Antenna and communication device

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of communications, and provides an antenna and a communication device. The antenna comprises a reflector plate, a radiating element, and a lens group. The radiating element is disposed on a surface of the reflector plate, and the lens group is disposed on the side of one or more radiating elements away from the reflector plate. The lens group comprises at least two lenses sequentially spaced in a first direction, and the included angle between the first direction and the surface of the reflector plate is greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°. Each lens comprises a dielectric plate and a metal layer provided on a surface of the dielectric plate, the dielectric plate comprises a functional region and an edge region arranged around the functional region, and the metal layer is located in the functional region. A metal column is disposed between two adjacent lenses. The use of the metal column can reduce the risk that electromagnetic waves incident into the lens group leak out from a gap between the adjacent lenses. With the focusing effect of the lenses on the electromagnetic waves, the lens group can effectively narrow the beam width of the antenna, thereby improving the communication capability of the antenna.

Description

An antenna and communication device

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411731470.5, filed on November 27, 2024, entitled "An Antenna and Communication Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to an antenna and communication device. Background Technology

[0004] With advancements in communication technology, modern wireless communication systems employ multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, utilizing multiple transmit and receive antennas to improve spectral efficiency and transmission rates, thereby enhancing communication quality. This utilization of spatial freedom significantly improves the performance of communication systems. However, the design and deployment of base station antennas are constrained by various factors, including legal regulations, the load-bearing capacity of antenna towers, and wind loads. These limitations prevent the length and width of base station antenna panels from increasing indefinitely, thus restricting the configuration and performance of antenna arrays.

[0005] Typically, within the limited space of a single antenna panel, base station antennas employ a side-by-side linear array design for their radiating elements. While this design saves space, signal coupling between the linear arrays leads to an undesirable increase in the antenna's beamwidth, thereby increasing the risk of interference between adjacent base station antennas. Therefore, optimizing antenna performance within a limited space and reducing interference between adjacent antennas has become a pressing challenge in the design of current cellular communication systems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides an antenna and a communication device to improve the antenna's beam pattern control capability and enhance its communication capabilities.

[0007] In a first aspect, this application provides an antenna, comprising a reflector, one or more radiating elements, and a lens group. The one or more radiating elements are disposed on the surface of the reflector, and the lens group is disposed on the side of the one or more radiating elements facing away from the reflector. The lens group includes at least two lenses spaced apart sequentially along a first direction, the angle between the first direction and the surface of the reflector being greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°. Each lens includes a dielectric substrate and a metal layer disposed on at least one surface of the dielectric substrate. The dielectric substrate includes a functional area and an edge area surrounding the functional area. The metal layer is located within the functional area, and the positive lens of the metal layer on the surface of the reflector can cover at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the radiating elements onto the surface of the reflector. The lens is capable of focusing electromagnetic waves incident from the radiating elements onto the lens, thereby narrowing the antenna beamwidth. One or more metal pillars may be disposed between two adjacent lenses, and the positive lenses of the one or more metal pillars in the first direction are respectively located within the orthographic projection of the edge areas of the corresponding two lenses in the first direction.

[0008] In this application, by using metal pillars disposed in the edge region of the lens, the risk of electromagnetic waves incident on the lens group leaking out through the gap between adjacent lenses can be reduced. Combined with the focusing effect of the lens on electromagnetic waves, the lens group can effectively narrow the beamwidth of the antenna, improve the beam pattern control capability of the antenna, and thus enhance the communication capability of the antenna.

[0009] In some implementations, one or more metal pillars between two adjacent lenses have their ends connected to the dielectric plates of the two lenses, respectively, to achieve a more robust electromagnetic wave leakage prevention effect between the two lenses.

[0010] In some implementations, an even number of metal pillars are placed between two adjacent lenses, arranged circumferentially around the lens group. The distance L between any two adjacent metal pillars satisfies: 0.02λ ≤ L ≤ λ, to reduce the risk of electromagnetic wave leakage between adjacent metal pillars. Here, λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave emitted by the antenna.

[0011] In some implementations, multiple metal pillars are provided between two adjacent lenses. The multiple metal pillars can be arranged at equal intervals, or they can be arranged at unequal intervals. For example, in some metal pillars, two adjacent metal pillars are distributed with relatively small intervals, while in others, two adjacent metal pillars are distributed with relatively large intervals.

[0012] For example, the projection of the metal column in the first direction can be any one or more shapes, such as a circle, rectangle, rhombus, ring, or other regular or irregular shapes.

