Antenna reflectors and covers for wireless communication devices

Abstract

An antenna device provided by the present invention is an antenna reflector for reflecting radio waves emitted by multiple patch antennas arranged side by side. The antenna reflector comprises: a first conductor plate, which is arranged so as to overlap with the multiple patch antennas when viewed in a direction in which the radio waves are emitted, and is also arranged obliquely to the emission direction in which the radio waves are emitted by the patch antennas when viewed in a vertical direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the multiple patch antennas and the emission direction; and a second conductor plate which is arranged to face one surface of the first conductor plate. The one surface of the first conductor plate is formed in a parabolic curved surface concave toward a substrate in a cross-section thereof when viewed in a normal direction of the substrate, the surface of the second conductor plate facing the first conductor plate side is formed flat or in a parabolic curved surface convex toward the first conductor plate, and a substrate-side end part of the first conductor plate and a substrate-side end part of the second conductor plate are arranged so as to sandwich the multiple patch antennas when viewed in a vertical direction.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a reflector for an antenna and a cover for a wireless communication device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, wireless communication devices have been used for various purposes, such as watching videos and playing games. To enable comfortable use in such applications, wireless communication devices are being developed to support 5G, which enables higher capacity and faster communication. 5G uses millimeter wave radio waves for communication, for example.

[0003] For example, an antenna device has been proposed in which radio waves arriving from an object are reflected in a predetermined direction by a first reflector, and the radio waves reflected by the first reflector are reflected by a second reflector toward an antenna (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-89109 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 116866 / 1983 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When a user holds a wireless communication device in their hand, the user's fingers or other objects may be positioned in the direction of radio waves emitted by an antenna included in the wireless communication device. If radio waves emitted by the antenna are blocked by an obstruction such as a finger, the communication speed of the wireless communication device may decrease. In such cases, it is possible to avoid the influence of the fingers by expanding the coverage range of the antenna using beamforming. However, with beamforming, radio wave intensity decreases as the radiation angle of the radio waves increases, so expanding the coverage range using beamforming may not be sufficient to avoid the influence of obstructions such as fingers.

