Electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device and transmitting and receiving method

Abstract

The present invention provides an electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device capable of transmitting OAM radio waves in at least two directions and receiving OAM radio waves arriving from at least two directions. [Solution] The electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device comprises a plurality of antennas, a plurality of phase shifters connected to each of the plurality of antennas, a phase shift control unit that controls the phase change by the plurality of phase shifters, and an antenna selection unit that selects an antenna from the plurality of antennas to be used for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves. The antenna selection unit selects three or more antennas from the plurality of antennas that are oriented in at least two different directions according to the direction of transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves. The phase shift control unit identifies the phase of the plurality of phase shifters connected to each of the three or more antennas with respect to the approximate center of the three or more antennas, based on the directional direction and relative position of each of the three or more antennas selected by the antenna selection unit, and controls the plurality of phase shifters connected to the three or more antennas.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electromagnetic wave transmission / reception device and a transmission / reception method.

Background Art

[0002] In modern highly informationized societies, an increase in the capacity of wireless communication systems has been constantly demanded. In order to increase the communication capacity, many studies have been conducted on "expansion of radio bandwidth", "increase in modulation order", and "multiplexing of spatial transmission" using electromagnetic waves of linear polarization (horizontal polarization or vertical polarization) or circular polarization (right-handed circular polarization or left-handed circular polarization).

[0003] Here, electromagnetic waves have two physical quantities called spin angular momentum (SAM) and orbital angular momentum (OAM). SAM is related to the polarization state, and it is known that the change in the polarization state accompanying the interaction between radiation and an object can be geometrically analyzed by two orthogonal bases of horizontal polarization, vertical polarization, or right-handed circular polarization and left-handed circular polarization.

[0004] On the other hand, compared with SAM having only two bases, OAM has theoretically an infinite number of bases with respect to the right-handed and left-handed rotation directions of the helical azimuthal phase and the number of rotations. OAM is one of the characteristics of electromagnetic waves in which the trajectory of electromagnetic waves of the same phase is helical with respect to the propagation direction. Electromagnetic waves having OAM can be received only by a receiver having the same number of rotations of the phase as that at the time of transmission. Further, the number of rotations of the helix during which an electromagnetic wave advances by one wavelength is called an OAM mode, and electromagnetic waves having each OAM mode are orthogonal to each other and do not interfere with each other. Therefore, even when electromagnetic waves of different OAM modes are combined (multiplexed), the electromagnetic waves of each OAM mode can be separated therefrom.

[0005] Due to these characteristics of OAM, research and development of multiplex transmission technology using OAM has been actively pursued in recent years. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a wireless communication system comprising: a wireless transmitter including a wireless signal generation unit that generates a wireless signal; a transmitting antenna unit having a plurality of transmitting antenna elements that output the wireless signal; a receiving antenna unit having a plurality of receiving antenna elements that receive the wireless signal from the wireless transmitter; and a wireless receiver including a wireless signal processing unit that demodulates a transmitting signal from the wireless signal, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of transmitting antenna elements is configured to allow the polarization direction of the wireless signal to be switched between a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and at least a portion of the plurality of receiving antenna elements is configured to allow the polarization direction of the wireless signal to be switched between a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-22791 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Generally, for electromagnetic waves with OAM (hereinafter referred to as OAM radio waves), circular arrays (UCAs: Uniform Circular Arrays) or loop antenna arrays are used as transmitting and receiving devices. Because these antennas are directional, for example, when used as antennas for data relay satellites, it is possible to transmit and receive OAM radio waves in a specific direction, but there is a problem that it is not possible to transmit and receive OAM radio waves in all directions (at least two directions or more) in parallel.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a transmitting and receiving device that can transmit and receive OAM radio waves in parallel in at least two directions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention includes several means for solving at least some of the above problems, but one example is as follows: an electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device comprising: a plurality of antennas; a plurality of phase shifters connected to each of the plurality of antennas; a phase shift control unit for controlling the phase change by the plurality of phase shifters; and an antenna selection unit for selecting an antenna from the plurality of antennas to be used for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves, wherein the antenna selection unit selects three or more antennas from the plurality of antennas that are oriented in at least two different directions according to the transmission or reception direction of the electromagnetic waves, and the phase shift control unit controls the plurality of phase shifters connected to the three or more antennas such that the electromagnetic waves transmitted or received from the three or more antennas become OAM radio waves with respect to the approximate center of the three or more antennas, based on the directional direction and relative position of each of the three or more antennas selected by the antenna selection unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to transmit and receive OAM radio waves in at least two directions.

