Antenna and electronic device

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of antennas, and provides an antenna and an electronic device, which can solve the problem of small scanning angle in existing antennas. The antenna of the present application comprises a first antenna structure; the first antenna structure comprises a first dielectric substrate and at least one first antenna unit; at least one second antenna structure is further provided on at least one side of the first antenna structure; the second antenna structure comprises a second dielectric substrate and at least one second antenna unit; there is a certain included angle between a plane where the first antenna structure is located and a plane where the second antenna structure is located; the plane where the second antenna structure is located is inclined to a direction pointing from a first surface to a second surface compared with the plane where the first antenna structure is located. The antenna disclosed in the present application has the advantages of dual-polarization and wide-angle scanning, can be used for a two-sector architecture, and has a wide application prospect in communication base station antennas.

Description

Antennas and electronic equipment Technical Field

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

[0002] With the large-scale deployment of 5G wireless communication networks, mobile communications are ushering in a new era of prosperity. One of the characteristics of 5G wireless communication systems is their support for large capacity. The key technology for achieving this capacity is massive MIMO, which requires large-scale antenna arrays. As the size of antennas increases, the construction cost of base station systems also increases. For urban scenarios with high capacity demands and dense coverage, the increase in construction costs of traditional three-sector base station systems can be absorbed. However, in sparsely populated rural areas, the spacing between base stations is greater than in cities. Continuing to use urban site designs would lead to a significant increase in costs. Therefore, for rural scenarios, base station systems have higher requirements for wide coverage capabilities.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art and provides an antenna and electronic equipment capable of wide-angle scanning.

[0005] In a first aspect, a technical solution adopted to solve the technical problem of the present invention is an antenna, comprising a first antenna structure, the first antenna structure comprising a first dielectric substrate and at least one first antenna unit; the first dielectric substrate having a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other along its thickness direction, the first antenna unit being disposed on the first surface; at least one second antenna structure being further disposed on at least one side of the first antenna structure; the second antenna structure comprising a second dielectric substrate and at least one second antenna unit; the second dielectric substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface disposed opposite to each other along its thickness direction; the second antenna unit being disposed on the third surface of the second dielectric substrate;

[0006] A plane where the first antenna structure is located has a certain angle with a plane where the second antenna structure is located, and the plane where the second antenna structure is located is tilted in a direction from the first surface to the second surface compared to the plane where the first antenna structure is located.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate have a certain angle.

[0008] In some embodiments, a plurality of second antenna structures are provided on at least one side of the first antenna structure, and the angles between the second dielectric substrates and the first dielectric substrate of the plurality of second antenna structures increase gradually in a direction away from the first antenna structure.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first antenna structure includes a plurality of first sub-arrays arranged side by side along a first direction, and each first sub-array includes a plurality of first antenna units arranged side by side along a second direction;

[0010] The second antenna structure is disposed on two opposite sides of the first antenna structure in the first direction.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first antenna unit and the second antenna unit are arranged side by side in a first direction.

[0012] In some embodiments, the second antenna structure includes at least one second sub-array, the second sub-array includes a plurality of second antenna units arranged side by side along a second direction; and the second antenna units are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the first antenna units.

[0013] In some embodiments, the numbers of the second sub-arrays of the second antenna structure located on two opposite sides of the first antenna structure are different.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second antenna structure is provided on at least two sides of the first antenna structure, and the second antenna structures located on different sides of the first antenna structure have different angles with the plane where the first antenna structure is located.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate are an integrally formed structure.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first antenna structure further includes at least one first feeding structure and at least one second feeding structure; one first feeding structure and one second feeding structure are both electrically connected to the first antenna unit, and the first feeding structure and the second feeding structure have different feeding directions.

[0017] In some embodiments, the second antenna structure further includes at least one third feeding structure and at least one fourth feeding structure; one third feeding structure and one fourth feeding structure are both electrically connected to the second antenna unit, and the feeding directions of the third feeding structure and the fourth feeding structure are different.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first feeding structure and the first antenna unit are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the first dielectric substrate along the thickness direction, and the second feeding structure and the first antenna unit are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the first dielectric substrate along the thickness direction; and / or

[0019] The third feeding structure and the second antenna unit are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the second dielectric substrate along the thickness direction, and the fourth feeding structure and the second antenna unit are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the second dielectric substrate along the thickness direction.

[0020] In some embodiments, the first antenna structure further includes a plurality of guiding components, one guiding component being located on a side of a first antenna unit facing away from the first dielectric substrate; wherein the guiding component includes a plurality of layers of guiding patches sequentially arranged in a direction away from the first dielectric substrate.

[0021] In some embodiments, the orthographic projections of the multiple layers of director patches in the director assembly on the first dielectric substrate overlap.

[0022] In some embodiments, the first antenna structure further includes a first radome, the first radome being located on a side of the first antenna unit facing away from the first dielectric substrate; and / or

[0023] The second antenna structure further includes a second antenna cover, and the second antenna cover is located on a side of the second antenna unit facing away from the second dielectric substrate.

[0024] In some embodiments, the guide assembly is disposed on a side of the first antenna cover facing away from the first dielectric substrate.

[0025] In some embodiments, the first antenna structure further includes a first reflector, and the first reflector is located on a side of the first dielectric substrate away from the first antenna unit; and / or

[0026] The second antenna structure further includes a second reflector, which is located on a side of the second dielectric substrate facing away from the second antenna unit.