[0006] An object of one aspect of the disclosed technology is to provide an antenna reflector and a cover for a wireless communication device that can increase the coverage range of the antenna. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the disclosed technology is exemplified by the following antenna reflector. The antenna reflector reflects radio waves radiated by a patch antenna. The antenna reflector includes: a first conductor plate arranged to overlap the patch antenna when viewed in a radiation direction in which the radio waves are radiated, and having one surface oriented obliquely with respect to the radiation direction of the radio waves from the patch antenna; and a second conductor plate arranged to face the one surface of the first conductor plate. The one surface of the first conductor plate is formed to have a parabolic surface that is concave toward the patch antenna in a cross section when viewed in the radiation direction. The surface of the second conductor plate facing the first conductor plate is formed flat or to have a parabolic surface that is convex toward the first conductor plate in a cross section when viewed in the radiation direction. The end of the first conductor plate facing the patch antenna and the end of the second conductor plate facing the patch antenna are arranged to sandwich the patch antenna when viewed in the radiation direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The disclosed technology allows for a wider coverage range of the antenna. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an antenna reflector according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the patch antenna module. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the path of radio waves emitted from a patch antenna module. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a first diagram illustrating the parameters set in the simulation. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a second diagram illustrating the parameters set in the simulation. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a first diagram illustrating the radiation pattern of a patch antenna module. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a second diagram illustrating the radiation pattern of the patch antenna module. [Figure 6C] FIG. 6C is a third diagram illustrating the radiation pattern of the patch antenna module. [Figure 6D] FIG. 6D is a fourth diagram illustrating the radiation pattern of the patch antenna module. [Figure 6E] FIG. 6E is a fifth diagram illustrating the radiation pattern of the patch antenna module. [Figure 6F] FIG. 6F is a sixth diagram illustrating the radiation pattern of the patch antenna module. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a first diagram illustrating a radiation pattern of a patch antenna module provided with an antenna reflector according to an embodiment. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a second diagram illustrating the radiation pattern of the patch antenna module provided with the antenna reflector according to the embodiment. [Figure 7C]FIG. 7C is a third diagram illustrating the radiation pattern of the patch antenna module provided with the antenna reflector according to the embodiment. [Figure 7D] FIG. 7D is a fourth diagram illustrating the radiation pattern of the patch antenna module provided with the antenna reflector according to the embodiment. [Figure 7E] FIG. 7E is a sixth diagram illustrating the radiation pattern of the patch antenna module provided with the antenna reflector according to the embodiment. [Figure 7F] FIG. 7F is a first diagram illustrating a radiation pattern of a patch antenna module provided with an antenna reflector according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a smartphone case provided with an antenna reflector according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a smartphone equipped with the patch antenna module 1. As shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the coverage of a patch antenna module in which no antenna reflector is disposed when no finger is placed in the radiation direction of radio waves. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the coverage range of a patch antenna module in which no antenna reflector is provided when a finger is placed in the radiation direction of radio waves. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the coverage range of an antenna device in which an antenna reflector is arranged when a finger is placed in the radiation direction of radio waves. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an antenna reflector according to a first modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a first diagram illustrating a schematic example of how radio waves reflected by a first conductor plate travel toward a second conductor plate. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a second diagram illustrating a schematic example of how radio waves reflected by the first conductor plate travel toward the second conductor plate. [Figure 16]FIG. 16 is a third diagram illustrating a schematic example of how radio waves reflected by the first conductor plate travel toward the second conductor plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] <Embodiment> The configurations of the embodiments described below are examples, and the disclosed technology is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. An antenna reflector according to the embodiments has, for example, the following configuration. The antenna reflector according to the present embodiment is an antenna reflector that reflects radio waves radiated by a patch antenna. The antenna reflector includes: a first conductor plate that is arranged to overlap with the patch antenna when viewed in the radiation direction of the radio waves, and that is arranged with one surface oriented obliquely with respect to the radiation direction of the radio waves from the patch antenna; and a second conductor plate that is arranged to face the one surface of the first conductor plate.

[0011] One surface of the first conductor plate is formed to be a parabolic surface that is concave toward the patch antenna in a cross section viewed in the radial direction, and the surface of the second conductor plate facing the first conductor plate is formed flat or is formed to be a parabolic surface that is convex toward the first conductor plate in a cross section viewed in the radial direction, and the end of the first conductor plate on the patch antenna side and the end of the second conductor plate on the patch antenna side are arranged to sandwich the patch antenna when viewed in the radial direction.

[0012] In the antenna reflector, radio waves radiated from the patch antenna are reflected by the one surface of the first conductor plate. Here, the one surface of the first conductor plate is formed as a parabolic surface concave toward the substrate, so that the first conductor plate can reflect the radio waves radiated as spherical waves from the patch antenna as plane waves with as little leakage as possible. The radio waves reflected by the first conductor plate are reflected by a second conductor plate disposed opposite the one surface of the first conductor plate. The second conductor plate is formed so that the surface facing the first conductor plate is flat or a parabolic surface convex toward the first conductor plate. Therefore, the second conductor plate can radiate the radio waves arriving from the first conductor plate as plane waves over a wider range. Here, when the second conductor plate is formed as the parabolic surface, it can radiate the state of the spherical waves radiated from the patch antenna, thereby achieving a more favorable effect in expanding the coverage range. In this antenna reflector, wider coverage can be achieved by determining the direction of the surfaces of the first and second conductor plates that reflect radio waves according to the desired direction in which the radio waves are to be emitted.

[0013] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the antenna reflector will be further described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an antenna reflector 100 according to the embodiment. The antenna reflector 100 includes a first conductor plate 2 and a second conductor plate 3. The antenna reflector 100 is a reflector that reflects radio waves emitted from a patch antenna module 1.

