Aperture field enhancement structure, antenna system and base station

Abstract

Provided in the present application are an aperture field enhancement structure, an antenna system and a base station. The aperture field enhancement structure comprises at least one first antenna group, at least one second antenna group and at least one feed network structure which are correspondingly arranged, each first antenna group comprising at least one first antenna, and each second antenna group comprising at least one second antenna. The at least one first antenna group, the at least one feed network structure and the at least one second antenna group are successively stacked in a first direction; by means of the corresponding feed network structure, each first antenna in each first antenna group is in communication connection to each second antenna in the corresponding second antenna group; the sum of the apertures of the at least one second antenna group is greater than the sum of the apertures of the at least one first antenna group. The aperture field enhancement structure provided in the embodiments of the present application can expand the apertures of antennas and improve antenna gains and signal coverage capability.

Description

Aperture field enhancement structure, antenna system and base station

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411868265.3, filed on December 17, 2024, entitled “Aperture Field Enhancement Structure, Antenna System and Base Station”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to an aperture field enhancement structure, antenna system and base station. Background Technology

[0003] Base station antennas are fundamental to current mobile communications and occupy a crucial position in the field. To meet the operational needs of different application scenarios, base station antennas are continuously evolving towards multi-frequency operation. However, rooftop space for base stations is limited, and in traditional base stations, antennas for different frequency bands are installed separately. As the number of antenna frequency bands increases, the problem of limited rooftop space and tower overload becomes increasingly prominent. This difficulty is particularly evident in the construction of 5G (5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology) networks.

[0004] To address the issue of limited rooftop space in 5G site deployment, a shared antenna architecture has emerged. This architecture integrates two types of antennas in a modular fashion, stacking them together and sharing a common interface, thus significantly reducing rooftop space requirements. For example, sharing an active MIMO antenna (Multiple Input Multiple Output) and passive antenna modules not only reduces the rooftop space occupied by active and passive antennas but also effectively enhances the mounting height of the 5G AAU (Active Antenna Unit) and 5G signal coverage, improving the user experience for 5G users.

[0005] In common-plane antenna designs, a Frequency Selective Surface / Structure (FSS) is typically placed between two antennas. The FSS transmits signals to one antenna while reflecting signals to the other, allowing the signals from both antennas to radiate smoothly into space. In existing products, the antennas on either side of the FSS have different apertures, with the smaller aperture antenna experiencing more significant gain attenuation. For example, in a common-plane architecture with active and passive antennas, the FSS transmits signals to the active antenna, while the passive antenna has a much larger aperture. When the electromagnetic waves radiated by the active antenna pass through the FSS, the effective aperture is smaller, and losses occur as the electromagnetic waves pass through the FSS, resulting in a significant gain attenuation of the active antenna and consequently affecting signal coverage.

[0006] Therefore, in the existing antenna common-plane architecture, antennas with smaller apertures suffer from severe gain attenuation and poor signal coverage. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The aperture field enhancement structure, antenna system, and base station provided in this application embodiment solve the problem that in the existing antenna common-plane architecture, the gain attenuation of antennas with smaller apertures is severe and the signal coverage capability is poor.

[0008] The first aspect of this application provides an aperture field enhancement structure, including at least one first antenna group, at least one second antenna group, and at least one feed grid structure, each first antenna group including at least one first antenna, and each second antenna group including at least one second antenna.

[0009] At least one first antenna group, at least one feed network structure, and at least one second antenna group are stacked sequentially along a first direction. The first antenna in each first antenna group is communicatively connected to each second antenna in the corresponding second antenna group through the corresponding feed network structure. Furthermore, the sum of the apertures of at least one second antenna group is greater than the sum of the apertures of at least one first antenna group.

[0010] The aperture field enhancement structure provided in this application embodiment can be applied in an antenna system, which includes a first antenna group and a second antenna group. Each first antenna in the first antenna group transmits signals to each second antenna in the corresponding second antenna group through a feed network structure. The sum of the apertures of at least one second antenna group is greater than the sum of the apertures of at least one first antenna group. This can be understood as the aperture of the antenna array (or a single antenna, or a non-array antenna module) formed by the second antennas in all the second antenna groups being greater than the aperture of the antenna array (or a single antenna, or a non-array antenna module) formed by the first antennas in all the first antenna groups being greater than the aperture of the antenna array (or a single antenna, or a non-array antenna module) formed by the first antennas in all the first antenna groups being greater than the aperture of the antenna array (or a single antenna, or a non-array antenna module).

[0011] This structure allows for the expansion of the aperture of a specific antenna. For example, the aperture field enhancement structure of this application can be placed between two antennas sharing a common aperture plane. First, the first antenna is connected to the smaller-aperture antenna to receive the signal from the smaller-aperture antenna. Then, the signal is transmitted to the second antenna through a feed network structure. The second antenna radiates the signal from the first antenna into space, thus expanding the aperture of the first antenna to match the aperture of the second antenna, achieving an increase in aperture. Alternatively, the aperture field enhancement structure of this application can be placed between an active antenna and a passive antenna sharing a common aperture plane. The first antenna receives the signal from the active antenna, and then the active signal is transmitted to the second antenna through a feed network structure, increasing the aperture of the active antenna.

[0012] Therefore, the aperture field enhancement structure provided in this application embodiment can expand the antenna aperture and improve antenna gain and signal coverage.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure further includes a first reflector and a second reflector. In a first direction, the first reflector and the second reflector are stacked and spaced apart between at least one first antenna group and at least one second antenna group, and the first reflector is located on the side of the second reflector closer to the first antenna group.

[0014] The first reflector reflects the signal from the first antenna, causing the first antenna to radiate concentratedly towards the side furthest from the second antenna. The second reflector reflects the signal from the second antenna, causing the second antenna to radiate concentratedly towards the side furthest from the first antenna.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the sum of the apertures of at least one second antenna group in the second direction is greater than the sum of the apertures of at least one first antenna group in the second direction, and / or, the sum of the apertures of at least one second antenna group in the third direction is greater than the sum of the apertures of at least one first antenna group in the third direction; wherein the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are mutually perpendicular.

[0016] Aperture field enhancement structures can increase the aperture only in the second direction or only in the third direction, or they can increase the aperture in both the second and third directions.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the aperture of each second antenna group is larger than the aperture of the corresponding first antenna group, so that the sum of the apertures of the second antenna groups is greater than the sum of the apertures of the first antenna group.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure includes a first enhancement module, which includes a first antenna group, a feed network structure, and a second antenna group. In the first enhancement module, the first antenna group includes a first antenna, the second antenna group includes a second antenna, and the feed network structure includes a transmission line, one end of which is connected to the first antenna and the other end to the second antenna.

[0019] The first antenna group in the first enhancement module includes only one first antenna, and the second antenna group includes only one second antenna. The first antenna is connected to only one second antenna, which can be achieved using a transmission line structure.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the ratio of the aperture of the second antenna group to the aperture of the first antenna group in the first enhancement module is in the range of 1 to 2. When it is necessary to increase the aperture of the first antenna by 1 to 2 times, the structure of the first enhancement module can be considered, with only one first antenna in the first antenna group and only one second antenna in the second antenna group. The aperture expansion effect of the first enhancement module is better within this range.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure includes a second enhancement module, which includes a first antenna group, a feed grid structure, and a second antenna group.

[0022] In the second enhancement module, the first antenna group includes a first antenna, the second antenna group includes multiple second antennas, and the feed network structure includes a power divider. The power divider has a first port and multiple second ports. The multiple second ports correspond one-to-one with the multiple second antennas of the second antenna group. The first port is communicatively connected to the first antenna, and the multiple second ports are communicatively connected to their respective second antennas.

[0023] The first antenna group of the second enhancement module includes only one first antenna, while the second antenna group includes multiple second antennas. A power divider is used to distribute the signal from the first antenna to the multiple second antennas.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the ratio of the aperture of the second antenna group to that of the first antenna group in the second enhancement module is greater than or equal to 2. When the aperture expansion ratio is greater than or equal to 2, the second enhancement module can be considered to achieve a better aperture expansion effect.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the first antenna of each first antenna group is a receiving antenna, and the second antenna of each second antenna group is a transmitting antenna; alternatively, the second antenna of each second antenna group is a receiving antenna, and the first antenna of each first antenna group is a transmitting antenna. The first antenna can receive signals from the second antenna or transmit signals to the second antenna.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the operating frequency band of the second antenna in each second antenna group is the same as the operating frequency band of the first antenna in the corresponding first antenna group. This increases the aperture of the first antenna while ensuring that the antenna in that frequency band can operate normally.

[0027] In one possible implementation, at least one first antenna group is comprised of multiple first antenna groups, and at least one second antenna group is comprised of multiple second antenna groups; the first antennas of the multiple first antenna groups are arranged in an array in the second direction and / or the third direction, and the second antennas of the multiple second antenna groups are arranged in an array in the second direction and / or the third direction. The first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are mutually perpendicular.

[0028] A second aspect of this application provides an antenna system including the aperture field enhancement structure provided in any of the above embodiments. The antenna system provided in this application can increase the antenna aperture, improve antenna gain, and provide strong signal coverage.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the antenna system further includes at least one third antenna, which is located in the first direction on the side of at least one second antenna group away from at least one first antenna group.

[0030] In one possible implementation, at least one third antenna shares an aperture plane with at least one second antenna group. Since the third antenna and the second antenna group share an aperture plane, the aperture field enhancement structure does not occupy additional roof space. Furthermore, the aperture field enhancement structure can be used to extend the aperture of a specific antenna to the aperture of the third antenna. For example, the second antenna and the passive antenna can be designed on the same aperture plane, allowing the aperture of the active antenna to be extended to be comparable to or even larger than that of the passive antenna. This fully utilizes the aperture of the passive antenna, maximizing space resource utilization and improving space resource efficiency.

[0031] In one possible implementation, each third antenna has no response to each first antenna within its operating frequency band, and each third antenna also has no response to each second antenna within its operating frequency band. Therefore, the energy radiated by the third antenna cannot be received by the first and second antennas. The aperture field enhancement structure can act as a reflector for the third antenna, eliminating the need for an additional reflector and saving space.

[0032] In one possible implementation, when the aperture field enhancement structure further includes a second reflector, at least one third antenna is disposed on the side of the second reflector opposite to at least one first antenna group. The second reflector can reflect the signal from the third antenna, causing it to be concentrated and radiated into space.

[0033] In one possible implementation, when the aperture field enhancement structure further includes a second reflector, the antenna system also includes multiple metal cavities and traces. The multiple metal cavities are spaced apart on the side of the second reflector away from at least one first antenna group, and traces are provided in each metal cavity.

[0034] The wiring placed inside the metal cavity can be the feed line of a third antenna, which improves the integration and structural compactness of the antenna system, helps to reduce the size of the antenna system, and reduces the roof space occupied by the antenna system.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the antenna system further includes at least one fourth antenna, which is located in a first direction on the side of the at least one first antenna group away from the at least one second antenna group. The at least one fourth antenna corresponds one-to-one with the first antenna of the at least one first antenna group, and each fourth antenna is positioned opposite to and communicatively connected to its corresponding first antenna in the first direction.

[0036] The fourth antenna is connected to the first antenna for communication, so that the signal between the fourth antenna and the aperture field enhancement structure can be realized through the first antenna, and the aperture field enhancement structure can be used to expand the aperture of the fourth antenna.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the ratio of the sum of the apertures of at least one first antenna group to the sum of the apertures of at least one fourth antenna is in the range of 0.95 to 1.5. Having the sum of the apertures of the first antennas equal to or approximately equal to the sum of the apertures of the fourth antennas achieves a balance between signal transmission performance and the effect of increased aperture size.

