Antenna unit and antenna array

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application are an antenna unit and an antenna array. The antenna unit comprises a plurality of radiation oscillators, at least one feeding part, and a switch apparatus; the radiation oscillators are arranged in a first longitudinal direction; the feeding part is separately electrically connected to the radiation oscillators by means of a feeding channel; and the switch apparatus is disposed on the feeding channel and is configured to be capable of controlling connection and disconnection between at least one of the radiation oscillators and the feeding part.

Description

Antenna unit and antenna array

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202311268363.9 filed on September 26, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0004] With the evolution of technology and the expansion of business and information processing needs, the integration of communication and perception has become a leading trend in future technologies and services. Future networks are expected to be a fusion of mobile communication networks, perception networks, and computing networks. In conventional networks, communication and perception exist independently. However, an integrated communication and perception design can reduce the waste of wireless spectrum and hardware resources and reduce information processing latency.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main purpose of this application is to propose an antenna unit and an antenna array.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application proposes an antenna unit, wherein the antenna unit includes: a plurality of radiating elements arranged along a first longitudinal direction; at least one feeding portion electrically connected to the radiating elements through a feeding channel; and a switching device, arranged on the feeding channel and configured to control the connection and disconnection between at least one of the radiating elements and the feeding portion.

[0008] The present application also proposes an antenna array, which includes multiple antenna units, each of which includes multiple radiating elements, at least one feeding part and a switching device. The multiple radiating elements are arranged along a first longitudinal direction; the feeding part is electrically connected to the radiating elements through a feeding channel; the switching device is arranged on the feeding channel and is configured to control the connection and disconnection between at least one radiating element and the feeding part, and the multiple antenna units are distributed in an array. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] 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.

[0010] FIG1 is a simplified plan view and beam diagram of a first specific embodiment of an antenna unit provided in this application;

[0011] FIG2 is a simplified plan view and beam diagram of a second specific embodiment of an antenna unit provided in this application;

[0012] FIG3 is a simplified plan view and beam diagram of a third specific embodiment of an antenna unit provided in this application;

[0013] FIG4 is a simplified plan view and beam diagram of a fourth specific embodiment of an antenna unit provided in this application;

[0014] FIG5 is a simplified plan view of the switch device in the first embodiment of the antenna unit provided in the present application;

[0015] FIG6 is a simplified plan view of a second embodiment of the switch device described in the first embodiment of the antenna unit provided in this application;

[0016] FIG7 is a simplified plan view of a third embodiment of the switch device described in the first embodiment of the antenna unit provided in this application;

[0017] FIG8 is a simplified plan view of the branch channel of the first embodiment in the second embodiment of the antenna unit provided by the present application;

[0018] FIG9 is a simplified plan view of the branch channel in the second embodiment of the antenna unit provided by the present application;

[0019] FIG10 is a simplified plan view of the branch channel of the third embodiment in the second embodiment of the antenna unit provided by this application;

[0020] FIG11 is a simplified plan view of the branch channel of the fourth embodiment in the second embodiment of the antenna unit provided by this application;

[0021] FIG12 is a simplified plan view of the branch channel of the fifth embodiment in the second embodiment of the antenna unit provided by this application;

[0022] FIG13 is a simplified plan view of the branch channel of the sixth embodiment in the second embodiment of the antenna unit provided by this application;

[0023] FIG14 is a schematic plan view of the antenna array provided in this application;

[0024] FIG15 is a simplified diagram of the connection status of the radiation elements of the antenna array in FIG14 in the communication mode and the signal sensing mode.

[0025] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0026] 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

[0027] 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.

[0028] It should be noted that 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 various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0029] 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.

[0030] With the evolution of technology and the expansion of business and information processing needs, the integration of communication and perception has become a leading trend in future technologies and services. Future networks are expected to be a fusion of mobile communication networks, perception networks, and computing networks. In conventional networks, communication and perception exist independently. However, an integrated communication and perception design can reduce the waste of wireless spectrum and hardware resources and reduce information processing latency.

[0031] In view of this, the present application provides an antenna unit. Figures 1 to 13 are embodiments of the antenna unit provided in the present application. The antenna unit will be described below in conjunction with specific drawings.

[0032] Please refer to Figures 1 to 13. The antenna unit 100 includes a plurality of radiating elements 1, at least one feeding portion 2 and a switching device 4. The plurality of radiating elements 1 are arranged along a first longitudinal direction; the feeding portion 2 is electrically connected to the radiating elements 1 through a feeding channel 3; the switching device 4 is arranged on the feeding channel 3 and is configured to control the on / off between at least one radiating element 1 and the feeding portion 2.

