Antenna

Abstract

To provide an antenna that suppresses an influence on characteristics of another antenna.SOLUTION: An antenna 1 includes a first element 16 having a plurality of parallel resonance parts 20 that resonate in a first frequency band and a first connection part that connects adjacent parallel resonance parts among the plurality of parallel resonance parts, and a second element 15 that is connected to the first element. The first element and the second element correspond to radio waves in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an antenna. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an AM / FM antenna in which a part of an element is located near a patch antenna. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-21856 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, depending on the configuration of the AM / FM antenna elements, the influence on the characteristics of the patch antenna could be significant.

[0005] One example of an object of the present invention is to suppress the influence on the characteristics of other antennas. Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an antenna comprising: a first element having a plurality of parallel resonant sections that resonate in a first frequency band and a first connection section that connects adjacent parallel resonant sections among the plurality of parallel resonant sections; and a second element connected to the first element, wherein the first element and the second element are responsive to radio waves in a second frequency band that is different from the first frequency band. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the influence on the characteristics of another antenna. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle 100. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an overview of an antenna device 1 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are diagrams for explaining an outline of the parallel resonant section 20, where FIG. 3A is an explanatory diagram of the entire parallel resonant section 20 and FIG. 3B is a diagram showing the parallel resonant section 20 as a circuit diagram. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of an antenna device 1 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] 5A and 5B are diagrams of an antenna device 1 according to a first embodiment, with FIG. 5A being a side view of the antenna device 1 and FIG. 5B being a plan view of the antenna device 1. FIG. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are diagrams of the parallel resonance unit 20, in which FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the parallel resonance unit 20 and FIG. 6B is an exploded perspective view of the parallel resonance unit 20. FIG. [Figure 7] 3A and 3B are six-view diagrams of the parallel resonance unit 20. FIG. [Figure 8] 8A is a perspective view of the adjacent parallel resonance units 20 and 30, FIG. 8B is a side view of the adjacent parallel resonance units 20 and 30, and FIG. 8C is an exploded perspective view of the adjacent parallel resonance units 20 and 30 spaced apart. [Figure 9] 9A and 9B are diagrams of an antenna device 1X of a comparative example, where FIG. 9A is a side view of the antenna device 1X and FIG. 9B is a plan view of the antenna device 1X. [Figure 10] 1 is a diagram showing the relationship between the elevation angle and the average gain of the antenna 10 in the antenna device 1 of the first embodiment and the antenna device 1X of the comparative example. [Figure 11] 11A is an explanatory diagram showing a first modified example of the cross-sectional shape of element 16, FIG. 11B is an explanatory diagram showing a second modified example of the cross-sectional shape of element 16, and FIG. 11C is an explanatory diagram showing a third modified example of the cross-sectional shape of element 16. [Figure 12]12A and 12B are diagrams showing modified examples of the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in the element 16, in which FIG. 12A shows a first modified example of the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in the element 16, FIG. 12B shows a second modified example of the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in the element 16, and FIG. 12C shows a third modified example of the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in the element 16. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a first modified example of the parallel resonance unit 20. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are six-view diagrams of a first modified example of the parallel resonance unit 20. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a second modified example of the parallel resonance unit 20. [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are six-view diagrams of a second modified example of the parallel resonance unit 20. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a third modified example of the parallel resonance unit 20. [Figure 18] 10A and 10B are six-view diagrams of a third modified example of the parallel resonance unit 20. FIG. [Figure 19] 19A is a side view of the antenna device 1A, and FIG 19B is a plan view of a radiating element 13A of an antenna 10A. FIG 19C is an enlarged view of an external connection portion 50A. [Figure 20] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an overview of an antenna device 1B according to a third embodiment. [Figure 21] 21A and 21B are diagrams of the parallel resonance unit 20B, where FIG. 21A is a perspective view of the parallel resonance unit 20B and FIG. 21B is an exploded perspective view of the parallel resonance unit 20B. [Figure 22] 10A and 10B are six-view diagrams of the parallel resonance unit 20B. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a first modified example regarding the arrangement of a parallel resonance unit 20B. [Figure 24] 24A and 24B are diagrams showing a second modified example of the arrangement of the parallel resonance units 20B, where FIG. 24A is a perspective view of adjacent parallel resonance units 20B and 30B, and FIG. 24B is an exploded perspective view of the adjacent parallel resonance units 20B and 30B spaced apart from each other. [Figure 25] 10 is a six-view diagram of adjacent parallel resonance units 20B and 30B. [Figure 26]26A and 26B show modified examples of the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in the element 16B, where FIG. 26A shows a first modified example of the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in the element 16B, FIG. 26B shows a second modified example of the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in the element 16B, and FIG. 26C shows a third modified example of the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in the element 16B. [Figure 27] 27A and 27B are diagrams of an antenna device 1C according to a fourth embodiment, where FIG. 27A is a side view of the antenna device 1C and FIG. 27B is an enlarged view of an external connection portion 50C. [Figure 28] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an antenna device 1D according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] At least the following matters will become clear from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, members, etc. shown in each drawing are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate.

[0011] ==First Embodiment== First, before describing the antenna device 1 of this embodiment, the definition of the direction of the antenna device 1, the outer shape and installation position of the antenna device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a side view of a vehicle 100. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an antenna device 1 of the first embodiment.

[0013] <<Definition of direction etc.>> Hereinafter, the directions (front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction) of the antenna device 1 will be defined as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction of the antenna device 1 are the same as the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction of the vehicle 100 in which the antenna device 1 is installed. In other words, the front side (front side) from the driver's seat of the vehicle 100 is the front direction (forward) of the antenna device 1, the right side from the driver's seat of the vehicle 100 is the right direction of the antenna device 1, and the zenith direction from the driver's seat of the vehicle 100 is the up direction (upward) of the antenna device 1. Furthermore, the opposite directions of the front, right, and up directions are respectively referred to as the rear direction (rearward), left direction, and down direction (downward). The front-rear direction may be referred to as the longitudinal direction, the left-right direction as the horizontal direction or width direction, and the up-down direction as the vertical direction or height direction.

[0014] 1 and 2, to facilitate understanding of the orientation of the antenna device 1, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions are each represented by line segments with arrows. Note that the intersection of these line segments with arrows does not indicate the coordinate origin. Furthermore, the appearance of the antenna device 1 of this embodiment is designed to be tapered toward the front and gradually narrow in width from the mounting surface on the vehicle 100 upward, as shown in FIG. 4, which will be described later, and these design features help understand the orientation.

[0015] The above definitions of directions and the like are common to other embodiments in this specification.

[0016] The external shape and installation position of the antenna device 1 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0017] <<External Shape and Installation Position of Antenna Device 1>>

[0018] In this embodiment, the outer shape of the antenna device 1 (i.e., the outer shape of the case 2, which will be described later) has a fin shape (i.e., a shark fin shape) that rectifies the wind generated when the vehicle 100 is traveling and reduces fluid resistance. Specifically, when viewed from above, the outer shape of the antenna device 1 of this embodiment tapers toward the front and becomes wider in width toward the rear. Furthermore, when viewed from the rear, the outer shape of the antenna device 1 of this embodiment gradually narrows in width and height from the mounting surface to the vehicle 100 upward. That is, the antenna device 1 of this embodiment has a streamlined outer shape that becomes relatively narrower and lowers in height toward the front tip, and the side surfaces are also curved and tapered inward. However, the outer shape of the antenna device 1 is not limited to this and can be various shapes, such as a cube, a rectangular parallelepiped, a cone, a pyramid, a sphere, or a combination of these shapes.

[0019] 1, the antenna device 1 of this embodiment is installed on the upper rear surface of a roof 101 of a vehicle 100. However, the installation position of the antenna device 1 can be changed as appropriate depending on the environmental conditions such as the intended communication target.

[0020] The antenna device 1 can be installed in various positions, such as on top of the dashboard of the vehicle 100, on the bumper, on the license plate mounting portion, on a pillar portion, and the like.

[0021] Although not shown in FIG. 1 , the antenna device 1 may be housed, for example, in a cavity between the roof panel of the vehicle 100 and the roof lining on the ceiling surface inside the vehicle cabin. The roof panel of the vehicle 100 is made of, for example, insulating resin so that the antenna device 1 can receive electromagnetic waves (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "radio waves"). The antenna device 1 housed in the cavity between the roof panel of the vehicle 100 and the roof lining on the ceiling surface inside the vehicle cabin is fixed to the roof lining made of insulating resin with, for example, screws. However, the antenna device 1 housed in the cavity may also be fixed to the frame or roof panel of the vehicle 100.

[0022] <<Outline of Antenna Device 1>> Next, an overview of the antenna device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 provides a simplified illustration of the antenna device 1 according to this embodiment by schematically showing the antenna device 1 and the configuration of the antenna device 1 (for example, an antenna 11, which will be described later). In Fig. 2, in order to illustrate the interior of the antenna device 1 according to this embodiment, the illustration of a case 2, which will be described later, is omitted, and the outline of the case 2 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0023] The antenna device 1 is an antenna device having a plurality of antennas. As shown in Fig. 2, the antenna device 1 has a case 2, a base 3, a substrate 6, a substrate 7, an antenna 10, and an antenna 11.

[0024] <Case 2> The case 2, together with the base 3, is a member that forms a space for accommodating the antennas 10 and 11. In this embodiment, the case 2 forms the upper surface of the antenna device 1. In this embodiment, the case 2 is made of an insulating resin material. However, the case 2 may be made of a material other than the insulating resin material that is transparent to radio waves. The case 2 may also be composed of a portion made of an insulating resin material and a portion made of another material that is transparent to radio waves, or these materials may be freely combined. The case 2 is fixed to the base 3 with screws (not shown). However, the method of fixing the case 2 is not limited to screws, and the case 2 may also be fixed to the base 3 by snap fitting, welding, adhesive, or the like.

[0025] <Base 3> The base 3 is a member that, together with the case 2, forms a storage space for the antennas 10 and 11. In this embodiment, the base 3 forms the bottom surface of the antenna device 1. As shown in FIG. 2 , the base 3 has an insulating base 4 and a metal base 5.

[0026] The insulating base 4 is a plate-like member made of an insulating resin material. However, the insulating base 4 may be made of a material other than resin as long as it is insulating, and may have a shape other than a plate. A metal base 5 is attached to the insulating base 4 with screws (not shown).

[0027] The metal base 5 is a member that functions as the ground of the antenna device 1. The metal base 5 is, for example, a metal plate-shaped member, and is a die-cast product of an aluminum alloy or the like. However, the metal base 5 may have a shape other than a plate as long as it is a metal member that functions as the ground, and may be made of sheet metal. As shown in FIG. 2 , the metal base 5 is provided with a substrate 6 to which the antenna 10 is connected and a substrate 7 to which the antenna 11 is connected. In other words, the antenna 10 is provided on the metal base 5 via the substrate 6, and the antenna 11 is provided on the metal base 5 via the substrate 7.

