Antenna assembly and antenna array

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application are an antenna assembly and an antenna array. The antenna assembly comprises a radiation unit and a metal member, wherein the radiation unit comprises a radiation sheet; and the metal member is arranged on the periphery of the radiation sheet and is configured to be excited by the radiation sheet. The present application aims to provide a wide-beam antenna.

Description

Antenna components and antenna arrays

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202310960528.2 filed on July 31, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to an antenna assembly and an antenna array. Background Art

[0004] Integrated air-space-ground networking has become an inevitable trend in the future development of mobile communications, and space-based satellite communications will be a crucial component of this integrated network. The goal of this network is to achieve full coverage, requiring a sufficient number of satellites and a sufficiently large coverage area for each satellite. Satellites remain in constant motion while in orbit, requiring satellite antennas to have beam scanning capabilities to generate a staring beam and serve a fixed area. Therefore, satellite antennas must have wide-angle scanning capabilities (±60°). Traditional antenna arrays experience a 4-5dB gain drop when scanning at ±60°. In practical applications, since wide-angle scanning increases signal propagation distance and path loss, it is desirable to maintain gain at wide scanning angles and even achieve higher gain than 0° pointing to ensure high-quality satellite communications at these angles.

[0005] Based on this, the present application proposes a wide-beam antenna, which effectively reduces the gain loss of the array's large-angle scanning by widening the unit beam width.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The main purpose of this application is to provide an antenna assembly and an antenna array.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present application proposes an antenna assembly, wherein the antenna assembly includes:

[0009] The radiation unit includes a radiation sheet; and a metal piece arranged on the periphery of the radiation sheet to be excited by the radiation sheet.

[0010] The present application also proposes an antenna array, wherein the antenna array includes a plurality of antenna components arranged in an array, the antenna components include a radiating unit and a metal part, the radiating unit includes a radiating plate; the metal part is arranged on the periphery of the radiating plate to be excited by the radiating plate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0012] FIG1 is a perspective half-section schematic diagram of a first embodiment of an antenna assembly provided by the present application;

[0013] FIG2 is a perspective exploded schematic diagram of the antenna assembly in FIG1 ;

[0014] FIG3 is a schematic three-dimensional half-section diagram of a partial structure of a second embodiment of an antenna assembly provided in the present application;

[0015] FIG4 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a portion of the antenna assembly in FIG3 ;

[0016] FIG5 is a simplified three-dimensional diagram of the first embodiment of the metal body provided by the present application and some mating components;

[0017] FIG6 is a simplified three-dimensional diagram of a second embodiment of a metal body and some mating components provided by the present application;

[0018] FIG7 is a simplified three-dimensional diagram of a third embodiment of a metal body and some mating components provided by the present application;

[0019] FIG8 is a simplified three-dimensional diagram of a fourth embodiment of a metal body provided by the present application and some mating components;

[0020] FIG9 is a perspective schematic diagram of an embodiment of a radiation sheet provided by the present application;

[0021] FIG10 is a three-dimensional half-section diagram of the radiating plate, the parasitic radiating plate and the partial matching structure provided by the present application;

[0022] FIG11 is a perspective schematic diagram of an embodiment of a parasitic radiator provided by the present application;

[0023] FIG12 is a three-dimensional half-section diagram of a first embodiment of a dielectric provided by the present application and a partial matching structure;

[0024] FIG13 is a schematic three-dimensional half-section diagram of a second embodiment of a dielectric body provided by the present application and a partial matching structure;

[0025] FIG14 is a three-dimensional half-section diagram of the first embodiment of the dielectric cover provided by the present application and a partial matching structure;

[0026] FIG15 is a schematic three-dimensional half-section diagram of a second embodiment of a dielectric cover provided by the present application and a partial matching structure;

[0027] FIG16 is a three-dimensional half-section diagram of a third embodiment of a dielectric cover provided by the present application and a partial matching structure;

[0028] FIG17 is a schematic three-dimensional half-section diagram of a fourth embodiment of a dielectric cover provided by the present application and a partial matching structure;

[0029] FIG18 is a perspective schematic diagram of an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG19 is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of an architecture connection method of an antenna array provided in the present application;

[0031] FIG20 is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the architecture connection method of the antenna array provided in this application;

[0032] FIG21 is a schematic diagram of a standing wave curve of the first embodiment of the antenna assembly provided in this application;

[0033] FIG22 is a schematic diagram of a curve showing axial ratio variation with frequency according to the first embodiment of the antenna assembly provided in the present application;

[0034] FIG23 is a schematic diagram of a directional pattern curve of the first embodiment of the antenna assembly provided in this application;

[0035] FIG24 is a schematic diagram of a curve showing axial ratio variation with angle according to the first embodiment of the antenna assembly provided in the present application;

[0036] FIG25 is a schematic diagram of a directional pattern curve of the second embodiment of the antenna assembly provided in this application.

[0037] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0038] The realization of the objectives, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0040] If the embodiments of the present application involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0041] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present application, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the meaning of "and / or" appearing throughout the text includes three parallel schemes. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes scheme A, or scheme B, or a scheme in which A and B are satisfied at the same time. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement it. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

[0042] Integrated air-space-ground networking has become an inevitable trend in the future development of mobile communications, and space-based satellite communications will be a crucial component of this integrated network. The goal of this network is to achieve full coverage, requiring a sufficient number of satellites and a sufficiently large coverage area for each satellite. Satellites remain in constant motion while in orbit, requiring satellite antennas to have beam scanning capabilities to generate a staring beam and serve a fixed area. Therefore, satellite antennas must have wide-angle scanning capabilities (±60°). Traditional antenna arrays experience a 4-5dB gain drop when scanning at ±60°. In practical applications, since wide-angle scanning increases signal propagation distance and path loss, it is desirable to maintain gain at wide scanning angles and even achieve higher gain than 0° pointing to ensure high-quality satellite communications at these angles.

