Antenna and antenna device

Abstract

To provide an antenna and an antenna device, that enhance a convenience in a physical detection technique such as a millimeter wave radar.SOLUTION: An antenna 1 comprises: a substrate 10; a first conductor 21 that is formed on a first surface of the substrate 10; a second conductor 22 that is arranged near the first conductor 21 with a slight space therebetween; a third conductor 23 that is arranged so as to partially surround the circumference of the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22; a ground conductor that is formed on a second surface side of the substrate 10; a power supply part 40; and an intermediate conductor 51 that is arranged between the first conductor 21, the second conductor 22, and the ground conductor 30. A power is supplied to the first conductor 21 via the power supply part 40. Thus, the first conductor 21, the second conductor 22, the third conductor 23, and the intermediate conductor 51 are functioned as a radiation element. By providing the first conductor 21, the second conductor 22, and the third conductor 23, a current distribution of a lower direction (a Y-shaft load direction) is enhanced, and a gain of an inclination lower direction is improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an antenna and an antenna device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in fields such as the automobile industry, technology for measuring the distance between a vehicle and a predetermined object has become increasingly important. In particular, in recent years, various RADAR (Radio Detecting and Ranging) technologies have been researched, which measure the distance between a vehicle and an object by transmitting radio waves such as millimeter waves and receiving the waves reflected by the object, such as an obstacle. The importance of such technology for measuring distance is expected to increase in the future along with the development of technologies for assisting drivers and technologies related to autonomous driving, which automates driving partially or completely.

[0003] Antennas that can be used in technologies such as the above-mentioned radar have been proposed for a variety of applications or usage modes. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a planar antenna that can be thinned and easily manufactured. This planar antenna is said to be able to improve directivity in a specific direction and increase gain both before and after the direction of direction of direction. Furthermore, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a microstrip line type planar array antenna that can improve antenna gain and reduce the number of feed antenna elements. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-211447 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-244961 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In technologies such as the above-mentioned radar, if the directivity of the receiving antenna could be changed to a different direction without using an RF switch, convenience could be improved for specific applications or usage situations.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an antenna and an antenna device that improve convenience in object detection technology such as millimeter-wave radar. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The antenna according to one embodiment comprises: A substrate; a first conductor and a second conductor formed on a first surface of the substrate; a third conductor partially surrounding the first conductor and the second conductor; Equipped with. the first conductor and the second conductor are each formed in a planar shape based on a quadrilateral, the second conductor is disposed adjacent to the first conductor, The third conductor is disposed along three of the four sides that define the first conductor and along a pair of opposite sides that define the four sides that define the second conductor.

[0008] An antenna device according to an embodiment includes: A plurality of antennas according to an embodiment are arranged on the substrate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one embodiment, it is possible to provide an antenna and an antenna device that improve convenience in object detection technology such as millimeter wave radar. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the configuration of an antenna according to a comparative example of the embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA′ shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a simulation result of an operation of an antenna according to a comparative example of an embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 10 is a front view showing the configuration of an antenna device according to a comparative example of the embodiment. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating simulation results of an operation of an antenna device according to a comparative example of an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of an antenna according to a first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB' in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a simulation result of the operation of the antenna according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 1 is a front view showing the configuration of an antenna device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 10] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating simulation results of the operation of the antenna device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the configuration of an antenna according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC' in FIG. 11. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a simulation result of the operation of the antenna according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the configuration of an antenna device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating simulation results of the operation of the antenna device according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] In the present disclosure, an antenna may be an energy converter for emitting electrical energy in the form of electromagnetic waves into space or for receiving and absorbing electromagnetic waves from space. In the present disclosure, an antenna may be an electric circuit designed to improve the energy conversion efficiency as described above. Also, in the present disclosure, an antenna may be a device for transmitting (radiating) and / or receiving (absorbing) radio waves, converting electrical energy into radio waves and emitting them into space, or receiving radio waves and converting them into current in a circuit.

[0012] In the present disclosure, an "electronic device" equipped with an antenna may refer to a device powered by electricity. An electronic device equipped with an antenna according to an embodiment may include at least one of a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna. An electronic device equipped with an antenna according to an embodiment transmits electromagnetic waves as transmission waves from the transmitting antenna. For example, if a predetermined object is present around an electronic device equipped with an antenna according to an embodiment, at least a portion of the transmission waves transmitted from the electronic device is reflected by the object and becomes a reflected wave. The electronic device can then detect the object by receiving such a reflected wave with the receiving antenna of the electronic device. For example, an electronic device equipped with an antenna according to an embodiment can measure the distance to the predetermined object. Furthermore, an electronic device equipped with an antenna according to an embodiment can also measure the relative speed of the electronic device with respect to the predetermined object. Furthermore, an electronic device equipped with an antenna according to an embodiment can also measure the direction (angle of arrival) in which a reflected wave from the predetermined object arrives at the electronic device.

[0013] An electronic device including an antenna according to an embodiment can be installed in a roadside device that monitors the operation status of a vehicle (mobile body) such as an automobile, and can detect a predetermined object such as a mobile body that exists around the roadside device. Also, an electronic device including an antenna according to an embodiment can be installed in any device, such as a traffic light, and can detect a predetermined object such as a mobile body that exists around the device.

[0014] An electronic device including an antenna according to an embodiment may typically be a radar (Radio Detecting and Ranging) sensor that transmits and receives radio waves. However, an electronic device including an antenna according to an embodiment is not limited to a radar sensor. Such sensors may include, for example, a patch antenna. Since RADAR-like technologies are already known, detailed descriptions may be appropriately simplified or omitted. An electronic device including an antenna according to an embodiment may employ, for example, an LED or a laser as a light source. An electronic device including an antenna according to an embodiment may employ, for example, a photodiode as a light receiving element. An electronic device including an antenna according to an embodiment may use, for example, a lens to control directivity.

[0015] In radar technology, there is a known method for estimating the direction of arrival (DOA) of radio waves from the phase difference of radio waves received by multiple antennas, such as an array antenna (antenna array). Examples of such DOA estimation methods include the MUSIC (MUltiple SIgnal Classification) method and the ESPRIT (Estimation of Signal Parameter via Rotational Invariance Techniques) method. The DOA of radio waves can be estimated with at least two antennas. However, in order to increase the angular resolution of DOA estimation (increase the array degrees of freedom (N-1, where N is the number of antennas)), the multiple receiving antennas may all be configured as array antennas of the same shape.