[0033] In the technical solution of the present application, when the antenna unit 100 is used for communication, it is common to connect the multiple radiating elements 1 to the feeding part 2 to obtain the farthest radiation distance and ensure the communication quality. At this time, the beam angles of the multiple radiating elements 1 after loading are small, which can meet the communication requirements. However, when the antenna unit 100 is used to sense signals, the spatial coverage rate of the small beam angle in the first direction is low. Although the coverage of the beam in the first direction can be improved by performing multi-channel digital scanning in the first direction of the antenna unit 100 or adding a phase shifter 5 for analog beam scanning, the multi-channel digital scanning requires an increase in the number of channels and an expansion of the antenna array, which is costly to implement. In the solution of adding a phase shifter 5 for analog beam scanning, the antenna array does not need to be expanded, but multiple phase shifters 5 need to be added, which is complex to control and also has a high cost. Therefore, in the present application, the switch device 4 is provided on the feeding channel 3, and the number of the radiating elements 1 working in the antenna unit 100 is controlled by the switch device 4, so that when the antenna unit 100 is used to sense signals, the radiating elements 1 in operation can be reduced to shorten the sensing distance, but a larger beam angle is obtained to improve the sensing coverage in the first direction, meet the spatial coverage requirements of the sensing signal, and this solution is simple to set up, low in cost and effective. At the same time, when the antenna unit 100 is used for communication, the switch device 4 can be controlled to make the multiple radiating elements 1 connected to the feeding part 2, and restore the communication use state of the antenna unit 100, without affecting the communication function of the antenna unit 100. In this way, the switch device 4 can control the antenna unit 100 to switch between the communication mode and the signal sensing mode, so as to realize the integration of the communication function and the signal sensing function, and realize the integrated synaesthesia setting.

[0034] The antenna unit 100 may also be configured without the switch device 4. After being loaded with a plurality of the radiating elements 1, the antenna unit 100 can be used for both communication and signal perception, thereby realizing the integrated interawareness of the antenna unit 100. However, as described above, after the plurality of radiating elements 1 are loaded, the beam angle is small, the coverage of the space is low, and when sensing signals, the spatial range covered is small, and only signals within a small range can be sensed, resulting in poor practicality. Based on this, when the switch device 4 is configured to select the signal perception mode, the number of radiating elements 1 connected to the feeding portion 2 is based on actual usage requirements and is not limited. The more radiating elements 1 are connected, the longer the sensing distance is, but the spatial coverage is lower. In addition, the more radiating elements 1 are connected, the more complex the beam loading and debugging is. On the other hand, the fewer radiating elements 1 are connected, the closer the sensing distance is, but the spatial coverage is higher, and the beam loading and debugging is simpler.

[0035] Referring to Figures 5 to 7, in the first embodiment of the antenna unit 100, at least two feed channels 3 are provided, one of which connects the feed portion 2 and the plurality of radiating elements 1, and the other of which connects the feed portion 2 and some of the radiating elements 1. The switch device 4 is provided between the two feed channels 3 and the feed portion 2. The two feed channels 3 include a first feed channel 31 and a second feed channel 32. By providing at least two feed channels 3 to correspond to the communication mode and the signal sensing mode of the antenna unit 100, respectively, in this embodiment, the two modes are directly distinguished. The switch device 4 selects the first feed channel 31 or the second feed channel 32 to directly complete the mode switching of the antenna unit 100. The number of feed channels 3 is large, and the installation area is large, but the logic is simple, easy to operate, and convenient to implement. The number of the feed channels 3 is set according to the number of the sensing signal modes of the antenna unit 100, that is, different numbers of the radiating elements 1 are selected for signal sensing of different requirements, and different numbers of the feed channels 3 need to be set, and the switch device 4 is used to select the required one of the feed channels 3 from the multiple feed channels 3 for connection to meet the use requirements. However, it is obvious that the more the number of the feed channels 3, the larger the occupied area and the more complicated it is. In actual consideration of the use requirements, as in the first embodiment of the antenna unit 100 mentioned above, two feed channels 3 are set, corresponding to the communication mode and the sensing signal mode of the antenna unit 100 respectively, which is simple and practical. The number of the radiating elements 1 connected in the second feed channel 32 is mainly based on actual needs, which has been described in detail above and will not be repeated here.

[0036] In the first embodiment of the antenna unit 100, the switch device 4 has multiple corresponding embodiments. Referring to FIG5 , in the first embodiment of the switch device 4, the switch device 4 includes a switching switch 41 disposed between the two feeding channels 3 and the feeding portion 2. The switching switch 41 switches one of the two feeding channels 3 to be electrically connected to the feeding portion 2. In this embodiment, the switch device 4 is configured as the switching switch 41, which can select either the first feeding channel 31 or the second feeding channel 32. This has a simple structure and is easy to operate, and does not cause the switch device 4 to simultaneously connect the first feeding channel 31 and the second feeding channel 32. In the second embodiment of the switch device 4, referring to FIG6 , the switch device 4 includes two first switches 42 disposed on the two feeding channels 3. In this embodiment, a first switch 42 is respectively provided on the first feeding channel 31 and the second feeding channel 32, which can independently control the connection between the first feeding channel 31 and the second feeding channel 32. When one of the first switches 42 is damaged and fails, the other first switch 42 can still perform its function to meet the normal use of one mode of the antenna unit 100, so as to minimize the impact of damage to the first switch 42 on the antenna unit 100.

[0037] Based on the second embodiment of the switching device 4, a third embodiment of the switching device 4 is given, specifically referring to Figure 7. The feeding part 2 can be set to multiple. Regarding the setting of the above-mentioned first feeding channel 31 and the second feeding channel 32, the first feeding channel 31 and the second feeding channel 32 can actually be connected to one feeding part 2 respectively. At this time, multiple feeding parts 2 can feed the same digital signal, and the first switch 42 is also respectively set on one feeding channel 3 to control the two feeding channels 3 to connect to their corresponding feeding parts 2 respectively.

