Phase shifter, antenna, and base station

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of communications, and provide a phase shifter, an antenna, and a base station, used for improving the flexibility of beamforming. The phase shifter comprises a feeding unit, a swing arm element, and N conductor segments, wherein N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. The N conductor segments are N arc-shaped conductor segments arranged concentrically, and M arc-shaped conductor segments among the N arc-shaped conductor segments have non-uniform arc-shaped line widths, wherein M is a positive integer less than or equal to N. The swing arm element takes the concentric center of the N conductor segments as a rotation axis, and one end of the swing arm element is electrically connected to the N conductor segments. The phase shifter can be applied to a phase shifter network, an antenna, and a communication base station.

Description

A phase shifter, antenna and base station

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510012264.7, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on January 2, 2025, entitled “A Phase Shifter, Antenna and Base Station”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication equipment technology, and in particular to a phase shifter, antenna and base station. Background Technology

[0003] With the development of communication technology, multi-band, multi-standard communication is gradually emerging, which has led to the development of antennas that support multi-band, multi-standard communication. This also results in the need for larger antenna arrays, more antenna elements, and more complex antenna feeding circuits in communication systems; at the same time, greater power is required to improve the coverage range and signal quality of the antenna beam.

[0004] Phase shifters are key components in antenna feed circuits, used to adjust the transmission phase of the antenna feed circuit to control the beamforming of the antenna array. However, in scenarios involving larger antenna arrays or multiple antenna elements, existing phase shifters cannot achieve the flexibility of beamforming during use. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a phase shifter, a phase shifter network, an antenna, and a base station to improve beamforming flexibility.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a phase shifter, which includes a swing arm element and N conductor segments; wherein the N conductor segments are N concentrically arranged arc-shaped conductor segments, and the arc linewidths of M of the N arc-shaped conductor segments are unequal. The swing arm element rotates about the concentricity of the N conductor segments as its axis of rotation, and one end of the swing arm element is electrically connected to the N conductor segments. Here, N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and M is an integer less than or equal to N.

[0008] According to the phase shifter of the first aspect, unequal power distribution at the port can be achieved. When this unequal power distribution phase shifter is applied to a multi-antenna scenario, it will result in the equivalent beam or equivalent radiation pattern of multiple elements on the antenna array having a lower level on the sidelobes, thereby improving the flexibility of beamforming.

[0009] In one possible implementation, when N is greater than M, the NM arc-shaped conductor segments other than the M arc-shaped conductor segments are conductor segments of equal width.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the phase shifter includes an arc-shaped conductor segment with its two ends serving as ports for the phase shifter. These ports can be connected to a radiating element or to ports of other phase shifters.

[0011] In one possible implementation, N is greater than 1 and equal to M. The phase shifter includes a swing arm element and N conductor segments. The arc linewidths of these N arc-shaped conductor segments are all unequal. The two ends of each conductor segment are the ports of the phase shifter.

[0012] In one possible implementation, N is greater than 1 and greater than M. The phase shifter includes a swing arm element and N conductor segments. Among these N arc-shaped conductor segments, M arc-shaped conductor segments have unequal arc linewidths, while the other NM arc-shaped conductor segments have equal arc linewidths. The two ends of each conductor segment are the ports of the phase shifter.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the arc-shaped conductor segment has an unequal arc width, meaning the arc width gradually changes from one end to the other. The arc width can gradually widen from left to right; alternatively, it can gradually narrow from left to right; or the arc width can irregularly change from one end to the other, without limitation.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the line width of the M arc-shaped conductor segments gradually increases from the left end to the right end; or, the line width of the M arc-shaped conductor segments may gradually decrease from the left end to the right end; or, the line width of the M arc-shaped conductor segments may be such that some conductor segments gradually decrease from the left end to the right end, and some arc-shaped conductor segments gradually increase from the left end to the right end; or, the line width of the M arc-shaped conductor segments may irregularly change from one end to the other.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the upper and lower edges of X of the M arc-shaped conductor segments are smooth curves, such as arcs. Here, X is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0016] In one possible implementation, at least one of the upper and lower edges of Y of the M arc-shaped conductor segments is a non-smooth curve. Here, Y is a positive integer less than or equal to M. The non-smooth curve can be a line with a corner.

[0017] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the non-smooth curves of the upper and lower edges of the arc-shaped conductor segment are serpentine lines.

[0018] Compared to a layout with smooth curves at the top and bottom edges, a layout with non-smooth curves at the top and / or bottom edges can save material. Furthermore, it can effectively reduce the size of the phase shifter, facilitating its installation.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the upper and lower edges of all M arc-shaped conductor segments are smooth curves; at least one of the upper and lower edges of all M arc-shaped conductor segments is a non-smooth curve; or, the upper and lower edges of some of the M arc-shaped conductor segments are smooth curves, and at least one of the upper and lower edges of the remaining arc-shaped conductor segments is a non-smooth curve.

