Metasurface antenna unit and antenna structure

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a metasurface antenna unit, comprising a first metal layer, a first dielectric substrate, a second metal layer, a second dielectric substrate and a third metal layer which are sequentially stacked. The second metal layer is provided with a plurality of hollow portions having different shapes. The orthographic projections of the first dielectric substrate, the second dielectric substrate and the second metal layer on a preset surface overlap with each other, and the orthographic projection contours are all first regular polygons. The orthographic projections of the first metal layer and the third metal layer on the preset surface overlap with each other, and the orthographic projection contours are both second regular polygons. A side length of each first regular polygon is a first preset multiple of the wavelength of an incident wave at a center frequency, a side length of each second regular polygon is a second preset multiple of the wavelength of the incident wave at the center frequency, and the first preset multiple and the second preset multiple are both less than 1. The present disclosure further provides an antenna structure.

Description

Metasurface antenna elements and antenna structures

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application CN 202411907990.7, filed on December 20, 2024, entitled "Metasurface Antenna Element and Antenna Structure", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a metasurface antenna element and antenna structure. Background Technology

[0004] In recent years, millimeter-wave spectrum resources have become a focus of attention and a research hotspot in the field of wireless communication due to their continuous available bandwidth. Currently, an increasing number of small mobile electronic devices (including mobile phones / mobile hotspots) are using millimeter-wave antennas.

[0005] As a crucial antenna indicator, antenna gain directly affects its coverage distance. However, due to the limited size of small mobile electronic devices, most small mobile electronic devices cannot achieve high millimeter-wave antenna gain. Because millimeter waves operate at high frequencies and experience significant spatial propagation loss, it is necessary to increase the gain of millimeter-wave antennas to overcome severe spatial attenuation and achieve better spatial coverage.

[0006] Currently, small mobile electronic devices face the following challenges: their size limits their ability to achieve high millimeter-wave antenna gain, while millimeter waves, due to their high frequency and short wavelength, suffer from poor propagation and penetration, making indoor coverage particularly difficult. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an antenna structure that can be applied to small mobile terminals to improve millimeter-wave antenna gain. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To at least solve one of the above-mentioned technical problems, this disclosure provides a metasurface antenna element and an antenna structure.

[0008] This disclosure provides a metasurface antenna unit, comprising a first metal layer, a first dielectric substrate, a second metal layer, a second dielectric substrate, and a third metal layer stacked sequentially; the second metal layer has various shaped cutouts; the orthographic projections of the first dielectric substrate, the second dielectric substrate, and the second metal layer on a preset surface coincide, and their orthographic projection outlines are all first regular polygons; the orthographic projections of the first metal layer and the third metal layer on the preset surface coincide, and their orthographic projection outlines are all second regular polygons; the side length of the first regular polygon is a first preset multiple of the incident wave wavelength at the center frequency, and the side length of the second regular polygon is a second preset multiple of the incident wave wavelength at the center frequency, wherein both the first preset multiple and the second preset multiple are less than 1.

[0009] This disclosure provides an antenna structure including a body and a plurality of metasurface antenna elements distributed on a preset surface of the body, each of the metasurface antenna elements including a metasurface antenna element according to an embodiment of this disclosure; the preset surface is used to be opposite to an electronic device and maintain a preset distance. Attached Figure Description

[0010] In the accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed herein:

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a portable broadband wireless device with a millimeter-wave antenna;

[0012] Figure 2 is a gain curve of the millimeter-wave antenna module of the portable broadband wireless device in Figure 1.

[0013] Figure 3 is an exploded view of the structure of the metasurface antenna unit provided in the embodiment of this disclosure;

[0014] Figure 4 is another exploded view of the metasurface antenna unit provided in the embodiment of this disclosure;

[0015] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the antenna structure provided in the embodiment of this disclosure when it is in the deployed state;

[0016] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the antenna structure provided in the embodiment of this disclosure when it is in a folded state;

[0017] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the antenna structure provided in the embodiment of this disclosure;

