Antenna unit, antenna, antenna system and base station

By stacking feed groups on a metasurface radiating structure to form a multi-band antenna array, the problem of low integration in existing multi-band antenna systems is solved, realizing a highly integrated, miniaturized, and low-profile antenna system design.

WO2025241932A9PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2026-02-19HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/CN2025/094347
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-05-24
Filing Date
2025-05-12
Publication Date
2026-02-19

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing multi-band antenna systems have low integration, complex structure, high manufacturing difficulty, and are difficult to miniaturize and achieve low profile.

Method used

By employing a metasurface radiating structure and a feeding structure design, multiple feeding groups are stacked on the metasurface radiating structure to form multiple antenna arrays. The two-dimensional planar properties of the metasurface radiating structure are used to achieve flexible signal control, reduce the independent setting of antennas in different frequency bands, increase integration and reduce manufacturing difficulty.

Benefits of technology

It improves the integration of multi-band antenna systems, achieves miniaturization, lightweighting and low profile, simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces costs.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present application provides an antenna unit, an antenna, an antenna system and a base station. The antenna unit comprises a metasurface radiation structure, a ground plane and a feeding structure, the ground plane and the metasurface radiation structure being stacked in a first direction and spaced apart from each other. The feeding structure comprises a first feeding group and a second feeding group. The first feeding group is used for transmitting signals of a first frequency band and is coupled to the metasurface radiation structure via a first gap, so as to form a first antenna array. The second feeding group is used for transmitting signals of a second frequency band and is coupled to the metasurface radiation structure via a second gap, so as to form a second antenna array. The center frequency point of the first frequency band is different from that of the second frequency band, and at least one second feeding part is arranged on the peripheral side of at least one first feeding part of the first feeding group. The present application can improve the integration level of multi-band antenna systems, and has the advantages of miniaturization, lightweight design, low profile, etc.
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Description

Antenna unit, antenna, antenna system and base station

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202410661121.4, filed on May 24, 2024, and entitled "Antenna unit, antenna, antenna system and base station", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, in particular to an antenna unit, an antenna, an antenna system and a base station. BACKGROUND

[0003] The base station antenna is a connecting device between the mobile user terminal and the radio frequency front end of the wireless network, and occupies an important position in the field of communication. In order to meet people's daily demand for mobile communication, the base station antenna technology is innovating day by day, and the current development trend is to design a large-capacity, multi-band base station communication system, integrate multiple frequency bands of antennas in the base station, and realize comprehensive coverage of multi-band signals. The existing multi-band antenna system usually contains multiple antenna arrays, and different antenna arrays are stacked, which causes the antenna system to have a complex structure and a large volume, which is not conducive to production and manufacturing. In order to improve the integration of the multi-band antenna system and realize a multi-band, small, light, and low profile (the profile refers to the installation height of the antenna, or can be understood as the height between the antenna radiator and the ground layer, the lower the profile, the smaller the height of the antenna system, and the higher the integration), the industry has emerged a variety of innovative technologies, but most of them have little effect.

[0004] Therefore, the integration of the multi-band antenna system in the prior art is low, the structure is complex, the manufacturing difficulty is high, and it is difficult to realize miniaturization, lightness and low profile. SUMMARY

[0005] The antenna unit, the antenna, the antenna system and the base station provided by the embodiments of the present application solve the problems of low integration, complex structure, high manufacturing cost and difficulty in realizing miniaturization, lightness and low profile of the multi-band antenna system in the prior art.

[0006] The embodiment of the present application provides an antenna unit, which comprises a metasurface radiation structure, a ground layer and a feeding structure. The ground layer and the metasurface radiation structure are stacked and spaced apart in a first direction. The feeding structure comprises a first feeding group and a second feeding group.

[0007] The first feeding group comprises a plurality of first feeding parts arranged in an array, the plurality of first feeding parts are used for transmitting signals of a first frequency band, and the first feeding group is arranged opposite to the metasurface radiation structure with a first interval in the first direction and is coupled to the metasurface radiation structure through the first interval to form a first antenna array.

[0008] The second feeding group includes a plurality of second feeding units arranged in an array, and the plurality of second feeding units are used to transmit signals of a second frequency band. The second feeding group is arranged opposite to the metasurface radiation structure at a second interval in the first direction and is coupled to the metasurface radiation structure through the second interval to form a second antenna array.

[0009] In addition, the center frequency of the first frequency band is lower than the center frequency of the second frequency band, and at least one second feeding unit is arranged at the outer periphery of at least one first feeding unit of the first feeding group.

[0010] The antenna unit provided by the embodiment of the present application includes a metasurface radiation structure, which is a two-dimensional planar structure with special electromagnetic properties and can flexibly control the amplitude, phase and other characteristics of incident waves. By arranging an antenna on the metasurface radiation structure, the beam characteristics of the antenna can be precisely controlled, and the two-dimensional planar property of the metasurface radiation structure can be used to realize the miniaturization and high integration of the antenna, and the metasurface radiation structure also has the characteristic of low profile.

[0011] The antenna unit further includes a ground layer and a feeding structure. The ground layer is equivalent to a reflector and can change the spatial propagation direction of the antenna signal. The feeding structure is used to transmit signals to the metasurface radiation structure. The feeding structure includes a first feeding group and a second feeding group, and each feeding group has a plurality of feeding units arranged in an array. The first feeding units in the first feeding group feed the metasurface radiation structure by coupling, and can excite the radiating units in a certain area on the metasurface radiation structure. The excited radiating units act as radiators of the antenna and can emit the coupled signals (i.e. signals of the first frequency band) from the first feeding units to the outside or receive signals from the outside and then couple the signals to the first feeding units. The plurality of first feeding units arranged in an array are coupled to the metasurface radiation structure, i.e. a first antenna array is formed on the metasurface radiation structure. The plurality of second feeding units arranged in an array in the second feeding group also form a second antenna array on the metasurface radiation structure in the same way, which is used to transmit or receive signals of the second frequency band. Therefore, the antennas of different frequency bands share the same metasurface radiation structure.

[0012] Further, at least one second feeding unit is arranged at the outer periphery of at least one first feeding unit of the first feeding group. It can be understood that the second feeding units are distributed around the area where the at least one first feeding unit is located, and at least a part of the area on the metasurface radiation structure is coupled to both the first feeding units and the second feeding units. Therefore, the first antenna array and the second antenna array can coexist on the same area of the metasurface radiation structure. Thus, in the plane perpendicular to the first direction, the first antenna array and the second antenna array do not need to be arranged independently of each other, and the size of the antenna unit can be further reduced.

[0013] Therefore, the antenna unit provided by the embodiments of the present application can improve the integration of the multi-band antenna system, is simple in structure, low in manufacturing difficulty, and has the advantages of miniaturization, light weight, and low profile.

[0014] In a possible implementation, a projection of the first feeding part on the metasurface radiation structure along the first direction is a first projection point, a projection of the second feeding part on the metasurface radiation structure along the first direction is a second projection point, and a separation structure is arranged between at least some adjacent first projection points, and the separation structure is grounded.

[0015] By using the above scheme, the separation structure is arranged between the adjacent first projection points, the separation structure has a reflection function for electromagnetic waves, and the isolation between different regions of the metasurface radiation structure can be improved.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the plurality of first feeding parts of the first feeding group includes:

[0017] At least one first sub feeding part, the at least one first sub feeding part being configured to transmit signals of a first sub frequency band to a first sub radio frequency unit, and the at least one first sub feeding part being coupled to the metasurface radiation structure through the first interval to form a first sub antenna array;

[0018] At least one second sub feeding part, the at least one second sub feeding part being configured to transmit signals of a second sub frequency band to a second sub radio frequency unit, and the at least one second sub feeding part being coupled to the metasurface radiation structure through the first interval to form a second sub antenna array;

[0019] The first sub radio frequency unit and the second sub radio frequency unit are different radio frequency units, and the first sub frequency band and the second sub frequency band are both within the range of the first frequency band.

[0020] A projection of the first sub feeding part on the metasurface radiation structure along the first direction is a first sub projection point, a projection of the second sub feeding part on the metasurface radiation structure along the first direction is a second sub projection point, and a separation structure is arranged between adjacent first sub projection points and second sub projection points.

[0021] By using the above scheme, the first frequency band is further divided into the first sub frequency band and the second sub frequency band, the first antenna array can be divided into different systems, different radio frequency chips are connected to the systems for use by different operators. It is necessary to arrange the separation structure between the projection points of different systems. The separation structure arranged between the adjacent first sub projection points and the second sub projection points can be understood as the separation structure arranged between the projection points of different systems, and the coupling degree of the two systems is reduced.

[0022] In a possible implementation manner, the number of the first sub-feed parts is multiple, and the number of the first sub-projection points is multiple, and a separation structure is arranged between at least two adjacent first sub-projection points.

[0023] The number of the second sub-feed parts is multiple, and the number of the second sub-projection points is multiple, and a separation structure is arranged between at least two adjacent second sub-projection points.

[0024] According to the scheme, the separation structure is arranged between adjacent projection points in the same channel, and the radiation performance of the antenna is optimized.

[0025] In a possible implementation manner, the first projection points are arranged into at least two columns along the second direction, and a separation structure is arranged between the at least two columns of first projection points. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0026] In a possible implementation manner, the separation structure is a metal plate, and in the first direction, one side of the metal plate is connected with the ground layer, and the other side is connected with or coupled with the metasurface radiation structure. The structure of the metal plate is relatively simple, and is convenient to process.

[0027] In a possible implementation manner, the separation structure is an electromagnetic band gap structure, and one end of the electromagnetic band gap structure is connected with the ground layer, and the other end is connected with or coupled with the metasurface radiation structure.

[0028] In a possible implementation manner, the first feed group is used to excite a first region of the metasurface radiation structure, and the second feed group is used to excite a second region of the metasurface radiation structure. The first region and the second region partially overlap or completely overlap.

[0029] According to the scheme, the region of the metasurface radiation structure that can be excited to radiate electromagnetic wave signals by the first feed group is the first region, and the region of the metasurface radiation structure that can be excited to radiate electromagnetic wave signals by the second feed group is the second region. When the first region and the second region partially overlap or completely overlap, the metal patch units in the overlapping part can be excited by the first feed group and the second feed group simultaneously.

[0030] In a possible implementation manner, the first region of the metasurface radiation structure includes a plurality of first sub-regions corresponding to a plurality of first feed parts, the first feed part is used to excite a corresponding first sub-region, and the first projection point is located in the corresponding first sub-region. The second region of the metasurface radiation structure includes a plurality of second sub-regions corresponding to a plurality of second feed parts, the second feed part is used to excite a corresponding second sub-region, and the second projection point is located in the corresponding second sub-region. At least one first sub-region covers at least one second projection point.

[0031] According to the scheme, the second projection point is in at least one first sub-region, and the first sub-region can be excited by the first feed part and the second feed part simultaneously.

[0032] In a possible implementation, in a plane perpendicular to the first direction, the first projection point is located at the center of the first sub-region where the first projection point is located, and the second projection point is located at the center of the second sub-region where the second projection point is located.

[0033] With the above scheme, the power supply part radiates uniformly in all directions in the plane perpendicular to the first direction, and the projection points are arranged at the centers of the corresponding sub-regions, which facilitates improving the coverage of the coupling range of the power supply part.

[0034] In a possible implementation, the center frequency of the first frequency band is f1, the wavelength corresponding to f1 is λ1, the center frequency of the second frequency band is f2, and the wavelength corresponding to f2 is λ2.

[0035] In the first sub-region, the distance between the first projection point and the edge of the first sub-region in the second direction is S1, 0.25λ1≤S1≤0.5λ1, and the distance between the first projection point and the edge of the first sub-region in the third direction is S2, 0.5λ1≤S2≤λ1.

[0036] In the second sub-region, the distance between the second projection point and the edge of the second sub-region in the second direction is L1, 0.25λ2≤L1≤0.5λ2, and the distance between the second projection point and the edge of the second sub-region in the third direction is L2, 0.5λ2≤L2≤λ2.

