Filter, antenna, electronic device, filter driving method and antenna driving method

Abstract

A filter, an antenna, an electronic device, a filter driving method and an antenna driving method. The filter comprises a first substrate (101), a second substrate (102) and a liquid crystal layer (LC) located therebetween; a transmission structure (111) is provided on the side of the first substrate (101) close to the liquid crystal layer (LC), while a reference ground structure (13) is provided on the side thereof away from the liquid crystal layer (LC); the side of the second substrate (102) close to the liquid crystal layer (LC) is provided with a regulation structure (121) comprising at least one conductive patch (1210); the orthographic projections of the regulation structure (121) and the transmission structure (111) on the first substrate (101) at least partially overlap each other; the orthographic projections of the transmission structure (111) and the regulation structure (121) on the first substrate (101) at least partially overlap the orthographic projection of the reference ground structure (13) on the first substrate (101); the regulation structure (121) is configured to control the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer (LC) to adjust the operating frequency band of the filter and turn on or off bandpass signals within corresponding operating frequency bands.

Description

Filter, antenna, electronic device, filter and antenna driving method Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to, but are not limited to, the field of communication technologies, and in particular to a filter, an antenna, an electronic device, and a driving method for the filter and the antenna. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of wireless communication technology and radar detection technology, spectrum resources are becoming increasingly scarce, the operating frequency bands of communication systems are increasing, and improving the utilization of spectrum resources has become one of the research hotspots in the field of microwave engineering.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The following is a summary of the subject matter described in detail herein. This summary is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a filter comprising a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite each other, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates; a first conductive layer is disposed on a side of the first substrate close to the second substrate, a reference ground structure is disposed on a side of the first substrate away from the second substrate, and a second conductive layer is disposed on a side of the second substrate close to the first substrate;

[0006] The first conductive layer is provided with a transmission structure, and the second conductive layer is provided with a regulation structure, wherein the regulation structure includes at least one conductive patch, the at least one conductive patch at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the transmission structure on the first substrate, and the orthographic projections of the transmission structure and the at least one conductive patch on the first substrate at least partially overlap with an orthographic projection of the reference ground structure on the first substrate;

[0007] The control structure is configured to control the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer to adjust the operating frequency band of the filter through at least some of the conductive patches in the at least one conductive patch, and is configured to turn on or off the bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band through at least some of the conductive patches in the at least one conductive patch.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer changes as the voltage between the transmission structure and the at least one conductive patch changes, and the operating frequency band of the filter changes as the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer changes.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the transmission structure includes a main transmission structure and a branch structure connected to the main transmission structure. On the surface where the first conductive layer is located, an extension direction of the main transmission structure intersects with an extension direction of the branch structure.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, the number of the main transmission structure is one, and the number of the branch structures is multiple; within the plane where the first conductive layer is located, in the extension direction perpendicular to the main transmission structure, the multiple branch structures are arranged on one side or both sides of the main transmission structure, and the multiple branch structures located on one side of the main transmission structure are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the main transmission structure.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, on a plane where the first conductive layer is located, an extension direction of the branch structure is orthogonal to an extension direction of the main transmission structure;

[0012] Alternatively, on the plane where the first conductive layer is located, an extension direction of the branch structure forms an acute angle with a second direction, and the second direction is orthogonal to an extension direction of the main transmission structure.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, within the plane where the first conductive layer is located, in a direction perpendicular to the extension of the main transmission structure, the multiple branch structures are located on both sides of the main transmission structure, and the multiple branch structures located on both sides of the main transmission structure are symmetrically arranged relative to the main transmission structure, or the multiple branch structures located on both sides of the main transmission structure are staggered along the extension direction of the main transmission structure.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, an orthographic projection of the at least one conductive patch on the first substrate at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of at least one of the main transmission structure and the branch structure on the first substrate.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one conductive patch includes at least one first conductive patch, and an orthographic projection of the at least one first conductive patch on the first substrate at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the main transmission structure on the first substrate;

[0016] In the plane of the first substrate, in the extension direction of the main transmission structure, the orthographic projection of the at least one first conductive patch on the first substrate is located on at least one side of the orthographic projection of the multiple branch structures on the first substrate.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, there are a plurality of first conductive patches, and sizes of the plurality of first conductive patches are the same or sizes of at least some of the first conductive patches are different.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, a first slot is provided in the middle portion of the first conductive patch;

[0019] The sizes of at least some of the multiple first conductive patches are different, and the sizes of the first slots in the multiple first conductive patches are the same; or the sizes of the multiple first conductive patches are the same, and the sizes of at least some of the first slots in the multiple first conductive patches are different; or the sizes of at least some of the first conductive patches in the multiple first conductive patches and the sizes of the corresponding multiple first slots are different.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, the orthographic projection of the first conductive patch on the first conductive layer is symmetrical with respect to the main transmission structure, the orthographic projection of a midline of the first conductive patch extending along a first direction on the first conductive layer coincides with the midline of the main transmission structure extending along the first direction, and the first direction is consistent with the extension direction of the main transmission structure.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one conductive patch includes at least one second conductive patch, the orthographic projection of each of the second conductive patches on the first substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of one of the branch structures on the first substrate, and the orthographic projection of at least one of the branch structures on the first substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of one or more second conductive patches on the first substrate.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, among the multiple branch structures, at least one branch structure corresponds to a plurality of second conductive patches, and the orthographic projection of the same branch structure on the first substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the corresponding plurality of second conductive patches on the first substrate, and on a plane parallel to the first conductive layer, from the main transmission structure to a direction away from the main transmission structure, the sizes of the plurality of second conductive patches corresponding to the same branch structure gradually increase.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment, a second slot is provided in the middle of the second conductive patch, and the second slot penetrates the second conductive layer in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the second conductive layer is located;

[0024] On a plane parallel to where the first conductive layer is located, sizes of the plurality of second slots corresponding to the same branch structure gradually increase from the transmission structure in a direction away from the main transmission structure.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment, there are a plurality of second conductive patches, and the plurality of second conductive patches have the same shape and size;

[0026] A second slot is provided in the middle of the second conductive patch, and the second slot passes through the second conductive layer in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the second conductive layer is located; on a plane parallel to the first conductive layer, from the main transmission structure to the direction away from the main transmission structure, the sizes of the multiple second slots corresponding to the same branch structure gradually decrease, or the sizes of the multiple second slots corresponding to the same branch structure are the same.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment, the orthographic projection of the second conductive patch on the first conductive layer is symmetrical with respect to the branch structure corresponding thereto, and the orthographic projection of the midline of the second conductive patch extending along the third direction on the first conductive layer coincides with the midline of the corresponding branch structure extending along the third direction, and the third direction is consistent with the extension direction of the branch structure.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, the length dimensions of the multiple branch structures are consistent, and the length dimension of the branch structure is 0.3 to 0.7 times the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the filter in the working frequency band, and the width dimensions of the multiple branch structures are consistent; in the plane where the first conductive layer is located, in the extension direction perpendicular to the main transmission structure, the multiple branch structures located on the same side of the main transmission structure are arranged at equal intervals along the extension direction of the main transmission structure.

[0029] In an exemplary embodiment, the length of the branch structure is 20 mm to 80 mm, the width of the branch structure is 2 mm to 6 mm, and the distance between the centers of two adjacent branches is 13 mm to 30 mm.

[0030] In an exemplary embodiment, the conductive patches are rectangular in shape, and any one of the conductive patches corresponds to the main transmission structure or to one of the branch structures;

[0031] On a plane parallel to the first conductive layer, the extension direction of a group of opposite sides of the conductive patch corresponding to the main transmission structure is consistent with the extension direction of the main transmission structure, and the extension direction of another group of opposite sides is perpendicular to the extension direction of the main transmission structure; the extension direction of a group of opposite sides of the conductive patch corresponding to the branch structure is consistent with the extension direction of the corresponding branch structure, and the extension direction of the other group of opposite sides is perpendicular to the extension direction of the corresponding branch structure.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment, on a plane parallel to the first conductive layer, the conductive patch corresponding to the main transmission structure has a long side extending in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the main transmission structure, and a short side extending in a direction consistent with the extension direction of the main transmission structure. The center line of the main transmission structure extending in the first direction coincides with the orthographic projection of the center line of the corresponding conductive patch extending in the first direction on the first substrate, and the first direction is consistent with the extension direction of the main transmission structure. The conductive patch corresponding to the branch structure has a long side extending in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the corresponding branch structure, and a short side extending in a direction consistent with the extension direction of the corresponding branch structure. The center line of the branch structure extending in a third direction coincides with the orthographic projection of the center line of the corresponding conductive patch extending in the third direction on the first substrate, and the third direction is consistent with the extension direction of the branch structure.

[0033] In an exemplary embodiment, a slot is provided in the middle of the conductive patch. The shape of the slot is consistent with that of the conductive patch. The slot penetrates the second conductive layer in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the second conductive layer is located.

[0034] In an exemplary embodiment, the long side dimension of the conductive patch is 8 mm to 30 mm, and the short side dimension of the conductive patch is 2 mm to 17 mm; the long side dimension of the slot is 6 mm to 25 mm, and the short side dimension of the slot is 0.5 mm to 1.3 mm, and the long side dimension of the slot is smaller than the long side dimension of the corresponding conductive patch.

[0035] In an exemplary embodiment, when the main transmission structure corresponds to multiple conductive patches, the multiple conductive patches are arranged at equal intervals along the extension direction of the main transmission structure, and the distance between the centers of two adjacent conductive patches is 8 mm to 12 mm; when the same branch structure corresponds to multiple conductive patches, the multiple conductive patches are arranged at equal intervals along the extension direction of the corresponding branch structure, and the distance between the centers of two adjacent conductive patches is 8 mm to 12 mm.