[0038] In one possible implementation, when the antenna system also includes at least one third antenna, each third antenna is a passive antenna and each fourth antenna is an active antenna. The aperture of the active antenna can be increased by using an aperture field enhancement structure, thereby solving the problem of severe gain attenuation when the active antenna has a small aperture and passes through the passive antenna in the architecture where the active and passive antennas share the same aperture. Furthermore, the gain of the active antenna can be further improved by utilizing the large aperture of the passive antenna.

[0039] A third aspect of this application also provides a base station, including the antenna system provided in any of the above implementations.

[0040] The base station provided in this application embodiment alleviates the problem of limited rooftop space layout without affecting antenna gain. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a base station according to an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the antenna layout in the base station in the first reference design;

[0043] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the active and passive antennas sharing the same port in the second reference design;

[0044] Figure 4a is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the antenna system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 4b is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the antenna system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the antenna system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the first embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application;

[0048] Figure 7a is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the aperture field enhancement structure according to an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 7b is a top-view diagram of Figure 7a;

[0050] Figure 7c is a schematic diagram of the upward view of Figure 7a;

[0051] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the second embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application;

[0052] Figure 9 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the second reinforcement module in the first embodiment of the aperture field reinforcement structure of this application;

[0053] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the third embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application;

[0054] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the fourth embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application;

[0055] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the fifth embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application;

[0056] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the sixth embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application;

[0057] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the seventh embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application;

[0058] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the eighth embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application;

[0059] Figure 16 is a modular schematic diagram of the antenna system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figures 17a and 17b illustrate the verification process of the aperture field enhancement structure in the embodiments of this application.

[0061] Figures 18a and 18b illustrate the second verification process of the aperture field enhancement structure in the embodiments of this application.

[0062] Figures 19a and 19b illustrate the verification process of the aperture field enhancement structure in the embodiments of this application (Part III).

[0063] Figures 20a and 20b illustrate the verification process of the aperture field enhancement structure in the embodiments of this application.

[0064] Figures 21a and 21b illustrate the verification process of the aperture field enhancement structure in the embodiments of this application, Part 5.

[0065] Figure 22 shows the electric field intensity distribution of the model in Figure 21a;

[0066] Figures 23a and 24 illustrate the verification process of the aperture field enhancement structure in the embodiments of this application.

[0067] Figures 25a and 25b are schematic diagrams illustrating the design and verification of the aperture field enhancement structure according to an embodiment of this application.

[0068] Figures 26a and 26b are schematic diagrams showing the design and verification of the aperture field enhancement structure according to an embodiment of this application.

[0069] Figures 27a and 27b are schematic diagrams showing the design and verification of the aperture field enhancement structure according to an embodiment of this application.

[0070] Figures 28a and 28b are schematic diagrams illustrating the design and verification of the aperture field enhancement structure according to an embodiment of this application.

[0071] Figures 29a to 30b are schematic diagrams illustrating the design and verification of the aperture field enhancement structure according to embodiments of this application.

[0072] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0073] First reference design: 61', first antenna; 71', second antenna; X', vertical direction.

[0074] Second reference design: 200”, antenna system; 61”, passive antenna; 71”, active antenna; 100”, FSS.

[0075] This application includes: 100, Aperture field enhancement structure; 01, First enhancement module; 02, Second enhancement module; 10, First antenna array; 11, First antenna; 12, First antenna group; 20, Second antenna array; 21, Second antenna group; 22, Second antenna; 221, Metal patch; 222, Dielectric substrate; 223, Feed port; 3, Feed network structure; 31, Transmission line; 32, Power divider; 321, First port; 322, Second port; 41, First reflector; 42, Second reflector; 43, Third reflector; 44, Reflector; 51, Integrated board; 511, First connector; 512, Second connector; 52, Metal cavity; 200, Antenna system; 60, Third antenna array; 61, Third antenna; 611, First sub-antenna; 612, Second sub-antenna; 70, Fourth antenna array; 71, Fourth antenna; 81. First antenna cover; 82. Second antenna cover; 300. Base station; 91. Radio frequency module; 92. Processing device; 93. Pole; 94. Bracket; Z, First direction; X, Second direction; Y, Third direction. Detailed Implementation

[0076] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of this application will be presented in conjunction with some embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this application are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the application in conjunction with embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of this application. To provide a thorough understanding of this application, many specific details will be included in the following description. This application may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of this application, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0077] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0078] The following explains the terminology that may appear in the embodiments of this application.

[0079] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0080] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0081] Relative / Relative Setting: A and B relative setting can refer to A and B being face-to-face. For example, when two radiators are set relative to each other, the two radiators overlap in at least a portion of their area along a certain direction. In one embodiment, the two relatively set radiators are adjacent to each other and there are no other radiators or conductors other than antenna structures between them.

[0082] The limitations mentioned in the embodiments of this application, such as parallelism, perpendicularity, and similarity (e.g., same length, same width, etc.), are all relative to the current technological level, and not absolute and strict definitions in a mathematical sense. There may be a predetermined angle (e.g., ±5°, ±10°) deviation between two mutually parallel or perpendicular structures.

[0083] Active antenna: An active antenna is an antenna system that contains active electronic components (such as amplifiers, filters, phased array modules, etc.). These active components can amplify, filter, or otherwise process signals.

[0084] Passive antennas: Passive antennas are antennas that do not contain any active electronic components in their antenna system. They are made only of metallic conductors (such as copper or aluminum) and are used to transmit or receive electromagnetic waves.

[0085] A radiator, or radiating structure, is the device in an antenna used to receive / transmit electromagnetic wave radiation. In some cases, the term "antenna" is narrowly defined as a radiator, which converts guided wave energy from a transmitter into radio waves, or converts radio waves into guided wave energy, for the purpose of radiating and receiving radio waves.

[0086] Antenna aperture: The effective opening area of ​​an antenna that can receive or transmit electromagnetic waves. It is typically related to the antenna's physical size and shape and affects its performance, such as gain, directivity, and beamwidth. Generally speaking, a larger antenna aperture results in higher gain, meaning the antenna can more effectively concentrate energy in one direction, thus increasing signal transmission distance. A larger antenna aperture also means stronger directivity. A larger antenna aperture also results in a narrower beamwidth, meaning the antenna can point more precisely in a specific direction.

[0087] Antenna aperture in a certain direction: refers to the size of the antenna aperture in that direction, or the size occupied by the antenna in that direction.

[0088] Antenna aperture field: The energy distributed within the effective aperture area of ​​the antenna.

[0089] Antenna gain: Characterizes the degree to which an antenna concentrates the radiated input power. Generally, the narrower the main lobe and the smaller the side lobes of the antenna pattern, the higher the antenna gain.

[0090] Electromagnetic transparency: refers to the ability of electromagnetic waves to pass through a material or component without significant alteration.

[0091] Electromagnetic shielding refers to the use of materials or technologies to prevent electromagnetic waves from penetrating or interfering with a specific space or equipment.

[0092] Antenna radiation pattern: also known as radiation pattern. It refers to the graph showing the relative field strength (normalized modulus) of the antenna's radiated field as a function of direction at a certain distance from the antenna. It is usually represented by two mutually perpendicular planar radiation patterns passing through the direction of maximum radiation of the antenna. Antenna radiation patterns typically have multiple radiating beams. The radiating beam with the highest radiation intensity is called the main lobe, and the remaining radiating beams are called side lobes. Among the side lobes, the side lobe in the opposite direction to the main lobe is also called the back lobe.

[0093] Beamwidth: Divided into horizontal beamwidth and vertical beamwidth. Horizontal beamwidth refers to the angle between two directions on either side of the direction of maximum radiation, where the radiated power decreases by 3dB. Vertical beamwidth refers to the angle between two directions on either side of the direction of maximum radiation, where the radiated power decreases by 3dB.

[0094] Communication connections refer to the transmission of electrical signals, including both wireless and wired communication connections. Wireless communication connections do not require a physical medium; although they include the word "connection," they do not constitute a connection that limits the structure of a product.

[0095] Frequency Selective Surface (FSS): A two-dimensional periodic structure composed of periodically arranged metal patch units or aperture units on a dielectric surface. This structure enables electromagnetic waves to undergo total reflection or total transmission at the resonant frequency, essentially acting as a spatial filter, exhibiting distinct bandpass or bandstop filtering characteristics when interacting with electromagnetic waves.

[0096] Ground / Plug: This can broadly refer to at least a portion of any grounding layer, ground plane, or grounding metal layer within a communication device (such as a base station), or at least a portion of any combination of the aforementioned grounding layers, ground planes, or grounding components. "Ground / Plug" can be used for grounding components within the communication device. In one embodiment, "Ground / Plug" may include any one or more of the following: a grounding layer of the circuit board of the communication device, a ground plane formed by the frame of the communication device, a grounding metal layer formed by a thin metal film beneath the screen, a conductive grounding layer of a battery, and conductive or metallic components electrically connected to the aforementioned grounding layer / ground plane / metal layer. In one embodiment, the circuit board may be a printed circuit board (PCB), such as an 8-layer, 10-layer, or 12-14-layer board with 8, 10, 12, 13, or 14 layers of conductive material, or components separated and electrically insulated by dielectric or insulating layers such as glass fiber or polymers. In one embodiment, the circuit board includes a dielectric substrate, a grounding layer, and a trace layer, with the trace layer and grounding layer electrically connected via vias. Various electronic components can be mounted on or connected to a circuit board; or electrically connected to trace layers and / or ground layers in the circuit board. For example, an RF source is located on a trace layer.

[0097] Any of the aforementioned grounding layers, ground planes, or grounding metal layers are made of conductive materials. In one embodiment, the conductive material may be any of the following: copper, aluminum, stainless steel, brass and their alloys, copper foil on an insulating substrate, aluminum foil on an insulating substrate, gold foil on an insulating substrate, silver-plated copper, silver-plated copper foil on an insulating substrate, silver foil on an insulating substrate and tin-plated copper, graphite-impregnated cloth, graphite-coated substrates, copper-plated substrates, brass-plated substrates, and aluminum-plated substrates. Those skilled in the art will understand that grounding layers / ground planes / grounding metal layers may also be made of other conductive materials.

[0098] 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.

[0099] This application provides a base station, which can be a device for communicating with terminal devices, including a base transceiver station (BTS) in a global system for mobile communications (GSM) or code division multiple access (CDMA) system, a Node B (NB) in a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) system, an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario, or the base station can include a relay station, access point, vehicle-mounted equipment, wearable devices, and base stations in future 5G (5th generation) networks or future evolved public land mobile networks (PLMN) networks, etc. This application is not limited to these embodiments.

[0100] The base station may include any one or more of the following communication systems: radar systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) systems, new radio (NR) systems, device-to-device (D2D) systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems, and future communication systems. The technical solution of this application is applicable to high-frequency communication systems such as D-band, 5G, 5.5G, 6G, 8G, and 13G, as well as 2G (2nd generation), 3G (3rd generation), 4G (4th generation), or other mid-frequency and low-frequency communication systems; no specific limitations are imposed.

[0101] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a base station according to an embodiment of this application.

[0102] As shown in Figure 1, the base station 300 includes an antenna system 200, which is equipped with antennas capable of radiating and receiving electromagnetic waves to transmit signals in space. The antenna system 200 can integrate antennas for multiple frequency bands and related circuits. The specific composition of the antenna system 200 will be discussed later and will not be described in detail here.