[0037] The first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0038] With the above scheme, the radiation units in the sub-regions can be excited by the corresponding power supply parts.

[0039] In a possible implementation, the distance between two adjacent second projection points in the second direction is d1, 0.25λ2≤d1≤0.75λ2.

[0040] The distance between two adjacent second projection points in the third direction is d2, 0.25λ2≤d2≤λ2.

[0041] The distance between two adjacent first projection points in the second direction is d3, 0.25λ1≤d3≤λ1.

[0042] With the above scheme, the isolation between the second sub-regions where the two adjacent second projection points are located in the second direction, the isolation between the second sub-regions where the two adjacent second projection points are located in the third direction, and the isolation between the first sub-regions where the two adjacent first projection points are located in the second direction can be improved on the basis of ensuring the radiation range.

[0043] In a possible implementation manner, when the outer peripheral side of the first projection point is provided with the second projection point, the first sub-region where the first projection point is located covers two rows of second projection points arranged at intervals along the third direction, the two rows of second projection points are respectively arranged on the two sides of the first projection point in the third direction, and at least one row of second projection points includes n1 second projection points arranged at intervals along the second direction, n1 is an integer obtained by rounding the value of f2 / f1.

[0044] By using the above scheme, the quantity ratio of the second projection point to the first projection point is positively correlated with the frequency ratio of the two, the second sub-region where the second projection point is located in the second direction can completely cover the first sub-region, and the aperture utilization rate is relatively high.

[0045] In a possible implementation manner, the isolation structure is arranged between any two adjacent first sub-regions.

[0046] In a possible implementation manner, the feeding structure further includes a third feeding group, the third feeding group includes a plurality of third feeding parts arranged in an array, the plurality of third feeding parts are used to transmit signals of a third frequency band, and the third feeding group is arranged opposite to the metasurface radiation structure at a third interval in the first direction and is coupled to the metasurface radiation structure through the third interval to form a third antenna array.

[0047] The center frequency of the first frequency band is lower than the center frequency of the third frequency band, and the center frequency of the third frequency band is higher or lower than the center frequency of the second frequency band. The outer peripheral side of at least one first feeding part of the first feeding group is arranged with at least one third feeding part.

[0048] By using the above scheme, the antenna array of the third frequency band is added on the basis of the first frequency band and the second frequency band, and the antenna unit integration is higher.

[0049] In a possible implementation manner, the first feeding group is used to excite a first region of the metasurface radiation structure, the second feeding group is used to excite a second region of the metasurface radiation structure, and the third feeding group is used to excite a third region of the metasurface radiation structure.

[0050] The third region partially overlaps the first region, and the third region and the second region are independent of each other.

[0051] In a possible implementation manner, the third feeding part projects onto a third projection point on the metasurface radiation structure along the first direction, the third region of the metasurface radiation structure includes a plurality of third sub-regions corresponding to the plurality of third feeding parts, the third feeding part is used to excite a corresponding third sub-region, and the third projection point is located in the corresponding third sub-region.

[0052] When the third feeding unit is arranged at the outer circumferential side of the first feeding unit, the first projection point corresponding to the first feeding unit is arranged at the outer circumferential side of the third projection point, and the first sub-region corresponding to the first feeding unit covers the third projection point.

[0053] According to the above scheme, the first sub-region corresponding to the first projection point can be excited by the first feeding unit and the third feeding unit, and the utilization rate of the whole region is high.

[0054] In a possible implementation, in a plane perpendicular to the first direction, the third projection point is located at the center of the third sub-region where the third projection point is located, which facilitates improving the coverage of the coupling range of the third feeding unit.

[0055] In a possible implementation, the center frequency of the third frequency band is f3, and the wavelength corresponding to f3 is λ3.

[0056] In the third sub-region, the distance between the third projection point and the edge of the third sub-region in the second direction is H1, 0.25λ3≤H1≤0.5λ3, and the distance between the third projection point and the edge of the third sub-region in the third direction is H2, 0.5λ3≤H2≤λ3.

[0057] The distance between two adjacent third projection points in the second direction is d4, 0.25λ3≤d4≤0.75λ3, and the distance between two adjacent third projection points in the third direction is d5, 0.25λ3≤d5≤λ3.

[0058] The first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0059] According to the above scheme, the radiation unit in the third sub-region can be excited by the corresponding third feeding unit, and the isolation between the third sub-regions where the adjacent third projection points are located can be improved on the basis of ensuring the radiation range.

[0060] In a possible implementation, the center frequency of the first frequency band is f1. When the first projection point is arranged at the outer circumferential side of the third projection point, the first sub-region where the first projection point is located covers two rows of third projection points arranged at intervals in the third direction, the two rows of third projection points are arranged on both sides of the first projection point in the third direction, and at least one row of third projection points includes n2 third projection points arranged at intervals in the second direction, n2 being an integer value of f3 / f1.

[0061] According to the above scheme, the third sub-region where the third projection point is located can completely cover the first sub-region in the second direction, and the aperture utilization rate is high.

[0062] In a possible implementation, when the first projection points are arranged in at least two columns along the second direction, the outer peripheral side of part of the first projection points in at least one column is arranged with the second projection points, and the outer peripheral side of the other part of the first projection points is arranged with the third projection points.

[0063] In a possible implementation, the feeding parts in the first feeding part and the second feeding part are arranged as feeding needles, or patch structures, or slits formed in the ground layer.

[0064] When the feeding structure further includes a third feeding group, at least part of the third feeding parts in the third feeding group are arranged as feeding needles, or patch structures, or slits formed in the ground layer.

[0065] In a possible implementation, the first interval is equal to or different from the second interval.

[0066] When the feeding structure further includes a third feeding group, the third interval at which the third feeding group is oppositely arranged with the metasurface radiation structure along the first direction is equal to or different from the first interval and the second interval respectively.

[0067] The embodiment of the present application further provides an antenna, including the antenna unit provided in any of the above embodiments. The antenna provided by the embodiment of the present application is a multi-band high-integration antenna, and has the advantages of miniaturization, light weight and low profile.

[0068] The embodiment of the present application further provides an antenna system, including a radio frequency unit and the antenna unit provided in any of the above embodiments, and the radio frequency unit radiates signals through the antenna unit. The antenna system provided by the embodiment of the present application is a multi-band high-integration antenna system, and has the advantages of miniaturization, light weight and low profile.

[0069] The embodiment of the present application further provides a base station, including the antenna system provided in the above embodiment. The base station can send multi-band communication signals, meet diversified use scenarios, and has high integration. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0070] FIGS. 1-2 are schematic diagrams of scenarios of communication devices according to embodiments of the present application;

[0071] FIGS. 3a-3c are schematic diagrams of system architectures of communication devices according to embodiments of the present application;

[0072] FIG. 4a is a schematic diagram of an exploded structure of an embodiment of an antenna unit according to the present application;

[0073] FIG. 4b is a schematic diagram of an exploded structure of another embodiment of an antenna unit according to the present application;

[0074] Figure 4c is a schematic diagram of the location of the antenna unit and the radio frequency module according to an embodiment of the application;

[0075] Figure 4d is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a first embodiment of the antenna system according to an embodiment of the application;

[0076] Figure 4e is an exemplary structure of the metasurface radiation structure of the antenna unit according to an embodiment of the application;

[0077] Figures 5a-5b are schematic diagrams of the cross-sectional structure of the first embodiment of the antenna system according to an embodiment of the application in different directions;

[0078] Figure 5c is a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the feeding structure and the metasurface radiation structure in the antenna unit according to an embodiment of the application;

[0079] Figure 5d is a directional diagram of the beam of the first antenna array in the X-Z plane in the antenna unit according to an embodiment of the application;

[0080] Figures 6a and 6b are schematic diagrams of the structure of the feeding needle in the antenna unit according to an embodiment of the application;

[0081] Figures 7a-7b are schematic diagrams of the cross-sectional structure of a second embodiment of the antenna system according to an embodiment of the application in different directions;

[0082] Figures 8a-8b are schematic diagrams of the cross-sectional structure of a third embodiment of the antenna system according to an embodiment of the application in different directions;

[0083] Figure 8c is a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the feeding structure and the metasurface radiation structure in the antenna unit according to an embodiment of the application;

[0084] Figure 9a is a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the feeding structure and the metasurface radiation structure in the antenna unit according to an embodiment of the application;

[0085] Figure 9b is a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the feeding structure and the metasurface radiation structure in the antenna unit according to an embodiment of the application;

[0086] Figure 9c is a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the feeding structure and the metasurface radiation structure in the antenna unit according to an embodiment of the application;

[0087] Figures 10a-10b are schematic diagrams of the isolation structure in the antenna unit according to an embodiment of the application;

[0088] Figures 11a-11c are schematic diagrams of the location of the first projection point and the second projection point in the antenna unit according to an embodiment of the application;

[0089] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a fourth embodiment of the antenna system according to an embodiment of the application;

[0090] Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure of a fourth embodiment of an antenna system according to the present application;

[0091] Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture of the fourth embodiment of the antenna system according to the present application;

[0092] Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram of a positional relationship between a feeding structure and a metasurface radiating structure in an antenna unit according to the present application;

[0093] Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram of positions of a first projection point and a third projection point in the antenna unit according to the present application.

[0094] Reference Signs: 100, antenna unit; 1, metasurface radiating structure; 11, first antenna array; 111, first sub-antenna array; 112, second sub-antenna array; 12, second antenna array; 13, third antenna array; 15, first projection point; 151, first sub-projection point; 152, second sub-projection point; 16, second projection point; 17, third projection point; 18, metal layer; 181, metal patch unit; 2, ground layer; 3, feeding structure; 31, first feeding group; 311, first feeding part; 3111, first sub-feeding part; 3112, second sub-feeding part; 32, second feeding group; 321, second feeding part; 33, feeding pin; 331, metal sheet; 332, pin; 34, third feeding group; 341, third feeding part; 4, isolation structure; 41, metal plate; 42, isolation sheet; 43, grounding member; 44, outer frame; 51, first interval; 52, second interval; 53, third interval; 200, antenna system; 61, first radio frequency unit; 611, first sub-radio frequency unit; 6110, radio frequency port; 612, second sub-radio frequency unit; 6120, radio frequency port; 62, second radio frequency unit; 620, radio frequency port; 63, third radio frequency unit; 630, radio frequency port; 300, communication device; 71, processing device; 72, radome; 81, first circuit board; 82, second circuit board; 83, third circuit board; 91, holding pole; 92, holding pole support; Z, first direction; X, second direction; Y, third direction; E, first region; F, second region; G, third region; A, first sub-region; B, second sub-region; C, third sub-region. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0095] The specific embodiments of the present application will now be described with reference to the drawings. The following description of the embodiments of the present application is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the application, its application or its uses. Although the description of the application will focus on some embodiments, all alternatives and modifications that can be made to the embodiments by those skilled in the art are within the scope of the present application. In order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application, numerous specific details are described in the following description. The present application can be practiced without these specific details. In addition, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have been omitted in order to avoid obscuring the present application. In addition, some terminology can be used in the description for the sake of clarity.

[0096] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numbers and letters in the following drawings represent similar items, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings.

[0097] The following explains the terms that may appear in the embodiments of the present application.

[0098] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only for the purpose of description and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0099] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connection" should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or it can be integrally connected; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the communication between the two elements inside. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0100] Metasurface (MTS) material: Metasurface material refers to an artificial layered material with a thickness less than the working wavelength, which is composed of sub-wavelength microstructure units (or "artificial atoms") with specific electromagnetic responses. By reasonably designing the geometric structure, material, and other parameters of the microstructure unit, the metasurface can have arbitrary electromagnetic parameters, such as permittivity, permeability, etc., so as to flexibly regulate the phase, polarization mode, amplitude, and other characteristics of electromagnetic waves.

[0101] The metasurface material can be used to make the radiator (or "radiation structure", "antenna unit", "antenna element", "element", "radiation unit", etc.) of the antenna to form an antenna with different working performance, such as a multi-polarized antenna. For ease of description, the radiator made of metasurface material will be referred to as a metasurface radiation structure (also referred to as a metasurface radiator) hereinafter.

