Phased array antenna using grid structure applied to series feeding

Abstract

The present invention relates to a phased array antenna using a grid structure applied to series feeding, and may comprise: an antenna substrate forming a planar structure of a planar antenna and forming electrical characteristics; an open cavity formed on the upper surface of the antenna substrate; a plurality of radiation patches arranged in units of a predetermined number on the upper surface of the antenna substrate exposed by the open cavity; series feed lines positioned on the upper surface of the antenna substrate exposed by the open cavity, so as to feed power to the radiation patches in the units of a predetermined number; a grid substrate which is positioned on the upper surface of the antenna substrate and which forms the open cavity through partition walls; conductor guide rings formed on the upper surface of the grid substrate; and a ground line forming layer which is positioned on the lower surface of the antenna substrate and which forms a ground for the plurality of radiation patches.

Description

Phased array antenna utilizing grid structure applied to series feed

[0001] The present invention relates to an array antenna, and more particularly, to a phased array antenna configured to conform to a structure in which a plurality of patch antennas are fed in series in units of a predetermined number, thereby enabling a beam width to be expanded by adding field refraction and additional reflection to patch antennas arranged in a row.

[0002] Patch antennas are generally small, lightweight, easy to manufacture, have uniform signal radiation characteristics, and are inexpensive. These advantages have led to their application in a variety of communication devices.

[0003] The structure of a conventional patch antenna is as illustrated in Fig. 1. Referring to Fig. 1, the patch antenna is composed of a radiator substrate (100) and a radiation patch (102) positioned on the radiator base (100). A ground line (GND) is connected to the bottom of the radiator base (100), and a feed line is connected to the radiation patch (102).

[0004] An array antenna can be formed by arranging a plurality of the above-described patch antennas, and as an example of such technology, there is a patent registered in the Korean Intellectual Property Office under the title of "Patch Array Antenna and Control Method of Patch Array Antenna" No. 10-1806080. This patent discloses a patch array antenna comprising: a plurality of patch antennas arranged in a matrix structure at predetermined intervals; and a feed line arranged to connect the plurality of patch antennas arranged in the matrix structure.

[0005] And, Patent Publication No. 10-2023-0073480, entitled Phased Array Antenna Module, published by the Korean Intellectual Property Office, discloses a phased array antenna module including a package antenna having a plurality of patch antennas formed on an upper surface; and a substrate having a connection pattern electrically connected to the package antenna, on which the package antenna is mounted; wherein the number of the package antennas is plural, and the plurality of package antennas are arranged in a 2N×2N array on the upper surface of the substrate and mounted in contact with each other.

[0006] As described above, the beamforming performance of an array antenna is determined by a combination of the beam pattern and array factor of a single antenna. Therefore, the performance of a single antenna element is crucial. Therefore, the development of a single antenna element that maintains high gain while also possessing a wide beam width over a three-dimensional area has been required.

[0007] A technology proposed in response to such a need is patent No. 10-2221818 registered with the Korean Intellectual Property Office entitled “Multilayer Antenna Utilizing a Dielectric Open Cavity.” This patent discloses a multilayer antenna utilizing a dielectric open cavity, which includes: a grounding portion formed in a lower layer; a feeding portion formed in the same layer as the grounding portion and receiving a signal; a radiator formed in an upper layer of the grounding portion and the feeding portion and radiating a signal applied to the feeding portion into free space; a dielectric having a perforated center and laminated on the radiator to form a step with the radiator; an open cavity formed upward by laminating the dielectric on the radiator; a radiating patch exposed through the perforated center portion of the dielectric and connected to the feeding portion and a feeding line to radiate a signal applied to the feeding portion through the open cavity; and a conductor guide ring formed around the perforated center portion of the dielectric so as to expand a beam width formed from the antenna.

[0008] These multilayer antennas expanded the beam width of patch antennas through conductor guide rings formed around the perforated portion at the center of the dielectric, but when arranging a plurality of patch antennas to form an array antenna, several problems occurred due to the conductor guide rings.

[0009] Fig. 2 illustrates an example of configuring an array antenna by arranging patch antennas equipped with the above-described conductor guide rings. Referring to Fig. 2, when patch antennas equipped with conductor guide rings are arranged in close proximity, a phenomenon occurs in which mutual interference increases due to parasitic capacitance formed between the conductor guide rings. In addition, there was a limit to reducing the distance between radiating patches due to the structure of the above-described conductor guide rings.

[0010] Accordingly, there has been an urgent need to develop an array antenna capable of improving the mutual interference phenomenon caused by components provided to expand the beam width of an array antenna composed of a plurality of patch antennas.

