Information processing method and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing method and a program that can facilitate impedance matching in a waveguide conversion device.SOLUTION: An information processing method is provided in which an impedance acquisition unit acquires an external impedance on the basis of an electrical characteristic value in the waveguide conversion circuit unit, and the external impedance is an impedance on the waveguide conversion circuit unit side with the transmitting / receiving unit as a reference.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing method and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Coaxial connectors and cables are used as devices for transmitting and receiving radio waves, but because they result in large transmission losses of radio waves, they are mainly used at relatively low frequencies. For this reason, communication devices (waveguide conversion devices) such as those described in Patent Document 1 are used. An IC chip (semiconductor chip) for transmitting and receiving high-frequency signals is mounted on the substrate (substrate member) of the waveguide conversion device, and signals (radio waves) are exchanged between the IC chip and the waveguide. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-261767 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] From the viewpoint of transmission efficiency, it is preferable that the signals (radio waves) transmitted through the waveguide transition device are impedance-matched. However, since the impedance values ​​of each part of the waveguide transition device change depending on the situation, it may not be possible to achieve impedance matching.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing method and program that can facilitate impedance matching in a waveguide conversion device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, there is provided an information processing method used for a waveguide conversion device having a waveguide, the information processing method including an impedance acquisition step, wherein the waveguide conversion device has a transceiver unit and a substrate member, the substrate member having a waveguide conversion circuit unit and an antenna unit, the transceiver unit having a function of generating a transmission signal to be transmitted to the antenna unit or a function of receiving a reception signal sent from the antenna unit, the waveguide conversion circuit unit being electrically connected to the antenna unit, and the antenna unit having a function of converting the transmission signal into radio waves and radiating them to the waveguide, or a function of receiving the radio waves in the waveguide as the reception signal, and in the impedance acquisition step, the impedance acquisition unit acquires an external impedance based on an electrical characteristic value of the transceiver unit, and the external impedance is an impedance on the waveguide conversion circuit unit side with the transceiver unit as a reference.

[0007] According to the present invention, in the impedance acquisition step, the impedance acquisition unit can acquire the external impedance based on the electrical characteristic values ​​in the waveguide conversion circuit unit, and by utilizing the external impedance, it becomes easier to achieve impedance matching in the waveguide conversion device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a functional block diagram of a waveguide transition device 100. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates the configuration of the waveguide 2, the chip 3, and the communication device 4 of the waveguide conversion device 100 shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of an information processing unit 30 that executes the information processing method according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 12 of the information processing unit 30 shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows an example of a circuit of the amplifier Amp at the output stage in the transmitting / receiving unit 121. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other. Furthermore, each feature can be an invention independently.

[0010] 1. Description of the configuration of the embodiment 1 and 2, the waveguide conversion device 100 includes an antenna 1, a waveguide 2, a chip 3 having a transmitting / receiving unit 121, a communication device 4 having a substrate member 4A, and an information processing unit 30 having functional units such as an impedance acquisition unit 123. The information processing unit 30 of the waveguide conversion device 100 is configured to be able to execute an information processing method used in the communication device 4 provided in the waveguide 2.

[0011] The waveguide conversion device 100 is a high-frequency module, and the communication device 4 has components such as a drive unit 4C (described later) that enable transmission and reception of various radio waves. The waveguide conversion device 100 according to this embodiment is a high-frequency module suitable for radars, sensors, and wireless communication systems that use high frequencies such as gigahertz waves and terahertz waves.

[0012] Specific radio wave frequencies (GHz) applicable to the waveguide conversion device 100 include, for example, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300, 310, 320, 330, 340, 350, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, and 1500, and may also be within a range between any two of the numerical values ​​exemplified here. The radio wave frequencies applicable to the waveguide conversion device 100 may be divided into multiple frequency ranges, such as frequencies from 100 GHz to 400 GHz and frequencies from 800 GHz to 1000 GHz, as defined by the numerical values ​​listed above.

[0013] 1-1. Antenna 1 The antenna 1 is a part that receives radio waves from outside the waveguide conversion device 100 during reception, and is a part that radiates radio waves to the outside from the waveguide conversion device 100 during transmission. The antenna 1 is electrically connected to the waveguide 2 so as to be able to exchange radio waves with it.

