Millimeter-wave antenna assembly and terminal device

Abstract

The present invention provides a millimeter-wave antenna assembly and a terminal device using the millimeter-wave antenna assembly. The millimeter-wave antenna assembly comprises a slot array unit, a resonant unit, and a feed unit that are connected in sequence, the resonant unit is connected to the slot array unit by means of a coupling transition structure, and the feed unit is electrically connected to the resonant unit. Feed energy of the feed unit flows into the resonant unit, and the resonant unit transmits the feed energy to the slot array unit by means of the coupling transition structure. The millimeter-wave antenna assembly of the present invention is applicable to a terminal device, and can effectively reduce energy loss in a medium, thereby enhancing the radiation efficiency of an antenna.

Description

A millimeter-wave antenna assembly and terminal device Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a millimeter-wave antenna assembly and terminal device. Background Technology

[0002] 5G millimeter wave technology is a crucial foundational technology for 5G applications. Millimeter waves refer to a special type of electromagnetic wave with wavelengths ranging from 1mm to 10mm and fluctuating frequencies between 30GHz and 300GHz. Compared to frequency bands below 6GHz, millimeter waves offer unique advantages such as large bandwidth, low air interface latency, and flexible air interface configuration, meeting the future demands of wireless communication for system capacity, transmission rates, and differentiated applications. The 3GPP definition of the 5G frequency band range is found in TS 38.104 "NR: Radio Transmission and Reception at Base Stations," which defines the minimum radio frequency characteristics and performance requirements for 5G NR base stations (5G frequency band information can also be obtained from TS38.101-1 and TS 38.101-2). 5G NR includes some LTE frequency bands and also adds some new bands, such as n50, n51, n70, and above. Currently, the most likely 5G frequency bands to be deployed globally are n77, n78, n79, n257, n258, and n260, which are 3.3GHz-4.2GHz, 4.4GHz-5.0GHz, and the millimeter wave bands 26GHz / 28GHz / 39GHz.

[0003] Currently, the radiation efficiency of millimeter-wave patch antennas is relatively low, and the energy loss in the medium is relatively large at high frequencies. In view of this, it is indeed necessary for the present invention to provide a millimeter-wave antenna assembly and a terminal device using the millimeter-wave antenna assembly. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a millimeter-wave antenna assembly suitable for millimeter-wave antennas in terminal devices, which can effectively reduce energy loss in the medium, thereby enhancing the radiation efficiency of the antenna.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention provides a millimeter-wave antenna assembly, comprising a slot array unit, a resonant unit, and a feed unit connected sequentially. The resonant unit is connected to the slot array unit via a coupling transition structure, and the feed unit is electrically connected to the resonant unit. The feed unit supplies power to the resonant unit, and the resonant unit transmits the power to the slot array unit via the coupling transition structure.

[0006] As a further improvement of the present invention, the slot array unit is arranged in a cavity shape, including a bottom and a sidewall arranged perpendicular to the bottom, and the bottom has a plurality of slots.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, a plurality of the slits form a slit array, wherein the number of slits is N, 8≤N≤16, and N is an even number.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, when N=8, the slot array is configured as a 2-row, 4-column slot array, and the slots in each row and column are aligned.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, each of the gaps is spaced apart, and the spacing between the gaps in adjacent rows is smaller than the spacing between the gaps in adjacent columns.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, each of the slots has a width of Ws and a length of Ls, and a single slot forms an electric field equivalent magnetic flux element; the smaller the length of the slot, the higher the overall resonant frequency of the antenna; the larger the length of the slot, the lower the overall resonant frequency of the antenna; the larger the width of the slot, the larger the amplitude of the equivalent magnetic flux element generated by a single slot.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the resonant unit is arranged in a cuboid shape and includes a resonant cavity and the coupling transition structure; the coupling transition structure is located between the resonant cavity and the slot array.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, the feeding unit is configured as a waveguide feeding structure and a probe, wherein the probe excites the waveguide feeding structure at the bottom position of the waveguide feeding structure to generate feeding energy.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the waveguide feeding structure is arranged in a rectangular shape and is electrically connected to the resonant unit.

[0014] The purpose of this invention is to provide a terminal device for better application of the above-mentioned millimeter-wave antenna assembly.

[0015] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention provides a terminal device, which includes the aforementioned millimeter-wave antenna assembly.