[0027] In some embodiments, the first antenna structure further includes a first isolation strip disposed between adjacent first antenna units; and / or

[0028] The second antenna structure further includes a second isolation strip disposed between adjacent second antenna units.

[0029] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, comprising the antenna in any embodiment of the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figures 1a and 1b are schematic diagrams of a 3-sector architecture and a 2-sector architecture in the prior art, respectively;

[0031] 2 to 5 are side views of an antenna provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG6 is a top view of a first structure provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of an antenna feed port provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a feeding structure provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG9 is a side view of a first antenna structure provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] 10a-10c are schematic diagrams of simulation results of antenna standing wave ratio (VSWR) of each port corresponding to the antenna in FIG3 , different-polarization isolation of each port, and same-polarization isolation of each port;

[0037] Figures 11a to 11d are schematic diagrams of horizontal wave scanning simulations of the antenna when the plane where the second antenna structure is located is tilted at different angles relative to the plane where the first antenna structure is located;

[0038] FIG12a-FIG12b are schematic diagrams of simulation results of horizontal beam scanning of the antenna when the two second antenna structures in the antenna include different numbers of second sub-arrays and are tilted 15°. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0040] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure should have the usual meanings understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which this disclosure belongs. The words "first", "second" and similar words used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, words such as "one", "an" or "the" do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the existence of at least one. Words such as "include" or "comprise" mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Words such as "connect" or "connected" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0041] Figures 1a and 1b illustrate the three-sector and two-sector architectures used in the prior art, respectively. As shown in Figures 1a and 1b, the three-sector architecture includes three sectors, meaning one site has three antennas, each with a 120° angle. This is designed to target high-capacity hotspots. The two-sector architecture, however, has two antennas, each with a 180° angle. However, the three-sector architecture presents the following challenges: With three antennas per site, 5G requires more sites to ensure coverage; site selection is difficult and costly; tower load requirements are high, increasing construction complexity; and base station material costs are high, increasing system maintenance costs. For areas with wide coverage and relatively low capacity, a three-sector architecture is unnecessary, and a two-sector architecture with two antennas is more effective. The two-sector architecture offers advantages such as simplified site selection and tower maintenance, a reduced number of antennas, and lower material and packaging costs. Therefore, based on scenarios using a 2-sector architecture, such as rural areas, in order to improve the base station antenna beam scanning range, adapt to scenarios with wide coverage requirements, and achieve a low-cost, green and energy-saving wireless network, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna.

[0042] Figures 2-5 are all side views of an antenna provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 is a top view of a first structure provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 2-6, an antenna provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first antenna structure 1, the first antenna structure 1 including a first dielectric substrate 11 and at least one first antenna unit 12; the first dielectric substrate 11 has a first surface and a second surface disposed oppositely along its thickness, and the first antenna unit 12 is disposed on the first surface; at least one second antenna structure 2 is also disposed on at least one side of the first antenna structure 1; the second antenna structure 2 includes a second dielectric substrate 21 and at least one second antenna unit 22; the second dielectric substrate 21 has a third surface and a fourth surface disposed oppositely along its thickness; the second antenna unit 22 is disposed on the third surface of the second dielectric substrate 21; the plane in which the first antenna structure 1 is located forms a certain angle with the plane in which the second antenna structure 2 is located, and the plane in which the second antenna structure 2 is located is tilted relative to the plane in which the first antenna structure 1 is located, in a direction from the first surface to the second surface.

[0043] Specifically, the dielectric substrate can be composed of dielectrics such as FR4, polytetrafluoroethylene, ceramic, and glass. The thickness of the dielectric substrate affects the impedance matching and radiation direction of the antenna. A thicker dielectric substrate results in a higher impedance, while a thinner dielectric substrate results in a lower impedance. Therefore, when designing the antenna, it is necessary to select the appropriate thicknesses of the first dielectric substrate 11 and the second dielectric substrate 21 based on the desired impedance value. The shape of the dielectric substrate also affects the radiation direction of the antenna. For example, if the dielectric substrate is circular, the antenna's radiation direction will be omnidirectional, while if the dielectric substrate is square, the antenna's radiation direction will be directional. Therefore, when designing the antenna, it is necessary to select the appropriate shapes of the first dielectric substrate 11 and the second dielectric substrate 21 based on the specific situation. The disclosed embodiments do not limit the selection of the first dielectric substrate 11 and the second dielectric substrate 21.

[0044] In some embodiments, the material used for the first dielectric substrate 11 and the second dielectric substrate 21 is NYHP7300.

[0045] The first antenna unit 12 and the second antenna unit 22 are generally made of a metal with good conductivity and can be metal radiating patches that guide and amplify electromagnetic waves, used to receive / transmit electromagnetic wave signals, making the electromagnetic signals received / transmitted by the antenna stronger. In wireless communications, the first antenna unit 12 and the second antenna unit 22 are typically made of copper or aluminum. The shape and size of the first antenna unit 12 and the second antenna unit 22 depend on the required operating frequency and antenna type. For example, the outlines of the first antenna unit 12 and the second antenna unit 22 can be circular, square, pentagonal, or other shapes, and this disclosure is not limited to this. Each first antenna structure 1 can include only one first antenna unit 12 or multiple first antenna units 12. Similarly, each second antenna structure 2 can include only one second antenna unit 22 or multiple second antenna units 22.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first antenna unit 12 and / or the second antenna unit 22 are magnetoelectric dipole antennas. In addition to magnetoelectric dipole antennas, the first antenna unit 12 and / or the second antenna unit 22 can also be in any other form as long as the aperture area meets the requirements and can cover the required operating frequency band.