[0014] 1-2. Waveguide 2 The waveguide 2 is a transmission path for radio waves in the high frequency band, and is a hollow member that confines and transmits electromagnetic waves. The waveguide 2 can have a square configuration (a rectangular cross section in the longitudinal direction), but is not limited to this and may be a circular waveguide. The waveguide 2 is made of metal, and for example, a metal material such as copper can be used. In the embodiment, the transmission path of the waveguide 2 extends linearly, but is not limited to this and may be curved.

[0015] The end of the waveguide 2 is open, and an antenna unit 4A2 of the substrate member 4A (described later) and the like are disposed in the open portion. When receiving radio waves, the radio waves transmitted to the end side of the waveguide 2 are transmitted as a signal to the antenna unit 4A2. When transmitting radio waves, the signal of the antenna unit 4A2 is transmitted as a radio wave to the space within the waveguide 2.

[0016] 1-3. Chip 3 (information processing unit 30) The chip 3 has an information processing unit 30. The chip 3 can be configured as a semiconductor IC chip mounted on the substrate member 4A. In the embodiment, the chip 3 has, for example, a CMOS circuit (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor circuit). Note that the chip 3 is not limited to a CMOS circuit, and can also be applied to a SiGeBiCMOS circuit (Bipolar-CMOS circuit) or other compound semiconductor circuits. The chip 3 can be mounted on the substrate member 4A by, for example, wire bonding or flip-chip. The chip 3 is electrically connected to an antenna unit 4A2 of the substrate member 4A (described later) via, for example, a wiring unit 4Aw of the substrate member 4A. As shown in FIG. 3, the information processing unit 30 includes a communication unit 10, a storage unit 11, a control unit 12, an output unit 13, and an input unit 14. As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 12 includes a transmitting / receiving unit 121, a characteristic value acquiring unit 122, an impedance acquiring unit 123, a drive control unit 124, and a saturation state determining unit 125.

[0017] Each component of the information processing unit 30 may be implemented by software or hardware. When implemented by software, various functions can be realized by a CPU executing a computer program. The program may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, provided as a downloadable file from an external server, or implemented by cloud computing, which reads a program stored in an external storage device and realizes the functions. When implemented by hardware, it can be implemented by various circuits such as an ASIC, FPGA, or DRP. In the embodiments, various information and concepts that encompass them are handled. These are represented by high and low signal values ​​or quantum bits as a collection of binary bits consisting of 0 or 1, and communication and calculations can be performed using the above software or hardware aspects. The software may be a general-purpose OS or a dedicated OS.

[0018] The communication unit 10 can employ wired communication means such as USB, IEEE1394, Thunderbolt (registered trademark), wired LAN network communication, etc. The communication unit 10 may be configured to be connected to a communication network via wireless communication means such as wireless LAN network communication, mobile communication such as 3G / LTE / 5G, Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication, etc. The communication unit 10 may also be configured to use both the wired communication means and wireless communication means described above.

[0019] The storage unit 11 stores, for example, various programs, constants, variables, and setting values ​​of the information processing unit 30 executed by the control unit 12. The storage unit 11 also stores, for example, information to be processed by each functional unit of the information processing unit 30. The storage unit 11 may be a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD), or a random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily required information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to program calculations. The information processing unit 30 may also use an external storage unit (for example, an external storage medium, a cloud, etc.) in addition to the storage unit 11.

[0020] The control unit 12 is configured to execute processing and control related to information processing of the information processing unit 30. The control unit 12 can be configured, for example, by a central processing unit (CPU), and in the embodiment, the control unit 12 is an example of a processor capable of executing various programs. The control unit 12 realizes various functions related to the information processing unit 30, for example, by reading out programs stored in the storage unit 11. Furthermore, the information processing of the software in the information processing unit 30 is realized, for example, by the control unit 12 as hardware processing the various programs stored in the storage unit 11.

[0021] The output unit 13 is, for example, a display unit of the information processing unit 30. The output unit 13 may be included in the housing or may be externally attached. The output unit 13 displays a graphical user interface (GUI) screen that can be operated by a user. The output unit 13 may be, for example, a display device such as a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, a plasma display, or an electronic paper display, as well as a display device such as an illuminable light or a projector. It is optional whether or not the information processing unit 30 includes the output unit 13. For example, the output of the information processing unit 30 may be displayed on a display unit located at a location independent of and separate from the location where the information processing unit 30 is installed. The output unit 13 may also have a device that outputs audio.