[0043] Based on this, the present application proposes a wide-beam antenna, which effectively reduces the gain loss of the array's large-angle scanning by widening the unit beam width.

[0044] In view of this, the present application provides an antenna assembly. Figures 1 to 16 are embodiments of the antenna assembly provided by the present application. The antenna assembly will be described below in conjunction with specific drawings.

[0045] Please refer to FIG. 1 . The antenna assembly 100 includes a radiation unit 1 and a metal component 2 . The radiation unit 1 includes a radiation plate 11 . The metal component 2 is disposed on the periphery of the radiation plate 11 to be excited by the radiation plate 11 .

[0046] In the technical solution of the present application, the metal part 2 is arranged on the periphery of the radiation plate 11 of the radiation unit 1, and the metal part 2 is excited by the electromagnetic wave radiated by the radiation plate 11, so that the metal part 2 can generate a directional pattern that is convex toward the radiation direction of the radiation plate 11 on the periphery of the radiation plate 11, and the radiation plate 11 itself generates a directional pattern that is convex toward its radiation direction. The directional pattern generated by the metal part 2 is superimposed on the directional pattern generated by the radiation plate 11 to increase the beam width of the radiation plate 11 toward the side of the metal part 2, forming a wide beam directional pattern. When applied to satellite antennas, it meets the requirements of low gain loss for large-angle scanning and ensures the satellite communication quality when the satellite antenna is scanning at large angles. In the present application, the radiation unit 1 can be a circularly polarized radiation unit 1 or a linearly polarized radiation unit 1. The polarization characteristics of the antenna are defined by the spatial orientation of the electric field intensity vector of the electromagnetic wave radiated by the antenna in the direction of maximum radiation. The types of polarization are divided into linear polarization, circular polarization and elliptical polarization according to the motion trajectory of the electric field intensity vector end. Linear polarization is further divided into horizontal polarization and vertical polarization, and circular polarization is divided into left-hand circular polarization and right-hand circular polarization. When the axial ratio of elliptical polarization is infinite, it is linear polarization, and when the axial ratio is 1, it is circular polarization. In the actual setting process, the axial ratio is difficult to reach 1, so the circularly polarized antennas described in this field are generally elliptical polarization antennas with better axial ratio characteristics. The radiation unit 1 described in this application can obtain the beneficial effects brought by the structure of the antenna assembly 100 proposed in this application whether it is circularly polarized or linearly polarized, but the purpose of this application is satellite applications. When electromagnetic waves pass through the ionosphere, Faraday rotation will occur. In order to avoid polarization mismatch, satellite communications mostly use circular polarization. The radiation unit 1 described in this application mainly adopts a circularly polarized radiation unit 1, so the following structural function description is mainly based on the radiation unit 1 being a circularly polarized radiation unit 1 for specific explanation.

[0047] The metal part 2 can achieve the above-mentioned technical effect by being arranged on the periphery of the radiation piece 11, so the arrangement of the metal part 2 can be various, including but not limited to at least one metal body 21 arranged on the periphery of the radiation piece 11 and a metal ring 22 arranged around the radiation piece 11. This application provides four embodiments of the metal part 2. Referring to FIG5 , in the first embodiment of the metal part 2, the metal part 2 includes a plurality of the metal bodies 21 arranged along the periphery of the radiation piece 11. The plurality of the metal bodies 21 can be distributed along the circumference of the radiation piece 11, or can be arranged only on one side of the radiation piece 11, based on actual use requirements. In order to ensure that the radiation pattern of the antenna assembly 100 is spatially symmetrical, the plurality of the metal bodies 21 are arranged as a uniformly distributed structure as shown in FIG5 . In addition, the structure and shape of the metal part 2 are not limited. It can be a metal patch or a metal cylinder, and the cross-sectional shape of the metal part 2 can be circular, square, or polygonal. In this embodiment, that is, the first implementation of the metal part 2, the metal part 2 adopts a cylindrical structure so that the radiation pattern generated by the metal part 2 after being excited by the radiation plate 11 is spatially symmetrical.

[0048] Referring to Figure 6 , in a second embodiment of the metal member 2, the metal member 2 includes a metal ring 22 extending circumferentially along the radiating plate 11. There are always gaps between the multiple metal bodies 21. This means that the radiation pattern generated by the radiating plate 11 at these gaps does not overlap with the radiation pattern generated by the metal bodies 21 after being excited, meaning that the beam width at these gaps is not increased. To improve this, the gaps between the multiple metal bodies 21 can be reduced, but this obviously complicates the structure and increases the molding cost, making it impractical. In this embodiment, the metal part 2 is directly set as a metal ring 22 extending along the circumference of the radiation plate 11, and the metal ring 22 is set in a closed ring to completely cover the circumference of the radiation plate 11, so that the metal ring 22 generates a ring-shaped convex direction pattern with a concave middle part after being excited, which is superimposed on the direction pattern of the middle convexity generated by the radiation plate 11 to generate a wide beam direction pattern in the circumference of the radiation plate 11, meeting the use requirements. At the same time, for the case where the circularly polarized radiation of the radiation plate 11 excites the metal ring 22 to generate the circularly polarized radiation of the metal ring 22, a good axial ratio characteristic can be achieved within a wide angle (±60°). The shape of the metal ring 22 is also not limited, and can be circular, square, or polygonal. In this embodiment, it is set to be circular, which is consistent with the above effect and also produces a spatially symmetrical direction pattern.

