阅读说明：本技术 一种天线及使用方法、通信基站 (Antenna, use method and communication base station ) 是由 任田昊 蔡梦 曾凌 曹萍 于 2020-05-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：本申请提供了一种天线及使用方法、通信基站,该天线包括：馈源、寄生阵以及主反射板。该主反射板用于发射来自该馈源的信号；该寄生阵用于对该信号在指定方向范围内形成零陷。在使用时,通过寄生阵可在指定方向范围对馈源发射的信号进行二次赋形,并形成零陷。通过寄生阵在指定方向范围对天线信号的二次赋形,使得天线在该指定方向范围形成零陷,改变了天线的方向图,进而可避免通信基站之间相互干扰的问题,改善通信基站之间的通信效果；另外上述改变无需参考其他的天线,仅可通过调整一个天线即可实现改善干扰的情况。(The application provides an antenna, a using method and a communication base station, wherein the antenna comprises: the device comprises a feed source, a parasitic array and a main reflecting plate. The main reflecting plate is used for transmitting a signal from the feed source; the parasitic array is used for forming a null in a specified direction range for the signal. When the antenna is used, secondary shaping can be carried out on signals transmitted by the feed source in a specified direction range through the parasitic array, and nulls are formed. Through the secondary shaping of the parasitic array to the antenna signal in the specified direction range, the antenna forms a null in the specified direction range, the directional diagram of the antenna is changed, the problem of mutual interference among communication base stations can be avoided, and the communication effect among the communication base stations is improved; in addition, the change does not need to refer to other antennas, and the interference can be improved only by adjusting one antenna.)

1. An antenna, comprising: the device comprises a feed source, a parasitic array and a main reflecting plate;

the main reflecting plate is used for transmitting a signal from the feed source;

the parasitic array is used for forming nulls for the signals in a specified direction range.

2. The antenna of claim 1,

the signal transmitting end of the feed source faces the main reflecting plate, and the signal transmitted by the feed source is directly reflected by the main reflecting plate; or the like, or, alternatively,

the antenna also comprises an auxiliary reflecting plate nested in the main reflecting plate, the signal transmitting end of the feed source faces the auxiliary reflecting plate, and the auxiliary reflecting plate is used for reflecting the signal transmitted by the feed source to the main reflecting plate.

3. The antenna according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the designated directional range is plural, the parasitic array is a parasitic array with adjustable impedance, and the parasitic array is configured to form nulls for the signal in one or a part of the designated directional ranges.

4. The antenna of claim 3, further comprising control means for controlling the parasitic array to form nulls in one or a portion of the plurality of specified directional ranges.

5. The antenna of claim 3 or 4, wherein the parasitic array comprises a plurality of metal patches arranged in an array, wherein,

in each row of metal patches, adjacent metal patches are connected through an adjustable impedance device.

6. The antenna of claim 5, wherein the metal patches of each column are arranged in a direction from the edge of the side wall of the main reflector toward the center of the main reflector.

7. An antenna according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the antenna comprises control means for controlling the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device and controlling the parasitic array to form nulls in one or part of the plurality of specified directional ranges by controlling the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device.

8. The antenna of any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the control device is further configured to control the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device, and control the parasitic array to not null the signal in one or a part of the plurality of specified direction ranges by controlling the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device.

9. The antenna according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the control device stores therein correspondence between the plurality of specified directional ranges and weights of the adjustable impedance devices of the parasitic array when nulls are generated.

10. An antenna according to any of claims 5 to 9, wherein the adjustable impedance device is a varactor, a PIN diode or a MEMS switch.

11. An antenna according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the parasitic array is an impedance-non-adjustable parasitic array.

12. The antenna of claim 11, wherein the parasitic array comprises a plurality of metal patches arranged in an array, wherein,

in each column of metal patches, adjacent metal patches are connected through an impedance device with an unadjustable impedance value.

13. The antenna of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the parasitic array is fixedly connected to the main reflector via a bracket.

14. The antenna according to claim 13, wherein the main reflection plate is provided with a baffle plate, and the baffle plate is fixedly connected with the end part of the main reflection plate far away from the feed source;

the support is arranged on the coaming.

15. An antenna according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the support is an adjustable support.

16. The antenna of claim 15, wherein the support is a support that is retractable in a first direction, wherein the first direction is parallel to an aperture plane of the main reflector.

17. A method of using an antenna, comprising the steps of:

determining that the antenna generates interference in a specified direction range;

the signals transmitted by the antenna through the parasitic array form nulls in a specified direction range.

18. The method of use of claim 17, the method further comprising:

when the specified direction ranges are multiple, the parasitic array is a parasitic array with adjustable impedance;

and adjusting the position of the parasitic array and/or adjusting the impedance of the parasitic array to enable the signals transmitted by the antenna to form nulls in one or part of the designated direction ranges.

19. The use of claim 18, wherein said adjusting the impedance of said parasitic array causes the signal transmitted by said antenna to null in one or a portion of said plurality of specified directional ranges, in particular:

determining the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device of the parasitic array corresponding to the null generation in one or part of the specified direction range according to the corresponding relation between the stored specified direction ranges and the weight value of the adjustable impedance device of the parasitic array when the null generation occurs;

and adjusting the impedance of the adjustable impedance device of the parasitic array according to the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device of the corresponding parasitic array when the null is generated in the determined one or part of the specified direction range.

