ANTENNA DEVICE WHICH IS SUITABLE FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS ACCORDING TO A 5G NETWORK STANDARD, RF TRANSCEIVER CONTAINING AN ANTENNA DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR USE IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS ACCORDING TO A 5G NETWORK STANDARD

Abstract

Antenna device which is suitable for wireless communications according to a 5G network standard, wherein the antenna device comprises, or consists of: i) a primary layer having a top side and a bottom side, the primary layer comprising a multitude of adjacent antenna units wherein each antenna unit has a respective electrically conductive antenna plate which is present at the top side of the primary layer, and ii) a dielectric resonator body which comprises, or consists of, a resonator base layer having a top side and a bottom side, which top side is provided with a multitude of adjacent resonator units, wherein the resonator base layer and the resonator units are made of dielectric material,
wherein the bottom side of the dielectric resonator body is provided on the top side of the primary layer, and wherein above the antenna plate of each antenna unit a corresponding resonator unit is present.

Method for use in wireless communications according to a 5G network standard, comprising the step of connecting a communication circuit to an antenna device.

Claims

1. Antenna device which is suitable for wireless communications according to a 5G network standard, wherein the antenna device comprises, or consists of: i) a primary layer having a top side and a bottom side, the primary layer comprising a multitude of adjacent antenna units wherein each antenna unit has a respective electrically conductive antenna plate which is present at the top side of the primary layer, and ii) a dielectric resonator body which comprises, or consists of, a resonator base layer having a top side and a bottom side, which top side is provided with a multitude of adjacent resonator units, wherein the resonator base layer and the resonator units are made of dielectric material, wherein the bottom side of the dielectric resonator body is provided on the top side of the primary layer, and wherein above the antenna plate of each antenna unit a corresponding resonator unit is present.

2. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the bottom side of the resonator base layer is directly adhered onto the top side of the primary layer, thereby covering the top side area of the primary layer either completely, or for a major part.

3. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric resonator body is made as a single piece, and is preferably made from a single dielectric material.

4. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric resonator body has a relative permittivity in the range of 5-20, preferably in the range of 8-14, more preferably 10.

5. Antenna device according to claim 4, wherein the dielectric resonator body is substantially made from alumina.

6. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna device is devoid of an integrated waveguide, in particular the primary layer and the resonator body are devoid of an integrated waveguide.

7. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the resonator units are spaced apart from each other, and each resonator unit has the form of an individual stud projecting from the resonator base layer.

8. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein each resonator unit has a height that is equal to or greater than its maximum width.

9. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein each resonator unit, viewed in a cross-section perpendicular to its axis of height, has a cross-sectional contour of a radial shape, such as a star-shape, or a cross-shape.

10. Antenna device according to claim 9, wherein the cross-sectional contour of each resonator unit is substantially of the same form along its axis of height, and preferably of the same size along its axis of height.

11. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein each resonator unit has an axis of symmetry that is substantially perpendicular to the respective antenna plate above which it is present.

12. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the height of each resonator unit is in the range of 3 to 6 mm, preferably in the range of 3.5 to 4.5 mm, and the maximum width is in the range between 2.5 and 4.5 mm.

13. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the resonator base layer is lower than 1.00 mm, preferably in the range of 0.25 to 0.85 mm.

14. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein any pair of directly adjacent antenna units within the primary layer are spaced apart from another by a distance of 4 to 6 mm, preferably 5.1-5.5 mm, said distance being measured in the plane of the primary layer and between the central points of the respective antenna plates, and/or any pair of directly adjacent resonator units within the resonator body are spaced apart from another by a distance of 4 to 6 mm, preferably 5.1-5.5 mm, measured parallel to the plane of the primary layer and between the central points of the respective resonator units.

15. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the multitude of adjacent resonator units are provided in parallel arrays, thus forming a grid pattern, and/or wherein the multitude of adjacent antenna units are provided in parallel arrays, thus forming a grid pattern.

16. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises a number of 36 to 100 antenna units and an identical number of corresponding resonator units, preferably the number is in the range of 49 to 81, such as 64.

17. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna plate of each antenna unit is provided with an aperture or slot, preferably at a central position in the antenna plate.

18. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein each antenna unit has a respective feed connector for an electrical input signal, which feed connector is present at the bottom side of the primary layer and is connected by electrically conductive vias to the respective antenna plate, and a respective electrically conductive strip line which is present inside the primary layer and which is electrically isolated from the antenna plate and the conductive vias by a respective dielectric spacer structure.

19. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the primary layer is a printed circuit board which is composed from layers of a dielectric substrate onto which electrically conductive structures are printed.

20. Antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna device is configured to operate in a frequency range of 24 to 29 GHz.

21. RF transceiver of a wireless communications device comprising at least one antenna device according to claim 1.

22. Method for use in wireless communications according to a 5G network standard, comprising the step of connecting a communication circuit to an antenna device according to claim 1.

