Wireless communication device

Abstract

A wireless communication device includes a substrate (20) containing a dielectric, a zeroth-order resonant antenna, a high-frequency circuit (40) mounted on the substrate, and a metal body (50) mounted on the substrate. The zeroth-order resonant antenna includes a main plate (31) that provides a ground potential, a patch portion (32), a feed line (33) that extends from a feed point to the patch portion to electrically connect the patch portion and the high-frequency circuit, at least a portion of which is disposed on the substrate on the same surface as the patch portion, and a short-circuit portion (34). The metal body has the same potential as the main plate. The metal body has a longer length (a greater height) in the Z direction than the patch portion. In a plan view from the X direction, at least a portion of the metal body is disposed in a position within a width range of the feed line as seen from an alignment direction of the feed point and a center of the patch portion in a region between the patch portion and the high-frequency circuit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to a wireless communication device. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-181755) discloses a device including a zero-order resonant antenna. The contents of Patent Document 1 are incorporated herein by reference as an explanation of the technical elements thereof.

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-181755

[0004] In the structure of the zero-order resonant antenna, the main board or ground plane and the patch portion facing each other are connected by a short-circuit portion.

[0005] In Patent Document 1, the feed line (i.e., the feed section) for supplying power to the opposing conductor is connected to the center of the opposing conductor. The zero-order resonant antenna has ring radiation characteristics, i.e., non-directional or omnidirectional, and its center is null on a plane orthogonal to the thickness direction of the main board. In the above viewpoint, or in other viewpoints not mentioned, there is a need for further improvements to wireless communication devices equipped with zero-order resonant antennas. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a wireless communication device with desired directional properties.

[0007] The wireless communication devices disclosed herein include:

[0008] A substrate containing a dielectric;

[0009] Zero-order resonant antenna;

[0010] High-frequency circuits mounted on the substrate; and

[0011] Metal body mounted on substrate, and

[0012] Zero-order resonant antennas include:

[0013] A motherboard, which is mounted on the substrate and provides a ground potential;

[0014] A surface mount portion is disposed on the substrate and faces the motherboard in the thickness direction of the substrate;

[0015] Feed wires extending from the feed point to the patch portion to electrically connect the patch portion and the high-frequency circuitry are at least partially disposed on the same surface of the substrate as the patch portion; and

[0016] A short-circuit section, which is disposed on the substrate and electrically connects the patch section and the main board, and

[0017] The metal body has the same potential as the motherboard, is longer than the surface mount in the thickness direction, and in a plan view viewed from the thickness direction, is arranged at least partially within the width of the feed line seen from the alignment direction of the center of the surface mount and the feed point in the intermediate region between the surface mount and the high-frequency circuit.

[0018] According to the disclosed wireless communication device, only the directivity of the zero-order resonant antenna is intentionally biased along the extension direction of the feed line. That is, the electric field is concentrated in the direction in which the electric field of the feed line extends. Then, by intentionally arranging a metal body in the direction of electric field concentration, specifically in the aforementioned region, a portion of the radio waves radiated in the extension direction (of the metal body) is reflected and the electric field is extended. As described above, the zero-order resonant antenna and the metal body have directivity in a direction different from the extension direction of the feed line. That is, a wireless communication device with a desired directivity different from the extension direction of the feed line can be provided. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The purposes, features, and advantages disclosed in this specification will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

[0020] The objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a plan view illustrating a schematic configuration of a wireless communication device according to a first embodiment;

[0022] Figure 2 It is viewed from direction II. Figure 1 Side view;

[0023] Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken from line III-III;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a circuit diagram showing a high-frequency circuit;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the radiation characteristics of a zero-order resonant antenna;

[0026] Figure 6 This is another diagram showing the radiation characteristics of a zero-order resonant antenna;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the radiation characteristics of a zero-order resonant antenna;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the metal bodies;

[0029] Figure 9This is a diagram showing another example of the arrangement of the metal body;

[0030] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating the examples and reference examples of this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of examples and reference examples of this disclosure used in electromagnetic field simulations;

[0032] Figure 12 This is a diagram illustrating the radiation characteristics of the examples and reference examples of this disclosure.

[0033] Figure 13 This is a diagram illustrating the radiation characteristics of the examples and reference examples of this disclosure;

[0034] Figure 14 This is a comparison diagram of radiation characteristics on the plane where φ = 0°;

[0035] Figure 15 This is a comparison diagram of radiation characteristics on the plane with φ = 4°;

[0036] Figure 16 This is a comparison diagram of radiation characteristics on the plane with φ = 10°;

[0037] Figure 17 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the modification;

[0038] Figure 18 This is a diagram illustrating another example of modification;

[0039] Figure 19 This is a diagram illustrating another example of modification;

[0040] Figure 20 This is a diagram illustrating another example of modification;

[0041] Figure 21 This is a diagram showing the distance between the patch portion and the metal body in the wireless communication device according to the second embodiment;

[0042] Figure 22 It is a graph showing the radiation characteristics when the distance is equal to half a wavelength and 1 / 4 wavelength;

[0043] Figure 23 This is a comparison diagram of radiation characteristics on the plane where φ = 0°;

[0044] Figure 24 This is a comparison diagram of radiation characteristics on the plane with φ = 55°;

[0045] Figure 25 This is a plan view showing a wireless communication device according to a third embodiment; and

[0046] Figure 26 It was viewed from the XXVI direction. Figure 25 Side view. Detailed Implementation

[0047] Hereinafter, several embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each embodiment, the same reference numerals are assigned to corresponding elements, and therefore, repeated descriptions may be omitted. In each embodiment, when only a portion of the configuration is described, other portions of that configuration may be borrowed from other prior embodiments. Furthermore, not only are combinations of configurations explicitly shown in the descriptions of the various embodiments, but configurations of multiple embodiments may also be partially combined even if not explicitly shown, provided there is no particular difficulty in combining multiple embodiments.

[0048] (First Embodiment)

[0049] First, a schematic configuration of the wireless communication device is described. The wireless communication device of this embodiment is configured to transmit and / or receive radio waves having a predetermined operating frequency. The wireless communication device is configured to transmit and / or receive radio waves in a frequency band used in short-range wireless communication (NFC). The operating frequency in this embodiment is 2.44 GHz. The operating frequency can be suitably designed and can be another frequency (e.g., 5 GHz). The wireless communication device is used, for example, for communication between devices installed in a vehicle.

[0050] <Wireless Communication Equipment>

[0051] Figure 1 This is a plan view showing a wireless communication device. Figure 2 It is viewed from direction II. Figure 1 Side view. Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 The cross-sectional view taken from line III-III. Figure 4 This is a circuit diagram showing an example of a high-frequency circuit.

[0052] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the wireless communication device 10 includes a substrate 20, a zero-order resonant antenna 30, a high-frequency circuit 40, and a metal body 50. The wireless communication device 10 includes an antenna device having a zero-order resonant antenna 30 and a metal body 50, as well as a high-frequency circuit 40.