[0020] In one possible implementation, for an arc-shaped conductor segment, the port edge (or left and right edges) of the arc-shaped conductor segment includes, but is not limited to, one or more of straight lines, broken lines, smooth or non-smooth curves.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the linewidths of the M arc-shaped conductor segments are equal.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned M arc-shaped conductor segments include at least two arc-shaped conductor segments with unequal line widths (i.e., M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2), meaning that at least two of the M arc-shaped conductor segments have different line widths.

[0023] In one possible implementation, when N is greater than M, the line widths of the NM equal-width arc conductor segments, excluding the aforementioned M unequal-width arc conductor segments, are equal.

[0024] In one possible implementation, when N is greater than M, the NM equal-width arc conductor segments, in addition to the aforementioned M unequal-width arc conductor segments, include at least two arc conductor segments with unequal line widths (i.e., NM is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2), meaning that at least two of the NM arc conductor segments have different line widths.

[0025] When two arc-shaped conductor segments have the same linewidth, their power distribution at the port is the same. When two arc-shaped conductor segments have different linewidths, their power distribution at the port is different. When unequal power divider phase shifters are applied to multi-antenna scenarios, the beams of multiple elements on the antenna array will have lower levels on the sidelobes of the converged equivalent beam or equivalent radiation pattern, thereby improving the flexibility of beamforming.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the portion of the swing arm element connected to the M arc-shaped conductor segments has the same width on both sides of the arc-shaped conductor segments.

[0027] In one possible implementation, when N is greater than M, the portion of the swing arm element connected to the NM arc conductor segments (excluding the aforementioned M unequal-width arc conductor segments) has the same width on both sides of the arc conductor segment.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the width of the portion connecting the swing arm element to the M arc-shaped conductor segments differs on both sides of the arc-shaped conductors. For example, the portion connecting the swing arm element to the M arc-shaped conductor segments may be wider on the side with a wider arc-shaped conductor segment and thinner on the side with a thinner arc-shaped conductor segment.

[0029] When the linewidth of the arc-shaped conductor segment is wider, the contact area between the swing arm element and the M arc-shaped conductor segments is also larger, which makes the contact size between the swing arm element and the arc-shaped conductor more matched, thereby enhancing impedance matching and reducing transmission loss.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the portion of the swing arm element connected to P of the M arc-shaped conductor segments has a different width on both sides of the arc-shaped conductor, and the portion connected to the other MP of the M arc-shaped conductor segments has the same width on both sides of the arc-shaped conductor, where P is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0031] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a phase shifter network, which includes a plurality of phase shifters; wherein the plurality of phase shifters includes at least one unequal power phase shifter as described in the first aspect above, and at least one equal power phase shifter. The at least one equal power phase shifter is used to distribute the input signal through the arc conductor segment port to the unequal power phase shifter connected to the arc conductor segment port with the same power.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the phase shifter network may include a plurality of unequal power phase shifters as described in the first aspect above, and a plurality of equal power phase shifters.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the phase shifter network may consist only of unequal power phase shifters, for example, equal power phase shifters may be replaced with unequal power phase shifters.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the phase shifter network can be arranged on a separate printed circuit board (PCB). This design reduces the overall size of the phase shifter network, thus saving costs. The phase shifter network can also be arranged in a signal direct injection feeding (SDIF) configuration, which can effectively improve antenna radiation efficiency and thus enhance coverage quality.

[0035] Thirdly, an antenna is provided that includes the phase shifter network described in the second aspect above and a plurality of radiating elements. Alternatively, the antenna includes the phase shifter described in the first aspect and a plurality of radiating elements. The phase shifter in the antenna can be connected to the radiating elements via a port. When the number of arc conductors in the phase shifter increases (M is greater than 2), the antenna can contain more radiating elements.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the antenna may further include one or more of a drive / calibration network, a reflector, a connection unit, and an antenna radome.

[0037] Fourthly, a base station is provided, which may include the antenna, RRU, and baseband processing unit (BBU) described in the third aspect above. The phase shifter port in the antenna can be connected to one end of the RRU via a cable, and the BBU can be connected to the other end of the RRU via a cable. It should be understood that the RRU may also be in the form of RU or RRH in different communication systems. This application does not limit the name or form of the RRU in different communication systems.

[0038] The phase shifter network, antenna, and communication base station provided in this application embodiment achieve the same technical effects as the phase shifter in any of the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 is a structural example diagram of a phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figures 2a and 2b are examples of equivalent beamformations of antenna arrays provided in embodiments of this application;

