Antenna directivity measurement device, antenna directivity measurement system, control method for antenna directivity measurement device, and program for executing control method for antenna directivity measurement device

Abstract

To provide an antenna directivity measurement device that can shorten a measurement time of horizontal plane directivity relative to a length direction of a measured antenna.SOLUTION: An antenna directivity measurement device comprises: an output unit that outputs transmission radio wave signal information generating a transmission radio wave signal to be transmitted to a plurality of circumferentially arranged probe antennas; an input unit that inputs reception radio wave signal information from a reception radio wave signal; an estimation unit that estimates directivity of an antenna in a circumferential direction of a concentric circle from the reception radio wave signal information to be generated from the reception radio wave signal occurring in the antenna; and a selection control unit that selects a polarization direction of a transmission radio wave and reception radio wave, and controls so as to input the reception radio wave signal information to be generated from the reception radio wave signal generating in the antenna corresponding to the selected polarization direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an antenna directivity measurement station, an antenna directivity measurement system, a control method for an antenna directivity measurement device, and a program for executing the control method for an antenna directivity measurement device. [Background technology]

[0002] Antenna directivity is usually measured using the far-field measurement method. The far-field measurement method has the advantage of directly measuring directivity, eliminating the need for complex analysis. However, when the antenna is large, it must be performed outdoors, which can lead to errors due to reflections from the ground and surroundings. Furthermore, measurements must be taken far enough from the antenna that it is often impossible to ensure the required measurement distance. Furthermore, the method is subject to limitations due to weather conditions such as rain, snow, and wind, and can cause interference with other wireless circuits.

[0003] Therefore, instead of far-field measurements, near-field measurements (NFM) are sometimes used, which measure the distribution of the electric field (or electromagnetic field) near the antenna and calculate the antenna's far-field directivity and gain based on strict electromagnetic field theory.

[0004] The near-field measurement method requires a scanning system, an anechoic chamber, and a computer for calculations. However, the near-field measurement method has significant advantages over far-field measurements, such as the ability to measure large-diameter antennas in a relatively small anechoic chamber, the ability to perform stable, highly accurate measurements, and the ability to calculate all information within the measured angle range after measurement.

[0005] For example, according to the antenna near-field measurement system using the cylindrical surface scanning method described in the following Non-Patent Document 1, a probe antenna is arranged on a circumference perpendicular to the extension direction of the antenna under test, and the antenna under test is moved in steps to enable measurement of horizontal plane directivity. Note that the theory of data analysis using the cylindrical surface scanning method is already well known technology, so details will be omitted here. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] Development of an Antenna Near-Field Measurement System Using Cylindrical Surface Scanning (Communications Research Laboratory Quarterly Report Vol. 37 No. 5 December 1991) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] As described above, in an antenna near-field measurement system using the cylindrical surface scanning method, the horizontal plane directivity of the antenna under test is analyzed by receiving radio waves using a probe antenna placed on the same circumference with the center of the antenna under test as the center of the circle. However, the probe antenna must receive radio waves separately for horizontal and vertical polarization. In other words, radio waves are received by the probe antenna while manually switching the polarization direction of the probe antenna and the connecting cable, so it takes time to measure the horizontal plane directivity along the length of the antenna under test.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to make it possible to reduce the time required to measure the horizontal plane directivity in the longitudinal direction of the antenna under test. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] Among the inventions disclosed in this application, the outline of representative inventions will be briefly explained as follows.

[0010] An antenna directivity measurement device according to a representative embodiment of the present invention comprises an output unit that outputs transmission radio wave signal information for generating transmission radio wave signals to be transmitted to multiple probe antennas arranged circumferentially; an input unit that inputs received radio wave signal information generated from received radio wave signals generated at an antenna that receives transmission radio waves radiated from the probe antennas to which the transmission radio wave signals are transmitted and is arranged movably along the central axis of the circumference formed by the multiple probe antennas; an estimation unit that estimates the directivity of the antenna in the circumferential direction of the concentric circle relative to the central axis of the antenna from the received radio wave signal information generated from the received radio wave signals generated at the antenna when the received radio wave signal information input from the input unit includes information corresponding to received radio waves from a measurement point to which the antenna has moved along the central axis direction; and a selection control unit that selects the polarization direction of the transmission radio waves and the received radio waves and controls to input received radio wave signal information generated from the received radio wave signals generated at the antenna corresponding to the selected polarization direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The effects obtained by the representative inventions disclosed in this application can be briefly explained as follows: According to the representative embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the time required to measure the horizontal plane directivity in the longitudinal direction of the antenna under test. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a schematic configuration of an arrangement of an antenna and a probe antenna for measuring directivity according to the present embodiment; [Figure 2] 2 is an enlarged view showing an example of the configuration of a probe antenna according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is an enlarged view showing an example of the arrangement of probe antennas according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a block configuration of an antenna for measuring directivity according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5]1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an antenna directivity measurement system including an example of an antenna directivity measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6A] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a portion of an example of a connection relationship between a relay unit and a coaxial changeover switch according to the probe antenna of the present embodiment. [Figure 6B] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a portion of an example of a connection relationship between a relay unit and a coaxial changeover switch according to the probe antenna of the present embodiment. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a portion of an example of a connection relationship between a relay unit and a coaxial changeover switch according to the probe antenna of the present embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a connection relationship between a relay unit and a coaxial changeover switch according to an antenna under test of the present embodiment; [Figure 9] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an antenna directivity measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 10] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of actual measurement points of an antenna whose directivity is to be measured according to the present embodiment, the actual measurement being performed by a probe antenna while the antenna is moving. FIG. [Figure 11] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the antenna directivity measurement apparatus according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the disclosure is merely an example, and any appropriate modifications that a person skilled in the art can easily conceive while maintaining the gist of the invention are naturally included within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, in order to clarify the explanation, the drawings may show the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part schematically compared to the actual embodiment, but these are merely examples and do not limit the interpretation of the present invention.

[0014] Furthermore, in this specification and each drawing, elements similar to those previously described with respect to the previous drawings are given the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof may be omitted as appropriate.

[0015] <Antenna placement example> FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the arrangement of an antenna under test and a probe antenna used in an antenna directivity measurement system.

[0016] Antenna 100, which measures directivity, is mounted on positioner 23, which is movable in the direction in which rails 24a and 24b are laid, which are arranged approximately parallel to each other. Antenna 100 is mounted so that its longitudinal direction (axial direction) is approximately parallel to rails 24a and 24b. Furthermore, rails 24a and 24b are laid and pass through housing 22, so that antenna 100 can also pass through housing 22. In FIG. 1, rails 24a and 24b, which are arranged approximately parallel to each other, are laid behind housing 22, although not shown, and have a length sufficient to allow antenna 100 to pass through housing 22. Rails 24a and 24b may be collectively referred to as rails 24.

[0017] Preferably, the housing 22 is made of a radio wave absorber that absorbs radio waves. Alternatively, the interior of the housing 22 is preferably covered with a radio wave absorber, so that radio waves transmitted and received by the antenna 100 or the probe antenna 11 and reflected radio waves are absorbed. For example, examples of radio wave absorbers include a structure in which a conductive material such as a carbon material or a metal is formed into fibers and kneaded into a resin, a structure made of a dielectric absorbing material in which carbon particles or the like are mixed with urethane or rubber, and a structure made of a magnetic material such as ferrite. In the example shown in Fig. 1, a pyramidal radio wave absorber 21 covers the interior of the housing 22, as will be described later.