[0016] In order to extend the detectable distance of a radar, it is necessary to increase the antenna gain. Furthermore, to increase the antenna gain, an array antenna in which antenna elements are regularly arranged may be configured. For example, in the case of an in-vehicle corner radar, an antenna with a directivity in which the beam width is wide in the horizontal direction and narrow in the vertical direction can be configured by arranging array antennas vertically. For example, in the case of a radar for forward detection, a high-gain antenna can be configured by arranging antennas vertically and horizontally and narrowing the beam in the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0017] Conventionally, array antennas have been used that have high gain and narrow beamwidth antenna directivity by combining radio wave transmission or reception from multiple antenna elements. In such array antennas, the maximum gain, directivity direction, and beamwidth can be adjusted by controlling the number of antenna elements, the spacing between antenna elements, and the phase difference between antenna elements. One characteristic of array antennas is that increasing gain is necessary to extend the radar detection distance. On the other hand, increasing gain narrows the antenna beamwidth, thereby narrowing the detection range. Furthermore, generally, combining directivities from different directions can cause interference between antenna elements. In such antennas, the antenna characteristics cannot be calculated by simple summation. Therefore, the design of such antennas can be complex.

[0018] In a transmitting antenna, it is possible to differentiate the antenna characteristics by giving each of the multiple ports different gains, directivities, and beam widths. On the other hand, in a receiving antenna, in order to estimate the direction of arrival with high accuracy, it is necessary to make the antenna characteristics the same for all ports within a limited number of ports. As mentioned above, it is possible to estimate the direction of arrival of radio waves with at least two receiving antennas. However, it is difficult to estimate the direction of arrival with high accuracy using a two-port receiving antenna.

[0019] It is also envisioned that millimeter-wave radar installed in a relatively high place (e.g., 2.5 m or higher) such as a traffic light or a pole on which a traffic light is installed may be used to detect both long-distance and short-distance objects (e.g., automobiles and pedestrians). In such cases, it is desirable to have directivity in the front direction for detecting long-distance objects, and directivity in a downward or diagonally downward direction for detecting short-distance objects.

[0020] However, when directing the directivity downward using phase control, the gain in the forward direction decreases. This makes it difficult to ensure antenna gain in two directions with a single antenna. In such cases, it may seem possible to address the issue by switching the receiving antenna with a switch. However, RF switches compatible with the 79 GHz band are not easy to obtain. Furthermore, switching the receiving antenna with a switch degrades the noise figure (NF). Therefore, such receiving antennas cause a decrease in receiving sensitivity. Furthermore, when multiple antennas are installed, interference between the antennas becomes an issue.

[0021] An antenna according to an embodiment can also be used in the above-described manner. The antenna according to an embodiment can receive two polarized waves with different directivities. Furthermore, the antenna according to an embodiment can strengthen the directivity in a predetermined direction. In particular, the antenna according to an embodiment can strengthen the directivity in a direction including a vertical component with a single antenna element. In describing the antenna according to an embodiment below, first, an antenna according to a comparative example of the embodiment will be described as a comparison target for the antenna according to the embodiment.

[0022] 1 and 2 are diagrams schematically illustrating the configuration of an antenna according to a comparative example of an embodiment. Fig. 1 is a front view of the antenna according to the comparative example of an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna according to the comparative example of an embodiment shown in Fig. 1 taken along line A-A'.

[0023] 1 and 2, the X-axis direction may be the horizontal direction or the left-right direction. In particular, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the positive X-axis direction may be the right direction, and the negative X-axis direction may be the left direction. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the Y-axis direction may be the vertical direction or the up-down direction. In particular, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the positive Y-axis direction may be the up direction, and the negative Y-axis direction may be the down direction. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the Z-axis direction may be the front-to-back direction. In particular, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the positive Z-axis direction may be the forward direction or front (front) direction, and the negative Z-axis direction may be the rearward direction or rearward direction.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1 and / or FIG. 2, an antenna 1' according to a comparative example of an embodiment may include a substrate 10', a conductor 20', a ground conductor 30', and a feeding portion 40'.

[0025] The substrate 10' may be a circuit board used in ordinary electric or electronic circuits. The substrate 10' may be configured to include, for example, a dielectric. The surface of the substrate 10' shown in FIG. 1 (i.e., the surface of the substrate 10' facing in the positive direction of the Z axis) will be conveniently referred to as the front surface, obverse surface, or first surface. The surface of the substrate 10' shown in FIG. 1 opposite to the first surface (i.e., the surface of the substrate 10' facing in the negative direction of the Z axis) will be conveniently referred to as the rear surface, reverse surface, or second surface.

[0026] 1 and 2 may illustrate a portion of the substrate 10'. For example, FIG. 1 may illustrate a portion of the substrate 10' up to the periphery of the conductor 20'. For example, the substrate 10' may have a larger portion of the substrate 10' near the periphery of the conductor 20' than that shown in FIG. 1. The size and / or shape of the substrate 10' are not particularly limited, but as an example, the substrate 10' may be larger than the conductor 20' described below and may have a shape based on a quadrilateral, for example.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the antenna 1', a conductor 20' may be formed on the first surface side of the substrate 10'. The conductor 20' may function as an antenna element (radiating element). The conductor 20' may be made of a metal material such as copper. The conductor 20' may also be formed on the first surface of the substrate 10' by, for example, printed wiring. The size and / or shape of the conductor 20' are not particularly limited, but as an example, the conductor 20' may have a shape based on a quadrilateral, with each side measuring approximately 1 mm. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the conductor 20' is shaped like a square. However, the conductor 20' may have other shapes.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2, a ground conductor 30' may be formed on the second surface of the substrate 10' in the antenna 1'. The ground conductor 30' may be made of a metal material such as copper. The ground conductor 30' may be formed on the second surface of the substrate 10' by, for example, printed wiring. The size and / or shape of the ground conductor 30' are not particularly limited. The ground conductor 30' may be formed over the entire second surface of the substrate 10', or may be formed over a portion of the second surface of the substrate 10'. The pattern of the ground conductor 30' formed on the second surface of the substrate 10' may also be various.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, in the antenna 1′, the conductor 20′ is electrically connected via a power supply 40′. In FIG. 1, the power supply 40′ is indicated by a dashed line. The power supply 40′ may include a feed point made of a metal material such as copper. The power supply 40′ may be formed, for example, at a location where a via and / or a through hole is drilled in the substrate 10′. In the antenna 1′, power is supplied to the conductor 20′ via the power supply 40′. This allows the conductor 20′ to function as an antenna element (radiating element). Power may be supplied to the antenna 1′ from a power supply line. Power may be supplied to the antenna 1′ from an RF port of the SoC via a microstrip line or the like, and then to the antenna 1′ via the power supply 40′. Therefore, there may be no electrical continuity between the power supply 40′ and the ground conductor 30′.

[0030] 1 and 2, the feed portion 40' is located below the center of the conductor 20'. However, the feed portion 40' may be located at another position on the conductor 20'.