[0103] In one possible implementation, the base station 300 may further include a radio frequency module 91, a processing device 92, and a power supply network (not shown in the figure). The processing device 92 is the core component of the base station 300, responsible for processing and converting digital signals, such as uplink and downlink data processing, operation and maintenance, signaling processing, channel encoding and decoding, multiplexing and demultiplexing, spread spectrum modulation and demodulation, etc., which are not limited in this application. The processing device 92 may be, for example, a building baseband unit (BBU), which is not limited in its specific form in this application.

[0104] The radio frequency module 91 (e.g., a remote radio unit (RRU)) can transmit signals to or receive signals from the antenna in the antenna system 200. The feed network is a power transmission network composed of feed units, transmission line structures, and power dividers, etc. The radio frequency module 91 establishes a connection with the radiator of the antenna in the antenna system 200 through the feed network to achieve signal transmission. The feed units of the feed network can feed the antenna remotely (e.g., via coupling) or through the transmission line structure; this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0105] The radio frequency module 91 and the processing device 92 can transmit and convert signals. For example, the radio frequency module 91 can communicate with the processing device 92 via a cable. The processing device 92 is usually installed in the equipment room of the base station 300, and the radio frequency module 91 is installed near the antenna system 200. It can convert the baseband signal (relatively low frequency) from the processing device 92 into a radio frequency signal (a high-frequency signal suitable for propagation in space) and send it to the antenna to reduce signal transmission loss and delay.

[0106] The specific structure of the RF module 91 is not limited; for example, it may include an RF transceiver and RF circuitry. The RF transceiver is responsible for signal conversion, such as converting a baseband signal containing the original information into an RF signal, or vice versa, converting an RF signal from an antenna into a baseband signal. The RF circuitry connects the RF transceiver to the feed network. The RF circuitry may include devices such as filters and low-noise amplifiers to filter, amplify, and process the signal, maintaining its accuracy and clarity. In one possible implementation, the RF module 91 may also include a transceiver board (TRX), on which the RF transceiver and RF circuitry are integrated. The RF transceiver may be, for example, an RF chip; this application does not limit its specific form.

[0107] As shown in Figure 1, in one possible implementation, the antenna system 200 includes a radome (e.g., a first radome 81 and a second radome 82). The radome is used to mount, protect, and fix the various structural components within the antenna system 200. The antenna system 200 may use only one radome, with all components mounted on a single radome (e.g., inside or on the outer surface of the radome). Alternatively, the antenna system 200 may use multiple radomes, with different components mounted on different radomes. For example, the scenario shown in Figure 1 uses two radomes: a first radome 81 and a second radome 82. A third antenna 61 and an aperture field enhancement structure 100 are mounted on the first radome 81, and a fourth antenna 71 is mounted on the second radome 82. The functions and structures of the third antenna 61, the fourth antenna 71, and the aperture field enhancement structure 100 will be described in detail later and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0108] Furthermore, the base station 300 may also include a pole 93 and a bracket 94. The pole 93 can be fixed to the ground, and the bracket 94 connects the pole 93 and the radome. The radome is fixed to the pole 93 through the bracket 94.

[0109] It should be noted that the structure of the base station 300 described above is merely an example. In reality, the structure of the base station 300 in this embodiment can be flexibly designed according to product requirements and is not limited to the above. For example, the base station 300 may not have the mast 93, and the antenna cover can be fixed to a support structure such as a tower or mast via the bracket 94.

[0110] Those skilled in the art will understand that the physical space at the top of supporting structures such as towers, masts, and pylons, used to house communication antennas and related auxiliary equipment, is called the roof space of a base station. For example, the area on the pylon 93 shown in Figure 1 used to install antennas is the roof space. The roof space is a crucial part of the base station system, and its size and layout directly affect the performance of the communication system. However, the roof space of base station 300 is limited, and with the increase in antenna frequency bands in the base station, the problems of tight roof space layout and tower overload are becoming increasingly prominent.

[0111] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of the antenna layout in the base station in the first reference design.

[0112] As shown in Figure 2, in the first reference design, the base station is equipped with a first antenna 61' and a second antenna 71', which are spaced apart along the vertical direction X'. The vertical direction X' can be understood as the direction perpendicular to the ground, such as the height of the base station. Understandably, with this approach, the two antennas do not share a common aperture, and both occupy roof space, resulting in limited antenna layout space, making it impossible to install more antennas, or requiring the sacrifice of some antenna dimensions.

[0113] As shown in Figure 1, in this application, to address the issue of limited space on the base station rooftop, two different antenna common-plane architectures can be adopted. Specifically, the antenna system 200 may include a third antenna 61 and a fourth antenna 71, which are stacked along a first direction Z. The first direction Z can be understood as the thickness direction of the antenna system 200, or as the thickness direction of the first radome 81 and the second radome 82 (the thickness directions of the two radomes are parallel), or as the thickness direction of the ground plane in the antenna system 200. The ground plane, also known as a floor, reflector, base plate, antenna panel, etc., is used to reflect electromagnetic waves, concentrating the electromagnetic waves of each antenna to radiate in one direction, and can also be used to ground various components.

[0114] With the above structure, the third antenna 61 and the fourth antenna 71 share a common aperture plane. A common aperture plane refers to stacking different antennas, allowing them to operate independently and without interference within the same aperture plane, thus making full use of the layout space. Compared to the layout shown in Figure 2, the common aperture plane architecture reduces the resources occupied by multiple antennas in the roof space, alleviating the problem of layout constraints. Here, "different antennas" can refer to those with different frequency bands, different polarization directions, different physical structures, or different types, etc., and this application does not impose any limitations on this. In one possible implementation, the third antenna 61 is a passive antenna, and the fourth antenna 71 is an active antenna.

[0115] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the active and passive antennas sharing the same port in the second reference design.

[0116] As shown in Figure 3, in the second reference design, the antenna system includes multiple active antennas 71” and multiple passive antennas 61”, the number of which is unlimited; the figure is for illustrative purposes only. The active antennas 71” and passive antennas 61” are stacked, i.e., they adopt a common-plane architecture. Furthermore, an FSS100 (Frequency Selective Surface / Structure) is provided between the active antennas 71” and passive antennas 61”. The FSS100” transmits signals through the active antennas 71” and reflects signals from the passive antennas 61”, ensuring that the signals from both antennas radiate into space in the same direction. Those skilled in the art will understand that the aperture of the passive antenna 61” is typically much larger than that of the active antenna 71”. When the electromagnetic waves radiated by the active antenna 71” pass through the FSS100”, the effective aperture is smaller, and losses occur as the electromagnetic waves pass through the FSS100”, resulting in a significant attenuation of the gain of the active antenna 71”, which in turn affects the signal coverage capability. Therefore, in the architecture shown in Figure 3, the aperture of the active antenna 71” is small (on the one hand, the aperture of a single active antenna 71” is small; on the other hand, the aperture of the module composed of all active antennas 71” is small), resulting in severe gain attenuation when passing through the FSS100” and poor signal coverage capability.

[0117] To address this, this application provides a solution: the aperture of an active antenna (or other antenna) can be expanded through an aperture field enhancement structure, thereby further improving gain and signal coverage.

[0118] Please refer to Figures 4a and 4b. Figure 4a is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the antenna system according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 4b is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the antenna system according to an embodiment of this application.

[0119] As shown in Figures 4a and 4b, the antenna system 200 provided in this application includes an aperture field enhancement structure 100. An aperture field enhancement structure is a structure used to enhance the aperture field of an antenna, thereby increasing the antenna's aperture. For example, in the scenarios shown in Figures 4a and 4b, the antenna system 200 includes multiple third antennas 61 and multiple fourth antennas 71, with the aperture field enhancement structure 100 positioned between the third antennas 61 and the fourth antennas 71 in the first direction Z. The sum of the apertures of the multiple third antennas 61 (which can be understood as the aperture of the module formed by all the third antennas 61) is approximately the physical size occupied by all the third antennas 61 in a plane perpendicular to the first direction Z. Without the aperture field enhancement structure 100, the sum of the apertures of the multiple fourth antennas 71 (which can be understood as the aperture of the module formed by all the fourth antennas 71) is approximately the physical size occupied by all the fourth antennas 71 in a plane perpendicular to the first direction Z, which is significantly smaller than the sum of the apertures of the multiple third antennas 61. The dashed line in the diagram represents the energy transmission path of the fourth antenna 71. A represents the sum of the apertures of multiple fourth antennas 71 in the X direction before passing through the aperture field enhancement structure 100, and B represents the sum of the apertures of multiple fourth antennas 71 in the X direction after passing through the aperture field enhancement structure 100. It can be seen that after adding the aperture field enhancement structure 100, the sum of the apertures of multiple fourth antennas 71 can be expanded to a larger extent, for example, to be the same as or even larger than the sum of the apertures of multiple third antennas 61, maximizing the utilization of space resources and thus improving gain. When the third antenna 61 is a passive antenna and the fourth antenna 71 is an active antenna, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 can be used to enlarge the aperture of the active antenna, improving the gain and signal coverage of the active antenna.

[0120] It should be noted that the specific number and arrangement of the third antenna 61 and the fourth antenna 71 are not limited. In one possible implementation, the third antenna 61 and the fourth antenna 71 are arranged in an array to form a third antenna array 60 and a fourth antenna array 70. However, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 provided in this application is not only applicable to aperture expansion of array antennas, but also to more diverse scenarios such as aperture expansion of a single antenna (e.g., only one fourth antenna 71) or aperture expansion of non-array antennas.

[0121] The specific composition and principle of the aperture field enhancement structure 100 are described below with reference to the attached diagram.

[0122] Please refer to Figures 5 to 7c. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the antenna system according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the first embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 7a is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the aperture field enhancement structure according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 7b is a top view of Figure 7a; Figure 7c is a bottom view of Figure 7a.

[0123] As shown in Figures 5 to 7a, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 includes at least one first antenna group 12, at least one second antenna group 21, and at least one feed network structure 3, all correspondingly arranged. Alternatively, it can be understood that one first antenna group 12 is correspondingly arranged with one second antenna group 21 and one feed network structure 3. Here, "correspondingly arranged" refers to a corresponding connection relationship, meaning that one first antenna group 12 is communicatively connected to one second antenna group 21 through one feed network structure 3.

[0124] Each first antenna group 12 includes at least one first antenna 11, and each second antenna group 21 includes at least one second antenna 22. The first antenna group 12, the feed network structure 3, and the second antenna group 21 are stacked sequentially along the first direction Z. The first antenna 11 in each first antenna group 12 is communicatively connected to each second antenna 22 in the corresponding second antenna group 21 through the corresponding feed network structure 3. Furthermore, the sum of the apertures of the second antenna groups 21 is greater than the sum of the apertures of the first antenna groups 12.

[0125] The specific number of the first antenna group 12, the second antenna group 21, and the feed network structure 3 is not limited; the attached figures are for illustrative purposes only. In one possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 may include only one first antenna group 12, one second antenna group 21, and one feed network structure 3. As shown in Figures 5 to 7a, in one possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 may also include multiple first antenna groups 12, multiple second antenna groups 21, and multiple feed network structures 3. "Multiple" can be, for example, 2, 3, 4, 8, etc. The first antenna group 12 may include one or more first antennas 11, and the second antenna group 21 may include one or more second antennas 22; this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0126] In this configuration, each first antenna 11 in each first antenna group 12 is communicatively connected to each second antenna 22 in the corresponding second antenna group 21 through a corresponding feed network structure 3. This can be understood as follows: each first antenna 11 in each first antenna group 12 is communicatively connected to each second antenna 22 in the corresponding second antenna group 21 through a corresponding feed network structure 3. For example, in Figures 5 and 6, each first antenna group 12 includes one first antenna 11, and each second antenna group 21 includes two second antennas 22. Therefore, each first antenna 11 in each first antenna group 12 is communicatively connected to both second antennas 22 in the corresponding second antenna group 21 through a corresponding feed network structure 3. "Communication connection" indicates that there is signal transmission between the first antenna 11 and the second antenna 22 in the corresponding second antenna group 21. The communication connection can be wired or wireless; this application does not limit this. In one possible implementation, the first antenna group 12 and the second antenna group 21 are wired.