[0018] The pyramidal radio wave absorber 21 is preferably made of a radio wave absorber that absorbs radio waves. The pyramidal radio wave absorber 21 has a wideband absorption characteristic due to its shape, so long as the pyramidal height is selected according to the lowest frequency to be absorbed. Therefore, there is no particular limitation on the frequency range, and good absorption performance can be achieved up to the millimeter wave band. The pyramidal radio wave absorber 21 can be formed by impregnating polystyrene foam beads with graphite or the like to form a pyramidal shape and attaching ferrite tiles to the bottom. However, the structure of the pyramidal radio wave absorber 21 is not limited to this, and any radio wave absorber material and manufacturing method can be used. The pyramidal radio wave absorber 21 can be arranged to cover the inside of the housing 22.

[0019] It is preferable that the pyramidal radio wave absorbers 25a, 25b, 25c, 25d, 25e, and 25f have a structure that absorbs radio waves transmitted and received by the antenna 100 or the probe antenna, as well as reflected radio waves. Note that the pyramidal radio wave absorbers 25a, 25b, 25c, 25d, 25e, and 25f may be collectively referred to as pyramidal radio wave absorber 25. It is preferable that the pyramidal radio wave absorber 25 is disposed around a radio wave reflector pair that may affect the directivity estimation result in the antenna directivity measurement system.

[0020] It is preferable that probe antennas 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e,..., 11o are arranged on the same circumference. Furthermore, except for between 11a and 11o, the probe antennas are arranged at equal central angle intervals of approximately 22.5 degrees. Furthermore, probe antennas 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e,..., 11o may be collectively referred to as probe antenna 11. Antenna 100 is configured so that the central axis of the concentric circle formed by probe antennas 11 can move back and forth along rail 24. It is preferable that the position of probe antenna 11 is fixed. The detailed configuration of probe antenna 11 will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0021] <Example of probe antenna configuration> FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the configuration of a probe antenna according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of probe antenna 11a as a representative of the probe antennas 11 according to this embodiment. Each probe antenna 11 includes a horizontally polarized antenna and a vertically polarized antenna so as to be able to transmit and receive horizontally polarized and vertically polarized radio waves separately. Conventionally, probe antennas 11 have been configured to rotate at least 90 degrees to receive polarized waves in two orthogonal planes. That is, conventional probe antennas have either the horizontally polarized antenna or the vertically polarized antenna shown in FIG. 2 and are configured to be manually rotated 90 degrees to receive polarized waves in the other orthogonal plane. Alternatively, conventional probe antennas have been configured so that the cables of the orthogonal antennas can be manually switched to transmit and receive horizontally polarized and vertically polarized waves. Therefore, manual rotation or switching requires temporary suspension of radio wave measurement, resulting in a lengthy measurement process.

[0022] However, the probe antenna 11 according to this embodiment is configured so that the horizontally polarized antenna and the vertically polarized antenna intersect and are automatically switched between them. The probe antenna 11a in Fig. 2 is configured so that the horizontally polarized antenna 11ah and the vertically polarized antenna 11av are perpendicular to each other. The horizontally polarized antenna 11ah and the vertically polarized antenna 11av are configured as horn antennas using the copper foil portion of the printed circuit board.

[0023] The printed circuit board size is approximately 200 mm long and 220 mm wide, and the frequency band is approximately 0.7 GHz to 2.2 GHz. Horizontally polarized antenna 11ah is formed on horizontally polarized substrate 11ahb, and vertically polarized antenna 11av is formed on vertically polarized substrate 11avb. A coaxial connector (not shown) is attached to horizontally polarized antenna 11ah, and a horizontally polarized signal is input to the network analyzer via coaxial cable 11ahc and a coaxial selector switch (described later). Similarly, a coaxial connector is attached to vertically polarized antenna 11av, and a vertically polarized signal is input to the network analyzer via coaxial cable 11avc and a coaxial selector switch (described later). The other probe antennas 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e,..., 11o have the same configuration as probe antenna 11a shown in Figure 2.

[0024] <Example of probe antenna layout> 3 shows probe antennas 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e,..., 11o that are preferably arranged on the same circumference inside housing 22. Except for probe antennas 11a and 11o, the probe antennas are spaced apart at equal central angles of approximately 22.5 degrees. Probe antennas 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e,..., 11o have the same configuration as probe antenna 11a shown in FIG. 2. Antenna 100 is configured so that the central axis of the concentric circle formed by probe antennas 11 can move back and forth along rail 24. It is preferable that the position of probe antenna 11 is fixed.

[0025] When the antenna 100 moves to a predetermined position, the probe antenna 11a switches between the horizontally polarized antenna 11ah and the vertically polarized antenna 11av using a coaxial changeover switch, and transmits horizontally polarized waves and vertically polarized waves in sequence. Note that the order in which the horizontally polarized waves and vertically polarized waves are transmitted does not need to be fixed, and they can be transmitted in any order.

[0026] Furthermore, when antenna 100 moves to another predetermined position, probe antenna 11b switches between horizontally polarized antenna 11bh and vertically polarized antenna 11bv using a coaxial changeover switch, and transmits horizontally polarized waves and vertically polarized waves in sequence. The above-described operation sequence is repeated for probe antennas 11c, 11d, 11e, to 11o.

[0027] <Configuration example of antenna under test> Fig. 4 shows an example of the configuration of an antenna for measuring directivity. An example of the antenna 100 shown in Fig. 1 is a shared antenna. Fig. 4 shows an example of the case where the antenna 100 is a shared antenna in the form of a block diagram.

[0028] The antenna 100 includes a radio wave emitting unit 110. The antenna input / output unit 130 to be measured of the antenna 100 may be realized by a connector or by wiring. When the antenna input / output unit 130 to be measured is realized by a connector, the antenna input / output unit 130 to be measured is included in the configuration of the antenna 100.

[0029] The radio wave emitting unit 110 includes a low-band radiating element unit 111 and a high-band radiating element unit 112. The low-band radiating element unit 111 and the high-band radiating element unit transmit and receive radio waves in different frequency bands, with the frequency band of the high-band radiating element unit being higher in frequency than the frequency band of the low-band radiating element unit 111. The system can set any value and frequency range for each frequency band as long as the frequency band of the high-band radiating element unit is higher than the frequency band of the low-band radiating element unit 111. The frequency bands may also partially overlap. As an example of the frequency bands in this embodiment, the frequency band of the high-band radiating element unit is 1 GHz or higher, and the frequency band of the low-band radiating element unit 111 is 1 GHz or lower. However, as mentioned above, these frequency bands are not intended to be limited to these frequency bands. The above frequency bands are described as examples solely for ease of explanation of this embodiment. Both the low-band radiating element unit 111 and the high-band radiating element unit 112 may also have the function of receiving radio waves. That is, the frequency band of the radio waves transmitted and received from high-band radiating element section 112 is higher than the frequency band of the radio waves transmitted and received from low-band radiating element section 111, and the frequency band of high-band radiating element section 112 includes the gigahertz band.