[0018] Figure 8 is a front view of a preset surface of an antenna structure provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0019] Figure 9 is a diagram showing the arrangement of multiple metasurface antenna elements provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0020] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the principle of obtaining the phase difference of the incident wave that needs to be compensated for by each metasurface antenna element in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 11 is a graph showing the position coordinates of each metasurface antenna element used in the embodiments of this disclosure versus a preset scaling factor;

[0022] Figure 12 is a comparison of the antenna gain curve of the portable broadband wireless device in Figure 1 with the gain curve of the millimeter-wave antenna module of the portable broadband wireless device itself using the antenna structure provided in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 13 is a front view of another preset surface of the antenna structure provided in the embodiments of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of this disclosure, the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] The present disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, the embodiments shown may be embodied in different forms, and the present disclosure should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth below. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the scope of the disclosure.

[0026] The accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed herein are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the detailed embodiments to explain this disclosure and do not constitute a limitation thereof. The above and other features and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of the detailed embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] This disclosure may be described with reference to plan and / or cross-sectional views using the ideal schematic diagrams of this disclosure. Therefore, the example illustrations may be modified according to manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances.

[0028] Where there is no conflict, the various embodiments of this disclosure and the features thereof in the embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0029] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the disclosure. The term "and / or" as used in this disclosure includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated enumerated entries. The singular forms "a" and "the" as used in this disclosure are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprising," "made of," etc., as used in this disclosure specify the presence of features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0030] Unless otherwise specified, all terms used in this disclosure (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. It will also be understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and this disclosure, and will not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning, unless expressly so specified in this disclosure.

[0031] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, but includes modifications to the configuration based on the manufacturing process. Therefore, the areas illustrated in the drawings are schematic, and the shapes of the areas shown illustrate specific shapes of the areas of an element, but are not intended to be limiting.

[0032] This disclosure provides a metasurface antenna element suitable for electronic products (hereinafter referred to as electronic devices) that include millimeter-wave antennas, particularly small mobile electronic devices such as portable broadband wireless devices (UFIs) and mobile phones. Taking a UFI with a millimeter-wave antenna as an example, as shown in FIG1, the electronic device (UFI) 200 includes a body 201, a display screen 203 disposed on the body 201, and a millimeter-wave antenna module 202. The front of the body 201, where the display screen 203 is located, has a rectangle, and the millimeter-wave antenna module 202 is disposed at the center of the rectangle. The operating frequency range of the millimeter-wave antenna module 202 is, for example, 24.5 GHz-29.5 GHz. As shown in FIG2, within this operating frequency range, the maximum gain of the millimeter-wave antenna module 202 is 8 dBi-10 dBi.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the metasurface antenna unit 122 provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure is used to improve antenna gain. Specifically, the metasurface antenna unit 122 includes a first metal layer 1, a first dielectric substrate 2, a second metal layer 3, a second dielectric substrate 4, and a third metal layer 5 stacked sequentially. The metasurface antenna unit 122 is disposed opposite to an electronic device, for example, opposite to the front of the display screen 203 of the electronic device (UFI) 200. In this case, the first metal layer 1, the first dielectric substrate 2, the second metal layer 3, the second dielectric substrate 4, and the third metal layer 5 are stacked sequentially along the direction toward the electronic device 200 (i.e., along the X direction in Figure 3), that is, the first metal layer 1 is farthest from the electronic device 200, and the third metal layer 5 is closest to the electronic device 200.

[0034] The second metal layer 3 has various shaped cutouts 31, which can generate multiple resonant frequencies at different points to expand the bandwidth. The orthographic projections of the first dielectric substrate 2, the second dielectric substrate 4, and the second metal layer 3 on a preset surface coincide, and their orthographic projection outlines are all first regular polygons. The preset surface is defined as the mounting surface of the metasurface antenna element 122, used to provide a mounting base for the metasurface antenna element 122. The mounting surface is disposed opposite to the electronic device 200. The orthographic projections of the first metal layer 1 and the third metal layer 5 on the preset surface coincide, and their orthographic projection outlines are all second regular polygons. The side length of the first regular polygon is a first preset multiple of the incident wave wavelength at the center frequency, and the side length of the second regular polygon is a second preset multiple of the incident wave wavelength at the center frequency. Both the first and second preset multiples are less than 1. The center frequency is the center frequency of the antenna coverage frequency range.