20. Use according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the method further comprises:

and when the antenna does not interfere in one or part of the designated direction ranges, the parasitic array is controlled not to form a null on the signal in the designated direction range.

21. A communication base station, comprising: a base station body and an antenna as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16 provided on the base station body.

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of communications technologies, and in particular, to an antenna, a method for using the antenna, and a communications base station.

Background

In recent years, as microwave backhaul sites become more dense, it is necessary to avoid the problem of co-channel interference, such as when one base station communicates with a plurality of base stations, the base station acts as a master base station, and when the base station communicates with the plurality of base stations, the signal transmitted by base station a may generate interference at base station b. In the prior art, a CCIC (Co-Channel Interference Cancellation) technology is adopted to solve the Interference problem, and the CCIC technology refers to that two-sided antennas (a base station a and a base station b) are commonly referred and compared, and then certain Interference Cancellation is realized through precoding.

Disclosure of Invention

The application provides an antenna, a using method and a communication base station, which are used for improving the same frequency interference between the antennas and improving the communication effect between the communication base stations.

In a first aspect, an antenna is provided for communication between communication base stations. The antenna includes: the device comprises a feed source, a parasitic array and a main reflecting plate. The main reflecting plate is used for transmitting the signal from the feed source, so that the signal transmitted by the feed source can be expanded to a larger area. And the parasitic array is used for forming a null in a specified direction range for the signal. Through the secondary shaping of the parasitic array to the antenna signal in the specified direction range, the antenna forms a null in the specified direction range, the directional diagram of the antenna is changed, the problem of mutual interference among communication base stations can be avoided, and the communication effect among the communication base stations is improved; in addition, the change does not need to refer to other antennas, and the interference can be improved only by adjusting one antenna.

In one particular embodiment, the antenna may take a different form of antenna. For example, a signal transmitting end of a feed source of the antenna faces a main reflecting plate, and a signal transmitted by the feed source can be directly reflected by the main reflecting plate; or the antenna also comprises a radiation reflecting plate nested in the main reflecting plate, the signal transmitting end of the feed source faces the auxiliary reflecting plate, and the auxiliary reflecting plate is used for reflecting the signal transmitted by the feed source to the main reflecting plate.

In a specific embodiment, the secondary reflector is fixedly connected to the feed source, which can be understood as a hat-shaped structure formed at the transmitting end of the feed source, and the signal transmitted by the feed source is reflected to the primary reflector through the secondary reflector. The arrangement of the auxiliary reflecting plate is convenient.

In a specific possible implementation, the designated direction ranges are multiple, the parasitic array is a parasitic array with adjustable impedance, and the parasitic array is used for forming nulls for the signals in one or part of the designated direction ranges. By adopting a plurality of specified direction ranges, the parasitic array can realize secondary shaping of antenna signals in different areas, so that the parasitic array can be adaptively modified when the communication base station is at different positions.

In a specific embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a control device, wherein the control device is configured to control the parasitic array to form the null in one or a part of the plurality of designated direction ranges. The adjustable control of the parasitic array is realized through the control device.

In a specific possible embodiment, the control device may be provided in an indoor unit or an outdoor unit, wherein the indoor unit or the outdoor unit is connected to the feed source.

In a specific possible implementation, the parasitic array comprises a plurality of metal patches arranged in an array, and in each column of metal patches, adjacent metal patches are connected through an adjustable impedance device. The parasitic array is adjustable through the adjustable impedance device.

In a specific embodiment, a row of metal patches may be arranged in different directions, for example, the arrangement direction of each row of metal patches is arranged from the edge of the sidewall of the main reflective plate to the center direction of the main reflective plate, or is offset by a certain angle relative to the direction in which the sidewall of the main reflective plate points to the center of the main reflective plate.

In a specific possible implementation, the parasitic array includes a dielectric layer, and the metal patch and the adjustable impedance device are disposed on the dielectric layer.

In a specific implementation, when the antenna includes the control device, the control device is configured to control the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device, and control the parasitic array to form the null in one or a part of the plurality of specified direction ranges by controlling the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device. The parasitic array is controlled to be adjustable by the control device.

In a specific possible implementation, the control device is further configured to control an impedance value of the adjustable impedance device, and control the parasitic array not to form a null on the signal in one or a part of the specified direction ranges by controlling the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device. The adaptability of the parasitic array is improved, and the influence of the parasitic array on the base station is reduced when the base station has no signal interference.

In a specific possible implementation, the control device stores therein correspondence between the plurality of designated direction ranges and the weights of the parasitic array adjustable impedance device when the null is generated. The parasitic array can be controlled to be adjustable through the corresponding relation.

In a specific possible embodiment, the adjustable impedance device may be a varactor, a PIN diode, a MEMS switch, or the like. The control of the parasitic array is achieved by different devices.

In a specific possible embodiment, the parasitic array may also be an impedance-non-tunable parasitic array. It is possible to realize that, when within a specified direction range, nulls are formed within the specified direction range.

In a specific possible implementation, the parasitic array comprises a plurality of metal patches arranged in an array, wherein in each column of metal patches, adjacent metal patches are connected through an impedance device with an unadjustable impedance value.

In a specific embodiment, the impedance device with non-adjustable impedance value is one or more of a capacitor, a resistor or an inductor.

In a specific possible embodiment, the parasitic array is fixedly connected with the main reflecting plate through a bracket.

