This application relates to the antenna field, and in particular, to a multibeam antenna.
With rapid development of a modern communications system, people raise increasingly high requirements on a communications rate, a channel capacity, a data throughput, user coverage, and other aspects of the communications system. As a most front-end component of the communications system, an antenna also faces more requirements. A conventional single-beam antenna usually has only one main radiation direction. When a location for placing the antenna is determined, the main radiation direction is also determined. Therefore, it is difficult to consider radiation in a plurality of directions at the same time.
Compared with the single-beam antenna, a multibeam antenna has a plurality of main radiation directions. This can increase a coverage area of the antenna, and meet a requirement of an existing communications system for wide coverage. Combining a plurality of antennas, for example, designing an antenna in a form of an array antenna, to produce radiation in different directions is a method for implementing a plurality of beams. However, a complex feeding network needs to be disposed for the array antenna, resulting in a relatively large overall size of the antenna.
Embodiments of this application provide a multibeam antenna. The multibeam antenna can implement beam coverage in at least two directions by feeding through at only one end. There is no need to dispose a complex feeding network, thereby facilitating miniaturization of the multibeam antenna.
According to a first aspect, a multibeam antenna provided in the embodiments of this application includes a substrate, an antenna element, a first guiding apparatus, and a second guiding apparatus. The antenna element, the first guiding apparatus, and the second guiding apparatus are disposed on the substrate. The antenna element includes a first pole and a second pole. The first pole is configured to receive a feeding signal. The second pole is grounded. The first guiding apparatus is configured to enable a first beam generated by the antenna element to radiate in a first direction. The second guiding apparatus is configured to enable a second beam generated by the antenna element to radiate in a second direction. A phase center of the antenna element is located at an intersecting point of a first axis and a second axis. The first axis passes through a phase center of the first guiding apparatus and is parallel to the first direction. The second axis passes through a phase center of the second guiding apparatus and is parallel to the second direction.
In this implementation, the first guiding apparatus is configured to enable the first beam generated by the antenna element to radiate in the first direction, and the second guiding apparatus is configured to enable the second beam generated by the antenna element to radiate in the second direction. The multibeam antenna can implement beam coverage in at least two directions by feeding through at only one end. There is no need to dispose a complex feeding network, thereby facilitating miniaturization of the multibeam antenna.
Optionally, in some possible implementations, the first guiding apparatus and the second guiding apparatus each are configured to enhance radiation of the antenna in a specific direction. Specifically, a type of the first guiding apparatus and a type of the second guiding apparatus each include a director and a reflector. A beam radiation direction under an effect of a reflector is a direction from the reflector to the antenna element. A beam radiation direction under an effect of a director is a direction from the antenna element to the director. For example, the first guiding apparatus and the second guiding apparatus may both be reflectors or directors, or one may be a reflector and the other may be a director. In this implementation, a plurality of specific types of the first guiding apparatus and the second guiding apparatus are provided, thereby improving extensibility of this solution.
Optionally, in some possible implementations, the multibeam antenna further includes a feeder. The first pole is disposed on a first surface of the substrate, and the second pole is disposed on a second surface of the substrate. Specifically, the feeder may be a coaxial cable. An inner conductor of the feeder is connected to the first pole, and an outer conductor of the feeder is connected to the second pole, so that the first pole receives the feeding signal, and the second pole is grounded. In this implementation, a specific implementation for connecting the antenna element to the feeder is provided, thereby improving implementability of this solution.
Optionally, in some possible implementations, the multibeam antenna further includes a feeder, and the first pole, the second pole, and the feeder are disposed on a first surface of the substrate or a second surface of the substrate. In this implementation, another specific implementation for connecting the antenna element to the feeder is provided, thereby improving flexibility of this solution.
Optionally, in some possible implementations, the first guiding apparatus is disposed on the first surface of the substrate or the second surface of the substrate, and the second guiding apparatus is disposed on the first surface of the substrate or the second surface of the substrate. In this implementation, the first guiding apparatus and the second guiding apparatus may be disposed on a same surface of the substrate, or may be disposed on different surfaces of the substrate, thereby enriching implementations of this application.
Optionally, in some possible implementations, the antenna element is disposed along an angle bisector of an included angle between the first axis and the second axis. In this case, gain values of the two beams are approximate. For example, the antenna element overlaps the angle bisector, or the antenna element is symmetrical about the angle bisector. In addition, alternatively, the antenna element may not be disposed along the angle bisector. For example, if the antenna element rotates around its own phase center, correspondingly, gain values of the two beams may differ greatly. In this implementation, the antenna element may be rotated based on an actual need to meet different gain requirements.
Optionally, in some possible implementations, the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis. In this case, induced current components on the first guiding apparatus and the second guiding apparatus are orthogonal to each other, the two beams are incoherently superposed, and the two beams have highest independence. Certainly, the included angle between the first axis and the second axis may not be 90 degrees, thereby improving extensibility of this solution.
Optionally, in some possible implementations, a resonance length of the antenna element is different from a length of the first guiding apparatus and a length of the second guiding apparatus. A length of a reflector is greater than the resonance length of the antenna element. A length of a director is less than the resonance length of the antenna element.
Optionally, in some possible implementations, the multibeam antenna further includes a third guiding apparatus and a fourth guiding apparatus. A type of the third guiding apparatus and a type of the fourth guiding apparatus each include a director and a reflector. The third guiding apparatus is configured to enable the first beam to radiate in the first direction. The fourth guiding apparatus is configured to enable the second beam to radiate in the second direction. The antenna element is located between the first guiding apparatus and the third guiding apparatus. The antenna element is located between the second guiding apparatus and the fourth guiding apparatus. In this implementation, disposing the third guiding apparatus and the fourth guiding apparatus can enhance a gain effect of the first beam in the first direction and a gain effect of the second beam in the second direction.