[0102] Coupling: can be understood as direct coupling and / or indirect coupling, and "coupling connection" can be understood as direct coupling connection and / or indirect coupling connection. Direct coupling can also be referred to as "electrical connection", which is understood as that the components are in direct or indirect physical contact and electrically conductive, for example, in the form of connection between different components in a circuit structure through an entity line such as a printed circuit board (PCB) copper foil or a wire that can transmit electrical signals; "indirect coupling" can be understood as that two conductors are electrically conductive through a spaced / untouched manner. In an embodiment, indirect coupling can also be referred to as capacitive coupling, for example, through the coupling between the gap between two conductive parts to form an equivalent capacitor to realize signal transmission.

[0103] End: "end" in the first end / second end / feed end / ground end of the antenna radiator, which cannot be understood as a point in a narrow sense, but can also be considered as a section of the radiator including the end point on the antenna radiator; it also cannot be understood as an end point or end part disconnected from other radiators in a narrow sense, but can also be considered as a point or a section on a continuous radiator. In an embodiment, the "end" can include the end point of the antenna radiator at a certain gap, for example, the end of the antenna radiator can be considered as a section of the radiator within 5mm (for example, 2mm) from a certain gap. In an embodiment, the "end" can include the connection point of the antenna radiator connected to other conductive structures, for example, the feed end can be the connection point of the antenna radiator coupled to the feed structure, and the ground end can be the connection point of the antenna radiator coupled to the ground structure.

[0104] Opposite / Relative arrangement: A and B are opposite arranged can mean that A and B are arranged face to face. For example, when two radiators are opposite arranged, the two radiators are arranged with at least partial area overlapping in a direction. In an embodiment, two opposite arranged radiators are adjacent arranged without other conductive body arranged between them, and without antenna structure arranged between them.

[0105] Radiating body, or radiating structure: is a device in an antenna for receiving / sending electromagnetic wave radiation. In some cases, "antenna" is understood in a narrow sense as a radiating body, which changes the waveguide energy from a transmitter into radio waves, or converts radio waves into waveguide energy for radiating and receiving radio waves. The modulated high-frequency current energy (or waveguide energy) generated by the transmitter is transmitted to the transmitting radiating body through the feeder, which is converted into electromagnetic wave energy of a certain polarization by the radiating body and radiated in the desired direction. The receiving radiating body converts electromagnetic wave energy of a certain polarization from a certain direction in space into modulated high-frequency current energy, which is delivered to the input of the receiver through the feeder.

[0106] Radio frequency unit: is a circuit module for receiving and / or transmitting radio frequency signals. The radio frequency unit can include a radio frequency transceiver and a radio frequency circuit (i.e. a radio frequency front end circuit). The radio frequency transceiver can be a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) for example, and the radio frequency front end circuit (or radio frequency front end chip) can include filters, radio frequency switches, power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers, etc. for example. The radio frequency unit has the function of converting radio waves (e.g. radio frequency signals) and electrical signals (e.g. digital signals). Generally, it is considered as part of the radio frequency.

[0107] In some embodiments, the radio frequency front end circuit can be integrated as a radio frequency front end chip in the electronic device, or the radio frequency front end circuit and the radio frequency transceiver can be integrated as a radio frequency chip in the electronic device.

[0108] Ground / Ground Plane / Floor: can refer to at least a portion of any ground plane, or ground layer, or ground metal layer, etc., or at least a portion of any combination of the above, which can be used for grounding of components in an electronic device. In one embodiment, the ground / Ground Plane / Floor can include any one or more of the following: a ground plane of a circuit board of an electronic device, a ground plane formed by a housing of an electronic device, a conductive ground plane of a battery, and a conductive member or metal member in electrical connection with the above ground plane / ground layer / metal layer. In one embodiment, the circuit board can include a printed circuit board (PCB), such as an 8-layer, 10-layer, or 12- to 14-layer board having 8, 10, 12, 13, or 14 layers of conductive material, or elements separated and electrically isolated by a dielectric or insulating layer, such as fiberglass, polymer, etc. In one embodiment, the PCB board includes a dielectric substrate, a ground plane, and a trace layer, which are electrically connected by vias. The dielectric substrate in the PCB board can be a FR-4 dielectric board, a Rogers dielectric board, or a hybrid of Rogers and FR-4 dielectric board. In one embodiment, components such as a processor, a memory, a battery, a charging circuit, a system on chip (SoC) structure, etc., can be mounted on or connected to the circuit board; or electrically connected to the trace layer and / or the ground plane in the circuit board. For example, a radio frequency unit is disposed on the trace layer.

[0109] Any ground plane, or ground layer, or ground metal layer described above can be made of a conductive material. In one embodiment, the conductive material can be any one of the following: copper, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, and alloys thereof, copper foil on an insulating substrate, aluminum foil on an insulating substrate, gold foil on an insulating substrate, silver-plated copper, silver-plated copper foil on an insulating substrate, silver foil on an insulating substrate, and tin-plated copper, graphite powder-impregnated cloth, graphite-coated substrate, copper-plated substrate, brass-plated substrate, and aluminum-plated substrate. Those skilled in the art can understand that the ground plane / ground layer / ground metal layer can also be made of other conductive materials.

[0110] Grounding: refers to coupling with the above ground / Ground Plane / Floor through a grounding structure and / or a grounding circuit. In one embodiment, the grounding can be through a physical ground, such as a physical ground at a specific location achieved by a partial structural member (or referred to as a physical ground). In one embodiment, the grounding can be through a device ground, such as a device ground achieved by capacitors / inductors / resistors, etc., in series or in parallel (or referred to as a device ground).

[0111] Resonant frequency: Resonant frequency is also called resonance frequency. Resonant frequency can have a frequency range, i.e. a frequency range in which resonance occurs. Resonant frequency can be a frequency range in which return loss characteristic is less than -6dB. The strongest point of resonance can be called a resonant point, and the frequency corresponding to the resonant point is the center frequency point frequency. The return loss characteristic of the center frequency can be less than -20dB.

[0112] Communication frequency band / working frequency band: Regardless of the type of antenna, it always works in a certain frequency range (bandwidth). For example, an antenna supporting B40 frequency band has a working frequency band including frequencies in the range of 2300MHz-2400MHz, or in other words, the working frequency band of the antenna includes B40 frequency band.

[0113] Resonant frequency band and working frequency band can be the same or partially overlap. In an embodiment, one or more resonant frequency bands of an antenna can cover one or more working frequency bands of the antenna.

[0114] In an embodiment of the present application, the wavelength in a certain wavelength mode (such as half-wavelength mode, etc.) of an antenna can refer to the wavelength of the signal radiated by the antenna. For example, the half-wavelength mode of the suspended metal antenna can produce a resonance in the 1.575GHz frequency band, where the wavelength in the half-wavelength mode refers to the wavelength of the signal radiated by the antenna in the 1.575GHz frequency band.

[0115] Wavelength: or working wavelength, can be the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency of the resonant frequency or the center frequency of the working frequency band supported by the antenna. For example, assuming that the center frequency of the B1 uplink frequency band (resonant frequency 1920MHz-1980MHz) is 1955MHz, the working wavelength can be the wavelength calculated using the frequency of 1955MHz. Not limited to the center frequency, "working wavelength" can also refer to the wavelength corresponding to a non-center frequency of the resonant frequency or the working frequency band.

[0116] System efficiency: refers to the ratio of the power radiated by the antenna into space (i.e. the power of the part effectively converted into electromagnetic waves) to the input power of the antenna. System efficiency is the actual efficiency after considering the antenna port matching, i.e. the system efficiency of the antenna is the actual efficiency (i.e. efficiency) of the antenna.

[0117] Isolation: refers to the ratio of the signal received by another antenna to the signal transmitted by the antenna. Isolation is a physical quantity used to measure the degree of antenna coupling. Assuming that two antennas form a two-port network, the isolation between the two antennas is S21, S12 between the antennas. The antenna isolation can be represented by S21, S12 parameters, which also belong to one of the S parameters. S21, S12 parameters are usually negative. The smaller the S21, S12 parameter, the greater the isolation between the antennas, and the smaller the degree of antenna coupling; the larger the S21, S12 parameter, the smaller the isolation between the antennas, and the greater the degree of antenna coupling. The isolation of the antenna depends on the antenna radiation pattern, the spatial distance of the antenna, the antenna gain, etc.

[0118] The parallel, vertical, same (for example, the same length, the same width, and the like) and the like mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are all for the current process level, and not the absolute strict definition in the mathematical sense. There can be a deviation within a predetermined angle range between two radiators that are parallel or vertical to each other. In an embodiment, the predetermined angle is 10°, for example, the deviation can be within a range of ±5°.

[0119] To make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0120] The integration degree of the multi-band antenna system in the prior art is low, the structure is complex, the manufacturing difficulty is high, and it is difficult to realize miniaturization, light weight and low profile. To solve the above problems, the present application provides an antenna unit, which integrates multiple frequency band antenna arrays in a metasurface (MTS) radiation structure, thereby improving the integration degree of the multi-band antenna system.

[0121] The present application also provides an antenna system and a communication device, which uses the antenna unit provided by the present application, and is beneficial to create a high integration, miniaturization, simplification and low cost communication product.

[0122] It should be noted that the technical solutions of the present application can be applied to any one or several of the following communication systems: long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, universal mobile communication system (UMTS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, 5th generation (5G) system or new radio (NR), device to device (D2D) system, vehicle to everything (V2X) system, and future communication system, etc.

[0123] As shown in FIGS. 1-2, the present application also provides a communication device 300, which includes but is not limited to a base station, a radar, a switch, a router, a gateway, a server, a network interface card, a wireless access point, a modem, an optical transceiver, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a wearable device (such as smart glasses, a smart bracelet, a smart watch, wireless earphones, etc.), and the like. Hereinafter, a base station is taken as an example for description, which is used for cell coverage of wireless signals and realizes user equipment and the wireless network.

[0124] The base station can be a device for communicating with a terminal device, including a base transceiver station (BTS) in a global system for mobile communications (GSM) system or a code division multiple access (CDMA) system, a NodeB (NB) in a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) system, an evolved NodeB (eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario, or the base station can include a relay station, an access point, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, and a base station in a future communication network or a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN) network, and the like, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited.

[0125] As shown in FIGS. 1-3c, the base station is equipped with a base station antenna (belonging to an antenna system) to realize the transmission of signals in space. FIG. 2 shows the structural composition of a base station antenna equipped by the base station in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the communication device 300 can be a base station, and the base station can include a pole 91, a pole support 92, a radome 72, an antenna unit 100, a radio frequency unit (for example, a first radio frequency unit 61 and a second radio frequency unit 62), and a processing device 71. The pole support 92, the radome 72, and the antenna unit 100 can be components of the base station antenna.

[0126] The pole 91 can be fixed to the ground. The pole support 92 connects the pole 91 and the radome 72, and the radome 72 is fixed to the pole 91 through the pole support 92. The antenna unit 100 can be installed in the radome 72. The radome 72 has good electromagnetic wave penetration characteristics and environmental weather resistance, and can protect the components installed therein.

[0127] The antenna unit 100 has an antenna array for radiating and receiving antenna signals. The antenna array can include a plurality of antenna units arranged in a certain array, which can radiate and receive electromagnetic waves. The antenna unit can include a coupled radiating structure (for example, the metal patch unit 181 on the metasurface radiating structure 1 to be described below) and a feeding structure 3 (for example, the feeding part to be described below). The radiating structure is used for radiating and receiving signals, and the feeding structure 3 is used for transmitting the electrical signals transmitted by the radio frequency unit to the radiating structure, and transmitting the signals received by the radiating structure to the radio frequency circuit.

[0128] The radio frequency unit (for example, a remote radio unit (RRU)) can transmit signals to the antenna unit 100. The radio frequency unit can be electrically connected to the processing device 71 through a cable. As shown in FIG. 2, the radio frequency unit and the processing device 71 can be located outside the radome 72, and the radio frequency unit can be located at the proximal end of the base station antenna. The processing device 71 can be, for example, a building baseband unit (BBU), which is not limited in the present application.