[0011] Other issues, configurations, and effects not mentioned above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1A] This figure shows a bird's-eye view of an example of the configuration of the transmitting and receiving device in the first embodiment. [Figure 1B] This figure shows a front view of an example of the configuration of a transmitting and receiving device in the first embodiment. [Figure 1C] This figure shows a side view of an example of the configuration of a transmitting and receiving device in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the processing procedure for signal transmission processing by the control device in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of the processing procedure of signal reception processing by the control device in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] It is an image diagram showing an example of the utilization of the transmission / reception device in the first embodiment. [Figure 6A] It is a diagram showing a bird's-eye view of an example of the configuration of the transmission / reception device in the second embodiment. [Figure 6B] It is a diagram showing a front view of an example of the configuration of the transmission / reception device in the second embodiment. [Figure 6C] It is a diagram showing a side view of an example of the configuration of the transmission / reception device in the second embodiment. [Figure 7A] It is a diagram showing a bird's-eye view of a modified example of the configuration of the transmission / reception device in the second embodiment. [Figure 7B] It is a diagram showing a front view of a modified example of the configuration of the transmission / reception device in the second embodiment. [Figure 7C] It is a diagram showing a side view of a modified example of the configuration of the transmission / reception device in the second embodiment. [Figure 8A] It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of one thin film in the second embodiment. [Figure 8B] It is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of one thin film in the second embodiment. [Figure 9A] It is a diagram showing a bird's-eye view of an example of the configuration of the transmission / reception device in the third embodiment. [Figure 9B] It is a diagram showing an example of a loop antenna array formed by a tension member on one face of an icosahedron in the third embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are examples for explaining the present invention, and for the sake of clarity of explanation, appropriate omissions and simplifications have been made. The present invention can also be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise particularly limited, each component may be singular or plural.

[0014] The position, size, shape, and extent of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, and extent in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, and extent disclosed in the drawings. When there are multiple components having the same or similar function, they may be described using the same reference numeral with different subscripts. Furthermore, when it is not necessary to distinguish between these multiple components, the subscripts may be omitted in the description.

[0015] In embodiments, processing performed by executing a program may be described. Here, the computer executes the program using a processor (e.g., CPU, GPU) and performs processing defined by the program using memory resources (e.g., memory) and interface devices (e.g., communication ports). Therefore, the main entity performing the processing by executing the program may be the processor. Similarly, the main entity performing the processing by executing the program may be a controller, device, system, computer, or node having a processor.

[0016] The main component of the processing performed by executing the program can be an arithmetic unit, and may include dedicated circuits for specific processing. Here, dedicated circuits include, for example, FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), and CPLDs (Complex Programmable Logic Devices).

[0017] The program may be installed on the computer from the program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a storage medium readable by the computer. If the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server includes a processor and storage resources for storing the program to be distributed, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the program to other computers. In addition, in some embodiments, two or more programs may be implemented as a single program, or one program may be implemented as two or more programs. [Examples]

[0018] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of an electromagnetic wave transceiver in the first embodiment, specifically an OAM radio wave transceiver. Figure 1A is a bird's-eye view, Figure 1B is a front view, and Figure 1C is a side view. In this embodiment, the transceiver is configured as a virtual regular polyhedron with the approximate center of the transceiver as the origin. As an example, in this embodiment, the transceiver is a virtual regular icosahedron. In the following description, the term "regular polyhedron" is used, but this does not necessarily mean that it must be "regular" in a strict sense; any polyhedron will do.

[0019] In Figure 1, the transmitting and receiving device 10 is composed of a control device 1 located approximately at the center of the transmitting and receiving device 10, a plurality of compression members 2, a plurality of tension members 3, and a plurality of poles 4 connecting the control device 1 to each compression member. The compression members 2 and tension members 3 are used to form a virtual icosahedron structure around the control device 1. In this embodiment, the control device 1 located approximately at the center of the transmitting and receiving device in Figure 1 is roughly cubic in shape. In addition, there are multiple rotational symmetry axes of the icosahedron formed around it, but in this embodiment, the three orthogonal axes extending from the approximate center of the icosahedron to each face of the cubic control device are defined as rotational symmetry axes 5 (5A, 5B, 5C).

