Communication device

Abstract

A communication device (100) has: a main body (101); and a wireless communication section housed in the main body (101) and performing wireless communication with an external instrument near the main body (101) through magnetic coupling. The main body (101) has an exposed surface (103) exposed from a wall surface (203) in a state where the main body (101) is installed to the wall surface (203) by being inserted into an opening section (201) of the wall surface (203), and the wireless communication section has a substrate (132) formed with a coil pattern that performs magnetic coupling with the external instrument, the substrate (132) not being parallel to the exposed surface (103).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a communication device. Background Technology

[0002] It is known that by installing devices such as control panels used in factory automation (FA) sites, functions such as user interfaces can be added. If the devices installed on such equipment can communicate wirelessly with mobile terminals such as smartphones and tablets, data input and output by the operator becomes easier and more convenient.

[0003] Here, in order to enable users to easily install and use the device without having to perform complex preliminary work such as network setup, it is preferable that the device installed in the device and the mobile terminal conduct short-range wireless communication. Therefore, it is conceivable to apply short-range wireless communication technology to the device installed in the device (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-091503 Summary of the Invention

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes a digital camera with an antenna that performs short-range wireless communication when the antenna of an object approaches. With such a digital camera, the object can approach from above, below, left, right, and front, thus offering a high degree of freedom in antenna configuration.

[0006] However, in devices where short-range wireless communication is installed, the portion of the device except for the surface used to perform its original function is typically embedded within the device and integrated into it. Therefore, short-range wireless communication is performed via this single surface. Here, similar to Patent Document 1, if a planar antenna is built-in in a manner opposite to the antenna of the target instrument, the aforementioned surface of the device to be installed in the device needs to be enlarged by at least the area of ​​the antenna. Therefore, there is a concern about the device becoming too large when short-range wireless communication functionality is incorporated into the device to be installed in it.

[0007] The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to suppress the enlargement of the device when a short-range wireless communication function is installed on a device that should be installed on the equipment.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the communication device of the present invention includes: a main body; and a wireless communication unit housed in the main body, which performs wireless communication with an external instrument near the main body via magnetic coupling. The main body has an exposed surface that protrudes from the wall when it is installed on the wall by inserting it into an opening. The wireless communication unit has a substrate with a coil pattern formed for magnetic coupling with the external instrument, and the substrate is not parallel to the exposed surface.

[0009] The effects of the invention

[0010] According to the present invention, the substrate on which the coil pattern is formed is not parallel to the exposed surface. Therefore, the area in the exposed surface that must be ensured for wireless communication is smaller than the area of ​​the substrate. As a result, it is possible to suppress the enlargement of the device when a short-range wireless communication function is installed in a device to be mounted on a device. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the appearance of the communication device according to Embodiment 1.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the state in which the communication device according to Embodiment 1 is installed on the device.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the structure of the main body involved in Embodiment 1.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a diagram schematically representing the magnetic field generated by the coil pattern according to Embodiment 1.

[0015] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates the case where the substrate involved in Embodiment 1 is tilted relative to the exposed surface.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing a frame containing a substrate in a comparative example.

[0017] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the coil pattern involved in Embodiment 2.

[0018] Figure 8 This is a diagram schematically representing the magnetic field generated by the coil pattern involved in Embodiment 2.

[0019] Figure 9 Figure 1 shows the coil pattern involved in the variation example.

[0020] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing the coil pattern involved in Embodiment 3.

[0021] Figure 11 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the substrate involved in Embodiment 3.

[0022] Figure 12 This is a diagram schematically representing the magnetic field generated by the coil pattern involved in Embodiment 3.

[0023] Figure 13 This is a diagram schematically illustrating the generation of the magnetic field involved in the modified example.

[0024] Figure 14 Figure 1 is a schematic cross-section of the substrate involved in the modified example.

[0025] Figure 15 Figure 2 is a schematic cross-section of the substrate involved in the modified example.

[0026] Figure 16 This is a diagram showing the coil pattern involved in Embodiment 4.

[0027] Figure 17 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the substrate involved in Embodiment 4.

[0028] Figure 18 Figure 3 is a schematic cross-section of the substrate involved in the modified example.

