Antenna device with electronically controlled three-stage phase shifter and three-stage phase shifter
Disclosed is an antenna device with an electronically controlled three-stage phase shifter and a three-stage phase shifter. The antenna device includes multiple three-stage phase shifters, an array antenna, an electronic control unit, and a power distribution network. Each three-stage phase shifter has a first phase shifting section, a second phase shifting section, and a third phase shifting section connected sequentially in series. Each three-stage phase shifter is coupled to the power distribution network and the array antenna. The power distribution network feeds radio frequency (RF) signals into each three-stage phase shifter, and each three-stage phase shifter feeds RF signals out to the array antenna. Each three-stage phase shifter is coupled to the electronic control unit, which controls the input control signals to each three-stage phase shifter, thereby varying the beam angle of the radiation field pattern of the array antenna.
1 . An antenna device comprising:
a plurality of three-stage phase shifters in which each three-stage phase shifter has a first phase shifting section and a second phase shifting section and a third phase shifting section connected sequentially in series, wherein each three-stage phase shifter of said plurality of three-stage phase shifters being coupled to a radio frequency signal input terminal and a radio frequency signal output terminal;
an antenna array arranged in a pattern, said antenna array being coupled to one of said plurality of three-stage phase shifters;
a power distribution network coupled to the radio frequency signal input terminal, wherein said plurality of three-stage phase shifters are parallel to each other and are coupled to said antenna array through respective radio frequency signal output terminals so as to allow said power distribution network to feed an input radio frequency signal to each three-stage phase shifter of said plurality of three-stage phase shifters through respective radio frequency signal input terminals, wherein each three-stage phase shifter of said plurality of three-stage phase shifters feeds an output radio frequency signal to said array antenna through the respective radio frequency signal output terminals; and
an electronic control unit connected to said plurality of three-stage phase shifters so as to allow said electronic control unit to control input control signals to each three-stage phase shifter of said plurality of three-stage phase shifters, wherein each of said plurality of three-stage phase shifters and said power distribution network and said antenna array have a microstrip line layout composed of a conductive material, wherein said plurality of three-stage phase shifters and said power distribution network are formed on one side of a circuit board, said antenna array being formed on another side of the circuit board, the circuit board having a ground layer formed therein, each three-stage phase shifter of said plurality of three-stage phase shifters being grounded to the ground layer.
2 . The antenna device of claim 1 , wherein said electronic control unit comprises:
a microprocessor;
a memory; and
a control signal generation circuit, said memory and said control signal generation circuit being electrically connected to said microprocessor, said control signal generation circuit being coupled to each three-stage phase shifter of said plurality of three-stage phase shifters, said memory adapted to store a lookup table that contains multiple control messages, the multiple control message being directed to respective different beam angles, wherein said microprocessor executes a program adapted to retrieve one of the multiple control messages from the lookup table and sends an electronic message corresponding to the one control message to said control signal generation circuit so as to allow said control signal generation circuit to transmit a corresponding control signal to each three-stage phase shifter of said plurality of three-stage phase shifters in order to control a beam angle of a radiation field pattern of said array antenna.
3 . The antenna device of claim 2 , wherein said microprocessor is coupled to a human-machine interface unit and adapted to allow an operator to send instructions to said microprocessor through the human-machine interface unit so as to control the beam angle of the radiation field pattern of said array antenna.
4 . The antenna device of claim 2 , wherein the control signal is selected from the group consisting of a DC voltage, a current, a magnetic field, a low-frequency signal, a high-frequency signal, a signal phase, an electromagnetic signal and a pulse.
5 . The antenna device of claim 3 , wherein the control signal is selected from the group consisting of a DC voltage, a current, a magnetic field, a low-frequency signal, a high-frequency signal, a signal phase, an electromagnetic signal and a pulse.
6 . The antenna device of claim 1 , wherein each of the radio frequency signal input terminals is coupled to the first phase shifting section, a first DC blocking capacitor being connected between each radio frequency signal input terminal and a corresponding first phase shifting section, each of the radio frequency signal output terminals being coupled to each of the third phase shifting sections, a second DC blocking capacitor connected between each radio frequency signal output terminal and the corresponding third phase shifting section thereof, wherein multiple control signal input terminals are coupled to respective three-stage phase shifters and the electronic control unit.