[0049] In addition, based on the second embodiment of the metal part 2, the present application also proposes a third embodiment, please refer to FIG7 , it has been described above that the metal ring 22 structure has a higher circumferential coverage of the radiation plate 11 than the multiple metal bodies 21, and the metal ring 22 structure is set as a closed ring structure in the second embodiment of the metal part 2 to achieve the best effect, and the manufacturing cost is low, but it is undeniable that there may be a design need to design the metal ring 22 into an open ring structure, that is, as shown in the third embodiment of the metal part 2 in FIG7 , the metal ring 22 is provided with a partition in the circumference, which can also achieve the effect of widening the beam width required by the present application. Therefore, the above-mentioned embodiments of the metal part 2 can all meet the effect of widening the beam width required by the present application, and the actual selection is based on demand and is not limited here.

[0050] In addition, based on the structure of the metal ring 22, a slot 23 can be provided on the metal ring 22, which does not separate the metal ring 22 so as not to affect the metal ring 22 from being stimulated to generate a corresponding directional pattern. Please refer to Figure 8 for details. The present application also proposes a fourth embodiment of the metal part 2, which is based on the metal ring 22 and is provided with the slot 23. On the basis of not affecting the directional pattern generated by the metal ring 22, the material used in the metal ring 22 is reduced, the cost is reduced, and the mass of the metal ring 22 is reduced, so as to reduce the satellite load in accordance with the satellite use environment and be more practical.

[0051] In addition, the edge of the radiating plate 11 is provided with a first slot 111 extending toward its center. The shape and structure of the radiating plate 11 are not limited; that is, the radiating plate 11 can be configured as a circle, square, polygon, etc. Referring to FIG9 , in this embodiment, the radiating plate 11 is configured as a circle to produce a spatially symmetrical radiation pattern. Furthermore, the edge of the radiating plate 11 is provided with the first slot 111 to lengthen the path of current flowing along the edge of the radiating plate 11, making it equivalent to a larger radiating plate 11 without the first slot 111. This achieves the effect of increasing the current path without increasing the size of the radiating plate 11, thereby miniaturizing the radiating plate 11. The number and shape of the first slots 111 are not limited, as long as they can achieve the aforementioned effect of increasing the current path. For example, the first slots 111 can be configured as a cross, T-shaped, etc., and can be configured as just one or multiple. In this embodiment, a plurality of the first slots 111 are provided along the circumference of the radiation plate 11. On the one hand, providing more first slots 111 can further increase the current path. On the other hand, providing a plurality of first slots 111 and evenly distributing the plurality of first slots 111 along the circumference of the radiation plate 11 can also ensure that the radiation plate 11 produces a spatially symmetrical radiation pattern.

[0052] In addition, the forming and installation method of the radiation sheet 11 is not limited in this application, as long as it can ensure that the metal part 2 is located at the periphery of the radiation sheet 11 and the radiation sheet 11 can radiate electromagnetic waves normally and meet functional requirements. In the first embodiment of the antenna assembly 100, referring to Figures 1 to 2, the radiation unit 1 also includes a first substrate 12, the radiation piece 11 includes a first metal layer 11a provided on the first substrate 12, and the radiation piece 11 is supported and installed on the first substrate 12, wherein the radiation piece 11 can be set as an independent metal sheet structure and fixed to the first substrate 12 by an additional fixing structure, and the fixing structure includes a supporting structure or an adhesive structure, and a metal plating process can also be used to plate a metal layer on the surface of the first substrate 12 to form the radiation piece 11. In this embodiment, the first substrate 12 is set as a plastic material, and through integrated injection molding, its lightweight characteristics are obtained while serving as a plating substrate to meet the plating process requirements, and the radiation piece 11 is manufactured by a plastic surface metallization process, and its specific implementation process includes but is not limited to LDS (Laser Direct Structurin, laser direct molding) plating process, selective electrochemical plating process, magnetron sputtering vacuum plating process, LAP (Laser Activating Plating, metal plating after laser activation) process and plastic surface coating metal foil process, etc. The overall structure is simple, easy to shape and has lightweight characteristics, which is suitable for large-scale array antennas used in satellite communication antennas, reducing the load during the satellite launch phase and thus reducing launch costs.

[0053] In the second embodiment of the antenna assembly 100, referring to Figures 3 to 4, the substrate is not provided in the radiation unit 1, the radiation plate 11 is provided as an independent metal sheet structure, and the radiation plate 11 is suspended between the metal parts 2 through a fixed structure. The above-mentioned fixed structure can be a bracket erected between the metal part 2 and the radiation plate 11, or a bracket erected between the radiation plate 11 and structures in other directions. The above-mentioned bracket is not specifically shown in the figure and is not actually limited here. It is sufficient to ensure the function of the radiation plate 11.

[0054] In addition, referring to Figure 10 , the radiating unit 1 further includes a parasitic radiating plate 13 located on the radiating side of the radiating plate 11. The parasitic radiating plate 13 is spaced apart from and coupled to the radiating plate 11. With this arrangement, the radiating plate 11 and the parasitic radiating plate 13 in the stacked structure can each generate a resonant frequency. By tuning the dimensions of the parasitic radiating plate 13, the parasitic radiating plate 13 and the radiating plate 11 can resonate at different frequencies, thereby achieving a widened bandwidth. The parasitic radiating plate 13 is excited by the radiating plate 11 and maintains the same polarization as the radiating plate 11. Therefore, for circularly polarized radiation, a good axial ratio characteristic can be maintained within a wide impedance bandwidth.

[0055] The metal member 2 extends to the periphery of the parasitic radiating plate 13 so as to be excited by the parasitic radiating plate 13. The metal member 2 can be excited solely by the radiating plate 11, that is, the height of the metal member 2 does not need to extend to the periphery of the parasitic radiating plate 13, and the directional pattern generated by the metal member 2 when excited can be superimposed with the directional pattern generated by the radiating plate 11 to widen the beam width. In this embodiment, when the metal member 2 is extended to the periphery of the parasitic radiating plate 13, it can be excited by the parasitic radiating plate 13 at the same time, thereby increasing the coupling between the metal member 2 and the radiating unit 1 and improving the effect produced.