[0022] The input unit 14 is configured to receive, for example, an operation input made by a user. The input unit 14 may be included in the housing or may be externally attached. For example, a touch panel, a switch button, a mouse, a keyboard, etc. may be used as the input unit 14. It is optional whether or not the information processing unit 30 includes the input unit 14. For example, the information processing unit 30 may receive an operation input to the information processing unit 30 via the communication unit 10 from an information processing terminal located at a location separate from the location where the information processing unit 30 is installed.

[0023] 1-3-1. Transmitter / receiver 121 The transmitter / receiver 121 has a function of generating a transmission signal to be transmitted to the antenna unit 4A2, or a function of receiving a reception signal sent from the antenna unit 4A2. In the embodiment, the transmitter / receiver 121 has both of these functions. The transmitter / receiver 121 can be configured, for example, with a transmitter / receiver circuit (a circuit that generates a transmission signal and a circuit that receives a reception signal).

[0024] In one example of the embodiment, the transmitting / receiving unit 121 has an amplifier Amp as shown in FIG. 5. Here, the amplifier Amp is described as being arranged at the final output stage of the circuit in the transmitting / receiving unit 121. Note that the embodiment is also applicable to an amplifier Amp arranged at the input stage of the circuit in the transmitting / receiving unit 121. Note that in the embodiment, the external impedance Z L (load impedance). This characteristic value and the external impedance Z L This will be explained later in "1-3-2. Characteristic value acquisition unit 122." Furthermore, the information processing method according to the embodiment is applied to an amplifier Amp, and impedance estimation will be described as an example, but is not limited to this. Impedance estimation of the information processing method according to the embodiment can also be applied to a mixer arranged in the final output stage of the transceiver unit 121, or in the input stage (front stage) of the transceiver unit 121, instead of the amplifier Amp.

[0025] The transmitter / receiver 121 also receives the external impedance Z acquired by the impedance acquisition unit 123 (to be described later). L (The output impedance of the transceiver 121 itself may also be used.) In other words, the transceiver 121 generates a transmission signal in response to an external impedance Z L The frequency (wavelength) of the transmission signal is determined based on the above, and a transmission signal of the determined frequency is generated. As a result, the transmission signal is transmitted through an external impedance Z L This is because matching is achieved in this relationship, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of radio waves from the waveguide transition device 100.

[0026] Here, the configuration of the amplifier Amp as an example of the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Note that the inductors described below may be replaced with transmission lines. The amplifier Amp has an input section p1, a lossy matching circuit p2, a transformer p3, capacitors p4-1 and p4-2, inductors p5-1 and p5-2, capacitors p6-1 and p6-2, switching elements p7-1 and p7-2, inductors p8-1 and p8-2, capacitors p9-1 and p9-2, a transformer p10, and an output section p11.

[0027] An AC current (AC power) is supplied to the input node p1. The lossy matching circuit p2 is connected between the transformer p3 and the input part p1, and includes an inductor p2-1, an inductor p2-2, and a capacitor p2-3. One side of the transformer p3 is connected to the capacitor p4-1, and the other side is connected to the capacitor p4-2. The capacitor p4-1 is provided between the transformer p3 and the base B of the switching element p7-1. The capacitor p4-2 is provided between the transformer p3 and the base B of the switching element p7-2. One side of the inductor p5-1 is at potential V1, and the other side is connected to the base B of the switching element p7-1. One side of the inductor p5-2 is at potential V1, and the other side is connected to the base B of the switching element p7-2.

[0028] One side of the capacitor p6-1 is connected to the base B of the switching element p7-1, and the other side is connected to the collector C of the switching element p7-2. One side of the capacitor p6-2 is connected to the base B of the switching element p7-2, and the other side is connected to the collector C of the switching element p7-1.

[0029] The switching element p7-1 and the switching element p7-2 are NPN-type bipolar transistors, and each has a base B, an emitter E, and a collector C. The base B of the switching element p7-1 is connected to the node of the capacitor p4-1, the inductor p5-1, and the capacitor p6-1. The emitter E of the switching element p7-1 is grounded. The collector C of the switching element p7-1 is connected to the node of the capacitor p6-2, the inductor p8-1, and the capacitor p9-1. The base B of the switching element p7-2 is connected to the node of the capacitor p4-2, the inductor p5-2, and the capacitor p6-2. The emitter E of the switching element p7-2 is grounded. The collector C of the switching element p7-2 is connected to the node of the capacitor p6-1, the inductor p8-2, and the capacitor p9-2.

