ANTENNA ARRANGEMENT, COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an antenna arrangement for a transceiver arrangement, in particular for a radio-frequency transceiver arrangement, preferably for use within a full-duplex communication channel, comprising an attenuation arrangement.

[0002] The invention further relates to a communication system comprising a first transceiver arrangement and a second transceiver arrangement for providing wireless signal transmission.

[0003] For contactless or wireless power and / or data transmission, antenna arrays consisting of one or more antennas are used. For simultaneous transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves (so-called full-duplex operation), i.e., for the use of the antenna array within a communication channel that provides for simultaneous transmission and reception of signals at the same frequency ("in-band full duplex"), high electromagnetic attenuation or isolation between the transmitter and receiver within the same transceiver is essential to avoid crosstalk or interference between the transmitter and receiver.

[0004] In addition, radar applications often require the radar receiver to be ready to receive while the radar transmitter transmits radar signals. Since the transmission and reception of the radar signal usually occur on the same frequency, a high degree of electromagnetic attenuation or isolation is required between the transmitting and receiving antennas of a radar system.

[0005] Various technical approaches are already known to provide sufficient electromagnetic isolation between transmitter and receiver within an in-band full-duplex communication channel. One possibility is transmission with different polarizations (polarization multiplexing / polarization duplexing), whereby the two communication partners (sometimes referred to as "transceiver arrangements") transmit the electromagnetic waves, for example, with circular polarization, each with a different direction of rotation. According to another technique, the electromagnetic waves emanating from the two communication partners are transmitted with special radiation characteristics to largely avoid interference between transmitter and receiver.Another example is a metallic shielding between transmit and receive antennas of a common antenna array, as proposed in the publication "Circularly Polarized PIFA Array For Simultaneous Transmit And Receive Applications", A. Kee, M. Elmansouri, DS Filipovic, 2017 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation, pp. 2303-2304.

[0006] However, the isolation behavior of the known antenna arrangements is sometimes still insufficient or can only be achieved by extremely complex antenna and circuit arrangements and thus high manufacturing and cost expenditure.

[0007] For further technical background, reference is made to US 2012 / 299789 A1, which relates to an antenna arrangement for selectively transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves. The individual antennas are designed as planar conductors with an L-shaped slot arranged parallel to a ground plane. US 2007 / 241962 A1 relates to a motor vehicle radar comprising an antenna equipped with at least one radiating element that emits linearly polarized radio waves, a slotted plate arranged in front of the surface of the antenna and in which a plurality of slots are defined, and a radio wave absorber arranged between the antenna and the slotted plate. US 5,880,695 A relates to circularly polarized antennas, wherein a "tunnel" is formed around the circumference of a circuit board, and wherein absorber material is inserted into the tunnel around the circuit boards.JP 2020 022141 A relates to a planar antenna device having a radio wave absorber surrounding a side of the antenna substrate different from a desired radiation direction of the antenna element.

[0008] In view of the known state of the art, the object of the present invention is to provide an antenna arrangement which is improved compared to the prior art.

[0009] Finally, it is also an object of the invention to provide an improved communication system with an antenna arrangement that is improved compared to the prior art.

[0010] The problem is solved for the antenna arrangement with the features listed in claim 1. With regard to the communication system, the problem is solved by claim 10.

[0011] The dependent claims and the features described below relate to advantageous embodiments and variants of the invention.

[0012] An antenna arrangement according to claim 1 is provided, in particular for use within a full-duplex communication channel. The antenna arrangement is advantageously suitable for use in a transceiver arrangement, in particular a radio-frequency transceiver arrangement, for example according to the following embodiments.

[0013] The antenna arrangement preferably comprises a transmitting antenna group with a first transmitting antenna and a second transmitting antenna. The first transmitting antenna and the second transmitting antenna, which are sometimes referred to simply as "transmitting antennas" below, are preferably planar transmitting antennas; however, other antenna designs may also be provided, in particular directional antennas.

[0014] A "planar" antenna is understood above and below to mean an antenna with a predominantly flat and preferably planar configuration, which in particular has two mutually opposite, preferably parallel, main surfaces, for example, in the form of a disk, a coating, or a plate. In particular, a planar antenna can be a patch antenna or a slot antenna, as proposed below.

[0015] Preferably, the antenna arrangement also comprises a receiving antenna group with a first receiving antenna and a second receiving antenna. The first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna, which are sometimes referred to simply as "receiving antennas" below, are preferably planar receiving antennas; however, other antenna designs may also be provided, in particular directional antennas.

[0016] For the sake of simplicity, the transmitting and receiving antennas are sometimes referred to below without (optional) specifications such as "planar" and are sometimes also summarized under the term "antennas".

[0017] The aforementioned antenna groups (transmitting antenna group and receiving antenna group) are respective antenna arrays, specifically so-called "phased arrays." Thus, the transmitting antenna group can form a transmitting antenna array, while the receiving antenna group can form a receiving antenna array.

[0018] The transmitting antenna group preferably comprises a first balun (also known as a "balun"), wherein the first transmitting antenna and the second transmitting antenna are each connected to a symmetrical terminal (differential terminal) of the first balun or connected to said symmetrical terminals. Furthermore, the receiving antenna group preferably comprises a second balun, wherein the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna are each connected to a symmetrical terminal of the second balun or connected to said symmetrical terminals. Furthermore, an asymmetrical terminal (single-ended terminal) of the first balun is preferably connectable to a transmitting signal path of the transceiver arrangement, and an asymmetrical terminal of the second balun is preferably connectable to a receiving signal path of the transceiver arrangement that is independent of the transmitting signal path.

[0019] In other words, a balanced connection refers to a connection of a balanced signal transmission, while an asymmetric connection refers to a connection of an asymmetric signal transmission.

[0020] The transmitting antennas can therefore advantageously be differentially interconnected and are capable of transmitting a transmit signal fed via the transmit signal path with a first carrier frequency band. The receiving antennas can also be differentially interconnected and are capable of forwarding a receive signal with a second carrier frequency band via the receive signal path.

[0021] Preferably, the antennas are spatially positioned relative to one another, so that crosstalk between the transmitting antenna group and the receiving antenna group is at least reduced by the differential interconnection of their respective antennas. Various possibilities in this regard, which can also be implemented in combination, are presented below as examples.

[0022] Within the scope of the present invention, an antenna arrangement can preferably be provided that largely suppresses crosstalk between transmitting antennas and receiving antennas despite their spatial proximity. This can be achieved, in particular, by arranging the two jointly transmitting transmitting antennas relative to the receiving antennas in such a way that the crosstalk from the two transmitting antennas to the receiving antennas is equal in magnitude but reversed in sign. The reversed-sign crosstalk can be achieved by exciting the two transmitting antennas with a phase shift of 180°, for which purpose the aforementioned balun or balun can be used.

[0023] It can be provided to achieve equal crosstalk from the transmitting antennas to the receiving antennas by arranging the two transmitting antennas at an equal geometric distance from the receiving antenna. Preferably, the antennas can be designed so that the effective surfaces or edges of the transmitting and receiving antennas are also equally sized and opposite each other. Some possibilities are explained in more detail below.

[0024] In a further development of the invention, it can be provided that the transmitting antennas and the receiving antennas are arranged around a common center point.

[0025] The common center point of the antennas is also referred to below as the "center of rotation", which, however, does not mean that the antennas actually rotate or are rotatable around the center of rotation or the center point (this is optionally possible within the scope of a particularly advantageous use of the invention described below).

[0026] It can be provided that the two transmitting antennas and the two receiving antennas are oriented such that their main lobes point in the same direction, preferably parallel. In particular, it can be provided that the phase center of the transmitting antenna group coincides with the phase center of the receiving antenna group, and preferably also coincides with the common center point.

[0027] The directivity of an antenna is described by its antenna gain. This is often represented in a directional diagram in spherical coordinates as a function of the elevation angle and azimuth angle. In a directional diagram, the alternating maxima and minima of the antenna gain result in the so-called "antenna lobes," with the antenna lobe containing the global maximum of the antenna gain being called the "main antenna lobe."

[0028] Insofar as the transmitting antennas and the receiving antennas are designed as planar antennas, it can be provided that the antennas are arranged with their respective main surfaces parallel to a common base surface around the common center of rotation or the common center point.

[0029] The antennas can rest on the base surface and / or be attached to the base surface. The antennas can also be spaced from the base surface or housed in the electrical assembly containing the base surface, such as a circuit board. The base surface can be, for example, a ground plane of a multilayer circuit board ("GND plane") or the top layer of a multilayer circuit board.

[0030] Preferably, the two transmitting antennas are arranged at the same height or at the same distance from the base surface and / or the two receiving antennas are arranged at the same height or at the same distance from the base surface.

[0031] Particularly preferably, all antennas (transmitting antennas and receiving antennas) are arranged at the same height or at the same distance from the base surface.

[0032] The common center of rotation or common midpoint is preferably formed as the midpoint of an imaginary connecting line between the two centers or geometric centers of gravity of the two transmitting antennas. The center of rotation is thus preferably located centrally between the two transmitting antennas.

[0033] It can be provided that the transmitting antennas and / or the receiving antennas are arranged rotated by 180° relative to each other around the center of rotation or the common center point. Said rotation of the antennas can relate, among other things, to the geometric shape of the antenna itself (e.g., the relative orientation of the symmetry or other axes of the main surfaces of planar antennas, as mentioned below) and / or to the feed point or the route of the feed line leading to the respective antenna.

[0034] Preferably, each of the receiving antennas has the same center-to-center distance from both transmitting antennas.

[0035] The "center" or "centre" of an antenna, from which, for example, the center-to-center distance is determined, is understood in this case to mean in particular the geometric center of gravity of the respective antenna.

[0036] The antenna arrangement is particularly advantageous if the two transmitting antennas are excited in antiphase.

[0037] The inventors have recognized that very good isolation properties between transmitter and receiver or between the transmitting antennas and the receiving antennas of the same transceiver can be achieved by differentially exciting the transmitting antennas in pairs in the described arrangement.

[0038] Due to the proposed arrangement of the transmitting antennas, a 180° phase-shifted crosstalk of the transmitting signal into the receiving antennas results in a compensation of the electromagnetic waves crosstalking from the transmitting antennas.