[0029] Figure 19 Figure 4 is a schematic cross-section of the substrate involved in the modified example.

[0030] Figure 20 This is a diagram showing the coil pattern involved in Embodiment 5.

[0031] Figure 21 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the substrate involved in Embodiment 5.

[0032] Figure 22 Figure 5 is a schematic cross-section of the substrate involved in the modified example.

[0033] Figure 23 This is a diagram illustrating the communication device involved in the variation example. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The following is a reference to the appendix. Figure 1 The communication device according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. Furthermore, in the figures, arrow Z1 points in the direction in which the device is inserted into the communication device, and arrow Z2 points in the opposite direction to arrow Z1. Arrows X1, X2 and arrows Y1, Y2 respectively point in directions orthogonal to arrows Z1, Z2. In this embodiment, the description will focus on an example where arrows X1, X2 indicate the horizontal direction and arrows Y1, Y2 indicate the vertical direction. The exposed surface of the communication device in its installed state is the XY plane.

[0035] Implementation Method 1

[0036] The communication device 100 involved in this embodiment is as follows: Figure 1As shown, the display functions as a user interface of the device 200, which is installed on the device 200 as a control panel. The communication device 100 includes: a main body 101 for performing the user interface function of the communication device 100; a mounting part 102 for mounting and fixing the main body 101 to the device 200; and an exposed surface 103 that is exposed to the outside of the device 200 when installed on the device 200.

[0037] The main body 101 is inserted into the communication device 100 through an opening 201 on the wall surface 203 of the device 200 opposite to the exposed surface 103, along arrow Z1. The mounting part 102 is then fixed to the hole 202 on the inner wall surface of the device 200 by screws (not shown), thereby mounting the communication device 100 to the device 200. Furthermore, in Figure 1 In this illustration, the mounting portion 102 is exemplified as a metal fitting with screw holes, but the mounting portion 102 could also be a metal fitting mounting portion for mounting the metal fitting after the main body 101 is inserted into the opening 201. The exposed surface 103 is the Z2 side of the main body 101 that is exposed from the wall 203 when it is mounted on the wall 203 by being inserted into the opening 201 of the wall 203, and includes a display surface 104 for displaying images to an operator who operates the device 200.

[0038] Inside the communication device 100, a substrate 132 containing a coil pattern that functions as an antenna for short-range wireless communication is arranged parallel to the XZ plane. Figure 2 The image shows a communication device 100 that is installed on and integrated with device 200. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the exposed surface 103 includes the display surface 104 and the frame of the display surface 104.

[0039] The primary function of the communication device 100, which serves as a display, is as a user interface. Therefore, it is preferable that the display surface 104, which performs this function, occupies a large proportion of the exposed surface 103, while the frame occupies a small proportion. The operator inputs and outputs data via short-range wireless communication by bringing the mobile terminal close to the substrate 132 disposed inside the frame.

[0040] exist Figure 3 The structure of the main body 101 is shown in the figure. Figure 3 As shown, the main body 101 includes: a control unit 110 for controlling various structural elements of the main body 101; a device communication unit 120 for communicating with the device 200; a wireless communication unit 130 for short-range wireless communication with external instruments; and a display unit 140 for displaying images on a display surface 104. The display surface 104 corresponds to an example of a screen for displaying images, and the display unit 140 corresponds to an example of a display unit that displays images on a screen within an exposed surface.

[0041] The device communication unit 120 can communicate with the device 200 via wired communication by connecting to the device 200 via cable, or it can communicate wirelessly with the device 200.

[0042] The control unit 110 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit) and a memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The control unit 110 controls the device communication unit 120, wireless communication unit 130, and display unit 140 by executing programs stored in the memory.

[0043] In detail, the control unit 110 functions as an input interface for the communication device 100 by notifying the device 200 of the operator's operations on the touchscreen of the display unit 140 or the results of processing those operations via the device communication unit 120. Furthermore, the control unit 110 functions as an output interface for the communication device 100 by displaying images created based on signals received from the device 200 via the device communication unit 120 on the display unit 140. Moreover, the control unit 110 processes data received from external instruments via the wireless communication unit 130 and transmits data to external instruments via the wireless communication unit 130.