[0127] It should be noted that the specific structure of the feed network structure 3 is not limited. Each feed network structure 3 can include any one or more of the transmission structures such as transmission lines, cables or feed pins, and can also include one or more of the functional devices such as power dividers, phase shifters or filters. It can be set according to actual needs, as long as the signal transmission between the first antenna group 12 and the second antenna group 21 can be realized through the feed network structure 3.

[0128] The aperture of the second antenna group 21 can be understood as the aperture of the antenna array, a single antenna, or a non-array antenna module formed by the second antennas 22 in the second antenna group 21. Correspondingly, the sum of the apertures of the second antenna groups 21 can be understood as the aperture of the antenna array, a single antenna, or a non-array antenna module formed by the second antennas 22 in all the second antenna groups 21. More specifically, when there is only one second antenna group 21 and only one second antenna 22 in that second antenna group 21, the sum of the apertures of the second antenna groups 21 is the aperture of that second antenna 22, approximately the physical size occupied by that second antenna 22 in a plane perpendicular to the first direction Z. When there are multiple second antenna groups 21, or only one second antenna group 21 containing multiple second antennas 22, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 includes multiple second antennas 22. Multiple second antennas 22 can, for example, be arranged in an array to form a second antenna array 20 (i.e., the scenario shown in Figures 5 to 7c). The sum of the apertures of the second antenna groups 21 is the aperture of the second antenna array 20, which is approximately the physical size occupied by the second antenna array 20 in a plane perpendicular to the first direction Z (refer to the dashed line in Figure 7b). Multiple second antennas 22 can, for example, be arranged in a non-array form to form a non-array antenna module. The sum of the apertures of the second antenna groups 21 is the aperture of the non-array antenna module, which is approximately the physical size occupied by the non-array antenna module in a plane perpendicular to the first direction Z.

[0129] As those skilled in the art will understand, strictly speaking, the aperture of an antenna refers to the opening range through which the antenna can radiate or receive electromagnetic waves, and it has no absolute boundary. In practical applications, although the physical size of the antenna is usually used to represent its aperture, the actual aperture of the antenna is not absolutely the same as the physical size. Therefore, the area within the dashed line in Figure 7b only indicates the sum of the apertures of the second antenna group 21 through physical dimensions, and does not represent the actual sum of the apertures. The actual sum of the apertures of the second antenna group 21 may exceed or be smaller than the area within the dashed line.

[0130] The sum of the apertures of the first antenna group 12 can be understood in the same way, and will not be repeated here. As shown in Figures 5 to 7c, in an example scenario, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 includes a plurality of first antennas 11 arranged in an array to form a first antenna array 10. The sum of the apertures of the first antenna group 12 is the aperture of the first antenna array 10, which is approximately the physical size occupied by the first antenna array 10 in a plane perpendicular to the first direction Z (refer to the dashed line in Figure 7c). This size is smaller than the sum of the apertures of the second antenna group 21.

[0131] The aperture field enhancement structure 100 provided in this application embodiment can be applied in an antenna system 200, which includes a first antenna group 12 and a second antenna group 21. The first antenna 11 in the first antenna group 12 transmits signals to each second antenna 22 of the corresponding second antenna group 21 via a feed network structure 3. The sum of the apertures of the second antenna group 21 is greater than the sum of the apertures of the first antenna group 12. This can be understood as the aperture of the antenna array (or a single antenna, or a non-array antenna module) formed by the second antennas 22 in all the second antenna groups 21 being greater than the aperture of the antenna array (or a single antenna, or a non-array antenna module) formed by the first antennas 11 in all the first antenna groups 12. Using this structure, the aperture of a specific antenna can be extended. For example, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 of this application can be placed between two antennas sharing the same aperture plane (e.g., between an active antenna and a passive antenna). First, the first antenna 11 is connected to the smaller-aperture antenna (e.g., an active antenna) to receive its signal. Then, the signal is transmitted to the second antenna 22 through the feed network structure 3. The active signal is radiated into space through the second antenna 22, thus expanding the aperture of the first antenna to be the same as or even larger than that of the second antenna 22, achieving an increase in aperture. If applied to the scenario shown in Figure 3, the aperture of the active antenna can be expanded to be comparable to that of the passive antenna, fully utilizing the aperture of the passive antenna and maximizing the utilization of space resources.

[0132] Therefore, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 provided in this application embodiment can expand the aperture of the antenna and improve the antenna gain and signal coverage.

[0133] It should be noted that this application does not impose restrictions on the type, operating mode, or specific operating frequency band of the first antenna 11 and the second antenna 22. In one possible implementation, the operating frequency band of the second antenna 22 in each second antenna group 21 is the same as the operating frequency band of the corresponding first antenna 11, thereby enabling the expansion of the antenna aperture within the same frequency band. Alternatively, it can be understood as expanding the aperture of the first antenna 11 while ensuring that the antenna in that frequency band can operate normally. It should be noted that the operating frequency bands of the first antenna 11 and the second antenna 22 do not necessarily have to be completely identical; only a portion of the frequency bands may overlap, as long as the overlapping frequency bands can respond within the same passband.

[0134] Both the first antenna 11 and the second antenna 22 can be single-polarized antennas or dual-polarized antennas. A dual-polarized antenna combines two orthogonal polarization directions (90° and 0°, or +45° and -45°) and can operate simultaneously in both transmit and receive modes. A single-polarized antenna has only one polarization direction and can only operate in a single mode.

[0135] In one possible implementation, the first antenna 11 of each first antenna group 12 is a receiving antenna, and the second antenna 22 of each second antenna group 21 is a transmitting antenna. Alternatively, the second antenna 22 of each second antenna group 21 is a receiving antenna, and the first antenna 11 of each first antenna group 12 is a transmitting antenna. It can also be understood that the first antenna 11 can receive signals from the second antenna 22, in which case the first antenna 11 is a receiving antenna and the second antenna 22 is a transmitting antenna. The first antenna 11 can also transmit signals to the second antenna 22, in which case the first antenna 11 is a transmitting antenna and the second antenna 22 is a receiving antenna. It should be noted that the processes of the first antenna 11 receiving signals from the second antenna 22 and transmitting signals to the second antenna 22 can be independent or simultaneous, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0136] As shown in Figures 7a to 7c, in one possible implementation, both the first antenna 11 and the second antenna 22 are patch antennas. The specific structure of the patch antenna is not limited. Taking the second antenna 22 as an example, it can include a dielectric substrate 222, a metal patch 221, a ground plane, and a feed port 223. The metal patch 221 is the core part of the patch antenna and can be understood as a radiator. The dielectric substrate 222 is the structure used to support the metal patch 221 and is located below it. The ground plane is the reflector of the patch antenna. A separate ground plane can be provided in the patch antenna, or other structures can be reused as the ground plane for the patch antenna; for example, in Figure 7a, the second reflector 42 is used as the ground plane for the second antenna 22. The feed port 223 is the structure for the second antenna 22 to receive energy, and its specific form is not limited; for example, it can be a feed pin, a microstrip line, a coaxial cable, etc. One end of the feed port 223 of the second antenna 22 is connected to the metal patch 221, and the other end is connected to the feed mesh structure 3, thereby enabling signal transmission with the feed mesh structure 3. The structure of the first antenna 11 may be the same as or different from that of the second antenna 22, and will not be described in detail in this application.

[0137] In addition, the first antenna 11 and the second antenna 22 can also be planar printed antennas, waveguide antennas, metasurface antennas, dipole antennas, etc., and this application does not impose any restrictions on them.

[0138] Those skilled in the art will understand that the key to expanding the antenna aperture in the aperture field enhancement structure 100 lies in the fact that the sum of the apertures of the second antenna groups 21 is greater than the sum of the apertures of the first antenna groups 11. In one possible implementation, the aperture of each second antenna group 21 is greater than the aperture of its corresponding first antenna group 12. Alternatively, it can be understood that if the aperture of each second antenna group 21 is greater than the aperture of its corresponding first antenna group 12, then the sum of the apertures of all second antenna groups 21 must also be greater than the sum of the apertures of all first antenna groups 12. In some possible implementations, when the aperture field enhancement structure 100 includes multiple second antenna groups 21 and multiple first antenna groups 12, only a portion of the second antenna groups 21 may have apertures greater than the apertures of their corresponding first antenna groups 12, while the apertures of other portions of the second antenna groups 21 may be less than or equal to the apertures of their corresponding first antenna groups 12, as long as the final sum of the apertures of all second antenna groups 21 is greater than the sum of the apertures of all first antenna groups 12.

[0139] Please refer to Figures 8 to 11. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the second embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application; Figure 9 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the second enhancement module in the first embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application; Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the third embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application; and Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the fourth embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application.

[0140] As shown in Figure 8, in one possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 includes a first enhancement module 01, which includes a first antenna group 12, a feed network structure 3, and a second antenna group 21. In the first enhancement module 01, the first antenna group 12 includes a first antenna 11, and the second antenna group 21 includes a second antenna 22. Alternatively, it can be understood that the second antenna group 21 within the first enhancement module 01 includes only one second antenna 22. As shown in Figure 8, in another possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 may only include the first enhancement module 01, meaning each first antenna group 12 includes only one first antenna 11, and each second antenna group 21 includes only one second antenna 22. In this case, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 only needs to be set such that the spacing between adjacent second antennas 22 is greater than the spacing between adjacent first antennas 11. Those skilled in the art will understand that antenna aperture can also be measured by the spacing between adjacent antennas; a larger aperture can be obtained by setting the spacing between adjacent second antennas 22 to be larger.

[0141] In one possible implementation, in the first enhancement module 01, the ratio of the aperture of the second antenna group 21 to the aperture of the first antenna group 12 is in the range of 1 to 2. This can be understood as follows: when it is necessary to increase the aperture of the first antenna 11 by 1 to 2 times (hereinafter, the increase in the aperture of the first antenna 11 will be referred to as the aperture expansion ratio), the structure of the first enhancement module 01 can be considered. The first antenna group 12 has only one first antenna 11, and the second antenna group 21 has only one second antenna 22. The aperture expansion effect of the first enhancement module 01 is better within this range. It should be noted that when the aperture expansion ratio is greater than or equal to 2, such as 2.2, 2.3, etc., the first enhancement module 01 can also be used; this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0142] As shown in Figure 8, in one possible implementation, the feed network structure 3 of the first enhancement module 01 includes a transmission line 31, one end of which is connected to the first antenna 11 and the other end to the second antenna 22. Since the first antenna 11 of the first enhancement module 01 is only connected to one second antenna 22, the transmission line 31 is sufficient. The transmission line 31 can be, for example, a microstrip line, a coaxial cable, a stripline, etc., and this application does not limit it.