[0053] In the following text, the thickness direction of substrate 20 is the X direction, and a direction orthogonal to the X direction is the Y direction. The direction orthogonal to both the X and Y directions is defined as the Z direction. Unless otherwise specified, the shape in the plane viewed from the X direction, i.e., the shape of the YZ plane defined along the Y and Z directions, is called the planar shape. In other words, using the standard nomenclature of layered devices: (i) Figure 2The X direction in the figure is the vertical direction corresponding to the height. (ii) Figure 1 The view in the diagram is a plan view (viewed along the negative X direction), and (iii) the YZ plane is a horizontal plane.

[0054] The substrate 20 is an insulating substrate (i.e., an insulating portion) of the printed circuit board. The substrate 20 is made of a dielectric material such as resin. By using the substrate 20, a wavelength shortening effect of the dielectric material can be expected. For example, the substrate 20 can be a component made solely of resin or a combination of resin and glass cloth, non-woven fabric, etc. The substrate 20 serves as a holding portion, holding the main board 31 and the surface mount portion 32 in a predetermined positional relationship.

[0055] The substrate 20 has a surface 20a (top surface) and a back surface (bottom surface) 20b opposite to the surface 20a in the X direction. In this embodiment, the patch portion 32 and the feed line 33 are arranged on the surface 20a of the substrate 20, and the main board 31 is arranged on the back surface 20b. In this configuration, the facing distance (separation distance or spacing distance) between the main board 31 and the patch portion 32, as well as the thickness (or height) of the short-circuit portion 34 in the X direction, can be adjusted by adjusting the thickness of the substrate 20. The substrate 20 may have a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure.

[0056] The zero-order resonant antenna 30 includes a main board 31, a patch panel 32, a feed line 33, and a short-circuit section 34. The main board 31, patch panel 32, feed line 33, and short-circuit section 34 are conductive elements (conductive sections) of the printed circuit board. That is, the zero-order resonant antenna 30 is disposed on the printed circuit board. The zero-order resonant antenna 30 is mounted / implemented on the substrate 20. The printed circuit board includes conductive elements other than the components of the zero-order resonant antenna 30.

[0057] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the zero-order resonant antenna 30 is disposed near the end 21 of the substrate 20 along the Z direction. End 21 is one of the ends of the substrate 20 in the Z direction. The patch portion 32 is unevenly arranged on one side near end 21 of the ends of the substrate 20 along the Z direction. End 21 is one of the four sides of the substrate 20, which has a rectangular planar shape. End 21 is a side substantially parallel to the Y direction. End 21 is the side of the substrate 20 closest to the zero-order resonant antenna 30 among the four sides. End 21 corresponds to the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 20.

[0058] Main board 31 provides a ground potential for zero-order resonant antenna 30. Main board 31 is electrically connected to a ground pattern (not shown) that provides the ground potential on a printed circuit board. Main board 31 is a conductor made of copper or the like. The direction perpendicular to the surface of main board 31 is substantially parallel to the X-direction. In plan view, the area of ​​main board 31 is larger than the area of ​​patch portion 32. Main board 31 has dimensions that include / enclose the entire patch portion 32. Main board 31 preferably has the size required for stable operation of zero-order resonant antenna 30.

[0059] The motherboard 31 of this embodiment has a substantially rectangular plane. The length of each side of the motherboard 31 is, for example, one or more times the wavelength of the radio wave at the operating frequency, i.e., one or more wavelengths. As described above, the motherboard 31 is disposed on the back side 20b of the substrate 20. The motherboard 31 is formed by patterning metal foil (e.g., copper foil) disposed on the back side 20b of the substrate 20. The motherboard 31 is part of the surface pattern on one side of the back side 20b of the printed circuit board.

[0060] The planar shape of the motherboard 31 can be changed as needed. In this embodiment, as an example, the planar shape of the motherboard 31 is rectangular, but other configurations may be square or other polygons. Furthermore, the planar shape of the motherboard 31 may be circular (including elliptical). The motherboard 31 is preferably formed having a diameter larger than that of a circle having one wavelength. The motherboard 31 is not limited to being arranged on the back side of the substrate 20. For example, it may be arranged inside the substrate 20 as part of an inner layer conductor.

[0061] The surface mount portion 32 is a conductor made of copper or the like. The surface mount portion 32 is a conductor arranged facing the motherboard 31, and is spaced a predetermined distance (separation distance) from the motherboard 31 in the X direction. The surface mount portion 32 is sometimes referred to as a radiating element. In a plan view, the entire surface mount portion 32 overlaps with the motherboard 31. That is, the entire surface (i.e., the lower surface) of the surface mount portion 32 faces the motherboard 31 in the X direction. The surface mount portion 32 is arranged substantially parallel to the motherboard 31. "Substantially parallel" does not mean absolutely parallel. For example, the surface mount portion 32 may be tilted relative to the motherboard 31 by a few degrees to ten degrees.

[0062] As described above, the patch portion 32 of this embodiment is disposed on one surface 20a of the substrate 20. The patch portion 32 is formed by patterning a metal foil disposed on one surface 20a of the substrate 20. The patch portion 32 is part of a surface pattern on one side of one surface 20a of the printed circuit board. The surface pattern is a pattern disposed on the surface (i.e., one surface 20a or back surface 20b) of the substrate 20 among multiple conductor patterns disposed on the printed circuit board. The basic shape of the patch portion 32 is a plane that is substantially square. The basic shape refers to the outline of the patch portion 32 in a planar view. The patch portion 32 may have slits opening in the outline. For example, a patch portion 32 having a substantially H-shaped plane may also be used, wherein two slits are provided in the substantially square plane. The patch portion 32 is not limited to being disposed on one surface of the substrate 20. For example, it may be disposed inside the substrate 20 as part of an inner layer conductor.

[0063] By arranging the surface mount portion 32 facing the motherboard 31, a capacitor is formed according to the area size of the surface mount portion 32 and its distance from the motherboard 31. The dimensions of the surface mount portion 32 are determined to form a capacitor that resonates in parallel with an inductor included in the short-circuit portion 34 at a target frequency. The area size of the surface mount portion 32 is appropriately designed to provide the required capacitor, thereby enabling operation at the desired operating frequency.

[0064] In this embodiment, as an example, the basic shape (i.e., outline) of the patch portion 32 is square. However, in other configurations, the planar shape of the patch portion 32 can be a circle, a regular octagon, a regular hexagon, etc. The basic shape of the patch portion 32 is preferably a line-symmetric shape with each of two mutually orthogonal straight lines as an axis of symmetry; that is, a bidirectional line-symmetric shape. A bidirectional line-symmetric shape refers to a line-symmetric figure with a first straight line as an axis of symmetry, and which is also line-symmetric with respect to a second straight line orthogonal to the first straight line. Bidirectional line-symmetric shapes correspond to, for example, ellipses, rectangles, circles, squares, regular hexagons, regular octagons, rhombuses, etc. Furthermore, the patch portion 32 can more preferably be a point-symmetric figure, such as a circle, square, rectangle, or parallelogram.

