Antenna device and communication device

Abstract

The present invention relates to an antenna device and a communication device. A patch antenna is formed by a radiating element and a ground conductor provided on a substrate. A dielectric component is arranged to overlap with the radiating element when viewed from above. When viewed from the radiating element, the dielectric component is arranged on the opposite side to the ground conductor. When the normal direction of the radiating element is set as the height direction, a line connecting geometric centers of a planar section of the dielectric component in the height direction is inclined relative to the normal direction of the radiating element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an antenna device and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] It is known that a dielectric-loaded array antenna is configured with a dielectric equivalent on each of the multiple unit antennas constituting the array antenna (see Patent Document 1). The unit antenna uses a patch antenna, and a dielectric configured in a rectangular parallelepiped shape is configured on each patch. The longitudinal, lateral, and height dimensions of the dielectric are 1.25 times, 1.25 times, and 1.42 times the wavelength, respectively. By configuring the dielectric in this way, the aperture efficiency of each unit antenna is increased.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-243605

[0004] In conventional patch antennas, the antenna gain in the front direction of the patch antenna is the highest. Depending on the use of the antenna, it is sometimes desirable to increase the antenna gain in a direction tilted from the front direction. An object of the present invention is to provide an antenna device and a communication device capable of increasing the antenna gain in a direction tilted from the front direction. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an antenna device having:

[0006] substrate;

[0007] A patch antenna, comprising a radiating element and a ground conductor disposed on the substrate; and

[0008] a dielectric member arranged so as to overlap the radiating element in a plan view and arranged on the opposite side to the ground conductor when viewed from the radiating element;

[0009] When the normal direction of the radiating element is defined as the height direction, a line connecting geometric centers of planar cross sections of the dielectric member in the height direction is inclined with respect to the normal direction of the radiating element.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication device having:

[0011] a housing; and

[0012] The antenna device is housed in the housing.

[0013] The above antenna device has:

[0014] substrate; and

[0015] The patch antenna comprises a radiating element and a ground conductor arranged on the substrate.

[0016] The shell includes a boundary surface with different dielectric constants on both sides, a high dielectric constant area and another low dielectric constant area of ​​the boundary surface are divided by the boundary surface in the in-plane direction of the radiation element, the boundary surface is inclined relative to the upper surface of the radiation element, and when viewed from above, at least a portion of the boundary surface overlaps with a portion of the radiation element.

[0017] By disposing the above-mentioned dielectric member, it is possible to improve the antenna gain in a direction oblique to the front direction of the radiating element. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the antenna device according to the first embodiment.

[0019] Figure 2 1 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device according to the first embodiment, taken along the xz plane.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a graph showing simulation results of the antenna gain of the antenna device according to the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 4 is a perspective view of an antenna device according to a second embodiment.

[0022] Figure 5 2 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device according to the second embodiment, taken along the xz plane.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a graph showing simulation results of the antenna gain of the antenna device according to the second embodiment.

[0024] Fig. 7A as well as Figure 7B 3 are perspective views of dielectric components of antenna devices according to the third embodiment and its modified example, respectively.

[0025] Figure 8 is a perspective view of an antenna device according to a fourth embodiment.

[0026] Fig. 9 is a top view of the antenna device according to the fourth embodiment.

[0027] Fig. 10A as well as Fig. 10B These are graphs showing simulation results of the tilt angle dependency of the antenna gain in the xz plane and in the yz plane of the antenna apparatus according to the fourth embodiment.

[0028] Fig.11 is a perspective view of an antenna device according to a fifth embodiment.

[0029] Fig. 12A is a cross-sectional view of an antenna device according to a sixth embodiment, Fig. 12Bis a cross-sectional view of an antenna device according to a modified example of the sixth embodiment.

[0030] Fig.13A is a cross-sectional view of an antenna device according to a seventh embodiment, Fig. 13B is a cross-sectional view of an antenna device according to a modified example of the seventh embodiment.

[0031] Fig.14A as well as Fig. 14B It is a cross-sectional view of an antenna device according to another modified example of the seventh embodiment.

[0032] Fig.15A is a partial cross-sectional view of a communication device according to an eighth embodiment, Fig. 15B as well as Fig. 15C It is a partial cross-sectional view of a communication device according to a modified example of the eighth embodiment.

[0033] Fig.16 It is a partial perspective view of a communication device according to a ninth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] [First embodiment]

[0035] Reference Figures 1 to 3 The antenna device of the first embodiment is described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Figure 1 It is a stereoscopic diagram of the antenna device of the first embodiment. A radiating element 11 is arranged on one surface, that is, the upper surface, of a substrate 10 made of a dielectric, and a ground conductor 15 is arranged in an inner layer. The radiating element 11 and the ground conductor 15 constitute a patch antenna. The radiating element 11 has a square planar shape. The following xyz orthogonal coordinate system is defined: the directions parallel to the upper surface of the radiating element 11 and parallel to the two adjacent sides of the radiating element 11 are respectively set as the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction, and the normal direction of the radiating element 11 is set as the z-axis direction. In addition, the normal direction of the radiating element 11 is defined as the height direction. In addition, the planar shape of the radiating element 11 can also be set to a rectangle, a circle, etc.