In a specific possible embodiment, the main reflecting plate is provided with a surrounding plate, and the surrounding plate is fixedly connected with the end part of the main reflecting plate far away from the feed source;

the support is arranged on the coaming.

In a specific possible embodiment, the stent is an adjustable stent. Therefore, the parasitic array can be adjusted to realize the null of the antenna in different specified direction ranges.

In a specific embodiment, the bracket is a bracket that can be extended and retracted in a first direction, wherein the first direction is parallel to the aperture surface of the main reflection plate. Therefore, the parasitic array can be adjusted to realize the null of the antenna in different specified direction ranges.

In a specific possible embodiment, the scaffold is a three-dimensional adjustable scaffold. Therefore, the parasitic array can be adjusted to realize the null of the antenna in different specified direction ranges.

In a second aspect, there is provided a method for using an antenna, where the antenna is the antenna described in any one of the above, and the antenna includes the following steps:

determining that the antenna generates interference in a specified direction range;

the signals transmitted by the antenna through the parasitic array form nulls in a specified direction range.

Through the secondary shaping of the parasitic array to the antenna signal in the specified direction range, the antenna forms a null in the specified direction range, the directional diagram of the antenna is changed, the problem of mutual interference among communication base stations can be avoided, and the communication effect among the communication base stations is improved; in addition, the change does not need to refer to other antennas, and the interference can be improved only by adjusting one antenna.

In a specific possible embodiment, the method further comprises:

when the specified direction ranges are multiple, the parasitic array is a parasitic array with adjustable impedance;

and adjusting the position of the parasitic array and/or adjusting the impedance of the parasitic array to enable the signals transmitted by the antenna to form nulls in one or part of the designated direction ranges. By adopting a plurality of specified direction ranges, the parasitic array can realize secondary shaping of antenna signals in different areas, so that the parasitic array can be adaptively modified when the communication base station is at different positions.

In a specific possible implementation, the adjusting the impedance of the parasitic array causes the signal transmitted by the antenna to form a null in one or a part of the specified direction ranges, specifically:

determining the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device of the parasitic array corresponding to the null generation in one or part of specified direction ranges according to the corresponding relation between the stored specified direction ranges and the weight value of the adjustable impedance device of the parasitic array when the null generation occurs;

and adjusting the impedance of the adjustable impedance device of the parasitic array according to the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device of the corresponding parasitic array when the null is generated in the determined one or part of the specified direction range. And the impedance value of the parasitic array is conveniently adjusted through the corresponding relation.

In a specific possible embodiment, the method further comprises:

and when the antenna does not interfere in one or part of the designated direction ranges, the parasitic array is controlled not to form a null on the signal in the designated direction range. The application range of the antenna is improved.

In a third aspect, a communication base station is provided, which includes: the antenna comprises a base station body and the antenna arranged on the base station body. Through the secondary shaping of the parasitic array to the antenna signal in the specified direction range, the antenna forms a null in the specified direction range, the directional diagram of the antenna is changed, the problem of mutual interference among communication base stations can be avoided, and the communication effect among the communication base stations is improved; in addition, the change does not need to refer to other antennas, and the interference can be improved only by adjusting one antenna.

In a fourth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes a first base station, a second base station, and a third base station, where the first base station is configured to send signals to the second base station and the third base station, and the first base station is provided with any one of the antennas. Through the secondary shaping of the parasitic array to the antenna signal in the specified direction range, the antenna forms a null in the specified direction range, the directional diagram of the antenna is changed, the problem of mutual interference among communication base stations can be avoided, and the communication effect among the communication base stations is improved; in addition, the change does not need to refer to other antennas, and the interference can be improved only by adjusting one antenna.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a particular communication process;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of another specific communication process;

fig. 3a is a schematic structural diagram of an antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 3b is a schematic structural diagram of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a parasitic array according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another antenna provided in the embodiment of the present application;

fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of another parasitic array provided in the embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7 is a side view of another parasitic array provided in accordance with embodiments of the present application;

fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of another antenna provided in the embodiment of the present application;

fig. 9 is a mapping relationship between a control device and a parasitic array according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 10 to 13 are waveform simulation diagrams of the antenna in different working states.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more clear, the present application will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, an application scenario provided by the embodiment of the present application is described, where the antenna provided by the embodiment of the present application is applied to a communication process of a communication base station, for example, the antenna may be applied to a base station for E-band microwave backhaul, or a backhaul site of a higher frequency band such as Dband, or a traditional microwave backhaul site. As illustrated in fig. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a specific communication process, the first antenna 101 of the base station 1 communicates with the second antenna 201 of the base station 2 (signal propagation direction indicated by solid arrow), and the third antenna 102 of the base station 1 communicates with the fourth antenna 301 of the base station 3 (signal propagation direction indicated by solid arrow), thereby forming a plurality of point-to-point communications. Point-to-point refers to point-to-point fixed beam pointing between two base stations or two antennas, and the base stations or the antennas do not scan and only do directional transmission signals. When the base station 1, the base station 2, and the base station 3 communicate in the same band, there may be co-channel interference. As shown by the signal propagation direction indicated by the dashed arrow in fig. 1, signal transmission may occur between the first antenna 101 and the fourth antenna 301, and the signal transmission between the first antenna 101 and the fourth antenna 301 may cause interference to the signal between the third antenna 102 and the fourth antenna 301; signal transmission may occur between the second antenna 201 and the third antenna 102, and the signal transmission between the second antenna 201 and the third antenna 102 may cause interference to the signal between the first antenna 101 and the second antenna 201.