[0041] Figures 3a, 3b and 3c are another structural example of a phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figures 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d are another structural example of a phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 5 is a structural example of a phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figures 6a and 6b are another structural example of a phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figures 7a, 7b and 7c are another structural example of a phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figures 8a and 8b are structural example diagrams of a phase shifter network provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 9 is a structural example diagram of an antenna provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 10 is a structural example of an antenna provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 11 is a structural example of an antenna provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0050] To better understand the technical solutions of this application, the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0051] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Unless otherwise specified or stated, the term "multiple" refers to two or more; the term "at least one" refers to one, multiple, or all. The term "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. In the implementation of this application, "connection" can also take the form of "electrical connection," such as a contact electrical connection or a coupling electrical connection, without limitation. A "radiating element" is a component on an antenna that has the function of guiding and amplifying electromagnetic waves. A "radiating element" can also be called an "antenna array" or simply "array," without limitation in this application. An "antenna array" includes two or more radiating elements / antenna arrays. In an antenna array, the radiating elements / antenna arrays can be fed and spatially arranged according to certain requirements, and this application does not limit their feeding and arrangement forms. The "feed unit," also known as a feed wire or input (IN) port, is used to transmit the transceiver's transmit signal to the phase shifter, or to transmit the phase shifter's receive signal to the transceiver. In this application, the transceiver is a device with signal transmission and reception capabilities, which can refer to a radio unit (RU), a pico radio remote unit (pRRU), a remote radio unit (RRU), or a remote radio head (RRH); it can also be a module within an RU, pRRU, RRU, or RRH that has signal transmission and reception capabilities. This application does not limit the specific form of the transceiver. The "reflector," also known as a base plate, antenna panel, or metal reflective surface, is used to improve the receiving sensitivity of the antenna signal by reflecting and focusing the antenna signal onto the receiving point. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0052] Phase shifters, as core components of radio frequency (RF) circuits, have wide applications in communication systems. For example, phase shifters can be used in antennas or mid-RF devices. These antennas or mid-RF devices can be applied to various possible communication devices or systems. For instance, they can be used in microwave systems. Furthermore, they can be used in radio access networks (RANs).

[0053] A radio access network includes at least one RAN node of the same or different types. Examples include radio relay equipment and / or radio backhaul equipment. Terminals connect to the RAN node wirelessly. The radio access network can be a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) related cellular system, such as the 4th generation (4G) (also understood as Long Term Evolution, LTE), the 5th generation (5G) (also understood as New Radio, NR) mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system. The radio access network can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (C-RAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The radio access network can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0054] The aforementioned phase shifters, antennas, or mid-frequency radio equipment can be applied to RAN nodes or terminals. RAN nodes, sometimes also called access network equipment, RAN entities, or access nodes, constitute part of the communication system and help terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes in a communication system can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN nodes and terminals are relative. For example, a network element in a communication system can be a helicopter or a drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals accessing the wireless access network through this network element, the network element is a base station; but for the base station, the network element is a terminal. RAN nodes and terminals are sometimes both referred to as communication devices.

[0055] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. A RAN node can be a macro base station, a micro base station or indoor station, a relay node or donor node, an access site for a local area network in an optical network, or a radio controller in a C-RAN scenario. Optionally, a RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0056] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with each RAN node performing some of the functions of the base station. For example, in the embodiments of this application, the RAN node can be a module integrating a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) antenna, such as a router or other module capable of 360° omnidirectional coverage. Another example is that the RAN node can be a radio unit (RU). The RU can be included in a mid-frequency radio device or a mid-frequency radio unit, such as a pico radio remote unit (pRRU), a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0057] In this application, the terminal can also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal.

[0058] In one possible implementation, the phase shifter is disc-shaped, as shown in Figure 1. It includes one or more concentric arc-shaped conductor segments 102 with different radii (the illustration uses multiple segments as an example) and a swing arm 101 that can rotate around a common center. By adjusting the rotation angle of the swing arm 101, the phase of the phase shifter at the port 110 of the arc-shaped conductor segment can be changed, thereby adjusting the phase difference between the ports of the phase shifter. Each port 110 of the arc-shaped conductor segment can be connected to a radiating element to transmit or receive radio frequency signals from the radiating element. Optionally, in a multi-antenna scenario, multiple phase shifters can be used to support the connection of multiple radiating elements. However, the disk of the phase shifter shown in Figure 1 is an equal-power-dividing disk, which is difficult to meet the flexible beamforming requirements of multi-antenna scenarios. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the arc width of the multiple arc-shaped conductor segments 102 remains constant from one end to the other; that is, the arc-shaped conductor segments are equal-width arc-shaped conductor segments. Therefore, for each arc-shaped conductor, the impedance from the swing arm to both ends of the arc-shaped conductor is the same. Thus, when energized, the power allocated to ports 110 at both ends of the arc-shaped conductor is also the same. This equal power allocation at both ends of the arc-shaped conductor segment can be called an equal power distribution design. In multi-antenna scenarios, such as beamforming using an antenna array with multiple radiating elements, the equal power distribution phase shifter design, due to the equal power allocation on each antenna element in the antenna array, results in a higher level of the equivalent beam (i.e., the shaped beam) or equivalent radiation pattern on the sidelobes of the antenna array, as shown in Figure 2a. Therefore, using the phase shifter connection shown in Figure 1 to achieve low-sidelobe beamforming is less effective.