[0031] In this way, the antenna 1' may be configured in the same manner as a normal microstrip antenna (a microstrip patch antenna or a patch antenna), etc. For example, the antenna 1' may be a planar antenna including a substrate 10' made of a dielectric material or the like, a radiating element (conductor 20') that is, for example, printed on the front surface (first surface) of the substrate, and a ground conductor plate (ground conductor 30') that is, for example, printed on the back surface (second surface) of the substrate.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the basic configuration of an antenna element is a microstrip antenna formed in a pattern on a dielectric substrate. Microstrip antennas (patch antennas) are excited at a wavelength determined by the antenna dimensions, and a main lobe is formed in the front direction of the conductor. As will be described later, the gain of the main lobe can be increased by increasing the number of antenna elements and forming an array antenna. In addition, beamforming technology, which changes the direction of the main lobe by controlling the input phase of each antenna element, can be used in mobile communications and / or radar applications.

[0033] Next, the characteristics of the antenna 1' shown in Figures 1 and 2, particularly the vertical directivity of the antenna 1', will be described. Below, the results of simulating the operation of the antenna 1' shown in Figures 1 and 2 will be described.

[0034] Fig. 3 is a graph plotting the gain for each polarization of the radiating element (conductor 20') of the antenna 1' shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 3 shows the relationship between the gain of the polarization of the antenna 1' shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and the angle in a plane parallel to the YZ plane. That is, Fig. 3 shows the vertical directivity of the antenna 1' shown in Figs. 1 and 2 at a horizontal angle of 0°. Here, the horizontal angle of 0° indicates the positive direction of the Y axis, that is, the upward direction of the radiating element shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as will be described later.

[0035] The radial direction of the pie chart shown in Fig. 3 indicates the magnitude of the gain (dBi). The circumferential direction of the pie chart shown in Fig. 3 indicates the angle (°) on a plane parallel to the YZ plane. In the circumferential direction of the pie chart shown in Fig. 3, 90° indicates the positive direction of the Z axis, i.e., the front direction of the radiating element shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the circumferential direction of the pie chart shown in Fig. 3, 0° indicates the positive direction of the Y axis, i.e., the upward direction of the radiating element shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the circumferential direction of the pie chart shown in Fig. 3, 180° (-180°) indicates the negative direction of the Y axis, i.e., the downward direction of the radiating element shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

[0036] The curve (gain θ) shown by a solid line in the graph of Fig. 3 indicates the directivity of the antenna 1' shown in Fig. 1 with respect to the polarization plane in the Y-axis direction. Also, the curve (gain φ) shown by a dashed line in the graph of Fig. 3 indicates the directivity of the antenna 1' shown in Fig. 1 with respect to the polarization plane in the X-axis direction. The output of the antenna 1' shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is linearly polarized. As shown in Fig. 1, the gain θ and the gain φ are orthogonal to each other.

[0037] According to the antenna 1' shown in Figures 1 and 2, the gain θ is the main polarization, as shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, the results of simulating the gain θ in the front direction (90°) and the diagonal downward direction of 60° (150°) are as follows: Gain at 90°: 6.3 dBi (point m3 in Figure 3) Gain at 150°: 4.1 dBi (point m2 in Figure 3)

[0038] Next, an antenna device in which a plurality of antennas 1' shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are arrayed will be described.

[0039] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of an antenna device in which a plurality of antennas 1' shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are arrayed. The directions of the coordinate axes shown in Fig. 4 may be defined in the same way as in Fig. 1.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 4, the antenna device 100' according to the comparative example of the embodiment may be configured by arranging a total of eight antenna elements, four elements on the upper side and four elements on the lower side, in an array, each of which is the antenna 1' shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. In this way, the antenna device 100' according to the comparative example of the embodiment may be an array antenna (antenna array) in which a plurality of antennas 1' are arranged in an array.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, in the antenna device 100′, the antenna 1′ of the upper four elements and the antenna 1′ of the lower four elements may be configured so that the positions of the feed points are different. As shown in FIG. 4, the antenna 1′ of the upper four elements of the antenna device 100′ are arranged in the same orientation as the antenna 1′ shown in FIG. 1. That is, in the antenna 1′ of the upper four elements of the antenna device 100′, the feed portion 40′ is arranged downward from the center of the conductor 20′. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the antenna 1′ of the lower four elements of the antenna device 100′ are arranged in an orientation rotated 90° counterclockwise around the Z axis from the antenna 1′ shown in FIG. 1. That is, in the antenna 1′ of the lower four elements of the antenna device 100′, the feed portion 40′ is arranged rightward from the center of the conductor 20′. Therefore, in the antenna device 100′, the antenna 1′ of the upper four elements and the antenna 1′ of the lower four elements have different (orthogonal) radiation polarization planes.

[0042] Next, the characteristics of the antenna device 100' shown in Fig. 4, particularly the vertical directivity of the antenna device 100', will be described. Below, the results of simulating the operation of the antenna 1' shown in Fig. 4 will be described.

[0043] Fig. 5 is a graph plotting the gain for each polarization of the antenna device 100' shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 5 shows the relationship between the gain of the polarization of the antenna device 100' shown in Fig. 4 and the angle in a plane parallel to the YZ plane. That is, Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the vertical directivity of the antenna device 100' shown in Fig. 4 at a horizontal angle of 0°. The definitions in the graph shown in Fig. 5 may be the same as those in Fig. 3.

[0044] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the antenna 1' with the four upper elements has a gain θ for primary polarization (directivity is diagonally downward), and the antenna 1' with the four lower elements has a gain φ for primary polarization (directivity is in the forward direction). Also, as shown in Figure 5, the input of each element in the antenna 1' with the four upper elements is phase-shifted, so that the main lobe is directed diagonally downward (gain θ). As shown in Figure 5, the main lobe has a peak at approximately 133°.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 5, according to the antenna device 100′ shown in FIG. 4, the results of simulating the gain φ in the front direction (90°) and the gain θ in the diagonally downward direction (133°, 150°) are as follows: Gain at 90°: 8.7 dBi (point m5 in Figure 5) Gain at 133°: 7.6 dBi (point m4 in Figure 5) Gain at 150°: 3.7 dBi (point m2 in Figure 5)

[0046] (First embodiment) Next, the antenna according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0047] 6 and 7 are diagrams schematically showing the configuration of the antenna according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a front view of the antenna according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 6, taken along line B-B'. The directions of the coordinate axes shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 may be defined in the same way as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0048] As shown in Figures 6 and / or 7, the antenna 1 according to the first embodiment may include a substrate 10, a first conductor 21, a second conductor 22, a third conductor 23, a ground conductor 30, a power supply section 40, and an intermediate conductor 51.