[0056] Furthermore, referring to FIG. 11 , similar to the radiating plate 11, the shape and structure of the parasitic radiating plate 13 are not limited. Specifically, the parasitic radiating plate 13 can be configured as a circle, square, polygon, or other shapes. In this embodiment, the parasitic radiating plate 13 is configured as a circle to produce a spatially symmetrical radiation pattern. Furthermore, the edge of the parasitic radiating plate 13 also includes a second slot 131 extending toward its center. In essence, the second slot 131 of the parasitic radiating plate 13 has the same structure and function as the first slot 111 of the radiating plate 11. Based on the detailed description of the structure and function of the first slot 111 of the radiating plate 11, the structure and function of the second slot 131 of the parasitic radiating plate 13 will not be further described here. Reference will be made to the first slot 111 of the radiating plate 11 for details. Of course, the specific shapes and numbers of the first slot 111 and the second slot 131 do not need to be identical; they only need to function as intended.

[0057] In addition, the antenna assembly 100 also includes a dielectric 3, which is located on the radiating side of the radiating plate 11. The dielectric 3 is an electrical insulator that can be polarized by an applied electric field. Loading the dielectric 3 changes the transmission phase of electromagnetic waves in different radiation directions. After the electromagnetic waves emitted by the radiating plate 11 at different angular directions pass through the dielectric 3, the path lengths of the electromagnetic waves traversing the dielectric 3 are inconsistent, resulting in phase differences in the electromagnetic waves at different angular directions. Ultimately, superposition in free space produces wide-beam radiation characteristics. Furthermore, loading the dielectric 3 does not affect polarization. For circularly polarized radiation, it maintains good axial ratio characteristics over a wide angular range. The dielectric 3 is made of a dielectric material, specifically a plastic material, including but not limited to modified PPS, PPO, LCP, and PEI materials. The specific structure of the dielectric 3 is not limited; it is sufficient to ensure that it is located in the radiation direction of the radiating plate 11 to achieve the above-mentioned function.

[0058] Referring to Figure 12 , in a first embodiment of the dielectric body 3, the dielectric body 3 can be configured as a dielectric plate covering the end of the metal member 2 away from the radiating plate 11. The dielectric plate is primarily supported by the metal member 2 to secure the dielectric body 3 and achieve the aforementioned technical effects of the dielectric body 3. Furthermore, referring to Figure 13 , in a second embodiment of the dielectric body 3, the dielectric body 3 includes a dielectric cover 31, which is disposed over the radiating plate 11. The dielectric cover 31 primarily achieves the aforementioned desired functions through the dielectric layer at its top. This dielectric layer supports the cover 31 through its sidewalls, without requiring a fixed attachment to the metal member 2. Conversely, the metal member 2 can be configured as a second metal layer 2a located on the sidewalls of the dielectric cover 31, allowing the relatively lightweight dielectric cover 31 to support the metal member 2. This minimizes the mass of the metal member 2, thereby forming the second metal layer 2a located on the sidewalls of the dielectric cover 31 and reducing the overall mass of the antenna assembly 100, meeting the lightweight requirements of satellite communications. Furthermore, the dielectric cover 31 positioned over the radiating element 11 facilitates its positioning and installation of the dielectric member 3. The cross-sectional shape of the dielectric cover 31 can be square, polygonal, or other shapes, all of which can achieve the desired functions, and is not limited here. In this embodiment, the dielectric cover 31 is cylindrical, also to ensure symmetry of the radiation pattern and achieve wide-beam characteristics in all directions.

[0059] The second metal layer 2a can be formed and installed in the same manner as or different from the first metal layer 11a described above. That is, the second metal layer 2a can also be set as an independent metal sheet structure and fixed to the dielectric cover 31 by an additional fixing structure, which includes a supporting structure or an adhesive structure. The second metal layer 2a can also be formed by plating a metal layer on the side wall surface of the dielectric cover 31 using a metal plating process. The dielectric cover 31 is set to a plastic material as described above, which has lightweight characteristics and serves as a plating substrate to meet the requirements of the plating process. The second metal layer 2a is manufactured using a plastic surface metallization process. The specific implementation process includes but is not limited to LDS (Laser Direct Structuring) plating process, selective electrochemical plating process, magnetron sputtering vacuum plating process, LAP (Laser Activating Plating) process and plastic surface metal foil coating process. The overall structure is simple, easy to form and has lightweight characteristics, which is further suitable for large-scale array antennas for satellite communication antennas, reducing the payload during the satellite launch phase and thereby reducing launch costs. The second metal layer 2a can be arranged on the inner side or the outer side of the dielectric cover 31 without affecting its functional effect. In this embodiment, the second metal layer 2a is arranged on the inner side of the dielectric cover 31, and the dielectric cover 31 can form a protection for the second metal layer 2a.

