Antenna assembly and terminal device

Abstract

Disclosed are an antenna assembly and a terminal device. The antenna assembly comprises a plurality of antenna modules, wherein adjacent antenna modules are hinged by means of a hinge structure, and each antenna module comprises a dielectric substrate and a plurality of radiation units that are arranged on one side of the dielectric substrate. The antenna assembly has a folded state and an unfolded state, wherein in the folded state, adjacent antenna modules overlap with each other by means of a hinge structure, such that the plurality of antenna modules are stacked in a first direction; and in the unfolded state, at least two adjacent antenna modules are unfolded relative to each other.

Description

Antenna components and terminal equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 2024102110372, filed on February 26, 2024, entitled “Antenna Assembly and Terminal Device,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure belongs to the field of communication technology and relates to an antenna assembly and a terminal device. Background Art

[0003] Currently, antennas used in satellite communication handheld terminals come in two types: fixed and movable. Fixed antennas, whether built into or external to the handheld terminal, have no moving parts and a fixed structure that resists rotation or deformation. Consequently, fixed antennas lack strong directivity and exhibit low gain. Movable antennas, similar to whip antennas, are capable of rotation. While these antennas offer improved directivity, their gain remains relatively low.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following is an overview of the subject matter described in detail in this disclosure. This overview is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0006] According to a first aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an antenna assembly is provided, comprising a plurality of antenna modules, wherein adjacent antenna modules are hingedly connected via a hinge structure, and each antenna module comprises a dielectric substrate and a plurality of radiating elements disposed on one side of the dielectric substrate;

[0007] The antenna assembly has a folded state and an unfolded state. In the folded state, adjacent antenna modules overlap with each other through the hinge structure, so that the multiple antenna modules are stacked along a first direction;

[0008] In the expanded state, at least two adjacent antenna modules are expanded relative to each other.

[0009] In some exemplary embodiments, the radiating units of each antenna module are the same, or the radiating units of at least two antenna modules are different; the radiating units include at least one of an array antenna element, a linearly polarized antenna element, and a circularly polarized antenna element.

[0010] In some exemplary embodiments, the array antenna element includes at least one of a microstrip antenna array, a cavity antenna array, a slot antenna array, a printed Yagi antenna array, and a dipole antenna array.

[0011] In some exemplary embodiments, the multiple antenna modules are divided into a first antenna group and a second antenna group, the radiating units of the antenna modules in the first antenna group are array antenna elements, and the radiating units of the antenna modules in the second antenna group include linearly polarized antenna elements and circularly polarized antenna elements;

[0012] When all the antenna modules in the first antenna group are flattened, the antenna modules in the first antenna group are arranged in sequence along the second direction; when all the antenna modules in the second antenna group are flattened, the antenna modules in the second antenna group are arranged in sequence along the third direction, the second direction is parallel to the third direction or is set at a preset angle, and the first antenna group and the second antenna group can be unfolded and folded independently of each other.

[0013] In some exemplary embodiments, the first antenna group includes a first antenna module, a second antenna module, and a third antenna module; the second antenna module and the third antenna module are respectively hinged to two sides of the first antenna module via the hinge structure; in the folded state, the third antenna module is closer to the first antenna module than the second antenna module; and a dimension of the hinge structure connecting the first antenna module and the second antenna module in the first direction is greater than a thickness of the third antenna module;

[0014] The second antenna group includes a fourth antenna module, a fifth antenna module and a sixth antenna module hinged in sequence by the hinge structure, and a side of the fourth antenna module facing away from the fifth antenna module is hinged to the second antenna module by the hinge structure.

[0015] In some exemplary embodiments, the dielectric substrate includes a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other, the radiation unit is disposed on the first surface, and a solar cell is disposed on the second surface.

[0016] According to a second aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal device is provided, comprising a terminal device body and an antenna assembly as described above; the antenna assembly is movably connected to the terminal device body and the antenna assembly is electrically connected to a mainboard of the terminal device body.