[0016] This invention provides a millimeter-wave antenna assembly comprising a slot array element, a resonant element, and a feed element connected sequentially. The resonant element is connected to the slot array element via a coupling transition structure, and the feed element is electrically connected to the resonant element. Power is fed from the feed element into the resonant element, and the resonant element transmits this power to the slot array element through the coupling transition structure. This millimeter-wave antenna assembly is suitable for terminal devices and effectively reduces energy loss in the medium, thereby enhancing the antenna's radiation efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the millimeter-wave antenna assembly of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 is a top view of the millimeter-wave antenna assembly of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 is a side view of the millimeter-wave antenna assembly of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 shows the simulation results of the emission coefficient of S11 of the millimeter-wave antenna assembly of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 shows the electric field distribution of the millimeter-wave antenna assembly of the present invention within a rectangular slot at a frequency of 28 GHz.

[0022] Figure 6 shows the simulation results of the gain pattern of the millimeter-wave antenna assembly of the present invention at a frequency of 28 GHz.

[0023] Figure 7 shows the simulation results of the overall antenna gain of the millimeter-wave antenna assembly of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 8 shows the simulation results of the overall antenna efficiency of the millimeter-wave antenna assembly of the present invention.

[0025] The labels in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0026] Slot array unit 10, slot 11, resonant unit 20, coupling transition structure 21, feeding unit 30, probe 31. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The millimeter-wave antenna assembly proposed in this invention and its application in terminal devices will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise scales, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of this invention. Furthermore, the structures shown in the drawings are often part of the actual structure. In particular, different figures may emphasize different aspects and sometimes use different scales.

[0028] Millimeter waves, typically defined as electromagnetic waves with wavelengths of 1–10 millimeters in the 30–300 GHz frequency band, lie in the overlapping wavelength range of microwaves and far-infrared waves, thus exhibiting characteristics of both wave spectra. The theory and technology of millimeter waves represent the extension of microwaves to higher frequencies and the development of broadcasting to lower frequencies, respectively. Advantages of millimeter waves include: compared to light waves, they utilize atmospheric windows; millimeter and submillimeter waves experience less attenuation due to gas molecule resonance absorption during propagation in the atmosphere; and they are less affected by natural light and heat radiation sources. Millimeter waves offer advantages such as extremely wide bandwidth, narrow beamwidth, and significantly less susceptibility to weather conditions compared to lasers, making them practically all-weather. Furthermore, millimeter wave components are much smaller than microwave components, facilitating the miniaturization of millimeter wave systems.

[0029] Millimeter waves have numerous applications in communications, radar, remote sensing, and radio astronomy. To successfully design and develop high-performance millimeter-wave systems, it is essential to understand the atmospheric propagation characteristics of millimeter waves under different meteorological conditions. Factors influencing millimeter-wave propagation characteristics include: absorption by atmospheric components such as oxygen and water vapor; precipitation, including rain, snow, and clouds; suspended particles in the atmosphere such as dust and smoke; and the environment, including vegetation, ground, and obstacles. The combined effect of these factors causes millimeter-wave signals to attenuate, scatter, change polarization, and alter their propagation path, thereby introducing new noise into the millimeter-wave system. These numerous factors significantly impact the operation of millimeter-wave systems, thus necessitating a detailed study of their propagation characteristics.

[0030] Current millimeter-wave patch antennas have low radiation efficiency, and high-frequency energy is significantly lost in the dielectric. In other words, for the same dielectric substrate, high-frequency signals suffer greater loss, primarily because the loss is frequency-dependent; the higher the frequency, the greater the loss. Therefore, the millimeter-wave antenna assembly provided by this invention eliminates the dielectric substrate, thereby avoiding high-frequency signal energy loss in the dielectric.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the millimeter-wave antenna assembly provided by the present invention specifically includes a slot array unit 10, a resonant unit 20, and a feeding unit 30 connected in sequence. The resonant unit 20 is connected to the slot array unit 10 through a coupling transition structure 21, and the feeding unit 30 is electrically connected to the resonant unit 20. The feeding energy from the feeding unit 30 flows into the resonant unit 20, and the resonant unit 20 transmits the feeding energy to the slot array unit 10 through the coupling transition structure 21.

[0032] In other words, the overall antenna consists of three key structures: the topmost is a slot array unit 10 or slot array 11; the middle is a resonant unit 20 or cavity resonant structure; and the bottom is a feed unit 30. With this configuration, the millimeter-wave antenna assembly of the present invention can be used as a millimeter-wave antenna for terminal devices, effectively reducing energy loss in the medium and thus enhancing the antenna's radiation efficiency. In other words, the millimeter-wave antenna assembly of the present invention can effectively improve the overall antenna gain, broaden the bandwidth, and also effectively improve radiation efficiency.

[0033] Furthermore, the slot array unit 10 is cavity-shaped, including a bottom and a sidewall perpendicular to the bottom, and the bottom has a plurality of slots 11. The plurality of slots 11 form a slot 11 array, and the number of slots 11 is N, where 8≤N≤16, and N is an even number.