[0013] In some implementations, the metal layer includes multiple metal units and one or more metal branches, with a gap formed between two adjacent metal units. At least a portion of the gap contains metal branches, which can connect the corresponding two metal units. By designing the metal layer of the lens in this structure, the focusing effect of the lens on electromagnetic waves can be improved, thereby enhancing the beam pattern control capability of the antenna.

[0014] In some implementations, multiple metal units are identical in shape and size; or, at least two metal units are different in shape and size.

[0015] In some implementations, the ratio of the number of slots with metal sprues to the total number of slots is greater than or equal to 10%. When the metal sprues in the metal layer meet this design condition, the lens can more effectively narrow the antenna beamwidth.

[0016] In some implementations, the metal layers of any two lenses do not completely overlap in the orthographic projection of the first direction, which helps to further improve the lens group's ability to control the antenna beamwidth.

[0017] For example, at least one of the shapes, sizes, numbers, and arrangements of the multiple metal units of any two lenses is different.

[0018] In some implementations, the distance d between the metal layers of two adjacent lenses satisfies: d ≥ 0.1λ, to improve the focusing effect of the lenses on electromagnetic waves. Here, λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave emitted by the antenna.

[0019] In some implementations, the distance H between the side surface of the lens group facing the radiating element and the radiating element satisfies: 0.1λ≤H≤0.5λ. This design helps to further improve the effect of the lens group in narrowing the beamwidth of the antenna. Here, λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave emitted by the antenna.

[0020] In some implementations, the antenna also includes a feed network connected to one or more radiating elements, such that the feed network feeds radio frequency signals to the radiating elements or feeds signals received by the radiating elements to the feed network.

[0021] Secondly, this application also provides a communication device, which includes a radio frequency (RF) device and an antenna as described in any of the embodiments of the first aspect. The RF device is connected to the antenna's feed network. The RF device can be used to perform frequency selection, amplification, and down-conversion processing on the signal received by the antenna, or to transmit RF signals to the antenna, thereby realizing the antenna's signal transmission and reception functions. By applying the above-described antenna, the communication performance of the communication device can be effectively improved.

[0022] In some implementations, the communication equipment can be a base station. In this case, the radio frequency device is a radio frequency processing unit.

[0023] In some implementations, the communication device can be a terminal. In this case, the radio frequency device is a radio frequency chip. Additionally, the terminal includes a mid-frame, which includes a first frame and a second frame. The second frame surrounds the outside of the first frame. The first frame can be used to form the radiating element of an antenna, while the second frame is used to form the lens assembly of the antenna. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 is a diagram of a communication system architecture consisting of a base station and a terminal;

[0025] Figure 2 is a partial structural diagram of a base station provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 3 is a partial structural diagram of a terminal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an antenna structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a partial antenna structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 6 is a side view of the antenna shown in Figure 5;

[0030] Figure 7 is a partial structural side view of another antenna provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figures 8a and 8b are partial top views of the two lens groups provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0032] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of a lens provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figures 10a to 10c are schematic diagrams of partial planar structures of several other lenses provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0034] Figures 11a and 11b are partial structural schematic diagrams of two lenses in a lens group provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 12a is a beam pattern of the antenna provided in the embodiment of this application when it is pointed at 0 degrees;

[0036] Figure 12b shows the beam pattern of the antenna of the first related technology when it is pointed at 0 degrees;

[0037] Figure 12c shows the beam pattern of the antenna of the second related technology when it is pointing at 0 degrees;

[0038] Figure 13 is a comparison of the beam performance of the antenna provided in the embodiment of this application and two antennas of related technologies under different beam directions.

[0039] Reference numerals: 1000-Communication equipment / base station / terminal; 1100-Middle frame; 1110-First frame; 1120-Second frame; 100-Antenna; 110-Feed network; 120-Radiating element; 130-Reflector; 140-Radiator cover; 150-Lens group; 151-Lens; 1511-Dielectric board; 1511a-Functional area; 1511b-Edge area; 1512-Metal layer; 15121-Metal element; 15122-Metal branch; 152-Metal pillar; 200-Cable; 300-Grounding device; 400-Mounting component; 500-Pole; 600-RF processing unit; 700-Baseband processing unit; 800-RF chip; 900-Baseband chip. Detailed Implementation

[0040] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The same reference numerals in the figures denote the same or similar structures, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted. The terms expressing position and direction described in the embodiments of this application are illustrative based on the accompanying drawings, but changes can be made as needed, and all such changes are included within the scope of protection of this application. The accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this application are only for illustrating relative positional relationships and do not represent actual scale.