[0065] The feed line 33 is a conductor used to supply power to the patch portion 32. The feed line 33 extends from the feed point to the patch portion 32, and at least a portion of the feed line 33 is disposed on the same surface as the patch portion 32 on the substrate 20. The feed line 33 disposed on the same surface as the patch portion 32 is sometimes referred to as a microstrip line. One end of the feed line 33 is electrically connected to the edge of the patch portion 32. The other end of the feed line 33 is electrically connected to the high-frequency circuit 40. The connection between the feed line 33 and the patch portion 32 corresponds to the feed point. The current input to the feed line 33 via the high-frequency circuit 40 propagates to the patch portion 32 and excites the patch portion 32. Note that the power supply method is not limited to a direct power supply method. A power supply method involving electromagnetic coupling between the feed line 33 and the patch portion 32 can be used.

[0066] The feed line 33 in this embodiment includes a conductor disposed on a surface 20a of the substrate 20. That is, at least a portion of the feed line 33 is also part of a surface pattern on one side of the surface 20a of the printed circuit board. The feed line 33 is also formed by patterning a metal foil disposed on a surface 20a of the substrate 20. In the feed line 33, at least a portion extending from the feed point is integrally formed with the patch portion 32. Figures 1 to 3 In the example shown, the feed line 33 extends from the non-opposite side of the patch portion 32, not from the opposite side of the end 21 of the substrate 20. The feed line 33 extends from the side adjacent to the opposite side. The side having the feed point is called the feed side. One of the sides adjacent to the opposite side is the feed side. The opposite side is the side that is substantially parallel to the Y direction.

[0067] The side adjacent to the opposite side, including the feed side, is substantially parallel to the Z direction. The feed line 33 is connected to the basic center portion of the feed side of the patch portion 32.

[0068] The feed line 33 has a straight portion 33a extending in a straight line shape, as at least a portion extending from the feed point. For example, the straight portion 33a extends in a straight line shape from the feed point along a virtual straight line connecting the basic center of the patch portion 32 and the feed point. Figures 1 to 3 In the example shown, the straight section 33a extends in the Y direction. The feed line 33 is arranged to face the motherboard 31 in the X direction. In this embodiment, the feed line 33 consists only of a conductor arranged on a surface 20a.

[0069] The feeder cable 33 can be configured to include only a straight portion 33a. In this case, the entire feeder cable 33 forms a straight shape. The feeder cable 33 may have a bent portion. The feeder cable 33 may include a portion extending in the Y direction and a portion extending in the Z direction. The feeder cable 33 may include portions having Y-direction components and Z-direction components. The feeder cable 33 may include a curved portion. In addition to the conductor disposed on a surface 20a, the feeder cable 33 may also include a via conductor and an inner layer conductor.

[0070] The short-circuit portion 34 electrically connects the main board 31 and the surface mount portion 32, i.e., short-circuits them. The short-circuit portion 34 is a cylindrical conductor disposed on the substrate 20. One end of the short-circuit portion 34 is connected to the main board 31, and the other end is connected to the surface mount portion 32. The short-circuit portion 34 has, for example, a substantially circular planar shape. The value of the inductor (i.e., the inductance) in the short-circuit portion 34 can be adjusted by adjusting its diameter and / or length. In the plan view, the short-circuit portion 34 is connected to the basic center of the surface mount portion 32. The center of the surface mount portion 32 corresponds to the center of gravity of the surface mount portion 32.

[0071] When the patch portion 32 has a substantially square planar shape, the center corresponds to the intersection of the two diagonals of the patch portion 32. The short-circuit portion 34 is a via conductor, wherein the conductor is arranged in a through-hole (so-called a via) formed in the substrate 20. The via penetrates from one surface 20a through the substrate 20 to the back surface 20b. The number of via conductors constituting the short-circuit portion 34 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, one via conductor constitutes the short-circuit portion 34. The short-circuit portion 34 can be formed by multiple via conductors arranged in parallel between the main board 31 and the patch portion 32.

[0072] The high-frequency circuit 40 is electrically connected to the zero-order resonant antenna 30 and forms at least a portion of a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication with the outside via the zero-order resonant antenna 30. The high-frequency circuit 40 is mounted on the substrate 20 (i.e., on a printed circuit board). In this embodiment, the high-frequency circuit 40 is mounted on a surface 20a of the substrate 20. The high-frequency circuit 40 is provided, for example, as an IC chip and is soldered to a surface pattern (i.e., pads, not shown) of the printed circuit board. The high-frequency circuit 40 may be arranged inside the substrate 20 (i.e., within the printed circuit board). If it is a multilayer substrate, the high-frequency circuit 40 may be provided as a built-in component. The high-frequency circuit 40 and the surface mount portion 32 are arranged side-by-side in the Y direction.

[0073] The high-frequency circuit 40 has at least the function of modulating and transmitting signals and / or demodulating signals. When the high-frequency circuit 40 has a transmitting function, it can be called a transmitting circuit; when it has a receiving function, it can be called a receiving circuit; and when it has both transmitting and receiving functions, it can be called a transmitting / receiving circuit. Furthermore, the high-frequency circuit 40 can be referred to as a wireless circuit, an RF circuit, a power supply circuit, etc.

[0074] like Figure 4 As shown, the high-frequency circuit 40 of this embodiment includes a transceiver 41, a power amplifier (PA) 42, a low-noise amplifier (LNA) 43, a switch 44, and a bandpass filter 45. The transceiver 41 has a converter (CON) 41a, a modulator (MOD) 41b, and a demodulator (DEMOD) 41c. The high-frequency circuit 40 has a so-called RF unit.

[0075] Converter 41a performs analog-to-digital conversion of the signal. During transmission, converter 41a converts the baseband signal (i.e., the digital signal) into an analog signal. Modulator 41b modulates the converted analog signal. Transceiver 41 oscillates the modulated signal at the frequency of the RF signal. Demodulator 41c demodulates the received signal. Converter 41a converts the demodulated signal (analog) back into a digital signal (baseband signal). RF is an abbreviation for radio frequency.

[0076] Power amplifier 42 amplifies the power of the RF signal and outputs it to switch 44. Low-noise amplifier 43 amplifies the received signal input via switch 44 and outputs it to transceiver 41. Switch 44 switches the power line to either the transmitting or receiving side. Switch 44 is sometimes referred to as an antenna switch. Power amplifier 42 is located between switch 44 and transceiver 41 in the power line on the transmitting side. Low-noise amplifier 43 is located between switch 44 and transceiver 41 in the power line on the receiving side.

[0077] A bandpass filter 45 removes unwanted frequency components. The bandpass filter 45 is positioned in the feed line between the switch 44 and the zero-order resonant antenna 30. The high-frequency circuit 40 also includes multiple matching elements 46 and a protection diode 47 constituting a matching circuit for impedance matching. Figure 4 For convenience, common reference numerals are given for multiple matching elements 46.

[0078] Figure 4 The high-frequency circuit 40 shown is merely an example. Its transmission and reception methods are not particularly limited. As mentioned above, the high-frequency circuit 40 may have only an RF unit, or it may have both an RF unit and a baseband section.