[0030] One side of inductor p8-1 is at potential V2, and the other side is connected to the collector C of switching element p7-1. One side of inductor p8-2 is at potential V2, and the other side is connected to the collector C of switching element p7-2. The capacitor p9-1 is provided between the collector C of the switching element p7-1 and one side of the transformer p10, and the capacitor p9-2 is provided between the collector C of the switching element p7-2 and the other side of the transformer p10. One side of the transformer p10 is connected to the capacitor p9-1, and the other side is connected to the capacitor p9-2. An AC current (AC power) is output to the output port p11.

[0031] 1-3-2. Characteristic value acquisition unit 122 The characteristic value acquisition unit 122 is configured to be able to acquire the characteristic value of the amplifier Amp. The characteristic value acquisition unit 122 can be configured, for example, by a detection circuit unit (acquisition circuit unit) configured to acquire the characteristic value of the amplifier Amp.

[0032] Here, the characteristic values ​​of the amplifier Amp and the external impedance Z LWe will explain the following: The characteristic value is an electrical value of the circuit that constitutes the transmitting / receiving unit 121, and the external impedance Z L In the embodiment, the characteristic value includes at least one of the gain of the amplifier Amp of the transceiver 121, the noise figure NF of the transceiver 121, the power consumption of the transceiver 121, and the current in the circuit of the transceiver 121. Note that the characteristic value acquisition unit 122 may use one of these characteristic values ​​or a combination of two or more of these characteristic values.

[0033] When the operation of the transmitting / receiving unit 121 (amplifier Amp) is in a saturated state, the output impedance Z S and an external impedance Z, which is the impedance of the portion outside the transmitting / receiving unit 121. L Therefore, when the characteristic value acquisition unit 122 acquires the characteristic values, the impedance acquisition unit 123 (to be described later) can obtain the output impedance Z S and external impedance Z L It is possible to obtain

[0034] Here, the external impedance Z L can be defined as the impedance outside the transmitting / receiving unit 121 (the circuit portion on the output side after the output unit p11). In other words, the external impedance Z L is the impedance on the side of the waveguide conversion circuit unit 4A1 of the communication device 4, which will be described later, with the transceiver unit 121 as the reference. That is, the external impedance Z L can be defined as the impedance in a circuit through which a signal is transmitted, such as the waveguide conversion circuit unit 4A1 and antenna unit 4A2 of the communication device 4, which will be described later, or the waveguide 2.

[0035] Next, an example of the characteristic values ​​and a method for acquiring them will be described. (1) Amplifier gain The gain of the amplifier Amp may be, for example, a gain of current, voltage, or power. For example, in the case of voltage gain, the gain can be obtained based on the input voltage to the amplifier Amp (input voltage of the input node p1) and the output voltage of the amplifier Amp (output voltage of the output node p11). In this case, the characteristic value obtaining unit 122 can be configured as a circuit unit that detects the values ​​of these voltages. Note that this circuit unit may be configured not only as a circuit unit, but also as a combination with devices other than a circuit unit.

[0036] (2) Noise figure (NF) of amplifier Amp The noise figure NF can be obtained based on the noise coefficient F, for example. The noise figure NF can be estimated (obtained) using a method applied to, for example, a radiometer. Specifically, for example, the noise figure NF can be estimated from the power by providing a high-gain amplifier and a power detection circuit in the output stage. In this case, the characteristic value obtaining unit 122 can be configured as a circuit unit that obtains the power and estimates (obtains) the noise figure NF. The method for obtaining the noise figure NF (noise coefficient F) is not limited to this, and various known methods can be used.

[0037] (3) Output current c1, c2 As shown in FIG. 5, output currents c1 and c2 of the amplifier Amp can also be used as the characteristic values. The output currents c1 and c2 are output currents from the collectors C of the switching elements p7-1 and p7-2. In this case, the characteristic value acquisition unit 122 can be configured as a circuit unit that detects the values ​​of the output currents c1 and c2. This circuit unit may be configured not only as a circuit but also as a combination with devices other than a circuit. Furthermore, both or either of the output currents c1 and c2 may be used as the characteristic value.

[0038] (4) Power consumption of amplifier Amp The power consumption of the amplifier Amp can also be used as the characteristic value. In this case, the characteristic value acquisition unit 122 can be configured as a circuit unit that detects the power consumption of the amplifier Amp. Note that this circuit unit may be configured only by a circuit, or may be configured in combination with a device other than a circuit.

[0039] 1-3-3. Impedance acquisition unit 123 The impedance acquisition unit 123 acquires the external impedance Z L The impedance acquisition unit 123 is configured to be able to acquire the output impedance Z S Here, the case where the transceiver 121 functions as a transmitter is described, but when the transceiver 121 functions as a receiver, the output impedance Z S is the input impedance (the output impedance Z S also).