[0035] According to the metasurface antenna element 122 provided in this disclosure, the phase of the incident wave can be adjusted by modifying the side lengths of the first and / or second regular polygons, and / or the contour shapes of the first and third metal layers, thereby improving the antenna gain of the electronic device. This metasurface antenna element 122 is easy to manufacture, offers flexible phase control, and is relatively thin, making it suitable for improving the antenna gain of small mobile electronic devices. The metasurface antenna element in this disclosure, while improving antenna gain, does not introduce a complex feeding network to the electronic device, nor does it increase the size or manufacturing cost of the electronic device. It can be applied to small mobile electronic devices, and the antenna gain improvement effect is good, enabling an increase in the communication distance of the electronic device and expanding its communication coverage.

[0036] According to the metasurface antenna unit 122 provided in the embodiments of this disclosure, the phase of the incident wave can be adjusted by adjusting the side lengths of the first regular polygon and / or the second regular polygon, thereby improving the antenna gain of the electronic device. For example, as shown in FIG3, the first regular polygon is a first square, that is, the orthographic projection outlines of the first dielectric substrate 2, the second dielectric substrate 4, and the second metal layer 3 on the preset surface are all first squares. In this case, the first preset multiple is one-half, that is, the side length of the first square is one-half of the wavelength of the incident wave at the center frequency. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3, the second regular polygon is a second square, that is, the orthographic projection of the first metal layer 1 and the third metal layer 5 on the preset surface is a second square. In this case, the second preset multiple is two-fifths, that is, the side length of the second square is two-fifths of the wavelength of the incident wave at the center frequency. In practical applications, the first and second regular polygons can also adopt shapes other than squares. The second regular polygon can be a centrally symmetrical shape. The first and second preset multiples can be selected according to the specific shape adopted.

[0037] According to the metasurface antenna element 122 provided in the embodiments of this disclosure, the phase of the incident wave can also be adjusted by adjusting the contour shapes of the first metal layer 1 and the third metal layer 5, thereby improving the antenna gain of the electronic device. In one example, as shown in FIG3, each side of the second square is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with each side of the first square and is parallel to each other. In another example, the difference between the contour shapes of the first metal layer 1' and the third metal layer 5' shown in FIG4 and those shown in FIG3 is that the second square shown in FIG4 is the shape after rotating the second square shown in FIG3 by 45° relative to the first square, that is, each side of the second square in FIG4 is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with each side of the first square and forms a 45° angle. In practical applications, the angle between each side of the second square and each side of the first square can also be other angle values, and the change of angle value is equivalent to adjusting the contour shapes of the first metal layer 1 and the third metal layer 5.

[0038] It should be noted that in practical applications, the size of each metasurface antenna element 122 can be adjusted individually, as can the contour shape of the first metal layer 1 and the third metal layer 5, or both can be adjusted in combination. All of these methods can be used to adjust the phase of the incident wave, thereby improving the antenna gain of the electronic device.

[0039] Furthermore, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG3, an extension pattern is formed at each corner of the second regular polygon. Taking a second regular polygon as a second square as an example, an extension pattern 6 extending diagonally is formed at each of the four corners of the second square. The extension pattern 6 is used to extend the current path so that the first metal layer 1 and the third metal layer 5 can generate the required resonant frequency with relatively small dimensions. The extension pattern 6 is, for example, a rectangle, with its long side parallel to the direction of the extended diagonal and its short side perpendicular to the direction of the extended diagonal. As shown in FIG4, the long side of the rectangular extension pattern 6' is perpendicular to the direction of the extended diagonal, and its short side is parallel to the direction of the extended diagonal. Of course, in practical applications, the extension pattern can also be other shapes, such as a square.