[0047] The first antenna structure 1 includes six side surfaces, including two side surfaces arranged opposite each other along the first direction Y (the left and right sides of the first antenna structure 1), two side surfaces arranged opposite each other along the second direction X (the front and rear sides of the first antenna structure 1), and two side surfaces arranged opposite each other along the third direction Z (the upper and lower sides of the first antenna structure 1). Generally, depending on the antenna scanning angle requirements, the second antenna structure 3 can be flexibly installed on one or more side surfaces of the first antenna structure 1. For example, in Figure 2, one of the two side surfaces of the first antenna structure 1 arranged opposite each other along the first direction Y is installed with the second antenna structure 2; Figures 3-5 also show the second antenna structure 2 installed on both side surfaces of the first antenna structure 1 arranged opposite each other along the first direction Y.

[0048] In the antenna of the embodiment of the present disclosure, after the second antenna structure 2 is set on at least one side of the first antenna structure 1, the plane where the second antenna structure 2 is located is tilted in the direction from the first surface to the second surface compared to the plane where the first antenna structure 1 is located. In this way, when the antenna is scanning at a large angle, the radiated antenna beam can not only radiate along the radiation direction of the first antenna structure 1, but the second antenna structure 2 can also pull the antenna beam to radiate along the radiation direction of the second antenna structure 2, realizing beam deflection, improving the gain value in the 90° direction, increasing the radiation angle of the antenna beam, and achieving a large-angle scanning effect. The antenna gain at large angles is improved, and at the same time, the antenna gain roll-off at large-angle scanning is improved, achieving a wider range of scanning coverage for the antenna.

[0049] Compared with traditional antennas, the entire antenna structure is on the same plane, and the beam scanning coverage range can only reach about 60°. When the scanning coverage range is ±60°, the gain in the normal direction (0°) is the largest. As the scanning coverage angle increases, the gain of the antenna will decrease, and the larger the scanning angle, the greater the gain roll-off. If you want to further expand the scanning coverage range, the antenna cannot meet the system design requirements due to the large scanning gain roll-off and does not have wide coverage capabilities. The plane where the second antenna structure 2 of the antenna in the disclosed embodiment is located is tilted in the direction from the first surface to the second surface compared to the plane where the first antenna structure 1 is located. The beam is deflected, which increases the gain value in the 90° direction, and can increase the antenna scanning coverage angle to achieve wide-angle scanning.

[0050] In some embodiments, the first dielectric substrate 11 and the second dielectric substrate 21 have a certain angle.

[0051] Specifically, because first antenna unit 12 is disposed on the first surface of first dielectric substrate 11, and second antenna unit 22 is disposed on the third surface of second dielectric substrate 21, when first dielectric substrate 11 and second dielectric substrate 21 form a certain angle, first antenna unit 12 and second antenna unit 22 also form a corresponding angle. This creates a certain angle between the plane containing first antenna structure 1 and the plane containing second antenna structure 2, thereby increasing the antenna scanning coverage angle and achieving wide-angle scanning.

[0052] In some embodiments, the first dielectric substrate 11 and the second dielectric substrate 21 may also be located on the same plane. In this case, the first antenna unit 12 and the second antenna unit 22 may be arranged at different heights or shapes. Alternatively, the plane containing the first antenna unit 12 and the plane containing the second antenna unit 22 may be arranged at different inclination angles. At least one of these three configurations may also result in a certain angle between the first antenna structure 1 and the second antenna structure 2, thereby increasing the antenna scanning coverage angle and achieving wide-angle scanning. This is not a limitation of the present disclosure; as long as the plane containing the first antenna structure 1 and the plane containing the second antenna structure 2 have a certain angle, the above configuration is sufficient.

[0053] In some embodiments, the first dielectric substrate 11 and the second dielectric substrate 21 are integrally formed.

[0054] In some embodiments, multiple second antenna structures 2 are disposed on at least one side of the first antenna structure 1 , and the angles between the second dielectric substrates 21 and the first dielectric substrate 11 of the multiple second antenna structures 2 increase gradually in a direction away from the first antenna structure 1 .

[0055] Specifically, using Figure 5 as an example, the antenna comprises a first antenna structure 1 and four second antenna structures 2. The second antenna structures 2 are arranged on opposite sides of the first antenna structure 1 along a first direction Y, with each side including two second antenna structures 2. For the two second antenna structures 2 located on the same side of the first antenna structure 2, the angles between their respective second dielectric substrates 21 and the first dielectric substrate 11 gradually increase. This arrangement allows the plane containing the second antenna structures 2 to have multiple tilt angles relative to the plane containing the first antenna structure 1, further increasing the radiation angle of the antenna beam, achieving beam deflection, and achieving a wide-angle scanning effect.

[0056] In some embodiments, multiple second antenna structures 2 are provided on at least one side of the first antenna structure 1. In the direction away from the first antenna structure 1, the angles between the second dielectric substrates 21 of each of the multiple second antenna structures 2 and the first dielectric substrate 11 may not be strictly increasing. The angles between the multiple second dielectric substrates 21 corresponding to the multiple second antenna structures 2 and the first dielectric substrate 11 may be partially increasing, partially equal, or even partially decreasing. The present disclosure does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0057] In some embodiments, the first antenna structure 1 includes a plurality of first sub-arrays 102 arranged side by side along a first direction Y, each first sub-array 102 includes a plurality of first antenna units 12 arranged side by side along a second direction X; a second antenna structure 2 is arranged on two opposite sides of the first antenna structure 1 in the first direction Y.