[0039] The proposed features can enable reliable data transmission in full-duplex mode even when there is an offset between the communication partners. In particular, it can be provided that the two communication partners have a rotational offset from one another, i.e. are rotated around a common axis of rotation, so that the transmitting antennas of one communication partner are not aligned with the receiving antennas of the other communication partner; and / or have a translational offset from one another, i.e., starting from a desired distance between the two centers of the respective antenna arrangements, they are further apart from one another or closer to one another; and / or have an axial offset from one another, i.e., an offset between the respective center axes running through the centers of the antenna arrangements, so that the center axes of the antenna arrangements deviate from a coaxial alignment; and / or have a radial offset from one another, i.e., starting from a parallel alignment of the antenna arrangements, they are tilted relative to one another.

[0040] Such an offset can occur due to tolerances or be explicitly provided for by the application. In particular, it can also be intended that an offset only arises during data transmission or is deliberately introduced, for example, by deliberately rotating the communication partners.

[0041] At the same time, the complexity of the proposed antenna arrangement is low, making it technically simple and cost-effective to implement. The invention thus enables a cost-optimized design of a full-duplex communication antenna arrangement or a radar antenna arrangement, for example, by using standard printed circuit board processes. The proposed antenna arrangement can be easily integrated into any electronic assemblies.

[0042] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the two transmitting antennas are based on the same basic geometric shape. In particular, it can be provided that planar transmitting antennas are based on the same basic geometric shape of their main surfaces. Preferably, the two transmitting antennas have an identical structure, in particular with regard to geometry, material, and / or position of the feed point on the main surface.

[0043] In principle, the two transmitting antennas can also have a different structure, but preferably at least a similar structure—especially as far as this is technically feasible. By having an identical or at least essentially identical structure of the transmitting antennas, the attenuation can be further improved compared to the receiving antennas.

[0044] Preferably, but not necessarily, the two receiving antennas are also based on the same basic geometric shape, in particular the same basic shape as that of the transmitting antennas (preferably again based on the main surfaces of a planar antenna). The receiving antennas preferably have an identical or at least substantially identical structure, particularly preferably an identical or at least substantially identical structure to the transmitting antennas, in particular with regard to geometry, material, and / or position of the feed point on the respective main surface of the antenna.

[0045] In principle, the invention can be used to transmit any electromagnetic waves with any wavelength or frequency. However, the invention is particularly advantageously suited to transmitting electromagnetic waves in the frequency range between 40 GHz and 80 GHz, preferably between 50 GHz and 70 GHz, and particularly preferably between 55 GHz and 65 GHz. Due to the high carrier frequencies, a very high data rate can be achieved during signal transmission over short ranges, which makes the proposed antenna arrangement particularly suitable for contactless electrical connectors, replacing a conventional plug connection. This advantageous application of the invention will be discussed in more detail below.

[0046] Transmission at correspondingly high frequencies also offers the advantage that free-space attenuation increases with increasing frequency (free-space attenuation increases proportionally with the square of the carrier frequency). Thus, signals from the proposed antenna array that escape into its surroundings decay comparatively quickly. Furthermore, interference signals within the bandwidth reach the antenna array only with a low amplitude. The property of signals rapidly losing power density at high frequencies is therefore advantageously exploited within the scope of the invention.

[0047] The transmission bandwidth can be, for example, 3 GHz to 20 GHz, in particular approximately 10 GHz.

[0048] It can be provided that the first transmitting antenna is arranged in the near field of the second transmitting antenna, preferably at a distance of at most half the free-space wavelength of an electromagnetic wave to be transmitted from the second transmitting antenna. This can prevent the formation of antenna side lobes.

[0049] In an advantageous development of the invention, it can be provided that the receiving antennas and the transmitting antennas are arranged relative to one another in such a way that the center-to-center distance between each transmitting and receiving antenna is smaller than half the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave to be transmitted.

[0050] Preferably, the first receiving antenna (and optionally also the second receiving antenna) is arranged rotated by 90° relative to the transmitting antennas around the common center of rotation or the common center point.

[0051] It can be provided that a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna are arranged alternately around the common center of rotation or the common midpoint, with each antenna being rotated 90° relative to the antenna arranged upstream of it. Preferably, all antennas are rotated in the same direction along the circumference.

[0052] Preferably, the centers of all antennas are arranged on a common, imaginary circumference, the center of which coincides with the center of rotation or the common center of the antennas. The antenna centers can thus preferably have the same radial distance from the common center.

[0053] In an advantageous development of the invention, it can be provided that the antennas, in particular the planar antennas mentioned below, are co-polarized. Co-polarization means, for example, that all antennas are either right-hand circularly polarized, left-hand circularly polarized, linearly vertically polarized, or linearly horizontally polarized.

[0054] The inventors have surprisingly discovered that co-polarization can be advantageous compared to the otherwise conventional cross-polarization in the proposed antenna arrangement. Cross-polarization is generally chosen to reduce crosstalk between transmitting and receiving antennas. However, if the receiving antennas are relatively close to the transmitting antennas (for example, if the distance is less than or equal to half a free-space wavelength), the receiving antennas are in the near field of the transmitting antennas. In the near field, the electromagnetic wave is not yet transversely electromagnetic, so that no developed circular polarization can yet be present in the near field. In this respect, cross-polarization would not improve the antenna insulation. However, co-polarization can lead to improved insulation against reflection components. In the case of a simple reflection, e.g.On an electrically conductive surface, the direction of rotation of a circularly polarized electromagnetic wave changes. If the transmitting and receiving antennas are co-polarized, a simple reflection component arriving at the receiving antennas (e.g., due to a simple reflection from the opposite communication partner) is cross-polarized with respect to the receiving antennas. This significantly reduces the unwanted reception of the reflection component and thus better isolates the receiving antennas from the transmitting antennas with respect to propagation paths with a single or odd number of reflection points.

[0055] In particular, suppressing the reception of such reflection components can be relevant in a contactless data plug or a contactless connector. Such a contactless connector can comprise two of the transceiver assemblies claimed here, which are located closely opposite one another and are spaced apart, for example, by less than 10 cm (or even less than 5 cm). For example, due to the short distance and the relatively large lateral extent of the circuit boards of the transceiver assemblies, to which the transmitting and receiving antennas are mounted, the reflection components can be high in amplitude in a contactless connector, so it is advantageous to suppress their unwanted reception.

[0056] It can be provided that the transmitting antennas and / or receiving antennas are designed as directional antennas whose main radiation directions are aligned in the same spatial direction, preferably parallel. In a further development of the invention, it can be provided, in particular, that the antennas are designed as planar antennas whose main surfaces are aligned parallel to the aforementioned base surface, preferably parallel to a side surface of an electrical circuit board, to which they are electrically and mechanically connected.

[0057] In an advantageous further development, it can be provided that the main surfaces of the planar antennas have an elongated geometry, preferably a rectangular or elliptical geometry.

[0058] A triangular geometry (even an equilateral, non-elongated triangle) can also be provided. Furthermore, geometries with deliberately introduced asymmetries, such as beveled corners, recesses, or slots, can also be provided. Such asymmetries can also be incorporated into basic geometric shapes that do not have an elongated design.

[0059] In a further development of the invention, it can be provided that each of the planar antennas has exactly one feed point.

[0060] Preferably, the antennas can be circularly polarized, especially if the antennas are designed as planar antennas, and especially if the planar antennas each have only one feed point. The geometric shape of the antenna and any asymmetries introduced into the geometric shape can be designed accordingly.

[0061] Through circular polarization, which means that the vectors of electric and magnetic field strength of the electromagnetic wave to be transmitted continuously rotate, the signal transmission strength can be made independent of the rotation angle of the communication partners, e.g. two transceiver arrays, at a distance of, for example, less than 10 cm of a contactless electrical connector.

[0062] According to a further development of the invention, it can be provided that each of the planar antennas is designed such that its main surface has a finite number of symmetry axes other than zero, preferably exactly two symmetry axes or exactly three symmetry axes.

[0063] In particular, it can be provided that the antenna has a geometry other than a circle.

[0064] According to a further development of the invention, it can be provided that the planar antennas each form an orientation angle between a main axis of symmetry, which is the longest of the axes of symmetry of the corresponding planar antenna (in particular an axis of symmetry aligned in the longitudinal direction of the main surface or diagonally aligned on the main surface), and a straight line that runs between the geometric center of gravity of the corresponding planar antenna and the common center of the antennas, and wherein the planar antennas are aligned to one another in such a way that the orientation angles of all planar antennas are at least substantially identical, preferably identical.

[0065] The orientation angle of all antennas can be, for example, 40° to 50°, preferably 43° to 47°, particularly preferably substantially 45° or exactly 45°.

[0066] At this point, it should be noted that if the orientation angle is not exactly 45°, two different angles form between the principal axis of symmetry and the straight line defined above for a given antenna (an obtuse angle, i.e., greater than 90°, and an acute angle, i.e., less than 90°). In this case, the same selection criteria must always be used to determine the "orientation angle" for all antennas. For example, the orientation angle for all antennas is the angle enclosed along a clockwise (or counterclockwise) direction, starting from the straight line between the straight line and the principal axis of symmetry. The starting point (e.g., the straight line or the principal axis of symmetry) and the direction of rotation (e.g.,The orientation angles (clockwise or counterclockwise) should be chosen the same for all antennas to determine their respective orientation angles. This orientation angle should then preferably be identical, or at least essentially identical, for all antennas. The "clockwise" direction is to be understood in relation to the common center point of the antennas.

[0067] It can be provided that the main axes of symmetry of the transmitting antennas and the receiving antennas run orthogonally to each other. Preferably, the individual antennas are arranged such that the transmitting antennas and the receiving antennas are opposite each other, each with a narrow side and a long side.

[0068] In one embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the antennas have a respective off-center offset feed point, wherein the respective off-center offset (distance from the center and / or position on the main surface) is identical for all antennas.

[0069] The off-center feed point allows for impedance matching. The feed point is preferably selected so that the input impedance is 50 ohms.

[0070] The feed point of a respective antenna can preferably be arranged on its main axis of symmetry. In principle, however, any arrangement of the feed point on the main surface of the respective antenna can be provided, in particular a position of the feed point on a straight line that runs on the main surface and through the center or center of gravity of the main surface, and that forms an angle of 45° to the main axis of symmetry.

[0071] In a further development of the invention, it can be provided that a respective feed line is capacitively coupled to each of the planar antennas. The electromagnetic wave can thus be coupled into the transmitting antennas by a respective feed line using near-field coupling (preferably primarily capacitive) and decoupled from the receiving antennas using near-field coupling (preferably primarily capacitive). The feed line can be accommodated, in particular, within the electrical assembly forming the base surface, in particular a printed circuit board.