[0038] In addition, in response to the above-mentioned problem of setting up multiple feeding channels 3 to correspond to different usage modes of the antenna unit 100, the feeding channels 3 are numerous, occupy a large area, and are complicated to lay out. The present application also proposes a second embodiment of the antenna unit 100, specifically referring to Figures 8 to 13. The feeding channel 3 includes a main channel 33 and a branch channel 34, and the main channel 33 is connected to the feeding part 2; the branch channel 34 is connected to the main channel 33, and the branch channel 34 includes multiple branches 341 corresponding to the multiple radiating elements 1; at least one of the main channel 33 and the branch channel 34 is provided with the switching device 4. The branch channel 34 includes the branch 341 connected to the plurality of radiating elements 1. At this time, the switch device 4 is set in the branch channel 34, that is, the radiating elements 1 in the branch channel 34 can be selectively connected. At this time, the switch device 4 is set in the main channel 33, then at least part of the radiating elements 1 in the branch channel 34 can be selectively connected to the feeding part 2. With such a setting, on one of the feeding channels 3, by coordinating the feeding channel 3 and the switch device 4, the plurality of radiating elements 1 in the antenna unit 100 can be selected to meet the different usage modes of the antenna unit 100. Compared with the first embodiment of the antenna unit 100 in which a plurality of radiating channels are set to correspond to the different usage modes of the antenna unit 100, the setting of the radiating channels in this embodiment occupies a small area, has a high utilization rate, is low in cost and is more practical.

[0039] Referring to Figures 8 and 9 , first and second embodiments of the branch channel 34 are shown. One end of each of the multiple branches 341 is connected to the main channel 33. In this embodiment, the multiple radiating elements 1 are directly connected in parallel to the main channel 33, simplifying the installation of the feed channel 3 and facilitating implementation. Correspondingly, the switch device 4 can be provided in various embodiments, namely, the switch device 4 can be provided in the branch channel 341 or in the main channel 33. In the first embodiment of the branch channel 34, referring to Figure 8 , the switch device 4 is provided on the branch channel 341, thereby assigning one radiating element 1 to each switch device 4, allowing each radiating element 1 to be independently controlled. This provides greater operational flexibility. However, the configuration of the switch device 4 is relatively cumbersome. Furthermore, during the switching between the communication mode and the signal sensing mode of the antenna unit 100, the number of radiating elements 1 used is relatively fixed, eliminating the need for flexible control. Consequently, independent control of each radiating element 1 is impractical.

[0040] Based on this, a second embodiment of the branch channel 34 is proposed, specifically referring to Figure 9, the multiple radiating elements 1 include a first radiating element 11 and a second radiating element 12; the multiple branches 341 include a first branch 3411 connected to the first radiating element 11, and a second branch 3412 connected to the second radiating element 12; one end of the main channel 33 is connected to the feeding part 2, and the main channel 33 has a first connection point 331 connected to the first branch 3411, and a second connection point 332 connected to the second branch 3412, and the first connection point 331 is located between the second connection point 332 and the feeding part 2; the switching device 4 includes a second switch 43 arranged between the first connection point 331 and the second connection point 332. That is, when multiple branches 341 are connected in parallel to the main channel 33, the switching device 4 is set on the main channel 33, and the switching device 4 is adjusted to be set to the second switch 43 located between the above-mentioned first connection point 331 and the second connection point 332, so that the second switch 43 switches on and off the main channel 33, controls the connection and disconnection of the main channel 33 and the second branch 3412, and plays a role in selecting the radiation oscillator 1.

[0041] There are multiple second radiating oscillators 12. During the process of setting the position of the second switch 43, the number of the second branches 3412 is at least one, and in this embodiment, it is multiple, that is, there are multiple second radiating oscillators 12, so that the second switch 43 can synchronously control the on and off of multiple second radiating oscillators 12. Compared with the above-mentioned independent control of each radiating oscillator 1 by the switch device 4, the cost is obviously lower.

[0042] In addition, referring to Figures 10 to 13, which are the third to sixth embodiments of the branch channel 34, the radiation oscillator 1 includes a first radiation oscillator 11 and a plurality of second radiation oscillators 12; the plurality of branches 341 include a first branch 3411 connected to the first radiation oscillator 11, and a plurality of second branches 3412 corresponding to the plurality of second radiation oscillators 12; the branch channel 34 includes a plurality of branch channels 342 connected between the main channel 33 and the plurality of branches 341, at least one of the branch channels 342 includes a first connecting channel 3421, one end of the first connecting channel 3421 is connected to at least two of the branches 341, and the branch 341 connected to the first connecting channel 3421 is the second branch 3412; the switching device 4 is used to control the on and off of the first connecting channel 3421. That is, the branch channel 34 includes a plurality of parallel shunt channels 342, and each of the shunt channels 342 can be connected to at least one branch 341. When the antenna unit 100 switches between the communication mode and the signal sensing mode, if it is necessary to switch the on and off of the plurality of the radiating vibrators 1, that is, it is necessary to switch the on and off of the plurality of the second radiating vibrators 12, the plurality of the second branches 3412 corresponding to the plurality of the second radiating vibrators 12 can be centrally connected to the shunt channel 342, that is, connected to the first connection channel 3421, and the switching device 4 can control the on and off of the first connection channel 3421 to achieve synchronous control of the on and off of the plurality of the second radiating vibrators 12.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 10 , which illustrates a third embodiment of the branch channel 34 , the switch device 4 includes a third switch 44 disposed on the first connecting channel. Specifically, the third switch 44 is directly disposed on the first connecting channel. When there are multiple first connecting channels, each first connecting channel is controlled by a corresponding third switch 44 . This independent control prevents any impact on other branch channels 341 .