[0028] 1 , when the antenna device 1 is installed on the roof 101, the metal base 5 and the roof 101 are electrically connected. As a result, the metal base 5 functions as a ground for the antennas 10 and 11 of the antenna device 1. Note that although the metal base 5 is provided as an integrated metal base on which the substrates 6 and 7 are installed, it may also be provided as separate metal bases, with a metal base on which the substrate 6 is installed and a metal base on which the substrate 7 is installed. Even when provided as such separate metal bases, the metal bases function appropriately as a ground for the antennas 10 and 11.

[0029] In the above description, the antenna device 1 has the base 3 as a member that constitutes the bottom surface of the antenna device 1. Also, the base 3 has been described as having the insulating base 4 and the metal base 5 that functions as a ground. However, the configuration of the base 3 is not limited to the above.

[0030] For example, the base 3 may have only the metal base 5, or may have the insulating base 4, the metal base 5, and another metal base, or may be a metal plate instead of a metal base.The base 3 may also be composed of the insulating base 4 and a metal plate instead of a metal base.

[0031] In the antenna device 1 of this embodiment, the above-mentioned members can be freely combined as the member that constitutes the bottom surface of the antenna device 1 and the member that functions as the ground.

[0032] In this embodiment, the case 2 and the base 3 house the antenna 10 and the antenna 11. In other words, the case 2 and the base 3 form a housing space that houses at least the antenna 10 and the antenna 11. However, the case 2 and the base 3 may house members other than the antenna 10 and the antenna 11. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the case 2 and the base 3 form the housing of the shark fin antenna.

[0033] <Boards 6 and 7> Substrate 6 is a circuit board to which antenna 10 is connected. Substrate 7 is a circuit board to which antenna 11 is connected. As described above, substrates 6 and 7 are mounted on metal base 5. That is, substrates 6 and 7 are mounted on metal base 5 as separate substrates. In this case, costs can be reduced by using small substrates. However, the substrate to which antenna 10 is connected and the substrate to which antenna 11 is connected may be formed integrally. In this case, the assembly work of antenna device 1 can be made more efficient.

[0034] <Antenna 10> The antenna 10 is a planar antenna (patch antenna) that supports radio waves in the 1.5 GHz band (e.g., the L1 band) for the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Therefore, hereinafter, the antenna 10 may be referred to as a "GNSS antenna" or a "patch antenna." In this embodiment, the antenna 10 receives radio waves in the 1.5 GHz band for the GNSS. In particular, in this embodiment, the antenna 10 receives radio waves in the 1559 MHz to 1610 MHz band for the L1 band. In this embodiment, the target frequency in the L1 band is the center frequency, and the center frequency here is 1575.42 MHz. As will be described in second to fifth embodiments below, the antenna 10 may support radio waves in multiple frequency bands, and it is sufficient that the antenna 10 transmits and / or receives radio waves in a desired frequency band.

[0035] The communication standards and frequency bands supported by the antenna 10 are not limited to those described above, and other communication standards and frequency bands may be used. The antenna 10 may be, for example, a planar antenna (patch antenna) that supports radio waves in the 2.3 GHz band for the Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS).

[0036] Furthermore, the antenna 10 is not limited to a planar antenna, but may be, for example, a monopole antenna, a dipole antenna, a collinear antenna, a bowtie antenna, or a wideband antenna based on any of these antennas that is compatible with radio waves in the 614 MHz to 5100 MHz (5.1 GHz) band for GSM, UMTS, LTE, and 5G.

[0037] The antenna 10 may also be an antenna compatible with radio waves in the frequency bands used for telematics, V2X (Vehicle to Everything: vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and DAB. Furthermore, the antenna 10 may be an antenna for keyless entry or a smart entry.

[0038] Furthermore, the antenna 10 may be an antenna that supports MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) communication. In this case, the antenna device 1 further includes an antenna similar to the antenna 10, thereby supporting MIMO communication. In the antenna device 1 that performs MIMO communication, data is transmitted from each of the multiple antennas that constitute the antenna device 1, and the data is simultaneously received by the multiple antennas.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, the antenna 10 includes a dielectric member 12 and a radiating element 13 .

[0040] The dielectric member 12 is a substantially quadrilateral plate-like member made of a dielectric material such as ceramic. As shown in Fig. 2, a radiating element 13 is provided on the front surface of the dielectric member 12, and a conductor pattern (not shown) that functions as a ground conductor film (or ground conductor plate) is provided on the back surface of the dielectric member 12. The dielectric member 12 may be a dielectric substrate, or may be a solid or hollow resin member.

[0041] Here, "quadrilateral" refers to a shape consisting of four sides, including, for example, a square, a rectangle, a trapezoid, a parallelogram, etc. Furthermore, in an "approximately quadrilateral" shape, for example, at least some of the corners may be cut out obliquely relative to the sides. Furthermore, in an "approximately quadrilateral" shape, a notch (recess) or a protrusion (convex portion) may be provided on some of the sides. Note that the shape of the dielectric member 12 is not limited to an approximately quadrilateral, and may be, for example, a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, etc. Furthermore, the dielectric member 12 may have a shape other than a plate shape, and may be, for example, a columnar, box-like, or cylindrical shape.

[0042] The radiating element 13 is a conductive, substantially quadrilateral member having an area smaller than the front surface of the dielectric member 12. As shown in Fig. 2, the radiating element 13 is provided on the front surface of the dielectric member 12. The shape of the radiating element 13 is not limited to a substantially quadrilateral, and may be, for example, a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, or the like. In other words, the shape of the radiating element 13 may be any shape that allows it to at least one of receive and transmit radio waves in a desired frequency band (here, the 1.5 GHz band for GNSS).

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2, the radiating element 13 has a power feed portion 14. The power feed portion 14 is a portion including a power feed point where a power feed line (not shown) is electrically connected to the radiating element 13. The antenna 10 of this embodiment is configured with two power feed lines connected to the radiating element 13, i.e., employs a dual-feed system. The radiating element 13 of the dual-feed system has, for example, an approximately square shape with equal length and width so that it can receive desired circularly polarized waves. Note that the "approximate square" is a shape that falls within the "approximate quadrilateral" mentioned above.

[0044] However, the antenna 10 may be configured with only one feed line connected to the radiating element 13, i.e., a single-feed system may be adopted. The radiating element 13 of the single-feed system has, for example, a substantially rectangular shape with different vertical and horizontal lengths so as to receive a desired circularly polarized wave. Note that the "substantially rectangular" shape is included in the above-mentioned "substantially quadrilateral" shape.

[0045] However, the radiating element 13 of the two-feed system or the one-feed system may be configured so as to be able to receive and / or transmit a desired circularly polarized wave.

[0046] Note that, in addition to the one-feed method and the two-feed method, other feeding methods such as a four-feed method may be adopted for the antenna 10. Furthermore, the antenna 10 may be configured to be able to receive and / or transmit a desired linearly polarized wave, which may be a desired horizontally polarized wave or a desired vertically polarized wave.

[0047] The antenna 10 may be compatible with radio waves in multiple frequency bands. As will be described in detail later in connection with a second embodiment shown in FIG. 19, four slots may be provided along the outer edge of the radiating element 13 of the antenna 10. The slots are openings (or holes) formed in the antenna 10 for radiating (or reflecting) radio waves in a desired frequency band to be received by the antenna 10. The frequency bands received by an antenna 10 having a radiating element 13 with slots include two frequency bands: one determined by the outer dimensions of the radiating element 13, and the other determined by the length of the slots formed in the radiating element 13. This allows the configuration of an antenna 10 that is compatible with radio waves in multiple frequency bands.

[0048] Furthermore, if there are no strict restrictions on the vertical size of the antenna device 1, the antenna 10 may be a multi-layer or multi-stage antenna. This allows the antenna 10 to receive radio waves in multiple frequency bands. For example, elements of the antenna 10 in the lower layer or stage may be configured to receive radio waves in a desired frequency band, and elements of the antenna 10 in the upper layer or stage may be configured to receive radio waves in a frequency band higher or lower than the desired frequency band. In this way, by providing two or more elements in the antenna 10, it is possible to configure the antenna 10 to receive radio waves in multiple frequency bands.

[0049] <Antenna 11> Antenna 11 is, for example, an antenna that is compatible with AM / FM radio waves. In this embodiment, antenna 11 receives, for example, AM broadcast waves of 522 kHz to 1710 kHz and FM broadcast waves of 76 MHz to 108 MHz. For this reason, hereinafter, antenna 11 may be referred to as an "AM / FM antenna."

[0050] However, antenna 11 may receive only either AM broadcast radio waves or FM broadcast radio waves. Note that the communication standards and frequency bands supported by antenna 11 are not limited to those described above, and other communication standards or other frequency bands, such as the frequency band used for DAB, may also be supported. Furthermore, antenna 11 only needs to transmit and / or receive radio waves in a desired frequency band.

[0051] The antenna 11 has an element 15 and an element 16 .

[0052] Element 15, together with element 16, is an element that resonates in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio. Element 15 is also an inductive element in antenna 11, and may be called a helical element (or simply a "coil"). As shown in FIG. 2, element 15 is provided on metal base 5 via substrate 7. One end of element 15 is connected to substrate 7, and the other end of element 15 is electrically connected to element 16.

[0053] Element 16, together with element 15, is an element that resonates in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio. Element 16 is a capacitive element in antenna 11, and may be called a capacitive loading element. Further details of element 16 will be described later.

[0054] Although not shown in FIG. 2, the antenna 11 may have a holder for holding the elements 15 and 16 in addition to the elements 15 and 16.

[0055] As described above, the antenna device 1 is an antenna device having multiple antennas, and has been described as having two antennas, antenna 10 and antenna 11, as shown in Fig. 2. However, the antenna device 1 may have three antennas, including antenna 19 in addition to antenna 10 and antenna 11, or may have four or more antennas, as will be described in the fifth embodiment shown in Fig. 28, which will be described later.

[0056] <Other configurations> 2, in addition to the above-described configuration, the antenna device 1 may also have a pad that is sandwiched and fixed between the case 2 and the base 3. The pad is soft and insulating, and may be configured to fill the gap between the roof 101 and the case 2, improving the aesthetic appearance, as well as improving dustproofness and waterproofness.

[0057] <<Outline of Element 16>> As described above, antenna 11 of antenna device 1 has element 15 as well as element 16 that resonates in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio. Below, an overview of element 16 of antenna 11 will be described with continued reference to FIG.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 2, the element 16 includes a plurality of parallel resonator sections 20, an external connection section 50, and a substrate 60.

[0059] The parallel resonant section 20 is a member that resonates in parallel in the frequency band of radio waves (here, the 1.5 GHz band for GNSS) that is supported by the antenna 10. The element 16 has a plurality of parallel resonant sections 20 (here, 24 of them) as shown in FIG.

[0060] 2 , the parallel resonance sections adjacent to the parallel resonance section 20 via the external connection section 50 are referred to as the parallel resonance section 30 and the parallel resonance section 40, respectively. However, the distinction between the parallel resonance section 30 and the parallel resonance section 40 with respect to the parallel resonance section 20 is merely for convenience in the sense that they are positioned adjacent to the parallel resonance section 20 via the external connection section 50, and the configurations of the parallel resonance sections 30 and 40 are the same as those of the parallel resonance section 20. However, the configurations of the parallel resonance sections 30 and 40 may be partially different from those of the parallel resonance section 20. For example, the shape of the parallel resonance section 30 (or the parallel resonance section 40) may be different from that of the parallel resonance section 20.