[0041] It should be noted that specific details are set forth in the following description to facilitate understanding of this application. However, the embodiments of this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of the embodiments of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0042] The antenna provided in this application embodiment can be used in various communication devices to enable wireless communication functions. The communication device can be located in a base station subsystem (BBS), a UMTS terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), or an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) to provide cell coverage for wireless signals, thereby enabling communication between the terminal device and the wireless network. Specifically, the communication device can be a base transceiver station (BTS) in a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, a Node B (NB) in a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, an Evolutionary Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, or a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. Alternatively, the communication device may be a relay station, access point, vehicle-mounted equipment, wearable device, or a g node (gNodeB or gNB) in a new radio (NR) system, or a base station in a future evolved network, etc., and the embodiments of this application are not limited to this.

[0043] The antenna provided in this application embodiment can also be used in access network equipment, which is sometimes also called an access node. Access network equipment has wireless transceiver capabilities for communicating with terminals. Access network equipment includes, but is not limited to, base stations, evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs), transmission reception points (TRPs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs) in 5G mobile communication systems, future communication networks, access network equipment or modules of access network equipment in Open RAN (ORAN) systems, base stations in future mobile communication systems, or access nodes in WiFi systems. Access network equipment can also be a module or unit capable of implementing some of the functions of a base station. For example, access network equipment can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU), etc. In the ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU, DU can also be called open (O)-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CUP-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. The access network equipment can be a macro base station, micro base station, or indoor station, a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. Optionally, the access network equipment can also be a server, wearable device, or vehicle-mounted equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). Multiple access network devices in a communication system can be base stations of the same type or different types.

[0044] Figure 1 shows a communication system architecture diagram consisting of a base station and a terminal. Both the base station and the terminal include antennas, and they can communicate wirelessly through their respective antennas. For example, the terminal can communicate directly with the base station or through a relay station. Furthermore, the terminal can communicate with multiple base stations using different communication technologies.

[0045] In one implementation, the communication device 1000 provided in this application embodiment is a base station. In the following embodiments, the base station and the communication device 1000 use the same reference numerals. Referring to FIG2, FIG2 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a base station 1000. The base station 1000 includes a base station antenna feeder system. In practical applications, the base station antenna feeder system mainly includes an antenna 100, a cable 200, and a grounding device 300, etc. The antenna 100 can be mounted on a mast 500 using a mounting bracket 400. The mounting bracket 400 can adjust the downtilt angle of the antenna 100 to adjust the signal coverage range of the antenna 100 to a certain extent.

[0046] In some embodiments, the base station may be divided into multiple sectors, such as three 120° sectors, six 60° sectors, etc., with each sector served by one or more antennas to achieve signal coverage of the area served by the base station. Only one antenna is shown as an example in Figure 2.

[0047] In this embodiment, the base station 1000 may further include a radio frequency (RF) processing unit 600 and a baseband processing unit 700. The RF processing unit 600 can perform frequency selection, amplification, and down-conversion processing on the signal received by the antenna 100, converting it into an intermediate frequency (IF) signal or a baseband signal and sending it to the baseband processing unit 700. Alternatively, the RF processing unit 600 can up-convert and amplify the IF signal emitted by the baseband processing unit 700, converting it into a wireless signal and transmitting it through the antenna 100. The baseband processing unit 700 can be connected to the feed network of the antenna 100 via the RF processing unit 600. In some embodiments, the RF processing unit 600 may also be referred to as a remote radio unit (RRU), and the baseband processing unit 700 may also be referred to as a baseband unit (BBU).

[0048] The radio frequency (RF) processing unit 600 and the baseband processing unit 700 can be connected via a cable. In one embodiment, the RF processing unit 600 and the baseband processing unit 700 may be located at the distal end of the antenna 100. In another embodiment, the RF processing unit 600 may be integrated with the antenna 100, and the baseband processing unit 700 may be located at the distal end of the antenna 100. In this example, the RF processing unit 600 and the antenna 100 may be collectively referred to as an active antenna unit (AAU).