[0017] In some exemplary embodiments, the top frame of the terminal device body is movably connected to the bottom end of one of the antenna modules of the antenna assembly via a two-degree-of-freedom rotating shaft; the antenna assembly rotates via the two-degree-of-freedom rotating shaft to transmit and receive antenna signals.

[0018] In some exemplary embodiments, the two-degree-of-freedom rotation axis includes a first rotation axis and a second rotation axis, the first rotation axis is parallel to the top frame of the terminal device body, and the second rotation axis is perpendicular to the top frame of the terminal device body.

[0019] In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device body is configured to display indication information in the display interface of the terminal device body based on the target antenna signal currently being transmitted and received, and the indication information is used to indicate the rotation direction of the antenna assembly and / or the posture of the antenna assembly.

[0020] The antenna assembly provided by the present disclosure adopts a foldable structure and can be folded or unfolded according to the usage scenario. In the unfolded state, the area of ​​the antenna assembly becomes larger, the available aperture becomes larger, and the gain increases, thereby enabling signal reception and transmission; the antenna assembly in the folded state can reduce the structural space occupied by the antenna assembly for easy storage or carrying.

[0021] Still other aspects will become apparent upon reading and understanding the accompanying drawings and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, are used to explain the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure. In these drawings, similar reference numerals are used to represent similar elements. The drawings described below are some embodiments of the present disclosure, not all embodiments. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be derived from these drawings without inventive effort.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an antenna assembly in an unfolded state according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0024] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an antenna assembly in a folded state according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0025] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an antenna assembly in a folded state according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0026] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a first surface of an antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0027] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a second surface of an antenna module according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0028] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a terminal device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0029] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a terminal device according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the disclosed embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments in the present disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

[0031] Currently, antennas used in satellite communication handheld terminals come in two types: fixed and movable. Fixed antennas, whether built into or external to the handheld terminal, have no moving parts and a fixed structure that resists rotation or deformation. Consequently, fixed antennas lack strong directivity and exhibit low gain. Movable antennas, similar to whip antennas, are capable of rotation. While these antennas offer improved directivity, their gain remains relatively low.

[0032] Based on this, as shown in Figures 1-2, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna assembly 100, including multiple antenna modules 10, adjacent antenna modules 10 are hinged by a hinge structure 20, each antenna module 10 includes a dielectric substrate 11 and multiple radiation units 12 arranged on one side of the dielectric substrate 11, and the radiation units 12 can radiate or receive radio waves to realize signal transmission and reception.

[0033] The antenna assembly 100 has a folded state and an unfolded state. As shown in FIG2 , in the folded state, adjacent antenna modules 10 overlap with each other via a hinge structure 20, so that multiple antenna modules 10 are stacked and arranged along a first direction. As shown in FIG1 , in the unfolded state, at least two adjacent antenna modules 10 are unfolded from each other. The antenna assembly 100 can be folded or unfolded according to the usage scenario. For example, when the terminal device connected to the antenna assembly is to communicate, all or some of the adjacent antenna modules 10 can be unfolded as needed, increasing the area of ​​the antenna assembly 100, the available aperture of the antenna assembly 100, and the gain of the antenna assembly 100, thereby enabling signal transmission and reception. When the terminal device connected to the antenna assembly does not need to communicate, all antenna modules 10 can be folded via the hinge structure 20, so that all antenna modules 10 are stacked and stowed along the first direction, reducing the structural space occupied by the antenna assembly 100 and facilitating storage or portability.

[0034] It should be noted that the number of antenna modules in an antenna assembly can be selected as needed during the design of the antenna assembly and is not limited in this disclosure. For example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, antenna assembly 100 may include six antenna modules 10. In addition, antenna assembly 100 may also include two, three, four, five, or other numbers of antenna modules 10. As shown in Figure 3, antenna assembly 100 includes three antenna modules 10.