As shown in fig. 2, another schematic diagram of a communication process, a first antenna 101 of a base station 1 communicates with a second antenna 201 of a base station 2, and a third antenna 301 of a base station 3 communicates with a fourth antenna 401 of a base station 4, but during co-frequency transmission, as shown by a signal propagation direction shown by a dotted arrow shown in fig. 2, signal transmission may occur between the first antenna 101 and the fourth antenna 401, and the signal transmission between the first antenna 101 and the fourth antenna 401 may cause interference to a signal between the third antenna 301 and the fourth antenna 401; signal transmission may occur between the second antenna 201 and the third antenna 301, and the signal transmission between the second antenna 201 and the third antenna 301 may cause interference to the signal between the first antenna 101 and the second antenna 201.

In order to avoid the co-channel interference between base stations, the embodiments of the present application provide an antenna, which is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

As shown in fig. 3a, fig. 3a illustrates a basic structural diagram of an antenna provided in an embodiment of the present application. The antenna comprises a signal processing module 10, a feed 20 and a radiating component 30. When transmitting signals, the signal processing module 10 transmits the signals to the feed source 20, and the feed source 20 transmits the signals through the radiation component 30; when receiving signals, the radiation component 30 receives external signals, and the signals are transmitted to the feed source 20 through the radiation component 30 and then transmitted to the signal processing module 10 through the feed source 20.

The radiation assembly 30 includes a main reflection plate 31 and a sub reflection plate 32, and the sub reflection plate 32 and the main reflection plate 31 are used for matching to emit the signal emitted by the feed source 20. Illustratively, the primary reflector 31 and the secondary reflector 32 are parabolic structures, and the feed source 20 is located at the center of the primary reflector 31. The secondary reflector 32 is nested in the primary reflector 31, and the extrados of the secondary reflector 32 faces the feed 20. The signal transmitting end of the feed source 20 faces the auxiliary reflecting plate 32, the auxiliary reflecting plate 32 is used for reflecting the signal transmitted by the feed source to the main reflecting plate 31, and the main reflecting plate 31 is used for transmitting the signal of the feed source 20.

In an alternative scheme, the feed source and the secondary reflecting plate are of an integral structure, or the feed source and the secondary reflecting plate are connected through a connecting piece. The signal transmitted by the feed source is reflected to the main reflecting plate through the auxiliary reflecting plate. For example, the secondary reflector is a hat-shaped structure at the transmitting end of the feed.

When the antenna is used as a transmitting antenna, the sub-reflecting plate 32 is used for reflecting the signal transmitted by the feed 20 to the main reflecting plate 31, and the main reflecting plate 31 is used for transmitting the signal reflected by the sub-reflecting plate 32 to the main reflecting plate 31, so that the signal transmitted by the feed 20 can be expanded to a larger area. When the antenna is used as a receiving antenna, an external signal is reflected to the sub-reflecting plate 32 through the main reflecting plate 31, and then reflected to the feed source 20 through the sub-reflecting plate 32. The external signal is a signal transmitted by other antennas or base stations.

In an alternative, the main reflection plate 31 and the sub reflection plate 32 are of an axisymmetric structure, and the main reflection plate 31 and the sub reflection plate 32 are coaxially arranged to make the signal reflected by the antenna uniform, wherein the axis can be selected as the axis of the feed 20.

In an alternative, the main reflection plate 31 is provided with a surrounding plate 60, and the surrounding plate 60 is fixedly connected with the end of the main reflection plate 31 far away from the feed source 20. Illustratively, the main reflective plate 31 and the surrounding plate 60 may be fixedly connected by a fastener such as a snap, a threaded connector (screw or bolt), or fixedly connected by bonding or welding, or the surrounding plate 60 and the reflective plate are integrally formed, such as directly formed by die casting.

In an optional scheme, the antenna further includes an antenna housing 50, the antenna housing 50 is fixedly connected with the enclosure plate 60, and the feed source 20 and the secondary reflector plate 32 are enclosed in a space enclosed by the main reflector plate 31 and the antenna housing 50.

In an optional aspect, the antenna further comprises a parasitic array 40, and the parasitic array 40 is fixed in the radome 50. Of course, the parasitic array 40 may also be fixed outside the radome 50, for example, the parasitic array 40 is fixedly connected with the main reflective plate 31 through a bracket.

The parasitic array 40 is used to form nulls in a specified range of directions for signals transmitted by the feed 20. In a specific implementation, the parasitic array 40 is used to perform secondary shaping on the antenna, where the secondary shaping refers to modifying the directional diagram of the antenna by the parasitic array, so that the directional diagram of the antenna is shaped into a new shape. The parasitic array 40 is used for secondary forming of signals transmitted by the feed source 20, including but not limited to secondary forming of signals from the feed source 20 to the secondary reflection plate 32; or secondary shaping is carried out on signals between the auxiliary reflecting plate 32 and the main reflecting plate 31; or secondary shaping is performed on the signal reflected by the main reflection plate 31. Nulls indicate a significant gain drop in the antenna pattern over a certain angular direction or over a certain angular direction. For example, the requirement for gain degradation is related to the main lobe gain and the overall system immunity to interference. In the scheme of this embodiment, the parasitic array is used to form nulls for signals in a specified direction range, and interference suppression for the nulls (or directions) can be achieved by using the nulls of the antenna pattern. The null point (or direction) is a position where the null is generated.