[0058] Specifically, Figure 6 is used as an example for explanation. The first antenna structure 2 is an array antenna structure. The first sub-array 102 of the first antenna structure 2 is an antenna array system composed of several identical first antenna units 12 arranged in a certain pattern, which is mainly used to enhance the directivity of the antenna and improve the gain coefficient of the antenna. In addition, the second antenna structure 2 is generally not set on the upper and lower sides of the first antenna structure 1, otherwise it will affect the front radiation. Of course, in special circumstances, the second antenna structure 2 can also be set on the upper and lower sides of the first antenna structure 1 as needed. When improving the large-angle scanning capability of the antenna, the horizontal direction is generally considered, that is, the second antenna structure 2 is flexibly set on two opposite sides along the first direction Y according to the antenna scanning angle, so as to increase the radiation angle of the antenna beam in the first direction Y, realize beam deflection, and achieve a large-angle scanning effect.

[0059] In some embodiments, second antenna structures 2 are provided on at least two sides of the first antenna structure 1 , and the second antenna structures 2 located on different sides of the first antenna structure 1 have different angles with the plane where the first antenna structure 1 is located.

[0060] Specifically, the angle between the second antenna structure 2 and the plane containing the first antenna structure 1 can be set according to actual needs. When the scanning angle on a certain side of the first antenna structure 1 is increased, the angle at which the plane containing the second antenna structure 2 on that side is inclined relative to the plane containing the first antenna structure 1 can be set to be larger. When the second antenna structure 2 is provided on different sides of the first antenna structure, the angles between the second antenna structures 2 on different sides and the plane containing the first antenna structure 1 can be the same or different, and can be set according to actual needs. This disclosure does not limit this.

[0061] In some embodiments, the first antenna unit 12 and the second antenna unit 22 are arranged side by side in the first direction Y.

[0062] Specifically, "side-by-side arrangement" means that the first antenna unit 12 and the second antenna unit 22 are arranged on the same straight line. When the number of second antenna units 22 is less than the number of first antenna units 12 in the first sub-array 102, the second antenna unit 22 can be arranged side by side with any one or more first antenna units 12 in the first sub-array 102. The present disclosure does not limit the specific position of the second antenna unit 22. For example, the first sub-array 102 includes five first antenna elements 12, which are numbered 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500, respectively. If the second antenna structure 2 includes only one second antenna element 22, the second antenna element 22 can be arranged side by side with any one of the first antenna elements 12 numbered 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500. If the second antenna structure 2 includes two or more second antenna elements 22, for example, two of them are numbered 1000 and 2000. Then, the second antenna elements 22 numbered 1000 and 2000 can both be arranged side by side with the first antenna elements 12 numbered 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500.

[0063] Of course, the first antenna unit 12 and the second antenna unit 22 may not be arranged side by side in the first direction Y. For example, depending on the number of the second antenna units 22 , they may be evenly arranged on one side of the first antenna unit 12 . This disclosure does not impose any limitation on this.

[0064] In some embodiments, the second antenna structure 2 includes at least one second sub-array (not shown in the figure), and the second sub-array includes a plurality of second antenna units 22 arranged side by side along the second direction X; the second antenna units 22 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the first antenna units 12.

[0065] Specifically, the second antenna structure 2 and the first antenna structure 1 can both be arranged in an array configuration. The one-to-one correspondence between the second antenna units 22 and the first antenna units 12 means that for each first sub-array and each second sub-array, one second antenna unit 22 corresponds to one first antenna unit 12. In other words, the number of second antenna units 22 and first antenna units 12 is equal, and they are arranged side by side. This design can make the antenna's radiation in all directions more regular and uniform.

[0066] Of course, the number of second antenna units 22 in the second sub-array may also be different from the number of first antenna units 12 in the first sub-array 102. For example, the number of second antenna units 22 in the second sub-array is less than the number of first antenna units 12 in the first sub-array 102. In this case, the second antenna units 22 in the second sub-array may be evenly arranged on one side of the first sub-array 102; or the second antenna units 22 in the second sub-array may be arranged corresponding to some of the first antenna units 12 in the first sub-array 102. The present disclosure does not limit the number and arrangement of the second antenna units 22 in a second sub-array in the second antenna structure 2.

[0067] In some embodiments, the numbers of the second sub-arrays of the second antenna structure 2 located on two opposite sides of the first antenna structure 1 are different.

[0068] In some embodiments, second antenna structures 2 are provided on at least two sides of the first antenna structure 1 , and the second antenna structures 2 located on different sides of the first antenna structure 1 have different angles with the plane where the first antenna structure 1 is located.

[0069] Specifically, the number of second sub-arrays of the second antenna structure 2 located on two opposite sides of the first antenna structure 1 and the angle between the second antenna structures 2 located on different sides of the first antenna structure 1 and the plane where the first antenna structure 1 is located can be flexibly set according to the scanning range of the antenna.

[0070] In some embodiments, the first antenna structure 1 includes not only a first antenna unit 12, but also includes at least one first feeding structure 18 and at least one second feeding structure 19; one first feeding structure 18 and one second feeding structure 19 are both electrically connected to the first antenna unit 12, and the feeding directions of the first feeding structure 18 and the second feeding structure 19 are different.