[0044] The wireless communication unit 130 is housed within the main body 101, representing an example of a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication via magnetic coupling with an external instrument located near the exposed surface 103 of the main body 101. The wireless communication unit 130 includes: a communication circuit unit 131 comprising a communication interface circuit; and a substrate 132 having a coil pattern 133 for magnetic coupling with the external instrument. The coil pattern 133 has: Figure 3 The conductor portions, indicated by solid lines, are printed on the surface of the substrate 132, which serves as a rigid substrate; while the conductor portions, indicated by dashed lines, are printed on the back side of the substrate 132. These conductor portions are electrically connected by through-hole conductors or via conductors that penetrate the insulating layer of the substrate. Therefore, the coil pattern 133 forms a coil, functioning as an inductor. The communication circuit section 131 transmits and receives data with an external instrument via magnetic coupling between the coil pattern 133 and the coil of the external instrument.

[0045] As described above, the substrate 132 is arranged parallel to the XZ plane. Therefore, if current flows through the coil pattern 133, a current is generated in the... Figure 4The magnetic field is represented by a dashed line. Typically, the magnetic flux density produced by a coil has a large value at the central axis of the coil, but according to... Figure 4 It is known that an edge magnetic field is also generated at the external instrument 300 located in the Z2 direction, thus enabling communication using the coil pattern 133 as an antenna.

[0046] Furthermore, regarding the induced current generated by the magnetic field from the antenna on the external instrument 300 side, since the current generated is weaker than when the substrates containing the antenna are positioned opposite each other, the wireless communication unit 130 is able to receive data from the external instrument 300. When the central axis of the coil serving as the antenna on the external instrument 300 side is aligned with the substrate 132, almost no induced current is generated. However, in such cases, it is sufficient to display a message prompting adjustment of the position or orientation of the external instrument 300 on the display unit 140.

[0047] An example where the substrate 132 is parallel to the XZ plane, i.e., the substrate 132 is perpendicular to the exposed surface 103 and the angle θ between the substrate 132 and the exposed surface 103 is 90 degrees, has been described, but this is not a limitation. Angle θ can also be as follows... Figure 5 The angle shown is greater than zero and less than 90 degrees. That is, the substrate 132 and the exposed surface 103 may not be parallel. Furthermore, according to... Figure 5 It can be seen that the angle θ between the substrate 132 and the exposed surface 103 can also be the angle between the plane obtained by extending the substrate 132 and the plane obtained by extending the exposed surface 103. Furthermore, according to... Figure 4 , 5 It can be seen that the angle θ is equal to the acute angle formed by the substrate 132 and the exposed surface 103.

[0048] As described above, the substrate 132 on which the coil pattern 133 serving as an antenna is formed is not parallel to the exposed surface 103. Therefore, the area in the exposed surface 103 that must be ensured for wireless communication is smaller than the area of ​​the substrate. For example, in Figure 5 The width D1 of the frame surrounding the display surface in the exposed surface 103 shown is less than that in Figure 6 The width D2 of the frame of the exposed surface 103 parallel to the substrate 132a is shown as a comparative example. This helps to suppress the enlargement of the communication device 100 when a short-range wireless communication function is installed on the communication device 100 to be installed on the device 200.

[0049] Specifically, if the angle θ is greater than or equal to 60 degrees, the area to be ensured in the exposed surface 103 should be less than or equal to half the area of ​​the substrate 132; therefore, it is preferable that the angle θ is greater than or equal to 60 degrees. If the angle θ is greater than or equal to 85 degrees, the area to be ensured in the exposed surface 103 should be less than or equal to 10% of the area of ​​the substrate 132; therefore, this is more suitable.

[0050] Furthermore, an example of coil pattern 133 with 2 turns is given, but the number of turns can be 1 or greater than 2.

[0051] Implementation Method 2

[0052] Next, in Embodiment 2, the description will focus on the differences from Embodiment 1 described above. Furthermore, equivalent reference numerals will be used for structures that are the same as or equivalent to those in Embodiment 1. The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the coil pattern 133 comprises multiple coil-shaped patterns with different center points.