[0037] A dielectric member 20 is disposed on the substrate 10 (on the side opposite to the ground conductor 15 when viewed from the radiation element 11) so as to overlap with the radiation element 11 when viewed from above. The dielectric member 20 is bonded to the radiation element 11 and the substrate 10 by an adhesive or the like. A power supply line 12 is disposed on the lower surface of the substrate 10. The power supply line 12 is connected to the radiation element 11 through a via hole provided in the gap of the ground conductor 15, and extends from the radiation element 11 in the positive direction of the x-axis.

[0038] The dielectric component 20 has a bottom surface facing the substrate 10 side and an upper surface facing the opposite side to the bottom surface. The bottom surface is a square having sides of length W parallel to the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction, and the center of the bottom surface coincides with the center of the radiation element 11. When viewed from above, the bottom surface of the dielectric component 20 contains the radiation element 11. The upper surface is arranged at a position obtained by parallel displacement of the bottom surface in the direction of the vector in which the x-component and the z-component are positive. The dielectric component 20 also has four side surfaces connecting the bottom surface and the upper surface. That is, the shape of the dielectric component 20 is a parallelepiped. At this time, the line connecting the geometric centers of the plane section of the dielectric component 20 is inclined in the positive direction of the x-axis relative to the z-axis direction. Two of the four side surfaces of the dielectric component 20 are perpendicular to the y-axis direction, and the remaining two side surfaces are inclined relative to the xy plane, and the normal vectors toward the outside thereof are perpendicular to the y-axis direction.

[0039] The dielectric member 20 can be formed of, for example, ceramics such as low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) or resins such as polyimide. For example, the relative dielectric constant εr of LTCC is about 6.4, and the relative dielectric constant εr of polyimide is about 3.

[0040] Figure 2 1 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the xz plane of the antenna device of the first embodiment. A radiating element 11 is arranged on the upper surface of a substrate 10, a ground conductor 15 is arranged in an inner layer, and a feed line 12 is arranged on the lower surface. The feed line 12 is connected to the radiating element 11 via a via conductor 13 passing through a gap provided in the ground conductor 15. An adhesive layer 17 is arranged between the substrate 10 and the dielectric member 20.

[0041] H represents the height of the dielectric member 20, dx (hereinafter referred to as horizontal displacement) represents the x component of the length from the center of the bottom surface to the center of the top surface, and θi represents the angle (inclination angle) formed by the inclined surface and the positive direction of the z-axis. L represents the length of one side of the radiation element 11, and T1 represents the thickness. T2 represents the thickness of the ground conductor 15. T3 represents the thickness of the portion between the radiation element 11 and the ground conductor 15 in the substrate 10, and T4 represents the thickness of the portion below the ground conductor 15.

[0042] Next, the excellent effects of the first embodiment will be described.

[0043] In the first embodiment, the dielectric member 20 disposed on the radiating element 11 is inclined relative to the substrate 10. The radio waves radiated from the radiating element 11 propagate preferentially in a space having a relatively high dielectric constant. Since the dielectric constant of the dielectric member 20 is higher than the dielectric constant of the atmosphere, the radio waves radiated from the radiating element 11 tend to propagate in the direction in which the dielectric member 20 is inclined. Therefore, the antenna gain in the direction inclined relative to the front direction of the radiating element 11 can be made higher than the antenna gain in the front direction.

[0044] Next, a simulation performed to confirm the above-mentioned excellent effect is described. In the simulation, the length of one side of the radiating element 11 is set to 0.8 mm. For three types of antenna devices with different values ​​of the length W of one side of the bottom surface of the dielectric member 20, the height H, and the horizontal displacement dx, the relationship between the tilt angle θx from the normal direction to the positive direction of the x-axis and the antenna gain is obtained.

[0045] Figure 3 This is a graph showing simulation results. The horizontal axis represents the tilt angle θx from the normal direction in degrees, and the vertical axis represents the antenna gain in dB. Figure 3 The numbers in parentheses attached to the solid lines in the graph of show the length W, height H, horizontal displacement dx, and tilt angle θi of one side of the bottom surface of the dielectric component 20 from the left to the right. In addition, the units of the length W, height H, and horizontal displacement dx are "mm", and the unit of the tilt angle θi is "degree". For reference, the antenna gain when the shape of the dielectric component 20 is set to a rectangular parallelepiped is indicated by a dotted line. When the dielectric component 20 is a rectangular parallelepiped, the antenna gain is the largest when the tilt angle θx = 0°, that is, in the front direction of the radiating element 11.

