The invention relates to the technical field of antennas, in particular to a 5G MMW dual-polarized antenna module and a handheld device.
The fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication technology will be soon commercially used. In accordance with the communication frequency, 5G can be divided into a sub-6 GHz frequency band and a millimeter wave (MMW) frequency band, wherein the MMW frequency band is rich in spectrum resources, can greatly increase the communication rate and has the advantage of low delay. Compared with previous low-frequency bands which have been widely applied, the path loss during MMW transmission is large, the MMW transmission distance is short, and hence, it is necessary to constitute an array by multiple antenna units to increase the gain and to fulfill a beam-forming capacity.
Accompanied with the technological innovation, new challenges have brought to the design of MMW antennas. Up to now, there have already been some designs of MMW antennas applied to handheld devices, but most existing MMW antennas have certain problems. For example, Chinese Invention Patents (Publication No. CN109193133A and Publication No. CN109193134A) put forward a series of antennas designed on metal frames, but the integration of such antennas with radio frequency front ends still remains unresolved. Antennas provided by Chinese Utility Model Patent “5G MMW Mobile Phone Antenna Based on Rectangular Patch Array” (Publication No. CN208655889U), Chinese Utility Model Patent “Four-unit MMW Antenna System for Mobile Communication Terminal” (Publication No. CN208460981U), and Chinese Utility Model Patent “Compact Wideband MMW Antenna” (Publication No. CN207781866U) are all designed based on broadside radiation. These antennas have to be vertically disposed on side faces of mobile phones to fulfill lateral radiation, which directly affects the thickness of the mobile phones. Chinese Utility Model Patent “End-radiation MMW Antenna with Controllable Radiation Direction” (Publication No. CN207517869U) and Chinese Utility Model Patent “Wireless Mobile Terminal and Antenna” (Publication No. CN108288757A) provide antenna units that can fulfill end radiation, but such antennas are single-polarized. Dual-polarized antennas can improve the channel capacity, thereby being more advantageous. Recently, Qualcomm has launched a dual-polarized MMW antenna module based on rectangular patch antennas; however, because the principal radiation direction of the antenna module is perpendicular to the surface of the patch antennas, the antenna module has to be vertically disposed on the side edge of mobile phones, which is not conducive to ultra-thin development of the mobile phones.
The technical issue to be settled by the invention is to provide a 5G MMW dual-polarized antenna module which can fulfill lateral radiation and has a small thickness, and a handheld device.
One technical solution adopted by the invention to settle the aforesaid technical issues is as follows:
A 5G MMW dual-polarized antenna module comprises at least two antenna units. Each antenna unit comprises a first horizontal metal plate, a second horizontal metal plate, a first vertical metal plate, a second vertical metal plate and a patch antenna assembly, wherein a metal cavity for accommodating electronic components is defined by the first horizontal metal plate, the second horizontal metal plate, the first vertical metal plate and the second vertical metal plate; the patch antenna assembly is located on a side, away from the metal cavity, of the first vertical metal plate and comprises a first radiation part, a second radiation part and a third radiation part which are connected in sequence; and the first radiation part and the third radiation part are both located on a side, close to the first vertical metal plate, of the second radiation part.
Furthermore, each antenna unit further comprises a first feed structure and a second feed structure, wherein two ends of the first feed structure are respectively located on two opposite sides of the first vertical metal plate, and two ends of the second feed structure are respectively located on two opposite sides of the first vertical metal plate.
Furthermore, the first feed structure comprises a first vertical part, a first horizontal part and a second vertical part which are connected in sequence, wherein the first vertical part penetrates through a through hole in the third radiation part, and the first horizontal part penetrates through a through hole in the first vertical metal plate.
Furthermore, the second feed structure comprises a second horizontal part, a third horizontal part and a third vertical part which are connected in sequence, wherein the third horizontal part penetrates through a through hole in the first vertical metal plate, and the second horizontal part is disposed close to the patch antenna assembly.
Furthermore, the shape of the first feed structure may be changed as required, for example, a fourth horizontal part is disposed at an end, away from the first horizontal part, of the first vertical part; or, the first vertical part is transformed into a bent structure.