[0053] like Figure 7 As shown, coil pattern 133 has a first coil pattern 151 shown by the blackened area and a second coil pattern 152 shown by the shaded area. The first coil pattern 151 and the second coil pattern 152 each have 1 turn, and coil pattern 133 is equivalent to a coil with 2 turns. The first coil pattern 151 and the second coil pattern 152 are formed on the same surface 1321 of the substrate 132, and the first coil pattern 151 is formed on the outer peripheral side of the second coil pattern 152.

[0054] The center point C22 of the second coil pattern 152 is closer to the exposed surface 103 than the center point C21 of the first coil pattern 151. The center points C21 and C22 can be the centroids of the first coil pattern 151 and the second coil pattern 152, or they can be the points on the surface 1321 of the same substrate 132 as the first coil pattern 151 and the second coil pattern 152 where the magnetic flux density is the largest when current flows through the first coil pattern 151 and the second coil pattern 152, respectively.

[0055] The first coil pattern 151 includes a first conductor portion 151a on the exposed surface 103 side and a second conductor portion 151b located on the opposite side of the exposed surface 103, separated by the first conductor portion 151a. The second coil pattern 152 has a third conductor portion 152a on the exposed surface 103 side and a fourth conductor portion 152b located on the opposite side of the exposed surface 103, separated by the third conductor portion 152a. Furthermore, the distance D11 between the first conductor portion 151a and the third conductor portion 152a is smaller than the distance D12 between the second conductor portion 151b and the fourth conductor portion 152b.

[0056] According to the coil pattern 133 involved in this embodiment, such as Figure 8 As shown, it is believed that by making the conductor pattern on the exposed surface 103 side of the conductor pattern constituting the coil pattern 133 denser, the magnetic flux density around it will increase. Therefore, it is expected that the efficiency of short-range wireless communication with the external instrument 300 will be improved.

[0057] Furthermore, an example has been described where each of the first coil pattern 151 and the second coil pattern 152 has one number of turns, but this is not a limitation. It is also possible that at least one of the first coil pattern 151 and the second coil pattern 152 has more than one number of turns. Figure 9 The example shown is a coil pattern 133 with two turns for both the first coil pattern 151 and the second coil pattern 152. Regardless of the number of turns, the distance D22 between the center point C22 of the second coil pattern 152 and the exposed surface 103 is less than the distance D21 between the center point C21 of the first coil pattern 151 and the exposed surface 103. However, if the first coil pattern 151 is located on the inner periphery and the second coil pattern 152 is located on the outer periphery, then the distance D21 is less than the distance D22. The coil pattern 133 can be any first coil pattern 151 and second coil pattern 152 with different distances D21 and D22. Distance D21 corresponds to an example of a first distance between the center of the first coil pattern and the exposed surface, and distance D22 corresponds to an example of a second distance between the center of the second coil pattern and the exposed surface.

[0058] Implementation Method 3

[0059] Next, in Embodiment 3, the description will focus on the differences from Embodiment 1 described above. Furthermore, equivalent reference numerals will be used for structures that are the same as or equivalent to those in Embodiment 1. The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the coil pattern 133 comprises a plurality of coil-shaped patterns formed on different layers of the substrate 132.

[0060] like Figure 10 As shown, coil pattern 133 has a first coil pattern 161 shown by the blackened area and a second coil pattern 162 shown by the shaded area. The first coil pattern 161 is formed on the surface of the substrate 132 on the arrow Y1 side, and the second coil pattern 162 is formed on the back side of the substrate 132 on the arrow Y2 side, and is electrically connected to the first coil pattern 161 via a conductor 163a, which serves as a through-hole conductor or a pass conductor. The first coil pattern 161 and the second coil pattern 162 each have 1 turn, and coil pattern 133 corresponds to a coil with 2 turns.

[0061] The center point C31 of the first coil pattern 161 is closer to the exposed surface 103 than the center point C32 of the second coil pattern 162. That is, the distance D31 between the center point C31 and the exposed surface 103 is smaller than the distance D32 between the center point C32 and the exposed surface 103. The center points C31 and C32 can also be defined in the same way as the center points C21 and C22 in Embodiment 2.