[0129] The structure of the base station shown in FIGS. 1-2 is only an example, and the structure of the base station in the embodiments of the present application can be flexibly designed according to product requirements, and is not limited to the above. For example, the base station can also not have a holding pole, and the radome 72 can be fixed to the tower through the holding pole support 92.

[0130] As shown in FIGS. 3a-3c, in a possible implementation, the antenna unit 100 includes a first antenna array 11 and a second antenna array 12, the radio frequency unit includes a first radio frequency unit 61 and a second radio frequency unit 62, the first antenna array 11 is in communication connection with the first radio frequency unit 61, and the second antenna array 12 is in communication connection with the second radio frequency unit 62. The first radio frequency unit 61 is configured to transmit signals of a first frequency band to the first antenna array 11, and the second radio frequency unit 62 is configured to transmit signals of a second frequency band to the second antenna array 12. The center frequency of the first frequency band is lower than the center frequency of the second frequency band. The first frequency band and the second frequency band can be completely non-overlapping or partially overlapping, which is not limited in the present application. For example, the first frequency band can be a low frequency (LB, 690-960 MHz), the second frequency band can be a high frequency (HB, for example, a 5G frequency band: 4400-5835 MHz), a medium frequency (MB, for example, a 2.4G WIFI frequency band: 2400-2480 MHz, 1710-2690 MHz, etc.), a medium-high frequency (MHB, for example, 3300-3800 MHz, 3300-4200 MHz), etc., which can be set according to a scene. It should be noted that the antenna unit 100 can also include more frequency band antenna arrays to achieve comprehensive coverage of signals of various frequency bands, which is not limited in the present application.

[0131] As shown in FIGS. 3b-3c, in a possible implementation, the first antenna array 11 can also include a first sub-antenna array 111 and a second sub-antenna array 112, and correspondingly, the first radio frequency unit 61 can also include a first sub-radio frequency unit 611 and a second sub-radio frequency unit 612, the first sub-radio frequency unit 611 is configured to transmit signals of a first sub-frequency band to the first sub-antenna array 111, and the second sub-radio frequency unit 612 is configured to transmit signals of a second sub-frequency band to the second sub-antenna array 112. The second antenna array 12 can also include multiple sub-frequency bands, which is not limited in the present application.

[0132] In a possible implementation, each radio frequency unit includes a radio frequency circuit and a radio frequency transceiver, for example, a radio frequency chip, and the radio frequency transceiver is connected with the corresponding antenna array through the radio frequency circuit. As shown in FIG. 3b, the radio frequency circuit can include multiple sub-radio frequency circuits, which are specifically set according to the number of channels of each antenna array.

[0133] It should be noted that the first antenna array 11 and the second antenna array 12 can each be a single-polarized antenna, a dual-polarized antenna, a directional antenna, an omnidirectional antenna, etc., and the type of each antenna is not limited in the present application. The dual-polarized antenna is an antenna that combines two pairs of polarization directions that are orthogonal to each other, i.e., +45° and -45° (or 90° and 0°), and has +45° and -45° channels between the antenna and the radio unit, and can work in a transceiving duplex mode, thereby saving the number of antennas of a single directional base station, reducing interference in a mobile communication network, and improving the service quality of the entire network. The number of +45° and -45° channels is not limited, and each can be one or more. Each channel can only include an input, or only include an output, or include both an input and an output, and the present application does not limit this. The single-polarized antenna has only one direction of polarization, i.e., horizontal or vertical, and can only work in a single mode, and the coverage effect of the single-polarized antenna is better than that of the dual-polarized antenna in open plains or mountainous areas. As shown in FIG. 3c, in one possible implementation, the first antenna array 11 and the second antenna array 12 are dual-polarized antennas that combine +45° and -45° polarization directions, and the polarization mode of each antenna array and the connection mode between the antenna and the radio unit are described in detail below, and will not be expanded here.

[0134] As shown in FIGS. 7a-8b, in one possible implementation, the base station further includes at least one circuit board, and the radio unit is integrated in the at least one circuit board. The specific number of circuit boards is not limited, and can be one or more. Different radio units can share a circuit board, or be arranged in different circuit boards.

[0135] For example, as shown in FIGS. 4c-5b, 7a-7b, in one possible implementation, the base station includes a first circuit board 81, and the first radio frequency unit 61 and the second radio frequency unit 62 are integrated in the first circuit board 81. As shown in FIGS. 8a-8b, in an alternative implementation, the base station is provided with a first circuit board 81 and a second circuit board 82, the first radio frequency unit 61 is arranged in the second circuit board 82, and the second radio frequency unit 62 is arranged in the first circuit board 81. When other frequency bands of antennas are arranged in the antenna unit 100, for example, the third antenna array 13 to be described later, the third radio frequency unit 63 corresponding to the third antenna array 13 can be arranged in a separate circuit board (for example, the third circuit board 83 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13), or can be arranged in the same circuit board as the first radio frequency unit 61 and / or the second radio frequency unit 62. Any one of the above-mentioned circuit boards can be, for example, a TRX (Transceiver) single board, and the present application does not limit this. As shown in FIG. 4c, in one possible implementation, the first circuit board 81 is a TRX single board, which has the advantages of high integration, stability and reliability, and can reduce the maintenance cost in the later stage. For example, a plurality of heat dissipation fins can be arranged on the TRX single board, which can dissipate heat from the internal radio frequency chips and other components during the operation of the base station, reduce the accumulation of heat, and help to improve the system efficiency. It should be noted that the mounting position of each circuit board is not limited, and can be mounted on the outer surface of the radome 72 (see FIG. 2), or can be independent of the radome 72.

[0136] As shown in FIG. 4a, the antenna unit 100 includes a metasurface radiation structure 1, a ground layer 2, and a feeding structure 3. The feeding structure 3 includes a first feeding group 31 and a second feeding group 32. The first feeding group 31 includes a plurality of first feeding portions 311 arranged in an array, the plurality of first feeding portions 311 are used for transmitting signals of a first frequency band, and the first feeding group 31 is arranged opposite to the metasurface radiation structure 1 at a first interval 51 (see FIG. 5a) in a first direction Z and is coupled (or can be understood as the first feeding portion 311 feeds the metasurface radiation structure 1 by coupling) with the metasurface radiation structure 1 through the first interval 51 to form a first antenna array 11. Or it can be understood that the first feeding portion 311 feeds the metasurface radiation structure 1 by air feeding, so that the signal transmission between the first radio frequency unit 61 and the metasurface radiation structure 1 can be realized.

[0137] The second feeding group 32 comprises a plurality of second feeding portions 321 arranged in an array, the plurality of second feeding portions 321 being configured to transmit signals of the second frequency band, and the second feeding group 32 is arranged opposite to the metasurface radiating structure 1 in the first direction Z with a second interval 52 (see FIG. 5a) and coupled to the metasurface radiating structure 1 through the second interval 52 (or it can be understood that the second feeding portions 321 feed the metasurface radiating structure 1 by coupling), so as to form the second antenna array 12. Or it can be understood that the second feeding portions 321 feed the metasurface radiating structure 1 by air feeding, so that the signal transmission between the second radio frequency unit 62 and the metasurface radiating structure 1 can be realized.

[0138] In addition, the center frequency of the first frequency band is lower than the center frequency of the second frequency band, and the outer periphery of at least one first feeding portion 311 of the first feeding group 31 is arranged with at least one second feeding portion 321.

[0139] The first direction Z may, for example, be the thickness direction of the antenna unit 100, or it can be understood as the thickness direction of the ground layer 2, or it can be understood as the thickness direction of the metasurface radiating structure 1. The ground layer 2 is also referred to as a floor, a reflection plate, a bottom plate, an antenna panel, etc., and is used to reflect electromagnetic waves so that the electromagnetic waves of each antenna array are concentrated and radiated in one direction, and can also be used to ground each component. The ground layer 2 can be independently provided with the circuit board (i.e., the TRX single board) mentioned above, or the ground layer can be multiplexed with the circuit board mentioned above, and the present application does not limit this. The feeding structure 3 is used to feed the metasurface radiating structure 1, and the feeding can mean supplying power or providing energy to the metasurface radiating structure 1 to form an antenna array on the metasurface radiating structure 1. The feeding structure 3 can feed signals in the radio frequency circuit to the area of the metasurface radiating structure 1 according to a certain amplitude and phase, or feed the signals received from the radiator to the radio frequency unit according to a certain amplitude and phase. Or it can be understood that the feeding structure 3 is used to feed the metasurface radiating structure 1, or receive signals from the metasurface radiating structure 1. Specifically, the feeding structure 3 converts the received radio frequency signals into electromagnetic waves and radiates the electromagnetic waves to the free space. The electromagnetic waves are transmitted for a distance and then received by the metasurface radiating structure 1 and radiated by the metasurface radiating structure 1, thereby realizing the function of the antenna system to transmit signals. The metasurface radiating structure 1 can emit electromagnetic waves to the outside world or receive electromagnetic waves from the outside world.

[0140] The specific structure and form of the metasurface radiation structure 1 are not limited. As shown in FIGS. 4a and 4e, in one possible implementation, the antenna unit 100 can include a metal layer 18, the metal layer 18 includes a plurality of metal patch units 181 (as long as they are conductive units), adjacent metal patch units 181 in the plurality of metal patch units 181 have a gap, and the plurality of metal patch units 181 constitute the metasurface radiation structure 1. The number of metal patch units 181 is not limited. Alternatively, the metasurface radiation structure 1 can be composed of a plurality of metal patch units 181 on the metal layer 18, and the metal patch units 181 can act as radiators. In one possible implementation, the metal patch units 181 are formed by etching gaps in the metal layer 18. It should be noted that the number of metal layers 18 is not limited, and there can be one, two, three or more metal layers 18. The antenna unit 100 can also be provided with a dielectric layer to support the metal layer 18, which is not limited in the present application. It should be noted that the shape of the metal patch unit 181 is not limited, for example, it can be circular, square, triangular, etc. As shown in FIG. 5c, in one possible implementation, the metal patch unit 181 is square and is formed by a plurality of +45° and -45° gaps staggered, corresponding to two polarization directions of +45° and -45°. In some embodiments, the metasurface radiation structure can be made of any suitable metasurface material, for example, a metal metamaterial film, a true-time-delay (TTD) metamaterial, etc., which is not specifically limited in the present application as long as it can meet the actual use requirements.

[0141] The structure of the metal patch unit 181 in the metasurface radiation structure 1 and the gap between the metal patch units 181 will affect the propagation characteristics of the metasurface radiation structure 1. The working frequency and bandwidth of the antenna unit can be adjusted by designing the structure of the metal patch unit 181 and the gap between the metal patch units 181, so that the antenna unit can work in multiple modes or dual modes, thereby expanding the bandwidth of the antenna unit. In addition, the metasurface radiation structure 1 itself can be made thinner, facilitating the realization of a low-profile antenna. In summary, the antenna unit provided by the present application can have low-profile broadband characteristics, thereby further expanding the application range.

[0142] It should be noted that the number of feeding units in the feeding group is not limited, and examples will be given in the following text. It should be noted that the first interval and the second interval can be equal or not equal. The specific interval values of the first interval and the second interval are not limited as long as the corresponding feeding units can excite the metasurface radiation structure 1. The third interval mentioned below can be equal or not equal to the first interval, and similarly, the third interval can be equal or not equal to the second interval. The specific interval value of the third interval is also not limited.

[0143] As shown in FIG. 4a, any one of the feeding sections (e.g., the first feeding section 311, the second feeding section 321, the third feeding section 341 mentioned below, etc.) can be in the form of a feeding pin, a patch structure, or a slit formed in the ground layer 2, and the present application does not limit this. As shown in FIGS. 6a-6b, in one possible implementation, the first feeding section 311 and the second feeding section 321 are feeding pins. In one possible implementation, the feeding pin 33 can include a metal sheet 331 and a pin 332, the metal sheet 331 being the main body of the feeding pin 33 for coupling the feed to the metasurface radiating structure 1, and the pin 332 being connected at one end to the metal sheet 331 and at the other end to the corresponding radio frequency unit. Thus, the first radio frequency unit 61 and the second radio frequency unit 62 are not connected to the metasurface radiating structure 1 by a transmission line, and the structure is simple. Among them, the number of pins in the feeding pin 33 can be 2, corresponding to +45° and -45° two polarization directions respectively. When the antenna array is a single-polarized antenna, only one pin can be provided in the feeding pin 33. Among them, the shape of the metal sheet 331 is not limited. As shown in FIG. 6a, in one possible implementation, the metal sheet 331 is square, and as shown in FIG. 6b, in an alternative implementation, the metal sheet 331 is circular.

