Feed source array and antenna array

Abstract

The present application provides a feed source array and an antenna array. The feed source array comprises a plurality of panels, at least one panel among the plurality of panels is provided with a plurality of feed sources, at least some of the plurality of feed sources comprised in the feed source array are divided into at least one feed source group, each feed source group comprises at least one feed source, feed sources of a same feed source group share a common baseband signal, and feed sources of a same feed source group are distributed on at least one panel.

Description

Feed array and antenna array TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of communication, for example to a feed array and an antenna array. BACKGROUND

[0002] A transmissive intelligent metasurface array is a new type of antenna array composed of a feed array and a transmissive intelligent metasurface panel. By setting a set of weights for the transmissive intelligent metasurface array, different positions of the feed can generate beams in different directions, thereby realizing the function of beamforming. However, the planar feed array has a problem of power leakage when generating a large-angle beam, which reduces the gain of the large-angle beam. SUMMARY

[0003] The present application provides a feed array and an antenna array.

[0004] In a first aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a feed array, comprising: a plurality of panels, a plurality of feeds are arranged on at least one of the plurality of panels, at least part of the plurality of feeds included in the feed array are divided into at least one feed group, each feed group includes at least one feed, the feeds in the same feed group share one baseband signal, and the feeds in the same feed group are distributed on at least one panel.

[0005] In a second aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide an antenna array, comprising: the feed array provided by the embodiments of the present application and a transmissive intelligent metasurface panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a feed array provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0007] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a transmissive intelligent metasurface topology provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0008] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a planar feed array topology provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0009] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a curved feed array topology provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0010] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of feed grouping provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0011] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of another feed distribution topology provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0012] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of feed distribution topology provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0013] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an antenna array topology provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0014] FIG. 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication node provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0016] The terms "first", "second", and the like in the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and do not necessarily mean a specific order or sequence.

[0017] In one exemplary embodiment, FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a feed array provided in an embodiment of the present application, and the feed array provided in the embodiment can be applied to the construction of a projection intelligent metasurface. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a transmission intelligent metasurface topology provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 2, the transmission intelligent metasurface such as a transmission reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) array is a new type of antenna array composed of a feed array and a transmission RIS panel. The RIS panel can assist in realizing beamforming and controlling the propagation direction and intensity of electromagnetic waves.

[0018] By setting a set of weights for the transmission RIS array, the feed sources at different positions can generate beams in different directions, thereby realizing the function of beamforming. The feed source form can be an N-row and M-column planar antenna array, N and M are positive integers, and the feed array is slightly smaller than the RIS array, as shown in FIG. 2. It is found in actual tests that the planar feed array has a problem of power leakage when generating a large-angle beam, which reduces the gain of the large-angle beam. Therefore, it is necessary to redesign the form of the feed array to reduce the power leakage of the beam and improve the gain of the large-angle beam. Among them, the large angle usually refers to the angle formed between the electromagnetic wave (or beam) emitted by the feed source and the normal direction of the plane where the transmission RIS array is located. With the plane where the transmission RIS array is located as the reference, the case where the direction of electromagnetic wave propagation deviates greatly from the normal direction is the large angle. The angle greater than the set angle can be considered as the large angle, for example, the set angle is 60 degrees. The right panel in the RIS topology schematic diagram of FIG. 2 is a static / dynamic RIS panel, i.e., a transmission intelligent metasurface panel. The left side is a feed array. The area of the feed array is smaller than the area of the RIS panel. The panel where the feed array is located is called the bottom surface.

[0019] Since the planar feed array of the RIS array will cause beam power leakage problem when generating a large angle beam, resulting in the gain of the large angle beam being reduced. The present application provides a feed array, so that the leaked power can be re-converged on the RIS panel. The present application provides a division mode of the feed sub-array (i.e. feed group) in the feed array, so that the new feed array can be exactly divided into a combination of multiple disjoint sub-arrays, and these sub-arrays exactly contain all the feeds. The feed array provided by the present application is described exemplarily below.