[0036] In an exemplary embodiment, in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate, the sizes of the main transmission line and the branch structure are both 1 micron to 5 microns, and the size of the reference ground structure is 1 micron to 5 microns; in a plane parallel to the first substrate, the width of the main transmission structure is 0.5 mm to 1.1 mm.

[0037] In an exemplary embodiment, in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate, a size of the liquid crystal layer between the regulating structure and the main transfer structure is 2 μm to 8 μm, and a size of the first substrate is 0.2 mm to 0.8 mm.

[0038] In an exemplary embodiment, the control structure includes a plurality of conductive patches, which correspond to different positions of the transmission structure. The dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer is controlled by adjusting the voltage applied to the conductive patches corresponding to different positions of the transmission structure, thereby adjusting the operating frequency band of the filter.

[0039] In an exemplary embodiment, at least some of the plurality of conductive patches have different sizes;

[0040] Alternatively, the multiple conductive patches have the same size, a groove is set in the middle of the multiple conductive patches, and the groove passes through the second conductive layer in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the second conductive layer is located. The sizes of the grooves set in at least some of the multiple conductive patches are different.

[0041] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an antenna comprising a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite each other, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates; a first conductive layer is disposed on a side of the first substrate proximate to the second substrate; a reference ground structure is disposed on a side of the first substrate distal to the second substrate, the reference ground structure having a first gap; and a second conductive layer is disposed on a side of the second substrate proximate to the first substrate.

[0042] The first conductive layer is provided with a transmission structure and a radiating structure connected to the transmission structure; the second conductive layer is provided with a regulating structure, the regulating structure including at least one conductive patch, the at least one conductive patch at least partially overlapping with an orthographic projection of the transmission structure on the first substrate, the orthographic projections of the transmission structure, the at least one conductive patch, and the radiating structure on the first substrate at least partially overlapping with an orthographic projection of the reference ground structure on the first substrate, and the orthographic projection of an end of the radiating structure away from the transmission structure on the first substrate at least partially overlapping with an orthographic projection of the first gap on the first substrate;

[0043] The control structure is configured to control the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer to adjust the working frequency band of the antenna through at least some of the conductive patches in the at least one conductive patch, and is configured to turn on or off the bandpass signal within the corresponding working frequency band through at least some of the conductive patches in the at least one conductive patch.

[0044] In an exemplary embodiment, an orthographic projection of an end portion of the radiation structure on a side away from the transmission structure on the first substrate is located within a range of an orthographic projection of the first slit on the first substrate.

[0045] In an exemplary embodiment, the transmission structure includes a main transmission structure and a branch structure connected to the main transmission structure. On the surface where the first conductive layer is located, the extension direction of the main transmission structure intersects with the extension direction of the branch structure. In the extension direction of the main transmission structure, the radiation structure is connected to the end of one side of the main transmission structure.

[0046] In an exemplary embodiment, the radiation structure is rectangular in shape, and in a plane parallel to the first substrate and in a direction extending perpendicular to the main transmission structure, the size of the radiation structure is larger than that of the main transmission structure and smaller than that of the first gap.

[0047] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, comprising the filter described in any one of the above embodiments or the antenna described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0048] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a filter driving method, which is applied to the filter described in any of the above embodiments, and the driving method includes:

[0049] A first driving voltage is applied to at least part of the at least one conductive patch to control the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer, thereby adjusting the operating frequency band of the filter and turning on or off a bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band.

[0050] In an exemplary embodiment, the driving method further includes applying a second driving voltage to the transmission structure to control a dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer between the regulating structure and the transmission structure.

[0051] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna driving method, which is applied to the antenna described in any of the above embodiments, and the driving method includes:

[0052] A first driving voltage is applied to at least part of the at least one conductive patch to control the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer, thereby adjusting the operating frequency band of the antenna and turning on or off a bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band.

[0053] In an exemplary embodiment, the driving method further includes applying a second driving voltage to the transmission structure to control a dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer between the regulating structure and the transmission structure.

[0054] Still other aspects will become apparent upon reading and understanding the accompanying drawings and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] The accompanying drawings are intended to provide a further understanding of the technical solutions of the present disclosure and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present disclosure, they are used to explain the technical solutions of the present disclosure and do not constitute a limitation of the technical solutions of the present disclosure. The shapes and sizes of each component in the drawings do not reflect the actual scale and are intended only to illustrate the contents of the present disclosure.

[0056] FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of a filter provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0057] FIG2 is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a first conductive layer provided on a first substrate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0058] FIG3 is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a second conductive layer provided on a second substrate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0059] FIG4 a is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0060] FIG4 b is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0061] FIG5 is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0062] FIG6 is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0063] FIG7 is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0064] FIG8 a is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0065] FIG8 b is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0066] FIG9 a is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0067] FIG9 b is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0068] FIG9c is a schematic diagram showing a first port of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0069] FIG9 d is a schematic diagram showing a second port of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0070] FIG10 is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0071] FIG11a is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0072] FIG11 b is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0073] FIG12a is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0074] FIG12 b is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0075] FIG12c is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0076] FIG13a is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0077] FIG13 b is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0078] FIG14a is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0079] FIG14 b is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0080] FIG15 is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0081] FIG16 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0082] FIG17 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0083] FIG18 is a transmission coefficient curve diagram of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0084] FIG19 is a transmission coefficient curve diagram of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0085] FIG20 is a transmission coefficient curve diagram of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0086] FIG21 is a transmission coefficient curve diagram of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0087] FIG22 is a transmission coefficient curve diagram of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0088] FIG23 is a transmission coefficient curve diagram of a filter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0089] FIG24 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of an antenna provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0090] FIG25 is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a first conductive layer provided on a first substrate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0091] FIG26 is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a second conductive layer provided on a second substrate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0092] FIG27 is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of a reference ground structure provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0093] FIG28 a is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of an antenna provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0094] FIG28 b is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of an antenna provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0095] FIG29 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0096] FIG30 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0097] FIG31 is a flow chart showing a method for driving a filter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0098] FIG32 is a flowchart of an antenna driving method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0099] The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments can be implemented in a number of different forms. A person of ordinary skill in the art can easily understand the fact that the methods and contents can be transformed into various forms without departing from the purpose and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be interpreted as being limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. Unless there is a conflict, the embodiments in the present disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined with each other. In order to keep the following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure clear and concise, the present disclosure omits detailed descriptions of some known functions and known components. The drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure only involve structures related to the embodiments of the present disclosure. Other structures can refer to the general design

[0100] The scales of the figures in this disclosure are intended to serve as a reference for actual processes, but are not intended to be limiting. For example, the thickness and spacing of each film layer, and the width and spacing of each signal line, can be adjusted based on actual conditions. The figures described in this disclosure are merely schematic diagrams of the structures, and one embodiment of this disclosure is not limited to the shapes or values ​​shown in the figures.

[0101] In this specification, ordinal numbers such as “first”, “second” and “third” are provided to avoid confusion among constituent elements, and are not intended to limit the number.

[0102] In this specification, for convenience, words and phrases indicating orientation or positional relationships, such as "middle," "upper," "lower," "front," "back," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inside," and "outside," are used to illustrate the positional relationships of constituent elements with reference to the accompanying drawings. This is merely for the purpose of facilitating the description of this specification and simplifying the description, and is not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present disclosure. The positional relationships of constituent elements may be appropriately changed depending on the direction in which each constituent element is described. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the words and phrases described in the specification and may be appropriately replaced depending on the circumstances.

[0103] In this specification, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed, removable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct connections, indirect connections through intermediaries, or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this disclosure.

[0104] In this specification, "electrically connected" includes components connected together via an element having some electrical function. There are no particular limitations on the "element having some electrical function" as long as it enables the transfer of electrical signals between the connected components. Examples of "element having some electrical function" include not only electrodes and wiring but also switching elements such as transistors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, and other components with one or more functions.

[0105] In this specification, "parallel" refers to a state where the angle formed by two straight lines is greater than -10° and less than 10°, and thus includes a state where the angle is greater than -5° and less than 5°. Furthermore, "perpendicular" refers to a state where the angle formed by two straight lines is greater than 80° and less than 100°, and thus includes a state where the angle is greater than 85° and less than 95°.

[0106] In this specification, the terms "film" and "layer" may be interchanged. For example, "conductive layer" may be replaced with "conductive film." Similarly, "insulating film" may be replaced with "insulating layer."

[0107] The triangles, rectangles, trapezoids, pentagons or hexagons in this specification are not in the strict sense, but may be approximate triangles, rectangles, trapezoids, pentagons or hexagons, etc. There may be some small deformations caused by tolerances, and there may be chamfers, arc edges and deformations.

[0108] The term "about" in the present disclosure refers to a numerical value that is not strictly defined and allows for process and measurement errors.

[0109] The "thickness" in this disclosure refers to the dimension of the film layer in the direction perpendicular to the substrate.

[0110] Bandpass filters are microwave devices widely used in communication systems. Their primary function is to transmit signals within a specified frequency band while attenuating and suppressing signals outside of that band. As communication systems become increasingly complex and their operating frequency bands increase, wireless communication systems or devices capable of integrating multiple frequency bands are becoming increasingly popular. Traditional bandpass filters operate in fixed frequency bands. Changing the frequency band of a communication system requires either increasing the number of filters or revising the bandpass filter design.

[0111] Traditional tunable bandpass filters mostly introduce diode devices (such as varactor diodes or PIN diodes), or combine filters with multiple frequency bands with fixed center frequencies to form a filter group. The introduction of varactor diode circuits or PIN diode circuits requires matching with relatively complex microstrip circuit designs. In the high-frequency band, the insertion loss of the diode is relatively large. Using filters with multiple frequency bands with fixed center frequencies to form a filter group, and selecting signals of different frequency bands through RF switches to enter the RF system for signal processing, can effectively utilize spectrum resources and increase channel capacity. However, because the distribution of RF switches and filter circuits occupies a large area, the system size increases, which conflicts with the current system miniaturization requirements. In addition, the cost of the filter group formed by multiple filters is relatively high. It can be seen that traditional tunable bandpass filters have the problems of high cost, difficulty in implementation, and difficulty in miniaturization.