[0040] In some embodiments, in order to generate resonant frequencies at multiple different frequencies to achieve the purpose of bandwidth expansion, the hollowed-out portions 31 on the second metal layer 3 can adopt various different shapes. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the hollowed-out portion 31 includes a cross-shaped hollowed-out portion 313, a circular hollowed-out portion 312, and an annular hollowed-out portion 311. The annular hollowed-out portion 311 surrounds the cross-shaped hollowed-out portion 313 and the circular hollowed-out portion 312. There are four circular hollowed-out portions 312, which are respectively arranged in the spaces divided by the cross-shaped hollowed-out portion 313. The cross-shaped hollowed-out portion 313 and the circular hollowed-out portion 312 form a "rice" - shaped hollowed-out combination. In this way, the hollowed-out portion 31 shown in FIG. 3 can generate resonant frequencies at two different frequencies by adopting the annular hollowed-out portion 311 and the "rice" - shaped hollowed-out combination to achieve the purpose of bandwidth expansion. For example, the annular hollowed-out portion 311 corresponds to the generation of high - frequency resonance, and the "rice" - shaped hollowed-out combination formed by the cross-shaped hollowed-out portion 313 and the circular hollowed-out portion 312 generates low - frequency resonance.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4, the hollowed-out portion 31' includes a cross-shaped hollowed-out portion 313, a square hollowed-out portion 315, and an arc-shaped hollowed-out portion 314. There are four arc-shaped hollowed-out portions 314, which are spaced apart on the same circumference and surround the cross-shaped hollowed-out portion 313 and the square hollowed-out portion 315. There are four square hollowed-out portions 315, which are respectively arranged in the spaces divided by the cross-shaped hollowed-out portion 313. The cross-shaped hollowed-out portion 313 and the square hollowed-out portion 315 form a "rice" - shaped hollowed-out combination. The four ends of the cross-shaped hollowed-out portion 313 are respectively connected to the midpoints of the four arc-shaped hollowed-out portions 314. The hollowed-out portion 31' shown in FIG. 4 can generate resonant frequencies at multiple different frequencies to achieve the purpose of bandwidth expansion. The arc-shaped hollowed-out portions 314 are arranged in multiple numbers to generate resonant frequencies at different frequencies, and the arc lengths of the multiple arc-shaped hollowed-out portions 314 can be at least partially different.

[0042] As shown in Figure 5, this embodiment of the present disclosure also provides an antenna structure 100, which includes a body 101 and a metasurface antenna group 102 composed of multiple metasurface antenna elements disposed on a preset surface of the body 101. The body 101 provides a mounting and support base for the metasurface antenna group 102 and the electronic device 200. The body 101 is provided with a support position for supporting the electronic device 200, that is, the electronic device 200 shown in Figure 5 can be placed on the body 101, and the electronic device 200 can be placed in the support position when it is necessary to improve the antenna gain. In some embodiments, considering that the millimeter-wave antenna itself has a large power consumption, and the battery capacity of the small mobile electronic device is small, the small mobile electronic device consumes power very quickly, thereby affecting the user experience. To solve this problem, the antenna structure 100 also includes, for example, a charging module (not shown in the figure). The charging module is integrated into the body 101 and is used to charge the electronic device 200 placed in the support position. In this way, the antenna gain can be improved while the electronic device 200 is charged. That is to say, the antenna structure 100 provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure can be a charging device with antenna gain improvement function, realizing multiple uses in one device. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the charging module can be detachably connected to the body 101, and the charging module can be removed when charging or replacement is not required.

[0043] In some embodiments, to make the antenna structure 100 easy to carry and save space, the body 101 includes a folding member 103 and a supporting member 101a. The folding member 103 and the supporting member 101a are foldably connected. The supporting member 101a is provided with a support position for supporting the electronic device 200, that is, the electronic device 200 shown in FIG. 5 can be placed on the body 101a, and the folding member 103 is provided with a preset surface. When the folding member 103 is in the unfolded position (as shown in FIG. 5), the preset surface is opposite to the electronic device 200 placed in the support position, and at this time the metasurface antenna group 102 can improve the antenna gain of the electronic device 200. When the folding member 103 is in the folded position (as shown in FIG. 6), the metasurface antenna group 102 is not in operation. By positioning the metasurface antenna assembly 102 on the side of the folding member 103 facing the electronic device 200 when it is in the unfolded position, the metasurface antenna assembly 102 located between the folding member 103 and the supporting member 101a can be protected when the folding member 103 is in the folded position (as shown in FIG. 6), thereby improving the service life of the metasurface antenna assembly 102. It should be noted that the supporting member 101a and the folding member 103 are not limited to the structures shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. In addition to integrating the charging module, the main body 101 can also integrate other functional modules, and this embodiment does not have any particular limitations in this regard.

