This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-131786, filed Jul. 1, 2016; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Embodiments described herein relate generally to an antenna device.
An antenna device generally has a T-shaped antenna (feed antenna) that is provided on a ground plate, and parasitic elements which are arranged on both sides of the T-shaped antenna and are short-circuited to the ground plate through a switch. Then, the switch is short-circuited or opened, and thereby variability of directivity of the antenna device is achieved.
However, when an antenna device having a large number of antennas represented by an array antenna intends to have directivity, switches become necessary which correspond to just the number of antennas, and there is a problem that the cost increases.
One embodiment of the present invention changes the directivity of an antenna without increasing the number of switches according to the number of antennas.
The antenna device in one embodiment of the present invention includes a conductor ground plate, a first antenna portion, a switch, and a plurality of second antenna portions. The above described switch is connected between the above described conductor ground plate and the above described first antenna portion. The above described plurality of second antenna portions are arranged at positions at which the second antenna portions can be capacitively coupled to the above described first antenna portion.
Below, a description is given of embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments.
There exist a plurality of second antenna portions 4, and there exist coaxial lines 5 in the same number as that of the second antenna portions 4.
In the present description, a plurality of components are discriminated by letters of the subscript of the reference characteristics. In the example of
In the present embodiment, the conductor ground plate 1 is placed so as to be parallel to a horizontal plane. The first antenna portion 2, the switch 3 and the second antenna portions 4 exist above the conductor ground plate 1. In addition, the coaxial lines 5 exist below the conductor ground plate 1. The switch 3 is connected between the conductor ground plate 1 and the first antenna portion 2. In addition, the outer conductor 51 of the coaxial lines 5 is connected to the conductor ground plate 1. The inner conductor 52 of the coaxial lines 5 is connected to a third conductor portion 41 through a hole which is provided in the conductor ground plate 1, or the like.
The first antenna portion 2 and each of the second antenna portions 4 are arranged so that the distance therebetween becomes shorter than or equal to a predetermined distance. The distance between the first antenna portion 2 and the second antenna portions 4 shall mean the shortest distance between the surface of the first antenna portion 2 and the surface of the second antenna portions 4. In the example of
Incidentally, the example of
However, as has been described above, the first antenna portion 2 and the second antenna portions 4 may be arranged at positions at which the antenna portion 2 and each of the antenna portions 4 can be capacitively coupled, and do not necessarily need to be arranged so as to partially overlap each other in the Z-axis direction. The heights at which the second conductor portion 22 and each of the fourth conductor portions 42 are positioned may be equal to each other. In addition, the position at which the second conductor portion 22 and the fourth conductor portions 42 overlap each other is not limited to that in the example of
Incidentally,
Next, the role of each of the components in the antenna device will be described below.
The conductor ground plate 1 is formed of an electroconductive material such as a metal, and plays a role of a ground potential. The conductor ground plate 1 may be, for instance, a flat metal plate.
The first antenna portion 2 acts as an antenna that radiates electromagnetic waves to the space due to a function that an electric current occurs on the surface. The first conductor portion 21 is connected to the switch 3. The second conductor portion 22 is capacitively coupled to the second antenna portions 4. Thereby, an electric current occurs on the second conductor portion 22. In addition, the first conductor portion 21 and the second conductor portion 22 are electrically connected to each other, and an electric current occurs in the first conductor portion 21 in response to an operation of the switch 3. The detail of the electric current of the first antenna portion 2 will be described later.
Incidentally, another conductor portion may exist between the first conductor portion 21 and the second conductor portion 22 as long as the first conductor portion 21 and the second conductor portion 22 are electrically connected.
Incidentally, the first conductor portion 21 and the second conductor portion 22 may be formed of different electroconductive members from each other. For instance, a wire conductor may be used for the first conductor portion 21, and a conductor plate may be used for the second conductor portion 22. In addition, the first conductor portion 21 and the second conductor portion 22 may be formed of one electroconductive member. For instance, one electroconductive member has a projection portion corresponding to the first conductor portion 21, and a flat portion corresponding to the second conductor portion 22.