[0035] The antenna assembly provided by the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure adopts a foldable structure and can be folded or unfolded according to the usage scenario. The area of ​​the antenna assembly in the unfolded state becomes larger, the available aperture becomes larger, and the gain increases, thereby enabling signal reception and transmission; the antenna assembly in the folded state can reduce the structural space occupied by the antenna assembly for easy storage or carrying.

[0036] In the exemplary embodiments provided herein, the radiating elements of each antenna module may be identical, or at least two antenna modules may have different radiating elements; the radiating elements include at least one of an array antenna element, a linearly polarized antenna element, and a circularly polarized antenna element. For example, as shown in FIG1 , the antenna module 10 in the antenna assembly 100 includes three radiating elements 12 . Specifically, the radiating elements 12 include an array antenna element 13 , a linearly polarized antenna element 14 , and a circularly polarized antenna element 15 .

[0037] Antenna modules that include linearly polarized antenna elements and / or circularly polarized antenna elements operate in frequency bands below 6 GHz, covering most terrestrial mobile communication network frequency bands, as well as those used by navigation satellites and some satellite mobile communication systems, such as Iridium, Globalstar, and Tiantong. Antenna modules that include array antenna elements operate in frequency bands above 6 GHz, reaching up to 60 GHz, covering the 5G FR2 frequency band and high-speed satellite communication bands.

[0038] Currently, satellite communication terminals are equipped with a single antenna type. This typically limits performance and prevents them from meeting the requirements of diverse application scenarios. For example, some scenarios require high antenna gain and strong directivity, while others do not require high directivity and gain but require a wide radiation angle. A single antenna type cannot meet both requirements on a single terminal.

[0039] In the antenna assembly provided by the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, at least two antenna modules may have different radiating units, that is, the radiating units of the antenna modules in the antenna assembly may be of different types to accommodate various modes of satellite communications. For example, as shown in FIG1 , the radiating unit 12 of the antenna module 10 in the antenna assembly 100 includes an array antenna element 13, a linearly polarized antenna element 14, and a circularly polarized antenna element 15. The array antenna element 13 can support the transmission and reception of signals in the high-frequency band, while the linearly polarized antenna element 14 and the circularly polarized antenna element 15 can support the transmission and reception of signals in the low-frequency band. Thus, the antenna assembly 100 can be used for the transmission and reception of high, medium, and low-frequency signals. In addition, it also takes into account a variety of polarization modes, thereby increasing the gain of the antenna assembly 100 and improving the convenience of users in using the communication terminal, without having to replace the terminal equipment to meet the needs of different communication modes.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in FIG1 , when the radiating element 12 of the antenna module 10 is a linearly polarized antenna element 14, it can include multiple linearly polarized antenna elements of different frequencies. When the radiating element 12 of the antenna module 10 is a circularly polarized antenna element 15, it can include multiple circularly polarized antenna elements of different frequencies, different directivities, and different gains. When the radiating element 12 of the antenna module 10 is an array antenna element 13, it can also include multiple array antenna elements of different frequencies. This configuration can improve the gain of each antenna module 10, and thereby improve the gain of the antenna assembly 100.

[0041] In the exemplary embodiments provided herein, the array antenna element comprises at least one of a microstrip antenna array, a cavity antenna array, a slot antenna array, a printed Yagi antenna array, and a dipole antenna array. The selection of the array antenna element type can be based on practical needs during antenna assembly design, such as performance requirements, processing technology, and cost requirements, and is not limited herein.