[0046] It is understood that when the dielectric member 20 is tilted, the antenna gain is maximum in the direction tilted from the front direction. In addition, the maximum value of the antenna gain in the direction tilted from the front direction is higher than the antenna gain in the direction when the dielectric member 20 is a rectangular parallelepiped. The tilt angle θx at which the antenna gain takes the maximum value is almost equal to the tilt angle θi of the tilted side surface of the dielectric member 20.

[0047] according to Figure 3 The simulation shown confirmed that by tilting the dielectric member 20 , the antenna gain in a direction tilted from the front direction of the radiating element 11 can be improved.

[0048] Next, a modification of the first embodiment is described. In the first embodiment, the bottom surface of the dielectric component 20 is set to a square, but it can also be set to other quadrilaterals, such as a rectangle with sides parallel to the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction. It can also be set to other polygons, circles, ellipses, etc.

[0049] [Second embodiment]

[0050] Next, refer to Figures 4 to 6 The antenna device of the second embodiment is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 , Figure 2 )Common structure, description omitted.

[0051] Figure 4 : is a three-dimensional diagram of the antenna device of the second embodiment. In the first embodiment, the normal vector of one of the two inclined side surfaces is inclined upward from the direction parallel to the xy plane (in other words, in the positive direction of the z-axis), and the normal vector of the other side surface is inclined downward from the direction parallel to the xy plane (in other words, in the negative direction of the z-axis). In contrast, in the second embodiment, the side surface whose normal vector is inclined downward in the first embodiment is perpendicular to the xy plane. Therefore, the two side surfaces perpendicular to the y-axis direction form a trapezoid with one leg perpendicular to the bottom.

[0052] At this time, the bottom surface of the dielectric member 20 has a rectangular shape, and the length of the short side thereof is W. The top surface has a square shape, and the length of one side thereof is W.

[0053] Figure 5 2 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the xz plane of the antenna device of the second embodiment. The cross section parallel to the xz plane of the dielectric member 20 is a trapezoid with one leg perpendicular to the bottom. The dimension (horizontal displacement) of the inclined side surface in the x-axis direction is represented by dx.

[0054] Next, the excellent effects of the second embodiment will be described.

[0055] In the second embodiment, the side surface of the dielectric member 20 facing the positive direction of the x-axis is perpendicular to the bottom surface, but the side surface facing the negative direction of the x-axis is inclined relative to the xy plane as in the first embodiment. Therefore, when the radiating element 11 is viewed from above (in the positive direction of the z-axis), the dielectric member 20 is arranged biased toward the positive side of the x-axis. As a result, the antenna gain in the direction inclined from the front can be improved as in the case of the first embodiment.

[0056] In the first embodiment, the dielectric member 20 has a portion protruding into a cap shape (at Figure 2 In contrast, in the second embodiment, the dielectric component 20 does not have a portion protruding in a cap shape. In addition, the bottom surface of the dielectric component 20 of the second embodiment is larger than the bottom surface of the dielectric component 20 of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the mechanical stability or mounting strength of the dielectric component 20 can be improved.

[0057] In order to confirm the excellent effect of the second embodiment, the same simulation as that of the first embodiment was performed.

[0058] Figure 6 Graph showing simulation results of the antenna device according to Example 2. The horizontal axis represents the tilt angle θx from the normal direction in degrees, and the vertical axis represents the antenna gain in dB. Figure 6 The numbers in parentheses attached to the solid lines in the graph of show the length W, height H, horizontal displacement dx, and tilt angle θi of the short side of the bottom surface of the dielectric component 20 from the left to the right. In addition, the units of the length W, height H, and horizontal displacement dx are "mm", and the unit of the tilt angle θi is "degree". For reference, the antenna gain when the shape of the dielectric component 20 is set to a rectangular parallelepiped is indicated by a dotted line. When the dielectric component 20 is a rectangular parallelepiped, the antenna gain is the largest when the tilt angle θx = 0°, that is, in the front direction of the radiating element 11.

[0059] In the second embodiment, it was also confirmed that the antenna gain is maximum in the direction inclined from the front direction. As the inclination angle θi of the side surface increases, the inclination angle θx at which the antenna gain is maximum also increases.

[0060] [Third embodiment]

[0061] Next, refer to Fig. 7A as well as Figure 7B The antenna device of the third embodiment is described. Figure 1 , Figure 2 ) and the antenna device of the second embodiment ( Figure 4 , Figure 5 )Common structure, description omitted.