[0143] Those skilled in the art will understand that the phase of different antennas can also be adjusted using the transmission line 31. For example, different transmission lines 31 can be set to different lengths to change the phase of the antenna connected to the transmission line 31. The length of the transmission line 31 can be set according to actual engineering needs; the attached drawings are for illustrative purposes only. Furthermore, the phase can also be adjusted by setting a phase shifter or other device in the feed network structure 3; this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0144] As shown in Figures 6, 9, and 10, in one possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 includes a second enhancement module 02. The second enhancement module 02 includes a first antenna group 12, a feed network structure 3, and a second antenna group 21. In the second enhancement module 02, the first antenna group 12 includes a first antenna 11, and the second antenna group 21 includes multiple second antennas 22. Alternatively, it can be understood that in the second enhancement module 02, one first antenna 11 connects to multiple second antennas 22 in the second antenna group 21, such as the two second antennas 22 shown in Figures 6 and 9, or the three second antennas 22 shown in Figure 10, or even four, five, or more antennas. Since the second antenna group 21 has a large number of antennas, the size of the second antenna group 21 is larger than the size of the first antenna group 12, thereby increasing the aperture of the first antenna 11.

[0145] In one possible implementation, the ratio of the aperture of the second antenna group 21 to the aperture of the first antenna group 12 in the second enhancement module 02 is greater than or equal to 2. This can be understood as follows: when the aperture ratio is greater than or equal to 2, the second enhancement module 02 can be considered to achieve better results. Furthermore, when the ratio of the aperture of the second antenna group 21 to the aperture of the first antenna group 12 is in the range of 2 to 3, the scheme shown in Figures 6 and 9, where one first antenna 11 connects to two second antennas 22, can be used. When the ratio of the aperture of the second antenna group 21 to the aperture of the first antenna group 12 is in the range of 3 to 4, the scheme shown in Figure 10, where one first antenna 11 connects to three second antennas 22, can be used, and so on. It should be noted that the above ranges are not absolute. For example, when the aperture ratio is less than 2, the second enhancement module 02 can also be used; when the aperture ratio is greater than 3, a scheme where one second antenna group 21 includes two second antennas 22 can also be used, etc., and the design should be based on the specific circumstances.

[0146] In one possible implementation, the feed network structure 3 of the second enhancement module 02 includes a power divider 32. The power divider 32 has a first port 321 and multiple second ports 322. Each of the multiple second ports 322 corresponds one-to-one with a different second antenna 22 in the second antenna group 21. The first port 321 is communicatively connected to the first antenna 11, and each of the multiple second ports 322 is communicatively connected to its corresponding second antenna 22. Alternatively, the power divider 32 can be understood as distributing the signal from the first antenna 11 to the multiple second antennas 22. The number of second ports 322 in the power divider 32 is the same as the number of second antennas 22 in the second antenna group 21.

[0147] Those skilled in the art will understand that the power divider 32 may also include multiple transmission lines, and the phase of different antennas can be adjusted using the length of the transmission lines. The length of the transmission lines can be set according to actual engineering needs, and this application does not impose any limitations on this. As shown in Figure 8, in one possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 only includes the first enhancement module 01, that is, each second antenna group 21 includes only one second antenna 22. As shown in Figure 6, in one possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 only includes the second enhancement module 02, and each second antenna group 21 includes two second antennas 22. As shown in Figure 10, in one possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 only includes the second enhancement module 02, and each second antenna group 21 includes three second antennas 22. As shown in Figure 11, in one possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 may simultaneously include the first enhancement module 01 and the second enhancement module 02, and the number of each enhancement module is not limited. The figures are for illustrative purposes only. In some possible implementations, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 may also include an enhancement module in which multiple first antennas 11 are connected to multiple second antennas 22 through a feed network structure 3, such as two first antennas being connected to three second antennas 22 through a feed network structure 3, etc. This application does not limit this.

[0148] Those skilled in the art will understand that the aperture enhancement effect of the aperture field enhancement structure 100 can be one-dimensional, such as increasing the aperture only in one direction, or two-dimensional, such as increasing the aperture simultaneously in two directions. In one possible implementation, the sum of the apertures of the second antenna group 21 in the second direction X is greater than the sum of the apertures of the first antenna group 12 in the second direction X, and / or, the sum of the apertures of the second antenna group 21 in the third direction Y is greater than the sum of the apertures of the first antenna group 12 in the third direction Y. Wherein, the first direction Z, the second direction X, and the third direction Y are mutually perpendicular. Those skilled in the art will understand that the sum of the apertures of the first antenna group 12 in the second direction X refers to the size of the aperture of the first antenna group 12 in the second direction X, for example, the sum of the aperture sizes of a row (or column) of first antennas 11 arranged along the second direction X. The sum of the apertures of the first antenna group 12 in the third direction Y, the sum of the apertures of the second antenna group 21 in the second direction X, and the sum of the apertures of the second antenna group 21 in the third direction Y can all be understood in the same way, and will not be elaborated further in this application. When the sum of the apertures of the second antenna group 21 in the second direction X or only in the third direction Y is greater than the sum of the apertures of the first antenna 11 in the second direction X, the aperture expansion effect is one-dimensional. When the sum of the apertures of the second antenna group 21 in both the second direction X and the third direction Y is greater than the sum of the apertures of the first antenna 11 in the second direction X, the aperture expansion effect is two-dimensional.

[0149] As shown in Figure 1, in one possible implementation, the second direction X can be, for example, a vertical direction, i.e., perpendicular to the ground. The third direction Y (perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 1) can be, for example, a horizontal direction, i.e., parallel to the ground and perpendicular to the thickness of the antenna system 200. Those skilled in the art will understand that the specific orientations of the second direction X and the third direction Y within the base station 300 depend on the installation method of the antenna system 200. In some possible implementations, the second direction X may not be perpendicular to the ground, the third direction Y may not be parallel to the ground, or the second direction X may be horizontal and the third direction Y may be vertical, etc. This application does not impose any limitations on these aspects.

[0150] Please refer to Figures 12 to 14. Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the fifth embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application; Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the sixth embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application; and Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the seventh embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application.

[0151] As shown in Figures 7a and 12 to 14, in one possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 includes a plurality of first antenna groups 12 and a plurality of second antenna groups 21. The plurality of first antenna groups 12 are arrayed in the second direction X and / or the third direction Y, and the second antennas 22 of the plurality of second antenna groups 21 are arrayed in the second direction X and / or the third direction Y. The first direction Z, the second direction X, and the third direction Y are mutually perpendicular.

[0152] The specific number of the first antenna group 12 and the second antenna group 21 is not limited; the attached diagram is for illustrative purposes only. In one possible implementation, each first antenna group 12 includes a first antenna 11, and multiple first antennas 11 are arrayed to form a first antenna array 10. It is understood that when multiple second antenna groups 21 are arrayed, second antennas 22 are also arrayed to form a second antenna array 20.

[0153] As shown in Figure 12, in an example scenario, the first antenna array 10 is a 2×2 array, and correspondingly, the second antenna group 21 is also a 2×2 array. Further, each second antenna group 21 includes two second antennas 22, and the aperture of the first antenna 11 is expanded only in the second direction X. Therefore, eight second antennas 22 should be set, distributed in a 2×4 array. More specifically, in the third direction Y, the number of second antennas 22 is the same as the number of first antennas 11, and the aperture of the second antenna array 20 is the same as that of the first antenna array 10. In the second direction X, the number of second antennas 22 is twice the number of first antennas 11, and the aperture of the second antenna array 20 is larger than that of the first antenna array 10. This represents a one-dimensional expansion of the aperture of the first antenna array 10 in the second direction X.

[0154] As shown in Figure 13, in an example scenario, the first antenna array 10 is a 2×2 array, and correspondingly, the second antenna group 21 is also a 2×2 array. Further, each second antenna group 21 includes two second antennas 22. Only in the third direction Y is the aperture of the first antenna 11 expanded, then eight second antennas 22 should be set, distributed in a 4×2 array. More specifically, in the third direction Y, the number of second antennas 22 is twice the number of first antennas 11, and the aperture of the second antenna array 20 is larger than the aperture of the first antenna array 10. In the second direction X, the number of second antennas 22 is the same as the number of first antennas 11, and the aperture of the second antenna array 20 is the same as that of the first antenna array 10. This is a one-dimensional expansion of the aperture of the first antenna array 10 in the third direction Y.

[0155] As shown in Figure 14, in an example scenario, the first antenna array 10 is a 2×2 array, and correspondingly, the second antenna group 21 is also a 2×2 array. Further, each second antenna group 21 includes four second antennas 22. Simultaneously, by expanding the aperture of the first antenna 11 in the second direction X and the third direction Y, 16 second antennas 22 should be set, arranged in a 4×4 array. More specifically, in both the second direction X and the third direction Y, the number of second antennas 22 is twice the number of first antennas 11, and the aperture of the second antenna array 20 is larger than the aperture of the first antenna array 10; this represents a two-dimensional expansion of the aperture of the first antenna array 10.

[0156] It should be noted that the above examples are all for antenna arrays. For scenarios where there is only one first antenna 11, or multiple first antennas 11 arranged in a non-array form and multiple second antenna groups 21 arranged in a non-array form, there are also one-dimensional aperture expansion and two-dimensional aperture expansion. Please refer to the above for understanding, and this application will not elaborate further.

[0157] The above describes the principle and implementation of the aperture field enhancement structure 100 to expand the antenna aperture. The following describes how the aperture field enhancement structure 100 is combined with other antennas in the antenna system 200.

[0158] As shown in Figures 4a and 5, in one possible implementation, the antenna system 200 includes an aperture field enhancement structure 100 and at least one third antenna 61. The at least one third antenna 61 is located in the first direction Z on the side of the at least one second antenna group 21 away from the at least one first antenna group 12. The specific number of third antennas 61 is not limited; there can be one or more. When multiple third antennas 61 are provided, they can be arranged in an array or non-array configuration, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this arrangement.

[0159] In one possible implementation, the third antenna 61 shares the same aperture plane as the second antenna group 21. This can be understood as the third antenna 61 and the second antenna group 21 sharing the same aperture plane, meaning the aperture field enhancement structure 100 does not occupy additional antenna space. Furthermore, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 can be used to extend the aperture of a specific antenna (such as multiple fourth antennas 71 in Figure 4a) to the aperture of the third antenna 61, thus improving space resource utilization.

[0160] Those skilled in the art will understand that "common aperture" means that the third antenna 61 and the second antenna group 21 are stacked in the same direction. The sum of the apertures of the third antenna 61 and the sum of the apertures of the second antenna group 21 may be the same or different. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0161] It should be noted that the third antenna 61 and the second antenna group 21 can be located on the same layer or on different layers in the first direction Z; this application does not impose any restrictions on this. As shown in Figure 5, in one possible implementation, the third antenna 61 and the second antenna group 21 can be arranged on the same layer (both arranged on the second reflector 42), in which case the third antenna 61 and the second antenna 22 are staggered. Alternatively, the third antenna 61 can also be located entirely on one side of the second antenna group 21, i.e., on different layers.

[0162] As shown in Figures 4a and 5, in one possible implementation, the antenna system 200 further includes at least one fourth antenna 71, located in the first direction Z on the side of the at least one first antenna group 12 away from the at least one second antenna group 21. The at least one fourth antenna 71 corresponds one-to-one with the first antenna 11 of the at least one first antenna group 12, or it can be understood that one first antenna 11 corresponds to one fourth antenna 71. Each fourth antenna 71 is positioned opposite to its corresponding first antenna 11 in the first direction Z and is communicatively connected. The communication connection can be wired or wireless, and is not specifically limited. In one possible implementation, each fourth antenna 71 is wirelessly connected to its corresponding first antenna 11, allowing signal coupling in space.