[0020] The feed array provided by the present application comprises: multiple panels, at least one panel is provided with multiple feeds, i.e. the white rectangular part on the planar panel S1 and the curved panel S2 in FIG. 1, at least part of the multiple feeds included in the feed array are divided into at least one feed group, the three feeds included in a rectangular frame in FIG. 1 form a feed group, each feed group includes at least one feed, the feeds in the same feed group share one baseband signal, and the feeds in the same feed group are distributed on at least one panel.

[0021] The feed is a component in the antenna, which can be used to collect or radiate electromagnetic energy and transmit it to other parts of the antenna or space. The feed array can be responsible for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic wave signals, and the feed array can be a set composed of multiple feeds arranged in a certain manner. The multiple feeds can be of the same type or of different types, and the multiple feeds work cooperatively to realize the function of electromagnetic signal transmission or reception. The shape of the feed is not limited, which can be a square.

[0022] The feed array in the present application includes multiple panels, which can be connected or not connected, such as adjacent arrangement between the multiple panels. The number of multiple panels is not limited, such as at least two, as shown in FIG. 1, which is described by taking the planar panel S1 and the curved panel S2 as an example. Multiple feeds are arranged on the planar panel S1 and the curved panel S2, and the feed groups divided from the multiple feeds on the planar panel S1 and the curved panel S2 can be located on the same planar panel S1 or on the planar panel S1 and the curved panel S2.

[0023] The simultaneous operation of multiple panels can reduce power leakage, and the leaked power can be re-converged to the RIS panel through multiple panels. When electromagnetic waves encounter a panel, reflection and refraction phenomena occur. By accurately controlling the angle and intensity of reflection and refraction, the originally leaked electromagnetic waves can be re-converged along a specific path.

[0024] The positions of the multiple panels relative to each other are not limited, and the projections of the panels on the transmissive intelligent metasurface panel can partially intersect or not intersect with each other. The projections of the multiple panels on the transmissive intelligent metasurface panel do not coincide.

[0025] In the multiple panels constituting the feed array in the present application, at least one panel is provided with multiple feeds to serve as the source of signals to radiate beams to space or receive electromagnetic waves from space.

[0026] In the case where there is a panel provided with multiple feeds, the panel can be any panel, or a bottom surface, such as a panel parallel to the RIS panel.

[0027] In the case where there are multiple panels each provided with multiple feeds, the bottom surface of the multiple panels can be parallel to the RIS panel, and the panel with the most feeds is included.

[0028] In the present embodiment, the multiple feeds are divided to obtain a feed group including at least one feed, and the feeds in the same feed group share one baseband signal to save the number of radio frequency chains. All feeds in the feed array can be divided into the corresponding feed group, or part of the feeds in the feed array can be divided into the corresponding feed group. For example, the feeds enclosed by the two rectangular wire frames in FIG. 1 each correspond to a feed group, and the feeds outside the enclosure can not be divided into a feed group or can be divided into a feed group.

[0029] In the present embodiment, the feeds included in the same feed group can be distributed on one panel or multiple panels. The number of feeds in different feed groups can be the same or different.

[0030] The feed array provided in the present embodiment is composed of multiple panels, at least one panel of the multiple panels is provided with multiple feeds, and at least part of the multiple feeds are divided into multiple feed groups. Each feed group is distributed on at least one panel. The above structure can solve the problem of power leakage of the feed array when generating a wide-angle beam. The arrangement of the multiple panels including feeds reduces the leakage of power, and the leaked power can be re-converged on the transmissive RIS panel.

[0031] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, variant embodiments of the above-mentioned embodiments are proposed. In order to make the description brief, only the differences between the above-mentioned embodiments and the variant embodiments are described in the variant embodiments.

[0032] In one embodiment, the panels included in the feed array include one or more of the following: a plane; a curved surface.

[0033] In the present embodiment, the multiple panels included in the feed array can all be planes, all be curved surfaces, or part be planes and part be curved surfaces.

[0034] The shape of the panel is not limited, such as a square, a rectangle, or a trapezoid.