[0020] The compression members 2 consist of a total of six members: 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, and 2F. Each compression member 2 is rod-shaped (prism or cylinder) and of the same length. Two compression members 2 are arranged on either side of each rotational symmetry axis 5, at equidistant positions from each axis 5, and parallel to each other. With this arrangement, each compression member 2 is positioned such that its approximate center is perpendicular to one of the rotational symmetry axes 5A, 5B, or 5C, and at approximately equidistant positions from each face of the control device 1. For example, in Figure 1, compression members 2A and 2B are arranged vertically on either side of the rotational symmetry axis 5A and the control device 1, compression members 2C and 2D are arranged horizontally on either side of the rotational symmetry axis 5B and the control device 1, and compression members 2E and 2F are arranged front to back on either side of the rotational symmetry axis 5C and the control device 1. Each tension member 3 connects to the two closest ends 6 of the twelve compression members 2. As a result, each end 6 of each compression member 2 is simultaneously supported by four tension members 3. Each compression member 2 experiences tension from the four tension members, along with a compressive force acting in a direction perpendicular to the rotational symmetry axes 5A, 5B, and 5C. In this way, the compression members 2 and tension members 3 are arranged so that the compressive force acting on the compression members 2 and the tension from the tension members 3 are balanced, forming a tensegrity icosahedron around the control device 1. This shape is generally similar to the solid shape known as Jessen's icosahedron.

[0021] In the transmitting / receiving device 10, each compression member 2 functions as a dipole antenna. For this reason, examples of materials used for the compression member 2 include beryllium copper, a combination of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) and copper, etc. On the other hand, examples of tension members 3 include high-strength fishing line such as polyethylene, CFRP, stainless steel wire, copper wire, thin film, etc. The pole 4 serves as wiring connecting the control device 1 and the compression member 2, so examples of pole 4 include beryllium copper and stainless steel, etc. The transmitting / receiving device 10 may be a structure that maintains the above-described icosahedron shape, or it may be a deployable structure that is foldable when not in use and can be deployed into the above shape when in use.

[0022] With the above configuration, the transceiver 10 can transmit and receive OAM radio waves in at least two directions without needing to rotate the device itself, due to the various directional directions of the dipole antenna provided by each compression member 2 and their relative positional relationships.

[0023] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the control device 1. In Figure 2, the control device 1 includes an antenna selection unit 20, a signal formation unit 21, a distribution / combination unit 22, a phase shift control unit 23, a plurality of phase shifters 24, a plurality of amplifiers 25, a plurality of switches 26, and an attitude control unit 27. The antenna selection unit 20 selects the antenna to be used for transmitting the signal (OAM radio waves) (in the example of Figure 1, one of the dipole antennas (compression members 2)). The signal formation unit 21 generates the signal to be transmitted from the transmitting / receiving device 10. When transmitting a signal, the distribution / combination unit 22 receives the signal generated by the signal formation unit 21 and distributes the signal according to the number of antennas used for signal transmission. When receiving a signal, the distribution / combination unit 22 combines the signals received by the plurality of antennas into a single signal. For example, in this embodiment, there are a total of six compression members 2 which become dipole antennas, but if three of them are used for signal transmission, the distribution / combination unit 22 outputs the signal divided into three during signal transmission. On the other hand, when receiving a signal, the distribution and combining unit 22 combines multiple signals received by any multiple of the six dipole antennas into a single signal.

[0024] The phase shift control unit 23 calculates the phase of each signal distributed by the distribution / combination unit 22 or each signal received by multiple antennas, and instructs each phase shifter connected to the antenna used for signal transmission or the antenna that receives the signal to use the calculated phase. Two phase shifters 24 are provided for each antenna, one for signal transmission and one for signal reception. Each phase shifter 24 changes the phase of the signal to be transmitted or the received signal according to the phase instructed by the phase shift control unit 23. An amplifier 25 for signal amplification is connected to each phase shifter 24, and the two phase shifters 24 provided for each antenna, one for signal transmission and one for signal reception, are each connected to the antenna via a switch 26 for switching the connection between the amplifier 25 and the antenna. The attitude control unit 27 adjusts the attitude (direction, etc.) of the entire transmitting / receiving device 10 during signal transmission or signal reception, as will be described later.

[0025] In Figure 2, the control device 1 is shown as having a distribution / combination unit 22. However, for example, the signal formation unit 21 may have the same functions as the distribution / combination unit 22, namely, the function of distributing signals according to the number of selected antennas or combining signals received by multiple antennas. Alternatively, instead of distributing the generated signals, the signal formation unit 21 may generate the signals to be transmitted for each antenna. Also, in Figure 2, an example is shown in which two phase shifters are provided for each antenna, one for transmission and one for reception. However, for example, one phase shifter may be provided for each antenna and the phase shifter may be shared between transmission and reception.