[0011] In addition, there has been an urgent need for the development of a technology to resolve the problem of the power supply structure of a radiating patch being limited by components provided to expand the beam width of an array antenna configured by arranging a plurality of patch antennas.

[0012] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a phased array antenna capable of multi-polarization wide-angle beam scanning that can improve mutual interference phenomenon caused by components provided for beam width expansion in an array antenna composed by arranging a plurality of patch antennas.

[0013] In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a phased array antenna configured to conform to a structure in which a plurality of patch antennas are fed in series in units of a predetermined number, thereby enabling expansion of the beam width by adding field refraction and additional reflection to patch antennas arranged in a row, and solving the problem of the feeding structure of the radiating patch being limited.

[0014] To this end, a phased array antenna utilizing a grid structure applied to series feeding according to the present invention may include: an antenna substrate forming a planar structure of a flat antenna and forming electrical characteristics; an open cavity formed on an upper surface of the antenna substrate; a plurality of radiating patches arranged in a predetermined number of units on an upper surface of the antenna substrate exposed by the open cavity; series feeding lines positioned on an upper surface of the antenna substrate exposed by the open cavity and feeding the radiating patches in the predetermined number of units; a grid substrate positioned on an upper surface of the antenna substrate and forming the open cavity through partition walls; conductor guide rings formed on an upper surface of the grid substrate; and a grounding line forming layer positioned on a lower surface of the antenna substrate and forming a ground for the plurality of radiating patches.

[0015] In addition, the open cavity is composed of a first type of open space and a second type of open space, the first type of open space is an open space that accommodates the plurality of radiating patches and the entire series feed line, the second type of open space is an open space that is accommodated in the first type of open space and arranges the plurality of radiating patches in a predetermined number of units, the grid substrate is formed including partition walls that form the first type of open space and the second type of open space, and the conductor guide rings are characterized in that they are located in areas of the upper surface of the grid substrate adjacent to the series feed lines.

[0016] In addition, the plurality of radiating patches are arranged in a row in a predetermined number of units, and the conductor guide rings are positioned in addition to areas adjacent to the longitudinal section of the last radiating patch among the radiating patches arranged in a row on the upper surface of the grid substrate.

[0017] In addition, the plurality of radiating patches are arranged in a row in a predetermined number of units, and the conductor guide rings are additionally positioned in areas adjacent to the side of the radiating patches arranged in a row on the upper surface of the grid substrate.

[0018] In addition, the conductor guide ring is formed of a plurality of conductor rods, and the length of the plurality of conductor rods is characterized in that the conductor rods at a position closer to the center of the antenna are formed to be longer by a predetermined value than the conductor rods at a position farther from the center.

[0019] In addition, the conductor guide ring is formed of a plurality of conductor rods, and the thickness of the plurality of conductor rods is characterized in that the conductor rods at positions closer to the center of the antenna are formed thicker by a predetermined value than the conductor rods at positions further from the center.

[0020] In addition, the conductor guide ring is formed of a plurality of conductor rods, and the width of the plurality of conductor rods is characterized in that the conductor rods at a position closer to the center of the antenna are formed wider by a predetermined value than the conductor rods at a position farther from the center.

[0021] The present invention described above provides an effect that can improve the mutual interference phenomenon caused by components provided for beam width expansion in an array antenna configured by arranging a plurality of patch antennas.

[0022] In addition, the present invention is configured to conform to a structure in which a plurality of patch antennas are fed in series in units of a predetermined number, thereby enabling expansion of the beam width by adding field refraction and additional reflection to patch antennas arranged in a row, and resolving the problem of the feeding structure of the radiating patch being limited.

[0023] Figure 1 is a drawing illustrating the structure of a conventional patch antenna.

[0024] Figure 2 is a drawing illustrating a case where an array antenna is configured as a patch antenna having a conductor guide ring.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a phased array antenna capable of multi-polarization wide-angle beam scanning according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 is a plan view of a phased array antenna capable of multi-polarization wide-angle beam scanning according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a phased array antenna capable of multi-polarization wide-angle beam scanning according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] The present invention enables improvement of mutual interference phenomenon caused by components provided for beam width expansion in an array antenna configured by arranging a plurality of patch antennas.

[0029] In addition, the present invention is configured to conform to a structure in which a plurality of patch antennas are fed in series in units of a predetermined number, thereby enabling expansion of the beam width by adding field refraction and additional reflection to patch antennas arranged in a row, and resolving the problem of the feeding structure of the radiating patch being limited.