[0059] To achieve low-sidelobe beamforming for an antenna array, this application provides a phase shifter with unequal power distribution. This phase shifter can also be referred to as an unequal power distribution phase shifter, an unequal power distribution phase shifter, etc., without limitation. The phase shifter includes a swing arm element and N conductor segments; wherein the N conductor segments are N concentrically arranged arc-shaped conductor segments, and the arc linewidths of M of the N arc-shaped conductor segments are unequal. The swing arm element rotates around the concentricity of the N conductor segments, and one end of the swing arm element is electrically connected to the N conductor segments. Here, N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and M is an integer less than or equal to N.

[0060] In this embodiment, the conductor segment can also be referred to as a conductor. N conductor segments can also be referred to as N conductor segments, N conductors, N conductors, etc., without limitation. M conductor segments can also be referred to as M conductor segments, M conductors, M conductors, etc., without limitation.

[0061] In this embodiment of the application, when N is greater than M, the NM arc-shaped conductor segments other than the aforementioned M arc-shaped conductor segments of unequal width are conductor segments of equal width.

[0062] In this embodiment, the aforementioned N conductor segments are N concentrically arranged arc-shaped conductor segments with different radii.

[0063] Figure 3a is a structural example of a phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this application. This example assumes N equals 1 and N equals M. In this example, the phase shifter 100 includes a swing arm element 101 and a conductor segment 102. The arc-shaped conductor segment has unequal arc widths. The two ends of the conductor segment 102 are ports 110 of the phase shifter 100. Ports 110 can be connected to a radiation unit or to ports of other phase shifters.

[0064] In this embodiment of the application, an arc-shaped conductor segment 102 is provided, with both ends of the conductor segment 102 serving as ports 110 of a phase shifter 100. Ports 110 can be connected to a radiation element or to ports of other phase shifters.

[0065] Figure 3b is a structural example of another phase shifter provided in the embodiments of this application. This example uses a case where N is greater than 1 and N equals M. In this example, the phase shifter 100 includes a swing arm element 101 and N conductor segments 102. The arc linewidths of these N arc-shaped conductor segments are all unequal. The two ends of the conductor segments 102 are the ports 110 of the phase shifter 100.

[0066] In this embodiment, two different ports 110 of the same arc-shaped conductor segment can be connected to the same or different types of devices, without limitation. For example, one port can be connected to a radiating element, and the other port can be connected to another phase shifter; or both ports can be connected to radiating elements; or both ports can be connected to other phase shifters. When both ports are connected to other phase shifters, they can be connected to the same phase shifter or different phase shifters, without limitation. Ports 110 of different arc-shaped conductor segments can be connected to the same or different types of devices, without limitation.

[0067] The illustrations in this application are not intended to limit the scope of this application. For example, although Figure 3b illustrates that a larger radius corresponds to a longer arc-shaped conductor segment, this application is not limited to this. Optionally, among the N arc-shaped conductor segments 102, there may be a first arc-shaped conductor segment and a second arc-shaped conductor segment. The radius of the first arc-shaped conductor segment is larger than that of the second arc-shaped conductor segment, but the length of the first arc-shaped conductor segment is less than or equal to that of the second arc-shaped conductor segment.

[0068] Figure 3c is another structural example of the phase shifter provided in this application embodiment. This example uses N greater than 1, where N is greater than M. In this example, the phase shifter 100 includes a swing arm element 101 and N arc-shaped segments 102. M of the N arc-shaped conductor segments have unequal arc linewidths, while the other NM arc-shaped conductor segments have equal arc linewidths. The two ends of the conductor segments 102 are the ports 110 of the phase shifter 100. This application embodiment does not limit the distribution position of the M arc-shaped conductor segments with unequal arc linewidths among the N arc-shaped conductor segments.

[0069] In this embodiment, the port of the phase shifter, such as port 110, can output signals (e.g., intermediate frequency signals or radio frequency signals) from the phase shifter to the connected unit or device; therefore, this port can be called an output port. Alternatively, port 110 can input signals (e.g., intermediate frequency signals or radio frequency signals) from the connected unit or device to the phase shifter; therefore, this port can also be called an input port, without limitation. In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the port, input port, and output port of the phase shifter all refer to the port of the phase shifter and are not used to limit the direction of signal flow on the phase shifter.

[0070] In embodiments of this application, as shown in the examples of Figures 3a, 3b, and 3c, the phase shifter 100 further includes a power supply unit 103. Optionally, the phase shifter 100 may also be referred to as a phase shifter network. One end of the swing arm element 101 of the phase shifter 100 is electrically connected to one end of the power supply unit 103 at the rotation axis 104.

[0071] When the aforementioned phase shifter is used, the other end of the feed unit 103 is another port 120 of the phase shifter 100. Port 120 can output signals (e.g., intermediate frequency signals or radio frequency signals) from the phase shifter to the connected unit or device, or it can input signals (e.g., intermediate frequency signals or radio frequency signals) from the connected unit or device to the phase shifter. For example, port 120 can be connected to an RRU (or RRH or AAU) via a German industrial standard (DIN) cable interface to receive electromagnetic wave signals output by the RRU (or RRH or AAU), or to transmit received electromagnetic wave signals to the RRU (or RRH or AAU). In a multi-antenna scenario, if the phase shifter is connected to other phase shifters, port 120 of the phase shifter 100 can also be connected to the output port 110 of other phase shifters.