[0035] In this embodiment, the topology of the feed array can be a feed array composed of multiple planar / curved surfaces, the feed array includes a bottom surface and other surfaces, and there are feeds on at least one planar / curved surface of the feed array, wherein each planar / curved surface is connected to at least one other planar / curved surface. The projection of each surface on the plane where the RIS panel is located does not intersect with the projection of any other surface.

[0036] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a planar feed array topology according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 3 shows a feed array composed of multiple planar surfaces, and each white square in FIG. 3(a) represents a feed located in the plane S3 or the plane S4. The feed array shown in FIG. 3(a) is composed of two planar surfaces, i.e., the plane S3 and the plane S4. The plane S3 and the plane S4 are both rectangular, the plane S3 is the bottom surface, and the angle between the plane S4 and the plane S3 is θ. There are multiple feeds on the plane S3 and the plane S4. The feed array shown in FIG. 3(b) is composed of two planar surfaces, i.e., the plane S5 and the plane S6. The plane S5 and the plane S6 are both rectangular, the plane S5 is the bottom surface, and the angle between the plane S6 and the plane S5 is θ. There are multiple feeds on the plane S5, and the plane S6 is a metal plate or a dielectric plate without feeds. The feed array shown in FIG. 3(c) is composed of five planar surfaces, wherein the plane S7 is a rectangular array, the plane S7 is the bottom surface, and the plane S8, the plane S9, the plane S10, and the plane S11 are trapezoidal, and the angle between each of the plane S8, the plane S9, the plane S10, and the plane S11 and the plane S7 is θ. There are multiple feeds on all the planar surfaces.

[0037] In this application, a planar surface can be considered as a panel with a flat shape, and a curved surface can be considered as a panel with a curved shape.

[0038] In this application, the panel included in the feed array can be a metal plate or a dielectric plate. The metal plate can be a panel made of metal, and the dielectric plate can be a panel made of insulating dielectric material.

[0039] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a curved surface feed array topology provided by an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 4 shows a feed array formed by one plane and multiple curved surfaces. Fig. 4(a) shows a feed array formed by one plane and one curved surface, which are plane S12 and curved surface S13 respectively. Plane S12 is a rectangular bottom surface, and curved surface S13 is a curved rectangular surface. Plane S12 and curved surface S13 each have multiple feeds. Fig. 4(b) shows a feed array formed by one plane S14 and one curved surface S15, where plane S14 is a rectangular bottom surface, and curved surface S15 is a curved rectangular surface formed by bending a rectangular surface. Plane S14 has multiple feeds, and curved surface S15 is a metal plate or a dielectric plate without feeds. Fig. 4(c) shows a feed array formed by one plane and four curved surfaces, where plane S16 is a rectangular array, plane S16 is a bottom surface, and curved surfaces S17, S18, S19 and S20 are included. All the surfaces have multiple feeds.

[0040] In the present application, the curved surface can be formed by bending a polygon, which can be a rectangle or a trapezoid.

[0041] In one embodiment, the panels are spliced to form the feed array.

[0042] In the present embodiment, the connection points can be located at the edge portions of the panels to splice the edges of adjacent panels. However, it is not necessary that each panel is directly connected to all other panels, as long as the panels can be combined into an integral structure.

[0043] In one embodiment, each of the panels is connected to at least one other panel.

[0044] In the present embodiment, each of the panels included in the feed array is connected to at least one other panel, and the panels are connected to each other to form an integral structure. There is no panel that exists in isolation in the feed array, and each panel forms an integral structure with other panels. Each panel must have a connection relationship, and there is no panel that is completely independent and does not connect to any other panel.

[0045] In the present embodiment, the connection manner is not limited, which can be mechanical connection, welding connection or adhesive connection.

[0046] In one embodiment, the projections of the panels on the transmissive metasurface panel do not intersect.

[0047] In the present embodiment, the projections of all the panels included in the feed array on the transmissive metasurface panel do not intersect, so as to avoid occlusion between the panels.