[0026] Figure 3 shows an example of the processing procedure for signal transmission by the control device 1. As described above, the transceiver 10 transmits and receives signals (OAM radio waves). OAM is one of the characteristics of electromagnetic waves in which the trajectory of radio waves of the same phase is helical with respect to the direction of propagation, and the number of rotations of the helix while the electromagnetic wave travels one wavelength is called the OAM mode. For example, if the number of rotations of the helix while the electromagnetic wave travels one wavelength is 1, it is OAM mode 1. In order to generate such a helical OAM mode 1 electromagnetic wave, it is necessary to transmit electromagnetic waves from at least three antennas that are oriented in at least two different directions. In this case, each signal transmitted from each antenna is, for example, a linearly polarized or circularly polarized signal, but by controlling the phase of each signal to rotate around the approximate center of at least three antennas based on the directional direction and relative position of each antenna, these signals are combined in space to become an OAM radio wave of OAM mode 1. Furthermore, the approximate center of the above-mentioned three antennas refers to the center of the virtual sphere or circle created by the array antenna composed of the selected multiple antennas, and the center includes the centroid, circumcenter, and incenter.

[0027] In step S31 in Figure 3, the antenna selection unit 20 of the control device 1 selects at least three antennas (in the example in Figure 1, six dipole antennas (compression member 2)) from among the multiple antennas provided by the transceiver 10, which are oriented in at least two different directions, according to the transmission direction of the OAM radio waves and the OAM mode. As described above, by changing the antennas selected by the antenna selection unit 20 according to the transmission direction of the OAM radio waves, the transceiver 10 can transmit OAM radio waves in at least two directions.

[0028] In S32 in Figure 3, the attitude control unit 27 of the control device 1 controls the attitude of the transceiver 10 and fine-tunes the direction of each antenna selected in S31 with respect to the transmission direction of the OAM radio waves. Here, an example of how the transceiver 10 shown in Figure 1 can be used will be explained. Figure 5 is an illustrative diagram showing an example of how the transceiver 10 can be used. In Figure 5, the transceiver 10 can be installed, for example, at base stations 51 and 52, or on the roof of a building 53 such as a data center, to transmit and receive OAM radio waves to communicate with each other. It is desirable that the OAM radio waves be received by a receiving device that has the same phase rotation speed as the transmission device, and the receiving device can receive the OAM radio waves by receiving the signal with the same number of antennas as the number of antennas from which the transmitting device transmitted the signal. Also, since antennas are directional, the transmission direction of each antenna in the transmitting device and the reception direction of each antenna in the receiving device need to match as closely as possible. Therefore, in order for the receiving transceiver to receive the OAM radio waves, the control device 1 fine-tunes the direction of each antenna selected by the attitude control unit 27 to match the reception direction of the receiving transceiver. As shown in Figure 5, if the transceiver 10 is permanently installed on a base station or building, it may not always be necessary to adjust the direction of the antenna relative to the receiving transceiver. However, if the transceiver 10 is mounted on a mobile device (e.g., a data relay satellite), the attitude control unit 27 will need to control the attitude of the transceiver 10 and adjust the direction of the antenna. When the transceiver 10 is mounted on a spacecraft, the attitude control unit 27 may be a reaction wheel, a magnetic torquer, a thruster, etc.

[0029] In S33 in Figure 3, the signal formation unit 21 of the control device 1 generates the signal to be transmitted. The signal generated by the signal formation unit 21 is a general signal such as a sine wave or cosine wave. In S34, the distribution and combining unit 22 distributes the generated signal to the number of selected antennas. As described above, for example, when using three dipole antennas (compression members 2) in the transceiver 10, the distribution and combining unit 22 outputs the generated signal in three parts. In S35, the phase shift control unit 23 calculates the phase of the signal to be transmitted from each antenna based on the directional direction and relative position of each antenna, so that the signal transmitted from each antenna rotates with respect to the approximate center of the selected multiple antennas, so that the signal transmitted from each antenna becomes an OAM radio wave in space, and instructs each phase shifter 24 connected to each selected antenna to the calculated phase. In S36, each phase shifter 24 connected to each selected antenna changes the phase of the signal to be transmitted according to the phase instructed by the phase shift control unit 23. Each phase shifter 24 for signal transmission is connected to an antenna via an amplifier 25 and a switch 26. The phase-shifted signals are transmitted to the selected antennas, and in S37, each signal is transmitted from each antenna. If OAM radio waves can be transmitted in any direction during the series of signal transmission processing procedures, the control device 1 terminates the signal transmission process in S38. If an error occurs, it returns to S31 and repeats the signal transmission process.