[0030] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention. Since the description of the present invention is merely an example for structural and functional explanation, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described in the text. In other words, the present invention is capable of various modifications and can be implemented in various different forms, and therefore, it should be understood that the scope of the present invention includes equivalents that can realize the technical idea.

[0031] Meanwhile, the meanings of terms described in the present invention should be understood as follows. Terms such as "first" and "second" are intended to distinguish one component from another, and the scope of rights should not be limited by these terms. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component. When a component is referred to as being "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected to the other component, but there may also be another component in between. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between. Meanwhile, other expressions describing the relationship between components, such as "between" and "immediately between" or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to", should be interpreted similarly.

[0032] Also, singular expressions should be understood to include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, and terms such as "include" or "have" are intended to specify the presence of implemented features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, and should be understood as not excluding in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. In addition, identifiers (e.g., a, b, c, etc.) for each step are used for convenience of explanation and do not describe the order of each step, and each step may occur in a different order than stated unless the context clearly indicates a specific order. That is, each step may occur in the same order as stated, may be performed substantially simultaneously, or may be performed in the opposite order.

[0033] Additionally, all terms used herein, unless otherwise defined, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted to be consistent with their meaning within the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted as having ideal or overly formal meanings unless explicitly defined herein.

[0034] Please note that the drawings are schematic and not drawn to scale. The relative dimensions and proportions of parts in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced for clarity and convenience, and any dimensions are for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting. In addition, identical structures, elements, or components appearing in more than one drawing are designated by the same reference numerals to indicate similar features.

[0035] One embodiment of the present invention specifically illustrates an ideal embodiment of the present invention. Consequently, various modifications to the diagram are anticipated. Therefore, the embodiment is not limited to the specific form of the illustrated area, and also includes modifications of the form due to manufacturing, for example.

[0036] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0037] <Configuration and operation of a phased array antenna capable of multi-polarization wide-angle beam scanning>

[0038] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a phased array antenna capable of multi-polarization wide-angle beam scanning according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a plan view of a phased array antenna capable of multi-polarization wide-angle beam scanning according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a phased array antenna capable of multi-polarization wide-angle beam scanning according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Referring to the above drawings 3 to 5, the configuration and operation of the phased array antenna capable of multi-polarization wide-angle beam scanning are described.

[0040] The above-mentioned phased array antenna capable of multi-polarization wide-angle beam scanning is largely composed of an antenna substrate (200), a grid substrate (202), a plurality of radiating patches (204), a plurality of conductor guide rings (206), a ground line forming layer (208), a plurality of series feed lines (210), first and second prepregs (214, 216), an open cavity (220), and a communication IC (300).

[0041] The above antenna substrate (200) is one of the main components of the antenna, and plays a role in stabilizing the electrical characteristics of the antenna and forming the geometric structure of the flat antenna. The antenna substrate (200) has a planar shape for the phased array antenna according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The material, thickness, dielectric constant, loss factor, dielectric properties, etc. of the antenna substrate (200) are determined to match the characteristics of the antenna, such as bandwidth, radiation efficiency, and efficiency.

[0042] The grid substrate (202) is located on the upper surface of the antenna substrate (200), and is a structure formed of partition walls that form an open cavity (220) in which a plurality of radiating patches (204) and communication ICs (300) and a plurality of series feed lines (210) are arranged and settled. The grid substrate (202) may be formed of a dielectric having the same dielectric constant as that of the antenna substrate (200), or may be formed of a dielectric having a different dielectric constant. The thickness, width, and dielectric constant of the grid substrate (202) are also determined to match the characteristics of the antenna.

[0043] The partition walls of the above grid substrate (202) can be divided into a first type partition wall and a second type partition wall, and the first type partition walls (400 to 406) form an open space of a rectangular parallelepiped in which the plurality of radiating patches (204) and communication ICs (300) and the plurality of series power supply lines (210) are all accommodated.

[0044] The second type of bulkhead (450-460) is shaped like a long rod and divides the open space of the rectangular solid into narrow and long radiation patch arrangement areas that allow a predetermined number of radiation patches to be arranged in a row.

[0045] The above open cavity (220) is an open space formed by the partition walls of the grid substrate (202) on the upper surface of the antenna substrate (200), in which the plurality of radiating patches (204) and communication ICs (300) and the plurality of series power supply lines (210) are all arranged.