[0060] 14 , the radiation unit 1 further includes a parasitic radiation plate 13 located on the radiation side of the radiation plate 11 , the parasitic radiation plate 13 and the radiation plate 11 are spaced apart and coupled with each other; the parasitic radiation plate 13 includes a third metal layer 13a provided on the top wall of the dielectric cover 31 . The installation method of the parasitic radiation plate 13 is similar to that of the radiation plate 11, that is, the parasitic radiation plate 13 is supported and installed on the dielectric cover 31, wherein the parasitic radiation plate 13 can be set as an independent metal sheet structure and fixed to the dielectric cover 31 by an additional fixing structure, and the fixing structure includes a supporting structure or an adhesive structure; the parasitic radiation plate 13 set as a metal sheet structure can also be embedded in the dielectric cover 31 by an embedding method; and a metal plating process can be used to plate a metal layer on the surface of the dielectric cover 31 to form the radiation plate 11. In this embodiment, the dielectric cover 31 is set to a plastic material as described above, and while obtaining its lightweight characteristics, it serves as a plating substrate to meet the plating process requirements, and the parasitic radiation plate 13 is manufactured by a plastic surface metallization process, and its specific implementation process includes but is not limited to LDS (Laser Direct Structuring) plating process, selective electrochemical plating process, magnetron sputtering vacuum plating process, LAP (Laser Activating Plating, laser activation followed by metal plating) process and plastic surface coating metal foil process, etc., the overall structure is simple, easy to form and has lightweight characteristics, so it is suitable for large-scale array antennas for satellite communication antennas, reducing the load during the satellite launch phase, and thus reducing the launch cost. The parasitic radiation plate 13 can be plated on the outside of the dielectric cover 31 or on the inside of the dielectric cover 31. However, when plated on the inside of the dielectric cover 31, the electromagnetic waves emitted by the parasitic radiation plate 13 under the stimulation of the radiation plate 11 will also pass through the dielectric cover 31 to have wide-beam radiation characteristics. Therefore, this embodiment mainly adopts the form of plating the parasitic radiation plate 13 on the inside of the dielectric cover 31.

[0061] In addition, when the parasitic radiation plate 13 is fixed by a fixed structure, it does not have to be fixed to the dielectric cover 31, and can also be suspended and fixed to the metal part 2 by the fixed structure. However, it is obviously more complicated than the above-mentioned plating process, and the structure molding and installation are difficult, and the practicality is poor.

[0062] A protruding area 311 is formed in the middle inner portion of the top wall of the dielectric cover 31, and the third metal layer 13a is disposed in the protruding area 311. To facilitate installation of the parasitic radiating plate 13, the protruding area 311 is formed in the middle inner portion of the top wall of the dielectric cover 31. The structural form of the protruding area 311 is not limited and can be partially protruding or entirely protruding to form a boss to serve as the protruding area 311. Even when the protruding area 311 is partially protruding, the protruding area 311 can be arranged along the periphery of the parasitic radiating plate 13 to hold the parasitic radiating plate 13 in the metal sheet structure. The protruding area 311 can limit the position of the parasitic radiating plate 13 and assist in the installation and molding of the parasitic radiating plate 13. This is not limited herein and is based on the actual structure of the parasitic radiating plate 13 and the overall assembly configuration of the antenna assembly 100.

[0063] Referring to Figure 15 , in a second embodiment of the dielectric cover 31, an annular groove 312 is formed on the inner periphery of the top wall of the dielectric cover 31, thereby forming a protruding area 311 in the inner middle portion of the top wall of the dielectric cover 31. In this embodiment, the parasitic radiator 13 is formed by metal plating. Therefore, the annular groove 312 is formed on the inner periphery of the top wall of the dielectric cover 31 to form the centrally raised protruding area 311. A height difference exists between the edge of the protruding area 311 and the bottom of the annular groove 312, facilitating the plating and forming of the parasitic radiator 13 on the protruding area 311. Adjusting the area of ​​the protruding area 311 is equivalent to adjusting the size of the parasitic radiator 13, resulting in a simple structure and excellent results. Of course, when the parasitic radiator 13 is configured as a metal sheet, the protruding area 311 in this embodiment can also serve to position the edge of the parasitic radiator 13, facilitating its positioning and installation.

[0064] Furthermore, the metal member 2 is disposed on the inner side of the sidewall of the dielectric cover 31 and extends to the annular groove 312. The disposition of the metal member 2 on the inner side of the sidewall of the dielectric cover 31 and the extension of the metal member 2 to the outer periphery of the parasitic radiating plate 13 have been described above and will not be repeated here. Based on the annular groove 312 provided to form the protruding region 311, the metal member 2 can be further extended into the annular groove 312 to extend beyond the height of the parasitic radiating plate 13. This ensures coupling between the parasitic radiating plate 13 and the metal member 2, ensuring that the metal member 2 can be excited by the parasitic radiating plate 13, and also increases the coupling between the parasitic radiating plate 13 and the metal member 2.

[0065] The metal member 2 includes a second metal layer 2a provided on the sidewall of the dielectric cover 31, and the second metal layer 2a extends into the annular groove 312. The configuration of the metal member 2 as the second metal layer 2a has been described in detail above and will not be repeated here. In this embodiment, the second metal layer 2a is extended into the annular groove 312 to achieve the aforementioned function of ensuring coupling between the metal member 2 and the parasitic radiator 13 and improving the coupling strength.