[0014] The patch antenna module 1 is an antenna module in which multiple patch antennas are arranged. The patch antenna module 1 is arranged, for example, on a ground substrate 110. The ground substrate 110 is, for example, a substrate on which a grounded conductor is provided on the surface on which the patch antenna module 1 is arranged. The patch antenna module 1 is arranged so that the direction of radio wave radiation is directed toward the first conductor plate 2.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a front view of the patch antenna module 1. The patch antenna module 1 includes a substrate 12 formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and four patch antennas 11 arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 12. The patch antennas 11 receive power from a power supply point (not shown) and radiate radio waves toward the front side of the paper in Fig. 2.

[0016] 2 illustrates four patch antennas 11, the patch antenna module 1 may include three or fewer patch antennas 11, or may include five or more patch antennas 11. Also, in FIG. 2, the patch antennas 11 are arranged in a row, but the patch antennas 11 may be arranged in two or more rows. Also, in FIG. 2, the patch antennas 11 are formed in a rectangular shape, but the patch antennas 11 may be formed in a shape other than a rectangle. Hereinafter, in this specification, the direction in which the patch antennas 11 emit radio waves is referred to as the Z direction, the direction in which the patch antennas 11 are arranged is referred to as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X and Z directions is referred to as the Y direction.

[0017] Returning to FIG. 1 , the first conductor plate 2 is a member made of a conductor such as metal and arranged in the direction in which the patch antenna module 1 emits radio waves when viewed in the Y direction. The first conductor plate 2 is formed so that its cross section in the Y direction describes a parabolic surface with a predetermined curvature. That is, the first conductor plate 2 includes a concave side surface 21 that is a side surface formed in a concave shape and a convex side surface 22 that is a side surface formed in a convex shape. The first conductor plate 2 is arranged so that the concave side surface 21, which is the surface facing the patch antenna module 1, faces the patch antenna module 1.

[0018] For example, when the distance from the center of the patch antenna module 1 to the center of the concave side surface 21 in the YZ plane cut out at an arbitrary X coordinate is D, z is the z coordinate value, and y is the y coordinate value, the curvature of the concave side surface 21 is set so that it becomes a parabolic surface for which the following equation (1) holds true.

number

[0019] The relative positions of the patch antenna module 1 and the first conductor plate 2 are preferably determined so that the patch antenna module 1 is located at the focus of the concave side surface 21 of the first conductor plate 2, which has a parabolic curved surface. Furthermore, the first conductor plate 2 is disposed obliquely with respect to the radiation direction of radio waves from the patch antenna module 1 when viewed in the Y direction. The first conductor plate 2 is preferably set at an angle of 45 degrees when viewed in the Y direction with respect to the radiation direction of radio waves from the patch antenna module 1. The first conductor plate 2 reflects the radio waves radiated from the patch antenna module 1 at the concave side surface 21 toward the second conductor plate 3. The first conductor plate is an example of a "first conductor plate."

[0020] The second conductor plate 3 is a member made of a conductor such as metal and arranged in the direction in which the first conductor plate 2 reflects radio waves. The second conductor plate 3 is formed so that its cross section in the Y direction describes a parabolic surface with a second curvature. That is, the second conductor plate 3 includes a concave side surface 31 that is a concave side surface and a convex side surface 32 that is a convex side surface. The second conductor plate 3 is arranged so that the convex side surface 32 faces the first conductor plate 2. The second conductor plate 3 reflects the radio waves from the patch antenna module 1 that are reflected by the first conductor plate 2 with the convex side surface 32. The distance D1 between the first conductor plate 2 and the second conductor plate 3 may be set appropriately according to the desired radio wave emission position. The second conductor plate 3 is an example of a "second conductor plate."