[0071] In some embodiments, the second antenna structure 2 further includes at least one third feeding structure 16 and at least one fourth feeding structure 17; one third feeding structure 16 and one fourth feeding structure 17 are both electrically connected to the second antenna unit 22, and the feeding directions of the third feeding structure 16 and the fourth feeding structure 17 are different.

[0072] Specifically, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an antenna feed port provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the feed ports of the antenna are respectively named port 1', port 2', port 3', port 4', port 5', port 6', port 7', port 8', port 9', port 10', port 11', port 12', port 13', port 14', port 15', and port 16', and a feeding structure is provided for each feed port. Among them, for the first antenna structure 1, port 3', port 5', port 7', port 9', port 11' and port 13' are respectively connected to the first feeding structure 18, and port 4', port 6', port 8', port 10', port 12' and port 14' are respectively connected to the second feeding structure 19; for the second antenna structure 2, port 1' and port 15' are respectively connected to the third feeding structure 16, and port 2' and port 16' are respectively connected to the fourth feeding structure 17. The feeding method of the embodiment of the present disclosure can achieve dual polarization.

[0073] In some embodiments, any one of the first feeding structure 18 , the second feeding structure 19 , the third feeding structure 16 and the fourth feeding structure 17 may be composed of a Wilkinson power splitter 311 and at least one one-to-many power splitter 312 .

[0074] Specifically, FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a feeding structure provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. This feeding structure can be applied to any one of the first feeding structure 18, the second feeding structure 19, the third feeding structure 16, and the fourth feeding structure 17. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the third feeding structure 16 is used as the feeding structure, the one-to-many power splitter 312 is a one-to-three power splitter, and each second subarray in the second antenna structure 2 includes six second antenna units 22.

[0075] The number of one-to-many power splitters 312 is determined by the number of second antenna elements 22 in the second subarray. In the disclosed embodiment, two one-to-three power splitters are included. One end 31 of the Wilkinson power splitter 311 serves as a feed port, such as port 1' or port 15'. The other end of the Wilkinson power splitter 311 is connected to a one-to-three power splitter 312, whose three ports are connected to the second antenna elements 22, respectively.

[0076] In some embodiments, the one-to-many power splitter 312 can be a one-to-three power splitter, a one-to-four power splitter, or a one-to-six power splitter, or other one-to-many power splitters. The specific one-to-many power splitter 312 can be selected based on the number of second antenna units 22 in the second subarray (the number of first antenna units 12 in the first subarray). It is understood that the number of one-to-many power splitters 312 can be two or more, and can be specifically selected based on the number of second antenna units 22 in the second subarray (the number of first antenna units 12 in the first subarray).

[0077] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first antenna structure 1 or the second antenna structure 2 includes two feeding structures, and the feeding directions of the two feeding structures are opposite, which can realize dual polarization, increase channel capacity and realize polarization grading to reduce multipath effects.

[0078] In some embodiments, the first feeding structure 18 and the first antenna unit 12 are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the first dielectric substrate 11 along the thickness direction; the second feeding structure 19 and the first antenna unit 22 are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the second dielectric substrate 21 along the thickness direction.

[0079] In some embodiments, the third feeding structure 16 and the second antenna unit 22 are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the second dielectric substrate 21 along the thickness direction, and the fourth feeding structure 17 and the second antenna unit 22 are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the second dielectric substrate 21 along the thickness direction.

[0080] Specifically, the antenna unit and the feed structure are arranged on different sides of the dielectric substrate, which can reduce the antenna area. Furthermore, the power divider of the feed structure is located on the side of the dielectric substrate (first dielectric substrate 11 or second dielectric substrate 21) facing away from the antenna unit. An air layer is provided between the dielectric substrate and the metal reflector. The feed structure (first feed structure 18, second feed structure 19, third feed structure 16, and fourth feed structure 17) is implemented as an air microstrip line, which can reduce transmission loss to a certain extent.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first antenna structure 1 includes not only a first antenna unit 12, a first dielectric substrate 11, a third feeding structure 17, and a fourth feeding structure 18, but also includes multiple guiding components, and one guiding component is located on a side of a first antenna unit 12 away from the first dielectric substrate 11; wherein the guiding component includes a plurality of layers of guiding patches 20 arranged in sequence along a direction away from the first dielectric substrate 11.

[0082] Specifically, Figure 9 is a side view of a first antenna structure 1 provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 9, multiple layers of guide patches 20 are provided corresponding to the first antenna element 12 in a direction away from the first dielectric plate 11. Guide patches 20 can focus antenna radiation from the radiating end toward the guide patches 20 and transmit it in the direction from the radiating end to the guide patches 20.

[0083] The embodiment of the present disclosure ensures that the normal gain of the antenna remains unchanged when the 90° directional gain value of the second antenna structure 2 is increased by providing a corresponding guiding patch 20 on the first antenna unit 12, thereby achieving the advantage of antenna scanning.

[0084] In some embodiments, the orthographic projections of the multiple layers of director patches 20 in the director assembly on the first dielectric substrate 11 coincide with each other.

[0085] Specifically, the purpose of such a setting is to make the multiple guiding patches 20 focus the radiation in the same direction (normal direction), thereby increasing the antenna gain value in the 90° direction and increasing the scanning angle while ensuring the normal gain value.