[0061] Therefore, the description of the parallel resonance unit "20" may be a description common to multiple parallel resonance units, including the parallel resonance unit 20, the parallel resonance unit 30, and the parallel resonance unit 40, or may be a description representative of any one of the multiple parallel resonance units. For example, all of the multiple parallel resonance units may be simply referred to as the parallel resonance unit "20," or any one of the multiple parallel resonance units may be represented by the parallel resonance unit "20."

[0062] The external connection units 50 are members that connect adjacent parallel resonance units 20 to each other. Here, "connect" is not limited to a physical connection but also includes an "electrical connection." "Electrically connecting" adjacent parallel resonance units 20 to each other includes, for example, connecting adjacent parallel resonance units 20 to each other with a conductor, or connecting them with an electronic circuit, electronic component, or the like. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , 23 external connection units 50 are provided so that all 24 parallel resonance units 20 are connected to each other.

[0063] In the element 16 of this embodiment, the multiple parallel resonant units 20 connected by the external connection units 50 operate as a single conductor together with the element 15 in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio. That is, the element 16 resonates together with the element 15 in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio.

[0064] The element 16 of this embodiment includes a plurality of (here, 24) parallel resonant sections 20 connected by external connection sections 50.

[0065] Furthermore, in the element 16 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , adjacent parallel resonance units 20 are connected to each other by external connection units 50, thereby functioning as a capacitance loading element for the frequency band of AM / FM radio waves. In this case, any connection path may be used as long as the parallel resonance units are connected so that the element 16 functions as a capacitance loading element for the frequency band of AM / FM radio waves. This improves design flexibility. For example, the connection path of the multiple parallel resonance units 20 connected by the external connection units 50 may be meandering. Specifically, for example, the parallel resonance units may be connected so as to form a meandering path (a vertical meandering path) that repeatedly bends up and down as shown in FIG. 2 .

[0066] As described above, the multiple parallel resonant sections 20 connected by the external connection sections 50 operate together with the element 15 as a single conductor for the corresponding radio wave frequency band of the antenna 11 (here, the radio wave frequency band for AM / FM radio).

[0067] Furthermore, each of the multiple parallel resonant units 20 resonates in the frequency band of radio waves corresponding to the antenna 10 (here, the 1.5 GHz band for GNSS), and thus the antenna 11 of this embodiment can suppress the influence on the characteristics of another antenna (antenna 10). Note that suppressing the influence on the characteristics of the antenna 10 will be described later together with simulation results.

[0068] The substrate 60 is a plate-like member on which the parallel resonance unit 20 and the external connection unit 50 are provided. In this embodiment, the substrate 60 is, for example, a printed circuit board (PCB). The substrate 60 is made of, for example, a resin material such as glass epoxy resin, on which a conductor pattern is formed. However, the substrate 60 may be made of a resin material other than glass epoxy resin, such as phenol resin, on which the conductor pattern is formed.

[0069] However, the entire substrate 60 does not need to be formed in a plate shape, and the substrate 60 may have a portion formed in a shape other than a plate. For example, the substrate 60 may be a part of the case 2, or a part of a holder (not shown) that holds the above-mentioned elements 15 and 16. In this case, the case 2 and the holder (not shown) may be made of, for example, resin.

[0070] The substrate 60 is not limited to the above configuration and may be configured only with a conductor pattern. Furthermore, when the substrate 60 is configured by forming a conductor pattern on a resin material, for example, MID (Molded Interconnect Device) technology may be used. This allows a conductor pattern to be formed on a resin material having a complex three-dimensional shape. For example, a conductor pattern can be formed on a resin material having a shape like the substrate 60 shown in FIG. 2 using MID technology.

[0071] <<Overview of the parallel resonance unit 20>> As described above, element 16 resonates together with element 15 in the frequency band of radio waves (here, radio waves for AM / FM radio) supported by antenna 11. Element 16 has a parallel resonant section 20 that resonates in parallel in the frequency band of radio waves (here, radio waves for GNSS) supported by antenna 10. Below, an overview of parallel resonant section 20 constituting element 16 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0072] Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating an overview of the parallel resonant unit 20, and Fig. 3A is an explanatory diagram of the parallel resonant unit 20. Fig. 3B is a circuit diagram of the parallel resonant unit 20. Note that Fig. 3A provides a simplified illustration of the parallel resonant unit 20 by schematically illustrating the parallel resonant unit 20 and components included in the parallel resonant unit 20 (for example, a capacitor 21 and an inductor 22, which will be described later).

[0073] Since the parallel resonance unit 20 is not necessarily arranged along the directions, etc., of the antenna device 1 (front-back, left-right, and up-down directions), in the following, the directions, etc., of the parallel resonance unit 20 (X direction, Y direction, and Z direction) are defined separately from the directions, etc., of the antenna device 1, as shown in FIG.

[0074] 3A, the direction in which capacitor 21 (described later) and inductor 22 (described later) are aligned is defined as the X direction. The direction from inductor 22 toward capacitor 21 is defined as the +X direction, and the opposite side (the direction from capacitor 21 toward inductor 22) is defined as the −X direction.

[0075] 3A, the direction in which a pair of conductors (conductors 23 and 24, described later) of capacitor 21 are aligned is defined as the Z direction. The direction from conductor 24 (the conductor located on the back surface 62 of substrate 60, described later) toward conductor 23 (the conductor located on the front surface 61 of substrate 60, described later) is defined as the +Z direction, and the opposite side (the side from conductor 23 toward conductor 24) is defined as the -Z direction.

[0076] 3A, the direction perpendicular to the X and Z directions is the Y direction. The direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3A is the +Y direction. The opposite side to the direction indicated by the arrow is the -Y direction.

[0077] The above definitions of directions and the like are common to other embodiments in this specification.

[0078] As shown in Fig. 3A, the parallel resonance unit 20 has a capacitor 21 and an inductor 22. That is, in the parallel resonance unit 20 of this embodiment, a parallel resonance circuit is formed by C and L as shown in Fig. 3B, and the parallel resonance unit 20 resonates in the frequency band of radio waves supported by the antenna 10 (here, the 1.5 GHz band for GNSS). Here, the capacitor 21 of the parallel resonance unit 20 corresponds to C shown in Fig. 3B, and the inductor 22 of the parallel resonance unit 20 corresponds to L shown in Fig. 3B. The sizes and shapes of the capacitor 21 and the inductor 22 can be freely adjusted depending on the frequency band of radio waves supported by the antenna 10.

[0079] The capacitor 21 is a region of the parallel resonant unit 20 surrounded by a dashed line in Fig. 3A, and is a component that functions as a capacitor in the parallel resonant circuit as represented by C in Fig. 3B. The capacitor 21 has a pair of conductors, conductors 23 and 24, positioned to face each other.

[0080] The inductor 22 is a region of the parallel resonance unit 20 other than the region surrounded by the dashed line in Fig. 3A, and is a component that functions as a coil in the parallel resonance circuit, as represented by L in Fig. 3B. In the parallel resonance unit 20 of this embodiment, the inductor 22 is connected in parallel to the capacitor 21.

[0081] Inductor 22 has arm portion 27, arm portion 28, and internal connection portion 29. Arm portion 27 extends from conductor 23, and arm portion 28 extends from conductor 24. Internal connection portion 29 is a member that connects arm portion 27 and arm portion 28.

[0082] In the parallel resonance unit 20 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A , the conductor 23 and the arm 27 are located on a front surface 61 of the substrate 60. The conductor 24 and the arm 28 are located on a rear surface 62 of the substrate 60. The "front surface" of the substrate 60 refers to the surface of the element 16 of the parallel resonance unit 20 that faces the case 2. The "rear surface" of the substrate 60 refers to the surface opposite the side that faces the case 2. The front surface 61 and the rear surface 62 are surfaces that face each other. As shown in FIG. 3A , the internal connection portion 29 connects the arm 27 located on the front surface 61 of the substrate 60 to the arm 28 located on the rear surface 62 of the substrate 60.

[0083] The shape, dimensions, etc. of capacitor 21 and inductor 22 can be freely adjusted to match the desired frequency band of the resonating radio wave.

[0084] <<Details of the element 16 and the parallel resonance section 20>> Next, the specific configurations of the element 16 and the parallel resonance section 20 outlined above will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0085] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the antenna device 1 of the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is a diagram of the antenna device 1 of the first embodiment, Fig. 5A is a side view of the antenna device 1, and Fig. 5B is a plan view of the antenna device 1. Fig. 6 is a diagram of the parallel resonance unit 20, Fig. 6A is a perspective view of the parallel resonance unit 20, and Fig. 6B is an exploded perspective view of the parallel resonance unit 20. Fig. 7 is a six-view diagram of the parallel resonance unit 20.

[0086] The plan view shown in Fig. 5B is a view seen from above the antenna device 1. In addition, Fig. 7 shows (a) a left side view, (b) a top view, (c) a front view, (d) a bottom view, (e) a right side view, and (f) a rear view, with the parallel resonance unit 20 viewed from the front in the -Z direction.

[0087] <Positional relationship between antenna 10 and antenna 11> First, to explain the details of element 16, we will explain the positional relationship between antenna 10 and antenna 11. In antenna device 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B, antenna 10 and antenna 11 are positioned so that at least a part of the first area A1 of antenna 10 and at least a part of the second area A2 of antenna 11 overlap.

[0088] Here, the first region A1 is a region in which the antenna 10 exists in a side view or a top view, and is a region from the frontmost end to the rearmost end of the antenna 10 as shown in Figures 5A and 5B. The second region A2 is a region in which the antenna 11 exists in a side view or a top view, and is a region from the frontmost end to the rearmost end of the antenna 11 as shown in Figures 5A and 5B.

[0089] In the antenna device 1 of this embodiment, in the side view shown in FIG. 5A , the first region A1 of the antenna 10 is included in the second region A2 of the antenna 11. However, for example, the second region A2 of the antenna 11 may be included in the first region A1 of the antenna 10 by forming the antenna 10 larger than the antenna 11. Furthermore, the second region A2 of the antenna 11 may be included in the first region A1 of the antenna 10 by disposing the antenna 10 shifted forward relative to the antenna 11. When the first region A1 of the antenna 10 is included in the second region A2 of the antenna 11, a portion of the first region A1 of the antenna 10 and a portion of the second region A2 of the antenna 11 overlap. Furthermore, the first region A1 of the antenna 10 and the second region A2 of the antenna 11 may not overlap.

[0090] In the antenna device 1 of this embodiment, in the top view shown in FIG. 5B , the first region A1 of the antenna 10 is included in the second region A2 of the antenna 11. However, for example, the second region A2 of the antenna 11 may be included in the first region A1 of the antenna 10 by forming the antenna 10 larger than the antenna 11. Furthermore, by disposing the antenna 10 to the right or left relative to the antenna 11, a portion of the first region A1 of the antenna 10 may be included in the second region A2 of the antenna 11. When a portion of the first region A1 of the antenna 10 is included in the second region A2 of the antenna 11, a portion of the first region A1 of the antenna 10 and a portion of the second region A2 of the antenna 11 overlap. Furthermore, the first region A1 of the antenna 10 and the second region A2 of the antenna 11 may not overlap.