[0144] As shown in FIGS. 5a-5b, in one possible implementation, the first radio frequency unit 61 and the second radio frequency unit 62 are integrated in the first circuit board 81, and the first circuit board 81 is mounted on the side of the radome 72 close to the ground layer 2 in the first direction Z. The first circuit board 81 is provided with a plurality of radio frequency ports, including the radio frequency ports 6110 and 6120 of the first radio frequency unit 61, and the radio frequency port 620 of the second radio frequency unit 62, and the pins of the first feeding section 311 pass through the ground layer 2 and the radome 72 and are connected to the corresponding radio frequency ports on the first circuit board 81.

[0145] As shown in FIGS. 8a-8b, in an alternative implementation, the second radio frequency unit 62 is provided on the first circuit board 81, the first radio frequency unit 61 is provided on the second circuit board 82, and the first circuit board 81 is mounted on the side of the radome 72 close to the ground layer 2 in the first direction Z, and the second radio frequency unit 62 is provided on the other side of the radome 72. The pins of the second feeding section 321 pass through the ground layer 2 and the radome 72 and are connected to the corresponding radio frequency port 6110 on the first circuit board 81, and the pins of the first feeding section 311 are wired in the gap between the ground layer 2 and the radome 72, which can be, for example, a transmission line structure, and the transmission line structure passes through the opening on the side of the radome 72 and is connected to the corresponding radio frequency port 6110 on the second circuit board 82.

[0146] As shown in FIG. 5c, in one possible implementation, the first feeding portion 311 in at least part of the first feeding group 31 is arranged with the second feeding portion 321 on the outer circumferential side of the first feeding portion 311. Or it can be understood that the second feeding portion 321 is distributed around the area where the first feeding portion 311 is located in at least part of the feeding portion, and at least part of the area on the metasurface radiation structure 1 is coupled with the first feeding portion 311 and the second feeding portion 321 at the same time. The first antenna array and the second antenna array can coexist on the same area of the metasurface radiation structure 1.

[0147] It should be noted that FIG. 5c is a plan view, and in fact each feeding portion (for example, the first feeding portion 311 and the second feeding portion 321) is arranged apart from the metasurface radiation structure 1 in the first direction Z. Here, the relative position relationship of each feeding portion in the plane perpendicular to the first direction Z is mainly described, as well as the wiring path between the first feeding portion 311 and the first radio frequency unit.

[0148] The antenna unit 100 provided by the embodiment of the present application includes the metasurface radiation structure 1, which is a two-dimensional planar structure with special electromagnetic properties and can realize flexible regulation of the amplitude, phase and other characteristics of the incident wave. By arranging the antenna on the metasurface radiation structure 1, not only the beam characteristics of the antenna can be accurately regulated, but also the two-dimensional planar property of the metasurface radiation structure 1 can be used to realize the miniaturization and high integration of the antenna, and the metasurface radiation structure 1 also has the characteristics of low profile (for example, the height of the profile can be within 0.1 times the wavelength, and the wavelength is the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency of the first frequency band).

[0149] The feeding structure 3 includes the first feeding group 31 and the second feeding group 32, and the feeding group has a plurality of feeding portions arranged in an array. The first feeding portion 311 in the first feeding group 31 feeds the metasurface radiation structure 1 by coupling, and can excite the radiating units in a certain area on the metasurface radiation structure 1. The excited radiating units act as radiators of the antenna, and can emit the coupling signal (i.e. the signal of the first frequency band) from the first feeding portion 311 to the outside, or receive the signal from the outside and then couple and transmit it to the first feeding portion 311. The plurality of first feeding portions 311 arranged in an array are coupled with the metasurface radiation structure 1, that is, a first antenna array is formed on the metasurface radiation structure 1. The plurality of second feeding portions 321 arranged in an array in the second feeding group 32 also form a second antenna array on the metasurface radiation structure 1 in the same way, which is used to emit or receive the signal of the second frequency band. Therefore, the antennas of different frequency bands share the same metasurface radiation structure 1.

[0150] Further, the outer periphery of at least part of the first feeding portion 311 of the first feeding group 31 is arranged with the second feeding portion 321. It can be understood that the second feeding portion 321 is distributed around the region where the first feeding portion 311 is located in at least part of the feeding portion. At least part of the region on the metasurface radiation structure 1 is coupled with the first feeding portion 311 and the second feeding portion 321, and the first antenna array and the second antenna array can coexist on the same region of the metasurface radiation structure 1. Thus, in the plane perpendicular to the first direction Z, the first antenna array and the second antenna array do not need to be arranged staggered, and the size of the antenna unit 100 can be further reduced.

[0151] Therefore, the antenna unit 100 provided by the embodiment of the present application can improve the integration of the multi-band antenna system 200, has a simple structure, reduces the manufacturing difficulty, and has the advantages of miniaturization, light weight, low profile, etc.

[0152] It should be noted that the plurality of feeding portions in the feeding group do not necessarily have to be completely the same, and different feeding portions in the same feeding group can also undertake different divisions and connect different circuits and radio frequency units. For example, as shown in FIG. 5c, in one possible implementation, the first feeding group 31 includes at least one first sub-feeding portion 3111 and at least one second sub-feeding portion 3112. The first sub-feeding portion 3111 is used to transmit signals of a first sub-frequency band to a first sub-radio frequency unit 611, and the first sub-feeding portion 3111 is coupled with the metasurface radiation structure 1 through the first interval 51 to form a first sub-antenna array 111. The second sub-feeding portion 3112 is used to transmit signals of a second sub-frequency band to a second sub-radio frequency unit 612, and the second sub-feeding portion 3112 is coupled with the metasurface radiation structure 1 through the first interval 51 to form a second sub-antenna array 112. Wherein, the first sub-radio frequency unit 611 and the second sub-radio frequency unit 612 are different radio frequency units, and the first sub-frequency band and the second sub-frequency band are within the range of the first frequency band. It should be noted that the first sub-frequency band and the second sub-frequency band can not overlap, or can partially overlap or completely overlap, which is not limited in the present application.

[0153] Or can be understood as, the first frequency band is further refined first sub-band and second sub-band, the surface radiation structure 1 can radiate the signal of first sub-band, second sub-band and second frequency band to the outside. In this way, the first antenna array 11 can be divided into different systems, and the system is connected to different radio frequency chips for use by different operators. For example, four first feeding parts 311 are shown in FIG. 5c, of which the left two first feeding parts 311 are first sub-feed parts 3111, and the right two are second sub-feed parts 3112. The first radio frequency unit 61 includes a first sub-radio frequency unit 611 and a second sub-radio frequency unit 612, and the two first sub-feed parts 3111 are connected to the first sub-radio frequency unit 611 to transmit signals of the first sub-band, and the two second sub-feed parts 3112 are connected to the second sub-radio frequency unit 612 to transmit signals of the first sub-band. Exemplarily, the first frequency band can be 690MHz-960MHz, the first sub-band can be 700MHz-750MHz for example, for use by the first operator, and the second sub-band can be 750MHz-800MHz for example, for use by the second operator. As shown in FIGS. 5c-5d, when this scheme is adopted, the left first sub-antenna array 111 in FIG. 5c can form an independent radiation beam M, and the right second sub-antenna array 112 can form an independent radiation beam N, which have a slight phase difference in the directional diagram in the X-Z plane, but the radiation beams as a whole point to the same direction. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the first sub-antenna array 111 and the second sub-antenna array 112 can also form different radiation beams respectively.

[0154] As shown in FIG. 5c and FIG. 8c, in one possible implementation, the first feeding group 31 includes 4 first feeding parts 311, of which the left two are first sub-feeding parts 3111 and the right two are second sub-feeding parts 3112. The second feeding group 32 includes 32 second feeding parts 321. Exemplarily, the first antenna array 11 is a dual-polarized antenna, and both systems of the first antenna array 11 have two polarization directions. For the 4 first feeding parts 311, 8 radio frequency ports (for example, FIG. 5c) can be arranged on the first radio frequency unit, including 4 radio frequency ports 6110 of the first sub-radio frequency unit 611 and 4 radio frequency ports 6120 of the second sub-radio frequency unit 612, one first sub-feeding part 3111 corresponds to two radio frequency ports 6110, and one second sub-feeding part 3112 corresponds to 2 radio frequency ports 6120. Alternatively, the scheme in FIG. 8c can also be adopted, and the feeding parts in the same system are connected through a transmission line structure, and the first radio frequency unit 61 can be provided with radio frequency ports for the system with two polarization directions. Similarly, the second frequency band can also be divided into multiple sub-frequency bands, and the second feeding part 321 can also be divided into multiple sub-feeding parts, so as to divide the second antenna array 12 into multiple systems for use by different operators. In one possible implementation, the second antenna array 12 is a MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) antenna, and the second feeding parts 321 are in the same system, and the frequency bands of the transmitted signals are completely the same. The first frequency band can also be set as a MIMO antenna, which is not limited in the present application. It should be noted that whether the feeding parts in the feeding group are divided into systems, how to divide the systems, and the specific number of systems can be set according to the actual scene, and examples will be given in the following.

[0155] It should be noted that the present application does not limit the specific number and arrangement of the feeding portions in the antenna unit 100. As shown in FIGS. 4a, 11a-11c, in one possible implementation, the projection of the first feeding portion 311 on the metasurface radiation structure 1 along the first direction Z is a first projection point 15, and the projection of the second feeding portion 321 on the metasurface radiation structure 1 along the first direction Z is a second projection point 16. The projection of the first sub-feeding portion 3111 on the metasurface radiation structure 1 along the first direction Z is a first sub-projection point 151, and the projection of the second sub-feeding portion 3112 on the metasurface radiation structure 1 along the first direction Z is a second sub-projection point 152. That is, the first projection point 15 is the projection of the first feeding portion 311 on the metasurface radiation structure 1 along the first direction Z, and the second projection point 16 is the projection of the second feeding portion 321 on the metasurface radiation structure 1. The first sub-projection point 151 is the projection of the first sub-feeding portion 3111 on the metasurface radiation structure 1, and the second sub-projection point 152 is the projection of the second sub-feeding portion 3112 on the metasurface radiation structure 1. For ease of description, the position of the projection point is used to represent the position of the feeding portion hereinafter. By describing the positional relationship of the projection points on the metasurface radiation structure 1, the distribution of the feeding portions in the plane perpendicular to the first direction Z can be obtained. It should be noted that in the perspective of FIGS. 9a-9c, the feeding portions coincide with the corresponding projection points, and the positions of the feeding portions in the figures are the positions of the corresponding projection points. The feeding portions are not actually located on the metasurface radiation structure 1. In FIGS. 11a-11c, the feeding portions are not shown, and only the projection points are retained. The coincidence mentioned above and hereinafter can be understood as partial coincidence or complete coincidence. It should be noted that the black and white circles in FIGS. 11a-11c are only used to distinguish different projection points and have no substantial meaning. Moreover, the circles are only used to indicate the positions of the projections and do not represent the actual shapes of the projections of the through holes and / or the feeding portions.