In addition, the shapes of the first conductor portion 21 and the second conductor portion 22 are not limited to the wire shape, a plate shape and the like. The first conductor portion 21 may also have a plate shape, and the second conductor portion 22 may also have the wire shape. The surface of the second conductor portion 22 illustrated in
In addition, it is supposed as illustrated in
Incidentally, in the present description, the word “approximately” includes phrase itself which the word modifies. For instance, “approximately parallel” also includes “parallel”.
The switch 3 operates so as to open (Open) or short-circuit (Short) a space between the first antenna portion 2 and the conductor ground plate 1. The switch 3 switches between the two states of open-circuited and short-circuited states, and thereby a direction of the electric current of the first antenna portion 2 changes. Because of this, the directivity of the first antenna portion 2 changes. The switch 3 can be, specifically, achieved by an MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) switch, a semiconductor switch or the like.
Each of a plurality of second antenna portions 4 acts as an antenna that radiates electromagnetic waves to the space, by the electric power being fed thereto (by high frequency signal being applied thereto). In addition, the second antenna portions 4 make an electric current due to capacitive coupling occur in the first antenna portion 2. The third conductor portion 41 is connected to the inner conductor 52 of the coaxial lines 5, which feeds electric power. The fourth conductor portion 42 is electrically connected to the third conductor portion 41. In addition, the fourth conductor portion 42 is capacitively coupled to the first antenna portion 2. Thereby, an electric current occurs in the second conductor portion 22. The details of the electric current of the second antenna portions 4 will be described later.
Incidentally, another conductor portion may exist between the third conductor portion 41 and the fourth conductor portion 42 as long as the third conductor portion 41 and the fourth conductor portion 42 may be electrically connected.
Incidentally, the third conductor portion 41 and the fourth conductor portion 42 may be formed of different electroconductive members from each other. For instance, a wire conductor may be used for the third conductor portion 41, and a conductor plate may be used for the fourth conductor portion 42. In addition, the third conductor portion 41 and the fourth conductor portion 42 may be formed of one electroconductive member. For instance, one electroconductive member has a projection portion corresponding to the third conductor portion 41, and has a flat portion corresponding to the fourth conductor portion 42. In addition, the third conductor portion 41 and the fourth conductor portion 42 may be integrated with each other.
In addition, the shapes of the third conductor portion 41 and the fourth conductor portion 42 are not limited to the wire shape, the plate shape and the like. The third conductor portion 41 may also have a plate shape, and the fourth conductor portion 42 may also have a wire shape. The surface of the fourth conductor portion 42 illustrated in
In addition, it is supposed as illustrated in
The coaxial lines 5 are lines for high frequency. Electric power is fed to the third conductor portion 41 from the inner conductor 52 of the coaxial lines 5 (high frequency signal is applied). In the case where the third conductor portion 41 is formed by the through-hole method, if a high frequency signal is applied to the plated portion (land) in the periphery of the hole of the through hole, as is illustrated in
Next, the directivity of the first antenna portion 2 will be described below.
The electric current occurs in the second conductor portion 22 which is capacitively coupled to the second antenna portions 4, due to the electric current which has been fed to the second antenna portions 4. In the case where the switch 3 is opened, the electric current does not occur in the first conductor portion 21. On the other hand, when the switch 3 is short-circuited, the electric current occurs in the first conductor portion 21. The direction of the electric current that has occurred in the first conductor portion 21 becomes a direction from the short-circuited point toward a connection point between the first conductor portion 21 and the second conductor portion 22, because the electric current becomes largest at the short-circuited point which is a connection point between the switch 3 and the conductor ground plate 1. In addition, an electric current of the second conductor portion 22 flows radially from the center which is the connection point between the first conductor portion 21 and the second conductor portion 22. Therefore, as is illustrated in
Thus, the direction of the electric current occurring in the second conductor portion 22 due to capacitive coupling can be changed by the switch 3 short-circuiting across or opening a space between the conductor ground plate 1 and the first antenna portion 2. In addition, the electric current of the second conductor portion 22 occurs in any case where the electric power has been fed to any one of the second antenna portions 4. Accordingly, due to one switch 3, the first antenna portion 2 has the directivity in response to a signal sent from each of the plurality of the second antenna portions 4.