[0021] 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating the paths of radio waves radiated from the patch antenna module 1. In FIG. 3, the paths of the radio waves are schematically illustrated by arrows L1, L2, and L3. The radio waves radiated from the patch antenna module 1 are reflected by the concave side surface 21 of the first conductor plate 2. The radio waves reflected by the concave side surface 21 are then reflected by the convex side surface 32 of the second conductor plate 3 and radiated toward the outside of the patch antenna module 1.

[0022] (simulation) A simulation for verifying the effect of the antenna reflector 100 will be described. FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating the parameters set in the simulation. In this simulation, the angle θ1 between the substrate 12 of the patch antenna module 1 and the first conductor plate 2 when viewed in the Y direction is set to 45 degrees. The distance D2 from the tip 23 of the first conductor plate 2, which is the tip farthest from the substrate 12, to the substrate 12 is set to 46 mm. In other words, when the wavelength of the radio waves radiated by the patch antenna module 1 is λ, the first conductor plate 2 is positioned within a range of 8λ from the patch antenna module 1. Furthermore, the height H1 of the first conductor plate 2 and the second conductor plate 3 is set to 40 mm. The frequency of the radio waves radiated by the patch antenna module 1 is set to 26 GHz. The conductivity of the first conductor plate 2 and the second conductor plate 3 is set to 5.8×10 7 The tip end 23 is set to [S / m]. The tip end 23 is an example of the "end opposite to the patch antenna."

[0023] Here, a spherical wave is radiated from the patch antenna module 1 in the direction shown by arrow L1 in Fig. 3. The spherical wave radiated from the patch antenna module 1 is reflected and concentrated by the concave side surface 21 of the first conductor plate 2, and is reflected as a plane wave toward the second conductor plate 3. Therefore, by concentrating the radio waves from the patch antenna module 1 with the concave side surface 21, the first conductor plate 2 can allow the radio waves, including side lobes, from the patch antenna module 1 to reach the second conductor plate 3 without diffusing them.

[0024] Then, a plane wave from the first conductor plate 2, as exemplified by arrow L2 in Fig. 3, is incident on the convex side surface 32 of the second conductor plate 3. The plane wave incident on the convex side surface 32 is diffused by the convex side surface 32 and reflected as a spherical wave toward the outside of the patch antenna module 1, as exemplified by arrow L3 in Fig. 3. Therefore, the second conductor plate 3 can reflect the spherical wave in the direction exemplified by arrow L3 by reflecting the plane wave from the first conductor plate 2 at the convex side surface 32 formed in a convex shape.

[0025] Here, the radiation pattern of the patch antenna module 1 (i.e., without the antenna reflector 100) is compared with the radiation pattern of the patch antenna 1 provided with the antenna reflector according to the embodiment. Figures 6A to 6F are diagrams illustrating the radiation pattern of the patch antenna module 1. Figures 7A to 7F are diagrams illustrating the radiation pattern of the patch antenna 1 provided with the antenna reflector 100 according to the embodiment. In Figures 6A to 6F and 7A to 7F, the height of the antenna gain (dBi) is illustrated by dotted lines.

[0026] 6A and 7A illustrate a case where the phase difference between the patch antennas is "0 degrees." FIGS. 6B and 7B illustrate a case where the phase difference between the patch antennas is "-30" degrees. FIGS. 6C and 7C illustrate a case where the phase difference between the patch antennas is "-60" degrees. FIGS. 6D and 7D illustrate a case where the phase difference between the patch antennas is "-90" degrees. FIGS. 6E and 7E illustrate a case where the phase difference between the patch antennas is "-120" degrees. FIGS. 6F and 7F illustrate a case where the phase difference between the patch antennas is "-150" degrees.