[0062] The cross-section at line AA of substrate 132 is Figure 11 The image is shown schematically. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the first coil pattern 161 is formed on the conductor layer on the surface of the substrate 132, and the second coil pattern 162 is formed on the conductor layer on the back side of the substrate 132. According to Figure 11 It is known that the coil corresponding to the coil pattern 133, which includes the first coil pattern 161 and the second coil pattern 162, is tilted relative to the substrate 132.

[0063] According to the communication device 100 with coil pattern 133 according to this embodiment, such as Figure 12 As shown, even when the angle θ between the substrate 132 and the exposed surface 103 is 90 degrees, the central axis of the coil pattern 133 is tilted relative to the Y-axis. As a result, the magnetic flux density at the location of the external instrument 300 is expected to increase. Therefore, the communication efficiency with the external instrument 300 is considered to be improved.

[0064] Furthermore, if the angle θ is made less than 90 degrees, then as follows Figure 13 As shown, the central axis of the coil is closer to the Z-axis, which is expected to further improve the communication efficiency with the external instrument 300.

[0065] Alternatively, the substrate 132 can be a multilayer substrate, and the coil pattern 133 can have coil patterns formed on different conductor layers respectively. Figure 14 The diagram shows an example of coil pattern 133 including, in addition to the first coil pattern 161 and the second coil pattern 162, a third coil pattern 163 formed on the Y1 side compared to the first coil pattern 161, and a fourth coil pattern 164 and a fifth coil pattern 165 formed on the Y2 side compared to the second coil pattern 162. For any coil pattern, the distance D30 between the conductor on the exposed surface 103 side and the conductor on the opposite side is equal, and the center points C31, C32, and the center point C33 of the third coil pattern 163, the center point C34 of the fourth coil pattern 164, and the center point C35 of the fifth coil pattern 165 sequentially approach the exposed surface 103 along arrow Y1. In other words, according to the stacking direction of the substrate 132, the center points C31, C32, C33, C34, and C35 of each layer approach the exposed surface 103.

[0066] Alternatively, it can be like Figure 15 As shown Figure 14 The plan was further modified. Figure 15 In the example, center point C33 is closer to exposed surface 103 than center point C31, center point C34 is closer to exposed surface 103 than center point C32, and center point C35 is closer to exposed surface 103 than center point C34.

[0067] Furthermore, an example has been described where the number of turns for both the first coil pattern 161 and the second coil pattern 162 is 1, but this is not a limitation. It is also possible that at least one of the first coil pattern 161 and the second coil pattern 162 has a number of turns greater than 1.

[0068] Implementation Method 4

[0069] Next, in Embodiment 4, the description will focus on the differences from Embodiment 1 described above. Furthermore, equivalent reference numerals will be used for structures that are the same as or equivalent to those in Embodiment 1. The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the conductor portions on the exposed surface 103 side of the plurality of coil patterns constituting the coil pattern 133 are formed on the same surface of the substrate 132, while the conductor portions on the opposite sides are formed on different layers.

[0070] like Figure 16 As shown, coil pattern 133 has a first coil pattern 171 shown by the blacked-out area and a second coil pattern 172 shown by the shaded area. The first coil pattern 171 and the second coil pattern 172 each have 1 turn, and coil pattern 133 is equivalent to a coil with 2 turns.

[0071] The first coil pattern 171 has a first conductor portion 171a exposed on the side of surface 103 and a second conductor portion 171b located on the opposite side of surface 103, separated from the first conductor portion 171a. Both the first conductor portion 171a and the second conductor portion 171b are formed on the surface 1321 of the substrate 132. The second coil pattern 172 has a third conductor portion 172a exposed on the side of surface 103 and a fourth conductor portion 172b located on the opposite side of surface 103, separated from the third conductor portion 172a. The third conductor portion 172a is formed on surface 1321 in the same manner as the first coil pattern 171, but the fourth conductor portion 172b is formed on the back side of the substrate 132. The third conductor portion 172a and the fourth conductor portion 172b are... Figure 16 The two are electrically connected by conductors indicated by hollow circles.