[0072] To form an optional circular polarization of each individual transmitting and / or receiving antenna, the feed line associated with the respective antenna can be arranged at an angle of substantially 45° to the main axis of symmetry of the main surface of the respective antenna and capacitively coupled to the respective antenna.

[0073] A preferably predominantly capacitive input and output of the electromagnetic wave based on electromagnetic near-field coupling is particularly advantageous in order to specify the feed-in point particularly flexibly.

[0074] In principle, however, coupling and decoupling can also be done in other ways.

[0075] For example, the electromagnetic wave can be coupled from a feed line (e.g., a microstrip line on a circuit board) that leads directly into the antenna (especially into its main surface). Thus, a direct galvanic input and output can be provided at the same level as the respective antenna.

[0076] It can also be provided that the electromagnetic wave is coupled from a through-hole connection ("via") that leads directly into the antenna (especially into its main surface), which is directly or indirectly connected to a feed line running at a different height. However, one advantage of the capacitive coupling described above over coupling via a through-hole connection can be precisely the elimination of the need for this through-hole connection. In general, the etching process during circuit board production is more precise than the positioning of the through-hole connections. Therefore, the problem of the placement tolerance of the through-hole connection can be circumvented through capacitive coupling.If the vias are misaligned during manufacturing, the rotational symmetry of the antenna array can be disrupted. However, this can be a significant factor in ensuring that the crosstalk between the first transmitting antenna and the receiving antennas is equal in magnitude to the crosstalk between the second transmitting antenna and the receiving antennas. Thus, if the problem of the via is eliminated, the rotational symmetry of the antenna array can be better maintained. Ultimately, this can improve the isolation between the transmitting and receiving antennas.

[0077] Furthermore, it can be provided that the electromagnetic wave is coupled by means of at least one intermediate antenna, which is arranged parallel to the main surface and the feed line and which is located in a plane between the main surface and the feed line. A stacked arrangement with one or more intermediate antennas can thus be provided, for example, a stacked arrangement of several intermediate antennas designed as patch antennas and / or slot antennas in a common circuit board. The stacked antenna arrangement can optionally further increase the transmission bandwidth.

[0078] In principle, any antenna structure capable of generating or receiving circularly polarized electromagnetic waves can be used. Linear polarization is also possible, especially if mutual rotation of the communication partners is not expected.

[0079] The feed line may widen towards the feed point to allow impedance matching.

[0080] To achieve an even more advantageous radiation characteristic, in particular a directed radiation of the electromagnetic wave along a main radiation direction, a metallic or electrically conductive reference electrode structure or ground plate can be formed on the side of the antenna facing away from the desired main radiation direction, i.e., "beneath" the antenna. The ground plate can be formed, for example, as the metallized underside of a printed circuit board, on the top side of which the main surfaces of the antennas are formed.

[0081] In an advantageous development of the invention, it can be provided that the antennas are designed as patch antennas or as slot antennas.

[0082] The antennas are preferably designed as patch antennas. The patch antennas can be designed, in particular, as metallized surfaces on or in a circuit board. The slot antennas, on the other hand, can be designed in a complementary manner as corresponding recesses in metallized areas of a circuit board.

[0083] The use of patch antennas or slot antennas is merely one advantageous option for implementing the antenna arrangement according to the invention. The use of horn antennas, for example, is also possible.

[0084] Preferably, the patch antennas or slot antennas are manufactured using printed circuit board manufacturing processes using additive and / or subtractive layer technology. However, the individual antennas can also be manufactured separately, for example, using deep-drawing or stamping-bending processes.

[0085] In a further development of the invention, the respective main surfaces of the antennas can have an elliptical geometry. A rectangular geometry (with different side lengths or square) can also be provided, for example, with exactly one pair of diagonally opposite, beveled corners, especially in the case of a square geometry.

[0086] In principle, other geometries can also be provided, for example a triangular geometry, a circular geometry (in particular with punched or recessed edge areas, for example square punched edge areas) or other geometries.

[0087] However, the elliptical geometry is preferred, as it allows for particularly advantageous radiation characteristics. In particular, the elliptical geometry allows for the emission of a preferably fully circularly polarized electromagnetic wave with an axial ratio of ideally 1.0. A particular advantage of the elliptical geometry is its small area requirement compared to other geometries and the ability to generate circular polarization with a single feed point. Linearly polarized components can be optimally avoided by the elliptical geometry, which is why the elliptical geometry can also enable the most energy-efficient antenna arrangement.

[0088] In the case of a patch antenna, the metallized surfaces can have the corresponding geometry (elliptical, rectangular, etc.). In the case of a slot antenna, the corresponding recess in the metallized surface can have the aforementioned geometries.

[0089] In a further development, it can also be provided that the antenna arrangement has a shielding arrangement which is arranged around the transmitting antennas and the receiving antennas.

[0090] The shielding arrangement preferably forms a shielding jacket that essentially encloses the antennas in a sleeve-like manner and runs orthogonally to the base surface. The shielding arrangement can, in particular, be formed from individual vias that extend through an electrical assembly (e.g., a printed circuit board) forming the base surface, preferably in a uniform arrangement, particularly preferably in two or more rows, and most particularly preferably at the same distances from one another.

[0091] Preferably, the shielding arrangement is arranged equally symmetrically to all antennas.

[0092] By including the aforementioned shielding arrangement, the antenna array can be shielded from the environment and, at the same time, the electromagnetic isolation can be further increased. The shielding arrangement can preferably be used to implement a quasi-coaxial structure for the input and output paths.

[0093] Preferably, the antenna array is arranged on an electrical circuit board. The substrate material of the circuit board can, for example, be FR-4 composite (a composite material made of glass fibers in epoxy resin) to provide a particularly cost-effective antenna array. Alternatively, the substrate material can also be a composite of ceramic particles (Teflon) and glass fibers in epoxy resin to minimize dielectric losses.

[0094] Depending on the application, the transmission channel established between two transceiver arrays may be affected by distortion caused by reflections of the electromagnetic wave carrying the data signal. Reflections can occur on any object encountered by the electromagnetic wave during transmission. These reflections result in the wanted signal being transmitted from one transceiver array to the other not only directly via the so-called line-of-sight component, but also via multiple propagation paths formed by the reflected components of the transmission. This is then referred to as multipath propagation or a multipath channel.As a result of multipath propagation, the line-of-sight component at the receiving antennas of the opposing transceiver array interferes with the reflected components, potentially distorting the received signal in magnitude and phase. This makes it more difficult for the receiver to accurately detect the received signal. In addition to the distortion, multipath propagation also poses the problem of destructive interference at the receiver, because the line-of-sight component can cancel out a reflected component that is 180° offset from it, thus resulting in a significant loss of power.

[0095] Particularly when the transceiver arrays are close together (e.g., less than 10 cm apart), as is the case with the contactless electrical connector explained below, reflection may occur at the base surfaces of the electrical assembly (e.g., circuit boards) to which the antennas are mounted, as such assemblies are sometimes good reflectors. During transmission from the first to the second transceiver array, the signal can therefore travel via the line-of-sight component to the second transceiver array, where it is reflected toward the first transceiver array. Returning to the first transceiver array, the signal may be reflected again and bounced back to the receive antennas of the second transceiver array, where it ultimately interferes with the line-of-sight component.

[0096] Optionally, the effects of multipath propagation can be minimized as much as possible to improve signal transmission quality. In this regard, a signal processing component, in particular a digital signal processing component, can be provided in the transceiver arrangement for equalization or predistortion.

[0097] According to the invention, the antenna arrangement comprises a damping arrangement arranged around the antennas. The damping arrangement preferably surrounds the antennas in a radial direction, for example, in a symmetrical arrangement around the antennas.

[0098] It has been shown that the damping arrangement can advantageously reduce channel distortion without necessarily requiring the use of the aforementioned signal processing component. This also allows for significant energy savings during signal transmission, which would otherwise be required to power the digital signal processing component. Energy efficiency can be particularly advantageous for contactless data plugs or connectors, as these compete with contact-based data plugs, which are often passive and therefore often do not require any energy. Furthermore, energy efficiency can significantly facilitate the cooling of a contactless connector and thus its integration into data transmission systems.

[0099] High-frequency damping materials (also called "RF absorbers") are preferably used. This damping material, typically in the form of damping mats, is mounted on at least one, preferably both, communication partners, particularly around their antennas. The damping arrangement can ensure that little to no radiation is reflected from the surface of the electrical assembly or circuit board.

[0100] According to the invention, the damping arrangement comprises at least a first damping unit with an access opening, wherein the antennas are arranged together within the access opening. The central axis of the access opening runs along a main radiation direction of the antenna arrangement and preferably through the common center point of the antennas.

[0101] Preferably, the damping arrangement or damping unit does not extend between the antennas of the antenna arrangement. Preferably, no damping material is provided between the antennas.

[0102] According to the invention, the damping arrangement is arranged on the side surface of a printed circuit board on which the antennas are also formed. The damping arrangement or its components (e.g., the damping units) can, for example, be firmly attached to the base surface, in particular by adhesive bonding. Additionally or alternatively, a force-fitting and / or positive-fitting fastening can also be provided.

[0103] The damping arrangement can also be axially spaced from the base surface or at least partially embedded in the base surface, for example, be formed within a printed circuit board.

[0104] It should be noted here that the definition that the damping arrangement is arranged around the antennas preferably refers to a plan view of the base surface or the antennas, so that the damping arrangement surrounds the antennas radially or annularly in plan view. It is not absolutely necessary for the damping arrangement to also conceal the antennas axially or laterally.

[0105] According to the invention, the damping arrangement comprises a second damping unit with an access opening within which said antennas are arranged together. In particular, it can be provided that the first damping unit and the second damping unit are arranged concentrically.

[0106] According to the invention, the first damping unit and the second damping unit differ geometrically and / or in their respective material composition / structural composition.

[0107] The damping arrangement or components of the damping arrangement, such as the first damping unit and / or the second damping unit, can have a predominantly flat geometry, preferably plate-shaped, in particular as so-called "damping mats" ("absorber sheets"). However, any desired configuration can be provided, for example, a pyramid-shaped arrangement or configuration of the damping arrangement or its components.

[0108] The access opening of the first damping unit and / or the second damping unit can be circular or square. In principle, however, any polygonal or other geometric shape can be provided for the access opening. A circular access opening is generally preferable, since the rotational symmetry can mitigate any potentially disruptive influence on an optional circular polarization.

[0109] It can be provided that the circumference of the access opening of the first damping unit and / or the second damping unit as well as an extension of the first damping unit and / or the second damping unit along the central axis are designed such that an antenna main lobe of one of the antennas is not covered in the main radiation direction by the damping arrangement (in a plan view of the antennas or the base surface / circuit board).