[0042] Referring to FIG1 , in an exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, multiple antenna modules 10 are divided into a first antenna group and a second antenna group. The radiating units of the antenna modules in the first antenna group are array antenna elements 13, and the radiating units of the antenna modules in the second antenna group include linearly polarized antenna elements 14 and circularly polarized antenna elements 15. The first antenna group, in which the radiating units of the antenna modules are array antenna elements 13, can support signal transmission and reception in high-frequency bands, while the second antenna group, in which the radiating units of the antenna modules are linearly polarized antenna elements 14 and circularly polarized antenna elements 15, can support signal transmission and reception in low-frequency bands. Therefore, the antenna assembly 100 can be adapted to both high-frequency band signal transmission and reception and low-frequency band signal transmission and reception modes through the first and second antenna groups included. Users do not need to replace communication devices when switching communication modes, thereby improving the convenience of using communication devices for users.

[0043] In the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, when all antenna modules in the first antenna group are flattened, the antenna modules in the first antenna group are arranged in sequence along the second direction; when all antenna modules in the second antenna group are flattened, the antenna modules in the second antenna group are arranged in sequence along the third direction; the second direction is parallel to the third direction or is set at a preset angle; the first antenna group and the second antenna group can be unfolded and folded independently of each other.

[0044] As described above, the radiating unit of the antenna module is the first antenna group of the array antenna element 13, which can support signal transmission and reception in the high frequency band. The radiating unit of the antenna module is the second antenna group of the linearly polarized antenna element 14 and the circularly polarized antenna element 15, which can support signal transmission and reception in the low frequency band. Therefore, when the user communicates through the antenna assembly 100, the first antenna group or the second antenna group can be unfolded or folded according to actual needs. For example, when the user needs to use the antenna assembly 100 to transmit and receive signals in the high frequency band, the first antenna group can be unfolded and the second antenna group can be folded. After the antenna assembly 100 is unfolded, the antenna modules in the first antenna group are arranged in sequence along the second direction. The area and available aperture of the first antenna group are increased, and signal transmission and reception in the high frequency band can be achieved. When the user needs to use the antenna assembly 100 to transmit and receive signals in the low frequency band, the second antenna group can be unfolded and the first antenna group can be folded. After the antenna assembly 100 is unfolded, the antenna modules in the second antenna group are arranged in sequence along the third direction. The area and available aperture of the second antenna group are increased, and signal transmission and reception in the low frequency band can be achieved. Therefore, the antenna assembly 100 can be applicable to two working modes: high-frequency signal reception and transmission and low-frequency signal reception and transmission through the first antenna group and the second antenna group. Users do not need to change communication equipment when switching communication modes, which improves the convenience of users using communication equipment.

[0045] It should be noted that the antenna modules of the first antenna group may be arranged adjacent to each other, or may be arranged spaced apart from the antenna modules of the second antenna group, which is not limited in the present disclosure.

[0046] In the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, as shown in FIG2 , the first antenna assembly 30 includes a first antenna module 31, a second antenna module 32, and a third antenna module 33. The second antenna module 32 and the third antenna module 33 are respectively hinged to opposite sides of the first antenna module 31 via hinge structures 20. In the folded state, the third antenna module 33 is closer to the first antenna module 31 than the second antenna module 32. The dimension of the hinge structure connecting the first antenna module 31 and the second antenna module 32 in the first direction is greater than the thickness of the third antenna module 33. It should be noted that when the first antenna module 31, the second antenna module 32, and the third antenna module 33 are all unfolded to form a plane or a curved surface, the radiating elements of the first antenna module 31, the second antenna module 32, and the third antenna module 33 are located on the same side of the formed plane or curved surface.

[0047] The first antenna module 31 is set at the bottom of the antenna assembly 100 and is subsequently connected to the terminal device body. The third antenna module 33 and the second antenna module 32 are folded in the first direction above the first antenna module 31 in sequence. That is, the middle module of the first antenna group 30, the first antenna module 31, is connected to the terminal device body. This can balance the force on the first antenna group 30 and avoid connecting the modules at the edge position to the terminal device body, which will cause uneven force on the first antenna group 30 during subsequent use and easily be pulled and separated from the terminal device body.