[0112] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a filter, which may include a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; a first conductive layer is disposed on a side of the first substrate close to the second substrate, a reference ground structure is disposed on a side of the first substrate away from the second substrate, and a second conductive layer is disposed on a side of the second substrate close to the first substrate;

[0113] The first conductive layer is provided with a transmission structure, and the second conductive layer is provided with a regulation structure, wherein the regulation structure includes at least one conductive patch, the at least one conductive patch at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the transmission structure on the first substrate, and the orthographic projections of the transmission structure and the at least one conductive patch on the first substrate at least partially overlap with an orthographic projection of the reference ground structure on the first substrate;

[0114] The control structure is configured to control the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer to adjust the operating frequency band of the filter through at least some of the conductive patches in the at least one conductive patch, and is configured to turn on or off the bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band through at least some of the conductive patches in the at least one conductive patch.

[0115] The filter provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure controls the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer by regulating at least part of the conductive patches in the structure, thereby adjusting the operating frequency band of the filter, and turning on or off the bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band by regulating at least part of the conductive patches in the structure, so that the operating frequency band of the filter and the turning on or off of the bandpass signal can be adjusted by controlling the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer through the regulating structure, thereby changing the operating frequency band of the filter and the turning on or off of the bandpass signal without increasing cost or volume.

[0116] In an exemplary embodiment, the control structure may be configured to adjust the operating frequency band of the filter and enable or disable a bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band by controlling the effective dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer through at least some of the at least one conductive patch. For example, the operating frequency band of the filter and the enabling or disabling of the bandpass signal may be adjusted by controlling the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer through a first drive voltage applied to at least some of the conductive patches of the control structure.

[0117] In an exemplary embodiment, the bandpass signal may be an electromagnetic wave signal in a corresponding working frequency band transmitted on the transmission structure.

[0118] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the filter provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first substrate 101 and a second substrate 102 disposed opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal layer LC disposed between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102; a first conductive layer 11 is provided on a side of the first substrate 101 close to the second substrate 102, a reference ground structure 13 is provided on a side of the first substrate 101 away from the second substrate 102, and a second conductive layer 12 is provided on a side of the second substrate 102 close to the first substrate 101;

[0119] The first conductive layer 11 is provided with a transmission structure 111, and the second conductive layer 12 is provided with a regulation structure 121. The regulation structure 121 includes at least one conductive patch 1210. The at least one conductive patch 1210 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the transmission structure 111 on the first substrate 101. The orthographic projections of the transmission structure 111 and the at least one conductive patch 1210 on the first substrate 101 at least partially overlap with the orthographic projection of the reference ground structure 13 on the first substrate 101.

[0120] The control structure 121 is configured to control the operating frequency band of the dielectric constant adjustment filter of the liquid crystal layer LC through at least some of the conductive patches 1210 in at least one conductive patch 1210, and is configured to turn on or off the bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band through at least some of the conductive patches 1210 in at least one conductive patch 1210.

[0121] In an exemplary embodiment, Figure 2 shows a planar structural schematic diagram of the first conductive layer 11 set on the first substrate 101 in Figure 1, Figure 3 shows a planar structural schematic diagram of the second conductive layer 12 set on the second substrate 102 in Figure 1, and Figure 4 shows a top view of the second conductive layer 12, the first conductive layer 11 and the first substrate 101.

[0122] In an exemplary embodiment, the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer LC (which may be an effective dielectric constant) changes with the voltage between the transmission structure 111 and the at least one conductive patch 1210, and the operating frequency band of the filter changes with the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer LC.

[0123] In an exemplary embodiment, a first driving voltage can be applied to at least a portion of the conductive patches 1210 in the control structure 121, thereby adjusting the voltage between at least a portion of the conductive patches 1210 in the control structure 121 and the transmission structure 111, causing the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer LC between at least a portion of the conductive patches 1210 and the transmission structure 111 to deflect, changing the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer LC, and thus changing the operating frequency band of the filter. Therefore, the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer LC can be controlled by adjusting the first driving voltage applied to the control structure 121, thereby adjusting the operating frequency band of the filter. The solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure controls the degree of deflection of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer LC by applying different first driving voltages to at least a portion of the conductive patches 1210 in the control structure 121, changing the effective dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer LC, causing the resonant frequency of the filter to change (i.e., controlling the tuning of the liquid crystal layer LC), thereby changing the operating frequency band of the filter. This allows adjustment to different operating frequency bands without requiring multiple filters, making it suitable for miniaturization and reducing costs. In addition, it does not require a complex microstrip circuit design, making the design difficulty low.

[0124] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 to 4b, the transmission structure 111 may include a main transmission structure 1111 and a branch structure 1112 connected to the main transmission structure 1111. On the surface where the first conductive layer 11 is located, the extension direction X (i.e., the first direction) of the main transmission structure 1111 intersects with the extension direction of the branch structure 1112. For example, the extension direction of the branch structure 1112 is the second direction Y, or forms an acute angle with the second direction Y.

[0125] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the transmission structure 111 can be configured as a transmission line structure. In a filter formed by combining the control structure 121 with the transmission structure 111 and the liquid crystal layer LC, the control structure 121 can act as an adjustable switch. When it is necessary to allow electromagnetic waves (such as microwave signals) to pass through the transmission structure 111 within the passband frequency band (which can be understood as the operating frequency band), the control structure 121 controls the liquid crystal tuning to control the resonance to occur within the stopband frequency band (resonance occurs within the stopband band, which can make most of the electromagnetic wave signals within the stopband band (or frequency band) return to the input port along the main transmission structure 1111 and cannot be output from the output port). , and the passband frequency band (i.e., the working frequency band) works normally (which can be understood as turning on the passband signal in the corresponding working frequency band); when it is necessary to turn off the signal in the passband, the liquid crystal tuning is controlled by the control structure 121 to shift the resonance from the stopband to the passband frequency band (the resonance occurs within the passband band, which can make most of the electromagnetic wave signals in the passband band (or frequency band) return to the input port along the main transmission structure 1111 and cannot be output from the output port), and the passband frequency band (i.e., the working frequency band) cannot work normally (which can be understood as turning off the passband signal in the corresponding working frequency band).

[0126] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 4a to 7, the number of branch structures 1112 can be one or more (the number of branch structures 1112 shown in Figures 4a to 6 is multiple, and the number of branch structures 1112 shown in Figure 7 is one). When the number of branch structures 1112 is one, in the second direction Y, the branch structure 1112 can be located on one side of the main transmission structure 1111.

[0127] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 4a to 6, the number of main transmission structures 1111 can be one, and the number of branch structures 1112 can be multiple; within the plane where the first conductive layer 11 is located, in the extension direction Y perpendicular to the main transmission structure 1111, multiple branch structures 1112 can be arranged on one side or both sides of the main transmission structure 1111 (in the second direction Y, the multiple branch structures 1112 shown in Figures 4a to 5 are located on both sides of the main transmission structure 1111, and the multiple branch structures 1112 shown in Figure 6 are located on one side of the main transmission structure 1111), and the multiple branch structures 1112 located on one side of the main transmission structure 1111 are spaced apart along the extension direction X (i.e., the first direction X) of the main transmission structure 1111.

[0128] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 a to FIG. 7 , on the plane where the first conductive layer 11 is located, the extension direction of the branch structure 1112 is orthogonal to the extension direction of the main transmission structure 1111 , that is, the branch structure 1112 extends along the second direction Y, and the first direction X is orthogonal to the second direction Y;

[0129] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 8, on the plane where the first conductive layer 11 is located, the extension direction of the branch structure 1112 forms an acute angle F with the second direction Y, and the second direction Y is orthogonal to the extension direction X of the main transmission structure 1111. When the length of the branch structure 1112 remains unchanged, the extension direction of the branch structure 1112 forms an acute angle F with the second direction Y, which can reduce the space occupied by the branch structure 1112, thereby reducing the volume of the filter.

[0130] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 4a and 8 to 9b, within the plane where the first conductive layer 11 is located, in the direction Y perpendicular to the extension of the main transmission structure 1111, a plurality of branch structures 1112 can be located on both sides of the main transmission structure 1111, and the plurality of branch structures 1112 located on both sides of the main transmission structure 1111 can be symmetrically arranged relative to the main transmission structure 1111, or, as shown in Figure 10, the plurality of branch structures 1112 located on both sides of the main transmission structure 1111 are staggered along the extension direction of the main transmission structure 1111.

[0131] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 , in a direction Y perpendicular to the extension of the main transmission structure 1111 , the numbers of the branch structures 1112 located on both sides of the main transmission structure 1111 may be inconsistent.

[0132] In an exemplary embodiment, the orthographic projection of at least one conductive patch 1210 in the regulating structure 121 on the first substrate 101 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of at least one of the main transmission structure 1111 and the branch structures 1112 on the first substrate 101. When there is only one conductive patch 1210 in the regulating structure 121, the regulating structure 121 can be arranged to correspond to the main transmission structure 1111, as shown in FIG. 11a , or can be arranged to correspond to one of the branch structures 1112, as shown in FIG. 11b .