[0046] The open space formed by this open cavity (220) can be divided into a first type open space and a second type open space, and the first type open space is the entire space in which the plurality of radiating patches (204) and the communication IC (300) and the plurality of series power supply lines (210) are all arranged, and the second type open spaces are narrow and long spaces in which a predetermined number of radiating patches can be arranged in a row in a part of the first type open space.

[0047] These open cavities (220) electromagnetically resonate at a specific frequency and amplify or attenuate radio waves of that frequency. This improves the characteristics of antennas in wireless communications and is used to detect radio signals in a specific frequency band.

[0048] The above-described plurality of radiating patches (204) are installed in an open area corresponding to the open cavity (220) on the upper surface of the antenna substrate (200). In particular, the above-described plurality of radiating patches (204) are arranged in a row in a predetermined number of units for each of the second type of open spaces.

[0049] In addition, each of the plurality of radiating patches (204) receives multiple power sources provided through multiple series power supply lines (210) to emit or receive radio waves in the multi-polarization band. In addition, the plurality of radiating patches (204) are arranged in a first region and a second region that are symmetrically arranged with respect to the communication IC (300), and the communication IC (300) can emit radio waves through the plurality of radiating patches (204) arranged in the first region and receive radio waves through the plurality of radiating patches (204) arranged in the second region, and multiple power sources for this purpose are provided to the plurality of radiating patches (204).

[0050] In addition, the open area corresponding to the open cavity (220) is determined to be larger than the number of radiating patches, so that a portion of the antenna substrate (200) is formed to be exposed to free space around the radiating patches.

[0051] The above-described plurality of conductor guide rings (206) are formed on the upper surface of the grid substrate (202) to expand the beam width for the plurality of radiating patches (204). In particular, the above-described plurality of conductor guide rings (206) are intended to expand the beam width by minimizing parasitic capacitance formed during the operation of the plurality of radiating patches (204) and limiting mutual interference, and can be divided into the first to third types.

[0052] The first type of conductor guide rings (500) are positioned on each of the upper surfaces of the grid substrate (202) corresponding to the longitudinal sections of the radiating patches arranged in a row in the predetermined number of units, thereby expanding the beam width by adding field refraction and additional reflection to the longitudinal sections of the radiating patches arranged in a row. These first type of conductor guide rings (500) are formed on the upper surfaces of some (400, 404) of the first type of partition walls forming the first type of open space.

[0053] And the second type of conductor guide rings (502) are positioned on each of the upper surfaces of the grid substrate (202) corresponding to the side surfaces of the plurality of series feed lines (210) connected to the radiating patches arranged in a row in the predetermined number of units, so as to expand the beam width by adding field refraction and additional reflection to the radiating patches arranged in a row. These second type of conductor guide rings (502) are formed on the upper surfaces of some of the first type partition walls (402, 406) forming the second type open spaces and the second type partition walls (450 to 460). In this way, the present invention limits mutual interference occurring between the radiating patches by arranging the second type of conductor guide rings (502) on each side surface of the series feed lines (210).

[0054] And the third type of conductor guide rings (504) are positioned on each of the upper surfaces of the grid substrate (202) corresponding to the side surfaces of the radiating patches arranged in a row in the predetermined number of units, so as to expand the beam width by adding field refraction and additional reflection to the side surfaces of the radiating patches arranged in a row. In particular, the third type of conductor guide rings (504) are formed of a plurality of metal rods of different lengths, and are formed to be longer as they are closer to the center of the array antenna and shorter as they are closer to the edge, so as to concentrate the field refraction and additional reflection around the center of the array antenna. In addition, the third type of conductor guide rings (504) are installed at positions spaced a certain distance from the side surfaces of some of the first type partition walls (402, 406), so as to add field refraction and additional reflection of the radiating patches while limiting mutual interference between the radiating patches, thereby improving the performance of the array antenna.

[0055] In addition, since the above-described multiple conductor guide rings (206) have different beam width expansion degrees and mutual interference degrees depending on their thickness, width, and length, the thickness, width, and length of the conductor guide rings are determined differently according to predetermined values ​​depending on the operational purpose of the antenna.

[0056] To explain in more detail, the plurality of conductor guide rings (206) are formed of a plurality of conductor rods, and the lengths of the plurality of conductor rods are formed such that the conductor rods at positions closer to the center of the antenna are longer by a predetermined value than the conductor rods at positions farther from the center. In addition, the plurality of conductor guide rings (206) are formed of a plurality of conductor rods, and the thicknesses of the plurality of conductor rods are formed such that the conductor rods at positions closer to the center of the antenna are thicker by a predetermined value than the conductor rods at positions farther from the center. In addition, the plurality of conductor guide rings (206) are formed of a plurality of conductor rods, and the widths of the plurality of conductor rods are formed such that the conductor rods at positions closer to the center of the antenna are wider by a predetermined value than the conductor rods at positions farther from the center. This enables field refraction and additional reflection to be concentrated around the center of the array antenna.