[0030] Figure 4 shows an example of the processing procedure for signal reception by the control device 1. In Figure 4, in S41, similar to S31 in Figure 3, the antenna selection unit 20 prepares to receive OAM radio waves and selects at least three antennas (in the example of Figure 1, six dipole antennas (compression member 2)) from the multiple antennas provided by the transceiver 10, each facing at least two different directions, according to the reception direction of the OAM radio waves and the OAM mode. As described above, by changing the antennas selected by the antenna selection unit 20 according to the reception direction of the OAM radio waves, the transceiver 10 can receive OAM radio waves from all directions. In S42, similar to S32 in Figure 3, the attitude control unit 27 controls the attitude of the transceiver 10 and makes fine adjustments to the direction of each antenna selected in S41 with respect to the reception direction of the OAM radio waves, so that it matches the transmission direction of the transmitting transceiver. As shown in Figure 5, if the transceiver 10 is fixedly installed in a base station or building, it may not always be necessary to adjust the direction of the antenna relative to the transmitting transceiver. However, if the transceiver 10 is mounted on a mobile device (e.g., a data relay satellite), the attitude control unit 27 will need to control the attitude of the transceiver 10 and adjust the direction of the antenna.

[0031] In S43, each selected antenna receives a signal. Each phase shifter 24 for signal reception is connected to the antenna via an amplifier 25 and a switch 26, and each signal received by each selected antenna is transmitted to each phase shifter 24. In S44, the phase shift control unit 23 calculates the phase of the signals received by each selected antenna so that the signals received by each selected antenna rotate around the approximate center of the selected antennas, based on the directional direction and relative position of each antenna, so that the signals received by each selected antenna become the correct signals in the OAM radio wave. The unit then instructs each phase shifter 24 connected to each selected antenna to use the calculated phase. In S45, each phase shifter 24 connected to each selected antenna changes the phase of the received signal according to the phase instructed by the phase shift control unit 23. In S46, the distribution and combining unit 22 combines the signals whose phases have been changed by each phase shifter 24. In S47, if it is confirmed that the signal synthesized by the distribution and synthesis unit 22 is an OAM radio wave, the control device 1 terminates the signal reception process. If it is not an OAM radio wave, it returns to S41 and repeats the signal transmission process.

[0032] In steps S35 in Figure 3 and S44 in Figure 4, the phase shift control unit 23 uses the following (Equation 1) to determine the phase φ of each signal transmitted from each selected antenna or each signal received by each selected antenna. ln Calculate.

[0033]

number

[0034] In (Equation 1), l is a variable representing the OAM mode; for example, l=1 for OAM mode 1. N is the number of selected antennas; for example, if three dipole antennas are selected in the example in Figure 1, N=3. n is a number used to identify each selected antenna, and is assigned to each antenna each time an antenna is selected. For example, in the example in Figure 1, if compression members 2A, 2D, and 2E are selected as three dipole antennas, n=1, 2, and 3 are assigned to compression members 2A, 2D, and 2E, respectively. The order in which the numbers are assigned to the antennas is arbitrary. θ ln θ is the phase, which depends on the directional direction of each selected antenna and its relative position to the other antennas. ln These values ​​are predetermined and stored in a memory (not shown) within the control device 1.

[0035] Furthermore, each time an antenna is selected, the phase shift control unit 23 uses (Equation 1) to determine the phase φ of each signal transmitted from each selected antenna or each signal received by each selected antenna. ln Alternatively, you can calculate the phase φ calculated beforehand using (Equation 1). ln The phase φ corresponding to each antenna is stored in a memory (not shown) within the control device 1, and each time an antenna is selected, the phase φ corresponding to each antenna is stored. ln The phase shift control unit 23 may read the phase φ corresponding to each selected antenna and instruct each phase shifter 24 accordingly. In this case, in S35 in Figure 3 and S44 in Figure 4, the phase shift control unit 23 will read the phase φ corresponding to each selected antenna. ln The data will be identified and read from memory or other sources.

[0036] The above description of the transmission and reception processing procedure shown in Figures 3 and 4 describes a series of processes when the transmitting / receiving device 10 transmits or receives OAM radio waves in or from a specific direction. However, by having the configuration shown in Figure 1 (a tensegrity icosahedron), the transmitting / receiving device 10 can transmit and receive OAM radio waves in parallel in or from two or more different directions. In this case, the control device 1 selects two or more sets of at least three antennas facing at least two different directions, depending on the transmission and reception direction of the OAM radio waves, and executes the transmission and reception processing procedure shown in Figure 3 or 4 in parallel for each set of antennas.