[0027] 6A and 7A, 6B and 7B, 6C and 7C, 6D and 7D, 6E and 7E, and 6F and 7F, it can be seen that the patch antenna 1 provided with the antenna reflector 100 according to the embodiment, by being provided with the first conductor plate 2 and the second conductor plate 3, can radiate higher radiation over a wider range than the patch antenna module 1 not provided with the antenna reflector 100. In other words, it can be seen that by applying the antenna reflector 100 according to the present embodiment to the patch antenna module 1, a decrease in gain is suppressed even if the radiation angle is changed by beamforming.

[0028] The antenna reflector 100 described above can be used as, for example, a cover for a wireless communication device such as a smartphone. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a smartphone case 600 provided with the antenna reflector 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a smartphone 700 equipped with a patch antenna module 1. The smartphone 700 shown in FIG. 9 includes three patch antenna modules 1. The smartphone 700 may include two or less patch antenna modules 1, or may include four or more patch antenna modules 1. The smartphone case 600 is an example of a "cover for a wireless communication device."

[0029] 8, the position of the patch antenna module 1 mounted inside the smartphone 700 housed in the smartphone case 600 is illustrated by a dotted line. The smartphone case 600 includes a wall 610, a bottom 620, a housing space 630 formed by the wall 610 and the bottom 620, and an antenna reflector 100. Note that in FIG. 8, the antenna reflector 100 is illustrated as a schematic rectangle.

[0030] When the smartphone 700 is accommodated in the accommodation space 620 of the smartphone case 600, the patch antenna module 1 of the smartphone 700 is arranged, for example, as illustrated in Fig. 8. The position of the antenna reflector 100 is determined appropriately depending on the smartphone 700 to be accommodated in the smartphone case 600 when the smartphone case 600 is manufactured. By providing the antenna reflector 100 in the smartphone case 600 in this way, the antenna reflector 100 can be arranged in the direction of radiation of radio waves from the patch antenna module 1 included in the smartphone case 700.

[0031] When such a smartphone 700 is held by a user's hand, the user's hand or fingers may be positioned in the direction of radio wave radiation from the patch antenna module 1. Positioning the hand or fingers in the direction of radio wave radiation from the patch antenna module 1 is thought to affect the coverage range of the patch antenna module 1. Therefore, the coverage range during beamforming will be compared for a state where an antenna reflector 100 is placed relative to the patch antenna module 1 and a state where a finger is placed in the direction of radio wave radiation and a state where a finger is not placed in the direction of radio wave radiation.

[0032] Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating the coverage of a patch antenna module 1 without an antenna reflector 100 when a finger is not placed in the radiation direction of radio waves. Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating the coverage range of a patch antenna module 1 without an antenna reflector 100 when a finger is placed in the radiation direction of radio waves. Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating the coverage range of a patch antenna module 1 with an antenna reflector 100 when a finger is placed in the radiation direction of radio waves. Figs. 10 to 12 illustrate antenna gain (dBi) according to the beamforming angle.

[0033] Table 1 shows a comparison of the coverage efficiency of a patch antenna module 1 without an antenna reflector 100 and a patch antenna module 1 with an antenna reflector 100 when a finger is placed in the radiation direction of radio waves. In Table 1, "without reflector, with finger" illustrates the coverage efficiency of a patch antenna module 1 without an antenna reflector 100 when a finger is placed in the radiation direction of radio waves. Also, in Table 1, "with reflector, with finger" illustrates the coverage efficiency of a patch antenna module 1 with an antenna reflector 100 when a finger is placed in the radiation direction of radio waves. [Table 1]

[0034] 10 and 11, it can be seen that there are regions where the gain is reduced by placing a finger, such as region R1 near the center left edge of Fig. 11. On the other hand, comparing Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, it can be seen that even in regions where the gain is reduced in the patch antenna module 1 where the antenna reflector 100 is not arranged, the patch antenna module 1 where the antenna reflector 100 is arranged achieves a higher gain.