The antenna provided by the embodiment of the present application is not limited to the antenna shown in fig. 3a, and other antennas may be used. Like the antenna shown in fig. 3a, some of the reference numerals in fig. 3b may refer to the same reference numerals in fig. 3 a. In fig. 3b, the antenna only comprises a feed 20 and a main reflector 31, and the main reflector 31 is used for transmitting signals from the feed 20; the signal transmitting end of the feed source 20 faces the main reflecting plate 31, and the signal transmitted by the feed source 20 is directly reflected by the main reflecting plate 31.

To facilitate understanding of the parasitic array 40, the structure of the parasitic array 40 is described below with reference to fig. 3a and 4.

For convenience of description, a direction a, which is a direction in which the edge of the sidewall of the main reflection plate 31 points to the center of the main reflection plate 31, and a direction b, which is perpendicular to the direction a, are defined, and planes of the directions a and b are parallel to the aperture surface of the main reflection plate 31. In fig. 3a, two parasitic arrays 40 are provided for generating nulls in different specified direction ranges, respectively, and it should be understood that, in the embodiment of the present application, the number of the parasitic arrays 40 is not particularly limited, and the number of the parasitic arrays 40 may be set according to actual needs, for example, the number of the parasitic arrays 40 is one, two, three, and the like. For example, the parasitic array 40 is disposed in an area where the antenna may generate an interference signal.

In an alternative, the parasitic array 40 may be a non-tunable parasitic array. As shown in fig. 4, the parasitic array 40 includes a plurality of metal patches 42 arranged in an array, the metal patches 42 arranged in a row along a direction a and arranged in a column along a direction b, and the metal patches 42 in each column are arranged in a column along the direction a, as shown by reference numeral 44 in fig. 4. In each column of metal patches 42, adjacent metal patches 42 are connected by an impedance device 43 a. Illustratively, in each column of metal patches 42, the metal patches 42 are connected by a fixed-value impedance device, such as a capacitor, an inductor, a resistor, or a combination of one or more of the inductor, the resistor, or the capacitor.

When the parasitic array 40 works, when a signal (electromagnetic wave) reflected by the main reflection plate 31 hits the parasitic array 40, a surface current is excited in the parasitic array 40, and the surface current can be adjusted by designing the size, the distance and the impedance device of the metal patches 42, so that a re-radiated directional pattern is influenced, the control of a beam is realized, the antenna generates a null point in a specified direction range, and the signal propagation effect in the area is reduced.

In an alternative, the arrangement direction of each row of metal patches 42 may be offset by a certain angle along the direction a, such as by different angles of 1 °, 3 °, 5 °, 10 °, and so on.

In an alternative, the metal patch 42 may be a rectangular metal patch, although the specific shape of the metal patch 42 is not specifically limited in this application, and metal patches with different shapes such as oval, circle, etc. may also be used.

In an optional scheme, the parasitic array 40 further includes a dielectric layer 41, and the metal patch 42 and the impedance device 43a are disposed on the dielectric layer 41. The dielectric layer 41 is made of a material that can penetrate through signals and is insulating, and for example, the dielectric layer may be made of common materials such as plastics and fibers, which are not specifically limited in this application. When the parasitic array 40 is manufactured, the parasitic array 40 may be manufactured by processing a metal pattern on the dielectric layer 41 and then welding an impedance element in a hybrid integration manner, or may be manufactured in a monolithic integration manner, that is, all components are integrally processed.

The surface current generated by the parasitic array 40 is related to the size of the metal patches 42 in the parasitic array 40, the distance between the metal patches 42, the impedance value of the impedance device 43a, and the position of the parasitic array 40, and when the above components are specifically arranged, different null states which can be generated under different parameters of the parasitic array 40 can be obtained by solving maxwell equations of the space. The parameters of the parasitic array 40 are: the size and pitch of the metal patch 42 elements, the value of the interconnect impedance (impedance device), the location in the antenna, etc. When the parasitic array 40 is a parasitic array whose impedance is not adjustable, nulling of the antenna can be achieved in a certain specified direction range by the parasitic array.

In the above description, the antenna is taken as a transmitting antenna for example, and when the antenna is taken as a receiving antenna, the principle is the same, and only the direction of signal transmission is different.

As can be seen from the above description, in the technical scheme disclosed in the present application, the parasitic array performs secondary shaping on the antenna signal in the specified direction range, so that the antenna forms a null in the specified direction range, the directional diagram of the antenna is changed, the problem of mutual interference between communication base stations can be avoided, and the communication effect between the communication base stations is improved; in addition, the change does not need to refer to other antennas, and the interference can be improved only by adjusting one antenna.

As an alternative to the structure of the antenna shown in fig. 5, the reference numerals in fig. 5 may refer to the same reference numerals in fig. 3 a. Fig. 5 illustrates another way to achieve null steering, and the antenna shown in fig. 5 differs from the antenna shown in fig. 3a in that the parasitic array 40 is a tunable impedance parasitic array. When the designated direction ranges are multiple, the parasitic array 40 may be an impedance-adjustable parasitic array, and the parasitic array 40 may form a null for the signal in one or a part of the designated direction ranges. The parasitic array 40 can be specifically controlled by the control device, for example, when the null is required to be realized in a certain or a part of specified direction range, the control device can be used for controlling the parasitic array 40 to carry out secondary shaping on the signal transmitted by the feed source 20 in a certain specified direction range or a part of specified direction range, and form the null. If no null is needed in the region, the control device can be used for controlling the parasitic array 40 not to carry out secondary shaping on the signal transmitted by the feed source 20 in the specified direction range. The above-mentioned partial specified direction ranges include, but are not limited to, two or three specified direction ranges.