[0133] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 a to FIG. 11 a , the at least one conductive patch 1210 includes at least one first conductive patch 1211 , and the orthographic projection of the at least one first conductive patch 1211 on the first substrate 101 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the main transmission structure 1111 on the first substrate 101 ;

[0134] Within the plane of the first substrate 101, in the extension direction X of the main transmission structure 1111, the orthographic projection of at least one first conductive patch 1211 on the first substrate 101 is located on at least one side of the orthographic projections of the multiple branch structures 1112 on the first substrate 101. As shown in FIG10 , the orthographic projections of the multiple first conductive patches 1211 on the first substrate 101 are located on both sides of the orthographic projections of the multiple branch structures 1112 on the first substrate 101; and as shown in FIG4 a to FIG9 b , the orthographic projections of the multiple first conductive patches 1211 on the first substrate 101 are located on one side of the orthographic projections of the multiple branch structures 1112 on the first substrate 101.

[0135] In an exemplary embodiment, there may be multiple first conductive patches 1211, and the multiple first conductive patches 1211 may have the same size, or at least some of the first conductive patches may have different sizes. As shown in Figures 4a to 4b, Figures 7 to 9a, and Figure 10, the multiple first conductive patches 1211 may have the same size, for example, the multiple first conductive patches 1211 may have the same shape, and the multiple first conductive patches 1211 may have the same side length and area. As shown in Figures 5, 6, and 9b, the multiple first conductive patches 1211 may have the same shape but different sizes and areas.

[0136] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 4a to 9b and Figures 10 to 11a, the orthographic projection of the first conductive patch 1211 on the first conductive layer 11 is symmetrical with respect to the main transmission structure 1111, and the orthographic projection of the midline of the first conductive patch 1211 extending along the first direction X on the first conductive layer 11 coincides with the midline of the main transmission structure 1111 extending along the first direction X, and the first direction X is consistent with the extension direction of the main transmission structure 1111.

[0137] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 6, 8a to 9b, and 10 to 11a, a first slot 1221 may be provided in the middle of the first conductive patch 1211, and the first slot 1221 penetrates the second conductive layer 12 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the second conductive layer 12.

[0138] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG6 , at least some of the multiple first conductive patches 1211 have different sizes, and the first slots 1221 in the multiple first conductive patches 1211 have the same size; or, as shown in FIG8a , the multiple first conductive patches 1211 have the same size, and at least some of the first slots 1221 in the multiple first conductive patches 1211 have different sizes; or, as shown in FIG9b , at least some of the multiple first conductive patches 1211 and the corresponding sizes of the multiple first slots 1221 are different; or, as shown in FIG9a , at least some of the multiple first conductive patches 1211 and the corresponding sizes of the multiple first slots 1221 are the same.

[0139] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 11b to 15, at least one conductive patch 1210 may include at least one second conductive patch 1212, the orthographic projection of each second conductive patch 1212 on the first substrate 101 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of one of the branch structures 1112 on the first substrate 101, and the orthographic projection of at least one branch structure 1112 on the first substrate 101 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of one or more second conductive patches 1212 on the first substrate 101. As shown in Figure 11b, one of the eight branch structures 1112 corresponds to a second conductive patch 1212; as shown in Figure 12, two of the six branch structures 1112 correspond to four second conductive patches 1212; as shown in Figures 13a and 13b, each branch structure 1112 corresponds to two second conductive patches 1212; as shown in Figures 14a and 14b, each branch structure 1112 corresponds to three second conductive patches 1212; as shown in Figure 15, two of the six branch structures 1112 correspond to two second conductive patches 1212.

[0140] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 14a and 14b , among the plurality of branch structures 1112, at least one branch structure 1112 corresponds to a plurality of second conductive patches 1212. The orthographic projection of the same branch structure 1112 on the first substrate 101 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the corresponding plurality of second conductive patches 1212 on the first substrate 101. In a plane parallel to the first conductive layer 11, the dimensions of the plurality of second conductive patches 1212 corresponding to the same branch structure 1112 gradually increase in a direction away from the main transmission structure 1111. For example, the plurality of second conductive patches 1212 have the same shape, and the side length and area of ​​the plurality of second conductive patches 121 corresponding to the same branch structure 1112 gradually increase in a direction away from the main transmission structure 1111. In the structures shown in Figures 14a and 14b, second conductive patches 1212 of different sizes can control the passbands of different working frequency bands. The larger conductive patches control the transmission on and off of electromagnetic waves in the lower frequency band, and the smaller conductive patches control the transmission on and off of electromagnetic waves in the higher frequency band.

[0141] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG14 a and FIG14 b , a second slot 1222 may be provided in the middle of the second conductive patch 1212 , and the second slot 1222 penetrates the second conductive layer 12 in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the second conductive layer 12 is located;

[0142] In a plane parallel to the first conductive layer 11, the sizes of the plurality of second slots 1222 corresponding to the same branch structure 1112 gradually increase in a direction away from the main transmission structure 1111. In an exemplary embodiment, the shape of the second slots 1222 can be consistent with the shape of the corresponding second conductive patch 1212, and the orthographic projection of the second slots 1222 on the first substrate 101 is within the range of the orthographic projection of the corresponding second conductive patch 1212 on the first substrate 101.

[0143] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 12a to 13b, the sizes (areas) of multiple second grooves 1222 corresponding to the same branch structure 1112 can be the same, and the orthographic projection of the second groove 1222 on the first substrate 101 is within the range of the orthographic projection of the corresponding second conductive patch 1212 on the first substrate 101.

[0144] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 13a and 13b, the number of second conductive patches 1212 corresponding to the same branch structure 1112 is two, and the two second conductive patches 121 respectively correspond to the middle part of the branch structure 1112 and the end away from one end of the main transmission structure 1111, that is, the orthographic projections of the two second conductive patches 1212 corresponding to the same branch structure 1112 on the first substrate 101 at least partially overlap with the orthographic projections of the middle part and the end part of the branch structure 1112 on the first substrate 101.

[0145] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 10 and 12a to 13b, the number of the second conductive patches 1212 can be multiple, and the shapes and sizes of the multiple second conductive patches 121 are consistent. For example, the multiple second conductive patches 121 have the same shape, and are equal in size and area. In an exemplary embodiment, on a plane parallel to the first conductive layer 11, from the main transmission structure 1111 to the direction away from the main transmission structure 1111, as shown in Figure 10, the sizes of the multiple second slots 1222 corresponding to the same branch structure 1112 gradually decrease, or, as shown in Figures 12a and 13b, the sizes of the multiple second slots 1222 corresponding to the same branch structure 1112 are the same. In an exemplary embodiment, the sizes and shapes of the slots provided in the multiple second conductive patches 1212 can be different, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0146] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 11b to 15, the orthographic projection of the second conductive patch 1212 on the first conductive layer 11 is symmetrical with respect to the corresponding branch structure 1112, and the orthographic projection of the midline of the second conductive patch 1212 extending along the third direction on the first conductive layer 11 coincides with the midline of the corresponding branch structure 1112 extending along the third direction, and the third direction is consistent with the extension direction of the branch structure 1112. As shown in Figures 11b to 14b, the third direction coincides with the second direction Y; as shown in Figure 15, the third direction forms an acute angle F with the second direction Y.

[0147] In an exemplary embodiment, in the structures shown in FIG. 12 a to FIG. 15 , the orthographic projections of the plurality of second conductive patches 1212 located on both sides of the main transmission structure 1111 on the first conductive layer 11 are symmetrical with respect to the main transmission structure 1111 .

[0148] In an exemplary embodiment, by setting a first slot 1221 on the first conductive patch 1211 and a second slot 1222 on the second conductive patch 1212, the size of the conductive patch 1210 can be appropriately reduced. For example, the longer the length of the slot 122, the smaller the size of the conductive patch 1210 can be set, thereby reducing the volume of the filter, which is suitable for the miniaturized design of the filter.

[0149] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 4a to 6, 8a to 9b, and 10 to 15, the length L11 (i.e., the dimension of the branch structure 1112 in the extension direction) of the plurality of branch structures 1112 is uniform, and the width L12 (i.e., the dimension of the branch structure 1112 perpendicular to the extension direction) of the plurality of branch structures 1112 is uniform. The length L11 of the branch structure 1112 is 0.3 to 0.7 times the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the filter at the operating frequency band. For example, the length L11 of the branch structure 1112 is 0.5 times the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the filter at the operating frequency band.

[0150] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 4a to 6, Figures 8a to 9b, and Figures 10 to 15, within the plane where the first conductive layer 11 is located, in the extension direction perpendicular to the main transmission structure 1111, multiple branch structures 1112 located on the same side of the main transmission structure 1111 are arranged at equal intervals along the extension direction of the main transmission structure 1111.

[0151] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 4a to 6, 8a to 9b, and 10 to 15, the length L11 of the branch structure 1112 is 20 mm to 80 mm, the width L12 of the branch structure 1112 is 2 mm to 6 mm, and the distance D11 between the centers of two adjacent branches is 13 mm to 30 mm. For example, the length L11 of the branch structure 1112 is 30 mm, the width L12 of the branch structure 1112 is 4 mm, and the distance D11 between the centers of two adjacent branches is 15 mm.

[0152] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG3 to FIG9 b and FIG10 to FIG15 , the regulating structure 121 may include at least one conductive patch 1210 . The conductive patch 1210 may be rectangular in shape. Any conductive patch 1210 corresponds to the main transmission structure 1111 or to one of the branch structures 1112 .

[0153] On a plane parallel to the first conductive layer 11, as shown in Figures 4a to 9b, 10, and 15, the extension direction of one group of opposite sides of the conductive patch 1210 corresponding to the main transmission structure 1111 is consistent with the extension direction X of the main transmission structure 1111, and the extension direction of the other group of opposite sides is perpendicular to the extension direction of the main transmission structure 1111 (i.e., extending along the second direction Y); as shown in Figures 6, 11b to 15, the extension direction of one group of opposite sides of the conductive patch 1210 corresponding to the branch structure 1112 is consistent with the extension direction of the corresponding branch structure 1112, and the extension direction of the other group of opposite sides is perpendicular to the extension direction of the corresponding branch structure 1112.