[0066] In addition, the dielectric body 3 includes a dielectric body 3 disposed opposite the radiating plate 11, with the dielectric body 3 being recessed in the central region corresponding to the radiating plate 11. The specific function of the dielectric body 3 has been described in detail above. Specifically, after the electromagnetic waves emitted by the radiating plate 11 at different angles pass through the dielectric body 3, the path lengths of the electromagnetic waves traversing the dielectric body 3 are inconsistent, resulting in phase differences between the electromagnetic waves at different angles. Ultimately, these waves superimpose in free space to produce a wide-beam radiation characteristic. For example, when the electromagnetic waves emitted by the radiating plate 11 perpendicular to the dielectric body 3 pass through the dielectric body 3, their path is the shortest, equal to the thickness of the dielectric body 3. However, the electromagnetic waves emitted by the radiating plate 11 at a certain angle that pass through the dielectric body 3 must travel a path longer than the aforementioned electromagnetic waves perpendicular to the dielectric body 3, creating a path difference. This creates the aforementioned phase differences between the electromagnetic waves at different angles, ultimately superimposing in free space to produce the wide-beam radiation characteristic. However, when the size of the dielectric 3 is slightly different from that of the radiation sheet 11, the electromagnetic waves emitted by the radiation sheet 11 are almost all perpendicular to the dielectric 3, or are electromagnetic waves that pass through the dielectric 3 at a certain angle. The angle deviation between the two is small, resulting in a small difference in the path length between the two, making the superposition to produce wide-beam radiation less effective or even unable to widen the beam. Therefore, in this application, a recess is provided in the central area of ​​the dielectric 3 to form a first area located in the middle of the dielectric 3 and a second area located outside the first area, so that the thickness of the first area is smaller than that of the second area. At this time, even if the angle difference between the electromagnetic waves passing through the first area and the second area is small, the path length difference of the electromagnetic waves emitted by the radiation sheet 11 through the two areas can be increased to ensure the desired beam widening effect. The middle depression of the dielectric body 3 can be on the side facing the radiation piece 11, specifically refer to the third embodiment of the dielectric cover 31 in Figure 16, or on the side away from the radiation piece 11, specifically refer to the fourth embodiment of the dielectric cover 31 in Figure 17. There is no limitation here, and all of them can achieve the required function. However, when the parasitic radiation piece 13 is set as a metal plating layer, it is necessary to ensure that the side of the dielectric body 3 facing the radiation piece 11 is flat to facilitate the plating and molding of the parasitic radiation piece 13. Therefore, this application mainly chooses to set the depression on the side of the dielectric body 3 away from the radiation piece 11. The above-mentioned depression structure is not limited, but in order to ensure that the generated radiation pattern is spatially symmetrical, the above-mentioned depression needs to be set as an annular structure. In specific implementation, it can be a conical hollowing, a parabolic hollowing, a curved hollowing composed of an exponential gradient, etc.

[0067] In addition, the radiation unit 1 also includes a ground plate 14 and a feeding system 15 located on the side of the ground plate 14 facing away from the radiation piece 11. The feeding system 15 is connected to the feed point 112 of the radiation piece 11 via a connector 16, and the connector 16 is provided through the ground plate 14. The ground plate 14 and the feeding system 15 are inherent structures required by the radiation unit 1, and the spatial position between the two is not limited. In this application, the feeding system 15 is provided on the side of the ground plate 14 facing away from the radiation piece 11, and is connected to the radiation piece 11 by the connector 16 passing through the ground plate 14. On the one hand, the feeding system 15, the ground plate 14, and the radiation piece 11 are stacked to reduce the spatial size, thereby reducing the volume of the antenna assembly 100. On the other hand, the feeding system 15 and the radiation piece 11 are separated by the ground plate 14 to avoid interference between them, thereby improving the accuracy of the antenna assembly 100.

[0068] A second substrate 17 is disposed between the feed system 15 and the ground plate 14. The feed system 15 includes a fourth metal layer 15a disposed on the second substrate 17. In the first embodiment of the antenna assembly 100, referring to Figures 1 and 2, the second substrate 17 is disposed between the feed system 15 and the ground plate 14. The feed system 15 is configured as the fourth metal layer 15a attached to the second substrate 17. The fourth metal layer 15a is mounted and formed in a manner similar to that of the first metal layer 11a, the second metal layer 2a, and the third metal layer 13a. It can also be configured as an independent metal sheet structure secured by an additional fixing structure, or as a metal coating coated on the second substrate 17. In this embodiment, the fourth metal layer 15a is coated on the second substrate 17 to achieve the same lightweight effect, suitable for satellite communication requirements.

[0069] At least two feeding points 112 are provided on the radiation plate 11, and the feeding system 15 is connected to the two feeding points 112 respectively through the two connecting members 16. By providing multiple feeding points 112, the stability of the phase center is improved.

[0070] Due to the characteristics of circular polarization, antenna transmission and reception require circular polarization of different rotation directions. Therefore, the antenna assembly 100 requires a dual circular polarization design. To meet the dual circular polarization design requirements, multiple feed points 112 are provided on the radiating plate 11 to facilitate the dual circular polarization design. In this way, the use of dual circular polarization can make the transmission and reception antenna share a common antenna, reducing the antenna size. The feeding system 15 is a 3dB bridge that can achieve dual circular polarization radiation. When the signal is input by one feed point 112, the antenna assembly 100 is in the first circular polarization radiation mode; when the signal is input by the other feed point 112, the antenna assembly 100 is in the second circular polarization radiation mode, forming a dual circular polarization design. The first circularly polarized radiation pattern and the second circularly polarized radiation pattern use different circular polarization modes to distinguish between transmission and reception. For example, when the first circularly polarized radiation pattern is a left-hand circular polarization mode, the second circularly polarized radiation pattern is a right-hand circular polarization mode; when the first circular polarization mode is a right-hand circular polarization mode, the second circularly polarized radiation pattern is a left-hand circular polarization mode. The antenna assembly 100 uses different circular polarization modes for transmission and reception. That is, when the transmission adopts the left-hand circular polarization mode, the reception adopts the right-hand circular polarization mode; when the transmission adopts the right-hand circular polarization mode, the reception adopts the left-hand circular polarization mode.

[0071] On the basis that the feeding system 15 is set as a 3dB bridge, the feeding system 15 includes two input ports 151 and two output ports 152. The two input ports 151 are used to access digital channels, and the two output ports 152 are respectively connected to the two feeding points 112 on the radiation plate 11 through the connecting member 16. In this way, when the antenna assembly 100 is in the transmitting working mode, the signal enters from one of the two input ports 151, and after the power distribution and phase shifting of the feeding system 15, a set of orthogonal signals with a phase difference of 90° is generated, which are output by the two output ports 152, and then fed to the radiation plate 11 through the connector 16 so that the radiation unit 1 emits electromagnetic waves, thereby realizing spatial propagation of the signal; when the antenna assembly 100 is in the receiving working mode, the electromagnetic wave signal in the free space is received by the radiation unit 1, mainly by the radiation plate 11, and transmitted to the output port 152 of the feeding system 15 through the connector 16, and after the signal synthesis of the feeding system 15, the final signal is output from the input port 151 to the RF link.

