Antenna arrangement and communication system

Abstract

To provide a transceiver arrangement having an antenna arrangement that is low in complexity and has substantial isolation characteristics between a transmitter and a receiver within the same transceiver.SOLUTION: A first transmitting antenna 2 and a second transmitting antenna 3 of an antenna arrangement 1 are connected to a symmetrical connection of a first balun 22, and a first receiving antenna 4 and a second receiving antenna 5 are connected to a symmetrical connection of a second balun 23. It is prescribed such that an asymmetrical connection of the first balun 22 is connectable to a transmitting signal path S of a transceiver arrangement portion 17 and an asymmetrical connection of the second balun 23 is connectable to a receiving signal path E of the transceiver arrangement portion 17 that is independent of the transmitting signal path S. The first transmitting antenna, the second transmitting antenna, the first receiving antenna, and the second receiving antenna have relative spatial positions with respect to each other such that crosstalk between a transmitting antenna group and a receiving antenna group is at least reduced by a differential interconnection of the respective antennas.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This invention claims priority from European Patent Application No. 21 180 140.2, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to an antenna arrangement for a transceiver arrangement, in particular a radio frequency transceiver arrangement, preferably for use in a full duplex communication channel, having a transmitting antenna group with a first transmitting antenna and a second transmitting antenna, and a receiving antenna group with a first receiving antenna and a second receiving antenna.

[0003] The invention further relates to a transceiver arrangement comprising an antenna arrangement, a transmitting unit and a receiving unit.

[0004] The invention further relates to a communications system comprising a first transceiver arrangement and a second transceiver arrangement for providing wireless signal transmission.

[0005] The invention further relates to an actuator device, in particular an industrial robotic system, comprising a first actuator element, a second actuator element and a communication system comprising a first transceiver arrangement and a second transceiver arrangement.

[0006] Finally, the invention also relates to a method of operating an antenna arrangement of a transceiver arrangement, in particular a radio frequency transceiver arrangement. [Background technology]

[0007] An antenna arrangement consisting of one or more antennas is used for contactless or wireless energy transmission and / or data transmission. For the use of antenna arrangements in communication channels providing simultaneous transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves (called full-duplex operation), i.e. transmission and reception of signals at the same frequency (in-band full-duplex), high electromagnetic attenuation or isolation between transmitter and receiver in the same transceiver is mandatory to avoid crosstalk or interference between transmitter and receiver.

[0008] Furthermore, in radar applications, it is often necessary for the radar receiver to be ready to receive while the radar transmitter is transmitting the radar signal. Because radar signals are typically transmitted and received at the same frequency, high electromagnetic attenuation or isolation is required between the transmitting and receiving antennas of the radar system.

[0009] Various technical approaches are already known to provide an adequate electromagnetic isolation between transmitter and receiver in an in-band full-duplex communication channel. One possibility involves transmission with different polarizations (polarization multiplexing / polarization dual), where the two communication partners (hereinafter also called "transceiver arrangement") transmit electromagnetic waves in each case with different rotational senses, for example with circular polarization. According to a further technique, in order to avoid as much as possible interference between transmitter and receiver characteristics, the electromagnetic waves emanating from the two communication partners are transmitted with a special radiation pattern. A further example can be given of a metal shield between the transmitting and receiving antennas of a common antenna arrangement, as proposed in non-patent document 1.

[0010] However, the isolation behavior of known antenna arrangements may still not be sufficient or can only be achieved by very complex antenna and circuit arrangements, which require significant manufacturing efforts and costs. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0011] [Non-Patent Document 1] "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 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] In light of the known prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an antenna arrangement which is improved compared to the prior art, preferably of low complexity and which has substantial isolation properties between a transmitter and a receiver within the same transceiver.

[0013] Finally, it is also an object of the present invention to provide a transceiver arrangement, an improved communication system, and an actuator device having an antenna arrangement which is improved compared to the prior art, preferably having low complexity and substantial isolation properties between the transmitter and receiver within the same transceiver.

[0014] It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of operating an antenna arrangement of a transceiver arrangement which is improved compared to the prior art and which is preferably suitable for in-band full duplex transmission. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] The object is achieved by an antenna arrangement having the features of claim 1. With respect to the transceiver arrangement the object is achieved by the features of claim 20, with respect to the communication system by claim 22 and with respect to the actuator device by claim 26. With respect to a method for operating an antenna arrangement the object is achieved by the features of claim 27.

[0016] The dependent claims and the features described below relate to advantageous embodiments and variants of the invention.

[0017] In particular, an antenna arrangement for use within a full-duplex communication channel is provided, which is advantageously suitable for use in a transceiver arrangement, in particular a radio frequency transceiver arrangement, for example according to the description set out below.

[0018] According to the invention, the antenna arrangement comprises a transmitting antenna group comprising a first transmitting antenna and a second transmitting antenna, which in the following may also be simply referred to as "transmitting antennas", are preferably planar transmitting antennas, but can also be provided, if appropriate, with other antenna designs, in particular directional antennas.

[0019] A "planar" antenna is understood to mean an antenna having a mainly flat, preferably uniform shape, above and below, in particular having two preferably parallel extending main regions facing away from each other, i.e. for example in the form of a disk, coating or platelet. In particular, a planar antenna can be a patch antenna or a slot antenna, as proposed below.

[0020] According to the invention, the antenna arrangement further comprises a receiving antenna group comprising a first receiving antenna and a second receiving antenna, which in the following may also be simply referred to as "receiving antennas", are preferably planar receiving antennas, but can also, if appropriate, be provided with other antenna designs, in particular directional antennas.

[0021] The transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna may sometimes be referred to below without (arbitrarily) being specified as "planar" or the like, and may further be lumped together using the term "antenna".

[0022] The above-mentioned antennas (transmitting antennas and receiving antennas) are antenna arrays, particularly phased arrays. Therefore, the transmitting antennas are transmitting antenna arrays, and the receiving antennas are receiving antenna arrays.

[0023] According to the invention, the transmitting antenna comprises a first balun (also known as a balancing unit), the first transmitting antenna and the second transmitting antenna being in each case connected to a symmetrical connection (differential connection) or to both symmetrical connections of the first balun. The receiving antenna group further comprises a second balun, the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna being in each case connected to a symmetrical connection or to both symmetrical connections of the second balun. The asymmetrical connection (single-ended connection) of the first balun can be connected to a transmitting signal path of the transceiver arrangement, and the asymmetrical connection of the second balun can be connected to a receiving signal path of the transceiver arrangement independent from the transmitting signal path.

[0024] In other words, a symmetric connection refers to a connection with symmetric signaling, and an asymmetric connection refers to a connection with asymmetric signaling.

[0025] Thus, the transmit antennas are advantageously differentially interconnected and fed via a transmit signal path to transmit transmit signals having a first carrier frequency band, and the receive antennas are similarly differentially interconnected and fed via a receive signal path to forward receive signals having a second carrier frequency band.

[0026] According to the invention, the antennas are provided with a spatial position relative to one another such that crosstalk between the transmitting and receiving antennas is at least reduced by a differential connection of the respective antennas. In this respect, various possibilities, which can also be implemented in combination, are presented below by way of example.

[0027] According to the invention, an antenna arrangement is proposed which suppresses crosstalk between the transmitting and receiving antennas as much as possible, despite their spatial proximity. This can be achieved in particular by arranging two joint transmitting antennas with respect to the receiving antenna in such a way that the level of crosstalk of the two transmitting antennas to the receiving antenna is equally high, but has an opposite sign. Crosstalk with an opposite sign can be achieved by excitation of the two transmitting antennas with a phase shift of 180°, for which purpose the aforementioned balancing unit or balun can be used.

[0028] By arranging the two transmitting antennas at equal geometric distances from the receiving antenna, it is possible to achieve the same level of crosstalk from the transmitting antennas to the receiving antennas. The antennas can preferably be designed such that the equally large effective areas or effective edges of the transmitting and receiving antennas are accordingly further located opposite each other. Various possibilities are further explained below.

[0029] In one embodiment of the present invention, the transmit and receive antennas may be arranged around a common central point.

[0030] The common center point of the antennas is sometimes referred to hereinafter as the "center of rotation," but this does not imply that the antennas actually rotate or are capable of rotating about a center of rotation or center point (although this is optionally possible in one advantageous use of the invention described below).

[0031] The two transmitting antennas and the two receiving antennas may be oriented such that their antenna main lobes point in the same direction, preferably in parallel, and in particular the phase centres of the transmitting antennas may coincide with the phase centres of the receiving antennas, preferably further coinciding with a common centre point.

[0032] The directional effect of an antenna is described in terms of its antenna gain, which is often represented in a radiation diagram in spherical coordinates as a function of the elevation and azimuth angles. In the radiation diagram, alternating maxima and minima of the antenna gain produce "antenna lobes", and the antenna lobe containing the global maximum of the antenna gain is called the "antenna main lobe".

[0033] As long as the transmitting and receiving antennas are designed as planar antennas, the antennas may be arranged with their respective main areas parallel to a common base area about a common center of rotation or a common central point.

[0034] The antenna can be located on and / or attached to the base region. The antenna can also be remote from the base region or can be integrated into an electrical assembly, such as a printed circuit board, that has the base region. The base layer can be, for example, a ground region of a multi-layer printed circuit board (GND plane) or a top layer of a multi-layer printed circuit board.

[0035] The two transmitting antennas are preferably arranged at the same height or at the same distance from the base region and / or the two receiving antennas are arranged at the same height or at the same distance from the base region. All transmitting antennas (transmitting and receiving antennas) are particularly preferably arranged at the same height or at the same distance from the base region.

[0036] The common center of rotation or common central point is preferably designed as the center point of an imaginary connecting line between the two central points or geometric centers of the two transmitting antennas, and thus the center of rotation is preferably located in the middle between the two transmitting antennas.

[0037] The transmitting and / or receiving antennas may be arranged rotated 180° relative to each other about a center of rotation or a common central point. The rotation of the antennas may relate, inter alia, to the geometry of the antennas themselves (e.g., the relative alignment of the axes of symmetry or other axes of the main area of ​​a planar antenna, as described below), and / or to the feed points or paths of the feed lines leading to each antenna.

[0038] In one embodiment of the invention, each of the receive antennas may have the same center-to-center distance to both transmit antennas.

[0039] The "centre" or "centre point" of an antenna is understood to mean in particular the geometric centre of each antenna, for example on the basis of which the centre-to-centre distance is determined.