[0048] In one embodiment, each feed belongs to one feed group.

[0049] Each feed belongs to only one feed group, and there is no common feed among different feed groups. The same feed group corresponds to one baseband signal, and different feed groups correspond to different baseband signals.

[0050] In one embodiment, the number of feeds in each feed group is the same.

[0051] When the number of feeds in each feed group is the same, the same algorithm can be used to set the signals of each feed in the group when processing the baseband signals corresponding to the multiple feed groups. For example, in a beamforming algorithm, the same number of feeds can be more conveniently adjusted in phase and amplitude, making the directivity, gain, and other characteristics of the beam more easily controllable and predictable, ensuring the consistency and stability of the entire feed group in signal processing.

[0052] In one embodiment, the number of feeds in each feed group is different.

[0053] The number of feeds in each feed group can be different, which can achieve non-uniform signal coverage requirements and optimize the flexibility of resource allocation. In specific application scenarios, the signal coverage area may have non-uniformity. For example, stronger signal strength and higher resolution are required in a certain direction, while the requirements in other directions are relatively low. At this time, more feeds can be arranged in the feed group corresponding to the direction to enhance the signal collection or transmission capability of the area.

[0054] In one embodiment, on a panel including multiple feeds, each feed is arranged in one or more of the following ways:

[0055] Each feed group is parallel, such as being arranged in a way that each feed group is parallel to each other; each feed group is staggered, such as being arranged in a way that each feed group is staggered with each other; each feed group is parallel in rows or columns, such as being arranged in a way that each feed is parallel in rows or columns; each feed group is staggered in rows or columns, such as being arranged in a way that each feed is staggered in rows or columns.

[0056] On at least one panel including multiple feeds, each feed group is arranged in a parallel state with each other. The central axis or main direction of each feed group is parallel to each other, without crossing or tilting in spatial layout, to have certain directionality and regularity in signal transmission and reception.

[0057] On at least one panel including multiple feeds, the feed groups are not aligned in parallel, but have a certain offset or stagger in spatial position. This stagger can be in the horizontal direction, vertical direction, or other arbitrary angle direction. Staggered arrangement can increase spatial diversity, making signal reception and transmission have more rich angle and path selection.

[0058] In at least one panel comprising a plurality of feeds, the plurality of feeds are arranged in rows or columns, and the feeds in the same row or the same column are parallel to each other. It can be understood that the arrangement of the feeds is regular in horizontal rows or vertical columns.

[0059] In at least one panel comprising a plurality of feeds, when the feeds are arranged in rows or columns, there is a staggered relationship between the rows or the columns. The staggering can be periodic or irregular. In one embodiment,

[0060] In the panel comprising the feeds in the present embodiment, the feeds can be distributed on the side of the panel close to the reference surface, such as the edge side of the panel adjacent to the reference surface.

[0061] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a feed grouping provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 5, the diagram shows a feed array composed of multiple panels. Figure 5(a) shows two different feed grouping types on a feed array composed of two flat panels. The grouping manner g1 represents that the feeds in one panel S21 are combined into one feed group and share one baseband signal. The grouping manner g2 represents that the feeds on two different panels, panel S21 and panel S22, are combined into one feed group and share one baseband signal. Figure 5(b) shows two different feed grouping types on a feed array composed of one flat panel S23 and one curved panel S24. The grouping manner g1 represents that the feeds in one flat panel S23 are combined into one feed group and share one baseband signal. The grouping manner g2 represents that the feeds on two different panels, flat panel S23 and curved panel S24, are combined into one feed group and share one baseband signal.