[0044] In one specific embodiment, as shown in FIG7, the charging module includes, for example, a battery 104. A motherboard 105 is disposed inside the main body 101, and the battery 104 is detachably disposed on the motherboard 105. The battery 104 is electrically connected to a charging circuit (not shown in the figure) in the motherboard 105 via a connector 106. A charging interface 107 is also provided on the motherboard 105. The charging interface 107 is electrically connected to the charging circuit, and its location corresponds to a support position. When the electronic device 200 is placed in the support position, the electronic device 200 is inserted into the charging interface 107, at which time the battery 104 can charge the electronic device 200 through the charging circuit. The charging interface 107 includes, but is not limited to, a USB interface and a Type-C interface.

[0045] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the metasurface antenna assembly 102, which enhances the gain of the millimeter-wave antenna, includes multiple metasurface antenna elements 122 distributed on a preset surface 121. The preset surface 121 can be positioned opposite to the electronic device 200 placed at a carrier location, maintaining a preset distance. This preset distance improves antenna aperture efficiency, resulting in higher antenna gain. Taking a case where both the preset surface 121 and the surface opposite to the electronic device 200 are rectangular, the preset distance can be set such that the distance between the metasurface antenna element 122 and the feed source in the electronic device 200 is equal to 0.4-0.6 times the length of the longer side of the preset surface 121, preferably 0.5 times. By setting the preset distance within this range, the antenna aperture efficiency is maximized, achieving higher antenna gain.

[0046] Multiple metasurface antenna elements 122 are used to improve the antenna gain of the electronic device 200. According to embodiments of this disclosure, by arranging a preset surface 121 on which multiple metasurface antenna elements 122 are disposed opposite to the electronic device 200 placed at a carrier position and maintaining a preset distance, the antenna gain of the electronic device 200 can be improved. This method of improving antenna gain does not introduce a complex feeding network to the electronic device 200, nor does it increase the size and manufacturing cost of the electronic device 200. It can be applied to small mobile electronic devices, and the antenna gain improvement effect is good, enabling an increase in the communication distance of the electronic device 200 and expanding its communication coverage. Furthermore, the metasurface antenna elements 122 used in embodiments of this disclosure are thinner, and compared with non-planar antenna structures such as parabolic antennas and lens antennas, they are simpler to install and have lower manufacturing costs.

[0047] Each metasurface antenna element 122 compensates for the phase difference between incident waves (millimeter-wave frequency) at different positions on the preset surface 121 by satisfying its own phase requirements. This ensures that after phase adjustment by each metasurface antenna element 122, the phases of the outgoing waves at different positions on the preset surface 121 are equal, thereby achieving the conversion from spherical waves to plane waves and thus improving the antenna gain of the electronic device 200. The principle of gain improvement achieved by the metasurface antenna element 122 is similar to that of a lens. Compared to a lens, the metasurface antenna element 122 is easier to manufacture, has more flexible phase adjustment, and is thinner, making it suitable for small mobile electronic devices.

[0048] In some embodiments, the plurality of metasurface antenna elements 122 are configured to cover millimeter waves in the frequency range of 24.5 GHz to 29.5 GHz, thereby improving the gain of millimeter wave antennas in this frequency range.

[0049] In some embodiments, at least some of the metasurface antenna elements 122 have different sizes. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, at least some of the sizes of the metasurface antenna elements 122 at different positions on the preset surface 121 are different to meet their respective phase requirements and to compensate for the phase difference between incident waves (frequency of millimeter waves) at different positions on the preset surface 121.

[0050] In some embodiments, to compensate for the phase difference of the incident wave, the size of each metasurface antenna element 122 is determined based on its position coordinates in a preset two-dimensional coordinate system established on the preset surface 121, the wavelength of the incident wave in the air, and the focal length between the feed phase center of the electronic device 200 and the preset surface 121. Specifically, the size of each metasurface antenna element 122 can be set according to the phase difference of the incident wave to be compensated. That is, the size of each metasurface antenna element 122 is adjusted according to the phase difference of the incident wave to be compensated, so that the metasurface antenna element 122, after size adjustment, finally installed on the preset surface 121 can achieve equal phase of the emitted wave corresponding to different positions on the preset surface 121.