[0040] The antenna arrangement is particularly advantageous when the two transmitting antennas are excited in antiphase.

[0041] The inventors have realised that very effective isolation properties can be achieved between a transmitter and a receiver, or between transmit and receive antennas of the same transceiver, by pair-wise differential excitation of the transmit antennas.

[0042] With regard to crosstalk of the transmitted signal to the receiving antennas that are phase shifted by 180°, the proposed arrangement of the transmitting antennas compensates for the electromagnetic waves that generate the crosstalk from the transmitting antennas.

[0043] The proposed invention allows reliable transmission of data in full-duplex operation even with an offset between the communication partners. In particular, for two communication partners, it can be said that: are rotationally offset with respect to each other, i.e. rotated about a common axis of rotation such that the transmitting antenna of one communication partner is not oriented to coincide with the receiving antenna of the other communication partner, and / or - are translationally offset relative to each other, i.e. starting from a target distance between the two center points of each antenna arrangement and moving away from each other or towards each other, and / or - are axially offset relative to the other, i.e. there is an offset between each central axis extending through the central point of the antenna arrangement such that the central axes of the antenna arrangement are out of coaxial alignment; and / or - They are radially offset with respect to each other, i.e. starting from a parallel alignment of the antenna arrangement, they are tilted. The corresponding offset may arise due to tolerances or may be explicitly provided on an application-related basis, in particular the offset may occur only during data transmission or may be intentionally introduced, for example through a targeted rotation of the communicating party.

[0044] At the same time, the low complexity of the proposed antenna arrangement allows for a technically simple and economical implementation. The invention therefore allows for a cost-optimized design of full-duplex communication antenna arrangements or radar antenna arrangements, for example, using standard printed circuit board processing. The proposed antenna arrangement can be easily integrated into any electronic assembly.

[0045] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the two transmitting antennas are based on the same basic geometric shape. In particular, the planar transmitting antennas can be based on the same basic shape of their main area. The two transmitting antennas preferably have the same design, in particular with regard to the geometry, material and / or position of the feed point on the main area.

[0046] However, the two transmit antennas can also have substantially different designs, but preferably have at least a similar design, in particular as far as this is technically feasible, The attenuation relative to the receive antennas can be further improved by an identical or at least substantially identical design of the transmit antennas.

[0047] Also, the two receive antennas are preferably, but not necessarily, based on the same basic geometry, in particular the same basic geometry as the transmit antenna (again, preferably relating to the main area of ​​the planar antenna). The receive antennas preferably have the same or at least substantially the same design, particularly preferably the same or at least substantially the same design as the transmit antenna, with regard to the geometry, material and / or position of the feed points on each main area of ​​the antenna.

[0048] The invention can be practically suitable for transmitting any electromagnetic waves with any wavelength or frequency. However, the invention is particularly advantageously suitable for transmitting electromagnetic waves in the frequency range of 40 GHz to 80 GHz, preferably 50 GHz to 70 GHz, particularly preferably 55 GHz to 65 GHz. The high carrier frequency allows very high data rates in short-distance signal transmission, making the proposed antenna arrangement particularly advantageously suitable for non-contact electrical connectors, as an alternative to conventional plug-in connections. This advantageous application of the invention will be considered in more detail below.

[0049] Transmission at correspondingly high frequencies offers the further advantage that free space attenuation increases with increasing frequency (free space attenuation increases proportionally to the square of the carrier frequency). Signals in the proposed antenna arrangement fade relatively quickly as they escape into the environment. Furthermore, interference signals occurring within the bandwidth reach the antenna arrangement with only low amplitudes. Thus, according to the invention, the property of signals that rapidly lose power density at high frequencies is advantageously utilized.

[0050] The bandwidth of the transmission may be, for example, between 3 GHz and 20 GHz, in particular about 10 GHz.

[0051] The first transmitting antenna can be placed in the near field of the second transmitting antenna, preferably at a maximum distance from the second transmitting antenna of half the free space wavelength of the transmitted electromagnetic wave, thus avoiding the formation of antenna side lobes.

[0052] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the receiving and transmitting antennas can be arranged relative to one another such that the center-to-center distance between each transmitting and receiving antenna is in each case less than half the wavelength of the transmitted electromagnetic wave.

[0053] The first receive antenna (and optionally the second receive antenna) is positioned rotated 90 degrees about a common center of rotation or common central point relative to the transmit antennas.

[0054] The transmitting and receiving antennas may in each case be arranged alternately in a cycle about a common center of rotation or a common central point, with each antenna rotated 90° relative to its upstream antenna, with all antennas along the circumference preferably rotated in the same rotational sense.

[0055] The centre points of all the antennas are preferably located on a common imaginary circumference, which centre point coincides with the centre of rotation of the antennas or with a common centre point, and therefore the centre points of the antennas may preferably have the same radial distance to the common centre point.

[0056] In one advantageous design of the invention, the antennas, in particular the planar antennas specified below, can also be made co-polarized, which is understood to mean, for example, that all antennas are either right-hand circularly polarized, left-hand circularly polarized, vertically linearly polarized or horizontally linearly polarized.

[0057] In connection with the proposed antenna arrangement, the inventors have unexpectedly realized that co-polarization can be advantageous compared to other conventional cross-polarization. Cross-polarization is usually selected to reduce crosstalk from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna. However, when the receiving antenna is relatively close to the transmitting antenna (the distance is, for example, less than half a free space wavelength), the receiving antenna is located in the near field of the transmitting antenna. In the near field, the electromagnetic wave is not yet a transverse electromagnetic wave, so the formed circular polarization may not yet exist in the near field. In this respect, cross-polarization does not provide an improvement in the isolation of the antenna. However, co-polarization can provide an improved isolation from reflective elements. For example, in the case of simple reflection on a conductive surface, the rotation direction changes for the circularly polarized electromagnetic wave. If the transmitting and receiving antennas are then co-polarized with respect to each other, simple reflective elements that reach the receiving antenna (e.g., due to simple reflections on an opposing communication partner) will be cross-polarized with respect to the receiving antenna, so that undesired reception of the reflective elements is substantially reduced and therefore the receiving antenna is more effectively isolated from the transmitting antenna for propagation paths having a single or odd number of reflection points.

[0058] In particular, suppression of the reception of such reflection elements may be relevant in the case of contactless data plugs or contactless vectors. A contactless connector of this type may comprise two transceiver arrangements according to the invention, arranged opposite each other and close to each other, for example at a distance of less than 10 cm (or even less than 5 cm). Due to the short distance and the relatively large, in relation to the distance, lateral extension of the printed circuit board of the transceiver arrangements on which the transmitting and receiving antennas are mounted, the reflection elements may have, for example, a high amplitude in the case of a contactless connector, which is therefore advantageous for suppressing undesired reception of such reflection elements.

[0059] The transmitting and / or receiving antennas can be designed as directional antennas, whose main radiation directions are aligned in the same spatial direction, preferably aligned parallel. In one embodiment of the present invention, in particular, the antennas can be designed as planar antennas, whose main regions are aligned parallel to the aforementioned base region, preferably aligned parallel to the side regions of an electrical printed circuit board to which they are electrically and mechanically connected.

[0060] In one advantageous embodiment, the main area of ​​the planar antenna may have an elongated geometric shape, preferably a rectangular or elliptical geometric shape.

[0061] It can also be a triangular geometry (not necessarily an equilateral triangle, i.e. an elongated triangle).Furthermore, it can also be provided with geometries that have asymmetries built in a targeted manner, such as chamfered corners, indents, or slots, and this type of asymmetry can also be provided with basic geometries that do not have an elongated shape.

[0062] In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the planar antennas may have exactly one feed point.

[0063] The antenna may preferably be circularly polarized, especially if the antenna is designed as a planar antenna, which in each case has exactly one feed point only. The antenna geometry and any asymmetries built into the geometry may be designed accordingly.

[0064] Due to circular polarization, which means that the vectors of the electric and magnetic field strength of the transmitted electromagnetic waves rotate continuously, independence of the signal transmission strength from the rotation angle of the communication partners, e.g. two transceiver arrangements, can be obtained at a distance of e.g. non-contact electrical connectors of less than 10 cm relative to each other.

[0065] According to one embodiment of the present invention, each of the planar antennas can be designed such that its main region has a finite, non-zero number of axes of symmetry, preferably exactly two axes of symmetry, or exactly three axes of symmetry.

[0066] In particular, the antenna may have a geometric shape other than circular.

[0067] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the planar antennas form an orientation angle between a main axis of symmetry, which in each case is the longest of the symmetry axes of the corresponding planar antennas (in particular the symmetry axes aligned in the longitudinal direction of the main region or aligned obliquely on the main region), and a straight line passing between the geometric center of the corresponding planar antenna and a common center point of the antennas, the planar antennas being capable of being aligned relative to one another such that the orientation angles of all planar antennas are at least substantially identical, preferably identical.

[0068] The orientation angle of all antennas may be, for example, 40° to 50°, preferably 43° to 47°, and particularly preferably substantially 45° or exactly 45°.

[0069] At this point, it should be noted that if the orientation is not exactly 45° (obtuse angles, i.e. greater than 90°, and acute angles, i.e. less than 90°), two angles different from each other are substantially formed between the above-defined main symmetry axis of each antenna and the straight line. In this case, the same selection criterion must always be used to determine the "orientation angle" of all antennas. That is, for example, the orientation angle for all antennas is the angle enclosed in a clockwise (or counterclockwise) direction starting from a straight line between the straight line and the main symmetry axis. The starting point (i.e., for example, the straight line or the main symmetry axis) and the direction of rotation (i.e., for example, the clockwise or counterclockwise direction) should be selected the same for all antennas to define their respective orientation angles. This orientation angle is therefore exactly, and preferably, identical or at least substantially identical for all antennas. The "counterclockwise direction" shall be understood with respect to the common center point of the antennas.

[0070] The main axes of symmetry of the transmitting and receiving antennas can run perpendicular to one another. The individual antennas are preferably arranged such that the transmitting and receiving antennas are in each case located opposite one another with their short and long sides.

[0071] In one design of the present invention, the antennas may have respective off-center offset feed points, where each off-center offset (distance to the center point and / or location on the main area) is the same for all antennas.

[0072] Impedance matching can be made possible by an eccentric offset feed point, which is preferably selected so that the input impedance is 50 ohms.

