temperature control layer 300 is arranged on the outer wall of the shell 5. Among them, the temperature control layer 300 can be a PI / Al / Al2O3 composite thermal insulation film. The surface of the non-radiating surface of the antenna (that is, the four sides and bottom surface of the shell 5) is coated with a layer of PI / Al / Al2O3 composite film, which has a thermal insulation effect. The first layer of PI (polyimide) film has a thickness of 50um to 125um. As a substrate, a metal Al film of 100nm to 1um is vacuum magnetron sputtered on it, and then a 50nm to 300nm Al2O3 film is vacuum magnetron sputtered on it (Al2O3 serves as an anti-oxidation layer of the Al film). The Al film's surface has an extremely low emissivity, preventing heat from radiating from the antenna's interior into the surrounding environment. Furthermore, its surface has a high reflectivity for infrared and visible light, reflecting sunlight and ambient thermal radiation (infrared) directed toward the antenna housing 5 back into the environment. This composite film provides insulation, preventing heat from dissipating into the environment and preventing heat from being easily transferred to the antenna.

[0094] Of course, in this example, any one of the structures in the above three examples can be combined to control the temperature of the antenna, which will not be described again here.

[0095] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an electronic device, which may include an antenna.

[0096] The antenna provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure also includes a transceiver unit, a radio frequency transceiver, a signal amplifier, a power amplifier, and a filtering unit. The antenna can be used as a transmitting antenna or a receiving antenna. The transceiver unit may include a baseband and a receiving end. The baseband provides a signal of at least one frequency band, such as a 2G signal, a 3G signal, a 4G signal, a 5G signal, etc., and sends a signal of at least one frequency band to the radio frequency transceiver. After the antenna in the antenna receives the signal, it can be processed by the filtering unit, the power amplifier, the signal amplifier, and the radio frequency transceiver and then transmitted to the receiving end in the initial unit. The receiving end may be, for example, a smart gateway.

[0097] Furthermore, a radio frequency transceiver is connected to the transceiver unit and is used to modulate the signals sent by the transceiver unit or to demodulate the signals received by the antenna and transmit them back to the transceiver unit. Specifically, the radio frequency transceiver may include a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, a modulation circuit, and a demodulation circuit. After the transmitting circuit receives various types of signals provided by the substrate, the modulation circuit can modulate the various types of signals provided by the baseband and then transmit them to the antenna. The antenna receives the signal and transmits it to the receiving circuit of the radio frequency transceiver. The receiving circuit transmits the signal to the demodulation circuit, which demodulates the signal and transmits it to the receiving end.

[0098] Furthermore, the RF transceiver is connected to a signal amplifier and a power amplifier, which are then connected to a filtering unit, which is connected to at least one antenna. When the antenna transmits a signal, the signal amplifier is used to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal output by the RF transceiver before transmitting it to the filtering unit. The power amplifier is used to amplify the power of the signal output by the RF transceiver before transmitting it to the filtering unit. The filtering unit may specifically include a duplexer and a filtering circuit. The filtering unit combines the signals output by the signal amplifier and the power amplifier, filters out noise, and then transmits them to the antenna, which radiates the signal. When the antenna receives a signal, it transmits it to the filtering unit. The filtering unit filters out noise from the signal received by the antenna and transmits it to the signal amplifier and power amplifier. The signal amplifier amplifies the signal received by the antenna to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. The power amplifier amplifies the power of the signal received by the antenna. The signal received by the antenna is processed by the power amplifier and signal amplifier before being transmitted to the RF transceiver, which then transmits it to the transceiver unit.

[0099] In some examples, the signal amplifier may include various types of signal amplifiers, such as a low noise amplifier, which is not limited herein.

[0100] In some examples, the antenna provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure further includes a power management unit, which is connected to a power amplifier to provide the power amplifier with a voltage for amplifying a signal.

[0101] It will be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments for illustrating the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of the present invention, and such modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An antenna, which includes a feeding layer, a phase adjustment layer, and a radiation layer; wherein, the feeding layer is configured to transmit a microwave signal to the phase adjustment layer; the phase adjustment layer is configured to perform phase shift on the microwave signal according to a preset phase shift amount; the radiation layer is configured to radiate the microwave signal phase-shifted by the phase adjustment layer; the radiation layer includes at least one first radiation patch.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein, The first radiation patch includes a first side and a second side oppositely arranged in a first direction, and a third side and a fourth side oppositely arranged in a second direction; the first radiation patch further includes a fifth side; the fifth side is connected to at least one of the following positions: between the first end of the first side and the first end of the third side; between the second end of the first side and the first end of the fourth side; between the first end of the second side and the second end of the third side; between the second end of the second side and the second end of the fourth side.