[0163] The specific number of the fourth antenna 71 is not limited; there can be one or more, corresponding to the number of the first antenna 11. When multiple fourth antennas 71 are provided, they can be arranged in an array or non-array configuration, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this. The fourth antenna 71 is communicatively connected to the first antenna 11, thereby enabling signal interfacing between the fourth antenna 71 and the aperture field enhancement structure 100 through the first antenna 11, and utilizing the aperture field enhancement structure 100 to expand the aperture of the fourth antenna 71 (or, in other words, to expand the sum of the apertures of the fourth antenna 71).

[0164] As shown in Figure 5, the signal from the fourth antenna 71 is transferred to the second antenna 22 and radiated into space through the second antenna 22. In this way, the sum of the apertures of the second antenna 22 can be set to be the same as the sum of the apertures of the third antenna 61, thereby expanding the sum of the apertures of the fourth antenna 71 to be comparable to that of the third antenna 61, maximizing the utilization of space resources. The aperture of the second antenna 22 can also be smaller or larger than the sum of the apertures of the third antenna 61; this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0165] In one possible implementation, the fourth antenna 71 and the first antenna 11 operate in the same frequency band, resulting in high signal coupling between them and enabling smooth signal transmission. It should be noted that the operating frequency bands of the fourth antenna 71 and the first antenna 11 do not have to be completely identical; for example, they may only overlap in a portion of their frequency bands. However, both the fourth antenna 71 and the first antenna 11 can respond and operate normally within the overlapping frequency bands, and in this case, they can also transmit signals. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0166] In one possible implementation, the ratio of the sum of the apertures of the first antenna group 12 to the sum of the apertures of the fourth antenna 71 is in the range of 0.95 to 1.5. That is, the ratio of the sum of the apertures of all the first antennas 11 to the sum of the apertures of all the fourth antennas 71 is in the range of 0.95 to 1.5. Those skilled in the art will understand that if the sum of the apertures of the first antennas 11 is too large or too small, the signal from the fourth antenna 71 cannot be well received by the first antennas 11. If the sum of the apertures of the first antennas 11 is too large, then the first antennas 11 themselves occupy a larger size. Given a fixed layout area for the third antenna 61, the area of ​​the second antenna group 21 cannot be set too large either. Therefore, the ratio of the sum of the apertures of the second antennas 22 to the apertures of the first antennas 11 will be smaller, reducing the effect of increasing the aperture. Setting the ratio of the sum of the apertures of the first antenna group 12 to the sum of the apertures of the fourth antenna 71 within the aforementioned range, where the sum of the apertures of the first antenna group 11 is equal to or approximately equal to the sum of the apertures of the fourth antenna 71, achieves a balance between signal transmission performance and the effect of increased aperture size. It should be noted that the ratio of the sum of the apertures of the first antenna group 11 to the sum of the apertures of the fourth antenna 71 can also be less than 0.95 or greater than 1.5; this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0167] It should be noted that the third antenna 61 and the fourth antenna 71 can be single-polarized antennas, dual-polarized antennas, planar printed antennas, waveguide antennas, metasurface antennas, dipole antennas, etc. This application does not limit their type, structure, operating mode and operating frequency band.

[0168] In one possible implementation, the fourth antenna 71 is an active antenna, and the third antenna 61 is a passive antenna, thereby solving the problem of small aperture and severe gain attenuation of the active antenna in the architecture where active and passive antennas share the same aperture plane. The application scenarios of the aperture field enhancement structure 100 provided in this application are not limited to this. In some possible implementations, the third antenna 61 and the fourth antenna 71 can both be active antennas or both be passive antennas, etc., and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0169] It should be noted that the third antenna 61 and the fourth antenna 71 may have only one operating frequency band or multiple operating frequency bands; this application does not impose any restrictions on this. As shown in Figure 5, in one possible implementation, the third antenna 61 has multiple operating frequency bands. Specifically, the antenna system 200 includes multiple third antennas 61, of which some third antennas 61 are first sub-antennas 611, and others are second sub-antennas 612. The first sub-antennas 611 and the second sub-antennas 612 operate in different frequency bands. In one possible implementation, the first sub-antenna 611 is an HB antenna (High band, high frequency), and the second sub-antenna 612 is an LB antenna (Low band, low frequency). In addition, the third antenna 61 may also include intermediate frequency antennas, mid-high frequency antennas, and other frequency bands; this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0170] It should be noted that the first sub-antenna 611 and the second sub-antenna 612 can be distributed within the entire aperture of the third antenna 61, or they can be distributed only within a portion of the aperture of the third antenna 61. Alternatively, it can be understood that the sum of the apertures of the first sub-antennas 611 can be the same as or less than the sum of the apertures of the third antenna 61. Similarly, the sum of the apertures of the second sub-antennas 612 can be the same as or less than the sum of the apertures of the third antenna 61; this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0171] In one possible implementation, the third antenna 61 is a passive antenna integrating multiple frequency bands, and the fourth antenna 71 is an active MIMO antenna. The antenna system 200 as a whole adopts an architecture in which the active MIMO antenna and the passive antenna share the same aperture, and the aperture of the active MIMO antenna is expanded by the aperture field enhancement structure 100.

[0172] In one possible implementation, each third antenna 61 has no response to each first antenna 11 within the operating frequency band of each first antenna 11, and each third antenna 61 has no response to each second antenna 22 within the operating frequency band of each second antenna 22. The energy radiated by the third antenna 61 cannot be received by the first antenna 11 and the second antenna 22. In this case, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 can act as a reflector for the third antenna 61, eliminating the need for an additional reflector for the third antenna 61 and saving more space.

[0173] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, in one possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 may further include a first reflector 41 and a second reflector 42. In the first direction Z, the first reflector 41 and the second reflector 42 are stacked and spaced apart between the first antenna 11 and the second antenna group 21, with the first reflector 41 located on the side of the second reflector 42 closer to the first antenna 11. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, in one possible implementation, each feed network structure 3 is located between the first reflectors 41. Each feed network structure 3 may also pass through the first reflector 41 and the second reflector 42; this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0174] In the aperture field enhancement structure 100, the first reflector 41 can reflect the signal of the first antenna 11, causing the first antenna 11 to radiate concentratedly towards the side away from the second antenna 22. The second reflector 42 can reflect the signal of the second antenna 22, causing the second antenna 22 to radiate concentratedly towards the side away from the first antenna 11.

[0175] In one possible implementation of the antenna system 200, the third antenna 61 is positioned on the side of the second reflector 42 away from the first antenna 11, while the fourth antenna 71 is located on the side of the first reflector 41 away from the second antenna 22. The first reflector 41 can block the signal of the fourth antenna 71 from passing through the aperture field enhancement structure 100, instead concentrating it for coupling with the first antenna 11, thereby improving the transmission efficiency between the first antenna 11 and the fourth antenna 71. The second reflector 42 can be used to reflect the signals of the second antenna 22 and the third antenna 61, causing both antennas to radiate into space, further enhancing the reflection effect of the aperture field enhancement structure 100 on the third antenna 61.

[0176] As shown in Figure 5, in one possible implementation, the fourth antenna 71 is further provided with a third reflector 43 on the side away from the aperture field enhancement structure 100 in the first direction Z. The third reflector 43 is used to concentrate the signal of the fourth antenna 71 and reflect it to the side where the aperture field enhancement structure 100 is located. It can also be used to ground the fourth antenna 71.

[0177] It should be noted that the specific form of each reflector is not limited; for example, it can be a metal plate or a metal layer in a printed circuit board. In antenna models, the reflector layer is usually represented by a PEC (Perfect Electric Conductor), and the model shown later is also an idealized structure of the reflector simulated by a PEC.

[0178] Those skilled in the art will understand that the aperture field enhancement structure 100 as a whole can be considered as an FSS (field shielding structure), which is electromagnetically transparent to the fourth antenna 71, allowing the signal from the fourth antenna 71 to radiate outwards through the aperture field enhancement structure 100. It provides electromagnetic shielding to the third antenna 61, enabling the signal from the third antenna 61 to be reflected and concentrated for outward radiation. Therefore, the reflector of the aperture field enhancement structure 100 can be configured in various ways, and is not limited to the structure described above.

[0179] Please refer to Figure 15, which is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the eighth embodiment of the aperture field enhancement structure of this application.

[0180] As shown in Figure 15, in one possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 may also include a reflector 44. The reflector 44 is located between the first antenna 11 and the second antenna 22 in the first direction Z. Its two surfaces in the first direction Z can be used as the first reflector 41 and the second reflector 42 in the above scheme, respectively. The feed mesh structure 3 passes through the reflector 44. Specifically, a portion of the feed mesh structure 3 may be located between the reflector 44 and the first antenna 11, and another portion may be located between the reflector 44 and the second antenna 22.

[0181] It should be noted that this application does not limit the specific form of the feed mesh structure 3 and each reflector 44. For example, the feed mesh structure 3, the first reflector 41, and the second reflector 42 are integrated on a circuit board. Specifically, the circuit board may include a dielectric layer and a metal layer, the first reflector 41 and the second reflector 42 may be the metal layer of the circuit board, and the feed mesh structure 3 may be formed by etching the metal layer inside the circuit board.

[0182] As shown in Figure 7a, in one possible implementation, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 includes an integrated plate 51, which includes a dielectric plate. The dielectric plate has metal plates (or metal coatings) on two surfaces in the first direction Z. The metal plates on the two surfaces serve as the first reflector 41 and the second reflector 42, respectively. The feed grid structure 3 is located inside the dielectric plate.

[0183] As shown in Figures 7a to 7c, in one possible implementation, a first connector 511 is provided on the integrated board 51 at a position corresponding to each of the first antennas 11. The first connector 511 is recessed inward from the surface of the integrated board 51 facing the first antenna 11 and extends to the position of the feed network structure 3. The feed port of the first antenna 11 can be located within the first connector 511, thereby connecting with the feed network structure 3. A second connector 512 is provided on the integrated board 51 at a position corresponding to each of the second antennas 22. The second connector 512 is recessed inward from the surface of the integrated board 51 facing the second antenna 22 and extends to the position of the feed network structure 3. The feed port of the second antenna 22 can be located within the second connector 512, thereby connecting with the feed network structure 3. As shown in Figure 15, when the aperture field enhancement structure 100 has only one reflector plate 44, the reflector plate 44 can be a metal plate disposed inside the integrated plate, with dielectric plates disposed on its upper and lower surfaces. Part of the wiring of the feed grid structure 3 can be disposed on the dielectric plate above the reflector plate 44, and another part can be disposed on the dielectric plate below the reflector plate 44. The form of the feed grid structure 3 and the reflector plate should be designed according to the actual situation, and will not be listed in detail in this application.

[0184] As shown in Figure 4b, in one possible implementation, the antenna system 200 further includes multiple metal cavities 52 and wiring. The multiple metal cavities 52 are spaced apart on the side of the second reflector 42 facing away from the first antenna 11, and each metal cavity 52 contains wiring. For example, the metal cavities 52 can be disposed on the surface of the integrated board 51. The metal cavity 52 is a cavity structure surrounded by metal material, which can block antenna signals and prevent electromagnetic waves from interfering with its internal circuitry. In one possible implementation, the wiring within the metal cavity 52 is related to the circuitry of the third antenna 61 (such as a feed circuit). Placing the circuitry of the third antenna 61 within the metal cavity 52 can improve the integration and structural compactness of the antenna system 200, which is beneficial for reducing the volume of the antenna system 200 and the roof space occupied by the antenna system 200. Other circuit wiring can also be disposed within the metal cavity 52; this application does not limit this. It should be noted that the number and shape of the metal cavities 52 are not limited; the figures are for illustrative purposes only.