[0154] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 4a to 9b, 10, and 15, on a plane parallel to the first conductive layer 11, the conductive patch 1210 corresponding to the main transmission structure 1111 has a long side extending in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction X of the main transmission structure 1111, and a short side extending in a direction consistent with the extension direction X of the main transmission structure 1111. The center line of the main transmission structure 1111 extending in the first direction X coincides with the orthographic projection of the center line of the corresponding conductive patch extending in the first direction X on the first substrate. A direction X is consistent with the extension direction of the main transmission structure; as shown in Figures 6 and 11b to 15, the conductive patch 1210 corresponding to the branch structure 1112 has a long side extension direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the corresponding branch structure 1112, and a short side extension direction consistent with the extension direction of the corresponding branch structure 1112. The center line of the branch structure 1112 extending along the third direction coincides with the orthographic projection of the center line of the corresponding conductive patch extending along the third direction on the first substrate, and the third direction is consistent with the extension direction of the branch structure.

[0155] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 8a to 9b and Figures 10 to 15, a groove 122 is provided in the middle of the conductive patch 1210 (the conductive patch 1210 corresponding to the main transmission structure 1111 is provided with a first groove 1221, and the conductive patch 1210 corresponding to the branch structure 1112 is provided with a second groove 1222). The shape of the groove 122 can be consistent with the shape of the conductive patch, and the groove 122 passes through the second conductive layer 12 in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the second conductive layer 12 is located.

[0156] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG13a and FIG15 , the long side dimension L21 of the conductive patch 1210 is 8 mm to 30 mm, and the short side dimension L22 of the conductive patch 1210 is 2 mm to 7 mm; the long side dimension L31 of the slot 122 is 6 mm to 25 mm, and the short side dimension L32 of the slot 122 is 0.5 mm to 1.3 mm, and the long side dimension of the slot 122 is smaller than the long side dimension of the corresponding conductive patch 1210. For example, the long side dimension L21 of the conductive patch 1210 is 10.5 mm, and the short side dimension L22 of the conductive patch 1210 is 5 mm; the long side dimension of the slot 122 is 7.2 mm, and the short side dimension of the slot 122 is 0.8 mm.

[0157] In an exemplary embodiment, a multi-bandpass filter can be constructed by arranging conductive patches 1210 and slots 122 of different sizes (for example, the first conductive patch 1211 and the first slot 1221 corresponding to the main transmission structure 1111, and the second conductive patch 1212 and the second slot 1222 corresponding to the branch structure 1112). The control structure 121 can control the transmission of electromagnetic wave signals in multiple frequency bands by reasonably arranging the position of the control structure 121 in the multi-bandpass filter. This adjustable filter can realize signal control in multiple frequency bands (i.e., working frequency bands) and frequency reconstruction control while maintaining a small size. There is no need to add multiple filters, which can reduce costs.

[0158] In an exemplary embodiment, when the main transmission structure 1111 corresponds to a plurality of conductive patches 1210, as shown in Figures 4a to 9b and 15, the plurality of conductive patches 1210 are arranged at equal intervals along the extension direction X of the main transmission structure 1111, and the distance D21 between the centers of two adjacent conductive patches 1210 is 8 mm to 12 mm. When the same branch structure 1112 corresponds to a plurality of conductive patches 1210, as shown in the figure, the plurality of conductive patches 1210 are arranged at equal intervals along the extension direction of the corresponding branch structure 1112, and the distance D31 between the centers of two adjacent conductive patches 1210 is 8 mm to 12 mm. For example, the distance D21 between the centers of two adjacent conductive patches 1210 corresponding to the main transmission structure 1111 is 10 mm, and the distance D31 between the centers of two adjacent conductive patches 1210 corresponding to the same branch structure 1112 is 10 mm.

[0159] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG16 , in a direction Z perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 101, the dimension W1 (i.e., the thickness of the first conductive layer 11) of the main transmission structure 1111 and the branch structure 1112 is 1 to 5 microns, and the dimension W2 (i.e., the thickness of the reference ground structure 13) of the reference ground structure 13 is 1 to 5 microns. For example, in a direction Z perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 101, the dimension W1 (i.e., the thickness of the first conductive layer 11) of the main transmission structure 1111 and the branch structure 1112 is 3 microns, and the dimension W2 (i.e., the thickness of the reference ground structure 13) of the reference ground structure 13 is 3 microns.

[0160] 15 , the width dimension K1 of the main transfer structure 1111 is 0.5 mm to 1.1 mm on a plane parallel to the first substrate 101. For example, the width dimension K1 of the main transfer structure 1111 is 0.8 mm on a plane parallel to the first substrate 101.

[0161] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG16 , in a direction Z perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 101, the dimension W3 of the liquid crystal layer LC between the regulating structure 121 and the main transfer structure 1111 (the thickness of the liquid crystal layer LC between the conductive patch and the main transfer structure 1111) is 2 to 8 microns, and the dimension W4 of the first substrate 101 (i.e., the thickness of the first substrate 101) is 0.2 to 0.8 mm. For example, in a direction Z perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 101, the dimension W3 of the liquid crystal layer LC between the regulating structure 121 and the main transfer structure 1111 is 5 microns, and the dimension W4 of the first substrate 101 is 0.5 mm. In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figure 16, in the direction Z perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 101, the thickness W31 of the liquid crystal layer LC located between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102 (when the first alignment layer 15 and the second alignment layer 16 are provided, it is the thickness of the liquid crystal layer LC between the first alignment layer 15 and the second alignment layer 16) can be between several microns and several hundred microns. The thickness W31 of the liquid crystal layer LC is set to about 10 microns, and the thickness W3 of the liquid crystal layer LC between the regulation structure 121 and the main transmission structure 1111 is set to about 5 microns, so that the filter can have a faster switching time and a smaller liquid crystal driving voltage.

[0162] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG17 , the dimension W5 of the second substrate 102 (i.e., the thickness of the second substrate 102 ) in a direction Z perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 101 is 0.5 mm. In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG16 , a first alignment layer 15 is provided on the side of the first substrate 101 proximal to the second substrate 102, and a second alignment layer 16 is provided on the side of the second substrate 102 proximal to the first substrate 101. In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG17 , support pillars 17 may be provided between the first and second substrates 101, 102, to support the first and second substrates 101, 102. The support pillars 17 may be provided between the first and second alignment layers 15, 16. The support pillars 17 may be made of PS adhesive and positioned away from the transmission structure 111 (including the main transmission structure 1111 and the branch structures 1112). Specifically, the orthographic projection of the support pillars 17 on the first substrate 101 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the transmission structure 111 on the first substrate. In an exemplary embodiment, the thickness W31 ( W3 ) of the liquid crystal layer LC may be secured by the support pillars 17 , for example, maintaining the thickness of the liquid crystal layer LC at approximately 10 μm.

[0163] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 a to FIG. 9 b and FIG. 10 to FIG. 15 , the main transmission structure 1111 may be a bar-shaped transmission line structure.

[0164] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG2 , the first conductive layer 11 may be provided with a first control line 18, and the first substrate 101 may be provided with a first control interface 19. One end of the first control line 18 is connected to the transmission structure 111, and the other end is electrically connected to the first control interface 19. The first control line 18 is configured to provide a voltage from the first control interface 19 to the transmission structure 111. In an exemplary embodiment, the first control line 18 may be connected to a main transmission structure 1111 in the transmission structure 111. In an exemplary embodiment, the first control line 18 may be integrally formed with the transmission structure 111.

[0165] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG3 , the first conductive layer 11 is provided with at least one second control line 20, and the second substrate 102 is provided with a second control interface 21. The number of second control lines 20 is the same as the number of control structures 121, and the second control lines 20 correspond one-to-one with the control structures 121. One end of the second control line 20 is connected to the corresponding control structure 121, and the other end is electrically connected to the second control interface 21. The second control line 20 is configured to provide a voltage from the second control interface 21 to the corresponding control structure 121. In an exemplary embodiment, the second control line 20 can be integrally formed with the corresponding conductive patch 1210. In an exemplary embodiment, the second control structure 21 can include the same number of second control sub-interfaces 201 as the second control lines 20, and the second control lines 20 correspond one-to-one with the second control sub-interfaces 201. The two ends of the second control line 20 are respectively connected to the corresponding conductive patch 1210 and the corresponding second control sub-interface 201. The second control line 20 is configured to provide a voltage from the corresponding second control sub-interface 201 to the corresponding control structure 121.

[0166] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 4b, 8b, 12b, 12c, 13b, and 14b (in order to better display the control lines and interfaces, the structure of the second substrate 102 is omitted in these figures, and the actual structure should be provided with a second substrate 102), the filter is provided with a first control line 18, a first control interface 19, a second control line 20, and a second control interface 21.

[0167] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 9a and 9b , the filter may further include a first port 22 and a second port 23. Electromagnetic waves may be input through the first port 22 and output through the second port 23 after filtering. Alternatively, electromagnetic waves may be input through the second port 23 and output through the first port 22 after filtering. In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 9b to 9c , the first port 22 may include a first central conductive structure 220, a first dielectric structure 221, and a first grounding structure 222. As shown in Figures 90b and 9c , the second port 22 may include a second central conductive structure 230, a second dielectric structure 231, and a second grounding structure 232. In an exemplary embodiment, the first port 22 and the second port 23 may be cylindrical structures. The first grounding structure 222 is disposed on the periphery of the cylindrical first dielectric structure 221, and the first central conductive structure 220 may be located at the central axis of the first dielectric structure 221. The second grounding structure 232 is disposed on the periphery of the cylindrical second dielectric structure 231, and the second central conductive structure 230 may be located at the central axis of the second dielectric structure 231. In an exemplary embodiment, the first central conductive structure 220 and the second central conductive structure 230 may be metal cores, one end of which may extend beyond the cylindrical structure and connect to the main transmission structure 1111 (for example, one end of the metal core may be soldered to the main transmission structure 1111). In an exemplary embodiment, the first grounding structure 222 and the second grounding structure 232 may be made of metal, and the first central conductive structure 220 and the second central conductive structure 230 may be made of metal. In an exemplary embodiment, the first port 22 and the second port 23 may be used as both input and output ports for electromagnetic waves connected to the main transmission structure 1111, and are not limited to the port structures shown in Figures 9c and 9d.