[0048] In the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, referring to Figures 1-2, second antenna assembly 40 includes a fourth antenna module 41, a fifth antenna module 42, and a sixth antenna module 43, which are sequentially hinged via hinge structure 20. The side of fourth antenna module 41 facing away from fifth antenna module 42 is hinged to second antenna module 32 via hinge structure 20. Fourth antenna module 41, fifth antenna module 42, and sixth antenna module 43 are sequentially hinged via hinge structure 20, and fourth antenna module 41 is hinged to second antenna module 32. Therefore, each antenna module in the antenna assembly 100 is hinged by the hinge structure 20, and the user can fold or unfold each antenna module through the hinge structure according to the usage scenario. For example, when the terminal device body connected to the antenna assembly needs to communicate, all or part of the adjacent antenna modules 10 can be unfolded as needed, the area of ​​the antenna assembly 100 becomes larger, the available aperture of the antenna assembly 100 becomes larger, and the gain of the antenna assembly 100 increases, thereby realizing signal reception and transmission; when the terminal device body connected to the antenna assembly does not need to communicate, all the antenna modules 10 can be folded by the hinge structure 20, so that all the antenna modules 10 are stacked and folded along the first direction, reducing the structural space occupied by the antenna assembly 100 for easy storage or carrying.

[0049] It should be noted that when fourth antenna module 41, fifth antenna module 42, and sixth antenna module 43 are all deployed to form a plane or a curved surface, the radiating elements of fourth antenna module 41, fifth antenna module 42, and sixth antenna module 43 are located on the same side of the formed plane or curved surface. Furthermore, when first antenna group 30 and second antenna group 40 are all deployed to form a plane or a curved surface, the radiating elements of first antenna group 30 and second antenna group 40 may also be located on the same side of the formed plane or curved surface.

[0050] In the exemplary embodiment provided in the present disclosure, the dielectric substrate includes a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other. As shown in FIG4 , the radiation unit 12 is disposed on the first surface of the dielectric substrate 11 . As shown in FIG5 , a solar cell 18 is disposed on the second surface of the dielectric substrate 11 .

[0051] The antenna function of current satellite communication terminal equipment is single and can only be used as an antenna without other additional functions. Referring to Figures 1-5, in the exemplary embodiments provided by the present disclosure, during the use of the terminal device, when the terminal device body connected to the antenna assembly 100 needs to communicate, all or part of the antenna module 10 in the antenna assembly 100 can be unfolded, and the first surface of the dielectric substrate 11 provided with the radiation unit 12 can be aligned with the satellite position to be connected; when the terminal device body connected to the antenna assembly does not need to communicate, or the terminal device body is low on power, the second surface of the dielectric substrate 11 provided with the solar cell 18 can be aligned with the sun to obtain sufficient sunlight to convert solar energy into electrical energy, which can be used as an emergency or backup power supply for the terminal device body, providing more protection for the use of the terminal device. It can be seen that the antenna assembly provided by the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be used not only as an antenna, but also as a power generation device or backup power supply.

[0052] As shown in Figure 6, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a terminal device 400, including a terminal device body 200 and an antenna assembly 100 provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; the antenna assembly 100 is movably connected to the terminal device body 200 and the antenna assembly 100 is electrically connected to the mainboard of the terminal device body 200.

[0053] 1-2 and 6, the antenna assembly 100 in the terminal device 400 can be folded or unfolded according to the usage scenario. For example, when the terminal device body 200 connected to the antenna assembly 100 needs to communicate, all or part of the adjacent antenna modules 10 can be unfolded as needed, the area of ​​the antenna assembly 100 becomes larger, the available aperture of the antenna assembly 100 becomes larger, and the gain of the antenna assembly 100 increases, thereby realizing signal reception and transmission, and transmitting signals with the terminal device body 200; when the terminal device body 200 connected to the antenna assembly 100 does not need to communicate, all the antenna modules 10 can be folded through the hinge structure 20, so that all the antenna modules 10 are stacked and folded along the first direction, reducing the structural space occupied by the antenna assembly 100 to facilitate the storage or carrying of the terminal device 400. The antenna assembly 100 in the terminal device 400 is suitable for transmitting and receiving high, medium, and low frequency signals. It also accommodates multiple polarization modes, which increases the gain of the antenna assembly 100 and improves the user's convenience in using the terminal device 400, eliminating the need to replace the terminal device to meet different communication mode requirements. Furthermore, a solar cell 18 is provided on the second surface of the dielectric substrate 11 of the antenna assembly 100 in the terminal device 400. When exposed to sunlight, it converts solar energy into electrical energy, which can serve as an emergency or backup power source for the terminal device, providing greater security for the terminal device's use.