[0110] The access opening(s) to the antennas should preferably be as small as possible without intersecting the antenna's main lobe. A small opening in the damping material has the advantage of effectively suppressing reflections from the circuit board, on which the antennas are preferably mounted.

[0111] In a further development of the invention, it can be provided that a transverse extension of the access opening (e.g. a radius of a circular access opening or a diagonal of a square access opening) of the first attenuation unit and / or the second attenuation unit amounts to at most 2.0 free space wavelengths of an electromagnetic wave to be transmitted with the antenna arrangement.

[0112] In an advantageous further development, it can be provided that the first damping unit is arranged within the access opening of the second damping unit.

[0113] The first damping unit can preferably be arranged within the second damping arrangement in a substantially precise, particularly preferably precise, manner. Therefore, preferably, no air gap or other gap remains between the two damping units.

[0114] In this way, in principle, any number of damping units arranged one inside the other can be provided, for example a third damping unit in which the second damping unit is arranged together with the first damping unit, and so on.

[0115] In a further development of the invention, it can be provided that the second attenuation unit has a greater extension along the central axis than the first attenuation unit. The second attenuation unit is therefore preferably higher than the first attenuation unit. This is particularly advantageous if the first attenuation unit is arranged within the second attenuation unit, since this makes it possible to provide an overall structure that offers the antenna lobes of the transmitting antenna group and the receiving antenna group sufficient scope for expansion in the main beam direction without the antenna lobes intersecting one of the attenuation units in plan view, wherein the attenuation units are simultaneously capable of providing good coverage and thus attenuation.

[0116] It can be provided that the first damping unit and / or the second damping unit comprises a loss-based absorber (also referred to as a "broadband absorber") and / or a resonance-based absorber (also referred to as a "narrowband absorber").

[0117] With loss-based materials, reflection attenuation can be achieved through dielectric and / or magnetic losses within the damping material. Examples of such damping materials include foams, such as polyurethane, or elastomers, such as silicone or nitrile polymers, which can be coated with lossy materials, such as carbon powder or ferrite powder.

[0118] The loss-based absorber can thus comprise a dielectric carrier material, in particular made of a foam or an elastomer, which is provided with a granular, electrically conductive foreign material, in particular a carbon powder or ferrite powder.

[0119] Optionally, the loss-based absorber can form an axially extending, layered, or continuous impedance gradient. Through a multilayer structure or by modifying the dielectric and / or magnetic properties of the material deep within the material, an impedance gradient can be created that continuously reduces the free-space characteristic impedance (of approximately 377 ohms). Due to this impedance adjustment, an electromagnetic wave incident on the material is not reflected at the air-to-absorber interface. Instead, it is guided into the absorber and, with progressive penetration, is increasingly attenuated due to dielectric or magnetic losses in the absorber.

[0120] Pyramid-shaped RF absorbers are also based on the concept of gradual change in the field impedance and can also be provided in principle.

[0121] The resonance-based absorber can comprise a dielectric carrier material, in particular made of a foam or an elastomer, on the side of which facing away from the main radiation direction of the antennas an electrically conductive reflection surface can be formed, in particular a metallic coating or a metal foil.

[0122] In resonance-based damping materials, which are also based on silicones, nitriles, or polyurethanes, for example, a second reflection component can be generated on a metallized surface located beneath the damping material. This second reflection component is 180° out of phase with a first reflection component generated at the air-to-damping material interface. The first reflection component can then cancel each other out with the second reflection component.

[0123] In a particularly advantageous development of the invention, it can be provided that the second damping unit has a loss-based absorber and the first damping unit has a resonance-based absorber. This combination is particularly advantageous when the first damping unit is arranged within the second damping unit, and in particular when the second damping unit has a greater axial extent than the first damping unit. Especially at a carrier frequency of more than 20 GHz, in particular more than 50 GHz, very thin resonance-based damping materials can be realized. The resulting small axial extent of a first damping unit realized with a resonance-based damping material can, in turn, have a favorable effect on an optional circular polarization of the antennas, since the first damping unit then intervenes little in the radiation field of the antennas.

[0124] For example, a thin damping material or a thin first damping unit (e.g. 0.5 mm to 2 mm thick) can be arranged in the immediate vicinity in a first ring around the antennas, which, due to its thin design, only slightly influences the antenna characteristics (such as the antenna gain and the polarization of the antennas). This can be made possible, for example, by a resonance-based damping material or a thin elastomer-based, broadband damping material. The resonance-based damping material has the advantage of being cheaper and thin. In addition to its larger absorption bandwidth, the broadband material also has the advantage of being able to absorb non-orthogonally incident electromagnetic radiation well. A second damping material or the second damping unit can be arranged in a second ring around the antennas, which can be thicker (e.g.> 2 mm) and is cost-effective and also absorbs non-orthogonally incident electromagnetic radiation well, as is the case with a broadband foam absorber, for example.

[0125] It can be provided that a diameter or a side length of the damping arrangement is at most 6 free-space wavelengths and at least 3 free-space wavelengths of an electromagnetic wave to be transmitted with the antenna arrangement.

[0126] The invention also relates to a transceiver arrangement comprising an antenna arrangement according to the above and following embodiments as well as the transmit signal path and the receive signal path, wherein the asymmetrical connection of the first balun is connected to the transmit signal path and the asymmetrical connection of the second balun is connected to the receive signal path. The transmit signal path has a transmit unit and the receive signal path has a receive unit, which can be components of a common circuit arrangement. The transmit unit is connected to the two transmit antennas via the first balun in order to emit an electromagnetic wave by differentially exciting the two transmit antennas. The receive unit is connected to the receive antennas via the second balun in order to receive an electromagnetic wave via the receive antennas.

[0127] Preferably, the single-ended connection (i.e., the connection for asymmetric signal transmission) of the first balun is connected to the RF output of the transmitting unit or transmitter, and a differential connection (i.e., a connection for symmetric signal transmission) of the first balun is connected to the transmitting antennas. Preferably, the single-ended connection of the second balun is connected to the RF input of the receiving unit or receiver, and a differential connection of the second balun is connected to the receiving antennas.

[0128] Advantageously, a transceiver arrangement with an antenna arrangement can be provided that is suitable for the simultaneous bidirectional transmission of data (full duplex) in the same frequency band ("inband full duplex") and independent of the mutual rotation or alignment of the communication partners. For example, a rotation or twisting of the two communication partners around the common center of the antennas can be possible during transmission, particularly if the two communication partners are arranged concentrically with each other, so that the axes of rotation coincide with the common center of the antennas and the axis of rotation of the respective other communication partner to form a common center of rotational symmetry. Each communication partner comprises a transceiver arrangement according to the above and below explanations.

[0129] Using the proposed transceiver arrangement, data can be transmitted independently of the orientation or alignment of two communication partners or of a first and a second transceiver arrangement, while maintaining a simple technical design of the antenna arrangement. The invention can advantageously be implemented using conventional printed circuit board technology, although other manufacturing techniques are also possible, for example, using a waveguide.

[0130] The balun or balun element can preferably be designed as a 180° hybrid coupler (also known as a "rat-race" coupler or ring coupler). Alternatively, another structure can be provided, in particular a Marchand balun. Other implementations are also possible. For example, a 90° hybrid coupler can be provided, to whose second output port, which is 90° phase-delayed compared to the first output port, a line with an electrical length of 90° (i.e., 1 / 4 of the free-space wavelength of the electromagnetic wave to be transmitted) is connected. Furthermore, a Wilkinson splitter can be provided, to whose first output a first antenna feed line is connected, whose electrical length is 180° longer than the electrical length of a second antenna feed line connected to a second output of the Wilkinson splitter. A so-called "magic T" / "magic tee" can also be provided.

[0131] In a particularly advantageous development of the invention, the transmitting unit and the receiving unit can be configured to enable in-band full-duplex communication. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmitting unit and the receiving unit can be components of a radar system.

[0132] Preferably, the transmitting unit is designed to transmit a transmitted signal with a first carrier frequency band, wherein the receiving unit is designed to receive a received signal with a second carrier frequency band, wherein the first carrier frequency band and the second carrier frequency band at least partially spectrally overlap, preferably completely spectrally overlap, and wherein the receiving unit is designed to receive the received signal while the transmitting unit transmits the transmitted signal.

[0133] In one embodiment of the invention, the receiving unit can be configured to perform incoherent demodulation. The receiving unit can preferably comprise an envelope demodulator for performing the incoherent demodulation.

[0134] Particularly when the goal is to achieve a high data rate during signal transmission, a coherent transmission method is generally preferred. However, the inventors have recognized that an incoherent demodulation method may be more suitable in this case due to significantly reduced power consumption. To simultaneously maintain a high data rate, the in-band full-duplex transmission proposed above can be used, which can be advantageously used due to the high attenuation properties of the antenna arrangement according to the invention. The high attenuation properties can be achieved by the first and, optionally, the second attenuation unit.

[0135] In one embodiment of the invention, it can also be provided that the transmitting unit has a free-running, voltage-controlled oscillator for generating a carrier frequency for signal transmission.

[0136] The use of a free-running oscillator can lead to a simple, power-saving design of the transceiver array. In particular, a complex phase-locked loop, which requires considerable space and electrical power, can be eliminated. Accordingly, the receive signal path of the transceiver array can be dispensed with without an oscillator, which again saves power and space, especially if the receive signal path performs incoherent demodulation and has a corresponding envelope demodulator.

[0137] To further simplify the transceiver configuration, it may be provided to use only two-stage double-sideband amplitude modulation. In particular, a complex modulation method such as quadrature amplitude modulation can be omitted.

[0138] Preferably, the maximum transmission power of the transmission unit is less than 30 dBm, preferably less than 27 dBm, particularly preferably less than 20 dBm, most preferably less than 10 dBm, further preferably less than 2 dBm.

[0139] The transmission power can be adjusted, for example, by adjusting the operating point of a transmission signal output stage amplifier of the transmission signal path.

[0140] The transmit unit of the transceiver arrangement can comprise a first signal processing component (more precisely, a transmit signal processing component). This transmit signal processing component can comprise an upconverter that converts a transmit baseband signal into a carrier frequency range. A local oscillator signal for the upconverter can be provided by an oscillator circuit of the transmit signal processing component. Furthermore, the transmit signal processing component can comprise a transmit signal output stage amplifier connected to the radio frequency output (RF output for short) of the transmit signal processing component. Optionally, the transmit signal processing component can comprise a transmit filter, e.g., a bandpass filter, connected between the output of the transmit signal output stage amplifier and the RF output of the transmit signal processing component.