[0073] The feed point of each antenna may preferably be located on the main axis of symmetry of the antenna, however any arrangement of the feed points on the main region of each antenna may also provide for the position of the feed points essentially on a line extending over the main region, passing through the center point or center of the main region and forming an angle of 45° with the main axis of symmetry.

[0074] In one embodiment of the present invention, each feed line can be capacitively coupled to each of the planar antennas. Thus, electromagnetic waves can be injected from each feed line into the transmitting antenna by near-field coupling (preferably mainly capacitive) and extracted from the receiving antenna by near-field coupling (preferably mainly capacitive). The feed lines can be integrated in the electric assembly, in particular the printed circuit board, which forms the base region.

[0075] In order to form an optimal circular polarization for each individual transmitting and / or receiving antenna, the feed line assigned to each antenna may be oriented at an angle of substantially 45° to the main axis of symmetry of the main area of ​​each antenna and may be capacitively coupled to each antenna.

[0076] Preferably, the predominantly capacitive feeding and transmission of electromagnetic waves based on electromagnetic near-field coupling is particularly advantageous for predefining the feeding point in a particularly flexible manner.

[0077] However, injection and extraction can also be performed in substantially different ways.

[0078] For example, the electromagnetic waves can be injected from a feed line (e.g. a microstrip line on a printed circuit board) that leads directly to the antenna (particularly to its main area), thus providing a direct coplanar galvanic feed and transmission to each antenna.

[0079] The electromagnetic waves can also be injected from a through-connection (via) that leads directly to the antenna (especially its main area) that is directly or indirectly connected to a feed line that runs at a different height. However, one advantage of the above-mentioned capacitive coupling compared to coupling via a through-connection is that it can eliminate the need for this through-connection exactly. Generally speaking, the etching process in printed circuit board manufacturing is more accurate than the positioning of the through-connection. Thus, the problem of the positioning tolerance of the through-connection can be avoided by the capacitive coupling. In the case of a manufacturing-related offset of the through-connection, the rotational symmetry of the antenna arrangement can be broken, which can be important in determining that the level of crosstalk from the first transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna corresponds to the level of crosstalk from the second transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna. Therefore, if the problem of the through-connection is eliminated, the rotational symmetry of the antenna arrangement can be ensured more effectively. This can ultimately improve the isolation between the transmitting and receiving antennas.

[0080] Furthermore, the electromagnetic waves can be injected by at least one intermediate antenna arranged parallel to the main region and the feed line and located in a plane between the main region and the feed line. Thus, a stacked arrangement with one or more intermediate antennas can be provided, for example a stacked arrangement of several intermediate antennas designed as patch antennas and / or slot antennas in a common printed circuit board. The transmission band can optionally be further increased by the stacked antenna arrangement.

[0081] Virtually any antenna structure capable of generating or receiving circularly polarized electromagnetic waves can be used, however linear polarization is also virtually possible, especially if no reciprocal rotation of the communication partner is assumed.

[0082] The feed line can be flared towards the feed point to allow impedance matching.

[0083] To achieve an even more favorable radiation pattern, in particular a directional radiation of the electromagnetic waves along the main radiation direction, a metallic or 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. "under" the antenna. The ground plate can be formed, for example, as the metallized underside of a printed circuit board, on which the main area of ​​the antenna is formed.

[0084] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the antenna can be designed as a patch antenna or as a slot antenna.

[0085] The antenna is preferably designed as a patch antenna, which can in particular be designed as a metallized area on or in a printed circuit board, whereas the slot antenna can be complementarily designed as a corresponding indentation in a metallized area of ​​the printed circuit board.

[0086] The use of patch or slot antennas is only one advantageous possibility for implementing an antenna arrangement according to the invention: the use of, for example, horn antennas is also possible.

[0087] The patch or slot antennas are preferably manufactured by printed circuit board manufacturing processes in additive and / or subtractive layer techniques. However, the individual antennas are For example, it can also be produced separately by deep drawing or punching and bending processes.

[0088] In one embodiment of the invention, each main region of the antenna can have an elliptical geometry. A rectangular geometry (with different side lengths, or a square) can also be provided, for example with exactly one pair of chamfered corners diagonally opposite each other, in particular with a square geometry.

[0089] Further geometric shapes may also be provided, such as triangular geometric shapes, circular geometric shapes (particularly having a punched or recessed peripheral area, e.g. a square punched peripheral area), or other geometric shapes in substance.

[0090] However, an elliptical geometry is preferred, since it provides a particularly advantageous radiation pattern. In particular, a fully circularly polarized electromagnetic wave can be radiated by an elliptical geometry, ideally with an axial ratio of 1.0. One particular advantage of the elliptical geometry is, on the one hand, the small area requirement, compared to other geometries, and the possibility of generating a circularly polarized wave with only a single feed point. Linear polarization components can be avoided as much as possible by the elliptical geometry, and for this reason, the elliptical geometry can also allow the most energy-efficient antenna arrangement.

[0091] In the case of a patch antenna, the metallization region may have a corresponding geometric shape (oval, rectangular, etc.) In the case of a slot antenna, the corresponding indent in the metallization region may have the above mentioned geometric shape.

[0092] In one embodiment, the antenna arrangement may also include a shielding arrangement disposed around the transmitting and receiving antennas.

[0093] The shielding arrangement preferably forms a shielding casing enclosing the antenna in a substantially tubular form extending perpendicularly to the base region, and may in particular be formed from individual feedthroughs extending through an electrical assembly (e.g. a printed circuit board) forming the base region, preferably in a uniform arrangement, particularly preferably in two or more rows, very particularly preferably at the same distance from each other.

[0094] The shielding arrangement is preferably equally and symmetrically arranged for all antennas.

[0095] Since the antenna arrangement has the above-mentioned shielding arrangement, the antenna arrangement can be shielded from the environment and furthermore the electromagnetic isolation can be increased. A quasi-coaxial structure for the feeding and transmission paths can preferably be realized by the shielding arrangement.

[0096] The antenna arrangement is preferably arranged on an electrical printed circuit board. The substrate material of the printed circuit board can be, for example, a composite material FR-4 (a composite material made of glass fibre in epoxy resin) to provide a particularly economical antenna arrangement. Alternatively, the substrate material can be formed as a composite of ceramic particles (Teflon) and glass fibre in epoxy resin to minimise dielectric losses.

[0097] Depending on the application, the transmission channel established between two transceiver arrangements may be subject to distortions caused by reflections of the electromagnetic waves carrying the data signals. Reflections may occur on all objects that the electromagnetic waves strike during their transmission. Due to reflections, the useful signal is transmitted from one transceiver arrangement to the other not only on the direct path through the line-of-sight elements, but also through multiple propagation paths formed by the reflected elements of the transmission. This is called multipath propagation or multipath channel. Due to multipath propagation, the line-of-sight elements may interfere on the receiving antenna of the opposing transceiver arrangement with the reflecting elements, and the received signal may be distorted in terms of amount and phase. As a result, it becomes more difficult for the receiver to detect the received signal without error. Along with distortions, multipath propagation also causes problems of destructive interference on the receiver, since the line-of-sight elements may lose a significant amount of power because they may be cancelled by the reflecting elements shifted 180° relative to it.

[0098] In particular, if the transceiver arrangements are located opposite each other and close together (e.g., less than 10 cm apart), as is the case for example with non-contact electrical connectors described below, reflections can occur on the base area of ​​the electrical assembly (e.g., printed circuit board) on which the antenna is mounted, since this type of assembly sometimes constitutes a good reflector. Thus, in a transmission from a first to a second transceiver arrangement, the signal can arrive via a line-of-sight element at the second transceiver arrangement, where it is reflected in the direction of the first transceiver arrangement. Returning once more to the first transceiver arrangement, the signal is reflected there again and bounces back to the receiving antenna of the second transceiver arrangement, finally interfering with the line-of-sight element.

[0099] In order to improve the signal transmission quality, the effects of multipath propagation can optionally be minimized as much as possible. In this regard, signal processing elements of the transceiver arrangement can be provided, in particular digital signal processing elements for equalization or pre-emphasis.

[0100] However, in one advantageous embodiment of the invention, in particular the antenna arrangement can have a damping arrangement arranged around the antenna, which preferably surrounds the antenna in the radial direction, e.g. in a symmetric arrangement around the antenna.

[0101] It has been found that the channel distortion can be advantageously reduced by the attenuation arrangement without using the signal processing elements definitely required as mentioned above. Thus, a considerable amount of energy that would be required to supply the digital signal processing elements can be further saved in the signal transmission. Energy efficiency can be advantageous especially in the case of contactless data plugs or contactless connectors, since the latter compete with contact data plugs, which are passive and therefore often do not require energy. Energy efficiency can furthermore substantially facilitate the heat dissipation of the contactless connector and therefore its integration into the data transmission system.

[0102] A high-frequency attenuating material (also called RF absorber) is preferably used. This attenuating material, usually used in the form of an absorber sheet, is preferably attached to at least one, preferably both communication partners, in particular around their antennas. The attenuating arrangement can ensure that little or no radiation is reflected on the surface of the electrical assembly or printed circuit board.

[0103] The attenuation arrangement may comprise at least one first attenuation unit having an access opening, the antennas being arranged together inside the access opening, the central axis of the access opening preferably extending along a main radiation direction of the antenna arrangement and / or through a common central point of the antennas.

[0104] The damping arrangement or damping unit preferably does not extend between the antennas of the antenna arrangement, and preferably no damping material is provided between the antennas.

[0105] The damping arrangement is preferably arranged in a base region, in particular in a side region of the printed circuit board on which the antenna is also formed. The damping arrangement or elements thereof (e.g. damping units) can be attached to the base region, for example by being firmly coupled, in particular glued, and additionally or alternatively a force-fit and / or form-fit attachment can also be provided.

[0106] The damping arrangement may also be axially spaced from the base region or at least partially embedded within the base region, i.e. formed within a printed circuit board, for example.

[0107] It is noted in this respect that the definition that the damping arrangement is arranged around the antenna is preferably understood as referring to a top view on the base region or on the antenna, such that the damping arrangement surrounds the antenna radially or in an annular form, it is not necessary that the damping arrangement also covers the antenna axially or laterally.

[0108] In one embodiment, the attenuation arrangement may comprise a second attenuation unit having an access opening within which the antenna is disposed together, in particular the first and second attenuation units may be arranged concentrically.

[0109] The first and second damping units preferably differ from each other geometrically and / or with respect to their respective material / structural composition.