[0168] In example embodiments, the first substrate 101 may be a glass substrate.

[0169] In an exemplary embodiment, the reference ground structure 13 may be a whole metal layer, and the orthographic projections of the transmission structure 111 and the regulation structure 121 on the first substrate 101 are within the range of the orthographic projections of the reference ground structure 13 on the first substrate 101 .

[0170] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 4a to 9b, Figure 10, and Figures 12 to 15, the control structure 121 may include a plurality of conductive patches 1210, and the plurality of conductive patches 1210 correspond to different positions of the transmission structure 111. By adjusting the voltage applied to the conductive patches 1210 corresponding to different positions of the transmission structure 111, the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer LC is controlled, thereby adjusting the operating frequency band of the filter and turning on or off the bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band.

[0171] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 9b, 14a, and 15, the sizes of at least some of the multiple conductive patches 1210 may be different; or, as shown in Figures 8a and 10, the sizes of the multiple conductive patches 1210 may be the same, and slots 122 are provided in the middle of the multiple conductive patches 1210. The slots 122 pass through the second conductive layer 12 in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the second conductive layer is located, and the sizes of the slots 122 provided in at least some of the multiple conductive patches 1210 are different.

[0172] In an exemplary embodiment, applying different first driving voltages to the same conductive patch 1210 can adjust the operating frequency band of the filter and turn on or off the bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band. As shown in Figures 11a and 11b, when only one conductive patch 1210 is provided, different first driving voltages can be applied to the conductive patch 1210 to adjust the operating frequency band of the filter and turn on or off the bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band. For a filter having multiple conductive patches 1210, different first driving voltages can be applied to a particular conductive patch 1210 to adjust the operating frequency band of the filter and turn on or off the bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band. Alternatively, the same first driving voltage can be applied to different conductive patches to adjust the operating frequency band of the filter and turn on or off the bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band. Alternatively, different first driving voltages can be applied to different conductive patches 1210 to adjust the operating frequency band of the filter.

[0173] In an exemplary embodiment, in a filter having multiple conductive patches 1210 and a filter having only one conductive patch 1210, for the same conductive patch 1210, the operating frequency band of the filter can be adjusted by controlling the first driving voltage applied to the conductive patch 1210, and the bandpass signal within the relevant operating frequency band can be turned on or off by controlling the first driving voltage applied to the conductive patch 1210.

[0174] In an exemplary embodiment, a second driving voltage can be applied to the transmission structure 111 to adjust the voltage between the conductive patch 1210 and the transmission structure 111 by adjusting the first driving voltage and the second driving voltage, thereby adjusting the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer LC, thereby adjusting or changing the operating frequency band of the filter and turning on or off the bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band.

[0175] In an exemplary embodiment, for a certain operating frequency band of the filter, the bandpass signal of the filter can be controlled to be turned off or on by controlling the first driving voltage applied to the conductive patch 1210 .

[0176] In exemplary embodiments, the filter structures provided by several exemplary embodiments are described in detail below:

[0177] The first filter structure: In the filter structure shown in FIG9a , the thickness of the first substrate 101 can be set to about 0.5 mm, the dielectric constant of the first substrate 101 is about 4.6, the loss tangent of the first substrate 101 is about 0.003, the first conductive layer 11 and the reference ground structure 13 on both sides of the first substrate 101 are both copper films with a thickness of about 3 microns, the width dimension K1 of the main transmission structure 1111 is about 0.8 mm, the number of branch structures 1112 is 3, and the length dimension L11 of each branch structure 1112 is 11. The length of the first conductive patch 1211 is about 10.5 mm, and the length of the first conductive patch 1211 is about 10.5 mm. The length of the first conductive patch 1211 is about 10.5 mm. The length of the first conductive patch 1211 is about 10.5 mm. The length of the first conductive patch 1211 is about 10.5 mm. The length of the first conductive patch 1211 is about 10.5 mm. The length of the first conductive patch 1211 is about 10.5 mm. The length of the first conductive patch 1211 is about 10.5 mm. The length of the short side of the slot 122 (i.e., the width of the slot 122) is approximately 7.2 mm, and the short side of the slot 122 (i.e., the width of the slot 122) is approximately 0.8 mm. The thickness of the liquid crystal layer LC is approximately 10 microns, and the thickness W2 of the liquid crystal layer LC between the first conductive patch 1211 and the main transmission structure 1111 is approximately 5 microns. The dielectric constant and loss tangent of the liquid crystal layer LC are ε⊥=2.453, ε∥=3.582, tanδ⊥=0.011, and tanδ∥=0.006, where ε⊥ is the dielectric constant in the direction parallel to the molecules, and ε∥ is the dielectric constant in the direction perpendicular to the molecules. constant, tanδ⊥ is the vertical loss tangent, and tanδ∥ is the horizontal loss tangent; the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer is controlled by the regulating structure 121 to obtain the bandpass characteristics of the filter as shown in Figure 18, where curve R1 in Figure 18 is the transmission coefficient when the bandpass is kept in the on state, and curve R2 is the transmission coefficient when the bandpass is in the off state. It can be seen from the curves R1 and R2 in Figure 18 that the regulating structure 121 can be used to realize the opening (as shown by the curve R1 in Figure 18) and closing (as shown by the curve R2 in Figure 18) of the filter at a frequency of about 2.5 GHz.

[0178] Second filter structure: The filter structure shown in FIG8a differs from the filter shown in FIG9a in that the extension direction of the branch structure 1112 forms an acute angle F with the second direction Y (the other structures are consistent with FIG9a). That is, based on FIG9a, the branch structure 1112 is deflected at an acute angle F relative to the second direction Y. When the length dimension L11 of the branch structure 1112 remains unchanged, this can help to miniaturize the filter. For example, when the acute angle F is 10°, the bandpass characteristics of the filter are obtained by controlling the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer by the control structure 121, as shown in FIG19. Curve R1 in FIG19 is the transmission coefficient when the bandpass is in the on state, and curve R2 is the transmission coefficient when the bandpass is in the off state. As can be seen from curves R1 and R2 in FIG19, at a frequency of approximately 2.5 GHz, the control structure 121 can be used to turn the filter on (as shown by curve R1 in FIG19) and off (as shown by curve R2 in FIG19).

[0179] The third filter structure: The filter structure shown in FIG13a differs from that in FIG9a in that: the first conductive patch 1211 is not provided on the main transmission structure 1111, and two second conductive patches 1212 are provided on each branch structure 1112. The two second conductive patches 1212 on each branch structure 1112 are respectively arranged in the middle of the corresponding branch structure 1112 and the end away from the main transmission structure 1111. The dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer is controlled by the regulating structure 121 to obtain the bandpass characteristics of the filter as shown in Figure 20. The bandpass center frequency is 2.2 GHz. By applying 0V and 5V voltages to the liquid crystal layer LC (applying voltage to the main transmission structure 1111 and the regulating second conductive patch 1212), the transmission signal within the frequency band of 2.2 GHz ± 0.11 GHz can be turned on (curve R1 in Figure 20) or turned off (curve R2 in Figure 20); in the structure shown in Figure 20, the frequency of about 2.5 GHz can be controlled by controlling the voltage between the main transmission structure 1111 and the regulating second conductive patch 1212 (that is, controlling the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer LC) to realize the opening (curve R1 in Figure 20) or turning off (curve R2 in Figure 20) of the filter.

[0180] Third filter structure: In the filter structure shown in Figure 14a, conductive patches 1210 of different sizes are placed corresponding to the branch structures 1112, thereby achieving switching in multiple frequency bands. The multiple conductive patches 1210 corresponding to the same branch structure 1112 increase in size from the main transmission structure 1111 to the direction away from the main transmission structure 1111. That is, the smallest conductive patch is placed closest to the main transmission structure 1111 on the same branch structure 1112, and the largest conductive patch is placed farthest from the main transmission line 1111 (for example, at the end of the branch structure 1112).As shown in FIG14 , three conductive patches 1210 of different sizes are placed on the same branch structure 1112. The conductive patch with the smallest size (area) is set as a, the conductive patch with the largest size (area) is set as c, and the conductive patch with a size (area) between the conductive patches a and c is the conductive patch b. The length L21 of the conductive patch a is 10.5 mm, and the width L22 is 5 mm (the corresponding length L31 of the slot 122 is 6.4 mm, and the width L32 is 0.8 mm). The length L21 of the conductive patch b is 23 mm, and the width L22 is 8 mm (the corresponding slot 122 is 0.8 mm). The length dimension L31 is 10 mm and the width dimension L32 is 0.8 mm), the length dimension L21 of the conductive patch c is 23 mm and the width dimension L22 is 8 mm (the corresponding length dimension L31 of the slot 122 is 20 mm and the width dimension L32 is 0.8 mm); the width dimension K1 of the main transmission structure 1111 is 1.6 mm, the length dimension L11 of the branch structure 1112 is 72 mm, the width dimension L12 of the branch structure 1112 is 4 mm, and the distance D11 between the centers of two adjacent branch structures 1112 is 28 mm. By controlling the conductive patches a, b, and c, the conductive patches 1111 are applied to the conductive patches 1112. The voltage on the chip can flexibly control the transmission band (frequency band) of the filter. As shown in Figure 21, this is the transmission coefficient curve of the filter obtained when no voltage is applied to the conductive patch a, the conductive patch b is applied with voltage, and the conductive patch c is not applied with voltage. It can be seen from the transmission coefficient curve that electromagnetic waves with frequencies of 2.5-2.6GHz and 1.34-1.38GHz cannot pass through the filter, and electromagnetic waves with frequencies of 0.74GHz-0.76GHz can pass through the filter; as shown in Figure 22, this is the transmission coefficient curve obtained when no voltage is applied to the conductive patch a, the conductive patch b is not applied with voltage, and the conductive patch c is applied with voltage. It can be seen from the transmission coefficient curve that electromagnetic waves with frequencies of 2.5-2.6 GHz and 0.74 GHz-0.76 GHz cannot pass through the filter, and electromagnetic waves with a frequency of 1.34-1.38 GHz can pass through the filter; as shown in Figure 23, these are the transmission coefficient curves obtained by applying voltage to conductive patch a, applying voltage to conductive patch b, and not applying voltage to conductive patch c. It can be seen from the transmission coefficient curve that electromagnetic waves with frequencies of 2.5-2.6 GHz and 0.74 GHz-0.76 GHz can pass through the filter, and electromagnetic waves with a frequency of 1.34-1.38 GHz cannot pass through the filter.