[0091] In the antenna device 1 of this embodiment, at least a portion of the first region A1 of the antenna 10 overlaps with at least a portion of the second region A2 of the antenna 11 in a side view and a top view. However, for example, while the first region A1 of the antenna 10 overlaps with the second region A2 of the antenna 11 in a side view, the first region A1 of the antenna 10 and the second region A2 of the antenna 11 may not overlap with each other in a top view.

[0092] As described above, the multiple parallel resonant units 20 operate together with the element 15 as a single conductor in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio. Furthermore, the multiple parallel resonant units 20 resonate in the frequency band of radio waves supported by the antenna 10 (here, the 1.5 GHz band for GNSS). This makes it possible to suppress the influence of the multiple parallel resonant units 20 operating as a single conductor in the frequency band of radio waves supported by the antenna 10. This makes it possible to suppress the influence of the antenna 11 (particularly the element 16) on the characteristics of the antenna 10, even when the position or area of ​​the antenna 10 overlaps with the position or area of ​​the antenna 11.

[0093] <Details of Element 16> In this embodiment, as shown in the top view of FIG. 5B , element 16 is composed of two assemblies, ie, assembly 17 and assembly 18. Each of assembly 17 and assembly 18 has a plurality of parallel resonance units 20, external connection units 50, and a substrate 60. Assembly 17 and assembly 18 are spaced apart from each other and are each connected to element 15.

[0094] Each of the assemblies 17 and 18 is inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the plate surface of the base 3. Specifically, the assemblies 17 are inclined to the left as they go downward, while the assemblies 18 are inclined to the right as they go downward. That is, the distance from a point on the lower edge of the assemblies 17 to a point on the lower edge of the opposing assemblies 18 is greater than the distance from a point on the upper edge of the assemblies 17 to a point on the upper edge of the opposing assemblies 18. That is, the assemblies 17 and 18 of this embodiment are configured so that the distance between their upper edges is shorter than the distance between their lower edges. As a result, when the external shape of the antenna device is fin-shaped (i.e., shark-fin shape), the elements 16 can be arranged to follow the inner shape of the fin-shaped case 2, thereby making maximum use of the space within the case 2 while maintaining the characteristics of the antenna 11.

[0095] However, the assemblies 17 and 18 may be arranged parallel to a plane perpendicular to the plate surface of the base 3, or may be arranged parallel to the plate surface of the base 3. Furthermore, the element 16 is not limited to two assemblies, but may be composed of three or more assemblies. Furthermore, the element 16 may be composed of only one assembly, or may be composed of a single plate-like member, as shown in the explanatory diagram of the antenna device 1 in FIG. 2.

[0096] Although this will be described in detail as a modified example of the cross-sectional shape of element 16 shown in FIG. 11 below, the upper edges of aggregate 17 and aggregate 18 may be connected to each other (an inverted V-shape or an inverted U-shape shown in FIGS. 11B and 11C). Also, the lower edges of aggregate 17 and aggregate 18 may be connected to each other (a V-shape or a U-shape). Although aggregates 17 and 18 of this embodiment are configured such that the distance between their upper edges is smaller than the distance between their lower edges, the distance between their upper edges may be larger than the distance between their lower edges.

[0097] Furthermore, when the elements 16 are configured as a single aggregate, the aggregate may be arranged parallel to a plane perpendicular to the plate surface of the base 3 (I-shape). Furthermore, when the elements 16 are configured as a single aggregate, the aggregate may be arranged parallel to the plate surface of the base 3 (minus sign shape).

[0098] <Details of the parallel resonance unit 20> As described above, the parallel resonance unit 20 includes the capacitor 21 and the inductor 22. The capacitor 21 is the region of the parallel resonance unit 20 surrounded by the dashed line in Fig. 6A, and the inductor 22 is the region of the parallel resonance unit 20 other than the region surrounded by the dashed line in Fig. 6A.

[0099] 6A and 6B, the parallel resonance unit 20 in this embodiment has a configuration in which a pair of plate-like members constituting the capacitor 21 and the inductor 22 are connected by an internal connection portion 29. Specifically, a portion located on the front surface 61 of the substrate 60 and composed of the conductor 23 and the arm portion 27 is connected to a portion located on the back surface 62 of the substrate 60 and composed of the conductor 24 and the arm portion 28 by the internal connection portion 29. With this configuration, the parallel resonance unit 20 is formed as a distributed constant circuit.

[0100] In this embodiment, the parallel resonance units 20 are configured to have a small maximum dimension. Here, the maximum dimension refers to the longest distance between two points on the outer shape of the parallel resonance unit 20. The maximum dimension refers to, for example, a diagonal line in a three-dimensional shape or the largest dimension of each side (length, width, height, thickness, diameter) that forms the structure. By configuring the parallel resonance units 20 to have a small maximum dimension, the influence of the multiple parallel resonance units 20 operating as a single conductor can be suppressed for the frequency band of radio waves corresponding to the antenna 10. Therefore, the influence on the characteristics of the antenna 10 can be suppressed.

[0101] Specifically, in this embodiment, the maximum dimension of the parallel resonance unit 20 is equal to or smaller than one-tenth of the wavelength of the radio waves that the antenna 10 supports. However, the maximum dimension of the parallel resonance unit 20 may be larger than one-tenth of the wavelength of the radio waves that the antenna 10 supports, as long as the effect on the characteristics of the antenna 10 can be suppressed.

[0102] In this embodiment, in the plan view of the parallel resonance unit 20 shown in FIG. 7 , the internal connection portion 29 is located closer to the center of the parallel resonance unit 20 than the outer edge of the outer shape. Here, the "center" refers to the geometric center of the outer shape of the parallel resonance unit 20. That is, the arm portion 27 of the inductor 22 is formed to extend from the conductor 23 of the capacitor 21 and then extend inward from the outer edge of the outer shape of the parallel resonance unit 20. In other words, the arm portion 27 of the inductor 22 extends from the conductor 23 of the capacitor 21 and forms a spiral that spirals from the outer edge of the outer shape of the parallel resonance unit 20 toward the center. Alternatively, the arm portion 27 of the inductor 22 forms a spiral that spirals from the center of the outer shape of the parallel resonance unit 20 toward the outer edge and is connected to the conductor 23 of the capacitor 21.

[0103] Furthermore, the arm 28 of the inductor 22 extends from the conductor 24 of the capacitor 21 and then extends inward from the outer edge of the outer shape of the parallel resonance unit 20. In other words, the arm 28 of the inductor 22 extends from the conductor 24 of the capacitor 21 and forms a spiral that spirals from the outer edge of the outer shape of the parallel resonance unit 20 toward the center, or alternatively, the arm 28 of the inductor 22 forms a spiral that spirals from the center of the outer shape of the parallel resonance unit 20 toward the outer edge, and is connected to the conductor 24 of the capacitor 21. The arm 27 and the arm 28 are connected by an internal connection portion 29 closer to the center of the outer shape of the parallel resonance unit 20 than the outer edge. By configuring the parallel resonance unit 20 in this manner, the maximum dimension of the parallel resonance unit 20 can be reduced.

[0104] However, if the maximum dimension of the parallel resonant section 20 can be formed to be one-tenth or less of the wavelength of the radio waves corresponding to the antenna 10, the position of the internal connection section 29 is not limited to the center side of the outline of the parallel resonant section 20, but may be on the outer edge side of the outline of the parallel resonant section 20.

[0105] In this embodiment, the internal connection portion 29 is a conductor portion formed by a through hole or a via hole formed in the substrate 60. This connects the arm portion 27 and the arm portion 28 together.

[0106] In this embodiment, in a plan view ((c) front view or (f) rear view) of the parallel resonance unit 20 shown in FIG. 7 , the outer shape of the parallel resonance unit 20 is quadrilateral, more specifically, substantially square. However, the outer shape of the parallel resonance unit 20 may be a quadrilateral other than a substantially square, or a circle, as in modified examples of the parallel resonance unit 20 shown in FIGS. 13 to 18 described later. Furthermore, although not shown, the outer shape of the parallel resonance unit 20 may be any of a polygon such as a triangle or a pentagon, an ellipse, a semicircle, and a semi-ellipse, or a combination of the above shapes.

[0107] 6B , the parallel resonance unit 20 of this embodiment has a connection region 25 connecting the adjacent parallel resonance units 30 and a connection region 26 connecting the adjacent parallel resonance units 40. The connection region 26 is located in a region other than the region facing the connection region 25 on the back surface 62. In other words, the connection region 25 is located in a region other than the region facing the connection region 26 on the front surface 61.

[0108] 7 , the connection region 26 is located in a region that is symmetrical with respect to the region facing the connection region 25 on the back surface 62, with respect to a line passing through the center of the outline of the parallel resonance unit 20 as an axis, or that is symmetrical with respect to the center of the outline of the parallel resonance unit 20 as an axis, with respect to the region facing the connection region 25 on the front surface 61. In other words, the connection region 25 is located in a region that is symmetrical with respect to the region facing the connection region 26 on the front surface 61, with respect to a line passing through the center of the outline of the parallel resonance unit 20 as an axis, or that is symmetrical with respect to the center of the outline of the parallel resonance unit 20 as an axis.

[0109] <<Details of the external connection part 50>> Next, the specific configuration of the external connection unit 50 outlined above will be described with reference to FIG.

[0110] 8A is a perspective view of the adjacent parallel resonance units 20 and 30, FIG. 8B is a side view of the adjacent parallel resonance units 20 and 30, and FIG. 8C is an exploded perspective view of the adjacent parallel resonance units 20 and 30 spaced apart.

[0111] 8A to 8C, the parallel resonance unit 30, like the parallel resonance unit 20, has a capacitor 31 and an inductor 32. The capacitor 31 has a pair of conductors facing each other, the conductor 33 located on the front surface 61 and the conductor 34 located on the back surface 62. The inductor 32 is connected in parallel to the capacitor 31, and has an arm 37, an arm 38, and an internal connection portion 39 connecting the arm 37 and the arm 38.

[0112] 8C , the external connection unit 50 connects the capacitor 21 of the parallel resonance unit 20 and the capacitor 31 of the parallel resonance unit 30. In this embodiment, the external connection unit 50 connects the conductor 23 located on the front surface of the capacitor 21 of the parallel resonance unit 20 and the conductor 34 located on the back surface of the capacitor 31 of the parallel resonance unit 30.

[0113] In this embodiment, the external connection portion 50 is a conductor portion formed by a through hole or a via hole formed in the substrate 60. This connects the conductor 23 and the conductor 34.

[0114] In this embodiment, the maximum dimension of the external connection portion 50 is also configured to be small, similar to the parallel resonance portion 20. By configuring the maximum dimension of the external connection portion 50 to be small, the influence on the characteristics of the antenna 10 can be suppressed.

[0115] Specifically, in this embodiment, the maximum dimension of the external connection part 50 is equal to or less than one-tenth the wavelength of the radio waves that the antenna 10 supports. However, the maximum dimension of the external connection part 50 may be greater than one-tenth the wavelength of the radio waves that the antenna 10 supports, as long as the effect on the characteristics of the antenna 10 can be suppressed.