[0049] The substrate 10 may be configured similarly to a circuit board used in a typical electric or electronic circuit. The substrate 10 may be configured to include, for example, a dielectric. The surface of the substrate 10 shown in FIG. 6 (i.e., the surface of the substrate 10 in the positive direction of the Z axis) will be conveniently referred to as the front surface or obverse surface, or the first surface. The surface of the substrate 10 opposite to the first surface (i.e., the surface of the substrate 10 in the negative direction of the Z axis) will be conveniently referred to as the rear surface or reverse surface, or the second surface.

[0050] 6 and 7 may illustrate a portion of the substrate 10. For example, FIG. 6 may illustrate a portion of the substrate 10 up to and including the periphery of the third conductor 23. For example, the substrate 10 may have a larger portion of the substrate 10 near the periphery of the third conductor 23 than that shown in FIG. 6. The size and / or shape of the substrate 10 is not particularly limited, but as an example, the substrate 10 may be larger than the third conductor 23 and may have a shape based on a quadrilateral or the like.

[0051] 6 and 7, in the antenna 1, a first conductor 21, a second conductor 22, and a third conductor 23 may be formed on the first surface side of the substrate 10. The first conductor 21, the second conductor 22, and the third conductor 23 may function as antenna elements (radiating elements). The first conductor 21, the second conductor 22, and the third conductor 23 may be made of a metal material such as copper. Furthermore, the first conductor 21, the second conductor 22, and the third conductor 23 may be formed on the first surface of the substrate 10 by, for example, printed wiring.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 6, the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 may be formed in a planar shape based on a quadrilateral with sides of about 1 mm. The first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 may be formed in the same shape or substantially the same shape. The first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 may be arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction. The first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 may also be arranged near each other. The first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 may be arranged slightly spaced apart from each other as shown in Fig. 6.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 6, the third conductor 23 may be formed to partially surround the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22. As shown in FIG. 6, the third conductor 23 may be disposed slightly spaced apart from the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the third conductor 23 may include a first portion 23a, a second portion 23b, and a third portion 23c. The first portion 23a and the third portion 23c may be formed as elongated conductors extending in the vertical direction. The second portion 23b may be formed as an elongated conductor extending in the horizontal direction and coupled to the first portion 23a and the third portion 23c, respectively. The third conductor 23 may be disposed along three of the four sides (two vertical sides and one upper horizontal side) of the first conductor 21. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 6, the third conductor 23 may be arranged along one pair of opposing sides (two vertical sides) of the four sides that form the second conductor 22. As shown in Fig. 6, the third conductor 23 may be formed into a U-shape as a whole by a first portion 23a, a second portion 23b, and a third portion 23c. The size of the third conductor 23 is not particularly limited, but as an example, the length of the first portion 23a and the third portion 23c in the Y-axis direction may be about 2 mm, and the length of the second portion 23b in the X-axis direction may be about 1 mm.

[0054] As described above, the antenna 1 according to the first embodiment may include the substrate 10, the first conductor 21, the second conductor 22, and the third conductor 23. The first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 may be formed on a first surface of the substrate 10. The third conductor 23 may partially surround the peripheries of the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22. The first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 may each be formed in a planar shape based on a quadrilateral. The second conductor 22 may be arranged next to the first conductor 21. The third conductor 23 may be arranged along three of the four sides forming the first conductor 21 and along one pair of opposite sides of the four sides forming the second conductor 22.

[0055] 7, in the antenna 1, a ground conductor 30 may be formed on the second surface side of the substrate 10. The ground conductor 30 may be made of a metal material such as copper. The ground conductor 30 may be formed on the second surface of the substrate 10 by, for example, printed wiring. The size and / or shape of the ground conductor 30 are not particularly limited. The ground conductor 30 may be formed on the entire second surface of the substrate 10, for example, or may be formed on a part of the second surface of the substrate 10. The pattern of the ground conductor 30 formed on the second surface of the substrate 10 may also be various.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , in the antenna 1, the first conductor 21 may be electrically connected via a power supply unit 40. In FIG. 6 , the power supply unit 40 is indicated by a dashed line. The power supply unit 40 may include a power supply point made of a metal material such as copper. The power supply unit 40 may be formed, for example, at a location where a via and / or a through hole is drilled in the substrate 10. In the antenna 1, power is supplied to the first conductor 21 via the power supply unit 40. As a result, the first conductor 21, the second conductor 22, the third conductor 23, and the intermediate conductor 51 function as an antenna element (radiating element). Power may be supplied to the antenna 1 from a power supply line. Power may be supplied to the antenna 1 from an RF port of the SoC via a microstrip line or the like, and then to the antenna 1 via the power supply unit 40. Therefore, there may be no electrical continuity between the power supply unit 40 and the ground conductor 30.

[0057] 6 and 7, the power feeding portion 40 is disposed above the center of the first conductor 21. However, the power feeding portion 40 may be disposed at another position on the first conductor 21.

[0058] In this way, the antenna 1 according to the first embodiment may include at least one power feeding section 40. The power feeding section 40 may electromagnetically feed power to at least one of the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 7 , an intermediate conductor 51 may be disposed between the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 and the ground conductor 30. The intermediate conductor 51 may function as an antenna element (radiating element). The intermediate conductor 51 may have a function of electromagnetically coupling at least one of the first conductor 21, the second conductor 22, and the third conductor 23. The intermediate conductor 51 may be made of a metal material such as copper. As shown in FIG. 7 , the intermediate conductor 51 may be formed inside the substrate 10. In FIG. 6 , the intermediate conductor 51 is indicated by a dashed line. As shown in FIG. 7 , the intermediate conductor 51 may be disposed between the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 and the ground conductor 30. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6 , the intermediate conductor 51 may be disposed at a position that partially overlaps the first conductor 21 in the Y-axis direction when the substrate 10 is seen through a plan view. 6, the intermediate conductor 51 may be disposed at a position where it partially overlaps the second conductor 22 in the Y-axis direction when the substrate 10 is seen through from above. As shown in FIG. 6, the intermediate conductor 51 may be formed to be smaller in size than at least one of the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 in a direction (X-axis direction) perpendicular to the direction in which the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 are arranged side by side (Y-axis direction).

[0060] As described above, the antenna 1 according to the first embodiment may include the ground conductor 30 and the intermediate conductor 51. The ground conductor 30 may be formed on the second surface of the substrate 10 opposite to the first surface. The intermediate conductor 51 may be disposed between the ground conductor 30 and the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22. The intermediate conductor 51 may be embedded inside the substrate 10. The intermediate conductor 51 may be disposed at a position where it partially overlaps with each of the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 when the substrate 10 is seen through from above. The intermediate conductor 51 may be formed to be smaller in size than at least one of the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 are arranged side by side.