In an alternative, the control device may be disposed in the signal processing module 10, the signal processing module 10 may be an indoor unit, an outdoor unit or a whole outdoor unit, the indoor unit, the outdoor unit or the whole outdoor unit is connected to the feed source 20, and the control device may be a control circuit in the indoor unit or the outdoor unit or the whole outdoor unit. Wherein the indoor unit: the main functions are to complete service access, multiplexing, modulation and demodulation, etc., and convert service signals into modulated intermediate frequency analog signals indoors. An outdoor unit: the main functions are to complete the frequency conversion and amplification of signals, to realize the conversion of signals between intermediate frequency and radio frequency, to complete the frequency conversion between radio frequency and intermediate frequency signals outdoors and to amplify the signals to the required power. Or it may also be a full outdoor unit, a full outdoor unit: an integrated all-outdoor Unit includes the functions of an IDU (In Door Unit) and an ODU (Out Door Unit).

Referring also to fig. 6, fig. 6 shows a schematic structural diagram of a specific parasitic array 40. The parasitic array 40 includes a plurality of metal patches 42 arranged in an array, the metal patches 42 arranged in the array are arranged in a row along a direction a and arranged in a column along a direction b, the metal patches 42 in each column are arranged in a column along a first direction (direction b), as indicated by reference numeral 43 in fig. 6, and in each column of metal patches 42, adjacent metal patches 42 are connected through an adjustable impedance device 43 b. Illustratively, the adjustable impedance device 43b may be a varactor, a PIN diode, a MEMS switch, or the like.

In an alternative, the arrangement direction of each row of metal patches 42 may be offset by a certain angle along the direction a, such as by different angles of 1 °, 3 °, 5 °, 10 °, and so on.

In an alternative, the metal patch 42 may be a rectangular metal patch, although the specific shape of the metal patch 42 is not specifically limited in this application, and metal patches with different shapes such as oval, circle, etc. may also be used.

In an optional scheme, the parasitic array 40 further includes a dielectric layer 41, and the metal patch 42 and the adjustable impedance device 43b are disposed on the dielectric layer 41. The dielectric layer 41 is made of a material that can penetrate signals and is insulating, and for example, the dielectric layer may be made of common materials such as plastics and fibers, which are not specifically limited in this application. With reference to the side view of the parasitic array 40 shown in fig. 7, when the parasitic array 40 is manufactured, the parasitic array 40 may be manufactured by processing a metal pattern on the dielectric layer 41 and then welding an impedance element in a hybrid integration manner, or may be manufactured in a monolithic integration manner, that is, all components are integrally processed.

When the parasitic array 40 works, when a signal (electromagnetic wave) emitted by the main reflection plate 31 hits the parasitic array 40, a surface current is excited in the parasitic array 40, and the surface current can be adjusted by designing the size and the distance of the metal patches 42 and the adjustable impedance device 43b, so that the re-radiated directional pattern is influenced, the control of a beam is realized, the antenna generates a null in a specified direction range, and the signal propagation effect in the area is reduced. As can be seen from the above description, the surface current generated by the parasitic array 40 is related to the size of the metal patches 42 in the parasitic array 40, the spacing between the metal patches 42, the impedance value of the impedance device, and the position of the parasitic array 40, and when the above components are specifically arranged, different null states that can be generated under different parameters of the parasitic array 40 can be obtained by solving maxwell equations (a well-known technique) of the space. The parameters of the parasitic array 40 are: the size and spacing of the metal patch 42 elements, the value of the interconnect impedance, the location in the antenna, etc. When the parasitic array 40 is a parasitic array with adjustable impedance, the null point can be adjusted by adjusting the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device 43 b.

In an alternative scheme, the adjustment of the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device 43b may be implemented by a control device, and the control device is configured to control the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device 43b, and control the parasitic array 40 to form a null for the signal transmitted by the feed source 20 in one or a part of the specified direction ranges by controlling the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device 43 b. The control device is further configured to control the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device 43b, and control the parasitic array 40 not to form a null on the signal transmitted by the feed source 20 in one or a part of the designated direction ranges by controlling the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device. As can be seen from the above description, the control device can realize "transparency" or null generation of the parasitic array 40 by controlling the adjustable impedance device 43 b. The above "transparent" means that the parasitic array 40 does not perform secondary shaping on the signal transmitted by the feed source 20, the signal transmitted by the main reflection plate 31 can directly penetrate through the parasitic array 40, and the parasitic array 40 does not perform secondary shaping on the antenna.

Fig. 8 shows a schematic structural diagram of another antenna. The parasitic array 40 in fig. 8 may be the parasitic array shown in fig. 4 or fig. 7, and the detailed structure of the parasitic array is not described in detail here. Each parasitic array 40 is fixedly connected with the main reflection plate 31 through a bracket 70. The parasitic array 40 may be disposed at various locations of the antenna, such as inside the radome or outside the radome. When the parasitic array 40 is located on the radome, the parasitic array may also be supported by the bracket 70, and at this time, a cavity for accommodating the parasitic array 40 and the radome is provided in the radome. When the parasitic array 40 is located outside the radome, referring to the structure shown in fig. 8, the bracket 70 is located in the space enclosed by the enclosure 60 and fixed on the enclosure 60, and one end of the bracket 70 away from the enclosure 60 is fixedly connected to the parasitic array 40. The connection between the bracket 70 and the enclosure 60 and the parasitic array 40 may be a connection element such as a threaded connection element (a bolt or a screw) or a snap, or the connection between the bracket 70 and the enclosure 60 and the parasitic array 40 may also be a connection element such as an adhesive or a welding.