[0040] The memory unit 11 stores the characteristic values ​​and the external impedance Z L The impedance acquisition unit 123 calculates the external impedance Z based on the association data and the characteristic value acquired by the characteristic value acquisition unit 122. L Get. In addition, the output impedance Z S The same applies to the characteristic value and the output impedance Z S The impedance acquisition unit 123 then uses the characteristic value and this association data to obtain the output impedance Z S It is possible to obtain

[0041] When the operation of the transmitting / receiving unit 121 (amplifier Amp) is in a saturated state, the output impedance Z S and an external impedance Z, which is the impedance of the portion outside the transmitting / receiving unit 121. LIt has been mentioned that the external impedance Z has a correlation with the characteristic value. However, this correlation is not necessarily unique. Therefore, the impedance acquisition unit 123 calculates the external impedance Z based on a plurality of characteristic values. L It is preferable to obtain the following: The characteristic values ​​can be changed by, for example, changing the frequency of the transmission signal supplied to the amplifier Amp. In this way, the external impedance Z L To obtain the external impedance Z L It is possible to obtain the output impedance Z S The same is true for . The plurality of characteristic values ​​may be configured using different types of characteristic values, such as the noise figure NF and the gain of the amplifier Amp. Furthermore, the number of characteristic values ​​used is not limited, but specifically, for example, two, three, four, five, six, seven, or eight characteristic values ​​can be used, and may be within a range between any two of the numerical values ​​exemplified here.

[0042] Although the example of acquiring the characteristic value using a lookup table or a relational expression has been described here, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the impedance acquiring unit 123 acquires the external impedance Z L and output impedance Z S The configuration may be such that the above is acquired. That is, the external impedance Z L Enter the characteristic values ​​(preferably multiple) to calculate the external impedance Z L It can be calculated based on a learning model that outputs a learning model. A learning model is a model that is trained using a large amount of training data (a set of known input data and correct answer data) to make it possible to predict future outputs.

[0043] 1-3-4. Drive control unit 124 The drive control unit 124 has a function of controlling a drive unit 4C (see FIG. 2) serving as a microactuator, which will be described later. The impedance acquisition unit 123 acquires the external impedance Z L When the external impedance Z L The drive control unit 124 then optimizes the impedance in the back-short structure, which will be described later, thereby achieving more precise impedance matching. That is, in the embodiment, the transmission signal generated by the transmitting / receiving unit 121 is transmitted through an external impedance Z L Furthermore, by additionally performing impedance matching in the back-short structure, it is possible to achieve more appropriate impedance matching.

[0044] The wavelength of the radio waves propagating through the waveguide 2 is defined as λ. The sum of the thickness t of the board member 4A in the arrangement space 4A3 of the communication device 4 (described later) and the distance g between the rear surface of the board member 4A and the metal member 4B is defined as d. The drive control unit 124 is configured to control the drive unit so that the length d is in the range of 0.9×λ / 4 to 1.1×λ / 4. This makes it possible to optimize the impedance in the back-short structure. Note that, although it is preferable that the length d is equal to λ / 4, even if it is slightly different, the effect of improving the radio wave transmission efficiency can be expected.

[0045] 1-3-5. Saturation state determination unit 125 In the above, the method of acquiring the characteristic values ​​has been explained in "1-3-2. Characteristic Value Acquisition Unit 122" (1) Gain of Amplifier Amp to (4) Power Consumption of Amplifier Amp, but from the viewpoint of improving the estimation accuracy of the external impedance, it is preferable that all of these characteristic values ​​are values ​​when the amplifier Amp is operating in a saturated state (weakly saturated state). That is, the control unit 12 of the information processing unit 30 has a saturation state determination unit 125 as a functional unit, as shown in Fig. 4. The saturation state determination unit 125 has a function of determining whether the amplifier Amp is operating in a saturated state (weakly saturated state). In other words, the information processing method according to the embodiment makes it possible to estimate the external impedance by utilizing the weakly saturated characteristics of the amplifier Amp. From a functional perspective, it is basically desirable for the amplifier Amp to increase its output linearly with respect to its input. However, as the input increases, the output no longer increases linearly and deviates from the desired line. For example, the saturation state determination unit 125 can determine whether or not the amplifier Amp is in a saturated state (weakly saturated state) based on the difference between a desired output on a predetermined desired line and the actual output of the amplifier Amp. In other words, the saturation state determination unit 125 can determine that the amplifier Amp is operating in a saturated state (weakly saturated state) when the difference between the desired output and the output (detected output) of the amplifier Amp becomes larger than a predetermined threshold value. Furthermore, for example, if the characteristics of the amplifier Amp are known in advance, it is possible to know whether the amplifier Amp will operate in saturation depending on the magnitude of the input to the amplifier Amp. Therefore, the saturation state determination unit 125 may determine whether the amplifier Amp is operating in a saturated state (weakly saturated state) based on the magnitude of the input to the amplifier Amp.