[0034] When N = 8, the slot 11 array is configured as a 2x4 array, with all slots 11 in each row and column aligned. Of course, N can also be any other even number. Experiments show that the larger the value of N, the higher the overall antenna gain; conversely, the smaller the number of slots, the lower the overall antenna gain. Too many antennas make antenna matching optimization difficult, meaning it's hard to achieve a matching effect through size optimization. Numerous experiments have shown that a number of slots 11 ranging from 8 to 16 is suitable.

[0035] The following example uses N=8, i.e., 8 slots 11. Each slot 11 is spaced apart, and the spacing between slots 11 in adjacent rows is smaller than the spacing between slots 11 in adjacent columns. Of course, the number of rows of slots 11 can also be other values, but the specific size of the slots 11 is difficult to control in a multi-row design. Therefore, a two-row arrangement is the optimal implementation of this invention. Furthermore, as can be seen from the figure, each slot 11 unit is arranged vertically aligned. This means that each slot 11 unit cannot be staggered. Staggering would make it difficult to ensure that energy is superimposed in phase in the far field, thus failing to achieve high gain. If staggered, it would exhibit the characteristics of sum-difference beams.

[0036] Furthermore, each slot 11 has a width of Ws and a length of Ls, and a single slot 11 forms an electric field equivalent magnetic flux element. The smaller the length of the slot 11, the higher the overall resonant frequency of the antenna; the larger the length of the slot 11, the lower the overall resonant frequency of the antenna; the larger the width of the slot 11, the larger the amplitude of the equivalent magnetic flux element generated by a single slot 11. Specifically, the uppermost slot array unit 10 is configured with a metal slot 11 array structure. A single slot 11 is the basic radiating unit of the slot 11 array, and the electric field equivalent magnetic flux element formed in a single slot 11 will generate radiation in the far region. Ls is related to the resonant frequency of this antenna; the smaller Ls is, the higher the resonant frequency of the antenna; the larger Ls is, the lower the resonant frequency. The width of a single slot 11 is related to the amplitude of the antenna unit; the larger Ws is, the larger the amplitude of the equivalent magnetic flux element will be, but the corresponding matching also needs to be adjusted.

[0037] The entire structure of this invention comprises eight identical resonant slots 11. Each slot 11 serves as a slot 11 unit, arranged in two rows of four units each, forming a 2*4 eight-unit array. The array's lateral length is Lc, and its longitudinal length is Wc. These two dimensions affect the array's radiation pattern. Adjusting the array's lateral length Lc and longitudinal length Wc alters the overall radiation pattern of the array antenna.

[0038] Furthermore, the resonant unit 20 is arranged in a cuboid shape, including a resonant cavity and the coupling transition structure 21; the coupling transition structure 21 is located between the resonant cavity and the slot array 11. As shown in the figure, the coupling transition structure 21, represented by the rectangular dashed line, has a metal resonant cavity structure in the middle. The energy generated by the feed excitation current is coupled from the middle resonant cavity structure to the upper metal slot array unit 10 through the coupling transition structure 21. The coupling transition structure 21 is rectangular, with a length and width of Wg and Hg, respectively. These two dimensions directly affect the antenna's matching characteristics. It should be noted that the relationship between the length Wg and width Hg of each slot 11 and the antenna matching characteristics is not a simple regularity. It was only during antenna optimization and adjustment that these dimensions were discovered to affect the antenna performance.

[0039] As can be seen from the top view in the figure, the bottom feed unit 30 of the antenna is a rectangular waveguide, which is fed by a probe 31 located at a distance S from the bottom layer. That is, the feed unit 30 is configured as a waveguide feed structure and a probe 31. The probe 31 excites the waveguide feed structure at the bottom of the waveguide feed structure to generate feed energy. The waveguide feed structure is rectangular and electrically connected to the resonant unit 20. It should be noted that the matching effect is best when the Lg dimension in the feed waveguide is approximately equal to two center frequency wavelengths; deviations from this value will worsen the matching effect. Multiple experiments have shown that the S dimension in the feed waveguide is optimal at 0.8 center wavelengths; values ​​that are too large or too small will degrade the matching. A Hp dimension of approximately 0.4 wavelengths is suitable, and a Dp dimension generally between 0.1 and 1 mm is appropriate.

[0040] Figure 4 shows the simulation results of the antenna's S11. It can be seen from the figure that the antenna achieves good radiation efficiency in the 27.5GHz-30.5GHz range. That is, the deeper the S11 in the figure, the better the overall matching of the antenna, meaning more energy is fed into the antenna. Figure 5 shows the simulation results of the electric field distribution in slot 11 at the 28GHz frequency point. It can be seen from the figure that the electric field in each slot 11 is uniformly distributed horizontally, and the electric fields in slot 11 exhibit consistent phase at the same time. This indicates that the radiation from each slot 11 of the antenna will superimpose in phase in the far-field region, achieving a high gain level. Indeed, this is the case. Therefore, the simulation results of the antenna's far-field radiation pattern at 28GHz in Figure 6 show that the antenna achieves a high gain of 16.5dBi near the resonant frequency.