Furthermore, the first radiation part and the third radiation part are symmetrically disposed with respect to the second radiation part.
Furthermore, the first radiation part is circular, rectangular or regular polygonal, and the second radiation part is a metal plate structure or a metal mesh structure.
Furthermore, the second horizontal metal plate comprises a first metal part and a second metal part, wherein the first metal part and the second metal part are respectively located on two opposite sides of the first vertical metal plate, and the patch antenna assembly is located above the first metal part.
Furthermore, the 5G MMW dual-polarized antenna module further comprises an insulating substrate, and the antenna units are disposed in the insulating substrate. Furthermore, the 5G MMW dual-polarized antenna module is formed through an LTCC process.
Furthermore, a chip is integrated on a side, away from the first horizontal metal plate, of the second horizontal metal plate to feed power to the antenna unit. A radio frequency chip comprises a phase shifter, an amplifier and other elements, wherein the phase shifter can provide a phase difference for the antenna unit to fulfill a beam scanning capacity, the amplifier can compensate for the loss of the phase shifter, and a digital integrated circuit chip supplies power to the radio frequency chip.
Another technical solution adopted by the invention is as follows:
A handheld device comprises the 5G MMW dual-polarized antenna module.
The invention has the following beneficial effects: different electronic components such as feed lines, filters and switches can be disposed in the metal cavity; the patch antenna assembly is a folded patch antenna, which can fulfill lateral radiation and has a small thickness; the antenna module can work within the 5G MMW frequency band and has the characteristic of dual polarization; and when applied to the handheld device, the antenna module will not increase the thickness of the handheld device and is conducive to ultra-thin development of the handheld device.
100, handheld device; 101, screen; 102, PCB; 103, 5G MMW dual-polarized antenna module;
1, insulating substrate; 2, antenna unit; 21, first horizontal metal plate; 22, second horizontal metal plate; 221, first metal part; 222, second metal part; 23, first vertical metal plate; 24, second vertical metal plate; 25, patch antenna assembly; 251, first radiation part; 252, second radiation part; 253, third radiation part; 26, metal cavity; 27, radio frequency chip; 28, digital integrated circuit chip; 29, first feed structure; 291, first vertical part; 292, first horizontal part; 293, second vertical part; 294, fourth horizontal part; 30, second feed structure; 301, second horizontal part; 302, third horizontal part; 303, third vertical part; 3, traditional patch antenna.
The technical contents, purposes and effects of the invention are expounded below in conjunction with the embodiments and accompanying drawings.
The key concept of the invention lies in that a patch antenna assembly comprises a first radiation part, a second radiation part and a third radiation part which are connected in sequence, wherein the first radiation part and the third radiation part are located on the same side of the second radiation part, so that lateral radiation is fulfilled, and the thickness is small.
Referring to
From the above description, the invention has the following beneficial effects: different electronic components such as feed lines, filters and switches can be disposed in the metal cavity as required; the patch antenna assembly is a folded patch antenna, which can fulfill lateral radiation and has a small thickness; and the antenna module of the invention can work within the 5G MMW frequency band and has the characteristic of dual polarization. A chip can be integrated on a side, away from the first horizontal metal plate, of the second horizontal metal plate to feed power to the antenna unit. A radio frequency chip comprises a phase shifter, an amplifier and other elements, wherein the phase shifter can provide a phase difference for the antenna unit to fulfill a beam scanning capacity, and the amplifier can compensate for the loss of the phase shifter. A digital integrated circuit chip supplies power to the radio frequency chip.
Furthermore, each antenna unit 2 further comprises a first feed structure 29 and a second feed structure 30, wherein two ends of the first feed structure 29 are respectively located on two opposite sides of the first vertical metal plate 23, and two ends of the second feed structure 30 are respectively located on two opposite sides of the first vertical metal plates 23.
From the above description, the first feed structure and the second feed structure may be feed probes, and the shapes and positions of the first feed structure and the second feed structure can be set and adjusted as actually needed.