[0072] In the embodiments of this application, the arc linewidth of an arc conductor segment is unequal, meaning that the arc linewidth of the arc conductor segment gradually changes from one end to the other.

[0073] For example, Figures 4a and 4b show examples of an arc-shaped conductor segment (M=1) where the linewidth gradually changes from one end to the other. As shown in Figure 4a, the linewidth of the arc-shaped conductor segment gradually widens from the left end to the right end; or, as shown in Figure 4b, the linewidth of the arc-shaped conductor segment can also gradually narrow from the left end to the right end; or, the linewidth of the arc-shaped conductor segment can change irregularly from one end to the other end without restriction.

[0074] For example, Figures 3b, 3c, 4c, and 4d show examples of M arc-shaped conductor segments (M>1) where the arc linewidth gradually changes from one end to the other. As shown in Figure 3b or 3c, the linewidth of the M arc-shaped conductor segments gradually widens from the left end to the right end; or, as shown in Figure 4c, the linewidth of the M arc-shaped conductor segments may also gradually narrow from the left end to the right end; or, as shown in Figure 4d, the linewidth of the M arc-shaped conductor segments may be such that some conductor segments gradually narrow from the left end to the right end, and some arc-shaped conductor segments gradually widen from the left end to the right end; or, some or all of the linewidths of the M arc-shaped conductor segments may change irregularly from one end to the other. This application does not specifically limit the direction of the arc linewidth gradient of the M arc-shaped conductor segments.

[0075] Optionally, in the embodiments of this application, as shown in Figures 3a to 4d, the upper and lower edges of X of the M arc-shaped conductor segments are smooth curves, such as arcs. Here, X is a positive integer less than or equal to M. The smooth curves at the upper and lower edges of the arc-shaped conductor segments can be uniformly varied smooth curves or non-uniformly varied smooth curves; this application does not limit the specific shape of the smooth curves.

[0076] Optionally, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, at least one of the upper and lower edges of Y of the M arc-shaped conductor segments is a non-smooth curve. Here, Y is a positive integer less than or equal to M. The non-smooth curve can be a line with corners. For example, it can be an arc-shaped line with corners, or a line consisting of multiple line segments connected end-to-end with corners. This application does not limit the specific shape of the non-smooth curve. A corner can be a convex angle formed by multiple line segments in a broad sense; it can also be a rounded corner formed by an arc, or a geometric angle (e.g., acute, right, obtuse) with a common endpoint. This application does not limit the size, shape, or number of corners. Taking Figure 5 as an example, the non-smooth curves of the upper and lower edges of the arc-shaped conductor segments are serpentine lines, in which multiple line segments are connected end-to-end, and the serpentine line has multiple corners in a planar layout. Compared to a layout with smooth curves at the upper and lower edges, using a layout with non-smooth curves at the upper and / or lower edges can save materials. Furthermore, it can effectively reduce the size of the phase shifter, making the installation of the phase shifter more convenient.

[0077] In the embodiments of this application, optionally, the upper and lower edges of all M arc-shaped conductor segments are smooth curves; at least one of the upper and lower edges of all M arc-shaped conductor segments is a non-smooth curve; or, the upper and lower edges of some of the M arc-shaped conductor segments are smooth curves, and at least one of the upper and lower edges of the remaining arc-shaped conductor segments is a non-smooth curve; there are no restrictions.

[0078] In the embodiments of this application, optionally, the upper and lower edges of all NM equal-width arc-shaped conductor segments are smooth curves; at least one of the upper and lower edges of all NM equal-width arc-shaped conductor segments is a non-smooth curve; or, the upper and lower edges of some of the arc-shaped conductor segments among all NM equal-width arc-shaped conductor segments are smooth curves, and at least one of the upper and lower edges of the remaining arc-shaped conductor segments is a non-smooth curve; there are no restrictions.

[0079] In the embodiments of this application, optionally, the upper and lower edges of all N arc-shaped conductor segments are smooth curves; at least one of the upper and lower edges of all N arc-shaped conductor segments is a non-smooth curve; or, the upper and lower edges of some of the N arc-shaped conductor segments are smooth curves, and at least one of the upper and lower edges of the remaining arc-shaped conductor segments is a non-smooth curve; there are no restrictions.

[0080] In the embodiments of this application, as shown in Figures 6a and 6b, for an arc-shaped conductor segment, the port edges (or left and right edges) of the arc-shaped conductor segment include, but are not limited to, straight lines, broken lines, smooth or non-smooth curves, or one or more of these. The shapes of different ports can be the same or different, without limitation. These different ports can be different ports of the same arc-shaped conductor segment or different ports of different arc-shaped conductor segments, without limitation. As shown in Figure 6a, the right edge of the arc-shaped conductor segment includes three straight lines ①, ②, and ③, where the tail of straight line ① connects to the head of straight line ②, and the tail of straight line ② connects to the head of straight line ③. As shown in Figure 6b, the right edge of the arc-shaped conductor segment includes a smooth curve ①, a non-smooth curve ②, and a straight line ③, where the tail of smooth curve ① connects to the head of non-smooth curve ②, and the tail of non-smooth curve ② connects to the head of straight line ③. The embodiments of this application do not limit the number, type, or shape of the line segments included in the left and right edges of the arc-shaped conductor segment.