In an alternative embodiment, the support 70 is an adjustable support to adjust the position of the parasitic array 40. For example, the support 70 is a support that can be extended and retracted in a first direction (direction a), and the first direction is parallel to the aperture surface of the main reflection plate 31, for example, the support 70 may be an electric telescopic rod, an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or other structures that can be extended and retracted in a set direction. When the bracket 70 is extended, the parasitic array 40 can be adjusted to a position close to the center of the main reflection plate 31, when the bracket 70 is contracted, the parasitic array 40 can be adjusted to a position close to the surrounding plate 60, and by adjusting the position of the parasitic array 40, the area of the antenna generating the null can be adjusted. For example, when the position of the base station is changed during the setting of the base station, or when the relative position between the base stations is not determined before the base station is set, the area where the antenna generates the null can be changed by adjusting the position of the parasitic array 40 after the base station is set, so that the interference between the base stations is reduced, and the communication effect between the base stations is improved.

In an optional scheme, the support 70 is a three-dimensional adjustable support, and the support 70 can extend and retract in the direction a, the direction b, and the direction z perpendicular to the direction a and the direction b, so that the flexibility of the parasitic array 40 during adjustment is further improved, thereby realizing null steering of the antennas in different specified direction ranges, and improving the communication effect between the antennas. The support 70 may be a known structure, such as a support assembly composed of three telescopic rods, or other known supports that can be adjusted in three dimensions, and can be applied in the embodiments of the present application.

When the support 70 is an adjustable support, the support 70 may also be controlled by the control device, and at this time, when the control device specifically controls the adjustable impedance device 43b, the control device is implemented by an internally stored mapping relationship, and a plurality of corresponding relationships between the specified direction ranges and the weights of the adjustable impedances of the parasitic arrays are stored in the control device. The mapping table of different null points and different weights is finally presented externally by the corresponding relation. The process of establishing the mapping relationship can refer to fig. 9. This is explained in detail below with reference to fig. 9.

Firstly, although there are many adjustable parameters for realizing null in the antenna in the present application, for example, in the present application, one main parameter is selected as an object to be adjusted, that is, the control device adjusts the impedance of the adjustable impedance device 43b, and the control device controls the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device 43b through the generated dc level; the second is the control (optional) of the position of the parasitic array 40 by the support 70.

Next, for different dc biases generated by the control device, impedance values under different dc biases can be obtained according to the manual of the selected adjustable impedance device 43 b. Meanwhile, the bracket 70 can adjust the position and the spatial arrangement angle of the parasitic array 40. An overall electromagnetic model can be established by using a set of weights (interconnection impedance values and spatial positions) and matching with other fixed parameters (the dielectric material of the parasitic array 40, the size and the spacing of the metal patches 42, the structure of the parabolic antenna and the like). And solving a space Maxwell equation set (the existing mature technology) to obtain a directional diagram and a null state under the weight.

Then, the process is repeated to obtain the null states under different weights. Meanwhile, a "transparent weight value" is found, that is, the parasitic array 40 is transparent to the electromagnetic wave and does not counteract the electromagnetic wave under a set of weight values.

And finally, screening the obtained result, and selecting the null state and the corresponding weight which meet the requirements, so that the establishment of the mapping relation between the weight and the null point is completed.

When the antenna is free of interference during use, the 'transparent' weight can be started, and the parasitic array 40 is transparent relative to electromagnetic waves and has very small influence on the main lobe of the antenna signal. When the antenna has interference, the control device can start the null weight, the main lobe of the antenna signal is slightly reduced, the null effect is obviously improved, and the position of the null point is related to the selection of the weight.

In order to facilitate understanding of the above working principle, the embodiment of the present application further provides a method for using an antenna. The antenna may be any one of the antennas described above, the method comprising the steps of:

the method comprises the following steps: determining that the antenna generates interference in a specified direction range;

specifically, the range of interference that may be generated between the communication base stations may be determined by the positions of the communication base stations at the time of installation, or interference generated in a certain range may be detected by a transmitted or received signal when the base stations are used. The first step is an optional step, and whether the first step needs to be executed or not can be selected according to requirements during specific setting.

Step two:

the signals transmitted by the antenna through the parasitic array form nulls in a specified direction range.

Specifically, when a specified direction range of an antenna on a communication base station, which generates interference, is fixed, a parasitic array, which can generate nulls for signals within the specified direction range, can be adjusted to be directly mounted on the antenna.

When the specified direction range generated by the antenna on the communication base station is not fixed, that is, when the communication base station is assembled, it is uncertain which specified direction range causes interference, and there are a plurality of areas in which interference occurs. The following may be used:

1) when the designated direction ranges are multiple, the parasitic array is a parasitic array with adjustable impedance;

2) and adjusting the position of the parasitic array and/or adjusting the impedance of the parasitic array to enable the signal transmitted by the antenna to form a null in one or part of the plurality of specified direction ranges.