[0072] The cross-section at the BB line of substrate 132 is Figure 17 The image is shown schematically. For example... Figure 17 As shown, the first conductor portion 171a and the second conductor portion 171b constituting the first coil pattern 171 are both formed on the surface of the substrate 132 conductor layer. On the other hand, the third conductor portion 172a in the second coil pattern 172 is formed on the surface of the substrate 132 conductor layer, and the fourth conductor portion 172b is formed on the back side of the substrate 132 conductor layer.

[0073] According to the communication device 100 with substrate 132 according to this embodiment, the magnetic flux density on the exposed surface 103 side increases in the magnetic field generated by the coil pattern 133, which is expected to improve communication efficiency. In particular, it is preferable to arrange the first conductor portion 171a and the third conductor portion 172a close to each other, and the second conductor portion 171b and the fourth conductor portion 172b are repeated in the XZ plane.

[0074] Furthermore, an example with an angle θ of 90 degrees has been described, but the angle θ can also be changed as shown in the above implementation.

[0075] Alternatively, the substrate 132 can be a multilayer substrate, and the coil pattern 133 can include more than two coil patterns locally formed on different layers. Figure 18 In the example, besides the first conductor portion 171a and the third conductor portion 172a, the fifth conductor portion 173a, the seventh conductor portion 174a, and the ninth conductor portion 175a are also formed in the same conductor layer on the exposed surface 103 side. Furthermore, the sixth conductor portion 173b, which together with the second conductor portion 171b, the fourth conductor portion 172b, and the fifth conductor portion 173a forms the third coil pattern; the eighth conductor portion 174b, which together with the seventh conductor portion 174a forms the fourth coil pattern; and the tenth conductor portion 175b, which together with the ninth conductor portion 175a forms the fifth coil pattern, are formed along the Y-axis on the Z1 side. With this substrate 132 configuration, improved communication efficiency is also expected. Figure 18 The example is equivalent to a typical cylindrical coil, such as Figure 15 Another example of deformation after bending is shown.

[0076] Furthermore, an example has been described where the number of turns for both the first coil pattern 171 and the second coil pattern 172 is 1, but this is not a limitation. It is also possible that at least one of the first coil pattern 171 and the second coil pattern 172 has a number of turns greater than 1.

[0077] In addition, I also thought of using... Figure 18 The configurations of the conductor portions on the Z1 and Z2 sides shown are interchanged, as follows: Figure 19 As shown, the conductor portion formed in multiple layers is positioned near the exposed surface 103, thereby creating a more uniform magnetic field on the exposed surface 103 side than on the opposite side, thus improving the stability of communication with the external instrument 300. That is, in Figures 16-18In this context, the substrate 132 may also have a coil pattern with a shape symmetrical about the X-axis. In addition to the coil pattern, the parameters that affect the magnetic flux density include the distance between the substrate 132 and the exposed surface 103, the materials of the communication device 100 and the equipment 200, the orientation of the substrate 132, and other factors. Therefore, the coil pattern to be installed in the communication device 100 can be determined after verifying the communication efficiency and communication stability.

[0078] The coil pattern formed on the substrate 132 includes a first coil pattern and a second coil pattern, each having at least one turn. The first coil pattern has a first conductor portion on one side and a second conductor portion on the other side in the direction exposed to the outside of the exposed surface (Z2 direction) and the direction in which the main body 101 is inserted (Z1 direction). The second coil pattern only needs to have a third conductor portion on one side and a fourth conductor portion on the other side. The first and third conductor portions only need to be formed on the same surface in the substrate, while the second and fourth conductor portions can be formed on different layers of the substrate.

[0079] Implementation Method 5

[0080] Next, in Embodiment 5, the description will focus on the differences from Embodiment 1 described above. Furthermore, equivalent reference numerals will be used for structures that are the same as or equivalent to those in Embodiment 1. The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that a portion of the conductor portions constituting the coil pattern 133 are connected in parallel.