[0049] In one implementation, the communication device 1000 provided in this application embodiment is a terminal. In the following embodiments, the terminal and the communication device 1000 use the same reference numerals. The terminal 1000 may include a fixed terminal and a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal may be a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, smart bracelet, smartwatch, smart helmet, and smart glasses, etc.; the fixed terminal may be a vehicle-mounted terminal, router, smart TV, smart home device, smart speaker, and desktop computer, etc. Furthermore, the aforementioned terminal may also be a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a communication terminal in a 5G network, or a communication terminal in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc., and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0050] Figure 3 shows a partial structural diagram of a terminal 1000, with a mobile phone as an example. The terminal 1000 includes an antenna 100, a radio frequency (RF) chip 800, and a baseband chip 900. The RF chip is connected to the antenna, and the baseband chip is connected to the RF chip. The RF chip can be used to select, amplify, and convert the electromagnetic wave signal received by the antenna into a baseband signal, which is then sent to the baseband chip. Alternatively, the RF chip can up-convert and amplify the baseband signal from the baseband chip, converting it into an electromagnetic wave and sending it out through the antenna. The baseband chip is used to process and modulate the baseband signal.

[0051] In this embodiment, the terminal 1000 includes a mid-frame 1100. The mid-frame 1100 provides support for the relevant electronic components and structural parts within the terminal 1000. Furthermore, the mid-frame 1100 also serves as part of the terminal 1000's housing, ensuring the terminal's mechanical strength and aesthetic quality. The mid-frame 1100 includes a first border 1110, from which the antenna 100 can be formed; this type of antenna 100 can also be called a border antenna. In a specific implementation, the first border 1110 may include multiple structural segments, with adjacent structural segments insulated from each other by an insulating material. Based on this design, different structural segments can be used as antennas for different frequency bands, thereby enabling the terminal to cover multiple wireless communication operating frequency bands.

[0052] In other embodiments, antenna 100 may also be a circuit board antenna based on the circuit board of terminal 1000, or it may be an antenna based on a flexible printed circuit (FPC), an antenna based on laser-direct-structuring (LDS) technology, or a microstrip disk antenna (MDA), etc. Of course, in some embodiments, terminal 1000 may also use a combination of multiple of the above-mentioned antenna types simultaneously.

[0053] Furthermore, when the communication device is Terminal 1000, Terminal 1000 can also be used in the field of satellite communication to communicate with communication satellites. Satellite communication belongs to non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication, and compared with terrestrial communication, satellite communication can provide a wider coverage area. Especially for areas with few or difficult-to-cover cellular communication base stations, satellite communication can effectively enhance the communication capabilities of Terminal 1000.

[0054] The above only lists a few possible forms of communication equipment. It should be understood that the antenna 100 provided in this application embodiment can also be applied to other devices with communication functions, and the specifics will not be elaborated here.

[0055] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an antenna 100 provided in an embodiment of this application, with an example of an antenna 100 used in a base station. Referring to Figure 4, in this embodiment, the antenna includes a feed network 110 and one or more radiating elements 120. The feed network 110 can feed radio frequency signals received from the radio frequency processing unit to the radiating elements 120 according to a certain amplitude and phase, or transmit wireless signals received by the radiating elements 120 to the radio frequency processing unit according to a certain amplitude and phase. The radiating element 120 can also be called an antenna element, vibrator, or antenna unit. The radiating element 120 is the unit constituting the basic structure of the antenna 100, and it can effectively transmit or receive electromagnetic waves. The radiating element 120 can be divided into single-polarization and dual-polarization types. In practical applications, the type of radiating element can be reasonably selected according to actual needs.

[0056] In some embodiments, the antenna 100 further includes a reflector 130, and the radiating elements 120 can be arranged in an array on the surface of the reflector 130. The reflector 130 can also be referred to as a floor, an antenna panel, or a reflective surface, etc. When the antenna 100 receives a signal, the reflector 130 can reflect and focus the antenna signal onto the receiving point. When the antenna 100 transmits a signal, the signal can be directed to the reflector 130 and reflected back by the reflector 130.

[0057] In some embodiments, the antenna 100 further includes a radome 140 (refer to FIG. 2), which can be used to house the aforementioned feed network 110, radiating element 120, reflector 130, and other components. The radome 140 has good electromagnetic wave penetration to ensure normal transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves between the radiating element 120 and the outside world. In addition, the radome 140 also has good stress resistance and oxidation resistance to withstand the corrosion of harsh external environments. Exemplarily, the material of the radome 140 includes, but is not limited to, thermosetting and thermoplastic materials such as fiberglass, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or plastics copolymerized from styrene, acrylonitrile, and acrylate rubber (ASA plastic).