[0037] As described above, the transmitting and receiving device of the first embodiment has a configuration that forms an icosahedron with a tensegrity structure, and each compression member that serves as an antenna is arranged in various directions and positions. Therefore, without the need to rotate the device itself, it is possible to transmit and receive OAM radio waves in at least two directions by changing the antenna selected according to the transmission and reception direction. Furthermore, the transmitting and receiving device of the first embodiment makes it possible to correctly transmit and receive OAM radio waves by changing the phase of each signal transmitted from the multiple antennas selected according to the OAM mode, or each signal received by the multiple antennas selected, to an appropriate phase according to the OAM mode, direction, and position. [Examples]

[0038] In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which a tensegrity icosahedron is formed by balancing the compressive force acting on the compressive members 2 and the tension exerted by the tension members 3, thereby supporting each end 6 of each compression member 2, which is a component of the transmitting and receiving device 10, with a plurality of tension members 3. However, as tension members, it is possible to use not only fishing line or metal wire that supports each end of each compression member, but also thin films formed over the entire surface of at least 8 faces of the icosahedron. In the second embodiment, an example in which a transmitting and receiving device is configured using thin films as tension members will be described. Note that in the following description, explanations that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted, and only the differences will be described.

[0039] Figure 6 shows an example of the configuration of an OAM radio wave transmitting and receiving device in the second embodiment. Figure 6A is a bird's-eye view, Figure 6B is a front view, and Figure 6C is a side view. In Figure 6, the transmitting and receiving device 60 is configured similarly to the transmitting and receiving device 10 shown in Figure 1, including a control device 1 located approximately at the center of the transmitting and receiving device 10, a plurality of compression members 2, a plurality of tension members 61, and a plurality of poles 4 connecting the control device 1 and each compression member. The compression members 2 and tension members 61 form a virtual icosahedron three-dimensional structure around the control device 1, but the plurality of tension members 61 are made of thin films formed across the entire surface of at least 8 faces of the icosahedron. Each edge of each thin film on a triangle supports the two closest ends 6 of the total of 12 ends 6 of the compression member 2 by the tension of the thin film. As a result, each end 6 of each compression member 2 is simultaneously supported by two sides of the two thin films, and the compressive force acting on the compression member 2 and the tension from the thin film acting as the tension member 61 are balanced, forming a tensegrity icosahedron around the control device 1.

[0040] In the transceiver 10 shown in Figure 1, each compression member 2 functioned as a dipole antenna. However, in the transceiver 60 shown in Figure 6, multiple patch antenna elements 62 are formed on each thin film, which is a tension member 61, and each thin film constitutes an array antenna. Figure 8A shows an example of the configuration of one thin film (a state in which multiple patch antenna elements 62 are formed on the thin film). As shown in Figure 8A, a large number of patch antenna elements 62 are arranged on the thin film. As a result, in the transceiver 60, each tension member 61 functions as an array antenna. Due to the various directional directions of each tension member 61 and their relative positional relationships, the transceiver 60 can transmit and receive OAM radio waves in at least two directions without needing to rotate the device itself.

[0041] Other than what has been described above, the configuration of the control device 1 and the processing procedures for transmission and reception are all the same as those described in the first embodiment. However, as described above, in the transmission and reception device 60, multiple patch antenna elements 62 are formed on each thin film which is a tension member 61, and each tension member 61 functions as an array antenna. Therefore, in S31 in Figure 3 and S41 in Figure 4, the antenna selection unit 20 selects at least three array antennas out of at least eight array antennas (tension members 61). Alternatively, the antenna selection unit 20 may select at least three patch antenna elements 62 that are facing at least two different directions from the multiple patch antenna elements 62 formed on each tension member 61. In this case, any patch antenna element 62 can be selected from the multiple patch antenna elements 62 formed on one tension member 61.

[0042] Next, a modified example of the transceiver in the second embodiment will be described. Figure 7 shows a modified example of the configuration of the OAM radio wave transceiver in the second embodiment. Figure 7A is a bird's-eye view, Figure 7B is a front view, and Figure 7C is a side view. In the following description, explanations that overlap with the transceiver 60 shown in Figure 6 will be omitted, and only the differences will be described. In Figure 7, the transceiver 70 is configured similarly to the transceiver 60 shown in Figure 6, but differs from the transceiver 60 in that multiple cross antenna elements 63 are formed (arranged) on each thin film, which is a tension member 61. Figure 8B shows an example of the configuration of one thin film (a state in which multiple cross antenna elements 63 are formed on a thin film). As shown in Figure 8B, a large number of cross antenna elements 63 are arranged on the thin film, and as a result, each tension member 61 functions as an array antenna in the transceiver 60. Everything else is the same as the transceiver 60 described above.