[0156] As shown in FIG. 11a, in a possible implementation, isolation structures 4 are arranged between at least some adjacent first projection points 15, and the isolation structures 4 are grounded. Those skilled in the art can understand that the metasurface radiation structure 1 includes a plurality of projection points, and there is coupling between the metal patch units 181 in the radiation regions of different projection points, which affects the efficiency of the antenna system 200. For example, there is coupling between different first projection points 15 (that is, there is coupling between the metal patch units 181 in the first sub-regions A of different first projection points 15), there is coupling between different second projection points 16, and there is coupling between the first projection points 15 and the second projection points 16. Among them, the coupling strength between adjacent projection points of the same frequency (adjacent means that there is no other projection point between two projection points) is relatively high. The isolation structures 4 are arranged between adjacent first projection points 15, and the isolation structures 4 have a reflection function for electromagnetic waves, which can improve the isolation degree between different regions on the metasurface radiation structure 1. Arranging the isolation structures 4 between the adjacent two first projection points 15 can reduce the coupling between different metal patch units 181 of the first antenna array 11 itself, and improve the antenna system efficiency. It should be noted that the isolation structures 4 can be arranged between adjacent first projection points 15, or the isolation structures 4 can not be arranged between adjacent first projection points 15, and the isolation structures 4 can be arranged between adjacent second projection points 16 or not arranged between adjacent second projection points 16, which is not limited in the present application. Whether to arrange the isolation structures 4 at specific positions should be determined according to the functions and layouts of the antenna units 100. The layout of the projection points and the positions of the isolation structures 4 will be described in the following.

[0157] As shown in FIG. 11a, in a possible implementation, isolation structures 4 are arranged between adjacent first sub-projection points 151 and second sub-projection points 152. Those skilled in the art can understand that the first sub-projection points 151 and the second sub-projection points 152 belong to different systems, and if there is too strong coupling between different systems, it will greatly affect the overall efficiency of the antenna system. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange isolation structures 4 between the projection points of different systems. Arranging the isolation structures 4 between adjacent first sub-projection points 151 and second sub-projection points 152 can be understood as arranging the isolation structures 4 between the projection points of different systems, and reducing the coupling degree of the two systems.

[0158] As shown in FIGS. 8c-9c, and understood in conjunction with FIG. 11a, in one possible implementation, the number of first sub-feed portions 3111 is multiple, the number of first sub-projection points 151 is multiple, and the isolation structure 4 is arranged between at least two adjacent first sub-projection points 151. The number of second sub-feed portions 3112 is multiple, the number of second sub-projection points 152 is multiple, and the isolation structure 4 is arranged between at least two adjacent second sub-projection points 152. Or it can be understood that the isolation structure 4 is also arranged between adjacent projection points in the same channel. Although the coupling between the projection points in the same channel has little effect on the antenna system 200, increasing the isolation structure 4 can still optimize the radiation performance of the antenna to a certain extent. The isolation structure 4 can also not be arranged between adjacent first sub-projection points 151, which is not limited in the present application. Similarly, the isolation structure 4 can also be arranged or not arranged between adjacent second sub-projection points 152, which is not limited in the present application.

[0159] As shown in FIGS. 4a and 11a, in one possible implementation, the first projection points 15 are arranged in at least two columns along the second direction X, wherein each column of first projection points 15 includes a plurality of first projection points 15 arranged along the third direction Y, and the first direction Z, the second direction X, and the third direction Y are perpendicular to each other. Among them, the second direction X and the third direction Y can be the width direction and the length direction of the metasurface radiation structure 1 respectively. In one possible implementation, the third direction Y is perpendicular to or inclined to the horizontal ground, that is, the length direction (third direction Y) of the metasurface radiation structure 1 is arranged along the height of the base station or inclined to the height direction by a certain angle, and the width direction (second direction X) and the thickness direction (first direction Z) of the metasurface radiation structure 1 are parallel to the horizontal ground or inclined to the horizontal ground by a certain angle. In this way, the entire radiation surface of the metasurface radiation structure 1 is perpendicular to the ground or inclined to the ground by a certain angle, and the signal coverage range in the vertical direction is wider.

[0160] Further, as shown in FIGS. 4a, 8c, and 11a, in one possible implementation, the projection points in at least one column of first projection points 15 are arranged as first sub-projection points 151, and the projection points in at least one column of first projection points 15 are arranged as second sub-projection points 152. The isolation structure 4 is arranged between the adjacent column of first sub-projection points 151 and the column of second sub-projection points 152. In this way, the first projection points 15 are divided into different systems in the form of columns, which is beneficial to simplify the layout of the radio frequency circuit. The isolation structure 4 is arranged between the adjacent column of first sub-projection points 151 and the column of second sub-projection points 152, that is, the isolation structure 4 is arranged between the adjacent first sub-projection points 151 and the second sub-projection points 152. The isolation effect between different channels is better.

[0161] It should be noted that the number of columns of the first projection points 15 in the first feeding group 31 is not limited, and the number of columns of the first sub-projection points 151 and the second sub-projection points 152 is also not limited. In one possible implementation, the plurality of columns of the first projection points 15 are two columns of the first projection points 15, wherein the projection points in one column of the first projection points 15 are set as the first sub-projection points 151, and the projection points in the other column of the first projection points 15 are set as the second sub-projection points 152.

[0162] The specific number of the first sub-projection points 151 in one column of the first sub-projection points 151 is not limited, and the specific number of the second sub-projection points 152 in one column of the second sub-projection points 152 is not limited. The scenarios shown in FIGS. 8c and 9c are 4 first feeding parts 311 distributed in 2x2, the left two are the first sub-feeding parts 3111, and the right two are the second sub-feeding parts 3112. At this time, on the metasurface radiation structure 1, the corresponding 4 first projection points 15 are distributed in 2x2, the left two are the first sub-projection points 151, and the right two are the second sub-projection points 152. In one possible implementation, the isolation structure 4 is arranged between the first projection points 15, and the isolation effect is best. As shown in FIG. 9a, the upper two first feeding parts 311 can also be set as the first sub-feeding parts 3111, and the lower two first feeding parts 311 are set as the second sub-feeding parts 3112. At this time, the corresponding upper two first projection points 15 on the metasurface radiation structure 1 are set as the first sub-projection points 151, and the lower two first projection points 15 are set as the second sub-projection points 152, which is not limited in the present application. A plurality of channels can be included in the same system, for example, two transmission channels are included in the system of the dual-polarized antenna. For example, in FIG. 8c, the left two channels are respectively a +45° polarized channel and a -45° polarized channel, the phase difference is large, and the coupling degree is low. The left and right two channels are both -45° polarized channels, the coupling degree is high, and belong to different systems respectively, and isolation measures need to be taken. Similarly, the left and right two channels are both +45° polarized channels, and isolation measures also need to be taken. This is the main reason for arranging the isolation structure 4 between the adjacent first sub-projection points 151 and the second sub-projection points 152.

[0163] It should be noted that the isolation structure 4 can also be arranged between the adjacent second projection points 16 and between the adjacent first projection points 15 and the second projection points 16, which is not limited in the present application. In one possible implementation, the second antenna array 12 is a MIMO antenna, and the projection points belong to the same system. The coupling between the adjacent second projection points 16 has little effect on the antenna system 200, and therefore the isolation structure 4 can not be added between the adjacent second projection points 16. Because the first frequency band and the second frequency band are different, the coupling strength is low, and therefore the isolation structure 4 can not be arranged between the adjacent first projection points 15 and the second projection points 16.

[0164] It should be noted that the specific structure and material of the isolation structure 4 are not limited, as long as it can have a reflection effect on electromagnetic waves. As shown in FIGS. 4a-5b, 7a-8b, in one possible implementation, the isolation structure 4 is a metal plate 41, which is connected to the ground layer 2 on one side and connected to (e.g., FIGS. 5a-5b) or coupled to (e.g., FIGS. 7a-7b) the metasurface radiation structure 1 in the first direction Z. The coupling means that the metal plate 41 is not in direct contact with the metasurface radiation structure 1, but is spaced apart by a gap. It should be noted that the gap can be filled with air or an insulating solid medium, which is not limited in the present application.

[0165] It should be noted that the metal plates 41 can be connected or not connected. The metal plate 41 can be a one-piece structure or a split structure, which is not limited in the present application. As shown in FIGS. 4a-5b, in one possible implementation, an outer frame is further provided between the metasurface radiation structure 1 and the ground layer 2, which is connected on one side and connected to the metasurface radiation structure 1 on the other side, supporting a back cavity between them to accommodate the feed structure 3. As shown in FIGS. 9a-9c, in one possible implementation, the outer frame can be a metal material, and the metal plate 41 and the outer frame are directly formed as one piece, which simplifies the production process and has high reliability. The outer frame can also be an insulating material, which is not limited in the present application.

[0166] As shown in FIGS. 10a-10b, in one possible implementation, the isolation structure 4 is an electromagnetic band gap structure, i.e., an EBG (Electromagnetic band gap) structure, which is connected to the ground layer 2 on one end and connected to or coupled to the metasurface radiation structure 1 on the other end.

[0167] As shown in FIGS. 10a-10b, in one example, the electromagnetic band gap structure includes a plurality of isolation pieces 42 and a plurality of grounding pieces 43 corresponding to the plurality of isolation pieces 42, the isolation pieces 42 and the metasurface radiation structure 1 are arranged in the same plane in the first direction Z, and the metasurface radiation structure 1 is divided into different areas, one end of the grounding piece 43 is connected to the ground layer 2, and the other end is connected to the corresponding isolation piece 42. The number of isolation pieces 42 and grounding pieces 43 is not limited, which can be designed according to the size of the isolation piece 42 and the overall length of the required isolation structure 4 structure.

[0168] It should be noted that the isolation structures arranged at different positions in the antenna unit can be the same or different. For example, they can all be arranged as metal plates 41, or they can all be arranged as electromagnetic band gap structures, or some can be arranged as metal plates 41 and some can be arranged as electromagnetic band gap structures, which is not limited in the present application.

[0169] As shown in FIG. 4a, FIG. 11a-FIG. 11c, in one possible implementation, the first feeding group 31 is configured to excite the first region E of the metasurface radiating structure 1, and the second feeding group 32 is configured to excite the second region F of the metasurface radiating structure 1. In this case, the first region E and the second region F partially overlap or completely overlap. Alternatively, the region of the metasurface radiating structure 1 that can be excited by the first feeding group 31 is the first region E, and the region of the metasurface radiating structure 1 that can be excited by the second feeding group 32 is the second region F. When the first region E and the second region F partially overlap or completely overlap, the metal patch units in the overlapping region can be excited by both the first feeding group 31 and the second feeding group 32.

[0170] In one possible implementation, the first region E of the metasurface radiating structure 1 includes a plurality of first sub-regions A corresponding to a plurality of first feeding portions 311, each first feeding portion 311 is configured to excite a corresponding first sub-region A, and the first projection point 15 is located in the corresponding first sub-region A. The second region F of the metasurface radiating structure 1 includes a plurality of second sub-regions B corresponding to a plurality of second feeding portions 321, each second feeding portion 321 is configured to excite a corresponding second sub-region B, and the second projection point 16 is located in the corresponding second sub-region B. At least one first sub-region A covers at least one second projection point 16. It can be understood that the feeding portion structure has a certain radiation range, and within the radiation range, the sub-region where the corresponding projection point is located has the highest coupling strength. Therefore, the region where the projection point is located is divided into a radiation region. At least one first sub-region A covers at least one second projection point 16, which means that the second projection point 16 is in the first sub-region A, and the first sub-region A can be excited by both the first feeding portion 311 and the second feeding portion 321.

[0171] As shown in FIG. 9a-FIG. 9c, in one possible implementation, the isolation structure 4 is arranged along the gap between adjacent first sub-regions A, and in the second direction X and the third direction Y, the isolation structure 4 extends from one side of the first sub-region A to the other side, that is, the isolation structure 4 completely separates the adjacent first sub-regions A, and the isolation effect is good. In an alternative embodiment, the isolation structure 4 can also not completely separate the adjacent first sub-regions A, which is not limited in the present application.

[0172] As shown in FIGS. 11a-11c, in a possible implementation, when the outer periphery side of the first feeding portion 311 is provided with the second feeding portion 321, the outer periphery side of the first projection point 15 is provided with the second projection point 16, and the second sub-region B where the second projection point 16 on the outer periphery side of the first projection point 15 is located is located within the first sub-region A where the first projection point 15 is located. Alternatively, it can be understood that one first sub-region A is composed of a plurality of second sub-regions B, and the metal patch unit 181 in the first sub-region A can be excited by the first feeding portion 311 and a plurality of second feeding portions 321. The same region of the metasurface radiation structure 1 is used to generate radiation energy of a plurality of frequency bands, thereby improving the aperture utilization rate (or alternatively, the utilization rate of the radiation surface of the metasurface radiation structure 1 structure).