[0079] The metal body 50 adjusts its directivity by reflecting a portion of the radio waves radiated from the zero-order resonant antenna 30. The metal body 50 is mounted on the substrate 20 (i.e., on a printed circuit board). The metal body 50 is a component distinct from the components of the printed circuit board. The metal body 50 has the same potential as the motherboard 31, i.e., ground potential. For example, by connecting to the motherboard 31 via a conductor component of the printed circuit board, the metal body 50 can have the same potential as the motherboard 31. By electrically connecting to the motherboard 31 via a ground pattern, the metal body 50 can have the same potential as the motherboard 31. The metal body 50 is higher than the patch portion 32 in the X direction. That is, the height of the metal body 50 is greater than the thickness of the patch portion 32. Because the metal body 50 is longer than the patch portion 32, it effectively reflects radio waves. The arrangement of the metal body 50 will be described later.

[0080] The metal body 50 can be, for example, a metal block, a metal housing for protecting electronic components mounted on a printed circuit board, or a metal portion such as a terminal in a connector. In this embodiment, the metal body 50 is a shielding housing that protects the high-frequency circuit 40 from electromagnetic waves. The metal body 50 is mounted on one surface 20a of the substrate 20. Although not shown, the printed circuit board has a protective film such as solder resist on one surface 20a. The metal body 50 is soldered to pads (not shown), which are conductive elements exposed from the protective film. The pads are electrically connected to a ground pattern. The metal body 50 (i.e., the shielding housing) is disposed on the protective film. The metal body 50 extends / rises upward from the patch portion 32 on one surface 20a.

[0081] The shielding housing, which serves as the metal body 50, has, for example, a box-shaped form that is open on one side. The high-frequency circuit 40 is housed within the metal body 50. In this embodiment, as... Figure 4 As shown by the dashed line, all components of the high-frequency circuit 40 are arranged within the metal body 50. Some components constituting the high-frequency circuit 40 may be arranged inside the metal body 50 (i.e., within the shielding housing), while other components may be arranged outside the metal body 50. The metal body 50 may be provided as a mold assembly together with the high-frequency circuit 40. The metal body 50 may be arranged inside the substrate 20 (i.e., in the printed circuit board). If it is a multilayer substrate, the metal body 50 may be provided as an embedded component.

[0082] Operation of a zero-order resonant antenna

[0083] Next, the operation of the zero-order resonant antenna 30 will be described. As described above, the zero-order resonant antenna 30 has the following structure: the main board 31 and the patch portion 32, which face each other, are connected by a short-circuit portion 34. This structure is a so-called mushroom structure, which is the same as the basic structure of metamaterials. Since the zero-order resonant antenna 30 is an antenna that utilizes metamaterial technology, it is sometimes referred to as a metamaterial antenna.

[0084] The zero-order resonant antenna 30 is designed to operate in a zero-order resonant mode at the desired operating frequency. In the dispersive properties of metamaterials, the resonance phenomenon at the frequency where the phase constant β becomes zero (0) is zero-order resonance. The phase constant β is the imaginary part of the propagation coefficient γ of the wave propagating on the transmission line. The zero-order resonant antenna 30 can satisfactorily transmit and / or receive radio waves in a predetermined frequency band including the frequency at which zero-order resonance occurs.

[0085] The zero-order resonant antenna 30 typically operates by LC parallel resonance between a capacitor formed between the main board 31 and the patch portion 32 and an inductor included in the short-circuit portion 34. In the zero-order resonant antenna 30, the patch portion 32 is short-circuited to the main board 31 via the short-circuit portion 34 located in the central region of the patch portion 32. Furthermore, the area of ​​the patch portion 32 is the same as the area used to form the capacitor, which is capable of parallel resonance with the inductor included in the short-circuit portion 34 at the desired frequency (i.e., the operating frequency). Note that the value of the inductor (i.e., the inductance) is determined based on the dimensions of each portion of the short-circuit portion 34, i.e., its diameter and length in the Z direction.

[0086] Therefore, when power at the operating frequency is supplied, parallel resonance occurs due to energy exchange between the inductor and capacitor, generating a vertical electric field at a position perpendicular to the motherboard 31 (and the patch portion 32) between the motherboard 31 and the patch portion 32. That is, an electric field is generated in the X direction. This vertical electric field propagates from the short-circuit portion 34 towards the edge of the patch portion 32, becomes vertically polarized at the edge of the patch portion 32, and propagates in space. Note that here, vertically polarized waves refer to radio waves whose electric field vibration direction is perpendicular to the motherboard 31 and the patch portion 32. Furthermore, the zero-order resonant antenna 30 receives vertically polarized waves from outside the zero-order resonant antenna 30 through LC parallel resonance.

[0087] Please note that the resonant frequency of the zero-order resonance does not depend on the antenna size. Therefore, the length of one side of the patch portion 32 can be shorter than half the wavelength of the zero-order resonant frequency. For example, a zero-order resonance can occur even if the length of one side is equivalent to a quarter wavelength. For example, when the operating frequency is 2.44 GHz, in a configuration including the substrate 20, the wavelength λε is (300 [mm / s] / 2.44 [GHz]) / square root of the dielectric constant of the substrate 20. One side can be shorter than a quarter wavelength. However, for example, in this configuration, the gain, such as the antenna gain, is reduced.

[0088] <Direction and orientation of the feeder cable>

[0089] Next, the extension direction and directivity of the feed line 33, i.e. the directivity of the zero-order resonant antenna 30 itself, will be described. Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The extension direction of the feed line 33 and the results of electromagnetic field simulations (i.e., radiation characteristics) are shown respectively. In such simulations, the operating frequency, the configuration of the substrate 20 (i.e., dielectric constant and thickness), and the diameter of the short-circuit portion 34 are considered. Figure 5 , 6 The examples in examples 7 and 8 are the same. That is, only the extension directions of the feeder lines 33 differ from each other, and the simulation is performed under the same conditions for all other factors. For example, the operating frequency is set to 2.44 GHz. Figures 5 to 7 For convenience, the substrate 20 is omitted from the illustration of the zero-order resonant antenna 30. Figures 5 to 7 In order to make it easier to see the zero point, the higher the electric field strength, the sparser the points, and the lower the electric field strength, the denser the points.

[0090] Figure 5 It shows the relationship with Figure 1 The radiation characteristics of the zero-order resonant antenna 30 configured in the same manner are shown. The feed line 33 extends from the edge of the patch portion 32 along the Y direction. Due to the influence of the feed line 33 arranged facing the main board 31, the null point tilts to the side opposite to the feed line 33, and the directivity is biased towards the side where the feed line 33 is arranged.

[0091] exist Figure 6 In the middle, the feed line 33 extends along the Z direction. The feed line 33 extends along the Z direction from one of the edges of the patch portion 32 that is substantially parallel to the Y direction. In the extension direction of the feed line 33, the zero point is inclined to the side opposite to the feed line 33, and the directionality is biased towards the side where the feed line 33 is arranged.

[0092] exist Figure 7 In the middle, the feed line 33 extends diagonally. The feed line 33 has Y-direction components and Z-direction components. The feed line 33 forms an acute angle with a virtual line that is substantially parallel to the Y-direction and also with a virtual line that is substantially parallel to the Z-direction. The feed line 33 extends from one of the four corners (i.e., one of the vertices of the quadrilateral) of the patch portion 32. In the extension direction of the feed line 33, the zero point is inclined to the side opposite to the feed line 33, and the directionality is biased towards the side where the feed line 33 is arranged.