[0062] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another feed distribution topology provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 6, the diagram shows the arrangement of the feeds on the surfaces other than the bottom surface in a feed array composed of multiple panels. Figure 6(a) and Figure 6(b) respectively show a feed array composed of two flat panels S24 and S25 and a feed array composed of one flat panel S26 and one curved panel S27. In Figure 6(a), the flat panel S24 is the bottom surface, and in Figure 6(b), the flat panel S26 is the bottom surface. There are multiple ways of arranging the feeds on the panels. Figure 6(c) shows the possible arrangement of the panels other than the bottom surface in the flat panel case. In Figure 6(c), S 2a The grid arrangement of the feeds under the arrangement is parallel in rows and columns, and each column of the feeds on the panel is aligned with each column of the feeds on the bottom surface. 2a Each column of the feeds on the panel is aligned with each column of the feeds on the bottom surface. 2b The grid arrangement of the feeds under the arrangement is parallel in rows, and each two adjacent feeds in the rows are staggered in the horizontal direction. 2cThe grid arrangement of the arrangement of the feed sources is arranged in parallel columns, and every two adjacent columns of feed sources are staggered in the vertical direction. The curved surface in FIG. 6(b) can be formed by any one of the curves in FIG. 6(c).

[0063] In the present application, the plurality of feed sources can be arranged in parallel rows, the plurality of feed sources can be arranged in parallel columns, and the plurality of feed sources can be arranged in parallel rows and columns.

[0064] In the present application, every column of feed sources in the panel other than the reference surface can be aligned with every column of feed sources on the reference surface.

[0065] In the present application, every row of feed sources in the panel other than the reference surface can be parallel to the row of feed sources on the reference surface.

[0066] In the present application, the plurality of feed sources on at least one panel can be arranged in parallel rows, and every two adjacent rows of feed sources are staggered in the horizontal direction.

[0067] In the present application, the plurality of feed sources on at least one panel can be arranged in columns, and every two adjacent columns of feed sources are staggered in the vertical direction.

[0068] In one embodiment, on a panel comprising a plurality of feed sources, the plurality of feed sources are distributed on a side of the panel adjacent to a reference surface, and each feed source is parallel to a first side corresponding to the side.

[0069] The reference surface can be considered as a panel included in the plurality of panels of the feed source array as a reference panel, such as the panel with the largest projected area on the projected RIS panel.

[0070] The feed sources on the remaining panels other than the reference surface can be distributed on a side of the panel adjacent to the reference surface. Adjacent can mean close to each other in space and directly in contact or close.

[0071] When the plurality of feed sources are distributed on the side adjacent to the reference surface, each feed source can be parallel to the side corresponding to the side, i.e., the first side, i.e., the connecting line of each feed source is parallel to the first side.

[0072] In one embodiment, the panel comprising a plurality of feed sources and the reference surface are square, the side of the panel comprising a plurality of feed sources adjacent to the reference surface is the lower side, and the first side is the lower side in the panel comprising the feed sources.

[0073] In one embodiment, the reference surface comprises a panel parallel to the transmissive intelligent metasurface panel and comprising the most feed sources.

[0074] In the present embodiment, the reference surface is described, which can be a panel included in the plurality of panels of the feed source array, parallel to the projected RIS panel, and comprising the most feed sources. For example, the bottom surface in the above embodiment.

[0075] In one embodiment, the edge side adjacent to the reference plane on the panel including a plurality of feed sources is located on a plane enclosed by the first edge and a second edge in the panel including a plurality of feed sources, the second edge passing through the geometric center of the panel including a plurality of feed sources and being parallel to the first edge.

[0076] The embodiment describes the specific range of the edge side adjacent to the reference plane, which can be a plane enclosed by the first edge and the second edge, and the plane is a part of the panel including a plurality of feed sources. The second edge passes through the geometric center of the panel including a plurality of feed sources and is parallel to the first edge.

[0077] The area of the edge side adjacent to the reference plane in the embodiment can be half of the area of the panel including a plurality of feed sources. Without the constraint of the edge side adjacent to the reference plane, the area of the edge side adjacent to the reference plane can be less than half of the area of the panel including a plurality of feed sources.

