CN-118801088-B - Antenna unit, antenna array, communication device and base station

Abstract

The application provides an antenna unit, an antenna array, communication equipment and a base station. The antenna unit comprises a radiation layer, a feed layer and a phase-shifting layer which are arranged in a laminated mode, wherein a feed circuit of the feed layer and a phase-shifting circuit of the phase-shifting layer are of microstrip line structures, the antenna unit further comprises a plurality of switches, part of the switches are distributed on the radiation layer and electrically connected with a radiation patch, part of the switches are distributed on the feed layer and electrically connected with the feed circuit, part of the switches are distributed on the phase-shifting layer and electrically connected with the phase-shifting circuit, the phase-shifting circuit and the feed circuit are used for transmitting electromagnetic wave signals, reconstruction of the radiation patch is achieved through controlling the plurality of switches, so that first linear polarization, second linear polarization, left-hand circular polarization and right-hand circular polarization of the antenna unit are switched, and the polarization direction of the first linear polarization and the polarization direction of the second linear polarization are mutually perpendicular. The antenna element has at least 2bit phase shifting capability. The antenna unit has the advantage of low profile and high integration while maintaining the antenna performance.

Inventors

• HUANG TIEJUN
• HE KAI

Assignees

• 华为技术有限公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230414

Claims (20)