[0062] Fig. 7A 2 is a perspective view of a dielectric component 20 of an antenna device according to the third embodiment. Figure 1 ) is inclined in the positive direction of the x-axis. In contrast, in the third embodiment, the inclination azimuth 22 of the dielectric component 20 deviates from the positive direction of the x-axis. For example, the angle between the positive direction of the x-axis and the inclination azimuth 22 is 45°. At this time, none of the four side surfaces is perpendicular to the xy plane. The normal vectors of two side surfaces facing outward are inclined from the direction parallel to the xy plane to the positive direction of the z-axis (upward), and the normal vectors of the remaining two side surfaces facing outward are inclined from the direction parallel to the xy plane to the negative direction of the z-axis (downward).

[0063] In the third embodiment, when the normal direction (z-axis direction) of the radiating element 11 is set as the height direction, the line connecting the geometric centers of the planar cross-sections of the dielectric member 20 in the height direction is tilted relative to the normal direction of the radiating element 11. Therefore, similarly to the first and second embodiments, the antenna gain is maximized in the direction tilted from the front direction of the radiating element 11. By changing the tilt azimuth 22, the azimuth in which the antenna gain is maximized can be arbitrarily adjusted.

[0064] Figure 7B FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a dielectric component 20 of an antenna device according to a modified example of the third embodiment. Fig. 7A ) Similarly, the tilt direction 22 deviates from the positive direction of the x-axis. In addition, in this modified example, two side surfaces of the side surfaces of the dielectric component 20 of the third embodiment whose normal vectors toward the outside are tilted downward are changed to be perpendicular to the xy plane. The bottom surface of the dielectric component 20 is a hexagon, and the dielectric component 20 has six side surfaces. Two of the side surfaces are parallel to the tilt direction 22, and their shapes are right triangles.

[0065] In this modified example, when the normal direction (z-axis direction) of the radiating element 11 is set as the height direction, the line connecting the geometric centers of the planar cross-sections of the dielectric member 20 in the height direction is inclined relative to the normal direction of the radiating element 11. Therefore, similarly to the third embodiment, the antenna gain is maximum in the direction inclined from the front direction of the radiating element 11. By changing the inclined azimuth 22, the azimuth in which the antenna gain is maximum can be arbitrarily adjusted.

[0066] [Fourth embodiment]

[0067] Next, refer to Figures 8 to 10B The antenna device of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Hereinafter, descriptions of the common structures of the antenna devices of the first to third embodiments will be omitted.

[0068] Figure 8 as well as Fig. 9 They are a perspective view and a top view of the antenna device of the fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, 9 radiating elements 11 are arranged in a matrix of 3 rows and 3 columns on a substrate 10. The row direction and the column direction are parallel to the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction, respectively. Dielectric components 20 are arranged corresponding to the 9 radiating elements 11. One radiating element 11 and one dielectric component 20 become a structural unit 25, and a plurality of structural units 25 are arranged on the substrate 10 to form an array antenna.

[0069] The dielectric component 20 corresponding to the central radiating element 11BB has a truncated cone shape. The dielectric components 20 corresponding to the eight surrounding radiating elements 11 are inclined in the direction of a virtual straight line extending radially from the geometric center of the array antenna (the center of the central radiating element 11). Specifically, the dielectric components 20 corresponding to the two radiating elements 11BC and 11BA located on the positive and negative sides of the x-axis relative to the central radiating element 11BB are inclined in the positive and negative directions of the x-axis, respectively. The dielectric components 20 corresponding to the two radiating elements 11AB and 11CB located on the positive and negative sides of the y-axis relative to the central radiating element 11 are inclined in the positive and negative directions of the y-axis, respectively. The shapes of the dielectric components 20 corresponding to the radiating elements 11AB, 11BA, 11BC, and 11CB are similar to the dielectric components 20 of the first embodiment ( Figure 1 , Figure 2 ) have the same shape.

[0070] The dielectric member 20 corresponding to the radiating element 11AC located at an angle of 45° to the positive direction of the x-axis and the positive direction of the y-axis relative to the central radiating element 11 is tilted at an angle of 45° to the positive direction of the x-axis and the positive direction of the y-axis. The dielectric members 20 corresponding to the three radiating elements 11AA, 11CA, and 11CC located at other corners of the nine radiating elements 11 arranged in a matrix of three rows and three columns are also tilted in the same manner. The shapes of the dielectric members 20 corresponding to the radiating elements 11AA, 11AC, 11CA, and 11CC are similar to the dielectric members 20 of the third embodiment ( Fig. 7A ) have the same shape.

[0071] In any dielectric member 20 other than the dielectric member 20 corresponding to the central radiating element 11 , a line connecting the geometric centers of the planar cross sections of the dielectric members 20 in the height direction is also inclined outward when viewed from the geometric center of the array antenna.

[0072] Next, the excellent effects of the fourth embodiment are described. In the fourth embodiment, if the focus is on each structural unit 25, the direction in which the antenna gain shows a maximum value is inclined from the front direction of the radiation element 11 to expand outward. As a result, a higher antenna gain can be obtained in a wider range in the direction inclined from the front direction.