[0030] Antenna 100 may also include a measured antenna input / output unit 130. Measured antenna input / output unit 130 includes a low-band input / output unit 131 and a high-band input / output unit 132. A low-band vertically polarized signal Slv is input to low-band input / output unit 131, enabling low-band vertically polarized radio waves to be radiated from low-band radiating element unit 111. A low-band horizontally polarized signal Slh is input to low-band input / output unit 131, enabling low-band horizontally polarized radio waves to be radiated from low-band radiating element unit 111. Note that low-band vertically polarized signal Slv and low-band horizontally polarized signal Slh may be received signals of the vertically polarized radio waves and horizontally polarized radio waves input to low-band radiating element unit 111. In this embodiment, a detailed description will be given of the case where the low-band vertically polarized signal Slv and the low-band horizontally polarized signal Slh are received signals of vertically polarized radio waves and horizontally polarized radio waves input to the low-band radiating element section 111.

[0031] Similar to the probe antenna shown in FIG. 2, the low-band radiating element unit 111 includes a low-band horizontally polarized antenna and a low-band vertically polarized antenna (not shown), which are orthogonal to each other. The low-band vertically polarized signal Slv is input to the low-band vertically polarized antenna, and the low-band horizontally polarized signal Slh is input to the low-band horizontally polarized antenna. As described above, the received signal of the low-band vertically polarized antenna may be the low-band vertically polarized signal Slv, and the received signal of the low-band horizontally polarized antenna may be the low-band horizontally polarized signal Slh, with the input and output reversed. In this embodiment, a case where the received signal of the low-band vertically polarized antenna is the low-band vertically polarized signal Slv, and the received signal of the low-band horizontally polarized antenna is the low-band horizontally polarized signal Slh will be described in detail.

[0032] Similarly, a high-band vertically polarized signal Shv is input to the high-band input / output unit 132, allowing the high-band vertically polarized radio waves to be radiated from the high-band radiating element unit 112. A high-band horizontally polarized signal Shh is input to the high-band input / output unit 132, allowing the high-band horizontally polarized radio waves to be radiated from the high-band radiating element unit 112. The high-band vertically polarized signal Shv and the high-band horizontally polarized signal Shh may be received signals of vertically polarized radio waves and horizontally polarized radio waves input to the high-band radiating element unit 112. This embodiment will describe in detail the case where the high-band vertically polarized signal Shv and the high-band horizontally polarized signal Shh are received signals of vertically polarized radio waves and horizontally polarized radio waves input to the high-band radiating element unit 112. The measured antenna input / output unit 130 may be a connector for a coaxial cable. Furthermore, the wiring between the antenna input / output section 130 under measurement and the radio wave emitting section 110 can also be connected by a coaxial cable or a printed circuit board pattern circuit while achieving impedance matching.

[0033] Like the probe antenna shown in FIG. 2, the high-band radiating element section 112 also includes a high-band horizontally polarized antenna and a high-band vertically polarized antenna (not shown), which are orthogonal to each other. The high-band vertically polarized signal Shv is input to the high-band vertically polarized antenna, and the high-band horizontally polarized signal Shh is input to the high-band horizontally polarized antenna. As described above, there are also cases where the received signal of the high-band vertically polarized antenna becomes the high-band vertically polarized signal Shv, and the received signal of the high-band horizontally polarized antenna becomes the high-band horizontally polarized signal Shh, with the input and output reversed. In this embodiment, a case where the received signal of the high-band vertically polarized antenna becomes the high-band vertically polarized signal Shv, and the received signal of the high-band horizontally polarized antenna becomes the high-band horizontally polarized signal Shh will be described in detail.

[0034] <Configuration example of an antenna directivity measurement system> FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an antenna directivity measurement system according to this embodiment.

[0035] The antenna directivity measurement system 1000 includes an antenna 100, an antenna directivity measurement device 200, a relay unit 310, a network analyzer 320, a positioner control unit 330, and a positioner 23. The antenna directivity measurement system 1000 also includes a switch SW1, a switch SW2, rails 24a and 24b, a housing 22, and a probe antenna 11 (not shown) included in the housing 22. The relay unit 310 may include multiple relay units. In this embodiment, a configuration will be described in which the relay unit 310 includes a relay unit 1 and a relay unit 2. An example of the switches SW1 and SW2 is a coaxial changeover (selector) switch, and in this embodiment, the switches SW1 and SW2 will be described as coaxial changeover switches. Switch SW1 includes coaxial changeover switches 12 (FIG. 6A), 14, and 16 (FIG. 6B) for horizontal polarization, which will be described later, coaxial changeover switches 11, 13, and 15 for vertical polarization (not shown), and coaxial changeover switch 17 (FIG. 7) that selects one of coaxial changeover switches 12 to 16. Switch SW2 also includes coaxial changeover switch 18 (FIG. 8) that selects one of the low-band vertical polarization signal Slv, low-band horizontal polarization signal Slh, high-band vertical polarization signal Shv, and high-band horizontal polarization signal Shh, which will be described later.

[0036] The antenna directivity measurement device 200 and the relay unit 310 are connected by a control line Sc1, and the antenna directivity measurement device 200 and the positioner control unit 330 are connected by a control line Sc2. The control line Sc1 can be used mainly to determine the antenna that will transmit and receive radio waves. The control line Sc2 can be used by the positioner 23 to move the antenna 100 to a location where the radio waves will be transmitted and received.

[0037] Furthermore, the relay unit 310 and the switch SW1 are connected by a control line Sc4, and the relay unit 310 and the switch SW2 are connected by a control line Sc5. As described above, an example of the switches SW1 and SW2 is a coaxial selector switch. The output signal of the control line of the relay unit can select the output terminal to be connected to the input terminal of the coaxial selector switch. For example, the output signal of the control line Sc4 can select the horizontal or vertical probe antenna 11 to be connected to the network analyzer 320. For example, the output signal of the control line Sc5 can select the horizontal or vertical high-band or low-band antenna 100 to be connected to the network analyzer 320. A detailed description will be given later.

[0038] Furthermore, the antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 and the network analyzer 320 are connected by a data line Sd8. The received radio waves input to the network analyzer 320 are input to the antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 via the data line Sd8 as received radio wave signal information. Specifically, the radio waves radiated from the probe antenna 11 are received by the antenna 100. The radio waves received by the antenna 100 are input to the network analyzer 320 via the data line Sd5 via the switch SW2 as received radio wave signals. As described above, data information is input and output between the antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 and the network analyzer 320 via the data line Sd8.

[0039] The control signals and data transmitted through the control lines Sc1 to Sc2, Sc4 to Sc5 and the data lines Sd1 to Sd5 explained above will be explained in detail based on the operation flow of the antenna directivity measurement system 1000.

[0040] Since the directivity of an antenna is reversible and equal during transmission and reception, the following description will be given assuming that the probe antenna 11 is the transmitting antenna and the antenna 100 is the receiving antenna in the configuration example of the antenna directivity measurement system 1000. The following description will focus on the operation and operation procedures of the antenna directivity measurement system 1000, with explanations of each functional block being provided as needed. As mentioned above, it is also possible to use the probe antenna 11 as the receiving antenna and the antenna 100 as the transmitting antenna, but a detailed description of this case will be omitted.