[0035] Furthermore, referring to Table 1, in the patch antenna module 1 in which the antenna reflector 100 is arranged, the area in which a gain of "-2.5 dBi" or more is realized is expanded by 17.4% compared to the patch antenna module 1 in which the antenna reflector 100 is not arranged. Also, it can be seen that in the patch antenna module 1 in which the antenna reflector 100 is arranged, the area in which a gain of "-5 dBi" or more is realized is expanded by 9.9% compared to the patch antenna module 1 in which the antenna reflector 100 is not arranged. In other words, by arranging the antenna reflector 100 having the first conductor plate 2 and the second conductor plate 3 in the patch antenna module 1, the area in which high gain is realized can be expanded compared to the patch antenna module 1 not having the first conductor plate 2 and the second conductor plate 3.

[0036] <Effects of the embodiment> In this embodiment, the radio waves (spherical waves) radiated by the patch antenna module 1 are reflected by the first conductor plate 2 toward the second conductor plate 3. Here, the first conductor plate 2 has a concave side surface 21 facing the patch antenna module 1. Therefore, the first conductor plate 2 converges the radio waves radiated from the patch antenna module 1 into a plane wave, thereby allowing the radio waves from the patch antenna module 1 to be reflected, including side lobes, toward the second conductor plate 3 without diffusing.

[0037] The plane wave reflected by the first conductor plate 2 is then diffused and reflected in a desired direction as a spherical wave by the convex side surface 32 of the second conductor plate 3. That is, the first conductor plate 2 converts the radio waves converted into plane waves by the patch antenna module 1 into spherical waves and radiates them, and can radiate the radio waves radiated from the patch antenna module 1 over a wider range. With this configuration, the antenna reflector 100 according to this embodiment can expand the area over which the patch antenna module 1 can radiate strong radio waves. That is, the antenna reflector 100 according to this embodiment can achieve a wider coverage range for the patch antenna module 1.

[0038] <First Modification> The first conductor plate 2 and the second conductor plate 3 are not limited to single conductor plates, but may be formed by forming parabolic surfaces of curvature corresponding to the concave side surface 21 and the convex side surface 32 on a resin or the like, and then forming the parabolic surfaces by metal plating, laser direct structuring (LDS), or the like. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an antenna reflector 100a according to a first modified example. The antenna reflector 100a includes a first resin member 120 on which a concave parabolic surface 121 corresponding to the concave side surface 21 is formed, and a second resin member 130 on which a convex parabolic surface 132 corresponding to the convex side surface 32 is formed.

[0039] A metal film is formed on the surfaces of the concave parabolic surface 121 and the convex parabolic surface 132 by metal plating, LDS, or the like. The relative positional relationship between the patch antenna module 1, the concave parabolic surface 121, and the convex parabolic surface 132 is the same as the relative positional relationship between the patch antenna module 1, the concave side surface 21, and the convex side surface 32. By employing the concave parabolic surface 121 and the convex parabolic surface 132 instead of the first conductor plate 2 and the second conductor plate 3, the strength of the conductor that reflects radio waves from the patch antenna module 1 can be ensured.

[0040] The first resin member 120 and the second resin member 130 may be part of the wall portion 610 of the smartphone case 600. Furthermore, the first resin member 120 and the second resin member 130 may be resin members prepared separately from the smartphone case 600.

[0041] <Second Modification> In the embodiment described above, a configuration has been described in which radio waves from the patch antenna module 1 are converged by the first conductor plate 2 and directed toward the second conductor plate 3. However, the first conductor plate 2 in the antenna reflector 100 is not limited to converging radio waves from the patch antenna module 1. In the second modification, a first conductor plate 2 will be described that diffuses radio waves from the patch antenna module 1 or reflects them in parallel toward the second conductor plate 3.