[0081] like Figure 20 As shown, the coil pattern 133 has a first conductor portion 181 on the Z2 side, i.e., the exposed surface 103 side, and a conductor portion 182 on the Z1 side, i.e., across the first conductor portion 181 and located on the opposite side of the exposed surface 103. However, the conductor portion 182 includes a second conductor portion 182a, a third conductor portion 182b, and a fourth conductor portion 182c formed in different layers. The second conductor portion 182a, the third conductor portion 182b, and the fourth conductor portion 182c are electrically connected in parallel to the first conductor portion 181 via through-hole conductors or through-path conductors.

[0082] The cross-section at the CC line of substrate 132 is Figure 21 It is shown schematically in the middle. Figure 21 In the example, the conductor portion 182 of the coil pattern 133 electrically connects different conductor layers through a via conductor.

[0083] According to the communication device 100 with substrate 132 according to this embodiment, the magnetic flux density on the exposed surface 103 side increases in the magnetic field generated by the coil pattern 133, which is expected to improve communication efficiency.

[0084] Furthermore, an example has been described where the conductor portion 182 of the coil pattern 133 has a conductor pattern formed in three different layers, but this is not a limitation. The layers forming the conductor pattern constituting the conductor portion 182 can be two layers or more than three layers. In particular, the case where the conductor pattern constituting the conductor portion 182 is formed across five layers is equivalent to... Figure 18 The example shown is where the first conductor section 171a, the third conductor section 172a, the fifth conductor section 173a, the seventh conductor section 174a, and the ninth conductor section 175a are combined and transformed into a single conductor pattern.

[0085] Furthermore, an example of coil pattern 133 having 1 turn has been described, but it is not limited to this. The number of turns of coil pattern 133 may also be greater than 1.

[0086] In addition, I also thought of using the... Figure 21 The configurations of the conductor portions on the Z1 and Z2 sides shown are interchanged, as follows: Figure 22 As shown, the conductor portion formed in multiple layers is positioned near the exposed surface 103, thereby creating a more uniform magnetic field on the exposed surface 103 side than on the opposite side, thus improving the stability of communication with the external instrument 300. That is, in Figures 20-21 In this case, the substrate 132 may also have a coil pattern with a shape symmetrical about the X-axis. The parameters that affect the magnetic flux density are diverse, so the coil pattern to be installed in the communication device 100 can be determined after verifying the relationship between these parameters and the shape of the coil pattern, as well as the communication efficiency and communication stability.

[0087] The coil pattern has a first conductor portion on one side of the direction in which the exposed surface 103 is exposed (Z2 direction) and the direction in which the main body 101 is inserted (Z1 direction), and a second conductor portion and a third conductor portion on the other side that are connected in parallel with the first conductor portion. The second conductor portion and the third conductor portion can be formed on different layers of the substrate.

[0088] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

[0089] For example, an example of a communication device 100 that is substantially equivalent to the main body 101 has been described, but it is not limited to this. The communication device 100 may also have structural elements different from the mounting part 102 in addition to the main body 101.

[0090] Furthermore, the shape of the communication device 100 is not limited to a cuboid; it can be any shape. For example, such as Figure 23As shown, the main body 101 of the communication device 100 may also have a screen unit 105, which includes a display surface that is larger than the opening 201 when viewed by an operator from the Z2 direction. In this example, when the communication device 100 is inserted into and installed in the opening 201 of the device 200, short-range wireless communication is achieved through the substrate 132 disposed inside the frame located at the outer periphery of the display surface in the screen unit 105.

[0091] Furthermore, while the example of the communication device 100 being a display has been described, it is not a limitation. For example, the communication device 100 could also be a speaker or storage device mounted on the device 200, which serves as a control panel. Additionally, the device 200 may not be a control panel. For example, the device 200 could be a wall of a building constructed of materials such as concrete, wood, or metal. The device 200 only needs to have a wall surface 203 for mounting the communication device 100, and the communication device 100 could also be mounted in a recess of the wall surface 203.

[0092] Furthermore, while an example of mounting the communication device 100 to the device 200 using screws via the mounting part 102 has been described, this is not a limitation, and the method of mounting the communication device 100 to the device 200 can be arbitrarily modified. For example, the mounting part 102 may be omitted from the communication device 100. Specifically, when the cuboid main body 101 is inserted into the opening 201, the mounting part, which is installed by pressing or clamping the main body 101, may be provided on the wall surface 203 or the opening 201. Alternatively, the communication device 100 may be fixed to the opening 201 by attracting the steel plate included in the frame of the main body 101 using a magnet provided at the bottom of the opening 201.