[0041] First, in the antenna directivity measurement system 1000, the antenna directivity measurement device 200 generates a trigger signal. The antenna directivity measurement device 200 transmits the trigger signal to the positioner control unit 330 via the control line Sc2. The positioner control unit 330 receives the trigger signal, reads the position information of the positioner 23 via the data line Sd1, and moves the antenna 100 mounted on the positioner 23 into the housing 22. The positioner control unit 330 moves the antenna 100 to a position where it can receive radio waves from the probe antenna 11. After moving the antenna 100 to a position where it can receive radio waves from the probe antenna 11, the positioner 23 transmits a ready-to-receive signal to the antenna directivity measurement device 200 via the positioner control unit 330.

[0042] Upon receiving the ready-to-receive signal, the antenna directivity measurement device 200 transmits a measurement start signal to the relay unit 310 via control line Sc1 and to the positioner control unit 330 via control line Sc2. Upon receiving the measurement start signal, the relay unit 310 switches the switch circuits of the switches SW1 and SW2 to determine the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna. The antenna directivity measurement device 200 also outputs transmission radio signal information to the network analyzer 320 for generating a transmission radio signal to be transmitted to the probe antenna 11. As described above, the antenna 100 is disposed movably along the central axis Z of the circumference formed by the circumferentially disposed probe antennas 11. The network analyzer 320 functions as a transmission radio signal generator that generates a transmission radio signal from the transmission radio signal information. The network analyzer 320 then transmits the transmission radio signal to the probe antenna 11 via switch SW1. The transmission radio signal is input to the probe antenna 11, causing it to emit a transmission radio wave. When the horizontal probe antenna 11 is selected, the horizontal antenna 100 is selected, and when the vertical probe antenna 11 is selected, the vertical antenna 100 is selected. However, there may be cases where the vertical antenna 100 is selected when the horizontal probe antenna 11 is selected, and the horizontal antenna 100 is selected when the vertical probe antenna 11 is selected.

[0043] The transmitted radio wave radiated from the probe antenna 11 is received by the antenna 100. The antenna 100 converts the received radio wave into a received radio wave signal as an analog electrical signal. The received radio wave signal is input to the switch SW2 via the data line Sd4 (which transmits one of the signals Slv, Slh, Shv, and Shh), and one of the signals Slv, Slh, Shv, and Shh is input to the network analyzer 320 via the data line Sd5. The received radio wave signal is A / D (Analog-to-Digital) converted in the network analyzer 320, and input to the antenna directivity measurement device 200 via the data line Sd8 as received radio wave signal information, which is digital information. In this case, the network analyzer 320 functions as a received radio wave signal information generating device.

[0044] For example, the antenna directivity measurement device 200 transmits a signal to the relay unit 310 to select the horizontally polarized antenna 11ah of the probe antenna 11a. The antenna directivity measurement device 200 receives, via the network analyzer 320, radio wave signal information received at the high-band horizontally polarized antenna or the low-band horizontally polarized antenna of the antenna 100, of the radio waves radiated from the horizontally polarized antenna 11ah of the probe antenna 11a. Next, the antenna directivity measurement device 200 transmits a signal to the relay unit 310 to select the vertically polarized antenna 11av of the probe antenna 11a. The antenna directivity measurement device 200 then receives, via the network analyzer 320, radio wave signal information received at the high-band vertically polarized antenna or the low-band vertically polarized antenna of the antenna 100, of the radio waves radiated from the vertically polarized antenna 11av of the probe antenna 11a.

[0045] It should be noted that the order of radiating polarized waves from the horizontally polarized antenna 11ah or the vertically polarized antenna 11av of the probe antenna 11a is not limited to the above-mentioned order. For example, the antenna directivity measuring device 200 may first perform polarized wave radiation from the vertically polarized antenna 11av, and then perform polarized wave radiation from the horizontally polarized antenna 11ah.

[0046] When the antenna 100 travels a predetermined distance, the relay unit 310 turns on the horizontally polarized antenna 11bh or the vertically polarized antenna 11bv of the probe antenna 11b using switch SW1 via control line Sc4. The relay unit 310 also turns on the high-band vertically polarized antenna or the low-band vertically polarized antenna of the antenna 100 using switch SW2 via control line Sc5. Then, a horizontally polarized or vertically polarized transmission radio wave is emitted from the probe antenna 11b, which is concentrically arranged adjacent to the probe antenna 11a. The antenna directivity measurement device 200 receives, via the network analyzer 320, radio wave signal information received by the antenna 100 from the horizontally polarized or vertically polarized radio wave emitted from the probe antenna 11b. The relay unit 310 then turns off switch SW1 via control line Sc4 and turns off switch SW2 via control line Sc5. The positioner control unit 330 moves the antenna 100 in the Z direction within the housing 22. The above operation is repeated for probe antenna 11a to probe antenna 11o. The positional relationship between the measurement point of probe antenna 11 and antenna 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0047] The predetermined distance can be set to any value by the antenna directivity measurement device 200. However, it is preferable that the predetermined distance remains the same during measurements from the probe antenna 11a to the probe antenna 11o. During measurements from the probe antenna 11a to the probe antenna 11o, the antenna 100 may move in the Z direction inside the housing 22 at a constant speed.

[0048] <An example of the connection between the relay unit and switch SW1> 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating an example of a portion of a connection relationship between relay unit 310 and a plurality of coaxial changeover switches included in switch SW1 in the probe antenna of this embodiment. Note that Fig. 6A is a diagram illustrating an operation of selecting one horizontally polarized antenna from horizontally polarized antenna 11ah of probe antenna 11a to horizontally polarized antenna 11eh of probe antenna 11e.

[0049] In FIG. 6A, a horizontally polarized antenna selection signal output by antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 is input to relay unit 2 via control line Sc1. For example, if the horizontally polarized antenna selection signal is a signal selecting horizontally polarized antenna 11ah of probe antenna 11a, relay terminal 201 goes high and switch SW12a of coaxial selector switch 12 goes ON. Therefore, horizontally polarized antenna 11ah is connected to signal line SW12S. However, when relay terminal 201 goes high, switch SW14a of coaxial selector switch 14 shown in FIG. 6B also goes ON, connecting horizontally polarized antenna 11fh of probe antenna 11f to signal line SW14S. Similarly, when relay terminal 201 goes high, switch SW16a of coaxial selector switch 16 also goes ON, connecting horizontally polarized antenna 11kh of probe antenna 11k to signal line SW16S. As mentioned above, when one relay terminal is in a high state, the horizontally polarized antenna of the three probe antennas is selected.

[0050] However, as shown in FIG. 7, relay unit 2 is provided with relay terminals 211, 212, and 213 so as to select one of signal lines SW12S, SW14S, and SW16S. When the horizontally polarized antenna selection signal is a signal that selects horizontally polarized antenna 11ah of probe antenna 11a, relay unit 2 also sets relay terminal 211 to a high state, and sets relay terminals 212 and 213 to a low state (the same potential as relay common). When relay terminal 211 is in a high state, switch SW17a of coaxial selector switch 17 shown in FIG. 7 is turned on. Therefore, only signal line SW12S connected to horizontally polarized antenna 11ah is connected to data line Sd2 connected to network analyzer 320, and horizontally polarized waves are radiated from horizontally polarized antenna 11ah.

