Patent Description:
In an antenna array of fifth-generation new radio (<NUM> NR) millimeter wave (mmWave), a steering angle is standard of measurement of reachable scanning range of an antenna beam. At present, patch antennas have been widely used in current <NUM> NR mmWave antenna arrays. However, due to coupling effect between the patch antennas, its scanning angle is often affected. Therefore, how to reduce the coupling effect between the patch antennas to increase the steering angle is a problem that those skilled in the art eager to solve. <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> disclose such antenna array devices of the prior art, which comprise a substrate, a plurality of antenna elements and a metal ground plate.

The disclosure provides an antenna array device according to claim <NUM>.

Based on the above, the antenna array device provided by the present disclosure increases isolation between the antenna elements by providing the isolation unit between two of the antenna elements, thereby increasing a steering angle of the antenna elements.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are by examples, and are intended to provide further explanation of the disclosure as claimed.

The disclosure can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the embodiment, with reference made to the accompanying drawings as follows:.

Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

<FIG> is a top view of an antenna array device <NUM> according to an embodiment of the disclosure, where <FIG> is a top view on an x-y plane. <FIG> shows a top view of a part SP of the antenna array device <NUM> according to an embodiment of the disclosure, where <FIG> is a top view on the x-y plane. <FIG> is a side view of the part SP of the antenna array device <NUM> according to an embodiment of the disclosure, where <FIG> is a top view on an x-z plane. Referring to <FIG> at the same time, an antenna array device <NUM> includes a substrate M, a first antenna array P1, a second antenna array P2, and a metal ground plate G.

Furthermore, the substrate M includes a first surface SF1 and a second surface SF2 corresponding to each other. The first antenna array P1 includes multiple antenna elements (e.g., an antenna unit 110a shown in <FIG>), where the multiple antenna elements in the first antenna array P1 is disposed on the first surface SF1, and these antenna elements have a first polarization direction (e.g., a -x direction).

In addition, the second antenna array P2 also includes multiple antenna elements (e.g., an antenna element 110b shown in <FIG>), where the multiple antenna elements in the second antenna array P2 also are disposed on the first surface SF1, and these antenna elements have a second polarization direction (e.g., a x direction) opposite to the first polarization direction.

It is worth noting that, although the first antenna array P1 and the second antenna array P2 in <FIG> have horizontal polarization directions (i.e., a -x direction and a x direction), the first antenna array P1 and the second antenna array P2 also have vertical polarization directions (e.g. when the first antenna array P1 and the second antenna array P2 in <FIG> are turned <NUM> degrees counterclockwise, the polarization direction of the first antenna array P1 and a polarization direction of the second antenna array P2 are a -y direction and a y direction respectively).

Furthermore, the metal ground plate G is disposed on the second surface SF2. In some embodiments, the multiple antenna elements in the first antenna array P1 and the multiple antenna elements in the second antenna array P2 can all be connected to the antenna feed points via respective vias (e.g., a first via via1 in a part SP of the antenna array device <NUM> in <FIG>).

In addition, the first antenna array P1 further includes multiple isolation unit groups (e.g., an isolation unit group 120a in <FIG>), and the second antenna array P2 also includes multiple isolation unit groups (e.g., an isolation unit group 120b in <FIG>). Further, the isolation unit group is disposed between adjacent two of the antenna elements (i.e., one isolation unit group is disposed between all two adjacent antenna elements), where an arrangement direction of the isolation unit group is perpendicular to the first polarization direction and the second polarization direction. For example, when the first polarization direction and the second polarization direction are the -x direction and the x direction respectively, the arrangement direction of the isolation unit group is the y direction.

In this embodiment, the isolation unit group is two isolation units (e.g., an isolation unit <NUM> in the part SP of the antenna array device <NUM> in <FIG>) which are adjacent, where each of the two isolation units includes an outer end OE (e.g., an outer end OE on the isolation unit <NUM> in the part SP of the antenna array device <NUM> of <FIG>) and an inner end IE opposite to the outer end OE (e.g., an inner end IE of the isolation unit <NUM> in the part SP of the antenna array device <NUM> in <FIG>), and the inner end IE is connected to the metal ground plate G via a via (e.g., a second via via2 on the isolation unit <NUM> in the part of the antenna array device <NUM> in <FIG>).