[0058] As mentioned earlier, a base station 1000 is typically configured with multiple antennas 100, and each sector of the base station 1000 is served by one or more antennas. Typically, within the limited space of the reflector, the radiating elements 120 of the antenna 100 are designed as a linear array placed side by side. Although this design saves space, signal coupling problems between the linear arrays can cause the beamwidth of the antenna 100 to become undesirably wide, which can easily lead to electromagnetic interference between adjacent sectors.

[0059] To reduce such interference, in this embodiment, the antenna 100 further includes a lens group to compress the beamwidth of the antenna, improve the beam pattern control capability of the antenna, enhance the coverage performance of users in the sector center, and thus improve the capacity performance and user experience of the communication system.

[0060] Figure 5 is a partial structural schematic diagram of an antenna 100 provided in an embodiment of this application, and Figure 6 is a side view of the antenna shown in Figure 5. Referring to Figures 5 and 6 together, a lens group 150 is disposed on the side of the radiating element 120 facing away from the reflector 130. The lens group 150 includes a lens 151, and the lens 151 includes a dielectric substrate 1511. A metal layer 1512 is disposed on the surface of the dielectric substrate 1511. The dielectric substrate 1511 includes a functional region 1511a and an edge region 1511b. The edge region 1511b is arranged in a ring around the functional region 1511a, and the functional region 1511a is located inside the ring of the edge region 1511b. The metal layer 1512 is disposed within the functional region 1511a, and the orthographic projection of the metal layer 1512 on the surface of the reflector 130 can cover at least part of the orthographic projection of the radiating element 120 on the surface of the reflector 130. Lens 151, also known as a metasurface lens, can focus electromagnetic waves incident from radiation unit 120 onto lens 151, thereby narrowing the beamwidth of antenna 100.

[0061] In some embodiments, the lens 151 may include a metal layer 1512, which may be disposed on the surface of the dielectric plate 1511 facing the reflector 130, or on the surface of the dielectric plate 1511 facing away from the reflector 130. In other embodiments, the lens 151 may further include two metal layers 1512, which are disposed on two separate surfaces of the dielectric plate 1511. That is, at least one surface of the dielectric plate 1511 may be provided with a metal layer 1512.

[0062] In this embodiment, there may be at least two lenses 151, which are arranged sequentially at intervals. A metal post 152 is provided between two adjacent lenses 151. There may be one or more metal posts 152, which is not limited in this application. The arrangement direction of the at least two lenses 151 is defined as the first direction. The orthographic projection of the metal post 152 in the first direction is located within the orthographic projection of the edge area 1511b of the two lenses 151 in the first direction. Alternatively, it can be understood that the orthographic projection of the edge area 1511b of the two lenses 151 in the first direction covers the orthographic projection of the metal post 152 in the first direction.

[0063] The angle between the first direction and the surface of the reflector 130 is greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°. This means that the lenses of the lens group 150 can be tilted relative to the reflector 130 or parallel to it. For example, if the first direction is perpendicular to the surface of the reflector 130, then each lens 151 in the lens group 150 is parallel to the reflector 130. In this way, the metal layer 1512 is located directly above the radiating element 120, and the metal layer 1512 in the lens 151 can cover more radiating elements 120 with a relatively small area, thereby helping to reduce the size of the lens 151 and even the entire lens group 150.

[0064] In this embodiment, by using the metal pillar 152 disposed in the edge region 1511b of the lens 151, the risk of electromagnetic waves incident on the lens group 150 leaking out through the gap between adjacent lenses 151 can be reduced. Combined with the focusing effect of the lens 151 on electromagnetic waves, the lens group 150 can effectively narrow the beamwidth of the antenna 100, improve the beam pattern control capability of the antenna 100, and thus enhance the communication capability of the antenna 100.

[0065] In addition, in some embodiments, the antenna 100 further includes a support structure disposed between the lens group 150 and the reflector 130. One end of the support structure is connected to the lens group 150, and the other end is connected to the reflector 130, so as to support the lens group 150 above the radiating element 120. Exemplarily, the support structure can be made of a dielectric material to avoid adversely affecting the performance of the radiating element 120.