[0051] 8, relay unit 1 operates to select either the high-band horizontally polarized antenna or the low-band horizontally polarized antenna of antenna 100 to receive the horizontally polarized wave radiated from probe antenna 11. That is, when the horizontally polarized antenna selection signal is a signal that selects the horizontally polarized antenna of antenna 100, relay unit 1 sets the relay terminals to a high or low state to select either the low-band horizontally polarized signal Slh or the high-band horizontally polarized signal Shh, depending on the frequency of the radiated horizontally polarized wave. For example, when the horizontally polarized antenna selection signal selects the high-band horizontally polarized antenna, relay unit 1 sets relay terminal 14 to a high state and relay terminals 11, 12, and 13 to a low state. When relay terminal 14 is set to a high state, switch SW18d of coaxial changeover switch 18 shown in FIG. 8 is set to an ON state. In this case, the high-band horizontally polarized signal Shh is connected to the data line Sd5 connected to the network analyzer 320, and the high-band horizontally polarized signal Shh is input to the network analyzer 320. In this way, the antenna directivity measurement device 200 receives the radio waves radiated from the horizontally polarized antenna 11ah of the probe antenna 11a at the high-band horizontally polarized antenna of the antenna 100, and inputs the received radio wave signal information via the network analyzer 320.

[0052] In addition, even when the horizontally polarized antenna selection signal is a signal that selects another horizontally polarized antenna 11xh (x is any alphabet from b to o) of the probe antenna 11, the operation is similar to the operation when the horizontally polarized antenna 11ah is selected in Figures 6A, 6B, 7 and 8, so detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0053] Furthermore, even when the vertically polarized antenna selection signal is a signal for selecting the vertically polarized antenna 11yv (where y is any alphabet from a to o) of the probe antenna 11, detailed explanation will be omitted since this operation can be understood by a person skilled in the art from Figures 6A, 6B, 7 and 8.

[0054] <Configuration example of antenna directivity measurement device> FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an antenna directivity measuring device according to this embodiment.

[0055] The antenna directivity measurement device 200 may be configured as a device implemented by hardware including, for example, semiconductor circuits or microcomputers (not shown) that execute processes related to the functions of each block diagram described below. Alternatively, the antenna directivity measurement device 200 may be configured by a general-purpose server device or a virtual server built on a cloud computing service. The antenna directivity measurement device 200 may also be configured by a central processing unit (CPU) (not shown). The antenna directivity measurement device 200 may be executed by executing middleware such as an operating system (OS) loaded onto a memory from a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), or software running on the OS. The processes related to each function described below may be executed by the middleware or software described above.

[0056] Furthermore, antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 may be configured by appropriately combining these hardware implementations and software implementations. Furthermore, antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 is not limited to a configuration in which the entire apparatus is implemented in a single housing, and may be configured such that some functions are implemented in separate housings and these housings are interconnected by a communication cable or the like. In other words, the implementation form of antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 is not particularly limited, and can be flexibly configured as appropriate depending on the system environment, etc.

[0057] Furthermore, the antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 may be realized in combination with other apparatuses in a system. For example, the antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 may be realized by being added to other hardware or software in the system.

[0058] The antenna directivity measuring device 200 can include an input unit 210 , a control unit 220 , an output unit 230 , and a storage unit 240 .

[0059] The input unit 210 has a function of inputting received radio wave signal information, which is digital signal information obtained by converting received radio waves received by the antenna 100 or the probe antenna 11 into received radio wave signals, which are analog electrical signals, and then A / D converting the received radio wave signals. The input unit 210 also has a function of inputting various timing signals or information such as the position information of the antenna 100 as digital signals. Furthermore, the input unit 210 may also function as a man-machine interface. For example, the input unit 210 preferably inputs received radio wave signal information generated from received radio wave signals generated in the antenna 100, which receives transmitted radio waves radiated from the probe antenna 11 to which the transmitted radio wave signals are transmitted. Alternatively, the input unit 210 may input received radio wave signal information generated from received radio wave signals generated in the probe antenna 11, which receives transmitted radio waves radiated from the antenna 100 to which the transmitted radio wave signals are transmitted.

[0060] As described above, the control unit 220 can be realized, for example, by using a microcomputer equipped with a CPU. A computer program (antenna directivity measurement program) for causing the microcomputer to function as the control unit 220 is installed in the microcomputer and executed. As a result, the microcomputer functions as multiple information processing units included in the control unit 220. Note that, while an example in which the control unit 220 is realized by software is shown here, it is of course possible to configure the control unit 220 by providing dedicated hardware for executing each information processing. Examples of dedicated hardware include devices such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and conventional circuit components arranged to perform the functions described in the embodiments. Furthermore, the multiple information processing units included in the control unit 220 may be configured by individual hardware.

[0061] The control unit 220 includes an estimation unit 220a and a selection control unit 220b. The estimation unit 220a can include a trigger signal generation unit 221, an emitted radio wave information generation unit 222, a received radio wave signal information analysis unit 223, and a correction unit 224. The control unit 220 does not intend to exclude other components.

[0062] The trigger signal generation unit 221 generates a trigger signal when it receives a measurement start information signal for starting measurement from the input unit 210. For example, the measurement start information signal can be input from the input unit 210 that functions as an input interface such as a keyboard or touch panel (not shown). Furthermore, when the trigger signal generation unit 221 receives a reception ready signal from the positioner control unit 330, it generates a trigger signal to be transmitted to the relay unit 310 and the positioner control unit 330 to start measurement. Furthermore, when the trigger signal generation unit 221 starts measurement, it continuously transmits a signal inquiring about the position of the antenna 100 to the positioner control unit 330. When the trigger signal generation unit 221 receives a signal from the positioner control unit 330 indicating that the antenna 100 has reached a predetermined position, it transmits a trigger signal to the relay unit 310 and the network analyzer 320. Next, the antenna directivity measurement device 200 receives, via the network analyzer 320, radio wave signal information received at the antenna 100 from the radio waves radiated from the probe antenna 11. The antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 repeats the above operation for each predetermined position. When the trigger signal generation unit 221 receives a signal from the positioner control unit 330 indicating that the position of the antenna 100 has passed the last position to be measured, the trigger signal generation unit 221 transmits a signal to the positioner control unit 330 to stop the movement of the antenna 100.

[0063] At a predetermined position, the trigger signal may include information for selecting either the horizontal or vertical probe antenna. As described above, when the horizontal probe antenna 11 is selected by the trigger signal, the horizontal antenna 100 is selected, and when the vertical probe antenna 11 is selected by the trigger signal, the vertical antenna 100 is selected. It is also possible that when the horizontal probe antenna 11 is selected, the vertical antenna 100 is selected, and when the vertical probe antenna 11 is selected, the horizontal antenna 100 is selected. The relay unit 310 may also be configured to receive the above-described horizontally polarized antenna selection signal or vertically polarized antenna selection signal instead of the trigger signal.

[0064] The radiated radio wave information generation unit 222 has a function of generating information such as frequency information, modulation information, and amplification information for radiating horizontally polarized radio waves and vertically polarized radio waves from the probe antenna 11. This information needs to be determined taking into consideration characteristic information of the transmitting antenna that radiates the radio waves and characteristic information of the interface relationship with the transmitting antenna. Note that the specific information generation method is a well-known technique, and therefore details will be omitted in this embodiment. The radiated radio wave information generation unit 222 also has a function of generating information such as frequency information, modulation information, and amplification information when radiating horizontally polarized radio waves and vertically polarized radio waves from the antenna 100. This information can also be included in the transmitted radio wave signal information.