[0093] As described above, the zero-order resonant antenna 30 itself is directional in the extension direction of the feed line 33. The applicant of this disclosure has described in detail the influence of the feed line 33 on the directivity of the zero-order resonant antenna 30 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-038072. The contents of that document are incorporated herein by reference as a description of the technical elements.

[0094] <Arrangement of Metallic Bodies>

[0095] Next, the arrangement of the metal body 50 will be described. Figure 8 and Figure 9The arrangement of the patch portion 32, feed line 33, high-frequency circuit 40, and metal body 50 of the zero-order resonant antenna 30 is shown. Reference numeral 32c in the figure indicates the center of the patch portion 32 in the plan view. Reference numeral 35 indicates the feed point. Figure 8 and Figure 9 At least a portion of the metal body 50 is shown. In this embodiment, a shielding shell is used as the metal body 50. Figure 8 and Figure 9 Only a portion of the shielding housing that forms the metal body 50 is shown.

[0096] exist Figure 8 In the middle, the feeder line 33 is like Figure 1 Extending along the Y direction. At least a portion of the metal body 50 is arranged in the intersection region R3 of regions R1 and R2 in a plan view viewed from the Z direction. Region R1 is the area between the patch portion 32 and the high-frequency circuit 40 in the plan view. Region R1 is the area between the patch portion 32 and the high-frequency circuit 40 in the alignment direction of the center 32c of the patch portion 32 and the feed point 35. Figure 8 In this context, region R1 is the area between (i) the power supply side of the patch section 32 and (ii) the opposite side of the high-frequency circuit 40 that is opposite to the patch section 32.

[0097] Region R2 is the area within the width of the feed line 33 as viewed from the L direction, where the L direction is the alignment direction between the center 32c and the feed point 35. In this embodiment, the L direction is substantially consistent with the Y direction. Figure 8 In the example shown, the feed line 33 only includes the straight portion 33a. That is, the feed line 33 has a straight shape along its entire length from the feed point 35 to the connection portion with the high-frequency circuit 40. The feed line 33 extends along the end 21 of the substrate 20. The width of the feed line 33 is substantially the same throughout its length.

[0098] Figure 8 The intersecting region R3 shown in the plan view coincides with the area where the feed line 33 is formed. A portion of the metal body 50, specifically one of the sidewalls 50a of the shielding housing, is arranged in the intersecting region R3. The sidewall 50a arranged in the intersecting region R3 is located directly above the straight portion 33a of the feed line 33. The sidewall 50a is disposed on the protective film covering the feed line 33 and extends in the X direction. In the plan view, the sidewall 50a (i.e., the metal body 50) intersects with the feed line 33.

[0099] Figure 9 It shows a difference Figure 8 Example of a patterned feeder wire 33. In Figure 9In this design, the feed line 33 includes a first extension extending in the Y direction and a second extension extending in the Z direction. A straight section 33a is also one of the first extensions. One end of the second extension 33b is connected to the end of the straight section 33a opposite to the feed point 35. The second extension 33b extends in the Z direction toward the end 21 of the substrate 20. The second extension 33b extends to a position closer to the end 21 in the Z direction than the patch section 32. One end of the first extension 33c is connected to the other end of the second extension 33b. The first extension 33c extends in the Y direction and approaches the high-frequency circuit 40. One end of the second extension 33d is connected to the other end of the first extension 33c. The second extension 33d extends in the Z direction away from the end 21, i.e., in the direction approaching the high-frequency circuit 40. The width of the feed line 33 is substantially equal throughout its entire length.

[0100] As described above, region R1 is the area between the surface mount unit 32 and the high-frequency circuit 40 in the plan view. Similar to... Figure 8 Region R1 is the area between the feed side of the patch portion 32 and the opposite side of the high-frequency circuit 40 (opposite to the patch portion 32). Region R2 is the width range of the feed line 33 as seen from the alignment direction (i.e., the L direction) of the center 32c and the feed point 35. The width of the feed line 33 as seen in the plan view from the L direction is determined by the straight portion 33a and the first extension portion 33c (which corresponds to the first extension portion). Figure 9 As shown, the sidewall 50a of the shielding housing, which is the metal body 50, is arranged in the intersecting region R3. The sidewall 50a (i.e., the metal body 50) is arranged on the virtual extension line of the straight portion 33a of the feed line 33.

[0101] <Summary of the First Embodiment>

[0102] According to the wireless communication device 10 shown in this embodiment, as described above, the directivity of the zero-order resonant antenna 30 is intentionally biased in the extension direction of the feed line 33. That is, the electric field is concentrated in the extension direction of the feed line 33. Then, by intentionally arranging at least a portion of the metal body 50 in the direction of electric field concentration, specifically, in the aforementioned intersection region R3, a portion of the radio waves radiated in the extension direction are reflected to extend / broaden the electric field. As described above, the antenna device including the zero-order resonant antenna 30 and the metal body 50 has directivity in a direction different from the extension direction of the feed line 33. That is, a wireless communication device with a desired directivity different from the extension direction (of the feed line 30) can be provided.

[0103] For example, the feed line 33 has a straight section 33a extending in a straight line from the feed point 35 on the same surface as the patch portion 32. The directivity of the zero-order resonant antenna 30 itself is greatly affected by the straight section 33a of the feed line 33, which is arranged on the same surface as the patch portion 32 and extends from the feed point 35. That is, the electric field tends to concentrate in the direction along the straight section 33a.

[0104] In this embodiment, for example, in Figure 8 In the example shown, the metal body 50 is directly positioned above the straight section 33a. The metal body 50 overlaps with the straight section 33a in the plan view. The metal body 50 is positioned on the straight section 33a via solder resist (not shown). Therefore, radio waves radiated in the extension direction of the feed line 33 can be effectively reflected by the metal body 50 to extend the electric field. Figure 9 In the example shown, the metal body 50 is arranged on the extension line of the straight section 33a. Similar to... Figure 8 Radio waves radiated in the extension direction of the feeder 33 can be effectively reflected by the metal body 50 to extend the electric field.

[0105] exist Figure 10 The example in this disclosure illustrates a wireless communication device 10r that uses only a zero-order resonant antenna 30r to ensure the desired directivity. Examples of this disclosure illustrate a wireless communication device 10 according to this embodiment. In the example, reference numeral r is added / appended to the numbering of elements that are the same as or related to elements in this embodiment. Figure 10 As shown, in the reference example and the example of this disclosure, patch portions 32 and 32r and zero-order resonant antennas 30 and 30r are arranged near the ends 21 and 21r of substrates 20 and 20r.

[0106] In the reference example, when attempting to obtain directivity in the direction of the solid arrow, including the Z-direction component, using the zero-order resonant antenna 30r itself, the feed line 33r needs to extend to the outside of the end 21r of the substrate 20r, and the high-frequency circuit 40 must be arranged on the outside of the substrate 20. That is, the desired directivity cannot be obtained by the zero-order resonant antenna 30r mounted on the substrate 20r itself.