[0046] 1-4.Communication Device 4 1 and 2 is configured to perform electromagnetic communication between an external radio wave and a chip 3. As shown in Fig. 2, the communication device 4 of the waveguide conversion device 100 includes a substrate member 4A, a metal member 4B, a driving unit 4C, and a cavity portion 4D.

[0047] 1-4-1. Substrate member 4A 2, the substrate member 4A has a waveguide conversion circuit section 4A1, an antenna section 4A2, and an arrangement space section 4A3. The substrate member 4A can be configured as a printed circuit board (PCB) having a predetermined thickness, and has a front surface 4Af and a back surface 4Ab. The front surface 4Af is formed on the opposite side of the back surface 4Ab.

[0048] The waveguide conversion circuit section 4A1 is electrically connected to the antenna section 4A2 and the chip 3. The waveguide conversion circuit section 4A1 has a wiring section 4Aw that connects the antenna section 4A2 and the chip 3 electrically.

[0049] The antenna unit 4A2 has the function of transmitting or receiving radio waves. In other words, the antenna unit 4A2 has the function of converting a transmission signal into radio waves and radiating them to the waveguide 2, or the function of receiving the radio waves from the waveguide 2 as a reception signal. The antenna unit 4A2 is provided so as to face the arrangement space 4A3. In other words, the antenna unit 4A2 is arranged so as to protrude into the arrangement space 4A3. The antenna unit 4A2 is fixed to, for example, a substrate constituting the substrate member 4A.

[0050] The arrangement space 4A3 is a portion where the waveguide 2 is arranged on the front surface 4Af side of the substrate member 4A. A space 4A31 extending from the front surface 4Af to the back surface 4Ab of the substrate member 4A is also formed in the arrangement space 4A3. The space 4A31 can be configured as a hole formed in the substrate member 4A. The space 4A31 is a portion corresponding to a back-short hole in a so-called back-short structure. The antenna unit 4A2 is arranged in the space 4A31 of the arrangement space 4A3. Note that, although the embodiment has been described assuming that the space 4A31 is a hole, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be configured as a notch formed in the substrate member 4A.

[0051] The substrate member 4A further includes a ground potential portion 4A4 that is electrically at ground potential. The ground potential portion 4A4 can be formed, for example, of a metal plate portion (metal layer). The ground potential portion 4A4 is electrically connected to the metal member 4B and has the function of dropping the potential of the metal member 4B to ground. The ground potential portion 4A4 is provided on the back surface 4Ab of the substrate member 4A.

[0052] 1-4-2. Metal member 4B As shown in FIG. 2, the metal member 4B is disposed on the back surface 4Ab side of the substrate member 4A. The metal member 4B has the function of reflecting radio waves propagating through the waveguide 2. In this embodiment, the metal member 4B is movable, allowing impedance matching. In other words, the metal member 4B is moved in the vertical direction (a direction parallel to the direction from the substrate member 4A toward the metal member 4B) by the driving unit 4C. This can be expected to have effects such as improving the transmission efficiency of radio waves in the waveguide conversion device 100 (communication device 4) and expanding the frequency band in which radio waves can be transmitted and received.

[0053] The metal member 4B is connected to the ground potential of the substrate member 4A. In the embodiment, the metal member 4B is at ground potential by being connected to a ground potential portion 4A4 provided on the back surface 4Ab of the substrate member 4A. The method of connecting the metal member 4B and the ground potential portion 4A4 is not particularly limited, and the metal member 4B may be electrically connected by wiring, or the metal member 4B may be electrically connected by providing a conductive portion in a cavity portion 4D (described later) that contacts the ground potential portion 4A4.

[0054] The metal member 4B may be made of various metal materials such as silver, copper, aluminum, gold, etc. Furthermore, the metal member 4B does not need to be directly connected to the driving unit 4C, but may be connected to the driving unit 4C via a base material made of, for example, resin.