[0181] In an exemplary embodiment, conductive patches 1210 of different sizes can be used to control the transmission of electromagnetic waves of different frequency bands through the filter. Generally, larger conductive patches correspond to the transmission on / off switches of electromagnetic waves of lower frequency bands (i.e., controlling the opening or closing of the bandpass signal within the lower operating frequency band), while smaller patches correspond to the transmission on / off switches of electromagnetic waves of higher frequency bands (i.e., controlling the opening or closing of the bandpass signal within the higher operating frequency band). In an exemplary embodiment, conductive patches of the same size can be used, each with a slot of different size or shape, to respectively achieve the transmission on / off switches of electromagnetic waves of multiple high and low frequency bands through the filter.

[0182] In the exemplary embodiment, the conductive patch 1210 selected for use as a switch has a groove 122 cut in the middle. The purpose of the groove 122 is to reduce the size of the metal patch. The groove 122 is not required, and the conductive patch 1210 without the groove 122 can still function as a tuning switch. The longer the groove 122 is, the smaller the size of the conductive patch 1210 can be. If the thickness of the liquid crystal layer LC is thinner, such as using a 4 micron or even 3 micron thick liquid crystal layer LC, the size of the conductive patch can also be effectively reduced. However, it is necessary to consider that the thinner liquid crystal layer LC is more susceptible to breakdown. Whether under DC conditions or microwave frequency conditions, the power carrying capacity of the liquid crystal layer LC needs to be considered. In an exemplary embodiment, one to four rectangular conductive patches can be used as four switches, but there is no limit to the number of conductive patches. Generally, the more conductive patches 1210 there are, the wider the stopband bandwidth will be when turned off, and the transmission coefficient S21 in the stopband will also be lower. However, when the number of conductive patches 1210 is greater than 6, the number of conductive patch switches continues to increase, and the changes in the stopband bandwidth and turn-off depth are no longer obvious.

[0183] The present disclosure also provides an antenna, as shown in FIG. 24 to FIG. 28 b , comprising a first substrate 101 and a second substrate 102 disposed opposite each other, and a liquid crystal layer LC disposed between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102; a first conductive layer 11 is disposed on a side of the first substrate 101 close to the second substrate 102; a reference ground structure 13 is disposed on a side of the first substrate 101 away from the second substrate 102; the reference ground structure 13 has a first gap E1; and a second conductive layer 12 is disposed on a side of the second substrate 102 close to the first substrate 101.

[0184] The first conductive layer 11 is provided with a transmission structure 111 and a radiation structure 30 connected to the transmission structure 111. The second conductive layer 12 is provided with a regulation structure 121. The regulation structure 121 includes at least one conductive patch 1210. The at least one conductive patch 1210 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the transmission structure 111 on the first substrate 101. The orthographic projections of the transmission structure 111, the at least one conductive patch 1210, and the radiation structure 30 on the first substrate 101 at least partially overlap with the orthographic projection of the reference ground structure 13 on the first substrate 101. The orthographic projection of the end of the radiation structure 30 away from the transmission structure 111 on the first substrate 101 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first gap E1 on the first substrate 101.

[0185] The control structure 121 is configured to control the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer LC through at least some of the conductive patches 1210 in at least one conductive patch 1210 to adjust the working frequency band of the antenna, and is configured to turn on or off the bandpass signal within the corresponding working frequency band through at least some of the conductive patches 1210 in at least one conductive patch 1210.

[0186] In an exemplary embodiment, the orthographic projection of the end of the radiation structure 30 away from the transmission structure 111 on the first substrate 101 is located within the range of the orthographic projection of the first slit E1 on the first substrate 101 .

[0187] In an exemplary embodiment, the transmission structure 111 includes a main transmission structure 1111 and a branch structure 1112 connected to the main transmission structure 1111. On the surface where the first conductive layer 11 is located, the extension direction X of the main transmission structure 1111 intersects with the extension direction of the branch structure 1112. In the extension direction of the main transmission structure 111, the radiation structure 30 is connected to the end of one side of the main transmission structure 1111.

[0188] In an exemplary embodiment, the shape of the radiation structure 30 can be rectangular. In a plane parallel to the first substrate 101 and in a direction extending perpendicular to the main transmission structure 1111, the size of the radiation structure 30 is larger than the size of the main transmission structure 1111 and smaller than the size of the first gap E1.

[0189] In an exemplary embodiment, the structures shown in Figures 4 to 8 and Figures 10 to 15 can obtain an antenna with adjustable operating frequency after providing a radiating structure 30 on the first conductive layer 11 and providing a first slot E1 on the reference ground structure 13. In the plane where the first conductive layer 11 is located, the extension direction X of the main transmission structure 1111 intersects with the extension direction of the branch structure 1112. In the extension direction of the main transmission structure 111, the radiating structure 30 is connected to the end of one side of the main transmission structure 1111. The orthographic projection of the end of the radiating structure 30 away from the transmission structure 111 on the first substrate 101 is within the range of the orthographic projection of the first slot E1 on the first substrate 101. In a plane parallel to the first substrate 101 and in a direction perpendicular to the extension of the main transmission structure 1111, the size of the radiating structure 30 is larger than the size of the main transmission structure 1111 and smaller than the size of the first slot E1.

[0190] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an electronic device, as shown in FIG29 , the electronic device may include the filter described in any of the aforementioned embodiments, or as shown in FIG30 , the electronic device may include the antenna described in any of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0191] In an exemplary embodiment, the electronic device can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a television, a monitor, a laptop computer, a wearable device (such as a wearable watch, a bracelet, etc.), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a navigation device, a radar detection device, or any other product or component having any of the filters or antennas of the above embodiments.

[0192] The present disclosure also discloses a filter driving method, which is applied to the filter described in any of the above embodiments. As shown in FIG31 , the driving method may include:

[0193] A first driving voltage is applied to at least part of the at least one conductive patch to control the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer, thereby adjusting the operating frequency band of the filter and turning on or off a bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band.

[0194] In an exemplary embodiment, the driving method may further include applying a second driving voltage to the transmission structure to control the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer between the control structure and the transmission structure. In an exemplary embodiment, by controlling the voltage between the control structure and the transmission structure, the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer between the control structure and the transmission structure can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the operating frequency band of the filter and enabling or disabling a bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band.

[0195] The present disclosure also discloses an antenna driving method, which is applied to the antenna described in any of the above embodiments. As shown in FIG32 , the driving method may include:

[0196] A first driving voltage is applied to at least part of the at least one conductive patch to control the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer, thereby adjusting the operating frequency band of the antenna and turning on or off a bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band.

[0197] In an exemplary embodiment, the driving method may further include applying a second driving voltage to the transmission structure to control the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer between the control structure and the transmission structure. In an exemplary embodiment, by controlling the voltage between the control structure and the transmission structure, the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer between the control structure and the transmission structure can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the operating frequency band of the antenna and enabling or disabling a bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band.

[0198] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a filter, an antenna, an electronic device, and a driving method for the filter and the antenna. The filter controls the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer by regulating at least part of the conductive patches in the structure, thereby adjusting the operating frequency band of the filter, and turning on or off the bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band by regulating at least part of the conductive patches in the structure, so that the operating frequency band of the filter and the turning on or off of the bandpass signal can be adjusted by controlling the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer by the regulating structure, thereby changing the operating frequency band of the filter and the turning on or off of the bandpass signal without increasing cost or volume.

[0199] The drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure only involve the structures involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure, and other structures may refer to general designs.

[0200] In the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present disclosure, i.e., features in the embodiments, can be combined with each other to form new embodiments.

[0201] Although the embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure are as described above, the contents described are only embodiments adopted to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. Any person skilled in the art in the field to which the embodiments of the present disclosure belong may make any modifications and changes in the form and details of the implementation without departing from the spirit and scope disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure, but the scope of patent protection of the embodiments of the present disclosure shall still be based on the scope defined by the attached claims.

Claims

1. A filter comprising a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite each other, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates; a first conductive layer disposed on a side of the first substrate close to the second substrate, a reference ground structure disposed on a side of the first substrate away from the second substrate, and a second conductive layer disposed on a side of the second substrate close to the first substrate; The first conductive layer is provided with a transmission structure, and the second conductive layer is provided with a regulation structure, wherein the regulation structure includes at least one conductive patch, the at least one conductive patch at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the transmission structure on the first substrate, and the orthographic projections of the transmission structure and the at least one conductive patch on the first substrate at least partially overlap with an orthographic projection of the reference ground structure on the first substrate; The control structure is configured to control the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer to adjust the operating frequency band of the filter through at least some of the conductive patches in the at least one conductive patch, and is configured to turn on or off the bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band through at least some of the conductive patches in the at least one conductive patch.