[0093] This invention allows for various implementations and modifications without departing from its broad spirit and scope. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. That is, the scope of the invention is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Moreover, various modifications implemented within the scope of the claims and their equivalents are considered to be included within the scope of this invention.

[0094] Industrial applicability

[0095] This invention is applicable to devices that are mounted on a wall for short-range wireless communication.

[0096] Explanation of the label

[0097] 100 Communication device, 101 Main body, 102 Mounting part, 103 Exposed surface, 104 Display surface, 105 Screen unit, 110 Control unit, 120 Device communication unit, 130 Wireless communication unit, 131 Communication circuit unit, 132, 132a Substrate, 1321 Surface, 133 Coil pattern, 140 Display unit, 151, 161, 171 First coil pattern, 151a, 171a, 181 First conductor part, 151b, 171b, 182a Second conductor part, 152, 162, 172 Second coil pattern, 152a, 172a, 182b Third conductor part, 152b, 172b 182c Fourth conductor section, 163 Third coil pattern, 163a Conductor, 164 Fourth coil pattern, 165 Fifth coil pattern, 173a Fifth conductor section, 173b Sixth conductor section, 174a Seventh conductor section, 174b Eighth conductor section, 175a Ninth conductor section, 175b Tenth conductor section, 182 Conductor section, 200 Equipment, 201 Opening, 202 Hole, 300 External instrument, C21, C22, C31, C32, C33, C34, C35 Center point, D1, D2 Width, D11, D12, D21, D22, D30, D31, D32 Distance, θ Angle.

Claims

1. A communication device having: a main body; and a wireless communication unit housed in the main body, which performs wireless communication with an external instrument in proximity to the main body through magnetic coupling, the main body having an exposed surface exposed from a wall surface in a state where an opening portion of the wall surface is inserted and mounted to the wall surface, the wireless communication unit having a substrate on which a coil pattern for performing the magnetic coupling with the external instrument is formed, the substrate not being parallel to the exposed surface, the communication device further having a display unit that displays an image on a screen within the exposed surface, the substrate being disposed inside a frame that surrounds the screen, and the substrate being located outside a periphery of the display unit when viewed in a direction in which the main body is inserted.

2. A communication device having: a main body; and a wireless communication unit housed in the main body, which performs wireless communication with an external instrument in proximity to the main body through magnetic coupling, the main body having an exposed surface exposed from a wall surface in a state where an opening portion of the wall surface is inserted and mounted to the wall surface, the wireless communication unit having a substrate on which a coil pattern for performing the wireless communication through the magnetic coupling with the external instrument is formed, the substrate not being parallel to the exposed surface, the coil pattern having a first coil pattern and a second coil pattern, each of which has at least one turn, the first coil pattern having a first conductor portion on one side and a second conductor portion on the other side of a direction in which the exposed surface is exposed to an outside and a direction in which the main body is inserted, the second coil pattern having a third conductor portion on the one side and a fourth conductor portion on the other side, the first conductor portion and the third conductor portion being formed on the same surface of the substrate, and the second conductor portion and the fourth conductor portion being formed on different layers of the substrate.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein an angle formed by the substrate and the exposed surface is greater than or equal to 60 degrees.

4. A communication device having: a main body; and a wireless communication unit housed in the main body, which performs wireless communication with an external instrument in proximity to the main body through magnetic coupling, the main body having an exposed surface exposed from a wall surface in a state where an opening portion of the wall surface is inserted and mounted to the wall surface, the wireless communication unit having a substrate on which a coil pattern for performing the magnetic coupling with the external instrument is formed, the substrate not being parallel to the exposed surface, the coil pattern having a first conductor portion on one side and a second conductor portion and a third conductor portion connected in parallel with the first conductor portion on the other side of a direction in which the exposed surface is exposed to an outside and a direction in which the main body is inserted, and the second conductor portion and the third conductor portion being formed on different layers of the substrate. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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