[0110] The damping arrangement or elements of the damping arrangement, such as for example the first damping unit and / or the second damping unit, may also have a primarily flat shape, preferably a plate-like, in particular in the form of an absorber sheet, however, virtually any design can be provided, such as for example a pyramidal arrangement or a design of the damping arrangement or elements thereof.

[0111] The access openings of the first and / or second attenuation units can have a circular or square design. However, virtually any polygonal or other geometric shape can be provided for the access openings. Circular access openings are usually preferred, as they can reduce the effect of interference on any circular polarization through rotational symmetry.

[0112] The periphery of the access opening of the first and / or second attenuation unit, as well as the extension of the first and / or second attenuation unit along the central axis, may be designed such that the antenna main lobe of one of the antennas is not covered by the attenuation arrangement in the main radiation direction (in top view on the antenna or base area / printed circuit board).

[0113] The access opening to the antenna is preferably designed to be as small as possible without intersecting the antenna main lobe, with the small opening in the damping material offering the advantage that reflections on the printed circuit board on which the antenna is preferably located are effectively suppressed.

[0114] In one embodiment of the invention, the lateral extension of the access opening of the first attenuation unit and / or the second attenuation unit (e.g. the radius of a circular access opening or the diagonal of a square access opening) may be up to 2.0 free space wavelengths of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the antenna arrangement.

[0115] In an advantageous embodiment, the first damping unit may be adapted to be arranged inside an access opening of the second damping unit.

[0116] The first damping unit can preferably be substantially custom-fitted, particularly preferably custom-fitted, inside the second damping arrangement, so that preferably no air gap or other gap remains between the two damping units.

[0117] In this way, virtually any number of attenuation units arranged alongside one another can be provided, ie for example a second attenuation unit arranged alongside a first attenuation unit, a third attenuation unit etc.

[0118] In one embodiment of the present invention, the second damping unit can have a larger extension along the central axis than the first damping unit. The second damping unit is therefore preferably taller than the first damping unit. This is particularly advantageous if the first damping unit is arranged inside the second damping unit, because the overall structure thereby allows the antenna lobes of the transmitting and receiving antennas to have enough space to bulge in the main radiation direction without the antenna lobes intersecting one of the damping units in top view, which at the same time can provide good coverage and therefore damping.

[0119] The first attenuation unit and / or the second attenuation unit may comprise a loss-based absorber (also called a "broadband absorber") and / or a resonance-based absorber (also called a "narrowband absorber").

[0120] In the case of loss-based materials, the return loss can be achieved by dielectric and / or magnetic losses in the lossy material. This type of lossy material is e.g. foamed plastic made from polyurethane or elastomers such as silicone or nitrile polymers with lossy materials such as carbon or ferrite powder.

[0121] Thus, the loss-based absorber may have a dielectric carrier material made in particular of foamed plastic or an elastomer with granular conductive foreign matter, in particular carbon powder or ferrite powder.

[0122] Loss-based absorbers can optionally form layered or continuous impedance gradients extending in the axial direction. By multi-layer construction or by varying the dielectric and / or magnetic properties of the material with the depth of the material, an impedance gradient can be set that continuously reduces the free space characteristic impedance (approximately 377 ohms). Due to this impedance matching, electromagnetic waves hitting the material are not reflected at the air-absorber interface. Instead, they are guided into the absorber and, with progressive penetration, are increasingly attenuated as a result of the dielectric or magnetic losses of the absorber.

[0123] A pyramidal shaped RF absorber can also be provided that is based on the concept of gradual change in electric field characteristic impedance.

[0124] The resonance-based absorber may have a dielectric carrier material, in particular made from foamed plastic or elastomer, and on the side facing away from the main radiation direction of the antenna, a conductive reflective area, in particular a metal coating or metal foil, may be formed.

[0125] Similarly, in the case of a resonance-based damping material, which may be based on silicone, nitrile or polyurethane, for example, a second reflective element can be created in a metallized area located below the damping material, which is phase-shifted by 180° with respect to the first reflective element occurring at the air-damping material interface. The first and second reflective elements can then cancel each other out.

[0126] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the second damping unit can have a loss-based absorber and the first damping unit can have a resonance-based absorber. This combination is particularly advantageous if the first damping unit is arranged inside the second damping unit and in particular if the second damping unit has a larger axial extension than the first damping unit. Especially for carrier frequencies above 20 GHz, in particular above 50 GHz, very thin resonance-based damping materials can be implemented. The resulting small axial extension of the first damping unit implemented with a resonance-based damping material can favorably affect any circular polarization of the antenna, since the first damping unit only minimally impinges on the radiation field of the antenna.

[0127] For example, a thin damping material or a thin first damping unit (e.g., 0.5 mm to 2 mm thick), which due to its thin design has little effect on the antenna characteristics (antenna gain and antenna polarization, etc.), can be placed in close proximity to the first ring around the antenna. This can be made possible, for example, by a resonance-based damping material or a thin elastomer-based broadband damping material. A resonance-based damping material offers the advantage of being more economical and thin. A broadband material offers the advantage, along with its large absorption bandwidth, that it can also effectively absorb non-orthogonal incident electromagnetic radiation. A second damping material or a second damping unit, which is thicker (e.g., >2 mm), economical and effectively absorbs non-orthogonal incident electromagnetic radiation, as in the case of a broadband foam plastic absorber, can be placed in a second ring around the antenna.

[0128] The diameter or side length of the attenuation arrangement may be up to six free space wavelengths and at least three free space wavelengths of the electromagnetic waves transmitted by the antenna arrangement.

[0129] The present invention also relates to an antenna arrangement according to the above and below description, as well as to a transceiver arrangement having a transmit signal path and a receive signal path, where the asymmetric connection of a first balun is connected to the transmit signal path and the asymmetric connection of a 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 may be an element of a common circuit arrangement. The transmit unit is connected to two transmit antennas via the first balun for radiating electromagnetic waves through differential excitation of the two transmit antennas. The receive unit is connected to the receive antenna via the second balun for receiving electromagnetic waves via the receive antenna.

[0130] Thus, the single-ended connection of the first balun (i.e. the connection for asymmetric signal transmission) is preferably connected to the HF output of the transmitting unit or transmitter, and the differential connection of the first balun (i.e. the connection for symmetric signal transmission) is in each case connected to the transmitting antenna. The single-ended connection of the second balun is preferably further connected to the HF input of the receiving unit or receiver, and the differential connection of the second balun is in each case connected to the receiving antenna.

[0131] The transceiver arrangement can advantageously be provided suitable for simultaneous bidirectional transmission of data (full duplex) in the same frequency band (in-band full duplex) and with an antenna arrangement independent of the reciprocal rotation or alignment of the communication partners with respect to each other. For example, rotation of two communication partners around a common center point of the antennas is possible during transmission, in particular if the two communication partners are arranged concentrically with each other such that the axis of rotation of the common center point of the antennas and the axis of rotation of each other communication partner coincide to form a common center of rotational symmetry. Each communication partner comprises a transceiver arrangement according to the above and below description.

[0132] Data can be transmitted by the proposed transceiver arrangement independently of the orientation or alignment of the two communication partners or the first and second transceiver arrangements, simultaneously with 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 substantially possible, for example using waveguides.

[0133] The balun or balancing unit can preferably be designed as a 180° hybrid coupler (also known as a rat race coupler or ring coupler). Alternatively, however, different structures can be provided, in particular a Marchand balun. However, other embodiments are also possible. For example, a 90° hybrid coupler can be provided at the second output gate, which is phase shifted by 90° with respect to the first output gate and to which a line having an electrical length of 90° (i.e. ¼ of the free space wavelength of the transmitted electromagnetic wave) is connected. At the first output to which the first antenna feed line is connected, a Wilkinson splitter can further be provided, the electrical length of which is 180° longer than the electrical length of the second antenna feed line connected to the second output of the Wilkinson splitter. A magic tee can also be provided.

[0134] In one particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the transmitting unit and the receiving unit can be designed to allow in-band full duplex communication. In a different design of the present disclosure, the transmitting unit and the receiving unit can be elements of a radar system.

[0135] The transmitting unit is preferably designed to transmit a transmission signal having a first carrier frequency band and the receiving unit is designed to receive a reception signal having a second carrier frequency band, the first carrier frequency band and the second carrier frequency band being at least partially, preferably fully, spectrally overlapped with each other, and the receiving unit is designed to receive the reception signal while the transmitting unit transmits the transmission signal.

[0136] In one embodiment of the present invention, the receiving unit can be designed to perform incoherent demodulation, and preferably comprises an envelope detector to perform incoherent demodulation.

[0137] In particular, if the aim is to achieve high data rates in the signal transmission, coherent transmission methods are usually preferred. However, the inventors have realized that incoherent demodulation methods may be more suitable here due to the significantly reduced power consumption. In order to simultaneously maintain high data rates, an in-band full-duplex transmission can be used, which can be advantageously used due to the high attenuation properties of the antenna arrangement according to the invention proposed above. The high attenuation properties can be achieved by the first attenuation unit and, optionally, further by a second attenuation unit.

[0138] In one embodiment of the present invention, the transmitting unit may further comprise a freewheeling voltage controlled oscillator for generating a carrier frequency for signal transmission.

[0139] The use of a freewheeling oscillator can result in a simple and power-saving design of the transceiver arrangement, in particular by eliminating the need for a complex phase-locked loop, which requires installation space and power. The receiving signal path of the transceiver arrangement can be correspondingly obtained without an oscillator, in particular if the receiving signal path performs an incoherent demodulation and has a corresponding envelope detector, which also saves power and installation space.

[0140] To further simplify the transceiver arrangement, only two-stage double-sideband amplitude modulation can be used. In particular, complex modulation methods such as quadrature amplitude modulation can be omitted.

[0141] The maximum transmission power of the transmission unit may preferably be less than 30 dBm, preferably less than 27 dBm, particularly preferably less than 20 dBm, very particularly preferably less than 10 dBm and even more preferably less than 2 dBm.

[0142] The transmission power can be set, for example, via the operating point setting of a transmission signal final stage amplifier in the transmission signal path.

[0143] The transmitting unit of the transceiver arrangement may comprise a first signal processing element (more precisely, a transmit signal processing element). This transmit signal processing element may comprise an upconverter for converting a transmit baseband signal into a carrier frequency range. A local oscillator signal for the upconverter may be provided by an oscillator circuit of the transmit signal processing element. The transmit signal processing element may further comprise a transmit signal final stage amplifier connected to a high frequency output (HF output for short) of the transmit signal processing element. The transmit signal processing element may optionally comprise a transmit filter, for example a bandpass filter, connected between the output of the transmit signal final stage amplifier and the HF output of the transmit signal processing element.