[0073] Next, a simulation conducted to confirm the above-mentioned excellent effect is described. In the simulation, the length of each side of the radiating element 11 is set to 0.8 mm. The center-to-center distance of the radiating element 11 in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction is set to 2.5 mm. The bottom diameter of the dielectric component 20 corresponding to the central radiating element 11BB is set to 2 mm, the top diameter is set to 0.6 mm, and the height is set to 1 mm. The dimensions of the bottom surfaces of the surrounding eight dielectric components 20 in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction are set to 1.6 mm and 1.5 mm, respectively. The horizontal displacement of the dielectric components 20 corresponding to the radiating elements 11AB, 11BA, 11BC, and 11CB is set to 1 mm. The horizontal displacement of the dielectric components 20 corresponding to the radiating elements 11AA, 11AC, 11CA, and 11CC in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction are both set to 1 mm.

[0074] Fig. 10A as well as Fig. 10B These are graphs showing simulation results regarding the tilt angle dependency of antenna gain in the xz plane and in the yz plane, respectively. Fig. 10A as well as Fig. 10B The horizontal axis of represents the inclination angles θx and θy from the normal direction to the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction, respectively. Fig. 10A as well as Fig. 10B The vertical axis represents the antenna gain in dB. Fig. 10A as well as Fig. 10B The thick solid line in the graph shows the antenna gain of the antenna device of the fourth embodiment. For comparison, the dotted line shows the antenna gain of the antenna device in which the dielectric member 20 is a rectangular parallelepiped, and the thin solid line shows the antenna gain of the antenna device in which the dielectric member 20 is not provided.

[0075] In the fourth embodiment, the antenna gain is higher not only in the front direction but also in the direction oblique to the front direction as compared to the antenna device without the dielectric member 20. This simulation confirmed that by disposing the dielectric member 20 as in the antenna device of the fourth embodiment, the antenna gain can be improved in the front direction and in the direction oblique to the front direction.

[0076] In addition, in the range where the absolute value of the inclination angle θx in the x-axis direction is greater than about 60° and in the range where the absolute value of the inclination angle θy in the y-axis direction is greater than about 30°, the gain of the antenna device of the fourth embodiment is greater than the antenna gain of the antenna device in which the dielectric member 20 is a rectangular parallelepiped. In this way, by inclining the side surface of the dielectric member 20, the effect of increasing the antenna gain in the range where the inclination angle from the normal direction is large can be obtained.

[0077] Next, a modification of the fourth embodiment will be described.

[0078] In the fourth embodiment, nine structural units 25 ( Figure 8 ) is arranged in a matrix of 3 rows and 3 columns, but the number of the structural units 25 may be set to other than 9. For example, a plurality of structural units 25 may be arranged in a matrix. For example, 12 structural units 25 may be arranged in a matrix of 3 rows and 4 columns, or 16 structural units 25 may be arranged in a matrix of 4 rows and 4 columns. In addition, the configuration form is not necessarily a matrix, and a plurality of structural units 25 may be arranged at positions corresponding to the grid points of the triangular mesh.

[0079] [Fifth embodiment]

[0080] Next, refer to Fig.11 The antenna device of the fifth embodiment is described. Figure 4 , Figure 5 )Common structure, description omitted.

[0081] Fig.11 : is a perspective view of the antenna device of the fifth embodiment. The cross section of the dielectric component 20 of the antenna device of the fourth embodiment parallel to the xz plane is a trapezoid. In contrast, in the fifth embodiment, the cross section of the dielectric component 20 parallel to the xz plane is a right triangle. One of the two sides sandwiching the right angle corresponds to the edge of the bottom surface, and the other side corresponds to the side surface perpendicular to the xy plane. The hypotenuse of the right triangle corresponds to the side surface inclined relative to the xy plane.

[0082] In the fifth embodiment, when the normal direction of the radiating element 11 is set as the height direction, the line connecting the geometric centers of the planar cross-sections of the dielectric member 20 in the height direction is inclined with respect to the normal direction of the radiating element 11. Therefore, as in the first and second embodiments, a high antenna gain can be obtained in the direction inclined from the front direction of the radiating element 11.

[0083] [Sixth embodiment]

[0084] Next, refer to Fig. 12A The antenna device of the sixth embodiment is described. Figure 1 , Figure 2 )Common structure, description omitted.

[0085] Fig. 12A 20 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device of the sixth embodiment. Figure 1 , Figure 2 ) is exposed to the atmosphere. In contrast, in the antenna device of the sixth embodiment, the dielectric member 20 is sealed by the sealing resin 30. The dielectric constant of the sealing resin 30 is lower than the dielectric constant of the dielectric member 20.