[0041] Figure 7 shows the simulation results of the overall antenna efficiency. The figure shows that the antenna's overall efficiency reaches over 90% in the 28-30 GHz range, indicating that the vast majority of the antenna's energy is involved in radiation. Finally, Figure 8 shows the simulation results of the antenna gain. The figure shows that the gain around the antenna's resonant frequency of 28 GHz reaches over 17 dBi, demonstrating that the millimeter-wave antenna component of this invention achieves extremely strong directional radiation characteristics.

[0042] In one embodiment of this invention, an 8-slot 11-element ultra-high gain millimeter-wave array is employed, using a cavity resonant mode to reduce energy loss in the medium, thereby achieving an overall antenna efficiency of over 90%. Traditional millimeter-wave antennas are often implemented using PCB patch antennas. While PCB-based millimeter-wave antenna structures are relatively simple, significant energy loss occurs as energy passes through the medium, resulting in lower overall radiation efficiency compared to the design of this invention. The complex antenna structure, transitioning from the feed element 30 (rectangular waveguide feed) to the resonant element 20 (resonant cavity) and finally to the slot array element 10 via a coupling transition structure 21, effectively improves the antenna's reflection coefficient bandwidth. In other words, the energy transfer between multiple structures—from waveguide feed to the resonant cavity and then to the slot array element 10—reduces the energy reflected back to the port, thus improving the antenna's matching effect. Similar to the effect of a trapezoidal transition structure, the gradual change in size further facilitates antenna matching.

[0043] In summary, this invention provides a millimeter-wave antenna assembly comprising a slot array unit 10, a resonant unit 20, and a feeding unit 30 connected sequentially. The resonant unit 20 is connected to the slot array unit 10 via a coupling transition structure 21, and the feeding unit 30 is electrically connected to the resonant unit 20. Power is fed from the feeding unit 30 into the resonant unit 20, and the resonant unit 20 transmits this power to the slot array unit 10 via the coupling transition structure 21. This millimeter-wave antenna assembly is suitable for terminal devices and effectively reduces energy loss in the medium, thereby enhancing the antenna's radiation efficiency.

[0044] It should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. In addition, different parts between embodiments can also be combined with each other, and this invention does not limit this.

[0045] The above description is merely a description of preferred embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the above disclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A millimeter wave antenna assembly, characterized by: The millimeter-wave antenna assembly includes a slot array unit, a resonant unit, and a feed unit connected in sequence. The resonant unit is connected to the slot array unit through a coupling transition structure, and the feed unit is electrically connected to the resonant unit. The feed unit supplies power to the resonant unit, and the resonant unit transmits the power to the slot array unit through the coupling transition structure.

2. The millimeter wave antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein: The slot array unit is arranged in a cavity shape, including a bottom and a side wall arranged perpendicular to the bottom, and the bottom has a plurality of slots.

3. The millimeter-wave antenna assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: A plurality of the aforementioned gaps form a gap array, the number of the gaps being N.

4. The millimeter-wave antenna assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The number of gaps is even, and 8 ≤ N ≤ 16.

5. The millimeter-wave antenna assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: When N=8, the slot array is configured as a 2-row, 4-column slot array, and the slots in each row and column are aligned.

6. The millimeter-wave antenna assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: Each of the gaps is spaced apart, and the spacing between gaps in adjacent rows is smaller than the spacing between gaps in adjacent columns.

7. The millimeter-wave antenna assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: Each of the slits has a width of Ws and a length of Ls, and each slit forms a magnetofluid element equivalent to an electric field.

8. The millimeter-wave antenna assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The shorter the length of the slot, the higher the overall resonant frequency of the antenna; the longer the length of the slot, the lower the overall resonant frequency of the antenna; the wider the slot, the greater the amplitude of the equivalent magnetic flux element generated by a single slot.

9. The millimeter-wave antenna assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The resonant unit is arranged in a cuboid shape and includes a resonant cavity and the coupling transition structure; the coupling transition structure is located between the resonant cavity and the slot array.

10. The millimeter-wave antenna assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding unit is configured as a waveguide feeding structure and a probe, wherein the probe excites the waveguide feeding structure at the bottom position of the waveguide feeding structure to generate feeding energy.

11. The millimeter-wave antenna assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that: The waveguide feed structure is rectangular in shape and is electrically connected to the resonant unit.

12. A terminal device, characterized in that: The terminal device includes the millimeter-wave antenna assembly as described in any one of claims 1-11.

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