[0185] Please refer to Figure 16, which is a modular schematic diagram of the antenna system according to an embodiment of this application.

[0186] As shown in Figures 1 and 16, in one possible implementation, the antenna system 200 further includes a first radome 81, with the third antenna 61 and the aperture field enhancement structure 100 installed inside the first radome 81. In another possible implementation, the antenna system 200 further includes a second radome 82, with the fourth antenna 71 installed inside the second radome 82. The second radome 82 is located on the side of the first radome 81 away from the third antenna 61, such that the third antenna 61, the aperture field enhancement structure 100, and the fourth antenna 71 are stacked sequentially along the first direction Z. With this structure, all parts of the antenna system 200 can function normally, and using two radomes to partition the different parts of the antenna system 200 facilitates equipment maintenance and replacement. For example, a single radome can be disassembled for its internal structure inspection, or a single radome and its internal components can be replaced. In some possible implementations, the third antenna 61, the fourth antenna 71, and the aperture field enhancement structure 100 can also be installed in the same radome; this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0187] It should be noted that the surfaces of the second antenna cover 82 and the first antenna cover 81 can be attached together or set separately, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0188] To verify the aperture enhancement effect of the aperture field enhancement structure 100 provided in this application on the antenna, a model was established and simulation experiments were conducted from multiple aspects. The experimental results are as follows:

[0189] Please refer to Figures 17a and 17b, which show the verification process of the aperture field enhancement structure in the embodiments of this application.

[0190] As shown in Figures 17a and 17b, a model of a single first antenna 11 is established, and the transmission coefficient of the electromagnetic wave radiated from the fourth antenna 71 to the first antenna 11 is used to verify that the first antenna 11 can receive the signal from the fourth antenna 71.

[0191] The first antenna 11 is configured as an antenna with both vertical and horizontal polarization directions. However, Figure 17a only shows the antenna array with vertical polarization, indicating that only the vertical polarization direction is being verified. It should be noted that subsequent steps also only verify the vertical polarization direction, and this will not be elaborated upon further. Those skilled in the art will understand that although only the vertical polarization direction is verified, the horizontal polarization direction has a similar effect in practical engineering, and the simulation results for the vertical polarization direction can be used to draw an analogy to the effect of the horizontal polarization direction.

[0192] In Figure 17a, the shaded area above the first antenna 11 represents the plane wave port, a boundary condition commonly used in electromagnetic field simulations. This port allows electromagnetic waves to enter and exit the structural model from a semi-infinite waveguide. In Figure 17a, the plane wave port represents the electromagnetic wave emitted by the fourth antenna 71 (using a MIMO antenna as an example).

[0193] As shown in Figure 17b, this figure is a simulation curve of the transmission coefficient of electromagnetic waves transmitted from the fourth antenna 71 to the first antenna 11. The horizontal axis represents the frequency in GHz, and the vertical axis represents the amplitude value of S21 in dB. S21 is one of the S-parameters and represents the transmission coefficient. When S21 is 0, it can be considered that all the energy radiated by the fourth antenna 71 can be received by the first antenna 11.

[0194] As shown in the curves of Figure 17b, the center frequency of the operating band of the fourth antenna 71 is set at 3.5GHz. The figure shows that within the range of 3GHz to 3.5GHz, the amplitude of S21 is close to 0, indicating good transmission performance. At point m1, S21 is 0, and the frequency of point m1 is 3.33GHz, which is close to the target value. Simulation results show that the first antenna 11 can receive the signal from the fourth antenna 71.

[0195] Please refer to Figures 18a and 18b, which show the second verification process of the aperture field enhancement structure in the embodiments of this application.

[0196] As shown in Figure 18a, two second antenna 22 models are established. The transmission coefficient of the electromagnetic waves radiated into space by the second antenna 22 is used to verify whether the second antenna 22 can radiate signals. It can be understood that only one first antenna 11 model is established in Figure 17a, while two second antenna 22 models are established in Figure 18a to simulate the scheme of one first antenna 11 connected to two second antennas 22 (that is, only one first antenna 11 is set in the first antenna group 12, and the second antenna group 21 includes two second antennas 22).

[0197] In this figure, the second antenna 22 is also only shown with its vertical polarization direction as the array. The shaded area above the second antenna 22 represents the plane wave port, which symbolizes the electromagnetic wave radiated into space by the second antenna 22. Figure 18b shows the simulated transmission coefficient curves of the electromagnetic waves radiated into space by the two second antennas 22. The horizontal axis represents the frequency in GHz, and the vertical axis represents the amplitude value of S21 in dB. The two second antennas 22 are distinguished by solid and dashed lines, which overlap in the figure.

[0198] Since the energy of the first antenna 11 is distributed among the two second antennas 22, the theoretical transmission coefficient of the second second antenna 22 drops to -3dB. Observation point m2 shows that at the set frequency of 3.50GHz, the amplitude of S21 is close to -3dB, indicating that the second second antenna 22 re-radiates the signal received from the first antenna 11 into space, and the two second second antennas 22 uniformly distribute energy across a larger aperture. Therefore, the aperture of the fourth antenna 71 is expanded, and its gain is also improved.

[0199] Please refer to Figures 19a to 19b, which show the verification process of the aperture field enhancement structure in the embodiments of this application.

[0200] Understandably, Figures 17a and 17b verify the transmission effect from the plane wave port of the fourth antenna 71 in space to the first antenna 11, Figures 18a and 18b verify the transmission effect from the second antenna 22 to its plane wave port radiating into space, and Figures 19a and 19b directly verify the transmission effect from the plane wave port of the fourth antenna 71 in space to the plane wave port radiating into space of the second antenna 22 by establishing an S-link model.

[0201] As shown in Figure 19a, the S-link model from right to left consists of: the plane wave port of the fourth antenna 71 in space, the first antenna 11, the power divider 32 (one to two) in the feed network structure 3, the second antenna 22 (two), and the plane wave port radiating from the second antenna 22 into space. Figure 19b shows the simulated transmission coefficient curve from the rightmost plane wave port to the leftmost plane wave port, that is, the simulated transmission coefficient curve from the plane wave port of the fourth antenna 71 in space to the plane wave port radiating from the second antenna 22 into space.

[0202] As shown in Figure 19b, the horizontal axis represents frequency in GHz, and the vertical axis represents the amplitude of S21 in dB. Observing curve N3, it can be seen that the amplitude of S21 is close to 0 in the range of 3GHz-3.5GHz, indicating good transmission performance. At point m3, S21 is 0, and the frequency of point m3 is 3.36GHz, which is close to the target value. According to the simulation results, the electromagnetic wave from the fourth antenna 71 can be transmitted to the second antenna 22 through the first antenna 11 and the feed network structure 3, and then radiated into space through the second antenna 22.

[0203] Those skilled in the art will understand that as the antenna aperture increases, its directivity also improves. Therefore, by observing the antenna radiation pattern and judging the antenna's directivity, the effectiveness of the increased antenna aperture can be verified in reverse. The following will verify the effect of the aperture field enhancement structure 100 of this application from the perspective of the radiation pattern. In this application, the horizontal axis of the antenna radiation pattern represents angle (°), and the vertical axis represents the radiation intensity or gain of the antenna in various directions, in dB.

[0204] Please refer to Figures 20a to 22. Figures 20a to 20b show the fourth verification process of the aperture field enhancement structure in the embodiment of this application; Figures 21a to 21b show the fifth verification process of the aperture field enhancement structure in the embodiment of this application; Figure 22 is the electric field intensity distribution diagram of the model in Figure 21a.

[0205] As shown in Figure 20a, a model of two fourth antennas 71 is established, arranged along the second direction X, which is the vertical direction in the base station 300. Only the antenna elements in the vertical polarization direction are shown in each fourth antenna 71. Simulation of this model yields the radiation pattern shown in Figure 20b. In the figure, the solid line represents the radiation pattern in the vertical direction, and the dashed line represents the radiation pattern in the horizontal direction. Since only the vertical polarization direction is set in the model, the horizontal radiation pattern is not relevant; only the vertical radiation pattern needs to be observed.

[0206] As shown in Figure 21a, the model is further developed by loading an aperture field enhancement structure 100 above the two fourth antennas 71. The second antenna group 21 in the aperture field enhancement structure 100 includes two second antennas 22 positioned along the second direction X. Simulation of this model yields the radiation pattern shown in Figure 21b. Similarly, only the vertical radiation pattern needs to be observed. Comparing Figures 20b and 21b, it can be seen that after loading the aperture field enhancement structure 100, the antenna gain increases from 8.4 dBi (point m41 in Figure 20b) to 10.5 dBi (point m42 in Figure 21b), an increase of 2.1 dB, achieving a greater aperture gain. Comparing the beam characteristics, it can be seen that the antenna beam narrows significantly in the vertical direction, decreasing from 48° to 27°, achieving a gain improvement.

[0207] As shown in Figure 22, flow field simulation was performed on the model in Figure 21a to obtain the electric field intensity distribution on the vertical plane. Comparing the electric field distribution around the fourth antenna 71 with the electric field distribution around the aperture field enhancement structure 100, it can be seen that the aperture of the fourth antenna 71 is enlarged (the lighter the color in the figure, the higher the energy).

[0208] Please refer to Figures 23a and 24, which show the verification process of the aperture field enhancement structure in the embodiments of this application.

[0209] As shown in Figure 23a, a model of the third antenna 61 is established, and a reflector layer is loaded below it. The simulation yields the radiation pattern shown in Figure 23b. Figure 23b includes radiation patterns in both the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0210] For the architecture shown in 4b of this application (with an aperture field enhancement structure 100 loaded below the third antenna 61), the radiation pattern shown in Figure 24 was obtained through simulation. Figure 24 includes radiation patterns in both the horizontal and vertical directions. Comparing Figures 23b and 24, it can be seen that after loading the aperture field enhancement structure 100, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 can effectively reflect the electromagnetic waves of the third antenna 61.

[0211] Furthermore, comparing Figures 23b and 24 reveals that their radiation patterns are similar. This demonstrates that the aperture field enhancement structure 100 not only does not interfere with the third antenna 61, but also effectively reflects the electromagnetic waves of the third antenna 61, enabling the third antenna 61 to operate normally.

[0212] In summary, all components of the aperture field enhancement structure 100 provided in this application embodiment can operate smoothly, and while effectively expanding the aperture of the fourth antenna 71, it does not interfere with the third antenna 61. Therefore, the aperture field enhancement structure 100 provided in this application embodiment not only achieves the effect of expanding the antenna aperture, but also has strong feasibility and rich application prospects in the field of communications.

[0213] To further verify the feasibility of the aperture field enhancement structure 100, the specific design process is illustrated below using a typical structure as an example.

[0214] Please refer to Figures 25a to 30b. Figures 25a to 25b are schematic diagrams of the design and verification of the aperture field enhancement structure according to an embodiment of this application (Figure 1); Figures 26a to 26b are schematic diagrams of the design and verification of the aperture field enhancement structure according to an embodiment of this application (Figure 2); Figures 27a to 27b are schematic diagrams of the design and verification of the aperture field enhancement structure according to an embodiment of this application (Figure 3); Figures 28a to 28b are schematic diagrams of the design and verification of the aperture field enhancement structure according to an embodiment of this application (Figure 4); and Figures 29a to 30b are schematic diagrams of the design and verification of the aperture field enhancement structure according to an embodiment of this application (Figure 5).