[0173] As shown in FIGS. 11a-11c, in a possible implementation, in the plane perpendicular to the first direction Z, the first projection point 15 is located at the center of the first sub-region A where it is located, and the second projection point 16 is located at the center of the second sub-region B where it is located. The feeding portion uniformly radiates in all directions in the plane perpendicular to the first direction Z, and the projection point is arranged at the center of the radiation region, which is beneficial to improve the coverage rate of the coupling range of the feeding portion. It should be noted that the projection point can also not be arranged at the center of the radiation region, and the present application does not limit this.

[0174] The center frequency of the first frequency band is f1, the wavelength corresponding to f1 is λ1, the center frequency of the second frequency band is f2, and the wavelength corresponding to f2 is λ2. As shown in FIG. 11b, in a possible implementation, in the first sub-region A, the distance between the first projection point 15 and the edge of the first sub-region A in the second direction X is S1, and 0.25λ1≤S1≤0.5λ1. The distance between the first projection point 15 and the edge of the first sub-region A in the third direction Y is S2, and 0.5λ1≤S2≤λ1. By adopting this scheme, the metal patch unit 181 in the first sub-region A can be excited by the corresponding first feeding portion 311. In other alternative implementations, S1 can also be less than 0.25λ1 or greater than 0.5λ1, and the present application does not limit this. S2 can also be less than 0.5λ1 or greater than λ1, and the present application does not limit this.

[0175] As shown in FIG. 11c, in one possible implementation, the distance between the second projection point 16 and the edge of the second sub-region B in the second direction X is L1, 0.25λ2≤L1≤0.5λ2, and the distance between the second projection point 16 and the edge of the second sub-region B in the third direction Y is L2, 0.5λ2≤L2≤λ2. With this scheme, the radiation unit in the second sub-region B can be excited by the corresponding second feeding portion 321. In other alternative implementations, L1 can also be less than 0.25λ2 or greater than 0.5λ2, which is not limited in the application. L2 can also be less than 0.5λ2 or greater than λ2, which is not limited in the application.

[0176] As shown in FIG. 11a, in one possible implementation, the distance between two adjacent second projection points 16 in the second direction X is d1, 0.25λ2≤d1≤0.75λ2, which can improve the isolation between two adjacent second projection points 16 in the second direction X on the basis of ensuring the radiation range. In other alternative implementations, d1 can also be less than 0.25λ2 or greater than 0.75λ2, which is not limited in the application.

[0177] In one possible implementation, the distance between two adjacent second projection points 16 in the third direction Y is d2, 0.25λ2≤d2≤λ2, which can improve the isolation between two adjacent second projection points 16 in the third direction Y on the basis of ensuring the radiation range. In other alternative implementations, d2 can also be less than 0.25λ2 or greater than λ2, which is not limited in the application.

[0178] In one possible implementation, the distance between two adjacent first projection points 15 in the second direction X is d3, 0.25λ1≤d3≤λ1, which can improve the isolation between two adjacent first projection points 15 in the second direction X on the basis of ensuring the radiation range. In other alternative implementations, d3 can also be less than 0.25λ1 or greater than λ1, which is not limited in the application.

[0179] It should be noted that when the second projection point 16 is distributed on the outer peripheral side of the first projection point 15, the number and layout of the second projection point 16 on the outer peripheral side thereof are not limited in the present application. In one possible implementation, the first sub-area A in which the first projection point 15 is located includes two rows of second projection points 16 arranged at intervals along the third direction Y, and the two rows of second projection points 16 are respectively arranged on both sides of the first projection point 15 in the third direction Y. With this scheme, the first projection point 15 and the second projection point 16 are staggered in the third direction Y in the same first sub-area A, and the two rows of second projection points 16 are separated by the first projection point 15, thereby reducing the isolation between the two rows of second projection points 16. In addition, each row of second projection points 16 in the two rows of second projection points 16 includes n1 second projection points 16 arranged at intervals along the second direction X, and n1 is the integer value of f2 / f1. Or it can be understood that the ratio of the number of second projection points 16 to the number of first projection points 15 in the second direction X is positively correlated with the ratio of the frequency of the two. As can be understood by those skilled in the art, the higher the frequency, the smaller the coupling range of the feed part, and the more projection points need to be arranged within a certain range. When the ratio of the number of second projection points 16 to the number of first projection points 15 is positively correlated with the ratio of the frequency of the two, the second sub-area B in which the second projection points 16 are located in the second direction X can completely cover the first sub-area A, and the aperture utilization rate is higher.

[0180] As shown in FIG. 11a, in one possible implementation, the metasurface radiation structure 1 includes a 2x2 array of four first projection points 15, and the outer peripheral side of the first projection point 15 is distributed with a second projection point 16. In one possible implementation, the first frequency band is 690MHz-960MHz, and the center frequency f1 is 825MHz. The second frequency band is 3300MHz-4200MHz, and the center frequency f2 is 3750MHz. The integer value of f2 / f1 is about 4, n1=4, and in the first sub-area A, two rows of second projection points 16 are arranged along the third direction Y, and each row includes four second projection points 16 arranged at intervals along the second direction X, a total of eight second projection points 16.

[0181] As shown in FIGS. 12-15, in one possible implementation, the feed structure 3 further includes a third feed group 34, and the third feed group 34 includes a plurality of third feed parts 341 arranged in an array. The third feed part 341 in the plurality of third feed parts 341 is used to transmit a third frequency band signal, and the third feed part 341 is arranged opposite to the metasurface radiation structure 1 with a third interval 53 in the first direction Z and is coupled with the metasurface radiation structure 1 through the third interval 53 to form a third antenna array 13. That is, an antenna array of an additional frequency band is added on the basis of the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

[0182] The center frequency of the first frequency band is lower than the center frequency of the third frequency band, and the center frequency of the third frequency band is higher or lower than the center frequency of the second frequency band. In a possible implementation, the first frequency band is 690-960 MHz, the second frequency band is 3300-4200 MHz, and the third frequency band is 1710-2690 MHz. The three frequency bands cover low, medium, and high frequencies of the communication frequency band, and the range is wide.

[0183] Further, the outer periphery of the first feeding part 311 in one of the first feeding groups 31 is arranged with the second feeding part 321, and the outer periphery of the first feeding part 311 in one of the first feeding groups 31 is arranged with the third feeding part 341. Alternatively, the radiation units in at least one part of the super surface radiation structure 1 can be excited by the first feeding part 311 and the second feeding part at the same time, and the first antenna array 11 and the second antenna array 12 are arranged in the same position, thereby improving the utilization rate of the radiation surface of the super surface radiation structure 1 and facilitating the reduction of the size of the antenna unit 100.

[0184] It should be noted that the third feeding part 341 can also be arranged as a feeding needle, or a patch structure, or a slot formed in the ground layer 2, and the present application does not make any limitation in this regard.

[0185] In a possible implementation, the antenna system 200 further includes a third radio frequency unit 63 for transmitting signals of a third frequency band to the third feeding part 341. The third radio frequency unit 63 can be arranged on the same circuit board as the first radio frequency unit 61, or arranged on the same circuit board as the second radio frequency unit 62, or arranged on a separate circuit board, and the present application does not make any limitation in this regard. As shown in FIG. 13, in a possible implementation, the third radio frequency unit 63 and the second radio frequency unit 62 are arranged on the first circuit board 81, the first circuit board 81 is mounted on the side wall of the radome 72 close to the ground layer 2, the third feeding part 341 is also arranged as a feeding needle, and the third feeding part 341 penetrates the ground layer 2 and the radome 72 and is connected to the corresponding radio frequency port 630 on the first circuit board 81. The third antenna array 13 can be a single-polarized antenna or a dual-polarized antenna, and the present application does not make any limitation in this regard. The third antenna array 13 can be divided into multiple systems, or only one system is arranged, and the number of radio frequency ports 630 arranged in the third radio frequency unit 63 in this case can be understood with reference to the above description, and the present application does not make any limitation in this regard.

[0186] As shown in FIG. 13, in a possible implementation, the second feeding group 32 and the third feeding group 34 are arranged at intervals, or alternatively, the second feeding group 32 and the third feeding group 34 do not coincide in the plane perpendicular to the first direction Z. In other alternative embodiments, the two can also partially coincide or completely coincide, and the present application does not make any limitation in this regard.

[0187] As shown in FIG. 16, in a possible implementation, the third feeding group 34 is configured to excite a third region G of the metasurface radiating structure 1. The third region G partially overlaps with the first region E, and the third region G is independent of the second region F. In a possible implementation, a projection of the third feeding part 341 on the metasurface radiating structure 1 along the first direction Z is a third projection point 17, and the third region G of the metasurface radiating structure 1 includes a plurality of third sub-regions C corresponding to the plurality of third feeding parts 341, the third feeding part 341 is configured to excite a corresponding third sub-region C, and the third projection point 17 is located in the corresponding third sub-region C. It can be understood that the third projection point 17 is a projection of the third feeding part 341 on the metasurface radiating structure 1 along the first direction Z, and the layout and position of the third feeding part 341 are described below through the position of the third projection point 17.

[0188] As shown in FIG. 16, in a possible implementation, the third projection point 17 is distributed on the outer periphery of the first projection point 15, and the first sub-region A corresponding to the first projection point 15 covers the third projection point 17. Alternatively, it can be understood that the first sub-region A corresponding to the first projection point 15 can be excited by the first feeding part 311 or the third feeding part 341, and the utilization rate of the entire region is higher.

[0189] As shown in FIG. 16, in a possible implementation, the plurality of first projection points 15 includes two rows of first projection points 15 arranged at intervals in the second direction X, and one row of first projection points 15 includes four first projection points 15 arranged at intervals in the third direction Y. In one row of first projection points 15, the outer periphery of two of the four first projection points 15 is provided with the second projection point 16, and the outer periphery of the other two first projection points 15 is provided with the third projection point 17. In a possible implementation, the second projection point 16 is at least partially located on one side of the third projection point 17 in the third direction Y. Alternatively, it can be understood that the metasurface radiating structure 1 includes a total of 8 first projection points 15 arranged in a 2*4 manner, the outer periphery of the upper 4 first projection points 15 is provided with the second projection point 16, and the outer periphery of the lower 4 first projection points 15 is provided with the third projection point 17. In a possible implementation, the second projection point 16 can also be arranged on the outer periphery of the left 4 first projection points 15, and the third projection point 17 can be arranged on the outer periphery of the right 4 first projection points 15, which is not limited in the present application.

[0190] In other alternative implementations, the projection points of the three frequency bands can also be arranged in the same region of the metasurface radiating structure 1 at the same time, for example, the outer periphery of the first projection point 15 is provided with both the second projection point 16 and the third projection point 17, which is not limited in the present application.

[0191] In a possible implementation, when the first projection point 15 is provided with the third projection point 17 on the outer circumferential side, the third sub-region C, in which the third projection point 17 on the outer circumferential side of the first projection point 15 is located, is located in the first sub-region A, in which the first projection point 15 is located. Alternatively, it can be understood that a first sub-region A is composed of a plurality of third sub-regions C, and the radiation units in the first sub-region A can be excited by both the first feed part 311 and the plurality of third feed parts 341. The same region of the metasurface radiation structure 1 is used to generate radiation energy of a plurality of frequency bands, thereby improving the aperture utilization rate.

[0192] As shown in FIG. 16, in a possible implementation, in a plane perpendicular to the first direction Z, the third projection point 17 is located at the center of the third sub-region C in which the third projection point 17 is located, which is beneficial to improve the coverage of the coupling range of the third feed part 341. It should be noted that the third projection point 17 can also not be located at the center of the radiation region in which the third projection point 17 is located, and the present application does not limit this.