[0107] On the other hand, in the example of this disclosure, the feed line 33 extends in the Y direction. As a result, the zero-order resonant antenna 30 itself has directivity in the direction indicated by the dashed arrow, i.e., in the Y direction. Furthermore, due to the arrangement of the metal body 50, a portion of the radio waves radiated in the Y direction is reflected and the electric field is extended. Thus, by combining the zero-order resonant antenna 30 and the metal body 50, the desired directivity, including a Z-direction component as shown by the solid arrow, can be achieved. That is, even in a configuration where the patch portion 32 is arranged near the end 21 of the substrate 20, the directivity can be oriented in the direction extending from the patch portion 32 toward the end 21, i.e., toward the outside of the substrate 20.

[0108] As an example, the metal body 50 is mounted on one surface 20a of the substrate 20. That is, the metal body 50 is surface-mounted. With this configuration, the metal body 50 can be arranged in the desired position with high precision. Therefore, the required orientation is achieved with high accuracy.

[0109] As an example, at least a portion of the patch portion 32 and the feed line 33 are arranged on a surface 20a of the substrate 20. A surface-mount metal body 50 extends upward from one surface 20a beyond the patch portion 32. In the X direction (vertical direction), the height of the metal body 50 is greater than the thickness of the patch portion 32. As a result, radio waves radiated from the zero-order resonant antenna 30 can be effectively reflected by the metal body 50.

[0110] As an example, a shielding housing protecting the high-frequency circuit 40 is used as the metal body 50. With this configuration, it is not necessary to separately fabricate a metal block, etc., as the metal body 50, thus simplifying the structure.

[0111] The results of evaluating the examples and reference examples of this disclosure through electromagnetic field simulation are shown below. Figure 11 The illustration shows a schematic configuration of the example and reference example used in this simulation. Similar to Figure 10 In the reference examples, reference code r is added / appended to the numbering of elements that are the same as or related to the elements in this embodiment. Examples of this disclosure include a metal body 50. On the other hand, reference examples do not include a metal body. In the examples and reference examples of this disclosure, all conditions are the same except for the presence or absence of a metal body. The operating frequency is set to 2.44 GHz. Zero-order resonant antennas 30 and 30r are arranged near the ends 21 and 21r of substrates 20 and 20r. The patterns of feed lines 33 and 33r are consistent with... Figure 9 The patterns shown are identical. Both metal bodies 50 and 50r are assumed to be shielding shells.

[0112] Figure 12 and Figure 13 The results of electromagnetic field simulations (i.e., radiation characteristics) are displayed. Figure 12 and Figure 13In China, unlike Figures 5 to 7 The higher the electric field strength, the denser the points; the lower the electric field strength, the sparser the points. To facilitate understanding of directivity, Figure 12 The electric field intensity distribution on the ZY plane is shown. Figure 13 The electric field intensity distribution is shown with the substrate upright, so that variations other than the Y direction can be easily understood. The directional aiming direction is determined by... Figure 12 The solid arrow in the diagram indicates the direction. The aiming direction is from the patch portion to the outer edge of the substrate, and is slightly inclined from the Z direction. The aiming direction is the direction in which the feed wire cannot be pulled out, i.e., the direction in which high-frequency circuitry cannot be placed.

[0113] like Figure 12 and 13 As shown, in the reference example, the electric field is concentrated in the Y direction. On the other hand, in the examples of this disclosure, it can be seen that the electric field also extends in other directions. In the examples of this disclosure, the electric field also extends in the X and Z directions. Then, as... Figure 12 As shown, it is directional in the target direction.

[0114] Figure 14 This compares the examples in this disclosure with the reference examples. Figure 13 The solid line in the diagram shows the radiation characteristics on the plane where φ = 0°. The plane where φ = 0° is the ZX plane. Figure 15 This is a graph comparing the radiation characteristics of the examples and reference examples of this disclosure in the plane of φ = 4°. Figure 16 This compares the examples in this disclosure with the reference examples. Figure 13 The diagram shows the radiation characteristics on the plane φ = 10°, indicated by the dashed lines. In each figure, solid lines show examples of this disclosure, and dashed lines show reference examples. m1 is the gain (gain) of the example of this disclosure, and m2 is the gain of the reference example. m1 and m2 are values ​​for θ = 60° on each surface. m1 and m2 are essentially equal to their respective maximum gains.

[0115] like Figure 14 As shown, on the plane where φ = 0°, m1 = -7.63 [dBi] and m2 = -9.17 [dBi]. Figure 15 As shown, on the plane with φ = 4°, m1 = -7.55 [dBi] and m2 = -8.86 [dBi]. Figure 16 As shown, in the plane where φ = 10°, m1 = -7.48 [dBi] and m2 = -8.27 [dBi]. The closer the value of φ is to 0°, the greater the difference between the gain m1 of the example of this disclosure and the gain m2 of the reference example. That is, it indicates that the electric field extends in a direction other than the Y direction, specifically in the X direction.

[0116] As described above, the simulation results clearly show that the radio waves radiated in the Y direction from the patch portion 32 of the zero-order resonant antenna 30 are reflected by the metal body 50, thereby extending the electric field in both the X and Z directions. That is, it should be noted that directivity can be provided in the target direction where the feed wire 33 cannot be pulled out, which is different from the extension direction of the feed wire 33.

[0117] <Modification Example>

[0118] An example of a shielding housing for a high-frequency circuit 40 is shown as the metal body 50. However, this disclosure is not limited to this example. As described above, the metal portion included in a metal block or connector can be configured as the metal body 50. The metal block can be, for example, a columnar metal body.

[0119] The directional aiming direction is not limited to the examples above. For example, such as Figure 17 As shown, through reflection from the metal body 50, the directivity of the zero-order resonant antenna 30 can be oriented to be opposite to its own directivity. Figure 17 In the diagram, the directivity of the zero-order resonant antenna 30 itself is represented by a dashed line, while the directivity of the antenna device, which includes the zero-order resonant antenna 30 and the metal body 50, is represented by a solid line. This also applies to the following modified examples.

[0120] The example illustrates a wireless communication device 10 including a metal body 50. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto. Multiple metal bodies 50 may be provided. Figure 18 In the example shown, the wireless communication device 10 includes two metal bodies 50. Each metal body 50 is mounted on the same substrate 20. It can also be configured to include three or more metal bodies 50.

[0121] The orientation of the metal body 50 on the substrate 20 is not particularly restricted. For example, as... Figure 19 As shown, the four sides of the metal body 50, which has a basic rectangular shape in the plane, can be tilted relative to the directivity of the zero-order resonant antenna 30 itself. That is, the metal body 50 can be arranged to be tilted from the extension direction of the feed line 33. Each side of the metal body 50 can be arranged to be substantially non-parallel in the Y or Z direction.

[0122] The planar shape of the metal body 50 is not particularly restricted. For example, as... Figure 20 As shown, a flat trapezoidal metal body 50 can be used. In addition to the above, squares, parallelograms, polygons other than rectangles, circles, etc., can also be used.

[0123] (Second embodiment, Figure 21-24 )

[0124] The second embodiment is a modification of the previous embodiment, which is a basic configuration, and can be incorporated into the description of the previous embodiment.