1. 1. The utility model provides an antenna element, its characterized in that includes radiation layer, feed layer and the phase shift layer of range upon range of setting, the radiation layer includes the radiation paster, the feed layer includes the feed circuit, the phase shift layer is independent of the feed layer with the radiation layer, the phase shift layer includes the phase shift circuit of independent of the feed circuit, the feed circuit with the phase shift circuit is microstrip line structure, antenna element still includes a plurality of switches, part the switch distributes in the radiation layer and electricity is connected the radiation paster, part the switch distributes in the feed layer and electricity is connected the feed circuit, part the switch distributes in the phase shift layer and electricity is connected the phase shift circuit, the phase shift circuit with the feed circuit is used for transmitting electromagnetic wave signal, through control a plurality of the switch, realizes the reconfiguration of radiation paster to switch antenna element's first linear polarization, second linear polarization, left-hand circular polarization, right-hand circular polarization, the mutual perpendicular between the polarization direction of first linear polarization and the polarization direction of second linear polarization, antenna element has 2bit ability at least.
2. 2. The antenna unit of claim 1, wherein the antenna unit comprises a substrate that is a multi-layer dielectric layer architecture, the radiating layer, the feed layer, and the phase-shifting layer being distributed on different dielectric layers.
3. 3. The antenna unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the number of the radiating patches is one, a slit is provided inside the radiating patches, the slit edges are a first long side and a second long side which are oppositely arranged, the switch provided on the radiating layer is located in the slit and electrically connected between the first long side and the second long side, and switching between linear polarization and circular polarization of the antenna unit is achieved by controlling the switch in the slit, the linear polarization includes the first linear polarization and the second linear polarization, and the circular polarization includes the left-hand circular polarization and the right-hand circular polarization.
4. 4. The antenna unit of claim 3, wherein said radiating patch includes four input points, two of said input points being located on a side of a first long side remote from said second long side, and two of said input points being located on a side of said second long side remote from said first long side, four of said input points being electrically connected to said feed line.
5. 5. The antenna unit of claim 4, wherein the number of the switches provided on the radiation layer is two, the direction of the connection line between the two switches in the slit is a first direction, a second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and in the second direction, two of the input points are distributed on both sides of one of the switches, and the other two of the input points are distributed on both sides of the other one of the switches.
6. 6. The antenna unit of any of claims 3-5, wherein the antenna unit comprises an input port, the phase-shifting circuitry comprises an input and an output, the input port and the input are electrically connected, the output is located in a central region of the phase-shifting layer, and the feed layer is electrically connected between the output and the radiating patch.
7. 7. The antenna unit according to any one of claims 3-6, characterized in that switching the first linear polarization, the second linear polarization, the left-hand circular polarization, the right-hand circular polarization of the antenna unit is achieved by rotating the feeding position of the radiation layer by 90 degrees around the central position of the radiation patch by controlling the switching of the feeding layer and the switching of the radiation layer, and that the antenna unit is also enabled to achieve a change of 180 degrees of radiation phase while maintaining the polarization state unchanged by controlling the switching of the feeding layer.
8. 8. The antenna unit of claim 7, wherein said feed line includes a feed entry point and four feed points, said feed entry point and said phase shift line being electrically connected for receiving signals transmitted by said phase shift line, said four feed points being respectively associated with a number of four of said switches on said feed layer for feeding said radiating patches, one of said switches being disposed on said feed line between each of said feed points and said feed entry point.
9. 9. The antenna element of claim 8, wherein said feed layer further comprises four switch control lines distributed around the periphery of four of said feed points and electrically connected to each of said four feed points, said four switch control lines for energizing four of said switches on said feed layer.
10. 10. The antenna unit of claim 9, wherein each of the switch control lines includes an isolation branch and a power supply branch, the power supply branch is used for supplying power to the switch, the isolation branch is connected to the power supply branch and is used for isolating electromagnetic signals and direct current control signals, four isolation branches are distributed at the periphery of four feed points and are sequentially arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction, and each isolation branch is located between two adjacent power supply branches.
11. 11. The antenna unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the radiating patch comprises a first sub-patch and a second sub-patch, the first sub-patch and the second sub-patch each being in a dipole form, the first sub-patch extending in a third direction, the second sub-patch extending in a fourth direction, the third direction being perpendicular to the fourth direction, the antenna unit having two input ports, the feeding layer being arranged to receive signals input by the input ports and to transmit the signals to the phase shifting layer, the phase shifting layer being arranged to transmit the signals to the first sub-patch and the second sub-patch.
12. 12. The antenna unit of claim 11, wherein the first sub-patch and the second sub-patch are each rectangular structures extending equally wide.
13. 13. The antenna unit according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the radiating patch includes two first parasitic patches and two second parasitic patches, the two first parasitic patches are respectively located at two ends of the first sub-patch in a length direction, the two second parasitic patches are respectively located at two ends of the second sub-patch in a length direction, the number of the switches provided on the radiating layer is four, the switches are provided between each of the first parasitic patches and the first sub-patch, between each of the second parasitic patches and the second sub-patch, and coupling between the first sub-patch and the first parasitic patch and coupling between the second sub-patch and the second parasitic patch are achieved by controlling the switches to achieve 180-degree phase shifting.
14. 14. The antenna unit according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the feed line includes a first input branch, a second input branch, a bus line, a first output branch, and a second output branch, the first input branch, the second input branch, the first output branch, and the second output branch each being connected to the bus line and being equally angularly spaced around the bus line, an end of the first input branch remote from the bus line being connected to one of the input ports, an end of the second input branch remote from the bus line being connected to the other of the input ports, an end of the first output branch remote from the bus line being connected to the phase shift line, and an end of the second output branch remote from the bus line being connected to the phase shift line.
15. 15. The antenna unit of claim 11, wherein the total number of said switches in said antenna unit is 10, and wherein full polarization 2bit switching of said antenna unit is enabled by control of two of said input ports and 10 of said switches.
16. 16. An antenna unit according to claim 3, characterized in that the total number of said switches in said antenna unit is 8, said antenna unit comprising one input port, by means of control of one said input port and 8 said switches, a fully polarized 2bit switching of said antenna unit is enabled.
17. 17. An antenna array comprising a reflecting plate and a plurality of antenna elements according to any one of claims 1 to 16, said antenna elements being arranged on said reflecting plate.
18. 18. A communication device comprising a feed network and an antenna unit according to any of claims 1-16, the feed network being arranged to feed signals to the antenna unit.
19. 19. A communication device comprising a feed network and an antenna array according to claim 17, the feed network being arranged to feed signals to the antenna array.
20. 20. A base station comprising a radio frequency processing unit and the antenna array of claim 17, the radio frequency processing unit being electrically connected to the antenna array.