[0057] The above ground line forming layer (208) is located on the lower surface of the antenna substrate (200) and provides grounding for the plurality of radiating patches (204). Other substrates are located on the lower surface of the above ground line forming layer (208).

[0058] The above multiple series power supply lines (210) connect between the communication IC (300) and the multiple radiating patches (204), and supply multiple power sources from the communication IC (300) to the multiple radiating patches (204).

[0059] And the first prepreg (214) is positioned between the antenna substrate (200) and the grid substrate (202) to adhere the antenna substrate (200) and the grid substrate (202). And the second prepreg (216) is positioned between the ground line forming layer (208) and the other substrates to adhere the ground line forming layer (208) and the other substrates, and serves to determine electrical characteristics and provide structural strength to the antenna.

[0060] The embodiments of the present invention described above are disclosed for the purpose of illustration, and those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, changes, and additions can be made within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications, changes, and additions should be considered to fall within the scope of the present patent claims.

[0061] <Explanation of symbols>

[0062] 200: Antenna substrate

[0063] 202: Grid substrate

[0064] 204: Multiple radial patches

[0065] 206: Multiple conductor guide rings

[0066] 208: Ground line formation layer

[0067] 210: Multiple series power supply lines

[0068] 214,216: First and second prepregs

[0069] 220: Open cavity

[0070] The present invention relates to an array antenna, and can provide a phased array antenna configured to conform to a structure in which a plurality of patch antennas are fed in series in units of a predetermined number, thereby enabling the beam width to be expanded by adding field refraction and additional reflection to patch antennas arranged in a row.

[0071] Furthermore, the phased array antenna is small, lightweight, and easy to manufacture, and boasts uniform signal radiation characteristics and a low price. These advantages make the phased array antenna applicable to a variety of communication devices.

Claims

1. An antenna substrate that forms a flat structure of a flat antenna and forms electrical characteristics; An open cavity formed on the upper surface of the antenna substrate; A plurality of radiating patches arranged in a predetermined number of units on the upper surface of the antenna substrate exposed by the open cavity; Series feed lines positioned on the upper surface of the antenna substrate exposed by the open cavity and feeding the radiating patches in a predetermined number of units; A grid substrate positioned on the upper surface of the antenna substrate and forming the open cavity through the partition walls; Conductor guide rings formed on the upper surface of the grid substrate; and A phased array antenna including a ground line forming layer located on the lower surface of the antenna substrate and forming a ground for the plurality of radiating patches.

2. In paragraph 1, The above open cavity is composed of a first type open space and a second type open space, The above first type of open space is an open space that accommodates the plurality of radiating patches and the entire series power supply line, The above second type of open space is an open space that is accommodated in the above first type of open space and arranges the plurality of radiating patches in a predetermined number of units. The above grid substrate is formed by including partition walls forming the first type of open space and the second type of open space, A phased array antenna in which the conductor guide rings are located in areas adjacent to the series feed lines on the upper surface of the grid substrate.

3. In paragraph 2, The above multiple radiating patches are arranged in a row in a predetermined number of units, A phased array antenna in which the conductor guide rings are added and positioned in areas adjacent to the end face of the last of the radiating patches arranged in a row on the upper surface of the grid substrate.

4. In paragraph 2, The above multiple radiating patches are arranged in a row in a predetermined number of units, The above conductor guide rings are a phased array antenna, which is positioned in areas adjacent to the side of the aligned radiating patches on the upper surface of the grid substrate.

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, The above conductor guide ring is formed of a plurality of conductor rods, The length of the above plurality of conductor bars is, A phased array antenna in which a conductive bar located near the center of the antenna is formed to be longer by a predetermined amount than a conductive bar located farther from the center.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, The above conductor guide ring is formed of a plurality of conductor rods, The thickness of the above plurality of conductor bars is A phased array antenna in which a conductive bar located near the center of the antenna is formed to be thicker by a predetermined amount than a conductive bar located farther from the center.

7. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, The above conductor guide ring is formed of a plurality of conductor rods, The width of the above plurality of conductor bars is A phased array antenna in which a conductive bar located near the center of the antenna is formed to be wider by a predetermined amount than a conductive bar located farther from the center.

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