[0078] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a feed source distribution topology provided by the embodiment of the application, as shown in FIG. 7, which shows two multi-block planar arrays of feed sources. FIG. 7(a) shows a feed source array composed of two planar surfaces S28 and S29, wherein the planar surface S28 is a rectangular bottom surface, and the planar surface S29 is a rectangular surface. The first edge l2 (i.e., the dashed line in FIG. 7(a)) is the long edge of the planar surface S29 closest to the planar surface S28. The second edge l1 (i.e., the dashed line in FIG. 7(a)) is a straight line passing through the geometric center of the planar surface S29 and parallel to the first edge l2. There is a row of feed sources on the planar surface S29 parallel to the first edge l2 and located on the plane enclosed by the second edge l1 and the first edge l2 on the planar surface S29, i.e., the edge side adjacent to the reference plane on the panel including a plurality of feed sources is located on the plane enclosed by the first edge l2 and the second edge l1 in the panel including a plurality of feed sources. FIG. 7(b) shows a feed source array composed of a planar surface S30 and a curved surface S31, wherein the curved surface S31 is curved from a rectangular surface. The second edge l3 (i.e., the dashed line in FIG. 7(b)) is a straight line passing through the geometric center of the rectangular surface before bending and parallel to the long edge of the rectangular surface. The first edge l4 (i.e., the dashed line in FIG. 7(a)) is the long edge of the curved surface S31 closest to the planar surface S30, i.e., the first edge. There is a row of feed sources on the curved surface S31 parallel to the first edge l4 and located on the curved surface enclosed by the second edge l3 and the first edge l4 on the curved surface S31.

[0079] In one embodiment, the edge side adjacent to the reference plane on the panel including a plurality of feed sources can be located on a plane enclosed by a third edge and the first edge, and the third edge is located between the first edge and the second edge on the panel including a plurality of feed sources.

[0080] In one embodiment, the present application provides a feed array composed of multiple planar / curved panels, wherein at least one panel has multiple feeds. If a panel other than the bottom panel has multiple feeds, and the panel is adjacent to the bottom panel, then at least one row of feeds is distributed on the side of the panel adjacent to the bottom panel and parallel to the side.

[0081] In one embodiment, the present application provides a feed array composed of multiple planar / curved panels, wherein at least one panel has multiple feeds. If a panel other than the bottom panel has multiple feeds, then the arrangement of the feeds on the panel satisfies at least one of the following two ways: one way is parallel to the feed group, and the other way is staggered to the feed group.

[0082] In one embodiment, the present application provides a feed array composed of one or more planar or curved panels, wherein at least one panel has multiple feeds. All the feeds are divided into at least one feed group in a certain way, each feed group contains at least one feed, and each feed belongs to and only belongs to one feed group. The number of feeds in multiple feed groups can be the same or different, and the same baseband signal is connected to each feed group.

[0083] Figure 8 is a topological diagram of an antenna array provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 8, the antenna array provided by the present application includes a feed array 1 provided by an embodiment of the present application and a transmissive intelligent metasurface panel 2.

[0084] The present embodiment is composed of a feed array and a transmissive intelligent metasurface panel provided by the present application to form an antenna array. In the antenna array, the feed array is responsible for the transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves. When acting as a transmitting end, the feed converts the electrical signal on the transmission line into electromagnetic waves and radiates them into space. Each feed unit in the feed array can independently transmit and receive signals, and through reasonable layout and control, specific beam pointing and signal coverage range can be achieved. The feed array can achieve beamforming by adjusting the phase, amplitude, etc. of each feed. By changing the relative phase difference between the feeds, the electromagnetic waves can be interfered and superimposed in space to form a beam with a specific direction and shape. The transmissive intelligent metasurface panel can dynamically regulate the incident electromagnetic waves. When the electromagnetic waves emitted by the feed array pass through the transmissive intelligent metasurface panel, the panel can regulate the electromagnetic waves as needed to change their propagation path and characteristics.

[0085] The working principle of the antenna array is as follows: first, the electrical signal generated by the signal source is transmitted to the feed array. The feed array converts the electrical signal into electromagnetic waves and radiates them into space. When the electromagnetic waves pass through the transmissive intelligent metasurface panel, the panel regulates the electromagnetic waves.