[0065] The received radio signal information analyzer 223 has a function of analyzing the received horizontally polarized radio signal and the received vertically polarized radio signal that are received by the antenna 100 and A / D converted in the network analyzer 320. For example, it has a function of converting received radio signal information having amplitude information and phase information of the received horizontally polarized radio signal and the received vertically polarized radio signal into discrete data with respect to the central angle in the circumferential direction (the arrangement angle of the probe antenna 11) and the distance in the Z-axis direction. The received radio signal information analyzer 223 also has a function of analyzing the received horizontally polarized radio signal and the received vertically polarized radio signal that are received by the probe antenna 11 and A / D converted in the network analyzer 320. For example, it has a function of converting received radio signal information having amplitude information and phase information of the received horizontally polarized radio signal and the received vertically polarized radio signal into discrete data with respect to the central angle, such as the central angle, in the circumferential direction and the distance in the Z-axis direction.

[0066] The correction unit 224 performs an inverse Fourier transform on the discrete data collected by the received radio wave signal information analysis unit 223 with respect to the distance in the Z-axis direction. After that, the correction unit 224 performs an inverse Fourier transform on the central angle in the circumferential direction, and obtains I n (r) (n is the wave number component in the circumferential direction, and r is the wave number component in the Z-axis direction) can be obtained. The inverse Fourier transform does not preclude the use of inverse fast Fourier transform to speed up calculations.

[0067] The correction unit 224 also has a function of correcting the difference between the distance x to the measurement point on the antenna 100 where radio waves radiated from the probe antenna 11 are originally to be measured, and the distance a to the measurement point where the radio waves are actually measured. The correction unit 224 expresses the difference Δ as a phase Pa, and performs a correction calculation on the measurement data as phase Pa=k (wave number)×Δ. Note that the calculation formula for the correction calculation is a known technique, so details will be omitted.

[0068] Furthermore, the correction unit 224 converts the inverse Fourier transformed I n The receiving characteristics of the receiving antenna are removed from (r) and the transmitting characteristics of the transmitting antenna are calculated. n(r) is expressed by the transmission characteristics of the antenna 100 and the reception characteristics of the probe antenna 11. On the other hand, since it is a known technology that reciprocity holds for the transmission and reception characteristics of radio waves, the far field of the probe antenna 11 is also expressed by a known value or formula based on prior measurement or theoretical analysis. The far field E1(φ, θ) is expressed by a formula obtained by inverse Fourier transform only for the central angle, and the Hankel function H n (2) The reception characteristic of the probe antenna 11 obtained by calculating the sum of the products of (κρ0) and (κρ0) with respect to n using a predetermined formula is R n (r). Next, I n (r) to R n By removing (r), the source-scattering matrix T n (r) is calculated. Note that the source scattering matrix T n The calculation of (r) also takes into consideration the interaction of the reception characteristics of the horizontal and vertical radio waves of the probe antenna 11, but since this is a known technique, a detailed explanation of the calculation formula will be omitted.

[0069] Furthermore, the correction unit 224 calculates the source-scattering matrix T n (r) is Fourier transformed with respect to n to calculate the far field E(φ, θ) for the antenna 100, which is the antenna under test. Note that the elevation angle θ is cos -1 (r / k), where r is the wave number in the central axis direction of the antenna 100, and k is the wave number in the radial direction of the antenna 100. Furthermore, the far field E(φ, θ) is calculated using a second kind of Hankel function, but since this is a well-known technique, a detailed explanation of the calculation formula will be omitted.

[0070] The output unit 230 preferably outputs transmission radio signal information for generating a transmission radio signal to be transmitted to the probe antenna 11. As described above, the output unit 230 can also output transmission radio signal information for generating a transmission radio signal to be transmitted to the antenna 100. The antenna 100 preferably moves along the central axis of the circumference formed by the circumferentially arranged probe antennas 11. The network analyzer 320 functions as a transmission radio wave generating device that generates a transmission radio signal from the transmission radio signal information.

[0071] As described above, the estimation unit 220a can execute the following processing when the received radio wave signal information input from the input unit 210 corresponds to received radio waves or transmitted radio waves from measurement points moved in a spiral direction on the outer circumferential circle of the antenna. That is, the estimation unit 220a can estimate the directivity of the antenna 100 in the circumferential direction of the concentric circle with respect to the central axis of the antenna 100 from the received radio wave signal information input from the input unit 210. The received radio wave signal information is preferably generated from received radio wave signals generated in the antenna 100. Furthermore, as described above, the received radio wave signal information can also be generated from received radio wave signals generated in the probe antenna 11.

[0072] Selection control unit 220b selects one of horizontally polarized antennas 11ah to 11oh and vertically polarized antennas 11av to 11ov as a transmitting antenna. Selection control unit 220b also selects one of a high-band horizontally polarized antenna, a high-band vertically polarized antenna, a high-band horizontally polarized antenna, or a high-band vertically polarized antenna (not shown) of antenna 100 as a receiving antenna.

[0073] As described above, when selecting one of horizontally polarized antennas 11ah to 11oh as a transmitting antenna, selection control unit 220b makes the selection through a combination of relay unit 310 and switch SW1. Also, although not specifically described, when selecting one of vertically polarized antennas 11av to 11ov as a transmitting antenna, selection control unit 220b makes the selection through a combination of relay unit 310 and switch SW1. Furthermore, when selecting one of a high-band horizontally polarized antenna, a high-band vertically polarized antenna, a high-band horizontally polarized antenna, or a high-band vertically polarized antenna (not shown) as a receiving antenna, selection control unit 220b makes the selection through a combination of relay unit 310 and switch SW2. The specific selection operation of relay unit 310 and switch SW1 or switch SW2 has been described above, so a detailed description will be omitted here to avoid redundancy.

[0074] The storage unit 240 may be a computer-readable recording medium. For example, the storage unit 240 may be configured with at least one of a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. Furthermore, the storage unit 240 may be configured with at least one of an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), etc. in addition to a ROM and a RAM. The storage unit 240 may also be called a register, a cache, a main memory (primary storage device), etc. The storage unit 240 may also store executable programs (program codes), software modules, etc. for performing processing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] The storage unit 240 is also capable of storing information input from the input unit 210, inputting and outputting information to and from the control unit 220, and storing the information that is input and output. Furthermore, the storage unit 240 is also capable of storing information between the respective functional blocks in the control unit 220. Furthermore, the storage unit 240 is also capable of storing information that is to be output from the output unit 230.

[0076] <Explanation of the principle of measurement position correction method> 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for estimating the directional characteristics of the antenna 100 in the concentric directions from the received radio waves measured when the antenna 100 is moved forward or backward along its central axis. When the antenna 100 moves a distance b along its central axis, the concentrically arranged probe antennas 11 transmit radio waves in sequence in the circumferential direction of the concentric circles. The antenna 100 generates a received radio wave signal of the radio waves transmitted from each probe antenna 11. Note that the area from the central axis C1 of the antenna 100 to each probe antenna 11 is cylindrical with a radius a.