[0072] Based on the above structural description, this application mainly proposes two embodiments of the antenna assembly 100. Please refer to Figures 1 and 2 for the first embodiment of the antenna assembly 100, and refer to Figures 3 and 4 for the second embodiment of the antenna assembly 100.

[0073] In the first embodiment of the antenna assembly 100, the first substrate 12, the dielectric cover 31 and the second substrate 17 are made of plastic material, which has the advantage of being lightweight. The radiation plate 11, namely the first metal layer 11a, the parasitic radiation plate 13, namely the third metal layer 13a, the metal part 2, namely the second metal layer 2a and the fourth metal layer 15a of the feed network are realized by a plastic surface metallization process. Some of the dimensions selected in this embodiment include: the distance between the radiation plate 11 and the parasitic radiation plate 13 is 0.1λ, and the bottom of the dielectric cover 31 is also formed with a bottom plate attached to the first substrate 12 to ensure the installation stability of the dielectric cover 31. The side length of the bottom plate is 0.5λ, and the height of the dielectric cover 31 is 0.25λ and the diameter is 0.45λ; the height of the second metal layer 2a inside the dielectric cover 31 is 0.2λ, wherein the side length of the bottom plate of the dielectric cover 31 is 0.5λ, which can ensure the The aperture size of the antenna assembly 100 is 0.5λ, enabling the antenna array 1000 to be arranged at a spacing of 0.5λ, ensuring that the antenna array 1000's directional pattern does not produce grating lobes. The dielectric cover 31 has a height of 0.25λ and a diameter of 0.45λ to achieve wide-beam characteristics, determine phase differences at different angles, and thus determine the geometric dimensions of the dielectric cover 31. The height of the second metal layer 2a inside the dielectric cover 31 is 0.2λ, which is the optimal height determined based on the directional pattern characteristics and impedance matching characteristics. The above dimensions are a set of implementation options provided in this embodiment and do not limit the actual dimensions. Based on the technical effect required by this application, these dimensions can be adjusted to a certain extent and are not limited here.

[0074] Tests were conducted based on the first embodiment of the antenna assembly 100 proposed in this application. This embodiment achieved a 15% impedance bandwidth by employing a laminated structure of the radiating plate 11 and the parasitic radiating plate 13. The standing wave curve is shown in FIG21 . Furthermore, within the impedance bandwidth, the axial ratio was less than 2 dB, and the axial ratio versus frequency curve is shown in FIG22 . The first embodiment of the antenna assembly 100 proposed in this application, through the dielectric cover 31 and the metal member 2 loading, achieved ultra-wide beam radiation characteristics. Its directivity pattern curve is shown in FIG23 . In the 2 GHz frequency band, the 1.5 dB beamwidth reached approximately 168°, and the 3 dB beamwidth reached approximately 195°. In the 2.18 GHz frequency band, the 1.5 dB beamwidth reached approximately 190°, and the 3 dB beamwidth reached approximately 214°. Within the ±60° range, the axial ratio was less than 3 dB, and the axial ratio versus angle curve is shown in FIG24 . The first embodiment of the antenna assembly 100 proposed in the present application has an ultra-wide beam characteristic, which can effectively reduce the gain drop when the array is scanned at a large angle and ensure a good axial ratio characteristic within a wide angle range.

[0075] Compared with the first embodiment of the antenna assembly 100, the second embodiment of the antenna assembly 100 eliminates dielectric materials such as the first substrate 12, the second substrate 17 and the dielectric body 3, and adopts an all-metal structure. The metal part 2 and the ground plate 14 enclose a radiation cavity. The radiation plate 11 and the parasitic radiation plate 13 are fixed to the metal part 2 through the fixing structure described above to be suspended in the radiation cavity. The radiation plate 11 is electrically connected to the feeding system 15 arranged on the back side of the ground plate 14 through the connecting member 16. The connecting member 16 and the feeding system 15 are not shown in Figures 3 or 4. The specific differences between the second embodiment of the antenna assembly 100 and the first embodiment of the antenna assembly 100 are as follows: (1) the dielectric cover 31 is not loaded in the second embodiment, so the beam width is not as wide as that of the first embodiment; (2) the radiation plate 11 is suspended in the second embodiment, which has higher radiation efficiency than the radiation plate 11 attached to the first substrate 12 in the first embodiment; (3) the radiation plate 11 in the second embodiment is provided with the first slot 111 to achieve miniaturization of the radiation plate 11; (4) the metal part 2 in the second embodiment is directly connected to the ground plate 14, compared with the first embodiment in which the metal part 2 and the ground plate 14 are separated by the first substrate 12 dielectric, the structure in the second embodiment has a lower gain drop when performing large-angle scanning. The directional pattern curve of the second embodiment of the antenna assembly 100 is shown in FIG.

[0076] Referring to Figure 18 , this application also proposes an antenna array 1000 comprising a plurality of antenna assemblies 100 arranged in an array. The specific structure of the antenna assemblies 100 is similar to that of the aforementioned embodiments. Since antenna array 1000 utilizes all of the technical solutions of all of the aforementioned embodiments, it possesses at least all of the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the aforementioned embodiments, and therefore, no further details will be given here.

[0077] Referring to Figure 19 , the radiating unit 1 includes a feed system 15 , which is connected to a feed point 112 on the radiating plate 11 via a connector 16 . The feed system 15 includes two input ports 151 and two output ports 152 . The two input ports 151 of the feed system 15 of at least one antenna assembly 100 are each connected to a digital channel via an RF link. Figure 19 illustrates the connection method of the first embodiment of the antenna array 1000 architecture. The two input ports 151 of each antenna assembly 100 are each connected to an RF link, and the two input ports 151 are each connected to a transmit and receive link or a receive and transmit link. N antenna assemblies 100 correspond to N transmit and receive RF links, and the N RF links are connected to digital channels. The number of digital channels is determined by actual application requirements and is not limited here.