[0043] As described above, the transmitting and receiving device of the second embodiment provides the same effects as the first embodiment, and by selecting an arbitrary antenna from an array antenna or antenna element with even more elements than the dipole antenna of the first embodiment, it becomes possible to transmit and receive OAM radio waves in at least two directions. [Examples]

[0044] In the second embodiment, an example was described in which a thin film was used as a tensioning member, and multiple patch antenna elements and cross antenna elements were formed on the thin film to configure each tensioning member as an array antenna. However, it is also possible to make multiple loop antennas form using tensioning members to function as a loop antenna array. In the third embodiment, an example of how tensioning members function as a loop antenna array will be described. Note that in the following description, explanations that overlap with the first and second embodiments will be omitted, and only the differences will be described.

[0045] Figure 9 shows an example of the configuration of an OAM radio wave transmitting and receiving device in the third embodiment. Figure 9A is a bird's-eye view, and Figure 9B shows an example of a loop antenna array formed by tension members on one face of an icosahedron. In Figure 9A, the transmitting and receiving device 90 is configured in the same way as the transmitting and receiving device 10 shown in Figure 1, and uses a plurality of compression members 2 and a plurality of tension members 3 to form a virtual regular icosahedron three-dimensional structure around the control device 1. On at least eight faces of this icosahedron, as shown in Figure 9B, multiple loops on the triangle are formed concentrically inside the triangle enclosed by three tension members 3 using tension members of the same material as the tension members 3. Each loop on the triangle acts as a loop antenna, so that the face on which multiple loop antennas 91 are formed functions as a loop antenna array as a whole. Due to the various directional directions of the loop antenna arrays formed by tension members and their relative positional relationships, the transmitting and receiving device 90 can transmit and receive OAM radio waves in at least two directions without the need to rotate the device itself.

[0046] Other than what has been described above, the configuration of the control device 1 and the processing procedures for transmission and reception are all the same as those described in the first embodiment. However, as described above, in the transmission and reception device 90, multiple loop antennas 91 are formed on at least 8 faces of the icosahedron by tension members to form a loop antenna array, and the l-th OAM radio wave is generated by making the circumference of the loop l times the wavelength (where l is an integer). In S31 in Figure 3 and S41 in Figure 4, the antenna selection unit 20 selects at least two loop antenna arrays from at least eight loop antenna arrays. Alternatively, the antenna selection unit 20 may select at least two loop antennas 91 facing different directions from among a plurality of loop antennas 91 formed by tension members. In this case, any loop antenna 91 can be selected from the plurality of loop antennas 91 constituting the loop antenna array.

[0047] As described above, the transmitting and receiving device of the third embodiment makes it possible to obtain the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments.

[0048] The embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the examples of embodiments described above, and includes various modifications. For example, the examples of embodiments described above are described in detail for the purpose of making the present invention easy to understand, and the present invention is not limited to having all the configurations described herein. Furthermore, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one example of an embodiment with the configuration of another example. It is also possible to add a configuration of another example to the configuration of one example of an embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of one example of each embodiment with a configuration of another example. In addition, some or all of the above configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc., may be realized in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. Also, the control lines and information lines in the figures are shown only if they are considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily show all of them. It can be assumed that almost all of the configurations are interconnected. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 1...Control device 2…Compression member 3, 61... Tension member 4... Paul 5…Axis of rotational symmetry 6…Compression member end 10, 60, 70, 90... Transceiver 20... Antenna Selection Section 21...Signal forming section 22...Distribution / synthesis section 23... Phase shift control unit 24...Phase shifter 25… Amplifier 26…Switch 27…Posture Control Unit 51, 52...Base station 53... Building 62... Patch antenna element 63…Cross antenna element 91... Loop antenna

Claims

1. An electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device, Multiple antennas, Multiple phase shifters connected to each of the aforementioned multiple antennas, The system comprises a phase shift control unit that controls the phase change by the plurality of phase shifters, The phase shift control unit identifies the phases of the plurality of phase shifters connected to each of the three or more antennas with respect to the approximate center of the three or more antennas, based on the directional direction and relative position of each of the three or more antennas facing at least two different directions, and controls the plurality of phase shifters connected to the three or more antennas. Electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device.