[0077] In FIG. 10, the antenna 100 moves in the Z direction parallel to the central axis C1 of the antenna 100. The concentrically arranged probe antennas 11 transmit radio waves in sequence around the concentric circles. Therefore, the measurement points of the radio waves from the antenna 100 form a spiral curve around the central axis C1. However, in FIG. 10, the measurement points are depicted as moving linearly along the central axis C1. Strictly speaking, the antenna 100 also has a radius, so the measurement points move in a spiral direction on the outer circumferential circle of the antenna. The antenna 100 receives radio waves radiated from the probe antenna 11a at measurement point P1, and the antenna directivity measurement device 200 acquires received radio wave signal information. To acquire directivity in the concentric circles perpendicular to the central axis of the antenna 100, including measurement point P1, the next probe antenna 11b must radiate radio waves at a position offset from measurement point P1 by a central angle, and the antenna 100 must receive the radio waves. However, since the antenna 100 moves along the central axis C1, the probe antenna 11b next to the probe antenna 11a radiates radio waves above the measurement point P2.

[0078] In this embodiment, the positioner control unit 330 controls the linear movement of the antenna 100 via the positioner 23. Therefore, when the antenna 100 moves a distance b along the central axis C1 from the position corresponding to the measurement point P1, the positioner control unit 330 transmits a ready-to-receive signal to the antenna directivity measurement device 200. The measurement points P2 and P1 are in a parallel or approximately parallel positional relationship with respect to the central axis of the antenna 100. An approximately parallel positional relationship refers to a range of parallelism in which the value of the antenna directivity estimation result of the antenna directivity measurement device 200 falls within an error range. As an example, the term "approximately parallel" may mean a deviation in parallelism of approximately ±5 degrees from the true parallel relationship.

[0079] Similarly, when the antenna 100 moves a distance b along the central axis C1 from the position corresponding to the measurement point P2, the positioner control unit 330 transmits a ready-to-receive signal to the antenna directivity measurement device 200. The measurement points P3 and P2 are in a parallel or approximately parallel positional relationship with respect to the central axis of the antenna 100. An approximately parallel positional relationship means a range of parallelism in which the value of the antenna directivity estimation result of the antenna directivity measurement device 200 falls within an error range. As an example, the term "approximately parallel" may mean a deviation in parallelism of about ±5 degrees from the true parallel relationship.

[0080] As an example of realizing the operation of the antenna directivity measurement system 1000, the positioner control unit 330 can move the antenna 100 at a uniform speed in the Z-axis direction via the positioner 23. With this configuration, unless there is a disturbance, the positioner control unit 330 can transmit a reception ready signal to the antenna directivity measurement device 200 at a predetermined timing, thereby enabling radio waves to be transmitted and received at each predetermined measurement point. It is preferable that at least one of the antenna directivity measurement device 200 and the positioner control unit 330 set the movement speed of the antenna 100 in advance.

[0081] As an example for realizing the operation of the antenna directivity measurement system 1000, the positioner control unit 330 may be configured to acquire position information of the antenna 100 via the positioner 23. In this case, the positioner control unit 330 operates the antenna directivity measurement system 1000 to transmit and receive the radio waves described above every time the antenna 100 reaches a predetermined position.

[0082] Therefore, it is preferable that the correspondence relationship between the transmission center position of radio waves of each circumferentially arranged probe antenna 11 that transmits radio waves and the reception center position of the antenna 100 that receives the radio waves be as follows: That is, it is preferable that the central angle between the transmission center positions of adjacent probe antennas 11 and the central angle between adjacent reception center positions of antenna 100 match, and that the distances in the Z-axis direction of antenna 100 between adjacent reception center positions of antenna 100 are the same. However, this does not exclude the distances in the Z-axis direction being different.

[0083] <Flowchart of an example of the schematic operation of an antenna directivity measuring device> FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of processing operations in which the antenna directivity measurement system 1000 of this embodiment is used, in which the antenna directivity measurement device 200 automatically switches between the horizontally polarized antenna and the vertically polarized antenna of the probe antenna 11 and the antenna 100 to estimate received radio waves on the same circumference and estimate the directivity of transmitted radio waves on the same circumference.

[0084] In step S1101, antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 moves antenna 100 to measurement point Px (FIG. 10: initial value of x is 1).

[0085] In step S1102, the antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 selects either the horizontally polarized antenna 11yh or the vertically polarized antenna 11yv (the initial value of y in FIG. 10 is a) of the probe antenna 11 at the measurement point Px (FIG. 10). If the antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 selects the horizontally polarized antenna 11yh, it selects either the high-band horizontally polarized antenna or the low-band horizontally polarized antenna of the antenna 100 in accordance with the frequency of the radio waves to be transmitted or received. If the antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 selects the vertically polarized antenna 11yv, it selects either the high-band vertically polarized antenna or the low-band vertically polarized antenna of the antenna 100 in accordance with the frequency of the radio waves to be transmitted or received.

[0086] Also, in step S1102, received radio wave signal information analysis unit 223 of antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 acquires received radio wave signal information obtained by receiving radio waves radiated from probe antennas 11a, 11b, 11c, etc. at measurement points P1, P2, P3, etc. on antenna 100. As described above, received radio waves include both horizontally polarized received radio waves and vertically polarized received radio waves, but in the following explanation, horizontally polarized received radio waves and vertically polarized received radio waves will not be distinguished from each other and will be collectively referred to as received radio waves.

[0087] In step S1103, the estimation unit 220a of the antenna directivity measurement device 200 estimates the received electric signal wave information of the antenna 100 in the circumferential direction of the concentric circles about the central axis of the antenna 100 from the received electric signal wave information input from the input unit 210. The estimation method is clear from the above description and known information, so a detailed description will be omitted here.

[0088] In step S1104, antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 determines whether x=16 (end of measurement). If measurement has ended (step S1104: YES), antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 sets x=1 and y=a and proceeds to step S1105. If measurement has not ended (step S1104: NO), antenna directivity measurement apparatus 200 increments x, sets y to the next alphabetical letter, and returns to step S1101.

[0089] In step S1105, the estimation unit 220a of the antenna directivity measurement device 200 estimates the directivity of the antenna 100 in the circumferential direction of the concentric circles about the central axis of the antenna 100 from the received electric signal wave information input from the input unit 210, and then ends the process. The estimation method is clear from the above description and known information, so a detailed description will be omitted here.

[0090] According to the operation of the antenna directivity measurement device 200 described above, while the antenna 100 moves, each radio wave transmitted from the probe antennas 11a to 11n is received at each measurement point P1 to Pn on the antenna 100. Then, each received radio wave can be corrected as a radio wave received on the same circumference of the antenna 100. Furthermore, due to the reversibility of radio wave transmission and reception, it is possible to express the characteristics of the radio wave received by the antenna 100 as the characteristics of the transmitted radio wave. Therefore, instead of manually switching between the horizontally polarized and vertically polarized antennas of the antenna 100 and the probe antenna by repeatedly stopping and moving the antenna 100, it is possible to automatically switch between them and estimate and measure the radio wave characteristics in the concentric directions of the antenna 100. As a result, it is possible to acquire the required characteristics of the antenna 100 in a short time.

[0091] The invention made by the inventor has been specifically described above based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the antenna directivity measuring device 200 can be applied to antennas of different types than those described above. Furthermore, the above embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all of the described configurations. Furthermore, some of the configurations of the above embodiments can be added, deleted, or replaced with other configurations.