[0061] Next, a description will be given of the characteristics of the antenna 1 shown in Figures 6 and 7, particularly the vertical directivity of the antenna 1. Below, a description will be given of the results of simulating the operation of the antenna 1 shown in Figures 6 and 7.

[0062] Fig. 8 is a graph plotting the gain for each polarization of the radiating element of the antenna 1 shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. Fig. 8 shows the relationship between the gain of the polarization of the antenna 1 shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 and the angle in a plane parallel to the YZ plane. That is, Fig. 8 shows the directivity in the vertical direction at 0° in the horizontal direction of the antenna 1 shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7.

[0063] The radial direction of the pie chart shown in Fig. 8 indicates the magnitude of the gain (dBi). The circumferential direction of the pie chart shown in Fig. 8 indicates the angle (°) on a plane parallel to the YZ plane. In the circumferential direction of the pie chart shown in Fig. 8, 90° indicates the positive direction of the Z axis, i.e., the front direction of the radiating element shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In the circumferential direction of the pie chart shown in Fig. 8, 0° indicates the positive direction of the Y axis, i.e., the upward direction of the radiating element shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In the circumferential direction of the pie chart shown in Fig. 8, 180° (-180°) indicates the negative direction of the Y axis, i.e., the downward direction of the radiating element shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

[0064] The curve (gain θ) shown by a solid line in the graph of Fig. 8 indicates the directivity of the polarization plane in the Y-axis direction of the antenna 1 shown in Fig. 6. The curve (gain φ) shown by a dashed line in the graph of Fig. 8 indicates the directivity of the polarization plane in the X-axis direction of the antenna 1 shown in Fig. 6. The output of the antenna 1 shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is linearly polarized. As shown in Fig. 6, the gain θ and the gain φ are orthogonal to each other.

[0065] According to the antenna 1 shown in Figures 6 and 7, the gain θ is the main polarization, as shown in Figure 8. As shown in Figure 8, the results of simulating the gain θ in the front direction (90°) and the diagonal downward 60° direction (150°) are as follows: Gain at 90°: 6.5 dBi (point m2 in Figure 8) Gain at 150°: 5.5 dBi (point m4 in Figure 8)

[0066] The antenna 1 according to the first embodiment includes a first conductor 21, a second conductor 22, and a third conductor 23 that partially surrounds the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22, thereby strengthening the current distribution in the downward direction (negative direction of the Y-axis). As a result, the antenna 1 according to the first embodiment can improve the gain in the diagonally downward direction compared to the antenna 1' shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The antenna 1' shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 had a gain of 4.1 dBi in the 150° direction. The antenna 1 according to the first embodiment had a gain of 5.5 dBi in the 150° direction. Therefore, the antenna 1 according to the first embodiment achieves an improvement of +1.4 dBi compared to the antenna 1' shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0067] Next, an antenna device in which a plurality of antennas 1 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are arrayed will be described.

[0068] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an antenna device in which a plurality of antennas 1 shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 are arrayed. The directions of the coordinate axes shown in Fig. 9 may be defined in the same way as in Fig. 6.

[0069] As shown in Fig. 9, the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment may be configured by arranging the antenna 1 shown in Figs. 6 and 7 in a four-element array on the upper side. In addition, in the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment, the four elements on the lower side may have the same configuration as the antenna device 100' shown in Fig. 4. That is, the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment may be configured by arranging the antenna 1' shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in a four-element array on the lower side. In this way, the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment may be an array antenna (antenna array) in which a plurality of antennas 1' and 1 are arranged in an array.

[0070] 9, the antenna device 100 may be configured such that the antenna 1 of the upper four elements and the antenna 1' of the lower four elements have different feed points. As shown in FIG. 9, the antenna 1 of the upper four elements of the antenna device 100 is arranged in the same orientation as the antenna 1 shown in FIG. 6. That is, in the antenna 1 of the upper four elements of the antenna device 100, the feed portion 40 is arranged higher than the center of the first conductor 20. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, the antenna 1' of the lower four elements of the antenna device 100 is arranged in an orientation rotated 90° counterclockwise around the Z axis from the antenna 1' shown in FIG. 1. That is, in the antenna 1' of the lower four elements of the antenna device 100, the feed portion 40' is arranged higher than the center of the conductor 20'. Therefore, in the antenna device 100, the antenna 1 of the upper four elements and the antenna 1' of the lower four elements have different (orthogonal) radiation polarization planes.

[0071] As described above, in the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment, a plurality of antennas 1 according to the first embodiment may be arranged on the substrate 10. In this case, a plurality of antennas 1 according to the first embodiment may be arranged in an array on the substrate 10. Furthermore, in the plurality of antennas 1 arranged on the substrate 10, the portions of the third conductors 23 that do not surround the peripheries of the first conductors 21 and the second conductors 22 may be arranged in approximately the same direction. That is, in the plurality of antennas 1 arranged on the substrate 10, the patterns of the respective third conductors 23 may be arranged to face the same direction.

[0072] Next, a description will be given of the characteristics of the antenna device 100 shown in Fig. 9, particularly the vertical directivity of the antenna device 100. Below, a description will be given of the results of simulating the operation of the antenna 1 shown in Fig. 9.

[0073] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a graph plotting the gain for each polarization of the antenna device 100 shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 10 shows the relationship between the gain of the polarization of the antenna device 100 shown in Fig. 9 and the angle in a plane parallel to the YZ plane. That is, Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the vertical directivity of the antenna device 100 shown in Fig. 9 at 0° in the horizontal direction. The definitions in the graph shown in Fig. 10 may be the same as those in Fig. 8.

[0074] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the antenna 1 of the four upper elements has a gain θ that is primarily polarized (directivity is diagonally downward), and the antenna 1' of the four lower elements has a gain φ that is primarily polarized (directivity is in the forward direction). Also, as shown in Figure 10, the antenna 1 of the four upper elements has a main lobe that is directed diagonally downward (gain θ) due to the phase shift of the input to each element. As shown in Figure 10, the main lobe has a peak at approximately 133°. As shown in Figure 10, the antenna 1 of the four upper elements of the antenna device 100 has a polarization plane that increases the gain θ, similar to the antenna device 100' shown in Figure 4, and by providing a phase difference, the main lobe is directed downward.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 10, according to the antenna device 100 shown in FIG. 9, the results of simulating the gain φ in the front direction (90°) and the gain θ in the diagonally downward directions (133°, 150°) are as follows: Gain at 90°: 8.8 dBi (point m5 in Figure 5) Gain at 133°: 8.5 dBi (point m9 in Figure 5) Gain at 150°: 5.0 dBi (point m4 in Figure 5)

[0076] The antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment can improve the gain in the diagonally downward direction compared to the antenna device 100′ shown in FIG. 4. The antenna device 100′ shown in FIG. 4 had a gain of 7.6 dBi in the 133° direction. The antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment had a gain of 8.5 dBi in the 133° direction. Therefore, the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment achieves an improvement of +0.9 dB compared to the antenna device 100′ shown in FIG. 4. Furthermore, the antenna device 100′ shown in FIG. 4 achieved a gain of 3.7 dBi in the 150° direction. The antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment achieved a gain of 5.0 dB in the 150° direction. Therefore, the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment achieves an improvement of +1.3 dB compared to the antenna device 100′ shown in FIG. 4. In this way, the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment can improve the gain in the diagonally downward direction even when a plurality of antennas 1 according to the first embodiment are arranged in an array.