[0086] The regulated electromagnetic waves propagate in space, reach the target or are reflected back by the target. When received, the electromagnetic waves pass through the transmissive intelligent metasurface panel again, and the panel processes and transmits the received electromagnetic waves to the feed array. The feed array converts the electromagnetic waves into electrical signals, which are then transmitted to the subsequent signal processing circuit for analysis and demodulation. Through cooperative work, the feed array and the transmissive intelligent metasurface panel realize accurate shaping and control of the antenna array beam. The beam can be directed to a specific direction in space, improving the transmission efficiency and reception sensitivity of the signal.

[0087] The feed array used in the present application solves the problem of power leakage of the feed array when generating a large-angle beam. The arrangement of multiple panels of the feed array reduces power leakage, allowing the leaked power to be re-converged on the RIS panel. The leakage of the antenna array power is reduced.

[0088] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, variant embodiments of the above-mentioned embodiments are proposed. In order to make the description brief, only the differences from the above-mentioned embodiments are described in the variant embodiments.

[0089] In one embodiment, the projection area of the feed array in the plane of the transmissive intelligent metasurface panel is smaller than the area of the transmissive intelligent metasurface panel.

[0090] In one embodiment, the feed array is located on one side of the transmissive intelligent metasurface panel.

[0091] The feed array can be formed by splicing multiple panels. These panels can be flat or curved. The feed array contains at least one bottom panel. In addition to the bottom panel, the feed distribution on the other panels adjacent to the bottom panel should be distributed on the side close to the bottom panel. In addition to the bottom panel, if there are feed sources on other panels, the feed distribution can be parallel or staggered. When multiple feed groups are involved, the same feed group can be distributed on the same panel or multiple panels. The same group of feeds shares a baseband signal.

[0092] In one embodiment, the panels included in the feed array include one or more of the following: flat; curved.

[0093] In one embodiment, each of the panels is spliced to form the feed array.

[0094] In one embodiment, each of the panels is connected to at least one other panel.

[0095] In one embodiment, the projections of each of the panels on the transmissive intelligent metasurface panel do not intersect.

[0096] In one embodiment, each feed belongs to a feed group.

[0097] In one embodiment, the number of feeds in each of the plurality of feed groups is the same.

[0098] In one embodiment, the number of feeds in each of the plurality of feed groups is different.

[0099] In one embodiment, on the panel comprising the plurality of feeds, the feeds are arranged in one or more of the following ways: parallel in each feed group; staggered in each feed group; parallel in rows or columns; staggered in rows or columns.

[0100] In one embodiment, on the panel comprising the plurality of feeds, the plurality of feeds are distributed on a side of the panel comprising the plurality of feeds adjacent to a reference plane, and each feed is parallel to a first edge corresponding to the side.

[0101] In one embodiment, the reference plane comprises a plane parallel to the panel of the transmissive metasurface and having the most feeds.

[0102] In one embodiment, the side of the panel comprising the plurality of feeds adjacent to the reference plane is located on a plane of the panel comprising the plurality of feeds enclosed by the first edge and a second edge, the second edge being an edge passing through the geometric center of the panel comprising the plurality of feeds and parallel to the first edge.

[0103] The antenna array provided in the application can be applied to any communication node, which can be a terminal device or a base station. FIG. 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication node provided in an embodiment of the application, which comprises one or more processors 91 and a storage device 92; the processor 91 in the communication node can be one or more, and one processor 91 is taken as an example in FIG. 9; the storage device 92 is used to store one or more programs; the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors 91.

[0104] The communication node further comprises a communication device 93, an input device 94 and an output device 95.

[0105] The processor 91, the storage device 92, the communication device 93, the input device 94 and the output device 95 in the communication node can be connected through a bus or other means, and connection through a bus is taken as an example in FIG. 9.

[0106] The input device 94 can be used to receive input digital or character information, and generate key signal input related to user settings and function control of the communication node. The output device 95 can include a display device such as a display screen.

[0107] The communication device 93 can include a receiver and a transmitter. The communication device 93 is set to perform information receiving and transmitting communication according to the control of the processor 91. The communication device 93 can include the antenna array provided in the application.