[0086] Next, the excellent effects of the sixth embodiment will be described. Since the dielectric constant of the dielectric member 20 is higher than the dielectric constant of the surrounding sealing resin 30, the radio waves radiated from the radiating element 11 are propagated in a direction inclined to the dielectric member 20. Therefore, as in the case of the first embodiment, the antenna gain in the direction inclined with respect to the front direction of the radiating element 11 can be improved compared with the antenna gain in the front direction. In addition, since the dielectric member 20 is sealed by the sealing resin 30, it is possible to suppress damage such as falling off of the dielectric member 20.

[0087] Next, refer to Fig. 12B A modification of the sixth embodiment will be described.

[0088] Fig. 12B FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna device according to a modification of the sixth embodiment. The dielectric member 20 of the antenna device according to the sixth embodiment is in the shape of a parallelepiped, but Fig. 12B The dielectric member 20 of the antenna device of the modified example shown has a shape obtained by, for example, dividing a rotational ellipsoid obtained by using the major axis of the ellipse as the rotation axis into two with an inclination relative to the major axis. The cut surface corresponds to the bottom surface.

[0089] In this modification, the line connecting the geometric centers of the planar cross-sections of the dielectric member 20 in the height direction is inclined relative to the normal direction of the radiating element 11. Therefore, as in the case of the sixth embodiment, the antenna gain in the direction inclined relative to the front direction of the radiating element 11 can be improved compared to the antenna gain in the front direction. In addition, the shape of the dielectric member 20 does not need to be a part of a geometrically strict spheroid, and the surface other than the bottom surface may be an arbitrary curved surface.

[0090] [Seventh embodiment]

[0091] Next, refer to Fig.13A The antenna device of the seventh embodiment is described. Figure 1 , Figure 2 )Common structure, description omitted.

[0092] Fig.13A is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device of the seventh embodiment. In the antenna device of the seventh embodiment, in contrast to the antenna device of the first embodiment ( Figure 1 , Figure 2) Inside the dielectric component 20 having the same shape as the dielectric component 20, there is a passive element (the corresponding Japanese original text is "無給電素子": non-powered element) 21. The passive element 21 is constituted by a conductor plate arranged in parallel with the radiation element 11. The passive element 21 is arranged at a position deviated from the inclination direction from the radiation element 11 toward the dielectric component 20 when viewed from above. The passive element 21 is coupled with the radiation element 11 to generate a combined resonance.

[0093] Next, the excellent effects of the seventh embodiment will be described. In the seventh embodiment, a combined resonance is generated in the radiation element 11 and the passive element 21, so that an excellent effect of expanding the operating frequency band width of the antenna device can be obtained. And, since the passive element 21 is arranged at a position deviated from the inclination direction from the radiation element 11 toward the dielectric component 20, the effect of increasing the antenna gain in the direction inclined with respect to the front direction of the radiation element 11 compared to the antenna gain in the front direction becomes greater.

[0094] Next, refer to FIG. 13B to FIG. 14B A modification of the seventh embodiment will be described.

[0095] Fig. 13B is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device according to a modification of the seventh embodiment. In this modification, as the dielectric component 20, a dielectric component having the same shape as the dielectric component 20 of the antenna device according to the modification of the sixth embodiment ( Fig. 12B ) is used. As in this modification, the passive element 21 can also be arranged inside the dielectric component 20 composed of a bottom surface and an arbitrary curved surface.

[0096] Fig.14A is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device according to another modification of the seventh embodiment. In this modification, Fig.13A the dielectric component 20 of the antenna device of the seventh embodiment shown is sealed with a sealing resin 30. Fig. 14B is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device according to still another modification of the seventh embodiment. In this modification, Fig. 13B the dielectric component 20 of the antenna device according to the modification of the seventh embodiment shown is sealed with a sealing resin 30. Similar to the case of the sixth embodiment ( Fig. 12A ), the dielectric constant of the sealing resin 30 is lower than the dielectric constant of the dielectric component 20. It is also possible to seal the dielectric component 20 containing the passive element 21 inside with the sealing resin 30 as in the modifications shown in Fig.14A and Fig. 14B .

[0097] [Eighth Embodiment]

[0098] Next, refer to Fig.15AThe communication device of the eighth embodiment is described. Figure 1 , Figure 2 )Common structure, description omitted.

[0099] Fig.15A 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of the communication device of the eighth embodiment. In the antenna device of the first embodiment, the dielectric component 20 is fixed to the radiating element 11 and the substrate 10 by adhesive or the like. In the eighth embodiment, the dielectric component 20 is not fixed to the radiating element 11 and the substrate 10, and a portion of the housing 35 that accommodates the antenna device has the same function as the dielectric component 20. The antenna device accommodated in the housing 35 is different from the antenna device of the first embodiment ( Figure 1 , Figure 2 ) The structure of the portion after removing the dielectric component 20 is the same.