[0054] In the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 2, 6-7 (Figures 2 and 6 take the example of 6 groups of antenna modules in the antenna assembly, and Figure 7 takes the example of 3 groups of antenna modules in the antenna assembly), the top frame of the terminal device body 200 and the bottom end of one of the antenna modules 10 of the antenna assembly 100 are movably connected through a two-degree-of-freedom rotating shaft 300; the antenna assembly 100 rotates through the two-degree-of-freedom rotating shaft 300 to send and receive antenna signals.

[0055] The antenna assembly 100 rotates through a two-degree-of-freedom axis 300 so that when the antenna assembly 100 is transmitting and receiving signals or receiving sunlight to convert solar energy into electrical energy, it can be flexibly pointed to better point to the satellite position or the sun's position; or when the antenna assembly 100 does not need to transmit and receive signals or receive sunlight to convert solar energy into electrical energy, it can be folded and attached to the back of the terminal device body 200 or other appropriate positions to facilitate the storage or carrying of the terminal device 400.

[0056] In the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 7, the two-degree-of-freedom rotation axis 300 includes a first rotation axis 51 and a second rotation axis 52. The first rotation axis 51 is parallel to the top frame of the terminal device body, and the second rotation axis 52 is perpendicular to the top frame of the terminal device body. The antenna assembly 100 can be flipped or rotated around the first rotation axis 51 and the second rotation axis 52, so that when the antenna assembly 100 is sending and receiving signals or receiving sunlight to convert solar energy into electrical energy, it can be flexibly pointed to better point to the satellite position or the sun position; or when the antenna assembly 100 does not need to send and receive signals or receive sunlight to convert solar energy into electrical energy, it can be folded and attached to the back of the terminal device body 200 or other appropriate positions to facilitate the storage or carrying of the terminal device 400.

[0057] In the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, the terminal device body 200 shown in Figure 7 is configured to display indication information in the display interface of the terminal device body 200 based on the target antenna signal currently being transmitted and received, and the indication information is used to indicate the rotation direction of the antenna assembly 100 and / or the posture of the antenna assembly 100.

[0058] When the terminal device body 200 connected to the antenna assembly 100 is about to communicate, the display interface of the terminal device body 200 may display information indicating the rotation direction of the antenna assembly 100 and / or the posture of the antenna assembly 100. For example, when the terminal device body 200 is about to communicate, the user may deploy part or all of the antenna modules based on the signal strength information displayed on the display interface of the terminal device body 200; or the user may rotate the position or orientation of the antenna assembly 100 based on the satellite position pointing information displayed on the display interface of the terminal device body 200 to better transmit and receive signals.

[0059] The various embodiments or implementation methods in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0060] In the description of this specification, reference to the terms "embodiment", "exemplary embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiment", "example", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure.

[0061] In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0062] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present disclosure.

[0063] It is to be understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. used in the present disclosure can be used to describe various structures in the present disclosure, but these structures are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish a first structure from another structure.

[0064] In one or more of the accompanying drawings, identical elements are represented by similar reference numerals. For clarity, many parts in the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale. In addition, certain well-known parts may not be shown. For simplicity, a structure obtained after several steps may be described in a single figure. Many specific details of the present disclosure, such as device structure, materials, dimensions, processing techniques, and technologies, are described below to facilitate a clearer understanding of the present disclosure. However, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the present disclosure may be practiced without following these specific details.