Incidentally, the length of the path of the electric current in the first antenna portion 2 at the time when the switch 3 is opened is set so as to become approximately ½ of a wavelength corresponding to a radio frequency to be used. On the other hand, the length of the path of the electric current in the first antenna portion 2 at the time when the switch 3 is short-circuited is set so as to become approximately ¼ of the wavelength. Thereby, also when the switch 3 is short-circuited, the length of the path of the electric current can be regarded as approximately ½ of the wavelength, due to the mirror image.
Incidentally, in the example of
Incidentally, if the length of the first conductor portion 21 is negligibly short, in a case where the path length of the electric current flowing in the second conductor portion 22 at the time when the switch 3 is opened has been set so as to be approximately ½ of the wavelength, and the path length of the electric current flowing in the second conductor portion 22 at the time when the switch 3 is short-circuited has been set so as to be approximately ¼ of the wavelength, a change of an input impedance for the antenna in the second antenna portions can be reduced to a small value. In the above described case, as for the electric current of the second conductor portion 22, when the switch 3 is opened and short-circuited, only a phase of the electric current changes on either side separated by the connection point between the first conductor portion 21 and the second conductor portion 22. Accordingly, the change of the input impedance for the antenna at the power feed point is small. Therefore, the maintenance of the state in which the impedance matches becomes easy.
In addition, it is preferable to set a distance between the first antenna portion 2 and the second antenna portions 4, which is a distance between the second conductor portion 22 and the fourth conductor portion 42 in the example of
Incidentally, as for the arrangement of the first antenna portion 2 and the second antenna portions 4, various arrangements can be considered, and the characteristics change according to the arrangement.
However, it is preferable that the first antenna portion 2 and the second antenna portions 4 are arranged so as to be rotationally symmetric about the axis which is the first conductor portion 21. For instance, In
It is preferable that the first antenna portion 2 and the second antenna portions 4 overlap each other at least partially, in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the electric current which occurs in the first antenna portion 2 at the time when the switch 3 is in an open state. This is because the arrangement in which the portions partially overlap each other facilitates the strength and the direction of the electric current flowing in the first antenna portion 2 to be changed, in other words, facilitates the directivity of the antenna to be changed. In
As has been described above, the antenna device in the present embodiment can change the direction of the electric current of the first antenna portion 2, which has occurred due to the capacitive coupling between the first antenna portion 2 and each of the second antenna portions 4, by one switch 3. Therefore, the antenna device can change the directivities concerning a plurality of signals at the same time, by one switch 3, without increasing the switches according to the number of antennas.
The first antenna portion 2 and the second antenna portions 4 in the present embodiment are achieved by an electroconductive member having a thin thickness and a band shape (strip shape). Therefore, the whole thickness of the antenna device can be made thinner than that in the first embodiment.
Incidentally, the connection portion between the inner conductor 52 of the coaxial lines 5 and the second antenna portions 4 shall be insulated from the conductor ground plate 1, by a method of being arranged so as to have a gap therebetween, or the like.
The change of the electric current which occurs in the first antenna portion 2 due to the operation of the switch 3 is similar to that in the first embodiment illustrated in
As has been described above, in the present embodiment, the first antenna portion 2 and the second antenna portions 4 which are formed of the band-like electroconductive member are arranged on the side face of the conductor ground plate 1, and thereby the thickness of the antenna device can be thinned.
In the present embodiment, the antenna device has four second antenna portions 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d. In addition, the second conductor portion 22 in the present embodiment has a form of an approximately cross shape. The four projection portions of the second conductor portion 22, which form the approximately cross shape, are capacitively coupled to the second antenna portions 4 that correspond to the projection portions, respectively.
In addition, as in
The changes of the electric currents that occur in the first antenna portions 2 due to the operation of the switch 3 become similar to those in the first embodiment illustrated in
Incidentally, the structure illustrated in
As has been described above, in the present embodiment, the antenna device can change the directivities concerning the four signals at the same time, by one switch 3.
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2016-131786 | Jul 2016 | JP | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20170084985 | Ku | Mar 2017 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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2003168916 | Jun 2003 | JP |
2003283225 | Oct 2003 | JP |
2004064282 | Feb 2004 | JP |
2004147040 | May 2004 | JP |
2006319772 | Nov 2006 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20180006369 A1 | Jan 2018 | US |