Specifically, the certain or some of the designated direction ranges are ranges in which interference is generated when the determined antenna is used, among a plurality of designated direction ranges in which interference may exist. In the specific adjustment, the position of the parasitic array can be adjusted, or the impedance of the parasitic array can be adjusted, or the position and the impedance value of the parasitic array can be adjusted at the same time.

Taking as an example that only the impedance of the parasitic array is adjusted so that the signal transmitted by the antenna forms a null in one or a part of the designated direction ranges, when the specific adjustment is performed:

determining the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device of the parasitic array corresponding to the null generation in one or part of the specified direction range according to the corresponding relation between the stored specified direction ranges and the weight value of the adjustable impedance device of the parasitic array when the null generation occurs;

and adjusting the impedance of the adjustable impedance device of the parasitic array according to the impedance value of the adjustable impedance device of the corresponding parasitic array when the null is generated in the determined one or part of the specified direction range.

Reference may be made in particular to the description relating to fig. 9. And solving a space Maxwell equation set to obtain a directional diagram and a null state under the weight. Then, the process is repeated to obtain the null states under different weights. And finally, screening the obtained result, and selecting the null state and the corresponding weight which meet the requirements, so that the establishment of the mapping relation between the weight and the null point is completed. And the impedance value of the parasitic array is conveniently adjusted through the corresponding relation.

In an optional scheme, the method further includes finding a "transparent weight value" when the maxwell equation set is solved, that is, in the presence of a set of weight values, the parasitic array is transparent to the electromagnetic wave and does not have a cancellation effect on the electromagnetic wave. And when the antenna has no interference in one or part of the designated direction ranges, the parasitic array is controlled not to form null in the designated direction range. For example, in the following scenario, when the communication base station is used, interference may occur in a specified direction range, but due to a change in the setting position of the communication base station in the later period or disappearance of an interference-generating signal, the "transparent weight" may be used to cancel the null generated by the parasitic array in the specified direction range.

As can be seen from the above description, according to the antenna provided by the embodiment of the present application, through the secondary shaping of the parasitic array to the antenna signal in the specified direction range, the antenna forms a null in the specified direction range, and the directional diagram of the antenna is changed, so that the problem of mutual interference between communication base stations can be avoided, and the communication effect between the communication base stations is improved; in addition, the change does not need to refer to other antennas, and the interference can be improved only by adjusting one antenna.

In order to facilitate understanding of the effect of the parasitic array of the present application, it is explained below with reference to the simulation diagrams of fig. 10 to 13. Referring first to fig. 10, the solid line in fig. 10 shows the waveform of the antenna without the parasitic array, and this time, the waveform of the antenna operating without the parasitic array. Fig. 11 shows a simulation diagram of an antenna including a parasitic array, and the dotted line in fig. 11 indicates a waveform passing through the parasitic array, and in fig. 10, a waveform diagram of the antenna when a transparent weight is applied to the parasitic array. Comparing fig. 10 and fig. 11, it can be seen that, when the parasitic array adopts the transparent weight, the influence on the main lobe is less than 0.3dB, and there is almost no influence on the shape of the main lobe of the antenna. Referring to fig. 12 and 13, fig. 12 shows a simulation diagram when the control device applies a null weight value of 1, and fig. 13 shows a simulation diagram when the control device applies a null weight value of 2. As can be seen from fig. 12 and 13, when the null weight is applied, the antenna generates a distinct null point within 30 °, and the simulation result shows that: the main lobe is reduced by less than or equal to 1dB, the null effect is improved by more than 30dB, and the relative main lobe null point is less than-70 dB (taking a small-caliber antenna as an example for simulation). And different weights correspond to different null states.

As can be seen from the above description, the antenna provided by the present application can adjust the null of the antenna through the parasitic array. When the antenna is applied to the scenes shown in fig. 1 and fig. 2, the antenna can be adjusted in a required area by controlling the position of the parasitic array or the interconnection impedance value to realize null steering, so that the interference between the antennas is reduced. And in the adjustment process, the reference of the positions of other base stations is not needed to be provided, and the adjustment can be carried out only through the antenna, so that the freedom of the base station arrangement is improved.

The present application also provides a communication base station, which can refer to base stations 1, 2 or base stations 3, 4 in fig. 1 and 2. The communication base station includes: the antenna of any one of above-mentioned department on base station body and setting up on the base station body. Through the secondary shaping of the parasitic array to the antenna signal in the specified direction range, the antenna forms a null in the specified direction range, the directional diagram of the antenna is changed, the problem of mutual interference among communication base stations can be avoided, and the communication effect among the communication base stations is improved; in addition, the change does not need to refer to other antennas, and the interference can be improved only by adjusting one antenna.

The present application further provides a communication system, which may refer to fig. 1 or fig. 2, where the communication system includes a first base station, a second base station, and a third base station, where the first base station is configured to send signals to the second base station and the third base station, and the first base station is provided with any one of the antennas. Through the secondary shaping of the parasitic array to the antenna signal in the specified direction range, the antenna forms a null in the specified direction range, the directional diagram of the antenna is changed, the problem of mutual interference among communication base stations can be avoided, and the communication effect among the communication base stations is improved; in addition, the change does not need to refer to other antennas, and the interference can be improved only by adjusting one antenna.

The above description is only for the specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of the changes or substitutions within the technical scope of the present application, and shall be covered by the scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.