3. The antenna according to claim 2, wherein When the fifth side is connected between the first end of the first side and the first end of the third side, the intersection point of the extension line of the first side and the extension line of the third side is the first intersection point, and the distance from the first intersection point to the first end of the first side is equal to the distance from the first intersection point to the first end of the third side; When it is between the second end of the first side and the first end of the fourth side, the intersection point of the extension line of the first side and the extension line of the fourth side is the second intersection point, and the distance from the second intersection point to the second end of the first side is equal to the distance from the second intersection point to the first end of the fourth side; When it is between the first end of the second side and the second end of the third side, the intersection point of the extension line of the second side and the extension line of the third side is the third intersection point, and the distance from the third intersection point to the first end of the second side is equal to the distance from the third intersection point to the second end of the third side; When it is between the second end of the second side and the second end of the fourth side, the intersection point of the extension line of the second side and the extension line of the fourth side is the fourth intersection point, and the distance from the fourth intersection point to the second end of the second side is equal to the distance from the fourth intersection point to the second end of the fourth side.

4. The antenna according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein The phase adjustment layer includes at least one of the phase shifters, the first transmission end of the phase shifter is electrically connected to a second feeding port of the feeding layer; the second transmission end of the phase shifter is electrically connected to one of the first radiation patches; The radiation layer further includes a first dielectric substrate and at least one probe, and the first radiation layer is disposed on a side of the first dielectric substrate away from the phase adjustment layer; One of the probes is electrically connected to one of the first radiation layers and points from the probe through the first dielectric substrate to the second transmission end of the phase shifter.

5. The antenna according to claim 4, wherein The first radiation patch includes a first side and a second side oppositely arranged along a first direction, and a third side and a fourth side oppositely arranged along a second direction; the center of the virtual quadrilateral defined by the extension lines of the first side, the second side, the third side, and the fourth side is the first center, and the connection node between the probe and the first radiation patch is the first node; there is a certain first distance between the first node and the first center.

6. The antenna according to claim 5, wherein, The extending direction of the connection line between the first node and the first center is the second direction.

7. The antenna according to claim 4, wherein, It further includes a first reference electrode layer disposed between the first dielectric substrate and the phase adjustment layer; and the first reference electrode layer has a plurality of first openings, and the probe is correspondingly disposed with the first openings.

8. The antenna according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The phase adjustment layer includes at least one phase shifter, and the phase shifter includes a first substrate, a second substrate oppositely arranged, and an adjustable dielectric layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; a temperature control unit layer is disposed on at least one side of the first substrate and the second substrate facing away from the adjustable dielectric layer; the temperature control unit layer is configured to adjust the temperature of the phase adjustment layer to adjust the operating temperature of the antenna.

9. The antenna according to claim 8, wherein, A plurality of flow channels are provided in the temperature control unit layer for accommodating the flow of the working medium.

10. The antenna according to claim 9, wherein, It further includes: A circulation device connected to the flow channels; The circulation device includes a working medium driving unit and a working medium temperature control unit, the working medium driving unit is used to drive the flow of the working medium, and the working medium temperature control unit is used to control the temperature of the working medium.

11. The antenna according to claim 8, wherein, The feeding layer includes a waveguide power dividing feeding network 4; the temperature control unit layer disposed on the side of the first substrate facing away from the adjustable dielectric layer is disposed on the same layer as the waveguide power dividing feeding network 4, and the orthographic projection of the waveguide power dividing feeding network on the first dielectric substrate has no overlap.

12. The antenna according to claim 8, wherein, The temperature control unit layer includes an electric heating sheet and / or a semiconductor refrigeration sheet.

13. The antenna according to claim 8, wherein, A plurality of temperature measuring units are further disposed on at least one side of the first substrate and / or the second substrate of at least part of the phase shifter facing away from the adjustable dielectric layer for detecting the operating temperature of the phase shifter.

14. The antenna according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The antenna includes a housing, and the housing includes at least a first side plate and a second side plate oppositely arranged; a first air control device is provided on the first side edge, and a second air control device is provided on the second side plate; the first air control device is configured to introduce the air in the environment into the interior of the housing, and the second air control device is configured to discharge the air in the interior of the housing out of the housing.

15. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 - 3, wherein, The antenna includes a housing, and a temperature control layer is provided on the outer wall of the housing.

16. An electronic device, including the antenna according to any one of claims 1-15.

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