[0125] Figure 21 FIG. is a diagram showing the distance between the patch portion 32 and the metal body 50 in the wireless communication device 10 according to the present embodiment. For convenience, elements other than the substrate 20, the patch portion 32, and the metal body 50 are omitted. The feeding line 33 extends in the Y direction. The distance D between the patch portion 32 and the metal body 50 is the facing distance in the plan view. In other words, it is the distance between the patch portion 32 and the metal body 50 in the L direction, which is the alignment direction between the center 32c of the patch portion 32 and the feeding point 35. The distance D satisfies the relationship of 0 < D < λ × 1 / 2, where λ is the wavelength of the radio wave at the operating frequency of the zero-order resonance antenna 30. The zero-order resonance antenna 30 is mounted on the substrate 20, and the wavelength λ is the above-mentioned wavelength λε. Other configurations are the same as those described in the previous embodiment. The pattern of the feeding line 33 is the same as that in the previous embodiment Figure 9 and 11 in the pattern.

[0126] <Summary of the Second Embodiment>

[0127] Figure 22 , Figure 23 and Figure 24 show the results of electromagnetic field simulation. In the simulation, the case where the distance D is λ × 1 / 2 (i.e., equal to half wavelength) is compared with the case of λ × 1 / 4 (i.e., equal to one-quarter wavelength). Hereinafter, when the distance is equal to 1 / 2 wavelength, it may be simply referred to as 1 / 2 wavelength. Similarly, when the distance is equal to 1 / 4 wavelength, it may be simply referred to as 1 / 4 wavelength. Other conditions are set the same as those in the previous embodiment of the present disclosure. That is, the pattern of the feeding line 33 is the same as that in Figure 9 and 11 in. The operating frequency is set to 2.44 GHz.

[0128] Figure 22 shows the respective radiation characteristics. In Figure 22 , just like Figure 12 and 13 , the higher the electric field strength, the denser the points, and the lower the electric field strength, the sparser the points. Figure 22 shows the electric field strength distribution in the vertical state of the substrate as in Figure 13 . Figure 23 is a diagram comparing the radiation characteristics of 1 / 2 wavelength and 1 / 4 wavelength on the φ = 0° plane shown by the solid line in Figure 22 . Figure 24 is a diagram comparing the radiation characteristics of 1 / 2 wavelength and 1 / 4 wavelength on the φ = 55° plane shown by the dashed line in Figure 22 . In Figure 23 and Figure 24In this figure, the solid line represents a 1 / 2 wavelength, and the dashed line represents a 1 / 4 wavelength. m1 is the gain of the 1 / 4 wavelength, and m2 is the gain of the 1 / 2 wavelength. m1 and m2 are the values at θ = 60° on each surface. m1 and m2 are substantially equal to their respective maximum gains.

[0129] As Figure 22 shown, it can be seen that the electric field concentration in the Y direction is suppressed, and the electric field extends in the other direction at the 1 / 4 wavelength rather than at the 1 / 2 wavelength. At the 1 / 4 wavelength, the electric field also extends in the X and Z directions. That is, it can be seen that the feeder line 33 has directivity in a direction different from the extension direction.

[0130] As Figure 23 shown, on the plane of φ = 0°, m1 = -7.63 [dBi] and m2 = -9.63 [dBi]. As Figure 24 shown, within the plane of φ = 55°, m1 = -8.58 [dBi] and m2 = -7.18 [dBi]. On the plane of φ = 0°, the gain of the 1 / 4 wavelength is greater than the gain of the 1 / 2 wavelength. On the plane of φ = 55° which is closer to the Y direction than φ = 0°, the gain of the 1 / 4 wavelength is less than the gain of the 1 / 2 wavelength. At the φ = 0° value, the gain of the 1 / 4 wavelength is greater than the gain at the φ = 55° value. At the φ = 55° value, the gain of the 1 / 2 wavelength is greater than the gain at the φ = 0° value. That is, it is clarified that due to the reflection of the metal body 50, the 1 / 4 wavelength has a higher effect of extending the electric field in the Z and X directions.

[0131] As described above, the simulation results show that when the distance D is set within the range of 0 < D < λ×1 / 2, the metal body 50 can effectively reflect the radio waves radiated from the patch portion 32 in the Y direction. That is, it is shown that the electric field extends in the X and Z directions. In addition to providing the metal body 50, by setting the distance D within the above range, it is easy to provide directivity in a direction different from the extension direction of the feeder line 33. In particular, if the distance D is set to be substantially equal to the distance of 1 / 4 wavelength, it is more effective.

[0132] (Third Embodiment, Figure 25 )

[0133] The second embodiment is a modification of the previous embodiment which is the basic configuration, and the description of the previous embodiment can be incorporated. In the previous embodiment, the feeding point is provided on the side of the patch portion facing the high-frequency circuit. Alternatively, the feeding point can be provided on the non-facing side of the high-frequency circuit.

[0134] Figure 25 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of the wireless communication device 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 26 is viewed from the XXVI direction Figure 25The side view shows the feed point 35 located on one side of the patch portion 32 (opposite to the side facing the high-frequency circuit 40). The feed line 33 has a straight portion 33a arranged on the same surface as the patch portion 32. The straight portion 33a extends from the feed point 35 along the Y direction and away from the high-frequency circuit 40. The patch portion 32 and the straight portion 33a are arranged on one surface 20a of the substrate 20.

[0135] In addition to the straight portion 33a, the feed line 33 also has an inner layer conductor 33e and a via conductor 33f. The inner layer conductor 33e is a conductor pattern disposed inside the substrate 20 (e.g., below the surface) having a multilayer laminated insulating substrate. That is, the inner layer conductor 33e is an inner layer pattern. The via conductor 33f is formed by arranging conductors, such as by electroplating, in a through-hole that penetrates at least one layer of insulating substrate. The through-hole is sometimes referred to as a via. The patch portion 32 is electrically connected to the high-frequency circuit 40 via (i.e., through) the straight portion 33a, the via conductor 33f, the inner layer conductor 33e, and the via conductor 33f of the feed line 33. The inner layer conductor 33e and the via conductor 33f are arranged so as not to contact other components of the zero-order resonant antenna 30.

[0136] As shown in the previous embodiments Figure 1 A patch portion 32 and a high-frequency circuit 40 are arranged side-by-side in the Y direction. The high-frequency circuit 40 is mounted on a surface 20a of the substrate 20. A metal body 50 is arranged in the region between the patch portion 32 and the high-frequency circuit 40 in the plan view. The metal body 50 is arranged in the region between (i) the non-feed side, which is the opposite / non-facing side of the patch portion 32 relative to the high-frequency circuit 40, and (ii) the opposite side, which is opposite to the patch portion 32. In the patch portion 32, the side facing the high-frequency circuit 40 is the side opposite to the feed side. The metal body 50 is arranged on the virtual extension line of the straight section 33a of the feed line 33. The metal body 50 is arranged within the width of the straight section 33a when viewed from the alignment direction of the center 32c and the feed point 35. Other configurations are the same as those described in the previous embodiments.

[0137] <Summary of the Third Embodiment>

[0138] As described above, in this embodiment, the feed point 35 is located on the side of the patch portion 32 opposite to the side facing the high-frequency circuit 40. The straight portion 33a of the feed line 33, which has a significant impact on directivity, extends along the Y direction from the feed point 35 away from the high-frequency circuit 40. As a result, as... Figure 25 As shown by the dashed arrow, the zero-order resonant antenna 30 itself has directivity aligned with the dashed arrow. Although the zero-order resonant antenna 30 has directivity in the extension direction of the straight section 33a, from... Figures 5 to 7 , Figure 12 As can be clearly seen, a considerable amount of radio waves are transmitted / radiated in the direction opposite to the direction of extension.