[0215] To design an antenna system 200 as shown in Figure 5, a field enhancement structure 100 as shown in Figure 6 must first be designed. Each second antenna group 21 includes two second antennas 22, and the feed network structure 3 includes a power divider 32 that splits the signal into two. The fourth antenna 71 is set as a MIMO antenna, with its center frequency corresponding to a wavelength of λ. The dimension of each fourth antenna 71 in the horizontal direction (third direction Y) is 0.5λ, and its dimension in the vertical direction (second direction X) is 0.7λ.

[0216] As shown in Figure 25a, a model of the first antenna 11 is established. To ensure the transmission effect between the first antenna 11 and the fourth antenna 71, the aperture of the first antenna 11 is designed to be the same as that of the fourth antenna 71. Therefore, the dimension of the first antenna 11 in the horizontal direction (third direction Y) is 0.5λ, and the dimension in the vertical direction (second direction X) is 0.7λ. The first antenna 11 adopts a ±45° dual-polarized patch antenna. λ is set to the wavelength corresponding to 3.5GHz, and the radiation pattern shown in Figure 25b is obtained through simulation. The dashed line represents the horizontal radiation pattern, with a beamwidth of 86° at 3dB. The solid line represents the vertical radiation pattern, with a beamwidth of 67° at 3dB and a gain of 6.4dBi.

[0217] As shown in Figure 26a, the design of the second antenna 22 continues. The aperture is increased only in the vertical direction (second direction X), with an increase ratio of approximately 1.3 times. Based on the antenna size requirements, the one-to-two scheme shown in Figure 6 is adopted, with one first antenna 11 corresponding to two second antennas 22. The vertical dimension of a single second antenna 22 is adjusted to 0.465λ, then the vertical dimension of the second antenna group 21 is adjusted to 0.465λ*2=0.93λ. The aperture increase ratio 0.93λ / 0.7λ is approximately 1.3 times, which meets the target value. Therefore, the dimensions of a single second antenna 22 are determined to be: 0.465λ in the vertical direction and 0.5λ in the horizontal direction.

[0218] The radiation pattern shown in Figure 26b was obtained from the simulation of the second antenna 22. The dashed line represents the horizontal radiation pattern, with a beamwidth of 86° at 3dB. The solid line represents the vertical radiation pattern, with a beamwidth of 90° at 3dB and a gain of 4.7dBi.

[0219] As shown in Figure 27a, a feed network structure 3 is designed, which includes a 1-to-2 power divider 32 to distribute the energy of the first antenna 11 to the second antenna 22, achieving energy redistribution and widening the aperture effect. Simulation results for the feed network structure 3 are shown in Figure 27b, where the horizontal axis represents frequency (GHz) and the vertical axis represents gain (dB). Figure 27b includes curves S11, S21, and S31. The power divider is a 1-to-2 divider. S21 and S31 represent the transmission coefficients of its two ports, respectively, while S11 characterizes the reflection coefficient of the input port; a lower value indicates more input energy. Observation shows that the power divider successfully and evenly distributes the energy of the first antenna 11 to the two second antennas 22.

[0220] As shown in Figure 28a, the two designed second antennas 22 and the power divider are combined to construct a model, and the radiation pattern shown in Figure 28b is obtained through simulation. In Figure 28b, the dashed line represents the horizontal radiation pattern, with a beamwidth of 86° at 3dB. The solid line represents the vertical radiation pattern, with a beamwidth of 52° at 3dB and a gain of 7.6dBi.

[0221] Comparing Figures 25b, 26b, and 28b, it can be seen that, due to the absence of an aperture enlargement design in the horizontal direction, the horizontal beamwidth remains consistent at 3dB in all three figures. However, the aperture enlargement design in the vertical direction reduces the beamwidth at 3dB from 67° to 52°, corresponding to an increase in gain from 6.4dBi to 7.6dBi, a 1.2dB improvement, consistent with the theoretical benefit of a 1.3-fold increase in aperture.

[0222] As shown in Figure 29a, a model of a fourth antenna array 70 is established, which includes 12 fourth antennas 71 arranged along the vertical direction (second direction X). As shown in Figure 29b, an aperture field enhancement structure 100 is loaded above the fourth antenna array 70. The aperture field enhancement structure 100 includes 12 first antennas 11 arranged along the vertical direction and 24 second antennas 22 arranged along the vertical direction. Each first antenna 11 is connected to two second antennas 22 through a corresponding feed network structure 3. The feed network structure 3 includes a power divider 32 that splits the antenna into two.

[0223] Simulations of the structures in Figures 29a and 29b yielded the horizontal radiation pattern shown in Figure 30a. The dashed line represents the horizontal radiation pattern of the fourth antenna array 70, while the solid line represents the horizontal radiation pattern after the addition of the aperture field enhancement structure 100. Both radiation patterns have the same horizontal beamwidth of 84°, and there is no aperture expansion effect in the horizontal direction (third direction Y).

[0224] Simulations of the structures in Figures 29a and 29b yielded the vertical radiation pattern shown in Figure 30b. The dashed line represents the vertical radiation pattern of the fourth antenna array 70, while the solid line represents the vertical radiation pattern after adding the aperture field enhancement structure 100. The comparison shows that after adding the aperture field enhancement structure 100, the vertical gain increased from 17.5 dBi to 18.5 dBi, achieving a gain increase of 1 dB, close to the theoretical 1.2 dB. The vertical beamwidth decreased from 5.8° to 4.3°, achieving the aperture expansion characteristic.

[0225] The above design process pertains to a scheme where one first antenna 11 corresponds to two second antennas 22. When using the architecture shown in Figure 8, one first antenna 11 corresponds to one second antenna 22. In this case, the size of the second antenna 22 can be directly increased to a corresponding multiple of the size of the first antenna 11 to achieve the effect of increasing the aperture. In an example scenario, the size of the first antenna 11 in a certain direction is 0.5λ, and the aperture needs to be increased by a factor of 1.2, 0.5λ * 1.2 = 0.6λ. Therefore, the size of the second antenna 22 in that direction can be directly set to 0.6λ. When using the architecture shown in Figure 10, one first antenna 11 corresponds to three second antennas 22. In this case, an adaptive design should be made according to the aperture increase ratio and antenna size requirements. In an example scenario, the size of the first antenna 11 in a certain direction is 0.5λ, and the aperture needs to be increased to 1.2λ. The size of the second antenna 22 in that direction can be set to 0.4λ, and the size of the second antenna group 21 composed of the three second antennas 22 is 1.2λ. This application will not describe the design process of other schemes in detail.

[0226] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A aperture field enhancement structure, characterized in that, It includes at least one first antenna group, at least one second antenna group, and at least one feed network structure, each first antenna group including at least one first antenna, and each second antenna group including at least one second antenna; The at least one first antenna group, the at least one feed network structure, and the at least one second antenna group are stacked sequentially along a first direction. Each first antenna in each first antenna group is communicatively connected to each second antenna in the corresponding second antenna group through the corresponding feed network structure. Furthermore, the sum of the apertures of the at least one second antenna group is greater than the sum of the apertures of the at least one first antenna group.

2. The aperture field enhancement structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The aperture field enhancement structure further includes a first reflector and a second reflector. In the first direction, the first reflector and the second reflector are stacked and spaced apart between the at least one first antenna group and the at least one second antenna group, and the first reflector is located on the side of the second reflector closer to the first antenna group.

3. The aperture field enhancement structure as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The sum of the apertures of the at least one second antenna group in the second direction is greater than the sum of the apertures of the at least one first antenna group in the second direction, and / or, the sum of the apertures of the at least one second antenna group in the third direction is greater than the sum of the apertures of the at least one first antenna group in the third direction; wherein, the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are mutually perpendicular.

4. The aperture field enhancement structure as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The aperture of each second antenna group is larger than the aperture of the corresponding first antenna group.

5. The aperture field enhancement structure as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The aperture field enhancement structure includes a first enhancement module, which includes a first antenna group, a feed grid structure, and a second antenna group. In the first enhancement module, the first antenna group includes a first antenna, the second antenna group includes a second antenna, and the feed network structure includes a transmission line, one end of which is connected to the first antenna and the other end of which is connected to the second antenna.

6. The aperture field enhancement structure as described in claim 5, characterized in that, In the first enhancement module, the ratio of the aperture of the second antenna group to the aperture of the first antenna group is in the range of 1 to 2.

7. The aperture field enhancement structure according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The aperture field enhancement structure includes a second enhancement module, which includes a first antenna group, a feed grid structure, and a second antenna group that are correspondingly arranged. In the second enhancement module, the first antenna group includes one first antenna, the second antenna group includes multiple second antennas, the feed network structure includes a power divider, the power divider has one first port and multiple second ports, the multiple second ports correspond one-to-one with the multiple second antennas of the second antenna group, the first port is communicatively connected to the first antenna, and the multiple second ports are respectively communicatively connected to the corresponding second antennas.

8. The aperture field enhancement structure as described in claim 7, characterized in that, In the second enhancement module, the ratio of the aperture of the second antenna group to the aperture of the first antenna group is greater than or equal to 2.

9. The aperture field enhancement structure according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The first antenna of each first antenna group is a receiving antenna, and the second antenna of each second antenna group is a transmitting antenna. Alternatively, the second antenna of each second antenna group may be a receiving antenna, and the first antenna of each first antenna group may be a transmitting antenna.

10. The aperture field enhancement structure according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The operating frequency band of the second antenna in each second antenna group is the same as the operating frequency band of the first antenna in the corresponding first antenna group.

11. The aperture field enhancement structure according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The at least one first antenna group is a plurality of first antenna groups, and the at least one second antenna group is a plurality of second antenna groups; The first antennas of the plurality of first antenna groups are arranged in an array in the second direction and / or the third direction, and the second antennas of the plurality of second antenna groups are arranged in an array in the second direction and / or the third direction; wherein the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are mutually perpendicular.

12. An antenna system, characterized in that, Includes the aperture field enhancement structure as described in any one of claims 1-11.

13. The antenna system as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that, The antenna system further includes at least one third antenna, which is located on the side of the at least one second antenna group away from the at least one first antenna group in the first direction.

14. The antenna system as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that, The at least one third antenna shares a common port with the at least one second antenna group.

15. The antenna system as described in claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, Each of the third antennas has no response to each of the first antennas within the operating frequency band of each of the first antennas, and each of the third antennas has no response to each of the second antennas within the operating frequency band of each of the second antennas.

16. The antenna system according to any one of claims 13-15, characterized in that, When the aperture field enhancement structure further includes a second reflector, the at least one third antenna is disposed on the side of the second reflector opposite to the at least one first antenna group.

17. The antenna system according to any one of claims 13-16, characterized in that, When the aperture field enhancement structure further includes a second reflector, the antenna system further includes multiple metal cavities and traces. The multiple metal cavities are spaced apart on the side of the second reflector away from the at least one first antenna group, and the traces are disposed in each of the metal cavities.

18. The antenna system according to any one of claims 12-17, characterized in that, The antenna system further includes at least one fourth antenna, which is located on the side of the at least one first antenna group away from the at least one second antenna group in the first direction; The at least one fourth antenna corresponds one-to-one with the first antenna of the at least one first antenna group, and each of the fourth antennas and the corresponding first antenna are arranged opposite to each other in the first direction and are communicatively connected.

19. The antenna system as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that, The ratio of the sum of the apertures of the at least one first antenna group to the sum of the apertures of the at least one fourth antenna is in the range of 0.95 to 1.

5.

20. The antenna system as described in claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, When the antenna system further includes at least one third antenna, each of the third antennas is a passive antenna and each of the fourth antennas is an active antenna.

21. A base station, characterized in that, Including the antenna system as described in any one of claims 12-20.

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