[0086] In some embodiments, the first antenna structure 1 includes not only a first dielectric substrate 11, a first antenna unit 12, a first feeding structure 18, a second feeding structure 19 and a guiding assembly, but also a first antenna cover 13, which is located on the side of the first antenna unit 12 away from the first dielectric substrate 11.

[0087] In some embodiments, the second antenna structure 2 includes not only a second dielectric substrate 21 , a second antenna unit 22 , a third feeding structure 16 , and a fourth feeding structure 17 , but also a second antenna cover 23 . The second antenna cover 23 is located on a side of the second antenna unit 22 away from the second dielectric substrate 21 .

[0088] Specifically, the material used for the first antenna cover 13 or the second antenna cover 23 is NYHP7300, which has a dielectric constant of 3 and a loss tangent of 0.0025. It is understood that other materials may be used for the first antenna cover 13 or the second antenna cover 23. When other materials are used for the first antenna cover 13 or the second antenna cover 23, parameters such as the dielectric constant and loss tangent may also vary accordingly.

[0089] In some embodiments, a distance between a side of the first antenna unit 12 close to the first antenna cover 13 and a side of the first antenna cover 13 close to the first antenna unit 12 is greater than 3 mm.

[0090] Specifically, the distance between the first radome 13 and the first antenna unit 12 must be limited. This can affect the radiation of the first antenna unit 12. Furthermore, if the first radome 13 and the first antenna unit 12 are too close, deformation and concavity caused by the external environment can affect the first antenna unit 12. The distance between the first antenna unit 12 and the first radome 13 is related to the material of the first dielectric substrate 11.

[0091] In some embodiments, the guide assembly is disposed on a side of the first radome 13 facing away from the first dielectric substrate 11 .

[0092] In some embodiments, the distance between the side of the second antenna unit 22 close to the second antenna cover 23 and the side of the second antenna cover 23 close to the second antenna unit 12 is greater than 3 mm. The specific details are similar to those of the first antenna cover 13 described above and will not be repeated here.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first antenna structure 1 not only includes a first dielectric substrate 11, a first antenna unit 12, a first feeding structure 18, a second feeding structure 19, a guiding assembly and a first antenna cover 13, but also includes a first reflecting plate (not marked in the figure), which is located on the side of the first dielectric substrate 11 away from the first antenna unit 12.

[0094] In some embodiments, the second antenna structure 2 includes not only a second dielectric substrate 21, a second antenna unit 22, a third feeding structure 16, a fourth feeding structure 17 and a second antenna cover 23, but also a second reflector, which is located on the side of the second dielectric substrate 21 away from the second antenna unit 22.

[0095] Specifically, the reflector (including the first and second reflectors) is used to reflect light incident on the reflector back into the light guide plate, thereby improving light utilization efficiency. In some embodiments, the height of the reflector from the dielectric substrate (the first dielectric substrate 11 or the second dielectric substrate 21) can be adjusted based on the desired frequency band. For example, the height of the reflector from the dielectric substrate is 0.25λ. In some embodiments, the reflector can also be directly grounded, which is not a limitation in the present disclosure.

[0096] It should be noted that, since the second reflector is disposed on the side of the second dielectric substrate 21 away from the second antenna unit 22 , the second reflector is tilted along with the tilt of the second dielectric substrate 21 .

[0097] In some embodiments, the first antenna structure 1 not only includes a first dielectric substrate 11, a first antenna unit 12, a first feeding structure 18, a second feeding structure 19, a guiding assembly, a first antenna cover 13 and a first reflector, but also includes a first isolation strip, which is arranged between adjacent first antenna units 12.

[0098] In some embodiments, the second antenna structure 2 includes not only a second dielectric substrate 21, a second antenna unit 22, a third feeding structure 16, a fourth feeding structure 17, a second antenna cover 23 and a second reflector, but also a second isolation strip arranged between adjacent second antenna units 22.

[0099] Specifically, a first isolation strip is provided in first antenna structure 1 to isolate first antenna elements 12 and prevent mutual interference between signals in first antenna elements 21. Similarly, a second isolation strip is provided in second antenna structure 2 to isolate second antenna elements 22 and prevent mutual interference between signals in second antenna elements 22.

[0100] It should be noted that since the second isolation strip is arranged on the second dielectric substrate 21, the second isolation strip will be tilted as the second dielectric substrate 21 tilts, and together with other parts of the second antenna structure 2, the plane where the second antenna structure 2 is located is tilted relative to the plane where the first antenna structure 1 is located.

[0101] In some embodiments, the first isolation bar and the second isolation bar are made of metal.

[0102] 10a-10c are schematic diagrams of simulation results of the antenna standing wave ratio (VSWR) of each port corresponding to the antenna in FIG3 , the different-polarization isolation of each port, and the same-polarization isolation of each port.

[0103] Antenna standing wave ratio, abbreviated as VSWR and SWR. The voltage standing wave ratio of an antenna is the ratio of the maximum to minimum values ​​of the voltage standing wave graph generated along a lossless transmission line when the antenna is used as a load. The standing wave ratio is caused by the superposition of reflected waves generated when the incident wave energy is not fully absorbed (radiated) when it is transmitted to the antenna input. The greater the VSWR, the greater the reflection and the poorer the matching. In mobile communication systems, the standing wave ratio is generally required to be less than 2. Antenna standing wave ratio is mainly used to measure antenna efficiency. Figure 10(a) shows the VSWR of each antenna port, all less than 1.45, indicating a good performance.