[0139] In this embodiment, a metal body 50 is disposed between the patch portion 32 and the high-frequency circuit 40. The metal body 50 is disposed on the side opposite to the straight section 33a relative to the patch portion 32. The metal body 50 radiates a portion of the radio waves from the patch portion 32 toward / towards the high-frequency circuit 40. As a result, the electric field is further concentrated in the extending direction of the straight section 33a relative to the patch portion 32. That is, the antenna device including the zero-order resonant antenna 30 and the metal body 50 has the desired directivity and can have a stronger / more intense directivity than the zero-order resonant antenna 30 itself. Figure 25 In the diagram, the directional characteristics of the antenna equipment are indicated by solid arrows.

[0140] (Other embodiments)

[0141] This disclosure in the specification and drawings is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described therein. This disclosure includes exemplary embodiments and modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the exemplary embodiments. For example, this disclosure is not limited to the combinations of components and / or elements shown in the embodiments. This disclosure can be implemented in various combinations. This disclosure may have additional portions that can be added to embodiments. This disclosure includes modified embodiments in which components and / or elements of the embodiments are omitted. This disclosure includes the reassignment or combination of components and / or elements between one embodiment and another. The scope of the disclosed technology is not limited to the description of the embodiments. Some of the scope of the disclosed technology is indicated by the claims and should be understood to include all modifications within the equivalent meaning and scope of the claims.

[0142] The present disclosure in the specification, drawings, etc., is not limited to the description in the claims. The present disclosure in the specification, drawings, etc., includes the technical ideas described in the claims, and further extends to technical ideas that are broader than those described in the claims. Therefore, various technical ideas can be extracted from the present disclosure in the specification, drawings, etc., and are not limited to the description in the claims.

[0143] When an element or layer is described as “arranged on” or “connected”, the element or layer may be directly arranged on top of or connected to another element or layer, or it may have intermediate elements or layers arranged therebetween. Conversely, when an element or layer is described as “directly arranged on” or “directly connected”, there are no intermediate elements or layers. Other terms used to describe relationships between elements (e.g., “between” versus “directly between” and “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent”) should be interpreted similarly. The term “and / or” as used herein includes any and all combinations relating to one or more of the related listed items.

[0144] This document uses spatial relative terms such as “inner,” “outer,” “back,” “bottom,” “lower,” “top,” and “higher” to facilitate the description of the relationship between one element or feature and other elements or features. Spatial relative terms can be understood to include, in addition to the directions depicted in the figures, different orientations of the device being used or operated. For example, when the device in the figure is flipped, an element described as “below” or “directly below” another element or feature is subsequently positioned as “above” another element or feature. Therefore, the term “below” can include both above and below. The device may be oriented in another direction (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or any other direction), and the spatial relative terms used herein are interpreted accordingly.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising: A substrate (20) containing a dielectric; A zero-order resonance antenna (30); A high-frequency circuit (40) mounted on the substrate; And A metal body (50) mounted on the substrate, wherein The zero-order resonance antenna includes: A main board (31) provided on the bottom surface (20b) of the substrate and providing a ground potential; A patch portion (32) provided on the top surface (20a) of the substrate and including a feeding point (35); A feeding wire (33) extending from the feeding point of the patch portion to electrically connect the patch portion and the high-frequency circuit, at least a part of the feeding wire being provided on the top surface of the substrate; and A short-circuit portion (34) provided in the substrate and electrically connecting the patch portion and the main board, and The metal body is configured to: Have the same potential as the main board, Have a metal body height greater than the height of the patch portion, And In a plan view, be arranged such that (i) at least partially within the width range of the feeding wire seen from the alignment direction of the center of the patch portion and the feeding point, and (ii) at least partially within the area between the patch portion and the high-frequency circuit, wherein In the working frequency of the zero-order resonance antenna, the wavelength of the radio wave is λ, and In the plan view, the distance D between the patch portion and the metal body satisfies the relationship of 0 < D < λ×1 / 2, Thereby, the directivity of the zero-order resonance antenna is different from the extending direction of the feeding wire.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein The feeding wire has a straight portion (33a) extending in a straight line shape from the feeding point on the same surface as the patch portion, The metal body is directly provided above the straight portion or on the extension line of the straight portion.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The patch portion is provided near the outer peripheral edge (21) of the substrate.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The metal body is mounted on the top surface (20a) of the substrate.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 4, wherein At least a part of the patch portion and the feeding wire are provided on the top surface of the substrate, and The metal body protrudes upward from the top surface of the substrate more than the patch portion.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The metal body is a shielding case for protecting the high-frequency circuit.

7. A wireless communication device, comprising: A substrate (20); A main board (31) located on the bottom surface (20b) of the substrate; A patch portion (32): (i) located on the top surface (20a) of the substrate, (ii) including the center of the patch portion (32c), and (iii) including a feeding point (35) located on the first edge of the patch portion; A short-circuit portion (34) located in the substrate and electrically connecting the main board to the center of the patch portion; A high-frequency circuit (40); A feeding wire (33) electrically connecting the feeding point to the high-frequency circuit; And A metal body (50) comprising at least partially a first wall portion located between the patch portion and the high-frequency circuit, wherein The feeder lines are connected in electrical series and include: (i) A first portion (33a) extends orthogonally from the first edge of the patch portion toward the high-frequency circuit in the Y direction; (ii) The second part (33b) extends along the Z direction toward the edge of the substrate; (iii) The third portion (33c) extending along the Y direction; and (iv) The fourth part (33d), which extends along the negative Z direction and contacts the second edge of the high-frequency circuit, and In the plan view, the metal body includes a first wall portion (i) extending along the Z direction and not crossing the feed line, and (ii) located between the patch portion and the high-frequency circuit.

8. The wireless communication device according to claim 7, wherein: The feed line extends orthogonally (33a) along the Y direction from the first edge of the patch portion to the center portion of the first edge of the high-frequency circuit. In the plan view, the metal body includes a first wall portion, which (i) extends along the Z direction above the feed line and (ii) is located between the patch portion and the high-frequency circuit relative to the Y direction.

9. The wireless communication device according to claim 7, wherein: The metal body substantially surrounds the top of the high-frequency circuit and all sides of the high-frequency circuit. In the plan view, the patch panel, the feed line, and the metal body all completely overlap with the motherboard.

10. The wireless communication device according to claim 7, wherein, In the plan view: The patch portion is essentially a first rectangle comprising four patch portion sides. Each of the sides of the patch portion is parallel to the Z direction or parallel to the Y direction. The metal body is essentially a second rectangle comprising four sides of the metal body. Each of the sides of the metal body is parallel to the Z direction or parallel to the Y direction. The metal body is offset from the patch portion in the Y direction, and The third portion of the feed line is offset from the metal body in the Z direction such that a first distance from the third portion of the feed line to the end (21) of the substrate is less than a second distance from the metal body to the end.

Images