In some embodiments, the substrate M can be a printed circuit board (PCB) made of an insulating material, and a material of the substrate M can be Teflon (PTFE) or epoxy resin. (FR4) and other materials commonly used to manufacture PCB. In this way, the first antenna array P1, the second antenna array P2, and the isolation unit group can be directly printed on the substrate M (e.g., multiple patch antennas is printed on the substrate M as the first antenna array P1 and the second antenna array P2, and multiple metal strips is printed on the substrate M as the isolation unit in the isolation unit group). In addition, the metal ground plate G can be made of metal materials such as copper foil.

Length (e.g., length L1 in the part SP of the antenna array device <NUM> in <FIG>) of the isolation unit in the isolation unit group is a quarter wavelength of center frequency of a resonance frequency band of the first antenna array P1 and the second antenna array P2.

In some embodiments, a distance (e.g., a distance D1 in the part SP of the antenna array device <NUM> in <FIG>) between the isolation units in the isolation unit group can be less than one-twentieth wavelength of the center frequency of the resonance frequency band of the first antenna array P1 and the second antenna array P2.

In some embodiments, a distance (e.g., a distance D2 in the part SP of the antenna array device <NUM> in <FIG>) between the vias of adjacent two of these above-mentioned antenna elements (i.e., all the antenna elements in the first antenna array P1 and the second antenna array P2) is a half wavelength of the center frequency of the resonance frequency band of the first antenna array P1 and the second antenna array P2.

In some embodiments, the antenna elements in the first antenna array P1 and the second antenna array P2 can both include two edges (e.g., edges E1 and E2 in the part SP of the antenna array device <NUM> in <FIG>), where length of the two edges (e.g., length L2 in the part SP of the antenna array device <NUM> in <FIG>) can be equal. In a further embodiment, a distance (e.g., a distance D3 in the part SP of the antenna array device <NUM> in <FIG>) between the antenna element and the isolation unit group which is adjacent to the antenna element can be one-third the length of the aforementioned edge.

In some embodiments, the isolation unit group can resonate with the above-mentioned antenna elements by the respective vias to isolate signals between the antenna elements. In other words, a part of the signals generated by the antenna elements can interfere with adjacent antenna elements by positions of the vias of the isolation unit group. Therefore, these vias can be used to resonate with the antenna elements to prevent the part of the signals generated by the antenna elements from interfering with the adjacent antenna elements. In this way, isolation between these antenna elements can be greatly increased, so as to increase a steering angle of each antenna element.

Based on the above, the above-mentioned antenna array device <NUM> uses the isolation unit group between two adjacent antenna elements to increase the isolation between the antenna elements, thereby greatly increasing a steering range of each antenna unit.

It is worth noting that, in addition to one isolation unit group disposed between the two adjacent antenna elements, second isolation unit group can be disposed between the two adjacent antenna elements. Therefore, an embodiment in which the two isolation unit groups are disposed between the two adjacent antenna elements is proposed below.

<FIG> is a top view of the antenna array device <NUM> according to another embodiment of the disclosure, where <FIG> is the top view on the x-y plane. <FIG> is a top view of a part SP' of the antenna array device <NUM> according to another embodiment of the disclosure, where <FIG> is the top view on the x-y plane. <FIG> is a side view of the part SP' of the antenna array device 200according to another embodiment of the disclosure, where <FIG> is the side view on the x-z plane. Referring to <FIG> at the same time, an antenna array device <NUM> adopts a configuration similar to that of the antenna array device <NUM> in <FIG>, where differences between the two are only in a number of isolation unit groups provided between two adjacent antenna elements (i.e., the antenna array device <NUM> adopts arrangement of two isolation unit groups, and the antenna array device <NUM> adopts arrangement of the one isolation unit group). Therefore, only the differences are described here, and the rest of similarities will not be repeated.