Optionally, in some possible implementations, if the first guiding apparatus is a director, at least one additional director may be further placed side by side with the first guiding apparatus along the first direction, so as to increase the gain of the first beam. Similarly, if the second guiding apparatus is a director, at least one additional director may be further placed side by side with the second guiding apparatus along the second direction, so as to increase the gain of the second beam.
It can be learned from the foregoing technical solutions that the embodiments of this application have the following advantages.
In the embodiments of this application, the first guiding apparatus is configured to enable the first beam generated by the antenna element to radiate in the first direction, and the second guiding apparatus is configured to enable the second beam generated by the antenna element to radiate in the second direction. The multibeam antenna can implement beam coverage in at least two directions by feeding through at only one end. There is no need to dispose a complex feeding network, thereby facilitating miniaturization of the multibeam antenna.
Embodiments of this application provide a multibeam antenna. The multibeam antenna can implement beam coverage in at least two directions by feeding through at only one end. There is no need to dispose a complex feeding network, thereby facilitating miniaturization of the multibeam antenna. In this specification, the claims, and the accompanying drawings of this application, terms “first”, “second”, “third”, “fourth”, and the like (if existent) are intended to distinguish between similar objects but do not necessarily indicate a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data termed in such a way are interchangeable in an appropriate circumstance, so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in another order than the order illustrated or described herein. Moreover, terms “include”, “comprise”, and any other variants thereof mean to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a list of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units, but may include other steps or units not expressly listed or inherent to such a process, method, product, or device.
It should be noted that, after an electromagnetic wave radiated by the antenna element 102 leaves the antenna element 102 for a specific distance, an equiphase surface of the electromagnetic wave may be approximately a spherical surface, and a spherical center of the spherical surface is the phase center of the antenna element 102. The phase center should theoretically be a point. That is, theoretically, it may be considered that a signal radiated by the antenna element 102 is radiated outwards with this point as a circle center. However, in actual application, such perfect practice is usually impossible. Therefore, the phase center of the antenna element may be understood as an area. In addition, phase centers of the first guiding apparatus 103 and the second guiding apparatus 104 are similar, except that the first guiding apparatus 103 and the second guiding apparatus 104 do not receive a feeding signal, because their phase centers are generated by self-resonance. It can be understood that, if the antenna element 102, the first guiding apparatus 103, and the second guiding apparatus 104 all have regular geometric shapes, geometric centers thereof are the phase centers.
Optionally, the first guiding apparatus 103 and the second guiding apparatus 104 each are configured to enhance radiation of the antenna in a specific direction. A type of the first guiding apparatus 103 and a type of the second guiding apparatus 104 each include a director and a reflector. After receiving the feeding signal, the antenna element 102 generates a current component perpendicular to each radiation direction. A current component in a specific direction excites an induced current component on a reflector or a director along the same direction. A reflector enables a phase lead of an induced current component on the reflector to excite the antenna element 102. A director enables a phase lag of an induced current component on the director to excite the antenna element 102. A length of a reflector is greater than a resonance length of the antenna element 102. A length of a director is less than the resonance length of the antenna element 102. A beam radiation direction under an effect of a reflector is a direction from the reflector to the antenna element 102. A beam radiation direction under an effect of a director is a direction from the antenna element 102 to the director. For example, the first guiding apparatus 103 and the second guiding apparatus 104 shown in
It can be understood that, more guiding apparatuses may be further disposed on the basis of the first guiding apparatus 103 and the second guiding apparatus 104. A plurality of beams have different radiation directions, and are superposed in space to form multibeam radiation. Using the structure of the multibeam antenna shown in
Optionally, the first guiding apparatus 103 and the second guiding apparatus 104 both may have regular geometric shapes, for example, may be strip reflectors shown in
Optionally, a shape of the antenna element 102 is not limited in this application. The antenna element 102 may be hyphen-shaped, as shown in
Optionally,
Optionally, the antenna element 102 may be disposed along an angle bisector of the included angle between first axis and the second axis. In this case, gain values of the two beams are approximate. For example, the antenna element 102 in
Optionally,
Optionally,
Optionally,
Optionally, the first guiding apparatus 103 and the second guiding apparatus 104 may be disposed on the upper surface of the substrate 101, may be disposed on the lower surface of the substrate 101, or may be fixed on four edges of the substrate 101. This is not specifically limited herein.
In the embodiments of this application, the first guiding apparatus is configured to enable the first beam generated by the antenna element to radiate in the first direction, and the second guiding apparatus is configured to enable the second beam generated by the antenna element to radiate in the second direction. The multibeam antenna can implement beam coverage in at least two directions by feeding through at only one end. There is no need to dispose a complex feeding network, thereby facilitating miniaturization of the multibeam antenna.
It should be noted that the foregoing embodiments are merely intended to describe the technical solutions of this application other than to limit this application. Although this application is described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, persons of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they may still make modifications to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent replacements to some technical features thereof, without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202010079798.9 | Feb 2020 | CN | national |
This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2020/130046, filed on Nov. 19, 2020, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202010079798.9, filed on Feb. 4, 2020. The disclosures of the aforementioned applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20220368037 A1 | Nov 2022 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/CN2020/130046 | Nov 2020 | US |
Child | 17879090 | US |