[0077] (Second embodiment) Next, an antenna according to a second embodiment will be described.

[0078] 11 and 12 are diagrams schematically showing the configuration of an antenna according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a front view of the antenna according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 11, taken along line CC'. The directions of the coordinate axes shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 may be defined in the same way as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0079] Below, we will focus on the differences from the antenna 1 of the first embodiment described above, and explanations that are the same or similar to the antenna 1 of the first embodiment described above will be simplified or omitted as appropriate.

[0080] 11 and / or 12, the antenna 2 according to the second embodiment may include a substrate 10, a first conductor 21, a second conductor 22, a third conductor 23, a ground conductor 30, and a power feed section 40. In the antenna 2 according to the second embodiment, the substrate 10, the first conductor 21, the second conductor 22, the third conductor 23, the ground conductor 30, and the power feed section 40 may be configured in the same manner as the antenna 1 according to the first embodiment described above.

[0081] 11, the antenna 2 according to the second embodiment may include a fourth conductor 24 on the first surface side of the substrate 10. The fourth conductor 24 may function as an antenna element (radiating element). The fourth conductor 24 may be made of a metal material such as copper. The fourth conductor 24 may also be formed on the first surface of the substrate 10 by, for example, printed wiring.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 11 , the fourth conductor 24 may be formed so as to partially surround the periphery of the second conductor 22. As shown in FIG. 11 , the fourth conductor 24 may be arranged slightly spaced from the second conductor 22. The fourth conductor 24 may be formed as an elongated conductor extending in the horizontal direction. As shown in FIG. 11 , the fourth conductor 24 may be arranged so as to extend along one of the four sides (the lower side in the horizontal direction) of the second conductor 22. As shown in FIG. 6 , the fourth conductor 24 may be arranged in a portion of the periphery of the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 that is not surrounded by the third conductor 23. The size of the fourth conductor 24 is not particularly limited, but as an example, the length in the X-axis direction may be approximately 1 mm.

[0083] As described above, the antenna 2 according to the second embodiment may include a fourth conductor 24 formed on the first surface of the substrate 10. In the antenna 2 according to the second embodiment, the fourth conductor 24 may be arranged in a location around the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 that is not surrounded by the third conductor 23. Furthermore, the fourth conductor 24 may be arranged along one of the four sides that form the second conductor 22, excluding one side on which the first conductor 21 is arranged side by side and one pair of opposite sides along which the third conductor 23 is arranged.

[0084] As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , in the antenna 2, the fourth conductor 24 may be connected to the ground conductor 30 via through holes 42, 44, and 46. In FIG. 11 , the through holes 42, 44, and 46 are indicated by dashed lines. The through holes 42, 44, and 46 may include feed points made of a metal material such as copper. The through holes 42, 44, and 46 may be formed, for example, at locations where vias and / or through holes are drilled in the substrate 10. Power may be supplied to the fourth conductor 24 by coupling with the second conductor 22. As a result, the fourth conductor 24 may function as an antenna element (radiating element).

[0085] In this way, in the antenna 2 according to the second embodiment, the fourth conductor 24 formed on the first surface of the substrate 10 may be electrically connected to the ground conductor 30 via at least one of the through holes 42, 44, and 46.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 12 , an intermediate conductor 52 may be disposed between the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 and the ground conductor 30. The intermediate conductor 52 may function as an antenna element (radiating element). The intermediate conductor 52 may have a function of electromagnetically coupling at least one of the first conductor 21, the second conductor 22, and the third conductor 23. The intermediate conductor 52 may be made of a metal material such as copper. As shown in FIG. 12 , the intermediate conductor 52 may be formed inside the substrate 10. In FIG. 11 , the intermediate conductor 52 is indicated by a dashed line. As shown in FIG. 12 , the intermediate conductor 52 may be disposed between the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 and the ground conductor 30. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11 , the intermediate conductor 52 may be disposed at a position that partially overlaps the first conductor 21 in the Y-axis direction when the substrate 10 is seen through a plan view. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, the intermediate conductor 52 may be disposed at a position where it partially overlaps the second conductor 22 in the Y-axis direction when the substrate 10 is seen through a plan view.

[0087] 11, the intermediate conductor 52 may be formed to have substantially the same size as the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 in a direction (X-axis direction) perpendicular to the direction (Y-axis direction) in which the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 are arranged side by side. In this way, the intermediate conductor 52 may be formed to have substantially the same size as at least one of the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22 are arranged side by side.

[0088] Next, a description will be given of the characteristics of the antenna 2 shown in Figures 11 and 12, particularly the vertical directivity of the antenna 2. Below, a description will be given of the results of simulating the operation of the antenna 2 shown in Figures 11 and 12.

[0089] Fig. 13 is a graph plotting the gain for each polarization of the radiating elements of antenna 2 shown in Figs. 11 and 12. Fig. 13 shows the relationship between the gain of the polarization of antenna 2 shown in Figs. 11 and 12 and the angle in a plane parallel to the YZ plane. In other words, Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the vertical directivity of antenna 2 shown in Figs. 11 and 12 at a horizontal angle of 0°. The graph shown in Fig. 13 can be read in the same way as the graph shown in Fig. 8.

[0090] According to the antenna 2 shown in Figures 11 and 12, the gain θ is the main polarization, as shown in Figure 13. As shown in Figure 13, the results of simulating the gain θ in the front direction (90°) and the diagonal downward 60° direction (150°) are as follows: Gain at 90°: 6.3 dBi (point m2 in Figure 13) Gain at 150°: 6.0 dBi (point m4 in Figure 13)

[0091] The antenna 2 according to the second embodiment includes a first conductor 21, a second conductor 22, a third conductor 23 that partially surrounds the first conductor 21 and the second conductor 22, and a fourth conductor 24, thereby strengthening the current distribution in the downward direction (negative direction of the Y-axis). As a result, the antenna 2 according to the second embodiment can improve the gain in the diagonally downward direction compared to the antenna 1' shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The antenna 1' shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 had a gain of 4.1 dBi in the 150° direction. The antenna 2 according to the second embodiment had a gain of 6.0 dBi in the 150° direction. Therefore, the antenna 2 according to the second embodiment achieves an improvement of +1.9 dBi compared to the antenna 1' shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0092] Next, an antenna device in which a plurality of antennas 2 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 are arrayed will be described.