[0116] <<Comparative Example>> Next, in order to explain the characteristics of the antenna 11 of this embodiment, an antenna 11A of a comparative example shown in FIG. 9 will be explained.

[0117] 9A and 9B are diagrams of an antenna device 1X of a comparative example, in which FIG. 9A is a side view of the antenna device 1X and FIG. 9B is a plan view of the antenna device 1X.

[0118] As shown in FIG. 5, the element 16 of the antenna 11 of the present embodiment described above has assemblies 17 and 18 each including a plurality of parallel resonance units 20. As shown in FIG. 9, the element 16X of the comparative antenna 11X is composed of a single metal body. Specifically, the comparative element 16X has a shape in which left and right metal body portions are connected by an upper (top) metal body portion, and has a shape similar to that of a single bent metal plate. Therefore, the comparative element 16X does not have the element 16 composed of a plurality of parallel resonance units 20 and an external connection portion 50 as in the antenna 11 of the present embodiment.

[0119] The configuration of the antenna device 1X of the comparative example, other than the configuration of the element 16X, is the same as that of the antenna device 1 of this embodiment. That is, the antenna 11X is configured to resonate with the element 16X and the element 15 in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio. Furthermore, the antennas 10 and 11X are positioned so that at least a portion of the first area A1 of the antenna 10 and at least a portion of the second area A2 of the antenna 11X overlap with each other.

[0120] <<Comparison of the characteristics of the antenna 10 in the antenna device 1 and the antenna device 1X>> FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the elevation angle and the average gain of the antenna 10 in each of the antenna device 1 of the first embodiment and the antenna device 1X of the comparative example.

[0121] In Fig. 10, the horizontal axis represents the elevation angle, and the vertical axis represents the average gain. Also, in Fig. 10, the calculation results for antenna 10 in antenna device 1X of the comparative example are shown by a dashed line and cross marks, and the calculation results for antenna 10 in antenna device 1 of this embodiment are shown by a solid line and plus marks. Furthermore, for comparison, the calculation results for a configuration with only antenna 10 (a configuration in which antenna 11 is removed from antenna device 1 of this embodiment) are shown by a dashed line and circles.

[0122] 10, when the calculation results for antenna 10 in antenna device 1X of the comparative example are compared with the calculation results for antenna 10 in antenna device 1 of this embodiment, the average gain is significantly improved at each elevation angle. Also, when the calculation results for antenna 10 in antenna device 1 of this embodiment are compared with the calculation results for a configuration including only antenna 10, the decrease in average gain at each elevation angle is significantly small. This means that antenna 11 in antenna device 1 of this embodiment can suppress the influence on the characteristics of antenna 10.

[0123] <<Modifications of the cross-sectional shape of the element 16>> Next, with reference to FIG. 11, a modified example of the cross-sectional shape of the element 16 will be described.

[0124] Fig. 11 shows modified examples of the cross-sectional shape of element 16, Fig. 11A is an explanatory diagram showing a first modified example of the cross-sectional shape of element 16, Fig. 11B is an explanatory diagram showing a second modified example of the cross-sectional shape of element 16, and Fig. 11C is an explanatory diagram showing a third modified example of the cross-sectional shape of element 16. Figs. 11A to 11C are each a cross-sectional view of element 16 cut along a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

[0125] <First Modification of the Cross-Sectional Shape of the Element 16> 11A, the cross section of element 16 in the first modified example is I-shaped. That is, element 16 has a flat plate shape that is perpendicular to the left-right direction. However, flat element 16 may have a shape that is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to at least one of the up-down direction and the left-right direction.

[0126] Alternatively, element 16 may have a flat plate shape that is vertical in the up-down direction. In this case, the cross-sectional shape of element 16 is a minus sign shape. Even when element 16 has such a cross-sectional shape, element 16, together with element 15, can appropriately resonate in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio. Furthermore, element 16 of the first modified example can also suppress the influence on the characteristics of antenna 10.

[0127] <Second Modification of the Cross-Sectional Shape of the Element 16> 11B, the cross-sectional shape of element 16 of the second modified example is an inverted U-shape that is convex upward. However, element 16 may also have a U-shape that is convex downward. Even when the cross-sectional shape of element 16 is formed in this way, element 16, together with element 15, can appropriately resonate in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio. Furthermore, element 16 of the second modified example can also suppress the influence on the characteristics of antenna 10.

[0128] <Third Modification of the Cross-Sectional Shape of the Element 16> The cross-sectional shape of element 16 of the third modified example is an inverted V-shape that is convex upward, as shown in Fig. 11C. However, element 16 may also have a V-shape that is convex downward. Even when the cross-sectional shape of element 16 is formed in this way, element 16, together with element 15, can appropriately resonate in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio. Furthermore, element 16 of the third modified example can also suppress the influence on the characteristics of antenna 10.

[0129] Although not shown, the upper part (top) of the element 16 may be flat in the inverted U-shaped element 16 shown in Fig. 11B or the inverted V-shaped element 16 shown in Fig. 11C. Specifically, the cross-sectional shape of the element 16 is a shape that follows the sides of the trapezoid other than the base.

[0130] <Combination of the First to Third Modified Examples of the Cross-Sectional Shape of the Element 16> As described above, the first to third modified examples of the cross-sectional shape of element 16 have been described. The first to third modified examples of the cross-sectional shape of element 16 described above can be freely combined. In this way, even when the first to third modified examples of the cross-sectional shape of element 16 are combined, they can resonate appropriately together with element 15 in the frequency band of AM / FM radio waves, and the effect on the characteristics of antenna 10 can be suppressed.

[0131] <<Modification of the connection path of the parallel resonance section in the element 16>> Next, modified examples of the connection path of the parallel resonance units in the element 16 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. In the modified examples of the connection path of the parallel resonance units in the element 16 described below, the connection between adjacent parallel resonance units can be changed (i.e., the position of the external connection unit 50 is changed) to change the connection path of the parallel resonance units in the element 16.

[0132] As described above, the element 16, together with the element 15, resonates in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio and functions as a capacitive loading element in the antenna 11. Any connection path for the parallel resonance units may be used as long as the element 16 functions as a capacitive loading element in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio. In other words, the external connection unit 50 may be positioned in any manner relative to the multiple parallel resonance units 20. Therefore, the following modified examples are specific examples of connection paths for the parallel resonance units, and connection paths for the parallel resonance units other than those described in the following modified examples may also be configured.

[0133] 12A and 12B are diagrams showing modified examples of the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in the element 16, in which FIG. 12A shows a first modified example of the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in the element 16, FIG. 12B shows a second modified example of the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in the element 16, and FIG. 12C shows a third modified example of the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in the element 16.

[0134] <First Modification of the Connection Path of the Parallel Resonance Section in the Element 16> 12A, the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in element 16 in the first modified example is a meandering path (a horizontal meandering path) that repeatedly turns back and forth in the front-to-back direction. Even when the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in element 16 is configured in this way, element 16, together with element 15, can appropriately resonate in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio. In addition, the influence on the characteristics of antenna 10 can be suppressed. Furthermore, the degree of freedom in design can be improved.

[0135] <Second Modification of the Connection Path of the Parallel Resonance Section in the Element 16> As shown in Fig. 12B, the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in element 16 in the second modified example is a meandering path that turns back irregularly in the front-rear and left-right directions. Even if the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in element 16 is configured in this way, element 16, together with element 15, can appropriately resonate in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio. In addition, the influence on the characteristics of antenna 10 can be suppressed. Furthermore, the degree of freedom in design can be improved.

[0136] <Third Modification of the Connection Path of the Parallel Resonance Section in the Element 16> In the first and second modified examples, the connection path of the parallel resonance units in the element 16 is configured to pass through all of the parallel resonance units 20 shown in the drawings in a single stroke. However, in the third modified example, the parallel resonance units 20 located in the two left-hand rows meander, repeatedly turning back and forth in the left-right direction, while the parallel resonance units 20 located in the one right-hand row are connected by branching off from these meandering paths. Even when the connection path of the parallel resonance units in the element 16 is configured in this way, the element 16, together with the element 15, can appropriately resonate in the frequency band of AM / FM radio waves. Furthermore, the effect on the characteristics of the antenna 10 can be suppressed. Furthermore, the degree of design freedom can be improved.

[0137] <Combination of the First to Third Modified Examples of the Connection Path of the Parallel Resonance Section in the Element 16> Although the first to third modified examples of the connection paths of the parallel resonance portions in the element 16 have been described above, the first to third modified examples can be freely combined.

[0138] For example, a plurality of parallel resonance units 20 (e.g., two or four) may be defined as one block, and the connection path may be different for each block. Furthermore, the connection path does not have to be a meandering path. For example, the connection path may be configured to be circular, spiral, or linear.

[0139] <<Modifications of the parallel resonance unit 20>> Next, modified examples of the parallel resonance unit 20 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0140] <First Modification of the Parallel Resonance Unit 20> Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a first modified example of the parallel resonance unit 20. Fig. 14 is a six-view diagram of the first modified example of the parallel resonance unit 20.

[0141] 14A and 14B show the parallel resonance unit 20 of the first modified example as viewed from the front in the -Z direction, with (a) a left side view, (b) a top view, (c) a front view, (d) a bottom view, (e) a right side view, and (f) a back view.

[0142] The outline of the parallel resonance unit 20 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is generally square in plan view. However, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , the outline of the parallel resonance unit 20 of the first modified example is generally rectangular in plan view. More specifically, the outline is generally rectangular in which the length in the Y direction is longer than the length in the X direction. However, the outline of the parallel resonance unit 20 of the first modified example may also be generally rectangular in which the length in the X direction is longer than the length in the Y direction.

[0143] By forming the parallel resonance units 20 into a substantially rectangular outer shape, the shape of the element 16 composed of multiple parallel resonance units 20 can be flexibly formed. For example, even in the end region of the element 16 where a substantially square parallel resonance unit 20 cannot be arranged, a substantially rectangular parallel resonance unit 20 can be arranged. This allows the parallel resonance units 20 to be arranged efficiently in the element 16, as in the parallel resonance unit 20 located at the top of the element 16 in FIG. 5, for example, and increases the capacitance of the element 16. The element 16 may be formed by arranging substantially rectangular parallel resonance units 20, or by arranging them in combination with substantially square parallel resonance units 20.

[0144] <Second Modification of the Parallel Resonance Unit 20> Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the second modified parallel resonance unit 20. Fig. 16 is a six-view diagram of the second modified parallel resonance unit 20.

[0145] 16A and 16B show the parallel resonance unit 20 of the second modified example as viewed from the front in the -Z direction, with (a) a left side view, (b) a top view, (c) a front view, (d) a bottom view, (e) a right side view, and (f) a back view.

[0146] 6 and 7, the connection regions 25 and 26 are arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction as shown in Fig. 6B. However, as shown in Fig. 16, the connection regions 25 and 26 in the parallel resonance unit 20 of the second modified example are located diagonally. In other words, when viewed in a three-dimensional structure, the connection regions 25 and 26 are located at positions furthest from each other.