[0055] The metal member 4B does not necessarily have to be made up of a single member, but may be made up of a plurality of metal members arranged side by side.

[0056] 1-4-3. Drive unit 4C As shown in Fig. 2, the driving unit 4C is configured to change the distance between the metal member 4B and the substrate member 4A. The driving unit 4C is configured to change the distance between the metal member 4B and the substrate member 4A by moving the metal member 4B. In one embodiment, the driving unit 4C can be configured with an actuator (microactuator) integrated with the metal member 4B. Note that the driving unit 4C and the metal member 4B do not have to be integrated.

[0057] The driving unit 4C can move the metal member 4B within a predetermined minimum width. Here, the configuration of the driving unit 4C is not particularly limited, but since the frequency of the radio waves applied to the waveguide conversion device 100 is high (gigahertz, terahertz) and the wavelength of the radio waves is short, it is preferable that the minimum width over which the driving unit 4C can be driven is small.

[0058] The configuration of the driving unit 4C is not particularly limited as long as it can move the metal member 4B, and for example, a configuration including a piezoelectric element can be adopted. This makes it possible to move the metal member 4B in the vertical direction (the direction parallel to the direction from the substrate member 4A toward the metal member 4B) on the order of microns by controlling the voltage supplied to the driving unit 4C.

[0059] 1-4-4.Cavity part 4D The cavity portion 4D is disposed on the rear surface 4Ab side of the substrate member 4A. The cavity portion 4D is provided so as to cover the space formed from the rear surface 4Ab side of the substrate member 4A to the metal member 4B side. This forms a closed space on the rear surface 4Ab side of the substrate member 4A, which confines radio waves and suppresses transmission loss. The cavity portion 4D is made of metal, and for example, the same metal material (copper, etc.) as the waveguide 2 can be used. Note that the constituent material of the cavity portion 4D may be different from that of the waveguide 2.

[0060] 2. Description of the operation and effects of the embodiment The information processing method according to the embodiment includes a saturation state determination step, a characteristic value acquisition step, an impedance acquisition step, a frequency determination step, and a driving step. The information processing unit 30 as a computer stores a program for executing the information processing method and is capable of executing the program.

[0061] In the saturation state determination step, the saturation state determination unit 125 determines whether or not the transmitting / receiving unit 121 (the amplifier Amp of the transmitting / receiving unit 121) is operating in a saturated state.

[0062] In the characteristic value acquisition step, when the saturation state determination unit 125 determines (determines) that the amplifier is in a saturated state, the characteristic value acquisition unit 122 acquires a characteristic value of the amplifier Amp. It is preferable that there are a plurality of characteristic values.

[0063] In the impedance acquisition step, the impedance acquisition unit 123 acquires an external impedance Z based on the electrical characteristic value of the transmitting / receiving unit 121. L Specifically, in the impedance acquisition step, the impedance acquisition unit 123 acquires the external impedance Z based on the characteristic value when the transmitting / receiving unit 121 is operating in a saturated state. L In this step, the output impedance Z S can also be obtained.

[0064] In the frequency determination step, the transmitting / receiving unit 121 determines the frequency (wavelength) of the transmission signal based on the impedance acquired in the impedance acquisition step. L This takes into account impedance matching and enables more appropriate signal transmission.

[0065] In the driving step, the driving control unit 124 controls the external impedance Z L Based on this, the distance g between the metal member 4B and the substrate member 4A is changed. Specifically, in the driving step, the drive control unit 124 determines the external impedance Z L The distance g between the metal member 4B and the substrate member 4A is changed based on the frequency (wavelength) based on the frequency. In the driving step, the distance g is changed so that the length d in the back-short structure is close to (more preferably equal to) λ / 4. This optimizes impedance matching in the back-short structure, further improving transmission efficiency. Although the case of transmitting radio waves has been described here, this embodiment can also be applied to reception. In other words, if the frequency of the radio waves used is the same for transmission and reception after the distance g is changed in the driving step, it is expected that appropriate communication with high transmission efficiency will be achieved even during reception.