[0144] The receiving unit may comprise a second signal processing element (more precisely, a receiving signal processing element). This receiving signal processing element may comprise a receiving filter at its high frequency input (HF input for short), which may be implemented as a band-pass filter. The receiving signal processing element may further comprise a low-noise preamplifier that may be connected to the high frequency input of the receiving signal processing element. The low-noise preamplifier is, for example, connected to the output of the receiving filter. The receiving signal processing element may further comprise a down-converter that may convert the receiving signal from the carrier frequency range to baseband or an intermediate frequency. This down-converter may, for example, be implemented as an envelope detector or may be provided with a local oscillator signal by an optional local oscillator circuit of the receiving signal processing element.

[0145] In an exemplary embodiment, neither the transmit nor the receive signal processing element comprises a digital signal processing device for digital pre-emphasis of the transmit signal or equalization of the receive signal, in particular a device for radio channel estimation, which can result in power savings in the transceiver arrangement.

[0146] In particular, carrier frequencies above 10 GHz, preferably above 30 GHz, particularly preferably above 60 GHz, can be provided for data transmission. The voltage controlled oscillator of the transmitting unit can preferably be designed to generate carrier oscillations at the aforementioned carrier frequencies.

[0147] In an exemplary embodiment of the non-contact electrical connector, in which the first and second transceiver arrangements are arranged opposite each other, the distance between them is less than 10 cm, a carrier frequency of more than 50 GHz is provided, and a maximum transmission power is preferably less than 0 dBm. The first and second transceiver arrangements are preferably connected by in-band full duplex communication.

[0148] The size of the antenna is generally scaled with the operating wavelength used. One particular advantage of the aforementioned relatively high carrier frequency, together with the associated high data rate of the signal transmission, can also be found in the small wavelength of the electromagnetic waves, thus allowing the antennas and structures involved to be designed correspondingly small, so that the present invention, as proposed below, can have the advantage of being suitable for implementing contactless connectors with small space requirements.

[0149] In particular, if a correspondingly high carrier frequency is selected, the data rate in the 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.

[0150] The invention also relates to a communication system comprising a first transceiver arrangement and a second transceiver arrangement, in any case according to the above and below description, for providing a radio signal transmission between respective circuit arrangements of the transceiver arrangements, in particular for providing an in-band full-duplex communication channel between the transceiver arrangements.

[0151] A compact and energy-efficient in-band full-duplex communication system can advantageously have mutually separated transmit and receive antennas for each communication partner, which system enables very fast data transmission with mechanical rotation over very short distances within a limited installation space.

[0152] The communication system according to the invention can be used particularly advantageously for wireless transmission between electrical devices arranged movably relative to one another, preferably as an alternative to sliding contacts. The proposed communication system can be advantageous if two communication partners, i.e. a first transceiver arrangement and a second transceiver arrangement, have a variable or unknown rotation angle relative to one another during operation, so that the transmitting and receiving antennas cannot always be aligned with one another in a defined way.

[0153] The communication system according to the invention is particularly suitable for use with motors or rotating machines or linear actuators. Possible fields of application relate to energy technology (for example wind turbines and generators) and vehicle technology (in particular adjustable equipment such as electric motors, generators, seats, door mirrors or car doors). The invention is also particularly advantageously suitable for use in robotics, in the field of articulation, in medical technology or in industry in general, in particular where a sealed system is provided.

[0154] In an advantageous embodiment, the two transceiver arrangements can be arranged for radio signal transmission at a distance of up to 10 centimeters from each other, preferably at a distance of up to 5 centimeters from each other, particularly preferably at a distance of up to 2 centimeters from each other, very particularly preferably at a distance of up to 1 centimeter from each other, and even more preferably at a distance of up to 0.5 centimeters from each other, for example at a distance of 1.0 mm to 3.0 centimeters from each other.

[0155] The distance between the transceiver arrangements may be defined as the shortest distance between a common centre point of the transmit antennas of a first transceiver arrangement and a common centre point of the receive antennas of a second transceiver arrangement.

[0156] It is therefore proposed to use antennas for transmission over relatively short distances. This is in contrast to the approach of the known art, where systems based on cross-coupling between adjacent conductors, for example by the use of waveguides, are usually used for short transmission distances. Conversely, antennas are wave converters that convert line-conducted electromagnetic waves into free space waves and vice versa. They are therefore usually not suitable for contactless data transmission over very short distances. However, these drawbacks can be overcome by the proposed antenna arrangement, so that economical compact systems with low power consumption and high electromagnetic compatibility can be realized. Due to the inherent attenuation properties of the antenna arrangement and the associated possibility of in-band full-duplex operation, high data rates can further be achieved in the signal transmission.

[0157] The invention is particularly advantageously suitable for near-field use, or for wireless transmission over short distances. However, the invention may also be generally suitable for far-field transmission, or for transmission over distances longer than those specified above. The distance between the two transceiver arrangements can therefore be substantially arbitrary, for example greater than 10 centimeters, for example 20 to 100 centimeters or more.

[0158] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the two transceiver arrangements may be rotatable relative to each other about a common axis of rotation.

[0159] Thus, the centre points of each antenna arrangement or the common centre points of the antennas of each antenna arrangement are preferably arranged coaxially with each other and coincide with a common axis of rotation.

[0160] The two transceiver arrangements are also translatable relative to one another, for example along the duct, in particular in the main radiation direction of the antenna or against the main radiation direction.

[0161] In one advantageous embodiment, the communication system may have a non-contact electrical connector in which the first transceiver arrangement is arranged, and a non-contact mating electrical connector mechanically connectable to the connector and in which the second transceiver arrangement is arranged.

[0162] It is thus possible to provide a contactless (especially with respect to electrical contacts) connector or a wireless connector, i.e. a connector with a wireless interface. Each transceiver arrangement may optionally be housed in a hermetically sealed manner within the connector or a mating connector.

[0163] The connector and the mating connector can preferably be designed to be completely non-contacting, i.e. mechanically and electrically non-contacting, such that the connector and the mating connector do not come into contact with each other, and thus the connector and the mating connector can be designed to be galvanically and / or mechanically isolated from each other.

[0164] Unlike conventional contact-making connectors, electrically and optionally also mechanically non-contacting connectors offer the advantage of less wear, since no plug-in procedure is required, which over time leads to mechanical wear of the conductor contacts. A further advantage of non-contacting data plugs or connectors is that the connector and the mating connector can move relative to each other during operation (as long as this is provided for in the application). Thus, the use of sliding contacts, e.g. cables that move together and are therefore exposed to mechanical stresses, which is particularly susceptible to wear, can be avoided.

[0165] The connector and the mating connector can be locked to each other. The connector can have at least one first locking means and the mating connector can have a second locking means corresponding to the first locking means. The locking means can be designed, for example, as a locking catch, a snap hook, a spring clip, a locking recess, a female recess or other locking mechanism. A locking lever or other fixation of the closed plug-in connection can also be provided. The lock is preferably designed such that the connector and the mating connector can still be moved with at least one degree of freedom (within arbitrarily defined limits) relative to each other even after locking, for example translationally in the insertion direction or along the main radiation direction of the antenna or rotationally around the rotation axis already mentioned above.

[0166] The connector is preferably rotatable and / or movable relative to the mating connector (particularly even in the connected state) at least in some areas.

[0167] The invention also relates to an actuator device, in particular an industrial robotic system, having a first actuator element according to the above and below description, a second actuator element and a communication system, wherein a first transceiver arrangement is arranged in the first actuator element and a second transceiver arrangement is arranged in the second actuator element for enabling wireless signal transmission between the two actuator elements.

[0168] For actuator devices, in particular for multi-axis industrial robotic systems, contactless bidirectional data transmission (full duplex) in the same or at least overlapping frequency bands (in-band full duplex) can be advantageously provided, and communication can be enabled independently of the reciprocal rotation of the communication partners.

[0169] Finally, the invention further 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 group of transmit antennas, consisting of a first transmit antenna and a second transmit antenna, which are in each case connected to a symmetrical connection of a first balun; - providing a group of receive antennas, consisting of a first receive antenna and a second receive antenna, which are in each case connected to a symmetrical connection of a second balun; - operating a group of transmit antennas via transmit signal paths of the transceiver arrangement that are connected to the first balun via an asymmetric connection of the first balun; - operating a group of receive antennas via a receive signal path of the transceiver arrangement that is independent of the transmit signal path and connected to a second balun via an asymmetric connection of the second balun; wherein the first transmitting antenna, the second transmitting antenna, the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna are spatially positioned relative to each other such that crosstalk between the transmitting antenna group and the receiving antenna group is at least reduced by differential connections of their respective antennas.

[0170] The differential operation of the transmit and receive antennas provides the advantage that the adjustment of the asymmetric connection of the balun is significantly improved compared to the adjustment of the individual antennas. As a result, the improved adjustment leads to a more uniform frequency response of the transmission channel between the communication partners, and therefore less channel distortion. Less channel distortion ultimately leads to a reduction in inter-symbol interference, which allows for higher data rates.

[0171] Features described in relation to one of the objects of the invention, including antenna arrangements, transceiver arrangements, communication systems, actuator devices or methods, can also be advantageously implemented in relation to the other objects of the invention, and advantages mentioned in relation to one of the objects of the invention can likewise be understood to relate to the other objects of the invention.

[0172] In addition, it should be noted that terms such as "including," "having," or "comprising" do not exclude other features or steps. Further, terms such as "a," "an," or "the" referring to a singular step or feature do not exclude a plurality of steps or features, and vice versa.

[0173] However, in a pure embodiment of the invention, the features introduced into the invention can also be exhaustively recited by the terms "comprises", "has" or "comprises". Thus, the recitation of one or more features according to the invention can be considered exhaustive, e.g., in each case, for each claim. The invention can, for example, consist only of the features recited in claim 1.

[0174] It should be noted that designations such as "first" or "second" are used primarily for distinguishing between device or method features and are not intended to necessarily indicate that the features are interdependent or related to each other.

[0175] Moreover, it should be emphasized that the values ​​and parameters stated herein are also intended to include deviations or variations of not more than ±10%, preferably not more than ±5%, more preferably not more than ±1% and very particularly preferably not more than ±0.1% of the respectively specified value or parameter, unless in practice these deviations are excluded in the implementation of the invention. The indication of ranges by initial and final values ​​also includes all values ​​and fractions encompassed in the respectively specified ranges, in particular the initial and final values ​​as well as the respective average values.