[0044] In addition, referring to Figure 11, which is a fourth embodiment of the branch channel 34, the feeding portion 2 is connected to the middle section of the main channel 33, and the feeding portion 2 divides the main channel 33 into a first flow channel section 333 and a second flow channel section 334; the other end of the first connecting channel 3421 is connected to the first flow channel section 333, and the other branch channels 342 are connected to the second flow channel section 334; the switching device 4 includes a fourth switch 45 arranged on the first flow channel section 333. Corresponding to the third embodiment of the branch channel 34, the feeding part 2 is connected to the middle section of the main channel 33 to divide the main channel 33 into the first flow channel section 333 and the second flow channel section 334. At this time, the first flow channel section 333 is only connected to the first connecting channel 3421, and the other branch channels 342 are connected to the second flow channel section 334, so that when the switching device 4 is set to the fourth switch 45 located on the first flow channel section 333, the fourth switch 45 is also used to open and close the first connecting channel 3421.

[0045] In addition, referring to Figure 12, which is the fifth embodiment of the branch channel 34, at least one of the branch channels 342 includes a first mixing connection channel 3422 and a first connection channel 3421, one end of the first mixing connection channel 3422 is connected to the main channel 33; one end of the first connection channel 3421 is connected to at least two of the branches 341, and the branch 341 connected to the first connection channel 3421 is the second branch 3412; wherein, the other end of the first mixing connection channel 3422 is connected to the other end of the first connection channel 3421, and is connected to at least one of the first branches 3411. In this embodiment, the diversion channel 342 includes the first mixed connection channel 3422, which is connected to the main channel 33 by the first mixed connection channel 3422 and diverts to the first connection channel 3421 and at least one first branch 3411, that is, diverts to multiple second radiation vibrators 12 integrated by the first connection channel 3421 and at least one first radiation vibrator 11. At this time, the switching device 4 can be set on the first connection channel 3421, or it can be set at one end of the first mixed connection channel 3422 connected to the first connection channel 3421, so as to realize the switching of the first connection channel 3421. There is no limitation here, and it is mainly based on actual usage needs.

[0046] Referring to Figure 13, which is a sixth embodiment of the branch channel 34, at least one of the branch channels 342 includes a second mixing connection channel 3424 and a second connection channel 3423, one end of the second mixing connection channel 3424 is connected to the main channel 33; one end of the second connection channel 3423 is connected to at least two of the branches 341, and the branch 341 connected to the second connection channel 3423 is the first branch 3411; wherein, the other end of the second mixing connection channel 3424 is connected to the other end of the second connection channel 3423 and at least one of the second branches 3412. Corresponding to the fifth embodiment of the branch channel 34, the diversion channel 342 can also include a second mixed connection channel 3424, which is connected to the main channel 33 and diverted to the second connection channel 3423 and at least one second branch 3412, that is, diverted to multiple first radiation vibrators 11 integrated by the second connection channel 3423 and at least one second radiation vibrator 12. At this time, the switching device 4 can be set on the second branch 3412, or it can be set at one end of the second mixed connection channel 3424 connected to the second branch 3412, so as to realize the switching of the two branches 341. There is no limitation here, and it is mainly based on actual usage needs.

[0047] Furthermore, the radiating element 1 includes a first radiating element 11 and a second radiating element 12, wherein the switch device 4 is used to control the connection between the second radiating element 12 and the feed unit 2; the radiating element 1 includes at least two first radiating elements 11. When the antenna unit 100 is in the signal sensing mode, the specific number of radiating elements 1 connected to the feed unit 2 has been described in detail above and will not be repeated here. In this embodiment, at least two first radiating elements 11 are connected to the feed unit 2.

[0048] The two first radiating elements 11 are arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction. Generally, the multiple radiating elements 1 on the antenna unit 100 are arranged along the first direction. When the antenna unit 100 is in the communication mode, all the radiating elements 1 are connected to the feeding part 2 to load and form a radiating whole. In general, the distance between the adjacent radiating elements 1 is a certain value, so as to facilitate the adjustment of the beam after the multiple radiating elements 1 are loaded. When the antenna unit 100 is in the sensing signal mode, the feeding part 2 is connected to at least two of the first radiating elements 11. When the two first radiating elements 11 are separated by the second radiating element 12, the beam loading of the two first radiating elements 11 needs to be further adjusted. Compared with directly setting the two first radiating elements 11 adjacent to each other, the required operations and design steps are more complicated and less practical. Therefore, in this embodiment, the two first radiating elements 11 are directly set adjacent to each other in the first direction.