[0065] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, rather than to limit them. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Industrial Applicability

[0066] The antenna assembly provided by the present disclosure adopts a foldable structure and can be folded or unfolded according to the usage scenario. In the unfolded state, the area of ​​the antenna assembly becomes larger, the available aperture becomes larger, and the gain increases, thereby enabling signal reception and transmission; the antenna assembly in the folded state can reduce the structural space occupied by the antenna assembly for easy storage or carrying.

Claims

1. An antenna assembly, characterized in that: The antenna module comprises a plurality of antenna modules, wherein adjacent antenna modules are hingedly connected via a hinge structure, and each antenna module comprises a dielectric substrate and a plurality of radiation units arranged on one side of the dielectric substrate; The antenna assembly has a folded state and an unfolded state. In the folded state, adjacent antenna modules overlap with each other through the hinge structure, so that the multiple antenna modules are stacked along a first direction; In the expanded state, at least two adjacent antenna modules are expanded relative to each other.

2. The antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The radiation units of each antenna module are the same, or the radiation units of at least two antenna modules are different; the radiation units include at least one of an array antenna element, a linearly polarized antenna element, and a circularly polarized antenna element.

3. The antenna assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The array antenna element includes at least one of a microstrip antenna array, a cavity antenna array, a slot antenna array, a printed Yagi antenna array and a dipole antenna array.

4. The antenna assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The multiple antenna modules are divided into a first antenna group and a second antenna group, the radiating units of the antenna modules in the first antenna group are array antenna elements, and the radiating units of the antenna modules in the second antenna group include linearly polarized antenna elements and circularly polarized antenna elements; When all the antenna modules in the first antenna group are flattened, the antenna modules in the first antenna group are arranged in sequence along the second direction; when all the antenna modules in the second antenna group are flattened, the antenna modules in the second antenna group are arranged in sequence along the third direction, the second direction is parallel to the third direction or is set at a preset angle, and the first antenna group and the second antenna group can be unfolded and folded independently of each other.

5. The antenna assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The first antenna group includes a first antenna module, a second antenna module, and a third antenna module. The second antenna module and the third antenna module are respectively hinged to two sides of the first antenna module through the hinge structure. In the folded state, the third antenna module is closer to the first antenna module than the second antenna module. The dimension of the hinge structure connecting the first antenna module and the second antenna module in the first direction is greater than the thickness of the first three antenna modules. The second antenna group includes a fourth antenna module, a fifth antenna module and a sixth antenna module hinged in sequence by the hinge structure, and a side of the fourth antenna module facing away from the fifth antenna module is hinged to the second antenna module by the hinge structure.

6. The antenna assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The dielectric substrate includes a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other. The radiation unit is arranged on the first surface, and a solar cell is arranged on the second surface.

7. A terminal device, characterized in that: It comprises a terminal device body and an antenna assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 6; the antenna assembly is movably connected to the terminal device body and the antenna assembly is electrically connected to the mainboard of the terminal device body.

8. The terminal device according to claim 7, characterized in that The top frame of the terminal device body is movably connected to the bottom end of one of the antenna modules of the antenna assembly via a two-degree-of-freedom rotating shaft; the antenna assembly rotates via the two-degree-of-freedom rotating shaft to transmit and receive antenna signals.

9. The terminal device according to claim 8, characterized in that The two-degree-of-freedom rotation axis includes a first rotation axis and a second rotation axis, the first rotation axis is parallel to the top frame of the terminal device body, and the second rotation axis is perpendicular to the top frame of the terminal device body.

10. The terminal device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The terminal device body is configured to display indication information in the display interface of the terminal device body according to the target antenna signal currently being transmitted and received, and the indication information is used to indicate the rotation direction of the antenna component and / or the posture of the antenna component.

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