[0104] Antenna isolation is used to describe dual (or multi-) polarized antennas. It describes the degree of mutual influence between the two polarized signals and is measured in dB. Figure 10(b) shows the antenna's polarization isolation, with S(2,1), S(4,3), ..., and S(16,15) all less than -19.8 dB. Figure 10(c) shows the antenna's polarization isolation, with S(3,1), S(4,2), ..., and S(16,14) all less than -20.6 dB. This indicates that the antenna has good isolation performance. The simulation results in Figures 10a-10c demonstrate that the antenna has good transmission and isolation performance, and exhibits good electrical performance.

[0105] Figures 11a-11d illustrate simulations of horizontal wave scanning for an antenna when the plane containing the second antenna structure is tilted at different angles relative to the plane containing the first antenna structure. The antenna includes two second antenna structures 2, located on either side of the first antenna structure 1 along the first direction Y. Each second antenna structure includes only one second subarray. The spacing between the first antenna elements 12 and the spacing between the second antenna elements 22 are both 0.44 wavelengths. Figure 11a shows the simulation results for a tilt angle of 0°, which is a simulation diagram of an antenna in the prior art. Figure 11b shows the simulation results for a tilt angle of 5°, Figure 11c shows the simulation results for a tilt angle of 15°, and Figure 11d shows the simulation results for a tilt angle of 30°. The simulation results in Figures 11a-11d demonstrate that the greater the tilt angle of the second antenna structure 2 relative to the plane containing the first antenna structure 1, the smaller the gain roll-off and the lower the total gain. At a tilt of 30°, the antenna's minimum gain roll-off is 9.68dB, less than 10dB. Compared with the simulation results of the conventional antenna array with 0.44 wavelength spacing shown in FIG11 a, the total gain is only slightly reduced by about 0.6 dB.

[0106] As can be seen, although the antenna gain has slightly decreased, the gain roll-off has decreased significantly. Therefore, the antenna array provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure has the advantages of dual polarization and wide-angle scanning, can be used in a two-sector architecture, and has broad application prospects in communication base station antennas.

[0107] Figures 12a and 12b show the simulation results of the horizontal beam scanning of the antenna when the two second antenna structures in the antenna include different numbers of second sub-arrays and are tilted 15°. Figure 12a shows the simulation result when both second antenna structures 2 include one second sub-array and the plane where the second antenna structure 2 is located is tilted 15° relative to the plane where the first antenna structure 1 is located. Figure 12b shows the simulation result when both second antenna structures 2 include two second sub-arrays and the plane where the second antenna structure 2 is located is tilted 15° relative to the plane where the first antenna structure 1 is located. The antennas in Figures 12a and 12b have the same other structures, and the total number of first antenna units and second antenna units in both are also the same.

[0108] The simulation results in Figures 12a and 12b show that the more second subarrays included in the second antenna structure 2 (that is, the more tilted subarrays in the antenna), the smaller the gain roll-off and the correspondingly lower the total gain. If the second antenna structure 2 includes two second subarrays and is tilted 15°, the minimum gain roll-off is 9.43 dB, less than 10 dB. Compared to the simulation results for a conventional antenna with a 0.44-wavelength spacing shown in Figure 11a, the total gain decreases by approximately 1 dB.

[0109] As can be seen, as the second antenna structure 2 includes more second sub-arrays, the antenna's gain roll-off decreases, and the corresponding total gain decreases. Although the antenna's total gain decreases slightly, the overall decrease is not significant. Therefore, the second antenna structure 2 can be equipped with one or more second sub-arrays based on actual conditions.

[0110] The antenna array provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure has the advantages of dual polarization and wide-angle scanning, can be used in a 2-sector architecture, and has broad application prospects in communication base station antennas.

[0111] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an electronic device, comprising any one of the antennas in the above embodiments.

[0112] In some examples, the electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure further includes a transceiver unit, a radio frequency transceiver, a signal amplifier, a power amplifier, and a filtering unit. The antenna in the electronic device can be used as a transmitting antenna or as a receiving antenna. The transceiver unit may include a baseband and a receiving end. The baseband provides a signal of at least one frequency band, such as a 2G signal, a 3G signal, a 4G signal, a 5G signal, etc., and sends a signal of at least one frequency band to the radio frequency transceiver. After the antenna in the electronic device receives the signal, it can be processed by the filtering unit, the power amplifier, the signal amplifier, and the radio frequency transceiver and then transmitted to the receiving end in the transceiver unit. The receiving end may be, for example, a smart gateway.

[0113] Furthermore, a radio frequency transceiver is connected to the transceiver unit and is used to modulate the signals sent by the transceiver unit or to demodulate the signals received by the antenna and transmit them back to the transceiver unit. Specifically, the radio frequency transceiver may include a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, a modulation circuit, and a demodulation circuit. After the transmitting circuit receives various types of signals provided by the baseband, the modulation circuit can modulate these various types of signals provided by the baseband and then transmit them to the antenna. The antenna receives the signal and transmits it to the receiving circuit of the radio frequency transceiver. The receiving circuit transmits the signal to the demodulation circuit, which demodulates the signal and transmits it to the receiving end.