[0100] The housing 35 includes a high dielectric constant portion 35A having a relatively high dielectric constant and a low dielectric constant portion 35B having a relatively low dielectric constant. The high dielectric constant portion 35A and the low dielectric constant portion 35B are divided in the in-plane direction of the upper surface of the radiating element 11, and the high dielectric constant portion 35A is arranged at a position overlapping with the radiating element 11 when viewed from above. The antenna device is positioned and fixed in the housing 35 so that the radiating element 11 is arranged with a gap between the high dielectric constant portion 35A. In addition, the antenna device may be positioned in the housing 35 so that the high dielectric constant portion 35A is in contact with the radiating element 11.

[0101] The high dielectric constant portion 35A is arranged between the two low dielectric constant portions 35B. The two boundary surfaces 36 and 37 that divide the high dielectric constant portion 35A and the low dielectric constant portion 35B are parallel to each other and inclined relative to the upper surface of the radiation element 11. In a plan view, one boundary surface 36 overlaps with the edge of the radiation element 11. The boundary surface 36 is inclined so as to move from the outside to the inside of the radiation element 11 in a plan view as it moves away from the radiation element 11 in the normal direction. The high dielectric constant portion 35A is located closer to the radiation element 11 than the boundary surface 36. In a plan view, the other boundary surface 37 is arranged on the outside of the radiation element 11.

[0102] Next, the excellent effects of the eighth embodiment will be described.

[0103] In the eighth embodiment, the high dielectric constant portion 35A as a part of the housing 35 has the same function as the dielectric member 20 of the antenna device of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the eighth embodiment, as in the case of the first embodiment, the antenna gain in the direction inclined with respect to the front direction of the radiating element 11 can be improved compared to the antenna gain in the front direction.

[0104] In addition, in the eighth embodiment, a general antenna device with directional characteristics is used, and the size and shape of the high dielectric constant portion 35A of the shell 35 that accommodates the antenna device, as well as the positional relationship between the high dielectric constant portion 35A and the radiating element 11 are adjusted, so that the desired directional characteristics can be achieved as a communication device.

[0105] Next, refer to Fig. 15B as well as Fig. 15C A modification of the eighth embodiment will be described.

[0106] Fig. 15B 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a communication device of a modified example of the eighth embodiment. In the eighth embodiment, the high dielectric constant portion 35A is arranged between two low dielectric constant portions 35B. In contrast, in this modified example, the high dielectric constant portion 35A and the low dielectric constant portion 35B are divided by a boundary surface 36. There is no boundary surface 37 ( Fig.15A ) The positional relationship between the boundary surface 36 and the radiating element 11 is the same as that of the antenna device of the eighth embodiment ( Fig.15A ) has the same positional relationship with the radiating element 11. The boundary surface 36 has the same positional relationship with the dielectric component 20 ( Figure 4 , Figure 5 )’s sloping sides have the same function.

[0107] Fig. 15C 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a communication device according to another variation of the eighth embodiment. In this variation, the housing 35 is provided with two slits 38 and 39 which are arranged parallel to each other and inclined with respect to the upper surface of the radiating element 11. The two slits 38 and 39 extend from the inner surface to the outer surface of the housing 35. The slits 38 and 39 are filled with air.

[0108] In this modification, of the two side surfaces of one slit 38, the side surface 41 that faces in a direction inclined away from the substrate 10 serves as the boundary surface 36 ( Fig.15A ) functions. The side surface 42 of the other side surface of the slit 39 that faces the substrate 10 serves as the boundary surface 37 ( Fig.15A That is, the portion sandwiched by the slits 38 and 39 functions as the high dielectric constant portion 35A of the antenna device of the eighth embodiment, and the atmosphere within the slits 38 and 39 functions as the low dielectric constant portion 35B of the antenna device of the eighth embodiment. In this modification, a composite material including two materials with different dielectric constants is not used, so that the housing 35 can be formed of a single material.

[0109] [Ninth Embodiment]

[0110] Next, refer to Fig.16 A communication device according to a ninth embodiment will be described.

[0111] Fig.16 is a partial perspective view of a communication device according to a ninth embodiment. The communication device according to the ninth embodiment includes a housing 35 and an antenna device 40 received in the housing 35. Fig.16 In FIG. 4 , only a portion of the housing 35 is shown. As the antenna device 40, the antenna device ( Figure 8 , Fig. 9 ).

[0112] A portion of the housing 35 is opposed to the upper surface of the substrate 10 of the antenna device 40 at a distance. The portion of the housing 35 that is opposed to the upper surface of the substrate 10 (hereinafter referred to as the antenna-opposing portion) is formed of a conductive material such as metal. A plurality of openings 45 are provided in the antenna-opposing portion of the housing 35. The plurality of openings 45 are arranged corresponding to the structural units 25 composed of the radiation element 11 and the dielectric component 20. The openings 45 each have an elliptical or racetrack shape extending from the region where the radiation element 11 is arranged toward the oblique direction of the dielectric component 20 in a plan view. The opening 45 corresponding to the central structural unit 25 is circular.