[0176] Further inventions are also described below within the framework of the general inventive concept. Applicant expressly reserves the right to claim separately the subject matter described below.

[0177] Another invention relates to a damping arrangement for an antenna arrangement, which is disposable around one or more antennas of the antenna arrangement, preferably in a base area (e.g. a side area of ​​a printed circuit board) to which the antennas are connected, and which comprises at least one first damping unit having an access opening in which said antennas are co-disposable, the central axis of the access opening extending along a main radiation direction of the antenna arrangement and / or through a common central point of said antennas.

[0178] Another invention further relates to an antenna arrangement comprising one or more antennas, preferably a base region, and a damping arrangement as described above.

[0179] The features of the following claims, in particular claims 14 to 19, as well as the features and advantages described herein relating to the antenna arrangement, the damping arrangement and further subject matter, are to be understood as advantageous embodiments and variants of the further invention.

[0180] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0181] The drawings show in each case preferred exemplary embodiments in which the individual features of the invention are presented in combination with one another. The features of one exemplary embodiment can also be implemented separately from other features of the same exemplary embodiment and therefore can be easily combined with the features of other exemplary embodiments by those skilled in the art to form further suitable combinations and subcombinations.

[0182] In the drawings, functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference numbers. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0183] [Figure 1]1 shows a top view of an antenna arrangement according to the invention having an elliptical patch antenna. [Diagram 2] 1 shows a further example of a patch antenna for use in an antenna arrangement according to the invention, having a square geometric shape and two chamfered corners diagonally opposite each other; [Diagram 3] 1 shows a further example of a patch antenna for use in an antenna arrangement according to the invention having a square geometric shape and a central slot-shaped indentation. [Figure 4] 1 shows a further example of a patch antenna for use in an antenna arrangement according to the invention, having a round geometric shape and two peripheral areas that are punched or recessed in the shape of a square. [Diagram 5] 4 shows a further example of a patch antenna for use in an antenna arrangement according to the invention having a triangular geometry; [Figure 6] 4 shows a further example of a patch antenna for use in an antenna arrangement according to the invention having a rectangular elongated geometric shape; [Figure 7] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an antenna arrangement according to the invention with near-field or capacitive coupling; [Figure 8] 8 shows a top view of the antenna arrangement of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an antenna arrangement according to the invention with direct coupling by feed-through connection. [Figure 10] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an antenna arrangement according to the invention with direct coupling by a microstrip line. [Figure 11] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an antenna arrangement according to the invention with coupling via an intermediate antenna designed as a slot antenna; [Figure 12] 1 shows a top view of an antenna arrangement according to the invention having a circumferential shielding arrangement consisting of feedthroughs. [Figure 13] 1 shows a transceiver arrangement according to the present invention. [Figure 14] 1 shows a communication system according to the present invention having an electrical connector and a mating electrical connector; [Figure 15]4 shows a further communication system according to the invention with communication partners arranged rotated relative to one another; [Figure 16] 4 shows simulation results of the transmission and isolation characteristics of the communication system according to the present invention. [Figure 17] 1 illustrates an actuator element according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 18] 4 shows a further communication system according to the invention with two communication partners, with respective attenuation arrangements according to a first variant. [Figure 19] 4 shows a perspective view of a further transceiver arrangement according to the invention having an attenuation arrangement according to a second variant; [Figure 20] 20 shows two of the transceiver arrangements shown in FIG. 19 in a further communications system according to the invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0184] 1 shows diagrammatically an antenna arrangement 1 according to the invention for use in a full-duplex communication channel. The antenna arrangement 1 comprises a transmitting antenna group formed of a first planar transmitting antenna 2 and a second planar transmitting antenna 3 and a first planar receiving antenna 4 and a second planar receiving antenna 5 of identical design which, together with the first receiving antenna 4, form a receiving antenna group.

[0185] All transmitting antennas 2, 3 may in an exemplary embodiment be of identical design. The receiving antennas 4, 5 may preferably be of identical design to the transmitting antennas 2, 3, i.e. in particular the geometry, materials and feed points of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5, respectively, may be identical.

[0186] The transmitting antennas 2, 3 and the receiving antennas 4, 5 are arranged with their respective main regions 6 parallel to a common base region 7 around a common central point or around a common center of rotation Z. The base region 7 is preferably formed in an electrical assembly with the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5. The base region 7 may in particular be an outer metallized region, for example a top or bottom layer, of an electrical printed circuit board 8. The center of rotation Z is preferably formed in the middle between the two transmitting antennas 2, 3 and in an exemplary embodiment, but not limited to, also in the middle between the two receiving antennas 4, 5. In an exemplary embodiment, all the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 are arranged to have a center point M on a common imaginary circumference K, the center point of which coincides with the center of rotation Z.

[0187] The transmitting antennas 2, 3 are arranged rotated 180° relative to one another about a center of rotation Z. The receiving antennas 4, 5 are also rotated 180° relative to one another, with the receiving antennas 4, 5 being arranged rotated an additional 90° relative to the neighboring transmitting antennas 2, 3 along the circumference K. The antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 rotate in each case in the same direction about the center of rotation Z, in particular clockwise, in the exemplary embodiment, as is clearly discernible in FIG.

[0188] In other exemplary embodiments, the rotation of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 can also be recognized based on similarly rotated feed lines of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5, for example as in capacitively coupled feed lines (see also FIG. 8).

[0189] The first receive antenna 4 has the same center-to-center distance D as the two transmit antennas 2, 3. In the exemplary embodiment, the second receive antenna 5 also has the same center-to-center distance D to both transmit antennas 2, 3, and the center-to-center distance D of the second receive antenna 5 is identical to the center-to-center distance D of the first receive antenna 4. The overall result is the geometric arrangement shown in FIG.

[0190] The centre-to-centre distance D between adjacent receiving antennas 4, 5 and transmitting antennas 2, 3 along the circumference K is preferably less than half the wavelength λ of the transmitted electromagnetic wave, and the distance between the two transmitting antennas 2, 3 and the two receiving antennas 4, 5 corresponds exactly to half the wavelength λ of the transmitted electromagnetic wave or is similarly less than half the wavelength λ.

[0191] The receiving antennas 4, 5 and the transmitting antennas 2, 3 are further preferably arranged with respect to each other such that their respective main axes of symmetry H form an orientation angle α of substantially, or preferably exactly, 45°. The main axes of symmetry H of adjacent antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 along a circumference K are aligned orthogonally to each other as shown. However, it is not necessarily the actual orientation angle α, but rather that it is the same for all antennas.

[0192] Due to the same orientation angle α on all antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 and / or due to the arrangement of all antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 with a centre point M on a common imaginary circumference K, the crosstalk between the transmitting and receiving antennas can be at least reduced by differential connection of each antenna 2, 3, 4, 5.

[0193] The antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 have respective eccentric offset feed points 9, each eccentric offset d being the same for all antennas 2, 3, 4, 5. The feed points 9 are preferably located on the main axis of symmetry H, but this is not necessary. The feed points 9 are typically matched to an input impedance of 50 ohms. However, it should be noted here that multiple possible feed points 9 may exist on the main area 6 of each antenna 2, 3, 4, 5. It should thus be understood that the feed points 9 shown in the exemplary embodiment are merely examples. In practice, multiple feed points 9 can be used simultaneously, but typically one single feed point per antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 is sufficient.

[0194] The depicted antenna arrangement 1 allows very effective isolation between transmitter and receiver if the transmitting antennas 2, 3 of the transmitting antenna group are excited with signals phase shifted by 180°, in particular if, although this is not necessary, the received electromagnetic waves are likewise differentially evaluated by the receiving antennas 4, 5 of the receiving antenna group. Nevertheless, the antenna arrangement 1 can be designed using technically simple means, for example simple printed circuit board technology.

[0195] The antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 are preferably designed as patch antennas, as in most exemplary embodiments, which can in particular be designed as conductive or metallized areas on or in the printed circuit board 8. Alternatively, the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 can be designed as slot antennas, for example in a complementary arrangement with a corresponding indentation 10 in a metallized area of ​​the printed circuit board 8 (see for example Figures 3 and 11).

[0196] The main area 6 of each of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 particularly preferably has an elliptical geometric shape, as shown in figure 1 and in some of the following figures, which allows the antenna arrangement 1 shown in figure 1 to generate in particular purely circularly polarized electromagnetic waves, for example clockwise circular polarization (or also counterclockwise circular polarization in the case of an arrangement in which the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 are rotated by 90°). However, alternatively, other geometric shapes of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 can also be provided, some of which are shown by way of example in figures 2 to 6.

[0197] 2, for example, a square geometric shape can be provided with exactly one pair of punched or recessed corners arranged diagonally opposite each other. In this case, the feed point 9 is preferably not located on the main axis of symmetry H, but instead on a straight line rotated by 45° with respect to the main axis of symmetry H and passing through the centre points M of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5.

[0198] Yet another antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 is shown in Figure 3, which has a slot-shaped diagonally arranged indent 10 centrally within the main conductive area 6. The feed point 9 is preferably aligned at 45° to the main axis of symmetry H and located on a line passing through the centre point M of the antenna 2, 3, 4, 5.

[0199] Yet another antenna geometry is shown in Fig. 4. The antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 are designed as circles, with exactly one pair of square, punched or recessed parts located diagonally opposite each other. The feed point 9 is then located on a line inclined at 45 ° to the main axis of symmetry H and passing through the center point M.

[0200] Antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 having a triangular geometry are shown as a further example in FIG. 5, with the feed point 9 being eccentrically offset on the axis of symmetry H.

[0201] Finally, FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal rectangular section of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5, the feed point 9 being located on the axis of symmetry H.

[0202] As already mentioned, further feed points 9 may be provided, for example further feed points 9 along a straight line shown mirrored upwards across the centre points of antennas 2, 3, 4 and 5 in Figure 2, or up to four feed points 9 in Figures 3, 4 and 6 respectively.

[0203] Each of the antennas 2, 3, 4, and 5 described above can also be designed complementarily as a slot antenna.