2. The filter according to claim 1, wherein The dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer changes as the voltage between the transmission structure and the at least one conductive patch changes, and the operating frequency band of the filter changes as the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer changes.

3. The filter according to claim 1, wherein The transmission structure includes a main transmission structure and a branch structure connected to the main transmission structure. On the surface where the first conductive layer is located, an extension direction of the main transmission structure intersects with an extension direction of the branch structure.

4. The filter according to claim 3, wherein The number of the main transmission structure is one, and the number of the branch structures is multiple; in the plane where the first conductive layer is located, in the extension direction perpendicular to the main transmission structure, the multiple branch structures are arranged on one side or both sides of the main transmission structure, and the multiple branch structures located on one side of the main transmission structure are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the main transmission structure.

5. The filter according to claim 4, wherein On the plane where the first conductive layer is located, an extension direction of the branch structure is orthogonal to an extension direction of the main transmission structure; Alternatively, on the plane where the first conductive layer is located, an extension direction of the branch structure forms an acute angle with a second direction, and the second direction is orthogonal to an extension direction of the main transmission structure.

6. The filter according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: In the plane where the first conductive layer is located, in the direction perpendicular to the extension of the main transmission structure, the multiple branch structures are located on both sides of the main transmission structure, and the multiple branch structures located on both sides of the main transmission structure are symmetrically arranged relative to the main transmission structure, or the multiple branch structures located on both sides of the main transmission structure are staggered along the extension direction of the main transmission structure.

7. The filter according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: An orthographic projection of the at least one conductive patch on the first substrate at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of at least one of the main transmission structure and the branch structure on the first substrate.

8. The filter according to claim 7, wherein The at least one conductive patch includes at least one first conductive patch, and an orthographic projection of the at least one first conductive patch on the first substrate at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the main transmission structure on the first substrate; In the plane of the first substrate, in the extension direction of the main transmission structure, the orthographic projection of the at least one first conductive patch on the first substrate is located on at least one side of the orthographic projection of the multiple branch structures on the first substrate.

9. The filter according to claim 8, wherein There are multiple first conductive patches, and the sizes of the multiple first conductive patches are the same, or at least some of the first conductive patches have different sizes.

10. The filter according to claim 8, wherein A first slot is provided in the middle of the first conductive patch; The sizes of at least some of the multiple first conductive patches are different, and the sizes of the first slots in the multiple first conductive patches are the same; or the sizes of the multiple first conductive patches are the same, and the sizes of at least some of the first slots in the multiple first conductive patches are different; or the sizes of at least some of the first conductive patches in the multiple first conductive patches and the sizes of the corresponding multiple first slots are different.

11. The antenna according to claim 8, wherein The orthographic projection of the first conductive patch on the first conductive layer is symmetrical with respect to the main transmission structure, the orthographic projection of the midline of the first conductive patch extending along the first direction on the first conductive layer coincides with the midline of the main transmission structure extending along the first direction, and the first direction is consistent with the extension direction of the main transmission structure.

12. The filter according to claim 7, wherein The at least one conductive patch includes at least one second conductive patch, the orthographic projection of each of the second conductive patches on the first substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of one of the branch structures on the first substrate, and the orthographic projection of at least one of the branch structures on the first substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of one or more second conductive patches on the first substrate.

13. The filter according to claim 12, wherein Among the multiple branch structures, at least one branch structure corresponds to a plurality of second conductive patches, and the orthographic projection of the same branch structure on the first substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the corresponding plurality of second conductive patches on the first substrate. On a plane parallel to the first conductive layer, the sizes of the plurality of second conductive patches corresponding to the same branch structure gradually increase from the main transmission structure to the direction away from the main transmission structure.

14. The filter according to claim 13, wherein A second slot is provided in the middle of the second conductive patch, and the second slot passes through the second conductive layer in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the second conductive layer is located; On a plane parallel to where the first conductive layer is located, sizes of the plurality of second slots corresponding to the same branch structure gradually increase from the transmission structure in a direction away from the main transmission structure.

15. The filter according to claim 12, wherein There are multiple second conductive patches, and the shapes and sizes of the multiple second conductive patches are consistent; A second slot is provided in the middle of the second conductive patch, and the second slot passes through the second conductive layer in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the second conductive layer is located; on a plane parallel to the first conductive layer, from the main transmission structure to the direction away from the main transmission structure, the sizes of the multiple second slots corresponding to the same branch structure gradually decrease, or the sizes of the multiple second slots corresponding to the same branch structure are the same.

16. The filter according to claim 12, wherein The orthographic projection of the second conductive patch on the first conductive layer is symmetrical with respect to the corresponding branch structure, and the orthographic projection of the midline of the second conductive patch extending along the third direction on the first conductive layer coincides with the midline of the corresponding branch structure extending along the third direction, and the third direction is consistent with the extension direction of the branch structure.

17. The filter according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The length dimensions of the multiple branch structures are consistent, and the length dimension of the branch structure is 0.3 to 0.7 times the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the filter in the working frequency band, and the width dimensions of the multiple branch structures are consistent; in the plane where the first conductive layer is located, in the extension direction perpendicular to the main transmission structure, the multiple branch structures located on the same side of the main transmission structure are arranged at equal intervals along the extension direction of the main transmission structure.

18. The filter according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein: The conductive patches are rectangular in shape, and any one of the conductive patches corresponds to the main transmission structure or one of the branch structures; On a plane parallel to the first conductive layer, a pair of opposite sides of the conductive patch corresponding to the main transmission structure extend in the same direction as the main transmission structure, and another pair of opposite sides extend in a direction perpendicular to the main transmission structure. The extension direction of one set of opposite sides of the conductive patch corresponding to the branch structure is consistent with the extension direction of the corresponding branch structure, and the extension direction of the other set of opposite sides is perpendicular to the extension direction of the corresponding branch structure.

19. The antenna according to claim 18, wherein On a plane parallel to the first conductive layer, the conductive patch corresponding to the main transmission structure has a long side extending in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the main transmission structure, and a short side extending in a direction consistent with the extension direction of the main transmission structure. The center line of the main transmission structure extending in the first direction coincides with the orthographic projection of the center line of the corresponding conductive patch extending in the first direction on the first substrate, and the first direction is consistent with the extension direction of the main transmission structure. The conductive patch corresponding to the branch structure has a long side extending in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the corresponding branch structure, and a short side extending in a direction consistent with the extension direction of the corresponding branch structure. The center line of the branch structure extending in a third direction coincides with the orthographic projection of the center line of the corresponding conductive patch extending in the third direction on the first substrate, and the third direction is consistent with the extension direction of the branch structure.

20. The filter according to claim 19, wherein A slot is provided in the middle of the conductive patch. The shape of the slot is consistent with that of the conductive patch. The slot passes through the second conductive layer in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the second conductive layer is located.

21. The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The control structure includes multiple conductive patches, which correspond to different positions of the transmission structure. The dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer is controlled by adjusting the voltage applied to the conductive patches corresponding to different positions of the transmission structure, thereby adjusting the operating frequency band of the filter.

22. The filter according to claim 21, wherein At least some of the plurality of conductive patches have different sizes; Alternatively, the multiple conductive patches have the same size, a groove is set in the middle of the multiple conductive patches, and the groove passes through the second conductive layer in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the second conductive layer is located. The sizes of the grooves set in at least some of the multiple conductive patches are different.

23. An antenna comprising a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite each other, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates; a first conductive layer disposed on a side of the first substrate proximate to the second substrate, a reference ground structure disposed on a side of the first substrate distal to the second substrate, the reference ground structure having a first gap; and a second conductive layer disposed on a side of the second substrate proximate to the first substrate. The first conductive layer is provided with a transmission structure and a radiating structure connected to the transmission structure; the second conductive layer is provided with a regulating structure, the regulating structure including at least one conductive patch, the at least one conductive patch at least partially overlapping with an orthographic projection of the transmission structure on the first substrate, the orthographic projections of the transmission structure, the at least one conductive patch, and the radiating structure on the first substrate at least partially overlapping with an orthographic projection of the reference ground structure on the first substrate, and the orthographic projection of an end of the radiating structure away from the transmission structure on the first substrate at least partially overlapping with an orthographic projection of the first gap on the first substrate; The control structure is configured to control the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer to adjust the working frequency band of the antenna through at least some of the conductive patches in the at least one conductive patch, and is configured to turn on or off the bandpass signal within the corresponding working frequency band through at least some of the conductive patches in the at least one conductive patch.

24. The antenna according to claim 23, wherein The orthographic projection of the end portion of the radiation structure away from the transmission structure on the first substrate is located within the range of the orthographic projection of the first gap on the first substrate.

25. The antenna according to claim 23 or 24, wherein: The transmission structure includes a main transmission structure and a branch structure connected to the main transmission structure. On the surface where the first conductive layer is located, the extension direction of the main transmission structure intersects with the extension direction of the branch structure. In the extension direction of the main transmission structure, the radiation structure is connected to the end of one side of the main transmission structure.

26. The antenna according to claim 25, wherein The radiation structure is rectangular in shape. In a plane parallel to the first substrate and in a direction perpendicular to the main transmission structure, the size of the radiation structure is larger than that of the main transmission structure and smaller than that of the first gap.

27. An electronic device comprising the filter according to any one of claims 1 to 22, or the antenna according to any one of claims 23 to 26.

28. A filter driving method, applied to the filter according to any one of claims 1 to 22, the driving method comprising: A first driving voltage is applied to at least part of the at least one conductive patch to control the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer, thereby adjusting the operating frequency band of the filter and turning on or off a bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band.

29. A method for driving an antenna, applied to the antenna according to any one of claims 23 to 26, the method comprising: A first driving voltage is applied to at least part of the at least one conductive patch to control the refractive index of the liquid crystal layer, thereby adjusting the operating frequency band of the antenna and turning on or off a bandpass signal within the corresponding operating frequency band.

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