Description

Antenna unit, antenna array, communication device and base station Technical Field The present application relates to the field of radio frequency communications technologies, and in particular, to an antenna unit, an antenna array, a communication device, and a base station. Background Tunable antennas have been a research hotspot as one of the core components in multifunctional adaptive wireless communication systems. As the frequency band evolves toward U6G or even millimeter waves, wireless communication faces the problems of increased path loss and penetration loss, etc., resulting in limited coverage. Large array antenna arrays are one of the main ways to improve coverage. However, due to the limitation of the array size and the cost, the digital channels of the system cannot be infinitely increased, and the multi-channel large array evolution is difficult. Under the premise of limited channels, the vertical beam scanning range of the antenna is reduced under the condition of meeting the horizontal beam scanning range, and the coverage requirement of urban buildings cannot be met. Current tunable antennas are mainly focused on monopole, 1bit phase shifting studies, but little is done for multi-polarization or full polarization. From the aspect of phase resolution, the 1bit also faces the problems that the mirror side lobe cannot be restrained, the gain loss is serious and the like. Meanwhile, the adjustable antenna with full polarization control and multi-bit phase shift has little research, mainly because the performance of the antenna is difficult to guarantee simultaneously under various switching states, the design mechanism is more complex, and in addition, how to use as few circuit elements as possible to realize the required functions, and the realization of the high integration of the electric control switch and the antenna unit on the limited size is also a big research pain point. Disclosure of Invention The application provides an antenna unit, an antenna array, communication equipment and a base station, wherein the antenna unit can realize full polarization switching and 2bit phase shifting, and has the advantages of low profile and high integration under the condition of keeping the antenna performance. In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an antenna unit, including a radiation layer, a feed layer, and a phase shift layer that are stacked and disposed, where the radiation layer includes a radiation patch, the feed layer includes a feed line, the phase shift layer includes a phase shift line, where the feed line and the phase shift line are both microstrip line structures, the antenna unit further includes a plurality of switches, a portion of the switches are distributed on the radiation layer and electrically connected to the radiation patch, a portion of the switches are distributed on the feed layer and electrically connected to the feed line, a portion of the switches are distributed on the phase shift layer and electrically connected to the phase shift line, and the phase shift circuit and the feed circuit are configured to transmit electromagnetic wave signals, and by controlling a plurality of the switches, reconstruction of the radiation patch is implemented to switch between a first linear polarization, a second linear polarization, a left circular polarization, and a right circular polarization of the antenna unit, where a polarization direction of the first linear polarization and a polarization direction of the second linear polarization are mutually perpendicular, and the antenna unit has at least 2bit capability. According to the antenna unit provided by the application, the radiation patch, the feed circuit and the phase-shifting circuit are integrated in the antenna unit through the radiation layer, the feed layer and the phase-shifting layer which are arranged in a stacked manner, and the antenna framework with full polarization switching and 2bit phase-shifting functions is constructed through the arrangement of the switch, so that the antenna unit can have the advantage of low profile through the stacked structure. In a possible implementation manner, the antenna unit includes a substrate, the substrate is a multi-layer dielectric layer architecture, and the radiation layer, the feed layer and the phase shift layer are distributed on different dielectric layers. According to the scheme, the radiation layer, the feed layer and the phase shift layer are arranged on the multi-layer dielectric layer, the dielectric layer is used as a carrier of a functional layer of the antenna unit, and the microstrip line manufacturing process is utilized, so that the antenna unit is convenient to manufacture, particularly, a plurality of antenna units are also convenient to manufacture on a substrate in batch at the same time, and a plurality of independent antenna units are formed in a cutting mode. The solution is advantageous for realizing a low profil