[0081] In the embodiments of this application, the conductor segment 102 can be a metallic conductor (e.g., copper, aluminum, iron, silver, etc., without limitation) or a graphite conductor. This application does not limit the material of the conductor segment.

[0082] Based on the phase shifter provided in this application embodiment, unequal power distribution at port 110 can be achieved. For example, using the phase shifter provided in this application embodiment, since the arc-shaped linewidths of some or all of the conductor segments 102 are distributed unequally, the impedance between the feed unit and the corresponding port 110 of the conductor segments 102 with unequal linewidths is different, resulting in different signal power at each port 110, and therefore different power at the radiation unit connected to each port 110. For example, when the linewidth of the arc-shaped conductor is larger at one end and smaller at the other end, the impedance at the wider end of the arc-shaped conductor is smaller, and the power it obtains at the port is also larger; correspondingly, the impedance at the narrower end of the arc-shaped conductor is larger, and the power it obtains at the port is also smaller, that is, the signal power at the two ports of the arc-shaped conductor is unequal. When the phase shifter provided in this application embodiment is applied to a multi-antenna scenario, it will cause the beams of multiple elements on the antenna array to have a lower level on the sidelobe after aggregation of the equivalent beam or equivalent radiation pattern, as shown in Figure 2b, thereby improving the flexibility of beamforming.

[0083] Optionally, in the embodiments of this application, the line widths of the above-mentioned M arc-shaped conductor segments are equal.

[0084] Optionally, in the embodiments of this application, the aforementioned M arc-shaped conductor segments include at least two arc-shaped conductor segments with unequal line widths (i.e., M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2). In other words, at least two of the M arc-shaped conductor segments have different line widths.

[0085] Optionally, in the embodiments of this application, when N is greater than M, the line widths of the NM equal-width arc-shaped conductor segments are equal.

[0086] Optionally, in this embodiment, when N is greater than M, the NM equal-width arc-shaped conductor segments include at least two arc-shaped conductor segments with unequal line widths (i.e., NM is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2). In other words, at least two of the NM arc-shaped conductor segments have different line widths.

[0087] In this embodiment, different linewidths of the arc-shaped conductor segments can refer to different projected widths of the arc-shaped conductors along the radial direction at the same central angle. When two arc-shaped conductor segments have the same linewidth, the power distribution at port 110 is the same. When two arc-shaped conductor segments have different linewidths, the power distribution at port 110 is different. When this unequal power divider phase shifter is applied to a multi-antenna scenario, or when multiple unequal power divider phase shifters are interconnected and applied to a multi-antenna scenario, the beams of multiple elements on the antenna array will have lower levels on the sidelobes of the converged equivalent beam or equivalent radiation pattern, thereby improving the flexibility of beamforming.

[0088] In the embodiments of this application, when N is greater than M, the portion 130 connecting the swing arm element 101 and the NM equal-width arc-shaped conductor segments has the same width on both sides of the arc-shaped conductor segment.

[0089] Optionally, in this embodiment, the portion 130 connecting the swing arm element 101 to the M arc-shaped conductor segments has the same width on both sides of the arc-shaped conductor segments. For example, as shown in FIG7a, the arm width of the portion 130 connecting the swing arm element 101 to the M arc-shaped conductor segments is the same on both sides of the arc-shaped conductor segment with wider arc width and with narrower arc width.

[0090] Optionally, in this embodiment, the width of the portion 130 connecting the swing arm element 101 and the M arc-shaped conductor segments differs on both sides of the arc-shaped conductor. For example, the portion 130 connecting the swing arm element 101 and the M arc-shaped conductor segments may have a wider swing arm on the side with a wider arc-shaped linewidth of the arc-shaped conductor segment and a thinner swing arm on the side with a thinner arc-shaped linewidth of the arc-shaped conductor segment. Taking Figure 7b as an example, the arc-shaped conductor gradually widens from left to right, and the left swing arm of the portion 130 connecting the swing arm element 101 and the M arc-shaped conductor segments is thinner than the right swing arm. When the arc-shaped conductor segment has a wider linewidth, the contact area between the swing arm element 101 and the M arc-shaped conductor segments is also larger, thus making the contact size between the swing arm element 101 and the arc-shaped conductor more matched, which is beneficial for enhancing impedance matching and reducing transmission loss.