[0113] Next, the excellent effects of the ninth embodiment will be described.

[0114] In the ninth embodiment, the radio waves radiated from the radiation element 11 are not blocked by the metal or other casing 35, but are radiated to the space outside the casing 35 through the opening 45. Since the openings 45 have a long shape extending from the region where the radiation element 11 is arranged toward the oblique direction of the dielectric member 20 in a plan view, the radio waves radiated in a direction oblique to the normal direction of the radiation element 11 can be efficiently radiated to the outside of the casing 35. The opening 45 is preferably sized and shaped to include a range of the 3 dB beam width of the corresponding radiation element 11.

[0115] Next, a modification of the ninth embodiment will be described.

[0116] In the ninth embodiment, the shape of the opening 45 is set to be an ellipse or a racetrack shape, but it may be set to other shapes. In the ninth embodiment, the opening 45 is set to be in an open state, but it may be closed by a dielectric member.

[0117] The above-mentioned embodiments are for illustration only. Of course, partial replacement or combination of the structures shown in different embodiments can be performed. The same effects based on the same structure of multiple embodiments are not mentioned in sequence in each embodiment. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, various changes, improvements, combinations, etc. can be performed, which is obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0118] Explanation of the reference numerals: 10…substrate; 11…radiating element; 12…feed line; 13…via conductor; 15…ground conductor; 17…adhesive layer; 20…dielectric component; 21…passive element; 22…inclined azimuth; 25…structural unit; 30…sealing resin; 35…housing; 35A…high dielectric constant portion; 35B…low dielectric constant portion; 36, 37…boundary surface; 38, 39…slit; 40…antenna device; 41, 42…sides of the slit; 45…opening

Claims

1. An antenna device, comprising: substrate; A patch antenna, comprising a radiating element and a ground conductor disposed on the substrate; a dielectric member arranged so as to overlap the radiating element in a plan view and arranged on the opposite side to the ground conductor when viewed from the radiating element; as well as a sealing resin disposed on the substrate and sealing the dielectric member in contact with the dielectric member; The dielectric constant of the dielectric component is higher than the dielectric constant of the sealing resin. When the normal direction of the radiating element is defined as the height direction, a line connecting geometric centers of the planar cross-sections of the dielectric member in the height direction is inclined with respect to the normal direction of the radiating element. The dielectric member has an oblique parallelepiped shape.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein: The dielectric member has a bottom surface facing the substrate side, a quadrilateral top surface facing the opposite side to the bottom surface, and a side surface connecting the bottom surface and the top surface, wherein two side surfaces connected to at least two adjacent sides of the top surface are perpendicular to the bottom surface, and the remaining at least one side surface is inclined relative to the bottom surface.

3. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein: One of the above-mentioned radiation elements and one of the above-mentioned dielectric components form a structural unit, and a plurality of the above-mentioned structural units are arranged on the above-mentioned substrate to form an array antenna. When observed from the geometric center of the above-mentioned array antenna, the line connecting the geometric centers of the respective planar sections of the plurality of above-mentioned dielectric components in the height direction is inclined toward the outside.

4. The antenna device according to claim 2, wherein: One of the above-mentioned radiation elements and one of the above-mentioned dielectric components form a structural unit, and a plurality of the above-mentioned structural units are arranged on the above-mentioned substrate to form an array antenna. When observed from the geometric center of the above-mentioned array antenna, the line connecting the geometric centers of the respective planar sections of the plurality of above-mentioned dielectric components in the height direction is inclined toward the outside.

5. The antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The antenna device further includes a passive element, which is provided on the dielectric member and coupled to the radiation element.

6. A communication device comprising: a housing; and The antenna device is housed in the housing. The above antenna device has: substrate; and The patch antenna comprises a radiating element and a ground conductor arranged on the substrate. The shell includes two boundary surfaces with different dielectric constants on both sides and arranged parallel to each other. A region with relatively high dielectric constant between the two boundary surfaces and a region with relatively low dielectric constant outside the two boundary surfaces are divided by the two boundary surfaces in the in-plane direction of the radiation element. The upper surface and the lower surface of the shell are parallel to the upper surface of the radiation element. The two boundary surfaces are inclined relative to the upper surface of the radiation element. When viewed from above, at least a portion of the region with relatively high dielectric constant overlaps with a portion of the radiation element.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein: One of the two boundary surfaces is inclined so as to go from the outside of the radiating element to the inside as it moves away from the radiating element in a normal direction in a plan view, and the radiating element side of the one boundary surface is the relatively high dielectric constant region.

8. The communication device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The above-mentioned region of relatively low dielectric constant is the atmosphere.

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