[0051] As shown in Figure 10, the phase difference of the incident wave to be compensated for by each metasurface antenna element 122 is obtained according to the following principles and relationships in this embodiment of the disclosure.

[0052] Assuming f is the focal length between the feed phase center 202a of the electronic device 200 (i.e., the front geometric center of the electronic device 200 opposite to the preset surface) and the preset surface 121, and Δr is the path difference caused by incident waves with different paths, according to the generalized Snell's law, the phase difference of the incident wave that each metasurface antenna element 122 needs to compensate for satisfies the following relationship: Φ(x,y)=kΔr+Φ0 (Equation 1)

[0053] When the application scenario for each metasurface antenna element 122 is air, by substituting Equation 2 into Equation 1, the following relationship can be obtained:

[0054] Wherein, Φ(x,y) is the phase difference of the incident wave that the metasurface antenna element 122 needs to compensate for; k is the wave number in free space; Φ0 is an arbitrary phase constant; x,y are the position coordinates of the metasurface antenna element 122 in a preset two-dimensional coordinate system established on the preset surface 121, and the center of the preset two-dimensional coordinate system coincides with the orthographic projection of the feed phase center 202a of the electronic device 200 on the preset surface 121; λ is the wavelength of the incident wave in the air.

[0055] In some embodiments, to compensate for the phase difference of the incident wave, the position coordinates of each metasurface antenna element 122 are correspondingly set with a preset scaling factor. The size of each metasurface antenna element 122 is determined based on its initial size and its respective preset scaling factor. Specifically, after obtaining the phase difference of the incident wave to be compensated by each metasurface antenna element 122, the position coordinates of each metasurface antenna element 122 are correspondingly set with a preset scaling factor, and the size of each metasurface antenna element 122 is the product of its initial size and the corresponding preset scaling factor. In this way, at least some of the metasurface antenna elements 122 can have different sizes, and the size difference is set proportionally. The initial size refers to the uniform size of the multiple metasurface antenna elements 122 before phase difference compensation, and the size of the different metasurface antenna elements 122 after phase difference compensation is the product of the uniform size and the corresponding preset scaling factor. It is easy to understand that the position coordinates of each metasurface antenna element 122 correspond to a preset scaling factor. After determining the value of the preset scaling factor corresponding to each position coordinate, the metasurface antenna element 122 with the size corresponding to the preset scaling factor needs to be installed at the coordinate position corresponding to the preset scaling factor, so as to complete the arrangement of at least some metasurface antenna elements 122 with different sizes on the preset surface 121.

[0056] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the preset scaling factor is greater than or equal to 0.7 and less than or equal to 1.1. Simulation results show that by selecting the preset scaling factor corresponding to the position coordinates of each metasurface antenna element 122 within the above numerical range, a phase change of nearly 360° can be achieved, thereby satisfying the phase requirements of each metasurface antenna element 122.

[0057] Based on the structure shown in Figure 3 or Figure 4, each metasurface antenna element 122 adjusts the side lengths of the first regular polygon and / or the second regular polygon in each metasurface antenna element 122 according to the phase difference of the incident wave to be compensated. The adjustment includes, for example, adjusting the corresponding preset scaling factor. In one specific embodiment, the second regular polygon has a centrally symmetric shape.

[0058] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3, the orthographic projections (i.e., the first regular polygons) of the first dielectric substrate 2, the second dielectric substrate 4, and the second metal layer 3 on the preset surface 121 are all first squares. In this case, the initial size corresponding to the side length of the first square is half the wavelength of the incident wave at the center frequency. After obtaining the phase difference of the incident wave to be compensated for by each metasurface antenna element 122, a corresponding preset scaling factor can be set according to the position coordinates of each metasurface antenna element 122. The side length of the first square corresponding to each metasurface antenna element 122 is the product of the initial size (i.e., half the wavelength of the incident wave at the center frequency) and the corresponding preset scaling factor. In this way, it is possible to achieve that the side lengths of the first squares corresponding to the first dielectric substrate 2, the second dielectric substrate 4, and the second metal layer 3 in at least some metasurface antenna elements 122 are different.