[0204] Different variants of injecting and extracting electromagnetic waves into and from each antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 are possible. Preferred injection and extraction techniques are shown in figures 7 and 8. Electromagnetic waves are preferably injected into the transmitting antennas 2, 3 mainly capacitively from each feed line 11 and extracted from the receiving antennas 4, 5 mainly capacitively, as shown in the cross-sectional view of figure 7. The feed point 9 is therefore only an imaginary point in figure 8. In the case of capacitive injection, the rotation of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 is easily recognizable substantially by the angle of the incoming feed line 11. Finally, the angle of the incoming feed line 11 substantially affects the polarization of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5. For example, for the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 shown in figure 8, this results in a right-hand circular polarization due to the feed line arriving at 45° to the main axis H. If the antenna main area 6 is rotated 90° about an imaginary axis extending perpendicular to the main area 6 and passing through the centre point of the main area, this results in left hand circular polarization of the antennas 2,3,4,5.

[0205] For advantageous impedance matching, the feed line 11 can extend continuously in the direction of the centre point M of each antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 (see FIG. 8).

[0206] A stacked arrangement for injection and extraction to and from each antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 with one or more intermediate antennas 12 can further increase the bandwidth of the arrangement. The main area 6 of the intermediate antenna 12 is preferably enlarged compared to the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5. Insofar as multiple intermediate antennas 12 are provided, their main areas 6 increase with distance from the corresponding antennas 2, 3, 4, 5.

[0207] In order to obtain a directional radiation pattern, a final ground plate 13 can be provided behind the corresponding antenna 2, 3, 4, 5, as can be clearly seen in Figure 7. This can be, for example, a metal coating on the printed circuit board 8 and / or a metal housing.

[0208] As an alternative to near-field coupling, direct excitation can also be performed, for example by a feedthrough 14 shown in Fig. 9 of the printed circuit board 8 or by feeding by microstrip lines leading to the corresponding antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 (see Fig. 10). Furthermore, injection can also be performed by an intermediate antenna 12 designed as a slot antenna, as shown in Fig. 11.

[0209] In order to increase the isolation properties and shielding of the antenna arrangement 1 and, where appropriate, to further optimize the radiation pattern, a shielding arrangement 15 can be provided, as shown by way of example in FIG.

[0210] 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 in a substantially tubular form. The shielding device 15 can preferably form a shielding casing 16 extending perpendicularly to the base region 7 (shown in dotted lines in FIG. 12). The shielding arrangement 15 can for example be formed by a metal plate or alternatively from individual feed-through connections 14 which extend through the printed circuit board 8 as shown in FIG. 12 and are preferably arranged regularly, particularly preferably in at least two rows.

[0211] One advantage of the shielding arrangement 15 in combination with the antenna arrangement 1 consists in shielding the conductor structure from the radiation fields of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 arranged around the antenna arrangement 1. An asymmetrically arranged conductor structure may in particular affect the radiation fields of the transmitting antennas 2, 3 and the receiving antennas 4, 5 differently and thus result in an uneven crosstalk between the transmitting antennas 2, 3 and the receiving antennas 4, 5. As a result of this, the crosstalk from the two transmitting antennas 2, 3 to the receiving antennas may not be eliminated anymore or may only be partially eliminated, which may reduce the antenna isolation.

[0212] 13 shows, by way of example, a transceiver arrangement 17 according to the invention. The transceiver arrangement 17 comprises the antenna arrangement 1 according to the above description and a circuit arrangement 18 comprising a transmitting unit (TX) 19 and a receiving unit (RX) 20.

[0213] The transmitting unit 19 is connected to the two transmitting antennas 2, 3 in order to radiate electromagnetic waves by differential excitation of the two transmitting antennas 2, 3. For this purpose, the transmitting unit 19 comprises a first signal processing element 21 in the transmitting signal path S, the transmitting antennas comprising a first balun or a first balancing unit 22 in order to excite the transmitting antennas 2, 3 with electrical signals phase-shifted over 180°. The first balancing unit 22 is preferably designed as a 180° hybrid coupler. The first transmitting antenna 2 and the second transmitting antenna 3 are respectively connected to the symmetrical connection A of the first balun 22. S The transmitting unit 19 or the signal processing element 21 of the transmitting unit 19 is connected to the asymmetric connection A of the first balun 22. A is connected to.

[0214] For differential reception with two receiving antennas 4, 5, 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 balancing unit 23, preferably also a 180° hybrid coupler, in order to receive the electromagnetic wave and forward it to a second signal processing element 24 in the receiving signal path E. The first receiving antenna 3 and the second receiving antenna 4 are respectively connected to the symmetrical connection A of the second balun 23. S The receiving unit 20 or the signal processing element 24 of the receiving unit 20 is connected to the asymmetric connection A of the second balun 23. A is connected to.

[0215] The non-dependence between transmit signal paths S and receive signal paths E within the same transceiver arrangement 17 means, for example, that the transceiver arrangement 17 can act to route different, i.e. uncorrelated, signals. The transmit signal path S can route transmit signals that can be transmitted via transmit antennas 2, 3 and transmitted wirelessly to a second transceiver arrangement 17. The receive signal path E can route receive signals that are transmitted from the second transceiver arrangement 17 and received via receive antennas 4, 5.

[0216] In addition, and as shown in FIG. 13, the transmit signal path S and the receive signal path E may be galvanically isolated from each other.

[0217] A wireless communication system 25 can be formed by two transceiver arrangements 17 of this type. A communication system 25 of this type can comprise a first and a second communication partner, the first communication partner comprising a first transceiver arrangement 1, 7 and the second communication partner comprising a second transceiver arrangement 17 of the type disclosed herein. The communication system 25 according to the invention is particularly advantageously suitable for short-range wireless signal transmission, for example up to 5 meters, and typically also for short distances, for example up to 10 centimeters. The antenna arrangement 1 proposed according to the invention can enable wireless communication, even in the near field, almost independently, preferably completely independently, from the alignment of the two transceiver arrangements 17 relative to one another, if at least the center point Z of the antenna arrangement 1 lies on a common axis of rotation aligned perpendicularly to the printed circuit board 8. In this case, the signal transmission can in particular be made independent of the rotation of the antenna arrangement 1 relative to one another.

[0218] One advantageous application is, inter alia, for example as a replacement for sliding contacts in the field of articulation, in robotics or in hermetically shielded applications where communication connections are to be established under particularly adverse environmental conditions.

[0219] FIG. 14 shows, as an example, a communications system 25 having an electrical connector 26 in which a first transceiver arrangement 17 is arranged and a mating electrical connector 27 mechanically connectable to the connector 26 in which a second transceiver arrangement 17 is arranged.

[0220] The connector 26 can for example be connected to a device housing 28. The mating connector 27 can for example be a cable connector through which an electric cable 29 with a single electric wire 30 passes. The connector 26 and the mating connector 27 can have locking means for interlocking in the connected state. FIG. 14 shows by way of example an interlocking plug-in connection of the connector 26 and the mating connector 27 which allows for rotation of the mating connectors relative to each other. In this way, a contactless or wireless plug-in connection independent of the direction of rotation can advantageously be provided for transmitting electrical signals between the cable 29 or the electric wires 30 of the cable 29 and the conductors 32 in 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.

[0221] However, virtually any further application is conceivable, such as, for example, applications in energy technology or vehicle technology.

[0222] A further communication system 25 is shown in a simplified diagram by way of example in Fig. 15 in order to once again illustrate the particular advantages of the invention in the transmission of communication partners arranged in a rotational manner relative to one another. In Fig. 15, the antenna arrangements 1 are arranged coaxially with one another, but rotated about a center of rotation, and yet advantageous signal transmission can be performed by the proposed antenna arrangement 1. The inclination of the antenna arrangements 1 relative to one another and also the eccentricity offset of the respective centers of rotation can be compensated for.

[0223] Figure 16 shows simulation results of a communication system 25 according to the invention in order to illustrate the advantageous transmission and isolation properties of the antenna arrangement 1 according to the invention. The antenna arrangement 1 shown in Figure 1 and in Figures 7 and 8 has been simulated with a transmission band of 10 GHz and a distance between the two transceiver arrangements 17 or antenna arrangements 1 of 12 millimeters. The individual curves of the two curved arrays represent simulation results with different orientations / rotation angles of the two communication partners relative to each other. On the one hand, the high isolation properties between the transmitter and receiver of the same transceiver are discernible (isolation within the proposed frequency band >50 dB, curve y 1 ), on the other hand, a high independence of the transmission characteristics from the alignment or orientation of the two communication partners relative to each other is evident (curve y 2 (See upper array in figure 1.)

[0224] As already mentioned, the use of the proposed antenna arrangement 1 in an assembly that is movable relative to each other during operation can be very advantageous, as well, to enable wireless signal transmission with high electromagnetic compatibility, over short distances, and with high data rates. Fig. 17 shows an actuator device 33 for illustration. An industrial robot system consisting of two separate multi-axis industrial robots 34 is shown as an example, but only as an example. The actuator device 33 has a first actuator element 35, a second actuator element 36, and a communication system 25, and a first transceiver arrangement 17 can be arranged on the first actuator element 35 and a second transceiver arrangement 17 can be arranged on the second actuator element 36 to enable wireless signal transmission between the two actuator elements 35, 36. In the exemplary embodiment shown in Fig. 17, the actuator elements 35, 36 are in each case end effectors of the industrial robot 34, but can be virtually any movable or immovable element of a generic actuator device 33. Both actuator elements 35, 36 may for example be part of the same device, i.e. the same industrial robot 34, for example to enable signal transmission along individual axes of the industrial robot 34, for example to bridge the articulation wirelessly and without the use of sliding contacts etc.

[0225] As already mentioned above, reflections of electromagnetic waves may occur during signal transmission between communication partners, which may result in undesired multipath propagation. In particular, if the communication partners are placed close to each other and opposite each other, as in the exemplary embodiments shown in Figs. 14, 15 and 17, reflections may occur on the printed circuit board 8 to which the antennas 2, 3, 4 and 5 are connected. As shown by the dotted arrows in Fig. 18, similar to the transmission through line-of-sight elements, the signal may also be reflected back and forth between the communication partners and thus transmitted through one or more reflecting elements, which may ultimately result in interference between the desired line-of-sight elements and the unwanted reflecting elements. In order to minimize this multipath propagation as much as possible, without using complex signal processing elements such as digital signal processing, an advantageous attenuation arrangement 37 for the antenna arrangement is proposed based on Figs. 18-20 and the following description (in particular, but not exclusively, for the antenna arrangement 1 above).