[0092] Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be partially or entirely implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. The above-described configurations, functions, etc. may also be implemented in software, with a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements each function. Information such as the programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in a storage device such as a memory, a hard disk, or an SSD (Solid State Drive), or in a storage medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

[0093] In addition, in the above figures, the control lines and information lines shown are those that are considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines that are actually implemented. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected.

[0094] The invention made by the inventor has been specifically described above based on an embodiment, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 200...antenna directivity measuring device, 210...input unit, 220...control unit, 220a...estimation unit, 221...trigger signal generating unit, 222...radiated radio wave information generating unit, 223...received radio wave signal information analyzing unit, 224...correction unit, 220b...selection control unit, 230...output unit, 240...storage unit, 1000...antenna directivity measuring system

Claims

1. an output unit that outputs transmission radio wave signal information for generating transmission radio wave signals to be transmitted to a plurality of circumferentially arranged probe antennas; an input unit for inputting received radio wave signal information generated from a received radio wave signal generated at an antenna that receives a transmitted radio wave radiated from the probe antenna to which the transmitted radio wave signal is transmitted and that is movably disposed along a central axis of a circumference formed by the plurality of probe antennas; an estimation unit that estimates the directivity of the antenna in a circumferential direction of a concentric circle relative to the central axis of the antenna from the received radio wave signal information generated from the received radio wave signal generated in the antenna when the received radio wave signal information input from the input unit includes information corresponding to received radio waves from a measurement point to which the antenna has moved along the direction of the central axis; a selection control unit that selects a polarization direction of the transmission radio wave and the reception radio wave, and controls to input the reception radio wave signal information generated from the reception radio wave signal generated in the antenna corresponding to the selected polarization direction; An antenna directivity measuring device comprising:

2. an output unit that outputs transmission radio wave signal information for generating a transmission radio wave signal to be transmitted to an antenna that is arranged movably along the central axis of a circumference formed by the plurality of probe antennas arranged in a circumferential shape; an input unit for inputting received radio wave signal information generated from a received radio wave signal generated in the probe antenna that receives the transmitted radio wave radiated from the antenna to which the transmitted radio wave signal is transmitted; an estimation unit that estimates the directivity of the antenna in a circumferential direction of a concentric circle relative to the central axis of the antenna from the received radio wave signal information generated from the received radio wave signal generated in the probe antenna when the received radio wave signal information input from the input unit includes information corresponding to the transmitted radio wave from a measurement point to which the antenna has moved along the direction of the central axis; a selection control unit that selects a polarization direction of the transmission radio wave and the reception radio wave, and controls to input the reception radio wave signal information generated from the reception radio wave signal generated in the probe antenna corresponding to the selected polarization direction; An antenna directivity measuring device comprising:

3. 3. The antenna directivity measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the selection control unit selects the polarization direction as two orthogonal directions, receives the received radio wave signals from the two directions at one measurement point, and controls the device to input the received radio wave signal information.

4. 4. The antenna directivity measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the estimation unit performs an inverse Fourier transform in the direction of the central axis of the antenna from the received radio wave signal information of the received radio wave received by the antenna from the probe antenna, or the received radio wave signal information of the received radio wave received by the probe antenna from the antenna, and then performs a correction process for the direction of the central axis of the antenna at the measurement point.

5. An antenna directivity measurement device according to any one of claims 1 to 4; the probe antenna; the antenna; a positioner that can perform an operation of moving the antenna in a central axis direction of the antenna so that the antenna passes inside the probe antennas that are concentrically arranged; An antenna directivity measurement system comprising:

6. The probe antenna is configured so that a horizontally polarized antenna and a vertically polarized antenna are installed so as to cross each other so as to be able to transmit and receive horizontally polarized radio waves and vertically polarized radio waves, and the antenna is also configured so as to be able to transmit and receive horizontally polarized radio waves and vertically polarized radio waves, 6. The antenna directivity measurement system of claim 5, wherein the selection control unit selects one of the probe antenna and the intersecting antenna of the antenna so as to transmit and receive the horizontally polarized radio waves at one measurement point and inputs the received radio wave signal information, and selects the other of the probe antenna and the intersecting antenna of the antenna so as to transmit and receive the vertically polarized radio waves and inputs the received radio wave signal information.

7. The correspondence relationship between the center positions of transmission and reception of radio waves of each of the circumferentially arranged probe antennas that transmit or receive radio waves and the center positions of transmission and reception of radio waves of the antenna that receives or transmits the radio waves is as follows:

7. The antenna directivity measurement system according to claim 5, wherein the central angle between the transmitting and receiving center positions of adjacent probe antennas is the same as the central angle between the transmitting and receiving center positions of adjacent antennas, and the distances in the Z-axis direction of the antennas between the transmitting and receiving center positions of adjacent antennas are the same or different.

8. the antenna comprises a low-band radiating element portion and a high-band radiating element portion; 8. An antenna directivity measurement system according to claim 5, wherein the frequency band of radio waves transmitted and received from the high-band radiating element unit is higher than the frequency band of radio waves transmitted and received from the low-band radiating element unit, and the frequency band of the high-band radiating element unit includes the gigahertz band.

9. an output step of outputting transmission radio wave signal information for generating transmission radio wave signals to be transmitted to a plurality of circumferentially arranged probe antennas; an input step of inputting received radio wave signal information generated from a received radio wave signal generated at an antenna that receives a transmission radio wave radiated from the probe antenna to which the transmission radio wave signal is transmitted and that is arranged movably along the central axis of a circumference formed by the plurality of probe antennas; an estimation step of estimating the directivity of the antenna in a circumferential direction of a concentric circle relative to the central axis of the antenna from the received radio wave signal information generated from the received radio wave signal generated at the antenna when the received radio wave signal information input in the input step includes information corresponding to received radio waves from a measurement point to which the antenna has moved along the direction of the central axis; a selection control step of selecting a polarization direction of the transmission radio wave and the reception radio wave, and controlling to input the reception radio wave signal information generated from the reception radio wave signal generated in the antenna corresponding to the selected polarization direction; A method for controlling an antenna directivity measurement device comprising:

10. an output step of outputting transmission radio wave signal information for generating a transmission radio wave signal to be transmitted to an antenna arranged movably along the central axis of a circumference formed by the plurality of probe antennas; an input step of inputting received radio wave signal information generated from a received radio wave signal generated in the probe antenna that receives the transmitted radio wave radiated from the antenna to which the transmitted radio wave signal is transmitted; an estimation step of estimating the directivity of the antenna in a circumferential direction of a concentric circle relative to the central axis of the antenna from the received radio wave signal information generated from the received radio wave signal generated in the probe antenna when the received radio wave signal information input in the input step includes information corresponding to a transmitted radio wave from a measurement point to which the antenna has moved along the direction of the central axis; a selection control step of selecting a polarization direction of the transmission radio wave and the reception radio wave, and controlling to input the reception radio wave signal information generated from the reception radio wave signal generated in the probe antenna corresponding to the selected polarization direction; A method for controlling an antenna directivity measurement device comprising:

11. A program for causing a computer to execute the method for controlling an antenna directivity measurement device according to claim 9 or 10.

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