[0147] By locating the connection region 25 and the connection region 26 of the parallel resonance unit 20 diagonally, the position of the adjacent parallel resonance unit 30 (or the adjacent parallel resonance unit 40) relative to the parallel resonance unit 20 can be flexibly set. This improves the degree of freedom in design. The element 16 may be formed by arranging only the parallel resonance unit 20 of the second modified example, or may be formed by combining and arranging the parallel resonance unit 20 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 with the parallel resonance unit 20 of the second modified example, or may be formed by combining and arranging the parallel resonance unit 20 of the first modified example.

[0148] <Third Modification of the Parallel Resonance Unit 20> Fig. 17 is a perspective view of a third modified example of the parallel resonance unit 20. Fig. 18 is a six-view diagram of the third modified example of the parallel resonance unit 20.

[0149] In Figure 18, the parallel resonance unit 20 of the third modified example is viewed from the front in the -Z direction, and (a) shows a left side view, (b) a top view, (c) a front view, (d) a bottom view, (e) a right side view, and (f) a back view.

[0150] 17 and 18, the parallel resonance unit 20 of the third modified example has a substantially circular outer shape in a plan view. However, the parallel resonance unit 20 of the third modified example may have an elliptical or semicircular outer shape. The connection region 25 and the connection region 26 of the parallel resonance unit 20 of the third modified example are arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction. The element 16 may be formed by arranging only the parallel resonance unit 20 of the third modified example, or by combining and arranging the parallel resonance unit 20 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 with the parallel resonance unit 20 of the third modified example, or by combining and arranging the parallel resonance unit 20 of the second modified example.

[0151] <Combination of the First to Third Modified Examples of the Parallel Resonance Unit 20> Although the first to third modified examples of the parallel resonance section 20 have been described above, at least two of the parallel resonance sections 20 of the first to third modified examples described above and the parallel resonance sections 20 shown in Figures 6 and 7 may be freely combined and arranged.

[0152] ==Second Embodiment== The antenna device 1 of the first embodiment has been described above. That is, the antenna 10 of the antenna device 1 of the first embodiment is compatible with radio waves in one frequency band (for example, the 1.5 GHz band for GNSS). However, the antenna included in the antenna device may be compatible with radio waves in multiple frequency bands. Therefore, hereinafter, an antenna device 1 of a second embodiment having an antenna 10A compatible with radio waves in multiple frequency bands will be described.

[0153] Fig. 19 is a diagram of an antenna device 1A of the second embodiment, Fig. 19A is a side view of the antenna device 1A, Fig. 19B is a plan view of a radiating element 13A of an antenna 10A, and Fig. 19C is an enlarged view of an external connection part 50A.

[0154] 19B, radiating element 13A of antenna 10A has four slots 70 formed along the outer edge of radiating element 13A. Slots 70 are openings (or holes) formed in antenna 10A for radiating (or reflecting) radio waves in a desired frequency band to be received by antenna 10A. Antenna 10A having radiating element 13A with slots 70 receives two frequency bands: one determined by the outer dimensions of radiating element 13A, and the other determined by the length of slots 70 formed in radiating element 13A.

[0155] 19B has a substantially rectangular shape, but is not limited to this shape and may be curved so as to be convex toward the center of the radiating element, may have at least one convex portion, or may be wavy. Also, while slots 70 shown in Fig. 19B are provided in four locations, this is not limited to this and multiple slots corresponding to radio waves in different frequency bands may be provided, and antenna 10A may be configured to be compatible with radio waves in three or more different frequency bands.

[0156] This allows the antenna 10A to receive radio waves in two frequency bands, for example, the L1 band and the L2 band described above. In this embodiment, the antenna 10A receives radio waves in the 1212 MHz to 1254 MHz band for the L2 band in addition to the L1 band. In this embodiment, the target frequency in the L2 band is the center frequency, and the center frequency here is 1227.6 MHz. Note that the antenna 10A having the radiating element 13A is not limited to receiving radio waves in the L1 band and the L2 band, and may receive radio waves in any two desired frequency bands, or may receive radio waves in three or more frequency bands. Furthermore, it is sufficient that the antenna 10A having the radiating element 13A transmits and / or receives radio waves in any desired plurality of frequency bands.

[0157] In order for antenna 10A to receive radio waves in multiple frequency bands, radiating element 13A may have slits instead of slots 70. Although not shown, slot 70 may have a meandering portion. This increases the overall length of slot 70 and the electrical length compared to slot 70 without a meandering portion as shown in FIG. 19B. In this way, slot 70 with a meandering portion can lower the resonant frequency determined by radiating element 13A, improving the degree of freedom in setting the two frequency bands of radio waves received by antenna 10A.

[0158] Furthermore, if there are no strict limitations on the vertical size of the antenna device 1A, the antenna 10A may be a multi-layer or multi-stage antenna to receive radio waves in multiple frequency bands. For example, the elements of the lower layer or stage of the antenna 10A may be adapted to receive radio waves in a desired frequency band, and the elements of the upper layer or stage of the antenna 10A may be adapted to receive radio waves in a frequency band higher or lower than the desired frequency band. In this way, by providing two or more elements in the antenna 10A, it is possible to configure the antenna 10A to receive radio waves in multiple frequency bands.

[0159] In the antenna device 1A of this embodiment, an element 16A of an antenna 11A has an external connection part 50A that is different from that of the first embodiment, as shown in Figures 19A and 19C. The other configurations of the antenna device 1A are the same as those of the antenna device 1 of the first embodiment.

[0160] The external connection part 50A is configured by a lumped constant circuit. As shown in Fig. 19C, the external connection part 50A configured by a lumped constant circuit is a parallel resonant circuit configured by a capacitor part C and an inductor part L. However, the external connection part 50A configured by a lumped constant circuit may be configured by only the inductor part L, or may be configured by a combination of elements that can configure a parallel resonant circuit.

[0161] 19A and 19C, one terminal of the external connection unit 50A is connected to the parallel resonance unit 20, and the other terminal is connected to the parallel resonance unit 30 adjacent to the parallel resonance unit 20. In this way, the external connection unit 50A formed by a lumped constant circuit is provided so as to straddle the adjacent parallel resonance units 20 and 30.

[0162] In the antenna 11A of the antenna device 1A of this embodiment, the parallel resonance portion 20 of the element 16A resonates in one frequency band (for example, the L1 band) among the multiple frequency bands of radio waves supported by the antenna 10A. Also, in the antenna 11A of the antenna device 1A of this embodiment, the external connection portion 50A of the element 16A resonates in another frequency band (for example, the L2 band) among the multiple frequency bands of radio waves supported by the antenna 10A. This makes it possible to suppress the influence on the characteristics of the antenna 10A that supports radio waves of multiple frequency bands (here, the L1 band and the L2 band).

[0163] ==Third Embodiment== <<Element 16B>> In the antenna device 1A of the second embodiment described above, the element 16A has an external connection part 50A configured by a lumped constant circuit, which can suppress the influence on the characteristics of the antenna 10A that supports radio waves in multiple frequency bands. However, even with a configuration different from that of the second embodiment, the influence on the characteristics of the antenna that supports radio waves in multiple frequency bands can be suppressed. Therefore, below, an antenna device 1B of a third embodiment having an antenna 10B that supports radio waves in multiple frequency bands will be described.

[0164] Fig. 20 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an antenna device 1B according to the third embodiment. Fig. 21 is a diagram of a parallel resonance unit 20B, Fig. 21A is a perspective view of the parallel resonance unit 20B, and Fig. 21B is an exploded perspective view of the parallel resonance unit 20B. Fig. 22 is a six-view diagram of the parallel resonance unit 20B.

[0165] 20, the antenna device 1B is illustrated simply by schematically showing the antenna device 1B and the configuration of the antenna device 1B (for example, the antenna 11B described later). The detailed shape and configuration of the antenna device 1B of this embodiment are the same as those of the antenna device 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, except as described below. In addition, in FIG. 20, the case 2 is not illustrated in order to illustrate the interior of the antenna device 1B.

[0166] The antenna device 1B of this embodiment, like the antenna 10A of the second embodiment, includes an antenna 10B that supports radio waves in multiple frequency bands, such as the L1 band and the L2 band. Furthermore, in the antenna device 1B of this embodiment, an element 16B of an antenna 11B includes a parallel resonant unit (e.g., parallel resonant unit 20B) that resonates in the L1 band frequency band, and a parallel resonant unit (e.g., parallel resonant unit 30B and parallel resonant unit 40B) that resonates in the L2 band frequency band. That is, the element 16B includes two types of parallel resonant units with different resonant frequencies. This can suppress the influence on the characteristics of the antenna 10B that supports radio waves in multiple frequency bands (here, the L1 band and the L2 band).

[0167] In the following, of the two types of parallel resonance units having different resonance frequencies, the parallel resonance unit that resonates in one frequency band (parallel resonance unit 20B in FIG. 20) may be referred to as the "parallel resonance unit of frequency band A." In FIG. 20, the parallel resonance units of frequency band A are illustrated by hatching with dots. Furthermore, of the two types of parallel resonance units having different resonance frequencies, the parallel resonance units that resonate in another frequency band (parallel resonance units 30B and 40B in FIG. 20) may be referred to as the "parallel resonance unit of frequency band B." In FIG. 20, the parallel resonance units of frequency band B are illustrated by hatching with diagonal lines.

[0168] 21 and 22 show the detailed configuration of the parallel resonance unit 20B, which is a parallel resonance unit for frequency band A. The configuration of the parallel resonance unit 20B, which is a parallel resonance unit for frequency band A, is the same as the configuration of the parallel resonance unit 20 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, except that the adjacent parallel resonance units 30B and 40B are parallel resonance units for frequency band B, which is different from frequency band A.

[0169] In the element 16B of this embodiment, the parallel resonance units for frequency band A and the parallel resonance units for frequency band B are arranged alternately, as shown in FIG. 20 . In the element 16B of this embodiment, the parallel resonance units for frequency band A and the parallel resonance units for frequency band B are arranged on a single-layer substrate 60. However, this is not limiting. For example, a parallel resonance unit 20B corresponding to radio waves in frequency band A, a parallel resonance unit 30B corresponding to radio waves in frequency band B, and a parallel resonance unit 40B corresponding to radio waves in frequency band C, which is different from frequency bands A and B, may be arranged to accommodate radio waves in three frequency bands. The arrangement of the parallel resonance units 20B is not limited to these examples. Therefore, the following describes variations regarding the arrangement of the parallel resonance units 20B.

[0170] <<Modifications Regarding the Arrangement of the Parallel Resonance Unit 20B>> <First Modification Regarding Arrangement of the Parallel Resonance Unit 20B> FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of a first modified example regarding the arrangement of the parallel resonance unit 20B.

[0171] 23, the element 16B of the first modified example has two parallel resonance units for frequency band A and two parallel resonance units for frequency band B alternately arranged. This arrangement also makes it possible to suppress the influence on the characteristics of the antenna 10B that is compatible with radio waves in multiple frequency bands (here, the L1 band and the L2 band).

[0172] However, in the element 16B, any number of parallel resonance units for frequency band A and parallel resonance units for frequency band B may be alternately arranged, or the parallel resonance units for frequency band A and parallel resonance units for frequency band B may be irregularly arranged in the element 16B.