[0042] 14 to 16 are diagrams illustrating the state in which radio waves reflected by the first conductor plate 2 travel toward the second conductor plate 3. FIGS. 14 to 16 illustrate cross sections along line AA in FIG. 3. FIG. 14 illustrates a state in which radio waves radiated from the patch antenna module 1 are reflected by the first conductor plate 2 in parallel toward the second conductor plate 3. FIG. 15 illustrates a state in which radio waves radiated from the patch antenna module 1 are reflected toward the second conductor plate 3 after being diffused by the first conductor plate 2. FIG. 16 illustrates a state in which radio waves radiated from the patch antenna module 1 are reflected toward the second conductor plate 3 after being converged by the first conductor plate 2. FIG. 16 illustrates a configuration according to an embodiment for reference. In FIGS. 14 to 16, the dotted arrows indicate the direction of the radio waves reflected by the first conductor plate 2.

[0043] In the antenna reflector 100, the first conductor plate 2 may not only converge the radio waves from the patch antenna module 1, but also reflect the radio waves from the patch antenna module 1 in parallel toward the second conductor plate 3, or may diffuse the radio waves from the patch antenna module 1 and reflect them toward the second conductor plate 3. It is preferable that the first conductor plate 2 be able to reflect the radio waves from the patch antenna module 1, including side lobes, toward the second conductor plate 3.

[0044] <Other variations> In the embodiment described above, the second conductor plate 3 includes the convex side surface 32 formed as a parabolic surface, but the second conductor plate 3 may be formed as a flat plate. The angle between the second conductor plate 3 and the substrate 12 as viewed in the Y direction may be determined according to the desired direction in which the antenna reflector 100 radiates radio waves.

[0045] In the embodiment described above, the smartphone 700 is given as an example of a wireless communication device, but the wireless communication device to which the antenna reflector 100 is applied is not limited to a smartphone. Examples of wireless communication devices to which the antenna reflector 100 is applied include tablet terminals, notebook personal computers, and wearable terminals.

[0046] The embodiments and modifications disclosed above can be combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1. Patch antenna module 2. First conductor plate 3. Second conductor plate 11. Patch antenna 12··Substrate 21...concave side 22·Convex side 23...Tip 31...concave side 32...Convex side 100··Antenna reflector 100a··Antenna reflector 110··Ground board 120··First resin member 121··Concave parabolic surface 130 Second resin member 132··Convex parabolic surface 600··Smartphone case 610...Wall part 620··Containment space 700··Smartphone

Claims

1. An antenna reflector that reflects radio waves radiated by a patch antenna, a first conductor plate that is arranged so as to overlap with the patch antenna when viewed in a radiation direction in which the radio waves are radiated, and that is arranged with one surface facing obliquely with respect to the radiation direction of the radio waves from the patch antenna; a second conductor plate disposed so as to face the one surface of the first conductor plate, the one surface of the first conductor plate is formed to have a parabolic surface that is concave toward the patch antenna in a cross section viewed in the radiation direction, a surface of the second conductor plate facing the first conductor plate is formed flat or is formed to have a parabolic curved surface that is convex toward the first conductor plate in a cross section viewed in the radial direction, an end portion of the first conductor plate on the patch antenna side and an end portion of the second conductor plate on the patch antenna side are arranged to sandwich the patch antenna when viewed in the radiation direction, a surface of the second conductor plate facing the first conductor plate is formed to have a parabolic curved surface that is convex toward the first conductor plate in a cross section viewed in the radial direction; Reflector for antenna.

2. a focus of the parabolic surface formed on the one surface of the first conductor plate coincides with a position where the patch antenna is disposed; 2. The antenna reflector according to claim 1.

3. a distance from an end of the first conductor plate opposite to the patch antenna to the patch antenna is within a range of eight times the wavelength of the radio wave radiated by the patch antenna; 2. The antenna reflector according to claim 1.

4. When viewed in a vertical direction perpendicular to the radiation direction, the angle between the first conductor plate and the radiation direction is 45 degrees.

2. The antenna reflector according to claim 1.

5. A reflector for an antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 4, Cover for wireless communication equipment.

Images