[0193] In a possible implementation, the center frequency of the third frequency band is f3, and the wavelength corresponding to f3 is λ3. In the third sub-region C, the distance between the third projection point 17 and the edge of the third sub-region C in the second direction X is H1, and 0.25λ3≤H1≤0.5λ3. The distance between the third projection point 17 and the edge of the third sub-region C in the third direction Y is H2, and 0.5λ3≤H2≤λ3. By adopting this scheme, the radiation units in the third sub-region C can be excited by the corresponding third feed part 341. In other alternative implementations, H1 can also be less than 0.25λ3 or greater than 0.5λ3, and the present application does not limit this. H2 can also be less than 0.5λ3 or greater than λ3, and the present application does not limit this.

[0194] In a possible implementation, the distance between two adjacent third projection points 17 in the second direction X is d4, and 0.25λ3≤d4≤0.75λ3. The isolation between the two adjacent third projection points 17 in the second direction X can be improved on the basis of ensuring the radiation range. In other alternative implementations, d4 can also be less than 0.25λ3 or greater than 0.75λ3, and the present application does not limit this. The distance between two adjacent third projection points 17 in the third direction Y is d5, and 0.25λ3≤d5≤λ3. The isolation between the two adjacent third projection points 17 in the third direction Y can be improved on the basis of ensuring the radiation range. In other alternative implementations, d5 can also be less than 0.25λ3 or greater than λ3, and the present application does not limit this.

[0195] In a possible implementation, when the first projection point 15 is provided with the third projection point 17 on the outer circumferential side, the first projection point 15 covers two rows of third projection points 17 arranged at intervals along the third direction Y in the first sub-area A, the two rows of third projection points 17 are respectively arranged on the two sides of the first projection point 15 along the third direction Y, and each row of third projection points 17 covers n2 third projection points 17 arranged at intervals along the second direction X, where n2 is an integer value of f3 / f1.

[0196] Or it can be understood that the ratio of the number of third projection points 17 to the first projection point 15 along the second direction X is positively correlated with the frequency ratio of the two. Those skilled in the art can understand that the third sub-area C where the third projection point 17 is located can completely cover the first sub-area A along the second direction X, and the aperture utilization is higher. In one example scenario, the first frequency band is 690MHz-960MHz, and the center frequency f1 is 825MHz. The third frequency band is 1710MHz-2690MHz, and the center frequency f3 is 2200MHz. The integer value of f3 / f1 is about 2, n1=2, and each row of third projection points 17 in the first sub-area A includes 2 third projection points 17 arranged at intervals along the second direction X.

[0197] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalent technologies, the present application also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An antenna unit, characterized by The application relates to a super surface radiation structure, which comprises: a super surface radiation structure; a stratum which is stacked and spaced apart from the super surface radiation structure in a first direction; a feeding structure which comprises a first feeding group and a second feeding group; wherein the first feeding group comprises a plurality of first feeding parts arranged in an array, the plurality of first feeding parts are used for transmitting signals of a first frequency band, the first feeding group is oppositely arranged to the super surface radiation structure with a first interval in the first direction, and is coupled to the super surface radiation structure through the first interval to form a first antenna array; the second feeding group comprises a plurality of second feeding parts arranged in an array, the plurality of second feeding parts are used for transmitting signals of a second frequency band, the second feeding group is oppositely arranged to the super surface radiation structure with a second interval in the first direction, and is coupled to the super surface radiation structure through the second interval to form a second antenna array; and the center frequency of the first frequency band is lower than the center frequency of the second frequency band, at least one of the first feeding parts of the first feeding group is arranged with at least one of the second feeding parts on the outer periphery.

2. The antenna unit of claim 1, wherein, The projection of the first feeding part on the super surface radiation structure in the first direction is a first projection point, the projection of the second feeding part on the super surface radiation structure in the first direction is a second projection point, and an isolation structure is arranged between at least part of adjacent first projection points, and the isolation structure is grounded.

3. The antenna unit of claim 2, wherein, The plurality of first feeding parts of the first feeding group comprises: at least one first sub feeding part which is used for transmitting signals of a first sub frequency band to a first sub radio frequency unit, and is coupled to the super surface radiation structure through the first interval to form a first sub antenna array; at least one second sub feeding part which is used for transmitting signals of a second sub frequency band to a second sub radio frequency unit, and is coupled to the super surface radiation structure through the first interval to form a second sub antenna array; wherein the first sub radio frequency unit and the second sub radio frequency unit are different radio frequency units, and the first sub frequency band and the second sub frequency band are both within the range of the first frequency band; the projection of the first sub feeding part on the super surface radiation structure in the first direction is a first sub projection point, the projection of the second sub feeding part on the super surface radiation structure in the first direction is a second sub projection point, and the isolation structure is arranged between adjacent first sub projection points and second sub projection points.

4. The antenna unit of claim 3, wherein, The number of the first sub feeding parts is a plurality, the number of the first sub projection points is a plurality, and the isolation structure is arranged between at least two adjacent first sub projection points; the number of the second sub feeding parts is a plurality, the number of the second sub projection points is a plurality, and the isolation structure is arranged between at least two adjacent second sub projection points.

5. The antenna unit of any of claims 2-4, wherein, The first projection points are arranged into at least two columns in a second direction, and the isolation structure is arranged between the at least two columns of first projection points; wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

6. The antenna unit according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized by The isolation structure is a metal plate, one side of the metal plate is connected with the ground layer in the first direction, and the other side is connected or coupled with the metasurface radiation structure.

7. The antenna unit according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized by The isolation structure is an electromagnetic band gap structure, one end of the electromagnetic band gap structure is connected with the ground layer, and the other end is connected or coupled with the metasurface radiation structure.

8. The antenna unit of any one of claims 2-7, wherein, The first feeding group is used to excite the first region of the metasurface radiation structure, and the second feeding group is used to excite the second region of the metasurface radiation structure. The first region and the second region partially overlap or completely overlap.

9. The antenna unit of claim 8, wherein, The first region of the metasurface radiation structure includes a plurality of first sub-regions corresponding to the plurality of first feeding parts, the first feeding part is used to excite a corresponding first sub-region, and the first projection point is located in the corresponding first sub-region. The second region of the metasurface radiation structure includes a plurality of second sub-regions corresponding to the plurality of second feeding parts, the second feeding part is used to excite a corresponding second sub-region, and the second projection point is located in the corresponding second sub-region. At least one first sub-region covers at least one second projection point.

10. The antenna unit of claim 9, wherein, In a plane perpendicular to the first direction, the first projection point is located at the center of the first sub-region where it is located, and the second projection point is located at the center of the second sub-region where it is located.

11. The antenna unit of claim 9 or 10, characterized by The center frequency of the first frequency band is f1, the wavelength corresponding to f1 is λ1, the center frequency of the second frequency band is f2, and the wavelength corresponding to f2 is λ2. In the first sub-region, the distance between the first projection point and the edge of the first sub-region in the second direction is S1, 0.25λ1≤S1≤0.5λ1, and the distance between the first projection point and the edge of the first sub-region in the third direction is S2, 0.5λ1≤S2≤λ1. In the second sub-region, the distance between the second projection point and the edge of the second sub-region in the second direction is L1, 0.25λ2≤L1≤0.5λ2, and the distance between the second projection point and the edge of the second sub-region in the third direction is L2, 0.5λ2≤L2≤λ2. The first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are perpendicular to each other.

12. The antenna unit of claim 11, wherein: The distance between two adjacent second projection points in the second direction is d1, 0.25λ2≤d1≤0.75λ2. The distance between two adjacent second projection points in the third direction is d2, 0.25λ2≤d2≤λ2. The distance between two adjacent first projection points in the second direction is d3, 0.25λ1≤d3≤λ1.

13. The antenna unit of claim 11 or 12, characterized by When the outer peripheral side of the first projection point is provided with the second projection point, the first sub-region where the first projection point is located covers two rows of second projection points arranged at intervals along a third direction, the two rows of second projection points are respectively arranged on both sides of the first projection point in the third direction, and at least one row of second projection points includes n1 second projection points arranged at intervals along a second direction, n1 being an integer value of f2 / f1.

14. The antenna unit according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized by The isolation structure is arranged between any two adjacent first sub-regions.

15. The antenna unit of any of claims 2-14, wherein, The feeding structure further includes a third feeding group, the third feeding group includes a plurality of third feeding portions arranged in an array, the plurality of third feeding portions are used for transmitting signals of a third frequency band, and the third feeding group is arranged opposite to the metasurface radiation structure at a third interval in the first direction and is coupled to the metasurface radiation structure through the third interval to form a third antenna array. The center frequency of the first frequency band is lower than the center frequency of the third frequency band, and the center frequency of the third frequency band is higher or lower than the center frequency of the second frequency band; and the outer peripheral side of at least one first feeding portion of the first feeding group is arranged with at least one third feeding portion.

16. The antenna unit of claim 15, wherein, The first feeding group is used for exciting a first region of the metasurface radiation structure, the second feeding group is used for exciting a second region of the metasurface radiation structure, and the third feeding group is used for exciting a third region of the metasurface radiation structure. The third region partially overlaps with the first region, and the third region is independent of the second region.

17. The antenna unit of claim 16, wherein, The projection of the third feeding portion on the metasurface radiation structure along the first direction is a third projection point, the third region of the metasurface radiation structure includes a plurality of third sub-regions corresponding to the plurality of third feeding portions, the third feeding portion is used for exciting a corresponding third sub-region, and the third projection point is located in the corresponding third sub-region. When the outer peripheral side of the first projection point is provided with the second projection point, the first projection point is located covers two rows of second projection points arranged at intervals along a third direction, the two rows of second projection points are respectively arranged on both sides of the first projection point in the third direction, and at least one row of second projection points includes n1 second projection points arranged at intervals along a second direction, n1 being an integer value of f2 / f1.

18. The antenna unit of claim 17, wherein, In a plane perpendicular to the first direction, the third projection point is located at the center of the third sub-region where the third projection point is located.

19. The antenna unit of claim 17 or 18, wherein, The center frequency of the third frequency band is f3, and the wavelength corresponding to f3 is λ3. In the third sub-region, the distance between the third projection point and the edge of the third sub-region in the second direction is H1, 0.25λ3≤H1≤0.5λ3, and the distance between the third projection point and the edge of the third sub-region in the third direction is H2, 0.5λ3≤H2≤λ3. The distance between two adjacent third projection points along the second direction is d4, 0.25λ3≤d4≤0.75λ3, and the distance between two adjacent third projection points along the third direction is d5, 0.25λ3≤d5≤λ3. The first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are perpendicular to each other.

20. The antenna unit of claim 19, wherein, The center frequency of the first frequency band is f1; When the outer side of the first projection point is provided with the third projection point, the first sub-region where the first projection point is located covers two rows of third projection points arranged at intervals along the third direction, the two rows of third projection points are respectively arranged on both sides of the first projection point in the third direction, and at least one row of third projection points includes n2 third projection points arranged at intervals along the second direction, n2 is the integer part of the value of f3 / f1.

21. The antenna unit of any one of claims 17-19, wherein, When the first projection points are arranged into at least two columns along the second direction, the outer side of part of the first projection points in at least one column is provided with the second projection points, and the outer side of the other part of the first projection points is provided with the third projection points.

22. The antenna unit of any of claims 1-21, wherein The feeding part in the first feeding part and the second feeding part is arranged as a feeding pin, or a patch structure, or a slot formed in the ground layer; When the feeding structure further includes a third feeding group, at least part of the third feeding parts of the third feeding group are arranged as a feeding pin, or a patch structure, or a slot formed in the ground layer.

23. The antenna unit of any of claims 1-22, wherein The first interval is equal to or not equal to the second interval; When the feeding structure further includes a third feeding group, the third feeding group is arranged opposite to the metasurface radiation structure at a third interval in the first direction, and the third interval is respectively equal to or not equal to the first interval and the second interval.

24. An antenna, characterized by An antenna system including the antenna unit of any one of claims 1-23.

25. An antenna system, characterized by An antenna system including the antenna unit of any one of claims 1-23.

26. A base station, comprising: An antenna system including the antenna unit of any one of claims 1-23. An antenna system including the antenna unit of any one of claims 1-23.