[0173] <Second Modification Regarding Arrangement of the Parallel Resonance Unit 20B> Fig. 24 shows a second modification of the arrangement of the parallel resonance units 20B, in which Fig. 24A is a perspective view of adjacent parallel resonance units 20B and 30B, Fig. 24B is an exploded perspective view of the adjacent parallel resonance units 20B and 30B spaced apart, and Fig. 25 is a six-view diagram of the adjacent parallel resonance units 20B and 30B.

[0174] In the second modified example shown in Figures 24 and 25, the substrate 60 has a multilayer structure. Specifically, the substrate 60 is made up of three dielectric layers: a dielectric layer 63, a dielectric layer 64, and a dielectric layer 65. The dielectric layer 63 is a layer located on the front surface side of the substrate 60. The dielectric layer 65 is a layer located on the back surface side of the substrate 60. The dielectric layer 64 is a layer located between the dielectric layer 63 and the dielectric layer 65.

[0175] As shown in FIG. 24B, the dielectric layer 63 is provided with a parallel resonance unit 30B. The dielectric layer 65 is provided with a parallel resonance unit 20B. The dielectric layer 64 is provided with an external connection unit 50B that connects the parallel resonance unit 20B and the parallel resonance unit 30B. The parallel resonance unit 20B and the parallel resonance unit 30B are positioned so as to overlap in the thickness direction of the substrate (the Z direction in FIG. 24). That is, in the second modification, the parallel resonance unit 20B and the parallel resonance unit 30B are stacked. Note that a dielectric layer 66 and a dielectric layer 67 may be further provided, and the parallel resonance unit 20B, the parallel resonance unit 30B, and the parallel resonance unit 40B corresponding to different frequency bands of radio waves may be provided on a substrate made up of five dielectric layers. In plan view, the parallel resonance unit 20B and the parallel resonance unit 30B substantially overlap each other in their entirety. However, they may be shifted from each other in at least one of the X and Y directions, or they may be positioned so that a portion of the parallel resonance unit 20B and a portion of the parallel resonance unit 30B overlap each other.

[0176] 20, adjacent parallel resonance units 20B and 30B are provided on a substrate 60 having a single-layer structure. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and adjacent parallel resonance units 20B and 30B may be arranged on a substrate 60 having a multi-layer structure, as in a second modified example shown in FIGS. 24 and 25. This arrangement also reduces the effect on the characteristics of the antenna 10B that responds to radio waves in multiple frequency bands (here, the L1 band and the L2 band).

[0177] <<Modification of the connection path of the parallel resonance section in the element 16B>>

[0178] 12 described above, a modified example of the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in the element 16 of the first embodiment has been described. Similarly, in the element 16B of the third embodiment, the connection between adjacent parallel resonance units can be changed (i.e., the position of the external connection unit 50B is changed) to change the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in the element 16B.

[0179] Figure 26 shows modified examples of the connection path of the parallel resonance section in element 16B, where Figure 26A is an explanatory diagram of a first modified example of the connection path of the parallel resonance section in element 16B, Figure 26B is an explanatory diagram of a second modified example of the connection path of the parallel resonance section in element 16B, and Figure 26C is an explanatory diagram of a third modified example of the connection path of the parallel resonance section in element 16B.

[0180] <First Modification of the Connection Path of the Parallel Resonance Section in the Element 16B> As shown in Fig. 26A, the connection path of the parallel resonance units in element 16B in the first modified example is a meandering path that repeatedly turns back and forth in the front-to-back direction (a horizontal meandering path). Alternatively, the connection path of the parallel resonance units in element 16B may be a meandering path that turns back and forth in the up-to-down direction (a vertical meandering path). Even when the connection path of the parallel resonance units in element 16B is configured in this way, element 16B, together with element 15, can appropriately resonate in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio. Furthermore, the degree of freedom in design can be improved.

[0181] <Second Modification of the Connection Path of the Parallel Resonance Section in the Element 16B> As shown in Fig. 26B, the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in element 16B in the second modified example is a meandering path that turns back irregularly in the front-rear and left-right directions. Even if the connection path of the parallel resonance unit in element 16B is configured in this way, element 16B can resonate appropriately together with element 15 in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio. Furthermore, the degree of freedom in design can be improved.

[0182] <Third Modification of the Connection Path of the Parallel Resonance Section in the Element 16B> In the first and second modified examples, the connection path of the parallel resonance units in the element 16B is configured to pass through all of the parallel resonance units 20B shown in the drawings in a single stroke. However, in the third modified example, the parallel resonance units 20B located in the two left-hand rows meander, repeatedly turning back and forth in the left-right direction, while the parallel resonance units 20B located in the one right-hand row are connected by branching off from these meandering paths. Even with the connection path of the parallel resonance units in the element 16B configured in this way, the element 16B, together with the element 15, can appropriately resonate in the frequency band of radio waves for AM / FM radio. This also improves the degree of design freedom.

[0183] <Combination of the First to Third Modified Examples of the Connection Path of the Parallel Resonance Section in the Element 16B> Although the first to third modified examples of the connection paths of the parallel resonance units in the parallel resonance unit 20B of the element 16 have been described above, the first to third modified examples can be freely combined.

[0184] For example, a plurality of parallel resonance units 20B (e.g., two or four) may be defined as one block, and the connection path may be different for each block. Furthermore, the connection path does not have to be a meandering path. For example, the connection path may be configured to spiral or circumnavigate, or may be configured linearly.

[0185] ==Fourth Embodiment== The above describes the antenna device 1B of the third embodiment. That is, the antenna 10B of the antenna device 1B of the third embodiment is compatible with radio waves in two frequency bands (for example, the L1 band and the L2 band). However, the antenna included in the antenna device may be compatible with radio waves in three frequency bands. Therefore, hereinafter, an antenna device 1 of the fourth embodiment having an antenna 10C compatible with radio waves in three frequency bands will be described.

[0186] FIG. 27 is a diagram of an antenna device 1C of the fourth embodiment, FIG. 27A is a side view of the antenna device 1C, and FIG. 27B is an enlarged view of an external connection portion 50C.

[0187] The antenna 10B of the third embodiment can receive radio waves in two frequency bands, for example, the L1 band and the L2 band. Although not shown in detail, the antenna 10C of the present embodiment can receive radio waves in the frequency band of, for example, the L5 band in addition to the L1 band and the L2 band. In this embodiment, the antenna 10C receives radio waves in the 1164 MHz to 1214 MHz band for the L5 band in addition to the L1 band and the L2 band. In addition, the target frequency in the L5 band is the center frequency in this embodiment, and the center frequency here is 1176.45 MHz. That is, the antenna 10C of the present embodiment can receive radio waves in three frequency bands.

[0188] In an antenna 11C of an antenna device 1C of this embodiment, an element 16C has an external connection part 50C similar to that of the second embodiment described above. That is, the external connection part 50C is configured by a lumped constant circuit. The external connection part 50C configured by a lumped constant circuit is a parallel resonant circuit configured by a capacitor part C and an inductor part L, as shown in FIG. 27C. However, the external connection part 50C configured by a lumped constant circuit may be configured by only the inductor part L, or may be a combination of elements capable of configuring a parallel resonant circuit.

[0189] 27A and 27B, one terminal of the external connection unit 50C is connected to the parallel resonance unit 20C, and the other terminal is connected to the parallel resonance unit 30C adjacent to the parallel resonance unit 20C. In this way, the external connection unit 50C formed by a lumped constant circuit is provided so as to straddle the adjacent parallel resonance units 20C and 30C.

[0190] In the antenna 11C of the antenna device 1C of this embodiment, similar to the antenna device 1B of the third embodiment, the element 16C has, for example, a parallel resonant section (e.g., parallel resonant section 20C) that resonates in the L1 band frequency band, and, for example, parallel resonant sections (e.g., parallel resonant section 30C and parallel resonant section 40C) that resonate in the L2 band frequency band.

[0191] In this embodiment, the external connection unit 50C resonates in another frequency band (for example, the L5 band) of radio waves among the multiple frequency bands of radio waves supported by the antenna 10C. This makes it possible to suppress the influence on the characteristics of the antenna 10C that supports radio waves in three frequency bands (here, the L1 band, L2 band, and L5 band for GNSS). The other configurations of the antenna device 1C are the same as those of the antenna device 1B of the third embodiment.

[0192] == Fifth Embodiment == In the antenna devices (e.g., antenna device 1) of the first to fourth embodiments described above, one patch antenna (e.g., antenna 10) is located near the AM / FM antenna (e.g., antenna 11). However, multiple antennas may be located near the AM / FM antenna (e.g., antenna 11). In other words, like the antenna device 1D of this embodiment, another antenna may be included.

[0193] FIG. 28 is a perspective view of an antenna device 1D of the fifth embodiment.

[0194] As shown in FIG. 28, the antenna device 1D includes an antenna 10, an antenna 11, and an antenna 19.

[0195] The antenna 10 and the antenna 11 in the antenna device 1D of this embodiment are, for example, the same antennas as the antenna 10 and the antenna 11 in the antenna device 1 of the first embodiment. That is, the antenna 10 is a patch antenna compatible with 1.5 GHz band radio waves for GNSS, and the antenna 11 is an antenna compatible with AM / FM radio waves.

[0196] The antenna 19 further included in the antenna device 1D of this embodiment is, for example, a patch antenna compatible with radio waves in the 2.3 GHz band for SDARS. That is, in the antenna device 1D, the frequency band of radio waves compatible with the antenna 10 is different from the frequency band of radio waves compatible with the antenna 19. Note that the antenna 19 is not limited to a patch antenna and may be another antenna type such as a monopole antenna, a dipole antenna, a collinear antenna, or a bowtie antenna, or may be an antenna compatible with various frequency bands such as a telematics antenna, a V2X antenna, a Wi-Fi antenna, a Bluetooth antenna, a keyless entry antenna, or a smart key antenna.

[0197] In the antenna device 1D of this embodiment, the element 16D is similar to, for example, the element 16A in the second embodiment shown in Fig. 19. That is, the multiple parallel resonant portions 20D of the element 16D resonate in the frequency band of radio waves corresponding to the antenna 10 (for example, the 1.5 GHz band for GNSS). In addition, the external connection portion 50D of the element 16D is configured by a lumped constant circuit and resonates in the frequency band of radio waves corresponding to the antenna 19 (for example, the 2.3 GHz band for SDARS). This makes it possible to suppress the influence on the characteristics of the multiple antennas (antennas 10 and 19).

[0198] However, in the antenna device 1D of this embodiment, the element 16D may be similar to, for example, the element 16B in the third embodiment shown in Fig. 20. That is, the element 16D may have a parallel resonant unit (e.g., parallel resonant unit 20D) that resonates in the frequency band of radio waves corresponding to the antenna 10, and parallel resonant units (e.g., parallel resonant unit 30D and parallel resonant unit 40D) that resonate in the frequency band of radio waves corresponding to the antenna 19. This makes it possible to suppress the influence on the characteristics of the multiple antennas (antenna 10 and antenna 19).