[0078] Referring to Figure 20 , the radiating unit 1 includes a feed system 15, which is connected to a feed point 112 on the radiating plate 11 via a connector 16. The feed system 15 includes two input ports 151 and two output ports 152. The corresponding input ports 151 of the feed systems 15 of at least two antenna assemblies 100 are connected to a radio frequency link through a phase-shifting network system for integration and then connected to a digital channel. The corresponding input ports 151 in multiple antenna assemblies 100 are connected to a phase-shifting network, so that M phase-shifting networks are connected to a transmit or receive radio frequency link, and N transmit and receive radio frequency links are connected to a digital channel. In other words, multiple antenna assemblies 100 are integrated into a radio frequency link after phase shifting through the phase-shifting network. The number of radio frequency links and digital channels is determined by actual application requirements and is not limited here.

[0079] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of the present application and does not limit the patent scope of the present application. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present application specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present application, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An antenna assembly, comprising: a radiation unit, comprising a radiation sheet; and The metal piece is arranged on the periphery of the radiation piece and is used for being excited by the radiation piece.

2. The antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The metal member includes a plurality of metal bodies arranged along the outer circumference of the radiation sheet.

3. The antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The metal member includes a metal ring extending along the circumference of the radiation plate.

4. The antenna assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The metal ring is arranged in a closed ring.

5. The antenna assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The metal ring is provided with a slot.

6. The antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The edge of the radiation sheet is provided with a first slot extending toward the middle thereof.

7. The antenna assembly of claim 6, wherein: A plurality of first slots are formed along the circumference of the radiation plate.

8. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein: The radiation unit further includes a first substrate, and the radiation sheet includes a first metal layer disposed on the first substrate.

9. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein: The radiation unit further includes a parasitic radiation plate located at a radiation side of the radiation plate, wherein the parasitic radiation plate is spaced apart from and coupled to the radiation plate.

10. The antenna assembly of claim 9, wherein: The metal piece extends to the outer periphery of the parasitic radiation piece to be excited by the parasitic radiation piece.

11. The antenna assembly of claim 9, wherein: The edge of the parasitic radiation plate is provided with a second slot extending toward the middle thereof.

12. The antenna assembly of claim 11, wherein: A plurality of second slots are formed along the circumference of the parasitic radiation plate.

13. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein: The antenna assembly further includes a dielectric body, and the dielectric body is located on a radiation side of the radiation plate.

14. The antenna assembly of claim 13, wherein: The dielectric body includes a dielectric cover, and the dielectric cover is disposed on the radiation sheet.

15. The antenna assembly of claim 14, wherein: The metal member includes a second metal layer disposed on a side wall of the dielectric cover.

16. The antenna assembly of claim 14, wherein: The radiation unit further comprises a parasitic radiation plate located at a radiation side of the radiation plate, wherein the parasitic radiation plate is spaced apart from and coupled to the radiation plate; The parasitic radiation plate includes a third metal layer disposed on the top wall of the dielectric cover.

17. The antenna assembly of claim 16, wherein: The third metal layer is disposed on the inner side of the top wall of the dielectric cover.

18. The antenna assembly of claim 17, wherein: A protruding area is formed in the middle of the inner side of the top wall of the dielectric cover, and the third metal layer is disposed in the protruding area.

19. The antenna assembly of claim 18, wherein: An annular groove is formed at the inner peripheral edge of the top wall of the dielectric cover, so that the protruding area is formed in the inner middle part of the top wall of the dielectric cover.

20. The antenna assembly of claim 19, wherein: The metal piece is arranged on the inner side of the side wall of the dielectric cover and extends to the annular groove.

21. The antenna assembly of claim 20, wherein: The metal member includes a second metal layer disposed on a side wall of the dielectric cover, and the second metal layer extends to the annular groove.

22. The antenna assembly of claim 13, wherein: The dielectric body has a dielectric body main body arranged opposite to the radiation piece, and the dielectric body main body is arranged in a concave shape in a middle area corresponding to the radiation piece.

23. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein: The radiation unit includes a circularly polarized radiation unit.

24. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein: The radiation unit further comprises a ground plate and a feeding system located on a side of the ground plate facing away from the radiation sheet. The feeding system is connected to a feeding point of the radiation sheet via a connector, and the connector is disposed through the ground plate.

25. The antenna assembly of claim 24, wherein: A second substrate is arranged between the feeding system and the ground plate, and the feeding system includes a fourth metal layer arranged on the second substrate.

26. The antenna assembly of claim 24, wherein: At least two feeding points are arranged on the radiation sheet, and the feeding system is connected to the two feeding points respectively through the two connecting members.

27. The antenna assembly of claim 26, wherein: The feeding system includes two input ports and two output ports. The two input ports are used to access digital channels, and the two output ports are respectively connected to the two feeding points on the radiation sheet through a connecting piece.

28. An antenna array, wherein: It comprises a plurality of antenna assemblies arranged in an array, and the antenna assembly is the antenna assembly as described in any one of claims 1-27.

29. The antenna array of claim 28, wherein: The radiation unit comprises a feeding system, the feeding system is connected to a feeding point on the radiation sheet through a connector, and the feeding system comprises two input ports and two output ports; The two input ports of the feeding system of at least one of the antenna assemblies are respectively connected to a digital channel via a radio frequency link.

30. The antenna array of claim 28, wherein: The radiation unit comprises a feeding system, the feeding system is connected to a feeding point on the radiation sheet through a connector, and the feeding system comprises two input ports and two output ports; The input ports corresponding to the feeding systems of at least two of the antenna assemblies are connected to a radio frequency link through a phase shift network system for integration and then connected to a digital channel.

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