[0059] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the orthographic projection (i.e., the second regular polygon) of the first metal layer 1 and the third metal layer 5 onto the preset surface 121 is a second square. In this case, the initial size corresponding to the side length of the second square is two-fifths of the incident wavelength at the center frequency. Similar to the first square, the side length of the second square corresponding to each metasurface antenna element 122 is the product of the initial size (i.e., two-fifths of the incident wavelength at the center frequency) and the corresponding preset scaling factor. In this way, it is possible to achieve that the side lengths of the second squares corresponding to the first metal layer 1 and the third metal layer 5 in at least some metasurface antenna elements 122 are different, for example, varying within the range of one-quarter to two-fifths of the incident wavelength at the center frequency.

[0060] In some embodiments, the contour shapes of the first metal layer 1 and the third metal layer 5 can be adjusted to compensate for the phase difference of the incident wave, based on the phase difference of the incident wave that each metasurface antenna element 122 needs to compensate for. In one example, as shown in FIG3, each side of the second square is parallel to each side of the first square. In another example, the contour shapes of the first metal layer 1' and the third metal layer 5' shown in FIG4 differ from those shown in FIG3 in that the second square shown in FIG4 is the shape after rotating the second square shown in FIG3 by 45° relative to the first square, that is, each side of the second square in FIG4 forms a 45° angle with each side of the first square. In practical applications, the angles between each side of the second square and each side of the first square can also be other angle values, and the change of angle value is equivalent to adjusting the contour shapes of the first metal layer 1 and the third metal layer 5. Of course, in practical applications, other methods can be used to adjust the outline shape of the first metal layer 1 and the third metal layer 5, for example, replacing the second square with a rhombus or other centrally symmetrical shapes.

[0061] It should be noted that in practical applications, the size of each metasurface antenna element 122 can be adjusted individually, as can the contour shape of the first metal layer 1 and the third metal layer 5, or both can be adjusted in combination. All of these methods can be used to compensate for the phase difference of the incident wave.

[0062] In one specific embodiment, the preset surface 121 is rectangular, for example, with dimensions of 60mm * 120mm. The dimensions of the first square corresponding to the first dielectric substrate 2, the second dielectric substrate 4, and the second metal layer 3 are, for example, 6mm * 6mm. The outline shapes of the first metal layer 1 and the third metal layer 5 adopt the shape shown in Figure 3. The cutout portion 31 on the second metal layer 3 adopts the shape shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 11, the preset scaling factor is greater than or equal to 0.7 and less than or equal to 1.1. By selecting the preset scaling factor corresponding to the position coordinates (vertical coordinate of Figure 11) of each metasurface antenna element 122 within the above-mentioned numerical range, the arrangement of the metasurface antenna elements 122 as shown in Figures 8 and 9 can be obtained. The distance between the metasurface antenna element 122 and the feed source in the electronic device 200 is equal to 0.5 times the length of the long side of the preset surface 121, for example, 60mm.

[0063] Based on this, taking the improvement of antenna gain of the UFI (Ufi) with millimeter-wave antenna shown in Figure 1 using the antenna structure 100 with the above structure as an example, the lower curve in Figure 12 is the gain curve of the millimeter-wave antenna module 202, with a maximum gain of 8dBi-10dBi. The upper curve in Figure 12 is the gain curve after the antenna gain of the UFI with millimeter-wave antenna shown in Figure 1 is improved using the antenna structure 100 with the above structure. Through simulation calculation, after the antenna gain is improved, the millimeter-wave antenna gain of the UFI can be increased by up to 8.3dB, and the antenna gain is improved by 6dB-8.3dB compared to the antenna gain of the millimeter-wave antenna module 202 itself across the entire operating frequency range. Therefore, it can be seen that the antenna gain improvement effect of the antenna structure 100 with the above structure is significant, which can effectively increase the communication distance of the electronic device and expand its communication coverage.