[0199] ==Summary== The above describes antennas 11 and 11A according to embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the antenna 11 includes an element 16 having multiple parallel resonance units 20, 30, and 40 that resonate in the 1.5 GHz band (L1 band) for GNSS, an external connection unit 50 that connects adjacent parallel resonance units (parallel resonance units 20, 30 or parallel resonance units 20, 40) among the multiple parallel resonance units 20, 30, and 40, and an element 15 connected to the element 16. The element 16 and the element 15 are compatible with radio waves in, for example, frequency bands for AM / FM radio (522 kHz to 1710 kHz for AM broadcasts and 76 MHz to 108 MHz for FM broadcasts), which are different from the 1.5 GHz band (L1 band) for GNSS. Such an antenna 11 can suppress the effects on the characteristics of another antenna (antenna 10).

[0200] Here, the 1.5 GHz band (L1 band) for GNSS corresponds to the "first frequency band," and the frequency band for AM / FM radio corresponds to the "second frequency band." Furthermore, the external connection unit 50 corresponds to the "first connection unit." Furthermore, the element 16 corresponds to the "first element," and the element 15 corresponds to the "second element."

[0201] 2, 4, and 5, the element 16 of the antenna 11 has a substrate 60, and the parallel resonant units 20, 30, and 40 are provided on the substrate 60. This makes it possible to easily configure the element 16 of the antenna 11 to suppress the influence on the characteristics of another antenna (antenna 10).

[0202] 6A, the maximum dimension of the parallel resonant unit 20 of the antenna 11 is, for example, one-tenth or less of the wavelength of the 1.5 GHz band (L1 band) for GNSS, thereby suppressing the influence on the characteristics of another antenna (antenna 10).

[0203] 6B, the length of the external connection part 50 is, for example, one-tenth or less of the wavelength of the 1.5 GHz band (L1 band) for GNSS, which can suppress the influence on the characteristics of another antenna (antenna 10).

[0204] 7, 14, 16, and 18, the outer shape of the parallel resonance unit 20 in plan view is any one of a quadrangle, a polygon, a circle, an ellipse, a semicircle, and a semi-ellipse, or a combination of any one of these shapes. This allows the element 16 of the antenna (antenna 11) that suppresses the influence on the characteristics of another antenna (antenna 10) to be configured with various parallel resonance unit 20 shapes. This improves the degree of freedom in design.

[0205] 3, 6, and 7, the parallel resonant unit 20 of the antenna 11 includes a capacitor 21 having a pair of conductors 23 and 24 positioned to face each other, and an inductor 22 connected in parallel to the capacitor 21. This allows the parallel resonant unit 20 to resonate in, for example, the 1.5 GHz band (L1 band) for GNSS.

[0206] 3, 6, and 7, the inductor 22 of the antenna 11 has an internal connection portion 29 that connects one conductor 23 and the other conductor 24 of the pair of conductors 23 and 24, and in a plan view of the parallel resonance unit 20, the internal connection portion 29 is located closer to the center of the outline of the parallel resonance unit 20 than the outer edge of the outline of the parallel resonance unit 20. This allows the maximum dimension of the parallel resonance unit 20 to be reduced.

[0207] 3, 6, and 7, the element 16 of the antenna 11 has a substrate 60, and the parallel resonance unit 20 has conductors 23 and 24 that function as capacitors 21, an arm 27 that functions as inductor 22 and extends from conductor 23, and an arm 28 that functions as inductor 22 and extends from conductor 24, and an internal connection unit 29 that connects arm 27 and arm 28. The conductors 23 and arm 27 are located on a front surface 61 of the substrate 60, and the conductors 24 and arm 28 are located on a back surface 62 that faces the front surface 61 of the substrate 60. This makes it possible to easily configure the element 16 of the antenna 11 that suppresses influence on the characteristics of another antenna (antenna 10).

[0208] Here, conductor 23 corresponds to the "first conductor," and conductor 24 corresponds to the "second conductor." Arm 27 corresponds to the "first arm," and arm 28 corresponds to the "second arm." Front surface 61 corresponds to the "first surface," and back surface 62 corresponds to the "second surface."

[0209] 7, in the antenna 11, in a plan view of the parallel resonance unit 20, the arm portions 28 are located closer to the center of the outline of the parallel resonance unit 20 than the outer edge of the outline of the parallel resonance unit 20. This allows the maximum dimension of the parallel resonance unit 20 to be reduced.

[0210] 6 and 7, the antenna 11 includes a plurality of parallel resonance sections, each of which includes a parallel resonance section 30, a parallel resonance section 20, and a parallel resonance section 40. The parallel resonance sections 30 and 20 are adjacent to each other, and the parallel resonance sections 20 and 40 are adjacent to each other. The parallel resonance section 20 includes a connection region 25 connecting the parallel resonance sections 30 and 20 and a connection region 26 connecting the parallel resonance sections 20 and 40. The connection region 25 is located on a front surface 61 of the substrate 60, and the connection region 26 is located on a back surface 62 of the substrate 60. This configuration facilitates the configuration of the element 16 of the antenna 11, which minimizes the influence on the characteristics of another antenna (the antenna 10). The position of the parallel resonance section 30 (or the parallel resonance section 40) adjacent to the parallel resonance section 20 can be flexibly determined, thereby improving design flexibility.

[0211] Here, the parallel resonance unit 30 corresponds to the “first parallel resonance unit,” the parallel resonance unit 20 corresponds to the “second parallel resonance unit,” and the parallel resonance unit 40 corresponds to the “third parallel resonance unit.” Furthermore, the connection region 25 corresponds to the “first connection region,” and the connection region 26 corresponds to the “second connection region.”

[0212] 6 and 7, the connection region 26 of the antenna 11 is located on the rear surface 62 in a region other than the region facing the connection region 25. This makes it possible to easily configure the element 16 of the antenna 11 that suppresses the influence on the characteristics of another antenna (antenna 10). Furthermore, the position of the parallel resonance unit 30 (or the adjacent parallel resonance unit 40) relative to the parallel resonance unit 20 can be flexibly set, thereby improving the degree of freedom in design.

[0213] 7, in the antenna 11, the connection region 26 is located in a region that is line-symmetric with respect to a line passing through the center of the outline of the parallel resonance unit 20 or point-symmetric with respect to the center of the outline of the parallel resonance unit 20, relative to the region facing the connection region 25 on the back surface 62. This makes it possible to easily configure the element 16 of the antenna 11 that suppresses the influence on the characteristics of another antenna (antenna 10). Furthermore, the position of the parallel resonance unit 30 (or the adjacent parallel resonance unit 40) adjacent to the parallel resonance unit 20 can be flexibly set, thereby improving the degree of freedom in design.

[0214] 6B, at least one of the parallel resonance unit 30 and the parallel resonance unit 40 is connected to at least one of the connection region 25 and the connection region 26 of the antenna 11. This makes it possible to easily configure the element 16 of the antenna 11 that suppresses the influence on the characteristics of another antenna (antenna 10). Furthermore, the position of the parallel resonance unit 30 (or the adjacent parallel resonance unit 40) relative to the parallel resonance unit 20 can be flexibly set, thereby improving the degree of freedom in design.

[0215] Here, at least one of the parallel resonant unit 30 and the parallel resonant unit 40 corresponds to "another parallel resonant unit."

[0216] 2, 4, and 5, the parallel resonant section of the antenna 11 is a distributed constant circuit, which makes it easy to configure the element 16 of the antenna 11 to suppress the influence on the characteristics of another antenna (antenna 10).

[0217] 2 and 12, the connection path of the multiple parallel resonant units 20, 30, and 40 connected by the external connection unit 50 is meandering. This makes it possible to easily configure the element 16 of the antenna 11 that suppresses the influence on the characteristics of another antenna (antenna 10). Furthermore, the degree of freedom in design can be improved.

[0218] 19, for example, the external connection unit 50A of the antenna 11A is a lumped constant circuit that resonates in, for example, the L2 band, which is different from the 1.5 GHz band (L1 band) for GNSS and the frequency band for AM / FM radio. This makes it possible to suppress the influence on the characteristics of another antenna (antenna 10A) that is compatible with radio waves in multiple frequency bands.

[0219] Here, the L2 band corresponds to the "third frequency band."

[0220] The above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention includes equivalents thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0221] 1, 1A~1D, 1X Antenna equipment 2 cases 3. Bass 4 Insulating base 5 Metal base 6,7,8 PCB 10,10A Antenna (GNSS Antenna, Patch Antenna) 11, 11A, 11B, 11X Antenna (AM / FM Antenna) 12 Dielectric material 13,13A Radiating element 14 Power supply unit 15 Elements 16, 16B, 16X elements 17,18 Aggregate 19 Antenna 20,20B parallel resonance section 21 Capacitor 22 Inductor 23,24 Conductors 25,26 Connection area 27,28 Arm 29 Internal Connections 30,30B parallel resonance section 31 Capacitor 32 Inductor 33,34 Conductors 35,36 Connection area 37,38 Arm 39 Internal Connections 40,40B parallel resonance section 50, 50A~50C external connection part 60 Base material 61 Front 62 Back 63~65 Dielectric layer 70 slots 100 vehicles 101 Roof

Claims

1. A first element; a second element connected to the first element, the first element and the second element correspond to radio waves in a first frequency band, The first element is at least one first parallel resonant unit that resonates in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band; at least one second parallel resonant unit that resonates in a third frequency band different from the first frequency band and the second frequency band; antenna.

2. the first element has a first connection portion that connects adjacent parallel resonant units among a plurality of parallel resonant units including the first parallel resonant unit and the second parallel resonant unit; 10. The antenna of claim 1.

3. Each of the adjacent parallel resonant units has a capacitor having a pair of conductors positioned opposite each other; an inductor connected in parallel with the capacitor; the first connection portion connects the capacitors of the adjacent parallel resonant portions to each other; 3. The antenna of claim 2.

4. the plurality of parallel resonant units are distributed constant circuits; 4. The antenna according to claim 2 or 3.

5. the first element has a substrate having a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer, and a third dielectric layer; the first dielectric layer is provided with at least a part of one of the adjacent parallel resonator units; the second dielectric layer is provided with at least a part of the other parallel resonator unit; the third dielectric layer is located between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer, and the first connection portion is provided thereon; the first connection portion connects at least a portion of the one parallel resonance portion provided on the first dielectric layer to at least a portion of the other parallel resonance portion provided on the second dielectric layer; An antenna according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. the first connection unit is a lumped constant circuit, the lumped constant circuit resonates in a fourth frequency band different from the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band. An antenna according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

7. the first element has a substrate; the plurality of parallel resonant units include a third parallel resonant unit, a fourth parallel resonant unit, and a fifth parallel resonant unit, the third parallel resonance unit and the fourth parallel resonance unit are arranged adjacent to each other, and the fourth parallel resonance unit and the fifth parallel resonance unit are arranged adjacent to each other; the fourth parallel resonance unit has a first connection region connecting the third parallel resonance unit and the fourth parallel resonance unit, and a second connection region connecting the fourth parallel resonance unit and the fifth parallel resonance unit, the first connection region is located on a first surface of the substrate; the second connection region is located on a second surface opposite to the first surface, in a region other than a region opposite to the first connection region; 7. An antenna according to any one of claims 2 to 6.

8. a connection path of the plurality of parallel resonant units connected by the first connection portion is meandering; An antenna according to any one of claims 2 to 7.

9. the first element includes a plurality of first parallel resonant units or a plurality of second parallel resonant units; 9. An antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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