[0141] The receiving unit can comprise a second signal processing component (more precisely, a received signal processing component). This received signal processing component can comprise a receive filter at its radio-frequency input (RF input for short), which can be implemented as a bandpass filter. Furthermore, the received signal processing component can comprise a low-noise preamplifier, which can be connected to the radio-frequency input of the received signal processing component. For example, the low-noise preamplifier is connected to the output of the receive filter. Furthermore, the received signal processing component can comprise a downconverter, which can convert the received signal from a carrier frequency range to the baseband or to an intermediate frequency. This downconverter can, for example,be implemented as an envelope demodulator or can be supplied with a local oscillator signal from an optional local oscillator circuit of the received signal processing component.

[0142] In one embodiment, neither the transmit signal processing component nor the receive signal processing component includes devices for digital signal processing, in particular no devices for radio channel estimation, for digital predistortion of the transmit signal, or for equalization of the receive signal. This can lead to power savings in the transceiver arrangement.

[0143] In particular, a carrier frequency of 10 GHz or more can be provided for data transmission, preferably 30 GHz or more, particularly preferably 60 GHz or more. The voltage-controlled oscillator of the transmitting unit can preferably be configured to generate a carrier oscillation at the aforementioned carrier frequencies.

[0144] In one embodiment of a contactless electrical connector in which a first and a second transceiver array are arranged opposite each other, a distance between them is less than 10 cm, and a carrier frequency of more than 50 GHz is provided, the maximum transmission power is preferably less than 0 dBm. The first and second transceiver arrays are preferably connected via in-band full-duplex communication.

[0145] The size of antennas generally scales with the operating wavelength used. A particular advantage of the aforementioned, comparatively high carrier frequencies, in addition to the associated high data rate for signal transmission, is the short wavelengths of the electromagnetic waves. This allows the antennas and the associated structures to be designed accordingly small, so that the invention can be particularly advantageously suited for the implementation of a contactless connector with limited space requirements, as proposed below.

[0146] In particular, if a correspondingly high carrier frequency is selected, the data rate during signal transmission can be greater than 0.2 Gbit / s, preferably greater than 0.5 Gbit / s, particularly preferably greater than 1.0 Gbit / s.

[0147] The invention also relates to a communication system comprising a first transceiver arrangement and a second transceiver arrangement, each according to the above and following embodiments, for providing a wireless signal transmission between the respective circuit arrangements of the transceiver arrangements, in particular for providing an in-band full-duplex communication channel between the transceiver arrangements.

[0148] Advantageously, a compact, energy-efficient in-band full-duplex communication system with mutually isolated transmitting and receiving antennas of each communication partner can be provided, which enables very fast data transmission under mechanical rotation over very short distances in tight installation conditions.

[0149] The communication system according to the invention can be used particularly advantageously for wireless transmission between mutually movably arranged electrical devices, preferably as a replacement for sliding contacts. The proposed communication system can be advantageous if the two communication partners, i.e., the first transceiver arrangement and the second transceiver arrangement, have a variable or unknown angle of rotation relative to each other during operation, so that the transmitting and receiving antennas cannot always be precisely aligned with each other.

[0150] The communication system according to the invention is particularly suitable for use with motors or rotating machines or linear actuators. Possible areas of application include energy technology (e.g., wind turbines and generators) and automotive technology (in particular, electric motors, generators, adjustable equipment such as seats, exterior mirrors, or even car doors). The invention is also particularly advantageously suited for use in robotics in the field of articulated joints, in medical technology, or in industry in general, especially when hermetically sealed systems are intended.

[0151] In an advantageous further development, it can be provided that the two transceiver arrangements for the wireless signal transmission are arranged at a maximum distance of 10 centimeters from one another, preferably at a maximum distance of 5 centimeters from one another, particularly preferably at a maximum distance of 2 centimeters from one another, very particularly preferably at a maximum distance of 1 centimeter from one another, and even more preferably at a maximum distance of 0.5 centimeters from one another, for example at a distance of between 1.0 millimeters and 3.0 centimeters from one another.

[0152] The distance between the transceiver arrangements can be defined as the shortest distance between the common center point of the transmitting antenna group of the first transceiver arrangement and the common center point of the receiving antenna group of the second transceiver arrangement.

[0153] It is therefore proposed to use antennas for transmission over comparatively short distances. This contradicts existing technical approaches, which generally use systems that rely on cross-coupling between adjacent conductors, for example, through the use of waveguides. Antennas, on the other hand, are waveform converters that convert conducted electromagnetic waves into free-space waves – and vice versa. They are therefore generally unsuitable for contactless data transmission over very short distances. However, the proposed antenna arrangement overcomes these disadvantages, allowing the realization of a cost-effective, small-scale system with low power consumption and high electromagnetic compatibility.Due to the inherent attenuation properties of the antenna arrangement and the associated possibility of in-band full-duplex operation, high data rates can also be achieved during signal transmission.

[0154] In principle, the invention is particularly advantageous for use in the near field or for wireless transmission over short distances. However, the invention can also generally be suitable for far-field transmission or for transmission over distances longer than those mentioned above. In principle, the distance between the two transceiver arrangements can therefore be any desired distance, for example, even greater than 10 centimeters, for example, 20 to 100 centimeters or more.

[0155] In an advantageous development of the invention, it can be provided that the two transceiver arrangements are rotatable relative to each other about a common axis of rotation.

[0156] The centers of the respective antenna arrangements or the common centers of the antennas of the respective antenna arrangement are preferably arranged coaxially to one another and coincide with the common axis of rotation.

[0157] It can also be provided that the two transceiver arrangements are translationally movable relative to each other, for example along a guide, in particular in or against the main beam direction of the antennas.

[0158] In an advantageous further development, it can be provided that the communication system has a contactless electrical connector in which the first transceiver arrangement is arranged and a contactless electrical mating connector which can be mechanically connected to the connector and in which the second transceiver arrangement is arranged.

[0159] Thus, a contactless (particularly with regard to electrical contacts) connector or a wireless connector, i.e., a connector with a radio interface, can be provided. The respective transceiver arrangement can optionally be hermetically sealed in the connector or mating connector.

[0160] Preferably, the connector and the mating connector can be designed to be completely contactless, i.e., mechanically and electrically contactless, so that the connector and the mating connector do not touch each other. The connector and the mating connector can therefore be designed to be galvanically and / or mechanically isolated from each other.

[0161] An electrically and optionally also mechanically contactless connector offers the advantage of reduced wear compared to a conventional contact-making connector, as it eliminates the need for plugging and unplugging processes that lead to mechanical abrasion of the conductor contacts over time. Another advantage of a contactless data connector or connector is that the connector and mating connector can move relative to each other during operation (as permitted by the application). This avoids, for example, the particularly wear-prone use of sliding contacts or cables that move and are therefore subject to mechanical stress.

[0162] The connector and the mating connector can be latched together. The connector can have at least one first latching means, and the mating connector can have a second latching means corresponding to the first latching means. The latching means can be designed, for example, as a latching lug, snap hook, spring tab, latching recess, recess, or other latching option. A latching lever or other means of securing the closed plug connection can also be provided. The latching is preferably designed such that the connector and the mating connector can still be moved relative to one another in at least one degree of freedom - optionally within defined limits - even after latching, for example, translationally in the plug-in direction or along the main beam direction of the antennas, or rotationally about the aforementioned axis of rotation.Preferably, the connector is rotatable relative to the mating connector and / or at least partially displaceable (in particular also in the connected state).

[0163] The invention also relates to an actuator device, in particular an industrial robot system, comprising a first actuator member, a second actuator member and a communication system according to the above and following embodiments, wherein the first transceiver arrangement is arranged on the first actuator member and the second transceiver arrangement is arranged on the second actuator member in order to enable wireless signal transmission between the two actuator members.

[0164] Advantageously, within the framework of the actuator device, in particular within the framework of a multi-axis industrial robot system, a contactless, bidirectional data transmission (full duplex) in the same or at least in an overlapping frequency band (in-band full duplex) can be provided, wherein said communication can be enabled independently of the mutual rotation of the communication partners.

[0165] Finally, the invention also relates to a method for operating an antenna arrangement of a transceiver arrangement, in particular a radio-frequency transceiver arrangement, comprising at least the following method steps: Providing a transmitting antenna group comprising a first transmitting antenna and a second transmitting antenna, each connected to a symmetrical terminal of a first balun; providing a receiving antenna group comprising a first receiving antenna and a second receiving antenna, each connected to a symmetrical terminal of a second balun; operating the transmitting antenna group via a transmitting signal path of the transceiver arrangement, which is connected to the first balun via its asymmetrical terminal; operating the receiving antenna group via a receiving signal path of the transceiver arrangement, which is independent of the transmitting signal path and is connected to the second balun via its asymmetrical terminal; wherein the first transmitting antenna, the second transmitting antenna, the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna are arranged in a relative spatial position to one another, so that crosstalk between the transmitting antenna group and the receiving antenna group is at least reduced due to the differential interconnection of their respective antennas, wherein each of the receiving antennas has the same center-to-center distance from both transmitting antennas.

[0166] The differential operation of the transmit and receive antennas results in the advantage that the matching at the asymmetrical connection of the balun is significantly improved compared to the matching of the individual antennas. This improved matching, in turn, leads to a more even frequency response of the transmission channel from one communication partner to another, thus reducing channel distortion. Lower channel distortion ultimately leads to reduced intersymbol interference, which in turn enables a higher data rate.

[0167] Features described in connection with one of the subject matters of the invention, specifically the antenna arrangement, the transceiver arrangement, the communication system, the actuator device, or the method, can also be advantageously implemented for the other subject matters of the invention. Likewise, advantages mentioned in connection with one of the subject matters of the invention can also be understood to apply to the other subject matters of the invention.

[0168] It should also be noted that terms such as "comprising," "having," or "with" do not exclude other features or steps. Furthermore, terms such as "a" or "the," which indicate a singular number of steps or features, do not exclude a plurality of features or steps—and vice versa.

[0169] In a purist embodiment of the invention, however, it may also be provided that the features introduced in the invention with the terms "comprising," "having," or "with" are listed exhaustively. Accordingly, one or more lists of features may be considered complete within the scope of the invention, for example, for each claim. The invention may, for example, consist exclusively of the features mentioned in claim 1.

[0170] It should be noted that terms such as "first" or "second" etc. are used primarily for reasons of distinguishing between respective device or process features and are not necessarily intended to indicate that features are mutually dependent or related to one another.