[0049] In addition, a phase shifter 5 is provided on the feeding path. The phase shifter 5 includes a first phase shifter 51 . The first phase shifter 51 can control the phase of one of the two first radiating elements 11 . When the two first radiating vibrators 11 are connected to the feeding part 2, the beam extension direction thereof is the second transverse direction. Compared with selecting only one first radiating vibrator 11, when selecting two first radiating vibrators 11, the beam angle thereof is reduced by nearly half, which does not meet the requirements of spatial coverage of the upper half of the horizontal plane or spatial coverage of the lower half of the horizontal plane when used in practice. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first phase shifter 51 is provided on the feeding path, and the phase of one of the two first radiating vibrators 11 is changed by the first phase shifter 51, so that the beams extending along the second transverse direction loaded by the two are deflected in the first longitudinal direction. Corresponding to actual use, the beams can be raised relative to the horizontal plane to meet the requirements of spatial coverage of the upper half of the horizontal plane, or the beams can be tilted downward relative to the horizontal plane to meet the requirements of spatial coverage of the lower half of the horizontal plane. The phase shift selection of the first phase shifter 51 is performed according to actual needs and is not limited here.

[0050] In addition, a phase shifter 5 is further provided on the feeding channel 3, and the phase shifter 5 includes a second phase shifter 52. The second phase shifter 52 can control the phase of some of the radiating elements 1. When the antenna unit 100 is in communication mode, it is generally necessary to meet the beam coverage of the lower half of its horizontal plane to ensure communication quality. When the second phase shifter 52 is not provided, the beams of the multiple radiating elements 1 after loading extend in the horizontal direction, and their beam angles are relatively small, which does not meet the beam coverage of the lower half of the horizontal plane. Therefore, in this embodiment, the second phase shifter 52 is added to make the beams of the multiple radiating elements 1 after loading tilt downward relative to the horizontal plane to meet the beam coverage of the lower half of the horizontal plane and ensure communication quality.

[0051] In addition, the switch device 4 includes a switch unit 46 connected in series to the feed channel 3; and / or, the switch device 4 includes a ground channel 47 connected in parallel to the feed channel 3 and a switch unit 46 arranged on the ground channel 47. The switch device 4 can be set in a variety of ways. Two setting methods are proposed in this application. One is to set the switch unit 46 directly in series with the feed channel 3, and to control the on and off of the feed channel 3 by directly switching it on and off; the other is to set the ground channel 47 connected in parallel to the feed channel 3, and to connect the switch unit 46 in series to the ground channel 47, so that by controlling the on and off of the switch unit 46, the part of the feed channel 3 located downstream of the ground channel 47 is grounded and shielded by the ground channel 47, which can also control the on and off of the feed channel 3. This application does not limit the specific settings of the two, and it is sufficient to meet the use requirements.

[0052] In addition, the radiating element 1 includes a dual-polarized radiating element 1, and the feeding portion 2, the feeding channel 3, and the switching device 4 are correspondingly provided in two groups. The radiating element 1 can be a single-polarized radiating element 1, a circularly polarized radiating element 1, or a dual-polarized radiating element 1, based on actual usage requirements and not limited herein. In this embodiment, the dual-polarized radiating element 1 is used. On this basis, the feeding portion 2, the feeding channel 3, and the switching device 4 need to be provided in two groups to respectively control and connect one polarized radiation unit within the dual-polarized radiating element 1.

[0053] Phase shifters 5 are provided on the feeding channels 3, and are correspondingly provided on the two groups of feeding channels 3. The specific configuration and function of the phase shifters 5 have been described in detail above and will not be repeated here. Based on the configuration of the dual-polarized radiating element 1, when the feeding portion 2, the feeding channels 3, and the switching device 4 are provided in two groups, the phase shifters 5 also need to be provided in two corresponding groups to meet usage requirements.

[0054] Specifically, referring to Figure 1 , in the first specific embodiment of the antenna unit 100 of the present application, the feed unit 2 is sequentially connected to the branch 341 where the six dual-polarized radiating elements 1 are located via the main channel 33. A second phase shifter 52 is installed between the third and fourth radiating elements 1 in the first longitudinal direction of the main channel 33 to electrically tilt down the channel beam of the antenna unit 100 in communication mode. Simultaneously, a switch device 4 is installed between the fifth and sixth radiating elements 1 in the first longitudinal direction of the main channel 33. The switch device 4 and the second phase shifter 52 are correspondingly installed on two groups of feed channels 3. When the switch device 4 is in the first state, the RF signal emitted by the feed unit 2 is transmitted through the feed channel 3 to the six radiating elements 1, synthesizing a narrow communication beam to achieve ground communication coverage. Simultaneously, the second phase shifter 52 is used to electrically tilt down the ground communication beam. When the switch device 4 is in the second state, the upper five radiating elements 1 in the feeding channel 3 are blocked by the switch device 4, and the radio frequency signal cannot be transmitted to the five radiating elements 1, and the radio frequency signal is only transmitted to the sixth radiating element 1. In the conventional base station antenna layout, the channel beam is a 60° to 70° wide beam at this time, and the air perception beam coverage can reach more than 30°. As shown in the beam in the figure, the beam width is 60° to 70°, which is the dotted angle in the beam. Since the maximum direction of the beam is horizontal, the horizontal upward beam width is 1 / 2 of the total beam width, which is more than 30°. For this reason, vertical beam coverage of the entire space is achieved.