[0066] Figure 7 is a partial structural side view of another antenna 100 provided in an embodiment of this application, showing a case where the lens group 150 includes four lenses 151. Referring to Figure 7, the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave of the antenna 100 is defined as λ, and the distance d between the metal layers 1512 of two adjacent lenses 151 satisfies d ≥ 0.1λ to improve the focusing effect of the lens 151 on the electromagnetic wave. The distance H between the side surface of the lens group 150 facing the radiating element 120 and the radiating element 120 satisfies: 0.1λ ≤ H ≤ 0.5λ. It is easy to understand that the side surface of the lens group 150 facing the radiating element 120 is the side surface of the lens 151 closest to the radiating element 120 facing the radiating element 120. By limiting the distance H between the lens group 150 and the radiating element 120 within the above range, it helps to further improve the effect of the lens group 150 in narrowing the beamwidth of the antenna 100.

[0067] In this embodiment, one or more metal pillars 152 between two adjacent lenses 151 can have their two ends connected to the dielectric plates 1511 of the two lenses 151, respectively, to achieve a more robust electromagnetic wave leakage prevention effect between the two lenses 151, thereby further narrowing the beamwidth of the antenna 100. Furthermore, given that the metal pillars 152 possess sufficient structural strength, the connection of their two ends to the dielectric plates 1511 of the two adjacent lenses 151 also allows the metal pillars 152 to act as supports between the two lenses 151. This eliminates the need for additional support structures between adjacent lenses 151, helping to reduce the manufacturing cost and weight of the antenna 100.

[0068] When multiple metal posts 152 are provided between two adjacent lenses 151, both ends of each metal post 152 can be connected to the dielectric plates 1511 of the two lenses 151. Alternatively, both ends of some metal posts 152 can be connected to the dielectric plates 1511 of the two lenses 151 respectively, while other metal posts 152 are connected to the dielectric plate 1511 of one lens 151 at only one end. This application does not make specific limitations in this regard.

[0069] Based on the above connection method of the metal post 152, the height of the metal post 152 can be equal to the distance d between the metal layers 1512 of two adjacent lenses 151, for example, in an example where both ends of the metal post 152 are connected to the dielectric plates 1511 of two lenses 151 respectively; or, the height of the metal post 152 can be greater than the distance between the metal layers 1512 of two adjacent lenses, for example, in an example where at least one end of the metal post 152 passes through the dielectric plate 1511 of the lens 151; or, the height of the metal post 152 can be less than the distance between the metal layers 1512 of two adjacent lenses 151, for example, in an example where one end of the metal post 152 is connected to the dielectric plate 1511 of the lens 151, and the other end of the metal post 152 is spaced apart from another lens 151.

[0070] Figures 8a and 8b are partial top views of two lens groups 150 provided in the embodiments of this application. Figures 8a and 8b show the layout of the metal pillars 152 between two adjacent lenses 151 in the lens group 150. In the embodiments of this application, multiple metal pillars 152 are provided between two adjacent lenses 151. The multiple metal pillars 152 are arranged along the periphery of the lens 151 to form an annular anti-electromagnetic wave leakage structure between adjacent lenses 151, so as to limit electromagnetic waves as much as possible within the annular structure formed by the multiple metal pillars 152. In addition, the distance L between any two adjacent metal pillars 152 satisfies: 0.02λ≤L≤λ, so as to reduce the risk of electromagnetic waves leaking between two adjacent metal pillars 152.

[0071] In this embodiment, the projection of the metal column 152 in the first direction can be any one or more shapes, such as a circle, rectangle, rhombus, ring, or other regular or irregular shapes, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this. For example, in the embodiments shown in Figures 8a and 8b, each metal column 152 is a cylinder.

[0072] Referring to Figure 8a, in one implementation, the plurality of metal pillars 152 can be arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the lens group 150, that is, the distance between any two adjacent metal pillars 152 is equal; referring to Figure 8b, in another implementation, the plurality of metal pillars 152 can also be arranged at unequal intervals along the circumference of the lens group 150. For example, in some of the metal pillars 152, the two adjacent metal pillars 152 are distributed with a relatively small interval, and in some of the metal pillars 152, the two adjacent metal pillars 152 are distributed with a relatively large interval.

[0073] Furthermore, the distances between each of the plurality of metal pillars 152 and the peripheral edge of the lens 151 above it may be equal or unequal. Similarly, the distances between each of the plurality of metal pillars 152 and the peripheral edge of the lens below it may be equal or unequal.

[0074] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of a lens 151 provided in an embodiment of this application. Referring to Figure 9, in this embodiment, the metal layer 1512 of the lens 151 may include metal units 15121 and metal branches 15122. There are multiple metal units 15121, with any two adjacent metal units 15121 spaced apart, forming a gap between each pair of adjacent metal units 15121. The multiple metal units 15121 can be arranged in an ordered or disordered manner. There can be one or more metal branches 15122, with at least some gaps containing metal branches 15122, which can connect to corresponding two metal units 15121. By designing the metal layer 1512 of the lens 151 with this structure, the focusing effect of the lens 151 on electromagnetic waves can be improved, thereby enhancing the beam pattern control capability of the antenna 100.