[0171] Furthermore, it should be emphasized that the values ​​and parameters described herein include deviations or fluctuations of ±10% or less, preferably ±5% or less, more preferably ±1% or less, and most preferably ±0.1% or less of the respective specified value or parameter, provided that these deviations are not excluded in the practical implementation of the invention. The specification of ranges by initial and final values ​​also includes all those values ​​and fractions enclosed by the respective specified range, in particular the initial and final values ​​and a respective mean value.

[0172] In the following, embodiments of the invention are described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[0173] The figures each show preferred embodiments in which individual features of the present invention are illustrated in combination with one another. Features of one embodiment can also be implemented independently of the other features of the same embodiment and can therefore be readily combined by a person skilled in the art to form further useful combinations and subcombinations with features of other embodiments.

[0174] In the figures, functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0175] They show schematically: Figure 1 shows an antenna arrangement with elliptical patch antennas in a plan view; Figure 2 shows an exemplary, further patch antenna for use in the antenna arrangement with a square geometry and two diagonally opposite, beveled corners; Figure 3 shows an exemplary, further patch antenna for use in the antenna arrangement with a square geometry and a central, slot-shaped recess; Figure 4 shows an exemplary, further patch antenna for use in the antenna arrangement with a round geometry and two square punched-out or recessed edge regions; Figure 5 shows an exemplary, further patch antenna for use in the antenna arrangement with a triangular geometry; Figure 6 shows an exemplary, further patch antenna for use in the antenna arrangement with a rectangular, elongated geometry; Figure 7 shows an antenna arrangement with near-field coupling or capacitive coupling in a side sectional view; Figure 8 shows the antenna arrangement of theFigure 7in a plan view; Figure 9 shows an antenna arrangement with direct coupling by means of vias in a side sectional view; Figure 10 shows an antenna arrangement with direct coupling by means of a microstrip line in a plan view; Figure 11 shows an antenna arrangement with coupling via an intermediate antenna designed as a slot antenna in a side sectional view; Figure 12 shows an antenna arrangement with a circumferential shielding arrangement made of vias in a plan view; Figure 13 shows a transceiver arrangement; Figure 14 shows a communication system with an electrical connector and an electrical mating connector; Figure 15 shows another communication system with communication partners arranged rotated relative to one another; Figure 16 shows simulation results of the transmission and isolation characteristics of a communication system; Figure 17 shows an actuator device according to an embodiment of the invention;Figure 18 shows a communication system according to the invention with two communication partners, each with a damping arrangement according to a first variant; Figure 19 shows a further transceiver arrangement according to the invention with a damping arrangement according to a second variant in a perspective view; and Figure 20 shows two of the devices shown in; Figure 19 shown transceiver arrangements within the framework of a further communication system according to the invention.

[0176] Figure 1 shows a schematic of an antenna arrangement 1 for use within a full-duplex communication channel. The antenna arrangement 1 has a transmitting antenna group formed by a first planar transmitting antenna 2 and a second planar transmitting antenna 3, as well as a first planar receiving antenna 4 and a second planar receiving antenna 5 of identical construction, which together with the first receiving antenna 4 forms a receiving antenna group.

[0177] All transmitting antennas 2, 3 can have an identical structure in the exemplary embodiments. Preferably, the receiving antennas 4, 5 can also have an identical structure to the transmitting antennas 2, 3, ie, in particular, the geometry, material, and feed point of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 can each be identical.

[0178] The transmitting antennas 2, 3 and the receiving antennas 4, 5 are arranged with their respective main surfaces 6 parallel to a common base surface 7 around a common center point or a common center of rotation Z. The base surface 7 is preferably formed on an electrical assembly comprising the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5. The base surface 7 can in particular be an external metallization surface, e.g., the top layer or the bottom layer, of an electrical circuit board 8. The center of rotation Z is preferably formed centrally between the two transmitting antennas 2, 3 and, in the exemplary embodiment, also centrally between the two receiving antennas 4, 5, although this is not to be understood as limiting. In the exemplary embodiment, all antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 are arranged with their center points M on a common, imaginary circular circumference K, the center point of which coincides with the center of rotation Z.

[0179] The transmitting antennas 2, 3 are arranged rotated 180° relative to each other around the rotation center Z. The receiving antennas 4, 5 are also arranged rotated 180° relative to each other, whereby the receiving antennas 4, 5 are also each rotated 90° relative to the transmitting antennas 2, 3 adjacent along the circumference K. The rotation of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 takes place in the same direction around the rotation center Z, in the same direction in the exemplary embodiment, and is Figure 1 This is particularly evident from the position of the feed points 9 of antennas 2, 3, 4, 5.

[0180] In other embodiments, the rotation of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 can also be detected by the feed lines of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 being rotated, e.g. as in the case of a capacitively coupled feed line, see also Figure 8 .

[0181] The first receiving antenna 4 has the same center-to-center distance D from the two transmitting antennas 2, 3. In the exemplary embodiment, the second receiving antenna 5 also has the same center-to-center distance D from both transmitting antennas 2, 3, wherein the center-to-center distance D of the second receiving antenna 5 is identical to that of the first receiving antenna 4. This results in the overall illustrated geometric arrangement of the Figure 1 .

[0182] The center-to-center distance D of the receiving antennas 4, 5 to the transmitting antennas 2, 3 adjacent along the circumference K is preferably less than half the wavelength λ of the electromagnetic wave to be transmitted, wherein the distance between the two transmitting antennas 2, 3 and the distance between the two receiving antennas 4, 5 preferably corresponds exactly to half the wavelength λ of the electromagnetic wave to be transmitted, or is also less than half the wavelength λ.

[0183] Preferably, the receiving antennas 4, 5 and the transmitting antennas 2, 3 are also arranged relative to one another such that their respective principal axes of symmetry H form an orientation angle α of substantially or preferably exactly 45°. The principal axes of symmetry H of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 adjacent along the circumference K are aligned orthogonally to one another, as shown. However, the actual orientation angle α is not necessarily important, but rather that it is identical for all antennas 2, 3, 4, 5.

[0184] By using an identical orientation angle α on all antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 and / or by arranging all antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 with their centers M on the common, imaginary circumference K, crosstalk between the transmitting antenna group and the receiving antenna group can at least be reduced by differentially interconnecting their respective antennas 2, 3, 4, 5.

[0185] The antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 each have an off-center feed point 9, wherein the respective off-center offset d is identical for all antennas 2, 3, 4, 5. The feed point 9 is preferably located on the main axis of symmetry H, although this is not absolutely necessary. The feed point 9 is generally matched to an input impedance of 50 ohms; it should be noted that, accordingly, several possible feed points 9 may arise on the main surface 6 of the respective antenna 2, 3, 4, 5, which is why the feed points 9 indicated in the exemplary embodiments are to be understood only as examples. In principle, it is even possible to use several feed points 9 simultaneously, although a single feed point per antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 is generally sufficient.

[0186] The antenna arrangement 1 shown enables extremely effective isolation between transmitter and receiver when the transmitting antennas 2, 3 of the transmitting antenna group are excited with a signal 180° out of phase, and especially, but not necessarily, when the evaluation of the received electromagnetic wave by the receiving antennas 4, 5 of the receiving antenna group is also carried out differentially. Nevertheless, the construction of the antenna arrangement 1 is possible using technically simple means, for example, using simple printed circuit board technology.

[0187] The antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 are preferably designed as patch antennas, as shown in most embodiments. The patch antenna can in particular be designed as an electrically conductive surface or metallized surface on or in the circuit board 8. Alternatively, a complementary arrangement can also be provided, according to which the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 are designed as slot antennas and have corresponding recesses 10 in metallized surfaces, for example in metallized surfaces of the circuit board 8 (see, for example, Figure 3 and Figure 11 ).

[0188] Particularly preferably, the respective main surfaces 6 of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 have an elliptical geometry, as in Figure 1 and shown in some of the following figures. This allows a particularly pure circular polarization of the electromagnetic wave to be generated, in which Figure 1For example, the antenna arrangement 1 shown has a right-handed circular polarization (alternatively, a left-handed circular polarization can be generated by rotating the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 by 90°). Alternatively, however, other geometries of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 can also be provided, some of which are shown in the Figures 2 to 6 are indicated as examples.

[0189] As in Figure 2 As shown, for example, a square geometry with exactly one pair of punched or cut-out, diagonally opposite corners can be provided. In this case, the feed point 9 is preferably not located on the main axis of symmetry H, but on a straight line rotated by 45° relative to the main axis of symmetry H and passing through the center point M of the antenna 2, 3, 4, 5.

[0190] Another alternative antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 is in Figure 3which has a slot-shaped, diagonally arranged recess 10 centrally within the electrically conductive main surface 6. Again, the feed point 9 is preferably arranged on the straight line oriented at 45° to the main axis of symmetry H and passing through the center M of the antenna 2, 3, 4, 5.

[0191] Another alternative antenna geometry is in Figure 4 shown. The antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 is circular and has exactly one pair of diagonally opposite, punched-out or recessed square sections. Again, the feed point 9 is located on the straight line passing through the center M, tilted at 45° to the main axis of symmetry H.

[0192] In Figure 5 As a further example, an antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 with triangular geometry is shown, with the feed point 9 being offset off-center on the main axis of symmetry H.

[0193] Figure 6finally shows an elongated rectangular cross-section of an antenna 2, 3, 4, 5, with the feed point 9 again arranged on the main axis of symmetry H.

[0194] As already mentioned, further feed-in points 9 may also arise, for example in Figure 2 another feed point 9 along the straight line shown above the center of the antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 mirrored upwards, or in the Figures 3, 4, 6 up to four feed-in points each 9.

[0195] Each of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 can also be designed complementarily as a respective slot antenna.

[0196] Various variants are possible for coupling and decoupling the electromagnetic wave into the respective antenna 2, 3, 4, 5. The preferred coupling and decoupling technique is shown in the Figures 7 and 8Preferably, the electromagnetic wave is coupled from a respective feed line 11 primarily capacitively into the transmitting antennas 2, 3 and primarily capacitively out of the receiving antennas 4, 5, as shown in the sectional view in Figure 7 The feed-in point 9 is therefore in Figure 8 only an imaginary point. In the case of capacitive coupling, the rotation of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 can generally be easily recognized by the angle of the incoming feed line 11. The angle of the incoming feed line 11 ultimately significantly influences the polarization of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5. For example, for the Figure 8The antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 shown has a right-hand circular polarization due to the feed line running at 45° to the main axis H. If the main antenna surface 6 were rotated by 90° about an imaginary axis perpendicular to the main surface 6 and passing through the center of the main surface, a left-hand circular polarization of the antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 would result.