[0055] Referring to Figure 2, in the second specific embodiment of the antenna unit 100 of the present application, the feeding part 2 is connected to the six dual-polarized radiating elements 1 through a parallel-fed power splitter. The parallel-fed power splitter is designed in two stages. First, every three radiating elements 1 are connected using a one-to-three power splitter, and then the two paths are synthesized using a one-to-two power splitter. At the same time, the second phase shifter 52 is loaded on the branch 341 of the one-to-two power splitter to achieve electrical downtilt control of the channel beam. At the same time, the switch device 4 is loaded in the one-to-two and one-to-three power splitter branches 341, and the switch device 4 and the second phase shifter 52 are correspondingly set on the two groups of the feeding channels 3. When the switch device 4 is in the first state, the radio frequency signal is transmitted to the six radiating elements 1 through the feeding channel 3, and the synthesized communication narrow beam achieves ground communication coverage. At the same time, the second phase shifter 52 is used to achieve electrical downtilt control and adjustment of the ground communication beam. When the switch device 4 is in the second state, the upper five radiating elements 1 in the feeding channel 3 are isolated by the switch, and the radio frequency signal cannot be transmitted to the five radiating elements 1. All signals are only transmitted to the sixth radiating element 1. In the conventional base station antenna layout, the channel beam is a 60° to 70° wide beam at this time, and the air perception beam coverage can reach more than 30°. As shown in the beam in the figure, the beam width is 60° to 70°, which is the dotted angle in the beam. Since the maximum direction of the beam is horizontal, the horizontal upward beam width is 1 / 2 of the total beam width, which is more than 30°. For this reason, vertical beam coverage of the entire space is achieved.

[0056] Referring to Figure 3, in the third specific embodiment of the antenna unit 100 of the present application, the feeding part 2 is connected to the six dual-polarized radiating elements 1 through a parallel-fed power splitter. The parallel-fed power splitter is designed in two stages. First, every three radiating elements 1 are connected using a one-to-three power splitter, and then the two paths are synthesized using a one-to-two power splitter. At the same time, the second phase shifter 52 is loaded on the upper branch 341 of the one-to-two power splitter to realize the electrical downtilt control of the channel beam. In order to select the radiating element 1, the switching device 4 is introduced into the network branch 341 in the figure, and the first phase shifter 51 is introduced into the network of the two lowest radiating elements 1. When the switching device 4 is in the first state, the radio frequency signal is transmitted to the six radiating elements 1 through the feeding channel 3, and the synthesized communication narrow beam realizes ground communication coverage. At the same time, the two second phase shifters 52 are used to realize the electrical downtilt control and adjustment of the ground communication beam. When the switch device 4 is in the second state, the upper four units in the feed channel 3 are isolated by the switch device 4, and the radio frequency signal cannot be transmitted to the four radiating elements 1. All signals are only transmitted to the fifth and sixth radiating elements 1. In the conventional base station antenna layout, the channel beam is a 30°~35° beam at this time. The first phase shifter 51 below is used to control the beam pointing to be 15°~18° upward, so that the air perception beam coverage can reach more than 30°. As shown in the beam in the figure, the beam width is 30°~35°, which is the dotted angle in the beam. In order to achieve coverage of the upper half space, the first phase shifter 51 between the two radiating elements 1 after switching by the switch device 4 is used to make the beam point to be 15°~18° upward at the maximum. At this time, the horizontal upward beam width is more than 30° (that is, the beam width). For this reason, beam coverage of the entire vertical space is achieved.

[0057] Referring to Figure 4, in the fourth specific embodiment of the antenna unit 100 of the present application, the feeding part 2 is connected to the six dual-polarized radiating elements 1 through a parallel-fed power splitter. The parallel-fed power splitter is designed in two stages. First, every three radiating elements 1 are connected using a one-to-three power splitter, and then the two paths are synthesized using a one-to-two power splitter. At the same time, the second phase shifter 52 is loaded on the upper branch 341 of the one-to-two power splitter to realize the electrical downtilt control of the channel beam. In order to select the radiating element 1, the switching device 4 is introduced in the network branch 341 in the figure. When the switching device 4 is in the first state, the radio frequency signal is transmitted to the six radiating elements 1 through the feeding channel 3, and the synthesized communication narrow beam realizes ground communication coverage. At the same time, the second phase shifter 52 is used to realize the electrical downtilt control and adjustment of the ground communication beam. When the switch device 4 is in the second state, the top two radiating elements 1 and the bottom two radiating elements 1 in the feeding channel 3 are isolated by the switch device 4, and the radio frequency signal cannot be transmitted to the four radiating elements 1. All signals are only transmitted to the third and fourth radiating elements 1. In a conventional base station antenna layout, the channel beam is a 30° to 35° beam at this time. The second phase shifter 52 (in this embodiment, the first phase shifter 51 and the second phase shifter 52 are the same phase shifter 5) is used to control the beam pointing to be 15° to 18° upward, so that the air sensing beam coverage can reach more than 30°. As shown in the beam in the figure, the beam width is 30° to 35°, which is the dotted angle in the beam. In order to achieve coverage of the upper half space, the second phase shifter 52 between the two radiating elements 1 after switching the switch device 4 is used to make the beam point to be 15° to 18° upward at the maximum. At this time, the horizontal upward beam width is more than 30° (that is, the beam width). To this end, beam coverage of the entire vertical space is achieved.