[0075] The shape of the metal unit 15121 can be varied. For example, in one implementation, the multiple metal units 15121 can be thin metal sheet structures, such as, but not limited to, sheet bodies, metal plating, or metal coatings. The shape of the metal unit 15121 can be rectangular, rhomboid, polygonal, circular, annular, or other regular or irregular shapes. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG9, the multiple metal units 15121 are rectangular metal sheets, and the multiple metal units 15121 are arranged in an array. In another implementation, the multiple metal units 15121 can also be three-dimensional metal blocks. Exemplarily, the metal unit 15121 can be a cuboid, cylinder, prism, pyramid, or other regular or irregular columnar body.

[0076] In one embodiment of this application, the multiple metal units 15121 may have the same shape and the same size.

[0077] In another embodiment of this application, at least two of the plurality of metal units 15121 have different shapes and sizes. For example, in one implementation, at least two metal units 15121 have different shapes and sizes, and the shapes of the plurality of metal units 15121 may include at least two of the following: rectangular, rhomboid, circular, annular, or other regular or irregular shapes; in another implementation, at least two metal units 15121 have the same shape but different sizes.

[0078] In this embodiment, each metal branch 15122 in the gap can be used to connect two metal units 15121, or some metal branches 15122 may only connect to one metal unit 15121 or not connect to any metal unit 15121. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0079] In this embodiment, the ratio of the number of slots with metal spurs 15122 to the total number of slots is greater than or equal to 10%. When the metal spurs 15122 in the metal layer 1512 meet this design condition, the lens 151 can more effectively narrow the beamwidth of the antenna 100. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG9, metal spurs 15122 are provided in the slots between any two adjacent metal units 15121. In this case, multiple metal units 15121 can be connected into a whole through multiple metal spurs 15122.

[0080] Figures 10a to 10c are partial planar structural schematic diagrams of several other lenses 151 provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 10a shows an example where the metal units 15121 are rectangular metal sheets with metal branches 15122 disposed in some gaps; Figure 10b shows an example where the metal unit 15121 is a circular metal sheet with metal branches 15122 disposed in some gaps; and Figure 10c shows an example where the metal unit 15121 is a hexagonal metal sheet with metal branches 15122 disposed in some gaps.

[0081] It should be understood that Figures 9 to 10c are only examples of lens designs. In practical applications, the shape and arrangement of the metal units 15121 in the metal layer 1512, the number and placement of the metal branches 15122, etc., are not limited to the limitations of the above embodiments. Specifically, they can be designed according to relevant algorithms or simulations so that the lens can achieve the focusing effect on electromagnetic waves.

[0082] In addition, in some embodiments of this application, the metal layer 1512 of each lens 151 can adopt the same structural design. For example, the shape, size, number and arrangement of the multiple metal units 15121 of the metal layer 1512 of each lens 151 are the same, and the number and placement of the first metal branches 15122 are also the same.

[0083] In other embodiments of this application, the metal layers 1512 of any two lenses 151 have different structures, or in other words, the orthographic projections of any two lenses 151 in the first direction do not completely overlap. This helps to further improve the control effect of the lens group 150 on the beamwidth of the antenna 100. For example, at least one of the shapes, sizes, quantities, and arrangements of the plurality of metal units 15121 of any two lenses 151 is different.

[0084] Figures 11a and 11b are partial structural schematic diagrams of two lenses 151 of a lens group provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 11a is a partial planar structural schematic diagram of the lower lens 151 of the lens group, and Figure 11b is a partial planar structural schematic diagram of the upper lens 151 of the lens group. The shaded areas in the figures indicate that metal branches are provided in the gaps between adjacent metal units in that area. In the lower lens 151, the ratio of the number of gaps with metal branches in the metal layer to the total number of gaps is approximately 15%; in the upper lens 151, the ratio of the number of gaps with metal branches in the metal layer to the total number of gaps is approximately 44%. The distance d between the metal layers of the two lenses 151 is 0.15λ. Multiple metal pillars between the two lenses 151 are equally spaced, and the distance L between two adjacent metal pillars is 4mm. The distance H between the surface of the lens group facing the radiation unit (i.e., the surface of the lower lens facing away from the upper lens) and the radiation unit is 0.2λ.