[0197] For advantageous impedance matching, the feed line 11 can be continuously widened in the direction of the center point M of the respective antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 (see Figure 8).

[0198] A stacked arrangement for coupling and decoupling into and from the respective antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 using one or more intermediate antennas 12 can further increase the bandwidth of the arrangement. Preferably, the main surface 6 of the intermediate antenna 12 is larger than that of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5. If multiple intermediate antennas 12 are provided, their main surface 6 increases with the distance from the corresponding antenna 2, 3, 4, 5.

[0199] In order to obtain a directional radiation characteristic, a final ground plate 13 can be provided on the back of the corresponding antenna 2, 3, 4, 5, as shown in Figure 7 clearly visible. This can be, for example, a metallic coating on the circuit board 8 and / or a metal housing.

[0200] As an alternative to near-field coupling, direct excitation can also be provided, for example by means of Figure 9shown through-hole 14 of the printed circuit board 8 or by supplying it via a microstrip line leading into the corresponding antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 (cf. Figure 10 ). In addition, coupling can also be provided by means of an intermediate antenna 12 designed as a slot antenna, as in Figure 11 shown.

[0201] In order to increase the insulation properties and the shielding of the antenna arrangement 1 and, if necessary, to further optimize the radiation characteristics, a shielding arrangement 15 can be provided, as shown in Figure 12 shown as an example.

[0202] The shielding arrangement 15 can be arranged around the transmitting antennas 2, 3 and the receiving antennas 4, 5 and can enclose the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 essentially in a sleeve-like manner. The shielding arrangement 15 can preferably form a shielding jacket 16 extending orthogonally to the base surface 7 (in Figure 12The shielding arrangement 15 can be formed, for example, by a metal sheet or alternatively, as shown in the Figure 12 shown, be formed from individual vias 14 which extend through the circuit board 8 and are preferably arranged regularly and very particularly preferably in at least two rows.

[0203] An advantage of the shielding arrangement 15 in combination with the antenna arrangement 1 is the shielding of the conductor structures arranged around the antenna arrangement 1 from the radiation field of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5. In particular, asymmetrically arranged conductor structures can influence the radiation fields of the transmitting antennas 2, 3 and the receiving antennas 4, 5 differently and thus lead to uneven crosstalk between the transmitting antennas 2, 3 and the receiving antennas 4, 5. The consequence can be that the crosstalk between the two transmitting antennas 2, 3 and the receiving antennas can no longer be canceled out or can only be partially canceled out, which can reduce the antenna isolation.

[0204] In Figure 13 A transceiver arrangement 17 is shown as an example. The transceiver arrangement 17 has an antenna arrangement 1 according to the above explanations and a circuit arrangement 18 with a transmitting unit (TX) 19 and a receiving unit (RX) 20.

[0205] The transmitting unit 19 is connected to the two transmitting antennas 2, 3 in order to emit an electromagnetic wave by differentially exciting the two transmitting antennas 2, 3. For this purpose, the transmitting unit 19 has a first signal processing component 21 in the transmitting signal path S, and the transmitting antenna group has a first balun or a first balancing element 22 in order to excite the transmitting antennas 2, 3 with an electrical signal that is 180° phase-shifted. The first balancing element 22 is preferably designed as a 180° hybrid coupler. The first transmitting antenna 2 and the second transmitting antenna 3 are each connected to a symmetrical connection AS of the first balun 22. The transmitting unit 19 or the signal processing component 21 of the transmitting unit 19 is connected to an asymmetrical connection AA of the first balun 22.

[0206] For differential reception, the receiving unit 20 is connected to the two receiving antennas 4, 5 via a second balun of the receiving antenna group or via a second balun 23, preferably also a 180° hybrid coupler, in order to receive the electromagnetic wave and forward it to a second signal processing component 24 in the receiving signal path E. The first receiving antenna 3 and the second receiving antenna 4 are each connected to a symmetrical terminal AS of the second balun 23. The receiving unit 20 or the signal processing component 24 of the receiving unit 20 is connected to an asymmetrical terminal AA of the second balun 23.

[0207] Independence between the transmit signal path S and the receive signal path E within the same transceiver arrangement 17 exists, for example, in that they can be used to carry different, i.e., uncorrelated, signals. The transmit signal path S can carry a transmit signal that can be radiated via the transmit antennas 2, 3 and wirelessly transmitted to a second transceiver arrangement 17. The receive signal path E can carry a receive signal that is transmitted by the second transceiver arrangement 17 and received via the receive antennas 4, 5.

[0208] In addition, and as in Figure 13 As shown, the transmit signal path S and the receive signal path E can be galvanically isolated from each other.

[0209] A wireless communication system 25 can be formed using two such transceiver arrangements 17. Such a communication system 25 can comprise a first and a second communication partner, wherein the first communication partner can comprise a first transceiver arrangement 17 and the second communication partner can comprise a second transceiver arrangement 17 of the type disclosed here. The communication system 25 is particularly advantageously suited for short-distance wireless signal transmission of, for example, a maximum of 5 meters and generally even shorter distances of, for example, a maximum of 10 centimeters.The proposed antenna arrangement 1 enables wireless communication, even in the near field, to be almost independent, preferably completely independent, of the orientation of the two transceiver arrangements 17 relative to one another, at least when the centers Z of the antenna arrangements 1 lie on a common rotation axis that is oriented perpendicular to the circuit boards 7. Signal transmission can then be particularly independent of a relative rotation of the antenna arrangements 1 relative to one another.

[0210] One advantageous application is, among others, robotics as a replacement for, for example, sliding contacts in the area of ​​joint connections or applications in which a communication connection takes place under particularly adverse environmental conditions and is therefore preferably hermetically shielded.

[0211] An example is Figure 14a communication system 25 is shown which has an electrical connector 26 in which a first transceiver arrangement 17 is arranged and which has an electrical mating connector 27 which is mechanically connectable to the connector 26 and in which a second transceiver arrangement 17 is arranged.

[0212] The connector 26 can, for example, be connected to a device housing 28. The mating connector 27 can, for example, be a cable connector into which an electrical cable 29 with individual electrical lines 30 opens. The connector 26 and the mating connector 27 can have locking means 31 in order to lock together in the connected state. Figure 14 shows an example of a plug-in connection consisting of a connector 26 and a mating connector 27 that is locked together and allows the partners to be rotated relative to one another. This advantageously makes it possible to provide a contactless or wireless plug-in connection that is independent of the direction of rotation in order to transmit electrical signals between the cable 29 or the electrical lines 30 of the cable 29 and electrical conductors 32 within the device housing 28. The connector 26 and the mating connector 27 can preferably be designed to be completely contactless, i.e. electrically and mechanically contactless.

[0213] In principle, however, any other applications are conceivable, for example applications in energy technology or automotive technology.

[0214] As an example, another communication system 25 is shown in a simplified representation in Figure 15 shown to further illustrate the particular advantage of the invention in the transmission of communication partners arranged in a twisted manner. Figure 15 The antenna arrays 1 are arranged coaxially with each other, but rotated around the center of rotation, whereby advantageous signal transmission can still take place with the proposed antenna arrays 1. Tilting of the antenna arrays 1 relative to each other, as well as an off-center offset of the respective centers of rotation, can also be compensated for.

[0215] In Figure 16Simulation results of a communication system 25 are shown to illustrate the advantageous transmission and isolation properties of an antenna arrangement 1. An antenna arrangement 1 was simulated as in Figure 1 and in the Figures 7 and 8shown, with a transmission bandwidth of 10 GHz and a distance between the two transceiver arrangements 17 and antenna arrangements 1 of 12 millimeters. The individual curves of the two sets of curves represent the simulation results for different orientations / rotation angles of the two communication partners to each other. On the one hand, the high isolation properties between transmitter and receiver of the same transceiver are evident (isolation within the intended frequency band > 50 dB, see lower set of curves yi) and, on the other hand, the high independence of the transmission properties from the alignment or orientation of the two communication partners to each other is evident (see upper set of curves y 2 ).

[0216] As already mentioned, the use of the proposed antenna arrangement 1 in the context of actuator-movable assemblies can also be very advantageous in order to enable wireless signal transmission over short distances and at high data rates, with high electromagnetic compatibility. Figure 17 For clarity, an actuator device 33 is indicated. An industrial robot system comprising two separate, multi-axis industrial robots 34 is shown as an example - however, this is only intended to serve as an example. The actuator device 33 has a first actuator element 35, a second actuator element 36 and a communication system 25, wherein the first transceiver arrangement 17 can be arranged on the first actuator element 35 and the second transceiver arrangement 17 on the second actuator element 36 in order to enable wireless signal transmission between the two actuator elements 35, 36. The actuator elements 35, 36 are Figure 17 In the illustrated embodiment, these are the end effectors of the industrial robots 34—in principle, however, they can be any movable or immovable members of a general actuator device 33. For example, both actuator members 35, 36 can also be part of the same device, i.e., for example, the same industrial robot 34, for example to enable signal transmission along the individual axes of the industrial robot 34, for example to bridge joint connections wirelessly and without the use of sliding contacts, etc.

[0217] As already mentioned above, reflections of the electromagnetic wave can occur during signal transmission between the communication partners, which can lead to undesired multipath propagation. This is especially true if the communication partners are located at a distance, as in the application examples of the Figures 14, 15 and 17are close to each other, it can happen that the reflection occurs at the circuit boards 8 to which the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 are connected. As in Figure 18 As indicated by dashed lines and arrows, the signal can be reflected back and forth between the communication partners in addition to being transmitted via the line-of-sight component, and thus transmitted via one or more reflection components, which can ultimately lead to interference between the desired line-of-sight component and the undesired reflection component(s). In order to minimize this multipath propagation as much as possible, but without using complex signal processing components, such as digital signal processing, the Figures 18 to 20 and the following explanations, an advantageous damping arrangement 37 for an antenna arrangement is proposed (in particular but not exclusively for the above antenna arrangement 1).

[0218] In Figure 181 shows a communication system 25 comprising a first and a second transceiver arrangement 17. Each of the transceiver arrangements 17 has a printed circuit board 8 on which a respective antenna arrangement 1 is arranged. A damping arrangement 37 is arranged around the antenna arrangement 1. The damping arrangement 37 has a first damping unit 38, in the exemplary embodiments a damping mat, with an access opening 39 within which the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 of the antenna arrangement 1 are arranged together. The central axis MD of the access opening 39 runs along the main radiation direction or antenna main lobe 40 of the antenna arrangement 1 (cf. Figure 20 ) and also passes through the common center or rotation center Z of antennas 2, 3, 4, 5.