[0058] This application also provides an antenna array 1000, comprising antenna units 100. The specific structure of antenna units 100 is described in 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, which will not be detailed here. Multiple antenna units 100 are distributed in an array.

[0059] Multiple antenna units 100 arranged along a first direction form an antenna group 200. The antenna array 1000 includes multiple antenna groups 200 arranged along a second transverse direction. When the switch device 4 disconnects at least one radiating element 1 from the feeder 2, the channel spacing between the two antenna units 100 at either end of at least one antenna group 200 is greater than the center-to-center distance between the two antenna units 100. The channel spacing is the distance between the longitudinal center points of the multiple radiating elements 1 on one antenna unit 100 connected to the feeder and the longitudinal center points of the multiple radiating elements 1 on another antenna unit 100 connected to the feeder. From the perspective of the measurement mechanism for sensing target angles, the larger the aperture of the antenna array 1000, that is, the larger the channel spacing between the two antenna units 100, the higher the angular resolution and perception accuracy. Therefore, when designing the antenna array, it is necessary to maximize the maximum distance between channels within the limited antenna space to achieve a larger aperture. Based on this, in this embodiment, the channel spacing between the two antenna units 100 in the signal sensing mode is set to at least be greater than the center distance between the two, so as to increase the maximum distance between the channels and improve the sensing accuracy.

[0060] When the switch device 4 within the antenna unit 100 controls the disconnection between at least one radiating element 1 and the feed portion 2, the antenna array 1000 includes at least two antenna unit groups 300 with different channel spacings, each of which includes two antenna units 100 spaced apart in the first direction. Given a fixed number of digital channels, the aforementioned increase in aperture inevitably leads to an increase in the inter-channel spacing, potentially introducing target mirroring issues and also affecting perception accuracy. Therefore, in this embodiment, in addition to the antenna group 200 with the aforementioned increased maximum inter-channel spacing, an antenna unit group 300 with a different maximum spacing is also provided. When the antenna array 1000 is arranged in only two rows in the second transverse direction, one antenna group 200 constitutes one antenna unit group 300. In this case, the channel spacings of the multiple antenna groups 200 arranged in the second transverse direction are set to different values, so that the antenna array 1000 has different apertures, thereby meeting the requirements for improving perception accuracy while suppressing mirroring issues. When the antenna array 1000 is arranged in at least three rows in the second horizontal direction, an antenna group 200 may include a plurality of antenna unit groups 300, so that antenna unit groups 300 with different channel spacings can be set in an antenna group 200, so that an antenna group 200 can have different apertures, thereby meeting the requirements of improving perception accuracy while suppressing mirror problems.

[0061] Setting a larger channel spacing between the two antenna units 100 can improve the angular resolution, but it will cause mirror problems. Setting a smaller channel spacing between the two antenna units 100 can reduce the mirror problem, but it will reduce the angular resolution. Both settings will affect the final perception accuracy. Therefore, when setting the channel spacing between the two antenna units 100, there is actually no perfect setting solution. Therefore, when designing the antenna array 1000, it is necessary to take into account both the aperture and the mirror suppression effect. It should be designed according to the large spacing between some of the antenna unit groups 300 and the small spacing between some of the antenna unit groups 300, so as to comprehensively meet the perception accuracy requirements of the antenna array.

[0062] Referring to Figures 14 and 15 , in a specific embodiment of the antenna array 1000 of the present application, the antenna array 1000 is composed of two antenna units 100 described in the fourth specific embodiment and four antenna units 100 described in the third specific embodiment, arranged in an array to form an antenna array plane with two rows and three columns. When all the switch devices 4 are in the second state, only the radiating elements 1 in the darker positions shown in Figure 15 are connected to the feeder 2. At this point, the maximum vertical aperture of the entire array plane is determined by the centers of the two most distant equivalent channels in the third column of the array, with an aperture size equal to 10 times the spacing between the radiating elements 1. In contrast, an antenna array plane composed of a conventional fixed six-element antenna unit group 300 in the same arrangement has a vertical aperture size of only six times the spacing between the radiating elements 1. Thus, the array design proposed in this application can achieve a larger antenna aperture without increasing the number of radiating elements 1, thereby achieving higher-precision target perception. However, if each column of the antenna array 1000 uses the same antenna combination as the third column, due to the large interval between the two channels, although a large vertical aperture can be obtained, multiple target images may appear during target perception, affecting the accuracy of perception. For this reason, the present application selects a different combination of the radiation vibrators 1 in the first and second columns than in the third column. At this time, the three columns of antenna groups 200 are combined to perceive the target, which can effectively suppress the image problem in perception. In summary, the use of multiple antenna architectures through reasonable combination can obtain an antenna array 1000 with a larger antenna aperture while suppressing the image of the perceived target without increasing the number of the radiation vibrators 1, thereby achieving higher-precision perception.