[0064] It should be noted that the preset surface 121 is not limited to being rectangular; its shape can be adjusted according to the actual shape of the electronic device 200. For example, if the front of the electronic device 200 is square, a square preset surface as shown in Figure 13 can be used. In other words, the shape of the preset surface 121 is adapted to the shape of the front of the electronic device 200. The front of the electronic device 200 is the surface opposite to the preset surface 121 when it is placed in the support position.

[0065] This disclosure has disclosed exemplary embodiments, and although specific terminology has been used, it is for general illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. In some instances, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with particular embodiments may be used alone, or in combination with features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with other embodiments, unless otherwise expressly indicated. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure as set forth by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A metasurface antenna element, comprising a first metal layer, a first dielectric substrate, a second metal layer, a second dielectric substrate, and a third metal layer stacked sequentially, wherein the second metal layer is provided with a variety of hollow portions of different shapes; The orthographic projections of the first dielectric substrate, the second dielectric substrate, and the second metal layer on the preset surface coincide, and the orthographic projection outlines are all first regular polygons; The orthographic projections of the first metal layer and the third metal layer on the preset surface coincide, and the orthographic projection outlines are both second regular polygons; The side length of the first regular polygon is a first preset multiple of the incident wavelength at the center frequency point, and the side length of the second regular polygon is a second preset multiple of the incident wavelength at the center frequency point, wherein both the first preset multiple and the second preset multiple are less than 1.

2. The metasurface antenna unit of claim 1, wherein, Each side of the first regular polygon is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with each side of the second regular polygon, and they are parallel to each other or at a 45° angle.

3. The metasurface antenna unit of claim 1, wherein, The first regular polygon is a first square, and the first preset multiple is one-half.

4. The metasurface antenna unit of claim 1, wherein, The second regular polygon is a second square, and the second preset multiple is two-fifths.

5. The metasurface antenna unit of claim 1, wherein, Extended shapes are formed at each corner of the second regular polygon.

6. The metasurface antenna unit of claim 1, wherein, The hollowed-out portion includes a cross-shaped hollowed-out portion, a circular hollowed-out portion, and a ring-shaped hollowed-out portion. The annular hollow section surrounds the cross-shaped hollow section and the circular hollow section; There are four circular cutouts, each located within the space cut out by the cross-shaped cutout.

7. The metasurface antenna unit of claim 1, wherein, The hollowed-out sections include cross-shaped hollowed-out sections, square hollowed-out sections, and arc-shaped hollowed-out sections. There are four arc-shaped hollow sections, which are distributed at intervals on the same circumference, surrounding the cross-shaped hollow section and the square hollow section; There are four square cutouts, each located in the space cut out by the cross-shaped cutout. The four ends of the cross-shaped hollow section are respectively connected to the midpoints of the four arc-shaped hollow sections.

8. An antenna structure comprising a body and a plurality of metasurface antenna elements distributed on a predetermined surface of the body, each of the metasurface antenna elements comprising a metasurface antenna element according to any one of claims 1-7; The preset surface is positioned opposite the electronic device and maintains a preset distance.

9. The antenna structure of claim 8, wherein, At least some of the metasurface antenna elements have different dimensions.

10. The antenna structure of claim 9, wherein, The size of the metasurface antenna element is determined based on its position coordinates in a preset two-dimensional coordinate system established on the preset surface, the wavelength of the incident wave in the air, and the focal length between the feed phase center of the electronic device and the preset surface.

11. The antenna structure of claim 10, wherein, The position coordinates of the metasurface antenna element are set with a preset scaling factor. The size of the metasurface antenna element is determined according to the preset scaling factor corresponding to the initial size and the position coordinates of the metasurface antenna element.

12. The antenna structure of claim 11, wherein, The preset scaling factor is greater than or equal to 0.7 and less than or equal to 1.

1.

13. The antenna structure of claim 8, wherein, The body includes a folding component and a load-bearing component. The folding component is foldably connected to the supporting component, and the supporting component is provided with a support position for supporting electronic equipment; The folding component is provided with the preset surface; The folding part is opposite to the electronic device placed in the bearing position when in the unfolded position.

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