[0226] 18 shows a communication system 25 consisting of a first and a second transceiver arrangement 17. Each of the transceiver arrangements 17 has a printed circuit board 8 on which the respective antenna arrangement 1 is arranged. In an exemplary embodiment, an attenuation arrangement 37 is arranged around the antenna arrangement 1, which has a first attenuation unit 38, which is an absorber sheet having an access opening 39 with which the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 of the antenna arrangement 1 are arranged. The central axis M of the access opening 39 is D extends along the main radiation direction or antenna main lobe 40 of the antenna arrangement 1 (see FIG. 20) and further extends through the common central point or turning centre Z of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5.

[0227] The lateral extension of the access opening 39 of the first attenuation unit 38 is less than 2.0 free space wavelengths of the transmitted electromagnetic wave, the access opening 39 being as narrow as possible but such that the antenna main lobes 40 of the antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 are not covered in top view. The access opening 39 can have virtually any geometric shape, for example circular (preferred) or square, as shown by way of example in the exemplary embodiment of figures 18 to 20.

[0228] Multipath propagation can advantageously be eliminated or at least significantly reduced by the proposed attenuation arrangement 37. The reflections indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 18 may no longer occur or may only occur in a substantially reduced form.

[0229] The damping arrangement 37 can be extended with further damping units for further optimization. This principle is explained with reference to figures 19 and 20. For example, the damping arrangement 37 can have a second damping unit 41, again having an access opening 39 in 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 from each other geometrically and / or in terms of their respective material composition. The second damping unit 41 for example preferably has a loss-based absorber and the first damping unit 38 preferably has a resonance-based absorber. Suitable material compositions are described above.

[0230] In particular, the first attenuation unit 38 may be arranged to be located inside the access opening 39 of the second attenuation unit 41 as shown. The outer or second attenuation unit 41 may preferably be made thicker or taller than the inner or first attenuation unit 38. As a result, the antenna main lobes 40 of the transmitting and receiving antennas may be provided with enough space in top view to expand in the main radiation direction without the antenna main lobe 40 intersecting one of the attenuation units 38, 41.

[0231] FIG. 20 is now referred to in order to explain in a very general way how the transceiver arrangement 17 of the communication system 25 can be aligned to minimize transmission losses. 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 preferably aligned along the central axis M of the attenuation arrangement. D20, or such that the respective common center points or centers of rotation Z of the antenna arrangements 1 of both communication partners pass through a common axis of rotation or central axis. The antenna main lobe 40 of the patch antenna points, for example, perpendicularly away from the patch antenna, while the antenna gain minimum is in the opposite direction, i.e. in the printed circuit board 8. It is therefore advantageous to align the two communication partner printed circuit boards 8 parallel to each other, or at least substantially parallel, such that the patch antennas face each other, as shown. The transceiver arrangement 17 of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 20 can be arranged, for example, on each actuator element 35, 36 of the actuation device 33 that can perform a rotational movement relative to each other.

[0232] Within the antenna main lobe 40, which has a constant width (e.g., elevation angle of approximately -20° to +20°), a parallel translational offset may be possible (referred to above as the "axial offset" of the communication partners, i.e. the offset between their respective central axes extending through the center point Z of the antenna arrangement 1). The communication partners may also be moved perpendicular to each other or away from each other (referred to above as the "translational offset"). A tilt of the communication partners is also possible (referred to above as the "radial offset").

[0233] However, it is possible to allow a complete rotation of the communication partners relative to each other ("rotation offset"), in particular around an imaginary axis perpendicular to the printed circuit board 8 (in FIG. 20, the central axis M D). This can be exploited, for example, in robotics, when a robot joint or actuator element 35, 36 is intended to rotate 360° and data is intended to be transmitted from one side of the robot joint to the other in a contactless, i.e. wear-free, manner. To enable rotation, 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. However, to enable rotation, it is also conceivable that either only the transmitting antennas 2, 3 or only the receiving antennas 4, 5 are circularly polarized, while each other antenna is only linearly polarized (accepting polarization losses).

[0234] In the exemplary embodiment described with reference to FIG. 20, the second attenuation unit 41 is to be considered as an option.

[0235] The distance between the first and second transceiver arrangements 17 is determined by the distance between the antenna arrangement 1 of the first transceiver arrangement 17 and the central axis M D The distance between the first and second transceiver arrangements 17 can be defined as the shortest distance between the first transceiver arrangement 17 and the second transceiver arrangement 17 that is parallel to the first transceiver arrangement 17. The distance between the first and second transceiver arrangements 17 can be defined based on the distance between the common center point Z (left side of FIG. 20) of the antenna arrangement 1 of the first transceiver arrangement 17 and the common center point Z (right side of FIG. 20) of the antenna arrangement 1 of the second transceiver arrangement 17.

[0236] The communication system 25 shown in FIG. 20 can be a non-contact data plug or electrical connector, with a distance between the first and second transceiver arrangements 17 of less than 10 cm, or even less than 5 cm. This non-contact connector can use a carrier frequency of more than 50 GHz, for example about 60 GHz, for data transmission, which can result in small antenna dimensions and therefore good integrity of the non-contact connector can be easily obtained. A carrier frequency of more than 50 GHz can furthermore enable high data rates. The non-contact connector can use in-band full-duplex communication, thus also enabling high data rates with the transmit antennas 2, 3 and the receive antennas 4, 5 well separated from each other in the same transceiver arrangement. The transmit unit 19 of the transceiver arrangement 17 can optionally have a freewheeling voltage controlled oscillator for generating the carrier frequency for the signal transmission. Additionally or alternatively, the receive unit 20 of the transceiver arrangement 17 can be designed to perform incoherent demodulation. The receive unit 20 can have an envelope detector for this purpose. The power consumption of the contactless connector can be reduced due to the freewheeling, voltage controlled oscillator and / or envelope detector, which can simplify the integration of the connector into, for example, industrial systems. The reduced power consumption can also substantially reduce the need for heat dissipation of the contactless connector, thus eliminating the need for a heat sink. For further or alternative power savings, the contactless connector described herein can optionally omit digital signal processing, in particular digital channel estimation, digital signal pre-emphasis or digital signal equalization. Good radio channel characteristics can be established by the attenuation arrangement 37, for example, such that signal transmission is mainly only via line-of-sight elements between the first and second transceiver arrangements 17, and multipath elements are substantially attenuated. This can eliminate the need for the digital signal processing mentioned above, resulting in power savings and simplified heat dissipation. The DC power consumption of the first and second transceiver arrangements 17 can be, for example, less than 200 mW in each case.

Claims

1. 1. An antenna arrangement comprising a first transmitting antenna, a second transmitting antenna, a first receiving antenna, and a second receiving antenna, and a printed circuit board having a base region, The first transmitting antenna, the second transmitting antenna, the first receiving antenna, and the second receiving antenna are connected to the base region of the printed circuit board, and an attenuation arrangement arranged in the base region has at least one first attenuation unit having an access opening in which the first transmitting antenna, the second transmitting antenna, the first receiving antenna, and the second receiving antenna are co-located, and a central axis of the access opening extends along a main radiation direction of the antenna arrangement. Antenna placement.

2. 2. An antenna arrangement according to claim 1, a central axis of the access opening extends through a common center point of the first transmitting antenna, the second transmitting antenna, the first receiving antenna, and the second receiving antenna. Antenna placement.

3. 2. An antenna arrangement according to claim 1, the attenuation arrangement comprises a second attenuation unit having an access opening in which the first transmitting antenna, the second transmitting antenna, the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna are co-located, the first attenuation unit and the second attenuation unit being arranged concentrically, the first attenuation unit and the second attenuation unit being different from each other geometrically and / or with respect to their respective material compositions. Antenna placement.

4. 4. An antenna arrangement according to claim 3, the first and second damping units are arranged concentrically, the first damping unit is arranged inside the access opening of the second damping unit, and the second damping unit has a greater extension along the central axis than the first damping unit. Antenna placement.

5. 2. An antenna arrangement according to claim 1, The access opening of the first damping unit is characterized in that it is circular. Antenna placement.

6. 4. An antenna arrangement according to claim 3, the second attenuation unit comprises a loss-based absorber; The loss-based absorber is characterized in that it forms a layered or continuous impedance gradient that extends axially along the central axis. Antenna placement.

7. 4. An antenna arrangement according to claim 3, The first damping unit is characterized in that it comprises a resonance-based absorber. Antenna placement.

8. 2. An antenna arrangement according to claim 1, a lateral extension of an access opening of the first attenuation unit is up to 2.0 free space wavelengths of electromagnetic waves transmitted by the antenna arrangement. Antenna placement.

9. 2. An antenna arrangement according to claim 1, The antennas co-located in the attenuation device include a transmitting antenna group including the first transmitting antenna and the second transmitting antenna, and a receiving antenna group including the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna. Antenna placement.

10. 10. An antenna arrangement according to claim 9, comprising: The group of transmit antennas further comprises a first balun; The group of receive antennas further includes a second balun; the first transmitting antenna and the second transmitting antenna are in each case connected to a symmetrical connection of the first balun, the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna are in each case connected to a symmetrical connection of the second balun, the asymmetrical connection of the first balun being connectable to a transmit signal path of a transceiver arrangement and the asymmetrical connection of the second balun being connectable to a receive signal path of the transceiver arrangement independent of the transmit signal path. Antenna placement.

11. A radio communication system comprising a first transceiver arrangement and a second transceiver arrangement, the first transceiver arrangement and the second transceiver arrangement comprising an antenna device according to claims 1 to 10, characterised in that it provides a radio signal transmission between the first transceiver arrangement and the second transceiver arrangement. Communication systems.

12. 12. The communication system of claim 11, The first and second transceiver arrangements each have a transmitting unit and a receiving unit designed to enable in-band full-duplex communication. Communication systems.

13. 12. The communication system of claim 11, The first transceiver arrangement and the second transceiver arrangement are arranged for the radio signal transmission at a distance of at most 10 centimeters from each other, preferably at a distance of at most 5 centimeters from each other, particularly preferably at a distance of at most 2 centimeters from each other. Communication systems.

14. 12. The communication system of claim 11, The first transceiver arrangement and the second transceiver arrangement are rotatable relative to each other about a common axis of rotation, the center points of the respective antenna arrangements being preferably arranged coaxially with each other and coinciding with the common axis of rotation. Communication systems.

15. 12. The communication system of claim 11, a non-contact electrical connector in which the first transceiver arrangement is hermetically disposed, and a non-contact mating electrical connector mechanically connectable to the electrical connector and in which the second transceiver arrangement is hermetically disposed. Communication systems.

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