[0114] Furthermore, the RF transceiver is connected to a signal amplifier and a power amplifier, which are then connected to a filtering unit, which is connected to at least one antenna. When the electronic device transmits a signal, the signal amplifier is used to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal output by the RF transceiver before transmitting it to the filtering unit. The power amplifier is used to amplify the power of the signal output by the RF transceiver before transmitting it to the filtering unit. The filtering unit may specifically include a duplexer and a filtering circuit. The filtering unit combines the signals output by the signal amplifier and the power amplifier, filters out noise, and transmits them to the antenna, which radiates the signal. When the electronic device receives a signal, the antenna receives the signal and transmits it to the filtering unit. The filtering unit filters out noise from the signal received by the antenna and transmits it to the signal amplifier and power amplifier. The signal amplifier amplifies the signal received by the antenna to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. The power amplifier amplifies the power of the signal received by the antenna. The signal received by the antenna is processed by the power amplifier and signal amplifier before being transmitted to the RF transceiver, which then transmits it to the transceiver unit.

[0115] In some examples, the signal amplifier may include various types of signal amplifiers, such as a low noise amplifier, which is not limited herein.

[0116] In some examples, the electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure further includes a power management unit, which is connected to a power amplifier and provides the power amplifier with a voltage for amplifying a signal.

[0117] It will be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments for illustrating the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of the present invention, and such modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising a first antenna structure, wherein the first antenna structure comprises a first dielectric substrate and at least one first antenna unit; The first dielectric substrate has a first surface and a second surface arranged opposite to each other along its thickness direction, and the first antenna unit is arranged on the first surface; wherein, At least one second antenna structure is further provided on at least one side of the first antenna structure; the second antenna structure includes a second dielectric substrate and at least one second antenna unit; The second dielectric substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface arranged opposite to each other along the thickness direction thereof; the second antenna unit is arranged on the third surface of the second dielectric substrate; The plane where the first antenna structure is located has a certain angle with the plane where the second antenna structure is located, and the plane where the second antenna structure is located is tilted in the direction from the first surface to the second surface compared to the plane where the first antenna structure is located.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein The first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate have a certain angle.

3. The antenna according to claim 2, wherein A plurality of second antenna structures are provided on at least one side of the first antenna structure, and the angles between the second dielectric substrates and the first dielectric substrate of the plurality of second antenna structures increase gradually in a direction away from the first antenna structure.

4. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein The first antenna structure includes a plurality of first sub-arrays arranged side by side along a first direction, and each first sub-array includes a plurality of first antenna units arranged side by side along a second direction; The second antenna structure is disposed on two opposite sides of the first antenna structure in the first direction.

5. The antenna according to claim 4, wherein The first antenna unit and the second antenna unit are arranged side by side in a first direction. The antenna according to claim 5 , wherein: The second antenna structure includes at least one second sub-array, and the second sub-array includes a plurality of second antenna units arranged side by side along a second direction; the second antenna units are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the first antenna units.

7. The antenna according to claim 6, wherein The second antenna structures located at two opposite sides of the first antenna structure have different numbers of second sub-arrays.

8. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein The second antenna structure is provided on at least two sides of the first antenna structure, and the second antenna structures located on different sides of the first antenna structure have different angles with the plane where the first antenna structure is located.

9. The antenna according to claim 2, wherein The first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate are an integrally formed structure.

10. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein The first antenna structure further includes at least one first feeding structure and at least one second feeding structure; one first feeding structure and one second feeding structure are both electrically connected to the first antenna unit, and the first feeding structure and the second feeding structure have different feeding directions. The antenna according to claim 10 , wherein: The second antenna structure also includes at least one third feeding structure and at least one fourth feeding structure; one third feeding structure and one fourth feeding structure are both electrically connected to the second antenna unit, and the feeding directions of the third feeding structure and the fourth feeding structure are different.

12. The antenna according to claim 11, wherein The first feeding structure and the first antenna unit are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the first dielectric substrate along the thickness direction, and the second feeding structure and the first antenna unit are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the first dielectric substrate along the thickness direction; and / or The third feeding structure and the second antenna unit are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the second dielectric substrate along the thickness direction, and the fourth feeding structure and the second antenna unit are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the second dielectric substrate along the thickness direction.

13. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein The first antenna structure further includes a plurality of guiding components, one guiding component being located on a side of the first antenna unit away from the first dielectric substrate; wherein the guiding component includes multiple layers of guiding patches sequentially arranged in a direction away from the first dielectric substrate.

14. The antenna according to claim 13, wherein The orthographic projections of the multiple layers of guide patches in the guide assembly on the first dielectric substrate overlap.

15. The antenna according to claim 13, wherein The first antenna structure further includes a first radome, the first radome being located on a side of the first antenna unit facing away from the first dielectric substrate; and / or The second antenna structure further includes a second antenna cover, and the second antenna cover is located on a side of the second antenna unit facing away from the second dielectric substrate.

16. The antenna according to claim 15, wherein The guide assembly is arranged on a side of the first antenna cover facing away from the first dielectric substrate.

17. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein The first antenna structure further includes a first reflector, which is located on a side of the first dielectric substrate away from the first antenna unit; and / or The second antenna structure further includes a second reflector, which is located on a side of the second dielectric substrate facing away from the second antenna unit.

18. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein The first antenna structure further includes a first isolation strip, which is arranged between adjacent first antenna units; and / or The second antenna structure further includes a second isolation strip disposed between adjacent second antenna units.

19. An electronic device, wherein: The invention comprises the antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

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