[0093] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an antenna device in which a plurality of antennas 2 shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12 are arrayed. The directions of the coordinate axes shown in Fig. 14 may be defined in the same way as in Fig. 6.

[0094] As shown in Fig. 14, the antenna device 200 according to the second embodiment may be configured by arranging the antenna 2 shown in Figs. 11 and 12 in a four-element array on the upper side. In addition, in the antenna device 200 according to the second embodiment, the four elements on the lower side may have the same configuration as the antenna device 100' shown in Fig. 4. That is, the antenna device 200 according to the second embodiment may be configured by arranging the antenna 1' shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in a four-element array on the lower side. In this way, the antenna device 200 according to the second embodiment may be an array antenna (antenna array) in which a plurality of antennas 1' and 2 are arranged in an array.

[0095] 14, the antenna 2 of the upper four elements of the antenna device 200 and the antenna 1' of the lower four elements may be configured so that the positions of the feed points are different. As shown in FIG. 14, the antenna 2 of the upper four elements of the antenna device 200 are arranged in the same orientation as the antenna 2 shown in FIG. 11. That is, in the antenna 2 of the upper four elements of the antenna device 200, the feed portion 40 is arranged upward from the center of the first conductor 20. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14, the antenna 1' of the lower four elements of the antenna device 200 is arranged in an orientation rotated 90° counterclockwise around the Z axis from the antenna 1' shown in FIG. 1. That is, in the antenna 1' of the lower four elements of the antenna device 200, the feed portion 40' is arranged to the right of the center of the conductor 20'. Therefore, in the antenna device 200, the antenna 2 of the upper four elements and the antenna 1' of the lower four elements have different (orthogonal) radiation polarization planes.

[0096] As described above, in the antenna device 200 according to the second embodiment, a plurality of antennas 2 according to the second embodiment may be arranged on the substrate 10. In this case, a plurality of antennas 2 according to the second embodiment may be arranged in an array on the substrate 10. Furthermore, in the plurality of antennas 2 arranged on the substrate 10, the portions of the third conductors 23 that do not surround the peripheries of the first conductors 21 and the second conductors 22 may be arranged in approximately the same direction. That is, in the plurality of antennas 2 arranged on the substrate 10, the patterns of the respective third conductors 23 may be arranged so as to face the same direction. Furthermore, in the plurality of antennas 2 arranged on the substrate 10, the patterns of the respective fourth conductors 24 may also be arranged so as to face the same direction.

[0097] Next, a description will be given of the characteristics of the antenna device 200 shown in Fig. 14, particularly the vertical directivity of the antenna device 200. Below, a description will be given of the results of simulating the operation of the antenna 2 shown in Fig. 14.

[0098] Fig. 15 is a diagram showing a graph plotting the gain for each polarization of antenna device 200 shown in Fig. 14. Fig. 15 shows the relationship between the gain of polarization of antenna device 200 shown in Fig. 14 and the angle in a plane parallel to the YZ plane. That is, Fig. 15 is a diagram showing the vertical directivity of antenna device 200 shown in Fig. 14 at 0° in the horizontal direction. The definitions in the graph shown in Fig. 15 may be the same as those in Fig. 8.

[0099] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, antenna 2 of the four upper elements has a gain θ that is primarily polarized (directivity is diagonally downward), and antenna 1' of the four lower elements has a gain φ that is primarily polarized (directivity is in the forward direction). Also, as shown in Figure 15, antenna 1 of the four upper elements has a main lobe that is directed diagonally downward (gain θ) due to the phase shift of the input to each element. As shown in Figure 15, the main lobe has a peak at approximately 133°. As shown in Figure 15, antenna 2 of the four upper elements of antenna device 200 has a polarization plane that increases gain θ, similar to antenna device 100' shown in Figure 4, and by providing a phase difference, the main lobe is directed downward.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 15, according to the antenna device 200 shown in FIG. 14, the results of simulating the gain φ in the front direction (90°) and the gain θ in the diagonally downward direction (133°, 150°) are as follows: Gain at 90°: 8.8 dBi (point m5 in Figure 5) Gain at 133°: 8.5 dBi (point m9 in Figure 5) Gain at 150°: 5.1 dBi (point m4 in Figure 5)

[0101] The antenna device 200 according to the second embodiment can improve the gain in the diagonally downward direction compared to the antenna device 100′ shown in FIG. 4. The antenna device 100′ shown in FIG. 4 had a gain of 7.6 dBi in the 133° direction. The antenna device 200 according to the second embodiment had a gain of 8.5 dBi in the 133° direction. Therefore, the antenna device 200 according to the second embodiment achieves an improvement of +0.9 dB compared to the antenna device 100′ shown in FIG. 4. Furthermore, the antenna device 100′ shown in FIG. 4 achieved a gain of 3.7 dBi in the 150° direction. The antenna device 200 according to the second embodiment achieved a gain of 5.1 dBi in the 150° direction. Therefore, the antenna device 200 according to the second embodiment achieves an improvement of +1.4 dB compared to the antenna device 100′ shown in FIG. 4. In this way, the antenna device 200 according to the second embodiment can improve the gain in the diagonally downward direction even when a plurality of antennas 2 according to the second embodiment are arranged in an array.

[0102] As described above, according to the antenna and antenna device of one embodiment, the directivity of the receiving antenna can be directed, for example, in the forward direction and diagonally downward direction without using a functional unit such as an RF switch. Therefore, according to the antenna and antenna device of one embodiment, it is possible to improve the convenience in object detection technology such as millimeter-wave radar.

[0103] With the above-described configuration, the antenna and antenna device according to an embodiment have directivity, for example, in a downward direction (diagonally downward), and can receive a reflected wave of a transmitted wave reflected by an object in the downward direction. Also, with the above-described configuration, the antenna and antenna device according to an embodiment have directivity, for example, in a front direction (forward), and can receive a reflected wave of a transmitted wave reflected by an object in the front direction.

[0104] The antenna and antenna device according to one embodiment can be used, for example, as a device installed in or near a roadside device or a traffic light to detect automobiles, pedestrians, and the like traveling on a road. That is, the antenna and antenna device according to one embodiment realizes a function to detect automobiles and the like located relatively close below the device. Furthermore, the antenna and antenna device according to one embodiment also realizes a function to detect automobiles and the like located relatively far from the device in a direction close to the horizontal direction of the device.