Description

EXAMPLE

[0080] An example of a preferred embodiment of the antenna device according to the invention is presented with reference to the attached figures, wherein:

[0081] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a primary layer;

[0082] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a dielectric resonator layer;

[0083] FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of a part of the antenna device which is composed by the assembly of the primary layer and the resonator layer;

[0084] FIG. 4 shows a top view of single antenna unit that is part of the primary layer;

[0085] FIG. 5 shows a top view of a dielectric resonator layer.

[0086] FIG. 1 shows a top side of a primary layer 1 which contains 64 adjacent antenna units 3 which are positioned in a grid of 8 parallel rows of 8 antenna units. The top layer of each antenna unit 3 is composed of an outer boundary 5 that surrounds an electrically conductive antenna plate 7 which is provided with a longitudinal slot 9.

[0087] FIG. 2 shows a top side of a dielectric resonator body 20, composed of a dielectric resonator base layer 22 provided with adjacent dielectric resonator units 24 that protrude as studs from the base layer 22 along a central axis of height 26 of each resonator unit. The shape of the resonator unit 24 when seen in a cross-section perpendicular to the axis of height, also referred to as the cross-sectional contour of the resonator unit, has the shape of a cross. With respect to the cross-sectional contour of the resonator unit being a cross, the central axis of height 26 is also an axis of symmetry for this cross shape.

[0088] The resonator base layer 22 is congruent with the primary layer 1 of FIG. 1, both in respect of the length and width, as well as the grid structure.

[0089] In order to obtain the antenna device according to the invention, the resonator body 20 is adhered on the top side of the primary layer 1 in a fully covering way, wherein the position of the axis 26 of each resonator unit coincides with the central point of a corresponding antenna unit 3 that is present underneath the resonator unit. Consequently, above the antenna plate of each antenna unit 3, a corresponding resonator unit 24 is present.

[0090] FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of a part of an antenna device 28, which is constructed by adhering the bottom side of the dielectric resonator body 20 of FIG. 2 onto the top side of the primary layer 1 of FIG. 1.

[0091] The primary layer 1 is a printed circuit board which is composed from layers of a dielectric substrate onto which electrically conductive structures are printed. Two adjacent and identical antenna units 3 are shown which are connected to each other at the dotted line d.

[0092] Each antenna unit 3 contains: [0093] a top layer 30 that is constructed as depicted in FIG. 1, i.e. having an outer boundary 5 that surrounds an electrically conductive antenna plate 7 which is provided with a longitudinal rectangular slot 9. [0094] A bottom layer 38 containing a feed connector for an electrical input signal, which feed connector is connected by electrically conductive vias to the respective antenna plate 7 in top layer 30. [0095] An intermediate layer 32 containing a distributed impedance matching network printed on a dielectric layer through which the conductive vias are led. [0096] A further intermediate layer 34 containing an electrically conductive strip line or around plate which is electrically isolated from the antenna plate and the conductive vias by a dielectric layer,

[0097] The resonator base layer 22 has a thickness T of 0.55 mm, the resonator units 22 have a height H of about 4 mm and a maximum width W of about 3 mm.

[0098] FIG. 4 shows a top side of a single antenna unit 3, which has an outer boundary 5 that surrounds an electrically conductive antenna plate 7 which is provided with a longitudinal slot 9.

[0099] FIG. 5 shows a top view of the dielectric resonator body 20 of FIG. 2, having cross-shaped resonator units 24 protruding from the resonator base layer 22. The resonator units 24 have two different widths: a width drx of 3 mm in a first direction x, and a width dry of 2 mm in a second direction y. The distance sx and sy between the central axis 26 of adjacent resonator units 24 is about 5.3 mm.

Results

[0100] The performance of the antenna device according to the above preferred embodiment of the invention (indicated herein as ‘DRA’), has been compared with the performance of a comparative antenna device (indicated herein as ‘Patch’) which has an identical primary layer as the invention but which is not provided with a dielectric resonator layer as the invention.

[0101] Reference is made to the attached figures, wherein: [0102] FIG. 6 shows a graph of the relative power of an emitted signal over a field of view from 0 to 60 degrees; [0103] FIG. 7 shows a graph of the relative power for a side lobe of an emitted signal over a field of view from 0 to 60 degrees; [0104] FIG. 8 shows a graph of the overall realized gain over a frequency from 23 to 30 GHz.

[0105] In FIG. 6, it is shown that the relative power measured for the ‘Patch’ device drops off dramatically from 40 degrees onward, whereas the relative power measured for the ‘DRA’ device drops off far less and more gradually.

[0106] In FIG. 7, it is shown that the relative power relevant to side lobes measured for the ‘Patch’ device increases significantly for scanning angles larger than 40 degrees, whereas the relative power associated with side lobes measured for the ‘DRA’ device increases less, and only slightly.

[0107] In FIG. 8, it is shown that the ‘DRA’ device according to the invention achieves a rather flat gain over the whole frequency range of 23 to 30 GHz, whereas the gain for the ‘Patch’ device is seriously compromised in the frequency range from 23 to 27 GHz.

[0108] In summary, it is proven by the above results that the antenna device according to the invention features a nearly flat gain over the whole frequency range from 23 to 30 GHz, while displaying a relatively low loss of the radiated power over a broad field of view, especially at large angles above 40 degrees.