[0085] The following simulation analysis is performed on one antenna and two antennas using the above lens group. The antenna using the first related technology includes two lenses without metal pillars connecting them, and the metal layer structure of the two lenses adopts the same design as the two lenses in this embodiment. The antenna using the second related technology does not include lenses. The operating frequency of all three antennas is 3.5 GHz, and the distance between adjacent radiating elements of each antenna is 0.68λ.

[0086] Table 1 compares the beam performance of the three antennas pointing at 0 degrees. Figures 12a to 12c show the beam patterns of the three antennas pointing at 0 degrees. In Table 1, column A shows the simulation results of the antenna in this embodiment, column B shows the simulation results of the antenna of the first related technology, and column C shows the simulation results of the antenna of the second related technology. As can be seen from Table 1 and Figures 12a to 12c, compared with the antennas of the two related technologies, the directivity coefficient of the antenna provided in this embodiment is significantly improved, and the beamwidth is also significantly narrowed. In addition, compared with the scheme in the first related technology where there is no metal pillar 152 connecting the two lenses, the directivity coefficient of the antenna provided in this embodiment is improved by 0.857 dB, and the horizontal beamwidth is narrowed by 9.6 degrees.

[0087] Table 1

[0088] Figure 13 shows a comparison of the beam performance of three antennas under different beam orientations. Curve A represents the directivity coefficient of the antenna provided in this embodiment under different beam orientations, curve B represents the directivity coefficient of the antenna of the first related technology under different beam orientations, and curve C represents the directivity coefficient of the antenna of the second related technology under different beam orientations. It can be seen that, compared to the antennas of the two related technologies, the antenna provided in this embodiment maintains a higher pattern narrowing capability under different beam orientations.

[0089] The foregoing embodiments all use antennas applied in base stations as examples for illustration. It should be understood that the antennas provided in the embodiments of this application can also be applied in terminal devices. For example, in the terminal shown in Figure 3, the middle frame 1100 includes inner and outer frame frames. The inner first frame frame 1110 can be used to form the radiating element of the antenna 100, and the outer second frame frame 1120 is used to form a lens group. The design of the lens group can refer to the description of the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0090] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An antenna, characterized in that, It includes a reflector, one or more radiating elements, and a lens group, wherein: The one or more radiation units are disposed on the surface of the reflector; The lens group is disposed on the side of the one or more radiating units facing away from the reflector. The lens group includes at least two lenses, which are arranged sequentially at intervals along a first direction. Each lens includes a dielectric plate and a metal layer disposed on at least one surface of the dielectric plate. The dielectric plate includes a functional area and an edge area surrounding the functional area. The metal layer is located within the functional area, and the orthographic projection of the metal layer on the surface of the reflector covers at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the radiating units on the surface of the reflector. One or more metal pillars are disposed between two adjacent lenses, and the orthographic projection of the one or more metal pillars in the first direction is respectively located within the orthographic projection of the edge areas of the two lenses in the first direction; The angle between the first direction and the surface of the reflector is greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°.

2. The antenna as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In one or more metal pillars between two adjacent lenses, the two ends of the metal pillars are respectively connected to the dielectric plates of the two lenses.

3. The antenna as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Multiple metal pillars are disposed between two adjacent lenses, and the multiple metal pillars are arranged circumferentially along the lens group. The distance L between any two adjacent metal pillars satisfies: 0.02λ≤L≤λ, where λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave of the antenna.

4. The antenna as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, Multiple metal pillars are provided between two adjacent lenses, and the multiple metal pillars are equally spaced.

5. The antenna as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The metal layer includes a plurality of metal units and one or more metal branches, and a gap is formed between any two adjacent metal units. At least a portion of the gap is provided with the metal branches, and the metal branches in the gap connect the corresponding two metal units.

6. The antenna as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The ratio of the number of slits with the metal branches to the total number of slits is greater than or equal to 10%.

7. The antenna as described in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The metal layers of any two lenses do not completely overlap in the orthographic projection of the first direction.

8. The antenna as described in any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The distance d between the metal layers of two adjacent lenses satisfies: d ≥ 0.1λ, where λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave of the antenna.

9. The antenna as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The distance H between the side surface of the lens group facing the plurality of radiating elements and the radiating elements satisfies: 0.1λ≤H≤0.5λ, where λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave of the antenna.

10. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a radio frequency device and an antenna as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the radio frequency device is connected to the feed network of the antenna.

Images