[0105] In this way, the antenna and antenna device according to one embodiment can change the direction of directivity. Therefore, the antenna and antenna device according to one embodiment can switch the beam direction of the transmitted wave or the received wave as well as the width or narrowness of the directivity, thereby improving convenience in specific usage situations.

[0106] As described above, according to the antenna and antenna device of an embodiment, the directivity of the receiving antenna can be directed in the forward direction and diagonally downward direction without using an RF switch or the like. Furthermore, according to the antenna and antenna device of an embodiment, when directing the directivity of the receiving antenna in the forward direction and diagonally downward direction, different characteristics can be used, such as a high-gain receiving antenna with a narrow beam width on one side and a low-gain receiving antenna with a wide beam width on the other side. According to the antenna and antenna device of an embodiment, by changing the polarization of the antenna in two directions, such as the forward direction and diagonally downward direction, interference between elements when directivities in different directions are combined is suppressed. This allows the antenna and antenna device of an embodiment to improve design freedom and ease.

[0107] In particular, according to the antenna device of one embodiment, the feed circuit is split into two parts, one for the antenna element facing the front direction and the other for the antenna element facing the downward direction, allowing the antenna elements to be treated as separate array antennas. Therefore, the antenna device of one embodiment facilitates directivity design. Furthermore, the antenna device of one embodiment facilitates distribution of feed power to the front direction and the diagonally downward direction, facilitating gain design. According to the antenna device of one embodiment, the split antennas can be positioned such that the antenna with directivity in the front direction is located lower than the ground and the antenna with directivity in the diagonally downward direction is located higher than the ground. With this configuration, the antenna device of one embodiment suppresses interference between elements when a radome is included, simplifying design. As described above, the antenna device of one embodiment improves antenna directivity design.

[0108] According to the antenna of the embodiment, it is possible to enhance the directivity in the diagonally downward direction for a single antenna element. Due to this effect, even when an array antenna (antenna device) is configured using the antenna of the embodiment, it is possible to improve the gain in the downward direction.

[0109] While the present disclosure has been described based on various drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art would easily be able to make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions contained in each functional unit can be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies. Multiple functional units may be combined into one or divided. The above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to faithful implementation of each of the described embodiments, but may be implemented by combining features or omitting some features as appropriate. In other words, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, these modifications and alterations are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in each embodiment, each functional unit, means, step, etc. can be added to other embodiments so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, or can be replaced with each functional unit, means, step, etc. of other embodiments. Furthermore, in each embodiment, multiple functional units, means, steps, etc. can be combined into one or divided into two or more. Furthermore, each of the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to being implemented faithfully according to each of the described embodiments, but can also be implemented by combining each feature or omitting some of them as appropriate.

[0110] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be implemented as a transmission / reception system including a transmitting device having a transmitting antenna and a receiving device having a receiving antenna. In this case, the transmitting device may include a first transmitting antenna that transmits radio waves having directivity in a first direction with a first polarization, and a second transmitting antenna that transmits radio waves having directivity in a second direction different from the first direction with a second polarization. The receiving device may include a first receiving antenna that has directivity in the first direction, and a second receiving antenna that has directivity in the second direction. The first receiving antenna may have a maximum reception gain when the radio waves received by the first receiving antenna are polarized in the first polarization direction. The second receiving antenna may have a maximum reception gain when the radio waves received by the second receiving antenna are polarized in the second polarization direction.

[0111] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are not limited to implementation as an antenna and an antenna device. For example, the above-described embodiments may be implemented as an electronic device or a transmission / reception system including an antenna or an antenna device according to an embodiment. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are not limited to implementation as an electronic device or a transmission / reception system. For example, the above-described embodiments may be implemented as a control method for a device such as an electronic device or a transmission / reception system including an antenna or an antenna device according to an embodiment. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be implemented as a control program for a device such as an electronic device or a transmission / reception system including an antenna or an antenna device according to an embodiment. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be implemented as a recording medium or storage medium on which a program executed in a device such as an electronic device or a transmission / reception system including an antenna or an antenna device according to an embodiment is recorded, i.e., a computer-readable recording medium or storage medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1,2 Antenna 10 Substrate 21 First Conductor 22 Second Conductor 23 Third Conductor 24 4th conductor 30 Grounding conductor 40 Power supply unit 42, 44, 46 through holes 51,52 Intermediate conductor 100,200 Antenna equipment

Claims

1. A substrate; a first conductor and a second conductor formed on a first surface of the substrate; a third conductor partially surrounding the first conductor and the second conductor; Equipped with the first conductor and the second conductor are each formed in a planar shape based on a quadrilateral, the second conductor is disposed adjacent to the first conductor, The third conductor is arranged along three of the four sides forming the first conductor and along a pair of opposite sides of the four sides forming the second conductor.

2. a ground conductor formed on a second surface of the substrate opposite to the first surface; an intermediate conductor disposed between the first conductor, the second conductor, and the ground conductor; The antenna of claim 1 , comprising:

3. The antenna of claim 2 , wherein the intermediate conductor is embedded within the substrate.

4. The antenna according to claim 2 , wherein the intermediate conductor is disposed at a position where it partially overlaps with each of the first conductor and the second conductor when the substrate is seen in a plan view.

5. The antenna according to claim 2 , wherein the intermediate conductor is formed to have a size smaller than at least one of the first conductor and the second conductor in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first conductor and the second conductor are arranged side by side.

6. 3. The antenna according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate conductor is formed to have approximately the same size as at least one of the first conductor and the second conductor in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first conductor and the second conductor are arranged side by side.

7. The antenna according to claim 1 , further comprising a feeding section that electromagnetically feeds power to at least one of the first conductor and the second conductor.

8. a fourth conductor formed on the first surface of the substrate; The antenna according to claim 2 , wherein the fourth conductor is electrically connected to the ground conductor.

9. The antenna according to claim 8 , wherein the fourth conductor is disposed around the first conductor and the second conductor at a location not surrounded by the third conductor.

10. 9. The antenna according to claim 8, wherein the fourth conductor is arranged along one of the four sides forming the second conductor, excluding one side on which the first conductor is arranged side by side and one pair of opposite sides along which the third conductor is arranged.

11. An antenna device comprising a plurality of antennas according to claim 1 arranged on the substrate.

12. The antenna device according to claim 11 , wherein a plurality of the antennas are arranged in an array on the substrate.

13. 13. The antenna device according to claim 12, wherein in the plurality of antennas arranged on the substrate, the portions of the third conductor that do not surround the first conductor and the second conductor are arranged in substantially the same direction.

Images