[0091] Optionally, in this embodiment, the width of the portion 130 connecting the swing arm element 101 to P of the M arc-shaped conductor segments is different on both sides of the arc-shaped conductor, and the width is the same as the width of the portion 130 connecting the other MP of the M arc-shaped conductor segments on both sides of the arc-shaped conductor, where P is a positive integer less than or equal to M. For example, as shown in Figure 7c, the portion 130 connecting the swing arm element 101 to the P arc-shaped conductor segments above the M arc-shaped conductor segments can be wider on the side with a wider arc-shaped line width and thinner on the side with a thinner arc-shaped line width; the width of the portion 130 connecting the swing arm element 101 to the MP arc-shaped conductor segments below the M arc-shaped conductor segments is the same on both sides of the arc-shaped conductor segment. This application does not limit which P arc conductor segments among the M arc conductor segments are connected to the swing arm element in the portion 130 with different widths on both sides of the arc conductor.

[0092] This application also provides a phase shifter network 200. This phase shifter network has a wider range of applications, such as scenarios requiring more ports, or other scenarios, without limitation. For example, Figures 8a and 8b are schematic diagrams of the structure of the phase shifter network 200 provided in this application embodiment. The phase shifter network includes multiple phase shifters; wherein, the multiple phase shifters include at least one unequal power phase shifter 100 as described in the above embodiments, and at least one equal power phase shifter, such as the one shown in Figure 1. Optionally, the at least one equal power phase shifter can distribute the input signal through the arc conductor segment port 110 to the unequal power phase shifter connected to the arc conductor segment port. For example, as shown in Figure 8a, the phase shifter network includes a first phase shifter 1000, a second phase shifter 2000, and a third phase shifter 3000. The first phase shifter 1000 and the third phase shifter 3000 are unequal power phase shifters, and the second phase shifter 2000 is an equal power phase shifter. The power supply unit 103 of the first phase shifter 1000 is electrically connected at port 120 to one port 110 of the arcuate conductor of the second phase shifter 2000, for example, via cable 140. The power supply unit 103 of the third phase shifter 3000 is electrically connected at port 120 to the other port 110 of the arcuate conductor of the second phase shifter 2000, for example, via cable 140. The first phase shifter 1000 and the third phase shifter 3000 can be connected to the radiating unit at port 110 of the arcuate conductor; the other ports 110 of the second phase shifter 2000 can be connected to the radiating unit, and port 103 of the second phase shifter 2000 can be connected to an RRU (or, RRH, or AAU, etc.) via cable. Because this phase shifter network uses unequal power phase shifters, the power distribution at both ends of the unequal width arc conductor is different, which will result in the beams of each element on the antenna array having a lower level on the sidelobes of the combined equivalent beam or equivalent radiation pattern, thereby improving the flexibility of beamforming.

[0093] In this embodiment, the specific number of unequal-power phase shifters 100 and equal-power phase shifters included in the phase shifter network 200 can be flexibly configured according to the size of the antenna array or the number of antenna elements. Optionally, the connection relationship between the unequal-power phase shifters and the equal-power phase shifters is shown in Figure 8a, or other connection methods can be used. This application does not limit the number and connection method of the unequal-power phase shifters and the equal-power phase shifters.

[0094] In this embodiment, the phase shifter network 200 may only include unequal power phase shifters. For example, the second phase shifter 2000 in FIG8a can be replaced with an unequal power phase shifter, resulting in the phase shifter network structure shown in FIG8b. As shown in FIG8b, the first phase shifter 1000, the second phase shifter 2000, and the third phase shifter 3000 are all unequal power phase shifters. The connection relationships between the second phase shifter 2000 and the first phase shifter 1000, as well as with the third phase shifter 3000, are consistent with those shown in FIG8b.

[0095] In the embodiments of this application, as shown in Figure 8a or Figure 8b, the first phase shifter 1000, the second phase shifter 2000, and the third phase shifter 3000 each have two arc-shaped conductors (M=2), thus each has four ports 110. Since the feed unit 103 of the first phase shifter 1000 is electrically connected at port 120 to one port 110 of the arc-shaped conductor of the second phase shifter 2000, and the ports 110 of the other conductors of the second phase shifter 2000 can be connected to radiating units, the first phase shifter 1000 and the third phase shifter 3000 can be connected to a maximum of four radiating units, and the second phase shifter 2000 can be connected to a maximum of two radiating units. When the number of arc conductors in the first phase shifter 1000, the second phase shifter 2000, and the third phase shifter 3000 increases (M is greater than 2), the phase shifter network can support connection to more radiating elements. This application does not limit the number of arc conductors in the phase shifters of the phase shifter network 200 or the number of radiating elements that can be connected.

[0096] Optionally, in this embodiment, the phase shifter network 200 can be arranged on a separate printed circuit board (PCB) to reduce the overall size of the phase shifter network and save costs. The phase shifter network can also adopt a signal direct injection feeding (SDIF) layout, which can effectively improve antenna radiation efficiency and thus improve coverage quality. This application does not limit the layout of the phase shifter network.