[0066] Various embodiments are exemplified below, and the embodiments shown below can be combined with each other. [Appendix 1] An information processing method used in a waveguide conversion device having a waveguide, comprising: An impedance acquisition step is provided, the waveguide conversion device includes a transmitting / receiving unit and a substrate member; the substrate member has a waveguide conversion circuit section and an antenna section, the transmitting / receiving unit has a function of generating a transmission signal to be transmitted to the antenna unit or a function of receiving a reception signal sent from the antenna unit, the waveguide conversion circuit unit is electrically connected to the antenna unit, the antenna unit has a function of converting the transmission signal into a radio wave and radiating it to the waveguide, or a function of receiving the radio wave from the waveguide as the reception signal, In the impedance acquisition step, an impedance acquisition unit acquires an external impedance based on an electrical characteristic value of the transmitting / receiving unit; An information processing method, wherein the external impedance is an impedance on the waveguide conversion circuit side with the transceiver unit as a reference. [Appendix 2] 10. The information processing method according to claim 1, An information processing method, wherein the characteristic value includes at least one of a gain of an amplifier of the transceiver unit, a noise figure of the transceiver unit, a power consumption of the transceiver unit, and a current in a circuit of the transceiver unit. [Appendix 3] 10. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, Further comprising a driving step, the waveguide conversion device further includes a metal member and a driving unit, The substrate member further has an arrangement space portion, a space extending from the front surface to the back surface of the substrate member is formed in the arrangement space, and the arrangement space is a portion where the waveguide is arranged on the front surface side of the substrate member, the antenna unit is disposed in the space of the arrangement space, the metal member is disposed on the rear surface side of the substrate member, In the driving step, a drive control unit changes the distance between the metal member and the substrate member based on the external impedance. [Appendix 4] An information processing method according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 3, Further comprising a saturation state determination step, In the saturation state determination step, a saturation state determination unit determines whether the transmitting / receiving unit is operating in a saturated state; In the impedance obtaining step, the impedance obtaining unit obtains the external impedance based on the characteristic value when the transmitting / receiving unit is operating in a saturated state. [Appendix 5] A program that causes a computer to execute the information processing method according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 4. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 100: Waveguide conversion device 1: Antenna 2: Waveguide 3: Tip 30: Information Processing Department 10: Communications Department 11: Storage section 12: Control section 121: Transmitter / receiver Amp: Amplifier B: Bass C: Collector E: Emitter 122: Characteristic value acquisition unit 123: Impedance acquisition unit 124: Drive control unit 125: Saturation state determination unit 13: Output section 14: Input section 4: Communication equipment 4A: Substrate material 4A1: Waveguide conversion circuit section 4A2: Antenna section 4A3: Placement space 4A31: Space part 4A4: Ground potential section 4Af: Front 4Ab: Back 4Aw: Wiring section 4B: Metallic parts 4C: Drive unit 4D: Cavity

Claims

1. An information processing method used in a waveguide conversion device having a waveguide, comprising: An impedance acquisition step is provided, the waveguide conversion device includes a transmitting / receiving unit and a substrate member; the substrate member has a waveguide conversion circuit section and an antenna section, the transmitting / receiving unit has a function of generating a transmission signal to be transmitted to the antenna unit or a function of receiving a reception signal sent from the antenna unit, the waveguide conversion circuit unit is electrically connected to the antenna unit, the antenna unit has a function of converting the transmission signal into a radio wave and radiating it to the waveguide, or a function of receiving the radio wave from the waveguide as the reception signal, In the impedance acquisition step, an impedance acquisition unit acquires an external impedance based on an electrical characteristic value of the transmitting / receiving unit; An information processing method, wherein the external impedance is an impedance on the waveguide conversion circuit side with the transceiver unit as a reference.

2. 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, An information processing method, wherein the characteristic value includes at least one of a gain of an amplifier of the transceiver unit, a noise figure of the transceiver unit, a power consumption of the transceiver unit, and a current in a circuit of the transceiver unit.

3. 3. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, Further comprising a driving step, the waveguide conversion device further includes a metal member and a driving unit, The substrate member further has an arrangement space portion, a space extending from the front surface to the back surface of the substrate member is formed in the arrangement space, and the arrangement space is a portion where the waveguide is arranged on the front surface side of the substrate member, the antenna unit is disposed in the space of the arrangement space, the metal member is disposed on the rear surface side of the substrate member, In the driving step, a drive control unit changes the distance between the metal member and the substrate member based on the external impedance.

4. 3. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, Further comprising a saturation state determination step, In the saturation state determination step, a saturation state determination unit determines whether the transmitting / receiving unit is operating in a saturated state; In the impedance obtaining step, the impedance obtaining unit obtains the external impedance based on the characteristic value when the transmitting / receiving unit is operating in a saturated state.

5. A program that causes a computer to execute the information processing method according to claim 1 or 2.

Images