[0063] 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 unit, comprising: A plurality of radiation vibrators are arranged along a first longitudinal direction; At least one feeding portion, electrically connected to the radiation oscillators through feeding channels; as well as, The switch device is arranged on the feeding channel and is configured to control the connection between at least one of the radiation oscillators and the feeding part.

2. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: At least two feeding channels are provided, wherein one feeding channel connects the feeding part and the plurality of radiating elements, and another feeding channel connects the feeding part and some of the radiating elements; The switch device is arranged between the two feeding channels and the feeding portion.

3. The antenna unit according to claim 2, wherein: The switch device comprises a switch disposed between the two feeding channels and the feeding portion, the switch switching one of the two feeding channels to be electrically connected to the feeding portion; or, The switch device comprises two first switches respectively arranged on the two feeding channels.

4. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The feeding channel comprises: a main channel connected to the feed portion; and A branch channel connected to the main channel, wherein the branch channel includes a plurality of branches corresponding to the plurality of radiating elements; At least one of the main channel and the branch channel is provided with the switch device.

5. The antenna unit according to claim 4, wherein: One ends of the plurality of branches are connected to the main channel.

6. The antenna unit according to claim 5, wherein: The plurality of radiating elements include a first radiating element and a second radiating element; The plurality of branches include a first branch connected to the first radiating element, and a second branch connected to the second radiating element; One end of the main channel is connected to the feeding portion, the main channel has a first connection point connected to the first branch, and a second connection point connected to the second branch, the first connection point is located between the second connection point and the feeding portion; The switch device includes a second switch disposed between the first connection point and the second connection point.

7. The antenna unit according to claim 4, wherein: The radiating vibrator comprises a first radiating vibrator and a plurality of second radiating vibrators; The plurality of branches include a first branch connected to the first radiating element, and a plurality of second branches corresponding to the plurality of second radiating elements connected thereto; The branch channel includes a plurality of branch channels connected between the main channel and the plurality of branches, at least one of the branch channels includes a first connecting channel, one end of the first connecting channel is connected to at least two of the branches, and the branch connected to the first connecting channel is the second branch; The switch device is used to control the opening and closing of the first connecting channel.

8. The antenna unit according to claim 7, wherein: The switch device includes a third switch disposed on the first communication passage.

9. The antenna unit according to claim 7, wherein: The feed portion is connected to the middle section of the main channel, and the feed portion divides the main channel into a first flow channel section and a second flow channel section; The other end of the first connecting channel is connected to the first flow channel section, and the other branch flow channels are connected to the second flow channel section; The switch device includes a fourth switch arranged on the first flow channel section.

10. The antenna unit according to claim 7, wherein: At least one of the flow channels comprises: A first mixing connection channel, one end of which is connected to the main channel; and a first connecting channel, one end of which is connected to at least two of the branches, and the branch connected to the first connecting channel is the second branch; Wherein, the other end of the first mixing connection channel is connected to the other end of the first connection channel and to at least one of the first branches.

11. The antenna unit according to claim 7, wherein: At least one of the flow channels comprises: A second mixing connection channel, one end of which is connected to the main channel; and a second connecting channel, one end of which is connected to at least two of the branches, and the branch connected to the second connecting channel is the first branch; The other end of the second mixing connection channel is connected to the other end of the second connection channel and at least one of the second branches.

12. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The radiating element comprises a first radiating element and a second radiating element, wherein the switch device is used to control the connection between the second radiating element and the feeding part; The radiating element includes at least two first radiating elements.

13. The antenna unit according to claim 12, wherein: The two first radiation elements are arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction.

14. The antenna unit according to claim 12 or 13, wherein: The feeding channel is provided with a phase shifter, and the phase shifter includes a first phase shifter, and the first phase shifter can control the phase of one of the two first radiating elements.

15. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: A phase shifter is also provided on the feeding channel, and the phase shifter includes a second phase shifter, and the second phase shifter can control the phase of some of the radiation vibrators among the plurality of radiation vibrators.

16. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The switch device comprises a switch unit connected in series to the feed channel; The switch device includes a ground channel connected in parallel to the feeding channel and a switch unit arranged on the ground channel.

17. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The switch device comprises a switch unit connected in series to the feeding channel.

18. The antenna unit of claim 1, wherein: The switch device includes a ground channel connected in parallel to the feeding channel and a switch unit arranged on the ground channel.

19. The antenna unit according to claim 1, wherein: The radiating element comprises a dual-polarized radiating element, and the feeding portion, the feeding channel and the switching device are correspondingly arranged in two groups.

20. An antenna array, wherein: It comprises a plurality of antenna units, wherein the antenna units are the antenna units as described in any one of claims 1 to 18, and the plurality of antenna units are distributed in an array.

21. The antenna array according to claim 20, wherein: The plurality of antenna units arranged along the first direction form an antenna group, the antenna array includes the plurality of antenna groups arranged along the second lateral direction, and when the switch device controls at least one of the radiation oscillators to be disconnected from the feeding part, the channel spacing between the two antenna units at both ends of at least one of the antenna groups is greater than the center distance between the two antenna units.

22. The antenna array of claim 20, wherein: When the switch device in the antenna unit controls the disconnection between at least one of the radiating elements and the feeding portion, the antenna array includes at least two groups of antenna units with different channel spacings, and the antenna unit groups include two antenna units spaced apart in a first direction.

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