[0219] It can be provided that the transverse extent of the access opening 39 of the first attenuation unit 38 is smaller than 2.0 free-space wavelengths of the electromagnetic wave to be transmitted, so that the access opening 39 is as narrow as possible, but such that the antenna main lobes 40 of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 are not obscured in a plan view. The access opening 39 can in principle have any geometry, for example circular (preferred) or square, as in the embodiments of the Figures 18 to 20 shown as an example.

[0220] The proposed damping arrangement 37 can advantageously eliminate or at least significantly reduce multipath transmission. The dashed lines in Figure 18 The reflections shown may no longer occur or may only occur to a greatly reduced extent.

[0221] For further optimization, the damping arrangement 37 can be extended with additional damping units. The principle is illustrated by the Figures 19 and 20 clarifies. For example, it can be provided that the damping arrangement 37 has a second damping unit 41, again with an access opening 39, within which the antenna arrangement 1 is arranged. The first damping unit 38 and the second damping unit 41 are arranged concentrically and preferably (but not necessarily) differ geometrically and / or in their respective material composition. For example, the second damping unit 41 preferably has a loss-based absorber and the first damping unit 38 has a resonance-based absorber. Suitable material compositions are described above.

[0222] In particular, it can be provided that the first attenuation unit 38 is arranged within the access opening 39 of the second attenuation unit 41, as shown. The outer or second attenuation unit 41 can preferably be thicker or higher than the inner or first attenuation unit 38. This allows the antenna main lobes 40 of the transmitting antenna group and the receiving antenna group sufficient scope for expansion in the beam direction without the antenna main lobes 40 intersecting one of the attenuation units 38, 41 in plan view.

[0223] Based on Figure 20It will now be explained in very general terms how the transceiver arrangements 17 of the communication system 25 can be aligned to minimize transmission losses. Preferably, the antenna main lobes 40 of the transmitting antennas 2, 3 of the first communication partner and the receiving antennas 4, 5 of the second communication partner (and vice versa) are to be aligned with one another, e.g., along the center axis MD of the attenuation arrangement or such that the respective common centers or centers of rotation Z of the antenna arrangements 1 of both communication partners extend through a common center axis. The antenna main lobe 40 of a patch antenna, for example, points perpendicularly away from the patch antenna, while an antenna gain minimum is located in the opposite direction, i.e., into the circuit board 8.Therefore, it is advantageous to align the circuit boards 8 of the two communication partners parallel or at least substantially parallel to each other, so that the patch antennas face each other, as shown. The transceiver arrangements 17 of the embodiment of FIG. Figure 20 can, for example, be arranged on a respective actuator member 35, 36 of an actuator device 33, which can perform a relative rotational movement to one another.

[0224] Within the antenna main lobe 40, which has a certain width (for example, approximately -20° to +20° of the elevation angle), a parallel, translational offset may be possible (referred to above as "axial offset" of the communication partners, i.e., as the offset between the respective central axes of the communication partners passing through the centers Z of the antenna arrays 1). The communication partners may also move perpendicularly toward or away from each other (referred to above as "translational offset"). Tilting of the communication partners is also possible (referred to above as "radial offset").

[0225] In particular, however, a complete rotation ("rotational offset") of the communication partners relative to each other around the imaginary axis perpendicular to the circuit boards 8 can be enabled (in Figure 20the central axis Mo). This can be exploited, for example, in robotics when a robot joint or an actuator member 35, 36 is to rotate 360° and data is to be transmitted from one side of the robot joint to the other side without contact and thus without wear. To enable the rotation, both the transmitting antennas 2, 3 of the first communication partner and the receiving antennas 4, 5 of the second communication partner are preferably circularly polarized and co-polarized. To enable the rotation, it would also be conceivable (assuming polarization losses) for either only the transmitting antennas 2, 3 or only the receiving antennas 4, 5 to be circularly polarized, whereas the other antennas are only linearly polarized.

[0226] In the case of the Figure 20 In the embodiment described, the second damping unit 41 is to be considered optional.

[0227] A distance between the first and second transceiver arrangements 17 can be defined as the shortest distance between the antenna arrangement 1 of the first transceiver arrangement 17 and the second transceiver arrangement 17 parallel to the center axis MD. For example, the distance between the first and second transceiver arrangements 17 can be determined based on the distance between the common center point Z of the antenna arrangement 1 of the first transceiver arrangement 17 (left in Figure 20 ) and the common center point Z of the antenna arrangement 1 of the second transceiver arrangement 17 (right in Figure 20 ) can be defined.

[0228] In the Figure 20The communication system 25 shown can be a contactless data plug or electrical connector in which the distance between the first and second transceiver arrangements 17 is less than 10 cm or even less than 5 cm. This contactless connector can use a carrier frequency of more than 50 GHz for data transmission, e.g., approximately 60 GHz, which can lead to small antenna dimensions and thus can ensure good integration of the contactless connector. Furthermore, a carrier frequency of more than 50 GHz can enable high data rates. Due to the transmitting antennas 2, 3 and receiving antennas 4, 5 being well insulated from one another within the same transceiver arrangement, the contactless connector can use in-band full-duplex communication and thus also enable high data rates.The transmitting units 19 of the transceiver assemblies 17 can optionally comprise a free-running, voltage-controlled oscillator for generating a carrier frequency for signal transmission. Additionally or alternatively, the receiving units 20 of the transceiver assemblies 17 can be configured to perform incoherent demodulation. For this purpose, the receiving units 20 can comprise an envelope demodulator. The free-running, voltage-controlled oscillator and / or the envelope demodulator can reduce the power consumption of the contactless connector, which in turn can facilitate its integration into, for example, industrial systems. The reduced power consumption can also significantly alleviate the cooling requirements of the contactless connector and result in the elimination of heat sinks.For further or alternative power savings, the contactless connector described here can optionally dispense with digital signal processing, in particular digital channel estimation, digital signal predistortion, or digital signal equalization. Due to the attenuation arrangements 37, good radio channel properties can be achieved, e.g., signal transmission takes place primarily only via the line-of-sight component between the first and second transceiver arrangements 17, and multipath components are strongly attenuated. This can eliminate the need for the above-described digital signal processing, thus saving power and simplifying heat dissipation. A constant power consumption of the first and second transceiver arrangements 17 can, for example, be less than 200 mW each.

Claims

1. An antenna arrangement (1) having one or more antennas (2, 3, 4, 5), an electrical printed circuit board (8) with a side area (7), wherein the antennas (2, 3, 4, 5) being connected to the side area (7) of the printed circuit board (8), and an attenuation arrangement (37) arranged on the side area (7), wherein the attenuation arrangement (37) has at least one first attenuation unit (38) having an access opening (39) within which said antennas (2, 3, 4, 5) are jointly arranged, and wherein a central axis (MD) of the access opening (39) runs along a main radiation direction (40) of the antenna arrangement (1), characterized in that the attenuation arrangement (37) has a second attenuation unit (41) having an access opening (39) within which the antennas (2, 3, 4, 5) are jointly arranged, wherein the first attenuation unit (38) and the second attenuation unit (41) differ from one another geometrically and / or in terms of their respective material composition.

2. The antenna arrangement (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the central axis (MD) of the access opening (39) runs through a common central point (M) of the antennas (2, 3, 4, 5).

3. The antenna arrangement (1) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first attenuation unit (38) and the second attenuation unit (41) are arranged concentrically, wherein the first attenuation unit (38) is arranged inside the access opening (39) of the second attenuation unit (41), and wherein the second attenuation unit (41) preferably has a greater extension along the central axis (MD) than the first attenuation unit (38).

4. The antenna arrangement (1) as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the access opening (39) of the first attenuation unit (38) is circular in shape.

5. The antenna arrangement (1) as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the second attenuation unit (41) has a loss-based absorber, wherein the loss-based absorber preferably forms a layered or continuous impedance gradient running in an axial direction along the central axis (MD)6. The antenna arrangement (1) as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the first attenuation unit (38) has a resonance-based absorber.

7. The antenna arrangement (1) as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a transverse extension of at least the access opening (39) of the first attenuation unit (38) is at most 2.0 free-space wavelengths of an electromagnetic wave to be transmitted with the antenna arrangement (1).

8. The antenna arrangement (1) as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the antennas arranged together within the attenuation unit (38) comprise a first transmit antenna (2) and a second transmit antenna (3) of a common transmit antenna group and a first receive antenna (4) and a second receive antenna (5) of a common receive antenna group.

9. The antenna arrangement (1) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the transmit antenna group has a first balun (22) and the receive antenna group has a second balun (23), wherein the first transmit antenna (2) and the second transmit antenna (3) are connected in each case to a symmetric connection (As) of the first balun (22), and the first receive antenna (4) und the second receive antenna (5) are connected in each case to a symmetric connection (As) of the second balun (23), wherein an asymmetric connection (AA) of the first balun (22) is connectable to a transmit signal path (S) of the transceiver arrangement (17), and an asymmetric connection (AA) of the second balun (23) is connectable to a receive signal path (E) of the transceiver arrangement (17) independent from the transmit signal path (3).

10. A communication system (25), having a first transceiver arrangement (17) and a second transceiver arrangement (17), wherein each of the transceiver arrangements (17) comprises a respective antenna arrangement (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, for providing wireless signal transmission between the transceiver arrangements (17).

11. The communication system (25) according to claim 10, wherein the transceiver arrangements (17) each have a transmit unit (19) and a receive unit (20), which are designed to enable in-band full-duplex communication.

12. The communication system (25) as claimed in claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the two transceiver arrangements (17) are arranged a maximum of 10 centimeters apart from one another for the wireless signal transmission, preferably a maximum of 5 centimeters apart from one another, particularly preferably a maximum of 2 centimeters apart from one another.

13. The communication system (25) as claimed in one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the two transceiver arrangements (17) are rotatable relative to one another around a common axis of rotation, wherein the central points (Z) of the respective antenna arrangements (1) are arranged preferably coaxially to one another and coincide with the common axis of rotation.

14. The communication system (25) as claimed in one of claims 10 to 13, characterized by a contactless electrical connector (26) in which the first transceiver arrangement (17) is accommodated in a hermetically sealed manner, and a contactless electrical mating connector (27) which is mechanically connectable to the electrical connector (26) and in which the second transceiver arrangement (17) is accommodated in a hermetically sealed manner.