In detail, in a first antenna array P1 and a second antenna array P2 of the antenna array device <NUM>, in addition to one isolation unit group (e.g., isolation unit groups 120a and 120b in <FIG>) disposed between adjacent two of antenna elements, other isolation unit group (e.g., other isolation unit groups 130a and 130b in <FIG>) can be disposed between the adjacent two of the antenna elements. In other words, the other isolation unit groups are adjacent to the isolation unit group respectively and are disposed between the adjacent two of the antenna elements, where arrangement directions of the other isolation unit groups are parallel to arrangement directions of the isolation unit group respectively.

In some embodiments, a distance (e.g., a distance D1 in a part SP' of the antenna array device <NUM> in <FIG>) between the other isolation unit group and the adjacent isolation unit group can be less than an one-twentieth wavelength of the center frequency of the resonance frequency band of the first antenna array P1 and the second antenna array P2.

In some embodiments, respective vias of the two isolation unit groups provided between adjacent two of the antenna elements can resonate with the above-mentioned antenna elements to isolate signals between these antenna elements. In other words, a part of the signals generated by one of the antenna elements can interfere with adjacent antenna elements by positions of the vias of the two isolation unit groups. Therefore, these vias can be used to resonate with the antenna elements to prevent the part of the signals generated by the antenna elements from interfering with the adjacent antenna elements. In this way, isolation (this isolation will be better than a single isolation unit group between adjacent two of the antenna elements) between these antenna elements can be further increased, thereby increasing a steering range of each antenna element.

It is worth noting that the other isolation unit group have the same structure as the isolation unit group, so it will not be repeated here.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating a resonance frequency band and isolation (s-parameter and frequency) of the part SP' of the antenna array device <NUM> according to another embodiment of the disclosure. Referring to <FIG> at the same time, a resonance frequency band op of the part of SP' of the antenna array device <NUM> is about <NUM> to <NUM> (frequency band with return loss less than -10dB), and its center frequency is about <NUM>. In this way, isolation iso of the part SP' of the antenna array device <NUM> is about -<NUM> dB. In other words, the isolation iso of the part SP' of the antenna array device <NUM> fulfills isolation requirements of the fifth-generation new radio (<NUM> NR) standard (i.e., less than -20dB).

Based on the above, the above-mentioned antenna array device <NUM> further increases the isolation between the antenna elements using the two isolation unit groups disposed between the two adjacent antenna elements, thereby greatly increasing a steering angle of each antenna element.

Claim 1:
An antenna array device (<NUM>), comprising:
a substrate (M), comprising a first surface (SF1) and a second surface (SF2);
a plurality of antenna elements (110a and 110b), disposed on the first surface (SF1), wherein the plurality of antenna elements (110a and 110b) have a first polarization direction and a second polarization direction opposite to the first polarization direction, and the plurality of antenna elements (110a and 110b) have a first via (vial) respectively;
a metal ground plate (G), disposed on the second surface (SF2); and
a first isolation unit group (120a and 120b), disposed on the first surface (SF1), and disposed between adjacent two of the plurality of antenna elements (110a and 110b),
wherein an arrangement direction of the first isolation unit group (120a and 120b) is perpendicular to the first polarization direction and the second polarization direction, wherein the first isolation unit group (120a and 120b) is two isolation units (120a and 120b) which are disposed adjacent to each other along a direction perpendicular to the first polarization direction and the second polarization direction, each (<NUM>) of the two isolation units (120a and 120b) comprises an outer end (OE) and an inner end (IE) opposite to the outer end (OE), and the inner end (IE) of each one of the two isolation units (120a and 120b) is connected to the metal ground plate (G) via a second via (via2), wherein the inner end (IE) of a first one (<NUM>) of the two isolation units (120a and 120b) is adjacent to the inner end of a second one of the two isolation units (120a and 120b), the outer end (OE) of the first one (<NUM>) of the two isolation units (120a and 120b) is the end not adjacent to the second one of the two isolation units (120a, 120b), and the outer end of the second one of the two isolation units is the end not adjacent to the first one of the two isolation units, and
wherein each one of the two isolation units (120a and 120b) is composed of a metal strip, and a length (L1) of each metal strip in the direction perpendicular to the first polarization direction and the second polarization direction is a quarter wavelength of center frequency of a resonance frequency band of the plurality of antenna elements (110a and 110b).