[0097] This application also provides an antenna 300. For example, Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the antenna 300 provided in this application embodiment. The antenna includes the phase shifter network 200 described in the above embodiments and multiple radiating elements 150. As shown in Figure 9, the phase shifter network in the antenna is the phase shifter network shown in Figure 8a or Figure 8b. Specifically, the first phase shifter 1000, the second phase shifter 2000, the third phase shifter 3000 in the antenna and their interconnection relationships are consistent with Figure 8a or Figure 8b. The first phase shifter 1000, the second phase shifter 2000, and the third phase shifter 3000 in the antenna can be connected to the radiating elements 150 through port 110. When the number of arc conductors in the first phase shifter 1000, the second phase shifter 2000, and the third phase shifter 3000 increases (M is greater than 2), the antenna can contain more radiating elements 150. This application embodiment does not limit the number of arc conductors in the phase shifters of the antenna or the number of radiating elements that can be connected.

[0098] Optionally, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, the antenna 300 further includes one or more of the following: a transmission / calibration network 400, a reflector 600, and a connection unit 500. The transmission / calibration network 400 is connected to the phase shifter network and can realize transmission and / or calibration functions. The transmission function refers to obtaining different radiation beam directions through the transmission network; the calibration function refers to obtaining the calibration signal required by the system through the calibration network. By setting the reflector 600, not only can the receiving / transmitting capability of the antenna 300 be greatly enhanced, but it also serves to block and shield interference from other radio waves from the rear (opposite direction) on the received signal. In this embodiment, multiple radiating elements 150 can be placed above the reflector 600; this application does not limit the placement of the radiating elements 150 on the reflector 600. The connection unit 500 includes a combiner and / or a filter, wherein the combiner is used to combine two or more radio frequency signals into one and transmit it to the radiating element 150, and the filter is used to filter signals within a specific frequency range while receiving or transmitting signals.

[0099] In this embodiment of the application, as shown in FIG11, the antenna 300 further includes an radome 700, which covers the outer surface of the antenna. The radome 700 has good electromagnetic wave penetration characteristics in terms of electrical performance and can protect the antenna system from the influence of the external environment.

[0100] This application also provides a base station. The base station may include the antenna 300 described in the above embodiments, an RRU (or RRH or AAU, etc.), and a baseband processing unit (building baseband unit, abbreviated as BBU). Port 103 of the second phase shifter 2000 can be connected to one end of the RRU via a cable, and the BBU can be connected to the other end of the RRU via a cable. It should be understood that the RRU may also be in the form of an RU or RRH in different communication systems. This application does not limit the name or form of the RRU in different communication systems.

[0101] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention.

Claims

1. A phase shifter, characterized in that, include: A swing arm element and N conductor segments, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; The N conductor segments are N concentric arc-shaped conductor segments, and the arc line widths of M of the N arc-shaped conductor segments are unequal, where M is a positive integer less than or equal to N; The swing arm element rotates around the concentricity of the N conductor segments, and one end of the swing arm element is electrically connected to the N conductor segments.

2. The phase shifter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The arc width of the M arc-shaped conductor segments gradually changes from one end to the other.

3. The phase shifter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The upper and lower edges of X of the M arc-shaped conductor segments are smooth curves, where X is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

4. The phase shifter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, At least one of the upper and lower edges of Y of the M arc-shaped conductor segments is a non-smooth curve, where Y is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

5. The phase shifter according to claim 4, characterized in that, Of the M arc-shaped conductor segments, T arc-shaped conductor segments are serpentine lines, where T is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

6. The phase shifter according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, For one of the M arc-shaped conductor segments, the edge of the port of the arc-shaped conductor segment includes one or more of the following: a straight line, a broken line, a smooth line, or a non-smooth curve.

7. The phase shifter according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, For P arc-shaped conductor segments out of the M arc-shaped conductor segments, the swing arm element is wider on the side with a wider arc-shaped conductor linewidth and narrower on the side with a narrower arc-shaped conductor linewidth in the portion connected to the P arc-shaped conductor segments, where P is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

8. The phase shifter according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, One end of the swing arm element is connected to the power supply unit at the center of the rotation axis.

9. A phase shifter network, characterized in that, include: A plurality of phase shifters; wherein the plurality of phase shifters includes at least one phase shifter as claimed in any one of claims 1-8; The multiple phase shifters are electrically connected together.

10. An antenna, characterized in that, include: A phase shifter network and multiple radiating elements; wherein the phase shifter network is the phase shifter network described in claim 9 above; The plurality of radiation units are connected to the ports of the phase shifters in the phase shifter network; the port of one of the phase shifters in the phase shifter network is connected to the radio frequency remote unit (RRU).

11. An antenna, characterized in that, include: The phase shifter as described in any one of claims 1-8, and a plurality of radiation units; The plurality of radiation units are connected to the ports of the phase shifter; The port of the phase shifter is connected to the radio frequency remote unit (RRU).

12. The antenna according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The antenna also includes one or more of the following: a transmission / calibration network, a reflector, a connection unit, and an antenna radome.

13. A base station, characterized in that, include: Antenna, Remote Radio Unit (RRU), and Baseband Processing Unit (BBU); The antenna is the antenna described in any one of claims 10 to 12 above; The plurality of radiating elements are connected to the output ports of the plurality of phase shifters; the antenna is connected to its corresponding radio frequency remote unit (RRU). The RRU is connected to the BBU.

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