Furthermore, the first feed structure 29 comprises a first vertical part 291, a first horizontal part 292 and a second vertical part 293 which are connected in sequence, wherein the first vertical part 291 penetrates through a through hole in the third radiation part 253, and the first horizontal part 292 penetrates through a through hole in the first vertical metal plate 23.
From the above description, corresponding through holes are formed in the first vertical metal plate and the third radiation part to allow the first horizontal part and the first vertical part to penetrate through, the first vertical part does not contact with the third radiation part, and the first horizontal part does not contact with the first vertical metal plate.
Furthermore, the second feed structure 30 comprises a second horizontal part 301, a third horizontal part 302 and a third vertical part 303 which are connected in sequence, wherein the third horizontal part 302 penetrates through a through hole in the first vertical metal plate 23, and the second horizontal part 301 is disposed close to the patch antenna assembly 25.
From the above description, a corresponding through hole is formed in the first vertical metal plate to allow the second horizontal part to penetrate through, and the first vertical metal plate does not contact with the second horizontal part.
Furthermore, the shape of the first feed structure 29 may be changed as required. For example, a fourth horizontal part 294 is disposed at an end, away from the first horizontal part 291, of the first vertical part; or, the first vertical part 291 is transformed into a bent structure.
Furthermore, the first radiation part 251 and the third radiation part 253 are symmetrically disposed with respect to the second radiation part 252.
Furthermore, the first radiation part 251 is circular, rectangular or regular polygonal, and the second radiation part 252 is a metal plate structure or a metal mesh structure.
From the above description, the shapes of the first radiation part and the third radiation part can be selected as required. The second radiation part may be a multi-layer circuit board or LTCC, the metal mesh structure is easy to machine and comprises multiple metal patches which are disposed in a height direction of an insulating substrate in an aligned manner, and every two adjacent metal patches are communicated via a metal hole.
Furthermore, the second horizontal metal plate 22 comprises a first metal part 221 and a second metal part 222, wherein the first metal part 221 and the second metal part 222 are respectively located on two opposite sides of the first vertical metal plate 23, and the patch antenna assembly 25 is located above the first metal part 221.
Furthermore, the 5G MMW dual-polarized antenna module further comprises an insulating substrate 1, and the antenna units 2 are disposed in the insulating substrate 1.
From the above description, the material of the insulating substrate can be selected as required, and may be ceramic or the like.
Furthermore, the 5G MMW dual-polarized antenna module is formed through an LTCC process.
From the above description, when the LTCC process is adopted to form the 5G MMW dual-polarized antenna module, the second radiation part, the first vertical metal plate and the second vertical metal plate may be mesh structures which are easy to machine, and the antenna module may be a multi-layer circuit board structure.
Referring to
A handheld device 100 comprises the 5G MMW dual-polarized antenna module 103.
From the above description, when applied to the handheld device, the antenna module will not increase the thickness of the handheld device and is conductive to ultra-thin development of the handheld device; and the antenna module can be disposed on a long edge or a short edge of the handheld device, and the handheld device may be a mobile phone.
Referring to
A handheld device 100, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In this embodiment, the shape of the first feed structure can be changed as required. For example, a fourth horizontal part 294 is disposed at an end, away from the first horizontal part 292, of the first vertical part 291, as shown in
As shown in
Referring to
According to the 5G MMW dual-polarized antenna module and the handheld device provided by the invention, the 5G MMW dual-polarized antenna module has the advantage of dual polarization, can fulfill lateral radiation, and has a small thickness, which is conducive to ultra-thin development of the handheld device; and the antenna module can be formed through a multi-layer circuit board or LTCC process to facilitate subsequent chip integration.
The above description is merely used to illustrate the embodiments of the invention, and is not intended to limit the patent scope of the invention. All equivalent transformations made on the basis of the contents of the specification and accompanying drawings, or direct or indirect applications to relating technical fields should also fall within the patent protection scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202010024428.5 | Jan 2020 | CN | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/CN2020/083471 | 4/7/2020 | WO | 00 |