[0108] The storage 92, as a computer readable storage medium, can be configured to store software programs, computer executable programs and modules. The storage 92 can include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area can store an operating system, application programs required by at least one function, and the data storage area can store data created according to the use of the communication node and the like. In addition, the storage 92 can include a high-speed random access memory, and can also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one magnetic disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state memory device. In some examples, the storage 92 can further include a memory disposed remotely with respect to the processor 91, and these remote memories can be connected to the communication node through a network. Examples of the above network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and a combination thereof.

[0109] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the term terminal device encompasses any suitable type of wireless user device, such as a mobile phone, a portable data processing apparatus, a portable web browser, or a vehicle-mounted mobile station.

[0110] Generally, various embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or special-purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while other aspects can be implemented in firmware or software which can be executed by a controller, microprocessor or other computing device, although the application is not limited thereto.

[0111] Embodiments of the application can be implemented by means of computer program instructions, for example in a processor entity, or by a hardware component, or by a combination of both software and hardware. The computer program instructions can be stored in or on the processor entity for execution by the processor entity. The computer program instructions can be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages and procedural programming languages.

[0112] The block diagrams of any logical flow of the present application in the drawings can represent program operations, or can represent interconnecting logical circuits, modules and functions, or can represent a combination of program operations and logical circuits, modules and functions. The computer program can be stored on a memory. The memory can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as, but not limited to, read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), optical storage devices and systems, (digital video disc (DVD) or compact disc (CD)), and the like. The computer readable media can include non-transitory storage media. The data processor can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment, and can include, but is not limited to, general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and processors based on multi-core processor architectures, as examples.

Claims

1. A feed array, comprising: a plurality of panels, at least one of the plurality of panels being provided with a plurality of feeds, at least part of the plurality of feeds comprised in the feed array being divided into at least one feed group, each feed group comprising at least one feed, feeds in the same feed group sharing one baseband signal, and feeds in the same feed group being distributed on at least one panel.

2. The feed array of claim 1, wherein, The panel comprises at least one of: a flat surface; a curved surface.

3. The feed array of claim 1, wherein, The plurality of panels are tiled to form the feed array.

4. The feed array of claim 3, wherein, Each of the plurality of panels is connected to at least one other panel.

5. The feed array of claim 1, wherein, Projections of the plurality of panels on a transmissive metasurface panel do not intersect.

6. The feed array of claim 1, wherein, Each feed belongs to one feed group.

7. The feed array of claim 1, wherein, The number of feeds in each feed group is the same.

8. The feed array of claim 1, wherein, The number of feeds in each feed group is different.

9. The feed array of claim 1, wherein, On a panel comprising a plurality of feeds, the plurality of feeds are arranged in at least one of: parallel to the feed groups to which the plurality of feeds belong; and staggered to the feed groups to which the plurality of feeds belong. parallel to rows or columns. staggered to rows or columns. 10.The feed array of claim 1, wherein, on a panel comprising a plurality of feeds, the plurality of feeds are distributed on an edge side of the panel comprising the plurality of feeds adjacent to a reference surface, and the plurality of feeds are parallel to a first edge corresponding to the edge side.

11. The feed array of claim 10, wherein, The reference surface comprises a panel comprising the plurality of feeds that is parallel to the transmissive metasurface panel and has the most feeds. 12.The feed array of claim 10, wherein, the edge side of the panel comprising the plurality of feeds adjacent to the reference surface is located on a surface of the panel comprising the plurality of feeds enclosed by the first edge and a second edge, the second edge being an edge passing through the geometric center of the panel comprising the plurality of feeds and parallel to the first edge. 13.An antenna array comprising the feed array of any one of claims 1-12 and a transmissive metasurface panel.

14. The antenna array of claim 13, wherein, The projection area of the feed array on the plane of the transmissive metasurface panel is smaller than the area of the transmissive metasurface panel.

15. The antenna array of claim 13, wherein, The feed array is located on one side of the transmissive metasurface panel.

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