2. An electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device according to claim 1, The system further includes an antenna selection unit that selects an antenna from the plurality of antennas to be used for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves. The antenna selection unit selects three or more antennas from the plurality of antennas that are facing at least two different directions, depending on the transmission or reception direction of the electromagnetic waves. The phase shift control unit identifies the phase of the plurality of phase shifters connected to each of the three or more antennas with respect to the approximate center of the three or more antennas, based on the directional direction and relative position of each of the three or more antennas selected by the antenna selection unit, and controls the plurality of phase shifters connected to the three or more antennas. Electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device.

3. An electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device according to claim 1, The electromagnetic waves being transmitted or received are electromagnetic waves with OAM (Orbital Angular Momentum), The phase shift control unit calculates the phase of each of the plurality of phase shifters connected to the three or more antennas based on the OAM mode, the number of the three or more antennas, and the phase dependent on the directional direction and relative position of each of the three or more antennas. Electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device.

4. An electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device according to claim 1, The system further includes a signal forming unit that generates signals to be transmitted from the three or more antennas, Each phase shifter connected to each of the three or more antennas changes the phase of the signal to be transmitted to the phase specified by the phase shift control unit and outputs it. Electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device.

5. An electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device according to claim 4, The system further includes a distribution and combining unit that distributes the signals generated by the signal forming unit to each of the three or more antennas and combines the signals received by each of the three or more antennas. Electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device.

6. An electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device according to claim 1, The system further includes an attitude control unit that adjusts the orientation of the three or more antennas according to the direction of transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves. Electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device.

7. A method for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves using multiple antennas, Depending on the direction of transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves, select three or more antennas from the plurality of antennas that are facing at least two different directions. Based on the directional direction and relative position of each of the three or more selected antennas, the phases of the multiple phase shifters connected to each of the three or more antennas are identified with respect to the approximate center of the three or more antennas, and the multiple phase shifters are controlled. Methods for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves.

8. The electromagnetic wave transmission and reception method according to claim 7, The electromagnetic waves being transmitted or received are electromagnetic waves with OAM (Orbital Angular Momentum), In determining the phase, the phase of each electromagnetic wave transmitted or received from the three or more antennas is calculated based on the OAM mode, the number of the three or more antennas, and the phases that depend on the directional direction and relative position of each of the three or more antennas. Methods for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves.

9. The electromagnetic wave transmission and reception method according to claim 7, The signal to be transmitted from the three or more antennas is generated, The phase of the signal to be transmitted is changed to the specified phase and then transmitted. Methods for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves.

10. The electromagnetic wave transmission and reception method according to claim 9, The generated signal is distributed to each of the three or more antennas. Methods for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves.

11. The electromagnetic wave transmission and reception method according to claim 7, The directions of the three or more antennas are adjusted according to the direction of transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves. Methods for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves.

12. An electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device, Multiple compression members of the same length are arranged parallel to each other at positions equidistant from each of the three mutually orthogonal rotational symmetry axes in the electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device, with two of each axis positioned on either side of the rotational symmetry axis. Each of the plurality of tension members connects the two nearest ends of each of the plurality of compression members, The electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device comprises a control device positioned approximately at the center and connected to each of the plurality of compression members, Each of the aforementioned compression members functions as a dipole antenna. The control device selects three or more compression members from the plurality of compression members that are oriented in at least two different directions, and uses the three or more compression members to transmit and receive electromagnetic waves. Electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device.

13. An electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device according to claim 12, The control device controls the phase of each of the electromagnetic waves transmitted or received from the three or more compression members such that the electromagnetic waves transmitted or received from the three or more compression members rotate with respect to the approximate center of the three or more compression members, based on the directional direction and relative position of each of the three or more compression members. Electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device.

14. An electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device according to claim 12, The plurality of compression members and the plurality of tension members form an icosahedron with a tensegrity structure. Electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device.

15. An electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device according to claim 14, A plurality of thin films formed on any of the faces of the aforementioned icosahedron, The system further comprises a plurality of antenna elements formed on each of the plurality of thin films, Instead of the plurality of compression members, each of the plurality of thin films functions as an array antenna. Electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device.

16. An electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device according to claim 14, The icosahedron further comprises loop antenna arrays formed on any multiple faces of the icosahedron, Electromagnetic waves are transmitted and received using multiple loop antenna arrays instead of the multiple compression members. Electromagnetic wave transmitting and receiving device.

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